sportz mania

United cost Vidic out:Shearer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:51:00 +0000

Sports mania, England, 1 Oct 2012:The loss of Vidic Manchester united on trouble on defending line up with young player.United can be die hard for defending tittle this season. The no-nonsense defender missed a huge chunk of last season with a serious knee injury but returned for the start of the current campaign in August.

However, another knee injury in September has ruled out the defender for two more months and the United leader's presence was sorely missed on Saturday as Sir Alex Ferguson's side defended poorly on their way to a 3-2 home defeat against Tottenham.

Shearer feels United will drop enough points now during VIdic's absence to concede the title in the long run.

"It is early days in the title race but already Manchester United have been dealt a huge blow from which they will not recover," wrote Shearer in The Sun.

"Before the season started I did not think they were strong enough to win the title despite all their new signings.

"With the loss of Nemanja Vidic now for two months I am even more convinced that the Premier League trophy will either be staying put [at Manchester City] or heading to Stamford Bridge [with Chelsea].

"In truth his loss last season probably cost them the title.

"For me they are looking a lot more vulnerable now."

Shearer thinks United's current back-line were "cruelly exposed by the pace of Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Kyle Walker".

"Jonny Evans is a decent defender but he is no Nemanja Vidic," Shearer said.

"While Rio Ferdinand can still do a job at the top level, he is not the defender he was five years ago.

"The same can be said of Patrice Evra, whose form continues to nosedive.

"On the opposite flank I like Rafael going forward. We saw what he can do at Anfield the previous weekend with that fantastic goal. As a pure defender however it is slightly different. Witness how easily he was turned in the build-up to Tottenham's third goal.

"It seems that Sir Alex does not know who his best goalkeeper is either. David De Gea still looks a nervous wreck at times when the ball is being hoisted into a group of bodies in his box. Anders Lindegaard looks a better bet right now - but is he the long-term answer?

"The truth is there could have been plenty more goals from Spurs on Saturday."

source:ESPNSTAR.COM

Nadal vs Novak Djokovic Miami Final

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:36:00 +0000

Sports Mania, Miami, April, 4-2011:Rafael Nadal believes there is a good chance Novak Djokovic will replace him as world number one this summer.
Serbian Djokovic stayed unbeaten in 2011 by beating top-ranked Spaniard Nadal in a thrilling Sony Ericsson Open final in Miami.
The Australian Open champion won 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7/4) to pick up his 24th straight win this year, backing up his Indian Wells final win over Nadal a fortnight ago.
"I think he's going to be number one," said Nadal.
"It's difficult for me to say my goal is be number one. My goal is to be competitive in every tournament. If I do that, I'm going to have my chance to be number one.Read More

"He won two tournaments in a row right now, very big tournaments and one grand slam. The normal thing is he will be number one in the next month, month and a half, two months. I don't know. It depends on my results on clay.
"For sure he will be there, no? I'm going to fight for me. If I am solid, if I play a very good clay-court season, we will see what's going on after."
Clay is Nadal's favourite surface and he won four straight tournaments on it last year, including the French Open, but should his performance fall away even slightly this year that would allow Djokovic to take advantage.
Not that the 23-year-old world number two from Belgrade is taking talk of climbing above Nadal too seriously at this stage.
"I know I've had the best start of the season, no question about it. It's the best four months in my life," Djokovic said.
"But it's only the start of the season. I think it's a bit early to talk about getting that top spot in the rankings. Rafa is definitely the best player in the world now.
"If I want to have that shot at the number one ranking, I need to play consistently well throughout the whole year.
"We all know that clay court is his favourite surface, and obviously somewhere where he plays his best.
"But this is going to give a lot of confidence boost for the upcoming clay-court season.
"This streak is incredible that I have, and I want to keep on working hard and try to get more success."
Looking back on the thrilling three-set tussle with Nadal, Djokovic said: "It was one of the closest and best finals that I have played ever."
source:Sports Mania

Manchester United:Rooney Rocked by Suspension

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:33:00 +0000

Sports mania England, April,4-2011:Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been charged by the FA for using abusive language and now faces a two game ban.
The England forward issued a formal apology following his foul-mouthed celebration at West Ham on Saturday, which he claimed came "in the heat of the moment" after he completed a match-turning treble, and insisted "was not aimed at anyone in particular".
However, an FA statement on Monday read: "The FA has charged Manchester United's Wayne Rooney for the use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language.Read More

"This charge relates to an incident during his side's fixture with West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday April 2, 2011.
"Rooney has until 6pm on April 5 to respond to the charge."
A one-match ban would rule Rooney out of Saturday's home game with Fulham, with a two-match suspension sidelining him for the following weekend's Manchester derby FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
Sanctioning a player for swearing into a camera is understood to be unprecedented in English football.
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was handed a three-match ban - with a further two matches suspended - by UEFA for a similar offence during the 2009 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona but his tirade was deemed to have been directed at the referee.
There does appear to be provision for punishment in the FA's own rules about behaviour, which state: "A participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and shall not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour."
Rooney's three goals at Upton Park helped his team to a 4-2 victory which took them seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.
But, after completing his treble, the striker uttered an audible expletive into a television camera as he celebrated.
The game at was beamed around the world by Sky Sports and the incident prompted an on-air apology from the broadcaster.
The 25-year-old upset England fans during last summer's World Cup when he turned to a television camera and verbally criticised them at the end of the dismal goalless draw with Algeria.
source:Sports Mania

