Van Dijk named Premier League Player of the Year

Some of the world s top teams are about to face off in the fourth edition of the Peace Cup, which is to be played in the Spanish region of Andalusia and in the country s capital, Madrid.

The Peace Cup was first held in 2003 and was since played every two years. The first three editions were all organized by South Korea.

No less than twelve teams participate in this tournament, of which the group phase consists of four groups of three. The winner of each group advances to the semi finals.

Group A contains Sevilla, Italian giants Juventus and South Korean side Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. Sevilla have the advantage of playing both their games in their own city.

Most eyes will probably be on Real Madrid, who share Group B with 2008 Libertadores winners LDU Quito …

Manchester United and Manchester City got deals over the line early on deadline day – but there was plenty of time still to go before the transfer market closed.

The Premier League north-west giants strengthened, with United sealing the big-money signing of Ajax winger Antony and City adding another asset in Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund.

Many others were looking to do business in the market before time ran out.

Premier League teams race to wrap up big deals

As well as Antony moving to United for a fee thought to be around £81.3million (€95m), and Akanji fortifying City s defensive ranks, a host of their English rivals were also pushing to bring in new faces.

Liverpool looked set to bring in Brazil midfielder Arthur from Juventus o…

Most transfer activities are expected to take place after the 2008 European Championships ends on June 29. SoccerNews.com has compiled an almost complete list of all transfers that have taken place so far in both and .

Spain: The two Spanish titans, Real Madrid and Barcelona, are gearing up for yet another battle next season. Barcelona are in the process of a major overhaul of both players and staff. Frank Rijkaard was the first one that had to leave and many players are expected follow him out of the Catalan club. The biggest signings for the two teams so far have been Barcelona s purchase of Seydou Keita from Sevilla for €14million and Real Madrid s purchase of Ezequiel Garay from Racing Santander for €10million.

Italy: Serie A looks to be…

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Thursday it had suspended Brazilian striker Dodo for two years for testing positive for amphetamines.

The Lausanne-based CAS said in a statement that it upheld the appeals by football s world governing body FIFA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after Dodo had been exonerated by a Brazilian probe.

Dodo, 34, will now be suspended for a two-year period which runs until November 7, 2009 to take into account the time he has already been suspended, CAS said.

He tested positive for fenproprex after a drugs test on July 14 2007 after a match between his then-side Botafogo and fellow Rio team Vasco da Gama, but claimed that the caffeine capsules he used had been contaminated.

Brazil s highest sports court cleared…

West Bromwich Albion are eyeing a move for Leeds United full back Charlie Taylor, .

The twenty-two year old has handed in a transfer request at Elland Road but it has been turned down with manager Garry Monk keen to retain his services.

West Brom are keen to add to their squad ahead of next week’s transfer deadline and are lining up a £7m bid while Liverpool are also interested.

Taylor has racked up seventy-three appearances in all competitions for Leeds, scoring three goals and was named their Player of the Year last season.

He has also had loan spells with Bradford City, York City, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Fleetwood Town, helping the latter to promotion from League Two via the play-offs in 2014.

Internationally, he has represent…

Frank Lampard was the most clinical midfielder across MLS during his second and final season with New York City.

The club announced on Monday the former Chelsea star will be leaving when his contract expires at the end of this year, with his final appearance having come in the 5-0 play-offs defeat to Toronto.

The 38-year-old concludes his first spell away from the Premier League having demonstrated much of the ruthlessness that made him one of English football s finest for over a decade.

1/117 In 2016, Lampard has the best minutes-per-goal ratio of any midfielder to have scored five or more in MLS, with an average of a goal every 117 minutes.

12 Only three players in his position managed to score more than the 12 goals he netted this season, D…

Speaking to the press ahead of his team s Super Cup triumph against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann said it s been difficult for the Bundesliga champions to sign players this summer due to the pandemic and the consequent financial situation, but he didn t rule out fresh faces arriving at the Allianz Arena before the window closes.

It s not easy to spend loads of money, we re not in the Premier League.

Julian Nagelsmann says the Bayern Munich s position right now makes it difficult to spend in the transfer window this season

— Football Daily (@footballdaily)

…

Siphiwe Tshabalala scored in stoppage time to give South Africa a 2-1 win over Norway on Saturday and their first success over European opposition in seven years.

The substitute midfielder unleashed a left-foot drive from outside the penalty area that flew past several defenders and over goalkeeper Jan Knudsen in a friendly that doubled as the Nelson Mandela Challenge.

I knew I was going to score after working hard on my shooting in training. It was no problem starting on the bench because I believed my turn would come, said Tshabalala.

Victory was a deserved reward for 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, who snatched a seventh-lead through Bernard Parker only to concede a soft equaliser when Morten Pedersen scored direct from a free …

Bolton v Hull

Barring a fifteen goal turn around, Bolton are safe in the top league for another season. They would love to pick up the three points here to make it a reasonable season for them.

Bolton will never have a better chance of picking up three points as they take on a Hull side with one win in twenty and five straight defeats.

Hull are in the relegation zone on goal difference and with a final game at home to Manchester United, they know they will need all three points here to stay up. The trouble is, they have forgotten how to do it.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-1

Everton v West Ham

One point behind Aston Villa, Everton will be keen to fight for fifth place. They will fancy their chances against West Ham although West Ham’s away r…

Gustavo Poyet is determined to kick start his Sunderland reign by beating Newcastle United in just his second game in charge.

The Uruguayan was confirmed as Paolo Di Canio s successor at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday after the Italian paid the price for Sunderland s disastrous start to the Premier League season.

With his side sitting bottom of the Premier League, having accrued just one point from their opening seven games, Poyet s first assignment is a trip to Swansea City after the international break before his side host Newcastle the following week.

As a player, Poyet scored four goals in 11 games against the Tyneside club Sunderland are coincidentally one of just two clubs he managed more against and the former midfielder is hoping to heap more misery on Newcast…