UPDATE - Thankfully this story has a happy ending as Yobo’s brother, Norum has been released after being held for 12 days.

No word if a ransom was paid.

via Soccernet

‘On behalf of Joseph and the family, I want to say a big thank you to Everton Football Club. They were very supportive in every way possible, especially the chairman (Bill Kenwright), who was calling on a daily basis to find out how things were progressing.’

‘Joe is very happy to see him, but he is still down emotionally, still shaken. Right now, he just wants to get himself emotionally ready enough to get set for pre-season training,’ concluded Shittu.

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If you’ve ever wanted to hear Tim Howard’s views on his former team Manchester United and their success as of late, then Mattias Karen’s article is something you’re going to want to check out.

I’ve known Tim now for over 10 years and I can honestly say that he’s the same person now that he was with the US U-18 squad down at the Olympic Training Center outside San Diego in 1997.

It’s great to see good guys make it at the highest level.

So imagine you’re the referee.

You’ve given a free kick at the top of the box with only 7 minutes left in the match.  The visitors (in this case Everton) are up 1-nil and if the result stays that way, Everton will be level with Liverpool.

As the Birmingham player Mauro Zarate (on loan from Al Sadd of Qatar) lines up to take the free kick, you notice another Birmingham player (defender Radhi Jaidi) jumping up and down behind the Everton wall, making faces and ultimately trying to distract Everton keeper Tim Howard.

Jaidi is really doing nothing wrong other than looking a fool and standing in the sight line of Howard, but as Zarate takes his set piece (which was a thing of beauty and to be honest, I’m not sure if Howard would have gotten to it anyways) Jaidi is interfering with the keeper, while he’s not technically interfering with the keeper.

What would you have called? Foul?  Unsportsmanlike conduct?  Interfering with the keeper?  Or would you have let the goal stand as is?

Referee Steve Bennett let the goal stand, drawing Birmingham level with Everton for a 1-1 result.

image via SkySports

While things are going great for Barclay’s Premiership clubs in Champions League, things are so good in the Uefa Cup after tonight.

Both Timmy Howard’s Everton FC and Juande Ramos’ Tottenham Hotspurs are out, in heartbreaking fashion falling in penalty kicks.

Juande Ramos’ luck ran out after last years win with Sevilla, even after the won 1-0 to tie it up 1-1 on aggregate.  Jermaine Jenas’ pk was saved and Chimbonda went wide knocking Spurs out of the competition.

Up at Goodison Park Everton scored two important goals to tie it up 2-2 against Italians Fiorentina on aggregate before falling 2-4 in penalties on misses by Yakubu and Jagielka.

image via PFutebol

After only signing in 2006, Joleon Lescott has enjoyed a lot of success under David Moyes at Everton.  Enough success that he’s seen himself in Uefa competitions, upper mid table and England National Team appearances.

Today that success has translated to a new contract with Everton, one that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2012.  No pound amount was announced for the former Wolves star, but you can sleep well knowing the Lescott won’t be worrying about his financial affairs for a very, very, very long time.

image via FootbalUK

[Sorry, rough video]

British Constable Will Hope has publicly criticized Everton and Australian midfielder Tim Cahill for his goal celebration against Portsmouth at the weekend.  The former Millwall players crossing of his wrists were meant to be a signal of support for his brother Chris, who is serving a 6 year jail sentence for an assault that left a man almost blind.

After making 27 appearances for Everton since August (even after missing 8 matches due to African Nations Cup duty with South Africa that saw an International tug-of-war), Steve Pienaar’s contract looks set to be bought after his loan spell ends in May.  The permanent switch to Timmy Howards club looks to be around 2 Million Pound for the 25 year old former Ajax standout who’s one year, 25 match appearance at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund seems to be ending after being bought to replace Tomas Rosicky, who’d left for Arsenal the year earlier.

image via DailyMail

image via UefaClubs
Ramiro Corrales’ former team, SK Brann is facing off against Timmy Howard’s Everton Wednesday for the first leg of the final 16 in the Uefa Cup competition. After the Sweden/US friendly in January, Corrales went on record, refusing to return to the Norwegian club and stating that he’d rather quit than go back. In what could have been another great platform for American success overseas in the form of Scandinavian soccer(think Danny Califf), we’ll have to wait and see what path Corrales takes since transfer rules are similar to MLS up in Denmark/Sweden/Norway.

With Everton four points clear of Liverpool and in the coveted final Champions League  qualification position, people must be going crazy in Liverpool right now.  I know the season is not over, and there are quite a few games to play, but they take their football very serious there, and it has been awhile since Everton have had the upper hand over their cross town rivals.  If they finish ahead of Liverpool and qualify for Europe, things are going to get very interesting on Merseyside.

On a personal note, I haven’t been back to Liverpool since we were there back in the day with the US Olympic team.  We actually played and beat the Liverpool reserves at their Melwood training ground.  In that game Johnny O’Brien put the nasty on Danny Murphy by megging him, then looked up and chipped the keeper from about 35 yards.  One of the most ridiculous bits of individual skill I have ever seen.

image via DailyMail

Anytime you go on International Duty for your country, you’ve been given a specific time and date that you have to be back by.  In this case it’s Nigerian striker Yakubu, who’s two day late arrival from the African Nations Cup was made even worse by countryman/teammate  Joseph Yobo arrival on time (talk about getting thrown under the bus).  Although manager David Moyes initial statement to the press is that it’s “an internal matter”, Yakubu will not be dressing for Everton’s Saturday match against Reading and a minimum two week fine (40,000 pound) has been levied.