Straight From Corner! Michel (Dallas) vs Sounders
FC Dallas defender Michel scored his first MLS goal in a 4-2 loss at Seattle Sounders on Saturday night - and what a beauty that was.
Eddie Johnson put the Sounders on the board after 16 minutes and Lamar Neagle made it 2-0 in the 30th minute.
But then Dallas stunned the hosts by scoring two set piece in seven minutes.
In the 54th minute, Kenny Cooper redirected a long Michel free-kick with a glancing header to claw one back.
Seven minutes later, Michel drew Dallas level with an olimpico straight from a corner.
The 31-year-old Brazilian drilled a corner kick from the right side that went just over the outstretched fingers of Sounders goalkeeper Michael Gspurning and into the far side netting.
But before the crowd could appreciate what had just happened, the Sounders regained the lead through Johnson.
Second-half substitute Obafemi Martins then settled things in the 83rd minute with his third goal of the season.
"You don't want to squander a two-goal lead, but we knew they were dangerous on set pieces," said Sounders coach Sigi Schmid.
"We lost our mark on the first one; and obviously Michel hits a great ball on the second and Michael (Gspurning) got tied up."
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| Sounders goalkeeper Michael Gspurning is unable to save a goal straight from the corner Photo: YouTube |
Eddie Johnson put the Sounders on the board after 16 minutes and Lamar Neagle made it 2-0 in the 30th minute.
But then Dallas stunned the hosts by scoring two set piece in seven minutes.
In the 54th minute, Kenny Cooper redirected a long Michel free-kick with a glancing header to claw one back.
Seven minutes later, Michel drew Dallas level with an olimpico straight from a corner.
The 31-year-old Brazilian drilled a corner kick from the right side that went just over the outstretched fingers of Sounders goalkeeper Michael Gspurning and into the far side netting.
But before the crowd could appreciate what had just happened, the Sounders regained the lead through Johnson.
Second-half substitute Obafemi Martins then settled things in the 83rd minute with his third goal of the season.
"You don't want to squander a two-goal lead, but we knew they were dangerous on set pieces," said Sounders coach Sigi Schmid.
"We lost our mark on the first one; and obviously Michel hits a great ball on the second and Michael (Gspurning) got tied up."
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Au Revoir David! Beckham signs off to tears & cheers
David Beckham was reduced to tears after playing what could be his final game as a professional footballer on Saturday night.
Made captain for the night by Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti, Beckham played his full part in a 3-1 win against over Brest.
Beckham played a small part in Zlatan Ibrahimović's opener and struck the corner which led to Blaise Matuidi's second.
With nine minutes remaining, the fourth official indicated that it was time for PSG's No 32 to leave the field and nearly 45,000 crowd at the Parc des Princes rose as one to salute the 38-year-old.
With the realization that his glittering 847-game career was winding down, the raw emotion of the moment got the better of the most iconic player of his generation.
Beckham embraced teammates and opponents before being substituted by Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Family and friends, including his pop star wife Victoria, were in the stands to watch him.
"I want to say thank you to everybody in Paris. To my teammates, to the staff, to the fans," said Beckham.
"It's been very special to finish my career here. It could not have been any more special.
"I just feel that it's the right time. I feel that I've achieved everything that I could in my career. I wanted to go out as a champion.
"I've finished my career in a team that has treated me like I've been here for 10 years.
"After 22 years of playing football I'm going to take a few months to enjoy time with my family.
"It's been a very special place for me."
After the final whistle, teammates hoisted Beckham off the ground and repeatedly tossed him in the air, putting a smile back on his face.
Though PSG still has one more match at Lorient, it seems unlikely that Beckham will feature in the game on 26 May.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said afterwards: "It's up to the coach but I think that will be David's last match."
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| David Beckham breaks down in tears as he leaves the pitch after being substituted Photo: Getty Images |
Made captain for the night by Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti, Beckham played his full part in a 3-1 win against over Brest.
Beckham played a small part in Zlatan Ibrahimović's opener and struck the corner which led to Blaise Matuidi's second.
With nine minutes remaining, the fourth official indicated that it was time for PSG's No 32 to leave the field and nearly 45,000 crowd at the Parc des Princes rose as one to salute the 38-year-old.
With the realization that his glittering 847-game career was winding down, the raw emotion of the moment got the better of the most iconic player of his generation.
Beckham embraced teammates and opponents before being substituted by Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Family and friends, including his pop star wife Victoria, were in the stands to watch him.
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| David Beckham is thrown in the air by his PSG teammates Photo: Getty Images |
"I want to say thank you to everybody in Paris. To my teammates, to the staff, to the fans," said Beckham.
"It's been very special to finish my career here. It could not have been any more special.
"I just feel that it's the right time. I feel that I've achieved everything that I could in my career. I wanted to go out as a champion.
