Being a Soccer (Football) Goalkeeper - The Bad and the Good

There are a few common misconceptions about soccer (called "football" everywhere other than in the United States) goalkeepers. Let's take a look at these and then examine how things really are.

Misconception #1 - Being a soccer goalie is easy because you don't have to run around very much.

People who aren't familiar with the game will see all the players running around on the field and then see the goalies who are "just standing there" and assume it must be easy.

The truth is that goalies have to be 100% aware of what is going on at all times. While it may not be as physically demanding as the other position, they do still need to be able to move around a lot -- and quickly -- especially if the ball is equidistant from the goalie and an opposing player and they are both running for it.

A goalkeeper also has to be precisely aware of where he is on the field, and know where the goal is without needing to look back and see it. Taking your eyes off the ball for even a split second can result confusion which can lead to the other team scoring.

Football Betting: Euro 2012, Will Ireland Make History?

Republic of Ireland fans would have been bitterly disappointed not to qualify for Euro 2012. They tried so many times in recent years and in the last World Cup they really deserved to go though if wasn't for France and Thierry Henry. This time they had a dream of qualifying draw but the home defeat against Russia put them under pressure throughout the campaign. Ireland however fought hard to finish second and this was a real achievement. They draw 0-0 in Moscow last September and managed to get ahead of a good team like Armenia. The one aspect you can bet Giovanni Trapattoni will get absolutely right is the defence: this was the main strength for Ireland and although they may be short of brilliance at times, their style needs to be respected.

Giovanni Trapattoni's career will continue long beyond Euro 2012. He has recently signed a new contract which will take him to the end of the qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup. This is a man who has had plenty of success on his career but he just wants more. Trap doesn't want a lucrative pension, he wants to be involved in the game. He has won 20 major honours, including Serie A seven times but didn't do very well in major tournament: at the 2002 World Cup with Italy he only got to the round of 16 and failed to get out of the Group Stage at Euro 2004.

How to Choose Football Gifts for Kids

Children develop a love for football from the youngest of ages and that is especially true if there are football fans in their own families. Being a fan of a certain team is often something that spans generations and continues on as a tradition. If your little one has developed a love for a specific team or if you want him or her to develop their fondness for it then you need to know what to do. Knowing what kids like is essential and of course, the best way to get to the heart of a child is through gifts. Football gifts for kids will allow little ones to develop their loyalty, to display it and to be proud of it.

Of course, not all official merchandise will be suitable for kids, but there are certain items that have an intrinsic appeal for those of a younger age. T-shirts made in their size, balls, and even figures in the form of players can give them great pleasure. So whenever you go hunting for football gifts remember to think their way and to prepare properly. The best way to do it, of course, is to ask beforehand but, as that may ruin the surprise just make sure that you know which team is the kid's favorite. There is nothing more annoying for a child than to receive a football gift that is not adorned with his or her favorite team markings.

So, now that you have the basics in order, you need to know where to look for football gifts. And of course, the most satisfying results are found online. First of all visit the official merchandise store of the team that you are looking for gifts from. The official clubs or at least those that are more prominent will sell gifts of their own. This is great because the quality of the products is usually very good and you can be sure that you will get them at a reasonable price.

Football gifts from the official clubs are not necessarily manufactured by the club; generally they work closely with manufacturers that have been selected for their quality and better prices. If however, you don't find anything interesting at the official club store, don't forget to extend your search and look for cool items on other sites. Among the best possible football gifts for kids T-shirts are the most sought after, followed by balls and sometimes games associated with their team such as monopoly or darts.

Euro 2012 Team Profile: Ukraine

Ukraine, along with neighbours Poland, host Euro 2012, the pinnacle of European football. Though they have the much-required home support, Ukraine would not fancy themselves to be serious contenders for the crown. In a tournament that features current world and European champion, Spain and many former champions, the Ukrainians would consider themselves underdogs. However, they have sprung a surprise once in a while and they are more than capable of doing so again.

The Coach

Oleh Blokhin is the head coach of Ukraine football team. He was one of the greatest strikers in the world and still is the highest goal-scorer in Soviet league history. He began coaching Ukraine in September 2003. Under his guidance, they made their first ever quarter-final appearance in a FIFA world-cup. However, he resigned after his boys failed to qualify for the Euro 2008. After being reappointed as the head coach in April 2011, Oleh would be eager to make his mark.

