Eduardo da Silva is off to Ukraine. The 'Brazilian-born Croat' has signed with Shakhtar Donetsk in a £6million move, Daily Mail has reported. Eduardo has not been the same player after the tragic broken leg he sustained in February of 2008. Hopefully, this move will revamp his career as he still has potential.
EDUARDO INTRODUCTION CEREMONY IN DONETSK
Eduardo moves from arguably the most physical league in the world to Ukraine where the only major competition will come from Dynamo Kyiv. Dudu joins fellow Croatian international and Shakhtar captain Darijo Srna in Donetsk as well as a number of Brazilians: where Eduardo was born and raised. He will have a starting spot locked up with Shakhtar baring injury and will also play in the Champions League group stage; where he can potentially meet former club Arsenal.
EDUARDO WILL NOW PLAY FOR THE UKRAINIAN CHAMPS
Most thought that Eduardo would be loaned out to a French or Spanish side for a year, not transferred as far as Ukraine. This is a fantastic move in Dudu's career. He is guaranteed first team football on a Champions League side with Srna and fellow Brazilians making the move easy. Eduardo should score 16-18 goals this season in Ukraine. Anything under that should be considered a bust considering the poor competition among the lower Ukrainian sides.
Can this move get Eduardo back into 2007 form and ultimately help him become a threat on the Croatian national side again?
Darijo Srna and longtime girlfriend, Mirela Forić, who is pregnant, married on the terrace of the $10,000 per night Villa Agava in Dubrovnik on Sunday, May 16, 2010. 50 guests attended the wedding on the terrace with a reception at the next door, five star, Excelsior Hotel. The couple stressed about rain and had to move the wedding reception indoors instead of the Excelsior terrace. Slaven Bilić gave Srna four days off from national team duty to get married. Boško Balaban and wife Iva, who introduced the newleyweds five years ago, attended the wedding.
BALABAN AND WIFE IVA TAKE A BREAK FROM THE PARTY
SRNA MAKES IT OFFICIAL
Darijo Srna appears to be in a metamorphosis. He got married, has a kid on the way and just captained Shakhtar Donetsk to a Ukrainian League championship. Will Srna finally leave Ukraine for greener pastures in Germany or England? Even though he couldn't make the move last summer on his own, he's only half the equation this time around. What will Mrs. Srna have to say about all this?
Will she want to raise her first child in Ukraine or elsewhere in Europe? Srna no longer gets to make this decision by himself and it could push him in the right direction to finally test his skills in a better league.
Darijo Srna is only 28 years old and still has a bright footballing future in front of him with plenty left in the tank. Will he make one more life decision this summer?- where he plays soccer. A change of scenery and married life should definitely spice things up, especially as Srna has already conquered Ukrainian football.
SRNA HAVING A SMOKE BEFORE THE CEREMONY
Two hours before the wedding, Darijo was still in street clothes smoking a cigarette. What could he be thinking about?
Thanks to Cropix photographer Branimir 'Braco' Kvartuč for the pictures.
Tottenham had a long day on Saturday as they were absolutely outplayed at the Stadium of Light in a 3-1 loss to Sunderland. Luka Modrić got the start for the Spurs and played the entire match while Niko Kranjčar was subbed in at halftime. Vedran Ćorluka did not make the trip as he stayed in London to nurse his injured ankle. Reports say that he should be available for Tottenham's FA Cup semifinal match against Portsmouth on April 11th.
Sunderland got off to a quick start as they scored in the first minute off a corner kick. In the 29th minute, Ćorluka's replacement Kyle Walker was called for a handball in the box which ex-Spur Darren Bent converted. Even Modrić got in on the drama in the 41' when he appeared to apply slight contact on Sunderland's 'Thespian of the Month' Fraizer Campbell. Bent stepped up to the spot again but had his shot blocked by Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes.
KRANJČAR HAD A BETTER WEEK AT PRACTICE
Modrić looked wild the entire match as he kept running full speed into defenders without any thought of passing the ball. Kranjčar could only do so much as the entire Tottenham squad was 'out of it' during the match. Even though Bent missed yet another PK and Crouch put Tottenham within one in the second half, it was not enough as Sunderland capped the game late to end a miserable day for the Spurs. It's not going to get any easier as Tottenham's next three Premiership matches are against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. Manchester City have momentarily taken fourth spot in the league table.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS , MODRIĆ FOUL 2:23
EDUARDO IN ACTION AGAINST THE WOLVES
Eduardo received a much needed start as Arsenal hosted Wolverhampton on Saturday. In a must win game to stay in the title race, Arsenal was blessed by a last second goal from substitute Nicklas Bendtner to squeak by the Wolves 1-0. Eduardo had a fantastic shot on goal within five minutes but had it blocked by an alert Marcus Hahnemann and then had an open look on frame in the 12' but completely botched the opportunity. He looked nervous and he most importantly looked like he didn't have the ability to shoot with his right foot. He was subbed out in the 79th. Eduardo, what's going on buddy?