"I've finished my career in a team that has treated me like I've been here for 10 years.
"After 22 years of playing football I'm going to take a few months to enjoy time with my family.
"It's been a very special place for me."
After the final whistle, teammates hoisted Beckham off the ground and repeatedly tossed him in the air, putting a smile back on his face.
Though PSG still has one more match at Lorient, it seems unlikely that Beckham will feature in the game on 26 May.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said afterwards: "It's up to the coach but I think that will be David's last match."
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- Pic of the day: Roberto Mancini thanks Man City fans with full-page newspaper ad
- Pic of the day: Sir Alex Ferguson lifts Premier League trophy for last time
- Celtic boss Neil Lennon gives league medal to young fan
- Lucky fans get special deliveries from Ajax players
- Pic of the day: Burnley player Danny Ings gives his boots to disabled fan
Goal of the day: Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich) vs Gladbach
Franck Ribéry scored a late contender for goal of the season as Bayern Munich came from behind to end their victorious Bundesliga campaign with a 4-3 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The hosts made a flying start and opened up a two-goal lead within the first five minutes thanks to Martin Stranzl and Mike Hanke.
Javi Martínez calmly pulled one back two minutes later, but Håvard Nordtveit restored Gladbach's two-goal advantage on a counter-attack three minutes after that.
Ribéry cut the deficit to 3-2 after 18 minutes to round off an exhilarating opening period, but although the visitors dominated the rest of the first half and created a number of chances, there were no more goals before the break.
Bayern were back on level terms eight minutes into the second half in stunning fashion through Ribéry.
Arjen Robben burst down the right before cutting back to Philipp Lahm, whose deep cross found Ribéry on the edge of the box.
And the Frenchman crashed home a stunning left-footed volley across Marc-André ter Stegen and into the back of the net.
Robben completed the comeback seven minutes later with a tidy back-post finish from Ribéry's cross.
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| Bayern Munich player Franck Ribéry celebrates after scoring the equalizer against Mönchengladbach Photo: fcbayern.de |
The hosts made a flying start and opened up a two-goal lead within the first five minutes thanks to Martin Stranzl and Mike Hanke.
Javi Martínez calmly pulled one back two minutes later, but Håvard Nordtveit restored Gladbach's two-goal advantage on a counter-attack three minutes after that.
Ribéry cut the deficit to 3-2 after 18 minutes to round off an exhilarating opening period, but although the visitors dominated the rest of the first half and created a number of chances, there were no more goals before the break.
Bayern were back on level terms eight minutes into the second half in stunning fashion through Ribéry.
Arjen Robben burst down the right before cutting back to Philipp Lahm, whose deep cross found Ribéry on the edge of the box.
And the Frenchman crashed home a stunning left-footed volley across Marc-André ter Stegen and into the back of the net.
Robben completed the comeback seven minutes later with a tidy back-post finish from Ribéry's cross.
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Pic of the day: Roberto Mancini thanks Man City fans with full-page newspaper ad
Roberto Mancini, who has yet to speak publicly since his sacking last week, broke his silence with a full-page ad in the Manchester Evening News to say thank you and goodbye to the fans.
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| Photo: Manchester Evening News |
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- Pic of the day: Sir Alex Ferguson lifts Premier League trophy for last time
- Celtic boss Neil Lennon gives league medal to young fan
- Lucky fans get special deliveries from Ajax players
- Pic of the day: Burnley player Danny Ings gives his boots to disabled fan
- Portland Timbers grant wish of 8-year-old cancer patient
Comedy Own Goal: Julian Schuster (Freiburg) vs Schalke
Freiburg midfielder Julian Schuster recorded his first-ever Bundesliga own goal in a 2-1 defeat to Schalke 04 on Saturday at the MAGE-Solar Stadion.
Knowing that only victory would book their place in the Champions League play-off round, the hosts tried to seize the initiative early on, but they never truly threatened a well-organised Schalke defense.
Schalke showed them how it was done with their first meaningful attack, as Julian Draxler netted his tenth of the season on 20 minutes.
The tied appeared to turn in the 54th minute when Jonathan Schmid equalized on an excellent counter attack to keep the home side's dream of Champions League football alive.
But less than two minutes passed before Schalke restored their lead with help from Schuster.
Jermaine Jones' shot was not on target, but Immanuel Höhn got caught in two minds.
He didn't see Schuster running back, and the latter didn't seem to be paying much attention to what was going on.
And Höhn's attempted clearance went right to Schuster, who nudged the ball into the back of his own net.
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| Schalke players celebrate after Freiburg midfielder Julian Schuster had scored an own goal Photo: Facebook |
Knowing that only victory would book their place in the Champions League play-off round, the hosts tried to seize the initiative early on, but they never truly threatened a well-organised Schalke defense.
Schalke showed them how it was done with their first meaningful attack, as Julian Draxler netted his tenth of the season on 20 minutes.
