In The News

• Mount Sinabung , on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, produces its first volcanic eruption since 1600, causing more than 18,000 residents to flee.
• Arrowheads excavated from Sibudu Cave in South Africa indicate the use of the bow and arrow up to 64,000 years ago.
• Following a general election, Danny Philip is elected Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands.
• A series of bombings across thirteen cities in Iraq kills more than fifty people.
• Al-Shabaab militants storm a hotel, killing dozens of people, including parliamentarians, amid heavy fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia.
• A plane crashes in Heilongjiang, north-east China, killing 42 people.
• Nine people, including the hostage-taker, are killed in a hostage crisis on board a bus in Manila, Philippines.
• Thirty-three miners are found alive but trapped, three weeks after a mine collapse near Copiapó, Chile.

Barcelona boss Guardiola: Mourinho will make me better coach

Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola saysJose Mourinho's arrival at Real Madridwill make him a better coach this season.

Guardiola expects to be driven to his limit by Mourinho this term.

"The arrival of Jose Mourinho to our league will make me a better coach. It is very important he coaches in Spain because he is one of the best in the world.

"He will make all coaches better," said Guardiola.

The Barca coach also spoke of his row with new AC Milan signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic's agent Mino Raiola, who still has the likes of Maxwell on his books.

"I thank the club which has sent out a statement on the issue, but I know how to defend itself," he added.

QOTD

Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile.

Reunion week

This week im fortunate enuf to meet wit some gals tat i didnt c or tok to for years....

Vivian: not that long..but oso hardly c her.

Elaine: i think got 1 or 2 years din c her d. We were so close at some point

Shermaine!!!: My lit princess tat grown up so much d..still rmb how i carry her around on my back in Genting and school..miz those days..yet to meet her but meeting her on this coming weekend..i lov it!!Cant wait

Sneijder and Forlan battle to light up Super Cup

MONACO, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder and Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan can strengthen their cases to be World Player of the Year with more stellar performances in Friday's European Super Cup.

Sneijder was inspirational in Inter's Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup treble last term before helping the Netherlands to the final of the World Cup, where Uruguay's Forlan was named Player of the Tournament.

The winner of the new combined FIFA Golden Ball award for 2010 will be announced in January and both players are in the running despite their modesty.

"At the moment I'm not thinking about what I can win, just the match with Atletico," Sneijder told Inter's TV channel. "Personal awards are great but you can't win them without having a solid team at your back."

Ominously for Inter and then La Liga, Forlan is fired up for the new season despite his exertions in leading Uruguay to the semi-finals in South Africa.

"After my holiday I feel refreshed and my body has recovered. I love playing and I am eager to get back out there to perform for my club," he told uefa.com.

The game will also be important for new Inter coach Rafa Benitez, who could win a second trophy in a week if the European champions beat Europa League winners Atletico in Monaco.

The Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup treble winners waved goodbye to inspirational coach Jose Mourinho as he left for Real Madrid but Benitez has hardly made any changes to the winning side since arriving from Liverpool.

He played the same team from May's Champions League final in the 3-1 win over AS Roma in last Saturday's Italian Super Cup although in truth Roma were unlucky to lose.

ADDITIONAL ASSISTANTS

Atletico reached two finals last season, falling to Sevilla in the King's Cup a week after their win over Fulham in the Europa League final, but had a disappointing La Liga campaign.

A lack of consistency stemming from a shaky defence has been tackled, however, with Uruguay's Diego Godin and Brazilian full back Felipe Luis brought in to strengthen the backline.

Fran Merida has been recruited from Arsenal for the midfield, while Portugal playmaker Tiago has been secured on loan again from Juventus, though he is unlikely to feature.

Coach Quique Sanchez Flores is happy as underdogs on Friday.

"Our only advantage in this game is that it is a one-off," he told reporters earlier this week.

"I view it as an epilogue to last season, a reward. We'll demand a lot from ourselves but we can't turn a fiesta into a funeral, whatever happens. On Monday, we'll be motivated for the start of the league whether we win the title or not."

The match will see five men officiating at the Super Cup for the first time, with one additional assistant behind each goal given the expansion of last season's experiment in the Europa League has been extended to the Champions League this season.

Probable teams:

Inter Milan: 1-Julio Cesar; 13-Maicon, 6-Lucio, 25-Walter Samuel, 26-Cristian Chivu; 4-Javier Zanetti, 10-Wesley Sneijder, 19-Esteban Cambiasso; 9-Samuel Eto'o, 22-Diego Milito, 27-Goran Pandev

Atletico Madrid: 13-David de Gea: 17-Tomas Ujfalusi, 25-Diego Godin, 18-Alvaro Dominguez, 24-Felipe Luis; 19-Jose Antonio Reyes, 12-Paulo Assuncao, 8-Raul Garcia, 11-Fran Merida; 7-Diego Forlan, 10-Sergio Aguero

I read on the newspaper that sending text messages causes a radiation that is cancerous. That's why I have decided to stop - to stop reading newspapers.