KILLER GOT SOME CHANCES AGAINST VILLA
Ivan Klasnić was subbed into Bolton's home match against Aston Villa in the 57' with the score 1-0 in favor of the Villains. Klasnić managed to get off three shots on goal but none were good enough to equalize. Klasnić hasn't had any magic in the past two months. He is back to mediocre status with his loan spell ending in a few weeks time. Killer needs to score a few goals if he wants to play somewhere decent after a successful season thus far.
Nikola Kalinić came on for the last 10 minutes of Blackburn's 0-0 draw with Portsmouth. Kalinić did not manage a shot on goal and has received less playing time in the past few weeks. Time to produce and end the season well Kale.
Germany
PHOTO: Bayern; Ivica Olić(right) in action against Schalke
What a week for Ivica Olić and Bayern Munich. First, on Tuesday, Bayern come from behind and take down Manchester United 2-1 with a game winner from our very own Ivica Olić. Then on Saturday, Bayern go into Gelsenkirchen and took down Schalke 04 with the same result to pip them for first place in the Bundesliga.
PHOTO: AP; Ivica Olić signing autographs at Manchester Airport
Ivica Olić started and played the full 90 in Champions League, hustling and grinding out every play to finally be rewarded a game winning goal giving Bayern the slight advantage heading into Manchester on Wednesday. ManU-Bayern
Ivica was rewarded with another start against then league leading Schalke over the weekend and came through once again. The 30 year old Croatian international, found himself open down the left sideline and his cross found Thomas Müller for the game winner. Mario Gomez came in for Ivica in the 70th minute of play. Look for Olić to start on Wednesday in Manchester.
PHOTO: AP; Ivica Olić(right) and Danijel Pranjić at Manchester Airport on Tuesday going up
Goal.com gave Ivica a grade of 7 against Schalke, "Very unselfish play for the second goal and worked really hard sometimes deep in to his own half."
PHOTO: bundesliga.de; Pranjić(right) in action against Manchester United
Danijel Pranjić is starting to look like his old self last season at Herenveen, playing in eight of the last nine matches for the Bavarian Giants. Danijel started and played 88 minutes for Bayern against Manchester, played well defensively and distributed the ball confidently. On Saturday, Danijel came on in the 67th minute for Franck Ribery and helped Bayern hold on to a 2-1 lead. It is unfortunate that Croatia will not be featured at the World Cup this summer as both Ivica and Danijel have been playing top notch football against some of the best teams in the world.
Goal.com gave Danijel a grade of 6.5, "Helped the cause both defensively and in attack. Helped hold and run the ball."
PHOTOS: AP; Mladen Petrić, goal against Standard Liege on Thursday in Europa league
Mladen Petrić came through for Hamburg in Liga Europa on Thursday converting on a 43rd minute penalty and leading the Rothosen to a 2-1 home victory over Standard Liege. Mladen played 70 minutes and was taken off after pulling a groin muscle. The return leg is on Thursday in Belgium with the winner set to face either Fulham or Wolfsburg in the semifinals. Hamburg sure missed Mladen on Sunday, as they were unable to score against bottom dwellers Hannover 96, splitting the points in a 0-0 draw. Still early to tell if Mladen will be fit on Thursday for Europa League.
PHOTO: Schalke04.de; Ivan Rakitić(right) in action against Bayern
Croatian manager Slaven Bilić has recently brought on the idea of using Ivan Rakitić as a solution to the absence of former captain Niko Kovač. The way Ivan has been played the past few months or so, the 22 year old might get a shot in the upcoming friendlies in May.
Ivan started and played the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich on Saturday in front of 61,673 at the Veltins-Arena. Bayern snapped Schalke's 11 match home unbeaten streak. The swiss born Croat showed very little on Saturday, receiving only a 5.5 from goal.com, "Would have been disappointed with his passing and set plays, which he is normally so good at."
