England
Luka Modrić and Vedran Ćorluka were held to a 0-0 stalemate at Goodison Park as Everton and Tottenham concluded the day in a draw. Ćorluka played the entire match while Modrić was subbed out for Roman Pavlyuchenko in the 81st minute. The two English sides played the full 90 under decent conditions; yet could not muster up one shot on goal!
Ćorluka was once again a beast in the back and did not let Everton get a good look on goal. With two games left in the season, the Spurs are ok with a draw against a good Everton club. Tottenham are only two points behind Fulham for the last Europa League spot. Manchester City and West Ham are also still in the mix. Tottenham's remaining schedule consists of a home game against Manchester City and traveling to Liverpool. It'll be tough.
Eduardo and Niko Kranjčar are out for the rest of the season and still probable for the Ukraine match on June 6th. Arsenal lost to Chelsea 4-1 as Portsmouth couldn't do much better, losing 2-0 to Blackburn.
Germany
Well, it looks like we will have a new member to "Croatians Around Europe" next season in Germany as Ivica Banović and Freiburg have been promoted to the Bundesliga following their 5-2 home victory over Koblenz. Freiburg will be promoted wih still three league games left to play. Congratulations to Ivica Banović, Freiburg and Manu from Freiburg!
Hamburg were in action Sunday to face Werder Bremen, less than a week after losing at home to them in the UEFA cup semifinals. Mladen Petrić didn't make the trip to Weserstadion this time around as he was resting a minor knock. Ivica Olić came on in the 56th minute to try and reverse a 2-0 Werder Bremen lead. However, Ivica ran out of magic tricks and as a result the match ended 2-0. With this defeat, Hamburg drops to sixth in the Bundesliga and out of a Europa League spot with three matches left.
Josip Šimunić and Hertha Berlin were in action on Saturday against VfL Bochum, hoping to stay on pace with VfL Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich in the chase for Bundesliga honors. Joe and Hertha showed up in front of 71,323 at Olympiastadion in Berlin, registering a 2-0 home victory. Hertha remain one point behind Wolfsburg and Munich for first place.
Marko Babić hasn't been featured for Hertha the last month or so, and most likely will be looking for a new job this summer.
Schalke playmaker, Ivan Rakitić was left on the bench once again in a 1-0 defeat at Monchengladbach. Ivan has struggled to land playing time this year and is almost certain to be transfered out this summer. Ivan has only been featured for 20 games sparingly, without scoring a single goal. With the loss, Schalke drops out of the race for Champions league next season, and needs to win its remaining three games to have a chance at Europa League.
Dino Drpić started and played all 90 minutes for Karlsruhe in a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, in front of 80,100 at Signal-Iduna-Park, Dortmund. Dino might be looking for a new club this summer as Karlsruhe is almost certain to be relegated. Karlsruhe need to win two out of the last three games to climb out of relegation.
Netherlands
Danijel Pranjić and Heerenveen were in action against already crowned champions, AZ Alkmaar, in a virtually meaningless match for both teams on Sunday. Danijel played the entire match in a 3-1 defeat for Heerenveen. With this season ending in defeat, Heerenveen finished fifth in the Dutch Eredivisie, good enough for a place in the Europa League third qualifying round for next season. Danijel will also be looking for a trophy this Sunday in Rotterdam, where Heerenveen will face Twente in the Dutch Cup Final.
Danijel finished the season with 16 goals and 8 assists in 30 matches for what looks to be his last season at Heerenveen. Ante broke the story last week on a possible Liverpool transfer for the 27 year-old Croatian international. Stay tuned as this story develops.
France
The French first division took a break last weekend and will resume this week with mid-week games as well as games this weekend. This break might do wonders for Ivan Klasnić, Jerko Leko, Dario Simić, and Nikola Pokrivač, as all four have been struggling the last month or so for their clubs. Four rounds remain for Monaco and Nantes.
However, there were games in the French second division, as Vedran Runje and Lens were at home against Reims trying to itch ever so closer to a promotion to first division next year. All Lens needed was a fourth minute goal by Aruna Dindane to earn Vedran Runje his tenth clean sheet in 28 games in a 1-0 victory.
With this victory, RC Lens moves within one point within a place in the Le Championnat next season. Lens have three matches remaining to try and secure one point. Should Runje start for Croatia?
Greece
Mario Galinović and Ante Rukavina began their playoff campaign in stunning fashion as Panathinaikos scored a late goal to beat PAOK Saloniki 1-0. Rukavina started and played 74 minutes. He completely botched an open goal opportunity early. Watch the video!
Galinović posted yet another important shutout. Should Panathinaikos win the four-team group, they would return to play in the Champions League again next season.
A total of six games are played in the playoff on a 'home and away' system. Panathinaikos host AEK Athens in the 2nd Round Wednesday, May 13th.
Italy
Ivan Jurić and Genoa were lucky to grab a point as they scored an injury time equalizer to manage a draw against Atalanta. Jurić had to be subbed out in the 77' when he was speared in the torso with a cleat by an opposing slide tackle. No serious injury was sustained.
Genoa are currently battling Fiorentina for Italy's last Champions League berth. Fiorentina beat Catania which puts them three points clear of Genoa with three to play. Fiorentina finish the season against AC Milan- anything can still happen.
