Juventus ace Alessandro Del Piero has given his most clear intention that the Bianconeri will overcome Fulham in their Europa League clash today. After overcoming Ajax in the last fixture, Juventus will be looking to build on their improving form in the competition.

After starting the season strongly, Juve suffered a series of defeats that left fans baying for coach Ciro Ferarra’s blood. The beleaguered Italian was finally sacked after the club officials patience ran out. Alberto Zaccheroni was the man tasked with restoring Juve to its former glory and he has faired pretty well if you ask me.

Now faced with an “easy” fixture against English club Fulham, Zaccheroni will probably be keen on sealing the cottagers fate tonight at the Stadio Olympico in Turin.

With key players Buffon, Chiellini, Amauri, Chimenti and Giovinco injured, Zaccheroni wil most probably field a 4-3-1-2 formation. Del Piero and Trezeguet will be in attack. The speedy Brazilian Diego will play behind the two forwards and in front of a three man midfield which includes Marchisio, Melo and Sissoko.

Grosso, Cannavaro, Grygera and Legrottaglie willmake up the defense while Mannider will be between the posts. Juventus should not underestimate Fulham. They might not have a strong European record but they do have players who can change the game in a split second.

Duff, Zamora, Etuhu and Davies are a few of them. The bulk of their stars remain unavailable for this fixture with Clint Dempsey, John Panstil and Andrew Johnson out with injuries. Fulham will play the common 4-4-2 formation with Zamora and Gera upfront and Duff, Davies Etuhu and Murphy in midfield.

Fulham’s back line will include Shorey, Hangeland, Hughes and Baird. Their outstanding goalie Mark Shwarzer will be between the posts. My prediction is a 2-0 win for Juventus.

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Uruguay

The Keeper

Viera and Castillo will battle it out for the honor of starting goalie.  Either way Uruguay decides to go means that they lack a really solid keeper in the net and this is one of their most suspect units right now.  Usually a solid defensive club, they will have to prove their worth this Cup because the club’s D didn’t play up to their potential in the WCQ.

Grade: C +

The Defense

The defensive unit is pretty strong overall though thanks to many solid defenders including Lugano, Godin, Fucile, and Caceres of Juventus fame.  Uruguay is usually known for their tough, relentless defense, but they were  a little bit inconsistent this WCQ.  They should be a contender to advance though and they did have to battle many of the most potent offenses in the WCQ this season including Brazil and Argentina.   

Grade: B

The Midfield

This is definitely the weakest unit of the club and they really lack any star power in the middle of the pitch and on the wings as well.  Hopefully they don’t go too conservative and only play defensive minded midfielders and find a diamond in the rough that can find a way to move it up top to their critical finishers.  The club is hoping that Christian Rodriguez of Porto can be that critical player.

Grade: D +

The Forwards

Diego Forlan is not only the answer to this club’s needs, but the guy is also their only hope of hoisting the Cup this year.  Hopefully the guy can prove his worth on the international stage.  He has been outstanding in La Liga over his career, but he struggled in the Premier League during his brief tenure a few years back.  Luis Suarez is a reliable secondary striker and one of the best players on the team.  Cavani and Abreu aren’t too shabby either, but Forlan is the team’s Teen Wolf up top and needs to shine in that role.

Grade: B+

Overall

Uruguay is always an underrated opponent with a great tandem up front that should likely produce goals.  Their midfield is a major concern though and their defense was not as strong as they should have been this WCQ and needs to step up with the level of competition they are facing.  There is a lot of pressure on Forlan to perform and he should give Mexico a run for their money competing for that final 16 spot.

Overall: B -

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Manchester United hammered AC Milan 4-0 to move into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Leading 3-2 after the first leg, Man Utd tightened their grip on the tie when Wayne Rooney scored again. With the goal Rooney became on the second player in history to score in both legs of a European tie against Milan.

Any hopes that Milan had of getting back in the game were killed a minute into the second half when Rooney ran onto a brilliant ball from Nani to score his 30th goal of the season and knock Milan out of the Champions League.

After that it was party time at Old Trafford as Park Ji-Sung added a third after a great Paul Scholes pass.

By then, all that was left for the fans was David Beckham’s return to Old Trafford. His appearance was met with massive cheers and he almost had a fairy tale return when his 20 yard volley was turned over the bar by van der Sar.

Darren Fletcher rounded out the scoring with another header as United romped to a 7-2 aggregate triumph.

Post Match Quotes
Sir Alex Ferguson, United manager

“It was a marvellous second-half performance. We got the break with the early goal in the second half and after that we played very well. When we play with that tempo we’re difficult to play against; it was a solid United performance.

It’s a challenge [for Wayne Rooney to beat Cristiano Ronaldo's 42-goal haul of 2007/08]. I was happy with him getting to 30 to be honest with you. He just keeps improving and tonight again he was sensational. Ji-Sung Park showed sacrifice, intelligence and discipline and we needed that against [Andrea] Pirlo because he’s a very good player for them. With the kind of team we’ve got it doesn’t matter who we play next.”

