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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

9 Facts You Should Know About Thomas Müller

Thoma Mueller Wallpaper

Thomas Müller was born on 13 September 1989 in Weilheim
Thomas Müller plays as a midfielder or forward, and has been deployed in a variety of attacking roles – as an attacking midfielder, second striker, or on either wing.
He was named as the Best Young Player of the tournament and with five goals and three assists, won the Golden Boot.
Thomas Müller has been in the starting eleven in all of Germany's first four qualifiers for Euro 2012, all of which have ended in victory. Müller has assisted two goals, both for Miroslav Klose, but is yet to score.
Thomas Müller played as a youth for TSV Pähl, before joining Bayern Munich in 2000 at the age of 10.
He progressed through the Bayern Munich Junior Team, and was part of the team that finished runner-up in the Under-19 Bundesliga in 2007
Müller returned from his post-World Cup break to sign another contract extension, this time extending his stay at Bayern until 2015.
As with all of Bayern's World Cup participants, he missed much of pre-season, and his first game back was the Supercup against Schalke 04 on 7 August.
He was named in the starting 11, and scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win. Two weeks later he scored the opening goal of Bayern's league season, in a 2–1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg

10 Facts You Should Know About Mesut Ozil

Mesut Ozil Wallpaper

Mesut Ozil was born on 15 October 1988 in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
Mesut Ozil ancestors were from Turkey. His ancestors are from Devrek, Zonguldak in Northern Turkey.
Mesut Ozil is a good muslim. He recites Qur'an verses before all his matches to help him focus. Talking to the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel, Özil said, "I always do that before I go out (on the pitch). I pray and my team-mates know that they cannot talk to me during this brief period."
Current Football Club is Real Madrid by wearing number 23 replacing Rafael Van der Vaart whom sold to English club, Tottenham Hotspur.
Previous professional football club are Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen
Mesut Ozil nominated for the Golden Ball Award which is awarded to the tournament's best player
He is remarkable on his technique on playmaking and ball handling abilities.
Ozil's brother Mutlu is also a footballer who is playing for Heßler 06 in Gelsenkirchen
Ozil is a third-generation member of the Turkish community in Germany.
Mesut Ozil Quote's - "My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part."

Who is eligible for the title of world's best players for the 2010/2011 session?

This problem often arises when a conflict arises as to who the best player the world. Among the candidates who would be Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi Hernandez. Currently, other candidates can not be ascertained because there is no new talent emerging to compete with the three candidates mentioned earlier.

Lionel Messi Wallpaper

Lionel Messi - A striker who plays for Argentina and Barcelona football club. He has exceptional skills in running fast and a good finish. World's recent best player. Very quick pace and dangerous when moving ball around. However, despite his ability to score goals, he can not do anything without Xavi Hernandez in midfield. Always overshadowed by the image of Diego Maradona. This is one of the reasons he failed to shines in international football competition.

Xavi Hernandez Wallpaper

Xavi Hernandez - Who is not familiar with Xavi Hernandez are really quite synonymous in the world of football. He is a playmaker who is very calm on the pitch, master of passing, mentally strong, high team spirit and have the qualities of a leader. The author believes, Barcelona could not go far without Xavi Hernandez in midfield.

Cristiano Ronaldo Wallpaper

Cristiano Ronaldo - High-profile player from Portugal. He was known for his "Douchebag" and fond of the glamor life. Able to play well in the second position of the striker and winger. Has good ball control, technique and dribbling skills are great, with quick feet, has a good finishing technique, and also a dangerous free kick taker. Have a great history of football with Manchester United after his transfer from Sporting Lisbon. Now, he has matured in his career with Real Madrid.

Personally, the author prefers games on display by Cristiano Ronaldo. No person in the world to play well in two different positions. Having a good header techniques, fantastic dribbling skills, a keen sense to produce a goal and a dangerous free kick taker. Who is able to master all these techniques?

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

LIVE UEFA Champions League! Free Football Streaming: Lyon v Benfica

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Having watched Olympique Lyonnais's opening two Group B victories nursing a thigh injury on the sidelines, defender Cris is itching to get back in the thick of the action again as the French side look to make it three wins from three against SL Benfica.