Spurs, Zenit target group stages

Their proud domestic traditions notwithstanding, Tottenham Hotspur need no reminding that the club merits barely a footnote to date in the history of European football's premier club competition as they target the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Spurs, who expect to overturn a 3-2 deficit against Young Boys of Switzerland on Wednesday in their qualifier return leg at White Hart Lane, were the first English side to taste European glory with a 1963 UEFA Cup Winners Cup triumph. They followed up with a win in the inaugural UEFA Cup in 1972, which they won again 12 years later.

But until they broke into the "top four" of the English Premier League last May at the expense of Liverpool, Spurs had failed to qualify for the Champions League while their only foray into the old format European Cup ended in a narrow 1962 semi-final loss to Benfica after having three goals ruled out. Four years ago, Spurs should have made it into the competition but a mass bout of gastroenteritis contributed to a loss at West Ham which denied the club a berth.

A week ago, the Londoners appeared to have thrown away a place in the lucrative group phase as they saw unheralded Young Boys race into a 3-0 lead in the opening leg. But goals from Sebastien Bassong and Roman Pavlyuchenko brought Spurs back into the contest and they should now be expected to go on and put their names in the hat for the group draw.

"Hopefully, we can get a few early goals like they did," said Spurs' Michael Dawson, looking back at a whirlwind start to the first game which almost saw the Premier League side heading for a premature and humiliating exit.

Manager Harry Redknapp says he expects his side to progress despite the likely absence of Pavlyuchenko with an ankle problem and playmaker Luka Modric with groin trouble. Striker Jermain Defoe hopes to be fit despite also having a groin strain. Assuming he makes it, Robbie Keane, who missed the weekend win at Stoke with a knee injury, is likely to miss out again amid reports he could be on his way to Aston Villa or West Ham.

In Redknapp's view, "we have got a big chance as we have come back from the dead" in the first game. Ledley King is scheduled to return in defence after he was rested against Stoke.

European derbies
While Spurs seek to make it through to the money-spinning group action, there are two "local" derbies Wednesday as Norway's Rosenborg travel to Denmark's FC Copenhagen protecting a 2-1 lead while Slovakian outfit Zilina should progress having already won 2-0 at Czech neighbours Sparta Prague.

The two remaining encounters are tightly poised with French side Auxerre - a surprise third in Ligue 1 last season - looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Russia's 2008 UEFA Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg, while Ajax start slight favourites armed with a 1-1 draw from the away leg at Ukraine's Dynamo Kiev. Zenit sit atop the Russian league and had a weekend off after their match with second-placed CSKA Moscow was rescheduled.

"We are going to France without any fears," Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti insists. We missed several chances in the first match but managed to win it and keep a clean sheet. Such a result after the first leg is quite acceptable. Auxerre are a very good team but I believe we are capable of earning a place in the main draw."

The five winners will join the five qualifiers from Tuesday's encounters, those ten teams going through to join 22 heavyweights who automatically made it to the group stage.

Stoke tracking Tottenham striker Peter Crouch

Stoke are the latest club to show interest in Tottenham striker Peter Crouch but Harry Redknapp does not want to sell.

Everton have also been linked with the England international, who could use Steven Pienaar to part finance a £15million deal.

Target: Tottenham's Peter Crouch

Stoke striker Dave Kitson is wanted by Portsmouth on loan.

Wigan are talking to former West Ham striker Guillermo Franco, 33, about a free transfer.

Leicester are weighing up a £500,000 bid for Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns.

To live dis life i need a heartbeat,to have a heartbeat i need a heart,to have heart i need happiness,to have happiness i need u!

Chivas president Jorge Vergara regrets early Javier Hernandez sale to Manchester United

Chivas president Jorge Vergara has admitted he wished he'd kept Manchester United striker Javier Hernandezuntil the end of their Copa Libertadores campaign.

Hernandez, 22, agreed on the switch to United in April and has made an instant impact. The Mexican side have progressed to the final of South America's elite club competition but missed 'Chicharito's' presence after losing the first leg of the final against Internacional 2-1.

With Tottenham's new signing Sandro not expected in north London until the end of the Brazilian side's campaign, Vergara revealed to Marca his regret at not agreeing a similar deal.

He said: "I am certain he would have made an important contribution against Internacional; maybe our mistake was not having kept Javier at Chivas until the final.

Manchester United Blog | The Stretty Rant

August 19, 2010

It’s a rather disappointing day for United in the press. Rodrigo Possebon is heading home to play for Santos in Brazil, former assistant Carlos Queiroz has received a ban from the Portuguese Football Federation, and Dimitar Berbatov has earned comparison to Eric Cantona.

