Preamble: Remember when England appointed Kevin Keegan because he was the people's choice? Everyone was so optimistic, only a fool would have gone in a different direction. So much to hope for - who knew the man who gave us Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle would end up playing Gareth Southgate in midfield? You couldn't help but feel sorry for Keegan when he quit, admitting he just wasn't good enough in the Wembley toilets. This wasn't how it was meant to end - England were supposed to win Euro 2000 in a blaze of glory, playing a daring and swashbuckling 4-2-4.
I bring the whole sorry episode uup bring it up because I wonder if Argentinian fans feel Diego Maradona may go the same way. The man who inspired them to the 1986 World Cup took over last November but his reign has not exactly been covered in glory. Argentina are in danger of dropping out of the qualification spots for World Cup 2010 and cannot afford to lose to Brazil tonight.
Kick off is at 1.30 and I'll have team news hot off the wires as soon as possible...
Argentina have endured a torrid time of late. A 6-1 defeat in Bolivia was brushed aside because the match was played in altitude but losing 2-0 to Ecuador in June was disastrous. Before tonight's matches, Ecuador were just two points behind Argentina but they lost 2-0 away to Colombia in bad-tempered tussle a couple of hours ago. However that means Colombia are breathing down Argentina's necks, so the pressure's not exactly off.
As for Brazil, despite the unpopularity of their manager, Dunga, they lie top of their qualification group with progression all but assured. Indeed a win tonight and they're on their way to South Africa. How potentially sweet for them if they can severely damage their fiercest rivals tonight.
While we wait for Paraguay's match against Bolivia to end (Paraguay are 1-0 up), why not take in Joel Richards' Maradona's moment of truth.
Teams? Teams:
Argentina: Andujar; Zanetti, Dominguez, Otamendi, Heinze; Maxi, Mascherano, Veron, Datolo; Messi, Tevez. Subs: Carrizo, Papa,Gago, Milito, Schiavi, Coloccini, Aguero.Brazil: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Luisao, Andre Santos;Silva, Felipe Melo; Elano, Kaka; Robinho, Luis Fabiano. Subs:Victor, Dani Alves, Miranda, Lucas, Ramires, Julio Baptista,Adriano.Referee: Julian Oscar Ruiz Acosta (Colombia)
1 min: We're off, Brazil getting us underway and kicking from left to right. It's a raucous atmosphere. Brazil immediately give it away and Veron (VERON!) plays Datolo in on the right, whose dangerous centre towards Tevez is just about herded out for a corner which is easily dealt with.
3 min: Deafening whistles from the home fans as Brazil try to take the sting out of the occasion, knocking the ball around casually, only for an Argentina midfielder to plonk Felipe Melo on his backside.
5 min: Brazil have conceded just six goals in qualifying so far, the best record in the group. They'll do well to keep that going tonight.
7 min: Brazil's first piece of concerted pressure outside the Argentina area comes to nothing on the left as Robinho's repeated stepovers get him nowhere and the ball ends up with Maicon in the right-back position...
10 min: It's been a scrappy start with neither side managing a shot on goal yet. Maradona's just come up on my screen for the first time and might I say he's got a very fetching stud in his ear.
11min: Fouls aplenty so far and we haven't seen much from the likes of Messi, Kaka or Robinho yet. Messi finally gets on the ball and sets up a promising situation on Argentina's right, but Tevez is caught in two minds, not knowing whether to shoot or cross and eventually does pretty much nothing.
12 min: Messi's coming into it a little bit now, picking up the ball 30 yards from goal and cracking a thunderous shot not too far wide. It was one of those where you think it might just have gone in on your tv, though the replay will probably show it went miles wide.
13 min: Free-kick to Argentina just outside the area...
14 min:... which Messi sends straight into the wall left-footed. It was made for the right foot of Veron though but would you argue with the little man from Barcelona?
17 min: Messi has Brazil's defence on the run again, jinking and shimmying to the edge of the area. The crowd's noise levels rise but his shot is blocked by Lucio and rebounds harmlessly away. That all came from Elano giving the ball away. 1-0 Mark Hughes.
18 min: A swerving rocket from Veron from 25 yards is blocked by Lucio with his head and the power of the shot sends the big defender sprawling to the ground. Moments later, Lucio pulls back Datolo and is given a yellow card which will rule him out of Brazil's next match - not the best succession for him.
21 min: The foul by Lucio on Datolo wasn't too dissimilar to one by Mascherano on Kaka a few minutes before. Kaka was booked for pointing that out to the referee and then Mascherano does it again - and escapes a booking! Brazil are in a right old funk about it and rightly so.
GOAL! Argentina 0-1 Brazil (Luisao 24 min) What an absolutely atrocious goal for Argentina to concede! Elano delivers a free-kick from around 40 yards out and Luisao, up from the back and in acres of space, has all the time in the world to direct his header into the bottom corner. That is criminal.
25 min: Maradona looks a little bit perplexed on the touchline. Absolutely no one picked up Luisao there. Brazil don't really deserve the lead but if you defend like that at international level, you will get punished. Argentina threaten an equaliser from Veron's low free-kick from the right which somehow squirmed through the crowd to the far post, but no one was there for what would have been an easy tap-in.
27 min: Datolo, making his first start, tries his luck from outside the area. The less said about that the better. The goal has just been replayed again and Luisao had roughly six yards between him and any defenders. It looks like Sebastien Dominguez was meant to be marking him - not the best start for a man making his international debut.
GOAL! (Argentina 0-2 Brazil, Luis Fabiano 29 min) It's all going wrong for Argentina thanks to another Elano free-kick. He lined it up from 30 yards, yet it was deflected through for Kaka who pulled the back for Melo to shoot. Andujar saved well but the lack of any discernible reaction from anyone in blue and white meant Luis Fabiano had the easiest of tasks and Brazil are two up.
34 min: Argentina haven't done too badly. They started briskly and barely allowed Brazil any momentum but somehow find themselves two goals down. Well, I say somehow, but the defending has been inexcusable. Perhaps Argentina should swap those blue stripes for, say, black...
36 min: It's not going terribly well for Datolo, the left winger playing a simple pass straight out of touch.
37 min: Great save from Julio Cesar! A ball over the top finds Tevez who hustles and bustles his way past Luisao, stabbing it across for Maxi Rodriguez whose effort from close range is brilliantly stopped by Cesar and Brazil's lead is preserved.
39 min: "Something of the haunted look about Maradona," says the commentator. He's not wrong. Old Diego must be wondering where it's all gone wrong. Even if Argentina do qualify, it's hard to see them making any sort of impression in South Africa with this defence.
40 min: Argentina haven't let the goal affect them in an attacking sense. They're still probing, their tiny forwards flitting in and around the gigantic Brazil back four. Datolo takes aim from range again, again the shot is skewed wide, but at least he's prepared to have a go. I've seen too many teams (West Ham) hide in these situations.
42 min: Brazil look like scoring every time they get a free-kick. This time Elano delivers from the left and Fabiano's header is brilliantly kept out by Andujar and somehow the rebound evades the waiting attackers. Have Argentina even been practising set pieces?
43 min: Messi is a rare shining light in this Argentina team. He refuses to give up, charging at Brazil over and over again and is building up a head of steam until cynically brought down by Fabiano who now has a booking to go along with his goal. Datolo, Argentina's trigger-happy left winger, slams the free-kick off target (which could mean high or wide, I can't remember which).
45 min: Peep! Peep! Half-time.The referee blows for half-time to call an end to a woeful 45 minutes for Argentina. Maradona needs to summon something from somewhere and maybe hold a quick crash course in defending set pieces.
Darren Holliday in Berlin writes: "Worse-than-Sunday-League marking at the back from Argentina to concede the opener, then the keeper not coming out after the free kick cannoned off the wall towards him just before the second goal...very poor."The English commentator mentioned something about a Brazilian receiving a water bottle from the Argentinian bench in a previous game. The Brazilian player thankfully swigged from it, but then got all tired. They later foundout, or at least suspected, that there was tranquiliser in the water. The commentator failed to mention any more details and a quick Google hunt did not return anything either. Anyone know anything about this?" Afraid I don't Darren, so I'll open the floor to any other insomniacs...
"Are you sitting all alone in GU towers, wishing you didn't draw the short straw?" posits Jon Cummins, who has an alarming gateway into my mind. "Or are you excited, looking to make a name for yourself and knock Rob Smyth off his perch? If so, here's a hint, fake an email from Gary Naylor." Even Gary Naylor has to sleep, Jon.
Half-time emailsRejoice for Darren Holliday because Mahir Ibrahim has an answer. And a surprisingly simple one at that, in the form of a Wikipedia link! Darren, were you being totally honest when you said you Googled this?
Half-time analysis with an ashen-faced Ossie Ardiles To paraphrase, he says there's no way Argentina will sack Maradona after this game because they have a vital match in Paraguay, who are second after beating Bolivia 1-0 tonight, on Wednesday. But lose that match and it could be curtains.
46 min: Maradona has made a substitute during the break, introducing his son-in-law Sergio Aguero for the ineffective Maxi Rodriguez in a bid to save the game. Brazil are unchanged.
47 min: Argentina have begun positively, Andre Santos doing well to head a Heinze cross away under pressure. Then the Brazil defence stands firm, Tevez trying to get a shot through the massed ranks unsuccesfully.
48 min: Argentina have to go for this but are in danger of leaving gaps at the back. Kaka, who has done little, embarks on a lovely run down the middle before releasing Robinho. It looks like he's away from the last Argentina defender and through on goal, only for a superb last-ditch tackle to deny him.
51 min: The crowd are still getting behind Argentina and Tevez's cross to the near post nearly finds Aguero but Cesar just gets there first. A lesson for Argentina there: stop sending high balls into the box. If you stack Messi, Aguero and Tevez on top of each other, they still wouldn't be as tall as Lucio.
53 min: Argentina clear an Elano free-kick! With ease, I might add. Well done boys.
54 min: "If we can bail out struggling banks for the good of the economy, should we not also be able to bail out struggling teams for the good of the World Cup?" asks Paul Creasy. "I'm not too bothered about Ronaldo but it would be disgusting if Messi didn't make it to South Africa, Isthmian League defending or no."
56 min: Argentina are playing attractive tippy-tappy football, right up until a huge Brazilian defender sticks his foot in and boots the ball away. For all their tiny forwards, Argentina's lack of an out and out striker is costing them. That and their inability to defend.
59 min: Here's Wagner Santos from Brazil: "In the 1990 world cup when brazil played Argentina, Argentina was coached by Carlos Billardo, which, putting it lightly, was a bit of a scumbag. In the match between Brazil and Argentina, Branco drank from water that was given by an argentinean physio, as a player was down on the pitch. Branco claims that he started feeling funny, dizzy, and he threw up at halftime in the locker room. (wonder if he drank that same water in his time at Boro). Later, an argentinean physio admited that they always had a "special"bottle of water that they gave to players from the opposing team." Thanks Wagner and to all the others who are emailing in with information on Darren's earlier question.
60 min: Michael Jordan, who needs no introductions, wants to know who I am. "Two questions. 1. Who are you? Not a full time Guardian employee judging by your email address? 2. Who wouldn't love it if Argentina fail to qualify?" I wouldn't, Messi HAS to go to South Africa next year. And no I'm not a Guardian employee, I'm one of their various web monkeys who often works nights.
63 min: There's been a bit of a lull in the action, but it suddenly comes to life, Fabiano rattling a shot inches wide from 20 yards.
GOAL! Argentina 1-2 Brazil (Datolo 65 min) What a superb goal from a man making his first start for Argentina! Datolo's tried his luck from range without any joy so far tonight, but this is a belter. He tiptoes forward until he's 30 yards out before unleashing a simply unstoppable shot with his left foot into the top corner.
GOAL! Argentina 1-3 Brazil (Fabiano 67 min): No sooner had Argentina got themselves back into it, the two goal lead is restored. A delicious ball from Kaka leaves Argentina's defence in tatters and Fabiano strides through before effortlessly dinking the ball over Andujar for his second. Datolo's goal is but a mere memory now.
69 min: Things that make me jealous: Hello Jacob, hope you're having a nice evening," says James McDavid, before going on to highlight exactly why I'm not having a nice evening. "I've been lucky enough to have watched the 1st half of the game in a Madrid bar full of rather dejected looking argentinians and am now huddled round some grimey stream after they shut the bar at half time, crazy spaniards and their distaste for making money. Currently sat with an over excited Brazilian girl who is having trouble seeing the ball! Enjoy the rest of the game." Yeah, whatever.
71 min: This could become a bit humiliating. Two subs combine for Brazil, Dani Alves firing across goal where Ramires just fails to get a touch. At the other end, Messi skips through flailing challenges. He looks set to score but Luisao's block denies him.
72 min: They're 3-1 up but Brazil can't handle Messi. Who can? He darts through once more and the ball is eventually prodded to the substitute Diego Milito who's free on the right. He should have struck it first time, a touch allowing Cesar to race from his goal and save at his feet.
74 min: Andre Santos has a pop. Not a bad effort but Andujar is able to watch it go safely over.
75 min:Dani Alves has a decent attempt from a free-kick roughly thirty yards from goal. It dips and swerves but goes just over. Andujar had it well covered though.
76 min: On comes Adriano for two-goal Luis Fabiano. He looked absolutely terrifying a few years ago, let's hope he can get his career and life back in order.
77 min: "I'm mystified as to why Lisandro Lopez wasn't selected for this game," says Samuel Zakowski. "If you want an out an out striker, he's the one. An absolute beast. He's terrifying. He, Messi and Aguero in a three-pronged attack would tear all teams in South America (well, except Brazil, heh) a new one." Paul Doyle, of this parish, wrote a blog eulogising him last week.
79 min: Can anyone explain the presence of Veron in Argentina's midfield?
80 min: I fear I've given off the impression I'm not enjoying doing this, but I assure you I am. There are worse things to be doing on a Saturday night, as anyone who's been out in Leicester Square will testify.
82 min: "Evening. I know this may seem like ass licking etc but I think your doing quite a good job!" says James Robinson, easily getting himself published. "Just a few points how can a hardcore football country of 40,482,000 people not produce one good defender is beyond me. Secondly why in god's name is Tevez playing? He's a hard worker yes but surely a midfield of Mascherano, Maxi Cambiasso and Messi with Aguero and Milito up front makes more sense and actually has some balance? I know Cambiasso's injured but Gago can fill a role. It looks like a poorly veiled attempt at appeasing the terraces as opposed to putting out a balanced and functional team?"
84 min: Veron is S-L-O-W. Everything goes through him but with all the speed of a man who's gorged his way through a box of bran flakes.
86 min: Argentina are getting nowhere. Why they insist upon sending high balls into the Brazil box is beyond me. I know I've made this point repeatedly but they are tiny and Brazil are huge. This match is all but over now. Brazil, and this is not exactly news, will be going to the World Cup in South Africa. Argentina, and this is news, may not.
87 min: Let's say, for example, Argentina meet England next year. Just how would they cope with the set piece bombardment?
89 min: Brandon Clements says Veron is there because Riquelme isn't, while Rani Haddad expects Maradona to beg Riquelme to return. This game is drifting now.
90 min: Andrew Sachs emails in to ask whether Maradona is wearing foundation. I have to say I wondered this too, but I'm far too professional to ask...
Full time: The referee calls time on a quite wretched night for Argentina. They defended atrociously and although they looked dangerous in attack, too much rested on Messi's shoulders. They now lie two points ahead of Colombia and Ecuador, and have a difficult match against Paraguay on Wednesday. As for Brazil, they were clinical rather than flamboyant, defended exceptionally and deserved the win. Fans don't seem to like Dunga but surely they can't begrudge him victories like this? What better arena for Brazil to confirm their qualification to the World Cup?