"If we win, we'll have nine points and will almost be through to the knockout rounds," said the 33-year-old, who made his first appearance in two months in Sunday's 3-1 domestic success against LOSC Lille Métropole. "I was very happy to savour the atmosphere of a game again and was really focused. It was hard for me at the end because I haven't played for several weeks, but I'm recovering well."

The Brazilian centre-back hopes to have shaken off any lethargy in time for Wednesday's meeting with the Portuguese titleholders at the Stade de Gerland, where he is due to make his 50th appearance in the UEFA Champions League. "Benfica are a great team, with talented players," he said. "They are the best team in Portugal and, like us, struggled at the beginning of the season."

They also boast a strong South American component, including a pair of Brazilian stoppers of their own. "I played with Luisão at Cruzeiro EC and for the national team: he's really experienced and gifted," explained Cris. "And David Luiz is having a great season." The compatriot most likely to keep the Lyon veteran occupied is Alan Kardec, though, with the 21-year-old poised for his first start in the competition in place of the injured Óscar Cardozo. But while Cris admits Kardec "keeps well the ball" and is "dangerous in the air", he is not overly concerned.

""After three successive wins we are confident at the moment". We know we could improve as a team and that's why we want to get a good result on Wednesday." Following victories over FC Schalke 04 and Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC, it would also leave Lyon six points clear of third place in Group B as they seek to reach the knockout stages for the eighth successive campaign.

In the opposition camp, Luisão was quick to share his own respect for Cris, though not without a light-hearted reference to their similarly bald pates. ""I've played with Cris many times and I'm his No1 fan"," he said. "Have a look at my hairstyle; I've got the same one as him."

Joking aside, the 29-year-old is nonetheless anticipating a testing encounter as his team aim to bounce back from their 2-0 loss at Schalke last time out. "We know that Lyon are a good team and don't need to be told about their quality," he said. "They're right when they say they're favourites, but before kick-off both teams are level and anything can happen. We don't fear them but we respect them, and we know they play in the Champions League every year."

LIVE UEFA Champions League! Free Football Streaming: Internazionale v Tottenham Hotspur

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Captain Javier Zanetti has said that he and his FC Internazionale Milano team-mates will "give our best and qualify as soon as possible" as they prepare to meet Tottenham Hotspur FC in Group A.

The clubs are level on four points at the top of the section, with the European champions ahead by virtue of a better goal difference. After kicking off their title defence with a 2-2 draw against FC Twente, Inter beat SV Werder Bremen 4-0 at home, but Tottenham have kept pace thus far and Argentinian international Zanetti reckons Harry Redknapp's side will be tough opponents.

"Tottenham are a good team," said the 37-year-old. "They're good on the counterattack and dangerous from set pieces. Our group is very even; Bremen are a strong side too, and we have to stay vigilant because we also had a few problems against Twente. We have to give our best in every game."

Exactly how good Inter's best is has been a topic of intense discussion in Italy. Zanetti returned from a four-week absence on Sunday for his side's 1-0 win at Cagliari Calcio, but the cautious style of football they played did not impress some.

Zanetti, Inter's first signing under president Massimo Moratti back in 1995, made no apologies. "To be honest, we don't care about the critics," the versatile midfielder said. "It won't be easy for anybody at Cagliari, but we managed to get the three points so we achieved our goal. We have to improve, that's for sure, but what counts is that we won."

Benítez and his Inter predecessor José Mourinho both put results first when it came to their coaching ethos, but the shift from one boss to the other has not been seamless. After beating AS Roma to win the Italian Super Cup, the Nerazzurri lost to Club Atlético de Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup and made a shaky start in the league, though they are still third, two points adrift of surprise leaders S.S. Lazio.

"[Mourinho and Benítez] are different, but they also have something in common because they both want to win," Zanetti explained. ""We have to master Benítez's philosophy as soon as possible. We were used to a different kind of football but I think we have already made a few steps forward" since the start of the season."