I thought Possebon would be the next play to breakthrough from the reserves, but with him gone I’m curious to see who our readers think is the next youngster to come through the ranks.

Owl City-Fireflies

You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep

'Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You'd think me rude
But I would just stand and stare

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance

A foxtrot above my head
A sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

Leave my door open just a crack
(Please take me away from here)
'Cause I feel like such an insomniac
(Please take me away from here)
Why do I tire of counting sheep
(Please take me away from here)
When I'm far too tired to fall asleep

To ten million fireflies
I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell

But I'll know where several are
If my dreams get real bizarre
'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams

German giants want Weiss

Weiss: Looking to move on

Stuttgart general manager Fredi Bobic admits his club are keen on Manchester City starlet Vladimir Weiss.

The 20-year-old is among those to have found themselves on the fringes at Eastlands following a summer of mass transfer activity.

The added competition for places looks set to curtail any hopes he had of forcing his way into the first-team fold this season.

As a result, it is expected that the Slovakia international will be moved on by Roberto Mancini, either on loan or in a permanent switch.

Weiss did take in a short-term deal at City's Premier League rivals Bolton last season and is believed to be looking for another move.

Talks

Stuttgart claim the youngster has expressed a desire to join them and Bobic is hoping an agreement can be pushed through before the summer transfer window slams shut.

"We are in talks and we would like to sign Vladimir Weiss," he told Deutsche Presseagentur.

"The player would like to come over, but there are other clubs also interested in his services.

"We have yet to agree a move as the other clubs involved have other ideas."

Weiss is under contract with City until June 2012, but has struggled to make an impression since stepping up from the academy ranks.

John Whittle

John Woods Whittle VC, DCM (3 August 1882 – 2 March 1946) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Whittle was serving as a sergeant in the First World War when he was decorated with the Victoria Cross following two separate actions against German forces during their retreat to the Hindenburg Line in 1917. In the latter action, he attacked a machine gun crew, killing the group and seizing the gun.

Born in Tasmania, Whittle completed twelve months active service during the Second Boer War, before returning to Australia and enlisting in theRoyal Navy where he served for five years as a stoker. Re-enlisting in the army, he was posted to the Army Service Corps, artillery, and Tasmanian Rifle Regiment prior to the outbreak of the First World War. Transferring to the Australian Imperial Force in 1915, Whittle joined the 12th Battalion in Egypt and embarked for the Western Front the following year. During an attack on the village of La Barque, Whittle rushed a German trench and forced the men from the position; he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal as a result.

Wounded three times during the war, Whittle was the subject of two courts-martial due to his unruly behaviour. In October 1918, he returned to Australia at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Australia to assist in recruitment. Discharged from the military in December 1918, he later moved to Sydney. In 1934, Whittle was presented with a Certificate of Merit after saving a drowning boy. He died in 1946 at the age of 63.

Fulham transfer talk overshadows draw with Bolton

Bolton Wanderers 0 Fulham 0: Mark Schwarzer and Paul Konchesky, two leading Fulham lights who have been the subject of much transfer speculation, sat out a mundane opening here to the new League season, both having failed fitness tests.

Of course, this being the final few weeks of the summer transfer window, that will not deter reports that Schwarzer's move to Arsenal, or Konchesky's reported reunion with Roy Hodgson at Liverpool, have moved a step closer following their omission at the Reebok Stadium but for now Fulham's new manager, Mark Hughes, keeps his determined stance.

"They had fitness tests this morning and were unable to play," said Hughes. "Schwarzer is injured, that is why he missed the game. The intention is that he stays here. We have had conversations, and I fully understand the reasoning [why] Mark wants to take this opportunity.

"But I think he understands we have to protect our position. We're not going to put Fulham's position or reputation at risk by making promises we can't fulfil. Nothing has moved on."

Certainly his deputy goalkeeper David Stockdale, 24, did his cause with Hughes no harm. After some initial jitters Stockdale, starting only his second Premier League game, made two vital saves that earned his team a point.

Early in the second period, Gretar Steinsson picked out Johan Elmander in the Fulham area and the oft-criticised Sweden forward turned neatly in the area to produce a vicious shot, which Stockdale kept out with his fingertips. Then, just after the hour mark, Elmander was again the unfortunate Wanderer as he seized on an advantage call from the referee Stuart Attwell, advancing into the area where only the outstretched leg of the young goalkeeper denied him.

Stuart Holden, the United States midfielder, came closest of all to breaking the deadlock 12 minutes from time when he showed an explosive turn of pace to cut in from the left and send a right-foot shot ricocheting against the foot of Stockdale's post.