Darren Fletcher missed an early chance for United, pulling a shot left of Almunia’s goal after nine minutes. At the other end Arsenal were also creating chances, Andrei Arshavin flashing a shot narrowly over Ben Foster’s bar. Wayne Rooney fired a free-kick off target as the match flowed from end-to-end, before Andrei Arshavin silenced Old Trafford with an unstoppable howitzer into the top corner five minutes from the break. The Gunners were denied a second at the start of the second half as Ben Foster produced a top class save to stop van Persie’s close-range effort. With Fergie’s boys dangling on the ropes Wayne Rooney proved the Reds saviour, Almunia clattered into the forward in the box an from the resulting penalty Rooney drew United level. Six minutes later, and after RVP had hit the bar, the unlikely United comeback was complete as Abou Diaby managed to head a Giggs free-kick into his own net. The match ended in a farce as, after RVP had a 94th minute goal ruled out for offside, ref Mike Dean decided to send off Arsene Wenger who reacted in pantomime fashion by retreating to the United stands.

Champions Inter Milan took the derby spoils by thrashing rivals AC Milan after Gennaro Gattuso was sent off in bizarre circumstances.
Thiago Motta coolly curled in the first goal on 29 minutes after quick passes from fellow close-season signings Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito.
Former Genoa frontman Milito then doubled the lead from the penalty spot at a packed San Siro.
Gattuso had hauled down the runaway Eto'o to concede the penalty and the Inter bench, who were initially jumping for joy, reacted furiously when he was only booked.
The Italy midfielder then asked to come off with an injury but substitute Clarence Seedorf was not ready, meaning Gattuso stayed on the pitch long enough to hack down surprise debutant Wesley Sneijder and receive his marching orders.
Young Milan coach Leonardo's horror half was compounded by Inter right back Maicon finishing off another fine one-two move with Argentina's Milito, to make it 3-0 just before the break.
In the second half Leonardo threw on Seedorf, new signing Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Massimo Ambrosini, who started on the bench despite being club captain following the retirement of the watching Paolo Maldini.
But the trio were unable to stem the tide as Dejan Stankovic blasted in a fourth for Inter from long range.

Real Madrid began their assault on the Primera Division title with a confident attacking performance against Deportivo La Coruna. A flurry of goals midway through the first half saw Manuel Pellegrini's side take the lead at the break. While the home side's dominance was not reflected in the scoreline, the old defensive flaws were still evident in addition to a number of mistakes associated with a newly assmbled side.Los Blancos' big guns were out in force in the Santiago Bernabeu, as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso all started. Deportivo icon Juan Carlos Valeron took to the pitch for the visitors, while Brazilian midfielder Juca made his debut after signing from Partizan Belgrade.Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man, took to the pitch before kick off as Florentino Perez grinned like a Cheshire cat in the stands amid all the applause, but it was soon down to business for the world's most expensively assmbled side.Real came flying out of the blocks - it took less than a minute for Lassana Diarra to split open the visitors' defence, but Kaka could only drag his shot wide.Diarra was spreading the ball around the pitch with consummate ease, but Depor's defence were closing down the space ahead of the strikers well. After a strong opening from the hosts, los Blanquiazules began to create some attacking opportunities of their own but were profligate with their set pieces.Real Madrid were the more adventurous side in the early stages and after Raul's shot from the edge of the area had been blocked, Kaka fired a shot just wide of Daniel Aranzubia's left hand post. The visitors were holding a tight line, but it was pierced after 26 minutes.Kaka's through ball slipped through Juan Rodriguez's legs and found Karim Benzema, whose shot came back off the near post. With Aranzubia stranded, Raul had the easiest of tasks to tap the ball home.The lead should have been doubled minutes later by Cristiano Ronaldo, but he could not direct his header on target from Xabi Alonso's free kick.Real were made to pay for the missed opportunity, as Deportivo equalised in the 30th minute. Juca sent a deep cross in, and Riki was allowed a free header by los Blancos' defence and powered it into the corner.Parity only lasted five minutes, as another clinical pass by Diarra slid Raul through, but 32-year-old was felled by Aranzubia and the referee pointed to the spot. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to the plate, and successfully dispatched the penalty low to the keeper's right.Deportivo were now at sixes and sevens at the back, as firstly Raul could only shoot straight at Aranzubia before Garay had an excellent chance from a corner. The visitors arrived at half time with the deficit only at one, and coach Lotina had work to do at the interval.

Lionel Messi is set to have his contract reviewed by Barcelona once the team returns from its pre-season tour of the United States.
Sport believes that the Blaugrana want to make it perfectly clear who their number one star is following the media circus surrounding the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It has already been reported that the Catalan giants refused to grant the Swedish striker the same salary he was previously making at Inter, so that Messi would remain the club’s top earner.
Now, it is believed that Barca want to shift their focus back to the Argentine by offering him an improved contract, even though his current term runs until 2014.
Sources close to the club have revealed that negotiations are already underway but will only pick up steam when the player is back in Catalunya.
It is speculated that his buy-out clause will go from €150 million to €250 million, the same amount as Ibrahimovic, and although there are no predictions as to how much he could be earning, his total income is expected to have a significant jump.
The idea behind this is to make sure that Messi continually feels appreciated by the club and that he remains happy with his conditions.
Barca's technical director, Txiki Begiristain, has already said, “The price of having the world’s best player in your ranks is to upgrade his contract every year.
“It is a significant price, but it is worth it.”
KS Leong, Goal.com

FC Barcelona played this afternoon the last match of the Wembley Cup against Egyptian champions Al-Ahly. Barca won the match 4-1 with goals from Bojan, Rueda, Jeffren & Pedro.

FC Barcelona - Al Ahly: 4-1 (Video-Highlights) The Wembley Cup

The Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Samuel Eto’o transfer saga is nearing the finishing line after the Barcelona hitman agreed a five-year deal with Inter last night, according to Sky Sport.President Massimo Moratti met with the player’s agent, Josep Maria Mesalles, at the club’s new headquarters in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and it is suggested that Eto’o himself helped break the deadlock.La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Eto’o talked with Inter technical director Marco Branca on the phone in the afternoon, saying he was enthusiastic about joining the Biscione. Indeed, Eto'o also reportedly stated that he is ready to bring the Champions League trophy back to the San Siro.As a matter of fact, the striker has supposedly agreed to tie his bonuses to Inter’s achievements, rather than personal ones.Eto’o has apparently demanded a €2 million bonus for any trophy won by Inter over the next five years. This will come on top of his wages of €10m-per-season.Inter have failed to win Europe’s premier club competition since 1965, but Eto’o has already lifted ‘the big-eared cup’ twice at Barca.Vince Masiello, Goal.com

MADRID — Real Madrid's record signing Cristiano Ronaldo has passed his medical examination ahead of his presentation to fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Madrid's medical staff said the Portugal winger is in "perfect condition" after arriving in the Spanish capital on Monday following his 80-million-pound (C$150.5 million) transfer from Manchester United.
Fans lined up outside the Bernabeu to see the 24-year-old Ronaldo, with up to 80,000 expected at the stadium. The presentation is expected to be the largest reception for a player since Argentina great Diego Maradona arrived at Napoli in 1984.

