In a few hours from now, Cristiano Ronaldo will be crowned the World Player of the Year. The 23 year-old Ballon d'Or recipient is already the FIFPro World Player of the Year, and also took the top prizes from the Professional Footballers Association and the Football Writers last season. His 42 goal performance last season was overshadowed during the summer transfer window by a protracted transfer saga with King Franco FC.

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By: Pohui
Special to Soccer City FC

This story was related to me by a colleague of my who was at a betting outlet not that long ago.

It was a conversation, overheard by this colleague, between two punters who were discussing the odds offered by the pools operators.

It was spoken in Singlish - a colloquialism form of English used by most Singaporeans which local authority been trying to discourage the use of it because it did not follow the rules of grammar (I had tried to re-phrase the sentences in brackets). Click to continue reading...

"Panathinaikos' win is absolutely deserved. People may say they were lucky but I don't agree. After that performance we don't deserve to go through. We must be angry with ourselves."
Jose Mourinho surprisingly philosophical over Inter Milan's defeat to Panathinaikos, the first in their European campaign this season. Click to continue reading...

Yannick Djaló (Sporting Lisbon / Portugal) Sporting Lisbon are a football club with one of the most advanced and well-equipped youth academies in Europe. Over the years, several top names have graduated from the famous Academia Sporting including Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Nani, Ricardo Quaresma and Simao Sabrosa. Click to continue reading...

Portuguese defender lobs his keeper When you have fought back from 0-3 down to 2-3 against one of the biggest teams in Europe, what you don't need is one of your defenders to restore the opposition's two-goal cushion let alone do it with as much panache as Sporting Lisbon's Marco Caneira did against Barcelona. Click to continue reading...

Matchday 4 should be a pivotal one as many groups may well be decided once the games are completed. Who needs a win and who can afford to slip? Let's take a look at Tuesday's games. Group A Roma need to win at home against Chelsea but that is looking to be a tall order considering the [...] Click to continue reading...

Sporting Lisbon are meeting Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League Group C Watch the match LIVE here. Pre-register at the NEW football site 11×2 today Click to continue reading...

Uefa Champions League,  Wednesday  October 22th   Shakhtar Donetsk are meeting Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League Group C   Pre-register at the NEW football site 11×2 today  Watch the LIVESTREAM and Highlights here  Don`t forget to sign up 11×2.com - the next big football site Click to continue reading...

To use a golf analogy, the teams in the group stage of the Champions League make the turn today and tomorrow with the completion of the first three games of the group stage. And while it's early, for some teams, it's make-or-break time. Group by group, here's an analysis of who needs to win: Group A: ROMA Needs [. Click to continue reading...

Week 2: Group C: Uefa Champions League Sporting Lisbon are meeting FC Basel in the second round of the Champions League, wednesday 1st of october. Sign up 11×2.com - the next big football site        Watch the match LIVE here! Click to continue reading...

Tottenham will move for Sporting Lisbon forward Simon Vukcevic in the Januray transfer window, according to reports. The Daily Mirror claims that the Monenegro attacker will tell the Portuguese club that he wants to leave after falling out with coach Paulo Bento, opening the door for Juande Ramos to make his move. Click to continue reading...

According to this source Arsene will have to hold out until the season ends before capturing this combative midfielder. Don't forget to check out Online Football Manager! Arsenal will have to wait until next summer before they can land Sporting Lisbon's £16million-rated midfield star Miguel Veloso. Click to continue reading...

The first matchday of the group stage is complete, so here's a summary of the CONCACAF players in the UEFA Champions League:Rafa Márquez scored the opening goal (a header from a corner kick) in Barcelona's 3-1 victory over Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday. He played all 90 minutes.Carlos Vela played the last six minutes of Arsenal's 1-1 draw at Dinamo Kiev. Click to continue reading...

Spain's big four in the Champions League came out in great shape after one matchday.   Barcelona looked like their usual selves- both good and bad- and were able to handle Sporting Lisbon by a score of 3-1.   Real Madrid was very busines-like in their 2-0 win over BATE Borisov. Biggest Winners Biggest winner in Spain [. Click to continue reading...

Man, I never woulda had Roma losing to Cluj, a Romanian side, at home.

Christian Panucci had the favored side up 1-0 with a header in the 17th minute, but Emmanuel Culio bagged the next two with goals at 28' and 49' to give the visitors a shocking win.

It wasn't undeserved either, the underdogs played well enough to win and deserved the three points in Group A. Click to continue reading...

Champions League debutants CFR 1907 Cluj came from behind to beat Roma and record a stunning 2-1 victory at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Beyond the absence of Totti, Roma had a strong squad out on the field and will be disappointed with their performance. There has been a bit of turmoil off the field [. Click to continue reading...

Barcelona vs Sporting Lisbon Highlights 3-1 UEFA Champions League 16.09. Click to continue reading...

Cette fois c'est sur on y est :)
Originally uploaded by Yogi_OM La Champions y su himno se escucharon por toda Europa, se inicio de manera historica para algunos cuadros como el de Javier Aguirre y el Aleti que regresarón despues de 11 años para propinarle una goleada a domicilio a el PSV de Holanda. Click to continue reading...

Rafael Marquez
Originally uploaded by It's el BOFO!!!!! Con un gol del mexicano en la victoria del Barcelona en la Champions League se festejo el 16 de Septiembre en España.

Barcelona 3 - Sporting Lisbon 1 (Champions League, Septiembre 16, 2008)
Rafael Marquez anoto el primero Samuel Eto'o anoto el segundo Moutinho metio el gol para el Lisboa y Xavi realizo el tercero. Click to continue reading...

Admit it. Before Tuesday you probably never heard of CFR Cluj.