The tied appeared to turn in the 54th minute when Jonathan Schmid equalized on an excellent counter attack to keep the home side's dream of Champions League football alive.
But less than two minutes passed before Schalke restored their lead with help from Schuster.
Jermaine Jones' shot was not on target, but Immanuel Höhn got caught in two minds.
He didn't see Schuster running back, and the latter didn't seem to be paying much attention to what was going on.
And Höhn's attempted clearance went right to Schuster, who nudged the ball into the back of his own net.
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Emmanuel Eboué thinks he is a boxer!
Pig head prank gone terribly wrong in Stoke locker room
Stoke City striker Kenwyne Jones was so unimpressed with a locker room prank that he walked outside and reportedly threw a brick through teammate Glenn Whelan's windshield.
Winger Brek Shea posted a picture on Instagram of himself with a real life pig's head, allegedly found in Jones' locker, with the caption "Locker room banter gone wild!"
But the Trinidadian, who is a Rastafarian and does not eat pork, didn't see the funny side of the joke and allegedly smashed the windshield of a car belonging to Whelan, who Jones was convinced was behind the prank.
Jones' girlfriend, Kissa Abdullah, obviously angered by the incident in the locker room and expressed her displeasure on Twitter.
"The club takes seriously reports of an incident at our training ground this afternoon," read a statement on the Potters' website.
"A full internal investigation will be carried out and those responsible for any unacceptable behavior will be dealt with in accordance with the club's disciplinary procedures."
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live on Friday, Stoke manager Tony Pulis also vowed to get to the bottom of exactly what had gone on.
He said: "We have a smashing dressing room, and there are four or five lads who are always up to something. There is always banter going on.
"I honestly don't know what's gone on this morning, I've missed all of what's happened. I try to stay away from the home dressing room as much as I possibly can, I let the lads get on with it.
"We will look at it tomorrow, I will have a chat with the lads and find out exactly what has happened. From that point onwards we'll let everybody know exactly what the situation was."
The incident comes just days after retiring Stoke striker Michael Owen had his car covered in eggs and flour by teammates.
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| Brek Shea is seen holding the pig's head which offended Stoke teammate Kenwyne Jones Photo: Instagram |
Winger Brek Shea posted a picture on Instagram of himself with a real life pig's head, allegedly found in Jones' locker, with the caption "Locker room banter gone wild!"
But the Trinidadian, who is a Rastafarian and does not eat pork, didn't see the funny side of the joke and allegedly smashed the windshield of a car belonging to Whelan, who Jones was convinced was behind the prank.
Jones' girlfriend, Kissa Abdullah, obviously angered by the incident in the locker room and expressed her displeasure on Twitter.
Big men acting like kids a pigs head is not a prank its just disgusting!!!!! Wtf??? I don't get how was that sup 2 be funny!!!! Really???
— Kissa Abdullah (@kissakj) May 17, 2013
@theswin they put a huge bloody pigs head in his clothes at training! He warned them 2 keep him out of the banter or else! u kno the rest
— Kissa Abdullah (@kissakj) May 17, 2013
Listen 4 all those who don't get it lay the f! back! Where I come from that's not anywhere close 2 funny! Esp not knowing religious beliefs
— Kissa Abdullah (@kissakj) May 17, 2013
It just takes a minute to be sensitive to someone's beliefs no one says u can't have a sense of humour but let it be a joke! This wasn't!
— Kissa Abdullah (@kissakj) May 17, 2013
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions mine is I don't agree wrapping a pigs head in his clothes!
— Kissa Abdullah (@kissakj) May 17, 2013
"The club takes seriously reports of an incident at our training ground this afternoon," read a statement on the Potters' website.
"A full internal investigation will be carried out and those responsible for any unacceptable behavior will be dealt with in accordance with the club's disciplinary procedures."
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live on Friday, Stoke manager Tony Pulis also vowed to get to the bottom of exactly what had gone on.
He said: "We have a smashing dressing room, and there are four or five lads who are always up to something. There is always banter going on.
"I honestly don't know what's gone on this morning, I've missed all of what's happened. I try to stay away from the home dressing room as much as I possibly can, I let the lads get on with it.
"We will look at it tomorrow, I will have a chat with the lads and find out exactly what has happened. From that point onwards we'll let everybody know exactly what the situation was."
The incident comes just days after retiring Stoke striker Michael Owen had his car covered in eggs and flour by teammates.
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- Caption This: Blonde girl gets beer dousing by Manuel Neuer
- Schalke troll Dortmund with Julian Draxler extension billboards
- Mario Balotelli attempts to hit guy on golf cart with footballs
- Chelsea's Blue paint ad gets spoofed by Icelandic club Tindastóll
- Rangers player gets duped by Celtic fan posing as MLS agent
Mario Balotelli: I like women and fast cars, but I'm a normal guy
In a recent interview with CNN, Italy and AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli has defended his reputation as a lover of women and fast cars.
