Officially Official

After a week of never-ending news, it has been finally made official that David Beckham will be heading to Italy to play for AC Milan on a two month loan.

It's time to bid farewell to Beckham (at least for now) as he will be joining the likes of Ronaldinho, Kaka and Andrea Pirlo on a team that has an abundance of talent, especially in the midfield. There is no guarantee that he will play, much less start.

''He will train with the other Milan players and the selection will be up to the coaches.'' remarked Milan director Umberto Gandini.

Speculation has begun on whether or not Beckham could be leaving MLS permanently, but everyone involved in this move has declared those rumos as false, stating that he is focused on the 2009 MLS Season and aiding the Galaxy in having a successful season.

The Posh Boy's loan begins on January 7th but Becks will reportedly be back by the start of the MLS season.

''Next season is an important one for the Galaxy,'' Beckham claimed. ''We haven't been in the play-offs for three years now and for a team like LA Galaxy we all know that isn't good enough."

Hopefully for MLS' sake, Beckham stays true to his word and returns in March.


Happy the move finally took place? Think Bruce Arena is steaming over this move? Will Beckham have a successful stint with Milan? Ready to order a Beckham-Milan jersey? Share your comments below.

Ronaldo Returning to Brazil

Ronaldo, the Brazilian legend that shined as one of the best players in his generation, has called it quits in terms of European football and expects to return to his native homeland to play for Flamengo as he finishes the final stages of recovery from his latest injury.

"I've been in Europe for 16 years. Flamengo are my favourite," said the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year "But I don't want to play there as a favour. I want to deserve to play there.''

Ronaldo, who has been training and rehabbing with Flamengo since becoming a free agent, also stated that he is considering retirement if he cannot return to top playing shape.

He added: "If I think I am not fine, I will retire. It's useless if you are physically fit but you are not fast. I already lost some weight but I must lose more.''

Rumors have been swirling on whether or not an MLS side could possibly offer the all-time leading World Cup goal scorer a contract, but it appears that Ronaldo will stay put in Brazil, where he will stay close enough to home to perhaps warrant a national team call-up.

''I am a wounded soldier who is recovering, but not dead. The national team is part of my life. I have big history with it, with a number of titles and defeats. I am making a big sacrifice and I do dream of the national team.''

The clock is working against Ronaldo, so for him to give it one more go he's going to have to make a full recovery, and do so expeditiously.


Do you think Ronaldo is finished? Do you ever see him playing for the National Team again? Think an MLS side should attempt to snatch up his services before Flamengo makes him one of their own? Share your comments below.

Maradona Hired as Argentina Manager

Did your jaw hit the floor earlier today when you heard the news of Diego Maradona being hired as the new Argentina manager? Mine did. I knew it was a possibility that the football legend could land the vacant Argentina position, but I didn't see him realistically being hired.

Well I, like many, were stunned today as reports leaked out that Maradona had come out of a meeting with Argentinian Football Association president Julio Grondona. The meeting confirmed that Maradona would be the new man in charge of the albiceleste.

"I'm putting everything aside for this," said Maradona "There is nothing that can make me look past the national team. Today my path is the national team, my task is to talk to the players and build a solid group. I am sure the guys and Argentinian football will pull through."

The 47-year-old also appointed Carlos Bilardo as director of football. Bilardo was the head coach of the Argentina side that Maradona was on when they found World Cup glory in 1986.

"I am going to listen to everything Bilardo has to say. He is going to help me as we can't leave someone with the success, experience and knowledge he brings on the sidelines." said the former Napoli star.

The player with the infamous Hand of God's first task will be to watch the players as often as possible before establishing his player pool in the build-up to his first match in charge of the albiceleste, which will be a friendly with France on February 11th. Argentina will resume their World Cup Qualifying campaign in March and are sitting in third place, seven points behind leaders Paraguay with eight games to play.

Some Argentinian fans may be skeptical of the hiring due to his lack of experience at the coaching level, but Diego Maradona wants nothing more than to help Argentina achieve World Cup glory, just as he did in 1986.

"I think we must make the players understand that our shirt is the most important thing, that they cannot exchange money for glory. Glory is much more than money. I know they know that, but we must make them remember that every day."


What do you think of Maradona as the man in charge of the albiceleste? Will he be a good coach despite his lack of experience? Think bringing Bilardo along for the ride is a good choice? Who would you have hired if not Maradona? Share your thoughts below.

