Soccernet.com has reported that Luka Modrić has signed a six-year extension with Tottenham Hotspur squashing any transfer talk of him going to Chelsea or Manchester United. Agent Zoran Mamić was right by his side to sign the new papers.
This is the right move for Modrić. He just helped Tottenham to their best season in history and gets to stay with fellow Croatian buddies Vedran Ćorluka and Niko Kranjčar for a Champions League run.
Germany
Ivica Olić started for Bayern Munich in their last Bundesliga match of the season; and he didn't disappoint. Olić opened up the the scoring in the 20' with a beautiful left footed strike that hit just inside the far post. The man has been on fire all season. He was subbed out in the 78th minute for Ribery in a 3-1 win that officially crowned Bayern Munich champions of Germany.
Bayern Munich still have two important matches this season. The DFB Pokal (German Cup) Final against Werder Bremen on May 15th and the Champions League FINAL versus Inter Milan on May 22nd. Will Bayern be able to pull of the Treble?
Yellow card master, Josip Šimunić, picked up his 13th yellow card of the season for Hoffenheim on Saturday in a 1-1 draw to VfB Stuttgart. Joe finished one shy of Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo of Bayer Leverkusen for the Bundesliga yellow card crown. All joking aside, Joe has had a great season with Hoffenheim, and should continue to start for Croatia in their quest to qualify for EURO 2012.
Ivica Banović made a rare start for Freiburg on Sunday, playing only 58 minutes in a 3-1 victory over powerhouse Borussia Dortmund. Ivica has been in the doghouse for Freiburg the last month or so, coming off the bench only twice in the last eight games of the season. Ivica finished with four goals and two assists in 25 games for Freiburg. More importantly, Freiburg will be back in Bundesliga next season.
England
Luka Modrić played the entire season finale as Tottenham travelled to Turf Moor to take on an already relegated Burnley side. There was still an automatic Champions League spot to play for as a Tottenham win and an Arsenal loss would see the Spurs enter the group stage next season without having to qualify. Tottenham went into the locker room at half time with a 2-1 lead, with Modrić scoring the second goal on a wicked left-footed shot from inside the box that went upper-V.
Tottenham must have caught the Arsenal score at halftime (3-0 for Arsenal) because they completely folded during the second half. Burnley went on to score three goals in the last 45 minutes of their Premiership season to win 4-2. Niko Kranjčar and Vedran Ćorluka have not been part of the Spurs side for weeks due to ankle injuries. We wish them both a speedy recovery for the beginning of the Premier League season in August and for Euro 2012 qualifying in September.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has confirmed he would like Ivan Klasnić to stay at the Reebok Stadium.
Coyle said:
''It has been stop-start for Ivan because of injuries but when he is fit I know what he brings to the team. If it is possible to do something financially then we will be in there pitching. It is not as black and white as saying, come on board.
''He is a player I like, he loves being at the club. I had a chat with him last week and I think you have have seen from his performance today he wants to be here. ''If the finance was right then I want to have him. He is a good player, a lovely guy. He is a character and the boys like him. You can never have enough goalscorers in your club. That is an area we need to be looking to improve.''
Nikola Kalinić remained on the bench as an unused sub in Blackburn's 1-0 victory over Aston Villa to close out the season. We can't wait to see what the kid can do next season with all the knowledge he gained this year.
Eduardo was not listed on the 18-man roster for Arsenal on Sunday when the Gunners defeated Fulham 4-0 to earn an automatic spot in next season's Champions League group stage. Eduardo needs to be loaned out this summer. But which club would suit him best?
Ukraine
Darijo Srna and Shakhtar Donetsk have won the 2009-10 Ukrainian title with a 1-0 win over hated rivals Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday. Srna played the entire match and lifted the trophy first as captain in front of a packed house at Donbass Arena in Donetsk. Srna sat out Sunday's season finale as Shakhtar defeated Tavriya Symferopol 3-2. Will this be the last time we see Srna in Ukraine?
Srna has won Ukrainian league titles, Ukrainian Cups and even a UEFA Cup as Shakhtar captain. Is it finally time for the Croatian to leave?
