Brazil was the favorite and USA, the minnows of football. But as the match started it seemed to be the other way around. Just nine minutes into the game, a perfect cross, which had “put me in the net” written all over it, was nudged past Julio Cesar by Clint Dempsy. The provider was Jonathan Spector.

Before Brazil could find its feet, they were assaulted once more, this time by Charlie Davies and Landon Donovan. The Brazilians were always the masters of counter attack, but this time the US gave them a taste of their own medicine, as these to combined to make a mockery of the Brazilian defence, as Donovan, Beckham’s MLS partner, deftly found the back of net after 26 minutes.

The Brazilians tried and tried until they were utterly tired, as they failed to break the sheer guts of the US until the end of the first half. Then came the interval and only then did we see what the Brazilians were capable of….

The embarrassed Brazilians put their foot on the pedal as they began the 2nd half. The impact was immediate, as Luis Fabiano whipped up a wonderful swivel, to send the ball rocketing past Tim Howard. From then on the momentum was with the yellow jerseys.

The night surely belonged to Fabiano as he came up with the equalizer on the seventy third minute. And there was no stoping Brazil now.

Then Lucio finally put an end to USA’s misery as he finished the formality of scoring the winning goal, as he headed the ball in for the third goal. The American full back, Jonathan Bronstein was rageed as he was relentless put under immense pressure.

After, one had watched the 2nd half, it seemed almost as if it was only obvious that Brazil would win. The American dream had come crashing down in the second half and Brazil have once again proven that they are back in the stellar form they once were, after a major slump in between.

Luis Fabiano was the top scorer in the tournament as he whipped up 5 goals and Kaka, Real’s sugar baby, was named the most valuable player of the tournament.

The enigmatic French striker is said to be the replacement of C.Ronaldo as his record transfer move is nearing completion, if reports are to be believed. Man U are poised to invest some of the €95m from the sale of C.Ronaldo on the Lyon striker.

In the past few years, Benzema has been linked with all European superpowers. Though he might have expressed his desire to stay at Lyon, an offer from the Red Devils is too hot to ignore, as they launch a €35m for the 21 year old.

President of OL, Jean-Michel Aulas, had appeared to have allayed any transfer speculation when he stated to Le Progres yesterday,

“We spoke a lot and it’s true that there are many clubs after [Benzema], but only after the [2010] World Cup. We interrogated his agent and we are not under the impression that he will leave in the short term.”

This somewhat contradicted a statement made to Le Dauphine Libere last week, when Aulas said,

“Kaka will not stay at Milan and will go to Real . Ribery and Cristiano Ronaldo will perhaps leave. We are entering a spiral of craziness and I would not say that Karim is untransferrable.”

Benzema, too is willing to leave the club and has said

“If president Aulas received an offer and pushed me to go, I would be obliged.”

This comment was made after France’s recent 1-0 victory over Turkey. But all of this depends on Tevez’s future at Old Trafford. Inter, Juventus and Milan from Serie A, Real Madrid and Barcelona have also expressed interest in the striker in the past.

Maicon to Madrid?

Maicon and his agent have both told the press this week that they are unhappy about the Brazilian being under-appreciated by Inter. Real Madrid is known admirers of the star, who is arguably the best right-back in the world, and there has been much talk of a €40 million bid for the player….

But with Sergio Ramos as a right-back will Real want another player?

Pirlo coming to the Bridge?

Andre Pirlo is one of the most under-rated players in the world. As per reports it seems he is wanted by his old manager Carlos Ancelotti and there are murmurs that Leonardo, the new Milan manager is not satisfied with his performance. Moreover, the player himself hinted on a move this summer.

Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani has declared that Pirlo will stay at Milan 99.9 per cent, but he also said that about Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko.

The home side never got going and was all out for 111 as they lost their last seven wickets for 33 runs!!!!!!! For a side which appeared to be doing so well in the series against the Windies before the start of the T20 World Cup, this is a total shocker. South Africa gave an all-round performance, as they bowled, fielded and batted well, proving once again why they are favorites for the trophy. This puts S.A in a commanding position and their pace attack seems to resemble that of the Windies which struck fear in the heart of every opponent. This leaves England in a precarious position because they have to beat India and West Indies if they are to progress and even so these two victories doesn’t guarantee them a position in the semis…..

Steyn took Bopara with an inside-edge from the batsman hitting the stumps. K.P on the other hand started with boundaries off his first two deliveries but hit an Albie Morkel full toss straight to Vd Merwe who caught it in an extraordinary fashion. This came in the 6th over and England’s score at the end of it was 25-3. This is the lowest score in the powerplay section in T20 history! The English batting managed to put up an insignificant total of 111 as the rest of the batting fizzled out….Wayne Parnell, the new weapon in S.A’s pace arsenal ended up with 3/14. As S.A began their batting they looked out-of-sorts as Smith top-edged Broad to James Foster, who had to dive to take the skier, and Herschelle Gibbs looked out of sorts – and could have been run out twice. And the batsmen struggled against the English spinners as the required run rate went up for more than a run-a-ball.

