Manchester United :Fixtures announced for 2010/11

United will kick off the 2010/11 Barclays Premier League season against newly-promoted Newcastle at Old Trafford on the opening weekend.

If you believe in omens then it's good news - the Reds have twice started campaigns against the Magpies in the Premier League era, in 2000/01 (won 2-0), and 2008/09 (1-1), and on both occasions have gone on to win the title.

There are the usual tricky patches, of course, with back-to-back clashes against Arsenal and Chelsea twice - in December (11, 18) and in the run-in (30 April, 7 May).

The last ten fixtures of the campaign look like producing plenty of fireworks with away trips to Anfield, Upton Park, St James' Park, the Emirates Stadium and Ewood Park, with home games against Everton and Chelsea thrown in too. But, enough talk, here are the 2010/11 fixtures:

Sat Aug 14 Newcastle United H
Sat Aug 21 Fulham A
Sat Aug 28 West Ham United H
Sat Sep 11 Everton A
Sat Sep 18 Liverpool H
Sat Sep 25 Bolton Wanderers A
Sat Oct 2 Sunderland A
Sat Oct 16 West Bromwich Albion H
Sat Oct 23 Stoke City A
Sat Oct 30 Tottenham Hotspur H
Sat Nov 6 Wolverhampton Wanderers H
Wed Nov 10 Manchester City A
Sat Nov 13 Aston Villa A
Sat Nov 20 Wigan Athletic H
Sat Nov 27 Blackburn Rovers H
Sat Dec 4 Blackpool A
Sat Dec 11 Arsenal H
Sat Dec 18 Chelsea A
Sun Dec 26 Sunderland H
Tue Dec 28 Birmingham City A
Sat Jan 1 West Bromwich Albion A
Tue Jan 4 Stoke City H
Sat Jan 15 Tottenham Hotspur A
Sat Jan 22 Birmingham City H
Tue Feb 1 Aston Villa H
Sat Feb 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers A
Sat Feb 12 Manchester City H
Sat Feb 26 Wigan Athletic A
Sat Mar 5 Liverpool A
Sat Mar 19 Bolton Wanderers H
Sat Apr 2 West Ham United A
Sat Apr 9 Fulham H
Sat Apr 16 Newcastle United A
Sat Apr 23 Everton H
Sat Apr 30 Arsenal A
Sat May 7 Chelsea H
Sat May 14 Blackburn Rovers A
Sun May 22 Blackpool H

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Hart backing Foster to replace him at Birmingham

Goalkeeper Joe Hart has backed Ben Foster to successfully fill his role at Birmingham next season if he completes a £6 million switch from Manchester United to St Andrew's.

Foster, who who has admitted he will leave Old Trafford this summer, has been tracked by a number of Premier League clubs and Hart has backed his England rival to replace him when he rejoins Manchester City.

''I think Ben will do it easily [follow me]. He is a fantastic keeper,'' told the Daily Express. ''Ben has had some harsh criticism at Manchester United this season but, if he does turn out to be the Birmingham keeper next season, he will do a good job.''

Hart wanted to remain at Birmingham on loan - where he performed so well he made it into the Premier League's Team of the Season - but accepts the final say was with Manchester City.

''I just waited for my orders, and my orders were that I went back,'' he said. ''I am contracted to Manchester City so that's where I will be. I will admit, it's sad. But it was out of my hands.

''If I could have stayed at Birmingham, I would, but it wasn't down to me. I didn't really want to leave but I was told that I have to. It's just the way football is.''

---- ESPN news---------

Paraguay call up Barrios, not Cabanas

Paraguay call up Barrios, not Cabanas
AFP

Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino on Tuesday called up Borussia Dortmund striker and freshly nationalised Argentine Lucas Barrios as he unveiled his preliminary 2010 FIFA World Cup™ squad.

Barrios was named in a 30-man squad that will be cut to 23 at the end of the month, in time for the start of the finals on 11 June.

"Nobody can doubt the capabilities of Lucas Barrios," Martino, himself an Argentine, told a press conference. Barrios, whose mother is Paraguayan, has enjoyed a fine season with Dortmund, as has clubmate Nelson Haedo Valdez, who also made the 30 along with fellow strikers Oscar Cardozo of Benfica and Manchester City's Roque Santa Cruz.

"I can imagine Paraguay causing some surprises in South Africa," said Barrios, who has scored 18 goals in the Bundesliga this season.

There was no place in the squad for Club America forward Salvador Cabanas, who was shot in the head in a Mexico City bar last January. Cabanas was Paraguay's top scorer in the qualifiers with six goals but despite his omission, officials last month said he was "95 percent recovered" from his injury.

Paraguay will face reigning champions Italy, New Zealand and Slovakia in Group F of South Africa 2010.

