Roy Makaay

Team has no more excuses for Bayern coach

2007-01-06T22:09:00.000-08:00

In an important statement, Makaay's coach Felix Magath has told Bayern's footballers that they can have no more excuses after returning to training following the German winter break.

We must consider that the Bavarian team have had a poor start to the season by their double-winning standards of the previous two seasons.

Indeed, his side is third, three points off leaders Werder Bremen and second-placed Schalke 04, but Magath believes post-World Cup tiredness is no longer an acceptable excuse.

"I think that the World Cup is completely behind us, we have no more excuses," said Magath before heading out to Dubai, where Bayern Munich is going to be on a training camp until January 14.

"We were not able to prepare together for the first part of the season and that showed in our level since August: we were lacking a certain stability, we had difficulty in constructing our match," he admitted.

It's important to notice that Bayern had 11 players at the World Cup finals and some of those, such as Frenchman Willy Sagnol and Germans Oliver Kahn, Lukas Podolski, Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger, begun training again just two weeks before the season began.

Makaay's team have lost four times already this season, including three times against modest opponents. They were also knocked out of the German Cup by Aachen.

"If we play to our potential we are without a shadow of doubt the best squad in Germany and we will prove it in the second half of the season," said Dutch striker Roy Makaay.

Finally, we must remember that Bayern's first match after the winter break takes place on January 26 against Borussia Dortmund. It will be a crucial game.

Alemannia Aachen kick Bayern out of the German Cup

2006-12-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

Amazingly, Bayern Munich were eliminated of the German Cup after going down 4-2 at Alemannia Aachen on Wednesday.

We must consider that Aachen raced into a 3-0 lead in the first half of the third-round tie thanks to two goals from Romanian striker Laurentiu Reghecampf and one by Marius Ebbers.

The local team then withstood a storming fightback from Bayern, 13 times Cup winners including the last two editions.

Young striker Lukas Podolski pulled one back in the 47th minute and Mark van Bommel cracked the ball in from the edge of the area in the 68th.

Dutch striker Roy Makaay and Lucio missed excellent chances before Aachen, promoted from the second division last season, sealed a place in the quarter-finals with a Jan Schlaudraff goal in the final moments.

In fact, it was a case of history repeating itself for Aachen, the last side to beat Bayern in a German Cup tie with a 2-1 triumph in the 2003-04 quarter-finals.

We must mention that Hanover 96 also progressed by beating second division MSV Duisburg 1-0 with a goal from Hanno Balitsch.

Furthermore, Wolfsburg defeated second division Greuther Fuerth 3-1 with goals from Jacek Krzynowek, Diego Klimowicz and Rick Hoogendorp.

Now let's talk about the game: Bastian Schweinsteiger and Makaay missed good opportunities before Aachen took the lead in the 11th minute, Reghecampf curling the ball in after being teed up at an indirect free kick.

And the game did not get any better for Bayern goalkeeper Michael Rensing, given a rare start in place of Oliver Kahn.

What's more, the second Aachen goal came when Reghecampf shot through a crowd of defenders, leaving the keeper unsighted.

And incredibly, Ebbers then took a smart pass from Matthias Lehmann to make it 3-0.

Coach Felix Magath responded by bringing on Podolski for midfielder Andreas Ottl and the Germany forward made an immediate impact with a smart finish.

After Van Bommel notched a great second goal, Bayern were guilty of a series of bad misses, leaving Aachen to clinch victory with Schlaudraff’s late finish on the effective ofensive.

Bayerns tops Group B after 1-1 draw with Inter

2006-12-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

It was a really tough game, where the honor was the prize to win. And Bayern Munich won Group B despite conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to Inter-Milan, whose 11-match winning streak came to an end.

Dutch striker Roy Makaay looked to have won it when he showed great control and a fine finish shortly past the hour mark, but Patrick Vieira netted a last-gasp leveller for Inter, who qualified for the knockout phase as runners-up.

The Italian goal was kind of a sad moment for Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who was playing his 100th Champions League match.

"Naturally, it's annoying that we didn't win," said Bayern front man Claudio Pizarro. "Anyway, what's important is that we finished top of our group."

Important clash against Inter motivates everybody

2006-12-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

German Champions Bayern Munich and Italian powerhouse Inter are already through to the first knockout phase of the champions League. However, Inter’s rise from the ashes, as they collected 9 points out of 9 in the last three games after losing the first two in the group, combined with a slight drop in form of Bayern who won their first three matches and drew the last two, means Inter have the chance to finish top of the group if they win in Munich. It would be a miraculous turnaround, considering that after Inter’s 2-0 home defeat to Bayern on matchday 2 they were bottom with 0 points and Bayern were on top with 6, and Inter were actually close to elimination.

It's interesting to see that since then Inter have managed to find their balance and after that defeat they won 13 games out of 15 in all competitions, and are currently on a run of 11 consecutive wins, an impressive streak by anyone’s standards. In fact, the current Inter team is even more star-studded than usual, but this season they seem to have found that balance and consistency to actually end up with important silverware at season’s end.

As for Makaay's team, Bayern, they have been unusually inconsistent in the Bundesliga and are currently in fourth place, although just three points below league leaders Werder Bremen and Schalke 04. Perhaps after winning two straight league titles motivations lie elsewhere for the red club, who have already lost 18 points in their first 15 Bundesliga games. However it doesn’t seem as if they have enough quality to go really far in the Champions League, although the 2-0 win in Milan against Inter was obviously impressive, and it was also the only time Inter have lost at home this season. But they were also somewhat lucky as Inter had a bit of an off day and saw Ibrahimovic get sent off for a second yellow in the second half and also Grosso in the final part of the encounter.

That's why we can say that Inter will be very motivated to avenge that loss and leapfrog Bayern to the top of Group B. Whether that is such a positive thing, considering the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United would then probably be among Inter’s possible opponents in the next round. But it’s pride and prestige that is at stake more than anything in this clash, and they will also want to continue in their impressive winning run.

Makaay and Pizarro lead Bayern over Hamburg

2006-11-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

In a really exciting game, Bayern Munich came back from behind to defeat Hamburg SV 1-2 in the German Bundesliga on Saturday.

The home team were given a penalty kick in the 17th minute, when Demichelis reacted too late and brought down Sanogo. In fact, midfielder Rafael van der Vaart struck into the right corner while Oliver Kahn went for the left.

Another Dutch player levelled in the 56th minute however. Roy Makaay received the ball from Deisler and the striker's effort from seven meters was unstoppable for keeper Wächter.

The winning goal followed in the 78th minute. Deisler found Peruvian forward Pizarro in the penalty area, and the latter did well to set the score to 1-2.

In the end, Bayern are third but may move down a spot after VfB Stuttgart's match on Sunday. Hamburg meanwhile, are second-last and managed to win only one of fourteen clashes this season.

Bayern and Schalke ended with a 2-2 draw

2006-11-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

In a very intense game, Bayern Munich rallied from two goals down Sunday to draw 2-2 with Schalke. Peter Lovenkrands scored in the 13th minute and Levan Kobiaschwili added a second goal for Schalke five minutes later.

In fact, Andreas Ottl scored for Bayern in the 45th when goalkeeper Manuel Neuer punched the ball to his feet and Roy Makaay equalized in the 51st.

With this result, Werder Bremen leads with 20 points, two ahead of VfB Stuttgart, which won 4-2 against Alemannia Aachen on Saturday. Bayern and Schalke are next with 17 points, one in front of Hertha Berlin.

It's fair to say that Schalke dominated the early stages of the game in front of 61,482 home fans. Bayern didn't manage an attempt on goal until Bastian Schweinsteiger's 27th-minute header.

"The first half was annoying — we weren't in the match at all," Bayern boss Felix Magath expressed. "It was encouraging that we fought back."

Kobiaschwili's goal — a rising shot on the run inside the left post — came just a few seconds after Schalke's fans stood to protest the team's recent poor performances. Schalke coach Mirko Slomka has been criticized after his squad was knocked out of the German Cup and beaten badly by Stuttgart in the past week.

We must consider that Bayern, booed by its fans in recent matches for uninspired play, had lost three straight away matches.

The one inform Bayern footballer is Makaay, who put a low side-footed shot past three defenders to score in his fourth straight match. He had a second goal ruled offside on a dubious call.

Bayern Munich has a brilliant opportunity in the Champions League

2006-10-30T15:03:00.000-08:00

Makaay's team Bayern Munich can become one of the first clubs to book their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League in their next match against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.

It's good to know that a victory or draw at the Allianz Arena would guarantee the Bavarians a place in the last 16, but coach Felix Magath has just set his sights on the first option.

"Our aim is no longer to reach the second stage, we want to finish first," he admitted.

With three triumphs in three games, Bayern have put their inconsistent Bundesliga form behind them to send out a clear warning to the rest of European teams.

According to the latest results, the German powerhouse may have started their European campaign in pessimistic mood, but wins over Spartak Moscow, Internazionale and Sporting Lisbon have altered the climate in Bavaria.

In fact, they can now create a new club record by winning their fourth-straight group game on Tuesday.

And should Inter fail to win in Moscow earlier in the evening, a win would also see Makaay's teammates clinch top spot with two games still remaining.

"We definitely want to finish the group first so as to have home advantage in the second round," said in-form striker Roy Makaay.

The Dutchman striker is the club's top goalscorer this season after spending several months trying to find his best form.

It's important to notice that he is now back in the kind of shape which had terrorised the Bundesliga defenders in his first two years with the team.

"Roy is on the way back to his best and is one of the most accomplished strikers in Europe," Magath belives.

