World Best Sports

Newly recruited Barcelona utility player Adriano Correia said Monday he did not hesitate when the Spanish champions offered to sign him from La Liga  rivals Sevilla.

"I was very excited. I didn?t think twice about it and now I?m really pleased to have the chance to defend the Barca colours. This was something I couldn?t let pass by," he said during his official presentation.

"I?m very happy. I have worked hard to achieve this," the 25-year-old Brazilian added.

Barcelona completed the signing of Adriano, who can play at full-back or as a wide midfielder, on a four-year deal on Saturday after the player passed his medical tests.

The Catalan side will pay Sevilla 9.5 million euros for the 25-year-old, plus another four million euros depending on results.

The champions also have an option to extend the deal by another year.

"I?m comfortable playing in any of the four positions out wide. This is the best team in the world and I?m going to give everything for this club," said Adriano.

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The 36-year-old Manchester United star, who is heading into his 18th season at Old Trafford, is currently working on his fitness at the club's training camp in Chicago.

Giggs, a record appearance holder for the Red Devils, managed to land a one-year extension on his contract this year despite his age, and is expected to wind down his career where it started in the 1991/92 season.

When asked in a phone interview posted on USA Today's website about the prospect of joining the MLS, Giggs played down the idea of a possible move across the pond, insisting his age would be a deterring factor.

"Being in America you have a great lifestyle, good for raising a family," said Giggs. "The play is getting better. I still have a year left with Manchester United. After that maybe, maybe I will be too old."
Tough.

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 Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo's baby boy was rushed to hospital by his family in a mystery scare. The baby boy was taken into emergency care at a private hospital in Portugal.

A blonde woman pal tightly clutched the handle of his carrycot, which was draped in a white blanket, as the party hurried into the hospital on the Algarve. They had driven there at top speed in a black 4×4 Audi Q7 with Ronaldo's sister Katia at the wheel and security men following in a BMW.

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The Barcelona midfielder scored the winning goal in extra time of an aggressive, bad-tempered game in which seven Holland  players were booked and John Heitinga was sent off. “I had the opportunity to score the goal that was so important for my team, and it’s incredible,” he said. I’ve made a small contribution in a very tough game, a very rough game – there were all sorts of things happening on the pitch – but Spain  deserved to win this World Cup.

"It’s something we have to remember and enjoy, and should feel very proud of everyone in this squad.” Iniesta was himself booked for taking off his shirt in celebrating his goal, revealing a t-shirt with “Dani Jarque – always with us” written on it. Jarque, an Espanyol player, died of a heart attack during pre-season training in Italy last year, aged 26.

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Holland will contest the World Cup final with Germany or Spain on Sunday. The victors have pursued the prize with more illustrious line-ups in days gone by.

But this one showed resilience in responding to an equaliser with goals from Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben in the second-half.

The 3-1 lead was trimmed by Maxi Pereira's curling effort in the 90th minute, but the Dutch were not to be denied.

The semi-final reeked of history as it pitted South Americans who had won the trophy twice against opponents beaten in two finals. Few anticipated that they would both be in the last four.

There was no risk of anyone in either squad being star-struck by the wonder of it all. The problems that had to be dealt with were instead to the fore in the minds of both sides.

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The atmosphere at this World Cup has been one of festive mood and pride among the locals, with South Africans pleased to have hosted the month-long extravaganza. This all culminates with the final to be played tomorrow night at the impressive Soccer City Stadium between two teams that have shown their pedigree throughout the competition, Netherlands and Spain.

With the showdown between the two European heavyweights beckoning, Goal.com hit the streets of Jozi to get a feel for the atmosphere in the run up to the final. There is no better place in Johannesburg than the shopping malls to get a solid picture of the city's mood and speak to a number of fans at one time.

For this reason the popular malls of Eastgate and Sandton City provided the perfect place to speak to fans and ordinary South Africans. There is a great deal of excitement in the city, and after being involved in every round of the tournament until the semi-finals, which were played in Cape Town and Durban.

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They played as though bearing the weight of every failure past, of every great, beautiful Dutch team that somehow found a way to lose. How else to explain the nerves.

The leads unprotected, the final crazy moments when it appeared they were going to blow it again?

Give Uruguay heaps of credit. Depleted by injury and suspension, a side given no chance when this tournament started, they played it out right to the end, to the last seconds of added time when they almost, nearly, tied the match at three.

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It was a rematch of the 2008 European championship. And it was a repeat result of the 2008 European championship.Spain upended Germany 1-0 on a second-half Carles Puyol goal to put La Roja just one win away from raising its first World Cup trophy. Spain dictated the pace of this match from the opening kickoff, starving the Germans of possession and tiring their opponents with their textbook tika-taka soccer, a fast-paced, pass-and-move style of game.

Germany, playing without breakout star Thomas Mueller, who was forced to sit out this match because of a suspension, didn't look like the same high-flying team that scored a tournament-leading 13 goals in five games. Instead of Germany's magnificent midfield of Mesut Oezil, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira taking control of this match as they have in so many games in the tournament, it was their opponents in red who gladly grabbed the reins.

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Lionel Messi came into the World Cup with the expectation that he would light up the tournament.

But the Barcelona superstar left empty-handed, without a goal and in floods of tears. It is not somethin.

The world footballer of the year and Argentina's talisman is used to. Despite being just 23, Messi has won almost every accolade there is and already has.

An impressive medal collection that few other players, if any, can match.Sitting in his personal trophy cabinet is already.

A World Cup winner's medal, but from 2005 at junior level. The one still missing is the one he wants the most – a World Cup winner as a senior.

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Dutch coach Bert Van Marwijk has warned his players to keep their feet on the ground and ignore the hype as they prepare for Tuesday's World Cup semi-final against Uruguay as firm favourites. With expectations back in Holland building to a crescendo, Van Marwijk is keen to stress that with the biggest prize in world football at stake anything can happen.

"It will be a very dangerous match. I warned about this on the first day two years ago — there's always the next game," he told reporters. "The euphoria at home is massive at the moment and maybe it's good that we're so far away and can't witness it because we really need to focus on Uruguay and that won?t be easy.

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