England's Wembley win spoils Ronaldinho's parade

 

It was set up perfectly for Ronaldinho. In his unofficial 100th game for Brazil (he has made five appearances in games not recognised by Fifa), he was handed a chance from the penalty spot to get his name on the score-sheet at Wembley. A penalty against England? Well that's as good as a goal isn't it?

WRONG! Joe Hart superbly denied the buck-toothed magician with not one, but two, fine stops to prevent the 32-year-old marking his return to the Selecao (he hasn't played for them since November 2011) with a goal.

It got worse too. Luis Felipe Scolari replaced him at half-time and England went on to win the friendly with goals from Wayne Rooney and the evergreen Frank Lampard - perfectly marking the Football Association's first glamour friendly in their 150th anniversary. 
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Ashley Cole joins England's 100 Club

 

Ashley Cole may not have always been the most popular figure outside of Stamford Bridge, but the left-back will join an elite group of England players on Wednesday.

The defender will join England's 100 Club at Wembley Stadium against Brazil, joining such decorated stars as Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, Sir Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore.

Somewhat controversial off the pitch but rarely anything other than reliable on it, England might actually allow itself to celebrate Cole on Wednesday evening. 
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Happy birthday Cristiano Ronaldo!

 

He may have been pipped to the Ballon d'Or once again by Lionel Messi, but it's been quite a year for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Real Madrid star turns 28 on Tuesday on the back of 12 months which have seen him claim his first La Liga crown in the Spanish capital as well as a host of individual honours.

February 5 is an illustrious occasion indeed for footballers' birthdays, as Carlos Tevez and Neymar also celebrate turning 29 and 21 respectively.

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Manchester United have one hand on the title after City's latest surrender

 

Sergio Aguero's spectacular equaliser salvaged a point for the champions, yet after Sir Alex Ferguson's men downed Fulham 1-0 just 24 hours earlier, it was again a case of two points lost.

The Red Devils now sit nine points clear at the top of the table, and even the most optimistic of fans would agree City have already surrendered in the title race...

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Light shines on Rooney in the Craven Cottage darkness

 

For a few minutes at Craven Cottage on Saturday, the pitch looked as black and empty as the scoresheet when the floodlights cut out during Fulham v Manchester United.
When power was eventually restored, the goals still would not come until, in the 79th minute, the light finally shone on Wayne Rooney, who continued his recent renaissance with a curling finish.

Martin Jol's men were left fumbling in the darkness as the United hero ensured that the spotlight was all his, the goal putting 10 points between his side and rivals Manchester City ahead of the Premier League title-holders' Sunday clash with Liverpool.

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Cristiano Ronaldo scores his first Own Goal

 

Was not fare worse for Jose Mourinho to see his team lose with the team star Cristiano Ronaldo scoring an own goal, in the match with Cordoba in the La Liga, and Who may be the worst season for the Portuguese.


Ronaldo, who scored on all the clubs that played against , now he scored in his team's goal, Real Madrid add to record Spanish clubs that Portuguese scored on.

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Beckham takes centre-stage amid Deadline Day madness

 

In a typically entertaining and frantic January transfer window, if not a spending one, there were many sagas and late deals that caught the eye.

Peter Odemwingie tried, but ultimately failed, to take his transfer into his own hands by effectively abandoning West Brom, only to be refused entry to QPR - despite Harry Redknapp showing his desire to flash the cash once again.

Tottenham's chase for a striker was unsuccessful, though north London rivals Arsenal managed to sneak a late signing in the shape of full-back Nacho Monreal, while Anzhi proved their muscle with a deal for Willian which broke the £30 million barrier.

However, there was only ever going to be one winner for the move of the window award when PSG announced that David Beckham was joining them until the end of the season - and is donating the wages from his five-month contract to charity.

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Young cub Varane proves he could be Madrid's new king

 

When Real Madrid and Barcelona meet, as they did in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Wednesday night, it is normally the two best players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who grab the headlines.
So, for a 19-year-old centre-back to draw all the plaudits, he must be something special. Raphael Varane did not only demonstrate fantastic defensive ability and athletic prowess in a superb display, he also kept Madrid in the tie with a thundering header.

Pepe and Sergio Ramos may well now be worried about their positions, after a potential new king of the Bernabeu has been announced to the world.

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Firecracker Mario Balotelli rockets off to Milan

 

Mario Balotelli may have only graced British shores for two-and-a-half seasons, yet his imminent Manchester City exit to join AC Milan represents the end of an era in the Premier League.

From fireworks to training ground bust-ups, struggling to wear training bibs to effortlessly revealing that notorious 'Why Always Me?' t-shirt against Manchester United, the Italian's spell in England has provided us with a whirlwind of memories.

Love him or hate him, you will never forget Balotelli - but for now it is time to say goodbye to Super Mario as he shoots off back to Milan.
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Drogba jumps ship to join Sneijder at Galatasaray

 

Didier Drogba has become the latest player to ditch Shanghai Shenhua for pastures new, with the Ivory Coast striker opting to join Wesley Sneijder at Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Fellow former Chelsea player Nicolas Anelka ended a similarly problematic spell in Asia to join Juventus on loan this month - leaving the Chinese club's dreams seemingly in tatters.

However, despite interest from a host of Serie A clubs, Drogba has opted for the fiery atmosphere of Istanbul, signing a one-and-a-half year deal with the Super Lig side...
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