Posts Tagged ‘Rivals’

As the top clubs return from their European travels, managers, players and spread bettors start to turn their attention to the weekend’s action. There will be plenty for punters to get their teeth into on the spread markets, headed by a mouth-watering Old Trafford Manchester derby at the top of the bill. Since United’s humbling loss to Burnley last month they have come out fighting to stick one to sellers of their outright Championship index spread, currently at 38-41pts (60pts to champions, 40pts to runner-up, 20pts to third place etc). Despite big-spending City’s unbeaten start to the season, the red half of Manchester will be convinced their team can achieve a third successive league win over their local rivals and are favourite to do so according to the Sporting Index football traders.

Buyers of United’s win index spread will be hoping Sir Alex can lead his side to their fifth win of the season and will be pleased that the Red Devils’ home form has been near perfect – they’ve lost just one and drawn two of their last 20 matches at Old Trafford. United also won 13 of these 17 victories to nil, which will be a worry to sellers of the first Manchester City goal, but won’t trouble sellers of Manchester City’s goal minutes, despite a rampant win over Arsenal last weekend. Those looking to sell United’s match supremacy spread will remember back to the 2007/08 season when City did the double over United.

This particular derby has proved profitable for both buyers and sellers of the total bookings spreads in past seasons. While the last game at Old Trafford between these two saw a make-up of just 20 points, the previous encounter produced a hefty 85 points – buyers will remember Cristiano Ronaldo’s dismissal fondly. Spread bettors may elect to wait until after kick-off for an in-play spread bet, once they’ve seen how the officials will handle this potentially explosive derby.

Carlo Ancelotti has adapted to life in England extremely well and still has an impressive 100% record in the league. Those spread bettors to have bought Chelsea’s outright Championship index will have been encouraged by the Blues’ fast start. Their current spread is set at 45-48pts with Sporting Index.

Sunday sees Chelsea take on a Tottenham side who will be looking for a quick return to winning ways after their home defeat to Manchester United. Spread buyers of the supremacy market should note Chelsea’s formidable home record against the Lilywhites and bear in mind that Spurs haven’t won at Stamford Bridge since 1990, although sellers of the spread will remember that Tottenham managed a 1-1 draw last season. Those with an interest in the total goals spread may be aware that the two fixtures last year only produced three goals but jubilant spread buyers and shocked traders will have contrasting memories of the 4-4 classic in 2008. Sellers should also be aware that Tottenham have only managed to net on two occasions at the Bridge in the league during the last four years.

Signed photo: First Goal For Liverpool
Personally signed by Fernando Torres
This photograph shows Fernando Torres, Liverpool’s number nine, celebrating after scoring his first ever goal for the club. This strike was the first of 33 goals that Torres scored during his debut season at Anfield and came against fierce rivals Chelsea in the Premiership clash on August 19, 2007.

This highly collectable piece of sports memorabilia, which has quickly become a classic image, is 16 inches by 12 inches in size and was personally signed by Torres at an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Spanish striker in Liverpool on December 1, 2009.

The photograph is one of a limited number that were signed by Torres and comes with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Torres signing the photograph. It would make an incredible Christmas present for any Liverpool fan.

Buy Fernando Torres Signed Photo His First Goal For Liverpool Now !

Fernando Torres Signed Photo: Goal Against Man Utd

£74.99


This photograph shows Fernando Torres celebrating after scoring the first goal in Liverpool's 4-1 demolition of Manchester United on March 14, 2009.The result, which briefly blew the title race wide open, was one of the highlights of the season for Liverpool fans. The fact that it took place at Old Trafford, where Man Utd had previously been so invulnerable, made the victory even sweeter.This highly collectable piece of sports memorabilia, which is bound to become a classic image, is 16... More