AFP - Manchester United have agreed to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world record 80 million pounds (130 million dollars, 94 million euros), the club said Thursday. "Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of 80 million pounds for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid," said a statement on its website, under the headline "Reds accept £80m Ronaldo bid." The statement continued: "At Cristiano's request - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player. "Matters are expected to be concluded by 30 June. The club will not comment until further notice." Ronaldo has long been a target for the Spanish giants, whose returning president Florentino Perez vowed earlier this week to do "everything possible" to take the 24-year-old to the Bernabeu. The news comes just days after Real clinched the 56 million pounds transfer of Brazilian playmaker Kaka from Italian side AC Milan as they look to compete with arch-rivals Barcelona on the domestic front and such as Manchester United and Chelsea in the Champions League. United fans have repeatedly been told no deal had been agreed for the sale of FIFA's world player of the year in the face of regular statements from Spain the former Sporting Lisbon star was bound for the Bernabeu. There was no immediate statement from Real Madrid

MILAN (AP) — Former AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini said Wednesday the club has no chance of winning the Champions League next season after selling Kaka to Real Madrid.
The Brazilian confirmed his move to Madrid for a reported euro65.5 million (US$92 million) on Monday, saying he hoped his sale would help ease Milan's financial woes.
Maldini said that while the move may have made financial sense, it had undoubtedly weakened the side's chances of adding to it's seven European Cups.
"Milan winning the Champions League without Kaka is a dream," Maldini said on Milan's Web site on Wednesday. "Looking at the bank account is logical, but at the start of the season you need to set obtainable objectives and without Kaka the Champions League is a dream.
"He is one of the five best players in the world along with (Lionel) Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The other four aren't moving and Milan can't buy them. Selling Kaka was a big blow to his teammates and the fans."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi Ronaldinho A.C. Milan Paolo Maldini Kaká
In his 24-year career with Milan, the former Italy captain was in the vanguard of Italian dominance in Europe. He won the Champions League five times and helped the club to a further three finals.
However, he now feels that Italy has slipped behind other leagues in Europe.
"Kaka is the first player of that level to be sold. In the past such an idea would never have been taken into consideration," Maldini said.
Maldini does feel that new coach Leonardo will not have to look too far to find a replacement for the 2007 World Player of the Year.
"Ronaldinho will have a lot of responsibility next season. Last year he didn't surpass himself, but I think this responsibility will do him good."

AC Milan star Kaka is expected to sign for Real Madrid after undergoing a medical exam in Brazil on Monday, Spanish newspapers reported
Real Madrid's new president Florentino Perez hopes to make the signing official between Monday afternoon and Tuesday, after sending representatives to Brazil to close the deal, said the sports newspaper AS.
The midfielder is to undergo a medical exam by a Real Madrid doctor in Brazil, after which he will hold his first press conference as a Real Madrid player," said another sports newspaper, Marca.
AS said he will be presented as a Real player on June 30.
The Brazilian 2007 world and European player of the year would be the first major signing by Perez since he returned as president on June 1 vowing to make Real "the best club of the 21st century."
The Spanish press had earlier said Real will pay around 65 million euros for Kaka.
That would make the second most expensive signing by Perez, who approved the transfer of Zinedine Zidane from Juventus for a world record 75 million euros in 2001.
Perez led Real from 2000 to 2006, when it earned the nickname "Los Galacticos", winning the Primera Liga twice and European Champions League with such stars as Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, David Beckham and Michael Owen.

Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that his ambition in coaching was to take charge at Real Madrid - and he believes his appointment is a dream that has now been fulfilled.The Chilean trainer was chosen by the club's new president, Florentino Perez, after a stunning spell in charge of Villarreal that saw him help transform the modest Valencian outfit.

FC Barcelona have won the UEFA Champions League for the third time in history. Goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi led Josep Guardiola's side to a rather easy 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
Manchester United took the initiative in the opening phase and had a good chance to open the score in the second minute. A free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo almost surprised Victor Valdes but the keeper reacted in time to parry the shot, for defenders to clear the danger.
After ten minutes of play at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, it was FC Barcelona's first real attack that earned the Catalans the opening goal. Samuel Eto'o cut past Nemanja Vidic and then struck on goal. Keeper Edwin van der Sar touched it but the shot was too powerful to block completely.
Barcelona controlled the game in the rest of the first half without particular difficulties, as United seemed to be suffering from the deficit and failed to get anywhere near the opposing goal.
The start of the second half saw an even stronger Barcelona who created one chance after the other. Eight minutes after the break, the Spaniards had a free kick just outside the penalty area and Xavi's powerful effort bounced off the right post.
But Barcelona got their deserved second goal on 70 minutes. Xavi's cross from the right side found Lionel Messi, and the Argentinian striker headed past Van der Sar for 2-0.
With a comfortable lead in the pocket, Barcelona continued to attack and create chances, and would have scored several more goals if it wasn't for Van der Sar, who made a number of saves to avoid a larger defeat.
Apart from winning the trophy for the third time, after 1992 and 2006, Barcelona also become the first Spanish side to win the 'treble', as they had already secured the Primera Division and Copa del Rey titles

Barcelona claimed their 19th Spanish league title without kicking a ball after title-rivals Real Madrid lost 3-2 at Villarreal on Saturday.
It left Pep Guardiola's side with an unassailable lead ahead of their match at Mallorca on Sunday.
On Wednesday Barcelona won the Copa del Rey when beating Athletic Bilbao 4-1.
Barca could become the first Spanish side in history to win the treble if they beat Manchester United in the Champions League final on 27 May.
The Catalan club's title triumph was their first in three years and is their first domestic double for 11 seasons.
Their Copa del Rey victory was the first time they had won the cup since 1998 and was their first piece of silverware in two seasons.
Barcelona currently have 86 points and a goal difference of plus 72 with three games left, while Madrid have 78 points with two to play.
Their triumph came on the same day that their Champions League rivals United claimed their third successive English Premier League title with a 0-0 draw against Arsenal.
The pair meet in Rome with United looking to defend their European title.
Barcelona's success this year has vindicated their decision to part company with long-standing coach Frank Rijkaard at the end of last season and appoint former player Guardiola as manager.
For 38-year-old Guardiola, a Catalonian by birth, this week's triumphs are his first as manager of the club he spent 11 years playing for.

Barcelona came back from a goal down to rack up a fully deserved 4-1 Copa del Rey victory over hapless Athletic Bilbao at the Mestalla on Wednesday evening.An early strike from Toquero gave the Lions the lead, but Yaya Toure soon restored parity before a Lionel Messi brace and a Xavi free-kick made for a thrilling victory for Barca.It is the Catalan side's 25th Copa del Rey victory and their first piece of silverware since their 2006 Supercopa, League and Champions League wins.Athletic, meanwhile, could not capitalise on their early lead, and thus missed the chance to make it 25 Copas for themselves, and to pick up their first silverware since their Liga and Copa double of 1984.

There was uncertainty over the whereabouts of Tom Henning Ovrebo, the referee of Chelsea's contentious Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, after reports that he had to be smuggled out of Britain under police guard last night
Ovrebo has reportedly become the target of furious Chelsea supporters, after the Norwegian denied Guus Hiddink's men a series of penalties that would have secured them victory and a place in the Rome final with Manchester United.
At the end of yesterday's Stamford Bridge clash, which finished 1-1 thanks to Andres Iniesta's last-gasp equaliser, Ovrebo was targeted by Chelsea players - most notably Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack - who confronted the referee, with Drogba caught on camera hurling a tirade of abuse in the 42-year-old's direction, calling him "a f*****g disgrace".
The animosity was such that police reportedly grew concerned about Ovrebo's safety and, according to former referee Graham Poll, were forced to change his hotel before organising a secret exit from the country.
Poll told Radio Four: “This morning he's being smuggled out of our country under police escort - this is a referee of a football match. That is a disgrace.
“When he booked in a hotel they had to change the hotel he was staying at because of the fear that maybe fans would find him.

