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Friday, February 29, 2008

Is Grant A Big Match Manager?

As soon as the Carling Cup finalists were known, it was obvious that one of two new managers would be lifting silverware within months of being appointed. The fact that, in the event, it was Juande Ramos of Spurs rather than Chelsea's Avram Grant not only confirmed the Spaniard's midas touch in cup competitions; it also raised doubts about the Israeli's acumen at the highest level.


Unpopular Changes


Ironically, neither Ramos nor Grant had been popular appointments. Both were succeeding men who had swung the mass of their respective club's supporters behind them: Martin Jol at Tottenham and Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.


But while Spurs fans were unhappy with the way Jol was clumsily ousted, they were not anti-Ramos per se; they knew he was a good manager - as his record, especially at Sevilla, proved. And they have seen such a rapid improvement at White Hart Lane since Ramos arrived and started to put his managerial approach into practice that they have embraced the new regime with gusto, especially after Sunday's triumph. Jol may still be liked, but they would not want him back in place of Ramos.

Can you say the same about Grant at Chelsea? The short, brutal answer is, 'No.' Mourinho was adored by the Chelsea fans (and, it was clear, most if not all of the Blues' players). He was always going to be a hard act to follow, whoever took over.

But when Grant, brought in two months earlier as director of football, was handed the reins, the cloud over Stamford Bridge was heavy with disillusion, scepticism and anger. The contrast with Mourinho could not have been starker: the extrovert and self-styled Special One with charisma to spare had been succeeded by the introverted Quiet Man with the permanent hang-dog expression.

Grant's first assignment was at Old Trafford, the home of the defending champions, at the end of the traumatic week in which Mourinho left the club. To nobody's great surprise, United won 2-0, and with some of the senior players apparently threatening to jump ship, predictions of Chelsea's imminent implosion abounded.

Impressive Record

To his great credit, Grant held it all together and, moreover, set the team on a 16-match unbeaten run in which there were some impressive victories: 2-1 at Valencia, 6-0 at home to Manchester City and 4-0 in Trondheim against Rosenborg.

A narrow defeat at Arsenal in which inspirational captain John Terry broke bones in his foot compounded a debilitating injury situation at the Bridge, but despite the privations caused by injuries, suspensions and, in January, the demands of the Africa Cup of Nations, Grant led the team to another unbeaten run that stretched, by coincidence, to 16 games again before Spurs halted it on Sunday at Wembley.

Only the churlish and the uncharitable would argue that Grant's record of just two defeats in his first 34 matches in charge of Chelsea was not impressive. His team had withstood the absences of many key players without losing matches, remaining in contention on four fronts; the mooted exodus of stars in January had not happened; and Mourinho's 'untouchables' policy had been swept away, with the likes of Michael Ballack insisting nobody was untouchable now: you earned your place on merit and good form. And yet there were lingering doubts.

Doubts Persist

The fantasy football that owner Roman Abramovich ousted Mourinho for not providing was still conspicuous by its absence. Chelsea were functional and effective rather than free-flowing with flair. The fans continued to chant Mourinho's name at Chelsea matches, suggesting that Grant had not yet won their hearts. And there were signs latterly that as players returned from injury and Africa to give the coach more options, he was not entirely sure-footed in dealing with the selection dilemmas this posed.

Now, after Sunday's Carling Cup final, in which Chelsea took a first-half lead but uncharacteristically failed to protect it, losing 2-1 to worthy winners Spurs, Grant stands accused of timidity in his team selection, caution in his tactics, lack of urgency and imagination in his substitutions, and lack of motivational powers when his players may have been looking to him for leadership and inspiration.

Damningly, none of those perceived failings were levelled at Mourinho. He ticked all the boxes. And fairly or unfairly, Grant's performance is again being compared to that of the Portuguese following Sunday's defeat. Apart from leading Chelsea to back-to-back Premier League titles, Mourinho took the Blues to three domestic cup finals and won them all. Sunday was Grant's first chance to authenticate his reign with silverware, to confirm that he is also a winner. On this occision, he blew it.

Spurs played well throughout but there was a contrast between the two benches. Ramos appeared to be thinking on his feet, and his tactical switches and substitutions brought rapid dividends and, ultimately, the Cup. Grant seemed less decisive and less flexible. And Chelsea lost.

Positively Negative

Spurs won because Ramos was positive, and instilled positive thinking into his players, while Grant and his team were negative. That is why many neutrals enjoyed the outcome. Chelsea, after taking the lead from a set-piece - Didier Drogba's superb free-kick that maintained the Ivorian's record of scoring in English cup finals - retreated into their negative shells until they were forced to chase the game in the last 15 minutes of extra-time.

If Spurs had not won, at least they would have gone down giving it their best shot. They played with urgency, self-belief and imagination against opponents seemingly primed to play a percentage game which eventually back-fired thanks to a rash handball and a goalkeeping error.

On the touchline, Ramos outwitted and outflanked Grant, whose claim afterwards that for a period before and after half-time Chelsea had dominated was not a view widely held beyond his bench. There was a telling shot on TV - between the end of regulation time and the start of extra-time - of the Chelsea players in a huddle, seeking inspiration and instruction on how to approach the additional half-hour. But who was providing that input? Not Grant, and not the much-vaunted Henk ten Cate. No, it was Chelsea survivor Steve Clarke.

There were other concerns for Chelsea fans, regarding the composition and balance of the team, and the way the substitutions were handled. Why was such a talented and incisive striker as Nicolas Anelka exiled on the wing where his contribution was never more than peripheral? Why was Ballack on the bench when he has been the midfielder in form during the past month? Was it to accommodate Frank Lampard - who perhaps is an untouchable after all? It began to look that way when the industrious Michael Essien, rather than below-par Lampard, was removed from the fray to accommodate (belatedly) Ballack.

There were subversive rumbles in the build-up to the final that, following Grant's team selection for the Champions League game in Greece against Olympiakos, Lampard and Terry had thrown, or threatened to throw, their toys from the pram if not given starting roles at Wembley, despite both having only just returned from lengthy injury absences. Are some of the players, rather than the manager, calling the shots?

And why was the mercurial Joe Cole, a potential match-winner, left on the bench for so long? One of the defining aspects of Mourinho's success was his ruthlessly decisive approach to substitutions. They were not a last resort for Jose but a potent tactical weapon to be used the moment he deduced the opposition had an edge.

After the game, Grant complained about refereeing decisions - the penalty, which looked cut-and-dried, Bridge propelling the ball away with his hand - and even the timing of the final whistle. Of course, every manager, Mourinho included, struggles to cope with defeat and seeks scapegoats when it happens. That's OK, as long as Grant doesn't delude himself that Chelsea were unjustly robbed of the Cup.

Perspective

All of that said, it is important to keep things in perspective. After all, this was just one match, and Chelsea are still in real contention for three trophies, which is all credit to Grant and his players. As he also said after the game, his players must get over their disappointment and re-focus on the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

He revealed that it was "very painful," to lose, although the Chelsea fans do not need to be told that. They feel it just as keenly. And they will hope that the lessons learned from this game will be taken on board when Chelsea find themselves in their next big contest.

But they will be slightly disturbed that the three matches Chelsea have lost under Grant have been a cup final and Premier League games against the two teams above them in the table. They may be wondering whether their manager, solid enough most of the time, lacks the temperament and/or tactical nous for the big matches. Because if he does, Chelsea will plateau rather than reach the next level that chief executive Peter Kenyon trumpeted when putting his spin on the decision to replace Mourinho with Grant.

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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Who Is Zidane?


Zinedine Zidane was unable to contact hospitalised star Ronaldo as he recovers from his horrific knee injury because the hospital operator didn’t know who the Frenchman was.

Ronaldo
is in hospital in Paris having undergone surgery for the career-threatening ruptured tendon in his knee that he suffered in last Wednesday’s match with Livorno.

Messages of support have flooded in for El Fenomeno, who is set to be out of the game for at least nine-to-twelve months.

One of these well-wishers was none other than France legend Zinedine Zidane, who is a former team-mate of Ronaldo from their time together at Real Madrid.

Zidane yesterday rang up the hospital that Ronaldo is staying at in order to speak to his old colleague and friend.

When the hospital telephone operator asked who was calling, incredibly the name Zinedine Zidane was not recognised by the employee, thus the 1998 World Cup winner was not granted permission to speak to Ronaldo.

Zidane only retired from football in 2006, after winning one Champions League, one World Cup and one European Championship.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Cesc: To Beat Kaka Would Be Fab


Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas spoke about the Milan game, and what it would mean to him if they were to beat Milan. He also stated that he wants to spend the rest of his career at the North London club.


Very Happy Here



Speaking in an exclusive interview with CNN, the Spanish international revealed that he has not yet entered discussions about extending his contract beyond its current expiry date but will only leave if he is no longer wanted at the club.



"I am very happy, everything is going well, I have got friends in the club," said the 20-year-old .
"I like the life and I am comfortable with the fans. If they don't want me here, then of course I would like to go back to Spain.



"But if the club wants me and the boss thinks I still can give a lot to the club, then I will stay here. I will be here for as long as they want me."



Wenger Ties Me To Arsenal



Fabregas, who was snatched from Barcelona's youth program in 2003, also said that manager Arsene Wenger was one of the main reasons for him wanting to stay.



"He has an eye to catch young players that he wants in the future, and that is something special," said Fabregas. "I have always been grateful for what he has done for me, what he has done for the club and I feel very lucky to be working under him."



Football Faster Than In Spain



In addition to this, he also highlighted the atmospheres of Premier League stadiums and the fast, attacking nature of the football as crucial factors in his love of the English game.



"Whenever you watch a football game here you can see the passion," he said.
"Even if the two lowest teams in the league are playing you can feel the passion. They always try to go forward, even if the game maybe technically is not the best you can feel they go to win.
"In Spain everything is slower and sometimes it takes 20 minutes to see something happen. But of course technically the Spanish league is very, very good."



