Barca victory against Bayern Munich

A wonder goal from Lionel Messi gave FC Barcelona victory in the inaugural Franz Beckenbauer Cup against Bayern Munich and Mehmet Scholl received a hero's send-off in his final game for the German club.The Argentinian played his first pre-season game for the Blaugrana and netted a stunning winner in the second half of a game that also saw Gaby Milito make his debut. Scholl was substituted early in the second period and was able to say farewell to the fans after calling time on his career by enjoying a lap of honour while the game continued behind him.While Bayern were able to use the game to maintain their fitness levels after starting their league campaign at the weekend, Frank Rijkaard was able to test tactics and players as part of his pre-season programme. Despite being a friendly, the game was intense and played at a quick pace as both sides looked to break down each other's stern defence. The visitors opened with Henry, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o up front together and it was the French international that spurned the best chance of the half for his side. After beating the Bayern offside trap, Henry saw his first effort saved by Oliver Kahn and he then steered the rebound wide of the post.Deco coming on to toe-poke wide from outside the area before Milito made his first appearance in Blaugrana colours when replaced Lilian Thuram in the centre of defence. Ribery drove over from 25 yards and Altintop could not resist one more drive from distance that flew just wide, while Henry headed wide after being picked out by Dos Santos at the other end.Messi volleyed home the only goal of the evening with a shot that flew past Michael Rensing and into the net via the far post.

Barclays Premier League

Barclays Premier League

West Ham capture Dyer

Kieron Dyer has completed his move from Newcastle to West Ham after the two clubs finally reached an agreement. The deal, believed to be in the region of £6m, was revived and completed two weeks after Hammers boss Alan Curbshley said it was "definitely off .Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce claimed the original deal collapsed after the Hammers refused to pay an escalated fee of £8m for Dyer. The two clubs have now settled on a fee, believed to be in the region of £8million, leaving Dyer available to make his West Ham debut against Birmingham on Saturday. The England midfielder had looked set to join The Hammers earlier this month after announcing he wanted to leave St James' Park to be closer to his family.Dyer, who has signed a four-year deal, will be reunited at Upton Park with a number of former Newcastle team-mates. "If you look at his history over the last couple of years he missed a lot of games with his hamstring - but once he got it sorted, he played 33 games and scored eight goals."He also played for England against Spain, Brazil and Andorra - so he is a current England international, and we are delighted to have him on board."

Manchester United complete Tevez signing

Manchester United have finally completed the signing of Argentine striker Carlos Tevez. after the Premier League ratified the deal. The drawn-out transfer has now been concluded after a two-year loan deal for the Argentine was cleared by the Premier League. Tevez has moved to Old Trafford after spending last season with West Ham United and has been waiting to finalise his switch. The 23-year-old had become a free agent when his agent Kia Joorabchian paid former club West Ham a £2m settlement.Tevez is eligible to play against Reading on Sunday but the striker is not yet match fit.The champions have confirmed the striker is now an official member of the squad after training with the club this week."Manchester United is delighted to announce that Carlos Tevez has been registered as a member of its first-team squad by the Premier League," read a statement on the club's official website. Tevez is eligible to play against Reading on Sunday but the striker is not yet match fit.Sir Alex Ferguson admitted earlier on Friday that his latest signing has been pencilled in for his debut in the local derby with City next weekend. His first game is likely to be the derby at Manchester City on Sunday 19 August. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Carlos has surprised us. We thought he would need more training but he looks in great shape. "It's difficult to assess, if you are putting someone in a derby game they have to be spot on because it is always a frenetic game. But once we get the clearance and once we know he can play we will make the decision easily."

Maradona

Alves keen on Chelsea

Daniel Alves insists that Chelsea have made an offer for his services and he is now waiting for Sevilla to accept. The Brazilian, who can play at full-back or as a midfielder, made it clear that he would move to Stamford Bridge if given the chance. The 24-year-old has been linked with a £20million switch from Sevilla to Stamford Bridge. "It's a wonderful opportunity and I don't want to let it pass," said Alves, whose agent has spoken to several European clubs. "My agent has been in England for some time handling the offer made by Chelsea and that is really what interests me."This is a wonderful chance for my career and I want to take advantage of it. In the four years I have been here I've given my best. "I have behaved very well during my years here, so I am just asking Sevilla to behave as well - it is a necessity they look at the offer which has arrived. He added: "We've been looking at Chelsea's offer for a while and that's the one that interests me." "I am not looking to leave Sevilla in a bad way, but I have already said I want to play for a European giant and take advantage of what is going my way at the moment."Right-back was a problematic area for Chelsea last season, with Paulo Ferreira, Geremi and Lassana Diarra filling the slot at various times.

