Just three days after Charlie Davies made a similar announcement through his Twitter account, fellow U.S. national team defender Oguchi Onyewu revealed he has resumed full training.
The towering defender hasn't played since tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee during national team duty in October. Onyewu had been alternating training on his own and with the team, but now will rejoin usual training sessions.
“The kid is back! Normal training from here on out, no restrictions,” Onyewu said via Twitter.
Milan coach Leonardo started rightback Massimo Oddo in the heart of defense against Palermo last weekend with a slate of injuries decimating his roster's depth at that position. Alessandro Nesta, Kakha Kaladze, and Giuseppe Favalli all missed out with injury and Daniele Bonera was suspended. The situation was so dire, Milan even approached retired Paolo Maldini, 41, about donning his boots once again.
Even given the dearth of options at Milan, U.S. head coach Bob Bradley is cautious about Onyewu's chances.
"Our expectation is that it may be hard for him at the end of the year to get back into the team there, play games, but certainly good news just in terms of regular training," Bradley told the Associated Press.
Bradley will name a 30-man roster on May 11 which will train in Princeton, N.J., four days later. Onyewu's World Cup chances likely rest on regaining full fitness in time for a call-up by then.
Visit the U.S. national team page on Goal.com for more and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Coyle would allow Cahill move
(GSM) – Bolton manager Owen Coyle will not block Gary Cahill from moving away if a big club comes in with a lucrative bid for the defender. Cahill has been linked with a summer switch to several top clubs in England.
Cahill has won the admiration of Manchester United and the 24-year-old’s high-quality performances this season have seen his reputation grow and become an option for Fabio Capello’s England squad for the World Cup.
And Coyle says he will not stand in the way of Cahill’s ambition.
“I have always said, regardless of what club I am at, that if there comes a time when any player outgrows the football club, I won’t be the person to stand in their way,” Coyle said.
“I said it to my Burnley lads when I was there – if there is something better for them out there, then they would go and blossom. That will be the same with Gary Cahill.
“I have got everything crossed that Gary gets to the World Cup because if he does he will be terrific, if he is allowed the opportunity.
“And if that means that he is elevated to a position where they are all going to clamour for him, then good luck for Gary Cahill.”
Meanwhile Coyle stated his belief that Cahill is better than Tottenham defender and England squad rival Michael Dawson, describing his defender as the “full package”
“For me, Gary Cahill is the full package – and he is only 24, and getting better.”
Cahill has won the admiration of Manchester United and the 24-year-old’s high-quality performances this season have seen his reputation grow and become an option for Fabio Capello’s England squad for the World Cup.
And Coyle says he will not stand in the way of Cahill’s ambition.
“I have always said, regardless of what club I am at, that if there comes a time when any player outgrows the football club, I won’t be the person to stand in their way,” Coyle said.
“I said it to my Burnley lads when I was there – if there is something better for them out there, then they would go and blossom. That will be the same with Gary Cahill.
“I have got everything crossed that Gary gets to the World Cup because if he does he will be terrific, if he is allowed the opportunity.
“And if that means that he is elevated to a position where they are all going to clamour for him, then good luck for Gary Cahill.”
Meanwhile Coyle stated his belief that Cahill is better than Tottenham defender and England squad rival Michael Dawson, describing his defender as the “full package”
“For me, Gary Cahill is the full package – and he is only 24, and getting better.”
Mancini tells Tevez to leave if he is unhappy
Tevez spoke out earlier this month against Mancini's decision to run double training sessions on Tuesdays on weeks the club doesn't have a midweek match.
Mancini held his tongue at the time, but the Italian has now told Tevez he would rather see his top scorer move on than have an unhappy player disrupting his reign at the club. The British press reported Mancini held a one on one meeting with Tevez in which he made his position clear, and now he has made his views public for all his players to see.
"For Tevez, for all players, if he is not happy to stay here it's better he goes to another team," Mancini said. "It's better for Tevez, for (Emmanuel) Adebayor, for me, for all.
"It's important that when a manager and players work in a team that they must be happy. It's not good for the club, for the squad, for the player, if he is not. Tevez has four years left on his contract. But I don't know. If he's not happy, it's better to change squads.''
