Objectivo.com

This is a very important midweek for Inter Milan who have been droping points while second place Roma has been clawing its way into the title race.

Inter Milan is seeking to play down a perceived rift between star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and coach Roberto Mancini before a visit to Genoa and league scoring leader Marco Borriello. Also in Wednesday's midweek round, second-place AS Roma faces Lazio in the Rome derby and third-place Juventus is at Empoli.

Inter holds a six-point lead over Roma but Sunday's 2-1 win over Palermo was overshadowed by what happened when Mancini substituted Ibrahimovic in the second half. The Sweden forward stormed off the field and allegedly uttered the words, "I hope this guy leaves soon."

After getting knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool last week, Mancini announced he would resign at the end of the season, a pledge he rescinded the following day after meeting with Inter owner Massimo Moratti.

Still, speculation of Jose Mourinho replacing Mancini for next season has not gone away. Thus, this match is of vital importance for the title and to ease the tensions between star striker and manager.

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Inter Milan restored their six-point gap at the top of the Serie A table with a 2-1 victory over Palermo at the San Siro on Sunday.

It was only Inter's second victory in their last seven matches and will go some way to boosting their self-belief following a series of poor results, including home and away defeats to Liverpool in the Champions League.

AS Roma had piled on the pressure with their brilliant come-from-behind 2-1 home victory over AC Milan on Saturday night, but Inter found the response they were looking for with goals from Patrick Vieira and Luis Jimenez.

Fiorentina reopened a four-point gap between themselves and AC Milan in the race for fourth spot as they cruised to a 3-1 victory over Genoa.

Romania forward Adrian Mutu was the star of the show, setting up Mario Santana for the opener with a brilliant chipped pass and then curling home a second before the break.

Young star forward Giampaolo Pazzini added a third 11 minutes after the break before Matias Masiero scored a late consolation for the visitors as the Viola closed to within a point of third-placed Juve, who host Napoli in Sunday's late match.

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AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini may rethink his decision to retire at the end of this season and continue playing for another year with the Serie A team.

He has been impressed with his conditioning this season, and believes he still is a s effective as any fullback in the Serie A. Maldini said that he wants to be consistent with what he has said, yet changing his mind once isn't the worst idea, especially because of his love for the game and the club.

Maldini said he was being urged to continue playing for another year and that his improving physical condition could make that possible.

"In these last months I haven't had much pain in my knees," he said. "Last year, at the end of the season, I couldn't even bend them."

However, Maldini ruled out a return to Italy's national team for this year's European Championship. He retired from the "Azzurri" after the 2002 World Cup with 126 caps.

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Saturday:

Arsenal v. Aston Villa: Arsenal welcomes Villa to the Emirates on Saturday after a difficult week following the horrible incident that occurred in Birmingham. Arsenal is stretched with many injuries in their team, and Aston Villa will be looking to capitalize on this. Martin O’Neill’s squad has been playing very well this season and of late has been playing some captivating football. Olof Mellberg has gotten back to fitness, and Villa will need his experience against Adebayor. Watch for Theo Walcott, this is his time to shine, and after he scored twice against Birmingham, he is full of confidence.

Schalke v. Bayern Munich: Schalke coach Mirko Slomka, is on thin ice with his chairman after back to back defeats in the last two weeks. Schalke has fallen into fifth position in the Bundesliga, nine points behind their opponent on Saturday, Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich barely scraped out an extra time win during the midweek in a DFB-Pokal match. Luca Toni was sent off in the match, which means Bayern will be without his services as well as Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lucio, Miroslav Klose, and Martin Demichelis. Frank Ribery will receive his first start in a month, but Bayern will be lacking in attacking options. This is a great opportunity for Schalke to get a win.