Super Mario does drive a camouflage Bentley and is known for his often chaotic love life, but insists that's only to be expected of a 22-year-old.
He said: "A love of women I think is normal. Cars? I like fast cars and I don't see the problem if I like fast cars.
"Some things have happened in my life, some stuff unfortunately happened and they went on the newspapers straight away.
"But I don't see anything that would make people think that I'm bad or I'm crazy. I'm a normal guy."
The Palermo-born forward was never far away from the headlines during his time at manchester City for his antics both on and off the pitch.
Balotelli added: "The stuff that they said in the newspapers that I did in England in the past, few of those are real. The others are really just the imagination of the journalists.
"But when you create an icon of a person in that kind of way, after everyone thinks you are like this and if you lie about it, everyone just thinks that it is all true. So maybe that's why they think I'm crazy and do crazy things?"
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| Mario Balotelli and his Camouflage Bentley Continental GT Photo: Splash News |
Super Mario does drive a camouflage Bentley and is known for his often chaotic love life, but insists that's only to be expected of a 22-year-old.
He said: "A love of women I think is normal. Cars? I like fast cars and I don't see the problem if I like fast cars.
"Some things have happened in my life, some stuff unfortunately happened and they went on the newspapers straight away.
"But I don't see anything that would make people think that I'm bad or I'm crazy. I'm a normal guy."
The Palermo-born forward was never far away from the headlines during his time at manchester City for his antics both on and off the pitch.
Balotelli added: "The stuff that they said in the newspapers that I did in England in the past, few of those are real. The others are really just the imagination of the journalists.
"But when you create an icon of a person in that kind of way, after everyone thinks you are like this and if you lie about it, everyone just thinks that it is all true. So maybe that's why they think I'm crazy and do crazy things?"
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Atlético claim first Madrid derby victory in 14 years to win Copa del Rey
Atlético Madrid ended a 14-year winless run against city rivals Real Madrid to capture the Copa del Rey title on Friday night.
Having not lost to their city rivals since 1999, it was perhaps no surprise to see Los Blancos dominate the ball from the start and open the scoring in the 14th minute.
A Mesut Özil corner found Cristiano Ronaldo inside the area, and the Portuguese rose majestically to head home past Atlético goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
It looked as if José Mourinho's side would be going into the break 1-0 up, but with 10 minutes remaining Radamel Falcao set up Diego Costa to level for Atlético.
Mourinho was hardly seen for the first 75 minutes and suddenly he came off his bench and within seconds got himself sent off for protesting.
Atlético struck the winner when Brazilian defender Miranda headed in a Koke cross in the eighth minute of extra time.
Madrid ended the match with 10 men when Ronaldo received a straight red card for kicking Atlético captain Gabi, who was sent off himself just before the final whistle.
"This is for our fans that have suffered for 14 years," Gabi said moments before he received the trophy from Spain's King Juan Carlos.
"I think this team worked hard for this and deserved it."
The result leaves Mourinho trophyless for the first time in his managerial career, and could be the final nail into his Madrid coffin.
Speaking at his post-match conference, the 50-year-old coach said: "This is my worst season. I have never not won an important title. You can say I failed this season."
"With one final, a semifinal, a second-place finish, and a Spanish Supercup, for many other coaches it would have been a good season. For me it's the worst."
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| Atlético Madrid players celebrate after winning the Copa del Rey Final against Real Madrid Photo: Getty Images |
Having not lost to their city rivals since 1999, it was perhaps no surprise to see Los Blancos dominate the ball from the start and open the scoring in the 14th minute.
A Mesut Özil corner found Cristiano Ronaldo inside the area, and the Portuguese rose majestically to head home past Atlético goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
It looked as if José Mourinho's side would be going into the break 1-0 up, but with 10 minutes remaining Radamel Falcao set up Diego Costa to level for Atlético.
Mourinho was hardly seen for the first 75 minutes and suddenly he came off his bench and within seconds got himself sent off for protesting.
Atlético struck the winner when Brazilian defender Miranda headed in a Koke cross in the eighth minute of extra time.
Madrid ended the match with 10 men when Ronaldo received a straight red card for kicking Atlético captain Gabi, who was sent off himself just before the final whistle.
"This is for our fans that have suffered for 14 years," Gabi said moments before he received the trophy from Spain's King Juan Carlos.
"I think this team worked hard for this and deserved it."
The result leaves Mourinho trophyless for the first time in his managerial career, and could be the final nail into his Madrid coffin.
Speaking at his post-match conference, the 50-year-old coach said: "This is my worst season. I have never not won an important title. You can say I failed this season."
"With one final, a semifinal, a second-place finish, and a Spanish Supercup, for many other coaches it would have been a good season. For me it's the worst."