Fernando Torres Signed Photo: Goal Against Real Madrid

£74.99


This photograph shows Fernando Torres celebrating after scoring the opening goal for Liverpool in their 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid on March 10, 2009.The result, which sent a message across Europe that Liverpool were a force to be reckoned with once again, was one of the highlights of the season for Liverpool fans and set them up for their drubbing of Manchester United at Old Trafford only days later.It was also particularly sweet for Fernando, thanks to his long-standing association with Real... More

Fernando Torres Signed Spain Shirt

£199.99


This Spain shirt was personally signed by Fernando Torres in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Liverpool and Spain striker in Liverpool on August 7, 2009.The shirt has been embroidered with stitching commemorating Spain's 1-0 victory over Germany in the Euro 2008 final. It is one of a limited number of only 35 that were signed. With Torres scoring the winning goal in Euro 2008 this is a highly collectable shirt and one that is likely to increase in... More

Fernando Torres Signed Photo: First Goal For Liverpool

£74.99


This photograph shows Fernando Torres, Liverpool's number nine, celebrating after scoring his first ever goal for the club. This strike was the first of 33 goals that Torres scored during his debut season at Anfield and came against fierce rivals Chelsea in the Premiership clash on August 19, 2007.This highly collectable piece of sports memorabilia, which has quickly become a classic image, is 16 inches by 12 inches in size and was personally signed by Torres at an exclusive signing session... More

Fernando Torres Signed Liverpool Home Shirt

£199.99


This Liverpool home shirt was personally signed by Fernando Torres in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Liverpool and Spain striker in Liverpool on December 1, 2009.After two seasons as Liverpool's number nine, El Nino has established himself as a world-class striker and has already become a firm Kop favourite. His understanding with Steven Gerrard is almost telepathic, and many believe that without his injuries last season the Merseysiders would have... More

Fernando Torres Signed Boot

£199.99


This Nike Total Laser Football Boot is the top of the range model as worn by goal machine and Kop idol, Fernando Torres.The boot is one of a limited number of just 60 that were personally signed by Liverpool's number nine at an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons in Liverpool on December 1, 2009.The boot comes with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Fernando signing the boot. The boot can be framed to order.(Please note: each boot is sold... More

Fernando Torres Signed Photo: Liverpool 2 Man Utd 0

£74.99


This photograph shows Fernando Torres celebrating after scoring Liverpool's first goal against Manchester United  on October 25, 2009. The Merseysiders beat Utd 2-0 as once again El Nino ran United's defence ragged, leading to a red card for Nemanja Vidic for the second successive game between the two clubs.Thissuperb shot is 16 inches by 12 inches in size and was personally signed by Torres at an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Spanish... More

Fernando Torres Signed Spain World Cup Shirt

£199.99


This Spain shirt was personally signed by Fernando Torres in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Liverpool and Spain striker in Liverpool on December 1, 2009.It Spain's brand new shirt and the style that the European Champions will wear when they travel to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup finals. Spain are many observers favourites to win the trophy, and Torres is hotly tipped to be the tournament's top scorer.The shirt comes in presentation... More

Terry Signed Chelsea Photo: Premiership Winner
Personally signed by John Terry
This photo was personally signed by John Terry in a private signing session on April 3, 2009 in Gateshead. It shows the Chelsea and England captain lifting the Premiership trophy after the Blues successfully defended their title in 2006-07.

Chelsea, under Jose Mourinho, accumulated 91 points and clinched the trophy with a 3-0 victory over fierce rivals Manchester United. Terry was an inspiration all season, leading the side with his never-say-die attitude.

Terry is a Chelsea legend, and has just proved his loyalty to the club by turning down the riches of Manchester City. If ever there was a one-club man it is JT.

