You are here: Home / Archives for admin

It’s 500th career goal for Cristiano Ronaldo!!

October 1, 2015 by

Real Madrid’s Portuguese starlet Cristiano Ronaldo again creates history when he became the only Real player to score 500 goals playing for his nation and club. This feat has long been expected ever since he became the maximum goal scorer for the club. Portuguese took only 753 games to net as many goals while Raul, the former Real legend who has until been holding the feat, took 741 games to net 323 goals playing for the Bernabeu side. Spanish side won Wednesday game against Malmo by 2-0 powered by Ronaldo’s brace and if we look at the speed Ronaldo has been throughout career, his record is just phenomenon. Take a look: he joined Real Madrid at a record breaking fee in 2009 and has since played 308 games and netted 323 goals for them and before he had scored some 118 goals for Manchester United along with 55 for his national side. The most prolific season for him was 2011-12 when he scored 69 goals for his club and national side which is still a record.

Impressively, his last ten goals came in just six games and this performance has taken Real boss Rafa Benitez over cloud nine. Hailing his starlet, 55-year-old Spaniard said, “He has surpassed Raul, who was a phenomenon, and that shows he has scored a lot of goals. I hope he doesn’t have a ceiling. I said it was unquestionable. The merit is that it took less time than the others and this gives more value to the achievement.”

Ronaldo himself shared his excitement touching the feat and said after the game. “I am very happy. Thank you to all of my teammates for helping me reach these figures and break the record at the greatest club in the world — it’s an honour.” While former club legend Raul alos added, “What Ronaldo does you cannot name, it is on another historic level. It is incredible what he has done in only six years, scoring an average of more than 50 goals a season, when it used to be hard for me to reach 20. I hope he keeps scoring many more goals for a long time, and helps the team to win titles.”

The way Ronaldo is playing these days, nothing seems to be impossible for him, however, his success is also coupled by criticisms that he plays for himself not for his sides that is why neither his club nor his national side could achieve major titles whenever he is in best form; last world cup and last season for Real Madrid is an example of how unfair he has been for his teams.

Filed Under: Soccer News, Spain

Luis Enrique seeks more support from stadium crowd during games

September 30, 2015 by

Every manager expects his home crowd to support them not only by chants but from the heart and it becomes even more necessary when hosts are trailing to visitors. This is something that happened to Barcelona during their Tuesday night’s Champions’ League Group E clash with Bayer Leverkusen where Kyriakos Papadopoulos brought some joy for the visitors when his header gave them a crucial one goal lead. Generally, first goal is considered a decider therefore when Barca was trailing at home, it was assumed that European defenders are heading towards a shocking loss to German side especially when two of its heavyweights Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta were not playing in the game. But Bayer’s joy went short lived after Sergi Roberto equalizer and then Luis Suarez winner helped Barca eventually win the game. Even though it was a triumph at the end, but Barcelona coach Luis Enrique asks supporters to back there team on crucial moments particularly when they are trailing. He was referring to the silence ambiance inside the ground after Germans lead and questions if fans really wanted them to win the game. He said in the post-match news conference, “This team deserves more credit and more faith. These players have earned that. Things can go better or worse for you, but they always run.

“I understand whistles if they do not run, but these players always do that. We needed more support at 0-1 down, less at 1-1, and at 2-1 it was needed. You can hear the whistles plenty down there, on the pitch. We did not deserve those whistles, they can whistle us at the end of the game, but not during it, a bit more confidence would be good for us.”

Praising his team’s moral despite conceiving one goal in the beginning, Enrique added, “I am very happy as the team did not lose faith at any moment. And in the end they have pulled off a victory which is very important for a group, as I said, that was not at all easy. This result will strengthen the group a lot. Sometimes in football you can win different ways. Sometimes through faith, sometimes through play, sometimes through heart, sometimes through being effective.”

Actually, moral support plays and important role in boosting players confidence and if hosts get a backing from the live crowd it triples their confidence which later helps them recovering from earlier debacles and this is what Spanish mentor is referring to.

Filed Under: Soccer News, UEFA

Javier Hernandez leaves ManU for Bayer Leverkusen

September 1, 2015 by

Bayer-Leverkusen

Manchester United seem to be hyper active in the last phase of summer transfer window, that is why Van Gaal is using every trick in the world to convince his aspiring players join the Old Trafford side while at the same time he is also not hesitating releasing players he does not need anymore. The 27-year-old Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez is one such forward who finds it difficult now to secure a place in the team especially after arrival of French forward Anthony Martial from Monaco hence he decided to move to Bayer Leverkusen. According to preliminary reports coming in, Mexican player has signed a three-year contract at some 8.75 million with a clause that can extend his stay at Bundesliga if both the sides agree. The former Guadalajara player has been a part of United first team regularly with 157 games to his name along with a 59 goals haul in five years term that he spent in England. Performance wise, he has been grossly successful with lesser known injuries too, in fact, he was also named as the Player of the Year in the 2010-11 campaign but could not carry his form beyond 2012 making him an unwanted asset at the helm. On the other hand, Dutchman finds lot more potential in young Frenchman, hence he decided to relieve Hernandez; he was last seen as substitute in last week’s game with Club Brugge.