Wolfsburg took advantage of the suspension of Josip Šimunić and bulldozed Hoffenheim 4-0 on Sunday. Hoffenheim are now winless in five games and managed to score only one goal during that time. Even at 32 years of age, Šimunić is still solid in defense which was clearly demonstrated today in his absence. Joe has made it clear that he still has one more tournament left in him and will retire from the national team in 2012.
Ivica Banović has been the forgotten man in Freiburg as of late, as the former Croatian international hasn't been featured in the last three games. However, Freiburg are now unbeaten in three matches, but need to start winning games if they want to stay in Bundesliga next season. Freiburg remains three points back of Bochum and Nürnberg in fight for relegation.
France
PHOTO: RCLens; Runje didn't have enough reach in him to keep out lone goal
Vedran Runje and Lens were on the losing end once again falling 1-0 to Marseille in front of 54,839 at Stade Vélodrome. Vedran started and played the entire game making two key saves keeping Lens in the game. However, a 22 minute Brandao header caught Runje by surprise and gave Marseille the deserving three points. Runje is limited by his height and it clearly showed on Sunday failing to reach Brandao's header.
Marseille-Lens highlights
PHOTO: AP; Dejan Lovren(right) in action against Stade Rennes
Dejan Lovren started for only the second time in seven games for Lyon in a 2-1 victory at Stade Rennes on Saturday. Dejan played the full 90 minutes and committed three fouls. With Auxerre slipping up at the weekend, Lyon find themselves at the top of the table with Auxerre and Montpellier. Lyon have a difficult schedule in the next week or so, away to Bordeaux twice and a home match with title contending Lille.
Ukraine
PHOTO: Shakhtar.com; Dario(right) in action against Obolon Kyiv
Darijo Srna started and played the full 90 minutes, scoring off a beautiful free kick in the 51st minute giving Shakhtar a 1-0 victory over Obolon Kyiv on Saturday. Shakhtar have now registered ten straight Ukrainian Premier League victories after falling 3-0 to Dynamo on November 21st last year. Dynamo Kyiv remain two points back of Shakhtar in the fight for first.
Srna is back to his old tricks
PHOTO: Dynamo; Vuki(right) celebrating goal over Zorya Luhansk
Ognjen Vukojević was in action for Dynamo Kyiv on Saturday, playing the full 90 and shutting out Zorya Luhansk 2-0. With the victory Dynamo keep pace with Shakhtar only two points back of first.
PHOTO: Dynamo; Goran Sablić
FC Dynamo defender Goran Sablić came to a compromise with the club to terminate his contract making him now a free agent.Goran Sablić moved to Dynamo from Hajduk in the summer of 2002, where he served seven years helping Dynamo to four league championships and a four-time winner of the Ukrainian Cup.
Austria
PHOTO: AP; Nikica Jelavić(right) in action against FC Karnten
Nikica Jelavić started and played the full 90 minutes, leading Rapid Vienna to victory over FC Karnten 1-0. Rapid Vienna have won four of their last five games and remain on pace with Red Bull Salzburg for the lone Champions League spot.
PHOTO: AP; Nikola in action against Mattersburg
Nikola Pokrivač came on in the 56th minute for Red Bull Salzburg in a 2-0 win over lowly Mattersburg. Red Bull Salzburg remain six points up on Rapid Vienna and are looking to finish the season as back to back champions and winners of three of the last four Austrian Bundesliga titles.
Italy
WHAT SHIRT WILL IGOR BUDAN WEAR NEXT SEASON?
Igor Budan came on in the 89th minute in a disappointing 2-0 loss to Catania. Budan hasn't had any quality time on the field as Palermo fights for a Champions League spot. They currently sit in fourth position over Sampdoria only by goal differential. There is also pressure from Napoli and Juventus. It's definitely going to go to the wire in Italy, but will Budan even be on Palermo should they earn the final Champions League spot?
DARIO KNEŽEVIĆ PLAYING FOR ALMOST RELEGATED LIVORNO
Dario Knežević played the entire match for Livorno in their 1-1 draw against Ivan Jurić and Genoa. Livorno needed an 88th minute goal to steal the points from Genoa even though they will be relegated into Serie B next season. Ivan Jurić was not on the roster for Genoa as his career quickly winds down. Where will Knežević play next season and will Jurić come back for one more season?
Mato Jajalo was not featured in Siena's squad as they lost to Atalanta 2-0.