It was good for the English until Kallis decided to crash their party. Any pressure on S.A disappeared then, and even Gibbs made a few shots to the rope and Swann over the rope for a maximum as they seem to call it in this format of the game. Then it ended as Kallis cut Anderson to the point fence to end up with 58 from 49 balls. The English pace attack seems to be toothless and their over dependency on Swann isn’t paying them any dividends either. They have ways to go if they are to succeed in the shorter format of the game.

2                -           0

Argentina’s world cup dreams may come crumbling down if they continue their dismal form which they portrayed against Ecuador. The Argentinean’s were handed a shock 2-0 defeat by Ecuador, through late goals from, Walter Ayoví and Pablo Palacios, the second coming seven minutes before full-time, which condemned Maradona’s side to their third straight away loss.

This defeat comes after, the side lost 6-1 to Bolvia. This leaves them in fourth spot and just two points away from slipping from the automatic qualifying stage. The pressure is building up for Diego Maradona, who had a dream start with 3 consecutive wins.

This defeat, where Carlos Tevez missed a first half penalty comes on the back of a 1-0 victory over Colombia. This puts Argentina in a precarious position, as they face group leaders Brazil for their next qualifier.

Engalnd Vs Andorra:

6         -        0

England are in the brink of qualifying for the WC following a 6-0 victory over the European minnows, Andorra. Coach Cappelo wanted an early goal an early goal, and that’s wat he got when a wonderful cross from Glen Johnson found Rooney, who put a perfect header past the goalkeeper.

The stage was set for a complete rout as another Glen Johnson’s pass found Walcott who played it to the evergreen Lampard who scored the goal.

Gerrard was substituted and on came Defoe who scored two goals latching onto a mistake from Andorra’s goalkeeper from a Beckham cross. Then Rooney scored his second and Peter Crouch scored a goal somehow squeezing it past two defenders and the goalkeeper.

This match proved to another milestone for David Beckham as he led the side to the highest victory since 1999 and is now convincing his Coach about his place in the starting 11. His presence in every game makes him surpass his own record as he spread panic among his shoddy opponents. He ghosted unnoticed to the edge of the PK box and managed to deliver his once famous crosses though they lacked their previous fizz.

So there is only one hurdle left in the form of Croatia, the team which knocked England out of EURO 2008. So, England will come out all guns blazing and better hope the Crotians are prepared for it…..

Brazil vs Paraguay:

2       -       1

In front of 60,000 home fans, Brazil put up a thriller of a victory over Paraguay as they lead their group comfortably at the top. The five time world champions dominated possession but suddenly, they saw themselves a goal behind, as Salavador Cabanas free kick took a wild deflection off Elano and went past Cesar. This was only te second goal conceded by Cesar at home.

But as expected Brazil threw themselves forward at every opportunity and it did pay off as Robinho scored a goal and followed by Nilmar goal in the second half.

As a result of this victory, Brazil will qualify for the WC if they clinch victory against their arch rivals Argentina in the next qualifier…..

It seems Ibrahimovic could be on his way to Barca if Eto’o decides to join Inter, according to a report!!!

As per a Spanish daily, Inter will receive a €10m transfer fee plus the services of the Cameroonian striker in exchange for the Swede. However this is very much lower then the amount claimed by Inter President, Morrati, when he asked Barca President, Larporta, for €40m plus Eto’o. However the move will be made simpler if the Cameroonian’s wage demands are met by Inter. But this year, all the Catalan fans are surprised that there has been a lack of movement compared to last year when they finished all their transfer by the main holidays.

Perez eyeing Ronaldo :

If reports are to be believed, Real have launched the infamous €89 million pre-contract agreement to rope in C. Ronaldo. But Real have only till 30th June to do it unless they want to pay a €30m penalty. Despite the fact of signing Kaka for a whopping €65.2m, Perez wants to sign Ronaldo too, which he said earlier was impossible to sign two player of the world in the same transfer window…

Talks are going on now between United chief executive David Gill and manager Sir Alex Ferguson to discuss the possibility of reducing the transfer fee, although club owner Malcolm Glazer sternly refuses it. Perez, unlike Calderon, has maintained a good relationship with United and all talks seems to be going ahead smoothly. The amazing fact is that, Sir Alex Ferguson, who was outspoken with his views on this transfer saga has kept mum this time around. Does it have anything to do with someone’s bad behavior? We will have to wait to find out……

Chelsea Gunning For Aguero:

The London club has now offered an official bid for the talismanic Argentinean striker for €51million, last night if reports are to be believed. The Blues, tired of being linked with Pato and Villa.

The current offer includes incentives and bonuses, based on Aguero appearances and success at the Bridge…. But this bid falls well short of the player’s buy-out clause at Atletico which is at €60m.