“When you see players acting like that, fans are called fans because they are fanatics - they may feel it's time to take action themselves.”
The Metropolitan Police, however, said they were not aware of any specific death threats against the referee, and insisted that they had not provided an escort to the airport. And reports in Norway suggest that Ovrebo is yet to leave the country.
A police spokesman confirmed that a police car did escort the referee to his hotel from Stamford Bridge last night, but officers did not advise him to change his accommodation plans. The decision to change hotels was taken by the Uefa referees team.
According to the London Evening Standard, officers in Ovrebo's home city of Oslo are investigating threats made on the internet towards the referee, with message boards displaying his home address, including warnings that fans will “hunt him” and “kill him”.
An Oslo police spokesman said: “We are watching closely what is being posted on the internet. Anything we believe would threaten his personal safety will be taken seriously.”
If the reports are verified, it would not be the first time Chelsea fans have turned on an official in such a manner. Anders Frisk, a Swedish referee who officiated Barcelona's 2-1 win over Chelsea at the Nou Camp back in Feb 2005, when Jose Mourinho was in charge, had a campaign of intimidation directed at him and eventually quit as a referee.
At the time Frisk said: "I have been subjected to things that I couldn't even imagine.
"I love to referee and I have done it since 1978, but what has happened to me means it is not worth continuing. I won't ever go out on a football pitch again. I am too scared. It is not worth it. Unfortunately that is the way football looks in 2005. I've had enough. I don't know if I even dare let my kids go to the post office."
Uefa have been criticised for putting Ovrebo in charge of such an important match, especially as he has previously made mistakes in a big game.
At Euro 2008 he refereed Italy's 1-1 draw with Romania, awarding the Romanians a dubious penalty and incorrectly ruling out an Italian goal. After the match, he apologised for his mistakes and did not take charge of another game during the competition.
John Terry and Guus Hiddink were both infuriated that Ovrebo had been allowed to officiate last night's encounter, with Terry saying "Why did we get a referee who has officiated in 10 games in the Champions League in his career? To be given the Champions League semi-final, that's not good enough."
Hiddink was equally scathing, adding: "If you've seen the three or four (penalty) situations waved away, this is the worst refereeing performance I've ever seen."
The Norwegian football federation, meanwhile, have defended Ovrebo and say both he and his linesmen need not worry about their careers, despite Chelsea's outrage.
Rune Pedersen said: "Naturally we must have respect for the fact that there can be decisions that are debatable, but the way they carried out the game right to the end I believe was a show of strength.
"I don't think that some questionable situations would mean that they don't get any more assignments."
src:telegraph.co.uk

Chelsea (Essien 9′) 1-1 Barcelona (Iniesta 90′ + 3) (Barcelona win 1-1 on Aggregate on Away Goals Rule)Stadium: Stamford Bridge, EnglandCompetition: UEFA Champions League, Semifinals, Leg #2Date: 6 May 2009Kickoff: 18:45 GMT, 14:45 EST
Barcelona pulled off a great escape and eliminated Chelsea to advance to the Champions League Final! Soccerlens brought you the action live! Click below for the live-blog and feel free to leave comments below!