Title Challenge



As for the Premier League title, Fabregas sounded a note of caution.
"We have to try to play nice football - not beautiful football, but football that really enables us to win. The fans believe in us and we are quite confident we can do it, but there is still a long way to go."



Beating Kaka And Pirlo Would Be Special



Inevitably, also spoke about this week's Champions League clash against holders AC Milan.
"We are all looking forward to it because it will be a very difficult game," he admitted.
"Everybody says they are not doing well in the league, but this kind of team can kill you in one second. They have massive players like Kaka and Andrea Pirlo - we have to be careful, but I still think we have a good chance."



"To beat a team that contains Kaka and Pirlo would be special for me," he continued.
"They are two of the best players in the world. We must pay close attention to them as they can hurt us. It’s important to cancel them out. If we do this, Milan will have problems.”


Monday, February 18, 2008

Kaka Looks Foward To "Beautiful" Game Against Arsenal

The contest pits the Milanese old guard against Arsene Wenger’s young guns. Kaka, whose real name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, recognises that Arsenal will offer a stern test of Milan’s credentials. Nevertheless, he backs the Rossoneri to dump the English side out of the competition and add to the club’s seven European triumphs.

"People have called this tie against Arsenal a match between an ageing team and a new young, up-and-coming side,” the reigning Fifa world player of the year said. “It is a fair comparison, because the average age in the first team here in Milan is 32, but that doesn't mean we'll struggle against them. Experience counts for everything at this stage of the Champions League.”

“This is a game we can enjoy. It can be beautiful.”

Despite Milan’s determination to succeed, Kaka does not underestimate the threat posed by Wenger’s team. Arsenal enjoy a five point lead in the Premiership over closest rivals Manchester United. However, the Gunners crashed out of the English FA Cup 4 –0 last Saturday against United. Many observers believe the Gunners boss decision not to play his strongest team showed that he had given priority to the match against the 2007 Champions League winners.

"This tie against Arsenal will be open and more interesting than if Milan had been drawn against Liverpool or Chelsea, teams that play more in the traditional English style," Kaka conceded. “They play football the way we like it to see it in Brazil, with style, changing position all the time, moving the ball among themselves so quickly.

“They have won Premier League titles, they were in the Champions League final a few years ago and they have real quality."

Wednesday’s Champions League match is seen as crucial to the Milan team which has not hit its best form this season and lies 21 points behind city rivals Internazionale in Serie A. Kaka sees the Champions League game as a chance for Milan to ignite their season.

"We were inconsistent in the first half of the season," said Kaka. "But we have recovered since the turn of the year and have lost only once in Italy since then, even if the top is still a long way off.

“That means the Champions League is the most important competition we're in - win that and your names are etched down in history, far more so than if you win the domestic league. We are too far behind in Serie A, so the priority is completely to win the Champions League again."

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Player Ratings: Manchester United - Arsenal





MANCHESTER UNITED

Van Der Sar 6.0: Pipe and slippers evening for the Dutch keeper. Not tested at all by the misfiring Gunners.

Wes Brown 7.5: Set down a marker for the 12 April clash by keeping Hleb quiet all evening, and making some good contribution to the attack as well.

Rio Ferdinand 6.5: Snuffed out the disappointing Arsenal attack with ease.

Nemanja Vidic 7.0: Improved performance from the big Serb. Made life difficult for Arsenal from corners.

Patrice Evra 7.0: Locked down the left flank and supported the attacks with his usual effervescence.

Darren Fletcher 8: A rare appearance for the Scottish midfielder but he was really in the mood. Got forward, tackled robustly and took his goal well.

Anderson 8.5: In an impressive midfield unit, Anderson stood out as the brightest talent on show. Fizzed throughout the game and is fast becoming undroppable. If only he had a Brazilian goal scorer’s touch.

Michael Carrick 7.0: Ably supported by Anderson and Fletcher fizzing alongside, Carrick’s unsung performance should not belie his contribution to United thoroughly dominating a stronger Arsenal midfield. His pass for Nani’s goal was a peach.

Nani 8.0: At last, the Portuguese winger delivered a performance worthy of his reputation. Excellent display of wingcraft. His goal was a beauty.

Ji Sung Park 6.5: Game and willing but still struggling to impose himself after a long injury lay-off.

Wayne Rooney 8.0: Thundered back after sitting out the derby. Shone as United adopted the England model of the lone front man and set United on their way with a crucial first goal. Terrorised Gallas and Toure all evening and might be disappointed to have scored only once.

Substitutes

Paul Scholes 6.0: Slotted in easily.

Louis Saha 6.0: Looked rusty on his return to the first team. Should have scored late on.

ARSENAL

Jens Lehmann 7.0: Some smart saves alternated with some poor goal kicks, but kept the scoreline from looking like 7-0 or 8-0.

Justin Hoyte 4.0: Troubled by United attackers all evening. The young defender couldn’t make his efforts meaningful.

William Gallas 4.0 : Might now heed the proverb: He who talks big may soon look small. A disappointing evening’s work in the Manchester spotlight. Was at sixes and sevens against Rooney, and his second half kick at Nani deserved a booking too. Perhaps his worst display of the season.

Kolo Toure 5.5: Looked like he was still suffering from jet lag after his exertions in the African Cup of Nations. Lacked his usual authority and positional excellence. Clearly still jaded from his African sojourn.

Armand Traore 4.0: The youngster had a night to forget and was made dizzy by United’s movement and trickery.

Emmanuel Eboue 3.0: Dismissed early in the second half for an ugly challenge on Evra. It was his only contribution to the game.

Francesc Fabregas 5.0: The Premiership’s most improved midfielder didn’t live up to his reputation. Off the pace completely until his substitution. Failed to pick his passes, failed to win the ball, and was simply outplayed on the evening.

Gilberto Silva 5.0: Another talent to leave his better form in the locker room. No impact on the match.

Alexander Hleb 6.5: Didn’t offer his usual menace. A subdued display, but had a little more energy to give to the match than some of his teammates.

Da Silva Eduardo 5.0: His flat display mirrored that of the team.

Nicklas Bendtner 5.0: Got no change out of the United defence and little support from the Arsenal midfield.

Substitutes

Mathieu Flamini 5.0: Lost Fletcher for United’s fourth goal. So much for coming on to limit the damage.

Philippe Senderos 6.0: Should probably have started looking at all that went on at the back.

Emmanuel Adebayor 5.0: Booked for diving seconds after entering the match as a substitute, and that was just about the only thing you remember about him.

Champions League: The Spanish Challenge




Three Spanish sides, three group stage winners, three title hopefuls. Their fortunes have varied at home and abroad of late, but this Spanish trio remains serious about lifting the trophy in Moscow. First up, though, comes the knockout stage...

Roma v Real Madrid (Tue 19th Feb, 20:45 CET)

The Champions League may have been on hiatus since December, but hype ahead of this game has kept the tournament alive in spirit for the past two months.

The two sides have shared a CL group three times already this decade, with no love being lost between the two after a series of eventful encounters.

Madrid are ahead on recent head-to-head, but that's merely spurred Roma on further. More than one prominent giallorosso has come out swinging in the media, stating that the Spaniards' poor road form in the CL will be their undoing in the Eternal City.

Still, the blancos are no shrinking violets, either. They've been building up to their game for some time, which has given them an uncommon amount of focus, but it's perhaps also affected their Liga form.

For a Madrid side that looked nigh-invincible earlier in the season has stumbled a bit since New Year, scraping through matches against Zaragoza and Levante, before finally succumbing to defeats at Almeria and Betis.

Roma will be smacking their lips in anticipation of giving the blancos another going-over on the road - knowing full well that they've failed to win away in Europe so far - but they cannot be complacent by any means.

After all, Madrid have rested some of the squad for this one over the past couple of weeks, and have already left the Italian capital with a draw this season.

That 2-2 tie at Lazio may not have been ideal at the time, but a repeat result would put the Bernabeu men firmly in the drivers' seat as they welcome the Romans for a return game at their fortress.

This point is key. Madrid have won all their Liga and Champions League games at home this season, stumbling only in "lesser" cups. If they can leave Rome with a draw, they're in fine stead to advance. Roma will know this, and thus Iker Casillas will be under bombardment from the word go on Tuesday.

Celtic v FC Barcelona (Tue 19th Feb, 20:45)

Barcelona, meanwhile, face a tough test in Glasgow against home specialists Celtic.

The Bhoys are formidable opposition at their Parkhead base, as any European observer will know. Indeed, just like Madrid, Celtic hold an enviable 100% home record in the group stage.

The blaugrana do, too, with Celtic's fellow Glaswegians Rangers being among their scalps at Camp Nou. As such, they'll feel that they can dismiss the Celts in the second leg. However, they will also remember the goalless draw at Ibrox against the Bears, which will hardly be encouraging ahead of this game.

First, then, comes the trip to Celtic Park, a place to which Barcelona are no strangers. As recently as the 2004-05 campaign, the blaugrana left Glasgow with a win, but one need go back only another season to remember the Bhoys defeating Barcelona en route to their historic UEFA Cup final.

Much has changed since then, with Barcelona manging to lift the famous Champions League trophy in the interim. Frank Rijkaard, who is sai to be under pressure at Camp Nou, is eager to do so again, particularly in order to make up for a disappointing Liga campaign last season.

It seemed as if the stage was set for disappointment again this time as the blaugrana fell eight points off the pace in the Liga, but on Saturday evening, Barcelona's close-fought win at Zaragoza cut the deficit to five. Thus, unlike Madrid, Barcelona come into their CL game on the back of a win. Whether this serves to exhaust them, or spur them on to more success, remains to be seen.

Fenerbahçe v Sevilla (Wed, 20:45)

Finally, Sevilla travel to meet Istanbul outfit Fenerbahçe, who are the lowest-ranked side left in the competition.