Ognjen Vukujević played the full match and received a yellow card in Dynamo Kyiv's loss to Shakhtar on Wednesday and was booked again on Sunday in a 3-0 win over Metalurg Zaporizhya. This means that Dynamo will have one round of qualifying before they can enter Champions League group stage next season. Dynamo go into the summer break with no new hardware to show off. Should Vukojević try to transfer- maybe to a German club?
Italy
Igor Budan and Palermo might have missed on Champions League after a 1-1 draw to Sampdoria on Sunday. Budan came on in the 79th minute for an injured Fabrizio Miccoli and had his only chance at goal sail wide of the target in the closing seconds of the game. 38,000 were on hand at Renzo Barbera for the final home game in Palermo. On Sunday, Palermo must get a victory over Atalanta and pray that Sampdoria lose to Napoli to confirm a Champions League spot next season.
Igor received a grade of 5 from goal.com, "Missed a great opportunity to win the game,after Storari saved from Pastore."
Mato Jajalo came on in the 59th minute for Albin Ekdal, helping Siena hang on to a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina in front of 29,378 at Artemio Franchi. Siena were already relegated last week and will most likely be forced to sell Mato sometime during the summer transfer. Mato has been called up by Dražen Ladić for the upcoming U-21 qualifier against Slovakia.
Dario Knežević was left home by Livorno for a second straight week in Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Lazio. Livorno, already relegated to Serie B, are most likely playing their youngsters and will sell Dario during the summer transfer. Dario has been called up by Slaven Bilić for the upcoming friendlies at the end of the month, which should spark some interest from other club teams.
France
Dejan Lovren started and played the full 90 for Lyon, which needed an injury time goal from Dianbobo Balde to draw 2-2 with Valenciennes and keep their champions league hopes alive. Lyon will need to win their final two matches to have any chance at Champions league.
Spain
Mate Bilić got the start on Saturday as his Sporting Gijon club hosted Atletico Madrid. Bilić only had one good look at goal during the match; a blocked shot in the 8th minute. Bilić was subbed out in the 87' of this 1-1 affair. With the point, Sporting Gijon are safe to return to the Spanish first division next year as they earned enough points to dodge relegation.
Belgium
Ivan Perišić and Club Brugge had two matches this week to close out the Belgian season. With a Champions League qualifying spot on the line, Perišić played the full match on Wednesday in an easy 3-0 win over Zulte-Waregem. With the win, Brugge would only need a draw against Gent on Saturday to play in Champions League. That dream quickly disappeared as Brugge lost 6-2. Perišić scored a goal and received a yellow card in the process.
Club Brugge will now be entered in the third qualifying round of Europa League for next year. It's actually a blessing in disguise that they lost the game against Gent. Club Brugge is a Europa League team at best. If they qualified for Champions League, they would have to play teams like Zenit, Ajax or Dynamo Kyiv where they would most likely be ousted immediately, thus ending their European season before it even began. Perišić could be a hot commodity this summer. Is this the last we see of the young Croatian in Belgium?
Russia
Ivica Križanac and the Zenit St. Petersburg showed up to play on Thursday in a 3-1 home victory over Spartak Nalchik, sending them to the top of the Russian premier league, three points ahead of second place Spartak Nalchik.
Ivica played the full 90 minutes and was on his way to another shutout when second half substitute Nikita Malyarov registered a consolation goal in the final minute. The victory was Zenit’s third in a row in the league and means they remain unbeaten after nine matches, with six wins and three draws.
Austria
Nikica Jelavić played the entire match against city rivals Austra Vienna on Wednesday in a 1-0 loss. The result drops Rapid Vienna to third place in the Austrian Bundesliga. This is the first time since February that Rapid has been blanked for a loss. They have however secured a Europa League spot.
Jelavić scored the fourth and final goal in Rapid's 4-1 win over Sturm Graz on Sunday. He has outgrown the Austrian Bundesliga. I think a move to a midtable German side would suit him best.
Nikola Pokrivač was not featured in Red Bull Salzburg's 2-0 loss to Kapfenberg on Tuesday or their 1-0 loss to Austria Wien on Sunday. What's going on with Mr. Blanket?
