strong>By Kyle McCarthy

There is plenty to discuss ? two clashes between the upper crust in both conferences plus a host of other entertaining performances and tidbits ? after a busy weekend, but the Breakdown starts this week with a look at the return of one of the league’s most promising young players.

Cameron starts in central defense as Houston searches for a winning formula

Houston defender Geoff Cameron summed up his first start since April 24 in one brief expression of frustration.

?The knee’s feeling pretty good, but it just sucks that we didn’t get a win tonight, Cameron said after the Dynamo’s 1-0 defeat at New England on Saturday night.

Cameron’s return to health represents a significant and somewhat unexpected boost for a Dynamo side that hasn’t won in ten MLS matches (0-6-4) since May 22. The 25-year-old midfielder suffered a ruptured right PCL in a 2-0 defeat at Chicago in late April and initial estimates indicated Cameron may miss the entire season. Those fears proved unfounded as Cameron resumed light work in July and regained his fitness in time to make two substitute appearances against Monarcas Morelia and Seattle in the space of four days last week.

Houston coach Dominic Kinnear partnered Cameron with Bobby Boswell in central defense in an attempt to shore up a Dynamo back four that shipped 19 goals in its previous nine MLS matches. Early returns suggest the move could yield benefits, though this ragged encounter didn’t provide much of a test for the revived center back pairing.

?(The partnership) was right on point tonight, Cameron said. ?Once again, it’s just the unlucky bounce. We did all of the right things and the ball just bounces right to him.

On a night when the Dynamo probably deserved something from the game, New England secured its third win in four matches through the aforementioned slice of luck and two touches of class. Ilija Stolica stopped Sainey Nyassi’s scuffed volley dead with his left foot and then thrashed home the winner with his right peg after 62 minutes.

The manner of the defeat left Kinnear and his players frustrated, particularly after another impotent performance ? four out of Houston’s past five MLS matches have ended without a Dynamo goal ? and another loss.

?We’re just not scoring right now and the goals we’re giving up aren’t anything to pat the other team on the back about, Kinnear said. ?It was a lucky shot that finds the guy right in front of the goal. He screws his kick and the guy hits a good volley. There’s nothing in the game aside from luck going their way and not going ours.

Houston would likely improve its chances of acquiring a dose of elusive fortune if it could name all of its key players in the starting XI. Cameron stepped straight back into the lineup after missing three and a half months, but Brad Davis (left quad strain suffered against Seattle last weekend), Pat Onstad (hernia surgery) and Adrian Serioux (hamstring strain) remain sidelined. Onstad could return in time to face Chicago after resuming training just eight days after surgery in Germany and traveling to New England to take a few extra reps with his teammates, but Davis’ timetable remains unclear because he hasn’t practiced since the Seattle match.

With the influential Davis unavailable, the Dynamo would likely prefer to play Cameron further up the field ? Kinnear said he still sees the 2009 MLS Best XI defender as a midfielder ? to add a bit of positivity in the center of the park. The problem for Houston at this point? Cameron needs to play in several spots at the same time to fix all of the problems ? the absence of creativity and sharpness, the dearth of quality wide play and the shaky work at the back and in possession ? currently plaguing the side.

?(I’ll help) in any way I can to help the team, Cameron said. ?That’s if I’m playing center back, center mid or whatever. I’m just trying to keep it simple on the field and keep doing my job. That’s about it.

Cameron’s job includes finding some way to help reverse the Dynamo’s dreadful run in time to make a playoff push. Houston has never finished lower than second in the Western Conference, but the Dynamo will have to improve significantly just to snatch a playoff berth in 2010.

?We have to fight through this hump and get some luck on our side, Cameron said. ?We have to create these bounces that go our way. That’s what it comes down to.

Wizards finally acquire Bravo’s services.for 2011

Kansas City brought the summer’s longest running transfer saga to its inevitable end on Friday by signing former Mexico international striker Omar Bravo from Chivas Guadalajara.

Bravo will return to Chivas on loan through the 2010 Apertura campaign ? including the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final against Internacional on Wednesday in Porto Alegre, Brazil ? before joining the Wizards in time for training camp next year.  The two clubs also agreed to play a pair of friendlies in 2011 as part of the deal.