The photo, which is 18 inches by 12 inches, is a superb item of memorabilia and would make an incredible gift for any Blues fan. Buy it now
John Terry Signed Chelsea Photo Premiership Winner

John Terry Signed England Photo

£74.99


This England photo was personally signed by England captain John Terry in a private signing session on April 3, 2009. It shows JT's joy after he had scored the first goal by a senior England player at Wembley, on June 1, 2007. To make it even sweeter, it put the Three Lions 1-0 up against a strong Brazil side.Terry made his debut for England in 2003 and was later made skipper by Steve McClaren. He was outstanding in the 2006 World Cup, being the only English player to be named part of the... More

Edwin Van Der Sar Signed Manchester United Photo: Kissing The European Cup

£64.99


This photo was personally signed by Edwin van der Sar in a private signing session on October 9, 2008 in Manchester. It shows the Dutch goalkeeper lifting the Champions League trophy for Man United in Moscow on May 21, 2008.The tie went to extra time then penalties after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea's Frank Lampard had cancelled each other out in normal time. John Terry needed only to score Chelsea's fifth penalty to take the trophy to Stamford Bridge for the first time, but,... More

John Terry England Shirt Signed On Back

£199.99


This England shirt was personally signed by England captain John Terry in a private signing session onJuly 16, 2009. The centre-half is the heartbeat behind the Three Lions side and will be wearing this style of shirt as he leads England in their pursuit of glory at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.Terry made his debut for England in 2003 and was later made skipper by Steve McClaren. He was outstanding in the 2006 World Cup, being the only English player to be named part of the all-star team... More

John Terry England Shirt Signed On Front

£199.99


This England shirt was personally signed by England captain John Terry in a private signing session on July 16, 2009. The centre-half is the heartbeat behind the Three Lions side and will be wearing this style of shirt as he leads England in their pursuit of glory at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.Terry made his debut for England in 2003 and was later made skipper by Steve McClaren. He was outstanding in the 2006 World Cup, being the only English player to be named part of the all-star team... More

John Terry Signed Chelsea Shirt

£179.99


This Chelsea shirt bears the original signature of England captain John Terry from a private signing session on July 16, 2009.Terry is a Chelsea legend, and has just proved his loyalty to the club by turning down the riches of Manchester City and signing a new extended deal to remain at Stamford Bridge. He has led the Blues to two Premier League titles and three FA Cups amid a host of honours and with Chelsea beginning the new season in style he looks set to add to that list.If ever there was a... More

Edwin Van Der Sar Signed Manchester United Photo: The Save That Won The Champions League

£64.99


This photo was personally signed by Edwin van der Sar in a private signing session on October 9, 2008 in Manchester. It shows the Dutch goalkeeper saving Nicolas Anelka's penalty to win the Champions League final for Man Utd in Moscow on May 21, 2008.The tie went to extra time then penalties after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea's Frank Lampard had cancelled each other out in normal time. John Terry needed only to score Chelsea's fifth penalty to take the trophy to Stamford... More

Edwin Van Der Sar Signed Manchester United Photo: Champions League Winner

£64.99


This photo was personally signed by Edwin van der Sar in a private signing session on October 9, 2008 in Manchester. It shows the Dutch goalkeeper towering over John Terry after the Chelsea captain missed the penalty that would have won the Champions League.The tie went to extra time then penalties after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard had cancelled each other out in normal time. John Terry needed only to score Chelsea's fifth penalty to take the trophy to Stamford Bridge for... More

 Thus Portugal classified

During the qualification phase Portugal entered Group A only losing one game and managing the second place after a very exciting match against Finland. The Finns needed a triumph in Oporto while for the Portuguese a draw was sufficient.  At the end, the scoreboard remained 0-0 and the team coach by Filipe Scolari moved forward to the next round.

On the other hand, Poland dominated the group achieving the supreme position being the only team that won over Portugal from the group. There is also the worth seeing clash between Portugal and Serbia in the city of Lisbon…a mix of action, aggression and Coach Scolari’s 3-game suspension after an intent of aggression to Dragutinovic

During the Portuguese’s last game they obtained their best qualification throughout the team’s history; despite having lost the final against Greece. To this match Portugal came in with surprises especially as they had played a stronger rivals only a few weeks before; Spain, Holland and England were defeated against a host team that seemed to have all in favor.

