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Lionel Messi shines, but USA hit back to hold Argentina to 1-1 draw in friendly

11:52 AM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Lionel Messi dazzled, but the two-time world footballer of the year and Argentina had to settle for a 1-1 draw with the United States in a friendly international football match on Saturday. Juan Agudelo scored in the 59th minute to give the spirited hosts the draw. Esteban Cambiasso put Argentina ahead in the 42nd minute after Messi made a scintillating run and passed through the legs of US captain Carlos Bocanegra. US goalkeeper Tim Howard stopped Angel Di Maria's initial shot, but Cambiasso fired home the rebound. The match was played before 79,800 spectators at New Meadowlands Stadium, home of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets. After Argentina's dominance of the first half, US fans were energized by manager Bob Bradley's switch to a more attacking style. Agudelo, 18, came on for the second half and scored his second goal in three international appearances. It followed a swinging corner kick by Landon Donovan and a initial header attempt by Bocanegra that was saved by Argentine goalkeeper Mariano Andujar. Most of the night, however, belonged to Argentina and Messi-Barcelona's two time world footballer of the year.
 

Wearing gloves and a long-sleeved shirt under his jersey on the cold New Jersey night, Messi ziz-zagged around US defenders as if they were standing still and threatened almost every time he touched the ball. US midfielder Jermaine Jones tried to stay with him in midfield, and Oguchi Onyewu knocked the Argentinian star down with a clumsy elbow to the head while going up for a header in the 24th minute.After he received treatment and got to his feet. In the 40th minute, Messi stripped Clint Dempsey of the ball near midfield and raced toward the goal. He eluded Michael Bradley, moved to the center and fired from inside the penalty area with Howard rising to make the save. Just two minutes later, Messi got around Jonathan Spector and ran to the touchline. He played the ball through to Angel Di Maria and although Angel Di Maria's shot was saved by Howard, none of the US players apparently took note of Cambiasso, and the Inter Milan midfielder blasted home the rebound. 

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Ryan Giggs is better than ever - Sir Bobby Charlton

1:57 AM | Labels: , , , , ,


Ryan Giggs is playing the best football of his 20-year stint in Manchester United's first team, according to Old Trafford legend Sir Bobby Charlton. The 37-year-old Giggs, who this month broke Charlton's record of 606 league appearances for United, signed a one-year contract extension in February. He has now played a total of 867 games for the club, winning 11 league titles. "Last year, I thought that was the best he had ever played but this year he's been even better," said Charlton. "I don't know what he's putting in his tea but he's been at his peak again this season. "He's a great, great professional footballer and I'm ever so proud of him for what he's done, what he's still doing and what hopefully he'll continue to do. "He's got a gift and he's a credit to the game." The Cardiff-born midfielder was 17 when he made his league debut as a substitute against Everton on 2 March, 1991. His first start and goal came two months later, when United beat Manchester City 1-0. It was during the next season that Giggs emerged as a first-team regular. 


He would finish the campaign with a League Cup winner's medal and the PFA Young Player of the Year award. Subsequent seasons have seen him accumulate more silverware than any player in English football history and only two months ago he was named United's greatest player in a poll conducted by the club's official magazine and website. Having started as an old-fashioned winger, he has adapted his game to play a more withdrawn role in Sir Alex Ferguson's midfield. His importance to the team, however, has not changed, a fact recognised by last month's new deal. When asked for the secret to his longevity as a player, Giggs has talked about his yoga regime and the decision he took in 2007 to retire from international football, finishing his Wales career with 64 caps.Pleas for him to reconsider have been a constant theme during the last four years and, if anything, have intensified ahead of England's visit to Cardiff on Saturday. But Giggs has resisted the temptation to face England - the country he played for as a schoolboy - although he offered to help new Wales manager Gary Speed in the build-up to the European qualifier. This has led to speculation about what he will do when his playing days are over (and Giggs has made no secret of the fact he is currently taking coaching courses), but there is no doubt about his short-term goals: United's pursuit of a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble. "I hope we can finish it off for Ryan," said Charlton, who scored 199 league goals for United between 1956 and 1973. "I saw him when he was 15 and he first came to the club. Since that time he's not been anything other than good news. "He's just fantastic to work with as a player, (Ferguson) has told me this many times. He's unique."

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John Terry slams critics

10:46 PM | Labels: , , , , , ,


John Terry has hit back at the critics who slammed his reappointment as England captain by insisting he should never have been stripped of the armband in the first place. Terry has regained the leadership of Fabio Capello's team just over a year after the England coach deprived him of the honour following an alleged affair with the partner of team-mate Wayne Bridge and reports that he was exploiting the captaincy for financial gain. Capello's decision has been criticised in some quarters because it is felt Terry's distasteful activities off the pitch showed such a lack of respect for the captaincy that he should not have been given a second chance.
Much to Terry's consternation he has become regarded as one of the poster boys for everything that is wrong with English football and he could have gone some way to changing that perception with a contrite tone when he met the English media at the team's hotel ahead of Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales. Instead Terry insisted that, although he has made a concious effort to avoid negative headlines of late, he still felt he had been harshly treated by Capello last year. "Change my ways? That's a difficult word," Terry said. "When I spoke to Fabio, and we can't go into too much details, but when he knew the facts, he knew. "As I said to the manager at the time, I accepted their decision. It doesn't mean to say I agreed with it, and I never will. That's me being very proud and having been honest with them. "Over the last year I'd like to think I've personally kept my head down and done the right thing. "As we get older, we live and learn. We move on. As a man, as a player, we can see I've moved on, on and off the field."


Those accusations of making money off the back of his privileged position were also given short shrift by the Chelsea defender. "I've never cashed in. I'm not the best looking guy anyway, so people aren't going to want me spread all over the place. But I've never tried to cash in on the England captaincy," he said. Another black mark against Terry was a perceived attempt to destabilise Capello by publicly questioning him during the World Cup as revenge for taking away the captaincy. On that subject, Terry was ready to admit he had gone too far, but he was adamant he was just trying to do the best for his country. "I just wouldn't come out publicly and say what I said. It would stay in-house. That's what I learned from that," he said. "Looking back, certain things I shouldn't have said, but I can still hold my head up high. "Certainly. I wasn't trying to upset the apple cart, the squad, the manager. That's not me." With first-choice captain Rio Ferdinand too often injured and Steven Gerrard regarded by Capello as too timid a leader to galvanise the squad, the Italian has taken the substantial gamble of giving Terry a second chance. However, he made such a mess of switching the armband that the situation reached farcical levels as Capello sat in the same directors' box as Ferdinand without being able to talk to him. That led to claims of an England dressing room potentially divided into factions supporting both players, but Terry tried to head off those disruptive suggestions as he invited team-mates to approach him in person if they had any grievances. "Anyone who's been around the squad for five or 10 games, I'd feel they should have the confidence to say what they feel," Terry said. "I don't want to get into too much detail about 'moving on', but it's a massive thing for me today. The emotion is quite overwhelming. "I had the worst night's sleep ever, actually. I was pretty nervous to be honest. "Coming out and having to deal with the questions and stuff like that. It was like the first day back at school really. An intimidating thing, even though I've been in this position many times before. "The England captaincy comes with a responsibility. I totally understand that but it's just so important for me to have it back now and to concentrate on the right things."

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The terrific Draw between West Ham & Tottenham

12:19 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green made a series of fine saves to help West Ham earn a 0-0 draw against London rivals Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday. Green was in unbeatable form and saved his best moment until the final minutes when he tipped Gareth Bale's free-kick onto the crossbar. The England international's man-of-the-match display ensured Avram Grant's side overcame waves of Tottenham pressure and moved out of the relegation zone ahead of Saturday's 1500GMT matches. Spurs were handed a tough task when they were pitted against Real Madrid in Friday's draw for the Champions League quarter-finals. But their focus was on this London derby as they tried to close the three-point gap on Chelsea in the race for a top-four finish. Make no mistake, there is no love lost between these two sides. There is a deep-rooted rivalry that has only intensified following the battle for the Olympic Stadium. Tottenham and West Ham both launched bids for the stadium in Stratford and the latter were successful. West Ham arrived at White Hart Lane in their best form of the season. Wins over Liverpool and Stoke in the Premier League have improved their chancaes of beating relegation.


