There Is Only One Sinnacle

FC Dallas announced Friday that forward Kenny Cooper has been transferred to German second division side TSV 1860 Munich pending a medical examination. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

Cooper joined FC Dallas on Feb. 6, 2006 from Manchester United and was voted the team’s most valuable player last season. He scored 40 goals in 93 appearances for Dallas. TSV 1860 Munich finished 12th in the Bundesliga 2 2008-09 season.

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There were rumblings of Kenny Cooper moving overseas to an English Championship side and just like last year don’t understand why Cooper is making the jump to play for a second division team. Fair play to Cooper since I’m sure he’ll be paid more in Europe but what Cooper lacks in pace the American International makes up with his physical presence in the box and the ability to put the ball into the back of the net. Hopefully for Cooper he’ll be able to use this experience to leapfrog himself into first team football in a top European league.

It was really awful waking up to this news today. What an icon of the game who passed away today. Sir Bobby Robson had such a wonderful career and was one of the few footballing people who were respect just about world wide. Here you have a man who took Ipswich town to the heights of European football lifting them to standards not seen before or yet. Suffered a cruel fate with the England National team losing to the hand of God goal in 1986 and losing the coin flip to Germany on penalties in the 1990 World Cup semi finals which England still haven’t been able to top nearly 20 years later. Everything Sir Bobby Robson touched he made better. He had a knack for leaving a club in much better shape from when he took over. Be it the previously mentioned Ipswich Town, PSV where he found Ronaldo and took him to Europe. Barcelona where he helped Luis Figo eventually become the best player on the planet for a period of time. Let’s us not forget he also took Newcastle to the Champions League, the club in which he loved. In between he had successful stops with Sporting and Porto in Portugal. Going to end it with a comment Jose Mourinho left on the Inter website who if it wasn’t for Sir Bobby Robson they may not of been the Special One today.

“I didn’t speak with him [Robson] for the last two months because I was in difficulty.

“Bobby Robson is one of those people who never die for all that they have given to people like myself, who had the fortune to walk by his side. My thoughts are with all of his dearest.”

Here are some youtube clips on Sir Bobby Robson. Loved the story how much he wanted to go to Portugal for his Charity Golf tournament.

Diego In Injury Scare, Misses Juventus – Real Madrid Showdown

The Juventus play-maker is out of tonight’s Peace Cup semi-final showdown after hobbling off the training pitch with a muscular problem…

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Sad to see Diego’s injury take some of the sting away of what should be an interesting game between Juventus and Real Madrid. Diego was just a marvel to watch in his last game where it looked like he has been playing with Juventus for years.

Parma New Boy Christian Panucci Eager To Impress

New Parma defender Christian Panucci is ready to begin a new chapter with the Ducali as he ends his story with Roma.

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You knew when the likes of Hull City were linked with Panucci in the winter transfer period his time with Roma was coming to an end. Panucci spent nearly a decade with Roma and even at age 35 was still an Italian international scoring against Romania in last year’s Euro 2008.

Will have more on this in a bit but just wanted to say it is a sad day with the passing of a coaching legend in Sir Bobby Robson.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger looks set to step up his interest in Bordeaux’s £12m-rated Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh. (French newspaper L’Equipe)

Arsenal fans would not be happy seeing Chamakh join the fold instead of Klass Jan Huntelaar. Then again Arsenal should be getting use to being let down by this point.

Manchester United will launch a £35m bid for Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery in two weeks. The Sun

Day late and many dollars short with this one. If the newspapers are to be believed Real Madrid nearly offered double this amount which Bayern turned down.

Mark Hughes is set to offer £22m for Joleon Lescott, with Everton so far unwilling to release their defender to Manchester City. (Daily Express)

It appears Everton is unwilling to release Joleon Lescott until Manchester City makes their best offer. The fee seems to be going up be the day from £15m to now £22m.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is targeting Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi, with the Italian star valued at around £30m.
Full story: The Independent

Here I was thinking the Franck Ribery/Sun story was laughable. It will be the day when Arsenal spend £30m on any player.

Liverpool are keen on signing Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani. The Independent

Said it before and will say it again here. Give Aquilani a few games and he would more than make up for the loss of Xabi Alonso.

Man City boss Mark Hughes is refusing to get embroiled in any mind games with Sir Alex Ferguson. The United manager was recently unhappy with the Carlos Tevez poster erected in the city centre with the message: ‘Welcome to Manchester’.

“It was just a bit of fun. I didn’t get too het up but Sir Alex did,” Hughes says. The Guardian

You have to know that everyone at Manchester City must enjoy needling Sir Alex Ferguson.

Real Madrid’s Gabriel Heinze To Complete Marseille Move In Coming Hours – Report

According to respected French sports paper L’Equipe, Gabriel Heinze will finalise a move to Olympique de Marseille from Real Madrid in the coming hours.

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With Alvaro Arbeloa coming into the fold you knew Gabriel Heinze going to be deemed surplus to requirements at Real Madrid. Not even being a close friend of Ronaldo’s was going to make up for his lapses in judgment at back which occured far too often last season. Be it Marseille or with another club it’s only a matter of time before Heinze departs Real Madrid.

Elano leaves City to join up with Galatasaray

Elano’s future at the City of Manchester Stadium had been uncertain after he found himself in and out of Mark Hughes’ side last season and had had been linked with moves to several clubs in Italy.

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Don’t think anyone had Galatasaray being involved in any transfer for Elano who worn out his welcome with Mark Hughes last year with Manchester City. Elano may be Brazilian but he isn’t Robinho and just felt like Elano wanted the same special treatment applied to him as well.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says he is still interested in signing Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but any move for the Dutch international will depend on Darren bent leaving White Hart Lane. (Press Association)

It would also depend on Huntelaar wanting to play for Tottenham which would only be the case as a last resort.