His authority was not respected by Claudio Pizarro on Saturday when the Peruvian striker assumed the responsibility for taking a penalty he had earned.

However, after missing from the spot, Pizarro bore the brunt of criticism from both his coach and strike partner.

"In future, only Roy takes the penalties," joked Makaay after the 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

The pair have already put the episode behind them and will work together to score the goals Bayern need on Tuesday, while amateur forward Stefan Maierhofer, who made his Bundesliga debut on Saturday, has been added to the team list as back-up.

The young player deputises for the injured Lukas Podolski, while Bastian Schweinsteiger is also a doubt with Hasan Salihamidzic on standby to take the place of the match-winner in Portugal.

We must also mention that Sporting were held to a 3-3 draw by Beira Mar at the weekend.

Bayern Munich got a great victory in the Champions League

2006-10-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Bayern Munich got a great result against Sporting Lisbon. They beat the Portuguese team in the Champions League, even though Roy Makaay was just sitting on the bench.

Bastian Schweinsteiger netted the only goal of the match - a crackerjack 30-yard strike - but his night turned sour when he was sent off less than a minute into the second half after picking up his second yellow card.

We must notice that it was backs to the wall stuff from Bayern after that, but they held firm to put themselves on the brink of qualification for the knock-out stages.

Schweinsteiger gave an early warning of what was to come when his dipping effort from distance was fumbled by Ricardo within the first part of the game.

And the Portugal international again let the ball slip minutes later when he sent Mark van Bommel's effort into the path of Claudio Pizarro.

The Peruvian striker was seemingly held back by a tug on his shirt from Marco Caneira but Bayern's penalty claims were turned down.

Tho local team were struggling to get a foothold in the game and it was no surprise when Bayern took the lead. Schweinsteiger cut inside after receiving the ball on the left, and his wickedly swerving effort from more than 30 yards left Ricardo with no chance.

It was no more than the visitors - who had scored six goals in their previous two Champions League matches - deserved, and they immediately pressed for a second.

Four minutes later, Pizarro found himself in space just yards from goal, but headed Willy Sagnol's cross into the side netting.

It took 25 minutes for Sporting to work a position to test Bayern, but Jorge Carlos Martins pulled his shot wide with two players bearing down on goal.

As Sporting belatedly began to make an impression on the clash, both Schweinsteiger and Andreas Ottl picked up bookings for niggly fouls.

That's why Kahn was finally made to work when Liedson shot powerfully from a narrow angle forcing the keeper to save at full stretch.

In fact, Sporting were enjoying a nice period of pressure with a succession of corners testing the visitors' defence.

After being overwhelmed for the first 20 minutes, it was Sporting who finished the half stronger and Miguel Veloso's deflected strike sent Kahn sprawling, but Bayern held onto the lead going into the break.

Barely had fans taken their seats for the second half when Schweinsteiger's extraordinary evening took a turn for the worse.

His trip on substitute Yannick Djalo, who had only been on the pitch for 30 seconds, elicited a second yellow card from referee Terje Hauge, and Scwheinsteiger was forced not only out of the rest the match, but also the return fixture in two weeks time.

Sporting poured forward as they sought to make the most of their man advantage, and it almost paid off.

We must remember that on 58 minutes, Anderson Polga's shot flicked the outside of the post with Kahn stranded.

With Schweinsteiger back in the changing rooms and both Santa Cruz and Podolski withdrawn, Bayern were virtually non-existent as an attacking force.

Obviously, this time it was not Makaay's time. With so many competitive striker in the squad, it will be a hard battle for a place in the starting team.

Makaay is not going to Barcelona

2006-10-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

Despite all the rumours, Barcelona have responded to reports linking Roy Makaay with a move to Camp Nou.

In fact, the Dutch striker is reportedly attracting attention from the Catalan club following the serious knee injury suffered by Samuel Eto'o.

Of course, any deal could not take place before the January transfer window opens and Roy Makaay is cup-tied for the UEFA Champions League and would be ineligible for the holders.

Nevertheless, press reports claimed the former Deportivo La Coruna marksman was a target for fellow countryman Frank Rijkaard.

"Barcelona will definitely not strengthen any more," commented Txiki Beguiristain, the sports director.

"We are very content with the footballers that we have" he concluded.

Humble ambitions for the Champions League

2006-09-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

German Champions Bayern Munich have lowered their expectations for this season's Champions League - but they will still expect to defeat Spartak Moscow in Group B on Tuesday. It really is not an easy task.

The fact the Allianz Arena is not even a sell-out for the visit of Spartak tells its own story as the Bavarians prepare for what they admit is likely to be just a short European adventure this season.

Indeed, after losing 4-1 to AC Milan in the San Siro in the second round last term - eventually going out 5-2 on aggregate, Bayern have accepted they are no longer one of the leading clubs in Europe.

"We have to go into the Champions League with a touch of humbleness," chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressed.

We ust remember that since winning the competition in 2001, Bayern have failed to make it beyond the quarter-finals.

Even reaching that stage this season would be regarded as a success.

"We have got to come through the group stage, that is all you can ask of us," said coach Felix Magath.

To join group favourites Internazionale in the last 16, it is imperative Bayern make a winning start at home to Spartak.

"We have got to pick up the points we need against Moscow and Sporting Lisbon," said Dutch forward Roy Makaay.

But despite defeating Spartak 5-1 the last time the two clubs met in Europe five years ago, Bayern will not be expecting a repeat of that result on Tuesday.

The Russian outfit have taken several leaps forward in the intervening years and the money from sponsors Lukoil has allowed them to almost keep pace with Bayern in the transfer market recently.

No longer are the wages on offer in Russia uncompetitive, which is one reason why former 1860 Munich player Martin Stranzl is now employed by the team from the Russian capital.

And the results are beginning to arrive too, with a 2-2 draw against city rivals CSKA Moscow at the weekend keeping Vladimir Fedetov's team within three points of the Premier Liga summit.

Now they must prove themselves in Europe, however, and as they prepare for their 200th game on the continental stage, a look back to their last Champions League campaign will provide the necessary motivation to succeed.

Four years ago, Spartak lost all six group games, scoring just once and conceding 18 goals.

On Tuesday, they have the unique opportunity to set the record straight and with Bayern looking far from their usual selves in a 2-1 German Cup win over third-division opponents St Pauli at the weekend, there could be a surprise in store.

Makaay can't believe the goal he missed

2006-08-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

Bayern Munich forward Roy Makaay admits he has to take "a huge part of the responsibility" for his team's failure to get the victory against Nurnberg on Saturday.

Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness believes Makaay "will not be able to explain how he didn't score even in 10 years' time" after the player passed up the chance to give the hosts a 48th-minute advantage in the top-of-the-table Bavarian match.

Indeed, Hoeness was among the 69,000 fans who were already celebrating as Roy Makaay rounded Nurnberg goalkeeper Rafael Schafer and turned to place the ball into an empty net.

However, with the music already blaring out to greet the opening goal, Makaay turned around in shock as he scuffed his shot into the side-netting.

"I really need to see it again to really believe it," he said after the goalless draw.

The 31-year-old's miss means the defending champions remain second in the Bundesliga table behind their neighbours after three rounds of games.

"I think we have thrown away two points and I have to take a huge part of the responsibility," he finished.

Makaay scored again in another Bayern victory

2006-08-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

Defending champions Bayern Munich got their second successive triumph of the Bundesliga season with a great 2-1 win at newly-promoted Bochum Sunday.

It was an expected victory, and it helped Bayern move to third place in the table behind leaders Nuremberg and Werder Bremen, the only other teams with maximum six points. For Bochum it was a second successive defeat following a 2-1 loss at Mainz on the opening day of the season.

The most important fact of the game was that Dutch striker Roy Makaay, who scored in Bayern's 2-0 defeat of Borussia Dortmund last week, was again on target with an opening goal two minutes before half-time.

We also must mention that defender Philipp Lahm hit a 65th-minute winner for the visitors after Bochum had equalized in the second half through Fabio Junior.

In the day's other match, VfB Stuttgart bounced back from a 3-0 defeat at home to Nuremberg, to defeat Arminia Bielefeld 3-2 despite ending the match with nine men after two red cards.

And on Friday, Nuremberg defeated Borussia Moenchengladbach 1-0, while Werder Bremen earned a 2-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen Saturday.

Makaay scored as Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund

2006-08-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

Dutch striker Roy Makaay and German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger scored as Bayern Munich kicked off the 44th Bundesliga by defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Friday.

According to the reporters, Bayern delighted a home crowd of 69,000 at Allianz Arena with aggressive play from the start. Makaay spun and hit the left post with a shot just 30 seconds in.

Both goals were low shots just inside the posts that beat Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller. Roy Makaay scored in the 24th minute and Schweinsteiger in the 55th.

Calgary-raised midfielder Owen Hargreaves played the full 90 minutes for Bayern Munich.

Werder Bremen was the best

2006-08-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

In a mediocre game, Werder Bremen managed to beat Bayern Munich to win the League Cup - the first piece of silverware of the 2006/07 German season.

Thomas Schaaf's team, who have finished just behind Bayern in each of the last two Bundesliga campaigns, were more incisive and seemed to be a touch closer to full fitness ahead of the new season.

In fact, Ivan Klasnic, back in the starting squad after being left out of the semi-final, scored a goal in either half to earn Bremen a 2-0 triumph in Leipzig.

Bayern Munich boss Felix Magath fielded his strongest side, but carried through with his promise of replacing any player who showed signs of tiredness when German players Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger were taken off at the interval.

