Jovanovic loses on Liverpool debut

Serbian forward Milan Jovanovic made his Liverpool debut on Saturday, as a young Reds team fell to a 1-0 defeat in a pre-season friendly at Kaiserslautern.

Jovanovic, who joined on a free transfer from Standard Liege and represented his country at the World Cup, played the first 45 minutes before being withdrawn by new coach Roy Hodgson. Ilian Micanski's close-range tap-in was enough to secure victory for the newly promoted Bundesliga side. Meanwhile, Liverpool's city rivals Everton enjoyed a 3-0 win at Championship team Preston North End. New signing Jermain Beckford scored twice after coming off the bench, while French striker Louis Saha was also on target with a fine low drive. Elsewhere, Aston Villa lost 2-1 at Irish side Bohemians, Bolton drew 1-1 at local rivals Rochdale and Turkey international Tuncay claimed a hat-trick as Stoke thrashed non-league Newcastle Town 6-0. Birmingham rounded off their tour of the Far East with a third consecutive victory, overcoming Chinese side Liaoning Hongyun 2-0. Garry O'Connor gave the Blues an 18th minute lead when he converted from a tight angle after linking well with new signing Nikola Zigic and Sebastian Larsson's volley completed the scoring before half-time. There were contrasting fortunes for two of the sides promoted from the Championship last season, as Blackpool beat Leyton Orient 2-1 and Newcastle lost 2-1 at Norwich. Former Everton and Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers, who is on trial at Blackpool, gave the Seasiders the lead in the 23rd minute, with Rob Edwards heading in a last-minute winner after Scott McGleish equalised for Orient. Shola Ameobi was on target for Newcastle, while Peter Lovenkrands headed against the crossbar in the 89th minute as the Magpies chased an equaliser.

Spain, Portugal eye co-hosting 2018 World Cup

MADRID: Buoyed by their win in the World Cup this summer, Spain are set to push for co-hosting the 2018 tournament with neighbouring Portugal, Secretary of State for Sports Jaime Lissavetsky said on Tuesday.

"Spain's next challenge is to organise the 2018 World Cup," Lissavetsky said in an address to the Spanish Football Federation's (RFEF) general assembly meeting.

Spain and Portugal hope to pool their resources - as Japan and South Korea did in 2002 - for 2018 after Brazil hosts the next edition in 2014.

Belgium and the Netherlands are also preparing a joint 2018 bid and other candidates are England, the United States and Russia with Australia now concentrating its hopes on 2022 after initially expressing interest in 2018.

FIFA is to elect the winning bid on December 2 at a meeting of its executive committee.

RFEF chairman Angel Maria Villar said that "Spain and Portugal are in the race" for 2018, but admitted that it would likely prove difficult to see off the opposition - Spain hosted the event as recently as 1982. But he stressed that in the event of failure there would be a renewed bid for 2022.

FIFA's inspection committee on Monday started looking at the bidders' dossiers, starting off with Japan, a candidate for 2022

Player tries to strangle referee

SANTIAGO: While many footballers have thought about it, few have actually attempted it — but Paraguayan defender Jose Pedroso went that extra step at the weekend when he actually tried to strangle the referee.

The incident, posted on YouTube, occurred during a Chilean Second Division match between Pedroso’s team Rangers and Deportes Concepcion.

It took place just after the referee had ordered a penalty against Rangers to be retaken three times. Pedroso was penalised for a violent challenge on an opponent that was enough to earn him his second yellow card and an early dismissal.

But instead of walking back to the dressing room for a lonely early bath, Pedroso saw a different kind of red, grabbing referee Marcelo Miranda by the throat.

He was quickly separated from the man in black by his teammates before launching
a second desperate attack on Miranda. Finally he was escorted out of the ground by the police.

A few minutes earlier, Miranda had upset the Rangers players by ordering a penalty to be retaken three times as they trailed 1-0.

According to the local press, Pedroso has decided to quit Rangers and return to Paraguay.

Mourinho is a pain to Chelsea

Couch out to foil Abrammovich's plans to sign Ozil

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is bent on wreaking more damage to his former team Chelsea.Mourinho, Whose Inter Milan destroyed Chelsea' Champions League dream last season, is ready to spoil Roman Abramovich's grand plans 18 million pound move for Germany's World Cup Star Mesut Ozil.Midfielder Ozil, being courted by Chelsea, is the most coveted player in Europe after shinning for Germany in the recent World Cup. "he's like a ghost, the way he arrives into the box unnoticed," said a Manchester United scout. But it seems the obvious luxuries and the allure of the EPL are not enough for the wunderkid with Wender Bremen. Meanwhile, Brazil star Luis Fabiano has ended the hopes of Manchester United and Tottenham by committing himself to Sevilla.

Rafael Benitez losing Mario Balotelli??

Inter Milan manager Rafael Benitez has admitted that striker Mario Balotelli could leave the club with Premier League champions Chelsea now reportedly ready to hijack Manchester City’s offer for the Italian starlet.