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has moved a step closer to joining Real Madrid after he handed in a written transfer request.
Full story: Liverpool Echo

Don’t see why Rafa is trying to make Alonso the bad guy over having to make a written transfer request. Alvaro Arbeloa didn’t have to play these silly games with his move to Real Madrid. Granted it’s not the same class of player but this written transfer request business is all a ploy for Benitez to save face. Besides why should Alonso be loyal to Benitez when he only stopped short of trying to sell Alonso on ebay in an effort to sign Gareth Barry last year?

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants Patrick Vieira to return to the Gunners – four years after the 33-year-old Inter Milan midfielder left for Juventus. And Wenger is willing to match Tottenham’s offer, which is believed to be a one-year deal with big bonuses. Various

With Kolo Toure gone not many of the invincibles are still left at Arsenal. This move would at least please Arsenal fans in the short time and please Arsene Wenger since Vieira would come cheap.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is keen to add more English players to his squad and is preparing a £12m bid for Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole and will offer Hull £5.5m for defender Michael Turner. Daily Mail

Lee Cattermole is not worth £12m at this point in his career. He is basically Joey Barton without the arrests. A hard man who other teams won’t like lining up against but Cattermole is not a match winner.

Aston Villa are monitoring forward Robbie Keane’s situation at Tottenham after the arrival of fellow striker Peter Crouch.
Full story: Daily Mail

Don’t see why, every club needs three to four strikers over the course of a season. With injures and drips in form I’m sure Keane, Crouch and DeFoe will still see 30 games this year.

Middlesbrough defender Robert Huth could be set for a return to the Premier League with Fulham prepared to pay £2m for the 24-year-old. (Daily Mirror)

Huth is a good player who he isn’t injured. Sadly the former Chelsea man is always injured.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he failed to get the best out of Dimitar Berbatov last season and has warned their Premier League rivals that there is more to come from the Bulgarian striker. Daily Express

At the price Manchester United paid last season there better be.

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill believe the Midlands club need to sign five new players before the start of the season.
Full story: Daily Star

Villa needs to get going in this case with only signing Stewart Downing who won’t be fit until the end of the year.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says winning the Premier League title is more important than the Champions League for the west London club. Daily Star

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich may think differently.

Landon Donovan is looking forward to playing with Tim Howard behind him again.

Howard made six saves in regulation and stopped three shots on penalty kicks to lead Everton past the Major League Soccer team in the MLS All-Star game 4-3 in penalty kicks on Wednesday night. Howard kept the MLS club out of the goal time after time and forced the 1-1 game into two extra rounds of penalty kicks to decide it.

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Hasn’t been the best of weeks for Houston Dynamo’s Stuart Holden who took part in the U.S 5-0 beating at the hands of Mexico in the Gold Cup Final then on a silly school boy giveaway gifted Louis Saha Everton’s first and only goal of the game. Credit to Connor Casey who was doing some fine work for the U.S up front causing havoc for the Everton defenders which eventually lead to the MLS All Stars getting their goal back thanks to a Brad Davis tap in. The difference not only in penalty kicks but in the game itself was American number 1 Tim Howard who kept the MLS All Stars at bay for the rest of the game with some world class saves. Once it was time for penalties the flip of the coin went Everton’s way due to Tim Howard making three saves to earn Everton the victory.

Lyon agree deal to sign Gomis from St Etienne

The fee could rise to €15m depending on the performances of the 23-year-old France striker, who has scored twice in four appearances for Les Bleus and notched 10 Ligue 1 goals for Les Verts last term.

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Good to see Lyon isn’t taking losing the Ligue One title to Bordeaux lying down. Gomis was on the brink of becoming the next great French striker and even made the Euro 2008 roster which most French fans would now like to forget. After a season where St Etienne were struggling to avoid regulation I’m sure Bafetimbi Gomis is happy for a fresh start playing with an elite club like Lyon.

Most All Stars are borderline awful but at least the MLS All Star Game has some curiosity factor. Both MLS fans and the players themselves are anxious to see how they match up with a top European team. This year Everton is going to try and do what Chelsea, Fulham, Celtic and West Brom in previous years couldn’t and that is defeat the best MLS has to offer. Everton will use this game prepare for the upcoming European season but it doesn’t hurt jersey sales in the United States having your club play on National Television. While the motivation on the pitch may be clearly one sided it’s better then most other sports All Star games where little motivation is shown by either team.

Hleb to snub Inter loan in favour of Stuttgart?

But Sky Sports Italia claim Hleb has insisted on a move to Stuttgart, where he spent five years as a player between 2000 and 2005.

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When you are a player in the prime of your career it’s tricky going out on loan. Inter may have good intentions but if it doesn’t work out right off the bat they have no motivation to actually play Hleb since technically he is not an Inter player. Look what happen to Quaresma at Chelsea last year for prove of this. Considering Hleb wasted last year with Barcelona it’s unlikely he’ll want to see anymore of the bench for another season.

Martin Caceres Set To Realise Juventus Dream – Report

With Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara requesting a final centre-back to complete his defensive line, it seems the rearguard is now complete as Martin Caceres prepares to seal his switch from Barcelona.

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Unlike previous years Juventus have done a great job in the transfer market this summer filling another need signing Caceres. With Gerard Pique stepping up to become the Barcelona centre back of the present and future, Caceres was just not in Barcelona’s plans this season. Makes sense to cut your losses before Barcelona loses anymore value on the player.