However, they were missing injured striker Frederic Piquionne while Robbie Keane could not play as part of his loan agreement from Tottenham. Spurs' first shot at goal came from an unlikely source as defender Michael Dawson struck the bar with a shot from the edge of the box. Jermain Defoe then had his first chance when he connected with Bale's cross in the seventh minute but he was unable to direct his effort on target. Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart both had chances as Tottenham looked likeliest to break the deadlock. But West Ham had chances to score themselves. The best fell to Carlton Cole, which the England striker wasted when he shot straight at Heurelho Gomes with just the Spurs goalkeeper to beat. Defoe should have given Spurs the lead in the 40th minute. Aaron Lennon's effort struck the post and the ball rebounded into Defoe's path. However, the England international was caught off-guard and the ball bounced off his shin and wide. After the restart Cole had another chance for West Ham while Defoe was denied again, this time by Green, who saved with his legs. As Tottenham continued to squander their chances, West Ham started growing in confidence and the impressive Mark Noble came close to giving them a 56th minute lead with an overhead kick that was only just wide. Demba Ba was next to try his luck with a shot from the edge of the box that Gomes did well to parry. Both sides continued to press for an opening and made a flurry of substitutions to break the stalemate. Tottenham substitute Roman Pavly-uchenko looked the most threatening and had two shots inside a minute that forced Green to make two saves. Green then denied Bale again, as West Ham clung on for a point to help their relegation battle.

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UEFA Europa League: English sent packing

2:16 AM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Big-spending English giants Manchester City, Liverpool and Rangers crashed out of the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday to end Britain's interest in the competition. Roberto Mancini's City side, bank-rolled from Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Mansour's £500 million investment, beat Dynamo Kiev 1-0 at Eastlands but bowed out 2-1 on aggregate. At Anfield a lacklustre Liverpool eked out a goalless draw with Sporting Braga to put the plucky Portuguese side through 1-0 on aggregate. Scottish giants Rangers, the finalists of the then UEFA Cup in 2008, had been in a strong position after coming away from their first leg at PSV Eindhoven with a scoreless stalemate. But a 13th minute goal from Jermain Lens meant it was the Dutch visitors rather than Rangers whose name went into Friday's draw. Joining PSV, Dynamo and Braga in the last eight were Benfica, FC Twente, Spartak Moscow, FC Porto, Villarreal. In Manchester, City were cut to 10 men in the 37th minute after Italian Mario Balotelli was shown a straight red for a dreadful, high one-footed lunge at Goran Popov in a bad-tempered clash that also saw seven yellow cards brandished. But the home side rebounded immediately after Balotelli's rash challenge through Aleksandar Kolarov, the Serb scoring from an indirect free-kick through a congested area. Over at Anfield, Liverpool striker Andy Carroll made his first start since his £35 million move from Newcastle in January. But Kenny Dalglish's men failed to find their spark against Braga who were progressing to the last eight of a European competition for the first time in their history.


Liverpool's sorry tally of only one goal in their last five Europa run-outs ultimately cost them dear. PSV qualified when catching Rangers on the break, with Lens sliding home Balazs Dzsudzsak's cross from the left.PSG went out 3-2 to Portugual's Benfica after the two teams finished 1-1 on the night. Nicolas Gaitan bagged that all-important away goal for the Lisbon-based club in the 27th minute, an ambitious left-footed shot swerving past the static Apoula Edel in goal.PSG responded eight minutes later, Mathieu Bodmer sending in a screamer of a right-foot volley into the corner of the net, but the Portuguese side held out. In Moscow, Spartak wrapped up a comprehensive 4-0 aggregate victory over toothless Ajax, the Russians winning 3-0 on the night courtesy of goals from Dmitri Kombarov, and Brazilian duo Welliton and Alex. There was no such luck for Spartak's domestic rivals Zenit St-Petersburg, whose 2-0 defeat of Dutch side FC Twente was not enough to overhaul a first-leg 3-0 deficit. And another Russian club, CSKA Moscow, lost 2-1 at FC Porto to go out 3-1 on aggregate, while Villarreal beat Bayer Leverkusen by the same scoreline to qualify 5-3 over the two legs.

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Chelsea draw against FC Copenhagen

10:40 AM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Chelsea booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals despite wasting a host of chances in Wednesday's 0-0 draw against Copenhagen in the last 16 second leg match at Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti's side went through 2-0 on aggregate and their first leg victory in Denmark meant they were never likely to rue some woeful finishing. But far sterner tests lie in wait on the road to Wembley and there will have to be a significant improvement if the Blues are to reach the final. After three successive wins, Ancelotti must be concerned that his team returned to the kind of flawed display that has been the hallmark of Chelsea's inconsistent campaign. Nicolas Anelka's brace in the first leg had put Chelsea within touching distance of the last eight and Ancelotti clearly felt the job was all but done as he left Fernando Torres, Michael Essien and Florent Malouda on the bench. Chelsea had lost just one of their previous 25 home matches in the Champions League, so it was hardly surprising that Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken admitted his side would need a miracle to go through. The only miracle in the first half was how Chelsea failed to put the tie completely beyond Copenhagen's reach.


Fabio Capello's move to reappoint John Terry as England skipper in place of Rio Ferdinand was given a resounding endorsement from the Chelsea fans who hailed their defender with chants of "there's only one England captain". But Terry had few chances to show his leadership qualities as Copenhagen's bright pink shirts left more of an impression than the players wearing it. Ancelotti's side created and then squandered chances from the start, with Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole both shooting wide when they should have at least tested Copenhagen goalkeeper Johan Wiland. Yuri Zhirkov had an even better chance to open the scoring after Didier Drogba's clever back-heel and Cole's pass carved open the Copenhagen defence, but the Russian winger curled his shot wide. Zhirkov almost made amends when he collected Ramires's sublime cross-field pass and slipped a perfectly weighted ball through to Anelka, whose shot lacked the power to beat Wiland from a tight angle. After spending 25 minutes penned into their own half, Copenhagen were agonisingly close to taking a shock lead when Dame N'Doye's whipped free-kick caught Petr Cech moving the wrong way and cannoned to safety off a post. The Danish defence was pierced moments later but Zhirkov was having a night to forget in front of goal and he was off-target from close-range after Anelka crossed from the touch-line.


Drogba fared little better when the Ivorian volleyed wide from Jose Bosingwa's deep cross early in the second half. John Obi Mikel had Chelsea's closest effort when he hit the crossbar after Terry and Anelka flicked on Lampard's corner. But Chelsea's profligacy spread to Anelka, who was twice played in by Drogba, only to dwell on the ball and give Copenhagen time to clear the danger. Torres, who had failed to score in five appearances since his £50 million move from Liverpool, was finally sent on to replace Anelka with 20 minutes to play. The Spaniard nearly made an immediate impact with a deflected shot that looped just wide.Torres also burst into the penalty area and forced Wiland into action with a rising drive, but his wait for a goal continues.

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Real Madrid reach into quarter final in Champions League

7:56 AM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Real Madrid put their recent European woes behind them to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2004 with a comfortable 3-0 win over Lyon on Wednesday. Real Madrid had crashed out at the last 16 stage of the Champions League for six successive seasons, but new coach Jose Mourinho brought an end to that jinx. Goals from Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Angel di Maria secured victory as Madrid progressed 4-1 on aggregate. Brazilian full-back Marcelo scored his first Champions League goal on 37 minutes to break the deadlock, before Benzema netted his sixth goal of the competition on 65 minutes against his hometown club. Argentine Angel di Maria added a third on 76 minutes as Real took revenge on Lyon, who defeated them at this stage last season, and keep alive their hopes of a first Champions League title since 2002. Mourinho, who won the trophy with Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu last season, is looking to provide Real with their 10th European Cup and make history by becoming the first manager to win the Champions League with three different clubs. "We did what the manager wanted and went out to win the game," said Marcelo. "This victory gives us a lot of confidence and we owed it to the Madrid fans. We are not thinking about who we could get in the next round. We will just wait for the draw and see." Real welcomed back top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo from injury -- the Portuguese star having missed the last two league games with a thigh problem and the world's most expensive player was thrust into the starting line-up.


