The Premiership Week 7

With seven games played by nearly half of the teams, we see Chelsea alone at the top, two points separating them from Bolton Wanderers, and then a tight quartet of Man U, Pompey, Everton and Villa just one victory away from coming level with the Blues. Since the season's not only a quarter past, why not make some grandiose claims early (you'll find nothing bold here, but let me know why and how I'm wrong; we appreciate your feedback)

Who are the real deals and pretenders so far in the early days of the season?

1. Chelsea, 16 pts, 7 pld: Obviously the weapons are many in Jose Mourinho's squad, and with Shevchenko not really doing it up front, they have Didier Drogba's recent run of form, and a flagship midfield. Even when they're not playing their best, they're still pretty much better than almost everyone else at the moment. Two consecutive championships and a heap of money spent over the offseason pretty much buy them real deal status for at least half of the season, but there hasn't been any reason to think otherwise, with just one loss and one draw so far in all competitions. Besides, everyone's more interested in their clashes with Barca this month. Last five: WWWWD Next five: Reading, Pompey, Blackburn, Sheff Utd, Spurs

2. Bolton Wanderers, 14 pts, 7 pld: I'm far from convinced that Big Sam's side aren't destined for a mid-table finish, perhaps one position better than last year, as they always seem to improve slightly every year. The team has done well to play through the drama surrounding Allardyce and his thick son, after BBC's anticlimactic Panorama expose on Premiership bungs. While it's nice to see Ivan Campo back and playing well, and Bolton have created a nice little run, after beating Liverpool and Portsmouth, but aside from those two matches, they haven't really played anyone, beating a really poor Spurs and newly-promoted Watford, who sit at bottom. Also at the bottom are Charlton, who account for Bolton's only loss this season. They'll hang around for a bit, but unless Le Sulk goes on a tear, they're pretenders, with a tough month for them upcoming. Last five: DLWWW Next five: Newcastle, Blackburn, Charlton, Man Utd, Wigan

3. Manchester United, 13 pts, 6 pld: Shrek may be off the mark, but isn't Cristiano Ronaldo playing like a gem? The greasy target of British (and some Portuguese) boo-birds has been playing with the same form that saw him give opposing national teams problems in the World Cup. While losing Mikael Silvestre doesn't help Fergie's side, he has Heinze and Vidic to plug in. A loss against Arsenal at Old Trafford seemed to bring pessismists to the fore, and to be honest, they haven't played anyone yet, but they've looked competent most of the time when John O'Shea's not on the pitch. And Louis Saha? It can be argued his scoring is as machine-like as Didier Drogba. A win against Liverpool at Old Trafford would do much to give them momentum. A real deal. Last five: WWWLD Next five: Newcastle, Wigan Liverpool, Bolton, Pompey

3. Portsmouth, 13 pts, 6 pld: Pompey's start to the season has re-ignited the talk of Harry Redknapp's genius, despite the accusations that surround him from the aformentioned Panorama probe. Nobody is better at dangling carrots in front of the sport's fragile egos than Redknapp, and he can squeeze goals out of Pedro Mendes and octegenarian Kanu for a draw or two here. But Pompey's defense has been the story of the season so far, holding teams scoreless in over seven hours of league play. With Linvoy Primus, Chelsea-castaway Glen Johnson and Sol Campbell, Pompey's made David James look like he used to be a national team keeper (really, when?). I think they've been lucky to meet up with normally strong mid-table teams (Blackburn, Middlesbrough) before they've acheived their normal level of mediocrity, or walloped some teams that just plain suck (Charlton and, yes, Boro). The next five weeks should be telling. Pretenders. Last five: DWWWL Next five: Spurs, West Ham, Chelsea, Newcastle, Reading

3. Everton, 13 pts, 7 pld: It looks like David Moyes made a nice acquisition with Andy Johnson, and Tim Cahill's always going to be a threat offensively. Everton are a seemingly organized team, and don't seem to be exhibiting the choking mechanism of last year that saw them out of Europe in what seemed like a fortnight (was it, or am I thinking of this year's Hammers?). Beating Liverpool in the Merseyside derby did a lot for the Toffees' confidence, and we could see them stay at the top half until the end of October, when they meet Arsenal, then Villa in two week's time, and ending November with Man Utd at Old Trafford. Almost real deal, pseudo-pretenders. Last five: WWDDD Next five: Middlesbrough, Sheffield Utd, Arsenal, Fulham, Aston Villa

3. Aston Villa, 13 pts, 7 pld: You have to love what Martin O'Neill has done so far with a Villa team that always shocked me by staying up, despite having perhaps the most dense gaffer (Bryan Robson is comparable) in David O'Leary. Nothing really flashy so far, but O'Neill's winning pedigree and Randy Lerner's takeover have seemed to infuse life into the squad and fans (take notice Glazers). You'd be hard-pressed to find another time in recent memory where Villa fans were this excited (except the last time Doug Ellis left, when they won the European Cup in 1981-1982), and I think holding Chelsea to a draw just magnified that. Maybe they haven't played tough competition, but you'd be surprised how far renewed spirit and a belief in winning can take you; the telling factor will be what O'Neill does or is allowed to do in the January transfer window. Early days, I know, but I like their chances of getting into lower Europe (UEFA Cup). A real deal. Last five: WDDWD Next five: Spurs, Fulham, Liverpool, Blackburn, Everton

Knocking on the door: Arsenal, Reading, Liverpool, Blackburn

No hope: Manchester City, Fulham, Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur

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The Grab Bag September 30, 2006

Do you want me now? Saviola makes his case in Barca win over Bilbao. [Reuters]

Joey Barton continues to show how quickly he's maturing in a 1-1 draw with Everton. [BBC Sport]

Van Persie wonder-strike edges Arsenal past Charlton. [ITV Football]

O'Neill's Villa hold Blues to a draw. [Guardian Unlimited]

Jol tells Mido to shut his mouth ahead of Spurs' clash with Pompey. [Football365]

Phil Jagielka scores again, this time for his own club, as Sheffield are clear of the drop, for now. [BBC Sport]

Liverpool shut out by Bolton. [Guardian unlimited]

Lyon go six points clear of Ligue 1 with a 1-0 win over Sochaux. [Yahoo! Sports]

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Five Long Minutes

Things went a little sour for Kasey Keller and his teammates today as they lost their third straight game away from home. Borussia Monchengladbach have now played six games, three at home and three away, only winning their matches played within the friendly confines of Borussia-Park.

The result leaves them one point off the pace, for 24 hours at least. Schalke 04 play tomorrow, with a win taking them four clear of Gladbach and three up on Nurnberg, Werder Bremen, and Bayern Munich. Hertha Berlin can also jump into the leaders group with a win tomorrow against VfB Stuttgart. The surprise of the day goes to bottom club VfL Wolfsburg for beating the Munich giants 1-0 at home. I guess it's a little hard coming back to play one of the worst at home after such an emotional win in Milan.

After the international break, the best games on the schedule look to be on October 14th with Bayern Munich hosting Hertha Berlin and Wolfsburg traveling to play Gladbach. Let's see if Keller and his mates can continue their home form. It seems to be the only place they feel comfortable playing.

Today in Germany [ESPN Soccernet]

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Trez Pads His Stats In The Minors

Things seem to be going just swimmingly for David Trezeguet, he just can't stop scoring. The Frenchman's goals, which saw his total rise to five in three matches, secured the points today at Piacenza as Juventus registered their fourth straight victory. Boss Didier Deschamps said that Trezeguet's "always there in front of goal and he rarely misses a chance. As finishers go, he’s the best in the business". This all comes on the heels of the forward's call up for France's Euro '08 games against Scotland and the Faroe Islands.

