Thunderball

It's UEFA Champions League 2010/11 season start.
The QR1 (Qualification Round 1) Leg 1 starts on 6/30.
QR1 only involves 4 teams. All of them come from small nations.
Leg 1 will be played on 6/30-7/1 and L2 7/8.
Tre Fiori (Smr) vs Rudar (Mtn)
Santa Coloma (And) vs Birkirkara (Mlt)

QR2 will be a little bit more interesting because some teams are better
  known. Here is a partial listing only (those better known teams).
QR2 Leg 1  7/13-7/14, Leg 2  7/20-7/21.
Liepajas Metalurgs (Lva) vs Sparta Prague (Cze)
Levadia Tallinn (Est) vs Debrecen (Hun)
Partizan Belgrade (Srb) vs Pyunik (Arm)
Dinamo Zagreb (Cro) vs Koper (Slo)
Litex (Bul) vs Tre Fiori/Rudar
Hap Tel Aviv (Isr) vs Zeljeznicar (Bih)
Salzburg (Aut) vs HB (Fro)
Linfield (Nir) vs Roseborg (Nor)
Ekranes (Lit) vs HJK Helsinki (Fin)

Key -- Here are partial list of country codes.
Arm = Armenia
Aut = Austria
Bih = Bosnia
Cro = Croatia
Fin = Finland
Hun = Hungary
Isr = Israel
Lit = Lithuania
Lva = Latvia
Nor = Norway
Smr = San Marino
Srb = Serbia
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (6/28 Part 2)
6. Wigan are reported to be closing in on Denmark international
  Jakob Poulson.

7. Jay Simpson could be set to leave Arsenal this summer
  and a host of clubs are set to battle it out for his signature.
  Jay Simpson spent almost the past 3 seasons on loan to other clubs.
  West Ham, Fulham and Blackpool are all thought to be considering
  whether to offer him a Premier Lg chance while Millwall, Notts F,
  Cardiff, Leicester and QPR are all keen.
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

Results of WC Round of 16 games played yesterday (6/28).
Holland 2-1 Slovakia  (HT 1-0)
Scorer -- (Hol) Robben 28'; Sneijder 84'.
   (Svk) Vettek 90'.
Yellow Card -- (Hol) Robben 31'; Stokelenburg 90'.
    (Svk) Kuskao 40'; Kopunek 72; Skertel 84'.
   --------------------------
Brazil 3-0 Chile  (HT 2-0)
Scorer -- (Bra) Juan 35'; Luis Fabiano 38'; Robinho 59'.
Yellow Card -- (Bra) Kaka 30'; Ramire 51'.
  (Chi) A.Vidal 41'; I.Fuantes 68'; R.Millar 80'.
   ----------
Revised QF fixtures
7/2 (2 Jul)
Holland vs Brazil
Uruguay vs Ghana

7/3 (3 Jul)
Argentina vs Germany
Paraguay/Japan vs Spain/Portugal
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (6/29)
1. Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini claims that
  Spurs have agreed to meet their asking price for Simon Kjaer
  and Edinson Cavani.

2. R.Madrid have confirmed the signing of Benfica winger
  Angel Di Maria on a six-year deal.

3. Wigan have completed the signing of striker Mauro Boselli
  from Estudiantes (Argentina).
    The 25-year-old has signed a four-year deal after Wigan agreed
  a deal in excess of GBP6Mil.

4. Barcelona director general Joan Oliver has confirmed that
  Thierry Henry will be allowed to leave the club.

5. Colombian goalkeeper Cristian Bonilla says he is set
  to sign for Man C.

6. New Hamburg coach Armin Veh shrugged off the absence
  of Jose Paolo Guerrero at Monday's first pre-season training
  session.
  The player claimed he missed the flight from Peru due to
  a car accident.  The player will be fined (about a week wage)
  on club's rule.
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

Results of WC Round of 16 games played yesterday (6/29).
Paraguay * 0-0 Japan  (HT 0-0)  (pk 5-3)
Note -- Paraguay won on penalty kicks.
Yellow Card
(Par) C.Riveros 118'.
(Jap) D.Matsui 58'; Y.Nagamoto 72'; K.Honda 90'; Y.Endo 114'.
     ----------------------
Spain 1-0 Portugal  (HT 0-0)
Scorer -- D.Villa 63'.
Yellow Card --
(Esp) X.Alonso 14'.
(Prt) Tiago 80'.
Red Card -- (Prt) R.Costa 90'.
    --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (6/30)
1. Sol Campbell was in Glasgow on Tuesday as he continue
  to consider a free transfer to Celtic.