The former thought he had opened his account for the Bavarians in the 23rd minute, however his goal after some great interplay from Ali Karimi and Roy Makaay was harshly ruled out for offside.

And five minutes later, Klasnic put Bremen ahead with a pinpoint shot beyond the reach of Oliver Kahn into the far corner.

According to the referee, Bremen continued to hold the upper hand in the second half and Klasnic's 25-yard free-kick in the 66th minute sealed the win.

It's important to say that Kahn could do nothing as the low drive flew through the wall and into the bottom corner of his goal.

Despite a late rally provided by the lively substitute Hasan Salihamidzic, Bayern Munich were never up to their usual high standards and will be fearful of a similar false start when they face Borussia Dortmund for the opening match of the Bundesliga season on Friday.

Bayern Munich beat Schalke and will play the final

2006-08-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Bayern Munich showed no hangover from their whistle-stop trip to Japan with a deserved win over Schalke to earn a meeting with Bremen on Saturday.

Indeed, a 35,000 crowd at the Allianz Arena saw the home side, five-times winners of the traditional curtain-raising League Cup tournament, enjoy the lion's share of possession and the chances in the first period, but debutant striker Lukas Podolski was unable to convert the best opening after scintillating build-up play from the lively Owen Hargreaves.

As we said, the Reds kept up the pressure in the second half but Andreas Ottl and Roy Makaay declined to accept the most promising chances, although there was a scare for the champions when Zlatan Bajramovic blasted against the bar.

With the match goalless at the end of normal time, the match went to penalties, where Mehmet Scholl, Hargreaves, Roque Santa Cruz and captain for the night Willy Sagnol confidently buried their spot-kicks, with Olli Kahn deputy Michael Rensing pulling off a vital save to seal an ultimately deserved victory.

Lineups:

Bayern Munich: Rensing - Sagnol, Demichelis (Hummels 46), van Buyten, Lahm - Hargreaves – Salihamidzic (Scholl 70), Ottl - Schweinsteiger – Podolski (Santa Cruz 77), Makaay

Schalke 04: F. Rost – Varela (Abel 90), Bordon, Rodriguez, Kobiashvili - Hamit Altintop, Bajramovic - Özil (Boenisch 46) - Halil Altintop, Lövenkrands, Larsen (Heppke 67)

Bayern Munich prepares to the Bundesliga debut

2006-07-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

It was a good debut. Defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich cruised to a 12-0 friendly win against local amateur side TSV 02 Berching on Friday as their preparations for the 2006/07 season began in emphatic style.

In fact, only 10 professionals reported for the start of pre-season training this week with most of Felix Magath's team being away on World Cup duty or sidelined with injury.

However, Bayern still produced a commanding performance with new signing Daniel van Buyten scoring just nine minutes to open his account for the Bavarians while Claudio Pizarro (2) and Roy Makaay were also on target.

We can say that even goalkeeper Michael Rensing was able to get in on the act as he played the last half-hour as an emergency striker as several reserve and youth footballers were given some action.

It's important to remember that Bayern's Bundesliga season starts with a home clash against Borussia Dortmund on Friday, August 11.

Magath dreams of dutch pair Makaay-van Nistelrooy

2006-06-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

As it was announced before in many news channels, Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath has confirmed his interest in Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The Dutch forward fell out with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson last season and is thought to be weighing up his options at Old Trafford. He has been linked with a move to Bayern and Magath has admitted he would love to pair Van Nistelrooy with his Dutch compatriot Roy Makaay in his team's frontline.

"Everybody knows Ruud van Nistelrooy is one of the best strikers in the world and the chance of working with a top striker like him doesn´t come around every day," Magath said.

Alongside Makaay, the coach already has many excellent forwards in the squad, like Pizarro, Santa Cruz and the new signing Podolsky.

Makaay not moving to Barcelona

2006-06-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Roy Makaay's agent announced that the forward won't go to Spaniard side Barcelona. Althoug some newspapers in Spain had claimed the Dutchman was set to replace Henrik Larsson, who has moved to Helsingborgs, Makaay's agent Rob Jansen insists there is no substance to the speculation.

"There is absolutely no contact with Barca and how the papers have come up with that defies me," he told a magazine.

In fact, the Dutch striker is instead focused on continuing his phenomenal goalscoring record with the Bavarians.

In 96 Bundesliga games, Roy Makaay has found the back of the net 62 times, although last season was a disappointment compared to his usual high standards.

"I know I still scored 17, but it was not the best of seasons," admitted Makaay, who was omitted from the Holland squad for the World Cup Germany 2006.

It's good to say that Makaay already has sights set on the 2006/07 Bundesliga season and what he hopes will be a return to the form he showed in his first two seasons with the German champions.

"I want to break the 20-goal record like I did in my first two seasons in Bayern Munich," he finished.

Bayern munich lost at Red Bulls

2006-06-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

American team Red Bulls played an exhibition match against German team Bayern Munich last Saturday and won 4-2 behind Jean Philippe Peguero`s two goals.

The german team used almost all their bench, since the best players are with their national teams for the World Cup preparation.

Taking advantage of that situation, Peguero, who leads the Red Bulls with four goals, scored from 16 yards out to tie the encounter at 1 in the 52nd minute. He tallied again in the 80th minute, when he took a pass from Joe Vide and chipped a shot over a defender and goalkeeper Bernd Dreher.

"I`ve watched Peguero for the last three years. I knew he had something special,`` Red Bulls coach Mo Johnston expressed. "You watched the second goal he scored, it wouldn`t surprise me if Bayern Munich were talking to him just now."

"We`re representing the league first and foremost, and it`s always great when you play the likes of Bayern Munich. It`s good for the guys and we scored some nice goals."

Bayern Munich were able to use Roy Makaay and Claudio Pizarro, but they couldn't make a good presentation.

Bayern Munich celebrate the title

2006-05-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Roy Makaay's team got a 3-3 draw against Borussia Dortmund on the last match of the season but the result was not enough to stifle the celebrations as the Bayern Munich received the Bundesliga trophy for the 20th time.

Michael Ballack was on the scoresheet in almost certainly his last match for Bayern. However, that was no fond farewell as the Bayern fans continued to boo him.

His 50th-minute goal put Bayern 3-1 up but Dortmund earned a point after a late fightback, thanks to Jan Koller who scored a 76th-minute equaliser.

As we know, the Czech striker is also expected to move in the summer and bowed out with a brace in his first game back since sustaining a cruciate ligament injury in September.

His first goal silenced the home fans after just 60 seconds. But Roy Makaay levelled matters within five minutes.

What's more, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ballack scored just after the break before Dortmund responded with goals from Philipp Degen and Koller.

However, Dortmund stunned Bayern in the opening stages when Koller, the tallest player on the field, ghosted past one of the smallest, Bixente Lizarazu, to reach Nuri Sahin's cross and head the ball in goal.

But Borussia's defensive frailties were revealed just five minutes later as Lucio burst forward to set up Makaay, who finished from 10 yards.

The Dutch player should have had a second within three minutes when he beat the offside trap to reach Ballack's throughball but he fired wide.

In one of the most important moments of the night, Jens Jeremies and Lizarazu, who were playing their last game before retirement, were given standing ovations by the Bayern crowd before the game but after Ballack was heckled for the opening 15 minutes, Bayern's general manager Uli Hoeness left the dugout appealing for the home crowd to stop.

A second Borussia goal almost happen before the half-time whistle but Oliver Kahn pulled off a stunning save to divert Ebi Smolarek's shot wide of the post.

The game opened up in the second half with Schweinsteiger finding the back of the net in the 48th minute.

Space opened up in front of the Germany international and he found the net with an excellent 25-yard strike.

After two minutes, it seemed like the floodgates were opening as Ballack fired in from the edge of the area.

But Dortmund were not beaten and Degen took advantage of a mix-up between Lucio and Lizarazu in the 64th minute to pull the visitors back into the game.

The Swiss midfielder still had work to do inside the penalty area, but he made it look easy as he fired into the roof of the net past half-time substitute goalkeeper Michael Rensing from an angle.

The Westphalians were then level with Sahin again the provider for Koller, lifting the ball into the area where Koller's unchallenged header from 10 yards beat Rensing at his far post.

In the end of the game, the celebrations began as captain Kahn received the Bundesliga trophy for Bayern Munich, the 2005-06 German champions.

Kings of the German Cup

2006-04-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

Bayern Munich got the title of the German Cup on Saturday. They defeated Eintracht Frankfurt with Claudio Pizarro's goal.

The Peruvian striker headed home the winner off Willy Sagnol's corner kick in an unconvincing Munich performance that drew plenty of jeers from the crowd of 63,000 at Olympic Stadium.

In fact, Munich were not assured of victory until goalkeeper and captain Oliver Kahn made a superb save against Ioannis Amanatidis with three minutes left.

Roy Makaay's team won the German cup for the third time in four years and for the 13th time overall. And it's important to say that Kahn is the first German player to lift the cup trophy five times.

As we know, Bayern hold a four-point Bundesliga lead over SV Hamburg and can clinch an unprecedented second straight league and cup double next week Wednesday if they win over VfB Stuttgart and Hamburg don't win at lowly Cologne the previous day.

Midfielder Hasan Salihamidzic said: 'We didn't play well, to be honest. But we won another title and can now clinch the league on Wednesday.'

About the match, we can say that Roy Makaay wasted an early chance for Munich. Frankfurt bounced back with Amanatidis aiming inches wide in the 27th and Benjamin Koehler denied by Kahn seconds later.

Makaay was off target again in the 43rd but the last opportunity of the half belonged to Frankfurt with Alexander Meier failing to control the ball properly alone in front of Kahn.

