FIORENTINA 0 MILAN 2

In a busy week in which Carlo Ancelotti has announced that he is to leave Milan and the England team have been given the all clear to take part in the 2012 olympics, Milan finish the 2009 Serie A season in third place by beating Fiorentina and qualifying for the Champions League.

Beckham was included in the starting lineup against Fiorentina as he prepares himself to return to LA for the Summer. The game started briskly enough, Fiorentina came out with intent and Milan responded with equal determination. Chances came and went for both sides without the deadlock being broken for the first fourty five minutes. One of the most notable events was an admission by Kaka that he had last touched the ball when otherwise a certain corner would have been awarded to Milan. A rare show of sportsmanship in the modern game on a par with the protests by Andre Arsharvin a few weeks ago after having a penalty awarded in his favour.

It was 10 minutes into the second half that Milan took the lead through Kaka, and this was the start of a period where Milan began to dominate the game. Inzaghi was replaced by Pato and just a few minutes later Pato scored the second Milan goal. Nesta took the field in place of Flamini and Gattuso came on for Beckham late in the game - Having succesfully dominated away from home for the last game of the eason, it just remained for Milan to say their final goodbyes to long-serving Maldini who now retires.

I am sure that the Milan Experiment will figure as a much-needed success for Beckham and there is no doubt that having Beckham in the Milan side has helped them secure a Champions League spot next season. Last time Beckham played in Europe for Real Madrid he left after having helped the team win the league - the type of success that has been sadly lacking playing for The Galaxy. I think he needed to prove to himself, as well as to the England manager that he was still able to mix it with the best, and whatever the financial cost, the experience has been invaluable. After England duties and a well-earned break, Beckham will return to a very mediocre Galaxy who although not often beaten... very rarely win... Their record this season boasts a total of six 1-1 draws, and only one win to offset against their one defeat.

Milan 2 Roma 3

On the day when victory could have sealed Milan's bid to automatically qualify for the Champions League next season, they let the chance slip through their fingers and will have to wait until the last game of the season to consolidate 2nd or 3rd place in the league. The worst-case scenario is that they finish 4th and have to endure the qualifying rounds, and co-incidentally the last game of the season will see them play 4th placed team Fiorentina.

Milan looked like a team that just ran out of steam at the end of a long eventful season, leaving Maldini disappointed to give his last performance at the San Siro on a losing note. Milan started with Pato and Inzaghi up front supported by Kaká. Neither team established superiority at the start with Milan failing to feed the ball forward to the front men.

Roma took the lead in the 36th minute. Vucinic won a free kick on the edge of the area and Riise beat Dida with his powerful left foot. Despite decent performances from the trio of Beckham, Pirlo and Pato, the rest of Milan seemed to lack interest in the game.

Seedorf came on to replace an injured Beckham in the second half, and despite trying to raise their game, Milan were well contained by Roma. Ronaldinho and Zambrotta came on for Pato and Jankulovski. Finally in the 31st minute Ambrosini equalised for Milan, only to see the lead taken again by Roma just 3 minutes later. Not to be out-done, Ambrosini had equalised yet again less than a minute later. With just five minutes to go Totti scored from a free kick to give Roma the lead. In a frantic last few minutes Abrosini got himself sent off after displaying his displeasure at being denied a penalty (his second denied penalty of the match) - Milan had nothing left to offer and are left with a tough match next Sunday to find out their final position in the league and their chances of qualifying for European football next year.

Udinese 2 Milan 1

There was hope that qualification for Europe could be settled with a result at Udinese, but that will have to wait... Beckham did not figure in this game as he is suspended, and speculation about Ancelloti replacing Guus Hiddink as Chelsea manager next season is growing.
On a more positive note, this was the 900th match that Maldini has played for Milan, it's just a pity that they didn't take the opportunity to consolidate their position in Serie A - instead Maldini had a penalty awarded against him in the 30th minute giving Udinese the lead. Milan failed to respond effectively and went into half-time 1-0 down.

The second half saw Udinese extend their lead in just the 4th minute leaving Milan staring at the possibility of breaking their unbeaten run that has lasted since the beginning of March. Inzaghi came on and had the ball in the net, but once again the veteran striker was ruled offside. Ronaldhino came on to add to the attack and after chances at either end, Ambrosini scored with his head offering Milan a lifeline. Despite Milan's best efforts to go all-out for the equaliser, it all came too late and the game ended 2-1.

Milan 1 Juventus 1

The game against Juventus has been eagerly awaited and anticipated, and the two teams started at pace with plenty of chances and 'passionate' challenges.. Beckham started in his customary position on the right wing for this game with Seedorf in midfield and with Kaka feeding Inzaghi up front.
Despite having the home advantage most of the Milan attacking moves fell apart before a telling shot could be guided goalwards. In contrast Juve had numerous chances within the Milan penalty area which somehow failed to convert into a goal.
The first half ended 0-0 with all to play for in the second half...
The second half started in similar vein and 10 minutes in, Juve had a golden chance from a freekick after Ambrosini blocked off a Juventus player. The ball bounced off the wall and was quickly played forward for Inzaghi who did brilliantly to pick it up on the left hand side and cut back for Ambrosini to shoot. The shot skimmed off his boot and fell to the right foot of the approaching Seedorf for a simple tap-in past a flailing Buffon in the Juve goal...
Only four minutes later, Juventus had equalised with a header from a long searching ball into the box and the game was level again at 1-1.
On 65 minutes Milan had a freekick which oddly Beckham did not take, and a minute later (after a fracas in the Juve box which earned Maldini a yellow card..), Pato came on to replace Beckham. the challenges continued to come thick and fast as the pressure to get the winning goal intensified. Being Italy, the stretcher featured heavily as players flung themselves to the floor apparently undergoing near-death experiences with every tackle...
Ronaldinho came on for Inzaghi as the tide began to turn in Milan's favour whilst Delpiero came on as a late sub for Juventus. Milan's Favalli earned himself a red card for a reasonably tame foul leaving Milan with 10 men for the final 10 minutes. Seedorf gave way to Senderos as Milan prepared to bolster their defence after the untimely departure of Favalli. On the stroke of 90 minutes Senderos earned Milan a freekick in a dangerous position, but the chance went begging. Four minutes of extra time came and went, the score remained 1-1 and overall it seemed a fair reflection of the game.

Catania 0 Milan 2

Milan imposed their game on Catania from the start and were almost allowed to play as if they were the home side.
The irrepressible Inzaghi popped up to score his 13th league goal this season just before the half-hour mark. Catania responded with some pressure of their own, but the lively first half finished 1 - 0 to Milan.
A revitalised Catania came out for the second half, but failed to convert any of their chances, and an interchange between Abrosini, Beckham and Kaka saw Kaka sink Catania's hopes by making it 2 - 0 with just 7 minutes of the second half played. there was no coming back for Catania as Milan continued to push for more goals. Just after half an hour played in the second half, Beckham gave way to Bonera who has been out for about eight or nine weeks. In reality, the final score could have been better than 2 - 0, but the three points are what matters as Milan remain on their recent unbeaten run consoildating their position in the league.

Make your own posters

Since the advent of digital photography, the art of creating photographs and pictures at home has changed considerably. Most people however are still restricted by the confines of an A4 or A3 printer (if you are lucky), yet would like to be able to produce posters for their bedroom wall or for an event or club. That's where PSprint poster printing come in, they can turn your home photography into stickers, cards or posters up to 27" x 39" size.

PSprint offer a range of finishes for all their products and offer their services to professionals as well as to individuals. Custom jobs for CD covers and DVD covers are also possible, but sports posters are a speciality. You can have your own picture that you took at the San Siro, the Thatre of Dreams or the Home Depot centre of your favourite star turned into a poster which will be exclusively yours.. How about that picture you had taken with your favourite player, or a team photo taken after winning a trophy or at the start of an important match?

PSprint can even produce your work in vinyl for exhibitions and displays or for you to make into a flag and take to the ground to display your undying affection for your favourite player.

Milan 3 Palermo 0

Yet another three points taken as the season nears it's end and Milan continue to dominate at the San Siro. Milan took charge from the first whistle scoring the opening goal after just 8 minutes - it was Ambrosini winning another penalty, and Kaka finishing in style.
Palermo never recovered from this body blow, and lacking any real strike-force, they allowed Milan to show all the creativity. It was only 12 minutes later that Inzaghi popped up in the box to continue his own scoring bonanza and take Milan into a 2-0 lead. A few minutes later Beckham sent a shot over the bar when he should really have been celebrating another Milan goal. Milan continued to create all the pressure and went into half time with a two-goal lead.
Palermo made a bright start in the second half but quickly lost a player to a red card for persitent fouling (mostly of Kaka). This finished off Palermo and Milan were able to take their foot off the pedal and just control the game. Just before the hour Kaka drew another penalty which he took himself, scoring and finishing the game off at 3-0. Ancelotti then brought on Ronaldinho and Shevchenko with Palermo all but extinguished. Despite a few other chances, the game ended a very comfortable 3-0 to Milan.
Currently, Milan are showing the best form of all the Serie A teams and are consolidating their second placed position in the league. They are on 67 points, 7 shy of league leaders Inter and two above third placed Juventus.

Hungarian 'All Stars' 2 Milan 5

On Kaka's 27th birthday, Beckham started in a three man midfield including Ambrosini and Seedorf, with Kaka and Ronaldinho supporting Shevchenko up front. The game was a friendly in Budapest against a team made up from the Hungarian League.
The Hungarian team took the lead early on in the 7th minute of the game, half an hour later Beckham set up Kaka for Milan's equaliser, and the score at half-time was a respectable 1-1.
Ambrosini made way for Flamini, and after just 2 minutes of the second half, Milan take the lead through Shevchenko.
Just 10 minutes later, the Hungarian team respond to make it 2-2, but Shevchenko put Milan ahead after a further 6 minutes.
In the 75th minute Seedorf scores to bring the score up to 4-2, and then 10 minutes later Tabare Viudez scored to seal the game at 5-2 shortly after Ronaldinho missed a penalty.

Milan 5 Torino 1

Beckham returns to the side and produces a typical performance as Milan over-run Torino. David combined flawlessly with the 35 year old Inzaghi for the first two Milan goals. After having a goal disallowed in the first 10 minutes ruled out for offside, the duo of Beckam and Inzaghi (collective age pushing 70...) combined first from a headed corner and second from a ball lifted cleverly over the defence. Inzaghi 2 Torino 0.
After half time Ronaldinho also combined with Inzaghi to make the score Inzaghi 3 Torino 0, the second hattrick that Inzaghi has pulled out the bag in recent weeks. Kaka slotted home a penalty for 4:0 before Torino got a consolation goal with just 10 minutes to go. To add insult to injury, Ambrosini finished the game in style and Milan ran out 5:1 winners. All doubts about Beckham now surely extinguished. If he was out of favour at Milan (more likely he was nursing a recent shoulder injury), he will certainly be back in favour now!

CHIEVO 0 MILAN 1

Milan ground out another result away from home to consolidate their (third) position in the league, this game saw Kaka take the field again along with Shevchenko (for a few seconds anyway) and Ronaldhino (also from the bench) - yet with all these stars Milan did not shine. A single goal in the second half from Seedorf was enough to take three points. Beckham did not play a part in this game for the first time since joining Milan. So far, he has played every game when he has been available even for a few minutes, this time he was left on the bench for the entire match. Already the doubters have started to sound off, but it is too soon to begin speculating on anything other than a managers prerogative to leave a player in the bench from time to time.
There is plenty of speculation at Milan about possible moves in the Summer, they should at least be able to rely on Beckham being available for the periods already agreed with The Galaxy. Meanwhile in LA, five games have been played since the league started in earnest without a win for the Galaxy - seems like they have started the new season in the same way they finished the last one...

England on target for World Cup

A new chapter in England's history starts to be written as they win five qualifiers in a row leaving them 5 points clear of their group. This latest victory against a Ukraine team with a long-standing unbeaten record. At this stage, it is hard to see where England might drop points in this group having beaten all-comers so far. Croatia and Ukraine are both highly-ranked teams on the World stage, yet we have beaten Croatia 4-0 in their own back-yard. Croatia and Ukraine have drawn when they played each other, but Ukraine have a game-in-hand against Andorra which should secure a further three points and effectively puts Ukraine and Croatia on ten points each. Croatia have played Andorra twice and have played four of their five games at home.The group winners automatically qualify, with the eight (of nine) best second-placed teams entering a play-off stage, from which four will gain a place in the World Cup in South Africa - this means that England must fight tooth and nail to stay top of their group, as qualification from second place would be a tough route to take.
To go with a new winning attitude, England wore a new kit for the first time last week, somewhat more casual looking than previous outfits, the polo-style shirt will no doubt prove popular Summer-wear in England.

England 2 Ukraine 1

Wembley on April Fools' day and England have a chance of securing a place at the World Cup without dropping a point. Milan team mates Beckham and Shevchenko both start the game on the bench.
England are struggling for a front-pairing after Wednesday's match, Rooney and Crouch being the preferred duo. On seven minutes Gerrard and Rooney combined for an audacious overhead kick from Rooney that didn't miss by far and showed both his intent and invention. Only two minutes later Gareth Barry earned himself a rare England yellow card for a cynical although not a dangerous tackle. Aaron Lennon's first foray into enemy territory resulted in a dangerous cross which didn't quite manage to find an England head but drew gasps of appreciation from the crowd. On 14 minutes, Rooney was brought down on the edge of the box, with no Beckham to take the kick, Gerrard narrowly placed his shot round the outside of the far goalpost.
The start of the game was cautious but there was enough creative play to indicate that this should be a game which would eventually yield some goals.
It was Crouch just under the half hour who scored from a corner headed to him by John Terry, swiveling in the air, he demonstrated his agility striking the ball against the keeper into the net and celebrated with the now infamous robotic celebration.
Ten minutes from the end of the half, Lennon once more received the ball wide and placed another great ball onto Rooney's foot only to see the volleyed effort sail over the bar - a strike which if it had been on target would have been one of the best England goals I have ever seen. In the last minute of the first half, Lennon, Rooney and Gerrard combined for Gerrard to have a crack from the edge of the box, the chance was smothered by the 'keeper' as England maintain the pressure. England take a one-nil lead into the second half, but there are surely more goals left in this game?
The second half started with the same line-ups for both sides, and with Lennon's promising start, there was no need for Beckham at this stage. Shevchenko was warming up early off the pitch as Rooney was getting hot under the collar on the pitch. having failed to win a free kick after being heavily tackled by no less than four Ukraine players, he was immediately penalised for exacting his own retribution. He let his feet do the talking and danced through the midfield, placing a shot just wide of the Ukrainian goalpost. More pressure followed from England as Sheva prepared to take the field in an attempt to change Ukranian fortunes replacing Voronin. Almost immediately, Beckham came on to replace Lennon on 57 minutes, it was unclear whether the standing ovation was for Lennon's contribution or the anticipated contribution from Beckham. In fairness, Lennon had not done too much wrong and probably deserved a longer spell on the pitch. Just four minutes later the determination of Rooney won another free-kick on the edge of the box and Beckham stepped up. The resulting shot dipped a little too late and brushed the top of the net on it's way over the top.
A needless free-kick on 70 minutes was given away by John Terry who pushed Shevchenko and led to a goalmouth scramble and an equaliser from Sheva himself. England paid the penalty for not pushing home their advantage at an earlier stage and although Ukraine rarely threatened, the danger is always there if you don't finish the opposition off. Shortly after the Ukraine goal, Wright-Phillips came on for England goal-scorer Peter Crouch. Another Beckham free-kick on 83 minutes failed to penetrate as sloppiness and fatigue came into play for both teams. Beckham won himself a free-kick in the last 5 minutes - he placed the ball in the usual danger area and Gerrard's header found John terry lingering with intent to neatly place the ball in the net with his left foot. Almost immediately Beckham received a needless booking for kicking the ball away, but the relief of the second goal was felt all around the ground.
The result matched the performance, England deserved the win, and in the end Capello made better decisions than the Ukranian manager - five qualifiers, five wins nobody can fail to be impressed with those statistics and England are looking like a world power in football once again.