Luis Felipe Scolari – The Coach

Scolari can be defined as the best Portuguese football coach during the entire history of Portugal.

The Brazilian coach has helped Portugal enjoy the glory arriving at the EURO 2004 final and to the semifinals of the past FIFA World Football Championship, matching the best record of the Portuguese national team in this competition something they had not experienced since 1966.

During the World Championship Portugal won over teams such: Holland and England in quarterfinals and semifinals respectively, but lost to the French in the semifinals 1-0. After Scolari’s exceptional performance with the Portuguese team he was offered the position to coach England but he decided to remain with Portugal for two more years.

The Team

The side-midfields are Portugal’s strong potential as well as their main problem. The situation is strange in the Portuguese team as it has big side-midfielders in the attack as in the lateral defense…all are outstanding players and with clear preferences for the right side. Cristiano Ronaldo, Quaresma and Simao are three incredible players who play in the right side; Bosingwa and Miguel are excellent laterals who offer good performances with their local as well as national teams. 

The only situation with Scolari has been his difficulty to close the left side gap and this has been seen in several occasions basically the 4-2-3-1 that he employs regularly instead of a new 3-4-3 game strategy with a very defensive player.

It is well known that Portugal has the new era young football Winner of the Golden Boot, Cristiano Ronaldo who is currently playing for the Manchester United. Ronaldo has it all…speed, strength, agility…but his weakness continues to be the lack solidarity in the game, although is also an error that is being worked on for him to become the “perfect player”. 

Also, there is Anderson Luiz de Souza ‘Deco’ who currently plays for the FC Barcelona where he enjoys great creativity and initiative in the game attacks, excellent game vision and strong shots. Without a doubt, Deco is one of the ’souls’ of the team spreading his winning character to all of his teammates.

Amid the financial insanity taking place on the east side of Manchester (have you seen the wages these people are getting?), a 29 year-old signed for Manchester United on July 3rd. A 29 year-old Englishman…

A 29 year-old Englishman called Michael Owen.

Did you see that one coming? I definitely didn’t. 8 years ago, as he single-handedly robbed Arsenal of FA Cup glory and helped Liverpool to a cup treble, the thought of him ever joining his Northwest rivals seemed as likely as Prince Harry serving you in McDonalds. Yet, here we are in pre-season and Owen has scored on his debut wearing the number 7 of Manchester United. I’m going to try and delve into the thinking of Sir Alex Ferguson and look at the potential for the ‘Boy Wonder’ in the current United set-up.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sale £80m sale to Real Madrid should have automatically put United onto the frontline in the summer transfer war – especially when you consider that the money was paid in one lump sum up front. However, United seem to be playing a different game this summer, possibly bitten by the poor form of Berbatov after his £30M move last august. Ferguson knows better than anyone that big money doesn’t guarantee success (Is it too cruel to mention Juan Sebastian Veron? Oh dear, too late….) and also knows the benefit of purchasing elder statesman (Cantona, Sheringham, and Larsson). But ‘injury prone’ Michael Owen? Surely a team of United’s stature should be looking above and beyond this type of capture. Surely Owen was destined to join Hull City or perhaps Everton. Surely United would swoop to capture Ribery or Benzema. Evidently not. Scratch at the surface though and it this bizarre piece of business has the potential to be a masterstroke…

It’s no secret that United have built their entire side around Ronaldo for the past three seasons and incredibly for a winger-cum-striker he was never injured. As a result, the rest of the team lived to serve him. His responsibility was huge; Penalties and free kicks were all under his control and he was the ‘go to’ man whenever United needed a winner. Its success was huge, Ronaldo scored 66 league goals as United were crowned Premier League champions 3 seasons running. Away from Ronaldo though, goals were not as plentiful as the Old Trafford faithful have come to expect and a lot of their success was down to their defensive strength and the emergence of Vidic as one of the best centre-backs in the world. However, it was always a case of when, not if, Ronaldo would up-sticks and make the move to Madrid.