As for Juve, the result moves them to 15 points behind leaders Brescia. The Serie B table toppers were only able to grind out a draw at home against Albinoleffe. The Bianconeri welcome Sampdoria on Friday for a friendly. Since a large contingent of Juve players are expected to be called for international duty next week, the October 8th game against Brescia has now been pushed to November 1st.

Juve’s demotion to Serie B could cause further problems in the future, so a meeting has been called on Tuesday. The Lega Calcio will discuss a new rule automatically rescheduling Serie B games when a team has more than a certain number of players called up for international duty.

Juve’s demotion to Serie B as a result of the Calciopoli scandal could cause further problems in the future, so a meeting has been called on Tuesday. The Lega Calcio will discuss a new rule automatically rescheduling Serie B games when a team has more than a certain limit of players called up for international duty.

Piacenza 0-2 Juventus [Reuters]
Serie B Match Reports [Channel 4]

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What Exactly Happened In Lisbon?

I wasn't in the stadium, I only watched this match on TV, but I have to say that I didn't think that the Benfica supporters were singling out Manchester United's black players. ESPN's color commentator, Tommy Smyth, made mention of it during the broadcast. His partner, Derek Rae, didn't seem to agree, as least not verbally. I thought that all of United's players were getting some stick, especially Cristiano Ronaldo.

I'll wait for more information to come out on this one before taking what Smyth said or what The Sun has published as the unvarnished truth. I don't think it couldn't have happened, I just didn't hear it myself. Anyone else hear different as they watched it? Anyone at the game able to confirm or deny?

Man Utd in fury at racist abuse [The Sun]

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EPL Fixtures for the Weekend

Saturday, September 30
7:30am ET
Bolton v Liverpool
Setanta Sports

10am ET
Charlton v Arsenal
Setanta Sports

Chelsea v Aston Villa
Fox Soccer Channel

Noon ET
Sheffield United v Middlesbrough
Fox Soccer Channel

2:15pm ET
Everton v Manchester City (delayed)
Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, October 1
9am ET
Man United v Newcastle
Setanta Sports

West Ham v Reading
Setanta Xtra

11am ET
Tottenham Hotspur v Portsmouth
Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, October 2
3pm ET
Watford v Fulham
Fox Soccer Channel

Be sure to check your local listings
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The Patience Of Boca Supporters Is Tested

Ricardo La Volpe lost his first game as Boca Juniors coach to National of Uruguay tonight in the first-leg of the Copa Sudamericana round of sixteen. Playing in the famous Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Boca went down 2-0 within the first 21 minutes. Thankfully, Rodrigo Palacio scored a goal in first half added time to set up a tense return at the Bombonera in two weeks time.

La Volpe hasn't had the best start to his Boca career. A draw coupled with an unconvincing 1-0 win preceded tonight's encounter. He will have another chance to impress the Boca faithful on Sunday as they entertain Velez Sarsfield.

On a side note, news out of Buenos Aires is that the club is thinking of replacing the Bombonera with a new 60,000-70,000 capacity stadium.

Boca loses to National [TyC Sports (Spanish)]
Boca considers replacing mythic stadium [Yahoo!]

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Jose: Chelsea are better because of me

There is no doubt that the above is true, but I'm wondering if Jose Mourinho is kind of like a smarter, less-athletic Terrell Owens. The kind of guy who's extremely gifted and successful, but cannot thrive without attention. It's interesting that quotes from Mourinho's interview hit the English media the day after a love-fest for Arsene Wenger after his ten years guiding Arsenal.

As we all suspect, I'm sure this is all media-generated. Fleet Street times this stuff to feed the fire of football drama, just as I'm sure that most of the time, any little thing, a subtle barb, a raised eyebrow, is usually regarded with malevolent intent. If the papers can't ridicule it, they'll put unsolicited meaning into anything that occurs.

But Jose's gotta know how it works by now. He's used the English as a second language argument (or at least his fans have) for way too long now. It's hard to believe that someone who worked for Sir Bobby Robson when the Englishman went on his Iberian managing tour, and as his translator, wouldn't understand the impact of soundbites in the media and wouldn't be able to express himself in one of his many languages.

This isn't an Arsenal fan criticizing the competition, I save that for Sir Alex Ferguson (curmudgeons are much more fun to poke fun at). I do think Jose is "the Special One". He is special for the same reason why his top-of-the-line club is, because they win. He's instilled the drive to win into an expectation of winning at all times. Losing is not something to become accustomed to, and you'll find that in any good manager in any side. He's also good-looking, stylish, and whip smart, and England being England, his success is privy to the barbarism of fans and media.

Which makes me believe that it's all a machination. It's more about jersey sales, TV rights, and radio syndication in emerging markets. Why is the Jose & Roman show so successful? It's not about their two Premier League trophies, or winning the European Cup (okay, maybe it is); it's all about revenue and global domination. Don't believe me? Why do you think Arsenal has never been in Manchester United's league of earnings and marketshare, despite having so much success in the last ten years? Just look at Arsenal's website and you can see how much the North London club have to learn, and they are learning, as we've seen with the shiny new Emirates.

Jose and Mourinho mastered the marketing game as soon as they had an opportunity to. With commercials, events, building fan bases in foreign countries, the Blues have accomplished much in the short time they've been the club. Clubs don't become huge organic entities like Chelsea have just by winning, but with controversy, marketing and name recognition. The name Chelsea means "superstar" in so many ways, from their third-string wingers and midfielders to their Euroflash manager and dubious reclusiveness of Roman Abramovich.

Now everyone who isn't a Chelsea fan will cry vanity, narcissism and arrogance about Mourinho's interview with Maxima. Chelsea fans will scream of how everyone else is just jealous of the Blues' success. Either way, we've got people probably caring about something they were ambivalent about a few days ago. Or maybe not. Maybe there is hope that nobody gives a crap and we'll just concentrate on the football. I hope not, because then we've got nothing else to do.

Call me vain, says Mourinho, but Chelsea are better because of me [Guardian Unlimited]
Mourinho takes the credit [Telegraph UK]

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On To The Group Stage, Are You Coming Alan?

West Ham did today what they've been doing the last couple of weeks, play progressively worse. Ever since the arrival of the Argentine duo, things have been in a perpetual downfall. After picking up one point against Aston Villa on September 10th, they have now lost four games in a row. Will the Hammers have enough to beat Reading on Sunday and help Alan Pardew keep his job?

There were a couple of other surprises today in the UEFA Cup as the field for the group stage was set. At least Olympique Marseille, Schalke 04, and Hearts can concentrate on their domestic form now.

Palermo 3-0 West Ham (4-0 agg) [Channel 4]
Today UEFA Cup Results [ESPN Soccernet]

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Champions League Match Day 2: The Aftermath

My UEFA Champions League Player of the Week: Juninho Pernambucano
The Brazilian put in an industrious performance Tuesday against FC Steaua Bucuresti in Romania. He had a hand in all three goals as the French side shut out their opponents to top Group E. They will mostly likely finish first, ahead of Real Madrid, after facing bottom team Dynamo Kiev twice next month.

CL News:
Barcelona loses scoring punch [MSNBC]
Gallas Injured [Arsenal-Mania]
Dynamo Kiev lose two keepers for Lyon match [Reuters]
Knee injury sidelines Bremen's Borowski [Yahoo!]
Mourinho: No deadline for Sheva [World Soccer News]
Kaka upset with Ancelotti [EuroSport]
Ambrosini responds [Tribal Football]
Lansdowne to host Euro final [Sky Sports]

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10 Years of Wenger

If you can't tell already, I'm an unabashed Gooner, easily noticed from the way I seem to orgasm whenever Arsenal beats somebody who isn't in the bottom third of the EPL.

So, while I'm sitting here, watching a scintillating Palermo v. West Ham (The UEFA Cup coverage is so crap, I do believe Setanta does film through gauze, as some guy on the Guardian Weekly Podcast pointed out), I thought I'd compile a few viewpoints on our favorite myopic Frenchman. I reckon if the Beeb is letting Kevin Nolan write a column , I can get away with this.