Avoid clash with Iran:Park

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 10:46:00 +0000

picture Qatar,January,12-2010:Korea Republic captain Park Ji-sung is keen to avoid playing Iran in the knockout stage of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.Korea Republic sit second in Group C on goal difference behind Australia following their 2-1 win over Bahrain. Should they advance to the next stage they will play one of the two top teams from Group D which includes Iran, Iraq, Korea DPR and UAE.On Tuesday night, the Iranians looked in good form as they overcame neighbours Iraq 2-1.”Iran is a good team and we don’t want to face them in the Asian Cup knock out stage. The Iranians have a good coach [Afshin Ghotbi] who knows football,” Park was quoted in the Tehran Times as saying.
Iran defeated Korea Republic 1-0 in a friendly match back in September 2010 in Seoul.
“As you know it was a friendly, while the Asian Cup is an official event and all the participants are doing their best,” he said.
Korea Republic face Australia on Friday in a match which could decide who wins Group C

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:47:00 +0000

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noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 07:37:00 +0000

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NBA: Westbrook rescues the Thunder

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:26:00 +0000

Russell Westbrook scored all 13 of Oklahoma City's points in the third overtime as they eventually topped the New Jersey Nets 123-120 in an epic battle.

Westbrook finished with 38 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists to help the Thunder cover for the absence of the injured Kevin Durant.

Jeff Green also had a career high 37 points in the win.

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a fourth consecutive loss as they went down 109-99 to the Houston Rockets.

Kevin Martin had 22 points and Shane Battier scored 11 of his 17 in the final three minutes, while Kobe Bryant's 27 points were in vain for Los Angeles.

Blake Griffin scored 31 points and collected 13 rebounds as the NBA's worst team, the Los Angeles Clippers, beat its best, the San Antonio Spurs, 90-85.
The Clippers, who have a 4-15 record, also beat the New Orleans Hornets last month at a time that they enjoyed the league's best record.
Jameer Nelson scored 24 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 107-78 win over the Chicago Bulls, who at least finally got to see Carlos Boozer make his debut after he broke a bone in his hand in pre-season.
Ray Allen's late three-pointer lifted the Boston Celtics to a 99-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Paul Pierce led Boston with 28 points.
LeBron James scored 18 points while Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh had 16 each to help the Miami Heat to a 97-72 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Shawn Marion scored 16 points off the bench while Tyson Chandler collected a record 14 rebounds in the third quarter alone as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 100-86.
With Carmelo Anthony suffering an early ejection, Nene stepped up with 24 points to guide the Denver Nuggets to a 105-94 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Deron Williams scored 24 points and dished out 16 assists to pace the Utah Jazz in a 110-88 win over Indiana, a seventh straight win for Utah.
DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points while Andrea Bargnani and Sonny Weems each had 18 as the Toronto Raptors beat the Washington Wizards 127-108.
Al Horford's 20 points lifted the Atlanta Hawks to a 112-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
David West scored 22 points while Emeka Okafor added 14 and 13 rebounds to help the New Orleans Hornets to an 89-73 win over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Europa League Thursday Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:18:00 +0000

Liverpool secured top spot in Group K of the Europa League with a 1-1 draw against Steaua Bucharest in Romania.

Milan Jovanovic's first-half header was cancelled out when the Reds captain goalkeeper Jose Reina allowed Eder Bonfim's effort to escape his grasp and creep over the line.

The point would have been enough to put the visitors through, but the 3-3 draw between FC Utrecht and Napoli means they cannot be caught at the top of the table.

That draw saw the Italians fight back from 3-1 down as Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani claimed a hat-trick.
CSKA Moscow secured top spot in Group F with a dominant win over Swiss second-tier side Lausanne Sports.

Tomas Necid bookended the scoring for Leonid Slutsky's men and Sekou Oliseh, Zoran Tosic and Alan Dzagoev also found the net before substitute Abdul Carrupt's late consolation.
Paris St Germain secured their place in the last 32 after beating erstwhile Group J leaders Sevilla 4-2 in a thrilling encounter at the Parc des Princes.
PSG stormed into an early 2-0 lead through goals from Mathieu Bodmer and the dangerous Guillaume Hoarau, but Sevilla pegged the home side back with a quickfire brace from Frederic Kanoute.
However, PSG restored their lead just before half-time with a fine strike from Nene, and Hoarau ensured the points would be staying in the French capital with his second goal in the 47th minute.
Borussia Dortmund kept thier hopes of progressing alive as they beat Karpaty Lviv 3-0, Shinji Kawaga, Mats Hummels and Robert Lewandowski getting the goals.
Falcao scored a hat-trick, including two in the last five minutes, as Porto ended Rapid Vienna's hopes of progressing from Group L with a 3-1 win at Ernst Happel Stadion. Christopher Trimmel had opened the scoring for the Austrians.
Besiktas secured their passage through with a 2-1 win over CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria in the group's other game. Tomas Zapotocny and Filip Holosko put the visitors in control before Cillian Sheridan pulled a goal back.
In the late game in Group F Sparta Prague claimed the point they needed with a 2-2 draw at 10-man Palermo to book their place in the knockout stages.
Nicola Rigoni put the hosts ahead after 24 minutes, but the key moment came five minutes after the break when Dorin Goian fouled Bony Wilfred in the box, picking up his second yellow card and allowing Jiri Kladrubsky to level.
Mauricio Pinilla briefly put the home side back in front with a 59th-minute penalty, but Juraj Kucka's header four minutes later put Sparta through.
Giuseppe Rossi struck twice and set up a third as Villarreal progressed through to the knockout stages from Group D with a deserved 3-0 victory over in-form Dinamo Zagreb at El Madrigal while PAOK Salonika need just a point from their final fixture to advance after a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge.
BATE Borisov were thrashed 4-1 by managerless Dynamo Kiev as the Ukrainian side moved above their hosts to go top of Group E.
Ognjen Vukojevic got the ball rolling for the visitors and Andriy Yarmolenko doubled the lead two minutes from half-time, while Oleg Gusev and Artem Milevskiy added to the tally after the interval. Pavel Nekhaychik hit back late on.
The other game in the group saw FC Sheriff and AZ Alkmaar play out a 1-1 draw.