Turkey
Drago Gabrić and Hrvoje Čale helped Trabzonspor score a Turkish Cup on Wednesday night as they beat Fenerbahce 3-1. The Croatians have been very productive this season for the Turkish club and will now play in the playoff round of Europa League next season.
Hrvoje Čale was subbed into Trabzonspor's 2-1 win over Denizlispor in the 71st minute. Drago Gabrić did not feature.
Next Matches:
Tuesday, 5/11
Lokomotiv Moskow at Spartak Nalchik
Wednesday, 5/12
AS Monaco at Lyon
Thursday, 5/13
SV Salzburg at Sturm Graz, Rapid Vienna at SV Mattersburg
Saturday, 5/15
Bayern Munich vs Werder Bremen @Berlin(DFB Pokal Final), Le Mans at Lyon, Bordeaux at Lens, FK Amkar Perm' at Lokomotiv Moskow, Trabzonspor at Fenerbahce
Sunday, 5/16
Sporting Gijon at Racing Santander, Livorno at Parma, Palermo at Atalanta, Inter at Siena
~Ante Kvartuč and Denis Svirčić reporting from San Pedro, CA
Special thanks to all you mothers out there, Happy Mothers day, you make the world go round.
~Ante Kvartuč and Denis Svirčić reporting from San Pedro, CA
England
Luka Modrić started for Tottenham Hotspur in a pivotal match that would decide their Champions League fate. Needing maximum points to stay in front of Manchester City for the last spot would mean Spurs would have to beat Bolton Saturday afternoon. They got the job done, barely winning 1-0, on a rocket of a shot by midfielder Tom Huddlestone. 'A Top-5 English Premiership goal this season'. -Ante
Modrić had a very poor first half and did not look like himself. Hopefully the loss of fellow Crottenham teammates Niko Kranjčar and Vedran Ćorluka to injury has not affected Modrić too much. He was sloppy in the midfield and rushed when he had plenty of time. Modrić also rolled another shot to goal, but that's been the norm as of late. Modrić played much better in the second half with pinpoint passes and lobs. Tottenham escaped with the win but missed three solid chances to lock up the game late. They have been soft in the striker position lately. They'll be making some phone calls this summer.
Tottenham play Manchester City in Eastlands this Wednesday. If Tottenham win, they lock up a Champions League spot for next year. A draw would benefit the Spurs as they would still be on top of Man City with one game left in the season: an away match at relegated Burnley. A loss would surely end their season as Manchester City plays West Ham next weekend. The game on Wednesday will be televised nationally in America on ESPN2 @ 3PM (Eastern).
Ivan Klasnić got the start for Bolton as the Wanderers travelled to White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham Hotspur. Klasnić played well, especially with his back to goal, but couldn't get his Bolton teammates to finish for him. Klasnić appeared very upset when he was taken out of the game in the 61st minute. He still had plenty of juice in him and was combining well with teammates. Will Killer get one more start in a Bolton jersey when they host Birmingham this Sunday?
Nikola Kalinić and the Blackburn Rovers will host Eduardo's Arsenal side on Monday, May 3rd. CSR will update this post later in the day.
Germany
France
RC Lens turned a 1-0 halftime deficit at St Etienne into a 4-1 victory on Sunday. Vedran Runje is out for the rest of the year as Lens can lose the rest of their three remaining games and still finish clear of relegation.
"The young Croat’s first appearance in Team of the Week since signing for les Gones in January. Didn’t put a foot out of line as he more than adequately replaced Jean-Alain Boumsong in the heart of the defence. Showed a great deal of potential for the future in the 1-0 victory over Montpellier."
Austria
Nikica Jelavić scored two goals on Friday in Rapid Wien's 5-3 win over Kapfenberg. Jelavić has now brought his goal tally up to 13 goals for the season in Austria, which is tied for fourth most. It's definitely time for Nikica to leave for a bigger club in Europe as he has mastered the Austrian Bundesliga.
Watch the match highlights below. There is absolutely no defense in Austria. At the end, Rapid score an insurance goal while on a 4-on-0 break. I've never seen that in soccer before. Not even in the Croatian HNL!