Bayern stepped up the pace after the break and were unlucky when Makaay's volley was deflected against the crossbar by Nikolov.

Munich finally scored the winner in the 59th when Sagnol's accurate corner from the right found Pizarro, who headed home from 10 metres out at the far left post.

Frankfurt called for a penalty when Koehler fell in the fight for the ball against Sagnol in the 64th, with their coach Friedhelm Funkel ordered into the stands for his loud protests.

Kahn's great save in the closing stages then showed Frankfurt that it was not to be their day. However, their defeat was sweetened by a UEFA Cup berth as runners-up as Munich are already assured of playing in the Champions League next season.

Makaay will stay at Bayern until 2008

2006-04-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

Despite the bad news about not being called for the World Cup, Roy Makaay has extended his contract with his club Bayern Munich for one year until 2008 season.

It's a good time to remember that the Dutch striker joined Bayern in 2003 for a club record 19 million euros ($23.4m) from Deportivo la Coruna and his current deal was going to end in 2007.

About his feeling and the city, Makaay said: "I like it here and always said that I would like to stay longer,"

It was good to see him scoring last weekend. His double Sunday in a 2-2 draw at Mainz 05 brought his league season tally to 16 strikes.

What is Van Basten thinking?

2006-04-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Netherlands boss Marco van Basten released a 33-man list as a preview of his World Cup squad on Friday. And there was a big absence: Roy Makaay.

Roy Makaay has scored only six goals in 43 appearances for the Dutch side. This, along with a bad season in Bayern Munich, made him lose his spot in the squad earlier this season and is no longer considered as back up to first-choice forward Ruud van Nistelrooy.

In fact, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from Ajax gets a place in the squad for the first time.

Van Basten also ignored the claims of AC Milan midfielder Seedorf, despite a convincing season for the Italians in Serie A and the Champions League.

The Dutch squad gather on May 9 for a four-day training sessions in Noordwijk. The team will be trimmed to 23 players by the May 15 deadline.

A bad weekend for Bayern Munich

2006-04-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Germany has been witness of Bayern Munich fall. Werder Bremen crushed them 3-0 Saturday. Oliver Kahn, Makaay and Pizarro had a really bad day. The result is excellent for Hamburg, who beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0 on Sunday to slash Bayern's difference to four points.

In a tough game, Bremen went ahead when Bastian Schweinsteiger headed in Klose's cross for a 33rd-minute own goal. Klose then set up goals by Daniel Jensen in the 79th and Tim Borowski in the 83rd.

Bayern twice had Claudio Pizarro goals ruled out for offside and couldn't convert chances including a header by unmarked defender Martin Demichelis and a low, wide shot by Michael Ballack.

"We didn't let in a goal, that was decisive, even if we were lucky in some cases," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said.

Klose was more effective, starting with a cross to Borowski which was met by Schweinsteiger, who headed into his own goal. Klose, with 11 assists to accompany his 19 goals, then headed over to Jensen for the second goal and sidefooted to Borowski for a close-range score.

What's more, Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann was booed as he watched 11 national team players, with fans unhappy at Friday's decision to name Arsenal's Jens Lehmann as his World Cup goalkeeper instead of Bayern's Oliver Kahn.

Makaay's scoring power is back

2006-04-01T03:20:00.000-08:00

Makaay had a very good performance and he's working hard to be one of the World Cup members for Netherlands. He signed a goal and an assist Saturday to lead Bayern Munich to a 3-1 win over MSV Duisburg that moved it nine points clear in the Championship.

Bayern Munich saw their lead down to three points eight days ago, reasserted control of the title race further because of second-place Hamburg's 4-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

``It's important that we have a cushion now that Hamburg has lost,'' coach Felix Magath admitted. ``There are still a few games to play, but the pressure is now less.''

The team played without midfielder Michael Ballack, nursing a minor injury, and struggled at first in front of 31,000 in Duisburg.

Makaay wants to be back in the Team

2006-03-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

After a short crisis, Bayern Munich got back to the winning path with a 3-0 victory over Schalke, restoring its six-point lead atop the Bundesliga. In the 27th round Saturday, Bayern travels to next-to-last Duisburg, which is almost certain to go down. In the Bundesliga, Bayern has 62 points, Hamburg 56, Schalke 51 and Werder Bremen 51.

This game is very special because it should give Netherlands striker Roy Makaay an chance to recapture his place in the team. Makaay was a substitute in the last three games, but he came on for the last 30 minutes against Schalke and contributed a goal and an assist.

"I assume I'll be starting," Makaay claimed. "I must admit that I hadn't thought that I'd be a reserve. I'd been practising well, I've scored three times so far in the second half of the season and I don't think that I've been so bad."

Indeed, Bayern's leading scorer has faced criticism from club officials for some below par performances.

As we know, Makaay has 12 goals and he is tied with Michael Ballack as Bayern's leading scorer and has extra motivation to return to the starting lineup.

Makaay was recently omitted from the Dutch national team and Bayern coach Felix Magath thinks that may be a reason for Makaay's slump.

"I am not thinking of the national team right now. There under three months to the World Cup. I want to use them in Bayern to show that I belong to the Dutch 23-man World Cup roster," he said.

What Bayern Munich wants - after getting knocked out of the Champions League - is to become the first German team to win the domestic double twice in a row.

"Yes, we've shaken off Schalke now, but with six points over Hamburg, we are still not home. We have to win in Duisburg and then things will be looking very good," Makaay said.

Makaay on the bench

2006-03-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

Roy Makaay is going through a tough stage of his career. He cannot be the same striker that he used to be. This time, he coulnd't take part of the game where Bayern Munich managed to extend their Bundesliga lead with a goalless draw at Wolfsburg.

Felix Magath's team were clearly lacking their usual confidence after AC Milan demolished them in the Champions League encounter of Wednesday.

However, they were still the better side and could have snatched all three points but for Wolfsburg goalkeeper Simon Jentzsch.

It's important to say that the hosts had promised to take full advantage of Bayern's uncharacteristic fragility and set about doing just that, Rick Hoogendorp's early effort whistling just past the post.

But Wolfsburg's own confidence is not exactly sky high following a season of struggle and they allowed Bayern to creep back into the match.

Michael Ballack blazed over from just inside the area but that was all they could muster despite their possession.

In fact, Wolfsburg could have gone into the break ahead when Mike Hanke's shot beat the entire Bayern defence only to be thwarted by Oliver Kahn.

We must understand that they were under the cosh immediately after the restart, the champions attacking almost relentlessly and bringing the best out of the home defence.

The net was bulging 11 minutes from time although it was only the side-netting as substitute Mehmet Scholl's 20-yard strike drifted wide.

And with four minutes remaining, Scholl hit the post direct from a corner.

The player was everywhere, setting up Ballack for what proved to be the final chance of the game but Michael's shot was caught easily by Jentzsch.

Guerrero proved he can be a starter

2006-02-27T15:06:00.000-08:00

Bayern Munich crushed Eintracht Frankfurt 5-2, with a great performance of Michael Ballack and Paulo Guerrero. They scored two goals each to lead Bayern to an 11th straight home victory. Guerrero, starting for the rested Roy Makaay, fired in two superb goals and had two assists. His Peruvian compatriot Claudio Pizarro also scored.

Christoph Preuss beat Bayern's defence to put Frankfurt level at 1-1 in the first half and Alexander Meier got a late consolation in the 84th minute. A third straight loss saw them drop to 12th, just four places above the drop zone.

Bayern Munich vs AC Milan

2006-02-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

Roy Makaay and Claudio Pizarro will lead the German attack when Bayern Munich face AC Milan for the Champions League round of 16, in the Allianz Arena.

The biggest problem in Bayern is the injury that could have Oliver Kahn out of the game. But coach Felix Magath trusts the medical department will perform another minor miracle by getting goalkeeper and captain make it against AC Milan.

Line-ups:

Bayern Munich: 1-Olvier Kahn or 22-Michael Rensing; 2-Willy Sagnol, 3-Lucio, 25-Valerien Ismael, 69-Bixente Lizarazu; 31-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 13-Michael Ballack, 6-Martin Demichelis, 11-Ze Roberto; 14-Claudio Pizarro, Roy Makaay.

AC Milan: 1-Dida; 31-Jaap Stam, 13-Alessandro Nesta, 4-Kakha Kaladze, 27-Serginho; 8-Gennaro Gattuso, 21-Andrea Pirlo, 20-Clarence Seedorf; 22-Kaka; 7-Andriy Shevchenko, 11-Alberto Gilardino.

Bayern Munich 0 - Hertha Berlin 0

2006-02-07T22:01:00.000-08:00

Roy Makaay lined up, but his team dropped their first points of 2006 in a goalless draw at Hertha Berlin on Tuesday.

On the Olympic Stadium field, neither side were able to break the deadlock despite having numerous chances and both had to settle for a point.

The result will be welcomed by title-chasers Werder Bremen and Hamburg, who are both in action on Wednesday.

Hertha players Kevin Boateng and Yildiray Basturk were more than the equals of Sebastian Deisler and Michael Ballack. However Bayern had the first opportunity to score.

Argentine Martin Demichelis tested Gerhard Tremmel with a powerful header from Deisler's free-kick after 15 minutes, but the Berlin keeper blocked the ball.

Michael Ballack had a chance to put Bayern ahead when he reached Valerien Ismael's long punt out of defence and attempted to lob Tremmel, but sent the ball onto the roof of the net.

Arne Friedrich had a good chance for Berlin on the hour mark when he juggled the ball inside the Bayern area before striking venomously at goal where Kahn again was at full stretch to parry the ball wide.