Barcelona v. Atletico Madrid: Barcelona has been flying of late, and Lionel Messi has been a man possessed with the ball at his feet. Although Barca was lucky during the midweek to earn a draw in the Copa Del Rey, they will be visiting a lack luster side in Atletico Madrid. Atletico has been knocked out of both the UEFA Cup and the Copa Del Rey in recent weeks, and Barca will be looking to close the gap on Real Madrid at the top of the table. Ronaldinho will return to the side, after being rested in the midweek and the formidable attack of Barcelona will be on display.

Sunday:

Juventus v. Fiorentina: The game of the weekend in the Italian Serie A has Juventus hosting Fiorentina in the Stadio Olimpico in Turin. Fiorentina, sitting in fourth position, has been losing points in the last two matches with AC Milan nipping at their heels. Fiorentina has lost their leading goal scorer in Adrian Mutu, so it will be up to Christian Vieri to score some important goals. Juventus is very close to both Fiorentina and Milan on points, and they know that this a playoff for the Champions League. Nedved and center-back Chiellini will be missing for the Turin outfit, and if Fiorentina can beat Juve and Milan beat Lazio, three points will separate the three teams.

By: Christopher Chantland

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Carling Cup Final: Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea AET

Common You Spurs! That was the cry around Wembley stadium after Tottenham beat Chelsea in the Carling Cup Final. In a match in which Avram Grant’s team selection has come under fire, for not picking Ballack and Alex, and picking Lampard and Terry, Chelsea was second best on the day. Spurs went a goal down after forty minutes, and looked to be losing the plot a bit until the end of the half. Yet, after the break, Spurs were attacking with menace, and finally got a penalty on seventy minutes. After Berbatov converted the penalty, the match went into extra time. After just four minutes, a ball was swung in and Jonathan Woodgate got a head on the ball that luckily found the back of the net. Cech was found wanting, and Spurs held on to win the match after 120 minutes of play.

Roma 1-0 Fiorentina:

Roma pulled within nine points of Inter Milan in their victory against Fiorentina. Totti equaled the clubs record of 386 appearances, while Cicinho, the Brazilian right back both scored the winner and was sent off in the match. Fiorentina looked the better side in the beginning of the match, yet suffered a large set back when Adrian Mutu was injured and was forced to leave the match. From that point on, Roma was pressing forward and dominated the match until the goal was scored in the fifty-fourth minute. Roma defended stoutly there after until the final ten minutes where Fiorentina headed wide of the target twice and a few long range efforts, which somewhat troubled Doni. But Roma prevailed in the end, and earned the three points.

Bayern Munich 1-1 Hamburg

From the Allianz Arena, Hamburg was able to keep their Championship and Champions League spots alive with earning a draw away from home. Bayern Munich dominated most of the proceedings and most of the possession in the first half of the match. Ze Roberto and Toni both went close in the first half, but the strongest defense in the Bundesliga held. After the break, Bayern kept pouring on the pressure, but when Ze Roberto was caught in possession near his goal, Olic made him pay with a strike that beat Oliver Kahn. But after the goal was scored, “Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man”, when Franck Ribery was put on, and immediately made a contribution by playing Ze Roberto in to score from close range. Van Bommel was sent off in the ninetieth minute, but by then, a draw was seen as a fair result.

Eduardo Da Silva:

Most people have seen the horrific injury that Eduardo Da Silva suffered in the match against Birmingham. He suffered a full compound fracture of his fibula and a dislocation of his ankle from Martin Taylor’s challenge. Silva’s doctor has praised the quickness in which Eduardo was treated because of the severity of the injury he could have lost his foot to amputation. With any luck, Eduardo will be able to sufficiently walk and run again, but his professional career is on shaky ground. My strike partner on one of my squads suffered the exact same injury, and luckily he is still playing today, hopefully Eduardo Da Silva will recover as my friend did.

By: Christopher Chantland

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Saturday:

Bayern Leverkusen v. Shalke:

This is an important match between two sides with Champions League aspirations for next year. Both teams are tied on points in the Bundesliga, and will be hoping to put some distance between one another with a win. It will be interesting to see how both sides respond because both played in the midweek, with Leverkusen just playing yesterday, leaving only 48 hours in between matches. Look for Kevin Kuranyi to try and expose the tired back line of Leverkusen and the second half to become wide open, which should be great for the match.