However, their relatively modest standing in European football, and their associated coefficient, masks what could be a tough game for the Andalucians. The Yellow Canaries, after all, lost just once in the group stage, and that was away to Italian giants Inter.

Indeed, they managed a home victory over the nerazzurri, showing that the Turks' reputation for creating a fearsome atmosphere at the Şükrü Saracoğlu is far from unwarranted.

In just a few short seasons, though, Sevilla have styled themselves no longer as also-rans but as seasoned European campaigners, and with several intmidating arenas already left humbled by the Andalucians, coach Manolo Jimenez knows that his side neednot fear anyone.

Indeed, by topping a group containing Arsenal, Sevilla have already shown that they have what it takes to dine at Europe's top table, and not merely enjoy the fruits of the UEFA Cup.

Their Liga form has been mixed this season, with the tragic death of Antonio Puerta and eventual departure of coach Juande Ramos throwing things off-kilter, but the rojiblancos have recovered of late to claw into the UEFA Cup zone, and within touching distance of the Champions League spots.

Such domestic concerns will distract them a bit ahead of this clash, but it's worth noting that Sevilla fought successfully on three fronts last season. It's a big, tough squad in Andalucia - but one that may be broken up by wealthy suitors come the season's end. Whether this is a last hurrah or a gateway to better things for the club remains to be seen, but Fenerbahce must be overcome before any plans can be made.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

FA Cup Preview: Manchester United - Arsenal


Old Rivals In Match Of The Week

League leaders Arsenal travel to title rivals Manchester United for what is undoubtedly the tie of the Fifth Round. The two have become great rivals since Arsene Wenger's arrival in the country in 1996 and this clash has all the makings of a classic.

United and Arsenal are the two most successful club's in FA Cup history with a combined haul of 21 trophies from 35 finals. Ferguson has won five of them, Wenger four.

The winner of this tie will be among the favourites to add to those trophies because these are clearly the two best sides in the country this season.

Arsenal were tipped by many pundits to finish outside the top this term, but as Gunners fans say, 'Arsene knows'. Wenger has created a team on a shoestring budjet that have excelled beyond even his own great expectations for them.

Arsenal are playing with such energy and style that it is difficult to believe that the club actually made a net profit in the summer's transfer window. Goals are arriving from every part of the team with defensive midfielder Mathieu Flamini and centre back William Gallas scoring vital goals already this campaign.

The main man at the moment is Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor who has stepped out of Robin Van Persie's shadow to produce a stunning run of form where it seems everything his hits turns to goals. With excellent service provided to him by the subtle midfield promptings of Hleb and Fabregas, Adebayor will look to add to his winner at Old Trafford last season, when the Gunners were in a preiod of transition. A huge boost for Arsenal is the return of Kolo Toure at centre-back.

The powerful Ivorian has returned from the African Cup of Nations just in time as Wenger may be without three defenders that started Monday's win over Blackburn at the Emirates.

Returning Rooney Bolsters United

United will be boosted by the return to the team of both Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra, and both players are key to the way United play. Without the energetic duo last week, United appeared flat as they fell to defeat at home to local rivals Manchester City which sees the champions trail Arsenal in the league by five points. Louis Saha is also back after six weeks to provide options up front, something they sorely missed against City.

United will be desperate to put a marker down in the title race by knocking the Gunners out of the cup this weekend. United just never really got going in last week's derby, and looked unusually sloppy at the back where the usually dependable duo of Ferdinand and Vidic each had their worst game of the season so far.

It could be argued that they missed having a shield infront of them, and either Michael Carrick or Owen Hargreaves should return to the starting line up in an attampt to quell Arsenal's quick passign attacking midfield.

Alex Ferguson has laughed off the distance between these sides at the top, arguing with some credibility that Arsenal have the more difficult run in and far less experience. The fiery Scot will hope that his side can back up his argument by beating his old enemy Arsene Wenger's side, and continue in the hunt for a second treble, which Ferguson has mentioned at various points this campaign.

It is hard to recall when United last lost consecutive home games, but that is a fait which awaits them unless they produce a much improved performance against a rampant Arsenal. The sides drew 2-2 at the Emirates earlier in the campaign, and another stalemate can be expected again at Old Trafford on Saturday.

FORM GUIDE

Manchester United

10 Feb v Manchester City (H) LOST 1-2 (Prem)
02 Feb v Tottenham (A) DREW 1-1 (Prem)
30 Jan v Portsmouth (H) WON 2-0 (Prem)
27 Jan v Tottenham (H) WON 3-1 (FA Cup)
19 Jan v Reading (A) WON 2-0 (Prem)
12 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 6-0 (Prem)

Arsenal

11 Feb v Blackburn (H) WON 2-0 (Prem)
02 Feb v Manchester City (A) WON 3-1 (Prem)
29 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0 (Prem)
26 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0 (FA Cup)
22 Jan v Tottenham (A) LOST 5-1 (League Cup)
19 Jan v Fulham (A) WON 3-0 (Prem)

FA CUP THIS SEASON

Manchester United

Round 3 v Aston Villa (A) WON 2-0
Round 4 v Tottenham (H) WON 3-1

Arsenal

Round 3 v Burnley (A) WON 2-0
Round 4 v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0

FA CUP HONOURS (bold ones won under current managers)

Manchester United
11 times winners (1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004)

Arsenal
10 times winners (1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005)

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United Long term casualties Michael Silvestre (knee, Gary Neville (calf) and Ben Foster (knee) are all missing, but the short term problems have all been solved.

As mentioned, Wayne Rooney, Loius Saha and Patrice Evra are all available again. Midfielders Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves as well as Evra and Rooney could return to the starting eleven after sitting out last weekends defeat to City.

Last Starting XI (v Manchester City): Van der Sar - Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea (Carrick 73) - Ronaldo, Scholes, Anderson (Hargreaves 73), Nani (Park 64) - Giggs - Tevez

Arsenal

Jens Lehmann should continue in goal as he has been chosen for all Arsenal's FA Cup ties this season even if first choice Manuel Almunia recovers from a virus in time. Lively midfielder Tomas Rosicky is expected to remain sidelined with a hamstring injury and Denilson (hamstring) and Abou Diaby join him in the stands.

Dutch forward Robin Van Persie (thigh) is still missing, although with Adebayor in such fine form Arsenal are not missing there star forward as much as they would have anticipated. Full-backs Gael Clichy (knee) and Bakary Sagna (personal reasons) could miss out and Johan Djourou (groin) and Philip Senderos (thigh) are also doubtful.

Last Starting XI (v Blackburn): Lehmann - Sagna, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy - Fabregas, Flamini, Gilberto, Hleb - Adebayor, Eduardo

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United - Wayne Rooney, although not the most technically gifted of United's attacking talent, has shown his importance to the team in his absences so far this season. His feisty presence was sorely missed in last weekend's derby defeat, and United never manage to play at as high tempo when Rooney is missing. His return will be a welcome boost and should allow a little more space for the skillfull Tevez and Ronaldo to exploit.

Arsenal - Emmanuel Adebayor is currently the hottest striker in the Premier League, and is enjoying a sensational run of goalscoring form that has seen the Togolese hitman find the net nine times in his last seven Premier League games, plus two in the last round against Newcastle. Adebayor on this form is unplayable and he will cause Ferdinand and Vidic all sorts of problems if they perform as sluggishly as they did last week.

PREDICTION

A game that could go either way between the two top sides in the country. Surely United will have to show an improvement on their lacklustre derdy day defeat last week, but in present form it is hard to back against Arsenal. A score draw and an unwanted replay may be the outcome of this mouthwatering cup tie for old enemies Ferguson and Wenger.

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)

Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal

Keown - I Still Don't Like Manutd

Martin Keown has admitted that he still doesn't feel quite comfortable around Manchester United supporters because of his strong association with Arsenal football club.

Speaking ahead of the hotly anticipated FA Cup clash this afternoon, the former Gunners defender recalled his infamous 'crane' attack on Ruud van Nistelrooy during a particularly bad-blooded affair in 2003, which effectively made him public enemy number one at Old Trafford.

Despite the unsavoury nature of the incident -when Keown mocked van Nistelrooy to the point of near assault after the United striker missed a late penalty- the ex-centre-back insists that he doesn't regret anything, while acknowledging at the same time that he had crossed the line.

"You react as you see fit every day of your life," he reasoned, "and it's the same on the football field.

"We'd contained the game until [Patrick] Vieira was sent off with about 10 minutes to go, and then it was like the Alamo.

"We felt that Van Nistelrooy played a huge part in that sending-off, and we felt cheated. We felt further cheated because we didn't think it was a penalty.

"So, yes, my behaviour was not acceptable from an Arsenal point of view, but you can't take that back.

"I rang my wife after the game, and she's usually very supportive, but she said 'I think you've gone and done it now'. It was the first time she'd ever said anything like that.

"After that I tried to stay in hiding, to be honest. There was a lot of media attention I didn't want, but thankfully it didn't detract from the focus of the team," he added.

"We didn't get beaten for the rest of that season and we won the League. The manager was very, very supportive towards me, as were all the players, and I think I rewarded them for that support, even though I picked up an injury and played only a handful of games."

Keown went on to admit that there was animosity between him and the Dutch striker even before the penalty incident, but also extended what could be interpreted as an olive branch.

"Yeah, I'd paid a few fines to the FA on behalf of Mr Van Nistelrooy," he said.

"I remember once he stamped all over me, and I pushed him away. That cost me £10,000. He suggested I'd punched him in the face. Unfortunately, the camera didn't show him standing on my foot as I was pushing him away.

"Listen, we played Man United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup not that long afterwards, and I sought him out to shake his hand.

"Everyone who knows me off the pitch, knows I used to turn into something quite different on the pitch. I was able to separate the two and wanted everyone else to do the same.

"Obviously, Van Nistelrooy is an outstanding player. He's still doing well at Real Madrid, and he's someone who plays the rules to the limit. At the time I didn't quite see it that way."