Match Reports

Steaua Bucharest 1-1 Liverpool
BATE Borisov 1-4 Dynamo Kiev
PAOK Salonika 1-1 Club Brugge
Villarreal 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Palermo 2-2 Sparta Prague
CSKA Sofia 1-2 Besiktas
FC Utrecht 3-3 Napoli
Paris St Germain 4-2 Sevilla
CSKA Moscow 5-1 Lausanne
Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Karpaty Lviv
Rapid Vienna 1-3 Porto
FC Sheriff 1-1 AZ Alkmaar

CSKA Moscow 5-1 Lausanne

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:15:00 +0000

CSKA Moscow secured top spot in Europa League Group F with a dominant 5-1 win over Lausanne Sports.

The home team scored five goals, hit the woodwork on a further four occasions and were frequently kept at bay by visiting keeper Mickael Castejon in a rampant display.

Tomas Necid bookended the scoring for Leonid Slutsky's men and Sekou Oliseh, Zoran Tosic and Alan Dzagoev also found the net before substitute Abdul Carrupt's late consolation.

They were on the offensive from the second minute, with Tosic shooting wide before Rodrigo Tosi's effort at the other end was held by keeper Igor Akinfeev.

Dzagoev went closer when he was fouled by Guillaume Katz and curled the resulting free-kick against the crossbar.
Akinfeev then saved from Martin Steuble before CSKA made a quickfire double breakthrough.
In the 19th minute, Oliseh crossed for Necid to head home from 12 yards and - after Tosic forced a superb save from Castejon - the Liberia midfielder got his name on the scoresheet himself three minutes later. Dzagoev's pass sent Oliseh away and he finished coolly.
CSKA very nearly extended their lead further just five minutes later as they twice rattled the woodwork. Georgi Shchennikov's first attempt from 18 yards came back off the post and the rebound was lashed against the crossbar by Oliseh.
Carlos Silvio shot over for the minnows and Fabio Celestini tested Akinfeev, but it was not long before they slipped further behind.
CSKA broke away following a Lausanne throw-in and the move ended with Tosic firing home left-footed from 12 yards.
Castejon tipped Necid's 30-yard effort around the post and Sergei Ignashevich headed the resulting Tosic corner wide.
Just 1,500 fans had turned out in -16C conditions, despite the euphoria surrounding Russia's successful World Cup bid, but they saw the hosts threaten again early in the second half as Castejon saved two long-range efforts from Keisuke Honda.
Bigambo Rochat turned Nicolas Marazzi's free-kick wide for Lausanne and Akinfeev denied Michel Avanzini before the woodwork rescued the underdogs for the fourth time, Tosic shooting against the bar.
Castejon saved from substitute Mark Gonzalez before Dzagoev deservedly got his name on the scoresheet in the 72nd minute, converting Shchennikov's pass.
Tosic and Gonzalez were denied by Castejon but the luckless keeper suffered further frustration seven minutes from time. The Frenchman saved Deividas Semberas' header from Dzagoev's corner but was helpless to prevent Necid tucking the rebound away.
Lausanne did at least have a stoppage-time goal to enjoy, Carrupt turning in Marazzi's cross, but they remain bottom of the group with one point from five games.

espn

Paris St Germain 4-2 Sevilla

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:11:00 +0000

Paris St Germain secured their place in the last 32 of the Europa League after beating Sevilla 4-2 in Group G.

PSG stormed into an early 2-0 lead through goals from Mathieu Bodmer and the dangerous Guillaume Hoarau, but Sevilla pegged the home side back with a quickfire brace from Frederic Kanoute.