According to Mancini, Tevez wasn't even present for three of the four double sessions due to his return to Argentina for personal reasons and an injury that stopped him training. Tevez had claimed the players shouldn't worked so hard at the end of a long Premier League season.
"I don't know if Carlos Tevez is unhappy," Mancini added. "He must be content, though, because we have to play three important games. For the players it is a crucial moment. They must put everything they have on the pitch.''
Tevez joined City from local rivals Manchester United last summer and has scored 28 goals for the Blues so far this season.
Mancini held his tongue at the time, but the Italian has now told Tevez he would rather see his top scorer move on than have an unhappy player disrupting his reign at the club. The British press reported Mancini held a one on one meeting with Tevez in which he made his position clear, and now he has made his views public for all his players to see.
"For Tevez, for all players, if he is not happy to stay here it's better he goes to another team," Mancini said. "It's better for Tevez, for (Emmanuel) Adebayor, for me, for all.
"It's important that when a manager and players work in a team that they must be happy. It's not good for the club, for the squad, for the player, if he is not. Tevez has four years left on his contract. But I don't know. If he's not happy, it's better to change squads.''
According to Mancini, Tevez wasn't even present for three of the four double sessions due to his return to Argentina for personal reasons and an injury that stopped him training. Tevez had claimed the players shouldn't worked so hard at the end of a long Premier League season.
"I don't know if Carlos Tevez is unhappy," Mancini added. "He must be content, though, because we have to play three important games. For the players it is a crucial moment. They must put everything they have on the pitch.''
Tevez joined City from local rivals Manchester United last summer and has scored 28 goals for the Blues so far this season.
£40m Sergio Aguero heading to Chelsea
A top Premier League manager told Soccernet of the transfer as Aguero lined up for his club in the Europa League semi-final against Liverpool and maintained that it was common knowledge within the game that the deal was on its way.
"The word is that Aguero is going to Chelsea - it's a done deal at £40 million," he said.
Aguero was close to a move to Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window but Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti was convinced that his squad were capable of winning the league without a huge investment and the price for the striker quoted at the time was £50 million.
However, Atletico Madrid's financial situation has worsened since, while the player is reportedly more relaxed about a move in the summer with more time to settle in to live in London after the World Cup.
Only recently Aguero was quoted as saying how much he admires players such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, which was naturally interpreted as a 'come and get me' message to the Blues.
"Chelsea are a great club,'' Aguero was quoted as saying. ''They have become one of the most feared in Europe over recent years. London would be a really amazing city to live in as well - myself and my wife could be really happy there."
Aguero - signed by Atletico in 2006 - has been likened to the legendary Diego Maradona for his playing style. Ironically he is now engaged to Giannina Maradona (Diego's daughter) and is fighting for a place in the Argentina manager's World Cup team.
"The word is that Aguero is going to Chelsea - it's a done deal at £40 million," he said.
Aguero was close to a move to Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window but Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti was convinced that his squad were capable of winning the league without a huge investment and the price for the striker quoted at the time was £50 million.
However, Atletico Madrid's financial situation has worsened since, while the player is reportedly more relaxed about a move in the summer with more time to settle in to live in London after the World Cup.
Only recently Aguero was quoted as saying how much he admires players such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, which was naturally interpreted as a 'come and get me' message to the Blues.
"Chelsea are a great club,'' Aguero was quoted as saying. ''They have become one of the most feared in Europe over recent years. London would be a really amazing city to live in as well - myself and my wife could be really happy there."
Aguero - signed by Atletico in 2006 - has been likened to the legendary Diego Maradona for his playing style. Ironically he is now engaged to Giannina Maradona (Diego's daughter) and is fighting for a place in the Argentina manager's World Cup team.
Bochum sack coach on eve of Bayern clash
Bundesliga strugglers Bochum sacked coach Heiko Herrlich on Thursday, after six months in charge, with immediate effect and just two days before their showdown with league leaders Bayern Munich.