LIVE UEFA Champions League! Free Football Streaming: Man United Vs Bursaspor

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Bursaspor goalkeeper Dimitar Ivankov is relishing the prospect of being reunited with compatriot Dimitar Berbatov when the Turkish side visit Manchester United FC on Wednesday, the two former Bulgarian internationals having memorably crossed paths ten years ago.

Bottom of UEFA Champions League Group C and without a point, Bursaspor will look to Ivankov to keep the joint section leaders at bay and the 34-year-old is expecting a busy evening. "It will be a very hard game for us," he said. "Manchester United have so many great players. "Their whole team is dangerous, not only Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney. Berbatov is having a great season so far"."

The two players last found themselves on opposite sides of the pitch almost ten years ago to the day, when Ivankov's PFC Levski Sofia secured a 1-1 draw away against Berbatov's PFC CSKA Sofia on 15 October 2000. The match they are most remembered for came in May that year, however, when Ivankov repeatedly denied the United man before Georgi Ivanov's late goal earned Levski a 1-0 success that proved a significant step towards the A League crown.

Only 19 at the time, Berbatov was already the most exciting prospect in the Bulgarian top flight but blamed himself for the outcome of that crucial encounter, claiming "we lost because of my misses". It was considered the forward's first big club contest and although he has since won the Premier League title with United, plus English League Cup honours with Sir Alex Ferguson's men and Tottenham Hotspur FC, he will surely be reminded of that day when he steps out on the pitch at Old Trafford.

Berbatov will not be alone in wanting to score, though, as his erstwhile Bulgarian international colleague enjoys a reputation as one of the most prolific goalkeepers in the global game. Ivankov has registered 31 league goals down the years from free-kicks and penalties and also found the net in both rounds of a UEFA Champions League qualifier against F91 Dudelange in July 2000. ""It will be a dream come true if I get to score in the group stage of the Champions League"," he said.

Short of getting his name on the scoresheet, Ivankov would nonetheless settle for a positive result at one of European football's most evocative venues. "I hope we'll do a good job at Old Trafford and show our best," he explained. "Playing in the Champions League is like a dream come true for Bursaspor. We are debutants in the tournament and it will be very difficult for us, but we want to show some good football and, if luck is on our side, we may take something from this game."

LIVE UEFA Champions League! Free Football Streaming: Rangers v Valencia CF

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Valencia CF goalkeeper César Sánchez has fond memories of Glasgow. His last outing in Scotland's largest city yielded a UEFA Champions League winners' medal, when he started for Real Madrid CF in their 2002 final triumph against Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Hampden Park – and now eight years later and five kilometres away at Ibrox, he is hoping for another successful outcome as his current side visit Rangers FC in Group C.

"I have very good memories of this place," said the former Spain international, whose team lie a point behind Rangers and Manchester United FC in third. "Hopefully, we can create more good memories against Rangers. We want a positive result to ensure we progress from the group."

César was impressed by the hair-raising Hampden atmosphere that evening and anticipates a similar ambience on Matchday 3. However, the 39-year-old goalkeeper insists he and his Valencia team-mates must embrace it, rather than allowing it to diminish their powers.

""The atmosphere in the final was incredible and we know this is a very special place to play"," César added. "A couple of our players were here last week when Spain faced Scotland [in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying] and they said it was fantastic. It is something special here, but it doesn't have to be a negative for us. We have to try to impose our style on the game and, in fact, the atmosphere can have the opposite effect; it can put pressure on the home side.

"I like to be positive," a typically upbeat César continued, before underlining the potential importance of the fixture as the teams approach the midway stage of the group phase. "We have come here to get a good result and make life as easy as possible. It's another big game for us and we are ready, but we must also be careful. "This competition is like a sprint. If you make a mistake in the group stage, you may not have the chance to put it right"."

While Rangers are undefeated this term, Valencia are seeking to rectify a rare blip in their own form following a 2-1 Liga defeat at FC Barcelona on Saturday. However, César chose to extract only positives from that loss. He said: "For 45 minutes, we controlled the game at the home of possibly the best club side in the world. Perhaps we let our concentration slip in the second half, but I believe this team is moving in the right direction."