Finally, the legendary Gunners defender confessed that he still feels less than fully at ease when amongst the old enemy.

"I don't feel particularly comfortable among United fans even now. Most of them are fine, but there have been a few ... situations. I don't think I'd go to Old Trafford to watch a game."

Friday, February 15, 2008

Fifa Rejects Premier League Plans


The president of football's world governing body Fifa has told the BBC that plans by the Premier League to host games abroad will never happen.
Sepp Blatter also warned that the proposal could harm England's attempt to host the 2018 World Cup.

"This does not take into consideration the fans of the clubs and it gives the impression that they just want to go on tour to make some money," Blatter said.

"This will never happen, at least as long as I am the president of Fifa."

Blatter's comments, in an interview with BBC sports editor Mihir Bose, are the strongest from the governing body since the Premier League's plans were revealed last week.

Top-flight clubs will consider plans to extend the season to 39 games with the extra matches taking place overseas.

But the idea has met with resistance in Asia, Europe and fans in England.

Blatter's stance effectively leave the proposals, for a round of games to take place in five different host cities from January 2011, dead in the water.

"The Premier League is richer than the others, they have more responsibility and what they are trying to do is contrary to this responsibility," he said.

"This is something I cannot understand and definitely the Fifa executive committee will not sanction such an initiative."

A Premier League spokesman said the clubs would "look forward to the opportunity to meet with Fifa in order to discuss this matter in full".

"This was always the starting point in relation to the issue of sanction for the proposed international round, and as such we will be making no comment until after that time," the spokesman added.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore had previously expressed his belief that Fifa could not stop the plan if the clubs receive the go-ahead from England's Football Association.

But Blatter rejected that claim.

"It is not true," he added. "Even if the FA did sanction it, all the national associations receiving these clubs would have to sanction it also. This will be very difficult.

"In addition to that, the Fifa executive committee will apply article two of the Fifa statutes: 'to prevent all methods or practices which might jeopardise the integrity of matches or competitions or give rise to abuse of association football'.

"This is abuse. The rich Premier League is trying to get richer and wants to expand the importance of that league."

There were early signs of Fifa disquiet when it was revealed the governing body had told the Premier League it could not consider the plans until the Football Association had contacted them.



It is understood the FA has held talks with Fifa and is ready to issue a statement distancing themselves from the proposals.

Blatter warned it could affect the FA's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

"When it comes to a decision of the executive committee concerning this matter of the 39th round, and I am sure they will be against it, then it will not have a positive impact on the bid from England for the World Cup in 2018," he added.

Scudamore's plans received a mixed reaction around the world, with the heads of the Asian Football Confederation and Football Federation Australia, which could host any proposed games, rejecting the idea.

The United Arab Emirates Football Association said it would welcome the plan but Uefa boss Michel Platini called it a "nonsense idea".

The proposals were also widely criticised by fans in England and Blatter said he understood their reaction.

"I support the fans 100%," he said. "If I was a fan in England I would say: 'no, please play at home and don't go and exercise your talents abroad'.

"If the plan includes official league matches then, as a fan, I would protest against this."

Fifa will examine the Premier League's proposals at its executive committee meeting on 14 March.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Ronaldo To End Career ????


AC Milan striker Ronaldo is fearful he may have to retire after rupturing a tendon in his left knee, claims club owner Silvio Berlusconi.
The 31-year-old Brazilian was carried off in tears after suffering the injury against Livorno on Wednesday and is now set for an operation in France.

"He fears for his career," Berlusconi told Italy's RAI TV.

"I called him last evening and told him to believe in himself. He has enormous physical potential."

Ronaldo is expected to see Gerard Saillant, the same surgeon who treated him for a similar injury to his right knee in 2000.

"As a 31-year-old, he's very young," added Berlusconi of the Brazilian.

"He has an extraordinary physique, and I think within a few months he could return to being the champion that we all know him as."

The striker faces up to nine months on the sidelines after rupturing a tendon in his left knee.

"I don't want to say it's the end of his career because only time can decide - all we can do is stand by him," said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Milan face Premier League leaders Arsenal in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie on Wednesday 21 February.

Ronaldo, who is out of contract at the end of the season, suffered the same injury in his right knee in November 1999.

He lasted seven minutes on his comeback in April 2000 before taking another 20 months to make a full recovery.

Ancelotti said the whole club was worried about the Brazilian, who was named Fifa world player of the year three times and is the record scorer in World Cup finals.

"We're all very sorry and worried about what happened to Ronaldo," Ancelotti added.

"Our players all left the stadium in a hurry to go to the hospital to check on his condition, I think that's the right way to stand by a player who's suffering."

Ronaldo fell awkwardly while challenging for a ball in the air with Jose Vidigal, shortly after replacing Alberto Gilardino in the second half.

"I heard a horrible sound, like a bang, it was a strange sound," said Livorno goalkeeper Marco Amelia, who was close by when Ronaldo fell to the ground.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Anglo/Italian Debate: “Ronaldo Best In World” - Is The English Media Naïve?


As a person who was born and educated in England, but has Italian parents and was largely brought up the ‘Italian way’, I am perhaps well placed to understand the difference between the English and Italian/continental way of thinking, not only in football, but in culture as a whole.

Now I don’t want to sit here and preach that Italian is better as every country and culture is different. I just want to demonstrate, in reference to the Cristiano Ronaldo issue, the general lack of understanding of European football in the English media (and by this I don’t mean Goal.com which is an international website!).

I was first bugged by this issue in about 1996/97. I was not even a teenager at the time but I was already stubborn enough to form my own opinions about football, and have scant regard for what much of the media said.

Alan Shearer was proclaimed in the press as the undisputed best forward in the world. This really irritated me. “Shearer couldn’t possibly be better that Ronaldo, Roberto Baggio, George Weah, Davor Suker, Gabriel Batistuta e.t.c,” I thought to myself.

Slowly but surely I formed an opinion that the English media really had a very poor, somewhat non-existent, understanding of the European or world game. If they did not then they would have known that the pragmatic Shearer didn’t deserve to be named in the same breath as these attackers.

As the years passed my view was slowly reinforced. England took an early 2-0 lead in their first group game at Euro 2000 over Portugal, and the commentators on television were already proclaiming them as champions of Europe. Portugal came back to win 3-2 and England were eliminated in the group stages after conceding another three goals to Romania.

Then of course you had the so-called ‘golden generation’ of English talent that went to Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006. The English media boasted repeatedly that they had the best team in the world in their possession and that they would bring home the trophy.

After all they had the best left-back in the world Ashley Cole, the best centre-backs John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, the best centre midfielders in Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, and the best support striker in Wayne Rooney.

Following a simply disastrous tournament when England displayed all of their innate technical deficiencies, manager Sven-Goran Eriksson was slated for throwing away this golden generation of talent. It was all his fault.

Of course this was absolutely ridiculous. Steve McClaren’s subsequent stint as manager, coupled with Eriksson’s work at Manchester City, has proven that the Swede actually did an excellent job, and in reaching three quarter-finals he actually punched above England’s weight. In truth this has probably been accepted now by most people, although many of the lessons, as we will soon see, have still not been learned.

My point though is that the English media makes ridiculous statements, such as “Alan Shearer is the best striker in the world”, and that “England are going to win the World Cup”, and unfortunately the majority of the nation, as is the power of the press and broadcast, are brainwashed into believing it. You are what you are taught after all.

The most recent of these preposterous declarations is that Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world.

Once again, referring back to first Shearer and then the World Cup, this belief is only present due to a complete lack of understanding of the European game.

Ronaldo may have smashed in 27 goals this season, however as Gil Gillespie correctly pointed out in his Who Is Better – Kaka Or Ronaldo article, how can a player who has almost always flopped whenever he has come up against a top team/defence/defender, or in a big match, possibly be regarded as the best player in the world.

It is ignorance such as this that is so frustrating.

Only on Sunday I was watching a programme called ‘Sunday Supplement’ on Sky Sports. For those of you who don’t know, this is a weekly show that includes the chief football writers from all of the top newspapers in England; The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Mail e.t.c.

These are the so-called experts of English footballing journalism, the people that the country ‘should’ look up to for their knowledge and understanding of the game.

One of the chief writers, whose name I will not disclose, incredibly claimed that Ashley Cole was the best left back in the world. The rest of the panel did not disagree.

My first reaction was shock, my second reaction was to switch off the television, then my third reaction was “actually I want to hear some more gems such as these.”

I immediately had flashbacks to 1997 and Alan Shearer. I mean Ashley Cole is so clearly better than the likes of Gianluca Zambrotta, Philipp Lahm, Maxwell, Eric Abidal and so on. For me personally, Ashley Cole is not even the best left-back at his own club, let alone the world.

Until the English media begins to grasp a better understanding of the European and World game I fear that the same age-old football problems that have plagued this country in recent years will always be present.

The top journalists may have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the domestic game, but their grasp of continental football (unlike the journalists in Italy and other European countries) is frankly embarrassing.

What are your views on this topic? Is the English Media naïve? Do they lack an understanding of the European game? Are the English people in general being brainwashed by statements such as “Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world”? I will like to know what YOU Think

Monday, February 11, 2008

Del Piero Delighted,Palladino Going To Arsenal?

Alessandro Del Piero was delighted with Juventus’ comeback win against Udinese yesterday afternoon, but Raffaele Palladino is not so happy and could be on his way to Arsenal in the summer.

Things were not looking good for the Old Lady as they trailed 1-0 at the Stadio Friuli after a first half completely dominated by the home side.

Juve were much improved though after the break and goals from Mauro Camoranesi and Vincenzo Iaquinta earned them a crucial 2-1 victory.

“We got a very important win against an excellent Udinese side who showed why they are having such a good campaign by taking a first-half lead,” Del Piero stated on his personal website.

“But in the second period we reacted in a way that enabled us to take control of the game.

“We chased down every ball and put pressure on them with a more aggressive approach. In the end we got two very good goals that allowed us to take all three points.

