PARIS, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Ligue 1 strugglers Valenciennes twice fought back from a goal down to hold Paris St Germain to a 2-2 home draw on Sunday.
Striker Guillaume Hoarau fired home with a powerful volley after controlling the ball with his chest from a Ceara cross on 26 minutes to put PSG in front at Parc des Princes.
Defender Rudy Mater then levelled for Valenciennes early in the second half before midfielder Jerome Rothen struck from close range on 71 minutes to give PSG a 2-1 lead.
Midfielder Siaka Tiene followed up after a Mater effort bounced off the crossbar to earn Valenciennes a share of the points seven minutes from time.
The draw left PSG, recovering after narrowly escaping relegation last season, in third, five points off leaders Olympique Lyon and one point behind second-placed Stade Rennes.
Seven-times champions Lyon top the standings with 38 points halfway through the campaign after a 1-0 win at Caen on Saturday.
Olympique Marseille lost ground on the leaders with an embarrassing 3-0 home defeat by easterners Nancy on Sunday featuring two goals by Morocco midfielder Youssouf Hadji.
Marseille, without a title since winning the Champions League in 1993, slide to fifth, six points off the pace.
Girondins Bordeaux can capture second place with a win at Monaco in the last game before the winter break later on Sunday.
(Reporting by Patrick Vignal, editing by Justin Palmer)
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Henry helps runaway Barca extend lead at top
MADRID, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Thierry Henry scored the winner as Barcelona came from behind to beat Villarreal 2-1 away and go 10 points clear at the top of the Primera Liga on Sunday.
Cani had given Villarreal the lead just after the restart in a pulsating match at the Madrigal, bursting clear to chip Victor Valdes.
Barca’s Mali midfielder Seydou Keita levelled with a brave header soon after and France striker Henry volleyed the winner in the 67th minute from Xavi’s run and cross.
Barca had to play the last 15 minutes with 10 men after defender Gerard Pique was shown a second yellow card but they hung for the win and have now beaten all five of their closest challengers.
Pep Guardiola’s side have 41 points from 16 games. Sevilla were held to a 0-0 draw away to struggling Real Mallorca but climbed into second place on 31 points.
Manolo Jimenez’s side, who were knocked out of the UEFA Cup during the week, put in a listless display and Luis Fabiano headed their best chance against the bar in the first half.
Atletico Madrid are third with 30 points, above Valencia on goal difference after their 3-2 win at Espanyol on Saturday, when Valencia lost 1-0 at Real Madrid.
The champions are a point back in fifth ahead of Villarreal on goal difference, and two points in front of seventh-placed Deportivo Coruna, who sank Recreativo Huelva 4-1 at home. Lowly Numancia pulled off the comeback of the day against in-form Real Valladolid, scoring three times in the last 10 \ minutes to win 4-3 at home.
Bottom club Osasuna claimed their second win of the season with an 5-2 demolition of an out-of-sorts
Cani had given Villarreal the lead just after the restart in a pulsating match at the Madrigal, bursting clear to chip Victor Valdes.
Barca’s Mali midfielder Seydou Keita levelled with a brave header soon after and France striker Henry volleyed the winner in the 67th minute from Xavi’s run and cross.
Barca had to play the last 15 minutes with 10 men after defender Gerard Pique was shown a second yellow card but they hung for the win and have now beaten all five of their closest challengers.
Pep Guardiola’s side have 41 points from 16 games. Sevilla were held to a 0-0 draw away to struggling Real Mallorca but climbed into second place on 31 points.
Manolo Jimenez’s side, who were knocked out of the UEFA Cup during the week, put in a listless display and Luis Fabiano headed their best chance against the bar in the first half.
Atletico Madrid are third with 30 points, above Valencia on goal difference after their 3-2 win at Espanyol on Saturday, when Valencia lost 1-0 at Real Madrid.
The champions are a point back in fifth ahead of Villarreal on goal difference, and two points in front of seventh-placed Deportivo Coruna, who sank Recreativo Huelva 4-1 at home. Lowly Numancia pulled off the comeback of the day against in-form Real Valladolid, scoring three times in the last 10 \ minutes to win 4-3 at home.
Bottom club Osasuna claimed their second win of the season with an 5-2 demolition of an out-of-sorts
Battling Juve beat Atalanta, Milan sparkle
MILAN, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Juventus cut the gap with Serie A leaders Inter Milan back to six points with a hard-fought 3-1 win at Atalanta on Sunday.
Third-placed AC Milan also racked up an important victory ahead of the mid-season break, thrashing Udinese 5-1 at home with January loan signing David Beckham watching in the stands.
Juve’s Alessandro Del Piero and Nicola Legrottaglie put the visitors 2-0 up before former Juve striker Christian Vieri pulled one back with a header just after the break.
Determined Atalanta searched for an equaliser but Amauri’s bullet header eight minutes from time ended their hopes.
“It was a well-deserved and hard-earned victory,” Juve coach Claudio Ranieri told reporters. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy away to Atalanta.”
Marco Marchionni was offside when he crossed for Del Piero’s opener just like Maicon was when he scored the 83rd-minute winner in Inter’s fortunate 2-1 victory at Siena on Saturday. Injury-ravaged Milan, three behind Juve, quickly took control of an extremely open contest in the late game.
Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato scored twice from close range and set up compatriot Kaka for another tap-in with Antonio Di Natale also netting for Udinese in a frantic first 18 minutes.
FIORENTINA FOURTH
Clarence Seedorf slid home after Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick hit the post just before the interval and Kaka blasted in from 20 metres early in the second period.
Beckham, who is joining Milan for two months from Los Angeles Galaxy to stay in contention for an England place, appeared on the pitch before kickoff to wave to the San Siro crowd. He then took his place in the stand alongside wife Victoria.
Fiorentina moved up to fourth thanks to Riccardo Montolivo’s crisp strike in a 1-0 win at Sampdoria. The Florence side were helped up the table by suspension-hit Napoli losing 1-0 at struggling Torino and dropping to fifth. Torino are now a point above the drop zone.
Mid-table AS Roma, who had won five league games in a row after a poor start, lost 3-2 at Catania with Japanese forward Takayuki Morimoto confidently scoring twice for the Sicilians.
Roma drew 1-1 at Catania on the final day of last season when they lost the title to Inter and bad blood between the clubs was apparent at fulltime with skirmishes on the pitch and in the tunnel. Francesco Totti also went off injured early on.
Serie A resumes from the mid-season break on Jan. 10 and 11. (Editing by John Mehaffey)
Third-placed AC Milan also racked up an important victory ahead of the mid-season break, thrashing Udinese 5-1 at home with January loan signing David Beckham watching in the stands.
Juve’s Alessandro Del Piero and Nicola Legrottaglie put the visitors 2-0 up before former Juve striker Christian Vieri pulled one back with a header just after the break.
Determined Atalanta searched for an equaliser but Amauri’s bullet header eight minutes from time ended their hopes.
“It was a well-deserved and hard-earned victory,” Juve coach Claudio Ranieri told reporters. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy away to Atalanta.”
Marco Marchionni was offside when he crossed for Del Piero’s opener just like Maicon was when he scored the 83rd-minute winner in Inter’s fortunate 2-1 victory at Siena on Saturday. Injury-ravaged Milan, three behind Juve, quickly took control of an extremely open contest in the late game.
Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato scored twice from close range and set up compatriot Kaka for another tap-in with Antonio Di Natale also netting for Udinese in a frantic first 18 minutes.
FIORENTINA FOURTH
Clarence Seedorf slid home after Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick hit the post just before the interval and Kaka blasted in from 20 metres early in the second period.
Beckham, who is joining Milan for two months from Los Angeles Galaxy to stay in contention for an England place, appeared on the pitch before kickoff to wave to the San Siro crowd. He then took his place in the stand alongside wife Victoria.
Fiorentina moved up to fourth thanks to Riccardo Montolivo’s crisp strike in a 1-0 win at Sampdoria. The Florence side were helped up the table by suspension-hit Napoli losing 1-0 at struggling Torino and dropping to fifth. Torino are now a point above the drop zone.
Mid-table AS Roma, who had won five league games in a row after a poor start, lost 3-2 at Catania with Japanese forward Takayuki Morimoto confidently scoring twice for the Sicilians.
Roma drew 1-1 at Catania on the final day of last season when they lost the title to Inter and bad blood between the clubs was apparent at fulltime with skirmishes on the pitch and in the tunnel. Francesco Totti also went off injured early on.
Serie A resumes from the mid-season break on Jan. 10 and 11. (Editing by John Mehaffey)
Almeria sack coach Arconada after defeat to Sporting
MADRID, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Almeria sacked coach Gonzalo Arconada after the side’s 1-0 Primera Liga defeat away to Sporting Gijon on Sunday.
“The club decided to sack Arconada for the team’s results. After today’s game they have gone five without a win and have only claimed one point,” Almeria said in a statement on their website (www.udalmeriasad.com).
“The club also wanted to make the most of the break for the Christmas holidays to leave sufficient time to find a replacement.”
Arconada, 47, was appointed to replace current Valencia boss Unai Emery in July but Almeria have now slipped to 16th in the standings after the defeat at promoted Sporting.
They have just one win from their last 11 matches and are three points above the relegation places.
“The club decided to sack Arconada for the team’s results. After today’s game they have gone five without a win and have only claimed one point,” Almeria said in a statement on their website (www.udalmeriasad.com).
“The club also wanted to make the most of the break for the Christmas holidays to leave sufficient time to find a replacement.”
Arconada, 47, was appointed to replace current Valencia boss Unai Emery in July but Almeria have now slipped to 16th in the standings after the defeat at promoted Sporting.
They have just one win from their last 11 matches and are three points above the relegation places.
Serie A reports
MILAN, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Brief reports from Serie A matches played on Sunday
AC MILAN 5 UDINESE 1
Milan are third after a thrilling game where Brazilians Alexandre Pato and Kaka both scored twice.
Striker Pato headed in Giuseppe Favalli’s cross early on and then set up Kaka for an easy tap-in before Italy forward Antonio Natale pulled one back with a rasping shot on 17 minutes. Pato soon poked in a second with the visiting defence all at sea and Clarence Seedorf netted just before the break. Kaka crashed home from the edge of the area in the second half.
January loan signing David Beckham went on the pitch before the game to wave to the Milan fans and watched the match with wife Victoria from t- - - -
ATALANTA BERGAMO 1 JUVENTUS 3
Alessandro Del Piero prodded in Marco Marchionni’s cross on the half hour but replays showed Marchionni was offside.
Defender Nicola Legrottaglie then leapt like a salmon to head in on 37 minutes to stun the home side, who had made a very bright start. Atalanta did score just after the break through former Juve forward Christian Vieri’s header and they later had a strong penalty shout before an Amauri header sealed second-placed Juve’s win.
Minor crowd trouble occurred outside the ground before kick off with two police officers injured, media said.
- - - -
CAGLIARI 1 REGGINA 1
Striker Robert Acquafresca put the hosts ahead in the first minute with a powerful header from a free kick.
New Reggina coach Giuseppe Pillon saw his second-from-bottom side equalise on the hour through Franco Brienza’s spotkick after Paolo Bianco handled in the area and was sent off for a second booking.
- - - -
CATANIA 3 AS ROMA 2
The hosts had Roma on the ropes right from the off and they were rewarded when Davide Baiocco clipped in after a quick break following a Roma mistake in midfield.
The Sicilians went two up when Japanese forward Takayuki Morimoto slotted home after breaching the offside trap five minutes before the break. He was equally cool when netting again on 56 minutes.
Roma, who drew 1-1 at Catania in the final match of last season when they missed out on the title, had previously won five league matches in a row. They netted through Mirko Vucinic and Jeremy Menez on 74 and 78 minutes but it was too late.
Francesco Totti came off early with a leg injury.
- - - -
CHIEVO VERONA 0 GENOA 1
Ruben Olivera stole victory for high-flying Genoa a minute from time with a powerful run and shot.
Striker Sergio Pellissier hit the post for bottom side Chievo at the start of the second half and the hosts hit the woodwork again as Genoa, missing injured top scorer Diego Milito, were put under the cosh.
- - - -
LECCE 0 BOLOGNA 0
The visitors had the best of the first half but fellow strugglers Lecce fought back in the second period and had numerous chances to break the deadlock.
- - - -
SAMPDORIA 0 FIORENTINA 1
Midfielder Riccardo Montolivo fired home from the edge of the box on 19 minutes to secure a battling victory which lifts Fiorentina into the Champions League places.
The visitors had other chances with Adrian Mutu striking a post.
- - - -
TORINO 1 NAPOLI 0
Striker Rolando Bianchi slid in at the far post on 53 minutes to give struggling Torino a much-needed victory against a Napoli side without suspended duo Ezequiel Lavezzi and Paolo Cannavaro as well as injured midfielder Marek Hamsik.
New Torino coach Walter Novellino jigged for joy on the touchline having also masterminded the midweek Italian Cup win over Fiorentina.
- - - -
Played on Saturday:
LAZIO 1 PALERMO 0
Tommaso Rocchi came off the bench in the second half to touch in a Mourad Meghni cross from the left in the 66th minute and give Lazio their first league win in six weeks.
Mark Bresciano spurned a good chance to level before the visitors had defender Federico Balzaretti sent off for a second yellow card in the 72nd. Lazio’s Pasquale Foggia hit the woodwork and both sides had penalty appeals turned down in the closing stages.
- - - -
SIENA 1 INTER MILAN 2
Brazilian defender Maicon earned the champions a lucky win by dinking in his second goal of the match seven minutes from time, although he was clearly offside.
Moroccan midfielder Houssine Kharja had beaten defender Maxwell to a Cristiano Del Grosso cross to equalise for the lively hosts just before halftime after Maicon nipped to score the opener from a corner in the 35th minute.
Inter’s eighth consecutive league win ensures they have a six-point lead at the top of the standings during Serie A’s three-week winter break.he stands.
AC MILAN 5 UDINESE 1
Milan are third after a thrilling game where Brazilians Alexandre Pato and Kaka both scored twice.
Striker Pato headed in Giuseppe Favalli’s cross early on and then set up Kaka for an easy tap-in before Italy forward Antonio Natale pulled one back with a rasping shot on 17 minutes. Pato soon poked in a second with the visiting defence all at sea and Clarence Seedorf netted just before the break. Kaka crashed home from the edge of the area in the second half.
January loan signing David Beckham went on the pitch before the game to wave to the Milan fans and watched the match with wife Victoria from t- - - -
ATALANTA BERGAMO 1 JUVENTUS 3
Alessandro Del Piero prodded in Marco Marchionni’s cross on the half hour but replays showed Marchionni was offside.
Defender Nicola Legrottaglie then leapt like a salmon to head in on 37 minutes to stun the home side, who had made a very bright start. Atalanta did score just after the break through former Juve forward Christian Vieri’s header and they later had a strong penalty shout before an Amauri header sealed second-placed Juve’s win.
Minor crowd trouble occurred outside the ground before kick off with two police officers injured, media said.
- - - -
CAGLIARI 1 REGGINA 1
Striker Robert Acquafresca put the hosts ahead in the first minute with a powerful header from a free kick.
New Reggina coach Giuseppe Pillon saw his second-from-bottom side equalise on the hour through Franco Brienza’s spotkick after Paolo Bianco handled in the area and was sent off for a second booking.
- - - -
CATANIA 3 AS ROMA 2
The hosts had Roma on the ropes right from the off and they were rewarded when Davide Baiocco clipped in after a quick break following a Roma mistake in midfield.
The Sicilians went two up when Japanese forward Takayuki Morimoto slotted home after breaching the offside trap five minutes before the break. He was equally cool when netting again on 56 minutes.
Roma, who drew 1-1 at Catania in the final match of last season when they missed out on the title, had previously won five league matches in a row. They netted through Mirko Vucinic and Jeremy Menez on 74 and 78 minutes but it was too late.
Francesco Totti came off early with a leg injury.
- - - -
CHIEVO VERONA 0 GENOA 1
Ruben Olivera stole victory for high-flying Genoa a minute from time with a powerful run and shot.
Striker Sergio Pellissier hit the post for bottom side Chievo at the start of the second half and the hosts hit the woodwork again as Genoa, missing injured top scorer Diego Milito, were put under the cosh.
- - - -
LECCE 0 BOLOGNA 0
The visitors had the best of the first half but fellow strugglers Lecce fought back in the second period and had numerous chances to break the deadlock.
- - - -
SAMPDORIA 0 FIORENTINA 1
Midfielder Riccardo Montolivo fired home from the edge of the box on 19 minutes to secure a battling victory which lifts Fiorentina into the Champions League places.
The visitors had other chances with Adrian Mutu striking a post.
- - - -
TORINO 1 NAPOLI 0
Striker Rolando Bianchi slid in at the far post on 53 minutes to give struggling Torino a much-needed victory against a Napoli side without suspended duo Ezequiel Lavezzi and Paolo Cannavaro as well as injured midfielder Marek Hamsik.
New Torino coach Walter Novellino jigged for joy on the touchline having also masterminded the midweek Italian Cup win over Fiorentina.
- - - -
Played on Saturday:
LAZIO 1 PALERMO 0
Tommaso Rocchi came off the bench in the second half to touch in a Mourad Meghni cross from the left in the 66th minute and give Lazio their first league win in six weeks.
Mark Bresciano spurned a good chance to level before the visitors had defender Federico Balzaretti sent off for a second yellow card in the 72nd. Lazio’s Pasquale Foggia hit the woodwork and both sides had penalty appeals turned down in the closing stages.
- - - -
SIENA 1 INTER MILAN 2
Brazilian defender Maicon earned the champions a lucky win by dinking in his second goal of the match seven minutes from time, although he was clearly offside.
Moroccan midfielder Houssine Kharja had beaten defender Maxwell to a Cristiano Del Grosso cross to equalise for the lively hosts just before halftime after Maicon nipped to score the opener from a corner in the 35th minute.
Inter’s eighth consecutive league win ensures they have a six-point lead at the top of the standings during Serie A’s three-week winter break.he stands.
Beckham, wife enjoy a posh introduction in Milan
MILAN, Italy (AP)—David Beckham insists this has everything to do with soccer and nothing to do with fashion and celebrity.
The 33-year-old midfielder also acknowledged on Saturday that playing for AC Milan on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy is a gamble.
Beckham, a former star for Manchester United and Real Madrid, said the move fulfills his dream of playing with a top Italian team and his goal of staying in shape during the MLS offseason in an attempt to keep a spot on England’s team.
“I wouldn’t take this opportunity if I didn’t think that I could help the team and help the club,” Beckham said during his introductory news conference at San Siro Stadium. “There are some great players out there. I don’t expect to be starting on the first day because it doesn’t happen that way.”England coach Fabio Capello has said it is not enough for Beckham to train with AC Milan—he must also play to be considered for the national team.
“That is exactly the right thing a manager should do,” Beckham said. “If any player is not playing in a team or playing at a top level, then playing at an international level is virtually impossible.”
Beckham is bringing plenty of celebrity buzz with him to Italy. He is married to fashion icon Victoria Beckham and the player himself has done underwear ads for the Milanese designer Armani. Beckham said Milan’s status as a fashion capital did not enter into his decision.
“No, fashion had nothing to do with my choice in coming to Milan,” he said. “The red and black shirt was the reason I came to Milan, and the history behind the club.”
Victoria Beckham sat in the front row during the news conference wearing a slim-fitting short-sleeved dress, black gloves and stiletto heels. “Posh Spice” has recently signed as the spokeswoman for the new Armani lingerie line.
She and the couple’s three boys will remain in Los Angeles for most of her husband’s stint.