Leonardo, Milan coach

“We will have to analyse many things about the game but this is not the time to do it. We deserved something more in the first leg but this time around United’s victory was clearly deserved. They had a brilliant start, scored early on and everything became easier for them.

We did some good things in the Champions League this season. I thought we had a chance after our first-leg performance but we were up against a very good side. We lost [Alessandro] Nesta a few hours ahead of the game, than his replacement [Daniele] Bonera in the first half. I took a risk by fielding [Massimo] Ambrosini in defence, but it didn’t pay off.

It will be impossible to quickly put this game behind us but we are just four points adrift of Inter in Serie A with 11 games to play and we have to try to catch them.”

 

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7 time European champions AC Milan have an uphill task tonight when they face a very in form Manchester United at the Old Trafford. United who won the first leg of this match 3-2 at the San Siro will be hoping that leading scorer Wayne Rooney will be available to help deliver them from Milan’s noose.

Both these teams have met 4 times with Milan emerging victorious on all occasions. This is what makes this tie all the more exciting. United will want to break the curse that follows them whenever they meet Milan. The city of Manchester will welcome back one of their most famous players ever. David Beckham will for the first time in 7 years grace the turf that propelled him to international stardom.

Beckham left United in the summer of 2003 for Real Madrid after his fallout with coach Sir Alex Ferguson. Beckham however is not guaranteed a start tonight. Leonardo has not been keen to give the 34 year old a lot of regular playing time ever since his return from the LA Galaxy. With their top scorer Pato out injured, Leonardo is facing a tough choice between fielding the “specialist” Filipo Inzaghi or Klass Jan Huntelaar in his position.

Leonardo will use his regular 4-3-3 system with Ronaldinho, Borriello and either of the two Inzaghi or Huntelaar in attack. seedorf will replace Beckham who started in his place last time and he will be partnered with Pirlo. Leonardo can choose either Ignazio Abate or Massimo Ambrossini to complete the midfield.

Often considered the heart of every Italian team, Milan’s defense will be captained by Nesta playing in a central position, with Zambrotta , Bonera and Thiago. Milan can count on Abbiati to keep the balls from getting in. United on the other hand will be a very formidable side to contend with. Sir Alex will probably use a 4-4-2 formation with Rooney and Berbatov will Marshall the attack.  Winger Antonio Valencia is expected to start after impressing as a substitute in their first leg 3-2 win. Ferguson has a wide array of players to pick from and he will be hoping that a Scholes, Giggs and Carrick midfield will be Milan’s undoing.

Defense wise, Rafael will be up against fellow Brazilian Ronaldinho, Evra will be on the left, Ferdinand will be partnered with Vidic or Johnny Evans. This will be a tough one to call but i will go with my gut and predict a 3-2 win in favour of Milan. Meaning the game will be settled on penalties. This as we all know is all based on luck.

Photo credit: Floelz

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This Wednesday at 2:45 PM Eastern US time, AC Milan will head to Old Trafford and square off against Manchester United.

THE PAST

Manchester United is one of the most historically significant clubs in all of the world and since the Premier League was established in the early 1990’s the club has dominated the top tier with eleven championships in the last twenty years.  Many of the greatest Premier League players proudly wore the red uniform and the team possesses the most famous coach in the league, Alex Ferguson.  They also have won 11 FA Cups and 3 UEFA Champions League titles as well.  Last season they finished the tournament in second place behind Barca.      

THE PRESENT

Currently in first place, this season has been a little bit more difficult for the Red Devils then most of their previous years of dominance.  Rooney has completely torn up the league though and deserves the honor of Most Valuable Player with a potential 30 goal season underway.  The defense is strong too with Rio Ferdinand leading the backline and the club has a solid, aging keeper in Edwin Van der Saar.  If Man U can build off of that first victory then the club could potentially be in the running for the double this season.   

THE PREDICTION

Before the series begun I figured that Manchester United would win by a combined score of 5-3 and I’m gonna stick with that prediction.  AC Milan did surprise me with their impressive form in the first match, but they needed to keep the score even to have any real chance of advancing to the next round.  Playing Man U away and down a goal is a very tough feat to overcome and the way Rooney is heading the ball recently will only make for more problems for AC Milan.  Plus even if Pato plays he will not be 100% ready to go and will likely be out of form.   

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This Tuesday, Fiorentina will take on Bayern Munich in the second match of their UEFA Champions League battle at 2:45 PM Eastern US time.

THE PAST

Bayern Munich is without a doubt the best German squad in their league’s history and the club has won the title a record 21 times in their long existence.  The club has also won their domestic Cup 14 times and the UEFA Champions League title 4 times as well.  The last time the German side was honored with the UEFA title was in 2001 and most people consider the club’s Golden Years to be in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when the club was among the best in the world year after year.   

THE PRESENT

Well not too much has changed since the legendary 1970’s years of Bayern Munich and the club is still one of the best in the world today.  In fact many critics believe that the German side is the dark horse in the tournament and will likely make it at least to the finals.  The club possesses many great forwards including Gomez, Klose, and Olic.  Not to mention they have one of the most impressive midfield’s in the world with Robben, Ribery, and Schweinsteiger.  The first place club also hasn’t lost at home yet this season, but today they will have to travel to Italy. 