Ferguson knows that it is now time for other players to shoulder the responsibility relinquished by Ronaldo and for Owen to benefit from the end product. The fluid formation used to get the best from Ronaldo (it can be argued that Man Utd have played without a striker for at least 2 years) would need to be discarded. Avid Spurs fans will tell you that Berbatov was in his element dropping deep and looking for runners ahead of him. The problem at United last season was that when he dropped deep, he often had the company of his team mates around or behind him – not ahead. The mere presence of Owen on the field suddenly makes Berbatov a more dangerous proposition and gives Owen the type of service he craved at Newcastle United.

Ronaldo’s departure also gives Wayne Rooney the opportunity to step up too. Ronaldo’s stellar form has undoubtedly pushed the great talent of English football to the periphery of the newspaper headlines in the past couple of years, yet seasoned viewers at Old Trafford will tell you of a player who has matured but yet still has that incredibly aggressive spark and a huge talent for the game. It seems Ferguson’s lack of transfer activity could be because he believes he already has the replacements bedded in at Old Trafford and that Michael Owen is there to apply the finishing touch.

So will Owen be a success? Only time will tell, but as a piece of business it looks risk-free and Ferguson knows that at the very least he has players around him desperate to prove themselves good enough. I’m predicting goals galore at Old Trafford this season and fully expect them to be the league’s top scorers in May 2010.

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Last season Manchester United could say they arguably had their best season for a long, long time. They produced wonder seasons for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, helping them to win the two big titles of the season; the Premier League and the Uefa Champions League.
Along with two titles came a Premier League top scorer and World Player of the Year within Manchester United’s player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.
Once again it was Chelsea applying the pressure on Manchester United, coming close second in the league and the opponents in the final of the Champions League.
Manchester United overcame there big rivals to finish two points ahead of the London team. In the final of the Champions League, Chelsea looked like winners as the game went to a penalty shootout where only a fatal mistake by John Terry opened the Door for Manchester United to take the cup! All in all a great season for Manchester United.
Pre-season saw Manchester United play Aberdeen in their first friendly. United made a winning start to the new pre-season campaign, as goals from Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney sealed a hard-fought victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie. Playing many first team players such as Carrick, Rooney and Giggs.
A promising start by Aberdeen the talent and strength of Manchester United paid dividends to the English team as they comfortably won 2-0. Manchester United have three more Pre-season games scheduled, against the Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and the finally games is to be confirmed.
In the gap between seasons, Manchester United had the biggest transfer talk of the league concerning their star man, Cristiano Ronaldo! Media headlines involving millions of pounds for the Portuguese midfielder. The fate of the player is still undecided, whatever happens one thing’s for sure it will not happen quietly the media and press will be all over it so you can’t miss a thing.
Manchester United have not been the busiest in the market this year with only three players moving, two out from expired loans and one in on a short-term loan. This could possibly be down to the reason that Manchester United had so much success last season that they feel there is no need for improvement just yet!
Rumors say that Manchester United are looking into the possible signing of Robinho form Real Madrid.
But this is just a rumor who knows anything could happen! As well as interest in Robinho rumors have it that Manchester United are looking into a deal will Tottenham Hotspur, Dimitar Berbatov. Berbatov’s future at White Hart Lane has been the subject of conjecture for some time, with the 27-year-old linked with a move away from North London for much of last season. So I can understand why there is interest in the top quality striker.
One downside to the pre-season start is that Manchester United lost their main coach Scolari. So first things first a new coach needed before the start of the season.

