Soccer By Ives

Morning Ticker: Man Utd downs Gamba, San Lorenzo tops Tigre and UEFA Cup recap

 

If Manchester United was jet-lagged, it certainly didn't show as the European champions scored in bunches to reach the Club World Cup final.

Wayne Rooney came off the bench to score two goals as Man Utd raced past Gamba Osaka, 5-3, in their Club World Cup semifinal on Thursday. The result sets up a final between Manchester United and Liga de Quito of Ecuador on Sunday.

The late rally gave Man Utd. a 5-1 lead before Gamba Osaka finished the match with a converted PK and a goal from Hideo Hashimoto in the 90th minute to make the scoreline more respectable.

Gamba Osaka will face Pachuca in a third-place match.

Here are some other stories to get your day going:

Morning Ticker: Rapids halt FC Dallas, Keegan quits Newcastle and Castillo forced to stay at City

Just when you thought you could write off the Colorado Rapids as being dead for the season, they find a way to breath some life into a disappointing season.

Mike Petke helped revive the Rapids once-faint playoff chances with his 60th minute header goal off a Tery Cooke cross to give Colorado a 1-0 win against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park.

The win, just Colorado's second road win of the year, moved the Rapids into a tie for third-place in the Western Conference with Chivas USA.

Here are some other stories to get your morning started:

SBI All-Euro 2008 Team

                                                                                         Photo by ISIphotos.com

With the European Champions now over, it is time to look back at the players who made the tournament one to remember.

From the daring Turks to the high-flying Russians to the dynamic Dutch, there were plenty of standout players in the tournament, but only 11 can make the Euro 2008 Best XI. Among the players who did NOT make the Best XI are Roman Pavlyuchenko (though he made himself a lot of money), Edwin Van Der Sar (close, but quarters exit hurt him) and David Villa (close, but just missed the cut).

Who did make the cut? Player of the Tournament Xavi made the squad, as did Michael Ballack, to name two.

Here are the eleven players who did make the cut:

How I picked Spain to win Euro 2008

                                                                                  Photo by ISIphotos.com

If you are expecting to read another account of how someone was genius enough to make the right call on who would win Euro 2008, don't worry. This isn't quite that kind of story.

I'll be the first to point out that plenty of people picked Spain, which came into the tournament as third choice according to oddsmakers. My story is about when I first picked Spain.

It was a January night in New York City and I was in town for a watch party for the USA/Sweden friendly when first pressed for my pick on a Euro 08 winner. I made my pick, and made a bet, and more than five months later I'm set to collect on my bet with a soccer fan on the other side of the world.

Spain crowned European champions

                                                                                  Photo by ISIphotos.com

On the strength of a stingy defense, quick and skillful midfield and a wonderful finish from Fernando Torres, Spain is the new European Champion.

It was definitely refreshing to watch a team win a tournament by playing beautiful attacking soccer and not by turning the game into a defensive-oriented bore-fest. Spain's win, and the Euro 2008 tournament as a whole, helped restore the faith in soccer fans worldwide that the beautiful game can still be beautiful.

Yes, that's right, I picked Spain to win. I'll share my story on when I first decided to go with Spain tomorrow, but I'll add this correct prediction to my Euro 2000 and World Cup 2002 correct predictions (If only I could go back in time and stop myself from changing my World Cup 2006 pick on deadline).

With the Euros now behind us, we can turn our attentions to the 2010 World Cup and start thinking about who will be favored for that tournament. Yes, it's still two years away, but considering how young a team Spain has, it's tough not to like their chances as a favorite right now along with the likes of Argentina and the Netherlands.

Share your thoughts on today's Euro final below.

Euro 2008 Final: Spain vs. Germany (Your Running Commentary)

Good afternoon everybody. Today's the day we have been waiting a month for. The European Championship final between Spain and Germany (2:45, ABC).

In one corner you have Germany, the pre-tournament favorites who have looked very strong in the knockout rounds after a less than stellar group stage showing. In the other corner is Spain, which is unbeaten in the tournament and stands poised to erase decades of tournament futility.

The big story heading into the match is Michael Ballack's availability. To the surprise of nobody, Ballack is going to start today. Spain is not as lucky and will not have tournament goal-scoring leader David Villa, who is out with a leg injury. As expected, Cesc Fabregas has replayed Villa in Spain's starting lineup.

