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Soccer
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Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide. In most countries, soccer is better known as "football." Each team consists of 10 players and one goalkeeper. The objective of the game of soccer is to get the ball into the goal of the opposing team. This can be achieved by kicking the ball or using one's head to maneuver it across the field. Soccer matches are 90 minutes long, with a 15-minute break called half-time in the middle.
Each country has their own soccer leagues and tournaments. The biggest of these tournaments, however, is the World Cup, which takes place every four years. The Italian national team is the current World Cup Champion. Soccer games, especially those on an international level, are well attended events. Many South American countries, such as Argentina and Brazil are big soccer nations. Recently U.S. Major League Soccer has become more popular, with British star midfielder David Beckham joining the Los Angeles Galaxy. To get the best tickets to any soccer game, check out SportsTicketDepot.com today!
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Fiorentina take control over Slavia Prague with 2-0 win
August 12, 2008
Strikers Adrian Mutu, pictured in June 2008, and Alberto Gilardino scored as Fiorentina took a big step towards the group stage of the Champions League on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Slavia Prague.
Strikers Adrian Mutu, pictured in June 2008, and Alberto Gilardino scored as Fiorentina took a big step towards the group stage of the Champions League on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Slavia Prague.
Strikers Adrian Mutu and Alberto Gilardino scored as Fiorentina took a big step towards the group stage of the Champions League here on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Slavia Prague.
Fiorentina's non-conceding of an away goal augured well for the return leg of this third qualifying tie in Prague in two weeks' time.
"The spirit is right. The team responded well, as did the crowd, so I'm satisfied," Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli told Rai television.
Romania international Mutu set the Stadio Artemio Franchi alight in the third minute when he curled a superb right-footed freekick into the top corner from 30 metres out.
Former AC Milan forward Gilardino, one of several new arrivals making their competitive debuts for the Florence club, put the hosts firmly in charge of the tie in the 57th minute when he headed home after the ball bounced around the penalty area from a corner.
The visitors tried to produce a quick reply to Mutu's opener, but Fiorentina's Danish defender Per Kroldrup, in the starting line-up for the injured Alessandro Gamberini, did well to steal possession from midfielder Dusan Svento at the edge of the penalty area to stop a dangerous move.
The hosts looked comfortable on the ball and the Czech title-holders, who knocked out Ajax in the preliminaries to make their debut appearance in the Champions League group stage last season, struggled to pose a threat.
Slavia defender Martin Latka had to climb high on the half hour mark to prevent a Zdravko Kuzmanovic cross finding the head of Gilardino, who was ready to pounce close to goal.
Serb midfielder Kuzmanovic came close with a powerful long-distance shot shortly after and Gilardino failed to take advantage of three inviting crosses into the penalty box as the Serie A side pressed hard towards the end of the first half.
Fiorentina, returning to the Champions League after an absence of over eight years, kept up the pressure after the break and Slavia keeper Martin Vaniak needed to make a fine save to repel a powerful freekick from Peruvian full back Juan Manuel Vargas.
Just as the Czechs showed some signs of coming into the match, Gilardino made up for his earlier mistakes with a goal, although television replays suggested there was a suspicion of offside.
Vaniak stopped his side falling three goals behind on several occasions, stopping two close-range shots in quick succession from Gilardino and Pablo Osvaldo, scooping a Mutu corner off the line and smothering the ball at the end of a goalmouth scramble.
Prandelli added: "We need (the two weeks of training before the second leg) because, as could be seen, we aren't continuously sharp yet. But we were also quite tidy today."
Prandelli expressed his faith in Gilardino, who is trying to regain his best form and his place in the Italian national team after a couple of unimpressive seasons at Milan.
"There are no doubts about Gilardino," Prandelli said of the striker, who had previously played under him during a stint together at Parma. "He is a serious lad who has always had a sense of goal."
More World Cup Sports News at:
Sports Ticket Depot - World Cup Soccer News
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Argentina, Brazil and Italy lead way to quarter-finals
August 13, 2008
Diego of Brazil celebrates after scoring against China in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games first round Group C men's football match at the Qinghuangdao Olympic Stadium. A brace from Thiago Neves helped Brazil beat China 3-0 to end any hope the host nation had of making the Olympic quarter-finals.
Diego of Brazil celebrates after scoring against China in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games first round Group C men's football match at the Qinghuangdao Olympic Stadium. A brace from Thiago Neves helped Brazil beat China 3-0 to end any hope the host nation had of making the Olympic quarter-finals.
Argentina and Brazil remained on course for a semi-final showdown in the men's Olympic football competition as the final eight sorted themselves out in the last round of Group matches Wednesday.
Italy emerged as the best of the rest and have the kindest draw with the prospect of a semi-final against Nigeria if the Group winners also win their opening play-off match.
Defending champions Argentina kept Lionel Messi on the bench but were still too good for Serbia for their ninth consecutive Games win, an Olympic record after going through unbeaten in Athens four years ago
They beat the Serbs 2-0 with a penalty by Ezequiel Lavezzi in the 12th minute and a free kick from Angel de Maria more than an hour later.
A goal from Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou gave Ivory Coast a 1-0 win over Australia to qualify second in Group A and an African showdown with Nigeria in the quarter-finals.
Argentina play the Netherlands in the quarter-finals while Brazil play Cameroon.
A brace from Thiago Neves helped Brazil to beat China 3-0 ending any hope the host nation had of going through.
Such was the pressure on the Chinese to perform that their one point from three games drew the ire of their fans with one online commentator describing their performances as "full of shame and disgust".
Serbia's Aleksandar Zivkovic (left) vies for the ball with Argentina's Jose Sosa during their 2008 Beijing Olympic Games men's first round Group A football match at the Worker's Stadium. Argentina and Brazil remain on course for a semi-final showdown in the men's Olympic football competition as the final eight sorted themselves out in the last round of Group matches.
But they were never in with a chance against Brazil who have Ronaldinho back to his near best dictating the game from the midfield.
Belgium beat New Zealand 1-0 to be the second qualfiers from group C and a date with Italy.
They Italians and Cameroon both progressed to the quarter-finals after fighting out a turgid goalless draw in Group D which saw the African side play with 10 men for all but 32 minutes.
Whilst Cameroon - who also missed a penalty - will be pleased to have made the last eight, the 2000 Olympic champions will be missing the red carded Georges Mandjeck and defender Paul Bebey - who received his second yellow card of the tournament - when they play Brazil.
Nigeria finished top of Group B when they beat the United States 2-1 with the Netherlands leapfrogging the USA to be the second qualifiers when a late Gerald Sibon penalty secured a 1-0 win over lowly Japan.
America's cause was not helped by playing with 10 men from the second minute when defender Michael Orozco was red-carded.
The quarter-final matches will be played on Saturday.
More World Cup Sports News at:
Sports Ticket Depot - World Cup Soccer News
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