Rangers Football Club requires no introduction because it has achieved worldwide fame by defeating its rivals in an astonishing manner. The club has bagged acclamations and won hearts of football fans. People desire to be a member of this successful and professional football club. If you also dreamt of being a proud member of Rangers Football club fan then consider the Rangers Football Shares.Rangers Football Shares is a unique gift idea that can instantly bring smiles on the fans of Rangers. This is a fabulous gift as it is a genuine share of the club. This solo gift pack includes- presentation certificate, free registration card, company information, Share Holder Information etc. The recipients are entitled to all the usual benefits as per the terms and conditions a share holder usually derive. The Rangers football shares are delivered across UK. This gift is dependent entirely upon the fall as well as rise of the market. However, many notable media website sources state that investing in the shares is risk free. You can consider this gift on all occasions such as birthdays, weddings, anniversary etc. and make the recipient proud. Purchasing the gifts also implies that you are supporting the club in an untraditional manner. This is an unbeatable and surprising gift for Christmas. The football sharers of Rangers are presented in a gift pack. As the market value fluctuates therefore for any information you can access the media websites or financial press. To be eligible for this exceptional gift idea, an applicant or recipient must be above 18 years of age. You can purchase the Rangers online and make present the gifts by personalising the name of the recipient. Many fans and football lovers acquire this share and proudly display to their friends.

10. Luis Figo, a world famous football star, who played for FC Barcelona from 1995 till 2000. He was arguably the fans’ most favorite player in FC Barcelona, until 2000. That’s when “it” happened, Barcelona’s biggest rivals, Real Madrid, decided to splash the cash and break the transfer list fees record by getting Luis to Real Madrid.

The move caused outrage among Barcelona fans, Madrid got him for a world record fee of 38 Million Pounds. And that’s when the fun begins, during the match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, when Luis Figo stepped up to take the corner kick, a pig’s head was thrown at him from Barcelona’s side. Another incident took place during the 2004 EURO Cup Final between Greece and Portugal. A Portuguese fan ran out on the field, managed to outrun the police, and heading towards Luis threw a Barcelona jersey at him, as the whole world was watching.

9. 1996 – African Challenge.

1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, The most surprising gold medals went to the hands of Nigerian football stars after they overcame Brazil in thrilling semi-finals, with a 4-3 score. The finals was between Argentina and Nigeria, well over 2 billion people were watching it, of course most of them thought that Argentina will have no problems getting the gold medal, but most of them were wrong. Argentina was in the driver’s seat after leading 1-0. The goal came on a 3rd minute, scored by Claudio Lopez, on the 28th minute Nigeria managed to equalize, as Babayaro scored a perfect finisher. So it was 1-1 on half-time. In the early second half Hernan Crespo gave Argentina the lead again and Argentina was on the way to get the gold medals, but “not so fast” said Amokachi as he scored the equalizing goal and again gave Nigeria hope. Match was almost over and everybody thought it was going to be decided by the penalty shoot out. 90th minute and Amunike gave the lead to Nigeria, it was a shock for Argentina, time was almost over, Argentina had no chance, so it ended with a final score 3-2. Nigeria won the gold medal, for the first time in Olympic Games history.

8. 1960, First ever UEFA European Football Championship (EURO) held in France. It was won by the USSR, beating Yugoslavia 2-1 in a tense final in Paris. It is however quite interesting to note that earlier in the competition Spain had withdrawn from its quarterfinal match against the USSR due to political reasons. As an interesting fact, USSR also scored the first goal in the EURO history, during the qualification games.

7. 1998/1999 English Premier League season, Manchester United got all trophies possible that season. They became the first ever team in football history to do so in one season. First they got the Premier League title, finishing first in the league table, then they took the F.A. Cup title by beating Newcastle United 2-0, and of course the most famous UEFA Champions League final, when United managed to come back from a 1-0 defeat, and score not one but two goals in an injury time beating Bayern Munich 2-1; it was considered to be one of the greatest comebacks ever witnessed.

6. 2002 World Cup, Korea/Japan. Korean fans will never forget that historic moment, when Guus Hiddink took them all the way to the Semi-Finals of 2002 World Cup. Korean national football team became the first ever Asian national football team to reach semi-finals of World Cup. Nobody expected the underdogs to go that far, as they beat Portugal 1-0 in a group stages, then a famous 2-1 win over Italy, drawing with Spain in a quarter-finals and then beating them 5-3 on penalties. In the end however they couldn’t take on Germany in semi-finals, and they lost 1-0. In the game for the third place Korean team met Turkey, but again they lost. Eventually the Republic of Korea finished 4th in the 2002 World Cup, which was still a great success for the country’s football team.