Recent form

Ukraine have played a number of international friendlies in the last year and have obtained mixed results. While they managed to beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in June last year, they were butchered at home by France in the same month. Their form showed no signs of improvement after the defeat, as they lost three consecutive matches to Sweden, Uruguay and Czech Republic respectively. Just when everyone started questioning the coach's ability to provide results, the team turned a corner and comprehensively defeated Bulgaria and Estonia in October 2011. The boys proved that they were not to be taken lightly when the managed to hold the mighty Germans to a 3-3 draw in November 2011. Four days later, they overcame the Austrians 2-1 and in February 2012 they beat Israel 3-2.

Euro 2012 Team Profile: Italy

Six years ago, Fabio Cannavaro lifted the World cup for Italy. Since then, a lot has changed in the team. Many top players retired, making way for young blood while Cesare Prandelli replaced Marcello Lippi as the head coach. Moreover, the team hasn't won any major trophy since 2006. A quarterfinal exit in Euro 2008 was followed by a humiliating first round exit in World cup 2010. The newer generation of Italian players has an opportunity to prove themselves on the grand stage. Will they rise to the occasion and restore their country's pride? Or will they waste this opportunity? We have to wait and watch.

Route to qualification

Italy are one of the few teams that have gone unbeaten in the qualifiers. They kick-started their long and arduous journey with a 2-1 victory against Estonia on 3rd September, 2010. Four days later, the Azzurri trashed Faroe Islands 5-0 at home. A goal-less draw against Northern Ireland saw them drop their first points of the campaign. Their next game against Serbia, played at Genoa, was abandoned due to violent behavior on the part of Serbian fans and the Italians were awarded a 3-0 win. After a six-month gap, The Italian Army continued its forward march conquering Estonia and Faroe Islands once again and dispatching Slovenia twice. After four consecutive games without conceding goals, the measly Italian defence conceded a solitary goal against Serbia in October 2011 and the game ended in a draw. Having ensured qualification, Italy beat Northern Ireland in their last game in what was essentially a dead rubber. Italy qualified as group winners, having won six and drawn two.

History at the Euros

Italy have qualified for the competition on eight different occasions. However, their only moment of European glory came way back in 1968 when they beat Yugoslavia to win the European Championship. They failed to get past the semi-final stage in the 1980 and the 1988 editions of the tournament. They finished as runners-up the 2000 edition, losing 1-2 to France in the final.

Opponents

Italy are placed in Group C alongside Croatia, Ireland and Spain. Italy play their first game on June 10, 2012 against Spain, the reigning World and European champions. The Azzurri couldn't have asked for a tougher start to their campaign. They travel from Gdansk to Poznan to play their next game against Croatia, scheduled to be held on June 14, 2012. They complete their group proceedings on June 18, 2012 at the Municipal Stadium, Poznan against Ireland.

Provisional squad

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon, Morgan De Sanctis, Salvatore Sirigu, Emiliano Viviano.

Defenders: Ignazio Abat, Davide Astori, Federico Balzaretti, Andrea Barzagli, Salvatore Bocchetti, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Domenico Criscito, Christian Maggio, Angelo Obinze Ogbonna, Andrea Ranocchia.

Midfielders: Luca Cigarini, Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Diamanti, Emanuele Giaccherini, Claudio Marchisio, Riccardo Montolivo, Thiago Motta, Antonio Nocerino, Andrea Pirlo, Ezequiel Schelotto, Marco Verratti.

Forwards: Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini, Antonio Cassano, Mattia Destro, Antonio Di Natale, Sebastian Giovinco.

Star Players:

Antonio Cassano has prospered under the current manager, Cesare Prandelli. He scored six goals for the Azzurri in their qualifiers. He has the full faith of Prandelli who said that his enthusiasm was contagious. The captain and goal-keeper, Gianluigi Buffon has a safe pair of hands and has performed a praiseworthy job between the sticks. Mario Balotelli, though not exactly a shining star, is always a threat to the adversary.

For the latest football gossip and news, including everything else you want to know about football including Euro 2012, click http://www.sportingattitude.com

Gokul is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Article Source: Gokul_Muthukumaresan

Euro 2012 Team Profile: England

No other country has produced so many talented players and sorely under-performed at the international stage as England has. The country that spawned the game has few honours to showcase. It has been ages since the Englishmen have lifted a trophy and I am sure they would be desperate to lay their hands on one. Every English fan would be hoping to put an end to this long wait. Will their new manager Roy Hodgson, who replaced the Italian Fabio Capello, put an end to this wait? Only time will tell.

