Over at the impressive Soccer By Ives, a recent reader email prompted discussion as to the world's ten best goalkeepers. On that list are some of the usual suspects (Cech, Casillas, Buffon etc) and then two names that come as more of a surprise: Brad Friedel and Tim Howard. Now, as anyone who reads SBI will know, the site in question tags itself as 'the world of soccer with an American voice' Click to continue reading...

Salomon Kalou's header ten minutes from time cancels out Ji-Sung Park's opener and preserves Chelsea's unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea and Manchester United ends honors even at 1-1.Unlike the Liverpool/Manchester United clash last weekend, this was more typical big four fare. The game wasn't pretty by any means, plenty physical and full of [. Click to continue reading...

Salomon Kalou's header ten minutes from time cancels out Ji-Sung Park's opener and preserves Chelsea's unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea and Manchester United ends honors even at 1-1.

Unlike the Liverpool/Manchester United clash last weekend, this was more typical big four fare. The game wasn't pretty by any means, plenty physical and full of controversy.

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Park Ji-Sung was the surprise goalscorer in United's 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge today, capitalising from Petr Cech's inability to cling on to the ball, following a shot from Dimitar Berbatov. "It was disappointing to only get one point," Park said after the match. "In the first half we played well and created good chances - [. Click to continue reading...

In less than three weeks, my wife and I have a new arrival planned for our household: our first baby boy. So while my wife was enjoying her baby shower yesterday, I ended up watching our three other children. Needless to say, I didn't get a chance to watch as much live football as I [...] Click to continue reading...

I know this post is a little late, but I've been working a lot this past week and haven't had the time to update. The groupings for the 2008-2009 Champions League tournament have been set. Here are the groups: Group A: Group B:Chelsea Inter MilanRoma Werder BremenBordeaux PanathinaikosCluj Anorthosis Group C: Group D:Barcelona PSVSporting Atletico MadridBasel Click to continue reading...

CHELSEA goalkeeper Petr Cech has been sensationally accused of stealing the identity of a traffic cone. The traffic cone, which is currently employed by the Highways Agency, claimed that the Chelsea keeper's high-visibility orange kit is tantamount to identity fraud. The traffic cone has hired a top American law firm, who specialise in representing inanimate objects, [. Click to continue reading...

Well, that wasn't impressive now was it. Almost depressing really.

At least we know Uncle Phil can win ugly.

Chelsea flogged through a 1-0 win at Wigan Sunday, thanks to a sterling free kick from Deco early on. From thereon, it was a dire, slow performance from the Blues.

Wigan were really unlucky not to grab at least a point, Petr Cech making a handful of quality stops to preserve Chelsea's status at the top of the Premier League after Week 2.

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Lampard signs new five year deal

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce today (Wednesday, August 13) that Frank Lampard has signed a new five year contract.

The new deal will keep Lampard at the club until the end of the 2013-14 season.

Lampard said: 'I want to finish my career at Chelsea. Click to continue reading...

Well being as the season is almost upon us already, I suppose it's long since time that we had a look at my rather sorry looking predictions for last year's Premier League Season and salute my mystic Meg-like genius have a bit of a giggle at what an idiot I make myself look every year, eh?

Come on then. Click to continue reading...

Dopo il portiere Cech, anche il centrocampista ghanese Michael Essien ha firmato un nuovo contratto con il Chelsea fino a giugno 2013.

Da Calciomercato.com

Comunicato Ufficiale FC Chelsea:

Essien next to extend

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to confirm that Michael Essien has signed a new five-year contract that keeps him at Stamford Bridge until 2013. Click to continue reading...

It is a measure of Petr Cech's character and his sense of accountability that immediately after his error that effectively cost the Czech Republic their chance of progress into the quarter-finals of the European Championship he returned to his house in Prague to face the music.

Pilloried in the Czech press for the inexplicable fumble that handed Nihat Kahveci an 87th-minute equaliser for Turkey - the striker would score again moments later to ensure his own nation's passage from the group stage - Cech even found himself fending off questions about the aberration from seven-year-old kids at the football academy which he runs here in the capital city.

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As compiled Ali Martin writing in the Sun - in order of increasing floppiness.
10.The electrical storm that blew out the TV transmission of the Germany Turkey semifinal.
9.Karim Benzema
8.Adrian Mutu
7.Austria and Switzerland
6.Mario Gomez
5.Thierry Henry
4.

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Luca Toni's topping the charts again... only this time, it isn't very flattering. English tabloid The Sun just dished out another Top 10 list, regrouping the "Biggest flops" of this Summer's Euro championship tournament. The Italy striker tops the list, despite receiving a pat on the back from Bayern Munich chairman Karl Heinz Rummenigge. Click to continue reading...

Chelsea players haven't had the best Euro 2008. Well, with the exception of Michael Ballack. Let's take a visual look back at the Blues' finest (minus Ballack) in Austria and Switzerland. P.S. I think that Pete Cech ferris wheel gave him a big head.

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Six players who failed to turn up 1. Petr Cech (Czech Republic) Euro 2008 confirmed what I long suspected - that Cech has not been the same player since he fractured his skull in 2006. He still makes fine saves,... Click to continue reading...

Wow, what a week that was, in no particular order:

The Turks... Petr Cech... Ching's brace, then hat trick, then brace again but in a different way... 8-0!!!!...Couldn't Matt Reis have been called up before last Thursday rather than the day after? He's the best freakin' goalie in North America. Click to continue reading...