Lyon had never lost in their three Champions League trips to the Bernabeu but the French visitors knew they would have to score in the Spanish capital after the 1-1 draw in the first leg. Lyon welcomed back striker Lisandro Lopez and Brazilian captain Cris shrugged off a knock to start. Ronaldo tried his luck with a long range free-kick early on but his effort sailed over the crossbar. With four minutes gone Real almost scored but goalkeeper Hugo Lloris raced out to thwart German international Mesut Ozil, who had timed his run to perfection. On 21 minutes Madrid got a real scare when Argentine Cesar Delgado curled a shot towards the bottom-right corner but goalkeeper Iker Casillas got down to palm away. Real responded by upping their game and took the lead on 37 minutes thanks to a fine individual goal from Marcelo. The Brazilian exchanged passes with Ronaldo before surging into the area, cutting back onto his left foot and firing in a shot that deflected off Lloris on its way in. The relief was tangible and Benzema, in fine form with six goals in his last three league outings, was denied by Lloris four minutes later after latching onto a Marcelo cross. Benzema had the ball in the net 60 seconds later with a fine header but was flagged offside. Coach Claude Puel threw on striker Bafetimbi Gomis to give his side more firepower, but it was the hosts who looked the more dangerous, especially from set-pieces. Benzema had a penalty appeal turned down on 63 minutes but shrugged off the disappointment to score three minutes later. A defensive mix-up allowed Benzema a free run on goal and the Frenchman slotted home for his sixth goal in the competition this term.Lyon sensed the game was up and winger Angel di Maria went clean through on goal in the 76th minute before producing a neat chipped finish to complete the scoring.

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Inter Milan stun Bayern to reach last 8 in Champpions League

11:04 AM |


 Inter Milan reached the Champions League quarterfinals after a dramatic 3-2 win at Bayern Munich in Tuesday's Last 16 second-leg clash put them through on the away-goals rule. It ended 3-3 on aggregate after goals by Bayern's Mario Gomez and Thomas Mueller were cancelled out by Inter's Samuel Eto'o and Wesley Sneijder before Goran Pandev scored the Italians' crucial third in the 88th minute. "We have played too passively and made too many mistakes at the end," said a visibly disappointed Gomez. "We didn't finish our chances to counter-attack, we could have led 4-1 or 5-1 at half-time if we had. "You can't do something like that against a team like that without being punished." Dutch winger Arjen Robben was just as stunned by the result. "It is unbelievable, I don't know how it came to this," said Robben.


"We made individual concentration errors, but it could still have been 4-1 at half-time. "It doesn't seem possible that we could concede three goals against a side like that. "I do not know how we can save the season, apart from making sure we qualify for the Champions League next season." The slender first-leg lead Bayern had worked so hard to earn was cancelled out after just four minutes when the Munich defence unwisely allowed Eto'o a free run at goalkeeper Thomas Kraft. The 30-year-old Cameroon star needed no second invite to plant his shot firmly in the back of the net for his 32nd goal of the season to level on aggregate. But Bayern refused to panic, as they have so often done this season, and worked hard to turn their possession into chances. They made it 1-1 on the night when Dutch winger Arien Robben fired in a cross which Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar fumbled and the ball into the path of Germany striker Gomez.


The Bayern star, the scorer of the goal in the first-leg, shielded the ball with his body before flicking it over his head and into the empty goal on 21 minutes. It was his eighth Champions League goal of the season and his 29th in all competitions. Then with half an hour gone, Bayern took the lead when Robben threaded a pass through the Milan defence for German international midfielder Mueller to give Bayern a 2-1 lead. It should have been 3-1 in the 34th minute when French winger Franck Ribery beat his marker and was left to sprint unhindered into the Inter area, but he fired over both Cesar and the crossbar. And somehow the ball stayed out when Mueller lunged in a goal-mouth scramble with Cesar and hit the post before bouncing back into play leaving a dismayed Mueller to contemplate what might have been. With half-time approaching Sneijder fired just over the Bayern net from a direct free-kick in a frantic first 45 minutes.


The game's tempo dropped after the break, but Bayern kept up the pressure as Gomez fired at Cesar with an hour on the clock. Sneijder then put his side level on the night in the 63rd minute when Eto'o squared the ball for the Dutchman to drill his shot into the back of the Bayern net from the edge of the penalty area.Pandev scored the winner with two minutes left when Eto'o squared the ball into the path of the Macedonian striker whose shot gave Kraft no chance.

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Lionel Messi Help,s Barca to crushed Arsenal’s Champions League 2nd Leg

9:55 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


A Lionel Messi brace helped Barcelona to a 3-1 victory over 10-man Arsenal on Tuesday to put them into the quarterfinals of Champions League on a 4-3 aggregate. The Argentine World Player of the Year was the difference as Barcelona produced another outstanding display of attacking football which left the Arsenal defence stretched from beginning to end. A tense last-16 second leg at the Nou Camp, which the Spanish club completely dominated, was marred for Arsenal by the controversial dismissal of striker Robin van Persie 11 minutes into the second half. A Sergio Busquets own goal to level the scores at 1-1 would have put the visitors through but a fine strike from Xavi and Messi’s penalty gave the 2009 winners a 3-1 victory and a 4-3 aggregate success that sent them into the last eight for a fourth successive season. Arsenal were furious with the referee over the sending-off but they failed to muster a single shot on goal in the entire game while Barca managed 19. The La Liga leaders had almost 70 percent of the possession at a packed and boisterous Nou Camp stadium and completed 738 passes to Arsenal’s 199.


‘We played a fantastic match against 11 and against 10,’ Barca coach Pep Guardiola told reporters. ‘We did not allow them to make more than three consecutive passes.’ Arsenal were chasing the ball from the kickoff and were rocked when they were forced to replace goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny with Manuel Almunia in the 19th minute after the Pole dislocated a finger when dealing with a Daniel Alves free kick. As Barca pressed for a goal, Adriano Correia raced in from the left wing in the 36th minute and struck a fierce angled shot against the post. Messi twisted and turned into space in the penalty area moments later but shot straight at Almunia. The Argentina forward, who netted all four goals in a 4-1 win over Arsenal at the Nou Camp in last season’s quarter-finals, put Barca ahead when he dashed on to Andres Iniesta’s dinked pass, lifted the ball over the keeper with an audacious flick and volleyed into the empty net. After Busquets’s error from a Samir Nasri corner, Xavi rifled home from close range in the 69th minute and Messi claimed his second in the 71st following Laurent Koscielny’s foul on Pedro. Substitute Nicklas Bendtner had a chance to score in the dying minutes but he was denied by a brilliant covering tackle from midfielder Javier Masherano before Barca ran down the clock to complete a deserved victory. ‘This was footballing justice. We were very superior both here and there (in the first leg),’ Xavi told reporters. ‘We had an infinite number of chances to kill the game off but it was Leo who again made the difference.’


Messi’s goals were his seventh and eighth in the competition this season, putting him one ahead of Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka, Inter Milan’s Samuel Eto’o and Bayern Munich’s Mario Gomez at the top of the scoring charts. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was furious about the Van Persie sending-off, which he felt changed the game at a time his side were coming back into contention. ‘At the moment he made his decision it was a very promising game, very interesting,’ the Frenchman told reporters. ‘If you have played football at a certain level you cannot understand this decision. It’s impossible. ‘I felt we would have come back into the game. Overall I am convinced we would have won this game.’Barcelona, who also beat Arsenal in the 2006 final, will go into the March 18 draw for the last eight when they could be pitted against Real Madrid if their arch-rivals get past Olympique Lyon next week.