?It seemed like at the end, it all came together and made sense, Vermes said as the Wizards boarded a plane to San Jose on Friday prior to Saturday night’s 1-0 defeat against the Earthquakes.

As the persistent rumors swirling around the potential move for the past month suggest, a few complex factors contributed to the unique arrangement. Chivas wanted to prolong Bravo’s stay to bolster its chances of winning South America’s biggest prize, while Bravo needed to sort out his future after his previous contract with Chivas expired at the end of July. Kansas City meandered its way through the preferences of all parties in order to seal the deal, according to Vermes.

?We were trying to do the right thing by everybody ? the player, his former team, the league, us ? and figure out how he fits into our plan for the future, Vermes said. ?There were a lot of moving parts, but I think everyone comes away happy at the end of the day.

The arrangement carries some benefits for Kansas City as well. Bravo will proceed through an entire training camp before taking the field in 2011 instead of trying to acclimate to a new country and a new team on the fly, while the Wizards won’t have to worry about creating an ill-fitting spot for him in their current three-pronged setup. One additional bonus: MLS will likely generate a loan fee ? albeit one paid by Chivas USA investor Jorge Vergara ? in exchange for Bravo’s extended stay.

By snatching the crafty Bravo away from Chivas and securing a notable star to help open its new stadium, Kansas City has once again signaled its intent to climb into the upper echelon of MLS and its willingness to spend the necessary funds to achieve that goal. A little patience, however, will be required to reap the reward of persuading Bravo to join the club.

Fixture congestion could impact Toronto FC’s playoff quest

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Toronto FC forward Chad Barrett doesn’t mince words when it comes to the importance of ending the Reds’ franchise-long postseason drought.

?I’m getting sick of watching people play in the playoffs, Barrett said after TFC’s 1-0 defeat at New York on Wednesday night.

TFC will need to rely on a large dose of perseverance to break its second-season duck. The Reds will play 12 matches in four countries between Aug. 17 and Sept. 28 as they juggle league demands with the rigors imposed by the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. No MLS squad possesses the depth to adequately cope with such a rigorous slate, but TFC’s paucity of functional defenders makes the Canadian side particularly susceptible to peaks and valleys despite its generally pragmatic approach to the game.

?We have a tough schedule, but we have to find a way to get results, TFC coach Preki said. ?That’s the bottom line.

Although TFC’s miserly deportment should keep matches close, the Reds will also have to exhibit a heretofore unseen dose of ruthlessness to survive. In 19 competitive matches since May 1, TFC has mustered two or more goals just four times. Two of those prolific efforts, however, have come in TFC’s past three outings. If the Reds can continue to find the back of the net with some regularity, it should relieve some of the pressure on the overworked back four and permit Preki to rotate his defenders more liberally as the stretch progresses.

In order to achieve success on both fronts, TFC must somehow fight through the fatigue and maintain its stellar home form (6-0-4 in MLS play this season and 17 MLS matches unbeaten dating back a 2-1 defeat to Los Angeles last June). It won’t be easy, but the payoff is significant, according to Barrett.

?A lot of it is about the legs, staying mentally strong and grinding out results, Barrett said. ?A lot of the games, I think, won’t be very pretty. I don’t really care. The only thing I care about is doing what it takes to advance in the Champions League and, more importantly, do what it takes to make it into the playoffs for the first time in our team’s history.

Week 20 Notes

- The most interesting tidbit in Los Angeles’ 1-0 victory at New York occurred when Red Bulls manager Hans Backe withdrew Juan Pablo Angel as his team went in search of a late equalizer. While Backe said he didn’t believe Angel looked particularly effective on the night, he probably erred in taking off his captain and his most ruthless poacher given the dire need for a goal with five minutes to play. Would any other MLS coach even contemplate taking Angel off in a similar situation? It isn’t particularly brazen to suggest a Ubiparipovic-for-Angel swap isn’t going to make New York more likely to restore level terms.

- Aside from Angel’s puzzling substitution, the two sides offered up generally entertaining fare. While the quality of passing wasn’t quite where either side wanted it, the tempo certainly befitted a match between two of the top four sides in MLS.