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Best Goals of Week #3 May 2013
Here are the best goals from week #3 May 2013, courtesy of TVGOLO.com.
| Goal#1 | Quincy Promes (Go Ahead Eagles) | vs Dordrecht |
| Goal#2 | Matěj Vydra (Watford) | vs Leicester City |
| Goal#3 | Saber Khelifa (Evian Thonon Gaillard) | vs Nice |
| Goal#4 | Adam Duda (Lechia Gdańsk) | vs Ruch Chorzów |
| Goal#5 | Serhiy Kravchenko (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk) | vs Karpaty Lviv |
| Goal#6 | Khalifa Sankaré (Asteras Tripolis) | vs PAS Giannina |
| Goal#7 | Víctor Ibarbo (Cagliari) | vs Juventus |
| Goal#8 | Mateusz Możdżeń (Lech Poznań) | vs Widzew Łódź |
| Goal#9 | Chiquinho (Potiguar de Mossoró) | vs América RN |
| Goal#10 | Kevin Mirallas (Everton) | vs West Ham United |
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David Beckham retiring from professional football
David Beckham announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday after a career that made him probably the most famous sportsman on the planet.
The 38-year-old, who last week won France's Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, has turned down a one-year extension and decided to bow out.
His last match as a professional footballer will be in front of fewer than 18,000 fans when PSG visit Lorient on May 26.
"I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level," Beckham said in a statement on his Facebook page.
"If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I'm fortunate to have realised those dreams.
"To this day, one of my proudest achievements is captaining my country. I knew every time I wore the Three Lions shirt, I was not only following in a long line of great players, I was also representing every fan that cared passionately about their country. I'm honoured to represent England both on and off the pitch.
"I wouldn't have achieved what I have done today without my family. I'm grateful for my parents' sacrifice, which made me realise my dreams. I owe everything to Victoria and the kids, who have given me the inspiration and support to play at the highest level for such a long period. I also want to thank Simon Fuller and his team for their continued support.
"I want to thank all my team-mates, the great managers that I had the pleasure of learning from. I also want to thank the fans who have all supported me and given me the strength to succeed.
"Nothing will ever completely replace playing the game I love, however I feel like I'm starting a new adventure and I'm genuinely excited about what lies ahead. I'm fortunate to have been given many opportunities throughout my career and now I feel it's my time to give back."
Beckham started his career with United and went on to win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League in 1999.
In the summer of 2003, Becks left Old Trafford in favour of a move to Real Madrid, with whom he won La Liga in his final season.
The London-born player then made a surprise move to the USA and played for MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy for five seasons. He also spent two loan periods with AC Milan during that period.
Beckham, whose curling free kicks became his signature as a player, is the only Englishman to win domestic titles in four different countries.
On the international stage, Beckham made 115 appearances for the Three Lions - a record for a player other than a goalkeeper.
Beckham will then concentrate on his ambassador roles, which include working for UNICEF and promoting football in China.
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| Bye Bye Becks! Ex-England captain David Beckham quits football after 20 years Photo: Getty Images |
The 38-year-old, who last week won France's Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, has turned down a one-year extension and decided to bow out.
His last match as a professional footballer will be in front of fewer than 18,000 fans when PSG visit Lorient on May 26.
"I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level," Beckham said in a statement on his Facebook page.
"If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I'm fortunate to have realised those dreams.
"To this day, one of my proudest achievements is captaining my country. I knew every time I wore the Three Lions shirt, I was not only following in a long line of great players, I was also representing every fan that cared passionately about their country. I'm honoured to represent England both on and off the pitch.
"I wouldn't have achieved what I have done today without my family. I'm grateful for my parents' sacrifice, which made me realise my dreams. I owe everything to Victoria and the kids, who have given me the inspiration and support to play at the highest level for such a long period. I also want to thank Simon Fuller and his team for their continued support.
"I want to thank all my team-mates, the great managers that I had the pleasure of learning from. I also want to thank the fans who have all supported me and given me the strength to succeed.
"Nothing will ever completely replace playing the game I love, however I feel like I'm starting a new adventure and I'm genuinely excited about what lies ahead. I'm fortunate to have been given many opportunities throughout my career and now I feel it's my time to give back."
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| David Beckham won the Champions League with Manchester United in 1999 Photo: Getty Images |
Beckham started his career with United and went on to win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League in 1999.
In the summer of 2003, Becks left Old Trafford in favour of a move to Real Madrid, with whom he won La Liga in his final season.
The London-born player then made a surprise move to the USA and played for MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy for five seasons. He also spent two loan periods with AC Milan during that period.
Beckham, whose curling free kicks became his signature as a player, is the only Englishman to win domestic titles in four different countries.
On the international stage, Beckham made 115 appearances for the Three Lions - a record for a player other than a goalkeeper.