TEN YEARS OF ARSENE ABOUT (excerpted from today's Fiver)

Today is the tenth anniversary of Arsenal Wenger replacing Bruce Rioch as Arsene manager, so it's a day of wild celebration for Gooners. Which, given that two fans were ejected from the Emirates Stadium last Saturday for the grotesque crime of singing, probably means gathering around a turned-off iPod and whispering "for he's a jolly good fellow". Still, it would be churlish of the Fiver not to mark the occasion by listing the Frenchman's impressive achievements.

Since arriving at Highbury in 1996, Wenger has led the Gunners to three Premierships, four FA Cups, two European finals and 4,768 red cards. More than that, he has transformed the team from a boring bunch of grinders into a sensational amalgam of gifted artists, elite athletes and Justin Hoyte. In 2003-04, his side was the first to go a whole season unbeaten in over a century, and they built on that by finishing 12 points behind Chelsea the following year.

Some of these feats were pulled off despite stringent financial constraints imposed by the club's switch to a new ground, and this is where the economics graduate's famed mastery of the transfer market came into play. Ingenious bargain buys include Nicolas Anelka, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Freddie Ljungberg and Cesc Fabregas, not to mention Nelson Vivas, Pascal Cygan and Franny Jeffers. No seriously, not to mention them. That's exactly what the man everyone thinks is Arsenal chairman but actually isn't, David Dein, didn't do today, when he again hailed Wenger as a hero and said he'd have a job at Arsenal for life. "We want him for the rest of his career," gushed the media-hungry vice chairman. "If he wanted to give up the tracksuit he'd be invaluable in the boardroom in a technical role."

All of which means that even Lahn's Lahn Evenin Stannah, who famously greeted the Frenchman's arrival from Nagoya Grampus Eight with the headline 'Arsene Who?', must agree that Wenger is the greatest thing to come from Japan since beer-pumping robotic chopsticks with built-in coffee-maker and skis. Or something.

The Fiver [Guardian Unlimited]

Is Roy Keane looking for a job at Arsenal? [State of the game]

Arsene Wenger's decade at Arsenal [BBC Sport]

Wenger marks 10 momentous years at Arsenal [Yahoo! Sports]

Dixon on Wenger's 10 years at Arsenal [BBC Sport]

The best 10 years in this clubs' history [Gunnerblog]

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Mancini and Pardew sweat, Petrov grasps for anything to get in the news, and ref's are @#%$&@!!!!!

Now we can concentrate on the Scudetto
Mancio feels the pinch [Channel 4]

as Pardew eyes an early exit from Europe . . .
Takeover talk frustrates Pardew [BBC Sport]

. . . because things don't seem to be going well at Upton Park
Mascherano: Things not going well [World Footballers.com]

. . . but don't feel like you're under any pressure
Pardew tells Argentinians to prove their worth [Telegraph UK]

Stilian Petrov makes something out of nothing
Petrov is out for Mour revenge [The Sun Online]

and Man U's finest practice tact
Wayne in new swear storm [Mirror UK]
Beware the angry Ginger [Kickette]

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The Picture Says It All

Weder Bremen's coach Thomas Schaaf has the look of someone who has just had something stolen from him. In this case, it was today's 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. Schaaf will rue the chances his team squandered after seeing substitute Lionel Messi equalize in the 89th minute. This came after Puyol had given Bremen the lead in the 56th minute by diverted a shot into his own net. The Argentine international slotted the ball home after playing a spectacular give-and-go with Deco that left the Bremen defense stranded.

After losing both group games to the Spanish champions last season, the German side have only themselves to blame for not walking away with the three points.

Chelsea beat Sofia Levski 3-1 in the other Group A match today (see below). After two games, Chelsea leads the group with six points, two more than Barca. Bremen has one point and Levski none.

Schaaf gave new signing Per Mertesacker his debut. The Germany central defender underwent a heel operation after the World Cup and had not previously played for his new club. In another surprise, Schaaf sent in young striker Aaron Hunt to pair up with Miroslav Klose, and Hunt had the first shot at the goal, less than two minutes into the game. Hunt also created Bremen's second chance, providing the pass for Torsten Frings' volley that narrowly missed the target.

With Bremen dominating the early action, Barca's defense was lucky to concede only a corner after a deep ball by Diego. Goalkeeper Victor Valdes had to rush out of the penalty area to clear before the speedy Hunt made contact. Barca replied with a quick break by Ronaldinho but Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese foiled the Brazilian with a timely dive. Ronaldinho then set up Samuel Eto'o after Frings had lost the ball in midfield but Wiese again stopped the ball and later made another save on Eto'o. In the 34th minute, Ludovic Giuly was left unmarked but Wiese punched his shot away.

At the start of the second half, Giuly missed with a header from close range off a corner by Ronaldinho. On the other side, Klose rose to meet a corner from Diego but headed wide. Diego then tested Valdes with a low shot from the edge of the area, but the Barca goalkeeper smothered the ball.

Bremen kept putting on the pressure and Hunt sent in a swerving, dipping cross. Puyol tried to clear the ball before Tim Borowski but diverted it into his own net.

In the 64th minute, Eto'o was taken off on a stretcher with a right knee injury after apparently twisting it while kicking the ball. Barca coach Frank Rijkaard spoke at a news conference after the game, "Sadly enough it seems Eto'o has an injury to his knee and it could be a meniscus problem."

Before Rijkaard could make the substitution, Borowski collected a good pass from Diego but shot wide, barely missing the far post.

Rijkaard then made a double substitution, sending in Eidur Gudjohnsen and Lionel Messi for Giuly and Eto'o. Messi shook off four Bremen defenders in the 75th minute to get off a shot but Wiese made a good save. There was no stopping the Argentine with the game running out of regulation time. Messi played the ball to Deco on the edge of the penalty area, Deco played it back into the box and the 19 year-old drove the ball inside the left post.

Barca didn'’t play particularly well against Bremen after coming off a tough 1-1 draw against Valencia over the weekend. With the possibility of losing Eto'o for the foreseeable future, Rijkaard'’s team will have to close ranks and rally around players like Gudjohnsen, his likely replacement. Look for Javier Saviola to get some more minutes as well. Things don'’t get any easier for the European champions. Starting on October 15th, they will face Sevilla, Real Madrid, and Chelsea (twice) in a span of 17 days.

Bremen not only should have won today, they should have scored at least three or four goals tonight. The only consolation they can take from this is knowing that at home, they should be able to cause Chelsea problems. They play very similar to how Germany played during the World Cup, pressing in every area of the pitch and breaking with speed once they recover the ball. The Brazilian Diego was an excellent signing for them over the summer and gives them that bit of inventiveness that sometimes is lacking in German club sides.

One thing is for sure though. With two straight matches coming against Group A punching bag Levski, only six points will do for Bremen before Jose Mourhino's men come to visit on November 22nd.

Man of the Match: Tie, Lionel Messi and Torsten Frings

Match Stats [UEFA]

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This Guy Is A Machine

What else can you say about Didier Drogba? He puts chances away against the best, and against the not so good as well. Today, Drogba secured Chelsea's first away win in Europe for more than ten months with a hat-trick as the Blues came out 3-1 winners over Levski Sofia. The Ivory Coast international scored either side of the half-time break and completed his treble in the 68th minute when he diverted Frank Lampard's shot into the net. It took his tally for the season to seven goals and ensured the Premiership champions will go into next month's UEFA Champions League double-header against Barcelona with six points in the bag.

Substitute Mariyan Ognyanov grabbed a late consolation for Levski but it was still a ruthlessly effective display from Chelsea which ended Jose Mourinho's long wait for an away win on the continent. This was the first since Anderlecht last November and it was all down to Drogba, who also rattled the crossbar early in the game.