That escape actually galvanised Fulham into their best period of the game, and Jussi Jaaskelainen was twice forced into solid saves from Clint Dempsey and Dickson Etuhu as the London side finally sensed the possibility of victory rather than soak up pressure and hope for something on the break.

"Last season, it took us until February to get our first clean sheet so I'm pleased," said Bolton's manager, Owen Coyle. "Some of our play was great, the fans were fantastic, the atmosphere was great. The only disappointment was, we never got the win."

Attendance: 20,352

Referee: Stuart Attwell

Man of the match: Knight

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premiership/fulham-transfer-talk-overshadows-draw-with-bolton-14912211.html?r=RSS#ixzz0wiw5ypTg

QOTD

I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I didn't want to interrupt her.

Legend..wait for it...wait for it...ary!!

How I Met Your Mother is a bad series that influence ppl around..bad...

So kids, the story was back in YESTERDAY. Me and your uncle Simon, uncle Soo Gee, uncle Hon Kitt, uncle Damon, uncle Gary and aunt Penny went to bangsar for a drink or two, and your uncle Tung CHICKEN out half way.

We wanted to go for this bar call "21" but is Fri nite and you shouldn't noe tis but is their ladies nite in KL, so it turns out FULL HOUSE! so we changed our plan and walk around and found this pub that reli EXPENSIVE, never do this but we ran away after looking at the menu which their staff worked so hard to find us a seat that can fit 7 ppl and arrange chair..pity them.

So, another change of plan. Up to this point u will think tis is one HELL of a LEGENDARY nite..but..the story is not over yet. We decided to go test our luck in Sri Hartamas where ur uncle Simon missed a junction n made us turn one big round jz to go there..he owiz has bad sense of direction if you notice that.

We found this bar name BLACKHOLE and ur uncle Damon was so excited bout it and he also ordered a GRAVEYARD which is a cocktail bcoz its BLACK in colour. 3 jug and 3 jug and 3 jug....me n ur uncle Simon at least ordered another shot n bottoms up it, others was like..dying thr bcoz of few cups of beer. At least ur uncle Kwa had improvement. He wanted to puke but failed so end up he didn't!Remember the story he puked in our hotel room's sink at Genting?thats sux!

Your uncle Gary and aunt Penny wasn't tat lucky. They got blocked by police 2 times and was robbed RM70 which is counted lucky bcoz those money suckers wanted RM500 at 1st. You c the point i wanna migrate to UK?and the worse is they gt blocked by our guard in usj18..haha!

The nite was not over. Me, ur uncle Damon, uncle Gary and aunt Penny drank the 2nd round in my hse n played some poker which dunno y ur uncle Damon was so lucky tat day. Played till the next day 7am in the morning and v head out for bfast where both of us r like ZOMBIE. Oh yea..uncle Damon ordered a ZOMBIE at 1st in the bar but he was so dissapointed wit it bcoz he expected it to b BLACK in colour so he onli ordered a GRAVEYARD after tat.

I was so tired and slpy...tot can slp for like s long s i wan but woke up half way of my sweet dream to puke..yea..bad blood circulation..u'll puke the next day..@.@

Can't deny..the nite was LEGEND...wait for it...wait for it...wait for it...ARY NITE!!

53 people bet on Pool to win Premier League

BLACKPOOL fans are feeling optimistic this season as at least 53 of them have bet on the Seasiders winning the Premier League.

According to bookies Paddy Power faithful fans have truly got behind their team by taking backing them to finish above Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool at a massive 5,000-1.

Although that figure must be qualified with the fact that nobody has laid down more than a £10 bet.

Paddy Power spokesman Darren Haines said: "These must be the people who paint their houses tangerine. The eternal optimists."

If the bet was to come off it would be almost as bad for the firm as if another North West team took the trophy.

At 15-1 a massive amount of punters have had a quick flutter on Everton, who stand an outside chance of having a say in the title.

Mr Haines said another popular bet was for Pool to break the record for lowest number of points scored in a season, an unwanted title currently held by Derby County from the 2007/08 term. The odds on that bet have dropped from 16-1 to 8-1 due to the number of gamblers taking it on.

Four bets have also been placed on the Seasiders failing to win a single game at 25-1.

But on a plus note the odds of Blackpool staying up are a reasonable 11-4 or 2/9 for the team being relegated.

City buck trend as English clubs cut back

(AFP) - Premier League clubs may be earning record sums but faced with rising debts and wages are largely avoiding buying star players before the new season gets underway, with Manchester City the main exception.

"Top transfer targets come with high wage demands," said Wyn Grant, an expert in football business at Warwick University, central England.

"In the current economic climate and when you're a club with debt it's not advisable to have large amounts of your outgoings to go on these wages," he told AFP.

For a second year running City easily stand top of the table in terms of pre-season spending on players and are on course to have splashed out more than 100 million pounds (120 million euros, 159 million dollars) by the time the new campaign starts on Saturday.