Beckham will then concentrate on his ambassador roles, which include working for UNICEF and promoting football in China.
Don't forget to join us on Twitter and Facebook for more updates!
11-year-old boy gatecrashes Chelsea's Europa League celebrations
An 11-year-old boy came inches from cheekily lifting the Europa League trophy as he managed to blag his way into the spotlight.
Liverpool fan Louis Kearns was at Amsterdam for the Europa League Final with his father and as a big Fernando Torres and Rafa Benítez fan, the schoolboy wanted to get a bit closer.
Louis ran on to the pitch to have his photo taken as the Chelsea squad waited to receive the cup after their 2-1 victory against Benfica on Wednesday.
One thing led to another and he ended up climbing the steps behind his idol.
As the players made their way up for the presentation, Louis managed to walk up the stairs behind Torres, shaking hands with UEFA president Michel Platini as he went and dancing a jig of excitement.
He nearly got his hands on the cup, but just as the ceremony was about to take place, Louis was spotted by a UEFA official and taken off the podium.
Chelsea, nor anybody else for that matter, seem to have any idea how he gained access to the team.
"Fernando Torres is my favourite player and I saw the opportunity and ran over to get a picture," Louis told the Liverpool ECHO.
"I was made up to meet Torres and I spoke to him, John Terry, Eden Hazard and Michel Platini from UEFA.
"I was gutted when I was ushered away because I wanted to touch the cup.
"It was boss but it would have been better if it was my team Liverpool – that would have been the best."
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| Young fan Louis Kearns joins the Chelsea players walking up the stairs and on the podium Photo: YouTube |
Liverpool fan Louis Kearns was at Amsterdam for the Europa League Final with his father and as a big Fernando Torres and Rafa Benítez fan, the schoolboy wanted to get a bit closer.
Louis ran on to the pitch to have his photo taken as the Chelsea squad waited to receive the cup after their 2-1 victory against Benfica on Wednesday.
One thing led to another and he ended up climbing the steps behind his idol.
As the players made their way up for the presentation, Louis managed to walk up the stairs behind Torres, shaking hands with UEFA president Michel Platini as he went and dancing a jig of excitement.
He nearly got his hands on the cup, but just as the ceremony was about to take place, Louis was spotted by a UEFA official and taken off the podium.
Chelsea, nor anybody else for that matter, seem to have any idea how he gained access to the team.
"Fernando Torres is my favourite player and I saw the opportunity and ran over to get a picture," Louis told the Liverpool ECHO.
"I was made up to meet Torres and I spoke to him, John Terry, Eden Hazard and Michel Platini from UEFA.
"I was gutted when I was ushered away because I wanted to touch the cup.
"It was boss but it would have been better if it was my team Liverpool – that would have been the best."
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- Pitch invader celebrates with Bayern Munich players, gets Franck Ribery's shirt
- Turkish goalie gives flurry of punches to pitch invader
- Prankster arrested for joining Man City warm-up at Everton
- Furry intruder charges onto footie match, bites player's finger
- Ticketless Irish fan sneaks into game, ends up in Estonia's bench
Mario Balotelli finally enters the Twittersphere
There have been countless fake Mario Balotelli accounts over the years, but it seems that the man himself is on the social networking at last.
The AC Milan striker opened a Twitter account on Thursday night under the username @finallymario, much to the delight of many fans on the social network.
Announcing his arrival on the micro-blogging site, the eccentric striker tentatively tweeted: "How do I use this?????"
But it wasn't long before Balotelli had got to grips with his new play thing, posting pictures of himself with his beloved black labrador Lucky.
The 22-year-old has racked up 188,000 Twitter followers and counting in his first 15 hours - more than 12,000 users every hour.
Expect Super Mario to soon establish himself as one of the athletes with the widest army of followers on this platform.
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| Mario Balotelli posted this picture of himself and his beloved dog Lucky Photo: @finallymario |
The AC Milan striker opened a Twitter account on Thursday night under the username @finallymario, much to the delight of many fans on the social network.
Announcing his arrival on the micro-blogging site, the eccentric striker tentatively tweeted: "How do I use this?????"
But it wasn't long before Balotelli had got to grips with his new play thing, posting pictures of himself with his beloved black labrador Lucky.
The 22-year-old has racked up 188,000 Twitter followers and counting in his first 15 hours - more than 12,000 users every hour.
Expect Super Mario to soon establish himself as one of the athletes with the widest army of followers on this platform.
Don't forget to join us on Twitter and Facebook for more updates!
Cristiano Ronaldo tucks into bucket of KFC in new advert
The good people at KFC would have us believe that Cristiano Ronaldo digs into an entire bargain bucket by the side of the pitch after scoring a goal if this new ad is to be believed.
