Here are today’s results:

(image from Soccerway.com)

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For the second time in recent memory, the Americans are attempting to host a World Cup. The Go USA bid for 2018 and 2022 may have generated less media attention than its European competitors, but make no mistake: the Americans want it. Bill Clinton, Michael Bloomberg, Henry Kissinger, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman have all lent their names behind the cause. Even that wise old football head Arnold Schwarzenegger has jumped on the wagon. Yet everything about Go USA reminds us of why football and America, like square pegs and round holes, are just not meant to be together.

Take the opening statement on the Go USA website: No nation embodies the values and spirit of the FIFA World Cup quite like the United States. Whether you choose to call it soccer, football or futbol, it is a game that, in so many ways, tells our nation’s story. Let’s start with the vernacular: soccer. Technically, it’s true, to call it ‘soccer’ is not incorrect. The word, a shorthand version of ‘Association Football’, became popular in England in the nineteenth century to distinguish the game from other forms of football, like rugby. But we’re not in the nineteenth century anymore: football has long since established itself as England’s pre-eminent national sport, some way ahead of rugby or cricket. It is football – not soccer – that divides and unites the country. Football nations are football nations.

In America, they call it soccer not because of any evolutionary time-lag, but because ‘football’ has long been appropriated by a far more popular sport that goes by the same name. Here, football is played by men wearing padded leotards and face paint: the ball is a weird oval shape, the goal posts look like they could topple over at any moment, and every four to six seconds the game is interrupted by a toe-curling rendition of The Star Spangled Banner or some advert for dental floss. To a non-American, it is like watching Gladiators: a playground for neo-Neanderthals, a barbarian’s paradise. Call it what you like, this is the game – along with basketball and baseball – that captures American hearts and minds. Soccer is football’s poor cousin on this side of the Atlantic, and it always has been.

Every time the USA has been involved in a World Cup, the nation proudly announces its arrival at long last on the world football stage. Witness the mass media hysteria that followed the USA’s 1-1 draw with England during this summer’s World Cup: capturing Bin Laden would not generate such frenzy. Imagine that England had managed a tie with the USA in the Baseball World Cup (my American cousins assure me that such a thing exists.) It would surely be an occasion to feel really proud to be British. But would The Sun proclaim the dawn of a new sporting age? Would Sky Sports News show recurring pictures of jubilant Englishmen throwing baseballs and making home runs around Trafalgar Square? Would The Queen transform Buckingham Palace into a baseball field and re-name her favorite corgi Babe Rooth? Inconceivable.

But there’s an added chutzpah behind the current US campaign. Including 2018, only four nations have hosted the World Cup twice – Brazil, Italy, France and Germany. By any standard, these are the world’s leading football nations: between them they have won 13 of the 19 World Cup medals since the tournament began in 1930. Brazil last hosted the tournament in 1950; France waited exactly sixty years to host for a second time in 1998; and Italy (1934 and 1990) just slightly less. Only the Germans, who staged the tournament in 1974 and 2006, can claim to have hosted the World Cup twice within a half-century – and technically they were two different countries.

The US, meanwhile, last hosted the World Cup in 1994 – practically yesterday in World Cup time. That bid was successfully built upon the persuasive argument that football was just starting to take off in this country: bringing the World Cup to American soil would herald a new sporting era for North America. That came and went, and not much changed. The MLS remains a poor imitation of a professional football league; there is still no such thing as a genuinely world-class American football player; and football as such is still ranked well behind the more popular American sports. Apart from hubris, what could possibly give America the idea that it deserves to host the World Cup twice in one generation? It’s bloody cheeky, if you ask me. But then I’m English.

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Today Sport Club Corinthians, one of the most popular teams in Brazil (falling short only behind Flamengo), turns 100 years old.

It is great to celebrate a century of a team so important and so proud to so many hearts (mine included). The team we love so much was born September 1st, 1910 by a group of workers from Bom Retiro (a São Paulo neighborhood). The name Corinthians came as a reference to London’s Corinthian FC which, at the time, was touring in Brazil. Sport Club Corinthians was from start a club of the people (poor or rich). It was the first team to open its doors and give playing opportunity to poor athletes and it was the second club in Brazil to accept black players.

And somehow, Corinthians is also a team which deeply bugs every other football fan in Brazil. It could be because of our passion, because in good or bad times the Fiel always sticks together, pushing the team up. Or maybe it is because we haven’t lifted the Libertadores Cup… yet, and that gives the people who absolutely love to hate Corinthians one more reason to keep on going.

Yes, people love to hate the team from Bom Retiro. But then again I understand, because their team is simply not Timão.

