Madrid: Not even an injury to Lionel Messi in the 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday could dampen Barcelona's celebrations at winning their 22nd Spanish league title. Messi started his first match in six rounds because of a recurring right hamstring injury, but he left the field in the 68th minute with Barcelona trailing 1-0 to Radamel Falcao's 52-minute goal and having made all three substitutions. However, Alexis Sanchez...
08:04 AM, May 13, 2013
London: Clint Dempsey scored the tying goal on a sliding shot into an empty net from 30 yards, then crossed to Emmanuel Adebayor for the a goal-ahead in the 83rd minute to lead Tottenham over Stoke 2-1 Sunday and into fourth place in the Premier League. Steven Nzonzi gave Stoke the lead in the third minute, and Dempsey put the ball in the net in the 15th, only to have...
11:07 PM, May 12, 2013
London: Daniel Sturridge scored a hat-trick for his sixth goal in the past four Premier League matches on Sunday as Liverpool came from behind to win 3-1 at Fulham. After Dimitar Berbatov gave Fulham a 33rd-minute lead with a header at Craven Cottage, Sturridge scored in the 36th, 62nd and 85th minutes to extend Liverpool's unbeaten run to six games. Sturridge latched on to Philippe Coutinho's deflected pass to score...
10:52 PM, May 12, 2013
Manchester: Amid a carnival atmosphere at a rainy Old Trafford, Manchester United gave the retiring Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes the perfect send-off in their final home match by beating Swansea 2-1 in the Premier League. Ferguson, who is stepping down at the end of the season after nearly 27 years as United manager, jumped out of his seat and punched the air in delight after Rio Ferdinand volleyed the...
10:41 PM, May 12, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Uruguay international striker Diego Forlan has lambasted former club Inter Milan, claiming he was made to feel like an outcast by the Italian Serie A outfit. The 33-year-old, who joined Inter from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011, managed just two goals from 18 matches in a forgettable season at the San Siro, reports Xinhua. He said his requests to say goodbye to the club were...
03:00 PM, May 12, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid central defender Raphael Varane suffered a knee injury in Saturday's 1-1 La Liga draw at Espanyol and looks set to miss the rest of the season. The 20-year-old France international, who has burst into Real's team this season, fell awkwardly after a tackle in the 19th minute and had to be substituted. "His meniscus is affected. We will see what the scans say in the morning," club...
09:39 AM, May 12, 2013
London: Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is retiring for a second and final time, ending a career that saw him regarded as one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. The 38-year-old former England international initially quit in 2011 but was persuaded to return for United in January 2012. "I am finally hanging up my boots for good," Scholes said on Saturday. A first appearance since January is...
09:12 AM, May 12, 2013
Madrid: Lionel Messi might have powered Barcelona to this season's Spanish league crown, but they fell to humble crosstown rival Espanyol to finally finish off Real Madrid's title defense with a 1-1 draw on Saturday. So after 10 months of competition, Barcelona's 22nd league title and fourth in five years wasn't decided at Camp Nou, but rather a few miles away at Cornella-El Prat Stadium. Madrid had staved off Barcelona's...
08:05 AM, May 12, 2013
London: As blue-and-white confetti exploded under the Wembley arch, Wigan players lifted a trophy for the first time in the club's 81-year history. In one of the biggest FA Cup final upsets, a team playing non-league football 35 years ago and assembled for barely $30 million beat big-spending Manchester City 1-0 on Saturday. Winning English football's showpiece match was not only a reward for Wigan owner Dave Whelan's investment in...
11:48 PM, May 11, 2013
Frank Lampard became Chelsea's all-time leading goalscorer on Saturday with two trademark strikes against Aston Villa, providing another demonstration of his value with his future at the European champions still uncertain. Lampard, who made his Chelsea debut nearly 12 years ago, struck in the 61st and 88th minutes at Villa Park to give his side a 2-1 victory in the Premier League that virtually ensured Champions League football for the...