"We want to improve and we want to improve quickly," said City manager Roberto Mancini.

"For this reason we have to buy," explained the Italian, looking to add Aston Villa's James Milner and Inter Milan's Mario Balotelli to his squad.

During the close-season City have already spent a total of 60 million pounds on Spanish World Cup winner David Silva, Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure and Germany defender Jerome Boateng, thanks to their wealthy Gulf-based owners.

City finished last season in fifth place, missing out on a lucrative Champions League spot but managed to finish above Liverpool, whose debt problems have resulted in only one major pre-season acquisition -- Joe Cole from Chelsea on a free transfer.

But the Reds have so far managed to keep key players Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard amid mounting speculation Chinese businessman Kenny Huang is set to take over the club and wipe out Liverpool's debt worth 237 million pounds.

Reigning champions Chelsea, last season's runners-up Manchester United, third-placed Arsenal and Tottenham who secured the final Champions League spot by finishing fourth have also all been quiet in the transfer market.

Chelsea have signed Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool to replace Cole and United's only major arrival has been Mexico striker Javier Hernandez.

Arsenal have bagged Moroccan international Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer and managed to hold onto Spain's Cesc Fabregas after turning down multi-million pound bids from Barcelona for their young captain.

With a few weeks remaining until the transfer window shuts on August 31, leading Premier League clubs may add to their squads after being linked with numerous players from across the globe.

But Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes his side do not need to buy any more players.

"I don't see the value in adding to our squad," said the Scot, shrugging off suggestions United's massive debts were behind their transfer inactivity.

"Supporters want you to buy players. They like to see a big signing every year ... I look at the players everyone says are available and they don't excite me."

Last season's 20 Premier League clubs are together expected to have earned record revenues of more than two billion pounds in 2009-10, according to Deloitte.

The global accountancy firm added in its latest annual survey on football finance that the coming season will see combined revenues rise even further to reach 2.2 billion pounds thanks to higher broadcasting fees.

But Premier League players' combined wages hit a record high of 1.3 billion pounds in 2008-09 and are forecast to have risen even further since then.

"The record wages to revenue ratio of 67 percent in the Premier League in 2008/09 is a concern, and we expect wages growth to outstrip revenue increases again in 2009/10," said Alan Switzer, director of Deloitte's Sports Business Group.

"This will further reduce operating profitability, a decline that cannot continue indefinitely.

"However, clubs have the opportunity, via the revenue uplift from the new broadcast deals from 2010/11, to get wage levels down to a more sustainable share of revenue.

"It's not the first such opportunity. It remains to be seen whether they grasp it," he added in the recent report.

We r just friends yar

Shakspear said, “A Boy & a Girl can never b Friends forever.”
Lincoln said, “Friendship is the starting step 4 wat we call Love.”
Wrdswrth said, “Proposing a Boy or a Girl for Friendship is nothing but indirectly saying, I LIKE U.”
Jackie Chan said, “Love is a everlasting Friendship.”
Michael Jackson said,”If 1 can become ur Best Friend, then He or She can easily bcum ur Life Partner!

this is 4 all those guyz n girlz who say,”We r just friends yar”

In debut of Marquez and Castillo, Johnson shines

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — On the field with some of soccer's biggest names, Sean Johnson stole the show.

The Chicago Fire goalkeeper made seven saves Sunday night, including two on shots by Thierry Henry and another by Juan Pablo Angel in stoppage time, to preserve a 0-0 tie against the New York Red Bulls. It was only the second Major League Soccer game for the 21-year-old Johnson.

"We should have won the game," said Henry, who doesn't expect to miss any time after leaving the game in the 45th minute with a groin injury. "We had chances to win the game, but Chicago and their goalkeeper had a great game."

The Fire and Red Bulls have dominated Major League Soccer headlines with their big-name acquisitions over the last few weeks, and the chance to see all the stars drew a crowd of 21,868, the largest ever for a Fire game at Toyota Park.

Mexico captain Rafael Marquez, who followed Barcelona teammate Henry to New York, was in the starting lineup for his Red Bulls debut. Freddie Ljungberg was playing his first home game since being traded to Chicago from Seattle on July 30, and Mexico international Nery Castillo was greeted with fireworks when he came on in the second half, his first appearance since Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine loaned him to the Fire.

But it was Johnson who made the difference.

The Red Bulls peppered him with five shots on goal in the second half, including a shot by Angel at the beginning of stoppage time. Positioned just inside the 6-yard box, the Red Bulls captain got his head on the ball and swung hard. But Johnson got a hand on the ball, punching it clear.

"I'm disappointed. I think we should have won the game," Angel said. "We had a number of chances, we just couldn't put them away."