Corinthians is a giant in Brazilian football and that is pure fact: with 26 Paulista Championships, 4 Brazilian Championship titles, 5 torneios Rio-São Paulo, 3 Copas do Brasil, 1 Supercopa do Brasil and winner of the only FIFA World Club Championship, no one can deny the greatness and influence Timão has had in World Football. Some of the greatest footballers ever where Corinthians players: Gilmar, Dida, Rivellino, Socrates, Biro-Biro, Ricardinho, Casagrande, Basílio, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo – to name a few.

So today I tell you, I am very proud to be Corinthians. To love this football team goes beyond winning or losing.

“Corinthians minha vida, Corinthians minha história, Corinthians meu amor”

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Robinho is delighted. And so he should be.

Milan is seen with better eyes and he will get to hang out with Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato and Thiago Silva. If that is good or bad influence time will quickly tell. What we can expect however:

1. A bit more “joga bonito” – Robinho and Ronaldinho tend to work quite well and creatively together.
2. Happy tabloids – with a single Ronaldinho, a recently divorced Pato and a known-for-loving-a-good-partywomen Robinho, the tabloids will have plenty to report on.

Robinho was AC Milan’s second heavy signee for this season. Ibrahimovic, which in my opinion, was a stronger deal, has arrived from Barcelona and is on loan for one year, with the option of being sold for another 4 years for €24 million.

The bottom line is: this is an great opportunity. The Santos’ boy has always talked about being the best out there and in Milan he will have the support to do so – if he wants to. This will be definitely interesting to follow.

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The appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager is quite a different prospect, however. Mourinho has been successful at every single club he has managed, including Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan.  Those wearing the new Real Madrid shirt now have a real winner in their camp and no-one would bet against him making a massive difference to the team.

It’s no secret that Jose Mourinho wants to have full control over his team and that at Real Madrid, managers are not give this luxury. This season, however, it is believed that Mourinho will have full control over his team selections and signings, but only time will tell if this is true or not.  He will want to ensure that each player wearing a Real Madrid shirt is a player he can trust in his squad.

There have been some changes to those wearing the new Real Madrid home jersey this coming season. Older and influential players such as Raul and Guti have left the club, which might actually work in Mourinho’s favour, as they would have had a lot of say in previous seasons with other managers; something The Special One may not have taken kindly to. Madrid have brought in four new players so far, including Mourinho’s old favourite at Porto and Chelsea, Ricardo Carvalho.  Two of Germany’s young stars at the World Cup, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira, have signed and finally, Argentina’s Angel di Maria, has also joined.

This suggests that the manager wanted a bit more experience at the back, but also wanted to look to the future with his three other signings. When you consider these signings and the fact that the players who have left were no longer first team regulars, the Real Madrid squad has certainly improved. When you also consider that the club still has Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema in the squad, there is no question that Real Madrid could in fact be a huge threat in both La Liga and in the Champions’ League this season. It would be harsh if Mourinho was not given time to improve the Madrid giants, but given his track record, will he even need much time?

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There have also been a couple of changes at Barcelona over the summer months too. Josep Guardiola has stayed on as manager and if anything, he has strengthened not only his squad, but his potential first XI. Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez have both left the club to play in America and there are new players who will wear the new Barcelona shirt. There are rumours circling that Barcelona have approached Liverpool to sign Javier Mascherano, but this is currently only speculation. Barcelona were also desperate to land Cesc Fabregas, who had a Barcelona soccer jersey put on him after Spain won the World Cup, but Arsernal refused to sell him.

However, what has been confirmed is that Adriano from Sevilla has signed for the Catalan giants to bolster their defence and the club has also signed David Villa from Valencia for £34 million. This is a fantastic signing for the club, as David Villa is one of, if not the best striker in the world. It must be quite a frightening prospect for defences all over the world to think of a front three wearing a Barcelona home football shirt that consists of David Villa, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic!

Barcelona will be confident that they can not only retain the La Liga title this season, but that they will also want to progress further in the Champions’ League too. There is no question that they were devastated about losing to Inter Milan and not being able to win the competition at the Bernabeu. There is a good chance that this will only make the team stronger this season. Barcelona players will also be very aware of Jose Mourinho’s track record in management and that if there is one manager that could make Real Madrid realise their full potential again, it’s The Special One.

Written by Danny Watson, a sports journalist who blogs about football shirts.

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There has been a lot of talk lately about why Brazil’s golden kid, Neymar, denied Chelsea’s millionaire offer to go play football in the land of the Queen. Patriotism? Money? Marketing? Even Brazil’s president, Lula, commented on it.

The truth is, the move was smart and well thought. I will leave you with BBC’s Tim Vickery:

Neyymar saying no to Chelsea’s millions and staying with Santos is being seen as a huge victory for Brazilian football.