Match Preview:The old adage goes “offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.” If that’s the case, then Chelsea’s performance in the first leg against Barcelona was Treble caliber. Guus Hiddink’s men rarely ventured forward and seemed content to eke out a scoreless draw. Their hope was to take a 0-0 scoreline into the second leg at Stamford Bridge, where they’ll take on a more offensive posture against a club that hasn’t played nearly as well on the road in Europe as they have at home.
Indeed, heading into this past weekend, you could argue that Barcelona haven’t been in the best of form. They drew with Valencia which opened the door for Real Madrid to close the gap in La Liga. They haven’t won on the road in Europe since November, when they defeated Sporting Lisbon. However, then came Saturday’s 6-2 demolition of Real Madrid in El Clasico. Barcelona confirmed their credentials as the most dangerous and dynamic offensive team in Europe and dismantled one of the hottest teams in recent history in Real Madrid. Their big guns, especially Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta, were quiet in the first leg, but were in excellent form over the weekend and will be looking to prove that the first leg was a fluke. Most importantly, they know that they don’t have to win at Stamford Bridge in order to advance. Any goal that they score will give them an advantage over Chelsea, and any scored draw will send them through to the Finals.
Chelsea, however, have reason to feel confident going into this match. They’ll be getting Ashley Cole back from suspension, and he’ll be able to mark Messi, allowing Jose Bosingwa (who did a respectable job) to move back to his natural position at right-back. They should also have Alex and Michael Ballack available, despite both players leaving last weekend’s match with Fulham with slight knocks. Moreover, Chelsea can take heart knowing that Barcelona have been suspect on defense all year, and they were burned for two goals on set-plays by an otherwise impotent Real Madrid side. Chelsea have scored numerous goals on set-pieces this year, and we need look no further than the first leg of the Liverpool tie to see that. They’ll need all hands on deck, especially if Barcelona bring their scoring boots that they used to humble Real Madrid.
Hopefully, we should see a more wide-open and entertaining game than the first leg. Will Barcelona continue their offensive rampage and overwhelm Chelsea at Stamford Bridge? Or will Chelsea prevail and make it to their second consecutive Finals? Tune in and find out!
Lineups:Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry (c), A. Cole, Essien, Ballack, Malouda, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba.Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Di Santo, Mikel, Kalou, Belletti, Mancienne.
Chelsea will make only one change from the side that defeated Fulham over the weekend, bringing back Ballack in favor of the defensive-minded Mikel. That, along with Anelka’s place in the starting lineup, could indicate that Chelsea will have their attacking boots on. Otherwise, they would have gone with their lineup in Barcelona last week and simply played for penalty kicks. Ashley Cole is back in the lineup after his suspension, and will be tasked with stopping Lionel Messi.
Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Pique, Toure, Abidal, Busquets, Xavi (c), Keita, Messi, Iniesta, Eto’o.Subs: Pinto, Caceres, Gudjohnsen, Bojan, Sylvinho, Hleb, Pedro.
As expected, Barca will be without Thierry Henry, who sustained an injury during the weekend’s victory over Real Madrid. Barca will start with Toure at center-half in place of the suspended Puyol. Busquets will come into the lineup to sit in front of the defense, and Keita will start alongside Xavi in midfield. As with the first leg, former Chelsea man, Gudjohnsen, will be available off the bench, as will former Arsenal players Hleb and Sylvinho.
Minute-by-Minute:90′ + 7 Eto’o comes off and Sylvinho will replace him. Chelsea win a free kick and Cech comes up for it. They can’t do much with it, though, as there’s the whistle and we’re done! Chelsea players are bum-rushing the ref and are really giving him a earful. They feel jobbed, and it’s hard to argue. However, Barcelona have pulled off a great escape and will meet Manchester United in the Final! Thanks to everyone who followed along! I’ll see you next time!
90′ + 6 Cech comes up for the corner and Lampard plays it into the box for him. It’s knocked out to Ballack and he tries a hard shot that looks like it might have hit Eto’o’s shoulder! No call from the ref and Ballack is incensed. In fact, he looks like he’s trying to grab the ref and beat him up. Needless to say, he’s booked and he’ll miss the next match.
90′ + 5 Chelsea look shell-shocked, but they win a corner. Barcelona make a change as Iniesta will come off for Gudjohnsen.
90′ + 3 GOAL!! Wow! What a heartbreaker! Alves lifts a cross from the right and Terry heads it away, but Messi corrals it on the edge of the box. He sends it to Iniesta, and he fires a shot from the center edge of the box and he beats Cech!
90′ + 1 Four minutes will be added on. Essien gives it away poorly, and Messi’s pass to Pique on the center edge of the box is taken away by Lampard. Eto’o is booked for mouthing off to the ref and he’s clearly had a frustrating night. Belletti gets through, but his shot is wide of the post.
90′ Alves with a long cross from the top-right edge of the penalty area to the far post. Eto’o tries valiantly to keep it from going out, but the linesman rules that it crossed the line.
89′ Lampard wins a corner and, for some reason, Guardiola hugs Hiddink. What’s that about? Is he conceding defeat already? Nothing doing on the corner as Chelsea are called for a foul.
88′ Iniesta and Messi play a one-two on the center edge of the penalty area and Messi takes a tumble. No call, though.
87′ Lampard gets free down the left edge of the box, and he sends it back to a trailing Essien. His shot is easily blocked by Pique, though.
86′ Lampard’s pass to Anelka is poor and Pique cuts it out. Malouda wins it back, but he loses it before he can do anything with it.
85′ Busquets is off for Krkic. Will that make a difference?
84′ Messi with a terrible cross and he’s been mediocre tonight. Let’s say that the score, right now, is Ronaldo 1, Messi 0.
83′ Lampard wins a corner off Pique. Chelsea take their time setting this up, and you can’t blame them. Malouda’s corner is easily cleared away from danger.
82′ Long pass into the box for Anelka, and it looks like Pique hands it inside the box. No call from the ref, and on the replay, it looked like a clear penalty. Pique got away with one there.
80′ Alves whips a cross from the right but Alex heads it away. It’s into some space and Pique gets it. He tries a shot, but it’s just wide of the post.
79′ Toure makes a mistake as he misjudges the long pass to Anelka. The French forward is away from him and he goes down under the contact from Toure. No penalty call, though, and it would have been a soft penalty had it been given.
78′ Alves takes the free kick from about 30 yards out, but it’s just over the crossbar.
77′ Alex muffs his clearance as he slips on the pitch as he tries to kick it away. Messi pounces on it, and Alex catches him in the midsection with a nicely placed kick. That’s a yellow for Alex, and he’ll miss the Final.
76′ Essien plays it through to Anelka and he’s got a great chance in the box. Too bad he’s flagged offside. So much for that.
75′ Messi gets away from Terry and he sends it to Alves. He crosses it into the box, but Ballack is back there and he heads it away.
74′ Essien is booked for a late tackle on Iniesta.
72′ Drogba will come off and he gets a deserved ovation from the Chelsea fans. Belletti, the former Barca man, will replace him.
71′ Drogba is still limping around, and he’s probably going to come off. Lampard takes a good shot from the edge of the box. It takes a bit of a deflection, but Valdes makes the diving save.
70′ So, if Barca make it to the Final, they’ll be missing their starting left-back and their starting right-back. I bet Sir Alex is rooting hard for Barca right now.
69′ Drogba limps off the pitch so it’ll be 10-on-10 for now. Lampard takes the free kick from about 25 yards out, but his low effort flashes wide of the far post.
66′ RED CARD! Pique and Drogba go for the 50-50 ball in the air, and they both miss. It bounces to Anelka, and Abidal brings down him outside the box and he’s off for committing the professional foul! But wait! On the replay, it looks like Abidal barely touched him. It looks like Fletcher isn’t the only one with a complaint about the officiating. Anyway, it’s no matter as he’s off and Barca are in a huge hole.
65′ Messi gets away from Cole and cuts across the edge of the penalty area. He tries a speculative shot, but it’s over the crossbar.
64′ Drogba is giving them all kinds of problems today, and he gets it inside the box yet again. This time, he gets held up and Barca are able to knock it away.
63′ Iniesta makes a nice run into the box and he tries to thread it through to Eto’o. It’s out of his reach, though, and Eto’o has some choice words for his teammate.
62′ Drogba takes a dive inside the box as Abidal barely touches him and he’s clearly trying to win a penalty to make up for that no-call earlier. Like a great actor, Drogba commits to it and Chelsea even bring out their medical staff to tend to him. Not even Daniel Day-Lewis is that devoted of an actor.
61′ Keita with a nice bit of skill to take it on a half-volley, but it’s not even close to bothering Cech.
60′ Terrible corner from Xavi as he plays it low and it’s right to Drogba on the near edge of the box. Pique then plays it through to Alves, but he unleashes a terrible cross from the right wing.
59′ Messi nearly threads it through to Eto’o, and Alex stumbles and falls. Luckily for him, Bosingwa is there to cover for him, and he kicks it away. Malouda then gives away a corner.
56′ Malouda with an optimistic effort from long range, but it’s not even close. Drogba gets it inside the box and Toure is grabbing his arm and shirt. How that’s not a foul, I don’t know. He eventually slides in and knocks it away, and Drogba wants a penalty. No call and I don’t disagree with the tackle, but Drogba was clearly fouled outside the box. Oh well.
55′ Terrible long-range shot from Alves and he’s not winning any admirers tonight.
54′ Great ball by Toure and Alves gets it deep down the right. He sends a cross into the center of the box, but it’s between two players.
52′ Anelka with a nice run into the box and he finds an unmarked Drogba in the box. He eludes a sliding Pique and looks to have Valdes at his mercy. He fires a low shot and Valdes saves it with his feet. Malouda tries to follow up, but he hits the side netting. Wow. Valdes came up huge there.
51′ Iniesta with a clever ball into the box from the left wing, but it bounces awkwardly for Keita, who can’t handle it.
50′ Xavi sends it to the near post again, but this time, Essien clears it away.