Belgium
PERIŠIĆ IN ACTION AGAINST ANDERLECHT
Ivan Perišić played the full 90 in Club Brugge's playoff match against regular season champs Anderlecht. The game ended 2-2 with the young Perišić receiving a yellow card in the 36th minute. The playoff round consists of the top six teams from the regular season battling it out for Champions and Europa league spots. Everyone plays each other twice (home and away) with all points being halved from the regular season. Interesting approach to prolonging the season. We like it!
BELGIAN PLAYOFF TABLE
Russia
LOKOMOTIV'S TOMISLAV DUJMOVIĆ
Tomislav Dujmović played the entire match in Lokomotiv Moscow's 3-2 win over city rivals Dinamo Moscow. Dinamo scored early but Loko came back with three unanswered. Dujmović maintained the midfield for 90 minutes without earning a yellow card. Lokomotiv has six points through four games to start the season.
Ivica Križanac and Zenit St. Petersburg had the week off as they were scheduled to play CSKA Moscow. The Russian league decided to postpone the game since Moscow has a Champions League match against Inter on Tuesday.
Spain
CROATIA'S MATADOR MATE BILIĆ
Mate Bilić was an unused sub in Sporting Gijon's 2-2 home draw with Xerez. Bilić has been rumored with a summer move to English sides Everton and Sunderland. Another goal or two down the stretch should definitely solidify a Premiership move for Bilić.
Turkey
Drago Gabrić and Hrvoje Čale both had the weekend off as Trabzonspor was rewarded a 3-0 victory over the recently suspended Ankaraspor. Trabzonspor remain five points back of Galatasaray in fight for a Europa League spot.
Next Matches:
Tuesday, 4/6
Arsenal at Barcelona(Champions League)
Wednesday, 4/7
Bayern Munich at Manchester United(Champions League)
Thursday, 4/8
Hamburg at Standard Liege(Europa League)
Friday, 4/9
Rapid Vienna at SV Josko Ried
Saturday, 4/10
Boulogne at Lens, Schalke 04 at Hannover 96, Bayern Munich at Bayer Leverkusen, FC Cologne at Hoffenheim, Freiburg at Werder Bremen, Sporting Gijon at Villarreal, Red Bull Salzburg at FC Karnten, Trabzonspor at Besiktas, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk at Shakhtar Donetsk, Arsenal Kyiv at Dynamo Kyiv
Sunday, 4/11
Tottenham vs. Portsmouth(FA Cup Semifinal at Wembley), Manchester United at Blackburn, Lille at Lyon, Hamburg at VfL Bochum, Chievo Verona at Palermo, Genoa at Sampdoria, Bari at Siena, Udinese at Livorno, Lokomotiv Moscow at Zenit St Petersburg, KAA Gent at Club Brugge
~Denis Svirčić and Ante Kvartuč reporting from San Pedro, California
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a 'lite' edition of 'Croatians Around Europe' as Denis Svirčić covers Ivan Ljubičić in Indian Wells and Ante Kvartuč finalizes the Andrew Bogut interview for Monday night. Ivica Peroš has the weekend off.
England
KRANJČAR GETS PUMPED UP AFTER HIS WINNER
All three Tottenham Croatians (Luka Modrić, Niko Kranjčar, Vedran Ćorluka) started and played 90 minutes for the Spurs on Saturday as they travelled to Stoke City to take on the Potters. The first half ended 0-0 with Kranjčar having the best chance at goal with a strike from outside the box. Substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen put Crottenham in front moments after halftime only to have an out-of-control (foreshadowing) Benoit Assou-Ekotto concede a penalty to Stoke City which levelled the game in the 64'.
It was Niko Kranjčar who supplied the game winner in the 77' as he absolutely destroyed a ball from 18 yards out after Gudjohnsen beautifully played a 'dummy' to him. Tottenham remain in the fourth place position with this win and should challenge for the last Champions League spot as the season reaches crunch time.
Luka Modrić had an average game as Kranjčar and Ćorluka stole the headlines.
KRANJČAR LIGHTS ONE UP!
ĆORLUKA HAD A ROUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE
Ćorluka and fellow Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto got into a verbal sparing match early in the second half after Assou-Ekotto shanked a shot wide for a corner kick. Assou-Ekotto shoved Ćorluka in the chest while yelling 'Fuck off!' at the Croatian. No cards were given out and both players finished the match without further incident. Does anyone know if there is any bad blood between these two?