Sunderland completes Gordon move

Sunderland have smashed the British transfer record for a goalkeeper by completing the capture of Hearts' Craig Gordon. The 24-year-old Scotland international has signed a five-year deal, with the Black Cats paying up to £9m for him. Roy Keane's side and is now in line to make his Premier League debut against Spurs this weekend. Keane could not be happier with Gordon's capture and says the 24-year-old will be an asset for The Black Cats for many years to come. "I'm delighted that we've managed to sign Craig," the Irishman told the club's official website. "He's a top goalkeeper and he will be a massive asset for us over the next few years," manager Roy Keane told the club's website. It is understood that Sunderland, who fought off competition from Aston Villa, will pay an initial £7m. The Tynecastle club will receive a further £2m, following a certain number of appearances. And the deal overshadows the £7.8m Manchester United paid for Fabien Barthez in 2000. Gordon trained with the Black Cats earlier this week and had agreed to travel to Villa for talks, but Keane has persuaded him that his future lies at the Stadium of Light.Manchester City were also keen on talking to the player but missed out. "I could not turn down a chance to play in the English Premier League," Gordon told the Hearts website.

Barca secure another win

Yokohama - Spanish powerhouse Barcelona made it two wins out of two on their Asian tour Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Japan's former J-League champions Yokohama in Tokyo. Mexican striker Giovanni Dos Santos secured the win in the 75th minute, beating Yokohama keeper Tetsuya Enomoto after a pass from Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o. The teenager had nearly put the Spanish ahead just moments before, missing a golden chance from close range. "It was physically difficult because of a long trip and jetlag, but we overcame it. We tried to put pressure with our aggressive attackers and we won," said Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard. "Previously we drew with Yokohama 1-1 and 3-3. Today, my players had a strong feeling to win this time. I think we played better than we did in Beijing." The fans got what they wanted, and in the first half the three mega-stars, Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Henry, teamed up for the first time. Giovani Dos Santos replaced the Frenchman at half time and once again suggested that he also deserves consideration for the first eleven with his insatiable desire to score rewarded with the winning goalMan-of-the-match winner Dos Santos said: "I don't know why I won the... award ahead of Ronaldinho, Henry and Eto'o. But I was able to play well because of them. They are great players and it's difficult to catch up with their level"I want Barcelona to win as many titles as possible this season. I'll do my best to help the team to win. My career has just started and I believe I can do more," added Dos Santos.

BARCA MAKE WINNING START TO TOUR

Ronaldinho delighted Chinese fans by scoring with a trademark free kick in a 3-0 win for Barcelona over Beijing Guoan on Sunday
Mexican youngster Dos Santos opened the scoring after eight minutes before Iniesta doubled the lead two minutes before the hour mark.
The Brazilian, probably the most popular player in China, had twisted his ankle in training on Saturday but he came on for the second half in place of new signing Thierry Henry
The Brazilian, probably the most popular player in China, had twisted his ankle in training on Saturday but he came on for the second half in place of new signing Thierry Henry
"I was satisfied with the game," Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard told reporters. "We weren't able to play our best but the team accomplished what they wanted to."
Barcelona face J.League outfit Yokohama Marinos on Tuesday before rounding off their tour against a Mission Hills Invitation XI, a team made up of players from Kitchee and Happy Valley, in Hong Kong three days later.

Royston Drenthe desperate to join Madrid

Royston Drenthe is set to take Feyenoord to the court of arbitration to secure himself a move to Real Madrid.Reports emanating from Holland claim the Dutch Under 21 international has enlisted the help of lawyer Harro Knijff to try and win a move to Real.Harro Knijff, who supported Ronald and Frank de Boer when they had a similar case against Ajax in 1998. The 20-year-old has just signed a contract until 2011 with the Rotterdam club but is now eager to move to Spain. Real are leading the chase to sign the exciting winger with Chelsea and Barcelona also credited with an interest in Drenthe. "I can confirm that I am busy preparing the request for an arbitration case," Knijff told Sportweek magazine. Feyenoord do not want to lose their prize asset and the club's general manager Peter Vogelzang has expressed his disappointment at Drenthe's stance. But there is every chance Drenthe will go once a club meets Feyenoord's undisclosed valuation."Feyenoord only wants to sell Drenthe if we get an offer that is as high as we think Royston Drenthe is worth to us."

Maradona Goal V England 1986

Maradona Goal V England 1986

MAN UNITED win Community Shield

Edwin van der Sar was the hero as Manchester United captured the Community Shield with a 3-0 penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea at Wembley. With the two sides tied 1-1 after 90 minutes, following goals from Ryan Giggs and Florent Malouda, van der Sar saved from Claudio Pizarro, Frank Lampard and Shaun Wright-Phillips to give Wayne Rooney the honour of striking the winning kick following successful conversions from Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick. The Community Shield may be dubbed a curtain-raiser but much of the encounter brought back unhappy memories of the tedious FA Cup final between the two sides at Wembley last season. Despite spending a reported £47m on some new blood over the summer, Ferguson included eight of the players who began that final and none of his new signings in his starting line-up. The Blues were without regular captain John Terry, following the news that the centre-back has been ruled out for up to a month with a knee problem, and Lampard, who was greatly restricted throughout, was handed the skipper's armband.It made for a disjointed second half, which almost inevitably ended with penalties, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Rooney scoring theirs to give United first blood.There are sure to be tougher - and more compelling - tests ahead.