Sunday:

Carling Cup Final, Tottenham v. Chelsea:

This hopefully will be a proper final at the Wembley Stadium. Tottenham will be looking for their first silverware in some time, and the Spurs fans will be biting their fingernails. Both teams have been playing some attractive football which has been very attractive. Chelsea will probably play a 4-3-3 with Anelka, Drogba, and Cole playing in the front three. Spurs will be playing with the diminutive Berbatov and Keane up front. On the spacious pitch at Wembley stadium, players like Huddelstone and Ballack will be able to spray balls all around the pitch and open up the defenses of both sides, enjoy.

Roma v. Fiorentina:

This is the cracking match in the Serie A this weekend. Roma played fairly well against a great Real Madrid side during the midweek. Totti was absolute quality, and his stringing of passes and controlling the flow of the game looked like a conductor of an orchestra. Although in this match, Roma will be playing against another striker on the peak of his form, Adrian Mutu. He has been missing in the big matches somewhat, and hopefully both strikers will put on a show for the masses.

Bayern Munich v. Hamburg:

This is another great match in the Bundesliga this weekend that puts the top of the league squad against the squad in third position. Bayern are playing at home, although two weekends ago, that didn’t help in the match against Werder Bremen in which they earned a draw. Bayern put on an impressive display against Aberdeen yesterday, while Hamburg traveled to Switzerland in the midweek to advance in the UEFA Cup. By the second half, the game should open up as it will in the Shalke/Bayern Leverkusen match, because of the exhaustion factor. Should be a quality match, with some great players on hand.

By: Christopher Chantland

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Manchester United 4-0 Arsenal: Wow, Manchester United took Arsenal to the woodshed, and taught the Premier League leaders that the title race isn’t over. Yes, Arsenal didn’t have their first team out on the pitch, and were probably looking forward to their Champions League tie with AC Milan. Yet, Arsenal was second best in every phase of the match, from the first whistle of the match, which is unlike an Arsene Wenger squad.

Manchester United was very impressive, whilst Ronaldo was sitting in the stands. Nani, Rooney, and Darren Fletcher all scored, but played a quality match in total. Anderson stood out as the player with the most influence on the match playing strong on the defensive end and pushing the ball forward into the attacking third. Manchester United plays Lyon in the midweek, and if they play the way they did on the weekend, they should get an away win.

Juventus 1-0 Roma: In a good match from Turin, an Alessandro Del Pierro stunning free kick from about twenty yards gave Juve the win. Both teams played a good match, and created some great chances, but the strong performance by the home side, allowed for them to take all three points. Totti had a somewhat disappointing game, while Mancini and De Rossi put in strong performances for Roma. Pavel Nedved, Del Pierro and David Trezeguet were dangerous every time they touched the ball, and threatened the Roma goal, testing Doni on several occasions.

Juve haven’t lost in fourteen matches, and have been playing brilliant football. They are now only one point behind Roma, while Roma wathced as an Inter win and their loss opening the gap to eleven points for the title race. Roma have a tough tie against Real Madrid in the midweek, and hope they can get a better result than they had on Saturday.

By: Christopher Chantland

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This weekend doesn’t provide quite the drama that last weekend’s did, yet there are two fixtures that still fulfill your need for great football.

FA Cup Fifth Round

Manchester United 1-2 Arsenal: Whilst my prediction is a blind one, this match still promises to capture the drama that Man Utd./Arsenal always seems to. None of the media members have any idea on what level of squads will be placed on the pitch due to the amount of matches coming up in the coming weeks. Arsenal has to be wary of their midweek clash with AC Milan in the Champions League while Man Utd. visit Lyon. As well, Arsenal is now ahead by five points in the Premier League table, and both teams don’t want to risk injury in the FA Cup. Regardless of all of these points, I still believe it will be a quality match, and live up to the level of football which Arsenal/Man Utd..