“They’re going to be staying in school, but we’re going to be coming over as much as we can,” Victoria Beckham said. “We’re very, very excited.”
The loan begins Jan. 7 and expires March 9, Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said. The midfielder will start work after the holidays when he joins his new teammates at a training camp in Dubai on Dec. 29.
“He is in really great physical condition, I am told, and I believe that after the period of preparation in Dubai, I believe he will be up to playing,” Galliani said.
Beckham cannot play competitive games with Milan until the transfer window opens in January. He will greet fans Sunday before a league match against Udinese and also will reportedly meet Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who owns the team.
But not everyone is pleased. Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso doesn’t understand the point of this move.
“This Beckham thing seems very strange to me. Perhaps it would’ve been better and more right if he stayed for the whole season and signed a proper contract,” Gattuso said this week. “To be here for six weeks to two months seems pretty strange.”
Beckham will wear No. 32 at Milan.
“I think it was the first number they offered me and I said yes straight away because I would have worn any number to play in,” he said.
Beckham made his opening remarks in Italian, struggling at the end to remember a few words.
“I really happy to be here,” he said in English, before recalling the Italian he had been reaching for: “venire qui,” or to come here.
“I have been very lucky in my career to play at some of the biggest clubs in the world, with Manchester United, Real Madrid and now AC Milan,” he said. “There are no bigger clubs than those in the world.”
Beckham is one short of the national team’s appearance record of 108 games set by Bobby Moore, the 1966 World Cup captain. Capello said he will not select Beckham just so he can equal or pass that mark.
“It’s important for Beckham, not for me,” the England coach said. “He’s a very important player. But if he will be in the squad it’s because he is in a good spell of form.”
The 33-year-old midfielder also acknowledged on Saturday that playing for AC Milan on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy is a gamble.
Beckham, a former star for Manchester United and Real Madrid, said the move fulfills his dream of playing with a top Italian team and his goal of staying in shape during the MLS offseason in an attempt to keep a spot on England’s team.
“I wouldn’t take this opportunity if I didn’t think that I could help the team and help the club,” Beckham said during his introductory news conference at San Siro Stadium. “There are some great players out there. I don’t expect to be starting on the first day because it doesn’t happen that way.”England coach Fabio Capello has said it is not enough for Beckham to train with AC Milan—he must also play to be considered for the national team.
“That is exactly the right thing a manager should do,” Beckham said. “If any player is not playing in a team or playing at a top level, then playing at an international level is virtually impossible.”
Beckham is bringing plenty of celebrity buzz with him to Italy. He is married to fashion icon Victoria Beckham and the player himself has done underwear ads for the Milanese designer Armani. Beckham said Milan’s status as a fashion capital did not enter into his decision.
“No, fashion had nothing to do with my choice in coming to Milan,” he said. “The red and black shirt was the reason I came to Milan, and the history behind the club.”
Victoria Beckham sat in the front row during the news conference wearing a slim-fitting short-sleeved dress, black gloves and stiletto heels. “Posh Spice” has recently signed as the spokeswoman for the new Armani lingerie line.
She and the couple’s three boys will remain in Los Angeles for most of her husband’s stint.
“They’re going to be staying in school, but we’re going to be coming over as much as we can,” Victoria Beckham said. “We’re very, very excited.”
The loan begins Jan. 7 and expires March 9, Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said. The midfielder will start work after the holidays when he joins his new teammates at a training camp in Dubai on Dec. 29.
“He is in really great physical condition, I am told, and I believe that after the period of preparation in Dubai, I believe he will be up to playing,” Galliani said.
Beckham cannot play competitive games with Milan until the transfer window opens in January. He will greet fans Sunday before a league match against Udinese and also will reportedly meet Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who owns the team.
But not everyone is pleased. Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso doesn’t understand the point of this move.
“This Beckham thing seems very strange to me. Perhaps it would’ve been better and more right if he stayed for the whole season and signed a proper contract,” Gattuso said this week. “To be here for six weeks to two months seems pretty strange.”
Beckham will wear No. 32 at Milan.
“I think it was the first number they offered me and I said yes straight away because I would have worn any number to play in,” he said.
Beckham made his opening remarks in Italian, struggling at the end to remember a few words.
“I really happy to be here,” he said in English, before recalling the Italian he had been reaching for: “venire qui,” or to come here.
“I have been very lucky in my career to play at some of the biggest clubs in the world, with Manchester United, Real Madrid and now AC Milan,” he said. “There are no bigger clubs than those in the world.”
Beckham is one short of the national team’s appearance record of 108 games set by Bobby Moore, the 1966 World Cup captain. Capello said he will not select Beckham just so he can equal or pass that mark.
“It’s important for Beckham, not for me,” the England coach said. “He’s a very important player. But if he will be in the squad it’s because he is in a good spell of form.”
Rooney leads Man U in Club World Cup final
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP)—Wayne Rooney scored late in the second half Sunday to lead 10-man Manchester United to a 1-0 win over Ecuador’s Liga de Quito in the final of the Club World Cup.
Rooney, who earned player of the tournament honors, took a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 73rd minute and fired an angled right-footed blast into the bottom corner past diving Liga goalkeeper Jose Cevallos.
“It was a very difficult game especially after going down to 10 men,” Rooney said. “I’m very happy to have scored and for us to become the best club in the world is something we can be very proud of.”
Manchester United was reduced to 10 men when defender Nemanja Vidic was given a red card in the 49th minute for elbowing Claudio Bieler in the face.
Manchester United becomes the first English club to win the cup in its current format. The Red Devils participated in the first Club World Cup in 2000 without making the final, while Liverpool lost the 2005 final.In 1999, Manchester United won the predecessor to the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, which matched the European and South American champions.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson had high praise for Rooney.
“He played well enough to score two or three goals tonight,” Ferguson said. “It was a magnificent game that he played.”
Liga didn’t have a shot on target until Alejandro Manso rifled a left-footed blast from the top of the area in the 63rd minute only to see Edwin Van Der Sar make a spectacular diving save.
Manso came close to tying the score in the 89th minute with a long-range shot that Van Der Sar tipped over the bar.
“Now we can say we are the best team in the world,” said Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand. “We knew they could create problems but I think today we kept them down to a minimum of chances.”
Looking to add to their Premier League and Champions League titles, Manchester United controlled the flow of play from the outset.
Rooney had a chance 10 minutes in when he played a long ball from Vidic off his chest and unleashed a powerful volley from the top of the area that Cevallos stopped with a diving save.
Ronaldo set up Carlos Tevez 10 minutes later with a cross, but the Argentine’s low header was saved by Cevallos, who kept his team in the match in the first half.
Jairo Campos had Liga’s best scoring chance in the opening minutes when he redirected a Manso free kick inches wide of the post.
Manchester United qualified for the Club World Cup in May after beating fellow English club Chelsea in a penalty shootout in the Champions League final in Moscow.
Liga qualified for the competition by becoming the first Ecuadorean club to win South America’s Copa Libertadores.
Liga defeated Mexico’s Pachuca 2-0 on Wednesday to reach Sunday’s final, while Manchester United advanced after a 5-3 win over Japan’s Gamba Osaka.
Gamba secured a third-place finish earlier Sunday with a 1-0 win over Pachuca. Striker Masato Yamazaki scored the winner in the 30th minute when he volleyed a pass from fellow forward Ryuji Bando past goalkeeper Miguel Calero.
Rooney, who earned player of the tournament honors, took a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 73rd minute and fired an angled right-footed blast into the bottom corner past diving Liga goalkeeper Jose Cevallos.
“It was a very difficult game especially after going down to 10 men,” Rooney said. “I’m very happy to have scored and for us to become the best club in the world is something we can be very proud of.”
Manchester United was reduced to 10 men when defender Nemanja Vidic was given a red card in the 49th minute for elbowing Claudio Bieler in the face.
Manchester United becomes the first English club to win the cup in its current format. The Red Devils participated in the first Club World Cup in 2000 without making the final, while Liverpool lost the 2005 final.In 1999, Manchester United won the predecessor to the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, which matched the European and South American champions.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson had high praise for Rooney.
“He played well enough to score two or three goals tonight,” Ferguson said. “It was a magnificent game that he played.”
Liga didn’t have a shot on target until Alejandro Manso rifled a left-footed blast from the top of the area in the 63rd minute only to see Edwin Van Der Sar make a spectacular diving save.
Manso came close to tying the score in the 89th minute with a long-range shot that Van Der Sar tipped over the bar.
“Now we can say we are the best team in the world,” said Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand. “We knew they could create problems but I think today we kept them down to a minimum of chances.”
Looking to add to their Premier League and Champions League titles, Manchester United controlled the flow of play from the outset.
Rooney had a chance 10 minutes in when he played a long ball from Vidic off his chest and unleashed a powerful volley from the top of the area that Cevallos stopped with a diving save.
Ronaldo set up Carlos Tevez 10 minutes later with a cross, but the Argentine’s low header was saved by Cevallos, who kept his team in the match in the first half.
Jairo Campos had Liga’s best scoring chance in the opening minutes when he redirected a Manso free kick inches wide of the post.
Manchester United qualified for the Club World Cup in May after beating fellow English club Chelsea in a penalty shootout in the Champions League final in Moscow.
Liga qualified for the competition by becoming the first Ecuadorean club to win South America’s Copa Libertadores.
Liga defeated Mexico’s Pachuca 2-0 on Wednesday to reach Sunday’s final, while Manchester United advanced after a 5-3 win over Japan’s Gamba Osaka.
Gamba secured a third-place finish earlier Sunday with a 1-0 win over Pachuca. Striker Masato Yamazaki scored the winner in the 30th minute when he volleyed a pass from fellow forward Ryuji Bando past goalkeeper Miguel Calero.
Leaders Liverpool draw 1-1 with 10-man Arsenal
LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Leaders Liverpool stayed eight points clear of Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title after the two sides fought out an epic 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal, reduced to 10 men after 62 minutes when Emmanuel Adebayor was sent off for a second yellow card after raising an elbow to Alvaro Arbeloa, continued to cause Liverpool problems throughout. But in the end the league leaders were well worth the point that keeps them ahead of Chelsea at the top of the table.
Robin Van Persie put Arsenal ahead with an excellently taken goal after 24 minutes before Robbie Keane, who has struggled to find his form for Liverpool since his move from Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham in the off-seasonAlthough Adebayor’s controversial red card gave Liverpool the numerical supreriority, they were forced to defend resolutely to thwart Arsenal in the second half.
The result left Liverpool top with 39 points from 18 matches, two more than Chelsea who play Everton on Monday.
Aston Villa are third with 34 points from 18 games, followed by Manchester United (32 from 16). Arsenal remain fifth with 31 points from 18 games.
BENITEZ ABSENT
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was forced to stay at home and watch the match on television following surgery for kidney stones, leaving his assistant Sammy Lee in charge of the side.
However, he would have been pleased with the way his men started the match—despite the absences of striker Fernando Torres (hamstring) and Javier Mascherano (flu).
Liverpool, with skipper Steven Gerrard driving them on in midfield, had the best early chance. Keane evaded the offside trap to turn the ball back to Gerrard, but his shot was easily saved by Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia.
Keane was then roundly jeered by the home fans after a booking for a clumsy tackle on on Gael Clichy. Their jeers turned to cheers minutes later when Arsenal took the lead after 24 minutes.
Van Persie, who scored both Arsenal’s goals when they beat Chelsea 2-1 on Nov. 30, scored his first goal since then with an outstanding strike after 24 minutes.
He chested down a long ball from Samir Nasri, and although Liverpool defenders Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher appeared to be well placed, van Persie turned away from them to smash home an unstoppable right-foot drive which Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina had no chance of saving.
Keane then had a chance to silence the Arsenal fans who had booed his every touch when he ran on to a long through ball from Alvaro Arbeloa and crashed a fierce half-volley into the roof of Almunia’s net to leave the teams equal at the break.
“It was a very good point for us, it is never easy coming to Arsenal and getting anything,” Keane told reporters.
“As for my own situation, I have no intention of leaving the club, and am totally committed to a long career here, as i have said before.”
Although Arsenal’s playmaker Cesc Fabregas hobbled off at halftime with a knee injury, the Gunners still came searching for the goal that would have revived their title challenge, but in the end, both sides were forced to settle for a point.
In the day’s other games, Newcastle United beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 with a last-minute winner from Damien Duff while bottom-of-the-table West Bromwich Albion beat out-of-form Mancheester City 2-1 with a last-minute header from Roman Bednar.
The win lifted Newcastle up to 12th in the table, while Spurs are in 16th place. West Brom remain botto.
Chelsea will replace Liverpool in first place if they win their ninth successive away league game of the season at Goodison on Monday. (Editing by John Mehaffey), equalised three minutes before halftime.
Arsenal, reduced to 10 men after 62 minutes when Emmanuel Adebayor was sent off for a second yellow card after raising an elbow to Alvaro Arbeloa, continued to cause Liverpool problems throughout. But in the end the league leaders were well worth the point that keeps them ahead of Chelsea at the top of the table.
Robin Van Persie put Arsenal ahead with an excellently taken goal after 24 minutes before Robbie Keane, who has struggled to find his form for Liverpool since his move from Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham in the off-seasonAlthough Adebayor’s controversial red card gave Liverpool the numerical supreriority, they were forced to defend resolutely to thwart Arsenal in the second half.
The result left Liverpool top with 39 points from 18 matches, two more than Chelsea who play Everton on Monday.
Aston Villa are third with 34 points from 18 games, followed by Manchester United (32 from 16). Arsenal remain fifth with 31 points from 18 games.
BENITEZ ABSENT
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was forced to stay at home and watch the match on television following surgery for kidney stones, leaving his assistant Sammy Lee in charge of the side.
However, he would have been pleased with the way his men started the match—despite the absences of striker Fernando Torres (hamstring) and Javier Mascherano (flu).
Liverpool, with skipper Steven Gerrard driving them on in midfield, had the best early chance. Keane evaded the offside trap to turn the ball back to Gerrard, but his shot was easily saved by Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia.
Keane was then roundly jeered by the home fans after a booking for a clumsy tackle on on Gael Clichy. Their jeers turned to cheers minutes later when Arsenal took the lead after 24 minutes.
Van Persie, who scored both Arsenal’s goals when they beat Chelsea 2-1 on Nov. 30, scored his first goal since then with an outstanding strike after 24 minutes.
He chested down a long ball from Samir Nasri, and although Liverpool defenders Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher appeared to be well placed, van Persie turned away from them to smash home an unstoppable right-foot drive which Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina had no chance of saving.
Keane then had a chance to silence the Arsenal fans who had booed his every touch when he ran on to a long through ball from Alvaro Arbeloa and crashed a fierce half-volley into the roof of Almunia’s net to leave the teams equal at the break.
“It was a very good point for us, it is never easy coming to Arsenal and getting anything,” Keane told reporters.
“As for my own situation, I have no intention of leaving the club, and am totally committed to a long career here, as i have said before.”
Although Arsenal’s playmaker Cesc Fabregas hobbled off at halftime with a knee injury, the Gunners still came searching for the goal that would have revived their title challenge, but in the end, both sides were forced to settle for a point.
In the day’s other games, Newcastle United beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 with a last-minute winner from Damien Duff while bottom-of-the-table West Bromwich Albion beat out-of-form Mancheester City 2-1 with a last-minute header from Roman Bednar.
The win lifted Newcastle up to 12th in the table, while Spurs are in 16th place. West Brom remain botto.
Chelsea will replace Liverpool in first place if they win their ninth successive away league game of the season at Goodison on Monday. (Editing by John Mehaffey), equalised three minutes before halftime.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Kljestan heading for Eredivisie?
American international Sacha Kljestan has reportedly attracted the interest of Eredivisie outfits FC Twente and Heerenveen.
The attacking midfielder impressed with Chivas USA in the MLS last season, the 23-year-old scoring five goals and recording seven assists.
His outstanding performances haven’t gone unnoticed in Europe and the two Dutch sides are facing stiff competition for Kljestan’s services.
The highly rated midfielder is also being targeted by Russian giants Zenit St. Petersburg, French side Monaco and Greece outfit Olympiakos Piraeus.
Kljestan has been capped 12 times at senior level for the USA and was also part of the Olympic squad. He scored two goals in three matches in China.
Furthermore, the creative playmaker has been awarded a spot in the MLS team of the year.
The attacking midfielder impressed with Chivas USA in the MLS last season, the 23-year-old scoring five goals and recording seven assists.
His outstanding performances haven’t gone unnoticed in Europe and the two Dutch sides are facing stiff competition for Kljestan’s services.
The highly rated midfielder is also being targeted by Russian giants Zenit St. Petersburg, French side Monaco and Greece outfit Olympiakos Piraeus.
Kljestan has been capped 12 times at senior level for the USA and was also part of the Olympic squad. He scored two goals in three matches in China.
Furthermore, the creative playmaker has been awarded a spot in the MLS team of the year.
Report: Real Madrid lock in Sergio Aguero
El Mundo Deportivo ran a story Wednesday about how Pedro Tapote, a close friend to Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon, had accidentally let slip during a conversation that the “White House” have secured the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for the summer of 2009.
Now, elconfidencial.com has speculated that Los Merengues have also closed a deal to bring Atletico Madrid’s star striker Sergio Aguero to the Santiago Bernabeu next season.
Javier Gomez Matallanas wrote in his segment “Matador” that Calderon has already reached an agreement with the Atletico owners to purchase El Kun by paying off his 60 million euros buy-out clause.
The rumor is also based on the information that Madrid’s executive director Jose Angel Sanchez had met with Atletico’s general manager Miguel Angel Gil Marin this past summer. Marin refused to sell the Argentine hotshot for any price back then, but sources close to president Calderon has revealed that the situation has since changed.
Aguero, however, had previously declared that he would never join crosstown rivals Real Madrid while further assuring Los Colchoneros fans that he would only leave Atleti to return to his native Argentina to see out his playing career.
Just like the Ronaldo report, there has yet to be any official word or response from any of the parties concerned
Now, elconfidencial.com has speculated that Los Merengues have also closed a deal to bring Atletico Madrid’s star striker Sergio Aguero to the Santiago Bernabeu next season.
Javier Gomez Matallanas wrote in his segment “Matador” that Calderon has already reached an agreement with the Atletico owners to purchase El Kun by paying off his 60 million euros buy-out clause.
The rumor is also based on the information that Madrid’s executive director Jose Angel Sanchez had met with Atletico’s general manager Miguel Angel Gil Marin this past summer. Marin refused to sell the Argentine hotshot for any price back then, but sources close to president Calderon has revealed that the situation has since changed.
Aguero, however, had previously declared that he would never join crosstown rivals Real Madrid while further assuring Los Colchoneros fans that he would only leave Atleti to return to his native Argentina to see out his playing career.
Just like the Ronaldo report, there has yet to be any official word or response from any of the parties concerned
Chiellini to sign for Arsenal?
Juventus could find it hard to hold onto Giorgio Chiellini in the summer as Arsenal are keen on the defender’s services.
Reports in England and Italy have been rife with speculation, and Sportmediaset claims the Gunners are keeping a close eye on the Italian international.
Chiellini’s consistency and age – he is just 24-years-old – have gone down well with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and a move at the end of the season could take off.
Although the north London side have laid eyes on the stopper, they may be disappointed as it was only on Monday that his brother Claudio Chiellini exclusively told Goal.com that no move is planned.
“Giorgio signed a renewal in July with Juventus and, even though I am not his agent, I can tell you that there is a difference between talking about a deal and actually doing one,” Chiellini said.
“I think that a departure is just pure fantasy.”
