Watch the Best of European Football this Week on GolTV!
GOLTV will air three live La Liga matches this weekend beginning with Real Madrid vs. Barcelona on Saturday, May 2 at 2:00 p.m. ET. This is the all-important second “EL CLASSICO” match of the season. Barcelona leads Real Madrid by 4 points, with just 4 games left. Barcelona won the first match this year 2-0 back on Dec. 13, 2008. If Real Madrid could win this game at home at the Bernabeu, they would cut the deficit to just 1 point with 4 games remaining, and the title chase would again be on. Villarreal takes on Sevilla at 4:00 p.m. ET. Then on Sunday, May 3 watch Espanyol vs. Valencia at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The Bundesliga action continues on Saturday, May 2 at 11:30 p.m. ET with Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern Munich just fired their manager JURGEN KLINSMANN this week after a poor string of recent results. With just 5 games left, they are in 3rd place, three points behind leaders Wolfsburg, and in desperate need of a win against lowly Monchengladbach, who are just two points from bottom of the table and in danger of relegation. On Sunday, May 3 watch Hamburg vs. Hertha Berlin, LIVE at 11:00 a.m. ET. Hertha Berlin is in 2nd place only two points behind leaders Wolfsburg, while Hamburg is in a 3-way tie for 3rd spot only one more point back. Hertha won the first meeting this season, 2-1 back on Nov. 15, 2008. Hamburg is seeking revenge, as well as the badly needed 3 points to help them stay in the title race.

TORONTO, April 30, 2009 – Below is a list of soccer matches that will air live or on tape delay on GolTV from May 1 to 8, 2009.

GolTV Match Schedule for May 1 to 8, 2009*

(Read full article…)

Soccer Legend Zinedine Zidane and Top European Players to take on Vancouver AllStar Team

Top European Players to Accompany Zidane

Vancouver-based soccer club, Adlani Soccer Ltd., announced today that French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane and a group of renowned European soccer players are coming to Canada to play a series of rare exhibition games, including Vancouver. The Zidane & Friends Canadian Soccer Tour features 15 soccer greats personally selected by Zidane himself, including Alessandro Costacurta, Franco Baresi, Ludovic Giuly, Samuel Eto’o, Gennaro Gattuso, Dado Prso and Arrigo Sacchi.

They’ll line up against an all-star team of Vancouver’s top soccer talent from past and present. The Zidane & Friends Canadian Soccer Tour is coming to Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium on Saturday, July 4, 2009.

Considered by critics to be one of the greatest footballers to ever play the beautiful game, Zidane played professionally in France, Italy and Spain and was a member of the French national team. Career accomplishments include helping France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 in addition to winning the 2002 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid. He is a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year.

The Vancouver AllStar Team is being assembled by coaches Ahcene Adlani and Frank Cucca. Adlani’s commitment to the development of soccer in Canada is such that he believes this tour will prove that Canada’s top athletes can stand up to the best players in the world.

“We are thrilled at the prospect of bringing this tour to Canada,” says Adlani, founder and director of Adlani Football Club. “Our Canadian players will have the match of their lives as Zidane & Friends bring some of the best players in the world to our doorstep.”

Tickets for the Zidane & Friends Canadian Soccer Tour in Vancouver go on sale Thursday, May 7th at 10:00 am and are available at the BC Place box office, all area Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.ca  or by phone at 604-280-4400. Prices are $29, $49, $79 & $99 plus service charges.

About Zidane & Friends Canadian Soccer Tour
Alessandro Costacurta played for A.C. Milan from 1987 – 2007 and for Italy in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, and was renowned as one of Italy’s greatest defenders.  Franco Baresi led the A.C. Milan team and its defence for the best part of a decade and was named one of the “greatest living footballers” by FIFA.  Ludovic Giuly is an attacking midfielder who has an explosive pace over short distances, which has led him to be a top scorer for several European teams. Samuel Eto’o is a Cameroonian  footballer  who is a striker for FC Barcelona. He is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations  and is widely regarded as the Greatest African footballer in history. Gennaro Gattuso is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for A.C. Milan with whom he has twice won the UEFA Champions League. Dado Prso is the famous Croatian professional football striker who is best known for his successful years with the Glasgow Rangers. Coach Arrigo Sacchi is an Italian football coach and former head coach of the Italian national football team where he helped Italy reach the World Cup Final in 1994.  He has twice been the manager of A.C. Milan, has managed Parma AC and Athletico Madrid and was appointed director of football at Spanish giants Real Madrid.
SATURDAY, JULY 4th, 2009

