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Mid-Day Ticker: Rooney out for CL clash, Bocanegra out three weeks and more

RooneyReuters

By AVI CREDITOR

The Wayne Rooney news cycle keeps on spinning.

While the world is still digesting Sir Alex Ferguson's admission that Rooney has asked out of Manchester United, the English striker has been ruled out ahead of the Red Devils' UEFA Champions League match against Bursaspor on Wedneday.

Rooney reportedly had to be stretchered off the training pitch on Tuesday, re-aggrivating the ankle injury that he suffered against Rangers FC last month. Michael Owen and Jonny Evans also have been deemed unfit for Wednesday's match.

Here are a few more non-Rooney stories to get you through the day:

BOCANEGRA SIDELINED WITH NECK INJURY

United States captain Carlos Bocanegra will miss the next three weeks after picking up a neck injury in St. Etienne's match against Nice over the weekend.

Bocanegra, who has started at left back in eight of St. Etienne's nine matches this season, will likely miss the next four league matches while he recuperates.

MEXICO HIRES DE LA TORRE

Toluca coach Jose Manuel De La Torre was officially hired by the Mexican Football Federation to become the head coach of the Mexican national team on Tuesday.

De La Torre, who has coached professionally for less than five years, becomes Javier Aguirre's successor after Enrique Meza and Efrain Flores guided the team in the interim throughout the coaching search.

De La Torre is widely believed to be the MFF's second choice after Monterrey coach Victor Manuel Vucetich withdrew himself from the running. 

CAGLIARI FINED FOR FANS' RACIST CHANTS

The racist chants toward Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o that rang out in Serie A action over the weekend have cost Cagliari €25,000 (roughly $34,565).

The Inter-Cagliari match had to be stopped a few minutes after the first kick because of the intensity of the chanting. The stadium announcer was forced to warn fans that the game would be cancelled if the abuse didn't stop. Eto'o went on to score the only goal in Inter's 1-0 victory.

CHELSEA WINS CL MATCH

First-half goals from Yuri Zhirkov and Nicolas Anelka were all Chelsea needed to dispatch Spartak Moscow, 2-0, in a UEFA Champions League group stage match Tuesday in Russia.

Chelsea, which was without Didier Drogba and the injured Frank Lampard, dealt the Russian side its first defeat in group play while winning for the second time away from Stamford Bridge. The Blues lead the group with nine points, three clear of Moscow and nine ahead of winless Marseille and MSK Zilina, whose result from Tuesday is still pending.

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What do you make of Rooney's situation? Think St. Etienne can maintain its hot start without Bocanegra? Like the De La Torre hire for Mexico? What's your reaction to the Cagliari-Eto'o story? Do you see Chelsea as a true contender for the Champions League title?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. As a Packers fan and USMNT fan, I have to say that’s effin awesome! Make those Mexicans shiver!

    I thought I remember that back when FIFA sent out the letters to stadiums for the 2018/2022 bid that there was some discussion about Lambeau and that it’s field dimensions are too small

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  2. David Faitelson of ESPN Deporte’s Futbol Picante said that the USvsMexico game is tentatively scheduled for February 12th. He said that the likely location would be Green Bay. Take that for what it’s worth.

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  3. Rooney should concentrate on his acting career. His role as a game-playing couch potato in the FIFA 11 ad seemed appropriate.

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  4. So apparently Rooney lied to everyone about the ankle injury.

    If it was that weak, he would have no question hurt himself in a game.

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  5. It was awesome to see Eto’o stick it to those A-holes. For my money, he’s still one of the premier strikers in the world.

    The next time we see Wayne Rooney play in a Champions League match, it will be a Concacaf Champions League match with the LA Galaxy along with his teammates Ronaldinho, David Beckham, and Landon Donovan…right?

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  6. we’ll still play each other…..just more than likely not in qualifiers.

    Not going to lie thought with our D and Mexico’s rising Fwd combos, sort of glad we might not see them for 2014 qualifying

    Reply

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