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Shakhtar Donetsk 3 - 0 Roma in Champions League 2nd Leg

9:45 PM | Labels: , , , , , , ,


Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk made no mistake in ensuring they reached the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time with an impressive 3-0 victory over 10-man AS Roma to win 6-2 on aggregate here on Tuesday. Goals by Tomas Hubschmann, outstanding Brazilian Willian and Eduardo extended the 2009 UEFA Cup winners' unbeaten home record in European competition to October 2008 when they went down to Sporting Lisbon. Shakhtar Donetsk booked their place in the last eight of the Champions League for the first time as Roma fell apart.Shakhtar took a first-half lead when Tomas Hubschman got a faint flick to guide in Willian's left-wing cross. Roma's Marco Borriello then had his penalty saved by Andriy Pyatov after he had been fouled by Henrik Mkhitaryan. Philippe Mexes was shown a second yellow card for pulling back Luiz Adriano, before Willian curled in and Eduardo slotted in a late third.


The Ukrainian outfit deserved to go through but Roma will count themselves unlucky, having started well before their game plan was ripped apart in 27 madcap first-half minutes. Having trailed 3-2 from the first leg but laid siege to the Shakhtar goal during the first 15 minutes, Roma undeservedly fell behind. Brazilian Willian surged down the left before checking his run and delivering an inswinging low cross which Hubschman, at the near post, flicked in with the faintest contact. The Italian side now needed three goals. Rodrigo Taddei should have got the first but he mistimed his volley horribly from David Pizarro's corner.If that attempt was embarrassing, Roma's next was shameful. Shakhtar's Mkhitaryan, in an attempt to stop Borriello from getting his strike away, hauled down the Italian and conceded a penalty.


The forward took on the responsibility from the spot but struck his effort straight at the Shakhtar keeper.
The visitors still had enough time on their hands but they were dealt a further blow four minutes before the interval when Mexes received a second booking for pulling back Adriano on the halfway line. They were lucky to retain 10 men on the pitch when Daniele De Rossi appeared to thrust his arm into the face of Shakhtar captain Darijo Srna. English referee Howard Webb missed the incident and instead booked Srna for complaining. Roma, seemingly shell-shocked from events in the first half, failed to trouble Pyatov after the break, while the home side began to control the match. Armenian Mkhitaryan was an impressive attacking outlet all night and his delivery from a corner led to Shakhtar's second which was curled in brilliantly by Willian to make it 5-2 on aggregate. Former Arsenal striker Eduardo was then brought on to the field of play and he added the finishing touch to a historic night for the Ukraine side by taking advantage of Aleandro Rosi's poor back pass to slot in a third.

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Barcelona seek home comfort

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League leaders Barcelona look for a third league win in a week as they host strugglers Real Zaragoza at Camp Nou today. Barceona needed a late goal from top-scorer Lionel Messi, who has 27 league goals, to seal a vital 1-0 win at Valencia on Wednesday and the champions are keen to maintain their seven-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid. Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said ‘The Valencia win was a very important result. Points like these are what could win us the title.’ ‘There are still some difficult games to play. There’s a lot at stake. But we’re optimistic. We are pleased with the team dynamic, the way we’re playing and the attitude.’ Xavi returned from a calf injury against Valencia but Barcelona are still without goalkeeper Victor Valdes and captain Carles Puyol who are both doubtful for next Tuesday’s Champions League second leg at home to Arsenal. After difficult away matches at Real Mallorca and Valencia, Barcelona will be glad to be back at home although Zaragoza, two points above the relegation zone, are on a high after a 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. Real Madrid closed back to within seven points of Barcelona with an emphatic 7-0 home win over Malaga on Thursday to maintain their 100 per cent home record. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in Madrid’s biggest win of the season and coach Jose Mourinho will hope his side can now improve on their erratic away form – they have dropped 14 points on the road – in Sunday’s trip to Racing Santander. Racing are unbeaten in their last five league outings under new coach Marcelino and they have only lost twice at home this season. Elsewhere, Valencia are at Real Mallorca as they battle to hold onto third and the final automatic Champions League place.


The 1-0 defeat to Barcelona was their first in the league in 2011 and Villarreal are now just a point behind in fourth.‘We are hurting after the Barcelona defeat but we competed with the best team in the world,’ said Valencia coach Emery. Villarreal closed to within one point of  Valencia and hope to stay on their heels with a win at Atletico Madrid on Saturday. Villarreal have been poor on their travels with just four away wins and Atletico Madrid will be full of motivation having moved to within three points of the top six. ‘It is a special game because there is a really good atmosphere at the (Vincente) Calderon,’ said Villarreal midfielder Borja Valero. European rivals Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla lock horns at San Mames on Sunday as the race for the European places hots up. Bilbao have lost their last four matches but are clinging to sixth place with Sevilla level on 38 points.‘When you can’t win you have to at least get a point,’ said Bilbao midfielder Carlos Gurpegui. ‘When you lose everything looks bad. Sunday is a huge game for us against a direct rival. We are in a good position in the league but we have to try and win against Sevilla.’Down at the bottom relegation rivals Hercules and Almeria face off on Saturday in a crucial six-pointer.‘Not scoring goals is certainly complicating things for us at the moment,’ said Hercules coach Esteban Vigo. Hercules have failed to score in their last three outings and are one point above the relegation zone, while Almeria prop up the 20-strong table.

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Real's magnificent victory on a half hattrick of Cristiano Ronaldo

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Cristiano Ronaldo scored a second half hat-trick to make it 27 league goals for the season as Real Madrid crushed hapless Malaga 7-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday to close the gap on league leaders Barcelona to seven points. Ronaldo had gone four games in all competitions without a goal - a drought by his high standards - but the Portuguese star hit the goal trail as Real ran riot. First half goals from French forward Karim Benzema, Argentine winger Angel di Maria and Brazilian full back Marcelo put Real Madrid into a commanding first half lead before Ronaldo took center stage in the second half to give Manuel Pellegrini a horrid return to the Bernabeu.Malaga coach Pellegrini guided Real to a record 96 points in the league last season only to be sacked after one season to pave the way for Mourinho's arrival.


Benzema started the match ahead of Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor and repaid the faith by opening the scoring on 27 minutes.Xabi Alonso delivered a free-kick into the box and Malaga defended it poorly allowing Benzema to stay onside and the Frenchman used the outside of his right boot to steer a volley into the roof of the net.Benzema had a second goal ruled out for offside minutes later after Mesut Ozil had crashed a left-footed free-kick off the post. Real Madrid were looking menacing and scored again on 35 minutes as Malaga were blitzed on the counter attack. The visitors were attacking with a corner but Real Madrid cleared and launched a speedy attack and some woeful defending allowed Angel di Maria to run clean though on goal. The Argentine showed good composure to side-foot home and then played a key role in the third goal on the stroke of half-time.


Angel Di Maria floated a neat pass to Marcelo and the Brazilian thundered a left-footed volley into the corner as Real Madrid went in 3-0 at the break.The second half belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo as the world's most expensive player bagged a 26-minute hat-trick.Ronaldo opened his account in the 50th minute and added his second from the penalty spot on 67 minutes with an emphatic spot-kick. The Portuguese star completed his hattrick nine minutes later after a good pass from substitute Sergio Canales and joins Barcelona's Lionel Messi at the top of the goalscoring charts on 27 goals. Benzema grabbed his second on 61 minutes and could have had a hat-trick himself, while Cristiano Ronaldo could have scored six or seven against a poor Malaga who stay second from bottom three points from safety. Earlier Almeria stay rooted to the bottom of the Spanish first division after a 1-1 home draw with 10-man Racing Santander on Thursday.