Henry, playing in his second MLS game, gave New York its best chances in the first half. In the 20th minute, he stopped Fire defender C.J. Brown with a stutter step and took a shot from close range, but Johnson stopped it easily. Ten minutes later, Angel fed Henry on the run, but he got tangled up with a defender in the box and Johnson smothered the ball.

But he tweaked his groin he left New York's exhibition against Manchester City with a similar injury and left in the 45th minute.

"For me, it's the preseason," said Henry, who signed with New York on July 14 after being released by Barcelona. "Guys out there are fully fit and it's not easy to try and get fit. But I'm going to try and do it as fast as I can."

Chicago's offense has suffered since the departure of Cuauhtemoc Blanco, lacking the creative touch that made the Fire so dangerous up top. But the trade for Ljungberg appears to have solved that. He had several nice give-and-gos with McBride but he blew a chance to give Chicago the lead in the 43rd minute.

McBride made a nice run up the right side, looking for Ljungberg all the way as Ljungberg charged to the left post. McBride made a perfect cross, but Ljungberg duffed the shot just inside the 6-yard box.

"I'm very happy because Freddie adapted very fast with all the teammates. He's a big professional and looked very good to me," Fire coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "Nery Castillo, when these guys have more knowledge of each other, I'm sure we will improve in front, in the attack."

Manchester United star Wayne Rooney and the rest should take a crash course in humility Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-

Which of us as kids - and even now, as old kids - haven't dreamed of playing at Wembley for club and country?

It will be hard for us to understand, therefore, that a fair few England players would probably prefer not be turning out there for Chelsea or Manchester United today or the national team on Wednesday.

Chief among them is Wayne Rooney. At the very least, he should be feeling somewhat sheepish.

Wayne's World: Rooney has endured a tough couple of months

Given his tirade against England followers in South Africa, and his feeble World Cup form, getting himself into a position where he could be pictured outside a Manchester nightclub, smoking and urinating, was not the wisest form of self-rehabilitation a few days back into training and before the opening week of the season.

Now we should know that footballers are not, and never have been, saints. They are young men with, at the top level, plenty of money and energy. And young men do daft things.

I should know ... I was one once. And that was without money! Nor should we expect millionaires who have lost touch with real life to be role models.

That job is for parents and, secondarily, teachers. But for Rooney's new £130,000-a-week contract, those who have made him and the Premier League so rich by buying satellite subscriptions, expensive tickets and merchandise, can expect professionalism, especially when a bit of low-profile penitence might have been called for. Rooney has become the English game's touchstone and, as reflection of it, was duly exposed at the World Cup as being short of the highest quality.

He is so valued because of the limited English talent available. Having added heading ability to his repertoire last season, he became even more feted.

He has, though, been fortunate to have had good service from overseas players in a Premier League jungle where such a big beast can dominate physically. At times, he can also symbolise English players deficient in patience and care.

Clearly Rooney has not realised properly quite how fed up the nation is with him, his England mates, and the England manager Fabio Capello. (Does anyone else recall at the Italian's appointment, by the way, the then FA chief executive Brian Barwick describing him as 'a winner with a capital W'?)

Even if memories are short and, as the old hype kicks back in again in a few weeks, you suspect that Rooney and Co are about to find out - from rival fans at today's FA Community Shield and from England's friendly against Hungary in midweek - just how let down every fleeced fan feels.

And they will deserve the public opprobrium. If they acknowledge its validity with some grace, rather than reject it - as Rooney did in Cape Town - some much-needed self-awareness and humility might even arrive.

If not, they risk alienating their audience even more. Welcome home, boys.

Wenger has his chance

So much speculation, so many words. In recent weeks, the Spanish sports paper Marca has been running up to six pages a day on the Cesc Fabregas-Barcelona non-transfer saga.

And you think we've it bad over here? In the end, you suspect it all came down to one sentence from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to Fabregas, as it did with Sir Alex Ferguson and Cristiano Ronaldo two summers ago:

Staying put: Wenger convinced Fabregas to stay at Arsenal this season

Give me one more season for a big tilt at the major trophies and then we'll let you go.

And, opening the door to ridicule, I believe Arsenal will win the new Premier League.

Wenger has strengthened stealthily and his youngsters are a year older and wiser, ready to hold off Manchester United.

There will be hell to pay should Manchester City's money not take them into the top four and they could even overtake an ageing Chelsea.

Relegation? It'd be nice to be wrong about Blackpool going down with West Bromwich and Wigan.

One Season Too Many For Fabregas? From Ashley Cole To Thierry Henry - The Players Who Gave Their Clubs Another Year

The decision of Cesc Fabregas to resist the summer-long siren calls from his hometown club Barcelona means thatArsenal and their fans will have the gifted playmaker in their ranks for the coming campaign as they seek the silverware that has eluded the club since their penultimate season at Highbury.