With two games left this season, Bochum are 16th in the table and if they finish in the same position on May 8, they will face a play-off against the team third in the second division for their place in the Bundesliga.
Bochum play Bayern at Munich’s Allianz Arena, then fellow relegation contenders Hanover on May 8 and former Germany international Darius Wosz, who coaches Bochum’s junior team, will step up into a caretaker role.
Having gone ten games without a win, picking up just three points in the process, Bochum’s board have lost patience with Herrlich who was appointed last October.
Bochum have now had four coaches this season after Swiss boss Marcel Koller was sacked in September, just four games into the season, before Frank Heinemann took over as caretaker for five games to be replaced by Herrlich.
With two games left this season, Bochum are 16th in the table and if they finish in the same position on May 8, they will face a play-off against the team third in the second division for their place in the Bundesliga.
Bochum play Bayern at Munich’s Allianz Arena, then fellow relegation contenders Hanover on May 8 and former Germany international Darius Wosz, who coaches Bochum’s junior team, will step up into a caretaker role.
Having gone ten games without a win, picking up just three points in the process, Bochum’s board have lost patience with Herrlich who was appointed last October.
Bochum have now had four coaches this season after Swiss boss Marcel Koller was sacked in September, just four games into the season, before Frank Heinemann took over as caretaker for five games to be replaced by Herrlich.
League Table
League Table
* Premier League
* La Liga
* Serie A
* MLS
Premier League - 2009/2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 Chelsea 36 25 5 6 93 32 80
2 Manchester United 36 25 4 7 81 28 79
3 Arsenal 36 22 6 8 78 39 72
4 Tottenham Hotspur 35 19 7 9 63 37 64
5 Aston Villa 36 17 13 6 51 35 64
6 Manchester City 35 17 12 6 69 42 63
7 Liverpool 36 18 8 10 61 33 62
8 Everton 36 15 12 9 59 49 57
9 Birmingham City 36 12 11 13 35 44 47
10 Sunderland 36 11 11 14 47 53 44
11 Blackburn Rovers 36 11 11 14 38 54 44
12 Fulham 35 11 10 14 36 39 43
13 Stoke City 35 10 13 12 33 44 43
14 Bolton Wanderers 36 9 9 18 40 65 36
15 Wolverhampton Wanderers 36 8 11 17 29 52 35
16 Wigan Athletic 36 9 8 19 35 69 35
17 West Ham United 36 8 10 18 44 62 34
18 Hull City 36 6 10 20 32 73 28
19 Burnley 36 7 6 23 37 78 27
20 Portsmouth 36 6 7 23 31 64 16
Primera Division - 2009/2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 Barcelona 34 27 6 1 83 20 87
2 Real Madrid 34 28 2 4 89 30 86
3 Valencia 34 18 8 8 53 37 62
4 Mallorca 34 16 8 10 53 38 56
5 Sevilla 34 16 6 12 52 42 54
6 Villarreal 34 15 7 12 50 46 52
7 Getafe 34 15 5 14 52 46 50
8 Athletic Bilbao 34 14 8 12 45 44 50
9 Deportivo La Coruña 34 12 8 14 33 43 44
10 Atlético Madrid 34 12 7 15 52 53 43
11 Espanyol 34 10 11 13 27 40 41
12 Osasuna 34 10 9 15 30 39 39
13 Almería 34 9 11 14 34 46 38
14 Sporting Gijón 34 9 10 15 33 46 37
15 Racing Santander 34 8 12 14 37 50 36
16 Málaga 34 7 13 14 38 43 34
17 Real Zaragoza 34 8 10 16 39 58 34
18 Real Valladolid 34 6 14 14 34 54 32
19 Tenerife 34 8 8 18 35 66 32
20 Deportivo Xerez 34 6 9 19 31 59 27