Striker Paolo Guerrero took the place of the ineffective Roy Makaay and with his first touch had Tremmel scampering across his goal to dive onto the Peruvian's header.

Bayern Munich were getting back on top and another substitute Ali Karimi brushed the outside of the post with his shot from Claudio Pizarro's through ball as the game entered the final 20 minutes.

But the teams couldnt open the scorer, and the result ended 0 - 0.

Makaay scored twice in Bayern victory

2006-01-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

Dutch striker Roy Makaay scored the league's first goal of 2006 for Bayern Munich. His team got a 3-1 win over Monchengladbach.

Roy's double helped the club to achieve the 18th victory, and increases the point total to 47 for a nine point lead over Hamburg. Friday's game is the first one of the Bundesliga schedule since returning from the month-long winter break.

However, the Wesley Sonck gave the home fans a glimmer of hope less than 60 seconds after they went two behind. That's when Makaay's second strike of the night ensured Bayern resume their league campaign precisely the way they ended before the winter break.

Roy Makaay has been very criticised in the Germany recently as he struggles through his most barren spell since joining Bayern from Deportivo La Coruna in 2003.

Actually, his place in the starting team was under threat from Paolo Guerrero, but Bayern coach Felix Magath decided to give the Dutchman one more chance to get back to his form, and he did.

In the 13th minute, Makaay picked up Willy Sagnol's cross on the edge of the area and his first touch beyond Gladbach defender Jeff Strasser set up his second touch to stroke the ball past goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

Bayern seemed to be carefully going through the motions, but still Borussia could not get near them.

Marcel Jansen had the home side's best chance of the first half, but his deflected effort was on its way wide even if Oliver Kahn made sure it did not go inside his post with a finger-tip save.

The visitor squad moved up a gear in the second half and Ballack dispatched a 55th-minute free-kick from the edge of the area as Gladbach looked beaten.

But straight from the restart, the home side launched their most threatening attack of the game which culminated in Sonck's strike from close range to reduce the arrears a minute later.

But that goal was nothing more than a false alarm and Bayern were unshaken as substitute Hasan Salihamidzic and Roy Makaay combined for the goal of the night after 69 minutes.

Makaay violently volleyed Salihamidzic's cross past Keller from 18 yards with his weaker left foot to confirm yet another Bayern win.

Bayern Munich finishes hard winter training

2006-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Roy Makaay and the rest of Bayern Munich squad returned to Germany at the beginning of the week following the winter training camp in Dubai and a total of 13 gruelling training sessions with two warm-up matches, against Persepolis in Tehran, and back in the UAE against FC Zurich.

General manager Uli Hoeneß thinks the experience had great results. "We found ourselves with optimal conditions again," he told the press. Coach Felix Magath was just as satisfied as me with the facilities laid on by the club's Dubai hosts, from the five-star Jumeirah Emirates Towers team hotel through to the training ground at the Al Wasl Sports Club. "We were totally satisfied," the boss remarked after Munich's third visit to the Emirate.

Bayern victory in friendly match against Persepolis

2006-01-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

Bayern Munich defeated the popular home team Persepolis 2-1 in a friendlin Tehran on Friday. Roy Makaay was part of the team in a match where the coach gave many players the chance to play

Persepolis joined 60,000 die-hard fans shuddering in Azadi Stadium and veteran Germany keeper Oliver Kahn with two kicks in the first two minutes.

In-form striker Javad Kazemian forced skipper Kahn to palm away his curling free-kick and his teammate Mehrdad Owladi failed to beat the keeper in a man-to-man challenge.

Persepolis celebrated the opener on 26 minutes following a superb solo effort from live-wire Kazemian. The forward easily cleared Brazil fullback Lucio on the edge of area before he was brought down by French defender Valerien Ismael, who left the Asian Referee of the Year Massoud Moradi with no option but show the spot.

As we know, the reds’ lead took nine minutes as striker Michael Ballack headed home a Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto cross.

One minute from halftime, the advancing defender Ansarian chested down the ball before rattling the visitor’s crossbar with a potent shot, but the rebound helped the German side grab the winner in a swift counterattack. Defender Philipp Lahm’s cross found Guerrero, whose powerful kick from close range kissed the top corner of the helpless keeper Farshid Karimi’s net.

Mehmet Scholl, who captained Bayern after the break, could find the net twice. The midfielder lying in the goalmouth hit a Roy Makaay shot against Karimi’s chest in the 52nd minute and saw his inswinging set-piece bounce back by the near post 10 minutes later.

Makaay trains in Dubai

2006-01-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

Bayern Munich is in the meadle east to get the best preparation before the restarting of the Bundesliga. Roy Makaay warms-up during the second day of football training at the Al Wasl club football field in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Dutch player is in great shape and he's working hard to recover his scoring level this season, looking forward to assure a place in the Netherlands squad fot the World Cup.

"I feel like I'm getting back to my best performance. I really needed this break and I'm planning to work twice harder to be in Germany 2006" he told us.

This is the third time Bayern Munich goes to Dubai to make the winter training season.

Makaay is not happy with his performance in 2005

2005-12-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

Bayern Munich faced Hamburg in the Cup to round off their competitive schedule in the season 2005. "We desire to lay down a marker and make it clear we're the best squad in Germany," a highly motivated Roy Makaay declared beforehand.

The dutch player duly took the field despite a niggling hamstring problem, but the 30-year-old was back on the bench just 17 minutes later after recognising he was not fit enough to go the distance.

That was at least partly analogy of a less than happy three or four months in the striker's career. Roy finished 2005 as top scorer in Germany for the calendar year on 23 league goals, but the autumn saw him endure a two-month barren spell, and the player went through a first he would rather forget when ciach Felix Magath took him off at half-time in Bayern's final Champions League group match away to Bruges.

The starting of the season showed Makaay in outstanding form. He scored six times in the first three league games and was tipped in some quarters of the media as a contender to beat Gerd Muller's all-time record of 40 goals in the 1972-3 season. But the father of two limped out of a Netherlands training camp in late August with a knee injury, and his form suddenly deserted him.

Now, reporters started counting as the number of minutes without a Makaay goal increased from week to week. After 1,124 minutes barren minutes, Roy finally struck again to complete the scoring in a 3-1 home victory over Werder Bremen in early November. "I was more steady after that, but still nowhere near where I've been for most of the last two seasons. I started well this term, but with a couple of exceptions, I can't honestly be satisfied with myself," Roy admitted.

"I never rediscovered my rhythm after the injury," he continued. Coach Magath thought his normally deadly striker succumbed to the mental strain when Dutch coach Marco van Basten overlooked him in the autumn international call-ups. "Yes, I always put myself under pressure," Roy confessed, "I tried to forget all about it, but it was probably lurking in my subconscious."

The striker remains convinced of his ability to bounce back. "I intend to work like a dog after Christmas," he revealed, rating physical fitness as the foundation for maintaining his consistency. There can be little doubt Roy will soon return to normality, which in his case means a torrent of goals.

Makaay scored in Bayern Munich Victory

2005-12-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

Roy Makaay scored the winning goal and Oliver Kahn saved a penalty in the last Bayern Munich victory over FC Kaiserslautern (2-1) on Sunday.

Bayern squad restored a four-point lead over Hamburg with Werder Bremen six back and wrapped up the Bundesliga's "Winter Championship." After one more round, the Bundesliga will break for a month.

Bayern has yet to come away with less than a victory in the Bundesliga since Allianz Arena opened this season, but it was supposed to be easier against FC Kaiserslautern.

"On this part of the season, you have to be happy you win these games," coach Felix Magath said. "But if we had to step it up a gear we could, I think we have shown that in the past."

Although Bayern's dominated, the team needed keeper Kahn to dive left in the 59th minute to hand away Erwin Skala's penalty attempt that would have leveled.

Dutch striker Roy Makaay's attempt from the spot was similar, but more precise, sliding just inside the left post, as Bayern went ahead in the 54th minute.

German Captain Michael Ballack put Bayern ahead in the 26th minute with a header before Boubacar Sanogo leveled for Kaiserslautern 12 minutes later, sidefooting in a combination that caught Bayern off guard.

Bayern tied with Stuttgart 0-0

2005-12-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

Bayern Munich got a draw when facin Stuttgart in a poor Bundesliga clash on Saturday. A 57,000 sell-out crowd at the Gottlieb-Daimler stadium saw an error-strewn opening half littered with misplaced passes and precious little by way of goalmouth action. Roy Makaay didn't have a good performance and was replaced by Karimi in the second half.

The character of the match changed dramatically when referee Dr Markus Merk dismissed Deisler for retaliation against Ludovic Magnin shortly before the interval, but Bayern courageously stood their ground as Stuttgart attempted to turn the screw and were ultimately worth a point from a forgettable encounter.

With Hamburg and Bremen both recording home wins, the result means Bayern remain on top of the Bundesliga, although their lead over HSV in second is down to four points.

Match Line-ups:

VfB Stuttgart: Hildebrand - Stranzl, Meira, Delpierre, Magnin - Tiffert, Gentner (Grönkjaer 64), Soldo, Hitzlsperger (Carevic 79) - Ljuboja, Tomasson (Gomez 73)

Bayern Munich: Kahn - Sagnol, Ismael, Demichelis, Lizarazu (Jeremies 66) - Deisler, Hargreaves, Schweinsteiger (Lahm 46), Ballack - Makaay (Karimi 75), Pizarro

Overview to Makaay-Pizarro front line of Bayern

2005-11-29T22:49:00.000-08:00

Roy Makaay had only a few words after Saturday's victory over Mainz. "Claudio will be along in a moment," he told waiting reporters at the stadium, before scurrying away with a friendly smile. Peruvian Claudio Pizarro appeared from the dressing room shortly afterwards, but the media pack had clustered around coach Felix Magath and Pizarro was able to make a sharp exit.