Nikola Pokrivač started Red Bull Salzburg's match against FC Magna Wr. Neustadt on the bench Saturday, but came in with 18 minutes left when the game was already out of hand. Red Bull ended up winning 4-2 and look to repeat as Austrian champions. Pokrivač is barely getting any time in an already weak Austrian league. Should we expect to see him called up for Croatia come this fall: my magic 8-ball says "Don't count on it."
Ukraine
Darijo Srna captained Shakhtar Donetsk for 90 minutes on Saturday as the Ukrainian leaders beat Metalurg Zaporizhya 2-0. With the win, Shakhtar stay three points in front of Dynamo Kyiv with only two games left in the season. On Wednesday May, 5th, Dynamo travel to Donetsk to take on Shakhtar in a game that essentially decides the 2010 Ukrainian championship as well as which club gets an automatic entry into next year's Champions League group stage. Fasten up those Ukrainian Premier League seat belts!
Ognjen Vukojević helped Dynamo Kyiv post a 2-0 shutout win against Zakarpattia on Saturday. The win ensures that this Wednesday's match against Shakhtar is for all the marbles as Dynamo currently hold a better goal differential. The Ukrainian Premier League might be just as bad as the Croatian Prva Liga. Sure, the quality of play is much better, but it's Shakhtar and Dynamo 1-2 every year. With only two matches remaining this year, the two Ukrainian giants have only lost three games combined this season.
Belgium
Ivan Perišić played 90 minutes as Club Brugge reclaimed second spot in the Belgian playoff table after beating St. Truiden 2-0 on Sunday. With only two games remaining, Club Brugge need to stay in that second spot in order to qualify for Champions League. Brugge have a double this week and play at Gent to close out the season. They control their own destiny.
Spain
Mate Bilić returned to the Sporting Gijon bench after serving a one game red card suspension. Bilić came into the match in the 83rd minute, moments after Malaga scored to equalize the match at 1-1. Bilić couldn't get anything going as he did not manage one shot on goal in the short time he had on the field. The match ended 1-1, with Gijon earning their goal with the help of a Malaga own goal. Sporting are slipping towards the relegation zone but should be safe with one more win. Spain's La Liga has three games left in its season.
Turkey
Drago Gabrić and Hrvoje Čale got the start for Trabzonspor in a 1-0 away loss to Ankaragucu. Čale went the distance as Gabrić was subbed out in the 60'. Trabzonspor's regular season is just about over with only two games left, but the mid-table side will focus all their attention for their May 5th Turkish Cup Final match against league leaders Fenerbahçe.
Italy
Russia
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Next Matches:
Tuesday, 5/4
Sporting Gijon at Getafe, SV Salzburg at Kapfenberg SV, Fenerbahce at Trabzonspor(Türkiye Kupasi)
Wednesday, 5/5
Tottenham at Manchester City, AJ Auxerre at Lyon, Grenoble at Lens, Rapid Vienna at Austria Vienna, Saturn at Lokomotiv Moskow, Zulte-Waregem at Club Brugge, Dynamo Kyiv at Shakhtar Donetsk
Thursday, 5/6
Spartak Nalchik at Zenit St Petersburg
Friday, 5/7
Rapid Vienna at Austria Vienna
Saturday, 5/8
Lyon at Valenciennes, Lens at AJ Auxerre, Bayern Munich at Hertha Berlin, Schalke 04 at Mainz, Hamburg at Werder Bremen, VfB Stuttgart at Hoffenheim, Freiburg at Borussia Dortmund, Denizlispor at Trabzonspor, Club Brugge at Gent
Sunday, 5/9
Fulham at Arsenal, Tottenham at Burnley, Blackburn Rovers at Aston Villa, Birmingham at Bolton, Sampdoria at Palermo, Lazio at Livorno, Siena at Fiorentina, Atlético Madrid at Sporting Gijon, Austria Vienna at SV Salzburg, SK Sturm Graz at Rapid Vienna, Zenit St Petersburg at Amkar Perm, Lokomotiv Moskow at Spartak Nalchik, Shakhtar Donetsk at Tavriya Simferopol, Metalurh Zaporizhya at Dynamo Kyiv
Monday, 5/10
~Ante Kvartuč and Denis Svirčić reporting from San Pedro, CA