However, PSG restored their lead just before half-time with a fine strike from Nene, and Hoarau ensured the points would be staying in the French capital with his second goal in the 47th minute.
The result sees PSG move two points clear of Sevilla at the top of Group J and means Antoine Kombouare's side are
sure of a place in the knockout stages despite third-place Borussia Dortmund thumping rock-bottom Karpaty Lviv 3-0.
PSG are three points ahead of Dortmund but have the better head-to-head record.
For Sevilla, tonight's defeat means they face a winner-takes-all clash with Dortmund in the final round of fixtures.
An exciting first half began with Sevilla in the ascendancy, Ndri Romaric striking the post with a 25-yard drive in the fourth minute before Dirnei Renato drew a save out of PSG goalkeeper Edel Bete.
It was PSG who drew first blood though, and they stunned Sevilla by scoring twice in a three-minute spell.
Both goals came from right-wing corners from Nene, with Bodmer thumping the first in from close range after Hoarau had powered a header goalwards, and then Hoarau doubled the advantage after climbing highest to glance a header just inside the far post.
PSG had a great chance to make it 3-0 in the 25th minute but Clement Chantome sliced his shot over with just Andres Palop to beat, and within 10 minutes of that miss the home side had seen their two-goal lead wiped out by Kanoute.
The veteran hitman got Sevilla back into the clash with a powerful header past Bete from Diego Capel's cross.
The former Mali international then capitalised on some good work by Diego Perotti down the left to stab the ball in at the near post.
Sevilla were indebted to veteran goalkeeper Palop for keeping them on level terms when he brilliantly denied Hoarau one-handed in the 39th minute, but the visiting captain could do nothing to prevent Nene making it 3-2 on the stroke of half-time.
Nene picked the ball up on the edge of the box before curling an unstoppable shot into the far side of the net.
That was a huge blow for Sevilla, but worse was to follow as they conceded a fourth goal two minutes into the second half, Hoarau beating Palop for a second time.
Both sides then hit the woodwork as the two table-toppers continued to push forward at every opportunity, Sevilla defender Julien Escude flicking a free-kick onto the crossbar before Zoumana Camara smashed a shot against the post at the other end.
There were more chances for the two rivals in the closing stages, but there was no change to the scoreline as PSG progressed through to the knockout stages
espn

BATE Borisov 1-4 Dynamo Kiev

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:08:00 +0000

BATE Borisov were thrashed 4-1 by managerless Dynamo Kiev in Europa League Group E.

BATE were already through needing just a point to qualify in first place, meaning much of the attacking emphasis was on the visiting side and they did not disappoint, netting twice in each half to progress in some style.
Ognjen Vukojevic got the ball rolling and Andriy Yarmolenko doubled the lead two minutes from half-time, while Oleg Gusev and Artem Milevskiy added to the tally after the interval. Pavel Nekhaychik hit back late on.
Yarmolenko had the first chance of the game after 13 uneventful minutes, but missed the target from close range.

Vukojevic showed him the way two minutes later, poking home from six yards following Goran Popov's free-kick.
Alexander Volodko attempted to return fire just before half-time but flashed his shot passed the post from inside the area.
Milevskiy was next to try his luck for the visitors but this time he found goalkeeper Aleksandr Hutar in his way.
But Hutar was beaten in the 43rd minute, Roman Eremenko providing the assist from the right channel and Yarmolenko converting.
Substitute Sergey Sosnovskiy was sent on by BATE at half-time in a bid to change the momentum but he was on the field just three minutes when the third goal went in.
Maksim Bordachov gave away a penalty after tussling with Gusev, with the midfielder returning to his feet to powerfully convert the spot-kick.
With the game heading for a result that would see both sides qualify the tension dropped accordingly, though Dmitri Baga and Alexander Yurevich did manage to register some rare BATE shots shortly after the penalty.
Everything was going Dynamo's way now, though, Milevskiy sweeping in Yarmolenko's cross in the 68th minute to make it 4-0.
There was not too much action in the Kiev penalty box before the close and it came as no surprise that the consolation came from well outside it.
Nekhaychik was the scorer, sizing up his target from 30 yards out and drilling right-footed to leave Olexandr Shovkovskiy clutching at thin air.

espn

Steaua Bucharest 1-1 Liverpool

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:04:00 +0000

Liverpool secured top spot in Group K of the Europa League with a 1-1 draw against Steaua Bucharest in Romania.

Milan Jovanovic's first-half header was cancelled out when Reds captain goalkeeper Jose Reina on the night allowed Eder Bonfim's effort to escape his grasp and creep over the line.

A point would have been enough to put Roy Hodgson's side through but Utrecht's 3-3 draw with Napoli ensured they could not be caught at the top of the table with a match still to play.
The Reds boss put his faith in fringe players and reserves having travelled to Romania without eight first-teamers, only three of whom were injured, and he was rewarded by the likes of Jovanovic and Babel.