The former Fiorentina man has been outstanding for the Bianconeri, but it’s unlikely Juve will consider selling him given their Scudetto and Champions League ambitions this season.
Reports in England and Italy have been rife with speculation, and Sportmediaset claims the Gunners are keeping a close eye on the Italian international.
Chiellini’s consistency and age – he is just 24-years-old – have gone down well with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and a move at the end of the season could take off.
Although the north London side have laid eyes on the stopper, they may be disappointed as it was only on Monday that his brother Claudio Chiellini exclusively told Goal.com that no move is planned.
“Giorgio signed a renewal in July with Juventus and, even though I am not his agent, I can tell you that there is a difference between talking about a deal and actually doing one,” Chiellini said.
“I think that a departure is just pure fantasy.”
The former Fiorentina man has been outstanding for the Bianconeri, but it’s unlikely Juve will consider selling him given their Scudetto and Champions League ambitions this season.
UEFA Cup last 32 and last 16 draws
Dec 19 (Reuters) - UEFA Cup last 32 and last 16 drawsconducted in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday:Last 32 Paris St Germain v VfL Wolfsburg FC Copenhagen v Manchester City NEC Nijmegen v Hamburg SV Sampdoria v Metalist Kharkiv Braga v Standard Liege Aston Villa v CSKA Moscow Lech Poznan v Udinese Olympiakos Piraeus v St Etienne Fiorentina v Ajax Amsterdam AaB Aalborg v Deportivo Coruna Werder Bremen v AC Milan Girondins Bordeaux v Galatasaray Dynamo Kiev v Valencia Zenit St Petersburg v VfB Stuttgart Olympique Marseille v Twente Enschede Shakhtar Donetsk v Tottenham Hotspur* First legs to be played Feb. 18 and 19.Second legs to be played Feb. 26Last 16 Werder Bremen or AC Milan v Olympiakos Piraeus or St Etienne Aston Villa or CSKA Moscow v Shakhtar Donetsk or TottenhamHotspur Lech Poznan or Udinese v Zenit St Petersburg or VfB Stuttgart Paris St Germain or VfL Wolfsburg v Braga or Standard Liege Dynamo Kiev or Valencia v Sampdoria or Metalist Kharkiv FC Copenhagen or Manchester City v AaB Aalborg or DeportivoCoruna Olympique Marseille or Twente Enschede v Fiorentina or AjaxAmsterdam NEC Nijmegen or Hamburg SV v Girondins Bordeaux or Galatasaray* First legs to be played March 12Second legs to be played March 18 and 19
English clubs handed tough Champions League task
LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - England’s chances of producing three semi-finalists in the Champions League for the third successive season were dented on Friday by a tough-looking last 16 draw.
Holders Manchester United were paired with Italian champions and Serie A leaders Inter Milan while Premier League leaders Liverpool take on nine-times champions Real Madrid after the draw made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Last year’s runners-up Chelsea were paired with Juventus, managed by former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, while Arsenal, finalists inThe Manchester United tie will see another former Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho, returning to face Premiership opposition in his new role in charge of Inter.
“Obviously Jose has put us out of the competition before,” said United’s communications director Phil Townsend in reference to Mourinho’s success at the same stage in 2004 with eventual European champions Porto.
“But equally we put Inter out in 1999 when we went on to win the tournament so maybe that’s a good omen for us.”
Real Madrid’s meeting with Liverpool will mark only the second time that the Spanish nine-time European champions have met the English five-time winners in the competition.
Their only previous encounter came in the final of the 1981 European Cup with Liverpool winning through 1-0.
“It’s mammoth, it really couldn’t be a much bigger tie and I think our fans will be absolutely delighted that we’ve picked them up at this stage of the competition,” reckoned Liverpool club secretary Bryce Morrison.
Liverpool boast by far the better form as current Premier League leaders while Real languish sixth in the Primera Liga, a daunting 12 points behind leaders Barcelona.
“The problem at our club is that we have had a lot of injured players but there is plenty of time for them to recover before we play Liverpool in February,” said Real Madrid director Jose Luis Lopez Serrano.
GREAT RELATIONSHIP
“There is a great relationship between the two clubs and I’m sure there will be two very interesting games in Madrid and Liverpool. It will be difficult for us to get through obviously but I think it will also be difficult for them.”
Chelsea secretary David Barnard played down talk of Ranieri having the chance to take revenge against his former employers.
“I don’t think ‘revenge’ will be the right word for Claudio’s return because he was given a great reception by the fans when he left the club and I’m sure he’ll get one when he comes back,” Barnard told Reuters.
“He’ll know a lot of our players of course and the fact Juve got to the knockout stage shows that they’re a quality team.”
Barcelona, the only non-English side to reach the semi-finals last season, play Olympique Lyon, who are in the knockout phase for the sixth successive season.
“Everything is possible,” Lyon coach Claude Puel told reporters. “We’ll have to see where the two teams stand in February and March.
“We like a challenge,” Puel added. “Anyway, if you want to go all the way, you have to eliminate all the opponents you face. We’ll be the outsiders but we have a chance.”
Villarreal, who reached the semi-finals in their first appearance in 2006, drew Panathinaikos while the other pairings were Atletico Madrid v Porto and Sporting v Bayern Munich.
The ties take place on Feb. 24/25 and March 10/11 with the final on May 27 in Rome 2006, play AS Roma in a third Anglo-Italian clash.
Holders Manchester United were paired with Italian champions and Serie A leaders Inter Milan while Premier League leaders Liverpool take on nine-times champions Real Madrid after the draw made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Last year’s runners-up Chelsea were paired with Juventus, managed by former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, while Arsenal, finalists inThe Manchester United tie will see another former Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho, returning to face Premiership opposition in his new role in charge of Inter.
“Obviously Jose has put us out of the competition before,” said United’s communications director Phil Townsend in reference to Mourinho’s success at the same stage in 2004 with eventual European champions Porto.
“But equally we put Inter out in 1999 when we went on to win the tournament so maybe that’s a good omen for us.”
Real Madrid’s meeting with Liverpool will mark only the second time that the Spanish nine-time European champions have met the English five-time winners in the competition.
Their only previous encounter came in the final of the 1981 European Cup with Liverpool winning through 1-0.
“It’s mammoth, it really couldn’t be a much bigger tie and I think our fans will be absolutely delighted that we’ve picked them up at this stage of the competition,” reckoned Liverpool club secretary Bryce Morrison.
Liverpool boast by far the better form as current Premier League leaders while Real languish sixth in the Primera Liga, a daunting 12 points behind leaders Barcelona.
“The problem at our club is that we have had a lot of injured players but there is plenty of time for them to recover before we play Liverpool in February,” said Real Madrid director Jose Luis Lopez Serrano.
GREAT RELATIONSHIP
“There is a great relationship between the two clubs and I’m sure there will be two very interesting games in Madrid and Liverpool. It will be difficult for us to get through obviously but I think it will also be difficult for them.”
Chelsea secretary David Barnard played down talk of Ranieri having the chance to take revenge against his former employers.
“I don’t think ‘revenge’ will be the right word for Claudio’s return because he was given a great reception by the fans when he left the club and I’m sure he’ll get one when he comes back,” Barnard told Reuters.
“He’ll know a lot of our players of course and the fact Juve got to the knockout stage shows that they’re a quality team.”
Barcelona, the only non-English side to reach the semi-finals last season, play Olympique Lyon, who are in the knockout phase for the sixth successive season.
“Everything is possible,” Lyon coach Claude Puel told reporters. “We’ll have to see where the two teams stand in February and March.
“We like a challenge,” Puel added. “Anyway, if you want to go all the way, you have to eliminate all the opponents you face. We’ll be the outsiders but we have a chance.”
Villarreal, who reached the semi-finals in their first appearance in 2006, drew Panathinaikos while the other pairings were Atletico Madrid v Porto and Sporting v Bayern Munich.
The ties take place on Feb. 24/25 and March 10/11 with the final on May 27 in Rome 2006, play AS Roma in a third Anglo-Italian clash.
Argentina’s Racing emerge from bankruptcy after 10 years
BUENOS AIRES, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Racing Club, one of the most popular and fanatically supported clubs in Argentina, has emerged from bankruptcy after nearly 10 years.
The club said on its website (www.racingclub.com) that judge Enrique Gorostegui had ruled on Thursday that Racing was in a condition for bankruptcy to be lifted.
The announcement came two days before the members of the club, Argentina’s fifth most successful in terms of domestic titles, elect their first new president for 10 years.
Racing, based in the district of Avellaneda in the sprawling southern suburbs of Buenos Aires, have won the Argentine championship seven times but only once since 1966.
Recently, they have languished in the middle of the table and have employed 16 different coaches in the last 10 years, three of them twice.
At the end of last season, Racing suffered the indignity of having to playoff against second division Belgrano over two legs to keep their place in the top flight.
They scraped through 2-1 on aggregate but more troubles followed in the preparations for the new season.
The team were forced to call off plans for a pre-season training camp in the resort of Mar del Plata due to financial problems and players then went on strike for four days over unpaid wages.
Racing were declared bankrupt by Daniel Lalin, the president at the time and one of five candidates in Sunday’s elections, in 1999 after years of being burdened by huge debts and repeatedly threatened with extinction.
A private management company called Blanquiceleste S.A. (Blue and White) was brought in to run the club and committed themselves to paying off the club’s $65-million debt in 10 years.
Racing won the Apertura championship in the 2001/02 season, ending a run of 35 years without a domestic title, but it was only a brief interlude.
The team then dropped back into midtable and fans became increasingly agitated at Blanquiceleste’s policy of selling the club’s best players.
A civil judge ordered intervention in Blanquiceleste S.A. earlier this year and the club was placed in the hands of state-appointed receivers.
The club said on its website (www.racingclub.com) that judge Enrique Gorostegui had ruled on Thursday that Racing was in a condition for bankruptcy to be lifted.
The announcement came two days before the members of the club, Argentina’s fifth most successful in terms of domestic titles, elect their first new president for 10 years.
Racing, based in the district of Avellaneda in the sprawling southern suburbs of Buenos Aires, have won the Argentine championship seven times but only once since 1966.
Recently, they have languished in the middle of the table and have employed 16 different coaches in the last 10 years, three of them twice.
At the end of last season, Racing suffered the indignity of having to playoff against second division Belgrano over two legs to keep their place in the top flight.
They scraped through 2-1 on aggregate but more troubles followed in the preparations for the new season.
The team were forced to call off plans for a pre-season training camp in the resort of Mar del Plata due to financial problems and players then went on strike for four days over unpaid wages.
Racing were declared bankrupt by Daniel Lalin, the president at the time and one of five candidates in Sunday’s elections, in 1999 after years of being burdened by huge debts and repeatedly threatened with extinction.
A private management company called Blanquiceleste S.A. (Blue and White) was brought in to run the club and committed themselves to paying off the club’s $65-million debt in 10 years.
Racing won the Apertura championship in the 2001/02 season, ending a run of 35 years without a domestic title, but it was only a brief interlude.
The team then dropped back into midtable and fans became increasingly agitated at Blanquiceleste’s policy of selling the club’s best players.
A civil judge ordered intervention in Blanquiceleste S.A. earlier this year and the club was placed in the hands of state-appointed receivers.
Torres will relish Real challenge, Thompson says
MADRID, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Fernando Torres will be gunning for Real Madrid, city rivals with his old club Atletico, when Liverpool meet the Primera Liga champions in the last 16 of Champions League, former Anfield defender Phil Thompson said.
Thompson captained Liverpool to a 1-0 win over Real in the 1981 European Cup final and said the Spain striker will be fired up after missing out on the matches against Atletico earlier in the competition through injury.
“Torres didn’t get the opportunity to play against Atletico,” Thompson said on the club’s website (www.liverpoolfc.tv). “So, he’ll be really looking forward to going back there and putting one over Real.”
The tie over two legs in February and March has a special significance for several other members of the Liverpool setup.
Manager and Madrid native Rafael Benitez coached Real reserves early in his career, defender Alvaro Arbeloa joined Real as a 16-year-old and goalkeeper Pepe Reina was born in the Spanish capital.
It’s also a chance for ex-Espanyol midfielder Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso, formerly of Real Sociedad, to take a shot at the nine-times champions of Europe.
However, Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic, scorer of the only goal in the 1998 Champions League final against Juventus, noted that the Spanish champions have traditionally done well against English sides.
The lengthy experience in the competition of players like Raul would count in their favour, he added.
“At this level there are no easy teams and if a club wants to get far in the competition the harder the opposition the better,” he said on Real’s website (www.realmadrid.com).
“We are capable of doing it and we are confident of mounting a really good campaign. We have a lot of time to prepare and motivation will not be lacking.”
VERY OPTIMISTIC
Mijatovic said Liverpool had put together some impressive performances in the competition in recent years whereas Real had struggled.
“But I think now is the time for us to go further,” he said. “Our players have a lot of experience in the competition and we have to be very optimistic.”
New Real coach Juande Ramos, who was in charge at Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur until the end of October, said neither club would be pleased with Friday’s draw but he added that he knew Rafael Benitez and his side “perfectly well”.
“Real Madrid is not afraid of anyone and we have the same chance to get through as them,” he told reporters.
(Editing by Justin Palmer)
Thompson captained Liverpool to a 1-0 win over Real in the 1981 European Cup final and said the Spain striker will be fired up after missing out on the matches against Atletico earlier in the competition through injury.
“Torres didn’t get the opportunity to play against Atletico,” Thompson said on the club’s website (www.liverpoolfc.tv). “So, he’ll be really looking forward to going back there and putting one over Real.”
The tie over two legs in February and March has a special significance for several other members of the Liverpool setup.
Manager and Madrid native Rafael Benitez coached Real reserves early in his career, defender Alvaro Arbeloa joined Real as a 16-year-old and goalkeeper Pepe Reina was born in the Spanish capital.
It’s also a chance for ex-Espanyol midfielder Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso, formerly of Real Sociedad, to take a shot at the nine-times champions of Europe.
However, Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic, scorer of the only goal in the 1998 Champions League final against Juventus, noted that the Spanish champions have traditionally done well against English sides.
The lengthy experience in the competition of players like Raul would count in their favour, he added.
“At this level there are no easy teams and if a club wants to get far in the competition the harder the opposition the better,” he said on Real’s website (www.realmadrid.com).
“We are capable of doing it and we are confident of mounting a really good campaign. We have a lot of time to prepare and motivation will not be lacking.”
VERY OPTIMISTIC
Mijatovic said Liverpool had put together some impressive performances in the competition in recent years whereas Real had struggled.
“But I think now is the time for us to go further,” he said. “Our players have a lot of experience in the competition and we have to be very optimistic.”
New Real coach Juande Ramos, who was in charge at Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur until the end of October, said neither club would be pleased with Friday’s draw but he added that he knew Rafael Benitez and his side “perfectly well”.
“Real Madrid is not afraid of anyone and we have the same chance to get through as them,” he told reporters.
(Editing by Justin Palmer)
Floro named as new coach of Ecuador’s Barcelona
QUITO, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Former Real Madrid coach Benito Floro has been named as the new coach of troubled Ecuadorean club Barcelona, the club said on their website (www.bsc.ec).
The 56-year-old Spaniard has been given a two-year contract to try and revive the fortunes of the Guayaquil-based team, who have won a record 13 Ecuadorean titles but none since 1997.
“We’re convinced that Professor Benito Floro and his team will do a good job,” said club president Eduardo Maruri.
Floro replaces Argentine Reinaldo Merlo who quit the club after they finished fifth in the 2008 championship and missed out on a place in the Libertadores Cup on the last day of the season.
The supporters’ frustration boiled over when around 100 of them tried to invade the dressing room following the 1-1 draw with El Nacional and the team had to be given a police escort out of the ground.
Toro has also coached Albacete, Sporting Gijon, Villarreal and Real Mallorca in his homeland, Vissel Kobe in Japan and Monterrey in Mexico.
Ecuadorean media also said that Argentine Ruben Insua had agreed terms to take over as coach of champions Deportivo Quito, where he will replace Carlos Sevilla.
Sevilla quit one week after Deportivo won the title for the first time in 40 years
The 56-year-old Spaniard has been given a two-year contract to try and revive the fortunes of the Guayaquil-based team, who have won a record 13 Ecuadorean titles but none since 1997.
“We’re convinced that Professor Benito Floro and his team will do a good job,” said club president Eduardo Maruri.
Floro replaces Argentine Reinaldo Merlo who quit the club after they finished fifth in the 2008 championship and missed out on a place in the Libertadores Cup on the last day of the season.
The supporters’ frustration boiled over when around 100 of them tried to invade the dressing room following the 1-1 draw with El Nacional and the team had to be given a police escort out of the ground.
Toro has also coached Albacete, Sporting Gijon, Villarreal and Real Mallorca in his homeland, Vissel Kobe in Japan and Monterrey in Mexico.
Ecuadorean media also said that Argentine Ruben Insua had agreed terms to take over as coach of champions Deportivo Quito, where he will replace Carlos Sevilla.
Sevilla quit one week after Deportivo won the title for the first time in 40 years
Soccer-Former chairman Magnusson to sue West Ham
REYKJAVIK, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Former West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has sued the Premier League club and its owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson for breach of contract, Icelandic state television reported.
Magnusson is demanding 200 million Icelandic crowns (around $1.64m) for an alleged violation of his severance settlement. The case was registered at Reykjavik Municipal Court on Thursday.
Magnusson became chairman of West Ham in 2006 after Gudmundsson bought the majority shareholding in the club.
Gudmundsson dismissed Magnusson from his post in September 2007 and the two concluded a severance settlement in which Gudmundsson bought Magnusson’s West Ham stake, which was held by a company in Luxembourg.
According to court papers, Gudmundsson had also agreed that he and the club would pay Magnusson one million Euros and 200,000 pounds in two equal installments—the equivalent of three months’ full salary following the dismissal.
The court papers said these payments had not been made, apart from 100,000 pounds paid to Magnusson by Gudmundsson in February this year.
Gudmundsson would not comment on the case when he was asked about the issue by state television.
Hansa, the holding company through which Gudmundsson owns West Ham, is technically bankrupt. On March 6, the company was given exactly one year to sort out its finances.
Gudmundsson, who led an 85 million-pound buyout of West Ham two years ago, has emerged as a high-profile victim of the global financial crisis.
The tycoon and his family were major shareholders in Icelandic bank Landsbanki, which the Icelandic government seized in October following the near collapse of the country’s financial system.
On Wednesday, West Ham vice president Asgeir Fridgeirsson told Reuters that confidentiality agreements had been signed with several potential buyers of the club.
The day before, Hansa’s lawyers valued the club to approximately 250 million pounds in court papers.
(Editing by Oliver Grassman in Stockholm and Miles Evans in London
Magnusson is demanding 200 million Icelandic crowns (around $1.64m) for an alleged violation of his severance settlement. The case was registered at Reykjavik Municipal Court on Thursday.
Magnusson became chairman of West Ham in 2006 after Gudmundsson bought the majority shareholding in the club.
Gudmundsson dismissed Magnusson from his post in September 2007 and the two concluded a severance settlement in which Gudmundsson bought Magnusson’s West Ham stake, which was held by a company in Luxembourg.
According to court papers, Gudmundsson had also agreed that he and the club would pay Magnusson one million Euros and 200,000 pounds in two equal installments—the equivalent of three months’ full salary following the dismissal.
The court papers said these payments had not been made, apart from 100,000 pounds paid to Magnusson by Gudmundsson in February this year.
Gudmundsson would not comment on the case when he was asked about the issue by state television.
Hansa, the holding company through which Gudmundsson owns West Ham, is technically bankrupt. On March 6, the company was given exactly one year to sort out its finances.