If you will be watching today's final (and who isn't?) please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Spain vs. Germany: Your predictions

Good morning folks. We are a little more than three hours from kickoff of the European Championship final between Germany and Spain and it is time to hear some predictions.

As most of you know, I picked Spain to win the tournament so I'm sticking to that prediction. I see the Spanish attack finding the cracks in the German defense much like Croatia did as goals from Fabregas and Guiza give the Spaniards a 2-1 victory in the final.

Now it's your turn. Who do you see winning today and why? Give us your winner and scoreline in the comments section below.

Ballack doubtful for Euro Final

Some six years after missing the 2002 World Cup final due to yellow cards, German national team captain Michael Ballack could miss the Euro 2008 final vs. Spain with a calf strain.

Ballack hasn't trained in two days and could be replaced in the lineup by Bastian Schweinsteiger or Tim Borowski.

Needless to say, if Ballack doesn't play then Spain will have that much better a chance of winning the battle in midfield, where Sunday's final will likely be won. With Spain likely to field a five-man midfield that could dominate possession with Ballack out of action.

What do you think of Ballack potentially missing the final? Do you think Germany will still win? Is this the break Spain needed? Are you just happy to see Ballack suffer because you haven't gotten over his game-winning goal against the USA in the 2002 World Cup? Share your thoughts below.

Morning Ticker: Villa out for Euro final, Adebayor staying at Arsenal and Asian WC draw set

                                                     Photo by ISI Photos

Good morning folks. It is the end of an unforgettable week of soccer action and while today may not have any games to look forward to, there is still plenty of news to go over.

Let's start the day with a few stories from last night and this morning to get your Friday going:

Villa set to miss Euro final

Spain striker and Euro 2008 goal-scoring leader David Villa looks set to miss Sunday's final against Germany with a leg injury. Villa injured himself during Spain's 3-0 win against Russia and looks very unlikely to add to his tournament-best four goals.

With Villa out, Spain will likely turn to Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas, who came on for Villa against Russia and promptly set up two goals.

Euro 2008: Russia vs. Spain (Matchday)

Good afternoon folks. Apologies for the delay in getting this post up but it's been a busy day.

Today marks the semifinal we've all been waiting for. Spain vs. Russia. Andrei Arshavin vs. Marcos Senna, Roman Pavlyuchenko vs. Carlos Puyol, Guus Hiddink vs. Luis Aragones.

There should be plenty of drama and plenty of skill in what should be a much better match-up than the first meeting between these teams in group play.

If you will be watching the action, or if you just need a place to follow along, please feel free to check in here and provide your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Euro 2008: Germany vs. Turkey (Matchday)

It looks like a mismatch, but can there really be such a thing in this installment of the European Championships?

Turkey is missing eight key players heading into today's Euro semifinal against Germany (2:30pm, ESPN), but can you really write off a Turkish team that has shown so much heart and an unwillingness to give up? The Germans, the tournament favorites before the Euros began, won't show any pity on the short-handed Turks. Not with a Euro final within reach.

As resilient as Turkey has been, the missing players could prove too much to overcome. Goalkeeper Volkan Demiral's absence didn't hurt, and shouldn't hurt today, thanks to the presence of veteran Rustu Recber, but the absence of injured captain Nihat Kahveci, Turkey's best player, along with the absences of key figures Sanli Tuncay, Arda Turan and Emre Asik will make beating the resolute Germans that much tougher.

It should be a mismatch, but if Euro 2008 has shown us anything, it's that no results can be taken for granted. That is why today's match should be a memorable one. And yes, I'm picking Germany to win, 3-1 (I'm not trying to jinx the Germans, really I'm not).

If you plan on watching, and will be online, please feel free to share your own thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play before, during and after the match in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

The Cure for Euro Withdrawal

Admit it, you're feeling a little down today.

After 16 straight days of great European Championship action, we are coping with the first off-day of the tournament. The first of two off days actually. I don't know about you but I'm feeling a bit of withdrawal and no, watching a replace of USA-Barbados isn't the cure.

So what can you do during these two soccer-less days? I've been dealing with laptop issues that have made things rough in SBI-land the past few days but there is still plenty to do for the bored soccer fan waiting for Germany-Turkey to kick off on Wednesday. Here are some suggestions:

Euro 2008: Spain ousts Italy (A look back)

Spain's curse is over.