Neither has made much of an impression to date in their Anfield careers, although Jovanovic admittedly has only had a little more than four months to settle in.
However, they both did a decent enough job on a night when they could easily have gone missing again.
The same could not be said of Joe Cole, returning from a five-week lay-off with a hamstring injury.
Hodgson had admitted before the game the England international was low on confidence after a suspension and injury-interrupted start to his Liverpool career and that showed in his performance.
Despite playing in his supposedly favourite position behind the striker Cole cut a peripheral figure and was unable to affect the game in any way before he was replaced 15 minutes from time by David Ngog.
The opening exchanges were unremarkable except for plenty of non-harmful Steaua possession and Reina, captaining the side in the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, being targeted by a fan with a laser pen.
It was the second occasion this season the Spain international has had to contend with the irritation, the first coming in their Europa League play-off against Trabzonspor in August.
A complaint to Turkish referee Bulent Yildirim and a stadium announcement thankfully appeared to halt the offender.
By that time, however, Steaua should have been ahead but Eric Bicfalvi headed over left-back Iasmin Latovlevici's cross from eight yards.
It proved to be a costly miss as Liverpool took the lead with their first chance in the 19th minute.
Jovanovic, whose only previous significant contribution since joining in the summer was to score in the ill-fated Carling Cup exit to Northampton, started and finished the move.
The Serbia international, who has been linked with a move back to former club Standard Liege despite only leaving in the summer, worked the ball out to Babel on the right.
When the Dutchman crossed to the far post Jovanovic headed home and celebrated by kissing the badge on his shirt, pointing at the handful of travelling Liverpool fans and then the floor - intimating that he wanted to stay at Anfield.
Babel almost had a hand in creating a second goal but his pass which picked out Cole on the penalty spot was miscontrolled and Dani Pacheco eventually bundled a shot wide from the edge of the area.
But Liverpool had a lucky escape in the dying seconds of the first half when in-form striker Bogdan Stancu, scorer of 12 goals in 17 league appearances, somehow stabbed wide from eight yards when it seemed easier to score.
Early in the second half Reina saved low from Geraldo Alves' header and tipped Stancu's shot, which looped up off Fabio Aurelio, over the crossbar.
The Steaua striker played a significant part without actually touching the ball in the home side's 61st-minute equaliser.
Stancu was positioned in front of Reina - played onside by Danny Wilson - when Eder Bonfim launched his header but the goalkeeper, distracted by his opponent's presence, allowed the ball to squirm out of his grasp, through his legs and over the line.
Sotirios Kyrgiakos powered a header at the crossbar and over from Aurelio's corner as the visitors responded.
But ultimately Liverpool were happy to hang on for a third point in as many Group K away matches, maintaining their unbeaten run in Europe this season, and that was enough to achieve their objective.

espn

Russia and Qatar land World Cups

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Russia and Qatar have won the rights to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively as announced by FIFA on Thursday in Zurich.

The result means England's roller-coaster campaign to host the 2018 World Cup ended in bitter and controversial defeat.

FIFA's executive committee voted to give the 2018 tournament to Russia ahead of England, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium.

England looked to have suffered from a backlash against corruption investigations into FIFA members by BBC Panorama and the Sunday Times over the last two months.

These investigations were criticised both by Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin yesterday and Spain/Portugal bid president Angel Villar Llona in his presentation to fellow FIFA members on Thursday.
Villar Llona: said: "I love FIFA dearly but those I love the most are my colleagues in the ExCo.
"Recently we have been criticised by many media outlets. Unfortunately for them FIFA is a clean institution.
"FIFA values honesty, FIFA works for football and for the world and all my colleagues here present are all honest, hard-working football people and the people not here are also honest and hard-working.
"You have already heard enough slander in the media, the bidding process is clean regardless of what they say."
Six FIFA officials were last month suspended following a Sunday Times investigations and on Monday BBC Panorama claimed three other FIFA members had taken bribes in the 1990s.
The defeat comes despite an impressive presentation by England that was described by FIFA president Sepp Blatter as "excellent and remarkable".
Prince William, David Cameron and David Beckham all sparkled but were all outshone by 27-year-old Eddie Afekafe, who works on Manchester City's community programmes.
Afekafe explained how football had changed his life before introducing the prince to the 22 FIFA executive committee members.
William then said: "I love football, we English love football and it would be an honour for us to host the World Cup."
Beckham had made an emotional pitch, drawing on memories of his grandad Joe who died a year ago today, just before he took part in the South African World Cup draw in Cape Town.
Beckham said: "My life in football began with my grandad Joe. A year ago today my grandad died, the day before the draw. Now I want to do something that will make my grandad proud.
"Now I want to do more. Our dream is to stage a World Cup that benefits billions, that makes you, your grandchildren and everyone in football truly proud."
Earlier, Cameron had highlighted the Government's support and a commercial success for the tournament, and said England's bid would deliver for players, fans and FIFA.
Handed the World Cup by Blatter, Russian deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov celebrated, saying: "You have entrusted us with the Fifa World Cup for 2018 and I can promise, we all can promise, you will never regret it.
"Let us make history together."
Major of London Boris Johnson told reporters that, according to information he had received about the voting, England had been knocked out in the first round.
Meanwhile, Qatar will host the World Cup finals for the first time after FIFA awarded them the rights to the 2022 tournament.
Qatar beat bids from Australia, the United States and 2002 World Cup co-hosts Japan and South Korea.
The FIFA executive committees' decision comes as a slight surprise after the US and Australia bids had been highly-fancied.
Qatar's staging of the tournament had come in for some criticism because of the weather in the country during June and July - when temperatures can rise as high as 50 degrees Celsius - while the close proximity of the stadiums had also raised some questions.
Qatar's success in Thursday's vote comes just over a month before they are schedule to host the Asian Cup finals.

espn

Manchester City 3-0 Salzburg

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:02:00 +0000

Mario Balotelli scored a brace to help Manchester City beat Salzburg 3-0 and claim a place in the next stage of the Europa League.

And they emphasised their credentials in the process as the double was completed against the Austrian champions, meaning City qualified for the last 32 in February with a game to spare.

Former Inter Milan striker Balotelli, who arrived in the summer for £24million, scored either side of half-time with Adam Johnson also finding the target.

It was almost like a training session for City given their possession and they should have been more than one goal to the good at the interval.