5. June 2003, Chelsea FC was bought by the Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich for a record fee of 140 million pounds. Back then it was the biggest sale of an English Football club. Straight away Roman wanted to make Chelsea the best and strongest club in the world. He began buying players for a record braking transfer fees. First season with a new owner Chelsea FC finished as a runner-up. But next year, the 2004/2005 English premier league season, Chelsea became champions of England, for the first time since 1954/1955 season. 2005/2006 Season they took the premier league trophy again as they were crowned the champions of England for the second time in a row. These 2 seasons were the most successful 2 years in the club’s history.

4. January 11th 2007. It was confirmed that David Beckham will be leaving Real Madrid to play for the United States “soccer” club, Los Angeles Galaxy. Beckham’s decision was a shock to many, as one of the world’s best football players moves to United States of America, where “soccer” is not that popular. He was the first big player to enter Major League Soccer.

3. 6th February 1958, the Munich air disaster. It was the darkest day in Manchester United Football Club history. On the board of the plane was Manchester United football team along with the club supporters and journalists. 23 of the 44 passengers on board died. Captain James Thain, the pilot tried to take off twice, but both attempts were aborted due to engine surging. When a third take off was attempted, the plane failed to gain adequate height and crashed into the fence surrounding the airport and then into a house. Now every year on this day Manchester United holds a memorial to the people who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster.

2. 2006 World Cup Final produced one of the most famous moments in football history, when Zidane’s head-butted on Italian defender Marco Materazzi. It was Zidane’s last international appearance for the French national team and 3 billion people around the world were watching it. The next day newspapers all over the world were not writing about how Italy won their 4th World Cup title, but they were writing about how Zidane pulled the “stunt” on Marco. Definitely that was one of the biggest moments in the history of football.

1. Edison Arantes do Nascimento, aka Pele, the world’s most famous name in football. Football is probably the most famous sport in the world, and Pele is the man who made it what it is today. Pele made 669 appearances in club football, scoring 626 goals. He also made 92 appearances for Brazilian National football side and scored 77 goals. He made his first club appearance when he was just 15 years of age. He made his first international appearance for Brazil when he was 16, and won his first World Cup when he was just 17. Pele is hailed in Brazil as a national hero. The number one moment in football history is when Pele managed to score his first international goal for Brazil, just three month before his 17th birthday.

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Once again Manchester United stands out on the English football. After surpass a bad patch of constant losses that were starting to be detrimental, made all their experience and 17 FA Premier League titles worthy by defeating Stoke City in an astounding game that finished 5-0. With this triumph the Red Devils move forward in the position table of the Premier League 2008/09.

On this occasion the power of Manchester United showed off along the game, Stoke City that tried on and on to stop the beating they were getting couldn’t reached in the right way the net of their rivals, who by the beginning of the second half were lighting the scoreboard with their third goal. Keeping their authority in the field, Manchester arrived at Stoke’s box to finish their 5-goal-massacre. The coup left Manchester with 24 points that allowed them to evict the Arsenal from the third spot to the fourth, in spite of it their still away from Chelsea and Liverpool who are the top with 32 points.

The player of the game was without a doubt the Portuguese idol Cristiano Ronaldo, author of two goals, with which exceeded the 100 goals with Manchester. This accomplishment has made Ronaldo declare publicly his satisfaction and desire for attaining FIFA’s Best Player of the Year title again and the Ballon d’Or as well; although he is aware that there are other great players, who could also be creditable for the titles as Kaká, Lionel Messi or Fernando Torres. Cristiano doesn’t seem to be pleased with just having won the Champions League and being struggling to defend the Premier League title, instead he has called himself the best football player of the world.