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Lionel Massi guides Barcelona thru

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Lionel Messi scored his 27th La league goal of the season as champions Barcelona beat Valencia 1-0 at the Mestalla stadium on Wednesday to move ten points clear of rivals Real Madrid at the Spanish first division top. Messi netted a 76th minute winner as Barcelona continued their unbeaten away run and put Real Madrid under extra pressure to win at home to Malaga on Thursday. Messi had missed several chances in the first half but came better14th minutes from time slotting in a cross from Adriano to clinch a vital win.It handed coach Pep Guardiola his first ever victory at the Mestalla, which had been the only top-flight venue where he had failed to secure three points.For third-placed Valencia it was a first league defeat since early December of last year and Villarreal are now just one point behind them in fourth.It was an emotional first return to the Mestalla for Spanish super star David Villa, who spent five years at the club before joining Barcelona for 40 million euros in the summer, and the forward was given a warm reception from the home fans.Spanish playmaker Xavi Hernandez returned to the Barcelona starting line-up after recovering from his calf injury to join Javier Mascherano and Sergio Busquets in midfield.


Valencia decided to play with Juan Mata, normally a winger, leading the line and the hosts started at a high tempo to try and disrupt Barcelona’s possession game. Eric Abidal and Dani Alves were both forced to make crucial clearances for Barcelona early on before the champions found their rhythm.In the ninth minute Messi went clean through on goal but the Argentine fluffed a chance he usually buries on autopilot.Messi had three chances to score but missed them all with goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, third choice at the beginning of the season, standing tall.Valencia thought they had scored in the 20th minute but Jordi Alba’s goal was ruled out for offside.Just after the half hour mark Messi squandered another goalscoring opportunity when his lob landed on the roof of the net with only Guaita to beat.Villa and full back Adriano both went close before the interval but Barcelona went into the break frustrated at the 0-0 scoreline. Substitute Roberto Soldado volleyed just wide in the 51st minute for Valencia’s best chance of the match and Pablo Hernandez then curled inches wide of the post minutes later to give Barcelona a warning.The decisive goal came on 76 minutes with Brazilian Adriano cutting the ball across goal for Messi to arrive on cue to guide in with his trusty left foot.Earlier Villarreal ended a run of four league games without a win with a 1-0 home victory over promoted Hercules.Italian forward Giuseppe Rossi scored his 13th league goal of the season on 21 minutes to seal Villarreal’s 11th home win of the campaign as they got back to winning ways after collecting two points from the last 12.Elsewhere Athletic Bilbao crashed to their fourth successive league loss with a 2-1 reverse at Real Zaragoza.

Czech Jiri Jarosik headed an equaliser three minutes after the break and Nigerian striker Ikechuwku Uche scored the winner on 55th minutes as Zaragoza moved out of the bottom three.Bilbao, who could have gone above Espanyol into fifth, stay sixth but Sevilla are now level on points after their 3-0 home win over Sporting Gijon on Tuesday.In other matches, city rivals Getafe and Atletico Madrid shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Brazilian substitute Elias Mendes, only on the pitch for 14 minutes, grabbed an 81st minute equaliser for Atletico after Manu del Moral had put Getafe into a third minute lead.               

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Sevilla beat Sporting Gijon

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Sevilla boosted their European hopes with a comfortable 3-0 home victory over 10-man Sporting Gijon on Tuesday to move level on points with sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao.Brazilian international forward Luis Fabiano opened the scoring from the penalty spot for his ninth league goal of the season with Diego Perotti and Alvaro Negredo also on target in a convincing home win.It was Sevilla's fourth game in nine hectic days but the hosts were aided by the first half sending off of Gijon midfielder Sebastian Eguren.Eguren fouled Fabiano to concede a penalty on 28 minutes and Sporting had to stomach a double punishment as the Uruguayan was given a red card.Fabiano made no mistake thumping a low penalty into the bottom left hand corner.


Minutes later Federico Fazio hit the crossbar with a downward header before Argentine Perotti made it 2-0 with a fine first time volley.Negredo scored a third in the second half as Sevilla climbed to seventh while Sporting hover one point above the relegation zone.Earlier on Tuesday Real Mallorca recorded their first away win at Espanyol in over a decade with a 2-1 comeback win at the Cornella-El Prat thanks to second half goals from Pierre Webo and Emilio Nsue.Fifth-placed Espanyol had taken an 18th minute lead through Alvaro Vazquez but Cameroon forward Webo headed an equaliser on 62 minutes and Nsue netted the winner eight minutes from time as the islanders won at Espanyol for the first time since 2000."After the break our goalkeeper practically didn't touch the ball and I think it was a deserved win," said Mallorca coach Michael Laudrup.


It was a major setback for Espanyol's European hopes and Athletic Bilbao, two points behind in sixth, can move above them with a win at Real Zaragoza on Wednesday.For Mallorca it was only their third away win of the season as they move four points off the top six.With just seven minutes gone Mallorca won a penalty with centre-back Jordi Amat clipping Webo in the box.Chori Castro stepped up but goalkeeper Carlos Kameni guessed the right way and got down low to palm away the spot-kick.A minute later Espanyol went down the other end and Jose Callejon crashed a shot against the post.The hosts got the breakthrough on 18 minutes with Mallorca getting their offside trap horribly wrong as Vazquez bent his run before keeping a cool head to slot home. Mallorca thought they had equalised on the half hour mark but Webo's header was harshly ruled out for offside.


Livewire Webo got the goal his performance deserved with a header to level the scores just after the hour mark.Winger Nsue then popped up with a late 82nd minute winner as Mallorca took the spoils.Malaga, second from bottom of the table, are coached by former Real boss Manuel Pellegrini who managed the club last season but a club record 96 points saw them finish runners-up to Barcelona and the Chilean was axed.

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Liverpool leave it late

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Dirk Kuyt earned Liverpool a narrow 1-0 win over Sparta Prague on Thursday, on that night when all three British clubs in action reached the last 16.Rangers, beaten finalists in 2008, needed an equaliser at the death to prevail at Sporting Lisbon, while Manchester City's expensively assembled squad eased past Greek representatives Aris.Liverpool enjoyed the lion's share of possession against the Czech side but, as in the first leg, they struggled to make their dominance count.Raul Meireles blazed over wastefully from an inviting Martin Kelly cross in the first half, while French striker David Ngog was one of several Liverpool players frustrated by Sparta goalkeeper Jaromir Blazek in the second.With extra-time beckoning, Liverpool won a corner on the left-hand side that Meireles curled into the box and Kuyt darted away from the goal-line to cushion an intelligent header into the bottom-right corner.Liverpool will now play Portugal's Sporting Braga, who overcame a 1-0 first-leg deficit with a 2-0 win at home to Lech Poznan of Poland.

A dramatic injury-time goal by American international midfielder Maurice Edu earned Rangers a 2-2 draw at Sporting Lisbon that sent the Scottish giants through on away goals.After former Rangers man Pedro Mendes had cancelled out El Hadji Diouf's opener for the visitors, an 83rd-minute header by Yannick Djalo looked to have given the Portuguese team victory.Rangers launched a desperate last attack in the 92nd minute, however, and when David Healy rolled in a low cross from the Rangers right, Edu tapped home to send the travelling fans berserk.The next stop for Walter Smith's side will be PSV Eindhoven, who won 3-1 at home to French league leaders Lille for a 5-3 aggregate success.Following a goalless first leg, City beat Aris 3-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium thanks to a first-half brace from January signing Edin Dzeko and a deflected Yaya Toure effort.Roberto Mancini's men must now tackle Dynamo Kiev, after the Ukrainian powerhouses thrashed Besiktas 4-0 to seal an embarrassingly one-sided 8-1 overall victory.