They made their intentions clear as early as the third minute when Patrick Vieira - one of eight changes to the side - flicked the ball on to Jo only for Franz Schiemer to make a timely challenge.
Balotelli was quickly into the game and cut in from the left but sent his effort over the bar before he got on the end of a cross from Johnson in the ninth minute. The ball broke to Joleon Lescott, who was crowded out.
City should have taken the lead in the 15th minute when Vieira released Balotelli with superb through-ball. He raced on, only for goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel to boot his effort clear.
Their pressure paid off in the 18th minute thanks to Balotelli, who swept home a fine volley from inside the area following a cross from Pablo Zabaleta.
They were cutting Salzburg open and made an unsuccessful appeal for a penalty in the 32nd minute.
James Milner found Balotelli with a defence-splitting pass and the striker homed in on goal. However Schiemer was able to get in a challenge that left his opponent on the floor but referee Libor Kovarik deemed it was fair.
Then Zabaleta picked out Shaun Wright-Phillips in the 40th minute and he tested Tremmel from distance with an instinctive shot.
City should have added a second a minute before half-time following another quick break. Johnson sent Milner scampering away but he steered his effort the wrong side of the post.
City were looking to build on their lead and Wright-Phillips got clear in the 48th minute. Jo and Balotelli were waiting in the area but the delivery from the winger was poor and it was cleared to safety.
The referee then angered the visitors by allowing play to continue in the 55th minute after Simon Cziommer was left pole-axed.
Balotelli came close to extending City's lead as Cziommer lay prostrate on the pitch. However he was able to clamber off the stretcher and make his way to the dressing room.
City squandered another good chance of adding a second goal in the 58th minute after a sweeping move.
Jerome Boateng and Wright-Phillips linked up but Balotelli's powerful effort ended up in the side-netting.
Then Milner cleared the bar with a 20-yard shot after being set up by Johnson before they eventually extended their lead.
Balotelli scored his second goal from close range following a ball from Vieira after Johnson had won possession.
He almost completed his hat-trick a minute but again his effort found the side netting.
Balotelli was given a standing ovation when he was replaced by Emmanuel Adebayor in the 71st minute.
And City made it 3-0 seven minutes later following a fine individual effort from Johnson.
He skipped past three dispirited Salzburg players before finding the corner with his shot as City march on.

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Zenit St Petersburg 3-1 Anderlecht

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 09:23:00 +0000

Dominant Zenit St Petersburg swept to their fifth victory in their Europa League group by beating Anderlecht 3-1 at home.Aleksei Ionov and Alexander Bukharov put the Russians in control, both goals created by inspirational playmaker Danny.The introduction of substitute Ziguy Badibanga belatedly sparked Anderlecht into life and he set up a goal for Kanu - but Szabolcs Huszti's immediate response nipped any prospective comeback in the bud.

After a quiet opening to the game, Zenit broke through in the 12th minute through Ionov. Danny slid the ball into the right side of the penalty area and the midfielder finished low inside the near post from 12 yards.

Lukas Maracek went in search of an equaliser but his left-footed shot flashed wide from 20 yards.

Jonathan Legear dragged an effort wide of the near post from 12 yards and Maracek was again off target from range before Zenit retook the attacking initiative.

Nicolas Lombaerts met Alessandro Rosina's corner with a right-footed shot over the bar before Konstantin Zyryanov went within a hair's breadth of doubling the advantage, shooting against the post from six yards out.
Rosina put an effort wide from similar range before crossing for Ionov, who saw his shot parried by keeper Silvio Proto.
Viacheslav Malafeev was equally alert in the Zenit goal moments later to deny Romelu Lukaku, before the half petered out with no further goalmouth action.
Anderlecht withdrew Legear at the break replaced him with Argentinian forward Matias Suarez.
Ionov saw a 12-yard effort parried by Proto - and it proved the prelude to Zenit's second goal.
Danny was once again the provider, the Venezuelan-born Portugal international threading the ball through for Bukharov to finish calmly past Proto and make the game as good as safe.
Bukharov was swiftly replaced by Maksim Kanunnikov and Anderlecht introduced Badibanga for Marecek.
Danny forced two saves in quick succession from Proto as the game exploded into life following that goal - the second an excellent reaction stop to parry away a powerful 12-yard drive.
Defender Nicolas Lombaerts, up for the ensuing corner, saw a left-footed drive also well saved by Proto - and Rosina then volleyed against the crossbar before he was replaced by Huszti.
Badibanga drew a good save from Malafeev with a right-footed drive but it was a brief respite for the Belgians and Proto had to be at his best again to deny Zyryanov.
The dreadlocked Badibanga was proving a lively presence, and shot wide from 30 yards before extending Malafeev once more from around 20.
He then crossed for Kanu to head Anderlecht back into contention with three minutes remaining - but a tense finish was averted when Zenit swept upfield from the kick-off and Huszti headed in Fernando Meira's cross.

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Sampdoria 1-2 PSV Eindhoven

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 09:17:00 +0000

PSV Eindhoven came from behind to beat Sampdoria 2-1 and book their place in the last 32 of the Europa League.

Giampaolo Pazzini put Samp ahead in the first half at the Luigi Ferraris stadium but Ola Toivonen equalised in the 51st minute before scoring his second at the death.

Sampdoria ended the match with 10 men after Guido Marilungo was sent off in the 89th minute for a second yellow card.

The result in Genoa left the Italians third in Group I and unable to catch second-place Metalist Kharkiv, who won 2-1 over Debrecen.

Samp take on Debrecen on December 16 while PSV host

Metalist, who lie three points behind the Dutch.