Serie A

Juventus 1-1Roma: It’s another clash of the titans in this match on Saturday. Roma sit in second place in the race for the Scudetto, while Juve are in third, and trailing Roma by four points. This is a critical match for Roma because if they want to have any chance of catching Inter Milan, Roma will have to take all three points tomorrow. Juventus, who have been playing well of late, will be looking to gain ground on Roma and hoping they can get into that second spot, so they do not have to play in any Champions League qualifying matches. Hopefully both teams will play very open and let their free flowing attacking players get some space.

By: Christopher Chantland

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Gattuso Praying that he Will Be Fit to Help
the Rossoneri

Yes: 53%
No: 46%

While AC Milan has many injury woes, a slight amount of people believe they will still finish in the top four. A top four finish would guarantee that Milan would get into the Champions League, a competition they haven’t missed in a long time and just won last season. The injuries, while still bad, aren’t as severe as they were once reported. Kaka and Gattuso, look like they will be fit in a much quicker amount of time, which will boost the midfield and their striking. It was a close poll, and it will be interesting to see where the Rossoneri finish in Serie A.

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Some Great EPL Matches

On Saturday morning the matches come thick and fast starting at 7:30 AM ET on Setanta, with the Arsenal going to Eastlands to take on Manchester City. Man City has yet to lose at home, and this will be a big test with the mighty Arsenal starting to find their true form. If the match is too early for you on the west coast, I would recommend you TiVo the match because usually this fixture provides some entertaining stuff.

Next is the visit of the Manchester United to White Hart Lane. This match has some great potential with the form that Manchester United is in, and the new signings that Tottenham’s has obtained. Although the Red Devils dominated Spurs up at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, this promises to be a better match.

Chelsea visits the ruckus crowd of Fratton Park when they take on Portsmouth. This match is live on FSC at 10AM ET, so TiVo this match for later as well. Chelsea has won nine on the trot yet has been struggling with injuries and with missing players because of the African Cup of Nations. While Chelsea is losing players, Pompey has added Jermaine Defoe to their striking arsenal, and will be looking to beat one of the” big four”.

The nightcap of great Premier League matches is Everton’s visit to Ewood Park. This will be Brad Friedel’s 300th match in the Premier League, and an important one at that. Blackburn sit in eighth place only five points behind Everton who sit in fourth and on a Champions League spot, thus this match is a big one for two teams with European aspirations. This match is on Setanta at 6:00 PM ET

Sunday:

Middlesbrough visits Newcastle in the Northeast derby. Kevin Keegan is still looking for his first three points after being re-appointed as Newcastle manager. The fans at St. James Park are starting to sweat, and Keegan will as well if he doesn’t gain all three points in this match. Keegan’s counterpart, Gareth Southgate is still on the hot seat, and will be hoping to get one over on his rival. Catch this match on Setanta 8:30 AM ET.

AC Milan is playing at Fiorentina in the big match in the Serie A. AC Milan is sitting in sixth place seven points adrift of Fiorentina and an all important Champions League place. Adrian Mutu has been on a terror for Fiorentina, whilst AC Milan is reeling from the news that Gattuso will be out for two months. This should be a great match. Catch it on FSC 2:30 AM ET.

By: Christopher Chantland

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It has been an amazing first half of the season for "the citizens" of Manchester. The blue half has already beaten their bitter cross town rivals and has risen to fourth in the table. Their manager has overcome a shambolic performance as England manager and has recovered his great club management reputation that preceded him. His offseason moves have to be graded as an “A”, with the likes of Elano, Petrov, and Bianchi in his attack, and now is looking to acquire the Roma winger Mancini.

Here's the Brilliant Goal!

The side with the most to worry about, if this transfer goes through, is Liverpool. Liverpool, while struggling still, is already behind City in the table, and with an addition like Mancini, fourth position could be out of reach. Mancini, most famous for the twenty or so step over’s, and then blasting the ball into the back of the net in the Champions League, (see video), would add more fire power to an already lethal attack. Sven, in talking about Mancini has been quoted stating, “He may become my Cristiano Ronaldo”. Although those thoughts are big aspirations, Mancini has been in decent form at the moment and with Petrov on the other wing, his form can only improve.