Pizza might well have had a story to tell on this particular afternoon. Just a week after firing both goals in Bielefeld, he grabbed another brace to turn match-winner against Mainz. "I'm in great shape and enjoying myself," he said.

"He was injured for a long period. However, he's in the groove now," general manager Uli Hoeneß stated. Pizarro has scored six goals in his last five outings to come within a single goal of strike partner Makaay. The Dutch ace was not on the scoresheet against Mainz but provided the perfect lay-off for Pizarro's opener. However, Roy struck a brace of his own against Rapid Vienna in the Champions League as Bayern leapfrogged Juventus to top Group A.

"Our opponents have to keep an eye on both of them. It's making it very difficult for teams to control us," boss Magath commented. The head coach is delighted at the recent supply of goals from both his forwards, as that has not been the case for most of the season. Makaay found the target regularly to start with, before the mantle passed to either Paolo Guerrero or Roque Santa Cruz until the Paraguay man was laid low by a cruciate ligament injury.

Coach Magath was in no mood to lavish over-generous praise on his in-form front men. "That's what the pair of them are there to do," was all he would say. "We pay them to score goals, although obviously I'd be delighted if they'd keep going until Christmas."

If the sequence is to be maintained, Makaay should score twice in Stuttgart, Pizarro should perform the feat in Bruges, Makaay would get two against Kaiserslautern, and Pizarro would claim a brace in Dortmund before Makaay nets a double against Hamburg in the Cup. If that prospect was not enough to terrify Bayern's firthcoming opponents, Michael Ballack is due back from injury next weekend - and he is no mean scorer himself.

Makaay scores twice as Bayern wins

2005-11-23T06:15:00.000-08:00

Roy Makaay was a lethal striker again and scored twice to help Bayern Munich get a 4-0 win at home to Rapid Vienna in Group A and go through to the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

The dutch finally broke his UEFA Champions League duck this season with two second-half strikes in quick succession but Sebastian Deisler, who opened the scoring midway through the opening period, was Bayern's inspiration in the absence of the injured Michael Ballack and Mehmet Scholl. Stand-in playmaker Ali Karimi was also on target.

Rapid had chances in the final ten minutes through Akagündüz and Andreas Ivanschitz but never looked remotely like picking up a first win in 12 competition matches or even a first point in the group. Bayern, meanwhile, lead Juventus on goal difference after an imperious performance.

Bayern wins with Pizarro doublet

2005-11-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

Roy Makaay played in the match between Bayern Munich and Armenia Bielefeld, but Claudio Pizarro took all the attention after scoring two late goals to give th evictory to their team for 2-1.

The home side seized the initiative after the break and the effervescent Sibusiso Zuma set up Isaac Boakye to tap home the opener on the hour. That spurred the champions into action and sub Paolo Guerrero squared for Claudio Pizarro to level with eight minutes remaining.

Both sides had chances after that but the game appeared destined for a draw until ‘Pizza’ netted an unlikely winner with the last kick of the match.

The result means Bayern maintain their five-point advantage over closest rivals Bremen, convincing 6-1 winners at home to Wolfsburg, with third-placed Hamburg in action on Sunday.

Roy Makaay remains calm while team mates make the news

2005-11-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

Dutch striker Roy Makaay takes it easy now that he scored after almost a month without hitting the net. His goals are now to recover his good performance in Bayern Munich and take the first position in the frontline of Netherlands national team, looking forward to make a good role in Germany 2006.

Meanwhile, team mates are the ones making the news in Bayern Munich. Michael Ballack is thinking about signing up for Manchester United, Claudio Pizarro is awarded by FOX Sports as the best south american player in Europe, and Roque Santa Cruz gets good news as his contract is renewed.

Netherlands missed Makaay in game against Italy

2005-11-12T23:26:00.000-08:00

Italy beated the Netherlands 3 - 1 thanks to a great performance of Alessandro Del Piero. The orange team missed Roy Makaay, who didn't take part of this game.

This is the Netherlands' first defeat since losing to hosts Portugal in the Euro 2004 semi-finals and allowed a bright start in which they took a 38th minute lead through winger Ryan Babel.

Gilardino equalized two minutes later when he eluded Netherlands defender Ron Vlaar and scored on a cross by Alessandro Del Piero.

The 20-year-old Vlaar then headed in an own goal from a corner by Del Piero in first-half injury time.

Toni netted in the 50th when he dribbled past Vlaar before finishing from close range.

Makaay scores for Bayern victory over Bremen

2005-11-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

Bayern Munich won 3-1 over 2004 champions Werder Bremen on Saturday to keep on the top of the table. Dutch striker Roy Makaay ended his goal-drought scoring decisive third goal.

Werder had a good start as international striker Miroslav Klose opened the score in the very first minute, but Bayern only needed two minutes to level through Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Bremen's early goal set the tone for a frantic first 45 minutes in Munich.

Tim Borowski got past Willy Sagnol down the left and, before Bayern knew what had hit them, Klose outjumped Schweinsteiger to become the first player to score against Bayern in a league match at their new Allianz Arena stadium.

However, Pizarro fired against a post within 60 seconds and the home side were level by the third minute when Schweinsteiger collected the ball 25 metres out and struck a shot that deflected off Torsten Frings and flew past Andreas Reinke.

"We were lucky we equalised so quickly," said Bayern coach Felix Magath.

Borowski struck the bar with a vicious shot for Bremen in the 16th minute and the chances kept coming for both sides.

Sebastian Deisler fired over from a good position for Bayern and moments later Oliver Kahn had to be alert to deflect a Frings cross out of the path of Nelson Valdez.

Bayern's second goal stemmed from a beautifully weighted pass from Schweinsteiger on the left. Ze Roberto was just quick enough to reach it ahead of Patrick Owomoyela and the Brazilian pulled the ball back for Pizarro to convert.

Pizarro turned provider for the third, racing clear of his marker on the right and crossing for Makaay, who stumbled slightly but still managed to connect well enough to send the ball flying past Reinke.

Makaay, dropped by Marco van Basten from the latest Dutch squad, celebrated with evident relief.

The second half offered less excitement as Bayern sat deeper and gave Bremen just a couple of chances from corners.

"It was a classic game, particularly in the first half," said Magath. "Like everyone in the stadium I was especially pleased with Roy's goal."

Makaay expected to score against Juventus

2005-11-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

Bayern Munich will play at second-place Juventus on Wednesday. The german team can secure a pass to the next stage of the Champions League, and needs Roy Makaay to become the lethal striker he was last season.

"We are going for a win. We want the first place in the group," Magath stated. However, Bayern have problems with the forward line. Roque Santa Cruz is down for five months due to a knee injury, while Roy Makaay hasn't scored in 994 minutes after starting the season with six goals in three games. Makaay is still expected to start considering Claudio Pizarro, and Paulo Guerrero are even more out of form.

About the dutch player, the coach said: "He'll have to be able to deal with the pressure. I expect him to show his strength again".

Makaay needs to enhance his performance

2005-10-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

As FC Bayern München visit 1. FC Köln this weekend, star forward Roy Makaay is in danger of being overshadowed by strike partner Roque Santa Cruz.

Goalscoring mantle
At the start of the season, it was hard to see how any other marksman could match the magnificent Makaay as he scored six times in Bayern's opening three Bundesliga games. Three months on, however, Paraguay's Santa Cruz has taken up the scoring mantle with the Dutch international enduring a rare drought.

Nervous striker
After being sidelined for several weeks with a painful knee injury, the 30-year-old has been misfiring, but coach Felix Magath believes Makaay's problem is not physical. "Roy stopped scoring when people started wondering whether he would be able to break Gerd Müller's record of 40 strikes in one season," he said.

Mental block
However, Magath is sure Makaay's magic touch will return. "As long as he is getting chances to score, I am not concerned," he said. "He has been doing what he should in front of goal. Once he breaks his duck, he will strike again. He just has to stay hungry and he will get through this."

Purple patch
If the illustrious No10 is going through a lean spell, Santa Cruz has hit something of a purple patch, registering in each of his last three Bundesliga matches. After a year of injuries in which he also had to deal with the death of his brother, the 24-year-old is back on song.

Potential giant
"Roque has the potential to become a big player," said Magath, who in recent months had criticised the work rate of a player who joined Bayern as a teenager in 1999. "These latest goals will help him improve even more."

Bewitching combination
The dream for Bayern is to have both strikers on devastating form, with the skilful, rangy Santa Cruz and the fox-in-the-box Makaay potentially a bewitching combination which could make an impact well beyond the Bundesliga.

Aiming high
With Bayern not having won the UEFA Champions League since 2000/01, Santa Cruz for one has his eyes on Europe's main prize. "We have a big mission to complete," he said. "At the end of this mission, there is [the final in] Paris." If some of his confidence can rub off on Makaay, it may not be mission impossible.

Makaay and Bayern prepared to face Erzgebirge Aue

2005-10-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

"We're determined to repeat last year's triumph," Roy Makaay declared ahead of Tuesday training in Munich. "We're playing better and better, and we intend to continue where we left off last week," the striker added, hopeful of ending an 814-minute barren spell in front of goal.

Bayern will not take Wednesday's German Cup second round tie lightly, but the holders travel to face Erzgebirge Aue in confident mood as the Bundesliga leaders clash with the side lying 12th in the second division in a classic David v Goliath encounter.