The hosts went into the encounter in buoyant mood after holding Serie A leaders AC Milan to a 1-1 draw at the weekend.
They were unlucky not to take an eighth minute lead after Marilungo´s right-footed shot from the edge of the area struck the far post.
At the other end, Samp goalkeeper Gianluca Curci made his first save to clear Balazs Dzsudzsak´s effort from distance.
Midway through the first half, play was stopped for eight minutes when the stadium lights went out.
Once play resumed, Daniele Dessena´s 15-yard strike went over the bar.
Samp broke the deadlock soon after.
There was nothing PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson could do after Pazzini headed Reto Ziegler´s cross into the very corner of the net.
The Dutch side increased the tempo after the re-start and their efforts were rewarded soon after when Toivolen´s powerful header from Ibrahim Afellay´s cross beat Curci.
Samp should have hit back on the hour mark.
Pazzini did well to get a touch on Daniele Gastaldello´s cross but his header was met by a fine save from Isaksson.
Seconds later, Wilfred Bouma nodded narrowly over the bar as PSV looked more dangerous.
The visitors took the lead one minute from time.
Toivonen´s 12-yard strike towards the left post beat Curci

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Odense 1-1 Getafe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:51:00 +0000

Odense and Getafe both bade farewell to the Europa League after playing out a 1-1 draw in their Group H clash.

Getafe took a first-half lead through Pedro Rios at the snow-covered Odense Stadion but then suffered late heartbreak as their hosts equalised through Hans Henrik Andreasen in the 91st minute.

That left both sides - the bottom two teams in Group H - facing a nervous wait to see how second-placed Young Boys would get on against already-qualified leaders Stuttgart in the evening`s other game, where anything other than a victory for the Swiss would keep the fight for second spot open.

However, despite Stuttgart leading 2-1 with 12 minutes to go, Youngs Boys hit back to win 4-2 and therefore build
an unassailable five-point lead over both Getafe and Odense with one round of matches to go.
Getafe, who brought to an end a seven-match winless streak with an impressive comeback win at Sevilla at the weekend, enjoyed a great start tonight as they took the lead after just 16 minutes.
The visitors had already tested home goalkeeper Roy Carroll with an early effort from Juan Albin but there was no denying Michel`s side a second time, Pedro Rios heading in Mane`s cross from the left.
Getafe centre-back Cata Diaz had a chance to increase his side`s lead on the half-hour but Carroll saved with his feet.
The Spanish side found themselves having to do some defending after that though as Odense had efforts from Peter Utaka, Kalilou Traore and Hans Henrik Andreasen before Utaka struck the post with a header in the 44th minute.
The hosts continued to push for an equaliser after the break and they almost found it in the 72nd minute when substitute Andreas Johansson`s header was brilliant turned around the post one-handed by the diving Oscar Ustari.
Eric Djemba-Djemba then fired a shot just wide from the edge of the box as time started to run out on Odense to get back on level terms.
However, the Danes did managed to get the breakthrough in stoppage time through Andreasen.
Utaka did well to get to the byline before cutting the ball back to Andreasen 10 yards out and his half-volley flew past Ustari and into the far side of the net, however it would prove to be nothing more than a consolation as both Odense and Getafe ended up tumbling out of the tournament.

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Young Boys 4-2 Stuttgart

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:49:00 +0000

Emmanuel Mayuka scored twice to secure a crucial home win over Europa League Group H rivals Stuttgart.

In heavy snow, David Degan gave Young Boys the lead after 35 minutes before Pavel Pogrebnyak equalised in the 48th minute and substitute Sven Schipplock gave Stuttgart the lead in the 68th minute.

Scott Sutter levelled the game at 2-2 in the 78th minute before Zambia international Mayuka struck in the 81st and 82nd minutes for the Swiss victory.

With one match remaining in Group H, both Stuttgart and Young Boys have guaranteed spots in the last 32. Stuttgart are atop the group with 12 points with Young Boys second

on nine.

With Young Boys' David and Stuttgart's Philipp Degan both starting, the Swiss duo became the first twin brothers to face off in an UEFA competition.
The start of the match at Berne's Stade de Suisse stadium was delayed for 30 minutes due to heavy snow.
Young Boys nearly grabbed the lead just two minutes later as Senad Lulic struck a blast from the edge of the area which hammered off the crossbar.
With heavy snow continuing to fall, referee Alon Yefet ordered the lines of the pitch to be cleared after 29 minutes.
The cleared lines were not needed to see that David Degan gave Young Boys the lead after 35 minutes, turning on a ball just outside the area and shooting a looping ball over Stuttgart keeper Marc Ziegler.
Stuttgart equalised three minutes after the break following a defensive mix-up between home defender Alain Nef and keeper Marco Wolfli. Pogrebnyak promptly pounced on the loose ball to make it 1-1.
Stuttgart took the lead in the 68th minute as Mauro Camoranesi sent a looping ball into the box to Schipplock. The substitute, on for just two minutes, slotted home first time.
The hosts equalised with 12 minutes left as Sutter's blast deflected off Stuttgart defender Georg Niedermeier.
Young Boys took the lead in the 81st minute with Mayuka running onto a throw-in before slotting past Ziegler inside the far right post.
And Mayuka struck just a minute later as Ziegler could not clear Sutter's blast which went to the Zambian, who poked it home.