Elsewhere, Villarreal came from behind to defeat Napoli 2-1 in the tie of the round at El Madrigal.Marek Hamsik broke the deadlock in the tie in the 18th minute before quick-fire goals from strikers Nilmar and Giuseppe Rossi just before half-time saw the Spanish side through.Villarreal's last-16 adversaries are Bayer Leverkusen, for whom Michael Ballack scored his first goal since his return from injury in a 2-0 win at home to Metalist Kharkiv that completed a 6-0 aggregate victory.Two-time European champions Benfica advanced with a 2-0 aggregate defeat of Stuttgart and will now face Paris Saint-Germain, who went through on away goals following a 0-0 draw at home to BATE Borisov.In the day's early kick-off, 2008 champions Zenit Saint-Petersburg secured their place in the last 16 by coming from behind to defeat Swiss side Young Boys 3-1, thereby overturning a 2-1 deficit from the away leg.Porto, champions in 2003, progressed on away goals on Wednesday despite a 1-0 loss at home to Sevilla, while CSKA Moscow secured a 2-1 aggregate win over Greek outfit PAOK on Tuesday.

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Napoli face crucial test at AC Milan

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Italian club Napoli will find out if they are truly ready to challenge for the Serie-A crown this season when they travel to AC Milan in the crunch clash ties of the weekend.The game has been moved to Monday night to give the southerners an extra day’s rest following their Europa League exertions against Villarreal on Thursday.But the super-clash between the top two in the league will give Walter Mazzarri’s team the chance to show what they are made of.

In a season full of surprises that initially saw Lazio leading the table and champions Inter Milan struggling down in eighth place at the turn of the year, Napoli appear to have demonstrated that they have the staying power to go all the way.Still splitting the two Milan clubs with a mere 12 matches to play in the season, Napoli must genuinely be considered as very tide title contenders for the first time since the days of Diego Maradona.And although the club’s staff and players refuse to even pronounce the word title there is no denying that they are where they are on merit.

However, there has been one thing missing from their pursuit of glory this season and that has been the ability to cut the mustard against the very best.They may have done the double over Roma this season and thumped Juventus 3-0 at home in January but both sides are suffering from transitional campaigns and currently sit sixth and seventh respectively.When it mattered against the two big Milanese sides, Napoli came up short.

They lost 2-1 at home to Milan earlier on in the season despite enjoying a large part of the game and also proved frail defensively when they played away to Inter and lost 3-1.In two games against Liverpool in the Europa League group stage they also failed to secure a win.For them to go the whole way this season they are going to need to prove they can also come out on top in the biggest games where there is the most at stake.

They sit three points behind Milan and two ahead of Inter, meaning a win for Mazzarri’s team could result in the top three being separated by only two points when the weekend is up.If there is one thing in their favour it is that Milan have also proved susceptible to negative results in their biggest home games of the season.Not only did they lose 2-1 to Juventus and 1-0 to Roma but Tottenham came to the San Siro in the Champions League knock-out phase and also left with a crucial 1-0 success.

Milan also failed to beat fourth placed Lazio at home and needed a pair of controversial goals to sneak a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid in the Champions League group stages.A sign that Milan may be feeling the strain came from vice-president Adriano Galliano who was at pains to tell Radio Italia that the game would be no more important than any other.‘It,s keenly expected because it’s top against second but there,s still just three out of the 36 points left on offer’ he said.

‘Lets not forget that a victory over Napoli won't mean we’ve won the title, and vice versa.’The later start to the game means Inter can leapfrog Napoli on Sunday if they win away to Sampdoria.Juventus host Bologna on Saturday night and Roma entertain Parma on Sunday as the two traditional heavyweights look to drag themselves back into Champions League qualification contention.

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Lyon Drawn Against Real Madrid 1-1 At Champions League 1st Leg

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Bafetimbi Gomis struck a late equaliser as Lyon recovered from Karim Benzema's opener to draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League first leg.Gomis wasted a glorious chance to put the hosts ahead 1st hulf and Cristiano Ronaldo shot on the post with a free-kick just after the break. And after Sergio Ramos headed on to the bar post former Lyon striker Benzema slotted in, moments after coming off the bench. But there was still time for Gomis to level it with a close-range volley. It provided a dramatic finale to a tense encounter and makes for a hugely interesting 2nd leg at Bernabeu on 16 March. Real Madrid will be confident of reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2004 but Lyon are still in contention to make the last four for the second season running. Ahead of the game, Real coach Jose Mourinho stressed that "history doesn't count for anything in this sort of match" and it was easy to see why. His club had not won any of their previous six match with Lyon and were beaten - failing to even score - on each of their three visits to Stade Gerland.

Real have been knocked out at this stage for the last six years and it was Lyon who sent them packing last season. So, even considering the Reals' stature and serene progress through the group stage, it was difficultly a surprise to see Lyon boss Claude Puel's side looking the more assured in the opening exchanges. The French outfit were missing star striker Lisandro Lopez because of a hamstring injury but lone frontman Gomis carried a original threat and was ably supported but Michel Bastos, Cesar Delgado and Yoann Gourcuff. The hosts immediately sought to got forward in numbers and served notice of their threat as Bastos and Gomis both got behind the visiting defence for early sights of goal. Centre-back Cris then fired narrowly wide with an overhead kick from the edge of the box and Kim Kallstrom drilled a shot off target.

Real eventually settled into some sort of rhythm but encountered two brilliantly organised banks of four and had to resort to attempts from distance. Angel di Maria created their first wonderful chance with a skidding effort that goalkeeper Hugo Lloris gathered at the second attempt before Ronaldo's 30-yard free-kick was palmed to safety after bouncing awkwardly in front of the Lyon keeper. Puel's players began adopting a more cautious approach and rather than encamping themselves in their opponents' half, focused instead on hitting the Real,s on the counter-attack. And they should have been rewarded when Real keeper Iker Casillas spilled a Bastos cross from the left at the feet of Gomis, only for the Frenchman to fire over the bar.

If Lyon finished the 1st half on top, it was the visitors who made by far the better start to the  2nd hulf. And they almost took the lead when Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick, from a narrow angle on the left, bent over the wall and come back off the far upright. Moments later Real were again denied by the woodwork when Ramos rose highest to meet Mesut Ozil's corner, his glanced header going away off the bar. But it would be 3rd time opportunity after Mourinho  hoping to becoming the first manager to win European club football's most prestigious competition with three different clubs brought Benzema on for the ineffective Emmanuel Adebayor.  Benzema had been on the field only a matter of seconds when he won possession on the left and linked up with Ronaldo before linking his way past several defenders and beating Lloris with a low strike. Puel urged his side to push forward in search of an instant response but Real repelled everything thrown at them and seemed on course for a historic win. Lyon, however, had other ideas and with seven minutes of normal time remaining Cris nodded a free-kick into the path of an unmarked Gomis and he stayed calm to atone for his earlier miss.

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West Ham 5 - 1 Burnley

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West Ham strolled into an FA Cup sixth-round tie at Stoke with a glorious win over Championship outfit Burnley.Thomas Hitzlsperger, making his long-awaited Hammers debut, opened the scoring with a trademark thunderbolt. Carlton Cole looked to be offside and to have handled the ball when he slotted home before his classy lob-shot over Clarets keeper Lee Grant made it 3-0. In between Winston Reid's header and Freddie Sears' perfect finish, Jay Rodriguez was gifted a consolation. While Burnley had chances to exploit the home side's shaky defence, the cups continue to liberate the East Londoners, who have recorded three more wins in knockout competitions than in the Premier League this season. But, despite the crushing scoreline, it was the visitors who made the more promising start and Rodriguez should have punished the hesitant Reid after only 13 minutes but the Clarets striker spurned the opportunity with a tame shot.

Moments later West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green spared his side's blushes when he parried Ross Wallace's fizzing shot from the edge of the penalty area, before making a brilliant reaction save as Rodriguez tried to steer in the rebound from close-range.After failing to take their opportunities, Burnley were on the back foot as the Hammers finally found some rhythm. The midfield trio of Scott Parker, Mark Noble and Hitzlsperger, who was making his first competitive start since being sidelined with a thigh injury in pre-season training, worked well as the visitors struggled to impose themselves. The hosts' superiority was rewarded in the 23rd minute in stunning fashion. Cutting in from the right, Hitzlsperger exploited a gap in front of the Burnley defence before unleashing a venomous dipping drive with his left foot from all of 25 yards. While Hitzlsperger's strike was a flash of brilliance, the kind of moment all too rare in West Ham's season, the Clarets paid the price for affording the German the time to align his shot - with Grant failing to at least get his fingertips to the ball. With the Upton Park faithfully finding its voice after the deadlock was broken, the visitors came under increasing pressure but managed to hold firm and even forced Green into action when Chris Eagles had a low shot after a neat flick from Rodriguez.