BC PLACE STADIUM - VANCOUVER, BC

DOORS:  7:00PM         GAME:  8:00PM

TICKETS ON SALE:
THURSDAY, MAY 7TH @ 10:00AM

Ticketmaster Outlets - charge by phone 604-280-4400
Or buy online at www.ticketmaster.ca
Tickets $29, $49, $79, & $99
(Plus service charges)

SETANTA SPORTS BRINGS VIEWERS A MAY DOWNPOUR OF

LIVE SOCCER, RUGBY AND AUSSIE RULES  ACTION

68 live matches in May

TORONTO (April 30, 2009) – The FA Cup final between Chelsea and underdog Everton at Wembley Stadium Saturday, May 30 at 10 a.m. ET/ 7 a.m. PT highlights a month of must-see live action on Setanta Sports.

The European soccer and rugby seasons wind down in May and Setanta serves up 68 live matches in 31 days from some of the world’s top soccer, rugby union, rugby league and Australian Rules leagues and competitions.

(Read full article…)

Manchester United’s 1-0 victory against Arsenal, the perfect score line for the Red Devils?

It was Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex Ferguson’s wish to keep Arsenal from scoring and beat them by a lone goal to nil at Old Trafford on Wednesday, and the pair got what they wanted.

John O’Shea’s 17th minute strike from inside the penalty area secured the victory for the European defending champions but how vital will this goal be?

Manchester United dominated the field right from the start of the game, with Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney, Darren Fletcher and Cristiano Ronaldo forcing Arsenal’s midfield and the Red Devils’ ability to play their game of football came very much at Ferguson’s delight.

“I was pleased with the performance, the level of passing and movement was very, very good and we played at a high tempo,” the manager told Sky Sports.

read the rest of this article on the Arsenal v Man United live match page.

Why a 0-0 score line might not be a “Camp Nou present” for Chelsea

A negative Chelsea side aided by a controversial referee saw Barcelona failing to score at home for the first time in this Champions League campaign. The Blues are only the second consecutive club after Manchester United to hold Barcelona in a goalless draw at the Camp Nou in Europe. Can they emulate the defending champions’ achievement by defeating the Blaugrana on their own field back in England?

It seems like Chelsea travelled to Spain to draw – or to keep a clean sheet at least and this is something that Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez was quick to notice. The midfielder poured out his anger at Chelsea’s physical negative approach.

“The result is unjust. I’m surprised to have faced such an ultra-defensive Chelsea side. They wanted a 0-0 scoreline and they got it.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s skipper John Terry was full of joy after helping his team manage a clean sheet against the club that is regarded to possess the best attacking forces in Europe if not on the entire planet.

“It’s a fantastic result, and we’ll be ready to go again at Stamford Bridge with our fans behind us.”

Read the rest of this article on the Live Chelsesa vs Barcelona Match Page.

Everyone talks about Barcelona as the true unstoppable team in Europe with their goal hammering and their flow. The Blaugrana humbled teams like Real Madrid and Sevilla in the Primera Liga and disgraced Beckenbauer’s Bayern Munich and French champions Lyon on their way through to the Champions League semis. Will Chelsea be Barcelona’s next casualty?

Untouchable flying Barcelona?

It seems like Barcelona have found the secret key to unlock the den of goals. Pep Guardiola is on his way to creating the greatest Barcelona side. Clinching a couple of trophy this season will ultimately elevate this Barcelona squad as the greatest of all time, and to do that, the Catalans will need to overpower Guus Hiddink’s Blues to reach the final before they can fancy their chances of winning the European title.

Guardiola is well aware of the impact that trophies have on the success of a team, and he underlined his opinion when Marca interviewed him after Barcelona’s league game against Getafe last week:
“The record that matters is winning titles, one has to win something and we are heading towards that. That is what motivates me to come here and play,”

Barcelona’s legendary captain Pep Guardiola is enjoying the best of luck at the moment and his side’s remarkable success is also a result of a high winning mentality added to his attacking flair philosophy which has influenced the players’ performance. Barcelona’s number one safeguard doesn’t come from their almost-perfect-style of play but from the humbleness of their coach Pep Guardiola. The 38-year-old Gitano prefers to avoid being carried away by his team’s explosive results and rather wants to go match by match and keep his feet on the ground.