Gudmundsson, who led an 85 million-pound buyout of West Ham two years ago, has emerged as a high-profile victim of the global financial crisis.
The tycoon and his family were major shareholders in Icelandic bank Landsbanki, which the Icelandic government seized in October following the near collapse of the country’s financial system.
On Wednesday, West Ham vice president Asgeir Fridgeirsson told Reuters that confidentiality agreements had been signed with several potential buyers of the club.
The day before, Hansa’s lawyers valued the club to approximately 250 million pounds in court papers.
(Editing by Oliver Grassman in Stockholm and Miles Evans in London
Milan drawn to face Werder Bremen in UEFA Cup
LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Competition favourites AC Milan will face Werder Bremen, one of the Champions League dropouts, in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup following Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
The Italians, seven times European champions but who have never won the UEFA Cup, were sure to meet one of the Champions League third-place finishers after their 2-2 home draw with VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday allowed the German side to top their qualifying group.
Bremen finished behind Panathinaikos and Inter Milan in their Champions League group.
Wolfsburg’s reward is a game against Paris St Germain, who sneaked through on goal difference thanks to their 4-0 win over Twente Enschede in their final group game this week.
If Milan progress they will meet either Olympiakos Piraeus or St Etienne in the last 16 after the draw for that round was also carried out at UEFA headquarters.
Holders Zenit St Petersburg, back in the competition after finishing third behind Real Madrid and Juventus in their Champions League group, were drawn against VfB Stuttgart in the first knockout round.
If Zenit win they will play either Udinese or Polish outsiders Lech Poznan.
Four-times European champions Ajax Amsterdam will play Fiorentina, semi-finalists last season who currently going well in fifth place in Serie A.
The last-32 ties will be played over two legs on Feb 18/19 and Feb. 26. The final is in Istanbul on May 20. (Editing by Justin Palmer)
The Italians, seven times European champions but who have never won the UEFA Cup, were sure to meet one of the Champions League third-place finishers after their 2-2 home draw with VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday allowed the German side to top their qualifying group.
Bremen finished behind Panathinaikos and Inter Milan in their Champions League group.
Wolfsburg’s reward is a game against Paris St Germain, who sneaked through on goal difference thanks to their 4-0 win over Twente Enschede in their final group game this week.
If Milan progress they will meet either Olympiakos Piraeus or St Etienne in the last 16 after the draw for that round was also carried out at UEFA headquarters.
Holders Zenit St Petersburg, back in the competition after finishing third behind Real Madrid and Juventus in their Champions League group, were drawn against VfB Stuttgart in the first knockout round.
If Zenit win they will play either Udinese or Polish outsiders Lech Poznan.
Four-times European champions Ajax Amsterdam will play Fiorentina, semi-finalists last season who currently going well in fifth place in Serie A.
The last-32 ties will be played over two legs on Feb 18/19 and Feb. 26. The final is in Istanbul on May 20. (Editing by Justin Palmer)
The Full English: Miles away
(OVER) GREENLAND, Atlantic Ocean – I come to you this week from 35,000 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, coasting blissfully back home to the United States of America. My trip to England has come to a much-too-rapid end and I must return to the day-to-day routine that is my life in the second colony, Pennsylvania.
Obviously, all you frequent flyers (and those of you with a shred of common sense), know I don’t have any type of Internet connection up this high. No way can I check my facts or my player name spellings via Wikipedia. I can’t easily obtain point totals or goal differentials. I don’t know whether Dimi Berbatov felt like getting out of bed today. Nothing. I’m doing this one blind, people. Why? Hmmm. Not really sure. To kill some time on this agonizing eight-and-a-half hour flight, maybe. Maybe because it’s more of a challenge to write this way. It brings me back to yesteryear and all that nonsense. Regardless, this is how it’s going to be for this column.
I will be honest and say the only tool I will use is today’s copy of the journalistic wonder that is the Daily Sport. A half-naked hottie on the front page, and footy plastered on the back. The innards? Not much of anything really. But yes, I’ll be using it just to get my fixture specifics into the column, and for nothing more. Let’s hope they’re in there(Scans newspaper madly for the weekend’s fixtures)
Well, the Daily Sport was absolutely no help. It was about three pages of pretty ridiculous football rumors, and about 47 pages of sex adverts. Worth the 50p, though. Luckily, I remembered I had a copy of Nuts in my bag. The best magazine ever printed, if you ask me. After sifting through the TV guide in the back portion, I found three matches to cover. Maybe four. We’ll see how I feel when the stale air in here finally gets to me and I hit the G&Ts.
Righto, chaps … let’s have at it.
The Bacon (as in Bringing it Home)
Arsenal vs. Liverpool (The Emirates Stadium, Sunday, 11 a.m ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Seventeen games in and an unimpressive and inconsistent Arsenal squad open the doors of the Emirates to first-place Liverpool. Eight points separate the two teams (The Daily Sport was good for a league table, of sorts) and if the Gooners don’t collect something in this one, they can basically kiss their dream of catching Liverpool goodbye, if they haven’t already.
I was watching Sky Sports the other day and apparently Wenger’s whiz kids haven’t won a trophy since Patrick Vieira left for Italy. Since I can’t check that fact, I’m going to run with it, but I’m quite certain that was said. Interesting really. The quintessential leader/veteran presence/field general leaves the team, and since then they can’t get their act together. Obviously, there have been other players who tried to fill the void (Billy Gallas, anyone?), but it just hasn’t been the same since he left.
In another one of my lovely tangents, I would give my right pinkie toe to have Vieira be the designated player of the Philly MLS franchise. He totally embodies the city and what we’re about, even if he’s French.
Anyway, Liverpool haven’t exactly been strutting their stuff in first place, barely scraping a 2-2 draw with Hull. Fernando Torres is still out, and the once promising acquisition that was Robbie Keane is fading faster than my patience with the woman sitting rudely in front of me on this cramped airplane. Stevie G had to save them last weekend, netting a brace for his beloved Reds. So what happens this weekend? Upset? Toughy.
TFE Prediction: If Arsenal had Gerrard on their team, they’d win the league for the next three years. But they don’t. Liverpool play the naughty guest, snatching it 2-1.
West Ham vs. Aston Villa (Upton Park, Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Claret and blue. What a weird color combination. I didn’t even know claret was a color until I heard about it in reference to these teams. So, a weird color combination for a team to call their own, let alone two top flighters. Looks like West Ham will get to wear their nice purpley-maroney shirts since they are home and Villa be stuck with their ugly striped green monstrosities. Better than the Hammers’ away shirts, however. Football shirt fashion is kind of my thing. I have around 45 of them.
Right, yes, football, focus. These two teams? Obviously a tale of two clubs going in opposite directions. Villa are performing extremely well in the league, recently knocking off Bolton 4-2, and despite their B-team’s hiccup in a mostly useless UEFA Cup match, their overall form has been quite impressive across the board.
West Ham on the other hand are in financial trouble, big trouble. Talk about coming into a team at the wrong time. Gio Zola may have to sell quite a few of his top players in January just for the books to stay in the black. I’m talking Matthew Upson, Robert Green, Mark Noble, the lot. Tis a shame. The form isn’t there either, sorry.
TFE Prediction: Martin O’Neill, bless him, won’t allow the Villans to perform below his standards two matches in a row, whether it’s the first team, second team or the pub team. Villa come out slugging; ends 3-1.
Newcastle vs. Tottenham (St. James’ Park, Sunday, 5 p.m. ET delayed broadcast, Fox Soccer Channel)
UEFA Cup hopefuls? Not gonna happen. Two teams on the rise? Eh. Two teams who will settle for lower mid-table mediocrity until the summer when the re-tooling begins thanks to some “new” money? Much more likely.
Still, should be a good match as the managers of both sides have their teams fighting for points, and wanting them, not just lacing their boots up for a paycheck. That’s good to see. Newcastle thrashed Pompey 3-0 at the weekend, while high-flying Manchester United were held by Harry and the boys 0-0.
I like the fact that Newcastle is finally scoring goals. Wait, tangent time: I didn’t have one Newcastle Brown Ale while I was in England! What on earth is wrong with me?! Yeah, so Newcastle is scoring goals, or starting to, which will please Joe Kinnear. But with Michael Owen’s impending exit (more on him in the Toast), I can’t see it lasting. Tottenham, on the other hand, have Darren Bent. And he isn’t going anywhere, but up the top goal-scorers list.
TFE Prediction: I really like Michael Owen. But I love Darren Bent. I love Newcastle Brown more than them both combined. Push. A 2-2 score earns a deserved point for both teams.
West Brom vs. Manchester City (The Hawthorns, Sunday, 8:30 a.m. ET, Setanta Sports)
Well, if Man City don’t win this one, especially being it’s the day after I go to the Oasis concert (I’ll be there rocking while you’re reading on Friday morning/afternoon/evening), things are seriously off at Eastlands. Are you listening, Mark Hughes?
Win or it’s drop zone. Still glad you came to England, Robo?
TFE Prediction: The Citizens FINALLY get it right and put a hurting on last-place West Brom, 3-0
The Toast (as in Of The EPL)
Michael Owen, Newcastle: The England legend, who can’t cut a break with the Three Lions these days, has found a streak of good form, not to mention that he’s healthy. Owen is scoring goals and regularly. What’s on the table for the soon-to-be-out-of-contract striker? A renewal offer with a significant pay cut. I mean, come on, Mike Ashley. He isn’t the player he once was, we all know that, but he still deserves to get paid especially if you have any interest in keeping him on Tyneside. Apparently not. A romantic Liverpool reunion sounds lovely. See ya, Robbie!
Peter Crouch, Portsmouth: Crouchinho scored two goals in Pompey’s 3-0 win against Heerenveen. Lovely stuff. People have always said the lad has great feet. You don’t realize it until you watch the EPL’s tallest player scoot around the pitch with the ball at his feet. Unbelievable.
“Big Sam” Allardyce, Blackburn Rovers: One of the most vocal and visible managers the EPL has seen in the last 10 years is back in charge of a lower-table team, with the hopes of keeping them up. It’s what he does best, and as much as I love Paul Ince and disagreed with his firing, there isn’t anyone else I’d prefer for the job.
Leicester Update: Still in first place. Merchandise sales have been up 200 percent in the last three and a half weeks. Took sudden slide going into the weekend. Reports suggest some crazy Yank has been buying up all their gear.
And finally … The Black Pudding of the Week
Martin Jol, Hamburg SV: The wily manager of over-achieving Hamburg showed the Premier League and more importantly Tottenham that they were wrong to show him the door last season. Hamburg thoroughly beat Aston Villa in the UEFA Cup and sit fourth in the Bundesliga with hopes of first place only five points away. Some think Sunderland is calling, but will he answer? How could he not, even if he is so many miles away. Eh, it’s the time difference and all that.
Obviously, all you frequent flyers (and those of you with a shred of common sense), know I don’t have any type of Internet connection up this high. No way can I check my facts or my player name spellings via Wikipedia. I can’t easily obtain point totals or goal differentials. I don’t know whether Dimi Berbatov felt like getting out of bed today. Nothing. I’m doing this one blind, people. Why? Hmmm. Not really sure. To kill some time on this agonizing eight-and-a-half hour flight, maybe. Maybe because it’s more of a challenge to write this way. It brings me back to yesteryear and all that nonsense. Regardless, this is how it’s going to be for this column.
I will be honest and say the only tool I will use is today’s copy of the journalistic wonder that is the Daily Sport. A half-naked hottie on the front page, and footy plastered on the back. The innards? Not much of anything really. But yes, I’ll be using it just to get my fixture specifics into the column, and for nothing more. Let’s hope they’re in there(Scans newspaper madly for the weekend’s fixtures)
Well, the Daily Sport was absolutely no help. It was about three pages of pretty ridiculous football rumors, and about 47 pages of sex adverts. Worth the 50p, though. Luckily, I remembered I had a copy of Nuts in my bag. The best magazine ever printed, if you ask me. After sifting through the TV guide in the back portion, I found three matches to cover. Maybe four. We’ll see how I feel when the stale air in here finally gets to me and I hit the G&Ts.
Righto, chaps … let’s have at it.
The Bacon (as in Bringing it Home)
Arsenal vs. Liverpool (The Emirates Stadium, Sunday, 11 a.m ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Seventeen games in and an unimpressive and inconsistent Arsenal squad open the doors of the Emirates to first-place Liverpool. Eight points separate the two teams (The Daily Sport was good for a league table, of sorts) and if the Gooners don’t collect something in this one, they can basically kiss their dream of catching Liverpool goodbye, if they haven’t already.
I was watching Sky Sports the other day and apparently Wenger’s whiz kids haven’t won a trophy since Patrick Vieira left for Italy. Since I can’t check that fact, I’m going to run with it, but I’m quite certain that was said. Interesting really. The quintessential leader/veteran presence/field general leaves the team, and since then they can’t get their act together. Obviously, there have been other players who tried to fill the void (Billy Gallas, anyone?), but it just hasn’t been the same since he left.
In another one of my lovely tangents, I would give my right pinkie toe to have Vieira be the designated player of the Philly MLS franchise. He totally embodies the city and what we’re about, even if he’s French.
Anyway, Liverpool haven’t exactly been strutting their stuff in first place, barely scraping a 2-2 draw with Hull. Fernando Torres is still out, and the once promising acquisition that was Robbie Keane is fading faster than my patience with the woman sitting rudely in front of me on this cramped airplane. Stevie G had to save them last weekend, netting a brace for his beloved Reds. So what happens this weekend? Upset? Toughy.
TFE Prediction: If Arsenal had Gerrard on their team, they’d win the league for the next three years. But they don’t. Liverpool play the naughty guest, snatching it 2-1.
West Ham vs. Aston Villa (Upton Park, Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Claret and blue. What a weird color combination. I didn’t even know claret was a color until I heard about it in reference to these teams. So, a weird color combination for a team to call their own, let alone two top flighters. Looks like West Ham will get to wear their nice purpley-maroney shirts since they are home and Villa be stuck with their ugly striped green monstrosities. Better than the Hammers’ away shirts, however. Football shirt fashion is kind of my thing. I have around 45 of them.
Right, yes, football, focus. These two teams? Obviously a tale of two clubs going in opposite directions. Villa are performing extremely well in the league, recently knocking off Bolton 4-2, and despite their B-team’s hiccup in a mostly useless UEFA Cup match, their overall form has been quite impressive across the board.
West Ham on the other hand are in financial trouble, big trouble. Talk about coming into a team at the wrong time. Gio Zola may have to sell quite a few of his top players in January just for the books to stay in the black. I’m talking Matthew Upson, Robert Green, Mark Noble, the lot. Tis a shame. The form isn’t there either, sorry.
TFE Prediction: Martin O’Neill, bless him, won’t allow the Villans to perform below his standards two matches in a row, whether it’s the first team, second team or the pub team. Villa come out slugging; ends 3-1.
Newcastle vs. Tottenham (St. James’ Park, Sunday, 5 p.m. ET delayed broadcast, Fox Soccer Channel)
UEFA Cup hopefuls? Not gonna happen. Two teams on the rise? Eh. Two teams who will settle for lower mid-table mediocrity until the summer when the re-tooling begins thanks to some “new” money? Much more likely.
Still, should be a good match as the managers of both sides have their teams fighting for points, and wanting them, not just lacing their boots up for a paycheck. That’s good to see. Newcastle thrashed Pompey 3-0 at the weekend, while high-flying Manchester United were held by Harry and the boys 0-0.
I like the fact that Newcastle is finally scoring goals. Wait, tangent time: I didn’t have one Newcastle Brown Ale while I was in England! What on earth is wrong with me?! Yeah, so Newcastle is scoring goals, or starting to, which will please Joe Kinnear. But with Michael Owen’s impending exit (more on him in the Toast), I can’t see it lasting. Tottenham, on the other hand, have Darren Bent. And he isn’t going anywhere, but up the top goal-scorers list.
TFE Prediction: I really like Michael Owen. But I love Darren Bent. I love Newcastle Brown more than them both combined. Push. A 2-2 score earns a deserved point for both teams.
West Brom vs. Manchester City (The Hawthorns, Sunday, 8:30 a.m. ET, Setanta Sports)
Well, if Man City don’t win this one, especially being it’s the day after I go to the Oasis concert (I’ll be there rocking while you’re reading on Friday morning/afternoon/evening), things are seriously off at Eastlands. Are you listening, Mark Hughes?
Win or it’s drop zone. Still glad you came to England, Robo?
TFE Prediction: The Citizens FINALLY get it right and put a hurting on last-place West Brom, 3-0
The Toast (as in Of The EPL)
Michael Owen, Newcastle: The England legend, who can’t cut a break with the Three Lions these days, has found a streak of good form, not to mention that he’s healthy. Owen is scoring goals and regularly. What’s on the table for the soon-to-be-out-of-contract striker? A renewal offer with a significant pay cut. I mean, come on, Mike Ashley. He isn’t the player he once was, we all know that, but he still deserves to get paid especially if you have any interest in keeping him on Tyneside. Apparently not. A romantic Liverpool reunion sounds lovely. See ya, Robbie!
Peter Crouch, Portsmouth: Crouchinho scored two goals in Pompey’s 3-0 win against Heerenveen. Lovely stuff. People have always said the lad has great feet. You don’t realize it until you watch the EPL’s tallest player scoot around the pitch with the ball at his feet. Unbelievable.
“Big Sam” Allardyce, Blackburn Rovers: One of the most vocal and visible managers the EPL has seen in the last 10 years is back in charge of a lower-table team, with the hopes of keeping them up. It’s what he does best, and as much as I love Paul Ince and disagreed with his firing, there isn’t anyone else I’d prefer for the job.
Leicester Update: Still in first place. Merchandise sales have been up 200 percent in the last three and a half weeks. Took sudden slide going into the weekend. Reports suggest some crazy Yank has been buying up all their gear.
And finally … The Black Pudding of the Week
Martin Jol, Hamburg SV: The wily manager of over-achieving Hamburg showed the Premier League and more importantly Tottenham that they were wrong to show him the door last season. Hamburg thoroughly beat Aston Villa in the UEFA Cup and sit fourth in the Bundesliga with hopes of first place only five points away. Some think Sunderland is calling, but will he answer? How could he not, even if he is so many miles away. Eh, it’s the time difference and all that.
Secco: We are not scared of Chelsea
Claudio Ranieri faces a homecoming when he takes Juventus to Stamford Bridge in the last 16 of the Champions League, but the Italians are not afraid of meeting the Premier League side.
The Old Lady face a tricky test when they travel to London in February, and Ranieri will be hoping to get one over his former employers.
Juve’s sporting director Alessio Secco was in Nyon for the draw and he is confident of his side’s abilities.
“We all know what happened when we were drawn against Real Madrid and Zenit in the group stage and we came out of that,” Secco told Sky Sport Italia.
“We went to Madrid and did the double over them and so we can play against any team.
“We are not afraid of any side in this competition and we have possibilities.
“We respect all the teams but we will play our own game.
“It will be a special game for Ranieri. He accepts the draw with tranquility. I haven’t spoken to him about it but I know he will be fine. This is football and it throws these things up.”
Juve will fancy their chances against the Blues as they have been shaky at times in Europe this term
The Old Lady face a tricky test when they travel to London in February, and Ranieri will be hoping to get one over his former employers.
Juve’s sporting director Alessio Secco was in Nyon for the draw and he is confident of his side’s abilities.
“We all know what happened when we were drawn against Real Madrid and Zenit in the group stage and we came out of that,” Secco told Sky Sport Italia.
“We went to Madrid and did the double over them and so we can play against any team.