Ukraine
After bowing out to domestic rival Shakhtar Donetsk last Thursday in UEFA Cup semifinals, Russian manager Yuri Semin decided to rest both Ognjen Vukojević and Goran Sablić for this Wednesday's rematch with Shakhtar in the semifinals of the Ukrainian cup. Shaktar took care of business as usual on Sunday, scoring a 3-2 home victory over Tavriya Symferopol, clinching them the Ukrainian league title for the thirteenth time in 18 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
"I want to thank our fans who came here in great numbers in spite of our defeat in Donetsk. We conceded some unexpected goals today and did not play well but there were reasons for that. It was hard to motivate the players after our exit from the UEFA Cup but I want to congratulate everyone at Dynamo for our title. The season is not over. We have another derby with Shakhtar on Wednesday and we are taking it very seriously."~ Dynamo manager Yuri Semin after clinching league title
Russia
Stipe Pletikosa has now been benched for a fourth straight week! Although he was returned back to available substitute status for Spartak Moscow's 4-0 home demolition of Saturn, he had absolutely nothing to do with the shutout. It is officially panic time for Pletikosa in Russia! If he can't get out of there soon; his career is in serious jeopardy. I foresee a summer transfer that puts Pletikosa at a bottom-level English club. It's the only way Pleti can challenge himself while Spartak receives a decent price- as Pletikosa's stock currently mirrors that of the world economy.
Vedran Runje has to be Bilić's #1 for the Ukraine match. I just don't see how he would be able to put a cold Pletikosa in goal.
Ivica Križanac broke his toe and will be out approximately 4-6 weeks. He has already been scratched from the Ukraine match on June 6th. Zenit St. Petersburg beat Krylya Sovietov 2-0 on the weekend and have had a good start to the season- 15 points from eights games as they sit only two points behind leaders Rubin Kazan.
Spain
Mate Bilić was in action for Sporting Gijon at Almeria on Sunday trying to sneak out of the relegation zone. After striking first in the 16th minute of play, Sporting gave up three goals to suffer yet another defeat keeping them in relegation zone with three matches left to play. Mate started and played the full 90, taking three shots at goal, and failing to his 11 goals this season. Hey two goals in the last three games isn't bad.
Sporting have now lost seven of their last eight matches, however, are only two points back of Osasuna for a right to stay in La Liga next season.
Turkey
Hrvoje Ćale played the full match in Trabzonspor's 3-1 win over Kocaelispor. Trabzonspor find themselves in third place and only three points behind leaders Besiktas. Should they play solid and gain the crucial points needed in the last three games of the season, they could be playing Champions League next season as Turkish champs. It's going to be a tight finish in Turkey this season as the league has been consistent throughout the campaign.
Next Matches:
Tuesday 5/12 Hannover 96 at Karlsruhe, Nantes at Lyon
Wednesday 5/13 SpVgg Greuther Fürth at SC Freiburg, AEK Athens at Panathinaikos, VfL Bochum at Hamburg, VfB Stuttgart at Schalke 04, Monaco at Sochaux, Dynamo Kyiv at Shakhtar (Ukrainian Cup Semifinals)
Friday 5/15 Brest at Lens
Saturday 5/16 Manchester City at Tottenham, Schalke 04 at Hertha Berlin, FC Cologne at Hamburg, Karlsruhe at Werder Bremen, Valenciennes at Monaco, Dynamo Kyiv at SK Karpaty L'viv, Shakhtar Donetsk at Zarja Lugansk, Cercle Brugge KSV at Roeselare
Sunday 5/17 Larissa at Panathinaikos, Heerenveen vs Twente Enschede at Rotterdam(Cup Final), Spartak Moscow at FK Tom' Tomsk, Zenit St Petersburg at CSKA Moscow, Málaga at Sporting Gijon, Genoa at Chievo Verona, Stade Rennes at Nantes
~Denis Svirčić, Thanks to everyone who lived the day to see "Croatians Around Europe" reach 25
2 comments:
I'd disagree that Jerko Leko has had a bad month, but not really sure what Klasnic has gained this season. He didn't even play last night and Nantes look gone. Pokrivac will benefit from being a first team player at Monaco when Leko moves on.
Good to see Rukavina get a start. I don't see why Runje is being hyped up for a start whilst playing second division (lets not forget he also was keeper whilst they got relegated), when you see Galinovic playing well every week in Panathanaikos i just don't see why he is not getting recognition, but maybe i agree that Runje should keep his place ahead of Didulica and Subasic. Though it always nice to see that Bilic is looking at these things.
Recent speculation suggests Hjorve Cale is wanted in Germany and that Wolfsburg and Hertha would like Drpic. Personally i wouldn't mind seeing him back in Dinamo.
Rakitic's situation is a problem for him but not for Croatia - Its partly self created by saying he is better than Schalke as he's made his own enermies within the club, but i think Rakitic is playing fine when he turns up for international duty so its no issue for the Ukraine match. Croatia see a different Rakitic and Klasnic than at club level. Both of them need a move. Quite frankly i wouldn't mind Rakitic just switching to someone like Wolfsburg, Hamburg, Fiorentina or Genoa. He needs to stop thinking he's a major player when he's like 21.
DENIS!!! whats going on?? where yeh been dude?? everyone here is wondering about yeh??
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