49′ Busquets with a nice run into the box, and he flicks it over-the-top to Keita. It’s off Ballack for a corner. Xavi’s corner strikes Toure at the near post and it’s out, but Barca gets another corner.
47′ They’re only about 30 yards out or so, and the free kick will come in from left side of the field. Xavi touches it to Iniesta at the center edge of the box, and he touches it back to Alves. He shanks it wide and Guardiola is incensed. Not their best effort there. They were trying to be a little too cute there.
46′ Chelsea will kick off and we’re underway! No changes for either side at the half. Iniesta gets fouled close to the edge of the box, and they’ll have a great chance here.
46′ I would have thought that Manchester United would want to face Chelsea, especially with the way they’ve handled them this season. But after that first half, I think they’d take Barcelona in a heartbeat.
Well, as Yogi Berra once said, it’s like deja-vu all over again. Much like last season’s semifinal, Barca were held scoreless at home and then fell victim to a long-range strike early in the second leg to their English opponents. Said English opponents then defended the one-goal lead and held on to eliminate Barca from the competition. Could history repeat itself here tonight? So far, it looks like it will. Barca have yet to solve Chelsea’s defense, and now that Chelsea have a lead to protect, you can expect more of the same tactics that they employed in the first leg. We will see what Barca are made out of as they try to get that all-important away-goal.
45′ + 3 Messi takes on the entire Chelsea defense and he lays it off to Alves down the right. His cross is defected out for a corner. Barca play it short and Xavi eventually gets the shot opportunity on the edge of the box. It’s out and Xavi claims he’s won a corner. No matter, though, as there’s the whistle and we’re at halftime!
45′ + 2 Bosingwa gets it and actually moves back towards his own penalty area. He’s under a lot of pressure from Iniesta, but he gets it away.
45′ + 1 There will be three added minutes.
45′ Drogba gets it to Anelka, and he makes the run down the right. He can’t get away from his defender, though, and he gives it away to Valdes.
43′ Lampard tries to send the corner to Ballack, but he can’t control his header. It’s out for a Chelsea throw.
42′ Toure gives away a free kick, and Lampard will take it from about 35 yards out. He tries to set up his teammates, since Barca are so vulnerable on set pieces. Toure eventually nods Lampard’s freebie out for a corner.
41′ Alves wins a corner as his cross is knocked out by Bosingwa. They take it quickly and Messi eventually sends a long cross from the right to the far post for Eto’o, but gets flat-footed and it’s out for a goal-kick.
40′ Tommy Smyth actually makes a good point (!). He mentions that Barcelona look like they’re getting rid of the ball more quickly than usual and that it’s wrecking havoc with their usual offensive rhythm. It’s like they’re afraid of getting hit by the Chelsea players and are more worried about that than anything else. In other words, he’s calling them soft.
39′ Messi sends it into the box for Xavi, but it’s long and out for a goal-kick.
38′ Messi turns on the wheels and burns Cole down the right. He has Eto’o in the box, but Messi decides to go for goal, instead. His shot is then easily handled by Cech.
37′ Iniesta is fouled by Bosingwa near the centerline. Eto’o threads it through to Messi down the right. He curls a shot on goal that gives Cech some problems. He’s able to handle it, though, and that’s really the first thing Messi has done today.
35′ Cech kicks it away and Drogba gets it on the edge of the penalty area. He heads it forward to Malouda, but Valdes is out to take it.
31′ Lampard is on the ground after he catches an elbow from Keita. He looks like he might be bleeding from the mouth. He’ll come off to receive treatment, but he should be okay. He’s been excellent, thus far.
30′ Alves gets booked for a flying elbow on Cole. Stupid play and he’s suspended for the Final if Barca make it. Well, it was coming.
29′ Xavi with a nice pass to Iniesta and he tries a shot that’s well off the mark.
28′ Xavi chips a great pass from the edge of the box to the right post where Alves tries to head it in. He’s called for a foul, though, and Cech will kick it away.
27′ Great pass into the box by Lampard for Drogba and Abidal grabs him by the shirt. Drogba goes down and Valdes is there to take it away. No penalty call, and I have to disagree with the ref here. Abidal looked like he fouled him.
26′ Chelsea are really taking it to them right now, aren’t they? So much for anti-football.
25′ Drogba fires it to the far post, but Valdes just gets a touch on it and concedes the corner. On the corner, Terry gets his head on it, but it’s just wide of the post.
24′ Malouda makes a run down the left and Alves fouls him on the edge of the box. It looked like the foul might have occurred in the box, but the ref won’t award the penalty. Now, Chelsea will have a free kick from the lower left corner of the penalty box.
23′ Lampard flicks it forward and Drogba gets behind Toure and Pique! Drogba has a chance, but Valdes is alert and kicks it away. Great play by the keeper, because Drogba could have chipped it past him and had an open net to shoot at.
21′ Iniesta is fouled from about 35 yards out by Anelka. They’ll have a good chance here, especially with Alves kicking it. He kicks it and gets it over the wall. However, it travels well wide of the post and Cech had it well covered anyway.
20′ Messi tries to play it into the path of Eto’o down the left, but Cech comes out to collect it. He almost collided with Alex there, but Cech was able to get to it first.
18′ Alves runs over Malouda and he’s called for a foul. No booking, though.
17′ Malouda gets it and he’s got a ton of space along the left. He lays it back to Lampard, and he tries a shot from inside the box that is just wide. He was unmarked and probably should have done a little bit better with that shot, but Valdes closed off the near post well.
16′ Messi and Xavi try to play a one-two on the edge of the box, but Xavi loses it. He takes a tumble, but no call from the ref.
15′ Iniesta passes it long into the path of a hard-charging Xavi, but it’s just beyond his grasp and it’s out for a goal-kick.
14′ Eto’o tries to make a move inside the box, but he loses it. Anelka takes it, but he’s run over by Busquets. Yeah, both Anelka and Drogba are back defending, so I guess we know what they’re going to do here.
13′ Bosingwa gives away a free kick from about 40 yards out on the left flank near the end-line. Xavi’s free kick is easily cleared from danger, and he’ll have to do better than that if he wants to make Chelsea’s defense sweat.
12′ Xavi tries to pass it to Eto’o at the left edge of the box, but the pass is behind him and out for a Chelsea throw.
11′ Barca win a corner but Drogba clears it away. Will Chelsea go into their shell now?
9′ GOAL!! Xavi tries a long pass to Keita, who gets in front of Alex. However, the pass is long and Cech will kick it away. Chelsea come back as Cole slides in a pass into the box for Lampard. He tries to turn and fire, but his shot is blocked. It’s deflected out off Toure’s back to the Essien, who volleys it from outside the penalty area, and he clips the shot under the crossbar and it bounces over the line! Wow! What a shot form Essien!
7′ Messi plays it through to Alves, who makes the run down the right. He tries to whip a cross to the far post for Iniesta, but it’s out for a Chelsea throw.
5′ Alves is inside the box and he chips it to Messi deep down the right edge of the box. Messi tries a cross, and it looks like it may have gone off Ballack’s hand. No handball, though, and Bosingwa eventually clears it away.
3′ Messi makes a run into the box from the left, but Terry closes him down and makes the great defensive play to take it away.
2′ Terry plays Drogba through the middle, Drogba’s touch is poor and he gives it away. He would have been through on goal if he hadn’t done that. Eto’o then comes back and tries a long-range shot, but it’s well wide and doesn’t trouble Cech.
1′ Barca kick off and we’re underway! Tom Henning Ovrebo is our referee. Messi tries to get around Cole, but he has him well played. Ballack is also back to help out and they take it away.
0′ The Chammmmm-pionnnnns!
0′ Let’s hope that the presence of Anelka means that Chelsea are going to actually play some offense today. I don’t have a problem with what they did in the first leg, at least not compared to some people who have labeled their tactics as “cowardly,” “negative,” or “anti-football.” I mean, you have to put your team in the best position to advance, and they certainly did that. If they had gone with an open-approach and lost like Real Madrid did over the weekend, then that would have been foolhardy, right?
0′ From the “Let’s Not Get Ahead of Ourselves” Dept. A lot of Barcelona fans think that, just because they thrashed Real Madrid on Saturday, that they’ll be in great form for this match. Not so fast. Real Madrid’s defense is hardly anything to write home about. Plus, Barca have not faced stiff competition in Europe, thus far. They took out an overmatched Lyon side in the Round of 16 (and couldn’t win on Lyon’s home pitch), and outclassed a Bayern Munich side that recently fired their manager and may not qualify for Champions League play next season.
0′ One last note about yesterday’s Arsenal/Manchester United match. We knew that the Gunners were caught with their pants down, but Nicklas Bendtner seems to have taken that literally. Apparently, he wears briefs, which is more than I ever wanted to know about him.
0′ One word about Darren Fletcher, because I didn’t think of it until after the game was long over. You have to feel for him as a human being. Burglars broke into his house when he was out of town, getting ready to play at Inter Milan. They held his family at knifepoint and threatened to cut his fiance’s throat. Fletcher could have gone home and left his team, but he was professional about it. Not only did Fletcher play against Inter Milan, but he did a decent job. I remember thinking that he looked like he was about to break down and cry during the playing of the UEFA Anthem before the match. You had to feel for him then, and you certainly have to feel for him now. For him to miss the Final, on a disputed foul no less, seems incredibly unfair after everything he’s gone through.
0′ Who will join Darren Fletcher on the sidelines if they pick up another yellow today? For Chelsea, Michael Ballack, Alex, and Nicholas Anelka had better be on their best behavior. For Barcelona, Sergio Busquets and Dani Alves better watch themselves.
0′ Welcome to Soccerlens’ live coverage of the UEFA Champions League Semifinals between Chelsea and Barcelona! The winner will face Manchester United in the Finals from Rome on May 27, 2009! I’m Victor and I’ll be your liveblogger! I’m watching this match on ESPN. However, this match is available, on-line, at ESPN360. For information on how to access that fine service, feel free to consult this article. Click here for other, free, options.