2. Nice (France) striker Loic Remy has revealed he would be interested
  in a move to the Premier League, preferrably with Arsenal.

3. Man C have agreed a deal to sign Spain international David Silva
  from Valencia on a 5-year contract.

4. Fulham have rejected a bid from Birmingham for striker
   Bobby Zamora.

5. Roy Hodgson will be named the new Liverpool manager as early as
  Wednesday (6/30), according to widespread reports in England.
    Liverpool have apparently agreed a compensation package
  with Fulham of around GBP2Mil to secure his services for
  the next 2 seasons.

6. Sunderland have reached an agreement to sign Egypt international
  Ahmed Al-Muhammadi on loan with a view to a permanent deal,
  according to the defender's parent club (ENPPI, Egypt).
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (7/1)
1. Sampdoria director of sport Sergio Gasparin has rubbished
  suggestions they are interested in signing Germany
  striker Lukas Podolski.

2. Javier Aguirre has resigned as coach of Mexico following
  the team's failure to reach the quarter-finals of
  the World Cup in S.Africa.

3. Sven-Goran Eriksson, Mark Hughes, and Alan Curbishley
  are on the Fulham shortlist to replace Roy Hodgson.
  The decision on Hodgson's successor has not been taken
  as Fulham are waiting for Liverpool to announce
  the appointment.

4. Sparta Prague midfielder Juraj Kucha is being tracked by
  two Premier League clubs, according to his agent.
    The 23-year-old has caught the eye during this summer's
  World Cup.

5. West Ham have stepped up their interest in
  Frederic Piquionne as they look to win the race for
  the Frenchman's services.
    Piquionne is set to leave Lyon with the French side
  willing to sell the striker as little as euro1Mil.
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (7/2)
1. Liverpool have confirmed the appointment of Roy Hodgson
  as their new manager.

2. Palermo defender Simon Kjaer would welcome a move
  to Spurs and other Premier Lg sides, according to his agent.

3. West Ham have launched a new bid for highly-rated
  West Brom ace Graham Dorrans.
  West Ham saw a GBP4Mil bid for the Scottish international
  turned down by West Brom in April.
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

Results of UEFA Champ Lg and Europa Lg QR1 games played
  on 6/30 & 7/1.

1. UEFA Champ Lg QR1 (Leg1)
Tre Fiori 0-3 Rudar
Leg2 will be played on 7/6 (6 Jul).

2. UEFA Europa Lg QR1 (Leg1) -- Partial listing only because
  there are 26 games in all.
Dinamo Tibilsi (Geo) 2-1 Flora
Trans Narva 0-2 MyPa (Fin)
KF Tirana (Alb) 0-0 ZTE (Hun)
Kalmar (Swe) 1-0 EB/Streymur
Nitra (Svk) 2-2 Gyor (Hun)
NSI Runavik (Fro) 0-2 Gefle (Swe)
Anorthosis (Cyp) 3-0 Banants (Arm)
Olimpija (Slo) 0-2 Siroki Brijeg (Bih)
Randers (Den) 6-1 F91 Dudelange (Lux)
Sibenik (Cro) 0-0 Slima Wanderers (Cyp)
TPS (Fin) 3-0 Port Talbot (Wal)
Westafoni (Geo) 5-0 Faetano
  Leg2 will be played around 7/8 (8 Jul).
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (7/2 Part 2)
4. Germay star Mesut Ozil has revealed he would be open to a move
  to Man Utd or Chelsea.
    With only one year remaining on his contract at Werder Bremen,
  there have been suggestions he could be set to move this summer.

5. Neymar's agent has confirmed he is in talks with West Ham
  about a move to England.
    West Ham have lodged a bid of just over GBP12Mil to Santos
  for the player earlier this week.

6. Wolfsburg have confirmed the signing of Germany defender
  Arne Friedrich from Hertha Berlin.

7.  Sunderland have made a bid of GBP7Mil to West Ham
  for defender Matthew Upson.
   --- End of Update ---