You heard over and over about Spain's history of losing penalty kick shootouts on the date June 22, along with the tradition of falling short in major tournaments. The Spanish national team was able to put that to bed on Sunday after its thrilling penalty shootout victory against Italy in the European Championship quarterfinals. No, Spain still hasn't lifted the trophy, but getting this far has helped validate a talented team that may now have the confidence to finish the task.

Spain deserved it in every sense of the word. The Spanish attacked more than Italy, created more chances and just looked like the better team for much of the 120 minutes of soccer. Italy defended well and played a physical game, but lacked creativity and failed to generate much offense.

And then there were four. Germany, Turkey, Russia and Spain. It isn't quite the semifinal group most would have expected, but all four have earned their places. Germany has been resolute, Turkey has been inspiring, Russia has been dynamic and Spain has been quality throughout the tournament.

What did you think of Spain's victory? Share your thoughts below.

Euro 2008: Spain vs. Italy (Your Running Commentary)

After three exhilarating, unpredictable, entertaining and unforgettable quarterfinal match-ups, can the last match of the European Championship quarterfinal round possibly give us more?

It just might. Spain and Italy square off in what was probably the most anticipated match-up of the quarterfinal round. That was before late-game heroics, penalty kick drama and a shocking upset left us begging for more. Can Spain and Italy deliver?

In one corner you have the Spaniards, notorious for folding in big tournaments, the last remaining unbeaten and the last remaining group winner, facing Italy, the reigning World Champions and the team that didn't win at Euro 2008 until its final group match against France. Can Italy, missing key defenders and showing its age, really beat a loaded Spanish squad that looks as dangerous in attack as it looks stingy in defense?

Come on, can you really say no? Can you doubt any outcome in this tournament after Turkey stunned the Croatians and Russia upset the Netherlands?

Well, I'm saying no, if only because I'm standing at a tidy 0-3 for the quarters and have to hold on to my pick to win the tournament. I picked Spain to win it all and I'll stick to that, even after all the drama of the early quarterfinal matches. I'll say Spain wins 2-1 (that sound you hear is Spanish fans crying because I just gave Spain the kiss of death).

I will be doing a running commentary of the match so feel free to follow along here and, whether you're watching at home or are stuck where you can't watch, you're more than welcome to share your thoughts and opinions before, during and after the match in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Where will Arshavin go?

Andrei Arshavin has played just two games in the European Championships but two games have been enough for him to earn the label of fastest rising star at the tournament.

Arshavin's skillful display against the Netherlands, which saw him outshine midfield stars Wesley Sneijder and Rafael Van Der Vaart, has helped catapult his transfer price, a price that will surely be paid by some team hoping he can duplicate his Euro magic in one of Europe's biggest leagues.

The Zenit St. Petersburg playmaker drew raves after leading Zenit to the UEFA Cup title, but his performance in the Euros has been jaw-dropping. His combination of speed, skill and killer instinct make him an ideal transfer target.

So who will line up to sign the high-priced Russian? Here are some suspects:

Euro 2008: Netherlands vs. Russia (Your Running Commentary)

Have you ever seen a better series of quarterfinal games before?

After thrilling wins by Germany and Turkey, today's highly-anticipated match-up between the Netherlands and Russia (2:45pm, ABC) could be the most entertaining one from an offensive soccer standpoint. You have two teams who pass well and attack in waves squaring off and somehow I don't think we're going to see a 1-0 defensive struggle.

In one corner you have Dutch attackers like Wesley Sneijder, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rafael Van Der Vaart and in the other corner you have the Russian duo of Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko, all of which have proven capable of doing damage to opposing defenses.

Who do I think will win? Well, after going 0-for-2 in the first two quarterfinals I will stick with chalk and give the Dutch team the edge. That said, the Russians scare me and Arshavin is a superstar who could have a monster game today. I'll go Netherlands 3, Russia 2.

If you will be watching today's match, or if you want to just follow along with the action, please feel free to check in here. Readers are encouraged to share their thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Computer issues will keep me from doing a running commentary but I will be checking in when I can to provide updates and my own take on the action.

Enjoy the match. It should be a fun one to watch.