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- Chelsea's Blue paint ad gets spoofed by Icelandic club Tindastóll
- Chelsea players star as human pinballs in new Samsung ad
- Cristiano Ronaldo honoured as Sporting Lisbon's 100,000th member
- How Fast Are You? CR7 races against Cristiano Ronaldo in new advert
- Fernando Torres shows how to make cupcakes in Samsung ad
Pic of the day: Marouane Fellaini turns his trademark Afro silver
Comedy Own Goal: Zac MacMath (Union) vs LA Galaxy
Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath suffered a real howler during a 4-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday evening at PPL Park.
The visitors took the lead after just three minutes with a little help from the Union custodian.
After a turnover by Union left back Raymon Gaddis, Landon Donovan launched a corner kick into the box that MacMath badly bungled.
While battling for position, the ball went off the side of MacMath's face, off the crossbar and into the net for an own goal that shocked the home crowd.
The clubs went into the locker room level after Amobi Okugo tied the game up for the Union in the 23rd minute.
However, John Hackworth's men never seemed to come back to life in the final 45 minutes and watched the two-time defending MLS Cup champions score three times in 16 minutes to eventually win 4-1.
"Should he have done better? Probably, but he has Omar Gonzalez and Bakary Soumaré right in front of him," Hackworth said after the game.
"I'll talk to him, we will look at video and we will see what happened. I don't think he saw it. Literally I think it comes off his shoulder and his face."
MacMath added: "It was a foul, and Omar at halftime said that he fouled me. So I don't know why the ref said that he didn't see it when he was so close to me, but it happens and it happened pretty quickly."
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| Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath misplays a corner kick into an own goal Photo: philly.com |
The visitors took the lead after just three minutes with a little help from the Union custodian.
After a turnover by Union left back Raymon Gaddis, Landon Donovan launched a corner kick into the box that MacMath badly bungled.
While battling for position, the ball went off the side of MacMath's face, off the crossbar and into the net for an own goal that shocked the home crowd.
The clubs went into the locker room level after Amobi Okugo tied the game up for the Union in the 23rd minute.
However, John Hackworth's men never seemed to come back to life in the final 45 minutes and watched the two-time defending MLS Cup champions score three times in 16 minutes to eventually win 4-1.
"Should he have done better? Probably, but he has Omar Gonzalez and Bakary Soumaré right in front of him," Hackworth said after the game.
"I'll talk to him, we will look at video and we will see what happened. I don't think he saw it. Literally I think it comes off his shoulder and his face."
MacMath added: "It was a foul, and Omar at halftime said that he fouled me. So I don't know why the ref said that he didn't see it when he was so close to me, but it happens and it happened pretty quickly."
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Player helps injured opponent during goal
While Metalist Kharkiv striker Marko Dević attempted to help a Zorya Luhansk player who was down injured, his teammates smashed in another goal during Friday's 3-1 win.
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- Ref congratulates players for scoring golazo
- Pic of the day: Players ask fans for forgiveness after heavy loss
- Casillas asked ref to end Euro 2012 final early out of respect for Italy
- Fair Play still alive! Footballer asks ref to disallow his Hand of God goal
- Soccer team allow opponent score after freak goal
Wigan relegated from Premier League just THREE days after FA Cup triumph
Just three days after lifting the FA Cup, Wigan Athletic were relegated from the Premier League after a 4-1 defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday.
After losing the Premier League title to neighbors Manchester United, you wouldn't have been looking for a bet against Manchester City on Unibet winning their last hope of silverware this season.
Against all odds, though, Wigan beat Roberto Mancini's men to win the FA Cup last weekend.
But in three days, the Lancashire club have gone from the greatest day in the club's history to the stunning reality of a return to the Championship after eight years in the top flight.
Wigan needed to get at least a point to give them the faintest chance of survival, but defeat leaves them four points adrift of 17th-placed Sunderland with just one game left in the season.
Arsenal took the lead after nine minutes when poor marking at a corner let Lukas Podolski head his 16th goal of the season.
Hopes of another great escape from the Latics were briefly raised as Shaun Maloney equalized in first-half added time with an exquisite free-kick.
But three Arsenal goals in eight minutes of the second half ended any Wigan dreams of the win they needed to take their survival fight to the last day of the season.
Theo Walcott put the hosts ahead again in the 63rd minute after turning in Santi Cazorla's low cross into the net despite an attempted block by Wigan goalkeeper Joel Robles.
The game was up for the visitors just five minutes later as Podolski lobbed Robles for his second of the night.
And Wigan were down and out when Arsenal added a fourth goal through Aaron Ramsey's solo effort on 71 minutes.
However, Wigan manager Roberto Martínez has vowed they will be back in the Premier League anytime soon.
He told the club's website: "We have to make sure that we get stronger and that the future of this football club is very bright.
"It's a time for everyone involved with this football club to very proud of the last eight seasons in the Premier League and of winning the FA Cup.