Tyrone Mears almost found a way behind the Hammers defence, outpacing Wayne Bridge down the flank to collect Wallace's threaded pass, only for James Tomkins to thwart the attack with a timely interception of the cut-back to Rodriguez. Burnley proved themselves capable of playing attractive football throughout the contest, but it was West Ham who were the more efficient in possession, and it was a neat build-up that led to Cole's controversial strike which doubled the home side's lead barely three minutes after the restart
Cole, picked out by an exquisite pass from the outside of Mark Noble's right boot, miss-controlled the ball with his second touch but as Grant had appeared to have smothered the shot, the England striker persistence paid off as he picked himself up to scramble the ball home from close-range. However, on closer-inspection, the ball clearly struck the forward's arm as he adjusted his body to shoot. The visitors were enraged that the goal was allowed to stand, especially given that Cole also appeared to be offside as Noble played him in. With Burnley still rocking, Cole doubled his personal tally a minute later, but there was no doubt about this one. Picking up another defence-splitting pass from Noble, the Hammers striker this time took an excellent touch after exploiting the Burnley offside trap, before stroking the ball over Grant and into the roof of the net. As the Clarets went into damage-limitation mode, Reid made it 4-0 with a glancing header at the near post, having found space at Hitzlsperger's corner to score his first goal for.

Rodriguez missed the opportunity to restore some pride for the visitors, blazing over from 20 yards, but he was rewarded for a decent personal display moments later. Rather than clearing his lines, Wayne Bridge's ill-advised back pass to Green gave the England goalkeeper very little time to clear. As a result Green's clearance ricocheted off the back of the charging Mears and the ball popped up for Rodriguez to nod into an empty net. Burnley deserved something from the game, but West Ham manager Avram Grant will be disappointed that his side surrendered their clean sheet in such farcical circumstances. Freddie Sears then wrapped up the win in injury time, slotting home from 15 yards after the ball broke to him following Burnley's failure to clear.

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AC Milan 0 - 1 Tottenham Champions League First-leg

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Tottenham earned a memorable first-leg win at AC Milan to give themselves the upper hand in their last-16 Champions League tie against the Serie A leaders.Peter Crouch stroked in the winner after 80 minutes from a pass by Aaron Lennon, who had led a blistering Spurs counter-attack. Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes had twice kept his side level with two superb saves from Mario Yepes headers. Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a late goal disallowed for Milan as Spurs held on. The match was marred by a touchline fracas when Milan's combative midfielder Gennaro Gattuso head butted Tottenham assistant manager Joe Jordan after the final whistle. Gattuso had already been in an altercation with Jordan, seemingly shoving him in the face close to the Spurs dug-out when they clashed during the game and the Italian continued his battle after the match.
The result would not have helped the combustible Italian's temper, in addition to the AC Milan captain picking up a yellow card which rules him out of the return leg, as his side were made to look second best for most of the game at a rain-soaked San Siro.

A touch of nerves from Spurs almost let Milan back into the game but, after Robinho's far-post shot had been diverted wide, Ibrahimovic was rightly punished for pushing Michael Dawson before guiding in a shot with his back to goal. The aim of Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp was to make sure his side were still in the tie going into the return leg at White Hart Lane but his players did so much more.Crouch, who had come on as a late substitute when his former club Liverpool lost to AC Milan in the 2007 Champions League final, had led the line tirelessly before being rewarded with his late goal. It marked a win which came from some of the attacking football Spurs are capable of but also the type of resolute display Redknapp had doubted his team could produce. Spurs' swashbuckling style has made them one of the entertainers of this season's competition but, despite Redknapp vowing to attack, he also had one eye on tempering his side's adventure with vigilance.

The memory of Tottenham being four goals and a man down after 35 minutes when they played Inter Milan at the San Siro in the group stages might have had an influence on his thinking. He preferred the more defensive-minded Steven Pienaar to Niko Kranjcar, who had grabbed two winners in the last two games, on the left of a midfield also including holding players Sandro and Wilson Palacios. However, there was still plenty of threat up front and the visitors were unlucky not to have a penalty when Rafael van der Vaart's cross appeared to be blocked by the arm of Milan centre-back Alessandro Nesta in the opening minutes.

The aerial threat of striker Crouch made life uncomfortable for the Italian league leaders and he almost scored when Vedran Corluka's incisive pass released Lennon, whose cross was intercepted by keeper Christian Abbiati. In diving to palm away Lennon's cross, Abbiati got a knock to the head and had to be replaced by Marco Amelia.Spurs had a degree of control and comfort, while Milan looked lethargic and laboured. A long range Van der Vaart left-foot strike was tipped over by Amelia before the Dutchman produced a sublime chip which went agonisingly wide as Spurs went close. Milan had brought on Alexandre Pato for the ineffectual Clarence Seedorf at the break and, as they began to to carry more of a threat, Spurs keeper Gomes was called into making a crucial save. From Gattuso's dinked cross AC Milan centre-back Yepes guided a header towards the top corner and it took a dive at full stretch for Gomes to palm his effort wide. The home side's increased appetite spilled over into overly aggressive play at times and ex-Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini should have been sent off for a two-footed lunge on Corluka but he somehow escaped with a yellow card.

Jonathan Woodgate, who had not played since November 2009, came on for Corluka as some of Milan's antics started to ruffle Spurs' feathers. It took another crucial save from Gomes to keep his side level as he again kept out a Yepes header from close range. But the visitors stunned the San Siro crowd when Lennon left the AC Milan side in his wake as he stormed upfield and the winger had the composure to slide the ball across to Crouch to slot in for a greatest victory.


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Arsenal beat Barcelona in Champions league