"...Assou-Ekotto trudged towards the tunnel on his own, though. Maybe he was thinking about his challenge on Dave Kitson that gave away the penalty or his shoving match with Vedran Ćorluka over marking.
Redknapp said: ‘Charlie (Ćorluka) was upset that he didn’t come back and do his job. Benoit is a strange boy. He’s a bit highly strung and hardly speaks English. If you say something to him he’s hard work. He hasn’t improved his English in the couple of years he’s been here.’
Asked why the player had walked off on his own, Redknapp replied: ‘He didn’t know the result! He probably thought we’d drawn.
‘He’ll turn up Wednesday and play great, but he won’t know we’re playing Fulham until someone tells him. That’s how he is. He’s unreal. He walks off and he’s thinking about the music he’s going to play when he puts his headphones on.’..." -Thanks for the info Adrien
ĆORLUKA AND ASSOU-EKOTTO GO AT IT!
Germany
RAKITIĆ(R) IN ACTION FOR SCHALKE
Ivan Rakitić once again played the full 90 for Schalke as they travelled up north to take on Mladen Petrić and Hamburg. Rakitić stepped up to the penalty spot in the 68' to put Schalke up 2-1. However, an equalizer in the 77' by Jonathan Pitroipa earned Hamburg a 2-2 draw that keeps Schalke one point behind Bayern Munich for the time being.
Mladen Petrić played the full match and only had an 88' full kick to his name that could have won the match for Hamburg. HSV are currently one point out of a Europa League spot with only seven games left in the Bundesliga season.
RAKITIĆ PUTS SCHALKE IN FRONT AT 2:03
Danijel Pranjić got the start for Bayern Munich and played the first 65 minutes in a shocking 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt. Bayern scored in the first 10 minutes and took their foot off the pedal as Frankfurt scored twice (87',89') to stun the Bavarian giants. Ivica Olić was not listed on the squad for the trip. Bayern have drawn Manchester United in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Josip Šimunić helped Hoffenheim get the clean sheet against Nurnberg as he played the entire game. He also received a yellow card in the scoreless draw.
Ivica Banović was an unused sub in Freiburg's 1-0 win over Mainz.
Ukraine
Darijo Srna secured a 2-0 away victory for Shakhtar Donetsk as he struck a beautiful free kick over the wall in the 57' against Zorya. The win puts Shakhtar on top of the Ukrainian League table by two points with Dynamo Kyiv having a game in hand.
SRNA SEES NO WALL AS AN OBSTACLE
Ognjen Vukojević played the full match in Dynamo's 1-1 draw with Metalurh Donetsk.
OTHER KEY CROATIAN PERFORMANCES ON THE WEEKEND...
Vedran Runje posted five saves and a shutout for Lens in a scoreless draw vs. Sochaux.
Nikica Jelavić scored a late equalizing goal that earned Rapid Vienna a 1-1 draw against Sturm Graz.
Ivan Perišić added the second goal in Brugge's 4-1 win over Beerschot.
~Ante Kvartuč NOT reporting from Indian Wells,CA. I should have gone.
CAPTAIN SRNA HAS SOME QUESTIONS TO ANSWER AFTER A HORRIBLE EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN
Current Europa League champions (formerly Uefa Cup) Shakhtar Donetsk, have been eliminated from this year's competition by English club Fulham FC in the Round of 32. Shakhtar and Croatian captain Darijo Srna could not overcome a 2-1 first leg loss as they only managed a 1-1 draw at home in the second leg Thursday night. It was an extremely poor European season for the current Uefa Cup champs as they couldn't even get passed Romanian club Timişoara in the Champions League third qualifying round; ultimately dropping them down to the Europa League tournament.
THIS IS WHAT THE EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 LOOKS LIKE
Here's what Srna had to say after the game in a Shakhtar.com interview:
– Darijo, have you done all your best today? I’m sure, that the team did their utmost to go further. But we couldn't, we missed the goal. Although we knew that when there are corner kicks they choose the position well, moreover they are all very tall.
– There were two questionable episodes when the ball hit the hand… What is the sense of talking now: the game is over, 1-1. We’ll go further. I feel sorry. But we are thankful to our fans who came to the stadium, supported us, especially during the last minutes. To put it bluntly, the team is very upset. We wanted to go to the next stage.
– What is to be waited for next? Was this a hard psychological blow for Shakhtar? Yes, it is a horrible blow. Everybody is in a very bad mood. But in two days we have the match against Vorskla – we should analyze everything and go further.