Route to qualification

England were placed in one of the easiest groups in the qualifiers. Montenegro, Switzerland, Wales and Bulgaria hardly posed a threat to the star-studded English team. Wembley turned out to be a lucky ground for England as they hammered Bulgaria 4-0 in early September, 2010. Their next match against Switzerland was a routine affair with the Three Lions comfortably winning 3-1. However, England were held to a surprise draw at home by Montenegro in October, with neither team scoring any goal. The Englishmen visited their neighbours, the Welsh, six months later and came back with a comfortable 2-0 victory. England's erratic home form continued as the Swiss held them to a 2-2 draw on June 4, 2011. England won both the games they played in September 2011, beating Bulgaria 2-0 and Wales 1-0. Montenegro turned out to be insurmountable again and England came off with a 2-2 draw against them. With five wins and three draws Capello's boys emerged on top of their group in the qualifiers.

Is Arsenal's Future Really Bleak?

Not so long ago, they were known as "The Invincibles". Arsenal earned that epithet during the 2003-04 Premiership campaign, when they lifted the crown after going through the entire league season undefeated. No other team stood a chance against the mighty Gunners as they went about eliminating every rival that dared cross their path, with clinical precision. However, the guns have fallen silent, in recent years. They have gone past six trophy-less seasons since making the 2005 FA Cup their own. The current Arsenal team is a mere shadow of the Invincibles led by Patrick Vieira. They have not even been able to mount a title challenge during the ongoing season. The recent turn of events is sufficient to shake the belief of the most die-hard Arsenal fan. Arsenal critics foresee a downfall akin to that suffered by Leeds United. Can Arsenal prove their nay-sayers wrong? Or, is their future really bleak?

To understand Gunners' current predicament, one has to go back to the early 2000's when the team decided to shift from Highbury, their home ground for 93 years, to Ashburton Grove, now known as the Emirates. The construction of the £390 million stadium was funded by loans, sponsorship deals and sales of some of the club's star players, notably Nicolas Anelka, Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit. The loans put enormous stress on the club's finances. They were no longer able to compete with financial heavy-weights, like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea, in the transfer market. While other clubs spent millions of dollars on buying the best players in the game, Arsenal watched helplessly from the sidelines. To add to the inability to buy new talent, the Emirates outfit could not even retain its star players like Thierry Henry, Ashley Cole, Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri who left one by one. Things have come to such a pass that one cannot but wonder whether Arsenal can ever assemble another bunch of players capable of recapturing the club's past glory.

Despite their handicaps, Arsenal possess some powerful weapons they can bring to bear on their future prospects. Chief among these are the club's youth academy and the reserves team that provides an endless supply of exceptionally talented footballers to the senior side. The most recent examples are the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Wojciech Szczesny, Alex Song and Kieran Gibbs, who are barely into their twenties, are already first-team regulars. Carl Jenkinson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ryo Myiachi and Wellington Silva are exciting prospects for the future. Gunners' scouts spot talented players at a very young age and train them in the academy. The scout system attracts young talent from the world over; the youth team and reserves comprise players from Bolivia in the West to Japan in the East, thereby underscoring how well established the system has become.

Premier League - Down to the Wire

The race for everything in this year's Premier League is down to the wire. A rampant end to the Premier League is already visible at this time. With only a single game remaining in this season, everything is on critical phase, from the likes of title winners to the relegation threatened teams.

Starting with the Premier League title for the season, we've got two Manchester teams going for it on the last day. Manchester City is the favorites till now separated from second placed United with a goal difference of 8. However, being equal on points, anything less than a win against QPR could prove costly for City in their effort to win the title after 44 years. Manchester will do everything to win the last game, but their one eye would be focused on City's game.

It has been a season of ups and downs for those below the two Manchester clubs. Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea all have been in and out of top four this season. But it's Arsenal and Tottenham currently securing 3rd and 4th place, with a game to play. Only a point could not be enough for any of the teams because it's a battle for the third place rather than top four.

Euro 2012 Team Profile: France

French football legend Thierry Henry once said, "I eat football, I sleep football, I breathe football. I'm not mad, I'm just passionate." Two years ago, he couldn't prevent his team from going down in the first round of the FIFA world cup. Since then, French football has been patchy and inconsistent. When Raymond Domenech paved way for Laurent Blanc to be the head coach, skeptics predicted a free fall. However, Blanc has performed a decent job and guided his team to their fourth consecutive Euro appearance. Can he take his team all the way to attain glory? Or will they stumble in their path? These questions will be answered in the next couple of weeks.