He scored his first, six minutes before the break, to dampen the spirits of a 42,000 full house at Bulgaria's national stadium. Paulo Ferreira slanted a deep cross into the Levski goalmouth and centre-half Igor Tomasic headed it down to the feet of John Obi Mikel as he tried to clear. Mikel's well-struck shot forced a flying save from goalkeeper Georgi Petkov but the rebound fell straight to Drogba. The centre-forward made no mistake, firing it into the net on the half-volley from a narrow angle.

His second, in the 52nd minute, was the goal which killed off Levski's challenge. Drogba controlled a long pass on his chest, turned defender Elin Topuzakov on the edge of the box and squeezed a shot under Petkov. It only just had the power to reach the net after Petkov's attempted save took the pace off the shot, but it crept into the bottom right corner.

Drogba had luck on his side as he completed the hat-trick by flicking Lampard's shot into the net. It was his first hat-trick for the club and the first by any Chelsea player in the Champions League.

Drogba's prolific form is in distinct contract to Andriy Shevchenko who continues to look out of sorts at his new club. Mikel threaded a pass into his path in the first half but the Ukrainian's touch let him down on the edge of the box. Then the $38.1M man lost his marker to meet Michael Ballack's cross from the left wing but mistimed his header and it skidded wide. His best effort came in the second-half when he smashed a fierce shot over, but he was replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips seven minutes from time.

Shevchenko's mood was not helped when his face was cut by Zhivko Milanov's arm as the two players chased a long ball early in the game. The Chelsea star was furious with referee French Laurent Duhamel for not spotting the wayward elbow.

Levski, thrashed 5-0 in Barcelona two weeks ago, started the game impressively, roared on by their noisy supporters. They often had Mourinho's men on the back foot during a first half in which they forced six corners. John Terry, back in Chelsea's defence after missing Saturday's EPL win at Fulham, had to fling himself in front of an early shot from Cedric Bardon. Wayne Bridge, preferred to Ashley Cole, made two telling interceptions at the back as well.

Levski's lone striker Hristo Yovov slipped his marker to reach a long pass from Daniel Borimirov but could not get any power in his header. Chelsea stood firm and forced their way into the game and Drogba rattled the bar with a volley in the 14th minute. There was a hint of offside as the ball spilled out to him after Mikel's charge into the penalty area but the linesman's flag stayed down. Drogba swivelled well and unleashed a right-footed volley, which hit the underside of the bar, bounced down without crossing the goalline and spun to safety.

Seven minutes later and the Levski goal was under attack again, this time from Ballack. The German was allowed time and space to shoot from distance and Petkov dived to his left to tip the effort onto the post. Again the Bulgarians were able to scramble the ball clear.

Drogba's opener settled Chelsea nerves just before the interval and from that point the outcome was never really in doubt. Levski coach Stanimir Stoilov sent on forward Georgi Ivanov late in the game and he inspired a strong finish from the Bulgarians. Petr Cech made a sequence of brilliant saves to deny Ivanov but the Chelsea goalkeeper was beaten in the 89th minute by substitute Ognaynov, who burst clear and spoiled his clean sheet with a low drive.

What to make of it all? Drogba is on a tear, but it remains to be seen if it can carry over into next month when they face Barca. Shevchenko is another matter. He makes intelligent runs off the ball, but just can't seem to get on the end of opportunities that come his way. If things don't change soon for him, I can see Mourinho going for a three man front line with Drogba in the middle with two wingers in support. Either way, Chelsea versus Barcelona should bring more drama than we can handle.

Man of the Match: Didier Drogba

Match Stats [UEFA]

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Crouch brace saves Liverpool

Oh what a goal, and what a game. More on the sensational goal, but aside from the first fifteen minutes, where Liverpool went up two goals to none, this matchup of Galatasary and Liverpool at Anfield was a real open end-to-end affair.

In press conferences leading up to Gala’s visit to Merseyside, coach Erik Gerets expressed his delight in watching his team in action on what he called the "holy ground" of Anfield. While the Belgian claimed he’d be content with a draw, he stressed: "If we have the feeling that we have a little bit of a chance to win this game, we will do everything that we can." Perhaps a draw may have been a bit pessimistic for Gerets, but he probably didn’t see his side being two down within fifteen minutes.

Liverpool began their quest for goals in the competition quickly, attacking Gala from the start. Peter Crouch side-footed in a pinpoint cross from Fabio Aurelio, strikingly similar to Emanuel Eboue’s new penchant for finding Theirry Henry’s head with perfect balls in. With the Turkish side a bit sloppy in defense, Liverpool took advantage of this, and Luis Garcia put the Reds two goals up with a textbook header. The Jermaine Pennant did well to keep the ball in at the end line, and looped a ball back out and over the Gala defense, where Luis Garcia was waiting, unmarked.

The Turkish leaders were seemingly on the back foot the entire first half, but were able to create a few chances in front of Liverpool’s goal. Cihan broke out on the right when he caught Luis Garcia napping and snuck in behind him, where he collected a cross and unleashed a shot at Reina from a tight angle, but the keeper deflected it with his legs. Another dangerous cross skipped in front of Pepe Reina, moments later, and Gala’s star striker Sukur, couldn’t get a boot onto it.

Gala walked into halftime with nearly 50% of possession, but they did little with the ball when they had it, and Liverpool’s 10 shots to Gala’s 3 pretty much summed up the first half. Gala began the half with two offensive substitutions, Hasan Sas in for Topal and Umit Karan in for Cihan. Gerets’ choices paid dividends, but not before Crouch added one more for his brace.

And that incredible goal, coming in the 52^nd minute from Crouch. The lanky forward tossed his hat in the ring for best Liverpool goal of the season with his second CL goal and second of the game. Finnan whiped a nice ball in to the Gala box, where Crouch, with back to goal, overhead kicked it into the far post. An unstoppable strike for the England international, his 10^th in 11 games.

Gala’s first chance of the second half came in the 53^rd, on a free kick in front of Liverpool’s box. Sabri hit the post with a shot whipped over the wall and down from 20 yards, and then Hakan Sukur's follow up was blocked by Reina. Steven Gerrard was unlucky to miss as Kuyt’s strike from the left hit the far post, and the Liverpool skipper wasn’t able to put the rebound away, his shot deflecting off of the keeper’s shin.

In the 54^th, Umit Karan did what he came on for, taking a nice ball in from Arda on the left, and found himself between two defenders, slotting it home with his head for his 5^th CL career goal. The pace picked up and the game fell into a wonderfully open game, with both teams trading possession and an ample amount of counter-attacking.

It became a game just ten minutes later, when a lovely cross from Sabri on the right to find Umit Karan splitting the defenders again to powerfully head the ball home. From there, Liverpool struggled to hold the ball and take time off the clock, still allowing Gala to whip those dangerous crosses into the Liverpool box. Hakan Sukur missed a sitter in the 93^rd minute when Hasan Sas sent a floater behind the Liverpool defense, only to chip it indecisively wide.

You really got a sense that Galatasary did well to make this a match, and were it not for defensive lapses early in the game, the Turkish side pulled two back with stunning balls in, and give Liverpool a challenge. Gala had numerous chances to equalize, moving the ball well on counter-attack through the midfield, and Liverpool never really controlled the tempo with possession, save for a minute or so at a time. Gerets will likely face more criticism from the Turkish press over his attacking side, but it were his substitutions that gave them a chance, despite a shaky defense.

But will Rafa face any knocks for his tactics? Already criticized for his rotational policy, playing Gerrard out of position, his team failed to really close down the game, and Gala's attacks from the right consistently harassed the Liverpool defense. You can be sure we'll hear about the need for Sissoko in midfield to bolster the back line, as Gerrard wasn't able to do so. In the end, much needed goals for Rafa's men, and a heartbreaker for Galatasary.