“We are not afraid of any side in this competition and we have possibilities.
“We respect all the teams but we will play our own game.
“It will be a special game for Ranieri. He accepts the draw with tranquility. I haven’t spoken to him about it but I know he will be fine. This is football and it throws these things up.”
Juve will fancy their chances against the Blues as they have been shaky at times in Europe this term
Two-time winner Sevilla crashes out of UEFA Cup
LONDON (AP)—Sevilla’s bid for a third UEFA Cup title in four years was ended Thursday by Sampdoria, which progressed to the knockout stage alongside Stuttgart, Tottenham, NEC Nijmegen, Paris Saint-Germain and Olympiakos.
Jonathan Bottinelli’s 75th-minute goal gave Sampdoria a 1-0 win over Sevilla, which was also overtaken in Group C by Stuttgart after the German club’s 3-0 victory over group winner Standard Liege.
Racing Santander was knocked out on goal difference in Group A when Manchester City, which had already qualified, scored an injury-time goal in a 3-1 loss. PSG qualified in third place by one goal after crushing FC Twente 4-0.
Tottenham rallied from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Spartak Moscow to advance at the expense of the Russian club along with NEC Nijmegen, which scored two late goals to beat Group D winner Udinese 2-0.
Olympiakos trounced Hertha Berlin 4-0 to reach the last 32, but it was Metalist Kharkiv which topped Group B ahead of Galatasaray by edging Benfica 1-0.
AC Milan, Valencia and Hamburg were among the clubs to advance from the four groups completed Wednesday. The 24 teams will be joined in Friday’s draw by the eight third-place finishers in the Champions League group stage.
Jonathan Bottinelli’s 75th-minute goal gave Sampdoria a 1-0 win over Sevilla, which was also overtaken in Group C by Stuttgart after the German club’s 3-0 victory over group winner Standard Liege.
Racing Santander was knocked out on goal difference in Group A when Manchester City, which had already qualified, scored an injury-time goal in a 3-1 loss. PSG qualified in third place by one goal after crushing FC Twente 4-0.
Tottenham rallied from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Spartak Moscow to advance at the expense of the Russian club along with NEC Nijmegen, which scored two late goals to beat Group D winner Udinese 2-0.
Olympiakos trounced Hertha Berlin 4-0 to reach the last 32, but it was Metalist Kharkiv which topped Group B ahead of Galatasaray by edging Benfica 1-0.
AC Milan, Valencia and Hamburg were among the clubs to advance from the four groups completed Wednesday. The 24 teams will be joined in Friday’s draw by the eight third-place finishers in the Champions League group stage.
Study, Near $156 million for Champions League win
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP)—The winner of the Champions League could reap up to $160 million in revenues despite the world economic downturn, according to a study released Thursday.
Any slip-up in a penalty shootout could cost the losing club up to $56 million—the likely revenue difference between victor and vanquished in the final next May 27 in Rome, according to Professor Simon Chadwick of Coventry University Business School in England.
“Losing will mean lower prize money,” Chadwick said. “Clearly it will affect their ability to negotiate with sponsors and in terms of squad value that will be marginally less.”
The 16 teams going into Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland, have on average already secured $56.2 million through prize money, tournament commercial revenues, ticket sales, sponsorship, merchandising and increased squad value.
“The competition continues to be an important source of revenue and commercial activity for clubs, especially for those that qualify for the knockout phase,” said Chadwick, who produced the study for Champions League sponsor MasterCard.
Considering Real Madrid is the biggest club based on revenue with $513 million, the importance of winning the sport’s richest club competition, cannot be underestimated, especially in times of crisis.
“The big teams in the Champions League are going to be more recession-resistant than others,” Chadwick said in a telephone interview.
He said the top teams’ global fan base and the overall appeal of the competition would help them win sponsorship deals and bigger slices of television rights.
Chadwick also said that for the 16 teams in Friday’s draw, the value of their players will have increased 13 percent by simply getting this far.
Any slip-up in a penalty shootout could cost the losing club up to $56 million—the likely revenue difference between victor and vanquished in the final next May 27 in Rome, according to Professor Simon Chadwick of Coventry University Business School in England.
“Losing will mean lower prize money,” Chadwick said. “Clearly it will affect their ability to negotiate with sponsors and in terms of squad value that will be marginally less.”
The 16 teams going into Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland, have on average already secured $56.2 million through prize money, tournament commercial revenues, ticket sales, sponsorship, merchandising and increased squad value.
“The competition continues to be an important source of revenue and commercial activity for clubs, especially for those that qualify for the knockout phase,” said Chadwick, who produced the study for Champions League sponsor MasterCard.
Considering Real Madrid is the biggest club based on revenue with $513 million, the importance of winning the sport’s richest club competition, cannot be underestimated, especially in times of crisis.
“The big teams in the Champions League are going to be more recession-resistant than others,” Chadwick said in a telephone interview.
He said the top teams’ global fan base and the overall appeal of the competition would help them win sponsorship deals and bigger slices of television rights.
Chadwick also said that for the 16 teams in Friday’s draw, the value of their players will have increased 13 percent by simply getting this far.
Howard, Lloyd selected as US players of year
CHICAGO (AP)—Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard was selected as U.S. soccer male athlete of the year and midfielder Carli Lloyd was picked as the top female athlete.
Howard had consecutive shutouts in World Cup qualifiers against Guatemala, Cuba, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Lloyd, the first midfielder to win the women’s honor since Shannon MacMillan in 2002, scored as the United States beat Brazil 1-0 in overtime in the gold medal game of the Beijing Olympics.
Online votes accounted for 50 percent of the balloting in totals announced Thursday, with the remainder cast by media, coaches and the USSF board of directors.
In the under-23 category, midfielder Sacha Kljestan was the young male athlete of the year and midfielder Kristie Mewis the young female athlete of the year.
Howard had consecutive shutouts in World Cup qualifiers against Guatemala, Cuba, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Lloyd, the first midfielder to win the women’s honor since Shannon MacMillan in 2002, scored as the United States beat Brazil 1-0 in overtime in the gold medal game of the Beijing Olympics.
Online votes accounted for 50 percent of the balloting in totals announced Thursday, with the remainder cast by media, coaches and the USSF board of directors.
In the under-23 category, midfielder Sacha Kljestan was the young male athlete of the year and midfielder Kristie Mewis the young female athlete of the year.
Man Utd and Chelsea looking at Italian job
NYON, Switzerland (AFP) - Holders Manchester United and fellow 2008 finalists Chelsea will have to battle their way to potential Champions League glory after being paired with Inter Milan and Juventus respectively on Friday.
But in a draw for the first knockout round that produced some mouth-watering fixtures between European football's big guns United and Premier League rivals Chelsea were not alone in facing tough opposition.
Liverpool, winners in 2005, are also assured a tough passage to the quarter-finals of the competition after being drawn with nine-times champions Real Madrid.
Arsenal will look favourably on the task that awaits them after being drawn with Roma, whose Olympic stadium will host the final in May 2009.
However seven-times French champions Lyon face a tough task overcoming an on-form Barcelona, European champions in 2006, over two legs.Elsewhere Spanish side Villarreal drew Panathinaikos of Greece in what must be regarded as a good outcome for both clubs, while Bayern Munich will surely be happy having drawn Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.
On-form Atletico Madrid meanwhile drew 2004 champions FC Porto.
The outcome of the draw means two former Chelsea coaches will find themselves back in England.
United will welcome back to Old Trafford former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, while Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri will return to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2004.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, whose side beat Chelsea on penalties to claim the 2008 crown, will have another reason to motivate his side against Mourinho's Inter Milan.
Before leading FC Porto to final victory in 2004, Mourinho danced a jig on the Old Trafford sidelines after a Costinha equaliser in the 90th minute sent United crashing out at the first knockout round.
Draw for the last 16, knockout round of the Champions League:
Match 1
Chelsea (ENG) v Juventus (ITA)
Match 2
Villarreal (ESP) v Panathinaikos (GRE)
Match 3
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Match 4
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v FC Porto (POR)
Match 5
Lyon (FRA) v Barcelona (ESP)
Match 6
Real Madrid (ESP) v Liverpool (ENG)
Match 7
Arsenal (ENG) v Roma (ITA)
Match 8
Inter Milan (ITA) v Manchester United (ENG)
But in a draw for the first knockout round that produced some mouth-watering fixtures between European football's big guns United and Premier League rivals Chelsea were not alone in facing tough opposition.
Liverpool, winners in 2005, are also assured a tough passage to the quarter-finals of the competition after being drawn with nine-times champions Real Madrid.
Arsenal will look favourably on the task that awaits them after being drawn with Roma, whose Olympic stadium will host the final in May 2009.
However seven-times French champions Lyon face a tough task overcoming an on-form Barcelona, European champions in 2006, over two legs.Elsewhere Spanish side Villarreal drew Panathinaikos of Greece in what must be regarded as a good outcome for both clubs, while Bayern Munich will surely be happy having drawn Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.
On-form Atletico Madrid meanwhile drew 2004 champions FC Porto.
The outcome of the draw means two former Chelsea coaches will find themselves back in England.
United will welcome back to Old Trafford former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, while Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri will return to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2004.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, whose side beat Chelsea on penalties to claim the 2008 crown, will have another reason to motivate his side against Mourinho's Inter Milan.
Before leading FC Porto to final victory in 2004, Mourinho danced a jig on the Old Trafford sidelines after a Costinha equaliser in the 90th minute sent United crashing out at the first knockout round.
Draw for the last 16, knockout round of the Champions League:
Match 1
Chelsea (ENG) v Juventus (ITA)
Match 2
Villarreal (ESP) v Panathinaikos (GRE)
Match 3
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Match 4
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v FC Porto (POR)
Match 5
Lyon (FRA) v Barcelona (ESP)
Match 6
Real Madrid (ESP) v Liverpool (ENG)
Match 7
Arsenal (ENG) v Roma (ITA)
Match 8
Inter Milan (ITA) v Manchester United (ENG)
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Reports: Subotic to Napoli done
Napoli have signed Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic, who thus becomes their first winter transfer.
The Partenopei have been after the 20-year-old stopper for some time, and sporting director Pier Paolo Marino has beaten off stiff competition to land him.
Napoli-based Il Mattino claims the deal was done and dusted late last night and the player is set to arrive in January.
The Bosnian, who also holds an American passport, is strong, has height and pace and has already scored five goals this term.
Napoli were quick to move as they wanted to avoid missing out on him given the fact that there was some interest in him from the Premier League.
The details of the transfer are still unknown and Napoli are yet to make an official announcement.
Edy Reja’s side have serious Champions League ambitions this term, and another top-rated defender is a welcome addition to the side.
The Partenopei have been after the 20-year-old stopper for some time, and sporting director Pier Paolo Marino has beaten off stiff competition to land him.
Napoli-based Il Mattino claims the deal was done and dusted late last night and the player is set to arrive in January.
The Bosnian, who also holds an American passport, is strong, has height and pace and has already scored five goals this term.
Napoli were quick to move as they wanted to avoid missing out on him given the fact that there was some interest in him from the Premier League.
The details of the transfer are still unknown and Napoli are yet to make an official announcement.
Edy Reja’s side have serious Champions League ambitions this term, and another top-rated defender is a welcome addition to the side.
Allardyce hopes he has Harry's 'Midas' touch
BLACKBURN, England (AFP) - Sam Allardyce said Thursday he hoped to emulate Harry Redknapp after becoming the manager of Premier League strugglers Blackburn Rovers.
Former Bolton and Newcastle boss Allardyce, 54, was appointed Wednesday on a three-year contract, a day after Rovers sacked Paul Ince.
Blackburn are second-bottom in the lucrative English top-flight and facing relegation, having won just three out 17 games - all under Ince who took over in June - so far this season.
Redknapp, previously in charge of Portsmouth, oversaw the end of Tottenham's eight-game winless run in the Premier League at the first attempt with a 2-0 win over Bolton in October and has since guided the north London club"I hope I can be like Harry Redknapp, he seems to have the Midas touch," Allardyce told a news conference at Ewood Park here Thursday.
Allardyce was a candidate for the post of Blackburn manager when Ince was appointed in June after Mark Hughes's departure to join Premier League rivals Manchester City.
He had eight years in charge of Bolton, establishing Rovers's fellow north-west side in the Premier League and making them tough to beat, before a brief spell at Newcastle saw him sacked by then new owner Mike Ashley.
"Six months ago it was a case of speaking with (Rovers chairman) John Williams, going home and talking to my better half," Allardyce explained. "After 15 years straight managing and coaching I decided it was too early to jump back into the mainstream.
"Now I can get going in terms of getting my teeth stuck into the job and improving results, certainly in the beginning."
Rovers, who finished seventh last season, are currently five points adrift of safety ahead of this weekend's game against Stoke and Allardyce admitted: "It's difficult - an unexpected position I think.
"But I've been there before and now the players must respond very quickly.
"You can never say you are too good to go down - clubs have fallen foul of that before - but the players have to play to the maximum of their ability to get us out of trouble, hopefully as quickly as possible."
He added: "As the Premier League seems to go on, the time for managers seems to get shorter. Your job is to get results almost immediately; if you don't want to get involved in that don't come back.
"I do. I've grown from that experience and most importantly recharged the batteries - and I'm ready to 'rock and roll' again."
Williams, who almost as soon as Ince had been sacked said he would move quickly to bring in a new manager, said of "first-choice" Allardyce: "Experience is the word, he's been there (and) done it. We feel we've got the man to pull us round."
Allardyce explained he would assess Rovers's existing squad before deciding whether to bring in new players during the January transfer window.
And Williams said: "We'll do our best to support him, we always have done that with our managers. We've usually managed to give them every penny we have got - and some that we haven't got."
Allardyce, after his rollercoaster ride at Newcastle, said he was looking forward to his time with Rovers.
"This club's always been very stable. Over many many years, they've been professionally run at all levels - and apart from obviously Paul losing his job very very quickly after taking it, you look at the past and you've always had a good chance to get success." out of the bottom three.
Former Bolton and Newcastle boss Allardyce, 54, was appointed Wednesday on a three-year contract, a day after Rovers sacked Paul Ince.
Blackburn are second-bottom in the lucrative English top-flight and facing relegation, having won just three out 17 games - all under Ince who took over in June - so far this season.
Redknapp, previously in charge of Portsmouth, oversaw the end of Tottenham's eight-game winless run in the Premier League at the first attempt with a 2-0 win over Bolton in October and has since guided the north London club"I hope I can be like Harry Redknapp, he seems to have the Midas touch," Allardyce told a news conference at Ewood Park here Thursday.
Allardyce was a candidate for the post of Blackburn manager when Ince was appointed in June after Mark Hughes's departure to join Premier League rivals Manchester City.
He had eight years in charge of Bolton, establishing Rovers's fellow north-west side in the Premier League and making them tough to beat, before a brief spell at Newcastle saw him sacked by then new owner Mike Ashley.
"Six months ago it was a case of speaking with (Rovers chairman) John Williams, going home and talking to my better half," Allardyce explained. "After 15 years straight managing and coaching I decided it was too early to jump back into the mainstream.
"Now I can get going in terms of getting my teeth stuck into the job and improving results, certainly in the beginning."
Rovers, who finished seventh last season, are currently five points adrift of safety ahead of this weekend's game against Stoke and Allardyce admitted: "It's difficult - an unexpected position I think.
"But I've been there before and now the players must respond very quickly.
"You can never say you are too good to go down - clubs have fallen foul of that before - but the players have to play to the maximum of their ability to get us out of trouble, hopefully as quickly as possible."
He added: "As the Premier League seems to go on, the time for managers seems to get shorter. Your job is to get results almost immediately; if you don't want to get involved in that don't come back.
"I do. I've grown from that experience and most importantly recharged the batteries - and I'm ready to 'rock and roll' again."
Williams, who almost as soon as Ince had been sacked said he would move quickly to bring in a new manager, said of "first-choice" Allardyce: "Experience is the word, he's been there (and) done it. We feel we've got the man to pull us round."
Allardyce explained he would assess Rovers's existing squad before deciding whether to bring in new players during the January transfer window.
And Williams said: "We'll do our best to support him, we always have done that with our managers. We've usually managed to give them every penny we have got - and some that we haven't got."
Allardyce, after his rollercoaster ride at Newcastle, said he was looking forward to his time with Rovers.
"This club's always been very stable. Over many many years, they've been professionally run at all levels - and apart from obviously Paul losing his job very very quickly after taking it, you look at the past and you've always had a good chance to get success." out of the bottom three.
Fergie slams 'that mob' Real Madrid
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson lashed out at Real Madrid on Thursday after reports that Manchester United had agreed to sell them Cristiano Ronaldo, saying he would never do a deal with "that mob".
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that the two clubs had a gentleman's agreement to transfer Ronaldo to the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
It said the two teams agreed in principle to the deal at the end of a bitter tug-of-war for the Portugal star this year but pledged a vow of silence.
The paper quoted a conversation this week between a Real Madrid director, Pedro Trapote, and one of his business associates, and said at least two other senior club sources had leaked the news.
But an angry Ferguson said he would never sell his star player to the Madrid side as relations between the two football superpowers hit a new low."Do you think I would get into a contract with that mob. Jesus Christ, no chance. I wouldn't sell them a virus," he said after watching his side beat Japan's Gamba Osaka 5-3 here to reach the final of the Club World Cup.
"That's a no," he added. "There is absolutely no agreement at all between the clubs."
Ronaldo was touted all summer as an 80 million euro (115 million dollars, 74 million pounds) Real target, with United furious at the Spaniards' constant efforts to prise him away from Manchester.
The 23-year-old is currently earning 120,000 pounds a week in a deal through to 2012 but could buy himself out of the contract at the end of the season.
To counter this, reports in England said last month that Ferguson had instructed the Old Trafford hierarchy to work on a new deal to ward off further Spanish overtures.
Ronaldo, who has not hidden his desire to play in Spain one day, refused to talk about Madrid.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said repeatedly when asked.
"I just want to win the Club World Cup trophy."
The United boss said he knew the rumours would begin again with the January transfer window looming, and vowed to ignore them.
"I said to (chief executive) David Gill you can bet your life that in January the rumours will start up again," he said.
"We've just got to ignore them. we have got a difficult programme of matches coming up and need to just play our game and ignore them."
On Wednesday, Ferguson had hailed Ronaldo's work ethic and value to the club.
"Over the five years he has been with us, we have seen him develop into the player he is today," he said.
"He always had certain attributes that pointed him towards the very top—his amazing skill, his speed and his courage. In the time he has been with us, he has developed his decision-making."
He has also become a master marksman, which Ferguson said was down to "practice, practice, practice."
"As a kid he played centre-forward for Sporting Lisbon and our people in Portugal kept telling us that 'this boy is a great goalscorer.'
"When he first came to us, we couldn't see that. All of a sudden he just blossomed and last season he got 42.
"That is a measure of a young person wanting to do well, to improve himself by his own determination and ambition to practise all the time."
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that the two clubs had a gentleman's agreement to transfer Ronaldo to the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
It said the two teams agreed in principle to the deal at the end of a bitter tug-of-war for the Portugal star this year but pledged a vow of silence.
The paper quoted a conversation this week between a Real Madrid director, Pedro Trapote, and one of his business associates, and said at least two other senior club sources had leaked the news.
But an angry Ferguson said he would never sell his star player to the Madrid side as relations between the two football superpowers hit a new low."Do you think I would get into a contract with that mob. Jesus Christ, no chance. I wouldn't sell them a virus," he said after watching his side beat Japan's Gamba Osaka 5-3 here to reach the final of the Club World Cup.
"That's a no," he added. "There is absolutely no agreement at all between the clubs."