Currently Cristiano Ronaldo has a millionaire contract with the Red Devils for another 3 more years and a half, which could be renovated with no problems attached, since both Ronaldo and the club give the impression to have no disagreements that could make them split. Nevertheless, before this season began Ronaldo was tempted by the Real Madrid with a huge sum of money to join their line, but the star decided to stay with Manchester in the end. Currently there have been some rumors about “The Meringues” not desisting from the idea of including the Portuguese in their squad. Naturally part of the reasons for Cristiano to stay with the English team is the payment, but it as well the fact that his experience with them has been comforting.

The euphoria for the victory added to the celebration for the 50th anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson United’s coach debut in professional football world. Era during which has achieved the biggest amount of titles in England’s football. Of those 5 decades, Ferguson has been on charge of Manchester for the last 22 years and has lead more than 1000 encounters with the Londoners. Ferguson took control over the team in November 1986, after they said goodbye to Ron Atkinson.

When Sir Ferguson incorporated he found himself with a group falling to the bottom of the league’s chart in danger of being relegated. Then it would be the Scottish, the one to take the responsibility of pushing the squad up to the top positions. Thanks to his effort the Red Devils have managed to conquest an amazing amount of honors, as well as national tournaments as international ones, among which are UEFA Champions League titles, several cups and competitions from England, an Intercontinental Cup, besides the old European Cups. What’s more they are the only club that has won the FA Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in the same season (1998/1999).

With the victory of the last Champions League edition, the constancy of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Sir Alex Ferguson guidance and the recent ascend of the Premier League, is glimpsing a promising future for Manchester United, whom indubitably will remain in the triumph path with their characteristic winning style.

With the season only a few weeks old spread bettors will be looking forward to a battle between two of the country’s biggest rivals at the end of August. Arsenal and Manchester United go head-to-head at Old Trafford in the first Big Four clash of the season. Punters on either clubs’ outright index spreads for the season (Arsenal’s season points spread is currently at 75.5-77, United’s at 81-82.5) will be watching closely as it is likely to be an indicator of how the teams have coped with key departures.

The intense rivalry has often provided thrilling encounters on and off the pitch – 2004’s ‘Battle of the Buffet’ sticks in the mind, as does United’s 6-1 demolition job for those who bought United’s supremacy spread in 2001. Buyers of Man United’s supremacy spread for the upcoming match will be confident that United can continue their impressive home record against the Gunners. Sir Alex’s team have won five and drawn twice in the last eight meetings at Old Trafford – Arsenal’s only victory a 1-0 win in 2006. But buyers of Arsenal’s win index spread, far from just taking encouragement from the team’s explosive start at Goodison Park, will be pleased at the fairly even split of past results. The two current longest serving Premier League managers have come up against each other 40 times over the last 14 seasons, with Ferguson winning 15 matches and Wenger just one less.

The Sporting Index traders have made United slight favourites to take all three points with home advantage and buyers of their win index spread will hope centre-back Rio Ferdinand has returned from injury in time to shore up a defence which will have to face Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas. Sporting Index can expect an increase in spread buyers of Fabregas’s goal minutes thanks to his brace against Everton, and a spread make-up of 117 minutes.

Sellers of the total goals spread will be encouraged though that the last game ended in a dull 0-0, even if it was a dead rubber fixture. However spread bettors should not discount the possibility of a high scoring match as during the previous season, the teams met twice in Manchester and saw seven goals, United beating Arsenal 2-1 in April after destroying them 4-0 in a fifth-round FA Cup tie. A slightly longer term view is more appealing still to spread punters looking to sell total goals as in the last eight meetings at Old Trafford there has been an average of 1.75 goals per game, in all competitions. Buyers of the total bookings index spread will be hoping the game lives up to the pantomime clashes of the past and produces a fierce encounter. No player was dismissed in the last match, but there were five cautions, and games such as this always offer the possibility of a big index total. Spread buyers will point to 2008’s FA Cup clash, in which the spread market make-up totalled 85 points.