England's leading players closed ranks on Sunday to defend goalkeeper Robert Green and take inspiration from a chequered World Cup history following their 1-1 draw with the United States.
England goalkeeper Robert Green received stinging criticism at home on Sunday following an horrendous mistake which cost his side victory in their opening World Cup game against the United States on Saturday. Millions of fans watching at home and in pubs across the country held their heads in their hands as West Ham United keeper Green let Clint Dempsey's weak shot slip through his fingers in Rustenburg.
England's star players Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Jamie Carragher could have been suffering from 'self regulatory breakdown' when they missed the penalties against Portugal at the 2006 Soccer World Cup.
Spanish football giants Real Madrid have reportedly made discreet enquiries about England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, and according to club sources, are ready to buy him for 30 million pounds. The Mirror quoted sources close to Gerrard, as saying that he is unhappy at the London club, who failed to qualify for the Champions League and look set to finish a lowly seventh in the Premier League.
Liverpool's chances of playing in the Champions League next season receded further on Sunday when a 1-1 draw at Birmingham City left them four points adrift of fourth spot in the Premier League. Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool the lead two minutes into the second half but they were pegged back nine minutes later when Liam Ridgewell headed the home side level and visiting fans were left exasperated after Spain striker Fernando Torres was substituted.
Dimitar Berbatov scored a brilliant hat-trick to give Manchester United a 3-2 win over Liverpool and Chelsea maintained their goalrush by thrashing Blackpool 4-0 in the Premier League on Sunday.
Liverpool's skipper Steven Gerrard and Spanish striker Fernando Torres will be out of action for six weeks with injury.
Steven Gerrard said he was looking forward to working with new Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson on Tuesday, the clearest sign yet that the England midfielder will still be playing at Anfield this coming season.
The list of candidates to win the 2009 Ballon d'Or award was reduced to 10 men on Sunday, with Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi the overwhelming favourite.
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has been banned for two games following his sending-off during the 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool on Saturday.
Pressure mounted on Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez on Tuesday as his injury list grew, a run of poor results continued, and one of his players was accused of cheating.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Ledley King's World Cup appears to be over after he damaged an adductor muscle in his groin almost immediately after kick-off in the 1-1 draw with the USA.
Liverpool head for a decisive Champions League clash at Olympique Lyon on Wednesday with 10 players injured or doubtful for the game and coach Rafa Benitez facing the biggest crisis in his five-year Anfield reign.
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho's move to Real Madrid has caused panic at top Premier League clubs, as he has set his sights on certain players.
England striker Wayne Rooney will miss the team's final World Cup qualifier against Belarus due to a calf injury, the English Football Association said on Sunday.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard came off the bench to score a hat-trick in the last 15 minutes as the struggling Premier League side came from behind to beat Napoli 3-1 in the Europa League on Thursday.
Coach Bob Houghton feels defending champions India will be the team to beat in the Nehru Cup football tournament which gets underway in Delhi on August 19.
After morale boosting victories against Bulgaria and Switzerland, England skipper Steven Gerrard has said the Three Lions are still a distance away to be a great team.
John Terry has been stripped of England captaincy after a 12-minute showdown with the coach Fabio Capello
England bounced back from the nadir of their dismal World Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Hungary in a friendly on Wednesday which suggested the future might not be as bleak as it seemed for Fabio Capello's men.
France's completely new team lost 2-1 to Norway in a friendly on Wednesday with the ghosts of World Cup controversy and failure also hanging over England despite Steven Gerrard's brace in a 2-1 win over Hungary.
West Bromwich Albion were relegated from the Premier League after just one season when they lost 2-0 to Liverpool at The Hawthorns Sunday. Liverpool stayed in second place, behind champions Manchester United, moving on to 83 points -- three ahead of Chelsea who beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the day's other match.
Liverpool's hopes of prising the Premier League title from Manchester United's grip will be boosted by the return of captain Steven Gerrard for Sunday's match at home to Newcastle United.
Manchester United's Ryan Giggs was voted Player of the Year for the first time by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) on Sunday. Despite making only 12 Premier League starts and scoring a single goal, the evergreen Welshman finally took the prize after 18 years as a professional with United and just short of 800 appearances for the club.
Prosecutors dropped accusations of assault against England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard on Friday but the player will still face a charge of affray over a bar brawl.
Steven Gerrard saved Liverpool from another damaging English Premier League defeat on Monday when his controversial penalty earned a 2-2 home draw with Birmingham City. Substitute Gerrard, who has been nursing a groin injury, came on late in the first half and equalised with 19 minutes remaining after Lee Carsley was harshly adjudged to have brought down David Ngog, scorer of the opening goal.
A howler by goalkeeper Robert Green gifted the United States an equaliser as England struggled to a disappointing 1-1 draw in their opening Group C game at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Saturday.
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard admitted that he is still devastated by the sale of Xabi Alonso, who went to Real Madrid for 30 million.
Liverpool will be without striker Fernando Torres for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Olympique Lyon at Anfield but midfielder Steven Gerrard is expected to be fit, manager Rafael Benitez said on Monday.
Any combination of midfielders should be strong enough for England to reach the knockout phase of the World Cup but if they are to make a real challenge for glory then someone is going to have to provide the X-factor.
Liverpool's new chairman has reassured fans the club's debts will not lead to the sale of marquee players Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard.
Chelsea moved to within one win of the Premier League title after an awful Steven Gerrard blunder set them on their way to a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield and moved them four points clear of Manchester United. The Londoners could win their first title since 2006 later on Sunday if United lose at Sunderland while even a draw at the Stadium of Light would effectively hand it to Chelsea.
England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard told a court on Friday he would plead not guilty to assaulting a man in a bar brawl in December.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was cleared Friday of attacking a businessman in a fight over music being played in a bar. The 29-year-old England midfielder was found not guilty of affray by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court over his role in the incident last December, the Press Association reported.
England coach Fabio Capello will be without at least six of his first-choice side for Wednesday's friendly against Germany in Berlin after midfielders Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard withdrew from the squad on Monday.
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard was named the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year
Two first-half goals by Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool a 2-1 win at Olympique Marseille in their opening Champions League Group D match on Tuesday.
Liverpool are sweating on the fitness of key players Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres ahead of Tuesday's Champions League encounter away to Marseille.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has joked that he might make a bid to sign Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard on loan when he leaves for the United States at the end of the season.
Chelsea reached the Champions League semi-finals for the fifth time in six seasons after a thrilling 4-4 draw with Liverpool put them through 7-5 on aggregate against their Premier League rivals on Tuesday. They will meet Barcelona, who went through after a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich in the second leg quarter-final and 5-1 aggregate.
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