Ronaldo was touted all summer as an 80 million euro (115 million dollars, 74 million pounds) Real target, with United furious at the Spaniards' constant efforts to prise him away from Manchester.
The 23-year-old is currently earning 120,000 pounds a week in a deal through to 2012 but could buy himself out of the contract at the end of the season.
To counter this, reports in England said last month that Ferguson had instructed the Old Trafford hierarchy to work on a new deal to ward off further Spanish overtures.
Ronaldo, who has not hidden his desire to play in Spain one day, refused to talk about Madrid.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said repeatedly when asked.
"I just want to win the Club World Cup trophy."
The United boss said he knew the rumours would begin again with the January transfer window looming, and vowed to ignore them.
"I said to (chief executive) David Gill you can bet your life that in January the rumours will start up again," he said.
"We've just got to ignore them. we have got a difficult programme of matches coming up and need to just play our game and ignore them."
On Wednesday, Ferguson had hailed Ronaldo's work ethic and value to the club.
"Over the five years he has been with us, we have seen him develop into the player he is today," he said.
"He always had certain attributes that pointed him towards the very top—his amazing skill, his speed and his courage. In the time he has been with us, he has developed his decision-making."
He has also become a master marksman, which Ferguson said was down to "practice, practice, practice."
"As a kid he played centre-forward for Sporting Lisbon and our people in Portugal kept telling us that 'this boy is a great goalscorer.'
"When he first came to us, we couldn't see that. All of a sudden he just blossomed and last season he got 42.
"That is a measure of a young person wanting to do well, to improve himself by his own determination and ambition to practise all the time."
De Ceglie signs Juve contract extension
ROME (AFP) - Young midfielder Paolo De Ceglie has signed a contract extension at Juventus until 2013, the club said on Thursday.
While not a first team regular, the 22-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Siena, has made seven starts and eight substitute appearances this season and provided the cross for one of Amauri's goals against AC Milan last weekend.
"This extension is an important step in my career and the result of many years of sacrifice," said De Ceglie.
While not a first team regular, the 22-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Siena, has made seven starts and eight substitute appearances this season and provided the cross for one of Amauri's goals against AC Milan last weekend.
"This extension is an important step in my career and the result of many years of sacrifice," said De Ceglie.
SPL to end winter break next season
GLASGOW (AFP) - The Scottish Premier League (SPL) announced Thursday they would not have a winter break next season - although it could return for the following campaign.
The SPL's announcement, which stunned the Scottish Football Association (SFA), came at the same time as they revealed the 2009/10 top-flight season would start on August 8 and conclude on the weekend of May 8.
An SPL board meeting here Thursday decided the early finish to the season dictated by the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa would make a winter break impossible.
"Other details of fixture dates will be announced in due course," an SPL statement said.
"But season 2009/10 will not include a winter break, given the constraints presented by the early finish to the season required by FIFA (football's global governing body) ahead of the World Cup Finals in South Africa.
"The possibility of re-introducing the winter break for season 2010-11 is being examined."
An SFA spokesman admitted Thursday they had been shocked by the SPL move.
"Today's announcement has taken us completely by surprise," he said. "In February each year a fixture co-ordination group comprising of representatives of the Scottish FA, SPL and SFL (Scottish Football League) meet to discuss and approve the fixtures for the coming season.
"The meeting for season 2009/10 has not taken place. It is therefore unprecedented that the SPL have - without any consultation - made this announcement today."
The SFA spokesman added: "As far as we are concerned this meeting should go ahead in February and all partners should have their say in deciding the shape of the football season.
"One of our key priorities for next season is giving Scottish players the proper time to prepare for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Norway on August 12."
The SPL's announcement, which stunned the Scottish Football Association (SFA), came at the same time as they revealed the 2009/10 top-flight season would start on August 8 and conclude on the weekend of May 8.
An SPL board meeting here Thursday decided the early finish to the season dictated by the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa would make a winter break impossible.
"Other details of fixture dates will be announced in due course," an SPL statement said.
"But season 2009/10 will not include a winter break, given the constraints presented by the early finish to the season required by FIFA (football's global governing body) ahead of the World Cup Finals in South Africa.
"The possibility of re-introducing the winter break for season 2010-11 is being examined."
An SFA spokesman admitted Thursday they had been shocked by the SPL move.
"Today's announcement has taken us completely by surprise," he said. "In February each year a fixture co-ordination group comprising of representatives of the Scottish FA, SPL and SFL (Scottish Football League) meet to discuss and approve the fixtures for the coming season.
"The meeting for season 2009/10 has not taken place. It is therefore unprecedented that the SPL have - without any consultation - made this announcement today."
The SFA spokesman added: "As far as we are concerned this meeting should go ahead in February and all partners should have their say in deciding the shape of the football season.
"One of our key priorities for next season is giving Scottish players the proper time to prepare for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Norway on August 12."
Kinnear optimistic Owen will stay in Magpies' nest
LONDON (AFP) - Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear is increasingly confident Michael Owen will stay at St James' Park after holding contract talks with the England striker.
Owen's current 103,000 pounds-a-week (153,969 dollars) deal expires at the end of the current season.
Kinnear said Thursday that Owen had been offered a new three-year contract and that, having initially been downbeat about holding onto the former Liverpool and Real Madrid forward, he was optimistic of keeping his highly-prized asset.
"I spent about an hour with him a couple of days ago," former Wimbledon manager Kinnear, 61, said Thursday.
"He's had what I consider a very good offer, length of period of time three years, which would bring Michael up to 32-plus.
"I am optimistic - I am more optimistic now having spent that time talking to him.
"He's getting together with his agent in the next two or three days and coming back with an answer.
"Obviously, they'll still be negotiating one way or the other, but we'll certainly find out, I would think, in the next two or three days."
Nicky Butt, Shola Ameobi and Steve Harper have also been offered new deals and Kinnear is hopeful they will sign within the next 24 hours.
He added: "We hope to sign Nicky at some time today (Thursday) and Shola is the same.
"Steve's agent is talking to (owner) Mike (Ashley) today, so I'm very confident they will all sign.
"Nicky is happy. He wants to finish his career here.
"There is only Michael, really. We are giving him an extra few days to sort things out, but I am getting more optimistic with Michael."
Owen, after marking his 29th birthday by scoring the opening goal against Portsmouth in Newcastle's 3-0 win last weekend, as the Magpies' first away victory this season took the north-east side out of the bottom three, was coy about his long-term future.
"Obviously, there's a lot made of it," Owen told Sky Sports. "What do you want me to say?"
Owen's current 103,000 pounds-a-week (153,969 dollars) deal expires at the end of the current season.
Kinnear said Thursday that Owen had been offered a new three-year contract and that, having initially been downbeat about holding onto the former Liverpool and Real Madrid forward, he was optimistic of keeping his highly-prized asset.
"I spent about an hour with him a couple of days ago," former Wimbledon manager Kinnear, 61, said Thursday.
"He's had what I consider a very good offer, length of period of time three years, which would bring Michael up to 32-plus.
"I am optimistic - I am more optimistic now having spent that time talking to him.
"He's getting together with his agent in the next two or three days and coming back with an answer.
"Obviously, they'll still be negotiating one way or the other, but we'll certainly find out, I would think, in the next two or three days."
Nicky Butt, Shola Ameobi and Steve Harper have also been offered new deals and Kinnear is hopeful they will sign within the next 24 hours.
He added: "We hope to sign Nicky at some time today (Thursday) and Shola is the same.
"Steve's agent is talking to (owner) Mike (Ashley) today, so I'm very confident they will all sign.
"Nicky is happy. He wants to finish his career here.
"There is only Michael, really. We are giving him an extra few days to sort things out, but I am getting more optimistic with Michael."
Owen, after marking his 29th birthday by scoring the opening goal against Portsmouth in Newcastle's 3-0 win last weekend, as the Magpies' first away victory this season took the north-east side out of the bottom three, was coy about his long-term future.
"Obviously, there's a lot made of it," Owen told Sky Sports. "What do you want me to say?"
Deportivo qualify through the back door in UEFA Cup
PARIS (AFP) - Deportivo La Coruna qualified by the back door from the UEFA Cup group stages as the 2004 Champions League semi-finalists struck a late winner through Rodolfo Bodipo for a 1-0 victory at home to Nancy.
FC Copenhagen thanked Cesar Santin for a second-half winner in their 1-0 win at FC Bruges to also get their ticket through while Lech Poznan got the third and final berth of the night following a win by the same scoreline at Feyenoord with Ivan Djurdjevic on target.
Another six places in February's two-leg Round of 32 are on offer in Thursday's fixtures before Friday's draw which comprises the eight third-placed teams in the Champions League groups and the 24 UEFA Cup qualifiers.
AC Milan's late conceding of an equaliser in a 2-2 draw at home to VfL Wolfsburg meant the Germans held on to top spot in Group E, meaning they play a third-placed team in the Round of 32.
AC Milan fans staged a protest against their own club during the meaningless tie at the San Siro which was practically empty with few fans other than the 1,600 travelling German supporters.
Aston Villa skipper Nigel Reo-Coker was far from happy as they fell 3-1 at Hamburg - coached by former Spurs handler Martin Jol - meaning they only qualified in third spot from Group F.
"(We take this result) very hard - no-one likes to lose," Reo-Coker told Channel Five television. "It's not the mentality we've got at this club.
"We're very disappointed, we're here to win games, regardless of which team is out there. We've set standards and expect to maintain them. We let ourselves down by conceding very poor goals."
Manager Martin O'Neill did not field his strongest line-up contributing to the defeat with two goals from Ivica Olic and another from Mladen Petric, though Nathan Delfouneso pulled one back late on.
Making things worse, Villa's Steve Sidwell was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 84th minute.
Portsmouth's Peter Crouch scored twice in their 3-0 victory at home to Dutchmen Heerenveen though Pompey had already been eliminated from the competition.
Spartak Moscow coach Michael Laudrup is hoping for another upset at White Hart Lane on Thursday after witnessing Jol's exit during his last visit to Tottenham.
Denmark's Laudrup was with Getafe last season and beat Spurs on a bizarre night when Jol's dismissal circulated around the ground during the match while the Dutchman was still in the dug-out.
Now with Spartak in Russia, Laudrup needs to beat Harry Redknapp's men to have any chance of progressing in the UEFA Cup, with the result of Udinese's clash with NEC Nijmegen having a bearing.
FC Copenhagen thanked Cesar Santin for a second-half winner in their 1-0 win at FC Bruges to also get their ticket through while Lech Poznan got the third and final berth of the night following a win by the same scoreline at Feyenoord with Ivan Djurdjevic on target.
Another six places in February's two-leg Round of 32 are on offer in Thursday's fixtures before Friday's draw which comprises the eight third-placed teams in the Champions League groups and the 24 UEFA Cup qualifiers.
AC Milan's late conceding of an equaliser in a 2-2 draw at home to VfL Wolfsburg meant the Germans held on to top spot in Group E, meaning they play a third-placed team in the Round of 32.
AC Milan fans staged a protest against their own club during the meaningless tie at the San Siro which was practically empty with few fans other than the 1,600 travelling German supporters.
Aston Villa skipper Nigel Reo-Coker was far from happy as they fell 3-1 at Hamburg - coached by former Spurs handler Martin Jol - meaning they only qualified in third spot from Group F.
"(We take this result) very hard - no-one likes to lose," Reo-Coker told Channel Five television. "It's not the mentality we've got at this club.
"We're very disappointed, we're here to win games, regardless of which team is out there. We've set standards and expect to maintain them. We let ourselves down by conceding very poor goals."
Manager Martin O'Neill did not field his strongest line-up contributing to the defeat with two goals from Ivica Olic and another from Mladen Petric, though Nathan Delfouneso pulled one back late on.
Making things worse, Villa's Steve Sidwell was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 84th minute.
Portsmouth's Peter Crouch scored twice in their 3-0 victory at home to Dutchmen Heerenveen though Pompey had already been eliminated from the competition.
Spartak Moscow coach Michael Laudrup is hoping for another upset at White Hart Lane on Thursday after witnessing Jol's exit during his last visit to Tottenham.
Denmark's Laudrup was with Getafe last season and beat Spurs on a bizarre night when Jol's dismissal circulated around the ground during the match while the Dutchman was still in the dug-out.
Now with Spartak in Russia, Laudrup needs to beat Harry Redknapp's men to have any chance of progressing in the UEFA Cup, with the result of Udinese's clash with NEC Nijmegen having a bearing.
EPL’s best taking road less traveled
As we approach the midpoint of the English Premier League season, one statistical anomaly has lasted too long to be a coincidence.
Home comforts are meaning little this campaign, with five of the top seven EPL teams having won more away games than on their own territory. Now, it would be easy to disregard the evidence as a freak run of away results, but the evidence points more toward a shift in mentality.
When smaller teams travel to places like Anfield and Stamford Bridge, it is generally accepted that they have little chance of victory. Therefore, common tactics involve highly defensive, game-killing techniques aimed at shutting the opposition down at any price.
Faced with a hastily erected blockade in front of them, the giants of English soccer have been, in many cases, unable to beat the door down with the power and precision of their sparkling play. League leader Liverpool has been held to draws at home to Stoke, Fulham, Hull and West Ham, yet the Reds still maintained their advantage at the head of the table.
Chelsea’s long unbeaten run at home came to an end against Liverpool and was followed by another defeat, soon after, to Arsenal. However, the Blues’ season has been saved by their amazing away form with eight straight victories out of eight.
Much of the reason behind the discrepancy is based around tactics.
The likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa are comfortable sitting back, then counterattacking with blistering pace. But they often only get the chance to do so away from home, as the host tries to press forward and chase the game.Right now, the challenge of maintaining consistent home form and unpicking a defense-minded opponent is crucial to the title hopefuls. The two-point difference between victory and a draw could be pivotal in the final reckoning as this intriguing title race boils up nicely.
1. Get him an Advil
Andrei Arshavin could be in for a tense standoff with his current club Zenit St. Petersburg before he can complete a dream move to Western Europe.
The brilliant Russian playmaker, who was sensational against Holland at Euro 2008, is one of the most sought-after players in the world, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich both taking a close look. However, recent financial uncertainty means Zenit may not get the $40 million it is believed to want in return for its best player and could hold out for the maximum price.
Arshavin has been quoted as saying he will refuse to play for Zenit in the future if he is not transferred. The drawn-out saga that is likely to follow will cast an unfortunate shadow over one of Europe’s brightest stars.
2. Get him a beer
Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was a figure of fun a few weeks back after a string of miserable displays. But the Brazilian retained the faith of new Spurs boss Harry Redknapp and has come up with some spectacular performances, including last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United.
Gomes’ agility and reflexes have always been first-rate. Yet it is his mental strength that saw him through a torrid time.
3. Get him some earplugs
Juergen Klinsmann’s assertion that the huge levels of debt carried by some clubs in England and Spain could put a dent in the future success of the EPL and La Liga will be treated with derision and maybe outright laughter in some quarters.
It would take an almighty shift for European dominance at club level to move toward Germany as Klinsmann suggested in media interviews last week. However, just while no one knows for sure what the full extent of the global credit crunch will be (certainly, some big clubs in England and Spain will have some rocky times ahead), it is equally impossible to predict its impact on the world game.4. Four corners
• Am I the only one looking forward to Jose Mourinho’s response to this?
• Should they just hand Barcelona the La Liga trophy now and get it over with?
• Can anyone possibly stop Manchester United from winning the FIFA Club World Cup?
• Could the Mexican Apertura championship game on Sunday have been any more thrilling?
5. Catch a flight to …
Switzerland. European soccer’s power brokers assemble in Nyon on Friday to watch a man stick his hand in a bowl and pull out some plastic balls. The draw for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League promises to produce some mouth-watering contests to look forward to when the competition recommences in February.
6. A round of applause for …
• Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Fernando Torres, Xavi and Kaka: They’re the five candidates shortlisted for the World Player of the Year award. All have been outstanding, but surely it’s a two-man race between Ronaldo and Messi.
• Graham Zusi: His game-winning goal clinched the NCAA Men’s College Cup for Maryland against North Carolina.
• Michel Platini: The UEFA president blocked proposals for future European Championships to be hosted by three countries. Now if only legislation could be passed restricting joint bids, then the tournament would go on to even greater success.
7. Get them a Kleenex
• Marek Jankulovski: The AC Milan defender had a nightmare, giving away a penalty and turning in a horrible performance as Juventus ran riot with a 4-2 win.
• Ukraine soccer: Maxim Pashayev, the captain of the Ukraine under-21 team, died last week after his car slid off an icy road.
8. Get ready to say hello to …
The 39th game – again. EPL chief Richard Scudamore faced a giant backlash when he suggested implementing an extra game to be played at foreign venues. Now the league has teamed up with the Asian Football Confederation, much of the opposition has died down and this pioneering step looks to have a big chance of getting approved.
9. Get ready to say goodbye to …
Paul Ince. The Blackburn Rovers boss has lost six league games in a row and is on the verge of being fired. Touted as a bright young manager when he was brought in during the summer, Ince has seen things turn sour very quickly.
10. Get excited about …
Napoli’s unexpected challenge in the Italian Serie A, in only its second season back in the top flight. This sleeping giant has slumbered for too long and is starting to make waves.
11. Why it’s good to be a soccer player
Because you get to spend a fortune on Christmas like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Home comforts are meaning little this campaign, with five of the top seven EPL teams having won more away games than on their own territory. Now, it would be easy to disregard the evidence as a freak run of away results, but the evidence points more toward a shift in mentality.
When smaller teams travel to places like Anfield and Stamford Bridge, it is generally accepted that they have little chance of victory. Therefore, common tactics involve highly defensive, game-killing techniques aimed at shutting the opposition down at any price.
Faced with a hastily erected blockade in front of them, the giants of English soccer have been, in many cases, unable to beat the door down with the power and precision of their sparkling play. League leader Liverpool has been held to draws at home to Stoke, Fulham, Hull and West Ham, yet the Reds still maintained their advantage at the head of the table.
Chelsea’s long unbeaten run at home came to an end against Liverpool and was followed by another defeat, soon after, to Arsenal. However, the Blues’ season has been saved by their amazing away form with eight straight victories out of eight.
Much of the reason behind the discrepancy is based around tactics.
The likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa are comfortable sitting back, then counterattacking with blistering pace. But they often only get the chance to do so away from home, as the host tries to press forward and chase the game.Right now, the challenge of maintaining consistent home form and unpicking a defense-minded opponent is crucial to the title hopefuls. The two-point difference between victory and a draw could be pivotal in the final reckoning as this intriguing title race boils up nicely.
1. Get him an Advil
Andrei Arshavin could be in for a tense standoff with his current club Zenit St. Petersburg before he can complete a dream move to Western Europe.
The brilliant Russian playmaker, who was sensational against Holland at Euro 2008, is one of the most sought-after players in the world, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich both taking a close look. However, recent financial uncertainty means Zenit may not get the $40 million it is believed to want in return for its best player and could hold out for the maximum price.
Arshavin has been quoted as saying he will refuse to play for Zenit in the future if he is not transferred. The drawn-out saga that is likely to follow will cast an unfortunate shadow over one of Europe’s brightest stars.
2. Get him a beer
Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was a figure of fun a few weeks back after a string of miserable displays. But the Brazilian retained the faith of new Spurs boss Harry Redknapp and has come up with some spectacular performances, including last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United.
Gomes’ agility and reflexes have always been first-rate. Yet it is his mental strength that saw him through a torrid time.
3. Get him some earplugs
Juergen Klinsmann’s assertion that the huge levels of debt carried by some clubs in England and Spain could put a dent in the future success of the EPL and La Liga will be treated with derision and maybe outright laughter in some quarters.