Reds fired by Crouch double [UEFA.com]

-bl

Millwall fan moves to China, Becks may do the same . . . and twins!!

Yellow River Hooligans?
Fight! Soccer Hooligan [Got Detroit?]

It's in The Sun, so it must be true . . . but really, is anyone besides Posh surprised?
Real Snub Becks bid for pay rise [The Sun Online]

Farewell Goleo, too bad you don't have a twin
EURO 2008™ mascots unveiled [UEFA.com]
Nameless twins chosen as Euro 2008 mascots [Guardian Online]

Busy Couple Of Days For Ruud

In a span of 24 hours: Rudd Van Nistelrooy comes out and speaks publicly about his relationship with Marco Van Basten, witnesses the birth of his new baby girl, and puts two past a horrible Dynamo Kiev. Where does he find the time? I can't wait to see how he tops this next month when Real play in Romania on Matchday 3.

Match reports from Tuesday's Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League:

Group E
Steaua Bucuresti 0-3 Lyon [UEFA]
Real Madrid 5-1 Dynamo Kiev [Soccer Mad In Amercia]

Group F
Celtic 1-0 FC Copenhagen [UEFA]
Benfica 0-1 Manchester United [Soccer Mad In America]


Group G
CSKA Moscow 1-0 Hamburg SV [UEFA]
Arsenal 2-0 FC Porto [Soccer Mad In America]

Group H
AEK Athens 1-1 Anderlecht [UEFA]
Lille 0-0 AC Milan [UEFA]

Madrid make their case

Mmm . . . you smell good . . . is it "Intimately Beckham"?

I have to be honest. Although I was supposed to watch Dynamo Kiev meet up with Real Madrid in all earnest, I must've played the whole game about three different times today, and was constantly distracted by something more compelling. I watched dust drift over my keyboard, arranged the pencils on my desk by lead hardness, and absent-mindedly scratched myself in various areas. All of these activities I found more interesting than watching this game.

By now, if you're a Real Madrid fan, you're silently cursing my ignorance over a 5-1 goalfest at the Bernabeau. How could you miss an open end-to-end game that saw braces from Ruud van Nistelrooy and Raul, and cracking shot from Jose Antonio Reyes, you're probably asking. And to make it even more exciting, Real Madrid's defense exhibited the same weaknesses it showed in Matchday 1. I suppose better teams may have taken advantage of the "improving" Real Madrid, but I never really thought Real had a chance to lose this one.

It all started with a giveaway/semi-howler scored by van Nistelrooy, where Roberto Carlos' shot bounced off Dynamo Kiev keeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy and fell to the Dutchman, who tapped it home. A nicely poached effort from the king of all poachers when he was with Man United in the Premiership. In a tremendous show of originality, he mimed rocking a baby, in honor of his child born earlier in the day.

Real's second goal was equally as easy (and embarrassing for Kiev) when Reyes sent a perfect header to Kiev's far post, just over the lone defender and into the path of Raul, who headed it home. A much-welcomed goal for the Real Madrid legend, but as with the first goal, more of a poor defensive performance from the Ukranian side than brilliance on Real's part.

Jose Antonio Reyes put the Spanish giants up by three with his superb strike from a Mahamadou Diarra cross, curling his shot past the keeper with the outside of his foot. Definitely the best goal of the match, in my opinion, and Real walked into the tunnel with a 3-0 lead.

Kiev pulled a goal back two minutes after the restart when Artem Milevskiy followed up a shot from Carlos Correa that Casillas failed to hold, but it all seemed too little too late.

Raul scored his second, showing just how poorly Kiev played, when he pounced onto a poor back pass from Goran Gavrancic, and it remained ugly for Kiev. The fifth, and van Nistelrooy's second came when he was brought down by the Kiev keeper, who saw red, and slotted the penalty home past the substitute keeper.

Absolute total domination for Real Madrid, I'll give them that. Raul finding some goal-scoring form, van Nistelrooy and Reyes looking like great additions, and Beckham, Robinho and Ronaldo getting run-outs are all posititives for Fabio Capello, enough to silence some critics in Spain, at least for a day or two. But you have to wonder if a better side could've carved up that central spine of defense, that not only have failed to impress, but look flat-footed at times. A much-needed win for Real, not just in terms of the points, but for their overall confidence as well. For Kiev, with Lyon awaiting them, they may have to concentrate on their domestic form and wait for next year.

Real Madrid beats Dynamo Kiev 5-1 [Fox Sports]

Group E Standings [UEFA.com]

Matchday 2 Results: Tuesday [UEFA.com]

The Grab Bag: September 27, 2006

What's the new Emirates like? Paolo Bandini lets us know . . . and gets mildly roasted for his heightened sensual analysis
Sport Safari: Arsenal's Emirates Stadium [Guardian Sport Blog]

Mourinho shows restraint (sort of)
Mourinho happy to leave beautiful game to others [Guardian Sport Blog]

Uh, yeah, we did it for you, Big Sam . . . .and McCLaren has much to learn
Allardyce thanks "terrific" players [Telegraph UK]

A long holiday for Bentley-driven Barnett
Nine-month ban for Cole agent signals FA's intent [Times Online]

It's my squad and I'll pry if I want to
BENITEZ STICKS TO ROTATION POLICY [Football 365]

Anyone watching the UEFA cup (this early, at least)?
The battle of Enic, or Spurs v. Slavia Prague [Guardian Unlimited]

-bl

Champions League Matchday 2: What's on TV Wednesday

Group B
Spartak Moscow v. Sporting Lisbon
12:25 pm EST
Setanta Premium

Sporting Lisbon enter Luzhniki Stadium in second place of the Portuguese Superliga, and high from their 1-0 victory over Inter Milan. For Spartak Moscow, who sit in third in the Russian Premier League, they will struggle to rebound from their loss to Bayern, a result that could only be likened to Barca's rout of Levski Sofia.

Sporting are co-leaders in a tough Group B, and this is a must-win in a sense for both clubs, with the Russian side hanging on for dear life and Sporting looking to earn what really are the easiest points in the group. While they played a decent first 45 minutes of their drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich, Spartak are up against a hungry Sporting side that are making their return to CL competition after a six year absence.

Matchday 1 Results:
Bayern 4-0 Spartak Moscow [UEFA.com]
Sporting 1-0 Inter [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
Spartak search for Sporting lift [UEFA.com]
João Alves Up For Moscow Match [Goal.com]

Group A
Levski Sofia v. Chelsea
2:30 pm EST
ESPN2

The forces that keep Chelsea in American hearts (now recruiting fans via Sirius) give us this match in place of a cancelled baseball game.

Despite leading the Premier League and Group A, Mourinho's men face criticism for not playing perfect football, and lately, as to why Andriy Shevchenko isn't scoring any goals in domestic play. And this is where the Ukranian earns his keep, I guess, as the competition's all-time leading scorer. Michael Ballack's opened his campaign on Matchday 1, as did Michael Essien, and you can be sure Sheva will be sniffing around the six yard box for his first of the year in CL competition.

With captain John Terry set to return after a back injury, the Blues face a Levski side that were fortunate enough to attend the clinic that Barcelona was running at Camp Nou two weeks ago, and without their striker Emil Angelov. If one were to look on the bright side (really, there isn't one) for the Bulgarian champions, it'd be that after getting rollicked by last year's CL champs, then probably the same at the hands of the English champions, it can only get better. Of course, "all things relative" don't mean much when you don't get out of the group stage.

Matchday 1 Results:
Chelsea 2-0 Bremen [UEFA.com]
Barcelona 5-0 Levski [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
Terry set to put back trouble behind him and face Bulgarians [Guardian UK]
Mourinho confident of Shevchenko goals [Telegraph UK]

Group C
Liverpool v. Galatasaray
2:30 pm EST
Setanta Sports

In a wide open group, the 2004-05 Champions host Turskish champions Galatasary at Anfield. All four teams in Group C hold a point, seeing nil-nil draws in both games of Matchday 1. Liverpool, having come under some criticism for Rafa' s Benitez's Claudio Ranieri-esque rotation, have finally found their form in the domestic league, and history really isn't on Galatasary's side.