Fabregas was no doubt put under pressure to remain at the Emirates by his 'second father' Arsene Wenger - and his relationship with Gunners' fans - though that pressure can scarcely have been greater than the emotional tidal wave of urgings from Camp Nou to abandon the Emirates and rejoin the Spanish champions.

Although on Friday Fabregas finally committed himself 'for the foreseeable future' to Arsenal, it has immediately been interpreted, especially at Barcelona, as 'just one more year', despite the fact that his Arsenal contract runs until 2015.

So if 2010-11 is to be his last season as a Gunner, how will it pan out? Will he skipper the club to a trophy before leaving on a high, or cut a distracted and forlorn figure whose head and heart are in Spain, and see his market value fall to a level closer to what financially-strapped Barca are prepared to pay?

There are others before him who have pledged themselves to one more year at their clubs, with decidely mixed results...

Patrick Vieira - Arsenal, 2004-05

A predecessor of Fabregas as Arsenal captain, Vieira was shamelessly courted by Real Madrid for consecutive summers; but after leading the unbeaten Gunners to Premier League glory in 2003-04, when he was at his imperious best, he opted to stay at the north London club.

In that next season, his form was deemed to have dipped - although what proved to be his last kick as a Gunner did bury the penalty that defeated Manchester United in Cardiff and enabled him to hoist the FA Cup.

And there was a certain irony when Wenger decided, in summer 2005, to offload the combative midfielder. Vieira was somewhat surprised to find himself suddenly surplus to requirements. Real Madrid were no longer that interested, so he returned to Serie A where, despite winning consecutive titles with Juventus and then Inter, he never recaptured the highs he'd commanded at Arsenal.

Ashley Cole - Arsenal, 2005-06

A hugely successful product of the Arsenal academy, Cole's relationship with the Gunners had seemed solid until revelations of his having attended clandestine meetings with Chelsea about a possible move emerged.

Cole and Chelsea were subsequently fined for their respective roles in the tapping-up scandal, and the left-back's relationship with Arsenal and their fans was irreparably damaged.

He signed a new contract, but spent much of 2005-06 on the treatment table and, with Gael Clichy having emerged in his absence, and some shabby carping in his autobiography, what proved to be his last season at Arsenal before he headed off for Chelsea was an unedifying experience all round.

Thierry Henry - Arsenal, 2006-07

Having taken the armband from the departing Vieira, Arsenal's all-time leading scorer captained the Gunners in the 2006 Champions League final against Barcelona, the club he was widely tipped to join that summer.

But he chose to give Arsenal one more season, their first at the Emirates. It proved to be a frustrating one for all concerned. Blighted by injury, when he was fit to play he often looked exasperated and out of step with his young team-mates, who in turn appeared inhibited by the icon's presence.

It made his eventuual move to Barca, in summer 2007, much easier for Gunners fans to bear than had seemed likely a year earlier.

Emmanuel Adebayor - Arsenal, 2008-09

The Togo striker was beneficiary-in-chief of Henry's Arsenal exit, scoring 30 goals as the Gunners threatened (but ultimately failed) to win the title in 2007-08.

However, the limelight seemed to go to Adebayor's head, and he spent much of the 2008 summer flirting publicly with AC Milan and Barcelona. Arsenal offered him significantly enhanced terms to stay, but he'd squandered his goodwill with the fans, and his final season as a Gunner was an anti-climax laced with vitriol from the terraces.

The bitterness came to a head when, now at Manchester City, he celebrated scoring against Arsenal with infamous zeal.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United, 2008-09

After his sensational 2007-08 season at United, when he scored a remarkable 42 goals from the wing, Ronaldo expressed an interest in moving to Real Madrid if they offered him the same terms they'd allegedly tempted him with earlier that year.

United complained about Real's pursuit of their player, and in August 2008 Ronaldo confirmed he would stay at Old Trafford for at least another year, before fulfilling his 'dream move' to the Bernabeu.

That final season as a Red Devil was another momentous one: he won the Ballon d'Or, was named Fifa World Player of the Year, collected a third consecutive Premier League winners' medal, appeared in his second successive Champions League final and scored another 26 goals in 53 appearances before joining Real with Sir Alex Ferguson's blessing.

Steve McManaman - Liverpool, 1998-99

A decade earlier, Real Madrid were the object of another Premier League star's affections. Named Liverpool captain at the start of the 1998-99 season, McManaman revealed his desire to play abroad.

In January 1999 his agent announced that he was about to fly to Spain, and by the end of the month McManaman had passed a medical and signed an official pre-contract with Madrid.

The decision angered many Liverpool fans, who believed McManaman had waited until he was sure Real Madrid would sign him on a lucrative deal. It was the end of a beautiful friendship: he still had five months left on his Liverpool contract and in his final games for the club his form dipped through a combination of injury, manager Gerard Houllier's selections as he tried to reduce the team's reliance on McManaman, and the player's loss of confidence as sections of the home fans turned against him, calling him 'traitor' and 'Judas'.