It would take an almighty shift for European dominance at club level to move toward Germany as Klinsmann suggested in media interviews last week. However, just while no one knows for sure what the full extent of the global credit crunch will be (certainly, some big clubs in England and Spain will have some rocky times ahead), it is equally impossible to predict its impact on the world game.4. Four corners
• Am I the only one looking forward to Jose Mourinho’s response to this?
• Should they just hand Barcelona the La Liga trophy now and get it over with?
• Can anyone possibly stop Manchester United from winning the FIFA Club World Cup?
• Could the Mexican Apertura championship game on Sunday have been any more thrilling?
5. Catch a flight to …
Switzerland. European soccer’s power brokers assemble in Nyon on Friday to watch a man stick his hand in a bowl and pull out some plastic balls. The draw for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League promises to produce some mouth-watering contests to look forward to when the competition recommences in February.
6. A round of applause for …
• Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Fernando Torres, Xavi and Kaka: They’re the five candidates shortlisted for the World Player of the Year award. All have been outstanding, but surely it’s a two-man race between Ronaldo and Messi.
• Graham Zusi: His game-winning goal clinched the NCAA Men’s College Cup for Maryland against North Carolina.
• Michel Platini: The UEFA president blocked proposals for future European Championships to be hosted by three countries. Now if only legislation could be passed restricting joint bids, then the tournament would go on to even greater success.
7. Get them a Kleenex
• Marek Jankulovski: The AC Milan defender had a nightmare, giving away a penalty and turning in a horrible performance as Juventus ran riot with a 4-2 win.
• Ukraine soccer: Maxim Pashayev, the captain of the Ukraine under-21 team, died last week after his car slid off an icy road.
8. Get ready to say hello to …
The 39th game – again. EPL chief Richard Scudamore faced a giant backlash when he suggested implementing an extra game to be played at foreign venues. Now the league has teamed up with the Asian Football Confederation, much of the opposition has died down and this pioneering step looks to have a big chance of getting approved.
9. Get ready to say goodbye to …
Paul Ince. The Blackburn Rovers boss has lost six league games in a row and is on the verge of being fired. Touted as a bright young manager when he was brought in during the summer, Ince has seen things turn sour very quickly.
10. Get excited about …
Napoli’s unexpected challenge in the Italian Serie A, in only its second season back in the top flight. This sleeping giant has slumbered for too long and is starting to make waves.
11. Why it’s good to be a soccer player
Because you get to spend a fortune on Christmas like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Three more advance to next round of UEFA Cup
LONDON (AP)—Deportivo La Coruna, Lech Poznan and FC Copenhagen all won their final group matches 1-0 on Wednesday to clinch places in the next round of the UEFA Cup.
Deportivo defeated Nancy, which lost out on a place in the next round when Lech Poznan won at Feyenoord to take Group H’s remaining qualifying spot.
With two of the four groups in action Wednesday already settled, Copenhagen took the only other spot still up for grabs when Brazilian forward Cesar Santin scored in the 58th minute at FC Brugges to knock out the Belgian side.
The result put Copenhagen in third place in Group G with five points from its four matches, two more than Brugges. Saint-Etienne won the tussle for first place in the group by drawing 2-2 with visiting Valencia, which won the tournament in 2004 and had already qualified for the next round.Deportivo finished second to CSKA Moscow in Group H, with Lech Poznan leaping ahead of Nancy to finish in third place and eliminate the French team.
The final six spots in Friday’s draw will be settled Thursday, with former winners Tottenham and Sevilla trying to join AC Milan, Valencia and Hamburg among the last 32 teams.
Milan advanced but failed to win Group E as it had been expected to when Mahir Saglik scored with nine minutes left to earn Wolfsburg a 2-2 tie at San Siro.
Things looked good for AC Milan, the seven-time European champions, when Massimo Ambrosini put them ahead in the 17th minute with a header from Clarence Seedorf’s corner kick.
Cristian Zaccardo, an Italy defender playing in the Bundesliga, tied it with a goal in the 56th minute but substitute Alexandre Pato restored Milan’s lead just seconds later.
That looked to be it, but Saglik tied it again.
“I would have preferred to win than to score,” Pato said.
Wolfsburg’s 10 points put it two clear of its opponent and four clear of Braga, which was idle but had already qualified. Heerenveen lost 3-0 at Portsmouth in the other match to take last place without a single point.
Topping the group means that Wolfsburg cannot be matched up against one of the eight teams that will drop into the competition following their elimination from the Champions League. That dubious honor goes to the sides that finish second in their UEFA Cup groups.
Defending UEFA Cup champion Zenit St. Petersburg, Bordeaux, Werder Bremen, Shakhtar Donetsk, Marseille, Aalborg, Fiorentina and Dynamo Kiev are the teams entering the tournament from the Champions League.
Hamburg clinched the top spot in Group F with a 3-1 win over already-qualified Aston Villa, but the Bundesliga club needed a contentious final goal to make the victory comprehensive.
Mladen Petric and Ivica Olic had put the home side in control when Villa looked certain to get a 57th-minute penalty kick after goalkeeper Frank Rost leaped into a cleats-first challenge on Craig Gardner.
But referee Aleksei Nikolaev ruled against the English club and Joris Mathijsen launched a long pass to Olic, who put a shot past American goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
Gardner was substituted with gashes on his shins and Nikolaev had to warn Villa manager Martin O’Neill against continuing his protest on the sidelines. Nathan Delfouneso got a late goal for Villa but his team had to play the last seven minutes with 10 men when Steve Sidwell got a second yellow card.
“We are first in the group and that’s what you want,” Hamburg manager Martin Jol said.
Hamburg finished with nine points, two more than Ajax, which tied already-eliminated Slavia Prague 2-2, and three more than Villa.
“In the last 32 you will see a much-improved Aston Villa team,” O’Neill said.
Jan Vertonghen headed Miralem Sulejmani’s third-minute corner to give Ajax the lead but Jaroslav Cerny converted Matej Krajcik’s cross to tie it for Slavia in the 12th. Marek Jarolim put Slavia in front in the 40th before Luis Suarez scored an injury-time penalty kick to tie the score again.
Deportivo defeated Nancy, which lost out on a place in the next round when Lech Poznan won at Feyenoord to take Group H’s remaining qualifying spot.
With two of the four groups in action Wednesday already settled, Copenhagen took the only other spot still up for grabs when Brazilian forward Cesar Santin scored in the 58th minute at FC Brugges to knock out the Belgian side.
The result put Copenhagen in third place in Group G with five points from its four matches, two more than Brugges. Saint-Etienne won the tussle for first place in the group by drawing 2-2 with visiting Valencia, which won the tournament in 2004 and had already qualified for the next round.Deportivo finished second to CSKA Moscow in Group H, with Lech Poznan leaping ahead of Nancy to finish in third place and eliminate the French team.
The final six spots in Friday’s draw will be settled Thursday, with former winners Tottenham and Sevilla trying to join AC Milan, Valencia and Hamburg among the last 32 teams.
Milan advanced but failed to win Group E as it had been expected to when Mahir Saglik scored with nine minutes left to earn Wolfsburg a 2-2 tie at San Siro.
Things looked good for AC Milan, the seven-time European champions, when Massimo Ambrosini put them ahead in the 17th minute with a header from Clarence Seedorf’s corner kick.
Cristian Zaccardo, an Italy defender playing in the Bundesliga, tied it with a goal in the 56th minute but substitute Alexandre Pato restored Milan’s lead just seconds later.
That looked to be it, but Saglik tied it again.
“I would have preferred to win than to score,” Pato said.
Wolfsburg’s 10 points put it two clear of its opponent and four clear of Braga, which was idle but had already qualified. Heerenveen lost 3-0 at Portsmouth in the other match to take last place without a single point.
Topping the group means that Wolfsburg cannot be matched up against one of the eight teams that will drop into the competition following their elimination from the Champions League. That dubious honor goes to the sides that finish second in their UEFA Cup groups.
Defending UEFA Cup champion Zenit St. Petersburg, Bordeaux, Werder Bremen, Shakhtar Donetsk, Marseille, Aalborg, Fiorentina and Dynamo Kiev are the teams entering the tournament from the Champions League.
Hamburg clinched the top spot in Group F with a 3-1 win over already-qualified Aston Villa, but the Bundesliga club needed a contentious final goal to make the victory comprehensive.
Mladen Petric and Ivica Olic had put the home side in control when Villa looked certain to get a 57th-minute penalty kick after goalkeeper Frank Rost leaped into a cleats-first challenge on Craig Gardner.
But referee Aleksei Nikolaev ruled against the English club and Joris Mathijsen launched a long pass to Olic, who put a shot past American goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
Gardner was substituted with gashes on his shins and Nikolaev had to warn Villa manager Martin O’Neill against continuing his protest on the sidelines. Nathan Delfouneso got a late goal for Villa but his team had to play the last seven minutes with 10 men when Steve Sidwell got a second yellow card.
“We are first in the group and that’s what you want,” Hamburg manager Martin Jol said.
Hamburg finished with nine points, two more than Ajax, which tied already-eliminated Slavia Prague 2-2, and three more than Villa.
“In the last 32 you will see a much-improved Aston Villa team,” O’Neill said.
Jan Vertonghen headed Miralem Sulejmani’s third-minute corner to give Ajax the lead but Jaroslav Cerny converted Matej Krajcik’s cross to tie it for Slavia in the 12th. Marek Jarolim put Slavia in front in the 40th before Luis Suarez scored an injury-time penalty kick to tie the score again.
Lower English clubs vote for ‘homegrown’ players
LONDON (AP)—English clubs playing in the three levels below the Premier League voted Thursday to force the inclusion of at least four so-called “homegrown” players on their squads starting next season.
The Football League, which governs England’s three lower-tier professional divisions, said that a 16-man squad will have to include at least four players who have been registered in the country for a minimum of three seasons before their 21st birthday.
That should guarantee four English players in each squad, which could boost attempts to develop better players for the national team, the league said.
“I would like to compliment Football League clubs for having the foresight to make changes that will benefit the wider game,” league chairman Brian Mawhinney said. “As a result of today’s vote, those players being developed will have a greater chance to demonstrate their talent at first-team level.”
Clubs have been criticized for favoring foreign players at the expense of developing local talent. The policy can bring instant success, but with the long-term effect is a smaller pool of eligible players for the national team.
The Football League said the decision sidesteps concerns it could contravene European labor law by not exclusively favoring English players.
Clubs could still sign players 18 or younger from overseas, emulating Arsenal’s youth program. They would count as homegrown by the time they reach 21.
The Football League, which governs England’s three lower-tier professional divisions, said that a 16-man squad will have to include at least four players who have been registered in the country for a minimum of three seasons before their 21st birthday.
That should guarantee four English players in each squad, which could boost attempts to develop better players for the national team, the league said.
“I would like to compliment Football League clubs for having the foresight to make changes that will benefit the wider game,” league chairman Brian Mawhinney said. “As a result of today’s vote, those players being developed will have a greater chance to demonstrate their talent at first-team level.”
Clubs have been criticized for favoring foreign players at the expense of developing local talent. The policy can bring instant success, but with the long-term effect is a smaller pool of eligible players for the national team.
The Football League said the decision sidesteps concerns it could contravene European labor law by not exclusively favoring English players.
Clubs could still sign players 18 or younger from overseas, emulating Arsenal’s youth program. They would count as homegrown by the time they reach 21.
Europe’s top goalscorer, Janko, aims for England
SALZBURG, Austria (AP)—Two years ago, Marc Janko visited Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium as a fan. If Europe’s hottest forward gets his wish, he will be returning as a player.
The 25-year-old leads European soccer with 30 goals this season and is likely to leave Austrian league leader Red Bull Salzburg next month.
“There are a lot of great clubs, but I clearly prefer to play in England,” Janko said Wednesday, three days after the Austrian league began a two-month winter break. “There are several candidates, but there is no agreement yet.”
Janko declined to name any of the clubs he’s been talking with, though British media report that Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Blackburn are the main contenders to sign the 6-foot, 4-inch forward, whose mother was an Olympic bronze medalist in the javelin.
Janko expects to make a decision on his future in the next couple of weeks.
“I leave all options open for now,” Janko said. “But going to England would be my favorite, for sure.”
Janko’s contract with Salzburg expires in 2011, and he says he and his manager, Georg Stanggassinger, have kept the club informed about negotiations.
“We don’t hide anything. We play open cards. I owe that to this club,” said Janko, who has been with Salzburg since 2005.
The club will expect to earn a transfer fee of at least $14.3 million, which would make him the most expensive Austrian soccer player.
Janko was born in Vienna, the son of Eva Janko-Egger, who won the 1968 javelin bronze at Mexico City and who still holds the Austrian record at 202 feet.
In his first season with Salzburg, Janko had 11 goals in 17 matches and got his first callup to the national team for an exhibition against Croatia in May 2006.
However, a pelvic injury kept him sidelined for almost the entire 2006-07 campaign. After recovering, he struggled to find his rhythm and was benched in most matches. He scored just five goals last season.
Coach Josef Hickersberger dropped him from the national squad shortly before the start of the European Championship. Janko said he was not frustrated at being overlooked but used it as extra motivation.
He is now the indisputable first-choice striker for Hickersberger’s successor, Karel Bruckner.
Salzburg, which lost its domestic league title to Rapid Vienna last season, is reluctant to let its best forward leave in the middle of the season.
“We want to win the championship,” Salzburg coach Co Adriaanse said, “so it would be very unlucky if one of our best players was to leave during the winter break.”
But Janko is clear about his intentions.
“If the sporting perspective is right, I won’t hesitate,” he said.
The 25-year-old leads European soccer with 30 goals this season and is likely to leave Austrian league leader Red Bull Salzburg next month.
“There are a lot of great clubs, but I clearly prefer to play in England,” Janko said Wednesday, three days after the Austrian league began a two-month winter break. “There are several candidates, but there is no agreement yet.”
Janko declined to name any of the clubs he’s been talking with, though British media report that Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Blackburn are the main contenders to sign the 6-foot, 4-inch forward, whose mother was an Olympic bronze medalist in the javelin.
Janko expects to make a decision on his future in the next couple of weeks.
“I leave all options open for now,” Janko said. “But going to England would be my favorite, for sure.”
Janko’s contract with Salzburg expires in 2011, and he says he and his manager, Georg Stanggassinger, have kept the club informed about negotiations.
“We don’t hide anything. We play open cards. I owe that to this club,” said Janko, who has been with Salzburg since 2005.
The club will expect to earn a transfer fee of at least $14.3 million, which would make him the most expensive Austrian soccer player.
Janko was born in Vienna, the son of Eva Janko-Egger, who won the 1968 javelin bronze at Mexico City and who still holds the Austrian record at 202 feet.
In his first season with Salzburg, Janko had 11 goals in 17 matches and got his first callup to the national team for an exhibition against Croatia in May 2006.
However, a pelvic injury kept him sidelined for almost the entire 2006-07 campaign. After recovering, he struggled to find his rhythm and was benched in most matches. He scored just five goals last season.
Coach Josef Hickersberger dropped him from the national squad shortly before the start of the European Championship. Janko said he was not frustrated at being overlooked but used it as extra motivation.
He is now the indisputable first-choice striker for Hickersberger’s successor, Karel Bruckner.
Salzburg, which lost its domestic league title to Rapid Vienna last season, is reluctant to let its best forward leave in the middle of the season.
“We want to win the championship,” Salzburg coach Co Adriaanse said, “so it would be very unlucky if one of our best players was to leave during the winter break.”
But Janko is clear about his intentions.
“If the sporting perspective is right, I won’t hesitate,” he said.
Barclays to review Premier League sponsorship
LONDON (AP)—England’s Premier League could be looking for a new sponsor in 2010 after Barclays bank began a review of its worldwide sports deals.
Britain’s third largest bank has held naming rights to the league since 2001 but its current three-year, $101 million deal ends at the end of the 2009-10 season.
Libby Chambers, Barclays’ global retail and commercial banking chief marketing officer, said the sponsorship has raised the bank’s profile greatly worldwide but that doesn’t mean that soccer and other sponsorship agreements are exempt from the review.
“We always closely evaluate them to ensure they continue to provide value to our business,” she said in a statement given to The Associated Press. “We are only halfway through our current sponsorship, which runs well into 2010, and therefore have not started discussions about renewal.”
The bank agreed in June to sponsor the ATP’s season-ending tennis championship at about $7 million per year for the next five years. The tournament is moving from Shanghai to London in 2009. Barclays also sponsors golf’s Scottish Open and Singapore Open, the Dubai Championships tennis tournament and rugby’s Churchill Cup.
But like other banks, Barclays has been hit by the global credit crisis. Its shareholders last month voted in favor of a plan to raise $10.5 billion in a deal that gives Middle Eastern investors a 32 percent stake in the bank.
Barclays opted to raise the money from investors in Abu Dhabi and Qatar rather than take part in a government bailout plan for the banking industry.
Britain’s third largest bank has held naming rights to the league since 2001 but its current three-year, $101 million deal ends at the end of the 2009-10 season.
Libby Chambers, Barclays’ global retail and commercial banking chief marketing officer, said the sponsorship has raised the bank’s profile greatly worldwide but that doesn’t mean that soccer and other sponsorship agreements are exempt from the review.
“We always closely evaluate them to ensure they continue to provide value to our business,” she said in a statement given to The Associated Press. “We are only halfway through our current sponsorship, which runs well into 2010, and therefore have not started discussions about renewal.”
The bank agreed in June to sponsor the ATP’s season-ending tennis championship at about $7 million per year for the next five years. The tournament is moving from Shanghai to London in 2009. Barclays also sponsors golf’s Scottish Open and Singapore Open, the Dubai Championships tennis tournament and rugby’s Churchill Cup.
But like other banks, Barclays has been hit by the global credit crisis. Its shareholders last month voted in favor of a plan to raise $10.5 billion in a deal that gives Middle Eastern investors a 32 percent stake in the bank.
Barclays opted to raise the money from investors in Abu Dhabi and Qatar rather than take part in a government bailout plan for the banking industry.
Man United reaches Club World Cup final
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP)—Wayne Rooney came off the bench and scored twice in a four-minute span to lead Manchester United over Japan’s Gamba Osaka 5-3 on Thursday and into the final of the Club World Cup.
The European champions will play South American champions Liga de Quito in Sunday’s final.
The English Premier club’s first-half goals came in identical fashion, with Ryan Giggs corners from the right headed home by Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic and European Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo.
Gamba cut the margin to 2-1 when Masato Yamazaki scored in the 74th minute, which sparked a flurry of goals.
United made it 3-1 as Rooney scored with his first touch of the ball in the 75th minute. He chested down a pass from at the edge of the area, shook off a defender and shot across the advancing keeper. Darren Fletcher made it 4-1 in the 78th before Rooney scored again. Gamba added to goals in the final five minutes, including one on a penalty kick by Yasuhito Endo.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson had high praise for Rooney.
“His movement, strength and penetration are very good,” Ferguson said. “The goal that really killed them was the third one.”
The European champions will play South American champions Liga de Quito in Sunday’s final.
The English Premier club’s first-half goals came in identical fashion, with Ryan Giggs corners from the right headed home by Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic and European Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo.
Gamba cut the margin to 2-1 when Masato Yamazaki scored in the 74th minute, which sparked a flurry of goals.
United made it 3-1 as Rooney scored with his first touch of the ball in the 75th minute. He chested down a pass from at the edge of the area, shook off a defender and shot across the advancing keeper. Darren Fletcher made it 4-1 in the 78th before Rooney scored again. Gamba added to goals in the final five minutes, including one on a penalty kick by Yasuhito Endo.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson had high praise for Rooney.