Driven on by his agent Mino Raiola, Balotelli has spent all summer engineering a departure from the Giuseppe Meazza and appears close to a reunion with former boss Roberto Mancini at Eastlands. However, Raiola and Inter are both determined to secure the highest possible bid for the player with Raiola claiming that City were not the only club in discussions with his client, saying “all doors remain open, there are other clubs”.

Benitez himself has made it clear that Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o is ready to be turned to should he lose the services of Balotelli next season.

“Balotelli? Let’s wait and see what happens. The club decides the transfer market and I adapt. The fact remains that one player doesn’t make the team, and Inter have plenty of strong players,” Benitez said.

“I have spoken to Eto’o. He is a great professional and is ready to do what the team needs.”

Meanwhile, the club are now waiting for Chelsea to make their offer with Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti already having expressed interest in pairing Balotelli with top goalscorer Didier Drogba for their Premier League defence. There are reports that the former AC Milan coach is more interested in the Inter striker than Liverpool star Fernando Torres.

Manchester United may also be a late entry in the race for the striker’s signature with Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson having previously expressed his admiration for Balotelli, describing the striker as the “new Cristiano Ronaldo”. However, the Scot claimed that he was happy with his current squad during a press conference on their North American tour and that there would be no further player additions this summer.

It does appear set that Balotelli would no longer be at Inter before the new season with the striker having stayed behind in Italy as the rest of the squad flew off for their pre-season tour this weekend.

Joe Cole moving to LIVERPOOL

Liverpool have signed former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole on a four-year deal today with the news announced on the club’s official website. The player finally decided to join the Anfield Reds after having earlier had discussions with Roy Hodgson last week and will undergo a medical within the next two days before putting pen to paper.

A statement on Liverpool official site read: “Liverpool FC are delighted to confirm the signing of Joe Cole on a four-year deal. The England midfielder has agreed personal terms with the Reds and will undergo a medical in the next 48 hours.”

The signing may be the biggest transfer coup to be pulled off by the new Liverpool boss this summer after some pessimism over Hodgson’s appointment earlier this summer. With the arrival of Cole, it may also be the signing that could finally convince club captain Steven Gerrard and star striker Fernando Torres to stay at Anfield after having been linked with moves away from Merseyside this summer due to the upheaval in the last two months, and with the club finishing only in seventh in the Premier League last season.

Cole was released at the end of the season by Chelsea after the club raised doubts over the midfielder’s injury problems as well as apparent high wage demands. The player accused the Blues of letting him go over “political” reasons and said that he would only join a club with a manager who would have faith in his abilities and offer him first team football.

It was revealed on Sunday that Liverpool had put together a package with a staggering weekly salary of £90,000 for the player’s consideration but it is not known if these figures apply to this confirmed deal. Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti raised his suspicions over the intention of Cole deciding to leave Stamford Bridge when he questioned if the England international was more interested in money than achieving success in his career. With Cole now deciding to join Liverpool on the back of earlier salary rumours, and with previous suitors Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur both offering Champions League football compared to the Reds, there may be some doubts amongst the football public yet.

However, there is no doubting Cole’s quality as a playmaking midfielder and Liverpool fans will now be hoping that his addition will spark a major revival under Hodgson next season.

Tottenham Hotspur Lead Chase For Marseille And Nigerian Defender Taye Taiwo

Tottenham Hotspur are ahead of the queue for Marseille left back Taye Taiwo and look set to snare the player despite competition from a host of other clubs including Atletico Madrid and Premier League rivals Sunderland and Birmingham.

Spurs are believed to be the only club willing and capable of meeting the Ligue One champions’ valuation of the Nigerian international. Marseille are demanding at least £8.5 million for the defender of which the Champions League qualifiers are willing to offer around £6 million.

Taiwo starred for Marseille last season as the club stole from the back to claim the Ligue One title on a strong surge at the end of the season. The French champions’ boss Didier Deschamps is understood to rate the player highly and is unwilling to see him go, but with financial concerns an ever present for the club, any sensible offer for the defender will be considered in seriousness.

The 25-year-old experienced a disappointing campaign with the Super Eagles after which the whole team was suspended by the country’s president Goodluck Jonathan before the decision was reversed following FIFA’s threat to ban the country from future tournaments indefinitely. However, Taiwo still impressed on the left side of the Nigeria defence and was one of their very few standout players.

Atletico Madrid were keen enough to make a £4 million bid but that has been dismissed as too little by Marseille, who are also keen to cash in on the player as he has only a year left on his current contract, with both parties unable to come to an agreement over an extension. Sunderland and Birmingham are also interested but may not be able to match any big money bid from Spurs.

Sidka take over Iraq team

For me this is very good for Iraq and the Asian football.

The Iraq Football Association has announced that terms have been agreed with Wolfgang Sidka to coach the reigning AFC Asian Cup holders.