Facing the strength of English soccer in the Champions League and chasing scoring records in Spain, Barcelona could be only a few games away from proving itself the best team in the world.Saturday's spectacular 6-2 victory at Real Madrid underlined its supremacy over its traditional rival in the Spanish league and opened up a seven-point lead in La Liga. It also took Barca to 100 league goals for the season and now the Catalan soccer giant has four games to overtake the record of 107 set by Real in 1989-90.Although England's Premier League appears to be dominating European club soccer with three Champions League semifinalists for the second season in a row and a finalist for the fifth year in succession, Barcelona looks strong enough to beat any of the top English sides.Now it has the chance to prove it."We will go to win, to attack and to qualify for the final in Rome," coach Pep Guardiola said ahead of Wednesday's Champions League semifinal second leg against Chelsea. "Chelsea know that. This result will help us."Unless it is to rely on a penalty shootout, however, it has to score at least once at Chelsea to reach the final of the Champions League and face another English team-either Manchester United or Arsenal-in the May 27 final in Rome.Barca was held 0-0 at home by Chelsea last Tuesday and hopes that Saturday's scoring spree carries over to another big performance at Stamford Bridge. Guardiola, who only took charge at the start of the season, is confident that his players won't have left their best form and fitness behind on Saturday and will be up for another showpiece display in west London."When a player is so close to Rome, there is no such thing as tiredness," he said.But it will be a huge letdown for Barcelona fans and soccer in general if Guardiola's team can't repeat some of the performance it produced against Madrid.Last week Chelsea stifled Barca's impressive strikeforce of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o, who have scored a combined 69 league goals this season, and the flow of passes provided by Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.Now wily coach Guus Hiddink hopes to do the same at Stamford Bridge.The Dutchman is expected to send out a lineup that will try to make sure Barcelona's talented stars do not get a chance to show off their skills in front of 40,000 Chelsea fans. That task would be made easier if Henry fails to recover from a knee injury picked up against Real.Hiddink saw defensive problems in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Fulham that he does not want to see again against Barca.That makes it imperative for Guardiola to get the best out of his stars, partly to make sure it doesn't fall at the semifinal hurdle for the second season in a row and partly to show that attractive, positive soccer is also the way to win titles.It happened at national team level last year when Spain impressively won the European Championship and is now the best in the world. But that was after Barcelona got knocked out of the Champions League semifinal and two English clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea, made it to Moscow for the final where United triumphed after a penalty shootout and a 1-1 draw.That final could be repeated in Rome and Barcelona is out to prevent it happening again.Chelsea's players didn't win many friends by shackling the Barcelona players at Camp Nou but they were only doing their job. Hiddink's team has talented forwards such as Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka but he is likely to tell his stars not to take any risks on Wednesday.Now it's up to Barca to show the millions watching worldwide on TV that it has the ability to overcome a solid Chelsea lineup and reach the final.Hiddink won't fall into the same trap as Madrid's Juande Ramos who pushed his defensive midfielders high up and repeatedly got caught out on the break.It means Barca will have to pull Chelsea's midfielders out of position and give Messi and Henry chances to run at the defenders from the flanks, opening up space inside the area.Guardiola, who was a talented midfielder for the club as a player, has proved himself as a top quality coach too and appears to be guiding Barcelona back to greatness.It is amazing that one of soccer's greatest clubs has only won Europe's top prize twice, in 1992 and 2006, while Madrid has the record of nine titles.Victories over two English teams will bring the title back to Camp Nou and that could be just the start of a spell of dominance for Guardiola and his stars.English teams may be filling most of the Champions League spots, but there's a good chance that best of all will be Spanish.

