Togo Bus Machine Gunned (With 5pm Update)

Angola

(Ed. Note: we’ve been following this all day but nothing more to report at this very moment. Still, bumped to the top for anyone catching up on the story.)

Togo’s national team bus has reportedly been machine-gunned by Angolan rebels. Three players and the driver have apparently been injured in the attack. The team is in Angola for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Striker Thomas Dossevi spoke to Radio Monte Carlo: “We are still at hospital. We were attacked like dogs and had to hide for 20 minutes under the seats to avoid the bullets.”

Updates follow after the jump.

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Breaking: Big Fox Soccer Report News

Lara Baldesarra, new co-host of Fox Soccer Report

Some of you may be aware of the tweet from Derek Taylor of Fox Soccer Report regarding a “big surprise” on tonight’s edition of Fox Soccer Report, and some of you might not. Either way, it appears to have caused some ripples in the FSC world, mostly due to its coinciding with EPL Talk’s report that Fox Soccer Channel is in talks to purchase Setanta US. Many have speculated the purchase would be announced tonight. The timing is funny, but we have it from a FSC source that tonight’s surprise has nothing to do with Setanta.

Rather, it has something to do with the person on the right, Lara Baldesarra.  She is the new co-host  replacing Carlos Machado.

UF welcomes Lara Baldesarra  and wishes her great success. Ms. Baldesarra is no stranger to soccer however. She grew up playing soccer, and other sports, but soccer is clearly the most important one. She is a Chelsea and AC Milan fan, but we won’t hold that against her.

BREAKING: SHOWDOWN PLAYERS ANNOUNCED So That’s Where Flamini’s Been?

The text below the dotted line was my start to a quick throw, but the news just came down about who will be at the Showdown In Chinatown this year on June 24.

Behold from Steve Nash’s facebook page:

SHOWDOWN IN CHINATOWN NYC 2009!! Come see THIERRY HENRY of Barcelona, JAVIER ZANETTI and IVAN CORDOBA of Inter Milan, SALOMON KALOU of Chelsea, RYAN BABEL – Liverpool, MATHIEU FLAMINI of AC Milan, ADRIAN MUTU of Fiorentina, and 4x World Cup Captain CLAUDIO REYNA! Along with NBA stars TONY PARKER, JASON KIDD, GRANT HILL, RAJA BELL, CHRIS BOSH and MUCH more surprises to come!

Nice…..I’m sure there are jokes to be had about Mutu, Babel and Grant Hill but none here right now. Just enjoy. Also enjoy the video I started out writing about below. It’s fun.

[Also note that Showdown is for charity and you have chance to win a trip if you donate...info here.]
————-

Mathieu Flamini left Arsenal last summer for AC Milan and thus he kinda dropped off the UF radar. But, UF has found him again. Actually, Steve Nash found him and asked him to play a pickup game in NYC and we are just poaching the information. We don’t find anything except ways to waste time at work.

The video is best viewed with the sound on but it is a bit blue so you may want to turn the volume low. Notice that this is the same field where the Showdown in Chinatown took place last year, and we are guessing will be the locale for this year’s version that Steve Nash has been quietly pimping.

BREAKING NEWS: Chelsea pair in trouble!

UEFA is charging Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa for insulting that Norwegian ref in the CL semi-final 2nd Leg. In the same breath, they’re initiating disciplinary action against the club for improper conduct by a number of players, as well as missile-throwing from the fans.

Drogba, Bosingwa, and Chelsea have to respond to these charges by May 29, and the case will be reviewed June 17.

[BBC Sport]

Breaking: Figo Retires From Top Level Football

Goal.com is reporting that Portuguese international Figo is retiring from football. The 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year announced his retirement after his Italian club, Internazionale, sewed up its fourth straight scudetto with a loss by second place AC Milan on Saturday. Figo did not rule out playing in a lesser league outside of Europe.

Emeless?

Breaking News: Saints receive their penance

As expected, Southampton will be docked 10 points for breaching league rules about insolvency. It’s a big blow for the Saints, as they now have absolutely no chance of avoiding relegation (they were 4 points from safety with 2 to play).

One weird note: if they manage to finish out of the relegation spots somehow, the deduction is put in effect, but should they drop, the penalty will be applied next season as they battle in League One. I don’t remember that being the standard, but it bears keeping in mind for the team as they still have something to fight for this season.

More importantly, this means that Norwich must focus on one thing, as two relegation spots are effectively set: the mission to overtake Barnsley! Come on, Canaries!

[BBC News]

Breaking: Walcott injured AGAIN

The Guardian feed is spouting out that Theo’s hurt his knee in training, and faces another spell on the sidelines. Massive shame. He’s one of the few Gooners I like.

(The official Arsenal site is confirming the story)

Breaking News: MLS to Portland

While not confirmed officially, all signs are pointing to Portland being awarded the second MLS expansion bid on Friday. MLS has reserved a room at a local Hilton for a press announcement on Friday. Great news for yours truly since I live in Portland, but really not great timing since Portland will be hosting first round NCAA basketball tournament games on Friday for the first time in decades. But, whoever said MLS Execs were scheduling geniuses? Certainly not me.

Breaking: Rafa Signs New 4 Year Deal

The Red Scouse long nightmare is finally over. Rafa has signed a new four year deal, keeping at Anfield for at least another 5 years, theoretically.

“My heart is with Liverpool Football Club, so I’m delighted to sign this new deal,” said Rafa. “I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club like this and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying. I always made clear I wanted to be here for a long time and when I complete my new contract it will mean I have spent over a decade in Liverpool.

Big giant hattip to ONTD Football for the info.

BREAKING NEWS: Scolari out at Spartak London

Wow. Just, wow.

Right about when you thought this season couldn’t get more unpredictable and insane, we get this:

CHELSEA SACK MANAGER LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI – CLUB

Reut11:18 02-09-0902-09-2009 16:18UTC / (RE.dc-reu.02b.am-nyny-inwcp02) /

News is trickling in now with some words on the CFC website. They paid him about 6.25 million pounds a year to get them back to the top, and he’s gone after 7 months in charge, proving that absolutely no-one’s job is safe in the world’s most pressurized, demanding domestic league.

In a statement, Spartak gave the usual bullshit:

“The Chelsea board would like to place on record our gratitude for his time as manager. Felipe has brought many positives to the club since he joined and we all feel a sense of sadness that our relationship has ended so soon. Unfortunately the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season.”

And the man now in charge, Ray Wilkins, will presumably get the ship righted. Meanwhile, Mourinho is in Italy, laughing over an afternoon aperitif, and Avram Grant realizes he could now be stuck in a bidding war.

It also begs the question: just who on earth is out there that could possibly be the high-level replacement they’re obviously looking for? Alan Curbishley? Keegan?

To recap: Tony Adams and Luis Felipe Scolari fired within 24 hours. Avram can’t replace them both at the same time, can he?

More to come, obviously.

[Update: not to trumpet our own skills or anything, but Bigus saw this coming a month ago.]