After the Romanian clubbed knocked off Italian powerhouse AS Roma on Tuesday, you will be learning a bit more.

Cluj erased a 1-0 deficit in Rome and ralled for a stunning 2-1 win in the opening Champions League group match for both teams.

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RESULTS Champions League Chelsea 4-0 Bordeaux Marseille 1-2 Liverpool AS Roma 1-2 Cluj Barcelona 3-1 Sporting Lisbon Panathainikos 0-2 Inter Milan PSV 0-3 A Madrid W Bremen 0-0 Anorthosis Basel 1-2 S Dontesk Championship Reading 6-0 Sheff Wed Burnley 2-0 Blackpool Bristol City 1-2 Birmingham Wolves 2-1 C Palace Barnsley 0-1 Cardiff Sheff Utd 1-1 Coventry Doncaster 0-1 Charlton Swansea 1-1 Derby County Watford 1-2 Plymouth Preston 2-1 Nottm Forest LEAGUE ONE Stockport 1-1 Northampton Cheltenham 2-1 Bristol Rovers Click to continue reading...

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard inspired Liverpool to a 2-1 victory away at Marseille this evening. It was the first night of Champions League since Man United won the trophy back in 2008 and it certainly lived up to it's billing.

Marseille got off to a flyer, Lorik Cana putting the French side ahead early after breaking Liverpool's off-side after a superb ball through by Benoit Cheyrou. Click to continue reading...

My oh my, what a busy day. Here's what we have, with a few comments from MLS folks mixed in (home team listed first, all times ET):

WPS: The women's league is announcing its first allocations at 12:30 p.m. on several platforms. When a one-time Web guru is the commissioner, you're going to get the full new-media treatment.

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The group stage of the Champions League begins today with several intriguing matches as well as the return of Chelsea and Liverpool to continental football. Be sure to set your DVRs for the following matches on TV today in the United States (all times eastern). Bordeaux vs. Chelsea: 2:30pm ESPN2/ESPN360. Click to continue reading...

Şampiyonlar Ligi bu akşam başlıyor. Elbette 21:45'te ve ne yazık ki Star TV'de. Canlı seyredebileceğimiz ilk maç Gerets'in Marsilyası ile Liverpool arasında. Ardından banttan Chelsea FC - FC Girondins de Bordeaux bizi bekliyor olacak. Gecenin diğer maçları şöyle: AS Roma - CFR 1907 Cluj, Panathinaikos FC - FC Internazionale Milano, Werder Bremen - Anothosis, FC Basel 1893 - FC Shakthar Donetsk, Barcelona - Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven - Atletico Madrid. Click to continue reading...

What do Werder Bremen, Villareal, Atletico Madrid, Panathinaikos, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille, Dynamo Kyiv, Celtic and Fenerbahce have in common (hint: the answer is not "They're all in the Champions League group stage which starts today")? Give up? Well, all of these clubs are in fact in the group stage of the Champions League, but the answer [. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal are set to go head-to-head with Manchester United in an effort to land £16million-rated Sporting Lisbon star Miguel Veloso, according to reports. Both clubs have been heavily linked with the midfielder in the past. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is a huge admirer of the talented Portugal ace and is believed to have considered making last-ditch bid [. Click to continue reading...

Monday 15 September

20.00 Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa, Premier League, Setanta Sports 1
Spurs' first win of the season isn't too far away. It might not be tonight though. Should be a good contest between two well-matched sides.

Tuesday 16 September

19.45 Chelsea v Bordeaux, UEFA Champions League Group A, ITV4
A first chance for most viewers to see Laurent Blanc's Bordeaux variety which is said to be entertaining and non-uncompromising-centre-half like. Click to continue reading...

FC Basel 1893 How They Got Here:Basel beat Vitoria de Guimaraes (also known as Vitoria SC) 2-1 on aggregate in the third round of qualifying. Basel won the Swiss League last season. Star Performer: MF Benjamin Huggel. An experienced member of the Swiss national squad, Huggel is a strong presence in central midfield. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal and Manchester United are to battle it out for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso come the opening of the January transfer window. The Portuguese international was linked all summer with a move to the Premier League but for whatever reasons nothing ever materialised. (News of the World)

The 22-year old has caught the attentions of both Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and Manchester United man Sir Alex Ferguson over the past 18 months with his superb performances for Sporting. Click to continue reading...

GROUP A: 1. Chelsea, 2. Roma, 3. Bordeaux, 4. Cluj-Napoca
The top two clubs should have no problem advancing here and will rack up four wins a piece of the group doormats -- who I don't know much about. Head-to-head I give the advantage to the Blues. Roma doesn't have the firepower to match the English side. Click to continue reading...

Many stories doing the rounds indicate that Arsenal have wrapped up the signature of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso for £15M.  Veloso has been on many clubs radar including Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton and AC Milan. Veloso is 22 years old and is a dynamic central midfielder who can replicate the energy and creativity that has [. Click to continue reading...

According to this source, Wenger is all set to make a last-gasp move for this international midfielder who is also being chased by Manchester United and Tottenham. Don't forget to check out Online Football Manager! Arsenal are being linked with a late swoop for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso as the transfer . Click to continue reading...

Three more names have been linked with moves to Spurs ahead of the transfer window slamming shut on Monday night. According to the News of the World, Tottenham boss Juande Ramos has Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso still on his radar. The paper also claim that Real Zaragoza duo Diego Milito and Sergio Garcia could interest the [. Click to continue reading...

There are many great derby games in the world of football. Benfica and Sporting Lisbon. AS Roma and Lazio. Boca Juniors against River Plate and there's no love lost between Rio's Flamengo en Fluminense, or for that matter, between the two giants of Turkish football, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. But it is in Glasgow that you'll [. Click to continue reading...