Xabi Alonso - Liverpool, 2008-09

The manner of Alonso's departure from Anfield was markedly different. Happy at Liverpool and highly influential in the Reds' midfield, he'd been treated as entirely expendable by Rafael Benitez in the summer of 2008 as the manager publicly pursued Aston Villa's Gareth Barry.

In the event, neither player moved that summer; but Alonso had lost confidence in Rafa and, despite an excellent relationship with the Kop, decided his future lay away from Liverpool.

Underlining the folly of having tried to offload him, Alonso proceeded to produce his best season on the pitch for the Reds, who narrowly missed out on that elusive 19th domestic championship title. But it was his swan-song: he handed in a transfer request and needed no second thoughts when Real Madrid came in for him in July 2009.

Gareth Barry - Aston Villa, 2008-09

As captain and longest-serving player at Villa Park, Barry became the subject, in May 2008, of a series of bids from Liverpool boss Benitez. All were rejected by Aston Villa, prompting Barry to publicly criticise his manager, Martin O'Neill, accusing him of making no attempt to keep him at the club, and stating his desire to join Liverpool in order to play Champions League football.

The midfielder was officially disciplined by Villa, who then rejected another bid from Anfield of around £15 million as falling short of their £18m valuation. O'Neill stripped Barry of the club captaincy, but the player remained at Villa for one more season.

He was later restored as skipper as Villa made a determined bid to break into the top four. He made 48 appearances in all competitions, his highest seasonal tally for the club, scoring eight goals, only one fewer than his best return as a Villan. But in June 2009 he signed a five-year contract with Manchester City for a fee of £12m, despite their non-involvement in the Champions League.

Jermain Defoe - West Ham United, 2003-04

The striker was forging a strong reputation at West Ham but was unable to prevent them from being relegated at the end of the 2002-03 season. Within 24 hours of their demotion being confirmed, Defoe handed in a written transfer request. Its timing brought criticism from both fans and team-mates and was rejected by the club.

He later apologised to supporters, saying: "I mishandled that move and I can only apologise. I'm young and I've learned from it. I still played my hardest for West Ham and gave them 100 per cent and want to thank the fans for their support."

But although starting the 2003–04 season as a Hammer, he refused to sign a new contract and seemed distracted as three red cards saw him play only 22 of a possible 34 games, prompting West Ham to accept an offer from Tottenham for him in the January transfer window.

Michael Owen - Newcastle United, 2008-09

Newcastle's record signing in August 2005, Owen's career on Tyneside had been blighted by injury, and he made just 71 league appearances for the Magpies in four seasons, the last of his contract being the 2008-09 campaign.

Kevin Keegan had made him club captain in January 2008, but in December of that year, Owen rejected a new offer from Newcastle, saying he would postpone talks about his contract situation until the end of the season.

It was a disastrous one for the Toon, who were relegated from the Premier League for the first time in 15 years. At the end of it Owen confirmed he would not be re-signing for Newcastle, preferring a move to a Premier League club, or other top-flight foreign side. In July 2009, he signed for Manchester United on a free transfer.

Rihanna-Disturbia

What's wrong with me?
Why do I feel like this?
I'm going crazy now

No more gas, in the red, can't even get it started
Nothing heard, nothing said, can't even speak about it
On my life, on my head, don't wanna think about it
Feels like I'm going insane, yeah

It's a thief in the night to come and grab you
It can creep up inside you and consume you
A disease of the mind, it can control you
It's too close for comfort

Put on your pretty lies, you're in the city of wonder
Ain?t gon? play nice, watch out you might just go under
Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise

Your mind?s in disturbia, it's like the darkness is light
Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight?
Disturbia, ain?t used to what you like
Disturbia, disturbia

Faded pictures on the wall, it's like they talking to me
Disconnecting on calls, the phone don?t even ring
I gotta get out or figure this sh** out
It's too close for comfort, oh

It's a thief in the night to come and grab you
It can creep up inside you and consume you
A disease of the mind it can control you
I feel like a monster, oh

Put on your pretty lies, you're in the city of wonder
Ain?t gon? play nice, watch out you might just go under
Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise

Your mind?s in disturbia, it's like the darkness is light
Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight?
Disturbia, ain't used to what you like
Disturbia, disturbia, disturbia

Release me from this curse I'm in
Trying to maintain but I'm struggling
If you can't go-o-o
I think I'm gonna ah, ah, ah, ah

Put on your pretty lies, you're in the city of wonder
Ain?t gon? play nice, watch out you might just go under
Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise

Disturbia, it's like the darkness is light
Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight?
Disturbia, ain't used to what you like
Disturbia, disturbia