DOES THIS EUROPA LEAGUE SLIP UP MEAN THAT SRNA WILL LEAVE SHAKHTAR IN THE SUMMER?
PETRIĆ CELEBRATES A WELL-PLAYED GAME
Mladen Petrić and his Hamburg club will play in the Europa League 'Round of 16' even though they were defeated by PSV Eindhoven 3-2 on Thursday in the Netherlands. They move on because of 'away goals', as they won the first leg at home 1-0.
Petrić was all over the place in this game. He caused the deflection which gave PSV a 2-0 lead going into halftime, then scored a very hard fought goal seconds after the restart, almost had his ankle broken by a hard tackle (but stayed in the game) and even had time for an interview after the match. Please feel free to translate if you speak German. Hamburg take on Belgian club Anderlecht starting March 11th. Petrić is now the only Croatian international still playing in the Europa League this season.
PETRIĆ GOAL, DEFLECTION & INTERVIEW
IVAN PERIŠIĆ IN ACTION VS. VALENCIA
Ivan Perišić played the entire match as Club Brugge travelled to Spain to take on Valencia. After a surprising 1-0 home win, Club Brugge looked good to go through. However, Valencia scored in the very first minute of the match while Brugge couldn't manage a goal. The game went into extra time where Pablo scored goals in the 97th and 117th minute to end Club Brugge's European season. It's not the last time you will see young Croatian prospect Ivan Perišić in European ball though; should he stay with his current Belgian club. Club Brugge will secure a Champions League qualifying spot for next season with two more points in three Belgian league games. Looks promising!
IN OTHER EUROPA LEAGUE NEWS...
Nikola Pokrivač sat on the bench as an unused sub in Red Bulls 0-0 draw with Standard Liege. Standard move onto the next round as they won the first leg 3-2.
Both Ante Rukavina and Mario Galinović remained on the bench unused as Panathinaikos once again surprised us all beating Roma 3-2. Who woulda thought they had it in them?
Tottenham missed a golden opportunity to gain ground on English leaders Chelsea as they gave the game away to Everton on Sunday. After playing a very physical scoreless first half, Tottenham scored two goals to start the second half. Niko Kranjčar assisted the second goal off a corner kick that fell perfectly to teammate Michael Dawson for the header. Kranjčar played well on the day connecting many passes for his attackers for chances on goal. He has however cooled down from his absolute tear last month.
Tottenham let Everton score two goals to equalize the game within the last 15 minutes before more chaos ensued. Wilson Palacios was hockey checked in injury time while he was making a run in the Everton box. Jermain Defoe lined up for the penalty shot only to have it blocked by Tim Howard's shins. The game ended in a dramatical 2-2 draw.
VEDRAN ĆORLUKA
Vedran Ćorluka had glimpses of greatness and fatigue in this game. Ćarli played his usual 90 minutes and looked a bit lazy in the first half, almost committing an own goal. Ćorluka was not responsible for either Everton goal as they both came from the left side. He is carrying the ball much more in recent weeks and hanging out in the attacking zone on set plays. Ćorluka deserves a nice, long winter break to recharge those batteries.
TOTTENHAM-EVERTON HIGHLIGHTS
IVAN KLASNIĆ
Ivan Klasnić got another important start for the Bolton Wanderers in their match at Molineux Stadium as they took on the Wolverhampton Wanderers. (Apparently the Wanderer name is as popular in England as Wildcat is in America.) Klasnić played the entire match in a 2-1 Bolton loss that will keep the club a relegation contender the entire season. Bolton sits second from the bottom with only 12 points from 14 games. Klasnić is playing well despite the lousy results. He had a firm strike on goal and set up the ball that lead to Bolton's only goal. He can easily take this club over if he starts scoring goals. 'King Killer' they would call him!
EDUARDO
Eduardo was scratched from Arsenal's lineup on Saturday with a 'thigh problem' as the Gunners easily beat Stoke City 2-0 at Emirates Stadium. It doesn't seem that bad as he should be available for Arsenal's next Premiership match.
Eduardo missed the game against Stoke on Saturday with a thigh problem. "Eduardo has a thigh problem," said Wenger at his post-match press conference. "It is a little recurrence, the medical staff tell me he could be available next week."
With the win and a Chelsea loss on the day, Arsenal are now only eight points behind the leaders with a game in hand. Manchester United sit in second while Tottenham Hotspur are also in the mix.