9:41 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Arsenal struck twice in five minutes late on as they staged a stirring comeback to beat Champions League favorites Barcelona on a night to savour at the Emirates.Barcelona looked on course to take a precious lead into the second leg of this last 16 clash at the Nou Camp as they protected the first-half advantage given to them by David Villa.The Catalans wasted chances to strengthen their position, with Lionel Messi an unlikely culprit, leaving the door open for the Gunners to keep their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive in spectacular fashion.Robin van Persie equalised 12 minutes from time with a shot that somehow eluded Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes at his near post before substitute Andrey Arshavin sent Arsenal's fans into ecstasy with a crisp finish that gives them a slender lead to take to Spain.
The Premier League outfit were attempting to follow in the footsteps of arch-rivals Tottenham after their magnificent win against AC Milan in the San Siro on Tuesday - and they were not to be outdone as they made it a memorable 24 hours for north London in Champions League combat.
Arsene Wenger's side were intent on proving a point after losing 6-3 to Barcelona over two legs at the quarter-final stage last season and they achieved their objective without sacrificing their long-held principles.
For all the talk of Arsenal attempting to make it a physical confrontation with the lavishly gifted Barca stars, the Gunners continued to play their trademark passing game and reaped a rich dividend in a frantic finale.
Barcelona, ironically, looked in control as the game entered its final phase, but once Van Persie leveled the mood inside the Emirates helped sweep Arsenal to victory.
Barca coach Pep Guardiola will still be confident his side can overturn a narrow deficit in the return, but the Gunners now have something to protect and will travel with the confidence this triumph will have given them.
Jack Wilshere was the symbol of Arsenal's development since the teams last met with a performance of composure that made a nonsense of his tender teenage years. Meanwhile Arsenal's resilience and dogged determination as Barcelona dominated possession for lengthy spells met with Wenger's approval.
Wenger described it as "a special night" - and Arsenal's manager must take great credit for a relentlessly positive attitude on and off the pitch, introducing Arshavin for Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner for Theo Walcott even though his side were behind.The Gunners boss insisted the La Liga leaders remain favourites to progress but Arsenal will feel they have applied pressure to Barcelona as they carry a weight of expectation into the second leg.Arsenal were determined to guard against the type of chasing they suffered in the opening half at the Emirates when the sides met last season and this time around they more than held their own against the Catalan artists.Samir Nasri's availability after a hamstring injury provided a real bonus for the Gunners and they started with admirable attacking intent. A wonderful moment of invention from Cesc Fabregas, lifting the ball over the Barca defence, forged an early opening for Van Persie but keeper Valdes was alert and made a crucial block.Barcelona's response was the lacerating passage of play that has become their trademark. Villa sent Messi clear, but the little Argentine over-elaborated with a routine finish and not only guided his effort over Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny but wide of the far post.
It was a moment that was met with an audible gasp of relief around the Emirates - but it was the clearest indication yet that Barcelona were finding their feet after the intensity of Arsenal's start.
Andres Iniesta almost put Villa in on goal before Messi was again wasteful with another chance, tamely chipping into the hands of Szczesny despite having the time and space he usually relishes.
As the game swung from end to end it needed a desperate headed clearance from Eric Abidal as Van Persie closed in on Fabregas' cross, but the Barca pressure was mounting and the reward came after 26 minutes.
Messi, inevitably, was the creator with a pass that cut Arsenal open, leaving the lethal Villa to stride forward and score with typical expertise.
As Wenger's side struggled to recover Szczesny did well to block Pedro at his near post before the Gunners broke the Barcelona stranglehold and Van Persie should have done better than to fire wildly off target when well placed.Messi had the ball in the net just before half-time but he was adjudged offside, and both sides traded blows again as the second period unfolded, Barcelona appealing in vain for a penalty as Villa collided with Laurent Koscielny and Van Persie again testing Valdes from the edge of the area. 
Messi had mixed brilliance with some uncharacteristic profligacy in front of goal. He should have extended Barca's lead when he was released inside the area after 67 minutes but shot into the side netting.
Arsenal stuck to their task, despite Barcelona enjoying prolonged periods of possession, and they drew level with 12 minutes left. Van Persie's low shot from an acute angle carried pace and power, but Valdes was desperately at fault as he stood motionless as the Netherlands striker's effort flew in at his near post.
Barcelona were suddenly rocking and Wenger's team turned the tie on its head and, roared on by feverish backing on a thunderous night, scored the winner when Arshavin arrived on the end of Nasri's right-flank cross to steer a precise finish past Valdes.Arshavin showed the other side of his game when a moment of defensive vulnerability almost let in Dani Alves in stoppage time - but Arsenal survived to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

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Posted by sojib

Lampard's lessons in football

1:24 AM | Labels: , , , ,



Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard launched the FA Skills programme in July aiming to get more 5-11 year olds improving their technical ability. Sixty-six coaches will be going into schools to help players of all abilities and as Lampard explains, the methods he learned as a youngster have stayed with him throughout his career.At Chelsea I practise after training because I was given that advice when I was very young: train and work on your skills after everyone else has gone home, work on your weaknesses where you can. That lesson has become part of me.Instead of thinking 'I've had enough now', or 'I can't do it', or 'I can't hit it with my left foot', to try and do more on your own is a great thing to make you into a player. I do lots of shooting, passing and sometimes fitness work if we haven't played games. I'll basically work on anything I feel is relevant at the time. If something is letting me down I'll work hard on that and hopefully the improvement will show in the following weeks.

I know first-hand that dealing with someone with a great technical ability can help you. Gianfranco Zola had probably the best technique I've seen in a footballer I've played with and he was always willing to help others. Zola was a massive influence on me because he arrived when he was 35 and I was amazed how someone at that age could still have that hunger to improve and to take me with him and say 'come on let's do it together'. He was the most talented player I played with. He used to work on shooting with his left foot so he was as comfortable with it as he was shooting with his right. These are basic things but it shows you that players at the top of the game are still doing them.

Football has always been the biggest thing in my life so at any moment after school or during my lunch break I would be training or just playing with my mates as much as I could.Undoubtedly there are more skilful players than me, players like Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney, Gianfranca Zola - they're the more technical players. I like to put myself somewhere in between - a bit of skill and a lot of hard work as well. But what is important is that you make the best out of yourself. There will be players who might not be technically fantastic, but they work as hard as they can at their game and they get themselves to a good level. You have to be very strong. A lot of football is about confidence and believing in yourself.

There is no player who plays at the top level for a long time who doesn't have a period where they come in for criticism or stick - it comes with the territory. So you have to believe in yourself in the bad times and try and come through it - that's a good lesson for anyone I think.

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Brazil legend Ronaldo retires from football

8:45 AM | Labels: , , , , , , , ,


Brazilian legend Ronaldo has confirmed his retirement from football.The 34-year-old had a glittering career, helping Brazil win two World Cups and being named Fifa World Player of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2002. He had been expected to quit at the end of the season but the early elimination of his club, Corinthians, from the Copa Libertadores brought forward the date. "I wanted to continue, but I can't. I think of an action, but I can't do it the way I want to. It's time," he said. Ronaldo's career took him to some of Europe's top clubs, including Spanish rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as Italian neighbours AC Milan and Inter Milan.But it was on the world stage where he made the biggest impact, scoring a record total of 15 goals at three World Cups. He also went to the 1994 tournament in the United States as a member of the Brazilian squad that went on to win the trophy, but the 17-year-old did not get on the pitch. However, four years later he scored four goals to help Brazil reach the final against hosts France. Mystery surrounded the match as Ronaldo's name was left off the teamsheet when it was issued 72 minutes before kick-off, only for an amended version to appear in time for the start of the game amid rumours of panic attacks and a dispute within the Brazilian camp. Whatever happened prior to the game, Ronaldo was below par and his performance was eclipsed by Zinedine Zidane, the only other footballer to have won the World Player of the Year title on three occasions.The Frenchman scored twice as France won 3-0. At the 2002 World Cup Ronaldo was at his imperious best, scoring in every game in Japan and South Korea, bar the 2-1 quarter-final victory over England. He grabbed both of Brazil's goals in the 2-0 win over Germany in the final to take his tally for the tournament to eight. 

In 2006 he scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Japan to draw level with Germany's Gerd Muller as the top scorer in World Cup finals history on 14, before breaking that record with a goal against Ghana. He ended his international career having scored 62 goals in 97 appearances. On the domestic front, Ronaldo first moved to Europe in the 1994-95 season, joining Dutch side PSV Eindhoven from Cruzeiro, scoring 30 league goals in his first season and 12 in 13 games during an injury-hit second campaign. Ronaldo's strike rate alerted former England manager Sir Bobby Robson, who signed the Brazilian when he took over as Barcelona coach in 1996 and the striker continued his impressive record at the Nou Camp, scoring 47 times in 49 appearances. 1998 - Zidane leads France to titleIn 1996, at the age of 20, he became the youngest player to win Fifa's World Player of the Year title and picked up the award again 12 months later. By that time he had moved clubs once more, this time joining Inter for a then world-record fee of £19m. He hit 59 goals in 99 appearances during an injury-troubled four years with the Italian side. He damaged his knee in 1999 and then again during his comeback in February 2000, which kept him out of the game for another two years. His next move took him back to Spain, where he joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2002 for £20m. Injury stopped him making his debut until October, but he scored twice on his first appearance to endear himself to the fans and netted 21 more times that season to help win the La Liga title. He also scored a hat-trick against Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. He also helped the Spanish side win another league title in 2006/07 but further injuries and a lack of fitness led to him being deemed surplus to requirements and he returned to Italy in 2007, joining AC Milan. Another knee injury cut short his playing career at the San Siro in May 2008 and he returned to Brazil in 2009 to sign for Corinthians.
 

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