If Manchester City adds Mancini to their arsenal of attacking players, it could spell doom for Liverpool and introduce a new team into the "big four" and the Champions League.

By: Christopher Chantland

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Inter Milan's former Portugal winger Luis Figo on Thursday distanced himself from a possible transfer window move to the United States, insisting he was concentrating firmly on his current club.

Where Will Luis Figo Go?

Rumors have linked Figo with a move to the New England Revolution as well as a few other clubs in the MLS. Figo would add a lot of flare and skill to the MLS, and provide an example of a model professional to his fellow teammates and young players in the USA. Although, Luis Figo must be debating his situation because he still has plenty of skill and drive to play in Europe at the top level, where would you like him to play next year?

Check out our poll here at objectivo.com , and cast your vote!

By: Christopher Chantland

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Wow, an exciting weekend of great matches and great theatre that lived up to the hype.

Tottenham had a chance to take the lead in the north London derby against their bitter rivals Arsenal. Robbie Keane, one of the most reliable spot kick takers in the Premiership, was blocked by Almunia in the Arsenal net, allowing substitute Nicklas Bendtner to score on his first touch. Yids all over the world again are on the wrong side of the result, against their north London neighbors. At Old Trafford, Everton deserved a point, and were a mere five minutes away from full time when Ryan Giggs was brought down in the box, after a wayward attempt at a tackle by Steven Pienaar. Ronaldo then put his second in the back of the net, to take all three points from a very entertaining match. In a side note, Arteta did not play for Everton in the midfield, which was very apparent in the match.

Baptista Celebrates His Goal

In La Liga, El Clasico took place at the Nou Camp, with many surprised spectators surprised to see Ronaldihno in the starting eleven. The match, although not as enthralling as the last installment which ended in a three all draw, was captivated by brilliant skill and ball movement. The best movement of the game was the movement which provided the only goal of the match. Baptista and Van Nistelrooy provided a sweeping one two move that opened up the Barca defense, and ended with a blast from Baptista. The second half of the match displayed some of the best football of the year, with Raul and Deco playing some eye-catching stuff at the end of the match.

Inter Milan Glory

At the San Siro on Sunday, Inter Milan beat their city rivals AC Milan, with Dida giving Inter an early Christmas present. Andrea Pirlo scored a magnificent free kick to open the scoring in a goal that was against the run of play. Shortly after Pirlo’s brilliant effort, Cambiasso played a ball into Cruz who beat several Milan defenders, and scored a great goal, beating Dida at his near post. Kaka was always a threat, although drifting in and out of the game, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic, terrorized the back line of Milan. The quality of the interlinking play and possession was evident throughout the match, but Cambaisso’s effort on goal, although struck hard, should have been saved by the hapless Dida. Other than the goalkeeper for Milan, the football on the pitch was magnificent and a display of class.

While the football on the pitch was quality, again, my picks were terrible, and although I was closer this week, I still have work to do.

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This weekend in football has many appealing and exciting matches in each of the three top leagues.

Three Great Games in the EPL

In the English Premier League, Tottenham visit the Emirates to play against their North London rivals, Arsenal. Tottenham have played very well of late, but have struggled for the last ten years against their bitter rivals. Arsenal beat Spurs two nil, against the Yid’s and rule North London once again. Manchester United welcome Everton to Old Trafford, with both teams on a great run of form, but something has to give. Look for the matchup in the midfield between Cahill and Arteta of Everton against Hargreaves and Anderson from United, whoever wins this battle, could nick the winner. All this being said, the midfield will be bogged down and the match ends in one all draw. The under the radar match this weekend is Blackburn hosting Chelsea. Blackburn have had a terrible run of form, but at Ewood Park, I fancy a hard fought match in the midfield, with a great finish. Chelsea leave it late, but beat Blackburn two too one on the road.