Nikola Kalinić came on in the 77th minute for Blackburn in a scoreless draw against Liverpool at Ewood Park. The young Croatian still hasn't jumped on an opportunity to become a match hero for the Rovers. It is rumored that former Hajduk Split teammate, Senijad Ibričić, will join Kalinić at Blackburn during the winter transfer window.
GERMANY
PHOTO: fcbayern.t-home.de, Ivica Olić
Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 from the Allianz Arena to take fourth place in the German Bundesliga standings and finally be back in the mix. Ivica Olić and Danijel Pranjić both started the game for Bayern but made early exits in the 59' and 79', respectively. Pranjić tested Borussia goalkeeper Logan Bailly with the first chance of the match. After taking the lead, Bayern took out the Osijek native in favor of a defensive-minded Anatoliy Tymoshchuk.
PHOTO: fcbayern.t-home.de, Danijel Pranjić
Ivica Olić started alongside teammate Mario Gomez but it wasn't until after he made his exit from the game that the Bavarian side were able to go ahead and take the win. Bayern Munich travel to Turin to take on Italian power Juventus on Tuesday in UEFA Champions League action. Only a win will see Bayern move onto the knockout round. Otherwise, hello Europa League!
PHOTO: AP, Ivan Rakitić
Ivan Rakitić played the entire match for Schalke 04 in a 2-0 win against a struggling Hertha Berlin squad in front of a sold-out home crowd at the Veltins Arena. The win brings the club to 3rd place in the Bundesliga standings. For Rakitić, it is the first time in quite a while that he has played an entire contest for his club. Could it be a sign of reconciliation or indication of a new trust between the young midfielder and Schalke 04 management as the January transfer window approaches? The squad are away at Werder Bremen next weekend in a pivotal match.
PHOTO: scfreiburg.com, Ivica Banović scores on a penalty shot
Ivica Banović scored a penalty kick in the 51' for SC Freiburg against VfL Wolfsburg in a match that would ultimately end in a 2-2 draw. Banović played the entire game for his team but must have seen the ball very little. In front of a home crowd of nearly 28,000, VfL Wolfsburg DOMINATED ball possession at 74% of the entire contest, yet SC Freiburg did enough to make it out of the match with a much-needed point. SC Freiburg are now sitting in 13th place of the standings, flirting with the relegation zone. Next weekend, SC Freiburg host FC Cologne.
PHOTO: achtzehn99.de, Josip Šimunić
Saturday's goalless draw between SV Hamburg and TSG Hoffenheim took place from the HSH Nordbank Arena with nearly 53,000 spectators in attendance. Josip Šimunić of Hoffenheim played the entire contest for his club while Mladen Petrić entered the game in the 61' for Marcus Berg, taking another step towards full-match fitness. Petrić has been progressing very well since his return to play following an absence from the field due to an injury sustained in October.
Hamburg sits in fifth place of the German Bundesliga standings with TSG Hoffenheim nipping at their heels, one point behind in sixth. Hamburg are away at Nurnberg next weekend while TSG Hoffenheim host Eintracht Frankfurt.
ITALY
PHOTO: goal.com, Igor Budan
High-flying Palermo defeated Cagliari 2-1 from the Renzo Barbera Stadium with 20,000 spectators on hand. Igor Budan scored for Palermo in the 55' on an excellent shot from the top of the box after dodging multiple defenders for the set-up. After a solid performance, Budan was replaced with teammate Javier Pastore in the 70'. The win has Palermo sitting in 13th place of the Serie A standings with "big boys" AC Milan, Inter, Roma, and Juventus still miles in front. Next weekend, Palermo hope to climb up in the standings even further, hosting Bologna.
BUDAN GOAL
PHOTO: AP, Ivan Jurić
Genoa and Parma played to a 2-2 draw on Sunday afternoon in Serie A action from the Comunale Luigi Ferraris with just under 26,000 in attendance. Ivan Jurić played the entire match for Genoa, receiving a yellow card in the 54' for bringing down Blerim Dzemaili in the midfield. Genoa are in 7th place in the Serie A standings and are away at Lazio next weekend.
Dario Knežević was an unused substitute in Livorno's 2-0 defeat to Chievo Verona.
Mato Jajalo was an unused substitute in Siena's 3-2 win against Catania.