And its a well known fact that the striker is being approached by other European superpowers like Inter and Barca. So hope the Blues sign the star Walt and hope they sign the German magician Ribery too because they no longer seem to be the financial super power they once were …

Its official.The Brazilian international has finally made the move to Real Madrid from A.C Milan. The move, as claimed by the Spanish media, has been completed for approximately 65.2 million EUROS. He is being paid a net 6 million EUROS for six seasons. This move will see the 27 year old who joined Milan in 2003 and led them to the 2004 Seductto and 2007 Champions League and also won the prestigious Ballon D’Or during his stay. Real Madrid’s statement was as follows:

“Kaka, is a Real Madrid player after an agreement was reached with AC Milan. The Brazilian footballer has now successfully passed all medical tests. Kaka has signed a contract with Real Madrid for the next six seasons.”

While Milan’s statement was:

“From next season, Kaka will play at Real Madrid. Milan thank Kaka the man and the great champion for his decisive contribution to the many victories over the last six years. It will be very difficult to fill the void that Kaka will leave, as he is a shining example of commitment and professionalism. A. C. Milan, on behalf of the Rossoneri managers, players and supporters, send him the most cordial and affectionate wishes for the continuation of his sporting career.”

So as promised, Florentino Perez, the new president, has started his signings of world talents. So will we see, once again, the GALACTICOS, Real Madrid once were? Only time will tell…….

Toni To Barca? :

As Bayern Munich fans rejoiced the signing of Mario Gomez, the German international, from Stuttgart and it seems as per La Gazzetta dello Sport he is looking forward for a proposal which would move the 32 year old to the European Champions Barcelona. This comes on the wake of his failure to replicate his previous form of his previous season. Also it’s a known fact that Guardiola and Toni were teammates at Brescia.

So will the talismanic striker move to Barca?

On the line of fire – Trezeguet :

Trezeguet, the French striker, has become a wanted man by many European teams, if his Agent, Antonio Caliendo, is to be believed. The player, who had fallen out of favor with Juventus ex-manager Claudio Ranieri, had hinted that he would leave the club if he had a good offers coming his way despite the fact that he has two years contract left with Juventus. “Real Madrid, Inter, Milan, Roma, Sevilla, Villarreal and Manchester City are all after him,” Caliendo told Tuttomercatoweb.com.

So let’s see where Trezeguet plays next year and may lady luck smile upon him wherever he goes or even if he decides to stay….

Chelsea scored two amazing goals to get back into a 2-1 lead through strikes Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard scoring in 20th minute and the 72nd minutes respectively.

Chelsea was the hot favorite to qualify ahead of United for the Champions league when they conceded a last minute goal which resulted in a draw, taking United to the final. On Sunday Chelsea proved a point that they were the best side in English Club Football.

Chelsea, playing under Hiddink for the last time before he returns to coaching Russia’s national team, equalised after 20 minutes when Didier Drogba rose virtually unmarked to head past Tim Howard.

Frank Lampard said in a post match interview

“It was amazing, to be 1-0 down in one minute, we showed a lot of character. We basically dominated the game. The second half wasn’t quite so good, but I was always felt like we could win the game so I’m pleased to get the goal to help us win it.”

This win also helped England defender Ashley Cole to win his fifth FA Cup winner’s medals, the highest since the tournaments. He had previously won three with Arsenal and now has two with Chelsea.

Hiddink is a post match interview said

“We are very demanding on each other but that is a strength, they know how to react when they are on the back foot. That is why I like them. It hasn’t just been an in between job for me, it has been more than that. This is one of my biggest adventures, to win at football’s mecca is quite something.”

David Moyes the Everton coach gracefully accepted defeat and said

“Chelsea were the better team, however, we made a semi-final last year and now a final this year and the guys are growing in stature out there.”

The march of the Red Devils came to and end in Rome and ended there unbeaten run of 25 games in the champions league. United also came to Rome with an unbeaten record of 2 yrs in the League. United’s 38 year old goal keeper Edwin Van Der Sar had not coincided a single goal in the last 14 matches but failed to defend the post in the grand finale. Samuel Eto’o scored the first goal with the help of deflection and Lionel Messi headed the second one of a cross from Xavi in the 70th minute closing all doors for United to get back in the game.

French striker Thierry Henry whose daughter also celebrated her birthday said in a post game interview

“Finally I have won it! I have been waiting for so long for this moment,”

“The last five minutes were the longest of my life. Even if we were 2-0 up we were playing the best team in the world (referring to the world club championship title United won earlier this year).”

United’s coach Sir Ferguson gracefully accepted defeat and said “We started the game brightly but the goal was a killer. However, they are a better team than us. We conceded two bad goals. Our defense has been good all season but those were two shoddy goals to lose.”

Barcelona Wins Champions League 2009 -The Award Cup