- The goal, however, looked more like a tally engineered in a pub league. Nice finish by Edson Buddle, but New York looked all over the place with Rafa Marquez’s giveaway at midfield and Buddle’s uncontested romp between Carlos Mendes and Tim Ream to slot home his league-leading 13th goal of the campaign.

- Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena watched the match from a private box after spending two days in the hospital with a suspected case of dengue fever. Cue the one-liners about those Jersey swamplands if you wish, but Arena probably contracted this nasty bug while the Galaxy grabbed its Champions League consolation victory in Puerto Rico.

- Real Salt Lake schemer Javier Morales dominated the proceedings as the home side extended its home unbeaten streak to 21 matches with a 2-0 romp over Columbus. The battered Crew found no answer for the effervescent Morales as he scored twice and stamped his authority all over the match.

- Morales’ first tally deserves special mention for its considerable quality. While the Columbus defenders were complicit by failing to close down RSL’s well worked short corner, Morales more than did his part by launching a stinging drive off the inside of the far post.

- Columbus entered the match with just 17 players in its squad, but the Crew felt its lack of numbers most in midfield. Competing with RSL’s midfield four ? probably the best group in the league ? is hard enough at full strength, but trying to stop RSL at home with Brian Carroll (illness), Eddie Gaven (concussion) and Robbie Rogers (surgery) all sidelined is darn near impossible. Columbus’ central midfield duo of Adam Moffat and Danny O’Rourke simply couldn’t cope with the RSL onslaught.

- Despite RSL’s considerable dominance, the home side needed Nick Rimando to make a smart save on Moffat to maintain the one-goal advantage before Morales sealed the three points from a deflected free kick. Rimando always seems to come up big in the right spots, doesn’t he?

- Philadelphia leaned on Sebastien Le Toux once again to snag a 1-1 draw with Colorado. Le Toux’s nifty pullback prompted Danny Mwanga’s neat finish to give the Union a share of the spoils on another day when Peter Nowak’s side carried much of the play without reaping the corresponding reward.

- For those Philly fans counting at home, Le Toux has now contributed to 18 of the Union’s 23 goals on the campaign. The increasingly pressing question in Chester these days: can a player on a last place team win the MVP award?

- D.C. United suffered through another frustrating defeat as FC Dallas emerged with a rather ill-gotten 3-1 victory at RFK Stadium. United looked the better of the two sides before Danny Allsopp wasted a glorious chance and FCD promptly cobbled together a swashbuckling move for David Ferreira’s opener. As one might expect, FCD never really looked back after seizing the advantage. Story of the season for D.C., it seems.

- Khari Stephenson marked his San Jose debut by providing the game-winning assist in the Earthquakes’ 1-0 victory over Kansas City. The Jamaican international punctuated an impressive performance with a cultured chip to the far post to set up Chris Wondolowski’s seventh goal of the campaign to decide a lively affair. San Jose has craved a player with a bit of nous in the center of the park since Andre Luiz went down and Stephenson revealed he may be able to provide some of the missing spark as he works his way toward full fitness.

- Kansas City will probably wonder how it managed to leave Buck Shaw Stadium without any points to show for all of its hard work. Credit recalled San Jose keeper Joe Cannon for a couple of fine stops, but the Wizards ? and Teal Bunbury in particular ? will rue a series of scuffed finishes.

- Two points of interest in the 0-0 draw between Chivas USA and Seattle: returning goalkeeper Zach Thornton’s stunning one-handed save to tip away Osvaldo Alonso’s long-range drive in the dying stages and the pair of red cards issued to Leo Gonzalez and Mariano Trujillo in injury time.

- Trujillo could face an extended spell on the sidelines for his two swipes at Gonzalez, but the Seattle defender will probably spend the week wondering what exactly he did to earn his walking papers. It was a bit comical to see Gonzalez sent off, all things considered.

Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLSBreakdown andfrequently writes opinionpieces duringthe weekfor Goal.com.Healso coversthe New EnglandRevolutionforthe BostonHerald and MLSsoccer.com. Contact him with yourquestions orcomments atkyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Formore on Major League Soccer,visit Goal.com’sMLS page.