10:48 PM, May 11, 2013
London: West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has ended uncertainty about his future by signing a new two-year contract with the Premier League club. The 58-year-old Allardyce has been in charge at Upton Park since 2011 and led West Ham back into the Premier League, where the team is assured a second successive season. West Ham co-owner David Gold announced on his Twitter account that Allardyce had a signed a new...
10:22 PM, May 11, 2013
Pune: Strikers James Moga and Boima Karpeh struck a goal each as Pune FC posted a comfortable 2-0 win over Pailan Arrows to clinch the second position and their best-ever finish in the I-League, here Sunday. Moga scored in the 39th minute while Karpeh found the net in the 65t minute to help Pune earn their 16th win of the season. The points tally was the highest ever achieved by...
09:01 PM, May 11, 2013
Kolkata: I-League top scorer Ranty Martins struck twice as United SC drubbed ONGC 3-1 to end their campaign with a fourth place finish at the Kalyani Stadium Saturday. The Nigerian striker, who topped the scoring chart with 26 goals, converted a 29th minute spot kick and went on to pump in one more at the break. New Zealand recruit Kayne Vincent's header in the 57th minute sealed the issue for...
07:42 PM, May 11, 2013
Rome: Arturo Vidal has been named Juventus' Player of the Year, the Italian football club announced. The 25-year-old Chile international on Friday won more votes from the club members than Paul Pogba, Mirko Vucinic, Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo, reports Xinhua. He has scored 10 goals this season, including winners against AC Milan, Lazio and Palermo, and was instrumental in Juventus' league title winning campaign. A supporter will present the...
01:59 PM, May 11, 2013
London: The FA Cup final on Saturday features two teams apparently heading in different directions. There's Manchester City, confirmed for another season in the ritzy Champions League. And Wigan, happy to forget for one day an impending fall into anonymity in the League Championship. Wigan, three points from avoiding relegation in the English Premier League with two games to go, still believes they can stay up. In their pursuit for...
08:29 AM, May 11, 2013
London: Roberto Martinez is a strong manager who can keep Wigan Athletic in the Premier League, Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini said on the eve of Saturday's FA Cup final against the Spaniard's struggling team. Wigan's place in the top flight is under threat as they are three points from safety with two matches to play but Mancini believes Martinez can keep them afloat. "Martinez is a strong manager and...
11:25 PM, May 10, 2013
London: Manchester United manager in waiting David Moyes said he had not expected to be leaving Everton after 11 years in charge and had already begin planning for next season when the Old Trafford giants came calling this week. In a whirlwind few days for the landscape of British football, Alex Ferguson announced that he was to retire as United's manager after 27 trophy-laden years on Wednesday and the following...
10:32 PM, May 10, 2013
London: Lionel Messi's life story is set to hit the movie screens in time for the 2014 World Cup. Epic Pictures Group says it is financing and developing a Rocky-style film after buying the rights to dramatize a biography about the Barcelona soccer star. The Beverly Hills-based company says the biopic will chart Messi's rise from a modest background in Argentina and how he "overcame his physical shortcomings to become...
06:48 PM, May 10, 2013
London: For almost 27 years, Old Trafford has witnessed Alex Ferguson venting his anger from the dugout, berating officials, anxiously checking his watch and making celebratory jigs down the touchline. On Sunday, 76,000 fans have one final chance to witness - and savor - the most successful manager in British football history taking charge of Manchester United on home soil. With the 13th Premier League of Ferguson's reign wrapped up...
06:29 PM, May 10, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid decided against holding their traditional pre-match news conference on Friday in an apparent attempt to defuse the war of words between coach Jose Mourinho and members of his squad. The nine-times European champions visit Espanyol on Saturday when a failure to win would gift leaders Barcelona their fourth La Liga title in five years. Even if they do triumph, Barca only need two more points to secure...
06:19 PM, May 10, 2013