"I'll keep on doing my thing," the Dutch ace insisted, "but the result is far more important than Roy Makaay." The 30-year-old had not lost sleep as a result of his goalscoring drought, he insisted, nor would the midweek opponents disturb his sweet dreams "provided we maintain the attitude we've shown in the last two matches. We need to go for it from the off, create scoring opportunities, and leave nothing to chance."

Probable line-ups:

Erzgebirge Aue: Bobel – Kos, Emmerich, Trehkopf – Heller, Dostalek, Jungwirth, Liebers – Klinka, Juskowiak, Helbig

Bayern Munich: Kahn – Sagnol, Ismael, Lucio, Schweinsteiger – Karimi, Demichelis, Zé Roberto, Ballack – Makaay, Pizarro

Bayern Munich beats Juventus 2-1

2005-10-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

Roy Makaay helped Bayern Munich beat Juventus 2-1 and take a stranglehold in Champions League Group A with maximum points from three games. The german squad, attacking constantly in the first half, moved ahead in the 32nd minute when Sebastian Deisler's shot struck keeper Christian Abbiati's thigh and flew in yesterday.

Seven minutes later, Martin Demichelis headed in a Deisler corner for a deserved second goal.

Bastian Schweinsteiger gave away a needless corner in the final minute and Juve striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic took advantage to blast in a flick-on from Emerson. Oliver Kahn then had to punch away a Pavel Nedved free kick to safeguard victory.

Juventus had won their opening seven matches in Serie A and both their Champions League fixtures but never looked like extending that record against a Bayern side willed on by a 66,000 full house at their new World Cup stadium.

Despite the defeat, Juve remain well placed to qualify for the knockout phase with six points, three points behind Bayern but three ahead of Club Bruges who won 1-0 at Rapid Vienna.

Bayern, beaten home and away by Juventus in last season's group stage, had promised a more attacking approach this time and they buzzed with menace throughout the first half, pinning the Italian side back for long periods.

Michael Ballack had a free kick pushed away by Abbiati in the ninth minute after forcing a foul by Lilian Thuram on the edge of the area.

Fifteen minutes later Thuram earned a yellow card for giving away another free kick in almost the same place and this time the keeper stopped a low drive by Bayern striker Roy Makaay before saving from Demichelis on the follow-up.

The ball struck referee Kyros Vassaras as Juventus played their way out of defence and a grateful Willy Sagnol played in Deisler on the right.

The Germany winger beat Gianluca Zambrotta on his way into the area before firing in a shot that seemed to take Abbiati completely by surprise.

The entire Juventus defence were caught out seven minutes later when Demichelis outjumped the lot of them and nodded Deisler's corner down and in.

Juventus switched to a three-man forward line in the second half, with Alessandro Del Piero coming on to make his 100th appearance in European club competition, and the Italians caused Bayern more problems as a result.

David Trezeguet found the side-netting with a fierce shot from an acute angle and Kahn punched a Del Piero effort clear.

But Bayern continued to threaten throughout the second half, with Makaay shooting across goal and narrowly wide and later forcing a brilliant point-blank save from Abbiati.

Bayern Munich couldn't beat Schalke

2005-10-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

Bayern Munich suffered further misery at Schalke 04 overnight as a stoppage time penalty forced them to settle for a 1-1 draw and let in Werder Bremen to replace them at the top with a 6-2 win over Nuremberg.

Bayern had been set to end their away jinx thanks to a 19th minute goal from Roque Santa Cruz but Bastian Schweinsteiger gave away a penalty to Schalke in stoppage time and Soren Larsen converted to level the scores.

The Bundesliga champions, beaten on all five of their previous visits to Schalke's World Cup stadium, then had Martin Demichelis sent off in a frantic finale.

The result meant Bremen's 6-2 home win over Nuremberg, featuring a hat-trick from Miroslav Klose (pictured) and two goals from strike partner Ivan Klasnic, was enough to take them top.

With nine matches played, Bremen and Bayern have 22 points apiece, with Thomas Schaaf's side ahead on goal difference.

Hamburg had Rafael van der Vaart sent off in a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to VfL Wolfsburg and slipped a place to third on 20 points. Schalke are fourth on 17.

Schalke had beaten Bayern in four league games and one Cup match dating back to their move into their 60,000-capacity Arena AufSchalke in 2001.

The venue's recent change of name to the Veltins Arena, following a new sponsorship deal, seemed about to herald a change as Bayern made a brilliant start.

Ze Roberto had a shot blocked in the first minute after a swift passing move carved through the Schalke midfield.

The Brazilian winger threatened again when he broke clear on the left only to shoot wildly when he might have picked out Santa Cruz for a simple chance.

He atoned soon afterwards, again making space on the left and this time sending in a cross for Santa Cruz to convert with a side-foot finish.

Bayern had plenty of chances to increase their lead, with Roy Makaay missing the target when clear on goal and Santa Cruz blasting wide with a clear shot from 10 metres.

Schalke failed to threaten Bayern until the final five minutes, as they launched a series of high balls into the box.

Two minutes into stoppage time, the tactic bore fruit as Schweinsteiger was adjudged to have shoved Larsen for the crucial penalty.

Makaay Interview Video

2005-10-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

To all Makaay fans, here you can watch an interview to Roy, made by spanish media Marca:

Roy Makaay interview with Marca

Hamburg stops Bayern Run

2005-09-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hamburg stopped Bayern Munich's Bundesliga dominance and extended their unbeaten record to 17 games this season after their 2-0 win at the AOL Arena on Saturday.

The defeat ended a run of 15 consecutive wins for Roy Makaay team and took Hamburg to within one point of the still league leaders who, for the first time in six months, now have to recover from losing a Bundesliga game.

Rafael van der Vaart opened the scoring for a dominant Hamburg after 10 minutes and former Bayern midfielder Piotr Trochowski sealed the much-deserved win after 62 minutes.

Bayern entertain Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday hoping to bounce back immediately from their first loss of the season while Hamburg will be looking to book their place in the group phase of the UEFA Cup on Thursday by extending their unbeaten record to 18 when they face FC Copenhagen.

Rafael van der Vaart was the golden boy of Dutch football until recent years and his transfer from Ajax to Hamburg in the summer was received with a mixed feelings.

Many thought he was past his best and would never emulate the great Johan Cruyff as he had been heavily tipped to do as a youngster while others saw his move to the Bundesliga as an opportunity to rediscover his form away from the intense media interest across the border.

The latter has turned out to be the case with Van der Vaart playing a major part in Hamburg's incredible 16-game unbeaten run at the start of this season and his goal after 10 minutes gave the home side the advantage over Bayern.

Ali Karimi wasn't intending to thread a perfect ball through the middle of his own defence, but the Bayern midfielder's attempted interception of a cross-field ball wrong-footed his back-four and allowed van der Vaart to break through and beat Oliver Kahn with a low shot into the far corner.

A subdued Bayern had the opportunity to reply immediately, but Michael Ballack's free-kick was punched away by Stefan Wachter.

The home side kept up the tempo and continued to search for a second with Benjamin Lauth's dipping volley forcing a fine save out of Kahn.

Bayern coach Felix Magath reacted to a lacklustre first half from his side to bring Bastian Schweinsteiger and Paolo Guerrero in for Hasan Salihamidzic and Ali Karimi at the interval, reverting to a 4-4-2 formation and giving Roy Makaay, who hardly saw the ball in the first half, some support.

Nevertheless, it was still the home side who asked all the questions in the early stages of the second half with Lauth once again testing Kahn with a powerful, angled drive that the Germany 'keeper palmed away instinctively.

Magath made the last throw of the dice with half an hour remaining, bringing Mehmet Scholl in for Bixente Lizarazu, an attacking midfielder in place of a full-back as the Bayern coach looked for an equaliser.

But within seconds of the change, Magath's cavalier approach was punished as former Bayern midfielder Trochowski found room between Valerien Ismael and Lucio to collect Sergei Barbarez's through-ball and fire unstoppably into the top corner of Kahn's goal from 15-yards.

The expected Bayern onslaught failed to materialise as Hamburg remained in control of the game, allowing only rare efforts from Ze Roberto and Lucio to get through, but Wachter was never in any real danger between the posts as Thomas Doll's side took a much-deserved three points to keep a firm grip on second place in the table just one point now behind Bayern.

Makaay finds the perfect mate in attack: Paolo Guerrero

2005-09-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

Victory extended Bayern's lead to five points as closest challengers Werder Bremen were beaten 2-1 away to Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Bremen took the lead with a Jelle van Damme header in the 21st minute but a Thomas Broich strike eight minutes after the break levelled the scores and Frank Baumann's own goal seven minutes later gave 'Gladbach victory.

With six games played, Bayern are top with a perfect 18 points, followed by Bremen on 13. Hamburg SV, in third place with 11 points, are away to VfB Stuttgart in one of five matches being played on Wednesday.

Bayern struggled once again in the absence of Michael Ballack and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn admitted they were fortunate to come away with a result that stretched their winning run to a Bundesliga record 15 matches, dating back to March last season.

"We have a small lead over Werder Bremen but things can change quickly," said Kahn. "We were lucky in this game."

Roy Makaay struck a free kick wide early in the first half and the Dutch striker missed another chance soon afterwards after Bastian Schweinsteiger's pass had found him in space.

There were few other bright moments for Bayern in the first half and Frankfurt should have taken the lead when the ball fell for Arie van Lent in the area only for the big German to scoop a shot over the bar.