Serie A - 2009/2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 Internazionale 35 21 10 4 68 31 73
2 Roma 35 21 8 6 62 39 71
3 Milan 35 18 10 7 56 38 64
4 Sampdoria 35 17 9 9 45 40 60
5 Palermo 35 16 10 9 54 44 58
6 Juventus 35 16 6 13 52 49 54
7 Napoli 35 13 14 8 46 41 53
8 Genoa 35 13 9 13 56 57 48
9 Fiorentina 35 13 7 15 47 43 46
10 Parma 35 12 10 13 38 46 46
11 Chievo 35 12 8 15 33 34 44
12 Bari 35 11 10 14 41 46 43
13 Cagliari 35 11 9 15 52 53 42
14 Udinese 35 11 9 15 48 51 42
15 Catania 35 9 13 13 41 43 40
16 Lazio 35 9 13 13 34 39 40
17 Bologna 35 10 9 16 39 52 39
18 Atalanta 35 9 7 19 35 48 34
19 Siena 35 7 9 19 38 63 30
20 Livorno 35 7 8 20 25 53 29
Eastern Conference - 2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 New York RB 5 4 0 1 6 4 12
2 Kansas City Wizards 4 2 1 1 5 1 7
3 Columbus Crew 3 2 1 0 5 2 7
4 Chicago Fire 5 2 1 2 7 5 7
5 New England Revolution 5 2 0 3 7 6 6
6 Toronto 5 2 0 3 6 10 6
7 Philadelphia Union 4 1 0 3 5 8 3
8 DC United 4 0 0 4 2 11 0
Western Conference - 2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 Los Angeles Galaxy 5 4 1 0 7 1 13
2 Colorado Rapids 5 3 1 1 8 5 10
3 Seattle Sounders 6 2 2 2 7 7 8
4 Houston Dynamo 5 2 1 2 6 6 7
5 San Jose Earthquakes 4 2 0 2 6 7 6
6 Chivas USA 5 2 0 3 5 8 6
7 Real Salt Lake 5 1 1 3 7 7 4
8 Dallas 4 0 3 1 6 7 3
* Premier League
* La Liga
* Serie A
* MLS
Premier League - 2009/2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 Chelsea 36 25 5 6 93 32 80
2 Manchester United 36 25 4 7 81 28 79
3 Arsenal 36 22 6 8 78 39 72
4 Tottenham Hotspur 35 19 7 9 63 37 64
5 Aston Villa 36 17 13 6 51 35 64
6 Manchester City 35 17 12 6 69 42 63
7 Liverpool 36 18 8 10 61 33 62
8 Everton 36 15 12 9 59 49 57
9 Birmingham City 36 12 11 13 35 44 47
10 Sunderland 36 11 11 14 47 53 44
11 Blackburn Rovers 36 11 11 14 38 54 44
12 Fulham 35 11 10 14 36 39 43
13 Stoke City 35 10 13 12 33 44 43
14 Bolton Wanderers 36 9 9 18 40 65 36
15 Wolverhampton Wanderers 36 8 11 17 29 52 35
16 Wigan Athletic 36 9 8 19 35 69 35
17 West Ham United 36 8 10 18 44 62 34
18 Hull City 36 6 10 20 32 73 28
19 Burnley 36 7 6 23 37 78 27
20 Portsmouth 36 6 7 23 31 64 16
Primera Division - 2009/2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 Barcelona 34 27 6 1 83 20 87
2 Real Madrid 34 28 2 4 89 30 86
3 Valencia 34 18 8 8 53 37 62
4 Mallorca 34 16 8 10 53 38 56
5 Sevilla 34 16 6 12 52 42 54
6 Villarreal 34 15 7 12 50 46 52
7 Getafe 34 15 5 14 52 46 50
8 Athletic Bilbao 34 14 8 12 45 44 50
9 Deportivo La Coruña 34 12 8 14 33 43 44
10 Atlético Madrid 34 12 7 15 52 53 43
11 Espanyol 34 10 11 13 27 40 41
12 Osasuna 34 10 9 15 30 39 39
13 Almería 34 9 11 14 34 46 38
14 Sporting Gijón 34 9 10 15 33 46 37
15 Racing Santander 34 8 12 14 37 50 36
16 Málaga 34 7 13 14 38 43 34
17 Real Zaragoza 34 8 10 16 39 58 34
18 Real Valladolid 34 6 14 14 34 54 32
19 Tenerife 34 8 8 18 35 66 32
20 Deportivo Xerez 34 6 9 19 31 59 27
Serie A - 2009/2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 Internazionale 35 21 10 4 68 31 73
2 Roma 35 21 8 6 62 39 71
3 Milan 35 18 10 7 56 38 64
4 Sampdoria 35 17 9 9 45 40 60
5 Palermo 35 16 10 9 54 44 58
6 Juventus 35 16 6 13 52 49 54
7 Napoli 35 13 14 8 46 41 53
8 Genoa 35 13 9 13 56 57 48
9 Fiorentina 35 13 7 15 47 43 46