THE PREDICTION

Fiorentina has struggled in league play this season and their chances of finishing in the top four are all but gone.  But in the Champions League they have played fairly well and were robbed last match when the officials missed a blatant offsides call of Klose that cost the club a 2-1 loss.  Now at home the club has a second chance to make things right with a two goal victory against a very strong team.  Before the series began I figured the score would be 4-2 in Bayern’s favor and with it at 2-1 right now I like the chances of that happening.  It has been a tough year for Fiorentina.  Plain and simple.

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Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho Gaucho has taken the responsibility of steering his Milan side to an important victory in their upcoming Champions League fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford this Wednesday.

The Rossoneri take a 3-2 deficit to the Theatre of Dreams and they are hoping that their pedigree in Europe’s prestigious club tournament will see them through to the quarter finals.

In the past Milan have been United’s obtacle to European success at least when they have met at this stage. The last time these two teams met was back in 2007 and although they lost by a similar 3-2 goal margin, Kaka gave one of his best performances ever in a Milan shirt.

“When i played Barcelona, we played Milan and so i know what it will be like for the opposition. We knew they were a strong team, and now am wearing the Milan shirt i underline our strength.” I have to admit, that is some very big talk from Ronaldinho.

United will not be an easy nut to crack however, considering the form Dinho has been displaying for Milan lately, the Old Trafford faithful should be very worried. 2 weeks ago he showed them just why his golden touch of class is still very much alive in him. We can only wait and see if he will be Milan’s saviour like he was during his hey days at Barcelona.

Photo credit: photoreti

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Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini will miss the first leg of the Italian club’s UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie with Fulham on Thursday but could be back for the return in London next week after a scan revealed that his left thigh injury is less serious than first feared.

The 25-year-old suffered the injury during the 2-1 victory at Fiorentina on Saturday, but analysis revealed no serious damage to any muscles. The Italy centre-back, who has contested 25 games in Serie A and six in Europe this term with Juve, will be out of action for about a week. Nicola Legrottaglie is expected to deputise against Fulham in Turin.

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THE PAST

Most people do not know this little fact, but Uruguay was the first ever champions of the World Cup and the nation was also the host of the first ever World Cup as well.  The team did win the Cup under much different rules then the current ones (only 13 teams competed), but they also won the title once again in 1950 in Brazil.  After that second victory the club did make it to the semi-finals twice, but they haven’t advanced that far in the tournament since 1970.  In their last five attempts to make the Cup, Uruguay has only made the event twice and haven’t advanced past the second round since that 1970 Cup run.  

THE PRESENT

Uruguay possesses one of the most talented offenses in the World Cup with Deigo Forlan of Atletico Madrid leading the pack.  The club finished with an impressive 28 goals which was the third most in the South America  behind Brazil and Chile this WCQ, but despite the great offensive production the club still had to fight for a berth via the playoffs when the finished in fifth place.  Uruguay did narrowly defeat Costa Rica 2-1 in a two match aggregate victory to advance though.   

THE PREDICTION

Uruguay’s most consistent line of winning the Cup is 100 to 1, but some gambling sites are putting them at even lower odds then that.  The club does have the offensive potential to make a considerable run and they do have two beatable opponents in Mexico and South Africa, but the club needs to play up to their potential on defense to have a chance of making it to the final 16 spots.  Forlan has been one of the best forwards in the last few seasons, but the guy needs to prove himself on the global stage against many of the best defenders in the game.  It will likely come down to that match against Mexico for survival.  I think they will end up tied with Mexico, but lose the goal advantage and narrowly miss the second round of the tournament. 

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Here in the states we pay tribute to the twelfth man as they say.  Many of our football stadiums often reference this important factor in any competition.  In Seattle, WA the Seahawks raise a flag with the number twelve on it right before kickoff to get the crowd rowdy.  In college football  the Texas A&M Aggies reference this idea on their stadium wall. 

With technological advancements over the last twenty years it is hard to walk into an NFL stadium and not be overwhelmed with this feeling of the twelfth man.  It’s all over stadium walls, banners, and giant TV screens.  Being encouraged to cheer on the home team has gone completely digital with expensive visual effects on the stadium jumbo screen and celebrities hyping their favorite teams.  Rooting for your club has taken on a whole new ideology.

So why put all this time, effort, and money into something that doesn’t directly affect the game? 

Because it really does help y0ur club.

I’m sure if you looked through Serie A history, you could never point out a year where more away teams won matches then home clubs.  It is simply a fact that when you play in your own stadium, surrounded by your own fans, you will more likely play better.  This is because of this theory the twelfth man.

Clubs all around the world are trying to find any competitive edge over the competition that they can.  TV monitors, visual effects, terrible towels, and of course the most dreaded thunder sticks. Anything that gets the fans into the match and rooting loudly for their team is considered a plus.  In Tampa they even added a pirate ship with fake canons to the endzone just to get people rowdy.

The twelfth man has become a part of sports.  But without further adieu lets take a look at the twelfth man of every Serie A club.

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