Preliminary squad

Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Valladolid/ESP), Aldo Bobadilla (Deportivo Independiente de Medellin/COL), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno)

Defenders: Claudio Morel Rodriguez (Boca Juniors/ARG), Denis Caniza (Leon/MEX), Paulo da Silva (Sunderland/ENG), Dario Veron (Pumas UNAM/MEX), Julio Cesar Caceres (Atletico Mineiro/BRA), Julio Manzur (Tigres/ARG), Carlos Bonet (Olimpia), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo de Almagro/ARG), Marcos Caceres (Racing/ARG), Antolin Alcaraz (FC Bruges/BEL)

Midfielders: Edgar Barreto (Atalanta/ITA), Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul/MEX), Osvaldo Martinez (Monterrey/MEX), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Enrique Vera (Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito/ECU), Jonathan Santana (Wolfsburg/GER), Sergio Aquino (Libertad), Eduardo Ledesma (Lanus/ARG), Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors/ARG), Marcelo Estigarribia (Newell's Old Boys/ARG)

Forwards: Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City/ENG), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica/POR), Edgar Benitez (Toluca/MEX), Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad), Jorge Achucarro (Newell's Old Boys/ARG)

Inter Milan hold a 3-1 lead over Barcelona following the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Jose Mourinho's side will head to Catalunya for the return date thankful for goals from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon and Diego Milito, which helped to cancel out Pedro's opener at Giuseppe Meazza.

Barca, following their arduous journey to Italy by bus, showed no signs of sluggishness early on and saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic come within a whisker of getting a touch to a dangerous cross inside the opening 60 seconds.

The lively Milito was unable to pick out a team-mate as Inter threatened for the first time, while Seydou Keita fired well wide for the visitors as the game ebbed and flowed.

Samuel Eto'o was booked for kicking the ball away in frustration on 12 minutes, with the Cameroonian desperate to make his mark against former employers.

He came close to doing just that soon after, with his low drive parried by Victor Valdes but Milito was unable to force home the rebound.

The Argentine was made to pay for that miss on 19 minutes when Barca took the lead in the simplest of fashions.

Maxwell was afforded far too much time and space down the left and having ghosted in behind he was able to cut the ball back for Pedro to confidently slot home from 12 yards.
Response

Lucio then diverted a free header well wide as Inter looked to respond, but Barca were looking the more comfortable in possession.

The Spaniards were leaving space in behind, though, and Milito went close again as he looked to curl the ball into the far corner from a tight angle.

He finally made a telling contribution on the half-hour mark as he collected a scuffed cross from Eto'o and freed Sneijder in space, who stroked home past Valdes to level the scores.

Ibrahimovic failed to meet a Dani Alves cross as the half came to a close, while Sneijder saw a well-struck free-kick cannon off the wall at the other end.

Inter, roused by Mourinho at the interval, started the second half much the brighter and Goran Pandev was unfortunate not to meet a Milito cross and bundle into an empty net.

It did, however, take the hosts just three minutes to edge themselves in front, with Maicon bombing forward from full-back to take a low cross from Milito in his stride and poke into the bottom corner.

Worryingly for Barca, they then saw talismanic skipper Carles Puyol pick up a caution which rules him out of the second leg.

The Spaniards did their best to raise the tempo, though, and Julio Cesar was forced to produce two smart reaction saves to deny Lionel Messi and Sergi Busquets in the space of as many minutes.

Struggle

Barca continued to struggle at the back as the game ticked past the hour mark and it came as no real surprise when they conceded a third on 61 minutes.

Pep Guardiola's side looked anything but reigning European champions as Eto'o floated over a cross from the right and Sneijder was left all alone yet again inside the box.

The Dutchman got his header all wrong, but was able to divert the ball in the direction of Milito who grabbed a deserved goal by nodding home from close range.

Barca's frustrations were now mounting, as they were unable to find a way through and were seeing their considerable array of attacking talent nullified by a resolute Inter side.

Maicon was stretchered from the field with 19 minutes remaining, after colliding with Messi's shoulder, and could be a doubt heading forward as Mourinho's men attempt to secure a domestic and European double.

Barca, seemingly oblivious to the fact that playing a high line was doing them no favours, were fortunate to see a couple of debatable offside decisions come down in their favour.

They continued to press, though, and only a last-ditch challenge from Walter Samuel denied Pedro, while Julio Cesar had to be at full stretch to keep out a dipping free-kick from Messi.

Seven minutes from time Dani Alves was booked for going down under a challenge from Sneijder inside the box, but the Brazilian seemed to have been caught and was understandably disappointed not to have been awarded a penalty.

Barca continued to push as they desperately tried to find a way back into the contest, with Gerard Pique seeing a shot hacked clear from in front of his own line by Lucio, but they were unable to find a second away goal and now have it all to do at Camp Nou if they are to become the first club to successfully defend the Champions League crown.