“His movement, strength and penetration are very good,” Ferguson said. “The goal that really killed them was the third one.”
Man Utd overpower Gamba in 5-3 classic
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AFP) - Manchester United overpowered Japan's Gamba Osaka 5-3 to book their place in the Club World Cup final on Thursday, with six goals in a breathless 17 minutes.
First-half headers from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo, both from Ryan Giggs corners, set them on their way but it was the second period that set the game on fire.
Gamba pulled one back through Masato Yamazaki in the 74th minute before Wayne Rooney pounced a minute later soon after coming on as a substitute. Another substitute, Darren Fletcher, made it 4-1 on 78 minutes before Rooney bagged another seconds after the restart.
Adding to the drama, Gamba won a penalty when Gary Neville handled the ball and Yasuhito Endo converted the spot kick with five minutes left. Hideo Hashimoto then made it 5-3 in injury time.With the win, United now only have Ecuador's Liga de Quito to overcome on Sunday to claim one of the few pieces of silverware to elude the club in its distinguished history.
"It was a terrific match, an amazing game, the people got their money's worth" said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
"The football from both teams was very good. For me Edwin Van der Sar was our best player, his saves helped secure the victory for us.
"We are in the final and I think we deserve to be there."
For Gamba, it was one of the biggest games in their history and they could easily have been overawed, but they did themselves credit, although coach Akira Nishino wasn't entirely happy.
"It was a very tough game but overall I'm not satisfied because we didn't win," he said.
"At Gamba, we always want to win and we gave away easy goals. But we never gave up or lost the spirit to challenge them. We were not intimidated.
"We made them take us seriously and it's a pity we couldn't play on an equal level."
United began without Dimitar Berbatov who was sick with a virus while Rooney was on the bench after a knock in training, giving a rare start for Carlos Tevez.
It didn't take long for them to warm up with Ronaldo, again at the centre of reports that he is headed for Real Madrid at the end of the season, unleashing a left foot drive that Yosuke Fujigaya did well to gather.
With 68,000 fans packed into the Yokohama International Stadium, the atmosphere was electric with as many cheering for United as the local hopes.
It was fast and furious and United had a let off in the 13th minute when danger man Endo floated a beautifully paced ball over the defence which Ryuji Bando controlled brilliantly.
He let rip with his left foot but Van der Sar was off his line in a flash to save a certain goal with his legs.
At the other end, Ronaldo, in lime green boots, collected the ball on the right, twisted and turned his way past two defenders only to blast his shot just past the left-hand post.
The Portuguese star was turning on the style, roaming from left to right, and he broke into the box in the 27th minute before seeing his powerful drive rebound off Gamba captain Satoshi Yamaguchi.
They got the breakthrough from the resulting corner, with Vidic rising above Yamaguchi to head home Giggs' cross.
The goal dented Gamba's confidence and they struggled to get back in the game, with a hammer blow coming right on half time when Ronaldo climbed to meet another Giggs corner and make it 2-0.
United were enjoying themselves and the chances came thick and fast in the second half, culminating in the astonishing 17-minute rollercoaster that turned the game into a classic.
First-half headers from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo, both from Ryan Giggs corners, set them on their way but it was the second period that set the game on fire.
Gamba pulled one back through Masato Yamazaki in the 74th minute before Wayne Rooney pounced a minute later soon after coming on as a substitute. Another substitute, Darren Fletcher, made it 4-1 on 78 minutes before Rooney bagged another seconds after the restart.
Adding to the drama, Gamba won a penalty when Gary Neville handled the ball and Yasuhito Endo converted the spot kick with five minutes left. Hideo Hashimoto then made it 5-3 in injury time.With the win, United now only have Ecuador's Liga de Quito to overcome on Sunday to claim one of the few pieces of silverware to elude the club in its distinguished history.
"It was a terrific match, an amazing game, the people got their money's worth" said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
"The football from both teams was very good. For me Edwin Van der Sar was our best player, his saves helped secure the victory for us.
"We are in the final and I think we deserve to be there."
For Gamba, it was one of the biggest games in their history and they could easily have been overawed, but they did themselves credit, although coach Akira Nishino wasn't entirely happy.
"It was a very tough game but overall I'm not satisfied because we didn't win," he said.
"At Gamba, we always want to win and we gave away easy goals. But we never gave up or lost the spirit to challenge them. We were not intimidated.
"We made them take us seriously and it's a pity we couldn't play on an equal level."
United began without Dimitar Berbatov who was sick with a virus while Rooney was on the bench after a knock in training, giving a rare start for Carlos Tevez.
It didn't take long for them to warm up with Ronaldo, again at the centre of reports that he is headed for Real Madrid at the end of the season, unleashing a left foot drive that Yosuke Fujigaya did well to gather.
With 68,000 fans packed into the Yokohama International Stadium, the atmosphere was electric with as many cheering for United as the local hopes.
It was fast and furious and United had a let off in the 13th minute when danger man Endo floated a beautifully paced ball over the defence which Ryuji Bando controlled brilliantly.
He let rip with his left foot but Van der Sar was off his line in a flash to save a certain goal with his legs.
At the other end, Ronaldo, in lime green boots, collected the ball on the right, twisted and turned his way past two defenders only to blast his shot just past the left-hand post.
The Portuguese star was turning on the style, roaming from left to right, and he broke into the box in the 27th minute before seeing his powerful drive rebound off Gamba captain Satoshi Yamaguchi.
They got the breakthrough from the resulting corner, with Vidic rising above Yamaguchi to head home Giggs' cross.
The goal dented Gamba's confidence and they struggled to get back in the game, with a hammer blow coming right on half time when Ronaldo climbed to meet another Giggs corner and make it 2-0.
United were enjoying themselves and the chances came thick and fast in the second half, culminating in the astonishing 17-minute rollercoaster that turned the game into a classic.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Spain reigns as world No.1 after perfect year
ZURICH, Switzerland (AP)—European champion Spain has ended the year as the world’s No. 1 in the latest FIFA rankings published Wednesday.
Spain won all 16 of its matches in 2008—including the penalty shootout victory over Italy in a European Championship quarterfinal—after starting the year ranked No. 4. Spain has been atop the list for six straight months since winning Euro 2008 in June.
Germany, which lost in the Euro finals, is still ranked second, while the Netherlands rose one spot to No. 3, trading places with Italy. South American rivals Brazil and Argentina followed in fifth and sixth.
England continued its revival under coach Fabio Capello, moving up to No. 8, and Turkey, a Euro 2008 semifinalist, climbed three spots into 10th.
The Czech Republic and Portugal fell out of the top 10, joining France in a three-way tie for 11th.
The United States leads the CONCACAF nations at No. 22.
A total of 1,040 international matches played in 2008 counted toward the rankings.
Spain won all 16 of its matches in 2008—including the penalty shootout victory over Italy in a European Championship quarterfinal—after starting the year ranked No. 4. Spain has been atop the list for six straight months since winning Euro 2008 in June.
Germany, which lost in the Euro finals, is still ranked second, while the Netherlands rose one spot to No. 3, trading places with Italy. South American rivals Brazil and Argentina followed in fifth and sixth.
England continued its revival under coach Fabio Capello, moving up to No. 8, and Turkey, a Euro 2008 semifinalist, climbed three spots into 10th.
The Czech Republic and Portugal fell out of the top 10, joining France in a three-way tie for 11th.
The United States leads the CONCACAF nations at No. 22.
A total of 1,040 international matches played in 2008 counted toward the rankings.
UEFA Cup collated results
Dec 17 (Reuters) - Collated results of Wednesday’s UEFA Cup matches.
Group E
At Fratton Park
Portsmouth 3 Heerenveen 0
Scorers: Peter Crouch 40, 42, Hermann Hreidarsson 90
Halftime: 2-0
Referee: Richard Havrilla (Slovakia)
- -
At San Siro, Milan.
AC Milan 2 VfL Wolfsburg 2
Scorers:
AC Milan: Massimo Ambrosini 17, Alexandre Pato 56
VfL Wolfsburg: Cristian Zaccardo 56, Mahir Saglik 81
Halftime: 1-0
Referee: Mark Courtney (Britain)
- - - -
Group F
At Hamburg Arena
Hamburg SV 3 Aston Villa 1
Scorers:
Hamburg SV: Mladen Petric 18, Ivica Olic 30, 57
Aston Villa: Nathan Delfouneso 83
Red card: Steve Sidwell (Aston Villa) 84
Halftime: 2-0
Referee: Aleksei Nikolaev (Russia)
- -
At Amsterdam Arena
Ajax Amsterdam 2 Slavia Prague 2
Scorers:
Ajax Amsterdam: Jan Vertonghen 4, Luis Suarez 90+1pen
Slavia Prague: Jaroslav Cerny 13, Marek Jarolim 41
Halftime: 1-2
Referee: Sten Kaldma (Estonia)
- - - -
Group G
At Bruges
Club Bruges 0 FC Copenhagen 1
At Bruges
Scorer: Cesar Santin 58
Halftime: 0-0
Referee: Darko Ceferin (Slovenia)
- -
At St Etienne
St Etienne 2 Valencia 2
Scorers:
St Etienne: Ilan 29, 44
Valencia: Fernando Morientes 33, Nikola Zigic 72
Halftime: 2-1
Referee: Alexandru Deaconu (Romania)
- - - -
Group H
At Riazor stadium, La Coruna
Deportivo Coruna 1 AS Nancy 0
Scorer: Rodolfo Bodipo 74
Halftime: 0-0
Referee: Michael Weiner (Germany)
- -
At Rotterdam
Feyenoord 0 Lech Poznan 1
Scorer: Ivan Djurdjevic 26
Halftime: 0-1
Referee: Paolo Dondarini (Italy)
Group E
At Fratton Park
Portsmouth 3 Heerenveen 0
Scorers: Peter Crouch 40, 42, Hermann Hreidarsson 90
Halftime: 2-0
Referee: Richard Havrilla (Slovakia)
- -
At San Siro, Milan.
AC Milan 2 VfL Wolfsburg 2
Scorers:
AC Milan: Massimo Ambrosini 17, Alexandre Pato 56
VfL Wolfsburg: Cristian Zaccardo 56, Mahir Saglik 81
Halftime: 1-0
Referee: Mark Courtney (Britain)
- - - -
Group F
At Hamburg Arena
Hamburg SV 3 Aston Villa 1
Scorers:
Hamburg SV: Mladen Petric 18, Ivica Olic 30, 57
Aston Villa: Nathan Delfouneso 83
Red card: Steve Sidwell (Aston Villa) 84
Halftime: 2-0
Referee: Aleksei Nikolaev (Russia)
- -
At Amsterdam Arena
Ajax Amsterdam 2 Slavia Prague 2
Scorers:
Ajax Amsterdam: Jan Vertonghen 4, Luis Suarez 90+1pen
Slavia Prague: Jaroslav Cerny 13, Marek Jarolim 41
Halftime: 1-2
Referee: Sten Kaldma (Estonia)
- - - -
Group G
At Bruges
Club Bruges 0 FC Copenhagen 1
At Bruges
Scorer: Cesar Santin 58
Halftime: 0-0
Referee: Darko Ceferin (Slovenia)
- -
At St Etienne
St Etienne 2 Valencia 2
Scorers:
St Etienne: Ilan 29, 44
Valencia: Fernando Morientes 33, Nikola Zigic 72
Halftime: 2-1
Referee: Alexandru Deaconu (Romania)
- - - -
Group H
At Riazor stadium, La Coruna
Deportivo Coruna 1 AS Nancy 0
Scorer: Rodolfo Bodipo 74
Halftime: 0-0
Referee: Michael Weiner (Germany)
- -
At Rotterdam
Feyenoord 0 Lech Poznan 1
Scorer: Ivan Djurdjevic 26
Halftime: 0-1
Referee: Paolo Dondarini (Italy)
Feyenoord 0 Lech Poznan 1 - result
Dec 17 (Reuters) - Feyenoord 0 Lech Poznan 1 - UEFA Cup Group H result
At Rotterdam
Scorer: Ivan Djurdjevic 26
Halftime: 0-1
Referee: Paolo Dondarini (Italy)
At Rotterdam
Scorer: Ivan Djurdjevic 26
Halftime: 0-1
Referee: Paolo Dondarini (Italy)
Deportivo Coruna 1 AS Nancy 0 - result
Dec 17 (Reuters) - Deportivo Coruna 1 AS Nancy 0 - UEFA Cup Group H result
At Riazor stadium, La Coruna
Scorer: Rodolfo Bodipo 74
Halftime: 0-0
Referee: Michael Weiner (Germany)
At Riazor stadium, La Coruna
Scorer: Rodolfo Bodipo 74
Halftime: 0-0
Referee: Michael Weiner (Germany)
Real Madrid poised to splash out for Portsmouth’s Diarra
LONDON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Portsmouth’s France midfielder Lassana Diarra is set for a big-money move to Real Madrid, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
British media reported the Spanish champions would pay about 20 million pounds ($31.14 million) for the 23-year-old, although Portsmouth have yet to confirm any transfer details.
“We have always said that we would only allow our players to leave if we received an exceptional bid,” a spokesman said on the south-coast club’s website (www.portsmouthfc.co.uk).
“We could not stand in the way of a move such as this for Lassana,” they added.
Diarra joined Chelsea in 2005 from then-Ligue 2 club Le Havre, and has since won the FA Cup twice, first with the west London club in 2007 and then with Portsmouth in May.
The midfielder, who has played 16 times for France, moved to Arsenal in August 2007 before joining Portsmouth in January.
British media reported the Spanish champions would pay about 20 million pounds ($31.14 million) for the 23-year-old, although Portsmouth have yet to confirm any transfer details.
“We have always said that we would only allow our players to leave if we received an exceptional bid,” a spokesman said on the south-coast club’s website (www.portsmouthfc.co.uk).
“We could not stand in the way of a move such as this for Lassana,” they added.
Diarra joined Chelsea in 2005 from then-Ligue 2 club Le Havre, and has since won the FA Cup twice, first with the west London club in 2007 and then with Portsmouth in May.
The midfielder, who has played 16 times for France, moved to Arsenal in August 2007 before joining Portsmouth in January.
Spanish debate: La Liga race already over?
Yes, OK, I’ll say it: The Liga race is over.
That’s not to say that there won’t be more twists and turns, and that my debate isn’t worth reading until the new season (heaven forbid!), and that they could be run close. But Barcelona are going to win the Primera Division.
It’s hardly a massive revelation, although it is difficult for me to say, given that I tipped Real Madrid to win the Liga (and Bernd Schuster to win Coach of the Year award!). But Barcelona are just doing it right, and there is no sign of their stopping.
Pep Guardiola’s mixture of youth and experience has undone so many of the frailties of last season, and his squad are clearly responding to his style. Barcelona are going out and scoring chances that last season they would have blazed wide. And what is more, there is the absence of a real challenger.
Salgado’s statement
Real Madrid may be saying that they can still win the Liga, but they will not, and perhaps nobody knows it more than them.Sure, the faithful will point to Michel Salgado’s statement of defiance last week, but let us remember who was issuing similar utterances the last two seasons: Barcelona.Last summer is a good case in point. “We can do it!” – that was the manifesto. Joan Laporta shouted it from the rooftops and loyal newspapers pressed it into service as a headline.
In the end it was, just like a headline, all sound and no action. Barcelona could not do it for any number of reasons: injuries, a lame duck manager, an inferior squad, and above all a crippling sense of self-doubt.
These have all, at differing times this season, plagued Real Madrid, and although Bernd Schuster has been forced out in favor of Juande Ramos this change will not be enough to fully reverse the trend. The injury situation remains too grave; the lack of confidence that bred errors earlier in the season has already blazed its tragic trail; and after holding out for 83 minutes and still losing at the weekend, all talk of an “improved performance” must be countered by the fact that, well, Madrid still lost.
Second best
But why the focus on Real Madrid? Keen observers might just notice that there are four other teams between the blancos and the summit – surely they deserve a mention too.
They do, and to my mind one in particular does above all others. That is Sevilla. The Andalucians may have just managed a one goal win over Villarreal at the weekend, but they were well worth it, and the confidence that oozed from their play shows that they are not going to be taken lightly in the business end of the season.
The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan side have recovered from losing arguably their two best non-striker players over the summer by getting off to a rip-roaring start, and more impressively yet Manolo Jimenez has effectively silenced almost all of his doubters.
Valencia are another side in with an outside shot, as are Villarreal, but in the latter case a Champions League campaign could prove a bridge too far, while Los Che still have a couple of weak links to fix before they can be title contenders – as do Atletico Madrid.
So to my mind it lies with Real Madrid – who aren’t going to be able to reduce the deficit – and Sevilla to mount a convincing challenge.
It’s a smile-worthy twist of fate that the very side Juande Ramos left is the one that could pip his Real Madrid side to second place. And that’s all it will be, because Barcelona have it sewn up.
That’s not to say that there won’t be more twists and turns, and that my debate isn’t worth reading until the new season (heaven forbid!), and that they could be run close. But Barcelona are going to win the Primera Division.
It’s hardly a massive revelation, although it is difficult for me to say, given that I tipped Real Madrid to win the Liga (and Bernd Schuster to win Coach of the Year award!). But Barcelona are just doing it right, and there is no sign of their stopping.
Pep Guardiola’s mixture of youth and experience has undone so many of the frailties of last season, and his squad are clearly responding to his style. Barcelona are going out and scoring chances that last season they would have blazed wide. And what is more, there is the absence of a real challenger.
Salgado’s statement
Real Madrid may be saying that they can still win the Liga, but they will not, and perhaps nobody knows it more than them.Sure, the faithful will point to Michel Salgado’s statement of defiance last week, but let us remember who was issuing similar utterances the last two seasons: Barcelona.Last summer is a good case in point. “We can do it!” – that was the manifesto. Joan Laporta shouted it from the rooftops and loyal newspapers pressed it into service as a headline.
In the end it was, just like a headline, all sound and no action. Barcelona could not do it for any number of reasons: injuries, a lame duck manager, an inferior squad, and above all a crippling sense of self-doubt.
These have all, at differing times this season, plagued Real Madrid, and although Bernd Schuster has been forced out in favor of Juande Ramos this change will not be enough to fully reverse the trend. The injury situation remains too grave; the lack of confidence that bred errors earlier in the season has already blazed its tragic trail; and after holding out for 83 minutes and still losing at the weekend, all talk of an “improved performance” must be countered by the fact that, well, Madrid still lost.
Second best
But why the focus on Real Madrid? Keen observers might just notice that there are four other teams between the blancos and the summit – surely they deserve a mention too.
They do, and to my mind one in particular does above all others. That is Sevilla. The Andalucians may have just managed a one goal win over Villarreal at the weekend, but they were well worth it, and the confidence that oozed from their play shows that they are not going to be taken lightly in the business end of the season.
The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan side have recovered from losing arguably their two best non-striker players over the summer by getting off to a rip-roaring start, and more impressively yet Manolo Jimenez has effectively silenced almost all of his doubters.
Valencia are another side in with an outside shot, as are Villarreal, but in the latter case a Champions League campaign could prove a bridge too far, while Los Che still have a couple of weak links to fix before they can be title contenders – as do Atletico Madrid.
So to my mind it lies with Real Madrid – who aren’t going to be able to reduce the deficit – and Sevilla to mount a convincing challenge.
It’s a smile-worthy twist of fate that the very side Juande Ramos left is the one that could pip his Real Madrid side to second place. And that’s all it will be, because Barcelona have it sewn up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