The fixtures have been announced. First reactions aren't anything too significant. The opening match will be against West Brom on 16 August. Obviously, the two months between now and then seem like such a long time, but in actuality will be here sooner than I realize it will.

In the never ending Alexander Hleb saga, it just took an(nother) interesting turn.

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Image details: Turkey v Czech Republic - Group A Euro 2008 served by picapp.com

The final match day in Group A showcased two matches of very different significance. First, hosts Switzerland were looking to earn some pride in front of their fans while Portugal tried to retain all their important players injury and suspension-free for their quarter final matchup coming up.

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We move to the chaos of simultaneous kickoffs for the last round of group stage matches. But in Group A, the focus will be solely on the match in Geneva, where the Czech Republic and Turkey meet for second place and a quarterfinal match against Croatia. Having already locked up the group, Portugal will face a Swiss team playing for pride. Click to continue reading...

We move to the chaos of simultaneous kickoffs for the last round of group stage matches. But in Group A, the focus will be solely on the match in Geneva, where the Czech Republic and Turkey meet for second place and a quarterfinal match against Croatia. Having already locked up the group, Portugal will face a Swiss team playing for pride. Click to continue reading...

This was the second day of matches for Group A. Of course, after the second matches, it becomes a little clearer who will advance to the second round and who will be going home. The Czech Republic v Portugal match was billed as the feature match of the group, but the Switzerland v Turkey match is the one that carries more weight and has more history.

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EURO 2008: Portugal 3:1 Czech Republic (Deco 8', Sionko 16', Ronaldo 63', Quaresma 90'), Stade de Suisse, Geneva

Portugal are in pole position in Group A after ousting the Czech Republic 3-1 in Geneva.

Cristiano Ronaldo, widely touted to be the start of the tournament, was instrumental in all three goals. Click to continue reading...

We move to the second round of group play games. Group A's two opening day winners, the Czech Republic and Portugal, meet in the early game, while the two losers, Switzerland and Turkey, will look to avoid elimination in the nightcap.

Czech Republic vs. Portugal
The venue: Stade de Geneve, Geneva, Switzerland
The broadcast: ESPN2, 12:00 pm ET
The storyline: Both teams enter the game 1-0-0, but the Portuguese look far more likely to win Group A following a solid 2-0 win over Turkey. Click to continue reading...

Adidas unveiled this awesome 150-foot monstrosity entitled "The Impossible Goalkeeper" on a ferris wheel at Vienna's leisure park, Prater. Me thinks co-host Switzerland will have enough trouble with regular-sized Petr tomorrow. Can I get this thing sent to my house after Euros?

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Cristiano Ronaldo has scored tons of penalties this season, many of them after he's been fouled in the penalty area. However, he showed at West Ham and then in the Champions League final that he's not immune to missing from the spot, with Chelsea keeper Petr Cech pawing away his shot to put the Blues [. Click to continue reading...

As the Premiership's number one bubbled wrapped goalkeeper, Petr Cech, watched Manchester United win the Premiership, he allowed himself a little smile. The Czech stopper believes that by winning the Premier League title, Manchester United will not be as motivated as Chelsea in the biuld up to the Champions League Final. Click to continue reading...

What a contest the Champions League final promises to be. The bookmakers can't split Manchester United and Chelsea in the betting, with both teams packed to the brim with talent. Just one moment of brilliance or madness could make all the difference in Moscow. Or maybe just the colour of a goalkeeping jersey. Click to continue reading...

Let's face it, he'd probably still be better clunking around like Sir Lancelot than the error-prone Hilario! The Daily Mirror reveals that while Petr Cech hasn't quite got to the point where he needs to dress like Robocop, it's likely that he'll start tonight's game against Wigan wearing some kind of face mask. Click to continue reading...

To say that the last two campaigns haven't been kind to Petr Cech on the injury front is something of an understatement. There was the coming together with Reading's Stephen Hunt last season, which threatened to end the Czech's life, let alone his footballing career. Thankfully he made a full recovery from his fractured skull, [. Click to continue reading...

Chelsea have managed to trump Manchester United's double Vidic and Rio Ferdinand cripplings by losing their 'keeper for the rest of the season. Helmet-head Petr Cech got in a nasty challenge with Tal Ben Haim in training which resulted in him being carted off to hospital and needing 50 stitches in his face [. Click to continue reading...

Chelsea manager Avram Grant's future at the London club is under some considerable doubt after the Blues were knocked out by minnows Barnsley from the last 8 of the FA Cup on Saturday. But Chelsea custodian Petr Cech says that the players very much support Grant. The Czech internatinal goalkeeper says: I cannot comment on what appers [. Click to continue reading...

Poor old Petr Cech, he seems to be picking up injuries just as you would pick up girls in a nightclub! Chelsea manager Avram Grant has admitted that the Czech international goalkeeper will be out of action for at least a week. Grant says: He's getting better but it will take about one week more. Cech sprained his [. Click to continue reading...

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech says that they have to sustain their cool and maintain optimism in the wake of their 2-1 defeat to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Carling Cup final on Sunday at Wembley. Cech says: We must look to the future. There are still trophies up for grabs that we must try and win. Click to continue reading...

Manchester United and Arsenal have bagged much of the headlines (the positive ones) so far this season. But Chelsea custodian Petr Cech is one player who is not ready to accede defeat and is adamant that writing off the Blues would be a massive mistake. FootballUK quotes the Czech international as saying: Chelsea are the team to [. Click to continue reading...