10 Parma 35 12 10 13 38 46 46
11 Chievo 35 12 8 15 33 34 44
12 Bari 35 11 10 14 41 46 43
13 Cagliari 35 11 9 15 52 53 42
14 Udinese 35 11 9 15 48 51 42
15 Catania 35 9 13 13 41 43 40
16 Lazio 35 9 13 13 34 39 40
17 Bologna 35 10 9 16 39 52 39
18 Atalanta 35 9 7 19 35 48 34
19 Siena 35 7 9 19 38 63 30
20 Livorno 35 7 8 20 25 53 29
Eastern Conference - 2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 New York RB 5 4 0 1 6 4 12
2 Kansas City Wizards 4 2 1 1 5 1 7
3 Columbus Crew 3 2 1 0 5 2 7
4 Chicago Fire 5 2 1 2 7 5 7
5 New England Revolution 5 2 0 3 7 6 6
6 Toronto 5 2 0 3 6 10 6
7 Philadelphia Union 4 1 0 3 5 8 3
8 DC United 4 0 0 4 2 11 0
Western Conference - 2010
Rank Team GP W D L GS GA P
1 Los Angeles Galaxy 5 4 1 0 7 1 13
2 Colorado Rapids 5 3 1 1 8 5 10
3 Seattle Sounders 6 2 2 2 7 7 8
4 Houston Dynamo 5 2 1 2 6 6 7
5 San Jose Earthquakes 4 2 0 2 6 7 6
6 Chivas USA 5 2 0 3 5 8 6
7 Real Salt Lake 5 1 1 3 7 7 4
8 Dallas 4 0 3 1 6 7 3
UCL Semi: Barcelona Vs Inter [1 - 0; 2 - 3 Agg]On Wednesday 28th April
Comeback Of The Season
To suggest that Barcelona will have to pull off the mother of all comebacks would be overstepping the mark, but there can be no denial of the fact that the reigning Spanish and European champions will have to stage a dramatic rally in the second leg of their semi-final tie against Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The 3-1 deficit from the first leg at the San Siro last week means that the Catalans will progress to the final if they win 2-0, but a goal from the Nerazzurri will force them to score at last thrice.
The last time the two sides met in Barcelona was in the group stages of the Champions League earlier in the season, with Barca winning 2-0. It was a game in which Pep Guardiola's side typified their footballing identity and philosophy as Inter had no answers whatsoever to Barca's creativity, coherence and superior game plan.
But things have changed since then, as the Italian champions showed in the first leg when they comprehensively defeating Barca.
Barcelona warmed up for this potentially nerve-jangling fixture with a comfortable 3-1 win against Xerez in the Primera Division in Spain on Saturday evening which maintained their one-point advantage over Real Madrid in the race for the Liga title.
Barca have a formidable record at home both in the league and in the Champions League: the last time they hosted a side at Camp Nou in a European Cup tie, they won 4-1. That was against Arsenal in the second leg of the quarter-final.
Nevertheless, Barcelona will be aware that Inter are a much more intelligent and stronger side than the Premier League team and that the Italians will start as slight favourites. The Inter midfield overran their Barca counterparts in the first leg and the Catalans will be keen to see that they win the battles in the middle of the park from the start.
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
The defending European champions were without key midfielder Andres Iniesta for the first leg because of a torn right thigh muscle and the Spanish international will be out of the second leg for the same reason. Carles Puyol is suspended, which means that Gabriel Milito is likely to slot into central defence to partner Gerard Pique.