Route to qualification

France's qualification campaign got off to the worst possible start when they suffered a shock home defeat to minnows Belarus in September 2010. However, they were quickly back on track and overcame Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0. October 2012 was a rewarding month for Laurent Blanc as his boys beat Romania 2-0 and Luxemborg by the same margin. Luxemborg did not put up a fight in the reverse fixture, in March 2011, and were again beaten 0-2. Belarus proved to be a thorn in the flesh again for Blanc as they held to France to a 1-1 draw. France survived a scare from Albania on September 2, 2011 and eventually managed to win the game 2-1. Their inconsistent form in the qualifiers showed once again as they failed to get past Romania four days later and were held to a goalless draw. France ensured qualification in October 2011, after trouncing Albania 3-0 and holding off Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 in their last qualifier. Though France emerged as group winners, they finished only a point ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Euro 2012 Team Profile: Spain

Spain are the defending Euro and FIFA world cup champions and definitely bookies' favorites to win the Euro crown again. La Roja are a bunch of highly talented players, who play free-flowing football. Del Bosque, under whom Spain achieved their first ever world cup victory, has brought style and substance into the Spanish team. His recent contract extension would only serve to boost the morale of the team. Other managers are guaranteed to have nightmares the night before their teams face Spain.

Route to qualification

In the qualifiers, Spain were handed relatively easier opponents in Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania and Leichtenstein. The Spaniards started their campaign in style by trashing minnows Leichtenstein 4-0 at Vaduz on 3rd September, 2010. A comfortable 3-1 victory against Lithuania at the Estadio El Helmántico in Salamanca and a scrappy 3-2 win against Scotland in Glasgow ensured that Del Bosque's men were on top of the group by October 2010. After a 5-month break, La Roja were up against the Czech Republic, their toughest opponents in the group. A David Villa double secured them full points from the game. Their opponents in the next game, Leichtenstein, proved no match as the Spaniards slotted six goals past them and conceded none. A 2-0 away victory against the Czech Republic followed by a 3-1 home victory against Scotland in October 2011 ensured that Spain finished on top of their group, having won all eight of their qualifiers while scoring 26 goals and conceding just six in that process.

Past History

Spain beat the then defending champions USSR 2-1 to win the 1964 European Nations' Cup. They reached the title-clash in the 1984 Euro but stumbled at the final hurdle, losing 0-2 to France. The 1-0 win against Germany in the Euro 2008 final is one of the glorious chapters of Spanish footballing history.

Manchester City Revives Joys of Over 4 Decades

After a historic season finale on May 13th the Premier League has a 2011-12 Champion and raising the cup is Roberto Mancini with his Sky Blues men.

The waiting was long for the Citizens side, which didn't achieve this honour since 1968. Besides it was a tough come back to the top, since they had to give away the first position to Manchester United with only 8 fixtures left to the final round and some tough rivals to confront. The Sky Blues certainly deserved to win this campaign since they spent more than half of the season at the peak of the table and gave us brilliant performances in most of their meetings. But both Mancini and Ferguson's sides knew that Manchester City couldn't celebrate the title until the very last match was conquered; and Queens Park Rangers definitely wouldn't give it away easily.

The Citizens started confident and during the first half they had several chances to score; in fact City's total shots during the whole game was twelve times better than QPR, which only had 3 shots. During the first half, following the news about the United-Sunderland clash had filter in, the Citizens grabbed the lead with a beautiful goal from inside the penalty box from Pablo Zabaleta (39') -his first and only goal for the season. By the return from the interval QPR started worrying, as in the Britannia Stadium Bolton was taking the lead, which put them on the relegation zone. So, quickly the Rangers pulled out their strength and with Djibril Cisse upfront they balanced the scoreboard.

Soccer Balls

The game of soccer is one of the most popular sport in the modern era and it is played using soccer balls.The standard soccer ball size is size 5 with a circumference of 69cm (27 inches).

The history of these balls dates back to 1855 when Charles Goodyear manufactured and designed spherical balls and in 1863, the English football association was formed. In the year 1873, it was decided that the soccer ball must be spherical with a circumference of 69 cm-71 cm(27 inches-28 inches) while in the year 1937 a weight of 400 grams-450 grams was established and that soccer balls must be covered by leather or any of the approved material.

