Thunderball

It's time to review Spanish Segunda Division (D2).
1. Weekend fixtures -- This is the penultimatum round (second last round).
6/12 (Sat)  Numancia vs Villarreal-B
6/13 (Sun) -- All games start at the same time.
Girona vs Albacete
Rec Huelva vs Cartagena
Hercules vs Rayo Vallecano
Cordoba vs Real Union
Levante vs Castellon
Huesca vs Cadiz
Sociedad vs Celta
Gimnastic vs Elche
Murcia vs Las Palmas

2. Standings -- All played 40 games. Two rounds to go.
                                    Pts
1. Sociedad               71
2. Levante                  68
3. Betis                        67
   --- Promotion line ---
4. Hercules                 65
5. Cartagena              65
6. Villarreal-B             61
7. Elche                        60

11. Girona                   51
12. Rayo Vallecano   50
13. Cordoba                49
14. Las Palmas            48
15. Salamanca            48
16. Gimnastic              48
17. Cadiz                      47
18. Murcia                    47
  --- Relegation line ---
19. Huesca                    46
20. Albacete                  46
21. Real Union              46
22. Castellon                 33  --> Relegated

3. Comment
3.1 Sociedad need 1 more point to confirm promotion.
3.2 Levante have an easy game against relegated Castellon.
3.3 Betis need to overcome Salamanca to push for promotion.
3.4 Hercules need to beat Rayo to continue their promotion
  dream, but Rayo will not be lying down.
3.5 Cartagena are away to Rec Huelva, who have nothing to play for.
3.6 Relegation battles -- This is very exciting at the other end of the table.
3.6.1 Relegation derby -- Huesca host Cadiz. This is a must-win
  situation for either team. A draw cannot help, it help their rivals.
3.6.2  Another relegation derby is Murcia hosting Las Palmas.
  Same situations as 3.6.1.
3.6.3 Real Union must continue their good form from last week.
  They must beat Cordoba, another fellow strugglers.
3.6.4 Albacete must overcome Girona to give themselves hope
  of survival.
3.6.5 Salamanca must beat Betis to give themselves hope
  of remaining in D2.  (See also item 3.3)
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

Results of games played yesterday.
1. World Cup
Gp B
Argentina 1-0 Nigeria
S.Korea 2-0 Greece
Gp C
England 1-1 USA

2. Spanish D2
Numancia 1-0 Villarreal-B

3. Italy Serie-B Play-Out Leg2
Triestina 0-3 Padova  (agg 0-3)
Comment -- Padova will remain in Serie-B next season.
Triestina will be playing in Serie-C.

4. Japan J2
Tokyo Verdy 1-0 Toyama
Kumamoto 2-1 Tokushima
Kofu 2-2 Ichihara
Sagan Tosu 3-1 Tochigi
Gifu 1-0 Okayama
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (6/13)
1. Indian businessman Saurin Shah has confirmed he is keen
  on buying Blackburn Rovers.
   Shah, who owns the Qubic Sports and Entertainment group,
  has made a GBP25Mil offer for the club and hopes to
  complete a deal by the end of July.

2. Barcelona are hoping to secure the signing of
  Cesc Fabregas during the World Cup, according to
  Barcelona director general Joan Oliver.

3. Dortmund announced they have signed Polish international
  striker Robert Lewandowski from Lech Poznan
  for a fee believed to be around Euro4Mil.

4. Kilmarnock (Scottish Premier Lg) Michael Johnston
  has revealed he has held talks with Thomas Hassler
  over taking the club's vacant managerial post.
   Hassler is currently youth team coach at Cologne.

5. Atl Madrid general manager Miguel Angel Gil
  has insisted the club have not received any offers
  for either Diego Forlan or Sergio Aguerro.
  There are reported interest from Man Utd and Chelsea
  for Aguerro and Forlan is said to be interested in
  returning to Premier League.

6. Former France international Claude Makelele has signed
  a one-year extension to his contract with PSG.
  His original contract with PSG is due to expired by the
  end of June.
   -- End of Update ---

Thunderball

Results of games played yesterday (6/13)
1. World Cup
Gp C   Algeria 0-1 Slovenia   (HT 0-0)
Gp D   Germany 4-0 Australia   (HT 2-0)
          Serbia 0-1 Ghana   (HT 0-0)

2. Italy Serie-B Promotion Play-Off Leg2
Brescia 2-1 Torino  (agg 2-1)
Comment -- Brescia will be playing in Serie-A next season.

3. Italy Serie-C Promotion Play-Off Leg2
Varese 2-0 Cremonese   (agg 2-1)
Pescara 1-0 Verona  (agg 3-2)
Comment -- Varese and Pescara will be playing in Serie-B along
  with Novara (C1-A Champ) and Portosummag (C1-B Champ).

5. Japan J2
Sapporo 2-2 Ehime
Mito Hollycock 1-1 Kusatsu
Kashiwa 2-0 Kitakyushu
Fukuoka 2-1 Oita
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (6/14)
1. Inter Milan have made a late move to beat rival Juve to the
  signing of Serbia winger Milos Krasic, according to
  the player's agent.

2. Inter Milan winger Ricardo Quaresma has ended his
  disappointed stint in Italy by joining Turkish club Besiktas.

3. Schalke have confirmed the signing of Japan international
  Atsuto Uchida from Kashima Antlers for an undisclosed fee.

4. Dutch starlet Gregory van der Wiel is delighted to be
  attracting interest from some of Europe top clubs (e.g Arsenal).
  The 22-year-old full-back is currently on the books of Ajax,
  but is not expected to stick around in Amsterdam for long.
  --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

Results of Spanish Segunda Div (D2) games played yesterday (6/13)
Girona 0-3 Albacete
Rec Huelva 1-0 Caragena
Hercules 2-1 Rayo Vallecano
Cordoba 4-0 Real Union
Levante 3-1 Castellon
Salamanca 1-1 Betis
Huesca 2-1 Cadiz
Sociedad 2-0 Celta
Gimnastic 3-1 Elche
Real Murcia 1-0 Las Palmas

Standings -- All played 41 games. One more round to go.
                                      Pts
1. Sociedad                74  --> Promoted
2. Levante                  71
3. Betis                        68
   --- Promotion line ---
4. Hercules                 68
5. Cartagena              65
6. Villarreal-B             61

12. Gimnastic             51
13. Girona                   51
14. Rayo Vallecano   50
15. Murcia                   49
16. Huesca                   49
17. Albacete                49
18. Salamanca            49
   --- Relegation line ---
19. Las Palmas            48
20. Cadiz                      47
21. Real Union            46
22. Castellon               33  --> Relegated

The remaining questions who will be promoted to Segunda Division.
The 4 promoted teams are Granada (Grand Champ of Segunda-B),
   Ponferradina, 2 other Segunda-B Play-Off Winners).
Here is the results of Segunda-B Play-Off Leg1
Barcelona-B 1-0 Sant Andreu
Ontinyent 1-1 Alcorcon
Leg2 will be played on 6/20. The winners will be known by then.
   --- End of Updaste ---

Thunderball

Results of games played yesterday (6/14)
World Cup
Gp E
Holland 2-0 Denmark (HT 0-0)
Scorer -- D.Agger (og) 46'; Dirk Kuyt 85'.

Japan 1-0 Cameroon  (HT 1-0)
Scorer -- K.Honda 39'.

Gp F
Italy 1-1 Paraquay  (HT 0-1)
Scorer --
Italy -- D.D.Rossi 63'.
  Paraquay -- Alcaraz 35'.

News Bits (6/15)
1. Report -- Chelsea have agreed to sign Yossi Benayoun
  to replace Joe Cole.  The Liverpool star and Israel captain
  has agreed a 4-year deal with Chelsea, after the two clubs
  agreed a fee of around GBP7Mil.

2. Maicon expects to complete a move from Inter Milan
  to R.Madrid in the near future.
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (6/15 Part 2)
3. Gareth Southgate is aware of reports linking him
  with Portsmouth but claims he is not taking them seriously.

4. Benfica are definitely interested in Rangers gk
  Alan McGregor, according to the player's agent.

5. Former France captain Zinedine Zidane is the latest
  person to attack coach Raymond Domenech and
  claimed "there is not teamwork" among the French players
  at the World Cup.

6. New Barcelona president Sandro Rossell is planning
  discussions with the club's hierarchy as they attempt
  to maintain momentum in the pursuit of Arsenal
  captain Cesc Fabregas.
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

Belgium FA has released Belgium Pro League fixture
  for 2010/11 season.  Here are Round 1 (Week 1) fixtures.
7/30 (Fri)  Std Liege vs Z-Waregem

7/31 (Sat)
Kortrijk vs Club Brugge
Mechelen vs Lokeren
Westerlo vs AA Gent
Anderlecht vs Eupen
St Truiden vs Lierse

8/1 (Sun)
Cercle Brugge vs Charleroi
KRC Genk vs Germinal
   --- End of Update ---

Thunderball

News Bits (6/15 Part 3)
7. Zoran Tosic appears set to join CSKA Moscow after Cologne revealed
   they are unable to compete with the offer for the Man Utd winger.
   Tosic spent the second half of last season on loan at Cologne after
   struggling to make an impact at United.

8. Adrian Mutu has been order to pay his former club, Chelsea,
  euro17Mil after losing his final appeal in a legal battle which
  has lasted over 5 years, the Swiss Federal Court announced.

9. Olympiakos defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos has reportedly
  agreed on a switch to German outfit Scalke.
   --- End of Update ---