A Key in this Match

In La Liga, Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Nou Camp, in another installment of “El Classico”. Lionel Messi will be missing from the match for Barcelona, and Ronaldihno has been rumored to been having disputes with manager Frank Riijkaard. Real Madrid is fully fit, and ready to get it done against Barca. Real Madrid beats their Catalan counterparts two too one.

Kaka, A Derby Veteran
In Serie A this weekend, Inter Milan again battle against their rivals AC Milan on Sunday morning. Inter have been playing the best football in Europe, whilst their counterparts have been underachieving, and have a worse home record than poor Derby in the Premiership. AC Milan is so poor at home in fact they do not possess a win at the San Siro, in the Serie A. Although both teams play at the San Siro, and Inter is the home team in this match, AC Milan will still lose this two nil, with Crespo coming off the bench to score against his old team.

By: Christopher Chantland

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AC Milan playmaker Kaka sees himself becoming an evangelical minister when he quits playing soccer.

"I would like that a lot," Kaka said in interview in the December issue of the Italian version of GQ, which was posted on the magazine's website Wednesday. "It's a difficult road - you have to study theology and deepen your study of the Bible."

The deeply religious Kaka nearly always raises both of his arms to the sky after he scores goals.

"An evangelical minister reads the Bible and conveys the duties," Kaka said. "It's not so easy to apply to today's society things that were written thousands of years ago. But that's exactly the job of a minister - to make the teaching of the Bible relevant."

After his team beat Liverpool in the final, Kaka revealed a T-shirt stamped with the words, "I belong to Jesus."
Kaka is widely expected to be awarded the Golden Ball as Europe's best player and FIFA World Player of the Year title this month.

"I'm aware that I'm among the best, but I haven't reached (my full potential)," Kaka said. "I can still improve. I'm 25 and therefore I still have room for improvement."

Kaka's wife Caroline is due to give birth to the Brazilian couple's first child in five months.

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With another weekend of European matches in the history books, here is what the Americans abroad did:

As noted in Michael Bradley Scores Again, Bradley was the only National Team player to score this weekend, but another American born player found the back of the net twice. Villarreal's Giuseppe Rossi helped his team to victory against Murcia.

Over at Fulham, both Clint Dempsey and Carlos Bocanegra played the 90 minutes in the 3-3 draw against Manchester City. Bocanegra even drew a yellow card for his efforts. On the bench was Kasey Keller.

Benny Feilhaber came in during the second half, while Eddie Lewis played the full 90 minutes in Derby's 5-0 loss to Arsenal.

Jonathan Spector played the final 10 minutes for West Ham United.

Marcus Hahnemann was in goal for Reading and drew a yellow card in Reading's 2-1. Bobby Convey played 27 minutes for the team.

Brad Friedel was in goal for Blackburn's 1-0 loss to Portsmouth. Jay DeMerit played the first half in Watford's 1-1 tie. While Frank Simek played the full 90 for Sheffield Wednesday.

U.S. National Team midfielder DaMarcus Beasley was on the bench for the Rangers this week.

Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 for Hannover 96.

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The Americans in Europe definitely made their mark this week. U.S. National Team and Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey scored the only Fulham goal in the 1-1 tie with Wigan. Michael Bradley got on the scoreboard for Heerenveen, as he's team destroyed Excelsior 5-2. DaMarcus Beasley couldn't be showed up by his National Team teammates also scoring in the Ranger's 4-2 loss to Hearts.

Other American players around Europe:

Carlos Bocanegra reached his 100th match for Fulham during the tie against Wigan. Kasey Keller was on the bench for that game.

Reading lost to Sunderland 2-1, but Marcus Hahnemann made eight saves, and Bobby Convey came off the bench in the 76-minute of play.

Brad Friedel helped Blackburn walk away with a point, as he made 13 saves against Chelsea.

Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock) and Frank Simek (Preston North End) all started and played for their respective teams.

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