Del Piero’s team-mate Raffaele Palladino is not so happy as he was granted just 20 minutes as a substitute.

The Neapolitan would have been expecting to start the match after a superb performance for Italy in the midweek friendly win over Portugal.

Palladino has been complaining about his lack of action and for having to play out of position, and even hinted of a summer exit.
This possibility is growing as reports are strengthening that Arsenal are set to launch a summer bid for the star.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is a huge admirer of the 23-year-old and has attempted unsuccessfully to sign him in the past.

Carrick: ‘Title Race Is Not Over’


Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick admitted he was disappointed by today's derby defeat at Old Trafford but insists it hasn't dented the club's title ambitions.

It was Carrick who struck what turned out to be a consolation goal in injury time as United slipped to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Man City.

“Scoring doesn't really mean much because we lost, we’re all desperately disappointed,” he told MUTV. "We never got going and didn’t create the chances we normally do. That’s not like us.

City took the lead midway through the first half through former England international Darius Vassell and doubled their lead just before the interval when new signing Benjani glanced in a cross from the excellent Martin Petrov.

“Once City got the two goals it was hard to come back from it,” added Carrick.

“One goal down, you always believe you’ve got a chance of coming back, but two is difficult. We needed to score right after half time to give us momentum, but when we did score it was too little, too late.”

Arsenal could now move five points clear at the top of the league if they beat Blackburn at the Emirates Stadium on Monday but Carrick refuses to be despondent.

“I don’t think Arsenal will go the rest of the season without dropping points," the former Spurs midfielder continued. "There are still going to be ups and downs in the title race, and hopefully there will be more ups for us and we can overtake them.”

Lastly, he admitted that it was a shame that the game didn't go United's way on such an historic day for the club.

"It was good to see that the minute’s silence was well observed. But in terms of the game we’re not going home happy.”

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Egypt Are CAN 2008 Winners


Cameroon 0 - 1 Egypt

Egypt deserved their win in Accra, but Cameroon - who had held out well for the most part - eventually only fell victim to a simply suicidal goal...

Egypt are the 2008 champions of Africa after defending their 2006 title and lifting the hallowed trophy for a record sixth time.

After over 75 goalless minutes, Egypt finally managed the strike that they deserved on the balance of play, but one that came in such strange circumstances.

It was dreadfully ironic - not least for Rigobert Song - that in a tournament so laden with brilliant strikes and wonder-goals, that the most decisive clash of all would be settled not by attacking genius, but by opportunism and an absolute howler from Cameroon stopper Song.

To start with, though, things were slightly more even.

Within two minutes, Cameroon had pressed forward twice, with Eto'o blasting a header over the bar from close range after Geremi's fine cross, with the referee seeing no deflection off an Egyptian defender.

Egypt tried to hit on the break soon afterwards, but all too often their first touch let them down in the final third.

Mbia conceded a free kick six minutes in after a foul on Abou Trika just outside the box, and it looked as if Espanyol 'keeper Carlos Kameni was about to face his first test. This he did, but the stopper held Hosny's effort well.

Kameni had to be on guard again to keep Moawad's admittedly weak effort out seconds later. and Abou Trika had another effort palmed wide 12 minutes in.

Alex Song had to limp off with an injury on the quarter-hour, with Binga coming on, necessitating a reshuffle in the midfield.

It was an afternoon of long-range efforts, with Geremi clipping a free-kick goalwards from 25 yards, only for El Hadary to save, albeit without confidence.

Then, on the break, poor defending and some fine teamwork saw Motab go one-on-one, only for Kameni to save. Abou Trika then inexplicably blasted the rebound over the bar.

Egypt's play had been nervy all over the pitch, but as the 20 minute mark came and went, they began to rediscover their structured approach to the game, and thus appeared more secure both with and without the ball. Chatto had to be at his best on more than one occasion to halt these attacks with a last-ditch challenge.

Cameroon, meanwhile, couldn't find the final ball, with Emana of particular culpability when he fluffed a great chance to play Eto'o through on goal on the break.

After a spell of midfield play, Eto'o eventually did receive a through ball, albeit one that he had to take around Shady Mohamed. From his acute angle out on the left, he could only drill a shot wide of the far post.

Then came the best chance of the game so far. A tremendous ball over the top found Motab one-on-one with Kameni, only for the forward to hit the ball straight at the 'keeper. The rebound came the striker's way, too, but a timely intervention saw the chance disappear.

As the half wore on, it became increasingly cagey, with Egypt's long-range efforts now either flying over the bar or straight into Kameni's hands. As such, it was no surprise when the half ended 0-0, with the most notable moments being injuries, necessitating plenty of stoppage time in the heat of the afternoon.

After the break, Amr Zaki came close down the left, only for his narrow-angled effort to be parried and then cleared by Cameroon. The break displayed the Indomitable Lions' woes, as even though they managed to get the ball forward, Eto'o was without support, and was fortunate to even get a corner.

Egypt then enjoyed their own spell of corners at the other end, and one of these eventually culminated in a superb long-range shot that left Kameni, unsighted, scrambling to save.

The Pharoahs were beginning to dominate the midfield play, although a lack of a final ball was still letting them down, most of all when Motab should have found the unmarked Abou Trika in the box, but blasted his cross far too hard.

Motab then came off for Zidan, with the Egyptians intent on changing the game - and they so nearly did.

Hosny very, very nearly managed to break the deadlock with a powerful header - admittedly born of poor defending - but with Kameni nowhere, his far-post effort smacked off the post.

M'Bami came on for Epalle, joining Idrissou (on for Emana) to become the Lions' third sub, and Cameroon had to use what they had.

But the pace of the game was starting to decline, with only speculative crosses to Idrissou really rousing the crowd. Admittedly, one was a fine ball in from M'Bami, but the Duisburg man could only sky his header.

Then, incredibly, Cameroon threw it all away.

More accurately, Rigobert Song did. The defender, the former champion, the father, the emblematic captain, threw it all away.

Inexplicably, he dallied on the ball under pressure from Zidan, failing to snuff out an Egyptian counter. The Hamburg man, winning the ball with a tremendous show of strength, managed to play the ball across the edge of the box for the onrushing Abou Trika, who gratefully side-footed home into an empty net. Egypt deserved their win on the balance of play, but what a way to get it!

Cameroon had to think fast, but their cross on the break soon after conceding was easily gathered by the rock-steady Al Hadari.

They could feel hard-done-by a few seconds later as, right on the edge of the box, Eto'o and Shady both went up for the ball, with the Barcelona striker's overhead kick seeing the ball hit Shady's hand. The referee promptly gave a free-kick against Cameroon, presumably for high feet. Regardless of what it was for, the Lions' players and coach alike were disgusted.

Cameroon then managed to split the defence with some good passing play down the right, with M'Bia being able to get the shot on, only for El-Hadari to push it to safety.

Egypt had begun to show a bit of nerves, sitting back on the edge of the area, as Cameroon enjoyed their only truly creative spell in the game. However, even with corners they were unable to test the 'keeper overmuch, and Egypt set themselves up for the counter.

Here, they were caught offside as stoppage time began, betraying the level to which Cameroon had pushed forward. Yet again, though, there was no end product.

Egypt deserved their win. After a somewhat rushed and tetchy start, they regained the shape that has made them so tough to beat - and sometimes so impressive on the attack - throughout this tournament.

M'bia did well to hold up the ball in the box and try a snapshot with 90 seconds to go, but he could only sky his effort wide as the exhausted Cameroonians threw the dice.

Rigobert Song had the chance to become a hero just seconds from the end, but the captain - inevitably - could only head over the bar. The game was over.

Cameroon, meanwhile, were second-best for most of the game, but arguably didn't deserve to lose like this. When "real" chances came their way, they dealt with them. But if one gives away gilt-edged chances against champions, one cannot be surprised when they take them.

Player Ratings: Manchester United - Manchester City


Party poopers Manchester City claimed all three points and a rare double over neighbours United in an emotionally charged derby. Nigel Smith offers his player-ratings from the game.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Van Der Sar - 6: Had no chance with either of City’s goals and will feel let down by the ragged performance of the defenders in front.

Brown - 5.5: Offered little going forward. Had his hands full coping with the dangerous Petrov.

Ferdinand 5.5: Surprisingly off-colour display from the normally authoratative centre half. Nearly gifted City a third goal when needlessly giving away possession in the second half.

Vidic - 5: Made one or two heroic interventions but his current dip in form mirrors that of the whole team. Played the last 10 minutes as a centre forward and was hardly more impressive.

O'Shea - 5.5: Disappointing performance from the Irishman. Lacked the pace and imagination to support United’s attacking thrusts and looked vulnerable whenever City attacked down the flank.

Giggs - 5: Poor and peripheral performance from the winger. Seldom found himself in synch with the rhythm of the match and contributed little to the few United attacks. Substitution would have been merciful.

Anderson - 7: The pick of United’s players. The young Brazilian was inexplicably substituted when he alone demonstrated the drive and urgency that the occasion warranted.

Scholes - 5.5: Another below-par performance from the usually reliable midfield general. Sat too deep for much of the game and all too often his passes were horizontal. When he did move further forward, Scholes contributed to United’s goal. Lucky to be starting on current form.

Nani - 5: Another United forward player to be missing in action for most of the game. Failed to make any worthwhile impression in a game he will want to forget.

Ronaldo - 5.5: Looks to be running on empty. The manager complained that he the winger had been overused on midweek international duty and it showed. Heavy-legged, the Portuguese star couldn’t get past the City defenders nor offer his usual spark and invention.

Tevez - 6.5: Showed the usual willing and energy. An acrobatic first half shot was well saved. Thereafter, the Argentine was marshalled effectively by City’s defenders.

Substitutes:

Ji Sung Park - 5.5: Had little impact on the game.

Hargreaves - 5.5: Couldn’t improve on United’s disappointing midfield performance.