With the lead up for grabs, you the Reds could go up in a releatively weak group. You'd think Benitez should utilize skipper Steven Gerrard more than the 18 minutes he saw against PSV in Matchday 1.

Matchday 1 Results:
Galatasary 0-0 Bordeaux [UEFA.com]
PSV 0-0 Liverpool [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Preview:
Liverpool looking for goals [UEFA.com]

Group D
Shakhtar Donetsk v.Olimpiacos
2:45 pm EST
Setanta Premium

It's easy to look at this as a consolation match, kind of like the third-place game in the World Cup Finals. No offense to either side, but after conceding 4 goals in the opening Matchday 1, it's going to be difficult for both to vie for a top two finish with the likes of Valencia and Roma in their group. The fact that it's on Setanta "Premium" is a bit of an oxymoron, despite making programming sense.

While strong at home in past CL play, Shakhtar will hope World Cup winner Rivaldo will not be fit for Olimpiacos. The Ukrainian Premier League leaders will most likely face a 3-5-2 formation from Olimpiacos, with midfielder Pantelis Kafes missing after injury in Matchday 1.

Happy with a draw? Perhaps so, says Olimpiacos manager Trond Sollied. "To tell the truth, I'd be happy with a draw because we'll play at home to Shakhtar in the last game of the group stage," said the coach. "Olympiacos have never won away from home in the UEFA Champions League. But remember, everything happens for the first time at some stage." A draw may be all that this matchup deserves, but whoever loses can probably kiss their chances of reaching the knockout stage goodbye.

Matchday 1 Results:
Roma 4-0 Shakhtar [UEFA.com]
Olimpiacos 2-4 Valencia [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
Shakhtar Donetsk v.Olimpiacos [ITV.com]
Donetsk date of 'great importance' [UEFA.com]

Group A
Werder Bremen v. Barcelona
5:00 pm EST (delayed)
ESPN Classic
ESPN Deportes

In arguably the toughest group of this stage in the Champions League, Barcelona will attempt to duplicate their goalfest in Matchday 1 against Levski Sofia when they walk onto the pitch at Weserstadion. It's hard to see Barcelona dropping any points in the group to a Bremen side that sits currently in 8th place in the Bundesliga, despite having Miroslav Klose, Tim Borowski and Torsten Frings.

With three German internationals on the team, they aren't a weak side in the Bundesliga, but the Catalans should give them trouble. Rijkaard's boys know there's no better defense than offense, and should play fairly open. Don't expect as many goals this time around for Barca.

Matchday 1 Results:
Barcelona 5-0 Levski [UEFA.com]
Chelsea 2-0 Bremen [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
Barcelona's Saviola overlooked for Bremen game [Reuters India]
Motta, Thuram and Sylvinho return for Europe [FC Barcelona]

Group B
Inter Milan v. Bayern Munich (delayed)
4:45 pm EST
ESPN Deportes
5:00 pm EST
Setanta Sports

It's hard not to salivate over this one, especially with the media scrutiny that's following Roberto Mancini around. Where else but Serie A (and maybe SW5) can you win 3 and draw 1 out of 4 league games, and still read about how little time you have left in the sports pages? Despite Inter's 1-0 loss, Inter are expected to win and win big. So one can imagine how desperately Mancini wants to win this one. Unfortunately, he's without midfielder Patrick Vieira, out due to suspension, and Esteban Cambiasso, who is injured.

Bayern find themselves in a similiar position to Inter in the Bundesliga. With much expected from the Munich giants, they hold a tenous lead in an early domestic campaign. A physical, and technically gifted side, they miss England international Owen Hargreaves, but with the names on the German squad, it's hard to see them giving way easily to Inter, who are particularly leaky lately, conceding 10 goals in all competitions this season.

Bayern will look to turn around a poor run of form lately to Italian opposition, having lost on their last six trips to Italy. Coach Felix Magath promises an exciting game, "Just because we didn't win last year doesn't mean we can't go all the way this time around. We've not come to defend, we've come to play an open game." Think Mancini's nervous?

Matchday 1 Results:
Sporting 1-0 Inter [UEFA.com]
Bayern 4-0 Spartak Moscow [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
Inter shoulder the weight of expectation [Telegraph UK]
Inter's defeat an added bonus for Bayern - Magath [ESPN Soccernet]

Group D
Valencia v. Roma (delayed)
7:00 pm EST
Setanta Sports

Another game that'll be tough to miss, and it's essentially a mirror image of 2:45 game on Setanta Premium. With both teams having scored 4 in Matchday 1, this is definitely an early matchup of domestic league favorites, kind of a Chelsea v. Barcelona without the sound-bites and angry Portuguese.

Roma's dismantling of Shaktar was a family affair, with all four goals coming from four different players, as opposed to the majority of Valencia's goals coming from Fernando Morientes' hat trick. Valencia have to wonder if their defense, without Asier del Horno due to injury will hold up against Roma. Missing the former Chelsea back isn't great, but the Spanish side feel comfortable in the Mestella and we should see a good game late in the day tomorrow.

Matchday 1 Results:
Roma 4-0 Shakhtar [UEFA.com]
Olimpiacos 2-4 Valencia [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
Goals to fly when Valencia, Roma meet [SI.com]
Spaletti wants more from Roma [Sporting Life]

-bl

Gunners move two points clear in Group G

In the less historically-loaded of the two England v. Portugal matches in Matchday 2, Arsenal played their first official Champions League match in the new Emirates Stadium, hosting Porto. Despite a victory over Dynamo Zagreb in the qualifying round, the Gunners have taken a few games to get acquainted with their new digs just down the road from Highbury. A 3-0 victory over Sheffield United helped the cause, although beating Manchester United at Old Trafford could be seen as the turning point in their disappointing opening form. Arsene Wenger, pointing to last year’s defeat to Barcelona in the Final as motivation, knew his squad would love to establish a Highbury-esque dominance in their new home, and it looked like he was able to do so with a full squad, after playing without skipper Thierry Henry in Matchday 1.

Unfortunately it wasn’t, and Justin Hoyte was utilized at left back, with Gallas moving to the center, as Johan Djourou aggravated a foot injury during warm-ups. Wenger stuck to the 4-4-2 we knew before last year’s CL campaign, with Robin Van Persie pairing with Thierry Henry up front. Porto went with a 4-5-1 with Helder Postiga up front. From the beginning Arsenal threatened early, with their usual deft passing and overlapping runs, but Porto did well to frustrate the Gunners for most of the first half. Van Persie had a few opportunities in the first half, most notably a chance with just Helton, the Porto keeper, to beat, after a nifty pass from Henry. Unfortunately, he blasted it over the crossbar. Kolo Toure netted a nice close-range goal, but the ball was ruled out before Francesc passed the ball to the Ivorian international.

The first goal came seven minutes before the break, a near carbon copy of Arsenal’s first goal against Sheffield United on Saturday. Eboue, too powerful in his pace for Porto’s defenders, was able to run down the Portuguese left flank and crossed perfectly toward the far post, where Henry was able to get his head onto for his first in six European games. The captain's second header in three days. For Arsene Wenger and Arsenal fans, this is pretty much what you wanted, the ending of such a painful goal-drought, especially at home, and the captain Henry back to his usual dangerous form.

Hleb sealed the win with the second goal, his first in the Champions League, three minutes into the second half. William Gallas surged into midfield with the ball, carving open the Porto defense where he found Henry in front of the box, releasing Alexsandr Hleb running down to the right. Henry dished it off to the Belarusian international, and he shot low and precisely to find the corner of the net at the far post. And that pretty much sealed if for Arsenal’s first CL win at Emirates.

