Soccer update-- cancellations and more

Today's La Liga match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano was cancelled due to sabotage. (Apparently an electrical cable was cut.)

Above and below: Workers attempt to fix the lights 

Below: Fans outside the Estadio de Vellecas

In Italy, today's match between AS Roma and Cagliari was cancelled due to a dispute between Cagliari and Serie A authorities about whether home fans would be allowed to attend the match.

And finally, Milan's disastrous season continued with a 2-1 loss to Udinese. Highlights included two Milan players sent off with red cards (Cristian Zapata and Kevin Prince-Boateng) and continued speculation about whether Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will be fired.

Below: Milan players after the match

AC Milan's season so far

I have tried several times to write a post about how incredibly disastrous this year has been for AC Milan so far, but I just can't do it.

Above: Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri urges his team on

Below: Anderlecht goalkeeper Silvio Proto

Seedorf scores his first goal for his new club

This summer, former AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf signed a two-year contract to play for the Brazilian club Botafogo. The contract is said to be the largest ever signed by a foreign player to play for a Brazilian team. Seedorf, who enjoyed a long and exciting career at Milan, scored his first goal of the season in Botafogo's win against Atletico Goianiense yesterday. Hopefully this will be just the first of many goals as Seedorf pursues his career in Brazil. 

Above: Seedorf displays the Botafogo flag

Below: One of my all-time favorite goals by Seedorf

Transfer rumor #1 - summer 2012 edition

For some reason, in the last one or two dozen hours, the internet has decided that AC Milan are selling Thiago Silva (pictured below) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (pictured further below) to the French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). 

It is possible that the internet has decided to believe this ridiculous rumor because of the statement by AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi that the two players have, in fact, been sold. We will keep you posted.

AC Milan injury update

Rino Gattuso, who has been out since Milan's first game of the season back in September, has been cleared by team doctors to resume training and could even play in a game sometime soon. Gattuso has been suffering from a condition known as Sixth Cranial Nerve Palsy which caused the muscles in his left eye to fail to function properly and resulted in double, triple, and even quadruple vision. Let's all hope that Rino will be back on the pitch for AC Milan sometime soon.

Below: A drawing of a person suffering from Sixth Cranial Nerve Palsy

Merry Christmas from AC Milan

The folks at AC Milan are apparently so excited about Christmas this year that they sent out two (slightly different) videos--
Video one:


Video two:


Just like AC Milan, Ape Canyon News Service would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Match report: Italy 3 - Ukraine 0 (Quarterfinal 2006 World Cup)

• Goals scored: Zambrotta 6', Toni 59', Toni 69'
• What happened: Italy defeated Ukraine in the quarterfinals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They advanced to the semifinals against Germany.
• Players who appeared in the match and who had played at AC Milan during the previous season: Gattuso, Pirlo, Shevchenko
• Players who appeared in the match and who would later play for AC Milan: Zambrotta, Oddo
• Players who were on the bench for this match and who had played at AC Milan during the previous season: Inzaghi, Gilardino, Nesta
• Players who were on the bench for this match and who would later play for AC Milan: None
• Players who played in the match and who I wish played for Milan: Fabio Cannavaro
• Players whose brothers played in this match and who I wish played for Milan: Paolo Cannavaro
• Questions raised by this match: Was this Gianluca Zambrotta's greatest career moment?
• Who did I root for the first time I saw this match? Ukraine
• Things the ESPN announcers did that were annoying: Mispronounce many names ( "Zambratto," "Purrlo," "Cam-rone-a-nay-see," probably almost all of the Ukraine players' names)
• Injured former players/Juventus staff members whose recent scandal-related suicide attempts were frequently mentioned during the broadcast: Gianluca Pessotto
• Relatively amusing injuries to Italy players: Gattuso 14' (kneed in back), Gattuso 26' (wrist stomped on), Cannavaro 47' (hit in groin by ball after Ukraine player missed header), Buffon 50' (bumped head on goalpost making save)
• Words to describe most of the Ukraine players' hair: long, blond, stringy, Owen Wilson-like
• What this match teaches us: Why AC Milan insisted on acquiring Zambrotta (pictured at top) from Barcelona

Below: Ukraine captain and former Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko

Video highlights are below:

Match report: Milan 1 - Bologna 0

• Goals Scored: Flamini 8' (See photo above-- the ball is visible just over Flamini's shoulder)
• What happened: Milan scored early and held on to win. They are in first place-- eight points ahead of Inter and nine ahead of Napoli with three matches left.
• What it was like to watch this match: Milan are good; Bologna are not. Milan had a reason try hard; Bologna did not. Milan scored early; Bologna did not. Milan had many other chances to score; Bologna did not. Therefore, watching this match was nothing less than pure torture-- for eighty-two+ minutes Milan were one stupid/flukey/extraordinary play away from disaster.
• Number of wide open headers Bologna missed during the second half: 2 (Like I said-- pure torture)
• Bologna player sent off undeservedly with a straight red card late in the second half: Della Rocca
• Evidence that there is a conspiracy to give Milan the Scudetto this season: Della Rocca's sending off, which completely ended Bologna's attacking threat. A penalty awarded to Milan against Napoli on February 28th for a debatable handball.
• Evidence that there is a conspiracy to prevent Milan from winning the Scudetto this season: The three game suspension given to Ibrahimovic for talking disrespectfully to the linesman at the end of Milan's 3-0 victory over Sampdoria.
• Milan players who made their debut today: Giacomo Beretta
• Milan players whose wives/girlfriends have apparently had babies recently: Antonio Cassano, Robinho, Thiago Silva, Urby Emanuelson
• What this match teaches us: Milan will win the Scudetto this season.

Below: Before the match, a video of Pope John Paul II was shown at the San Siro.

Below: Flamini doesn't score many goals, and certainly none as important as this one.

Brescia defender pulls off Kevin-Prince Boateng's shirt

Milan won 1-0.

Highlights from three different recent important matches that Milan won by a score of 3-0

February 28, 2011: Milan 3 - Napoli 0

April 2, 2011: Milan 3 - Inter 0

April 16, 2011: Milan 3 - Sampdoria 0

Another nice goal by Seedorf and one by Gattuso

In case you missed this one--

April 16, 2011: Milan 3 - Sampdoria 0

Or this one--

March 5, 2011: Juventus 0 - Milan 1

What Milan have been up to lately

Fiorentina 1 - Milan 2

The year of ridiculous rumors continues

A few months ago, I never would have thought things like this were even worth mentioning. But now, you never know.

Serie A - Ronaldinho wants Kaka return

Pirlo's goal against Parma

On Saturday, Milan beat Parma 1-0. Below is Andrea Pirlo's goal-

Ibrahimovic and his big feet

Earlier this month, former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi (pictured below) got into an argument with Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic live on Italian television. The reason for their disagreement was Sacchi's joking about Ibrahimovic scoring a goal because of his big feet. (For the record, Ibrahimovic wears a US men's size 13.)

The thing is, however, Sacchi may have a point. In both of Milan's last two games, Ibrahimovic scored goals that a player with smaller feet (or shorter legs) might not have.

The goal versus Lazio--

The goal versus Genoa--

The argument--

How soon will Milan be "officially in crisis"?

Capuano's goal for Catana was amazing, and, for some reason, Inzaghi made the New York Times.

Milan lose; Berlusconi makes jokes about Hitler

Read this article.

More transfer announcements from AC Milan

GALLIANI: 'Robinho is a wonderful gift from Berlusconi'

8/31/2010

MILAN - Adriano Galliani's words quoted by Sky: 'The acquisition of Robinho cost us € 18 million plus bonuses. He's a wonderful gift from president Berlusconi to the Milan fans.'

Stupidest Transfer Rumor Ever.

Next In Line?
Milan are expected to announce the signing of Manchester City attacker Robinho on Tuesday, adding even more talent to what could shape up to be a very dangerous team in the attacking third. Fellow Brazilian Ronaldinho is already hitting his form for Milan and was named Goal.com World Player of the Week.

Milan 4 - Lecce 0: Milan are in first place! Here are pictures.

Above: Thiago Silva scores.

Below: Inzaghi is excited after scoring late to make it 4-0.

Below: This photo is from last season, against Napoli, I believe.

Below: They haven't assigned Ibrahimovic a number yet. He got to watch the match up in the stands with Berlusconi and Galliani. Unfortunately, no photographs seem to be available at this time.

Click here to read more.