Carrick - 6: A good goal, but too little too late. Finally, a United midfielder on the score sheet other than Ronaldo.


MANCHESTER CITY

Hart - 7: Excellent save from Tevez in first half. Relatively untroubled by United’s toothless attack.

Ball - 6.5: Kept Nani quiet and contributed to a disciplined defensive performance.

Dunne - 8: Towering performance in defence. When City needed a last man his name was Dunne

Richards - 7: Athletic, spirited but occasionally clumsy performance from the England man who might have conceded a penalty in the first half.

Onuoha - 6.5: Understated display. Didn’t push forward as much as City might have liked but was not found wanting when United attacked.

Fernandes - 6: Showed some neat touches and used the ball with intelligence before fading in the second half.

Hamann - 7: Used all the means leagally available, and a few more, to keep Manchester United in check. Howard Webb was perhaps a touch lenient with him, and he made the most of that to stamp his authority.

Ireland - 7: Effective midfield display. Got forward well and was instrumental in City’s first goal.

Petrov - 8.5: Tormented United in an excellent first half performance. The Bulgarian was at the heart of City’s dominance and was the creator of both goals.

Benjani - 6.5: Will enjoy the tape of his first derby performance. Showed willing as the lone raider and was rewarded with his goal.

Vassell - 7: Played his part in a famous victory. Worked hard for the team, and took his goal well.

Substitutes:

Caicedo 5: No impact on the proceedings.

Sun Jihai 5: Didn’t touch the ball in the eight minutes he was on the field.

La Liga Round-Up: Atleti Back On Track, Espanyol Shocked, Zaragoza Fall


Saturday 9 February 2008 (all times local)
20:00 Real Murcia 0 - 1 Villarreal
20:00 Deportivo 1 - 1 Getafe
22:00 Sevilla 1 - 1 Barcelona
Sunday 10 February
17:00 Osasuna 1 - 0 Zaragoza
17:00 Athletic 1 - 0 Levante
17:00 Racing 0 - 2 Atletico Madrid
17:00 Mallorca 0 - 0 Almeria
17:00 Espanyol 1 - 2 Recreativo
19:00 Real Madrid L - L Valladolid
21:00 Valencia L - L Betis

Deportivo La Coruna 1 - 1 Getafe

Getafe finally grabbed a point at what has hitherto been a barren arena for them, thanks to Ikechukwu Uche's post-African Cup of Nations comeback.

Depor had the best of the first half, and even without Andres Guardado were apt to use the flanks well.

Thus it was no surprise when they took the lead just before the interval, with Felipe's cross from the right flank meeting Pablo Amo, whose header deflected off Geta defender Mario into his own net.

After the break, Getafe appeared far more aggressive, pouring pressure on Fabri's goal. Eventually it paid off, with substitute Ikechukwu Uche, only just back from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Nigeria, slamming home 20 minutes from time.

He was to have more chances, but an unwillingness to pass found him all too easily crowded out, and Depor thus held onto a merited point.

CA Osasuna 1 - 0 Real Zaragoza

Osasuna edged out Zaragoza to end the blanquillos' recent renaissance, and help the Pamplonans towards safety.

The two sides started in cagey fashion, but as the half wore on, there were chances for each of them.

Osasuna, fielding an attack-minded lineup, had the best of them, but Ricardo had to be alert for the threat of Oliveira at the other end.

Right on half time, the rojillos got a merited goal through Jaroslav Plasil, who controlled a high ball beautifully before clipping the ball past Cesar.

The second half kicked off in scrappy fashion, and it took quite a while for the first real chance to come. Zaragoza, despite making two attacking changes, didn't have much of a look-in.

Indeed, the best opportunity fell to Delporte six minutes from time, but the Frenchman's effort rattled the post. Still, his side had done enough, and 1-0 it ended.

Athletic Club Bilbao 1 - 0 Levante UD

Levante remain in deep trouble as Athletic managed a relatively routine win at San Mames.

The Lions had the best of the first half, with Llorente and Yeste particularly active.

Long-range efforts and set-pieces gave both sides their best chances, with most of them taking place at Kujovic's goal.

Such pressure eventually resulted in a goal, albeit in strange circumstances. Kujovic fluffed a clearance, allowing Aduriz to seize the ball and play it across the goal for Llorente, who eagerly hit home.

Levante had to resort to long balls, but Athletic looked relatively comfortable throughout, and were able to hold onto their lead.

Real Racing Club 0 - 2 Club Atlético de Madrid

Atleti's mini-crisis drew to a close as Racing surrendered their fine home record to a Diego Forlan double.

Racing started off brightly, with Abbiati needing to come off his line on more than one occasion to deal with surging crosses.

Ivan Bolado shot just over 20 minutes in as Racing continued to impress, but neither he nor his teammates could find the finish.

Eventually, Atletico began to control the mdifield, and even got forward to give Forlan a couple of good occasions, but the hour mark came and went without a goal to speak of.

But their pressure paid off when Forlan grabbed a much-needed, confidence-boosting goal just before the hour mark after a poor clearance from Racing.

It could have been 2-0 immediately after, but for Coltorti's fine save from Simao's close-range effort, and he had to be alert again to stop Aguero immediately afterwards.

It was clear as to which way the tide was turning, and Forlan duly managed a second fifteen minutes from time with a powerful effort from mid-range, and the game was over as a contest.

RCD Mallorca 0 - 0 UD Almería

Neither side could quite find their cutting edge in this goalless stalemate.

In an active start to the game, Ramis came close at one end before Corona shot just wide at the other.

Almeria were clearly high on confidence after their exploits last week, but overall the game was largely based in the midfield, the hosts being equally eager to impress.

Crusat and Corona both had half-chances before the break, but Trejo was threatening at the other end as the period of balance continued into the second half.

Any time there was a threat in front of goal, the respective 'keepers were able to deal with it, although Diego Alves' save six minutes from time was of particular brilliance after fine work from Arango and Guiza.

It seemed destined to end 0-0, and thus it stayed.

RCD Espanyol 1 - 2 Recreativo de Huelva

The "new manager effect" struck yet again as Manolo Zambrano's charges raced to victory at Montjuic.

Recre started well, and duly managed the lead 17 minutes in when Florent Sinama-Pongolle smashed mercilessly past Casilla.

Just eight minutes later, the Frenchman made it two after some superb forward movement from left-back Poli, who found Sinama-Pongolle at the far post for an easy finish.

Debutant Ewerthon managed to bundle the ball home after a Luis Garcia corner just before the break, but Recre finished the half brightly.

After the break, though, Sorrentino had to pull off a fine save from Riera and then Luis Garcia missed a great chance as Espanyol tried to fight back.

The perequitos did manage to dominate possession, but Recre were arguably just as dangerous on the break, meaning that they left quite worthy winners.

Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool


Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
The two sides known to churn out tactical low-scoring affairs whenever they meet, disappointed yet again, producing a rather uninspired draw at Stamford Bridge.

The result really helps neither side, as Chelsea blow away a chance to close in on second placed Manchester United, while Liverpool now find themselves further adrift of a Champions League place.

Rafa's Reds were the better team, and saw more of the ball than the hosts, but chances were hard to come by for either side - and they hardly flattered themselves by giving the ball away easily in what was largely a midfield scrap.

Peter Crouch had Liverpool's best chance of the game when he was picked out by a cross from the right in the first half, but headed straight at Petr Cech despite being under no pressure.

Michael Ballack almost snatched a 75th minute winner for Chelsea when a smart lob from John Obi Mikel - back from Ghana - found him in the box, but he opened his body a little too much and volleyed inches wide at the far post.

Lucas Leiva had an 81st minute chance, but Juliano Belletti just about did enough to force his header wide from just seven yards out. Dirk Kuyt and Claudio Pizarro also had late attempts, but the game was destined to end goalless.

In the end, both sides were forced to settle for a point, with the scoreline a very fair reflection of a game that failed to live up to its billing.

Chelsea are five adrift of Arsenal, but could be eight off the pace if Arsenal win tomorrow. Meanwhile, Liverpool are fifth, three points off local rivals Everton, but with a game in hand.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

CAN 2008 UPDATE : Ghana VS Ivory Coast


Hosts Ghana came from behind to claim a consolation third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations after beating Ivory Coast in a six-goal thriller.

Sulley Muntari's swerving 25-yard free-kick gave Ghana the lead on 10 minutes before Ivorian Boubacar Sanogo hit back with a quick-fire brace.

Quincy Owusu-Abeyie 's equalised after half-time with a solo effort before Junior Agogo struck on 80 minutes.

Ghana's Hamanu Draman then sealed the win with a 25-yard shot on 85 minutes.

It is the best continental campaign for Ghana since they finished as runners-up at the 1992 Nations Cup held in Senegal.

Though the game was a non-event for many, the local crowd in Kumasi turned out in numbers to see their beloved Ghana play, in what many had hoped would be the two teams contesting the final.

And they witnessed a goalscoring feast as two of the pre-tournament favourites scrapped for the consolation prize.

Another superb goal was added to the list of crackers from this year's Nations Cup after only 10 minutes.

Muntari let rip with a 25-yard free-kick that swerved round the defensive wall and into the top corner, past a helpless Tiasse Kone.

The Elephants, driven on by captain Didier Drogba, were not to be outdone though, and they were soon back in the game when Kader Keita showed great vision to play a through ball to Sanogo.

The Werder Bremen-man strode into the Black Stars' box to place his shot past Kingson from 15 yards to equalise for the Elephants.

Sanogo's effort was the 94th goal of the 2008 tournament and made the Ghana event the highest scoring in Africa Cup of Nations' history.

The game was now dominated by the men in orange and a great double save was needed from Kingson to deny Salomon Kalou, who shot from the edge of the area, and then Drogba who pounced on the rebound with 30 minutes gone.

Drogba forced another save from Kingson again seconds later, but this time there was no stopping the rebound as Sanogo stretched to direct the ball in and claim his second.