Ronaldo Wins FifPro Award

Breaking News: Cristiano Ronaldo is the best footballer on the face of the planet. Well at least if you consider winning the FifPro Award to give a player that distinct honor. Ronaldo was given the award after a year that saw him win the double with Manchester United, and also saw him lead the Premiership in goals scored.

"I would like to thank my teammates and coaches and everyone involved at Man United and the national team, as well as my family and friends for their support," Ronaldo said. "Thank you also to FIFPro for this award and for your work in protecting the interests and welfare of players around the world."

Ronaldo's 42 goals in the English Premier League will most likely see him win the Ballon D'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award as this year comes to a close, but that isn't too shocking. However, the Portugal winger did make one surprising comment.

''I insist that I am a Manchester United player and now I think that next year I will continue here,''

After a summer full of turmoil between Ronaldo and Manchester United, the 2007-2008 Golden Boot winner appears to have Deja Vu as he has completely forgotten of his fierce desire to play for Real Madrid.

''But what happened in the summer is finished. Now my head is on the club. My focus is solely on playing well for Manchester United and winning the Premier League and Champions League again.''

Something tells me the former Pro Evolution Soccer cover boy is not being entirely honest, but regardless, if Ronaldo can manage to duplicate last season's accomplishments, then he'd undoubtedly be considered for the FifPro award again next year. A big question remains however; would he receive the award as a Manchester United standout or a Real Madrid star? Only he knows what his mind is set on and for now he's satisfied being named the #1 footballer on the planet.

"'I am still young and if I am being honest, I did not think I would reach this level so quickly."


Happy Cristiano was awarded the FifPro award? Or should someone else have won it? Think he's telling the truth when he says that he'll be at Old Trafford next season or is he just trying to make up for his semi-tarnished image? Share your thoughts below.

Donovan Done in MLS?

Has Landon Donovan played his final match in MLS? Maybe not, but today's 2-2 draw against FC Dallas will probably be Donovan's last game in Major League Soccer for quite some time. Donovan has made it abundantly clear that he wants to make the move to Europe during this winter's transfer window.

Departing from the Galaxy means that the 26-year-old believes he has accomplished all he could in MLS and that he needs to make a move to Europe while he enters the prime years of his career to become the best player possible. A move to the Premiership or to Spain's La Liga seem to fit him best, but don't count out another attempt at playing in Germany as Bayern Munich have shown interest in the Galaxy star since this past summer.

"'I'm ready and I wasn't ready before in any way or capacity," said the all-time leading goal scorer for the U.S. about his previously troubled European stints, "I'm ready and I want to make the most of that. I've only got one career and I want to make sure that I give myself a chance.''

All of his critics will now be keeping a watchful eye on him to see if he will be as unsuccessful as he was with Bayer Leverkusen before signing with Los Angeles in 2005. But the Galaxy forward is ready to prove his critics wrong.

''Competitively I have that itch and I want to go and I will make that very clear to people,"

The 2008 MLS Golden Boot winner sounds hungrier than ever to push himself to the limit.


What do you think of Donovan giving Europe another shot? Should he just stay in MLS? What league/team do you think would fit him best? Share your comments below.

Seattle to Sign Freddie Ljunberg?

According to a Swedish newspaper, the Seattle Sounders are preparing to announce the signing of former Sweden international Freddie Ljungberg.

Rumors had been swirling around the Internet for a couple of weeks about Ljunberg heading to Seattle to play for the newest MLS side in 2009. The former Arsenal and West Ham midfielder, who is currently clubless, is reported to complete a deal later this week that will see him become the Sounders' designated player.

If the Ljunberg rumors are indeed true - and they appear to be with each passing day - then he will join midfielder Sanna Nyassi, forward Sebastien le Toux and former U.S. national team goalkeeper Kasey Keller as the first players on the Sounders' squad.

Seattle starts their 2009 campaign in March.


What do you think of Ljunberg to Seattle? Smart move by both sides? At 31-years-old is he worth a DP slot? Will Seattle be the worst team in MLS in 2009? Share your thoughts below.

Fire Dominate Red Bulls 5-2

A Chris Rolfe hat trick was all that was needed against the New York Red Bulls for a victory on Thursday night, but the Chicago Fire forward also set up two more goals in what was one of, if not, his best performance of the year as the Fire beat up on the Red Bulls 5-2.

Rolfe's inspired performance started in the 11th minute as he headed the ball into the open net from close range with nobody marking him. His seventh goal of the season was followed up by two more first half goals, the second of which was a splendid volley, and he then capped off the night with two second half assists.

"It's the first time I have had a hat trick since, I don't know, college or high school," said the Man of the Match. "It feels great. It was just one of those nights."