"As a football club we have been defying the odds year-after-year and this season we have been playing outstanding football week-after-week.
"It's time to have a breather at the end of the season and make sure that we have all the good things together at the club."
Wigan bowed out of the Premier League with the defeat but each and every player showed their heart as they walked across the pitch to meet their supporters, many throwing away shirts and some brought to tears.
Martínez added: "I'd like to thank our fans more than anything.
"My message to them is that they've given everything they have got and now we all need to pull together again to bounce back as a football club.
"Nobody gave us a chance of having more than one season in the Premier League so there are many aspects for them to be extremely proud of."
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| Wigan players walk over to greet their fans following their relegation from the Premier League Photo: Getty Images |
After losing the Premier League title to neighbors Manchester United, you wouldn't have been looking for a bet against Manchester City on Unibet winning their last hope of silverware this season.
Against all odds, though, Wigan beat Roberto Mancini's men to win the FA Cup last weekend.
But in three days, the Lancashire club have gone from the greatest day in the club's history to the stunning reality of a return to the Championship after eight years in the top flight.
Wigan needed to get at least a point to give them the faintest chance of survival, but defeat leaves them four points adrift of 17th-placed Sunderland with just one game left in the season.
Arsenal took the lead after nine minutes when poor marking at a corner let Lukas Podolski head his 16th goal of the season.
Hopes of another great escape from the Latics were briefly raised as Shaun Maloney equalized in first-half added time with an exquisite free-kick.
But three Arsenal goals in eight minutes of the second half ended any Wigan dreams of the win they needed to take their survival fight to the last day of the season.
Theo Walcott put the hosts ahead again in the 63rd minute after turning in Santi Cazorla's low cross into the net despite an attempted block by Wigan goalkeeper Joel Robles.
The game was up for the visitors just five minutes later as Podolski lobbed Robles for his second of the night.
And Wigan were down and out when Arsenal added a fourth goal through Aaron Ramsey's solo effort on 71 minutes.
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| Wigan manager Roberto Martínez reacts following his team's relegation from the Premier League Photo: Getty Images |
However, Wigan manager Roberto Martínez has vowed they will be back in the Premier League anytime soon.
He told the club's website: "We have to make sure that we get stronger and that the future of this football club is very bright.
"It's a time for everyone involved with this football club to very proud of the last eight seasons in the Premier League and of winning the FA Cup.
"As a football club we have been defying the odds year-after-year and this season we have been playing outstanding football week-after-week.
"It's time to have a breather at the end of the season and make sure that we have all the good things together at the club."
Wigan bowed out of the Premier League with the defeat but each and every player showed their heart as they walked across the pitch to meet their supporters, many throwing away shirts and some brought to tears.
Martínez added: "I'd like to thank our fans more than anything.
"My message to them is that they've given everything they have got and now we all need to pull together again to bounce back as a football club.
"Nobody gave us a chance of having more than one season in the Premier League so there are many aspects for them to be extremely proud of."
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Goal of the day: Sergio Agüero (Man City) vs Reading
Manchester City earned a 2-0 win at Reading on Tuesday with Sergio Agüero's opener coming on the back of some neat one-touch football.
With Reading already relegated and City's Champions League place assured, the match had a distinct end-of-season feel about it.
Despite a man of the match performance from Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, the managerless men from Manchester finally broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval.
An exquisite short corner routine involving Gareth Barry, David Silva and James Milner saw the ball played across for Agüero in the center of the Reading box.
The Argentine didn't even take a touch to bring the ball out of his feet, angling the ball across McCarthy and low into the bottom corner.
Devastating one-touch football, with precision passing, movement and a clinical finish to match.
Any hopes of a home fightback were extinguished in the 88th minute as substitute Edin Džeko latched onto an exquisite pass from Silva and coolly slotted the ball past a despairing McCarthy.
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| Sergio Agüero celebrates his goal against Reading with Manchester City teammate David Silva Photo: Getty Images |
With Reading already relegated and City's Champions League place assured, the match had a distinct end-of-season feel about it.
Despite a man of the match performance from Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, the managerless men from Manchester finally broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval.
An exquisite short corner routine involving Gareth Barry, David Silva and James Milner saw the ball played across for Agüero in the center of the Reading box.
The Argentine didn't even take a touch to bring the ball out of his feet, angling the ball across McCarthy and low into the bottom corner.
Devastating one-touch football, with precision passing, movement and a clinical finish to match.
Any hopes of a home fightback were extinguished in the 88th minute as substitute Edin Džeko latched onto an exquisite pass from Silva and coolly slotted the ball past a despairing McCarthy.
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Pic of the day: Message from Amsterdam to Chelsea fans
Chelsea manager Rafa Benítez will be glad to find out he has supporters in Amsterdam.
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| Photo: @MostarLFC |
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