Follow Martin Rogers on Twitter at @mrogersyahoo

The World Cup finished at least five minutes ago so that can only mean one thing: The English Premier League season is about to crank into action once more.

OK, so it has actually been a month since festivities in South Africa came to a close, but either way there hasnt been a whole lot of respite for exhausted players, nerve-shredded fans and yes, a weary soccer writer who can scarcely believe that its mid-August already.

Yet soccer waits for no man (or club), and although the offseason has seemed briefer than ever, enough time has passed to suggest a few key shifts in the EPL power struggle have taken place.

Here we take a look at the burning questions that could determine the fate of the title race this time around.

1. Is Chelsea too old?

Manager Carlo Ancelotti took Chelsea to the title in his first season, breaking Manchester Uniteds three-year stranglehold on the EPL crown. However, Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Ricardo Carvalho headed a string of summer departures, without much coming in the opposite direction.

The biggest acquisition has been Brazils Ramires, who will have precious little time to settle in and will be expected to make an immediate impact. The major concern for Chelsea fans, and certainly for Ancelotti, is that the core of his team, Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba, are not getting any younger or fresher.

Answer: Yes. Chelsea is still going to be one of the dominant teams, and owner Roman Abramovich will look to invest in January if there is a pressing need. However, whether the side has the legs to sustain their momentum for the next nine months is a major doubt, and Manchester United may prove too strong.

2. Is Manchester United over-reliant?

You can guess who we are talking about here, cant you? Wayne Rooneys form last season was spectacular as he stepped into the breach left by Cristiano Ronaldo, and he established himself as one of the worlds best players.

But Rooney paid the price for his exertions with a dismal and deflated World Cup, and despite his efforts, could not take United over the line in the EPL. However, Sir Alex Ferguson figures to have learned from last seasons mistakes and appears to have a well-balanced side capable of maintaining a strong challenge in Europe and at home.

Answer: Not any more. Rooney remains the ?go-to guy for United, but the arrival of Mexican youngster Javier ?Chacharito Hernandez adds some spark to the attack. Chacharito has already been identified as a future United legend by club icon Sir Bobby Charlton and has looked mightily impressive in preseason.

Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

3. Is Man City too rich?

The remarkable spending spree funded by the clubs Arabian owners continues unabated and, by the time the transfer window closes, boss Roberto Mancini might have splashed out more than $200 million this summer.

All the signings bring real quality, with Yaya Toure the pick of a bunch that also includes David Silva, Jerome Boateng and Mario Balotelli ? with James Milner soon to follow. The target is to build a side capable of qualifying for the Champions League and competing for the title, and the spending wont stop until the goal is reached.

Answer: Yes. Too rich for everyone apart from United and Chelsea, anyway. Money talks in soccer and while it cannot guarantee success, Mancini has enough nous and ability to steer his freshly stacked squad into a strong position of contention.

4. Is Liverpool too unsettled?

Manager Roy Hodgson is faced with quite a task after taking over from Rafa Benitez, with a disjointed squad and continuing uncertainty over the clubs ownership situation. The initial task ? holding on to Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres ? does appear to have been won, however.

Liverpool still has some talent, and its loyal fans will still hope for a top-four finish or even something better. But the Liverpool aura is not what it once was, and the arrival of Joe Cole has not been enough to send optimism soaring.

Answer: Yes. American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have been unable to offload their stake in Liverpool, leaving the club in an ongoing stasis. A fresh investor and a new approach is required, and quickly. Meanwhile, Hodgson must try to go about business the best he can, but the odds are stacked against him.

5. Is Blackpool too weak?

The bottom of the table looks likely to provide plenty of intrigue this season, with even Blackpool, universally tipped to finish last, certain to keep us entertained thanks to the wonderful lunacy of their manager, Ian Holloway.

Life doesnt get any easier for those teams promoted from the Championship each season, and the gulf seems to be getting incrementally wider. More struggles for the new boys can be expected.