This might be going just a little too far but more than anything else, it is a victory for common sense.

The 18-year-old is a magnificent prospect. He is sleek and skilful, able to beat the defender on either side, capable of combining well, and full of tricks he can put to productive use in and around the penalty area.

He is a goalscorer and goal maker but he is still raw.

The competitions in which he has shone – the Sao Paulo State Championship and the Brazilian Cup – are not top quality and he still has to fill out physically.

Most Brazilians who have done well in Europe have had a spell with a smaller club before moving on to a giant.

Going straight to Chelsea at this stage presents an obvious risk – he could struggle to adapt, have little playing time, find himself loaned out to a club with no stake in his development. Plenty of careers have run aground on these rocks.

Staying with Santos means that he plays in the 2011 Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League, and continues a step-by-step development until, as a footballer and as a man, he is ready for Europe.

This is the point. Some have tried to portray his decision to stay as a glorious act of patriotism.

In fact he was sorely tempted, but was persuaded – in my opinion in his best interests – that not going now will improve his chances of success when he does go.

A key part of his career plan is to shine in European club football, and it could hardly be different.

The global market was set up for business in the 1980s and the floodgates opened at the end of the 90s.

Many in South America will resent it, some may seek to deny it, but in this century (though not before) it is not possible to be considered truly great without making an impact in Europe – no one is more aware of this than the players.

Read the rest of Tim Vickery’s article here.

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This time is the round for the footballers playing outside of Brazil. Seleção’s coach, Mano Menezes has called up his second squad. This team will not play any matches (since CBF was unable to fix any up), but will be practicing in Spain from September 2nd to the 8th.

Many only called five chaps who played in the World Cup in South Africa: Ramires (Chelsea), Robinho (still in Manchester City), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Gomes (Tottenham) and Daniel Alves (Barcelona).

The new surprises? Young Philippe Coutinho, only 18 years old and already playing in Inter Milan, and Fernandinho and Douglas Costa from Shakhtar Donetsk (Fernandinho scored Brazil’s winning goal when the canarinha took the under-20 World Cup title in 2003.

Here is the complete list:

Goalkeepers: Gomes (Tottenham) and Diego Alves (Almería).

Outside Midfielders: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Rafael (Manchester United), André Santos (Fenerbahçe) and Marcelo (Real Madrid).

Defenders: Alex (Chelsea), David Luiz (Benfica), Henrique (Racing Santander) and Thiago Silva (AC Milan).

Midfielders: Carlos Eduardo (Hoffenheim), Douglas Costa (Shakhtar), Fernandinho (Shakhtar), Hernanes (Lazio), Lucas (Liverpool), Philippe Coutinho (Inter Milan), Ramires (Chelsea) and Sandro (Tottenham).

Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), André (Dínamo de Kiev), Hulk (Porto) and Robinho (Manchester City).

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Finally one of the most drawn out transfer sagas of the summer has been completed, and it’s one that Villa fans can be pretty pleased about. James Milner has completed his move to Manchester City for £18 million plus Stephen Ireland. With Ireland being valued close to £8 million it takes the overall total of the deal to around the £26 million mark. Not a bad bit of business for a player that cost Villa £12million in 2008. Milner will be leaving with the best wishes of most Villa fans who can see the midfielder clearly gave his all in the claret and blue.

In signing Ireland, Villa has gained one of the most creative midfielders in the league and he also has an eye for goal. Two seasons ago he was named City’s player of the year after a blistering season in which he scored nine goals and made many more for his team. Although he was a regular starter under Mark Hughes and Sven Goran Eriksson, when Roberto Mancini took over at City the midfielder found his opportunities limited and spent the back end of last season on the bench. Ireland will make his debut on Sunday when his new side travel to Newcastle, coincidently it happens to be Ireland’s birthday on the same day, with the player turning 24. Most people make Aston Villa betting tips to win the game.

This summer it quickly became clear that Ireland wasn’t going to be included in Mancini’s 25 man squad picked to compete in the league. Villa used City’s desire to sign Milner to engineer a deal including Ireland.

Currently Ireland’s focus will purely be on his club side, as he is in exile from his national side. Irish boss Giovanni Trapattoni is keen to coax Ireland back in to the fold after the controversial manner of his exclusion. That issue occurred in 2007 when the player pulled out of the squad with a lie about the death of his grandmother. After initially being banned for a period, the player chose to not return for the foreseeable future.

Although it remains to be seen who will be in charge of Villa this season, what is for sure is that they have gained a player of genuine quality.

Meanwhile, the Manchester United betting suggests Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will keep up their 100 per cent record so far this season when they meet Fulham this weekend.

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