Most modern balls are stitched from 20 regular hexagon and 12 regular pentagons to form a 32 panel of waterproofed leather or plastic. The 32 panel configuration is the spherical polyhedron corresponding to the truncated icosahedron and it is spherical because the faces bulge from the pressure of the air inside.

The first set of the above described balls was sold in the 50s in Denmark and it became common in Europe in the 60s meanwhile the said configuration was publicized by Adidas tel star which was the official ball used in 1970 World cup.Soccer balls are made by stitching non water proof plastic similar to the designed seen in volley balls and are laced for good access to the internal air bladder.

The Life of Goalkeeper Gloves

All goalkeeper gloves wear and tear, none really last longer than the other. I used to go though around 2 to 3 pairs a month and when you're paying £50 a pair, that's a lot of money.

My advice is to find a mid range well priced glove as I'm yet to find a long lasting goalkeeper glove. I've found all the £30 gloves last as long as the £50+, the j4k gloves are priced at mid range and the gloves are the same or even better than the leading brands, plus there cheaper

Why buy 1 glove for £60 when you can by 2 for £60 and there just the same?

How to wash your goalkeeper gloves

With goalkeeping gloves costing as much as boots now a lot of people ask me how do I look after them so they last longer. 

All gloves wear and tear but by keeping gloves clean and damp will add more life in the gloves.

A lot of keepers will play and just chuck their gloves into their kits bag come rain or shine; this will not help the life of the glove.

Soccer Players, How Often Are You Doing These Four Essentials?

Soccer is a fun competitive sport that requires use of strength, coordination and skill to do your part for the team. While proper preparation will involve many types of activities, soccer players can improve their game by following a training routine that includes four essentials.

Weight Lifting

Weight lifting for soccer players should help to build leg muscles for speed and agility. The routine should improve the overall muscle tone as well as endurance. In addition to a focus on the legs, the soccer player needs to build strong shoulders and back for the battle with other players. Building leg strength helps to improve the kick. Most soccer players can accomplish the needed weight training in three days per week.

Speed Training

Players that spend a short time training at least once per week during season and more often out of season will find the exercises gives them an advantage in the game. The additional speed provided at the beginning of a run can give the player the head start needed to complete the charge to the goal. This training can also help to improve the player's endurance for the long game.

A Premier League Hangover

The weeks after the Premier League season finishes are a tough test for football fans. They know that a nine -month long discussion of great goals, footballing tactics and controversial chickens must come to an end, leaving football fans with a terrible hangover.

So, it is a natural reaction for fans to look back and analyse every possible talking point of the season. Who was the best player, the best team, the biggest disappointment? The same questions are asked each year, in the knowledge that by the next week these conversations will cease to exist.

Yet, this has been a season to remember, and on Sunday the Premier League ended with one of the greatest finishes in footballing history. This hangover will last longer than most.

Man City's 44-year wait for glory over their neighbours came down to five excruciating minutes. With the score at 2-1 to QPR and only stoppage time to play, Roberto Mancini looked on the verge of madness. However, once Edin Dzeko headed the equaliser for Man City the stadium erupted again. Then Aguero's winner showed the touch of class that has made Man City worthy champions this season.

Around the English Premier League - Round 38

It was an incredible season finale, full of mixed emotions as City turned into the new Champion and fooled the Red Devils that believed for a second they had conquered the title.

On Sunday, May 13, the last ten fixtures were played simultaneously and as some were just looking for a couple of points more and maybe even try to finish in a higher position, others were having a life or death encounter; for the championship title and the third relegation spot were still undefined. QPR and Bolton were struggling to stay out of relegation, whereas the two clubs from Manchester were tied at the top of the standings with 86 points -both with chances to conquer the title; however the Sky Blues had an advantage of 8 goals on the Goals Difference. At Manchester were the Citizens hosting Queens Park Rangers, while the 2nd placed, United, went north to visit the Black Cats.

So, the only way that the Red Devils could take the lead was if City got defeated while they were winning at the Stadium of Light. Therefore when Sir Alex Ferguson and his men finished victorious -thanks to Wayne Rooney's 20th-minute-goal- and aware of the disadvantage their neighbors had in that moment, they were about to start celebrating. In fact, United carried for almost an hour the first position and with it the glory of the 20th title. However soon enough -enough to stop Fergie's embarrassment of celebrating ahead of time- you could see fans all over the crowd in the stadium on their cell phones with disappointment and surprised expressions on their faces what just had happened in Manchester.