“Since I have been in charge there has not been a game that we have not taken seriously. The team was well and fresh, therefore I decided not to make any changes,” the coach explain.

“We have come here after a hard game in Munich and we have played a great first-half. The second-half was not so good, but they did not get in our area. We will keep going in all competitions.

Read the rest of this article on the FC Barcelona vs Chelsea Live Match page

A battle of two giants beyond the mental strain of men.

The clash that is arguably the world’s most pressurizing, significant, fascinating and titanic battle in the world of football takes places on Saturday, May 2, at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Spain’s capital Madrid.

The tension ahead of this encounter has hugely mounted especially because of both teams’ last result in the Spanish Primera Liga. Barcelona could only manage a 2-2 draw at Valencia last weekend while Real Madrid overcame the might of rivals Sevilla in a dramatic 4-2 victory that kept Los Blancos as serious challengers for the league title. The Galacticos’ hands aren’t far from Barcelona’s reach now…

Real Madrid: The wounded giant that may come alive again

Real Madrid endured a lot of inconsistency, showing only a few flashes of their natural sparkling bright display until Bernd Schuster was ordered the sack. A weak Real Madrid side then succumbed to Barcelona’s ruthless authority when both clashed at the Camp Nou in what was Juande Ramos first match in charge. Since then, Los Blancos seem to have raised to life the spirit of war and bravery that is inspiring them to confront Barcelona’s invincible fortress. The reigning La Liga champions are facing the difficult task of retaining their crown against the likes of the team that is currently considered as Europe’s best. Los Blancos – who were more than 11 points behind Barcelona at a point in the season – now look set to reaffirm their glorious might just as the league campaign is coming to a close.
Visit the match page to read the full article here - Real Madrid vs Barcelona Live

Manchester United’s Champions League game against Arsenal: A test, a rehearsal and revenge!

The English, European, and World Champions will continue the defense of their UEFA Champions League title on Wednesday night when they host Arsenal at Old Trafford. The Red Champions are unbeaten in the Champions League in over 20 games with a very strong home record. The Theatre of Dreams could create yet another mesmerizing atmosphere when the Red Devils come up against the Gunners in what promises to be one of the most classic encounters of the season.

A test

Manchester United are striving to clinch the quadruple this season. After bowing out from the FA Cup on penalties, the Mancunian Reds are looking to satisfy their disappointment by clinching both the EPL and the Champions League titles – two trophies which they won last year.

The Red Devils will try to overcome the misery the suffered in their last European semifinal tie when AC Milan crushed them out of the competition 5-3 on aggregate despite winning at home in the first leg.
Manchester United are at home this time around again for the first encounter and they’ll hope to uplift themselves from the performance they had in their last match at Old Trafford in Europe. A disappointing draw against Porto put their hopes of qualifying to the next stage at stake; It needed them a solid defense and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 35-metre-rocket for United to break Porto’s record and ultimately qualify into the next stage of the competition.
It will be an equally difficult game against rivals Arsenal and Ferguson is feeling the tone of the game:
“It’s going to be a great semi-final. There’ll be some great football in that one,” said the 67-year-old Scot.

The season is reaching its climax and this encounter will really determine the Red Devils’ potential in their bid to become the best Manchester United squad ever.
Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal are hungry of titles and they are desperate to end this long wait. The Gunners’ last major final was back in 2006 where they eventually lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the Champions League. Wednesday night will be a chance for them to get a step closer to achieving their dream of winning the European crown and they are keen to do so against their great rivals Manchester United.

“We’ve got the belief that we can win the Champions League. It’s going to be hard because we are playing one of the world’s best teams in Manchester United,” Van Persie told the press earlier this week.

Read the rest of this article on the Man Utd vs Arsenal Match Page

Attractive AC Milan to face Catania on Sunday

AC Milan are certainly back to their best! A controversial 3-0 thrashing of Palermo last weekend showcased some excessive beautiful football with Kaka scoring twice from the penalty spot and Inzaghi netting a header in between…

The Rossoneri looked far from impressive in the first part of the Seria A season and AC Milan’s ace Kaka blames it on injury worries.

“Our biggest regrets this season have been the numerous injuries which hit us,” Kaka stated in Milan Channel.

Read the rest of this article on the Catania vs AC Milan Live Match page.