Last night's loss automatically forces the Red Bulls to become die-hard Colombus Crew supporters. A win or a tie by the Crew over D.C. United this weekend sees the Red Bulls advance to the play-offs, while a win by D.C. would mean the end of New York's post season dreams.

"Collectively, except for one or two players, everybody else should be very ashamed of how we played," said Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio. "To be honest, as it is right now, I have a big question mark about whether we deserve to be in the play-offs."

Regardless of his post-game sentiments, Osorio wants to extend this year and make it into the post season, but his team must now sit anxiously and hope that the Columbus team, which has already secured its Eastern Conference play-off spot, can manage at least one point against a D.C. United side that will be fighting for their play-off lives.

Osorio may not have admit it, but at this point, that's all that matters to him.


What did you think of last night's game? What about Rolfe's jaw-dropping performance? Will D.C. United beat Columbus this weekend? Share your comments below.

Chicago Fire v New York Red Bulls

The 2009 MLS regular season initiates its final week with an entertaining yet interesting match-up tonight. The Chicago Fire, looking to secure their spot as the #2 seed in the East, will be hosting the troubled New York Red Bulls, who have just started to recover from the hang over that was last week when lengthy suspensions were issued to goalkeeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke for taking banned substances.

The Red Bulls can secure their position in the play-offs with a victory tonight, and head coach Juan Carlos Osorio would love for nothing more than to get to the postseason by defeating his former team. However, the opposite also holds true as the die-hard Chicago fans would be pleased with derailing New York's play-off aspirations.

Tonight's match can be seen nationwide on ESPN2 at 9:00 PM eastern. The windy city is the venue for this evening's bout and the Fire should expect to have a rowdy crowd in attendance. Can Osorio's Red Bulls overcome all the adversity they're facing and secure their play-off spot or will Chicago ruin their dreams with a win at home? Tune into ESPN2 tonight and find out.


Who do you think will come out on top tonight? Any key match-ups your looking forward to? What's your prediction for tonight's match? Share your thoughts below.

UEFA Champions League: Matchday 3 Results

Well Matchday 3 has come to a close and there were some very entertaining games on display. We witnessed some impressive team play as well as incredible individual efforts. All in all, it was a good two days of football action.

If you missed any of the matches or didn't get to catch some of the final scores, here are the results from Matchday 3:

Group A

Chelsea 1-0 AS Roma
Bordeaux 1-0 CFR Cluj

Group B

Inter Milan 1-0 Anorthosis Famagusta
Panathinaikos 2-2 Werder Bremen

Group C

FC Basel 0-5 Barcelona
Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 Sporting Lisbon

Group D

PSV Eindhoven 2-0 Olympic Marseille
Atletico Madrid 1-1 Liverpool

Group E

Manchester United 3-0 Celtic
Villarreal 6-3 AaB Aalborg

Group F

Bayern Munchen 3-0 Fiorentina
Steaua Bucharest 3-5 Olympic Lyon

Group G

FC Porto 1-0 Dynamo Kiev
Fenerbahce 2-5 Arsenal

Group H

Zenit St. Petersburg 1-1 BATE
Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid


Which games did you get to watch? How did your favorite club team do? Which goal scored was your favorite for Matchday 3? Share your comments below.

Eriksson on the Hot Seat in Mexico?

Could Sven-Goran Erikkson really be on his way out of Mexico already? It's a possibility.

According to the secretary general of the Mexican Football Federation, the Swedish-born manager's future will be decided after Mexico's World Cup qualifier against Honduras. Mexico needs at least one point against the Catrachos to secure their spot in the final round of World Cup qualifying for CONCACAF in 2009.

"There is full support for this process of the national team and we'll meet again after this round of the qualifiers" said secretary general Decio de Maria.

El Tri opened up this round of qualifying with three home victories but failed to win either of their last two road qualifiers as they lost to Jamaica 1-0 and had to come from behind twice to draw with Canada 2-2.

It's simple for Mexico, a draw or a win and they're through to the Hexagonal. Either result will be enough to satisfy their rabid fan base, but a loss could end their World Cup dreams prematurely.

Sure the men in charge will review Eriksson's first six months as Mexico's manager regardless of the result, but I just don't see how the FMF goes searching for their third coach in as many years unless the Mexicans fail to get out of this semifinal round, which is possible but improbable.


What is your take on Eriksson's results so far with the National Team? Is he to blame for the situation they're in? Even with a win, could you see Eriksson getting the axe? Share your thoughts below.