Two substitutions proved decisive in the end, with Mehmet Scholl's surge down the left creating Bayern's only clear chance of the second half.

Scholl beat his marker and sent in a cross beyond the far post. Ali Karimi headed the ball back across goal and Guerrero was presented with a simple header for the winner.

Roy Makaay returns for Bayern's Victory

2005-09-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath says he's convinced that the absence of forward Roy Makaay was pivotal behind his team's quarter-final exit to Chelsea in last season's Champions League so his return for start of the 2005/06 campaign is a real shot in the arm.

Munich survived a late penalty scare to edge past a feisty Rapid Vienna side 1-0 in their opening Champions League Group A match on Wednesday.

Peruvian striker Jose Paolo Guerrero scored the only goal in the 60th minute but Jozef Valachovic wasted a chance to equalise when he shot wide from the spot eight minutes from time.

Bayern's winner came after Roy Makaay's header from a Lucio cross was superbly saved by Rapid keeper Helge Payer, only for Guerrero's scuffed shot from the rebound to crawl over the line.

Despite the missed penalty, awarded for a non-existent foul on substitute Muhammet Akagunduz, Rapid coach Josef Hickersberger conceded that the better team had won.

'I think we played a really good match but Bayern were the better team - there is no doubt,' he said.

'But we had our chances and should have taken the lead.'

The German visitors had the lion's share of possession but Rapid regularly looked dangerous on the counter and will be disappointed that they didn't at least draw.

'I think we can be very pleased with the first half. We had better goal opportunities than Bayern but we didn't make the most of them, unfortunately,' Rapid midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz stated.

'I think Bayern controlled the second half better,' he added

Rapid regularly looked dangerous on the counter-attack, particularly at the end of the first half, when they could have scored twice.

Captain Steffen Hofmann couldn't quite reach a cross when he was unmarked in front of goal and when Axel Lawaree's cross found striker Marek Kincl the Czech somehow managed to blast the ball over the crossbar.

Bayern Munich defeats Nuremberg without Roy

2005-09-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Nuremberg took a 19th minute lead when Javier Pinola scored, but Bayern equalized a minute later through Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero. Michael Ballack scored a 60th minute winner to maintain Bayern's 100 percent record after four games..

Television replays showed that Ballack netted the decider from an offside position. Bayern coach Felix Magath said that he was happy that his side had won despite being without their top scorer Roy Makaay.

"This game showed that we can compete without Roy and that is something important," said Magath.

The last time a side managed 13 league wins in a row was in 1981, when Bayern achieved the feat between April and September, scoring 47 goals and conceding 11.

Bayern can set a new mark next weekend at home to Hanover.

Makaay doubt in Munich

2005-09-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Bayern Munich forward Roy Makaay looks likely to miss next Bundesliga clash against Nurnberg on Saturday after failing to recover from the knee injury he picked up while on international duty with Holland.

The 30-year-old, who has scored six goals in the first three games of the fledgling league season, took a knock to his knee during training in preparation for his country's two World Cup qualifiers against Armenia and Andorra.

Since returning to Munich, Makaay has undergone further tests and has worn a protective cast for a few days.

It was hoped he would return to training early this week but his knee has not healed as expected and he is almost certain to miss out on Saturday.

Makaay could also emerge as a doubt for Bayern's opening Champions League Group A fixture against Rapid Vienna in Austria next Wednesday.

Bayern coach Felix Magath has Roque Santa Cruz and Claudio Pizarro available to replace the Dutchman, with Paolo Guerrero in reserve.

Makaay will miss Dutch games

2005-09-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

Makaay had already been ruled out of the Group One tie in Armenia on Saturday but Dutch national team medical staff had hoped to pass him fit to face Andorra in a home match the following Wednesday.

"I feel no pain, but I can't move the knee properly," said Makaay.

"At the moment it is hard to say how long it will take. I have to wear a brace and in the beginning of next week we will decide when I can start training again."

The Bayern Munich forward sustained the injury last Wednesday when he strained his knee and left the Dutch training camp in Noordwijk on to be treated at his club in Germany.

Despite Makaay's absence, Dutch coach Marco van Basten is confident of his team progressing to the World Cup finals.

"The team is taking shape. The selection is crystalizing, as is our playing style," van Basten said.

"We'll have to play a very different game than we did the first time against Armenia. Then our attack was far from ideal."

In March, the Dutch won 2-0 but had problems breaking down Armenia, who have lost seven their nine qualifying games.

"We take Armenia seriously, but we'll apply pressure from the start," Van Basten said.

The Dutch lead their group with 22 points, one ahead of the Czech Republic.

The two nations face each other in Prague on October 8 in what is likely be the decisive match of the group.

Makaay gets Hat trick for Bayern victory

2005-08-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

Bayern Munich kept its steady begining for this season as it crushed Bayer Leverkusen in the second round of matches. Roy Makaay scored three times and Bayern won, 5-2, on the road on Saturday. The Dutch striker has scored 15 goals in his past seven Bundesliga matches, and Bayern has won 11 consecutive league games dating to last season. Makaay has five goals in two matches this season.

Leverkusen, who humiliated Bayern 4-1 last season, were one goal down only three minutes into the game as Michael Ballack powered home a perfectly-placed shot in the corner of the net to open the scoring against his former side.

Makaay put Bayern 2-0 up eight minutes later but Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov netted a penalty in the 32nd minute, briefly bringing Leverkusen into the game.

Four minutes later Ali Karimi extended Bayern's lead to 3-1 and Makaay turned the screw, scoring twice within seven minutes in the second half. Bayer's Marko Babic got a late consolation eight minutes from time.

Bayern opened the season last week by beating Mönchengladbach, 3-0.

Makaay Joins up with Bayern Munich Team

2005-07-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Dutch forward Roy Makaay has fired a broadside to his club's rivals both in Germany and Europe, after joining up with Bayern Munich squad for pre-season training. Makaay was the second top scorer last season, behind Nurnberg's Marek Mintal. How ever he made an incredible number of nine goals in the final four games of the season, signalling his intent for the new campaign, which begins on August 5.

"We can just keep going where we left off last season" Makaay said at the training camp on Lake Tegernsee. "It's not going to get any easier for our opponents. That's for sure. The squad is almost the same, which is an advantage for us." Roy Makaay and his team-mates either were confronted with torrential rain on Wednesday, which forced their gruelling annual run up the Wallberg mountain to be cancelled - but only for the time being.

Coach Felix Magath will stick by his hard training methods that helped his side to the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double last season, but the bar for this season has been raised with success in the Champions League taking a higher priority.

Makaay and Bayern Munich rule in Germany

2005-07-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

The german club Bayern Munich has a powerful forward line, with peruvians Claudio Pizarro and Paolo Guerrero, but specially with Roy Makaay. The dutch striker has become a fundamental piece of Magath's team. He was the top scorer on the last season, and helped the other strikers to get their own goals. Even though he had a very hard injury last month, he stills is an irreplaceable player. He has three seasons in Bayern Munich and the fans love him as and every-time idol. Next month english Chelsea would take Pizarro away from Munich. But The german club is not worried. As long as they have Roy Makaay, the other forward will always be a good forward.

European Soccer Star: Roy Makaay Career

2005-06-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

His full name is Roy Rudolphus Anton Makaay and he was born on March 9th of 1975 in Wijchen, Netherlands. He is a Dutch international footballer who is a striker for the Netherlands and Bayern Munich.
Makaay was the European Golden Boot winner in 2002-2003 for being the top scorer in Europe. He was first recognised as a talented striker while playing for Vitesse Arnhem in the mid 1990s and honed his skills at the Spanish First Division with Tenerife and later with Deportivo de La Coruña where he scored 22 goals in 36 appearances in his most profilic 1999/2000 season. His international caps for the Dutch national team has been limited due to previous players like Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp and now Ruud van Nistelrooy who scored far more goals for the national team and who played for more internationally reknowned clubs. Makaay did play for his country at Euro 2000 and Euro 2004.

Roy Makaay Profile

2005-06-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here you can check the profile for Makaay:

Name:
Roy Makaay

Birthplace:
Wijchen, Netherlands

Date of Birth:
9 March, 1975

Position:
Forward

Clubs:
SBV Vitesse Arnhem (Holland, Division 1), CD Tenerife (Spain), Deportiva la Coruña (Spain), FC Bayern München (Germany)

Why is he a great striker?:

Nobody can argue with a striker who won Europe's Golden Boot award after scoring 29 goals for Deportivo la Coruña in 2002-2003 season. Scoring is his specialty, although he has some tough competition for a starting spot in Dick Advocaat's Netherlands squad. His goals are a mixture of aerial prowess and quick drives to the net where he can put the ball away with either foot.

At the age of 29, Makaay has already commanded two large transfers, the first from Tenerife to Deportivo and his more recent $21.2 million US move to Bayern Munich. Scoring four of his eleven 2002/2003 Champions League goals against the Bavarian club, Ottmar Hitzfeld was eager to bring the striker to the Olympiastadion in Munich.

With one goal in four 2004 Eurocup qualification matches, Makaay's place in the Netherlands starting eleven is not guaranteed. Both Ruud van Nistelrooy and Patrick Kluivert will be looking to keep him on the bench with strong performances of their own. Following his first appearance for the national side in October of 1996, he participated in Holland's 2000 Eurocup campaign and their failed attempt to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

There is no doubt that the Makaay can score, bagging a total of 29 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich this season. The Dutchman is prone to injury and his fitness will ultimately determine the caliber of his performance in this summer's Eurocup competition. He has succeeded at all of his four clubs. Now he has to perform for his country.