Manchester United became kings of Europe for the third time on a night of high drama and emotion in Moscow.
Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was the hero with a penalty save to deny Nicolas Anelka after Chelsea captain John Terry had missed the chance to win the Blues the trophy by firing his own spot-kick hit the post.
The dramatic shootout looked to be going Chelsea's way after Petr Cech saved Cristiano Ronaldo's effort but Terry's miss opened the door for Sir Alex Ferguson to clinch his second Champions League crown.
As the celebrations began, you could have expected the ghosts of such giants as Duncan Edwards and George Best to be dancing with delight at the outcome.
It is 40 years since United first won the trophy with a team rebuilt by Sir Matt Busby from the survivors of that Munich disaster. Eight players lost their lives following the catastrophic events on a snow-filled German runway in February 1958.
It was fitting that United became the first English club to win the trophy 10 years later and even more apt that, half a century on, Ferguson's men had again taken on Europe's finest and beaten them all.
Their achievement was made even more poignant by Munich survivors Harry Gregg, Albert Scanlon, Kenny Morgans, Bill Foulkes and Sir Bobby Charlton, now a club director, who watched the drama unfold from the stands.
But modern-day football has its own heroes and the likes of Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and the unstoppable Ronaldo now trip off the tongue in the same way Best and Charlton once did.
Yet, the opening 25 minutes of the first all-English final barely lived up to its hysterical pre-match hype.
However, all that changed from the moment Ronaldo headed United in front with his 42nd goal of a memorable season.
Paul Scholes, who missed United's last triumph through suspension in 1999, played a delightful interchange of passes with Wes Brown on the right flank.
His final return pass put Brown in the clear and the full-back's left-foot cross found the waiting Ronaldo in space at the far post.
The Portugal international planted a firm header into the corner of the net past a static Cech to give United first blood.
Chelsea's somewhat muted response almost brought them an equaliser in the 33rd minute when Lampard's cross was headed back into the six-yard box by Didier Drogba.
United's Rio Ferdinand, under pressure from Michael Ballack, was forced to head the ball towards his own goal and only a superb save from Van der Sar prevented a Chelsea equaliser.
But it required a sensational double save from Cech to deny United their second moments later.
Wayne Rooney delivered an inch-perfect 40-yard crossfield ball into the path of the ever-dangerous Ronaldo and the United goalscorer placed his cross on the head of the diving Tevez only for Cech to deny him.
Chelsea's failure to clear the loose ball gave Michael Carrick the chance to reward their superb approach work but again Cech was equal to the task with another fine save.
The Blues began to grow in confidence as the first half approached its climax and in the 45th minute, they took advantage of a massive slice of luck to level the score.
Michael Essien's attempted shot from 25-yards took two deflections on its way towards goal but the most telling was off the back of United captain Ferdinand.
It changed the direction of the ball into the path of Lampard, who duly supplied the finish from six yards.
Chelsea, buoyed by their flourish at the end of the first half, almost took the lead in the 54th minute.
Essien managed to get clear of the United defence but his attempted curler from the edge of the penalty area was far too high.
It was all Chelsea now but they could not force a second goal. Drogba sent a header a wide from Lampard's corner and Ballack was just off target with a 25-yard drive.
In the 77th minute, United had the woodwork to thank when Drogba sent a 20-yard shot against Van der Sar's left-hand upright. The Ivorian went close again four minutes from time when he just failed to convert Joe Cole's low cross.
Ryan Giggs was introduced in place of Scholes seconds later for the Welshman to make a record 759th appearance for the Red Devils.
The game went into extra-time, and within three minutes of the restart, the woodwork came to United's rescue again. This time it was Lampard who sent his shot crashing against the crossbar as United continued to ride their luck.
But Chelsea were almost made to pay dearly eight minutes later when Terry cleared a goalbound effort from Giggs off his own line.
Drogba was then sensationally sent off for slapping Nemanja Vidic as tempers flared on both sides.
But the lottery of penalties ensured that United clinched the trophy.
Teams:
Man Utd Van der Sar, Brown (Anderson 120), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Hargreaves, Scholes (Giggs 87), Carrick, Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney (Nani 101).
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, O'Shea, Fletcher, Silvestre.
Booked: Scholes, Ferdinand, Vidic, Tevez.
Goals: Ronaldo 26.
Chelsea Cech, Essien, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Ballack, Makelele (Belletti 120), Lampard, Joe Cole (Anelka 99), Drogba, Malouda (Kalou 92).
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Shevchenko, Obi, Alex.
Sent Off: Drogba (116).
Booked: Makelele, Carvalho, Ballack, Essien.
Goals: Lampard 45.
Man Utd win 6-5 on penalties
Att: 69,552
Ref: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).