Porto, though possessing the ball nearly as much as Arsenal, showed little inventiveness. Technically sound, they showed great skill in its individual players, but lacked that killer instinct to finish off an attack. They never seemed to really threaten the North London side, and aside from a grim Jesualdo Ferriera on the touchline, they showed very little desire to offend. Postiga was pretty much unheard from, and was substituted for Lisandro Lopez at the half. But after Hleb’s goal, it seemed a foregone conclusion. Raul Meireles came on for Ricardo Costa, and along with Ricardo Quaresma, that did most of Porto’s little attacking. Ferriera even threw striker Adriano in for the winger Anderson in the 66^th, but to no avail.

For Arsenal, a nice win to put them at the top of the group and begin what they hope to be a successful run in their new home. 2 out of 2, and a comfortable win, but the sight of William Gallas limping off with what seemed to be a hamstring injury cannot be overplayed. With Gallas and Djourou potentially out with injury, Arsenal fans are wont to see any more problems to their backline, especially with Phillipe Senderos and Lauren Bisan weeks away from fitness. For the Superliga-leading Porto, an admittedly young squad that was troubled by Arsenal’s tempo, sitting a point up from Hamburg does little to mask the possibility of an early exit from Europe

Henry hits mark as Arsenal rise [UEFA.com]

Arsenal coast past Porto [Eurosport.com]

Group G Standings [UEFA.com]

-bl

How Do You Say "One Too Many" In Spanish?

I guess there's a downside to living and working in Munich, Germany. One of the best Peruvian players of his generation had a little trouble counting backwards from 100 last Saturday after their league win. Hey, I don't even think he can't count past ten in German.

Today's news comes on the heels of Claudio's threats to leave Bayern if they don't renew his contract. He sure knows how to negotiate, maybe next time he'll put somebody in the hospital. That'll get Bayern to offer up a big money contract, don't you think?

Oktoberfest visit proves costly for Pizarro [Fox Sports]
Pizarro considers Premiership move [Euro Sport]

-ac

Twinkle Toes Enjoys His Return Home

Louis Saha'’s second-half strike gave Manchester United their first UEFA Champions League away win in three years (hard to believe) and allowed them to avenge last season'’s nightmare in Lisbon. Rarely convincing against a Benfica side responsible for their embarrassingly early European exit 12 months ago, United nevertheless carved out a triumph based on grit, determination and the flair provided by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Last year he was left to rue United'’s exit from Europe, showing his disgust with a one-fingered salute to Benfica supporters. Though Saha took the glory with his third goal in two Champions League games, it was Ronaldo who threatened more, especially in the latter stages as the visitors looked to exploit the gaps left by a Benfica side desperate to force a deserved equaliser.

The victory cemented United'’s position at the top of Group F, although concern still lingers about the form of Wayne Rooney, who worked hard without looking like ending a barren streak in this competition that now extends to 11 matches. Looking decidedly heavy legged, he was replaced by Darren Fletcher five minutes from time. Having expressed total faith in Rooney prior to kick-off, Sir Alex Ferguson hardly helped his young striker by stationing him on the left side of what was supposed to be a three-man support team playing just behind lone striker Saha.

However, with most of United's attacks coming down the other flank, where Ronaldo was attempting to put his nightmare of last December behind him, Rooney was a virtual bystander. Struggling for touch and control, the England man was a shadow of the player who has terrorized defenses throughout his fledgling career. Not that Rooney was on his own in trudging away from the opening period feeling he had not done himself justice.

Given that Ferguson was persuaded to part with a possible $23.6M for Michael Carrick in the belief his passing could open up the best defenses, the former Tottenham player was a disappointment. For a player of such supposed high caliber, Carrick gave the ball away far too often, seemed to bring United's attacks to a grinding halt on a regular basis, and was also rightly booked for a late tackle on Petit.

It was Nemanja Vidic though who gifted possession to Paulo Jorge and presented Benfica with the best opportunity of the opening period. Jorge quickly found Nuno Gomes, who took aim from 20 yards, only for Edwin van der Sar to make a good save.

The Dutchman was certainly one of United's most effective performers, along with Gabriel Heinze, who marked his first European outing since rupturing cruciate ligaments in Villarreal last season with typical tenacity. Ronaldo also rose above average, leaving Georgios Karagounis for dead in the 13th minute with a smart turn before letting fly with a stinging 25-yard shot that proved too much for Quim to hold. Saha was unable to corral the rebound as he muffed it out of play for a goal kick

In truth, while enjoying much of the possession, Benfica are not very good. They have decent defenders and show industry and inventiveness in the middle of the park, but the end product stinks. They were unable to trouble van der Sar consistently and in general played a game that was centered on trying to get a United player sent off. The impression I got from my living room was that Fernando Santos had sent his players onto the field with instructions to get under the skin of Man U and draw as many cards as possible. Benfica players were going down all night as if a sniper was in the stands.

Nonetheless, Benfica took an even firmer stranglehold on the contest at the start of the second half than they had done in the first, with Rooney'’s unhappy evening continuing with two woeful passes which gifted possession to the hosts. The one saving grace for the visitors was that their goal was still intact, a fact they duly exploited on the hour with a strike which was completely unexpected.

A piece of trademark quick thinking from Paul Scholes saw him send Ronaldo racing forward with a pass delivered from inside his own area. As he accelerated forward, Ronaldo had the vision to spot Saha lurking to his right and, after rolling the pass onwards, the Frenchman continued his run, stepped inside, then smashed a superb shot into the top left-hand corner.

The goal gave the game a totally different complexion. Suddenly, United'’s rearguard action looked more like an intelligent attempt to soak up pressure and hit on the break. Saha might have grabbed a second, as might Rooney, whose fitness should at least improve for the amount of running he did. It took a remarkable triple save from Quim in the 87th minute, denying Ronaldo, Fletcher and Carrick, to prevent United doubling their margin of victory.

Coming away from the match with the three points will please United fans who should now see the knockout stages on the horizon. Though they didn'’t play very well, giving the ball away naively the chief complaint, they have to like the result that puts their Portuguese bogeymen in a tight situation going into Matchday 3. Coupled with Celtic's win against FC Copenhagen, Benfica will need to go for the three points in Glasgow on October 17th to retain any chance of getting out of the group. From what I saw today, I wouldn't bet on it.

Man of the Match: Cristiano Ronaldo

Match Stats [UEFA]

-ac

Coming To A Theater Near You

In his quest to rub everyone the wrong way, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo is again complaining to the press. Last month, he publicly stated that he had had it with Les Blues, and would never play for them again. This came on the heels of Dhorasoo saying that he was going to gather all the footage he shot over the summer in Germany and release it as a documentary titled "Substitute." As you can imagine, this didn't sit well with Ramond Domenech or the French Football Federation. Domench said that he wouldn't give his consent to Dhorasoo when it came to using material that contained the French coach.

Now he's having some trouble adjusting to being a non-starter for PSG. He came out to the press saying that he felt humiliated and couldn't understand why he wasn't in the starting XI. His club coach let him know that he just wasn't good enough, saying that Dhorasoo "is not professional enough on the pitch considering his potential." Ouch. That inevitably led to this today.

The player shouldn't fret too much though, news is coming out the our favorite gold chain-wearing manager is on the prowl and ready to pounce in the January transfer window.

I for one would actually like to see what the guy has on film. It would be interesting to see the dynamic of the team as they went from over-the-hill geezers in the group stage to world beaters in the knock-out rounds. I imagine that there are quite a few people out there that would like to see those tapes. We'll just have to wait and see. Who knows, maybe Dhorasoo's house will be "robbed," with the tapes mysteriously showing up on the internet a couple of days later.