Answer: Yes. So too is West Brom, a team capable of looking great at a lower level but one which will likely be thoroughly outgunned in the EPL. The third relegation spot figures to be a fight between Wigan and Wolves. Sadly, the imaginative and attacking style favored by Wigans Roberto Martinez may come back to haunt him, with Wolves dour approach under Mick McCarthy more likely to get the points needed for survival.

Yahoo! Sports predicted finishing order

1. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester City
4. Arsenal
5. Tottenham Hotspur
6. Liverpool
7. Everton
8. Aston Villa
9. Sunderland
10. Stoke City
11. Fulham
12. Birmingham City
13. West Ham
14. Bolton Wanderers
15. Blackburn Rovers
16. Newcastle United
17. Wolverhampton Wanderers
18. Wigan Athletic
19. West Bromwich Albion
20. Blackpool

LONDON, Aug 11 (Reuters) – Premier League newcomers
Blackpool have signed four players with manager Ian Holloway
making his first acquisitions of the close season to help
bolster the squad, the club said on Wednesday.

Defender Craig Cathcart joined from Manchester United on a
three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, along with midfielders
Ludovic Sylvestre, Malaury Martin and Elliot Grandin.

Former France under-21 winger Grandin, now 22, signed on a
two-year deal as a free agent from CSKA Sofia having failed to
settle at the 31-times Bulgarian champions.

?He wasnt happy here and moving to another club was the
best option for him, CSKA coach Pavel Dochev told reporters.

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Martin, 21, has joined on a one-year contract as a free
transfer from Monaco having been on trial for the past month.

The 26-year-old former Barcelona trainee Sylvestre arrived
from Czech side Mlada Boleslav on a two-year deal for an
undisclosed fee.

Blackpool, who last played in the top flight in 1971, open
their Premier League campaign at Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

(Writing by Alison Wildey; Additional reporting by Angel
Krasimirov in Sofia; Editing by Ken Ferris

To query or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

CHICAGO (AP)?Villarreal forward Jozy Altidore and Los Angeles Galaxy defender
Omar Gonzalez have been added to the U.S. roster for Tuesdays exhibition
against Brazil in place of Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones and Columbus
defender Chad Marshall.

Jones had been set to make his U.S. debut after playing three exhibitions
for Germany and being approved for a switch last year by FIFA. The U.S. Soccer
Federation said Thursday that after accepting the invitation, he decided to
remain with his club ahead of its opener at Hamburg on Aug. 21. Jones missed
last season because of a shin injury.

?I would like to thank Bob Bradley and the U.S. federation greatly for my
first official invitation, Jones said in a statement released by his agent.
?It is an honor that I have been working towards for over a year, and while I
initially felt like I was ready to make my first appearance, it is also
extremely important to me that I am 100 percent fit for my first national team
game and that I make a good impression on the manager and my teammates.

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?I hope to receive another invitation and finally fulfill my goal of
playing with the U.S. national team in the very near future.

Gonzalez, last years Major League Soccer rookie of the year, could make his
international debut.

Altidore, who has nine goals in 29 appearances, returned to Spains
Villarreal this week after being loaned to Hull last season.

Ticket sales for the match at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East
Rutherford, N.J., have topped 58,000 for the match, the first for both nations
on the road to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

* IFA executive committee mandate extended for one year

* Decision clears Iraq to defend Asian title in 2011

(adds details)

By Brian Homewood

ZURICH, Aug 3 (Reuters) – Iraqi football directors have been
given one year to settle a row which prevented a new football
association president being elected last month and left the
country in danger of being suspended by FIFA.

The reprieve from soccers governing body means Iraq, who
have already been banned twice in just over two years, will be
able to defend their Asian Cup title in Qatar next January.

?FIFA has taken note of the situation which surrounded the
elections of the new IFA (Iraqi Football Association) board on
24 July 2010, said FIFA in a statement.

?Under these circumstances, the case was referred to the
FIFA Emergency Committee which decided to extend the current
mandate of the IFA Executive Committee for one year, meaning
until 31 July 2011.

?This deadline should allow both groups to settle their
differences and to thus permit the election of a new board.

