It’s a final for the purists July 7, 2010 WITH their slick passing styles and fantastic quality on show, Holland and Spain will provide the perfect showpiece at Soccer City on Sunday. We saw last night just what a complete side Spain are. Xavi and Andreas Iniesta controlled the midfield, while Carles Puyol was a real hero at either end, scoring what proved to [...]
Koscielny seals £10m Arsenal deal July 7, 2010 ARSENAL new boy Laurent Koscielny set his sights on the Premier League title after completing his £10m move to Emirates Stadium last night. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has tracked the 24-year-old centre back for some time after he impressed for French Ligue 1 side Lorient. And Koscielny, who can play for either France or Poland, [...]
Cash-strapped Barca haven’t paid last month’s wages July 7, 2010 BARCELONA’S reputation as a model club is in tatters after their new president admitted they need a £125m loan because they still have not paid last month’s wages. Sandro Rosell, who succeeded Joan Laporta last week, said he had been forced to offload defender Dmitro Chygrinskiy to raise funds to ease cash-flow. “We found a [...]
Strauss eyes Bangladesh whitewash July 7, 2010 ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss is targeting three wins out of three from the one-day series against Bangladesh, which starts today at Trent Bridge. The hosts will be expected to achieve the clean sweep, having just wrapped up a one-day series victory over Australia, who represent far more daunting opponents. England also enjoyed three ODI triumphs [...]
Aviva agree £20m rugby deal July 7, 2010 AVIVA have agreed a £20m deal to become the new sponsors of Premiership rugby. The insurance giants penned a four-year deal to replace Guinness as the top-flight’s title sponsors, starting immediately. Premiership chiefs confirmed that both parties have agreed to make “significant investment in community programmes” as part of the deal. “This is a fantastic [...]
Oranje-Boom! Holland march into World Cup final July 6, 2010 URUGUAY (2) vs HOLLAND (3) HOLLAND survived late Uruguayan pressure to maintain their incredible 25-game winning streak and book their place in the World Cup final. The Cape Town skyline descended into a sea of orange as Bert van Marwijk’s side remained on course to lift the country’s first-ever world trophy and finally bury the [...]
Dutch will ensure a cracking finale July 6, 2010 WHETHER it’s Germany or Spain who meet Holland in Sunday’s World Cup final, you can be sure of one thing – it’s going to be a cracker. While the Germans have lit the tournament up with their movement and flowing, counter-attacking style, the Spanish are warming up nicely with their abundance of talent just ready [...]
Spain are still the best, says star Schweini July 6, 2010 GERMANY vs SPAIN Tonight, BBC1, ko 7.30pm BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER has played down his side’s chances of clinching a World Cup final place, insisting Spain are favourites for tonight’s last-four clash in Cape Town. The young German side have arguably been the most impressive team in the competition so far, while the Spanish have endured a [...]
Gerrard: I’m not ready to call time on my England career July 6, 2010 ENGLAND star Steven Gerrard expects manager Fabio Capello to make sweeping changes to the squad after sifting through the wreckage of their World Cup campaign. But the 30-year-old midfielder has told Capello that he is not ready to step aside and call time on his international career. Gerrard’s Liverpool team-mate has announced that is England [...]
Facebook sparks Nigeria U-turn July 6, 2010 NIGERIA’S president has admitted that he felt compelled to scrap his two-year ban on the national team after receiving hundreds of pleas on Facebook. World governing body Fifa threatened to blacklist the Super Eagles if the ban was not dropped, as their rules forbid government interference in teams. But Goodluck Jonathan said it was the [...]