Around the English Premier League - Round 37

Manchester City is holding the reins of the Barclays with an advantage of eight goals over the Red Devils, after a triumph conquered by Yaya Toure.

The Manchester clubs will continue on war until their very last match of the campaign, since this round brought no changes on the top of the standings, for both sites triumphed on this round. In fact they are not only still tied in points, but separated by the same amount of goals, for they shared the same score in their 37th fixtures. The Citizens got underway the Sunday's football itinerary with their visit to the Toons and after bringing the triumph to the table, opened a three-points-gap that only lasted an hour, until United's own match. Sir Alex Ferguson's men instead hosted Swansea for the closing match of the day, which they won with two goals on first half.

At the Sports Direct Arena the goals arrived within the last 20 minutes of the encounter -better late than never-, although from the very beginning the Sky Blues were dominant. In fact during the game's first third Silva, Aguero and Tevez put the pressure on Tim Krul, who had to clear shots from the Ibero-American trio. The Magpies had their chances after the first 30 minutes, but were stopped by Joe Hart. Reaching the mid-time break the Citizens were controlling and attacking again, as well as in the beginning of second half, but suddenly they started to lie back allowing the hosts possession.

Conspicuous By Their Absence: David Beckham - Romario - Raul - Sunday Oliseh - Roy Keane

It always provokes a reaction from fans of national teams whenever their favourite players' names are excluded from the squad to play in any match or to participate in a major tournament. Every fan is an expert, an Alex Ferguson who can give you a million reasons why player A should have been included in the squad.

In reality, football is a lot more complex than that. Some players might excel in their clubs because of the position they are being played in and, or because of the formation the club manager adopts often. The national team manager might adopt a different type of formation or they might not have vacancy in their squad to fit the player in a position that would fully maximise his potentials and ultimately lead to team success which in effect is the end game.

A lot more factors go into this of course. Some can easily be explained in a press conference and reasons given understood and appreciated if not accepted. Others could however be shrouded in mystery and attempts at explaining why player A has been dropped, for instance, could give rise to more questions being asked. Nicholas Anelka's omission from various French squads over the years could easily be explained as him not getting on with the National team handlers and also disciplinary issues.

Football Betting: England Euro 2012 Squad Announced

Roy Hodgson has honoured his words to bring to the Euros the majority of players who helped Fabio Capello to achieve the qualification to next month's tournament. He has named a very experienced squad with few exceptions.

The third goalkeeper will be John Ruddy from Norwich. Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are the new faces that will join the squad. Looking at the list of players it is quite shocking to see an heavy Liverpool presence also considered that the Reds have flopped badly this season. Glen Johnson and Steven Gerrard were the obvious choices but question marks remains on the likes of Steward Downing who didn't score a single goal this season or Andy Carroll. We need to say though that this is not the final list as the England manager would still need to make some cuts before the team can board the plan to the Euros.

In the football betting market Downing had been backed at 3.0 to get the chop whilst Andy Carroll is at 3.30. In the earlier hours of yesterday there have been speculations that Paul Scholes will be also involved in the squad but those proved to be misguided as the Manchester United midfielder wasn't included.

Around the English Premier League - Round 34

A split round gave us 6 matches that didn't cause much change on the standings, but two blasting scores from the Manchester clubs and a new surprise from Wigan.

This round was split due to the matches Liverpool vs. Everton and Tottenham vs. Chelsea from the FA Cup played between April 14th and 15th, 2012. Therefore, those four clubs and their rivals for this round will be meeting in a couple of weeks; meanwhile the other twelve teams had their encounters through Saturday 14th and Monday 16th. The clubs on both ends of the table remain in the same positions, but some did earn necessary points. So, following their games the Manchester clubs at the top of the Premier League continue separated by 5 points, since each achieved a nice victory on their last fixture.

Roberto Mancini's men travelled east on Saturday to visit the Carrow Road Stadium for its second match with Norwich; unfortunately for the Canaries, they had the same luck than on the 1st leg. One more time the Argentineans were responsible of the massacre, which started with the forward Carlos Tevez at 18', when assisted by David Silva, made a shot from outside the penalty area and scored it -just the first of his hat-trick. The second was a perfect combination between Sergio Aguero and Tevez, who end up back-heeling the ball to his fellow countryman that without hesitations fired it into John Ruddy's goal. The Sky Blues double lead was kept for the rest of first half and the first 5 minutes of second half, when the Canaries saw an open door and took advantage of it.