The game was wonderfully open and Sanogo was only denied his hat-trick by the Ghanaian crossbar which he rattled on 38 minutes.

Ghana started the second half keen to get back on level terms, with Draman proving a thorn in the Ivorian's side on the right flank.



But the game's pace dropped markedly from the first half with a paucity of goal-scoring opportunities.

Then with 20 minutes left to play Owusu-Abeyie picked up the ball in the centre of the pitch and sprinted past two Ivorian defenders into the area to slot home and make it 2-2.

With penalties looming, the Kumasi Stadium was alive with cheers again and bizarrely suffered an invasion of insects that choked Michael Essien amongst others.



Agogo then bagged his third of the tournament when he was played through with a clever pass from Essien to complete the simplest of finishes from 10 yards.

Draman then put the icing on the cake when he cut in from the flank and shot from twenty yards out, only for his shot to take a wicked bounce off the turf to beat the diving Kone.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ghana: Kingson, Sarpei, Pantsil, Mensah, Addo (Barusso 90), Annan, Essien, Muntari, Draman (Afful 89), Agogo, Baffour (Quincy 20).
Subs Not Used: Adjei, Gyan, Kingston, Asamoah, Ayew, Kumordzi, Dauda, Asare, Alhassan.

Goals: Muntari 10, Quincy 70, Agogo 80, Draman 85.

Ivory Coast: Tiassa Kone, Boka, Zoro, Fae (Dindane 83), Romaric, Tiene, Zokora, Sanogo, Kalou (Gervinho 73), Drogba, Keita (Toure Yaya 64).
Subs Not Used: Barry, Toure, Gohouri, Arouna Kone, Meite, Bakari Kone, Loboue, Djakpa, Eboue.

Goals: Sanogo 24, 32.

Ref: Jerome Damon (South Africa).

Honours Even After Four Goal Thriller In Bergamo


It was a highly entertaining game in Bergamo as both sides share the points. Atalanta did well to come back after falling behind twice.

First Half

Fiorentina have been fantastic away from home this season amassing 19 points in ten matches on the road. They started this game with the intentions of continuing their good form as well as stay on course for the Champions League.

The Viola began brightly and they were applying the pressure early on. A nice break from Donadel allowed Ujfalusi to run down the wing and the Czech defender crossed in a delightful ball into the box. Pazzini got their ahead of Rivalta but the Azzurri striker’s header just cleared the bar.

The home side took their time to get into the game as Fiorentina enjoyed plenty of possession. The Nerazzurri looked to be on the back foot and they hardly showed themselves coming forward. Prandelli’s men always looked dangerous on and off the ball and they seemed more likely to score as the first period ticked on.

Atalanta were guilty of giving the ball away on several occasions, Manfredini and Langella looked uncomfortable on the ball and their careless play almost allowed the Viola to punish them. The home side nearly took the lead though against the run of play. Floccari twisted and turned and played in Muslimovic who took a gamble and ran through to beat the offside trap. However the striker fired his effort across goal much to the relief of Frey.

The home side’s chances were few and far between as the Viola stamped their authority on the game. Although they were excellent at coming forward, Fiorentina were not able to find the deadly finishing which would give them a lead. Atalanta seemed happy just to sit back and play on the break but they were also poor in the final third.

Pazzini was the danger man and he gave his side a well deserved lead, Montolivo played a good ball into the striker’s feet and he turned and got his shot under way and it beat Coppola who could only watch the ball cross the line. However the Viola’s lead only lasted a minute as Atalanta got themselves back in the game through Muslimovic who tapped in from close range after latching on to a corner. The Viola seemed to have fallen asleep at the set piece.

The Nerazzurri’s goal seemed to have given them some much needed confidence as the home side came alive after their equaliser. Both sides created plenty of half chances towards the end of the half but the scores stayed level as they went into the break.

Second Half

Fiorentina started where they left off and came out more determined and eager to score. The Viola were excellent at keeping the ball and created some good chances. The best fell to Pazzini but instead of scoring he blasted his effort over the bar. The striker should have scored as the ball fell kindly to him but he scuffed it.

Fiorentina restored their advantage on the hour mark through Semioli. A brilliant three man move involving Pazzini, Ujfalusi and Semioli carved open the Atalanta defence and the striker was able to finish off the cross with a guided header into Coppola’s far post. It was a well deserved goal by the Viola who were dominating the game.

The home side seemed flat and out of ideas and conceding another goal did not help their cause. The Nerazzurri were poor coming forward and the Viola defence looked comfortable at dealing with any threat.

Atalanta tried desperately hard to get back into the fray but bombing forward left them open to counter attacks and the Viola were quite happy to absorb the pressure as the half wore on.

In one final twist Atalanta’s efforts paid off in injury time. It was a remarkable come back by the Nerazzurri. Muslimovic pounced to finish off a fine move. The striker was the fox in the box as he scored a similar goal to his first. It was an easy tap in for the forward as his side fought their way back to take a well deserved point.

Teams

Atalanta(4-4-2): Coppola, Rivalta, Pellegrino, Capelli, Manfredini(Belleri 25), Pinto, De Ascentis, Tissone, Langella(Inzaghi 65), Floccari(Paolucci 75), Muslimovic.

Subs: Ivan, Fissore, Belleri, Radovanovic, Padoin, Inzaghi, Paolucci.

Fiorentina(4-3-3): Frey, Ujfalusi, Dainelli, Gamberini, Pasqual, Kuzmanovic(Jorgensen66), Donadel, Montolivo, Santana, Pazzini(Vieri 72), Semioli.

Subs: Avramov, Gobbi, Kroldrup, Jorgensen, Cacia, Papa Waigo, Vieri.

Cards:

Yellow: Tissone(Atalanta), Ujfalusi(Fiorentina), Muslimovic(Atalanta), Langella(Atalanta), Manfredini(Atalanta), De Ascentis(Atalanta)

Goals: Pazzini (Fiorentina 29), Muslimovic (Atalanta 30), Semioli (Fiorentina 60), Muslimovic(Atalanta 90)

Bundesliga Round-Up: Stuttgart Beaten, Leverkusen Held By Hamburg


Round 19 of the Bundesliga saw honours even at the Bay-Arena between Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg. Stuttgart suffered a rare home defeat at the hands of Hertha Berlin, while there was also a win for Felix Magath’s Wolfsburg.

Bochum and Cottbus shred six goals in a 3-3 draw, and Hannover and Karlsruhe also drew.

Bayer Leverkusen 1 Hamburg 1

VfB Stuttgart 1 Hertha Berlin 3

VfL Bochum 3 Energie Cottbus 3

VfL Wolfsburg 2 MSV Duisburg 1

Nürnberg 1 Hansa Rostock 1

Hannover 2 Karlsruhe 2



Bayer Leverkusen 1 Hamburg 1

Honours were even at the Bay-Arena in an entertaining game, which sees Leverkusen remain in third place ahead of Hamburg on goal difference.

With Frank Rost saving everything that Bayer were throwing at him, Rafael van der Vaart did his bit upfront by converting the opening goal after 27 minutes. Trochowski crossed from the right and when Callsen-Bracker and Friedrich failed to deal with it, van der Vaart stole in to poke the ball past Rene Adler.

With an hour on the clock, Leverkusen finally managed the breakthrough with a goal from Manuel Friedrich. A Freier corner came in to the HSV area and it was Friedrich who powered his header past a helpless Frank Rost for a not undeserved equaliser.

In the end, a point apiece was a fair result on the balance of play.

VfB Stuttgart 1 Hertha Berlin 3

Stuttgart crashed to a rare home defeat as they went down 3-1 at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion to a revitalised Hertha Berlin. Strikers Pantelic and Raffael did the damage for the away side.

The visitors started well forcing rookie keeper Ulreich into a spectacular save before taking the lead after just seven minutes. Marko Pantelic fired clinically home after being played through by new signing Gojko Kacar.

Armin Veh’s side got themselves level before half-time with a headed goal from Mario Gomez five minutes before the interval. Following a poorly delivered free kick, Cacau crossed into the six-yard box, where Gomez was on hand to head in.

The Swabians were however unable to stay level with a second goal from Serbian striker Marko Pantelic right on the stroke of half time. Confusion between keeper Ulreich and Meira let in Pantelic to restore Hertha’s lead.

Four minutes after the restart and Berlin remarkably went 3-1 ahead with new signing Raffael the scorer. Mineiro played a great ball through to his fellow Brazilian, and Raffael scored his first Bundesliga goal past Ulreich to put Hertha in the driving seat.

VfL Bochum 3 Energie Cottbus 3

Bochum and Cottbus shared six goals in an exciting game at the Rewirpower Stadium.

Good early pressure from the home side paid off after just seven minutes with the opening goal of the game. A corner from Azaough flew into the Cottbus area where Yahia rose the highest. Defender Ipsa tried to block the header but deflected it into his own net for an unfortunate own goal.

In a hard fought game Bochum then doubled their lead three minutes before half time when Stanislav Sestak robbed Mitreski of the ball on the edge of the box, before side stepping Ipsa and firing the ball in.

Cottbus didn’t allow their heads to drop and got a goal of their own right on the whistle for half time. A mis-placed pass in midfield was picked up by Angelov, who fed Papadopoulos. The Greek signing from Leverkusen steered the ball past Lastuvka from a one-on-one situation.

On 68 minutes Benjamin Auer scored his second in two games to restore Bochum’s two-goal lead. A well worked free kick saw Azaough flick the ball on at the near post for Auer to stab home from on the goal line.

A minute later however Cottbus grabbed their second goal following a terrible mistake from the Bochum keeper when he collided with Maltritz allowing Skela an easy chance to make it 3-2.

Energie then completed their fightback on 79 with Jelic grabbing the equaliser following a top assist from Angelov.

VfL Wolfsburg 2 MSV Duisburg 1

Wolfsburg overcame Duisburg 2-1 to inflict further misery on Rudi Bommer ’s bottom of the table side.