While United fans are calling it a shredding of surplus asset, Bayer Leverkusen fans are excited to have a former United fan into their army. Talking about the new side and how he feels joining the third most popular European league, Hernández said, “I know the English Premier League and the Primera Division in Spain, two of the three major European leagues. Now I want to experience the Bundesliga.

“It’s wonderful that I get to play for a club like Bayer Leverkusen. It’s a great opportunity for me and I want to achieve something here.”

Likewise, Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Volleralso said, “‘With ‘Chicharito,’ we have more possible variations and we’ll be more unpredictable. He’s a lively, agile and fast striker who is strong, has a good technique and a very good record. I am delighted that he has chosen to join Bayer Leverkusen. The Bundesliga can look forward to seeing a great player.”

Filed Under: England, Germany, Soccer News Tagged With: , ,

Rodgers finds Sterling replacement in Jordon Ibe

July 25, 2015 by

Liverpool seem to have found its next star after departure of Sterling to Manchester City last week, it is revealed by the manager Brendan Rodgers. According to Reds boss, 19-year-old midfielder Jordon Ibe is in his best form to replace the Sterling thanks to his impressive show in the preseason games that made everyone surprised to see his ball holding techniques. In fact, fans have already started comparing him with players like Suarez who recently moved out of Anfield and manager is as well confident they are now in better position to challenge any side in the upcoming English season. This is a coincident that Jordon is also the home grown talent who can serve Anfield side for a longer period of time if he could keep his dedication to the game alive. Calling Jordon an outstanding player, Rodgers said after preseason game in Kuala Lumpur, “Ibe has been outstanding. He has staked a real claim to start the season in the team. Wonderful goal, wonderful finish. He was very good and he has been working very hard. There are a number of qualities I think that he has. He will only improve.”

When asked if he is under any kind of pressure after their dismissible show in the last season, 42-year-old Irish football manager confidently responded, “There is no question that I was bitterly disappointed last season. There were a number of factors and reasons, but it doesn’t matter, we were disappointing so we have to be better. The owners have been very supportive of me since the time they wanted me to be manager. I understand we need to be much better than what we were last season.

“I think it was hugely disappointing at the end of last season. For the first time I felt I needed the break. That week to two weeks after the end of the season was invaluable time, but if you want to improve you have to refocus very quickly. We have made signings and we hope they will come in and make a huge impact. For me the owners have been brilliant since the first day I walked in. I take nothing for granted.

“They have been great supporters of myself, they believe in my work and my job is just to work well with the team and finish as high as we can.”

Looking at the level of confidence Rodgers carries with him; experts are advising him not to repeat the mistake Liverpool did with Sterling or Suarez and try to prolong Ibe’s stay at Anfield if they really want some fruitful results in the next season.

Filed Under: England, Soccer News Tagged With: , ,

Sterling gets moral support from Nasri after fans boo in first Manchester City game

July 22, 2015 by

Generally if you are a youngster and get an opportunity to play for your favorite side, you get a grand welcome when you start your career for the side but there have been incidents when any player – making an infamous switch – faces fans anger on the first day itself on the field. Yes you guessed it right, we are talking about promising forward Raheem Sterling who recently made a switch to Manchester City after lots of ifs and buts from Liverpool, his former side. Although, City had to shred off some 50 million pounds for the young Englishman, but he got the headlines for wrong reasons, especially for his highly negative statements about former side when he refused to play a preseason game for the Reds. Anyways, now he is a man in sky blue shirt and he proved why he was looking for a big move when he scored his first goal for Manchester giant in the first game itself – within first three minutes – when playing preseason against Roma in Australia. Surprisingly fans not welcomed his attempt but jeered their new baby for his recent headlines and it was not the first time in recent months when he faced the fans anger. If we look at his last international game in Dublin last month, there also he was the subject of boos from Republic of Ireland supporters.

His colleague in the side, midfielder Samir Nasri, has supported Sterling and his move to City, likewise 28-year-old Frenchman also criticized fans for the way they treated him on his arrival. Reacting strongly over the recent taunts, he said, “You always have stupid fans in the stadium. The same thing happened to me when I left Arsenal. You have to move on. He has come to Manchester City and you have to respect his decision.

“We just have to let him play and he will show how talented he is. He has speed and goals and he’s one of the hottest prospects in world football. If the transfer is not too heavy on his shoulders then he can bring us many, many things. I have not spoken to him about the pressure and the reaction of the fans because we did not expect this. This is a game between Roma and Manchester City in Melbourne.

“We didn’t expect anything like that from these fans, so it is a little surprise, but if he needs any advice about that, then he can come and talk to me.”

Filed Under: England, Soccer News Tagged With: ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »