Brazil: Marcelo Moreno Yearns For Cruzeiro Return

Bolivian striker Marcelo Moreno has indicated that he would be happy to return to former club Cruzeiro at the turn of the year, but believes that his current employers Shakhtar Donetsk would be unlikely to sanction such a move.

Shakhtar paid a reported €9million for Moreno in May of this year, but the 21 year old has thus far struggled to make the expected impact in the Ukraine, and seems to be missing the affection afforded him by the Cruzeiro supporters.

"I miss the fans chanting my name when I entered the field or scored a goal. It is certain that I feel homesick when I think of the Cruzeiro fans," he told GloboEsporte.

Considering his feelings, it is unsurprising that Moreno would consider a move back to Cruzeiro, although he knows that such a deal may be difficult to pull off.

"From my point of view I would be happy to return at any time, but you would have to ask the owners of Cruzeiro about whether that will happen," he explained.

"...the problem is Shakhtar, so the Cruzeiro directors would have to negotiate with them. If a move is possible that I would be content to take a pay-cut.

"The difficulty comes in convincing the owners of Shakhtar to let me go."

World Club Cup: LDU's Bolanos Ready For Manchester United

LDU Quito attacking midfielder Luis Bolanos is confident that the Copa Libertadores winners have a chance of toppling European champions Manchester United ahead of Sunday's FIFA World Club Cup final.

Bolanos, 23, was one of the stars of LDU's successful Libertadores campaign and has continued that form into the World Club Cup, scoring a superb freekick in his side's semi-final victory over Pachuca of Mexico. He hopes to make a similar impact on Sunday.

"The goals I scored in the Copa Libertadores played a decisive part in us winning the trophy, and here in Japan I was lucky enough to hit the target against Pachuca in the semi-finals," he told FIFA.com

"And now I'm hoping to make another contribution by scoring again in the final."

LDU are used to providing upsets, having been cast as underdogs throughout their run to Libertadores glory. Although Bolanos recognises that Manchester United are a completely different proposition, he still believes his side have a chance of taking the trophy back to Ecuador.

"This match will be totally different to the Copa Libertadores," he affirmed.

"Both sides will be going all out for the win and to become the best side in the world. It is going to be something we have never experienced before, but we know what Manchester are all about. They are all great players, but we have to know how to stop them and play as a unit.

"It is sure to be a tough, challenging occasion for us."

Sunday's match will be Edgardo Bauza's last in charge of LDU and Bolanos, more than most, has a great debt to pay to the Argentine coach who brought the best out of him by moving him out wide from the central attacking midfield position he had previously occupied.

"If we win, it will be a great way for Bauza to leave, for everything he has done for the club. He put his trust in me and I want to repay him for that out on the pitch," he concluded.

Argentina: San Lorenzo Defeat Tigre In First Game Of Title Playoff

San Lorenzo drew first blood in the triangular tournament that will decide the winners of the Argentine Apertura 2008 with a 2-1 victory against Tigre on Wednesday evening.

Miguel Angel Russo's side began the game in the fine form, building a two goal lead for themselves inside the opening twenty-five minutes through strikes from Pablo Barrientos and Gonzalo Bergessio.

Their dominance continued into the opening exchanges of the second half, with Santiago Hirsig missing a guilt-edged chance to put Tigre firmly out of site when he blazed over after Santiago Solari had slid him through on goal.

The home side were struggling to get a foothold in the game, but got just the breakthrough they were looking for when Sebastian Rusculleda crossed perfectly for Leandro Lazzaro to head home with just under quarter of an hour remaining.

Diego Cagna's team were, however, unable to put the San Lorenzo goal under any concerted pressure in the final minutes, and ended the game with ten men after goalkeeper Daniel Islas was dimissed for an off the ball incident with Barrientos.

San Lorenzo's victory means that they can seal the Apertura title with a win over Boca Juniors in the second game of the mini-tournament on Saturday.

If they fail to do so, then they will have to wait on the result of the final game between Boca and Tigre on Tuesday before discovering whether or not the title is theirs.

World Club Cup: LDU Coach Bauza Determined To Go Out On A High

Departing LDU Quito head coach Edgardo Bauza believes that his side can win the 2008 FIFA World Club Cup, although he admits that it will be difficult task due to the quality of their opposition.

LDU will face Mexican side Pachuca in the semi-final of the competition on Wednesday, with the prize of a likely tie against European champions Manchester United in the final at stake for both teams.

Bauza feels that the same underdog spirit that took them to Copa Libertadores glory earlier in the year can serve his side well in Japan.

"We weren't among the favourites for the Libertadores, but we said that our opponents would have to kill us to get past us," he stated at a press conference ahead of the semi-final.

"It's no coincidence that I chose Norberto Araujo, Damian Manso and Claudio Bieler as the spine of the side.

"By putting some excellent Ecuadorian players around them we managed to convince ourselves that we could go anywhere we want and beat any team we chose. That kind of spirit is contagious."

Such a desire to succeed has clearly taken it's toll on Bauza, who will pass over his duties as coach to Jorge Fossati after the tournament.

"The fact is, though, that I'm very tired now and it might be counterproductive for me to stay on. We've come to the end of an era," he concluded.

Brazil: Rafael Carioca Seals Spartak Move; Leo To Follow?

Gremio midfielder Rafael Carioca completed his €8million move to Spartak Moscow on Tuesday, signing a five-year contract with the Russian side after undergoing a medical examination at the club's training facilities.

Carioca, 19, will join his fellow Brazilians Mozart and Welliton at the Luzhniki Stadium and could soon have another familar name in his midst, with young Gremio defender Leo possibly set to follow him to Moscow.

Spartak are keen on the twenty-year old central defender and have made an offer, thought to be in the region of €4million, for his services.

"Negotiations have opened," agent Evandro Schmitt told Globoesporte.

If a deal is to be struck, then Gremio are hopeful of keeping Leo on board for their Copa Libertadores campaign in the first half of 2009, although Schmitt suggests that this may not be possible.

"[Gremio] are highly-motivated to keep him for now, but the financial needs of the club may force the issue," he explained.

Brazil: Thiago Silva Wants To Make History At Milan

Brazilian defender Thiago Silva told reporters that he hopes to become an important figure at AC Milan as he arrived in Italy on Monday to complete a medical and sign a four-year contract with the Rossoneri.

Milan have agreed a €10 million fee with Fluminense for the services of Silva, 24, who will join up with his new team-mates in January, but won't be able to take part in first team activities until next season as Milan have used up all of their non-EU allocation.

The highly-rated defender is excited at the prospect of joining one of Europe's most presitigious clubs and believes that he can make a significant impact at the San Siro in years to come.

"I want be an important figure in the history of AC Milan," he told reporters at Milan airport.

"I would like to be involved immediately, but will have to wait for my chance. In the meantime, I will give my all in training and in the reserve games, as I have a great desire to be a part of this team."

Milan had considered loaning Silva out for the remainder of the current season in order to give him first team football, but have instead elected to keep him at the club to aid his acclimatisation to the Italian game, after experiencing success when they took a similar approach with Alexandre Pato.

Argentina: River Plate To Sell Buonanotte or Falcao In January

River Plate coach in waiting Néstor Gorosito has confirmed that the club will be forced to sell either Diego Buonanotte or Radamel Falcao Garcia in January in order to balance the books.

Gorosito will inherit a River side that finished bottom of the Apertura tournament when he takes over at the turn of the year, and will face further problems with the news that he is likely to lose at least one of his two most prominent players in the winter transfer window.

Buonanotte was River's sole shining light during their dismal Apertura campaign and the twenty year old, impish attacking midfielder is sure to attract interest from European clubs in January, with Napoli thought to be among his suitors.

Colombian striker Falcao has previously been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and River would have no problems offloading the 22 year old should they need to do so, such is his pedigree in front of goal.

"Falcao or Buonanotte will leave," Gorosito told reporters on Monday, although he also indicated that he hopes to bring in his own attacker and possibly a midfielder, with Internacional's Pablo Guiñazú heavily linked with a move to El Monumental.

Chile: Honours Even Between Palestino and Colo Colo in Clausura Final First Leg

Deportivo Palestino and Colo Colo drew 1-1 in a fiery first leg of the Chilean Clausura final on Sunday, in a match that saw the home side fight back from a first half deficit despite playing most of the second period with just nine men.

Palestino were playing in their first Clausura final in over twenty years and the underdogs did little to improve their chances of taking the title when they afforded Colo Colo an ideal opportunity to take the lead after 26 minutes.

In-form striker Lucas Barrios latched onto an Arturo Sanhueza through-ball and was promptly upended inside the area by Palestino goalkeeper Felipe Nunez. Nunez received his marching orders, and Barrios made no mistake from the spot, firing home his 36th goal of the year.

The home side further shot themselves in the foot when midfielder Roberto Bishara was red-carded for a second bookable offence just minutes into the second half.

Colo Colo sensed blood, and laid siege to the Palestino goal as they looked to end the tie in advance of the second leg, striking the post on two seperate occasions.

However, the home side remained a threat on the break, and got an improbable equaliser with just over ten minutes left to play. Francisco Ibanez broke free of his marker on the half-way line and continued forward, skipping past Sanhueza on the edge of the area before slotting the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

Colo Colo rallied in the remaining minutes, but were unable to force a winner, leaving the tie delicately balanced ahead of the decisive second leg at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano this coming Saturday.

Brazil: Arsenal Eyeing Pato

Reports in the Italian press indicate that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is a firm admirer of AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato and could make a move for the young Brazilian in the January transfer window.

Wenger is likely to have funds to spend at the turn of the year to strengthen his stuttering squad, following a board meeting on Friday in which the budget for the winter transfer window was discussed at some length.

With Emmanuel Adebayor struggling with injuries and Nicklas Bendtner misfiring, the Frenchman will have identified his forward line as a potential area for reinforcement - if not in January, then certainly at the end of the season, despite having Eduardo still to return from injury.

Valencia striker David Villa has been linked with a move to the Emirates, but if a report in the Gazzetta dello Sport is to be believed, then Pato is also in Arsenal's sights.

The Italian sports daily suggests that Wenger has been keeping tabs on Pato for some time and wishes to get in contact with the nineteen year old to make his interest known, even if a January deal may be out of the question.

Argentina: Boca, San Lorenzo and Tigre To Playoff For Title After Final Day Victories

Boca Juniors, San Lorenzo and Tigre will play a mini-tournament to determine the winner of the 2008 Apertura after all three teams won their final day fixtures to finish level on 39 points at the end of the regular campaign.

Boca raced into an early 3-0 lead against Colon at the Bombenera through a double strike from Luciano Figueroa and another from Juan Roman Riquelme inside the opening half an hour.

However, Colon were determined not to lie down to their hosts and produced a spirited fightback as goals either side of half-time from Nicolas Torres and Lucas Valdemarin reduced Boca's lead to one with forty-odd minutes left to play.

Carlos Ischia's side were able to shake off their momentary nervousness to regain control as the half wore on, and finished the match in the ascendency, spurred on by the rampant support of the Boca faithful.

San Lorenzo endured a slightly more techy ending to their game away to Argentinos Juniors. Goalkeeper Agustin Orion was forced to make two good saves in the closing minutes, allowing Miguel Angel Russo's side to maintain the one goal lead they had held since Gonzalo Bergessio's 7th minute opener.

Tigre had been the first side to confirm their three points on the final day as Martin Morel's 14th goal of the campaign took them to a 1-0 victory over Banfield, in a game that finished a minute before San Lorenzo's and ten before Boca's.

Lanus had begun the day as a outside bet to take the title, but with the top three all winning, their 1-0 win over San Martin proved fruitless, as they finished two points off the leading trio in fourth.

The AFA will now be tasked with arranging a triangular tournament to decide the Apertura winners, with matches likely to take place in the eleven days between now and Christmas.

At the other end of the table, River Plate finished bottom of the league for the first time in their history following a 1-1 draw away to Estudiantes on Saturday.

Brazil: Keirrison Content To Wait For Move

Young Coritiba striker Keirrison has confirmed that he is content to see out his contract with the Coxa Branca rather than try to force a move to Palmeiras in the next couple of months.

Keirrison scored 21 goals in 31 appearances for Coritiba in the 2008 Brazilian league season - a total that saw him share first place in the top-scorer charts with Kleber Pereira and Washington, and which attracted the interest of Palmeiras coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo, among others.

Palmeiras had been expected to make a move for Keirrison in January, but the young striker seems comfortable with the idea of waiting until April before deciding upon his future.

"I prefer not to think about [Palmeiras' interest] at the moment," he told the Gazeta do Povo.

"My only thought is to fulfil my contract until April... I have nothing set in stone for after then, and will make a choice when the time comes."

Although Palmeiras appear to currently be in pole position to obtain Keirrison's signature come April, his goal-scoring antics are sure to have peaked the interest of other teams across the globe, guaranteeing a healthy list of potential suitors once he becomes available.

Brazil: Adriano Set For Flamengo Return?

Reports in the Italian press suggest that Inter Milan striker Adriano may have played his last game for the club, with Flamengo thought to be leading the race for his signature.

Adriano, 26, failed to make the squad for Inter's game against Chievo Verona on Sunday, with rumours circulating that his absence was due to an alcohol relapse, rather than injury, as the club's official statement had tried to suggest.

Inter have released Adriano to return to Brazil for Christmas a week ahead of schedule, and there are growing doubts over whether he is expected to return on the 2th January as originally planned.

Nerazzurri coach Jose Mourinho is said to be losing patience with the striker, and thus a move away from the San Siro in the near future is looking increasingly likely.

Should Adriano elect to return to Brazilian football rather than stay in Europe, then Flamengo, the club at which he started his career, would hope to be in pole position for his signature.

Flamengo president Marcio Braga is keen to make a big name signing in order to appease supporters unhappy over Ronaldo's decision to move to Corinthians rather than the Rubro Negro, and there is no doubt that sealing a deal for Adriano would go a long way towards doing so.

Adriano is scheduled to discuss his future with agent Gilmar Rinaldi upon his return to Brazil, with a number of clubs in Europe and South America likely to be keeping a keen eye on his situation as it unfolds over the winter break.

Chile: Al-Ain Make Big Money Move For Barrios

United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain are rumoured to have lodged a $7million bid for Colo Colo striker Lucas Barrios, who is also attracting interest from a number of European clubs.

Barrios, 24, has scored 35 goals for Colo Colo in 2008, and such form has seen his stock rise throughout the world game, with Greek side Panathinaikos, as well as clubs in Germany and Italy, expressing a firm interest in the Argentine striker.

However, it is Al-Ain who look to have made the first definitive offer for Barrios, as they look to link him up with Chilean playmaker Jorge Valdivia, who has been a big hit since joining from Palmeiras in August.

Chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is prepared to offer Barrios up to $2million a year to make the move to the Middle East, although the player is likely to hold out for a move to a competitive European league.

"Lots of different clubs are interested," he told reporters on Friday.

"Some of these are teams with lots of money, who have the funds to pay a fortune for a player. Colo Colo will be interested in such offers, but my priority is to play in a competitive league in Europe..."

Brazil: Corinthians Unveil Ronaldo [Video]

Brazil: Santos Hope To Rescue Cicinho From Roma

Brazilian side Santos are set to launch a bid to sign Roma full-back Cicinho in January, following the much-publicised rift between the 28 year old and Giallorossi coach Luciano Spalletti.

Cicinho has struggled to hold down a regular first team place since joining Roma from Real Madrid in the summer of 2007 for €11million.

Despite recent claims from his agent Ricardo Sarti that his client has a future at the Stadio Olimpico, Santos are hopeful of clinching a deal for the former Sao Paulo right-back.

Delcir Sonda, the man who brokered and partially funded the transfers of Michael Quiñónez and Mauricio Molina at the start of 2008, is behind the move for Cicinho, although no mention has been made of the potential transfer fee.

Should the transfer materalise then Santos coach Marcio Fernandes would welcome such a quality addition to his squad, especially in a position which he struggled to fill during the 2008 season.

"He is a player that excels [at right back] and that is a position we need players for," Fernandes told Santa Cecília TV.

"For much of the Brazilian Championship, we had to improvise with either Wendel (midfielder) or Pará (left-back) in that position.

"Presuming that the deal does come off then it will be very good for us, because he is one of the few quality players currently available."

Brazil: Global Crisis To Send Hamburg's Neves Back To Fluminense?

Fluminense president Roberto Horcades has suggested that attacking midfielder Thiago Neves could rejoin the club from Hamburg in 2009, as the German club have failed to make any payment for the 23 year old.

Hamburg spent €7.5million to sign the highly-rated Neves over the summer, but with the global financial crisis hitting hard, it seems that Fluminense are yet to receive the fee.

"As of yet, we have received nothing from the sale of Thiago Neves to Germany," Horcades told SporTV

"The Bank of Hamburg, who fund Hamburg football club, have had serious problems due to the world-wide crisis and they have not kept up the payments for Neves.

"For this reason, we are currently studying the situation in the hope of getting Neves back to Fluminense for 2009," he affirmed.

The delay of funds from the sale of Neves also looks likely to see Fluminense fail in their attempts to sign on-loan midfielder Dario Conca on a permanent basis from River Plate.

"I am one of the greatest admirers of Conca," Horcades explained.

"He is a wonderful and well-disciplined athlete. We are not signing Conca simply because it is impossible at this moment in time.

"We do not have the money from the Neves deal and it is not easy to arrange funds, as the world is in a bad shape.

"Conca is still a priority and if we can get him it would be great. However, I don't want to promise something I cannot deliver," he concluded.

Argentina: Maradona Has Roles For Riquelme and Veron

Argentina coach Diego Maradona has confirmed that Juan Roman Riquelme and Juan Sebastian Veron are both in his plans in the lead-up to the 2010 World Cup, as he feels it is vital to have an experienced playmaker in the side.

Riquelme, 30, and Veron, 33, were both absent from Maradona's first squad as coach due to club commitments, but having watched a number of games involving the pair in recent weeks, Maradona is keen to get them back in the national setup in 2009.

"It is clear to me that at least one of Riquelme or Verón must start, as they can take charge of the team, issue orders and take on the role of on-field coach," he told Ole.

Maradona has previously spoken about his affection for Riquelme, whom he believes "is in need of a rest," over the winter break, and so decided to elaborate his feelings toward Verón.

"Verón is one of the best in the world," he affirmed.

"We will have to find a place for him in the side, maybe in a three-man central midfield or something.

"Our goal is to find a place for as many players as possible that can do damage to our opponents, and I have a lot of options in that regard."

Maradona is also impressed with Verón's attitude, considering that the midfielder is reaching the twilight years of his football career.

"I speak with him and he has a lot of desire, a real thirst to play for the national side once more... despite his age, he has the desire of an 18 year old, keen to make an impact.

"He doesn't look like a playing drifting towards retirement. He runs more than anyone and if you add this to his other attributes then it makes him a complete player," he concluded.

Brazil: Corinthians Set To Unveil Ronaldo On Friday

Corinthians are but a signed contract away from completing their extraordinary swoop for the Fenômeno, Ronaldo, with the three time world player of the year set to put pen to paper on Friday.

Reports yesterday suggested that Ronaldo, 32, would sign his one-year contract with the Timão on Wednesday, but those reports appear to have been wide of the mark.

His agent Fabiano Farah instead confirmed that the papers are likely to be signed on Friday - the day of his unveiling.

"Nothing has been signed as of yet, but the agreement is definitely in place," Farah told reporters.

"We will send back the draft contract to Corinthians with some revisions tomorrow (Thursday). The contract will be signed in São Paulo, probably on Friday."

As the news broke of Ronaldo's impending move to Corinthians, Flamengo supporters demonstrated their anger at his apparent snub of the club he claimed to have held a deep affinity for since his formative years.

Prominent Flamengo supporter Jose Carlos Peruano summarised the feelings of many Rubro-Negro fans in an interview with Globoesporte on Tuesday.

"It can no longer be said that Ronaldo is a fan of Flamengo. He will never be welcome here again," he explained angrily.

"Football is a big lie and this player has proven it," he added, as members of the 'Ronaldo Stay' campaign planned to meet on Wednesday to burn images of their former hero.

Brazil: Spartak Moscow Set To Sign Rafael Carioca

Russian side Spartak Moscow are thought to be on the verge of completing an €8million deal for Gremio midfielder Rafael Carioca, with the player expected in Moscow on Tuesday to complete a medical and sign on the dotted line.

Carioca, 19, has been mightily impressive in defensive midfield for Gremio since being given his chance in the first team by coach Celso Roth at the start of the 2008 Brazilian Championship, and had attracted the attention of a number of European clubs, including Fiorentina, Villarreal and Stuggart.

Despite an ever growing list of suitors, it is Spartak who look to have secured the signing of the youngster, with new coach Michael Laudrup keen to add some stability to his midfield ahead of the 2009 Russian season.

Carioca has shown excellent reading of the game from a deep-lying midfield position this term and although he is obviously highly proficient in his positional play and tackling skills, he is also comfortable in possession, able to help his team mount attacks with accurate passes to feet.

Gremio were keen to keep hold of their youth team graduate for their Copa Libertadores campaign in 2009, but such a sizeable offer proved to be too good to turn down in the current economic climate and thus it now seems that Carioca is set for Russia.

Argentina: Three Way Tie At The Top With One Round To Play

San Lorenzo, Tigre and Boca Juniors will go into the final weekend of the Argentine Apertura level on points at the top of the table after Boca were held to a goalless draw by Gimnasia La Plata on Sunday.

The solitary point for the Xeneize gave their two title rivals the perfect opportunity to draw level, and both took full advantage, although with dramatically differing levels of comfort.

Tigre coach Diego Cagna must have been kissing his side's title ambitions goodbye when they went two goals down inside the opening quarter of an hour away to Rosario Central. However, his side defied convention to produce a remarkable comeback as a Carlos Luna double saw them pull level by half-time and Leandro Lazzaro then added a third in the second half to seal the three points.

San Lorenzo had a much smoother ride as they crushed Independiente 4-1 at the Pedro Bidegain in Sunday's late kickoff. Pablo Barrientos scored twice, while Santiago Solari and Gaston Aguirre got one apiece in a superb display from Miguel Angel Russo's side that sees them lead the way on goal difference ahead of the concluding round of games.

Lanus kept their dim hopes of taking the Apertura crown alive with a 2-0 win away to coachless Velez Sarsfield on Friday evening, but will need a miracle on the final day if they are to leapfrog all three of the main contenders from two points adrift.

River Plate's terrible campaign continued with a 2-1 defeat at home to Godoy Cruz that sees Los Millonairos rooted to the bottom of the table, while Nestor Gorosito - rumoured to be taking over at River come the Clausura - steered his Argentinos Juniors side to a 2-2 draw away to Banfield.