Alexandre Pato Signs For Milan

AC Milan have now confirmed that they have won the race to sign Brazilian starlet Alexandre Pato nicknamed 'The Duck'. from Internacional di Porto Alegre.The 17-year-old also had offers from Chelsea, Real Madrid and Internazionale - but he and his father have opted for Milan. However, there is a twist to the tale in that 17-year-old cannot feature in official games for the Rossoneri until January.Said the club on their website: "The great talent Alexandre Pato will train with Milan and will be able to play the friendly matches starting from the 3rd of September 2007. From January 2008, he will be eligible for competitive games."

Carlos Tevez cleared to sign for Man Utd

West Ham United have confirmed that they have agreed a deal for Carlos Tevez to leave the club. The settlement ends the threat of High Court action between West Ham and Tevez's representative Kia Joorabchian. West Ham will receive a £2m fee for Tevez's registration and the move has been approved by the Premier League. The announcement brings to an end weeks of negotiations and speculation about Tevez's future and also sees the threat of High Court action ended. The 23-year-old Argentine striker is understood to have passed a medical and trained with United on Friday morningUnited are now expected to tie up Tevez on an initial two-year loan deal from MSI, for which they will pay around £10million. After the two-year spell, they will have first option to conclude a permanent transfer of the Argentine forward"Carlos is looking forward to being a Manchester United player and his ambition is close to being achieved," said his representative. We would like to thank Manchester United for all their patience and support throughout."

Ramon Calderon: Cesc, Robben, Kaka will all join Real Madrid

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon is confident of signing the three players he promised fans before last year's election victory."There's a chance that they will all be here by the end of my third year in office," Calderon told La Razon.The Primera Liga champions have been strongly linked with Robben this summer and the Holland international could well be the first of the trio to arrive. Calderon is confident that Arsenal midfielder Fabregas and Milan playmaker Kaka will then follow as he attempts to deliver on his transfer pledges.Asked if they would come one summer at a time, with Robben first, Fabregas next year and Kaka last, Calderon added: "Well yes, I think so. I don't want to create any false expectations.

Real Madrid ready record Kaka bid

Kaka's financial advisor claims Real Madrid are ready to make a record-breaking offer for the Milan schemer.Milan are determined to fend off interest in the Brazil international, who has been a long-term target of Real president Ramon Calderon.Reports have suggested that the Spanish champions are willing to bid a world record sum of €90million (£60.7million) in an attempt to persuade Milan to sell and Kaka's financial representative Diogo Kotscho has acknowledged it could give the player a tough decision to make. Meanwhile, there is speculation that Milan are chasing Real forward Julio Baptista, who spent last season on loan at Arsenal.Real sporting director Predrag Mijatovic and Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani met in Italy on Sunday, with Baptista rumoured to be a topic of discussion.Regarding the Brazilian's future with Real, coach Bernd Schuster told AS: "He will come to Germany and I will speak to him to see how everything is."

Real Madrid determined to sign Robben

The Chelsea winger has been heavily linked with a move to Real over the summer after failing to agree terms over a new contract. Madrid want to strengthen their left side and have been linked with Robben, 23,and Feyenoord's Royston Drenthe, who has also been chased by Chelsea."I would be a lot more relaxed if they were here," said Schuster.Getting Robben here is very important for us. That would allow Robinho and Gonzalo Higuain to be on the right. I am sure we haven't closed our squad.Chelsea Jose Mourinho said he is keen to keep Dutch international Robben, although talks over a new contract appear to have ground to a halt.Real had claimed Robben was set to fly out to Spain but Robben joined Chelsea's pre-season tour of the United States, although he left early because of a knee problem.

FIFA DELAY TEVEZ DECISION

Following a meeting that lasted just over two-and-a-half hours, FIFA announced that a decision would be delivered during the week.The Tevez dispute revolves around his ownership, with suitors Manchester United unsure who to pay.Tevez is registered as a West Ham player, but businessman Kia Joorabchian claims he owns the striker's economic rights and is therefore entitled to any transfer fee whoever the Premier League is also insisting that some fee must go to West Ham. English football federation rules stipulate that the transfer sum for a player can only be paid between clubs and not to a third party.

ENGLANG AND JOHN TERRY NEED BECKHAM FIT

Beckham has been struggling with an ankle injury since the end of last season.However, Terry believes he will be ready for England's crucial games with Israel and Russia in September.Beckham impressed for England after being recalled for the matches against Brazil and Estonia in June, and Terry admits it would be a huge blow if he were to miss out.

Lamps: Inspired

Frank Lampard has claimed a few heated words of wisdom from Jose Mourinho inspired Chelsea to victory over Reading on Wednesday.