Sergio Busquets had a rather average game in Milan last week in defensive midfield and coach Pep Guardiola might like to change him with Yaya Toure, although the Ivorian starting the league fixture against Xerez on Saturday night suggests that Busquets was merely being given some rest ahead of Wednesday's clash.
Probable Line-up (4-3-3): Valdes, Alves, Milito, Pique, Maxwell; Xavi, Busquets, Keita; Messi, Ibrahimovic, Pedro
Inter
Dejan Stankovic is suspended for the second leg against Barcelona, but will still travel with the squad. Wesley Sneijder was struggling with a hamstring strain he picked up during the weekend's Serie A game against Atalanta but has overcome the knock and should start.
Troublesome teenage striker Mario Balotelli has also been included in the squad, having sat out the weekend fixture with Atalanta at the request of president Massimo Moratti following his antics at the end of last Tuesday's first leg.
Back-up goalkeeper Francesco Toldo makes the squad after shrugging off a minor thigh problem, whilst Davide Santon is also a surprise inclusion having seemingly overcome a knee problem.
Probable Line-up (4-3-1-2): Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu; Zanetti, Cambiasso, Motta; Sneijder; Milito, Eto'o
Goal
To suggest that Barcelona will have to pull off the mother of all comebacks would be overstepping the mark, but there can be no denial of the fact that the reigning Spanish and European champions will have to stage a dramatic rally in the second leg of their semi-final tie against Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The 3-1 deficit from the first leg at the San Siro last week means that the Catalans will progress to the final if they win 2-0, but a goal from the Nerazzurri will force them to score at last thrice.
The last time the two sides met in Barcelona was in the group stages of the Champions League earlier in the season, with Barca winning 2-0. It was a game in which Pep Guardiola's side typified their footballing identity and philosophy as Inter had no answers whatsoever to Barca's creativity, coherence and superior game plan.
But things have changed since then, as the Italian champions showed in the first leg when they comprehensively defeating Barca.
Barcelona warmed up for this potentially nerve-jangling fixture with a comfortable 3-1 win against Xerez in the Primera Division in Spain on Saturday evening which maintained their one-point advantage over Real Madrid in the race for the Liga title.
Barca have a formidable record at home both in the league and in the Champions League: the last time they hosted a side at Camp Nou in a European Cup tie, they won 4-1. That was against Arsenal in the second leg of the quarter-final.
Nevertheless, Barcelona will be aware that Inter are a much more intelligent and stronger side than the Premier League team and that the Italians will start as slight favourites. The Inter midfield overran their Barca counterparts in the first leg and the Catalans will be keen to see that they win the battles in the middle of the park from the start.
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
The defending European champions were without key midfielder Andres Iniesta for the first leg because of a torn right thigh muscle and the Spanish international will be out of the second leg for the same reason. Carles Puyol is suspended, which means that Gabriel Milito is likely to slot into central defence to partner Gerard Pique.
Sergio Busquets had a rather average game in Milan last week in defensive midfield and coach Pep Guardiola might like to change him with Yaya Toure, although the Ivorian starting the league fixture against Xerez on Saturday night suggests that Busquets was merely being given some rest ahead of Wednesday's clash.
Probable Line-up (4-3-3): Valdes, Alves, Milito, Pique, Maxwell; Xavi, Busquets, Keita; Messi, Ibrahimovic, Pedro
Inter
Dejan Stankovic is suspended for the second leg against Barcelona, but will still travel with the squad. Wesley Sneijder was struggling with a hamstring strain he picked up during the weekend's Serie A game against Atalanta but has overcome the knock and should start.
Troublesome teenage striker Mario Balotelli has also been included in the squad, having sat out the weekend fixture with Atalanta at the request of president Massimo Moratti following his antics at the end of last Tuesday's first leg.
Back-up goalkeeper Francesco Toldo makes the squad after shrugging off a minor thigh problem, whilst Davide Santon is also a surprise inclusion having seemingly overcome a knee problem.
Probable Line-up (4-3-1-2): Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu; Zanetti, Cambiasso, Motta; Sneijder; Milito, Eto'o
Goal
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