Sidka, a 65-year-old German, has extensive experience in the region, having coached Bahrain's national team in 2000 before moving three years later to neighbouring Qatar to manage Al Arabi. Sidka returned to the Bahrain helm in 2004 and also coached in Qatar again during the 2006-07 season when he took charge of Al Gharafa.

Iraq national team committee member Basel Mahdi confirmed that Sidka will take up the post in August.

"Sidka will start working with the national team next month after the end of the league," he said. "He will return to Baghdad where he will officially sign a one-year contract with the FA."

Sidka is looking to restore Iraq to former glories following a difficult period in the aftermath of their continental triumph.

"I have plenty of information about Iraqi players," Sidka said. "I also received a good image about football in Iraq and its impressive positive role in the region.

"My first target will be to prepare a strong team before playing in the forthcoming WAFF Championship in Jordan and then the Gulf Cup before defending the title at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar."

The end of world cup 2010

JOHANNESBURG -- The Dutch once went through life as beautiful losers. Now they're just plain losers.

The Dutch acquired the moniker by making it to the World Cup final in 1974 and 1978. On both occasions, they played beautifully but ultimately lost despite being the superior team.

The 2010 finalist is not a worthy successor.

There's no honor in losing the way the Dutch did Sunday night. It was Spain that tried to play beautifully. The Dutch tried to counteract Spain's possession game by hacking, kicking, plowing and bashing the Spaniards every which way, incurring nine yellow cards in the process.

The Dutch were conscious and intentional in their hack-a-Spain approach.

"Yes, we did that intentionally," defender Gregory Van Der Wiel said about the Netherlands' uber-physical approach. "It was not the idea to let Spain play soccer comfortably. They can play fantastic soccer, and if you let them, you doom yourself. We tried to apply pressure wherever we could and tried to make the game hard on Spain."

"It's a final, so it's always intense," Robin Van Persie chimed in.

It is plain to see that this Dutch team isn't about beautiful football. Not that the Dutch care.

"I'm a little sick of that entire discussion," standout goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg said after rolling his eyes when asked about his team's opting for wins over beauty. "It's really just about results at a tournament like this. You can play beautifully and … then you get bounced in the first knockout phase. We made the final. So beautiful soccer you can set on fire for all I care."

Coach Bert van Marwijk deflected accusations of his team's instigating the violent mood. "The tone was set early," he said. "But I think it came from both sides. Spain committed some really harsh fouls, too."

And whether the Dutch feel the need to justify their actions or not, the truth remains that their physical and more calculated approach led to more success than most people had predicted.

"Nobody had expected us to be here and play in the final," van Marwijk said. He also pointed out that the Dutch weren't all that far from being world champions Sunday night.

"Arjen [Robben] had two very good chances," van Marwijk said. "In the extra time, you know the first team to score will win. Robben's chances could have been that victory."

Ultimately, though, this match will be remembered for the night the Dutch decided once and for all to abandon beautiful football.

Rocking robben - holland

The best Holland player...
Stewart Downing has revealed his admiration for flying Dutchman Arjen Robben - but predicts the Holland winger will be on the losing side against Spain.

The Bayern Munich ace has been one of the stars of the World Cup as a left-footed player deployed on the right of Holland's midfield.

It is a tactical move which has become a trend in modern football and something Downing has become familiar with at Villa Park.

He and Ashley Young were frequently allowed to switch flanks during a successful campaign in claret and blue.

Downing is impressed with the way Robben carries out this role and believes it is a ploy that can cause havoc for defenders.

"Robben is a great player. I didn't see a lot of him before he went to Chelsea because he was only young," said Downing.

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"But when he went to Chelsea I thought he was really good - quick, a good dribbler and he had a good shot on him.

"He has been one of the players that has stood out. He was injured before one of the games, came in and scored a couple of goals and is a big part of that Dutch team.

"He has done well at Munich as well. It can be an advantage playing on the right or the left. You can ask Ashley too, playing as a right footer on the left.

"It gives the defender a problem if you can use both feet and go on the opposite side. Barcelona do it with Messi on the right and Iniesta on the left and it is probably because you are playing against a full-back who is left-footed and you can cut in onto his weaker foot.

"It tends to work well with me and Ashley here because we are swapping and it gives defenders problems because it gives them different things to face up to."

Robben's Dutch team-mate Wesley Sneijder and Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger have also caught Downing's eye during the World Cup.

While the former Middlesbrough wide man feels Holland would be worthy winners, he expects Spain's quality to be the difference in Sunday's final at Soccer City.

"I think it has been a bit of a strange World Cup from the past ones," he added. "The teams that are still in have done really well. Holland normally do really well and then fade but they have a chance of winning.

"Spain, even with the early setback, I thought would be strong because they have got so many good players.

"You talk about players to look for - Sneijder has been a standout player and Schweinsteiger of Germany. They have been two for me who have stood out in the games.

"It will be a great final. The way they have played, I think Holland deserve to win but you can't rule out Spain because they have got so much quality in that team.

"David Villa is on fire and is likely to pop up with a goal. So I'll probably go with them overall."