Duisburg took the lead against Felix Magath’s side with 26 minutes played. A clearance from Wolfsburg fell to substitute Veigneau, who laid the ball off to Niculescu. The Rumanian fired past Benaglio with pace and power from 16 meters to hand his side the lead.

That lead only lasted ten minutes as Marcel Schäfer bagged the equaliser on 36 minutes. A long distance shot from the defender beat Beukert for pace and the Wolves found themselves back on level terms.

With the second half only nine minutes old Wolfsburg took the lead for the first time in the game. Marcelinho passed to Dzeko, who laid the ball on for Grafite. The Brazilian beat Schlicke for pace before firing past Beuckert to make it 2-1.

Nürnberg 1 Hansa Rostock 1

It ended all-square between Nürnberg and Rostock in a result that will suit neither side in their quest for Bundesliga survival.

New winter signing Jan Koller grabbed his first goal for the club in their attempt to avoid relegation with a header on 19 minutes. Reinhardt won the ball in midfield before feeding Kristiansen on the right. The Dane crossed to the centre, where Koller beat Sebastian to head home.

Ten minutes later and the away side drew level. A long ball found Rahn in space with only Blazek to beat, and that he did with a fine lob over the keeper from 14 meters out.

Hannover 2 Karlsruhe 2

An entertaining game at the AWD Arena finished 2-2 with four goals shared between the two high flying sides.

The home side took the lead just before half time through Hanno Balitsch. Bruggink sent his free kick, Eggimann lost out to Hanke in the aerial duel, with midfielder Bruggink on hand to stab the ball home from close range.

KSC deservedly got themselves back on level terms on 61 minutes when Joshua Kennedy scored his second goal in two games to equalise. The Australian beat Vinicius to an Andy Görlitz cross to score past Robert Enke.

Three minutes later and they were in the lead thanks to Tamas Hajnal. Eichner beat both Huszti and Vinicius before cutting the ball back from the bye-line to Hajnal, who slotted home with nobody near him.

Hannover weren’t going to be beaten though with Rosenthal grabbing a late equaliser. Christian Schulz played the ball into the middle to Rosenthal who fired home with aplomb.

Prem wrap: Jagielka fires Royals into drop zone

Everton boosted their chances of qualifying for the Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Reading at Goodison Park which sent the Royals into the Premier League relegation zone.

Phil Jagielka's first goal in an Everton shirt in the 62nd minute condemned Steve Coppell's side to their seventh consecutive defeat, and their ninth on the road this season.

The goal came after Reading failed to fully clear Mikel Arteta's corner and Leon Osman floated the ball back into the penalty area for Jagielka whose header looped over Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.

David Moyes' side are now three points clear of fifth-placed Aston Villa and four points ahead of city rivals Liverpool, although Rafael Benitez's side have two games in hand.

A hat-trick from John Carew had earlier inspired Villa.to a 4-1 home victory over Newcastle in the day's early kick-off to leave Kevin Keegan still searching for his first win since he returned to the Magpies.

Newcastle looked to be on course for their first win in nine games after Michael Owen's deflected header gave them a fourth-minute lead at Villa Park which they held until the break.

But Wilfred Bouma equalised with his first goal for Villa in the 48th minute before Carew's header put Martin O'Neill's side ahead for the first time in the match three minutes later.

Carew headed his second in the 72nd minute and then added third from the penalty spot after Stephen Carr handled in the area to complete the scoring.

Sunderland boosted their hopes of survival with a 2-0 win over Wigan at the Stadium of Light and gave Roy Keane the bragging rights over his former Manchester United team-mate Steve Bruce.

The Black Cats went ahead three minutes before the break when an unmarked Dickson Etuhu headed Dean Whitehead's cross past Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.

Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy doubled his side's advantage in spectacular fashion in the 75th minute when his 25-yard shot flew into the top-left corner of the net.

West Ham and Birmingham finished at 1-1 after James McFadden equalised for the Blues with his first goal since his move from Everton.

The Hammers took the lead in the seventh minute when Freddie Ljungberg latched on to Carlton Cole's flick from a long throw.to tap home from close range but the visitors levelled in the 16th minute after West Ham defender Lucas Neill fouled McFadden inside the penalty area.

The Scotland international took the spot-kick and placed the ball into the bottom-left corner of the net.

Derby suffered their ninth home defeat of the season after Tottenham ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at Pride Park.

Robbie Keane gave Spurs the lead in the 68th minute when he produced a simple close-range finish after Derby goalkeeper Roy Carroll had parried Steed Malbranque's shot.

Younes Kaboul added a second goal nine minutes from time when he seized on Pascal Chimbonda's knockdown to drive the ball home from just inside the penalty area.

Spurs were awarded a penalty in injury-time after Alan Stubbs had handled inside the area and Dimitar Berbatov successfully converted resulting spot-kick.

Middlesbrough striker Jeremie Aliadiere netted in the 11th minute to give his side a deserved 1-0 win over Fulham at the Riverside Stadium.

Gary O'Neil threaded a neat pass down the right and Aliadiere beat the offside trap before he struck his shot through the legs of Fulham goalkeeper Antti Niemi from a narrow angle.

Meanwhile a scrambled goal from Lassana Diarra gave Portsmouth a 1-0 win over Bolton at Fratton Park.

CAN 2008 Preview: Ghana - Ivory Coast


Loser’s Final

Many soccer analysts had predicted that both the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and the Black Stars of Ghana would clash in Sunday’s final, but after two dramatic semi-finals encounters the tables have turned around spectacularly.

Both teams are meeting, but it’s the in third place playoff, or the losers' final!

Still In Shock

The shock around the Ohene Djan stadium after Alain Nkong’s goal gave the Cameroonians victory was tangible, with the hosts thus falling short at the second to last stage.

But to the neutral, such a sense of surprise could not even compared to that which pervaded the air in Kumasi when tournament favorites, the Ivory Coast were mercilessly dealt with by the defending Champions, the Pharaohs of Egypt.

The hosts have received the bulk of the coverage. Many Ghanaian supporters had expected their team to get to the final, so it was no surprise that defeat saw many verbal arrows fired in the direction of the squad and coach. Claude Leroy has been at the centre of many of these criticisms, with local journalists upset over his team selection for the game.

In all fairness to the well-traveled French coach, his options were quite limited, with several key players ruled out of the encounter.

Captain John Mensah had picked up a straight red card in the quarterfinal encounter against Nigeria, while Laryea Kingston and striker Asamoah Gyan were both ruled out due to injury.

The side therefore had only one out and out striker, Junior Agogo, while Michael Essien had to leave his natural midfield position to play as a makeshift central defender.

If the Ghanaians felt hard done by their loss, then the Ivorians surely did not know what hit them after the 90 minutes were over in Kumasi.

Kader Keita’s wonder strike was just about the only smiling point for the Elephants on the night, as Hassan Shehata’s wards ran riot. Didier Drogba was rendered an anonymous fellow, and the weak point of the Ivorians was exposed for the world to see.

Regaining Pride

In today’s game both teams will attempt to regain their pride, and the usual dull affair that characterizes third place playoff matches would be substituted for an entertaining match-up. The countries are neighbors and the stadium in Kumasi will likely be filled to capacity for the occasion.

In a further twist, both teams might attempt to give starting shirts to players who had been on the bench previously.

TEAM NEWS

Ghana

Coach Claude Le Roy will have his Captain John Mensah available for selection again, but Asamoah Gyan and Laryea Kingston are still very much doubtful to feature for the Ghanaians in this game.

Belgium-based defender Nana Kwasi Asare and local favorite Harrison Afful should get an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents.

Birmingham City goalkeeper Richard Kingston should remain in the number one jersey for the Black Stars, as Le Roy will be very much interested in winning this game.

The defensive line will witness the return of captain John Mensah, who should be assisted by Hans Sarpei, Harrison Afful and West Ham United’s wing back John Paintsil.

Michael Essien should return to his midfield role alongside Sulley Muntari, Ahmed Barusso of Galatasary and fan favorite Haminu Dramani.

Junior Agogo and Dede Ayew should hold the attacking line for the Ghanaians.

Ivory Coast

Coach Gerard Gili has an array of stars on his bench, and there is a direct replacement for every single position on the pitch available, save the goalkeeping role.

Barry Boubacar, who plays for Lokeren, suffered an injury in the first half of the game in Kumasi, with replacement Stephan Loboue not exactly covering himself in glory as a substitute. Nonetheless, he should remain in goal for the Elephants.

The defensive line should see the return of Marc Zoro, who will be joined by Emmanual Eboue, Arthur Boka and Abdoulaye Meite.

The midfield should feature Didier Zokora, Emersae Fae, AbdelKader Keita and possibly Christain Koffi Ndri.

In attack may be the much-sidelined Arouna Kone alongside Werder Bremen forward Boubacar Sanogo, with Drogba given a rest.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ghana

Michael Essien - The Chelsea player has been the strongest point forthe Ghanaians so far in the tournament, although the decision of Claude Leroy to shift him into the central defensive position in the last game took the bite out of the Ghanaian attack. He should return to his normal role today and bring back life to the Black Stars.

Ivory Coast

AbdelKader Keita - The Olympique Lyonnais man was all over the pitch during his team’s 1-4 loss to Egypt and crowned his efforts with an absolute screamer of a goal. Though the strike wasn’t enough for victory, he will want to make sure his efforts count for something in today’s encounter.

PREDICTION

This encounter is going to be a keenly contested affair, as both teams will want to leave the tournament with some form of dignity at the very least.

There will be lots of goals in this game as the players will want to give their all on the field of play.

I expect the Ivorians to clinch this one as they are more tactically disciplined than the Ghanaians. The strength of their bench is much deeper than that of the Black Stars, too.

The Ghanaians will give their best in front of their home fans, and would not want to disappoint them for a second time, but I don’t think mere resolutions will be enough to save them.

Ghana 1 - 3 Ivory Coast