-ac

OK, Who Didn't Pick Up After Their Dog?

While Ricardo La Volpe was busy showing off his new leather loafers, his Boca Juniors side were giving him his first win in Argentina's Primera Division. Neri Cardozo scored the only goal in a rather dull affair, a match that Nueva Chicago will feel they should have gotten a result from. Either way, La Volpe gets to breathe easier now that his new team has bagged it's first victory and collected four points out of a possible six.

The most surprising result of the day has to be River Plate drawing at home to bottom feeder Colon de Santa Fe. Failure to add to their first half goal came back to haunt River as they let a completely dominated Colon side score in the 90th minute. My guess is that Daniel Passarella might have strained his vocal chords in the post-game locker room chat.

All of today's action leaves Boca at the top on nineteen points with a game in hand. River trail two points back while San Lorenzo is in third, three behind Boca. The place to be next week is the Bombonera as we get to see one of Argentina's most contentious derby matches, Boca versus Velez Sarsfield. The game has a good bit riding on it, Velez is only five back in fourth place.

Today in Argentina [ESPN Soccernet]

-ac

Ribery's Super Fantastic Happy Fun Hour Comes To A Halt

Franck Ribery and Olympique Marseille tripped over their first hurdle today and failed to keep up with Olympique Lyonnais. Marseille couldn't find their way back after going down by two goals away to FC Nantes Atlantique. Nantes came away with their first victory of the season, moving them out of the relegation zone.

Yesterday, Lyon continued their dominance over domestic competition by putting four past fellow Champions League participant Lille Olympique SC. Gerard Houllier's men have now won five out of six, the only blemish being a home draw against Toulouse FC in the second game of the season. Lyon are in excellent form and should be a good bet to retain their Ligue 1 title and to play well into the spring in European competition.

Today's scores leave Marseille three points behind leaders Lyon, then only three points separate teams three through nine in the standings. The most attractive matches next week are AS Nancy Lorraine hosting RC Lens and Toulouse FC traveling to Marseille. On a side note, I've bet my baby's college fund on CS Sedan winning their first game when they host Rennes FC on Saturday. Wish me luck.

Yesterday and today in France [ESPN Soccernet]

-ac

Champions League Matchday 2: What's on TV Tuesday

Group G
Arsenal v. Porto
2:30 pm EST
Setanta Sports

Arsenal meet up with Porto at Emirates Stadium in Matchday 2 of the Group Stage. Coming off of their first win at Old Trafford in four years, the Gunners see a Porto side that holds a 3 point lead in the Portuguese Superliga and looks to win its first CL game away from home to English opposition.

Porto need to score its first goals of this year’s competition, after a goalless draw against CSKA Moscow. Arsenal look forward to having captain Thierry Henry back from injury, despite Gilberto's excellent run as captain in their 2-1 defeat of Hamburg

If Arsenal didn’t have enough problems - despite their first multi-goal win at the Emirates against a bottom-of-the-league Sheffield United in the Premiership - apparently Porto has an 18-year-old phenom named Anderson that Chelsea and Barca are vying for.

Matchday 1 Results:
Porto 0-0 CSKA Moscow [UEFA.com]
Hamburg 1-2 Arsenal [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
Arsenal looking to mark Wenger landmark with win [Yahoo! Sports]
Arsenal aim to create new fortress [UEFA.com]

Group F
Benfica v. Manchester United
2:30 pm EST
ESPN2

The Red Devils look to avenge their 2-1 loss to Benfica last year as they visit the Stadium of Light after a thrilling 3-2 defeat of Celtic at Old Trafford in Matchday 1. United are looking for Rooney to find his form after lackluster performances in their 1-0 loss to Arsenal and 1-1 draw with Reading in league play.

Benfica find themselves sitting in 12th place in the Superliga and look to repeat a victory that saw them knock out Ferguson’s side last year, the first time United failed to reach the knockout round in 11 years. Ferguson will be keen to ensure a repeat of last year does not happen, which may prove difficult, according to Rui Costa.

Matchday 1 Results:
Man Utd 3-2 Celtic [UEFA.com]
Copenhagen 0-0 Benfica [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
Queiroz and Ronaldo plot revenge on Benfica [Malaysia Star]
United out for revenge [UEFA.com]

Group F
Celtic v. Copenhagen
2:45 pm EST
Setanta Closed Circuit

You may have to hit your local for this one, pitting Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic against Danish Superliga co-leaders Copenhagen. After defeating Rangers in the first Old Firm of the SPL season this weekend, Gordon Strachan is keen to pull his squad from the bottom of Group F after a devastating loss to his Manchester United at Trafford. Copenhagen have their hands full going into the Celtic Park, but coach Stale Solbakken reckons his side, who qualified for the Group stage by knocking out former champions Ajax in the qualifying stage, has a chance.

Matchday 1 Results:
Man Utd 3-2 Celtic [UEFA.com]
Copenhagen 0-0 Benfica [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
Celtic seek home comforts [UEFa.com]
Copenhagen can win at Celtic and Benfica says Solbakken [Yahoo! Sports]

Group E
Real Madrid v. Dynamo Kiev
5:00 pm EST (delayed)
ESPN Classic, Setanta Sports

Both Dynamo Kiev and Real Madrid look to pull themselves from the bottom of Group E , where both sit with no points. Real Madrid repeated their embarrassing result from Matchday 1 of last year’s CL campaign, letting Lyon carve up their multi-million euro spine of central defense. Fabio Cannavaro, who had a hand in conceding both goals in their 2-0 defeat in Stade de Gerland, claims lack of match fitness, but troubles are nothing new to the Spanish side.

Real are co-leaders in a tight top-half of La Liga, and were dealt a blow when famous Beckham rival Cicinho sustained knee ligament damage this weekend. Chain-smoking, cheeseburger-eating, chipmunk look-alike striker Ronaldo is unready to return from knee surgery, but Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mahamadou Diarra and Jose Antonio Reyes are playing well in league play.

Co-leaders of Ukraine’s premier league, Dynamo Kiev were soundly defeated by Steaua Bucharest on Matchday 1, and will be missing Ukrainian internationals Sergei Rebrov and Ruslan Rotan due to injury. They face a Real side that are hungry to legitimize their star-signings from the summer transfer window, and have been on a poor run of form in Europe since winning it all in 2002. The Ukrainian side definitely face a challenge going into the Bernabeau, but Fabio Capello’s side haven’t felt like strong favorites in a while.

Matchday 1 Results:
Lyon 2-0 Real Madrid [UEFA.com]
Dynamo Kiev 1-4 Steau Bucharest [UEFA.com]
Matchday 2 Previews:
No margin for error in Madrid [UEFA.com]
Real and Dynamo look to bounce back at Bernabeu [Yahoo! Sports]

Group H
Lille v. AC Milan
7:00 pm EST (delayed)
ESPN Deportes

Lille will hope for home advantage as they face an AC Milan side that is just beginning to dig itself out of its points penalty, sitting near mid-table in the Serie A standings. With 10 out of 12 possible points in league play, Milan are building momentum, especially after a 3-0 win over AEK Athens in Matchday 1. With new signing Yoann Gourcuff, veteran Filippo Inzaghi and Brazilian international Kaka getting onto the scoresheet, the Rossoneri are playing as if to prove they belong after the drama of the Italian match-fixing scandal.

For the Lille, their position in Ligue 1 is similar to Milan's, but the French side are suffering a bit of a goal drought, and are coming off of a 4-1 defeat to Ligue 1 leaders Lyon over the weekend. While still in good position within Group H, after dropping points to Anderlecht, a win would see them head to top of the group.

Matchday 1 Results:
Anderlecht 1-1 Lille [UEFA.com]
AC Milan 3-0 AEK Athens [UEFA.com]
Matchdsay 2 Preview:
Lille look for goalscoring salvation [UEFA.com]

-bl