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A political power struggle has paralysed the IFA,
highlighting sectarian divisions in the country seven years
after the U.S.-led invasion and three years after a multi-ethnic
Iraqi squad triumphed in the Asian Cup.

Two attempts to elect a new president in Arbil last month
failed because too few delegates made the journey to the city in
Iraqi Kurdistan, where FIFA had decided the vote should take
place for security reasons.

The government of Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has
been trying to remove top officials from sport bodies suspected
of having ties to the Sunni-led former government of Saddam
Hussein.

IFA President Hussain Saeed, who was once a senior official
on the Olympic Committee controlled by Saddams son Uday, is
facing a challenge from Falah Hassan, backed by the Shiite-led
government.

Saeed accused the government of putting pressure on
delegates not to travel to Arbil and requested that FIFA allow
the IFA to postpone the election until further notice.

FIFA bans governments from meddling in national federations.
The most recent ban was lifted in March on condition the IFA
agreed to new elections.

Iraq captured the worlds imagination by winning the Asian
Cup in 2007 but have struggled since then.

They have employed a succession of coaches and made an early
exit from the 2010 World Cup qualifying competition, although
they managed a 1-0 win over Australia along the way.

Last year, FIFA allowed Iraq to host their first friendlies
since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and Iraq beat Palestine in two
matches played in Arbil and in Baghdad.

(Editing by Justin Palmer

To query or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Zenit St. Petersburg have reached an agreement “in principle” to sign Porto defender Bruno Alves, according to A Bola.

Zenit announced just this morning the signing of Aleksandar Lukovic from Udinese, who can play at centre-back or left-back and now look to have signed the highly rated 28-year-old Portuguese international.

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Zenit will pay ?¬23m for Bruno Alves, which is ?¬7m short of what Porto originally requested but the two parties are striking out the minor details of the transfer before an official announcement.

A Bola claims that the transfer is “a done deal”.

Real Madrid and coach Jose Mourinho were previously looking at Bruno Alves as the ‘Special One’ looked for key installments in his defence and Chelsea were also rumoured to be preparing a bid for the powerful defender.

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MADRID, July 26 (Reuters) – Factbox on striker Raul, who
announced his decision to leave Real Madrid on Monday 16 years
after making his debut at the Spanish club:

* Born: June 27, 1977 in Madrid

EARLY CAREER

* Raul joined Real in 1992 after city rivals Atletico closed
down their youth team programme.

* In October 1994, at the age of 17, he made his first-team
debut against Real Zaragoza and scored his first goal a week
later against Atletico.

SUCCESS WITH REAL

* He won league titles with Real in 1995 and 1997.

* Raul helped Real to their first European Cup success for
32 years in 1998, playing in the final victory over Juventus in
Amsterdam.

* He finished the 1998-99 season as La Ligas top scorer,
with 25 goals and in 2000 won the Champions League for the
second time, scoring the third goal in a 3-0 victory over
Valencia in the final.

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* In 2001 he won a third league title and the following year
helped Real to another Champions League trophy, scoring the
opener in Reals 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen.

* In 2003 he won a fourth league title but the following
season was less successful. He scored only 11 goals as Real
ended the campaign without a trophy for the first time in five
years.

* Equalled Alfredo Di Stefanos all-time record of 49 goals
in the European Cup in November 2004 but ended the season with
just nine league goals, his worst scoring record for the first
team.

* In 2009 he equalled German Gerd Muellers record of 66
goals in the three main European club competitions when he
scored against AC Milan in the Champions League.

* He ends his Real career having netted 323 times in 741
appearances in all competitions, according to the clubs website
(www.realmadrid.com).

INTERNATIONAL GOALS

* In Euro 2000, Raul scored once, in a 2-1 win over
Slovenia, but he missed a penalty in the final minute of
quarter-final against France, consigning Spain to a 2-1 defeat.

* He scored three goals in the 2002 World Cup group stages
but injury against Ireland ruled him out of a quarter-final
defeat by South Korea.

* Raul had a disappointing Euro 2004, failing to score as
Spain went out in the first round.

* Raul is Spains leading all-time scorer with 44 goals in
102 games.

(Reporting by Iain Rogers; Editing by Clare Fallon; To query
or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)