FRANCE
Vedran Runje
Lens suffered an embarassing 2-1 away defeat at the hands of Boulogne at the Stade de la Libération in front of just over 1,000 fans. Boulogne were playing with only 10 men after a red card in the 17' to Mame N'Diaye for going in on a tackle with his studs up. Even more embarrassing, Lens had ball possession for 74% of the contest. Finally, the most embarrassing fact of the match: Vedran Runje, despite playing to the the best of his ability, was powerless to an own-goal off one of his defenders in the 45' of play. The loss lands Lens in 16th place as they host Nice next weekend.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
SPAIN
Mate Bilić
Tenerife defeated Sporting Gijon 2-1 in Spanish Primera action from the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez with 20,000 in attendance. Mate Bilić had a disappointing day for Sporting, starting the contest but only to be replaced by teammate David Barral in the 51'. Sporting Gijon, who sit in 7th place of the standings with this loss, take on Sevilla next weekend.
TURKEY
PHOTO: Hrvoje Čale and Drago Gabrić celebrate
Trabzonspor defeated Ankaragucu 3-0 from H. Avni Aker Stadium in Turkish Super League play. Hrvoje Čale and Drago Gabrić each started the match for Trabzonspor, with Gabrić scoring the second goal of the contest in the 63' on a blast from the top of the box following a corner kick. Minutes after scoring, Gabrić was replaced with teammate Ceyhun Gulselam in the 71' after a fine outing. Čale played the entire contest to cap off a solid defensive performance. Trabzonspor are in 9th place of the Turkish Super League standings and are away at Denizlispor next week.
Drago Gabrić goal at 2:32
AUSTRIA
PHOTO: skrapid.at, Nikica Jelavić
Nikica Jelavić scored in the 34' as Rapid Vienna went on to defeat Kapfenberg SV 3-1 from th Gerhard-Hanappi Stadium in Austrian Bundesliga play. With one more meaningless game left to play in their UEFA Europa League campaign, Rapid must now focus on winning the Austrian Bundesliga while Jelavić must maintain his scoring touch if he wishes to prove critics wrong and attract attention from abroad.
In recent domestic games, Jelavić has found the net on multiple occasions to help instill confidence back in him from Rapid's coaching staff. Does Jelavić have what it takes to anchor this team back to Europe for next season, or will his knack for finding the net disappear into thin air like Rapid's Europa League campaign? Rapid move to first place in the Austrian Bundesliga standings and host SV Josko Ried next weekend.
Nikola Pokrivač
SK Sturm Graz and Red Bull Salzburg played to a 0-0 tie on Sunday afternoon in Austrian Bundesliga play from the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium. Nikola Pokrivač and Gordon Schildenfeld both started for their respective squads with Pokrivač being substituted in the 90' for Simon Cziommer while Schildenfeld played the entire contest. With the deadlock, Red Bull Salzburg slip to 2nd place behind Rapid Vienna while SK Sturm Graz are in 4th place in the Austrian Bundesliga standings. Red Bull host FC Karnten while SK Sturm Graz host Austria Vienna next weekend.
UKRAINE
Darijo Srna played the full 90 minutes in Shakhtar's 2-0 win over Kryvbas on Sunday. Srna strung together some nice passes for teammates in a relatively easy win for the Donetsk club. Shakhtar reclaim second position in the Ukrainian Premier League table but still trail bitter rivals Dynamo Kyiv by five points. Shakhtar play three games in the next 10 days to wrap up play in 2009.
Dynamo Kyiv needed an 88' goal to skim by Chornomorets Odessa 1-0 on Saturday to remain five points clear of any Ukrainian competition trailing them. Ognjen Vukojević played the entire match and received a yellow card in the 60th minute. Dynamo Kyiv has yet to lose a game this season and look to be favorites to win another Ukrainian title. Shakhtar Donetsk will be in the rearview mirror all season long though.
BELGIUM
PHOTO: clubbrugge.be, Ivan Perišić celebrating with teammates
Club Brugge defeated KSC Lokeren 1-0 from the Daknam Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Ivan Perišić entered the contest in the 46' for teammate Jonathan Blondel. In the 52', Club Brugge took the lead when Ryan Donk scored the only goal of the contest. The match also featured former Croatian NT member and Dinamo Zagreb player Tomo Šokota.
With the win, Club Brugge remain in 2nd place of the Belgian Jupiler standings heading into next week's match against KV Mechelen.
~Ivica Peroš reporting from the Velika Jabuka with Ante Kvartuč writing from Pauley Pavillion while Denis Svirčić is on assignment in Croatia.
-pranjic(l)-airport.jpg)