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Sporting Lisbon 1-0 Lille

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:47:00 +0000

Sporting Lisbon secured top spot in Europa League Group C with a low-key win over Lille after a 1-0 victory.

Anderson Polga scored the only goal of a match which only sporadically flickered into life, with the home team enjoying the balance of power for much of the 90 minutes and deservedly emerging as victors.

Lille go into their final game against Gent with second place on the line, needing a victory to overhaul the Belgians and proceed to the last 32.

Lille were first to threaten as Tulio De Melo met Emerson's cross, but keeper Rui Patricio caught his header.

Sporting defender Evaldo called visiting keeper Mickael Landreau into action for the first time with a left-foot drive from 18 yards which was parried away.
Anderson Polga then launched an ambitious long-range drive over the bar and went closer shortly afterwards, heading Pedro Mendes' corner against the crossbar.
Landreau parried away Helder Postiga's drive as the hosts took command, and the same attacker saw another effort blocked by defender David Rozenhal.
Sporting deservedly broke the deadlock in the 28th minute. Anderson Polga met another Mendes corner with a firm header six yards out, and this time successfully kept his effort below the crossbar.
Ludovic Obraniak led a rare Lille attack but shot straight at Rui Patricio, and Landreau was given a similarly easy task by Yannick Djalo at the other end.
Lille had two carbon-copy chances as the half came to a close. Anderson Polga and Joao Pereira were both yellow-carded after conceding free-kicks in dangerous positions and from the set-pieces, whipped in on both occasions by Eden Hazard, first Antonio Mavuba and then Aurelien Chedjou were off target with headers.
Obraniak shot over early in the second period, before Hazard's powerful effort from 18 yards was blocked by Sporting midfielder Andre Santos.
Florent Balmont also had a sight of goal, but his drive from the edge of the box bounced to safety off Daniel Carrico.
The French side came closest to an equaliser 10 minutes from the end when Yohan Cabaye's corner caused havoc in the Sporting penalty area. Rozenhal failed to make sufficient connection with his initial header, a second effort from Pierre-Alain Frau was parried by Rui Patricio and Cabaye himself then got in on the act, his close-range effort gathered by the keeper.
Sporting had introduced Simon Vukcevic for Postiga shortly before that melee and the Montenegro midfielder drilled a free-kick into the wall shortly afterwards.
Emerson blocked Liedson's effort from a Vukcevic cross and, at the other end, subsitute Moussa Sow fired Lille's last chance over the bar.
Deep into stoppage time, the lively Vukcevic rattled the crossbar from 20 yards as Sporting sealed their qualification.

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Metalist Kharkiv 2-1 Debrecen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:45:00 +0000

Metalist Kharkiv secured their place in the last 32 of the Europa League as they beat Debrecen 2-1 at home.

Peter Czvitkovics gave Debrecen a surprise lead early in the second half but Adam Bodi's own goal evened the scores and Oliynyk's strike earned Metalist maximum points.

They go into their final Group I match away to leaders PSV Eindhoven three points behind the Dutch side but are now five ahead of third-placed Sampdoria.

For Debrecen the misery continued as this defeat made it five losses from five in the group.

The home side were the first to threaten after 10 minutes
when Marko Devic's right-foot shot from the edge of the area was hell held by Debrecen goalkeeper Mindaugas Malinauskas.
The Hungarians responded in kind with an effort from Bodi which Metalist number one Maxim Startsev got behind.
Startsev was on alert again in the 18th minute to block a volley from Czvitkovics after Peter Kabat's cross picked him out.
Devic tested out Malinauskas again midway through the half as he reacted first to Oliynyk's inswinging corner from the left but the remainder of the half petered out as the game drifted to its midway point goalless.
The visitors gained the upper hand four minutes into the second period when Zoltan Kiss' cross from the left found Czvitkovics and he drilled home a right-foot shot from six yards.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Metalist levelled through a Bodi own goal after 55 minutes.
Volodymyr Lysenko tried his luck with a 25-yard volley as the game entered the last five minutes of normal time, but his ambitious effort cleared the crossbar as Debrecen remained on course for their first group stage points.
However, the home side grabbed a vital winner in the 87th minute as Andriy Vorobey's cross from the left was turned in by Oliynyk from close range.

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Atletico Madrid 2-3 Aris Thessaloniki

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:41:00 +0000

Reigning champions Atletico Madrid were left staring at possible Europa League elimination after a 3-2 loss to Aris Thessaloniki.

Aris took the lead with the first chance of the match through Sergio Koke but Atletico, who would have been sure of a place in the knockout stages with a win, hit back with quickfire goals from prolific strike duo Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero to go 2-1 ahead.

However, the visiting Greek outfit stunned their hosts with two goals in the second half to take the spoils, Koke levelling from the penalty spot before Nikos Lazaridis slammed in an 81st-minute winner.

The result means Aris - who also beat Atletico at home - are now level on seven points with the holders in second place in Group B, four points behind Bayer Leverkusen, who qualified for the last 32 this evening.

In the final round of matches, Atletico must travel to Leverkusen knowing they need a better result than Aris manage at home to already-eliminated Rosenborg.

Aris have never lost in 23 European matches over 40 years at their Kleanthis Vikelidis stadium.
Atletico, who suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Espanyol at the weekend in La Liga, could hardly have had a worse start tonight as Aris took the lead after barely 60 seconds.
Home goalkeeper David De Gea failed to collect a cross and, as he raced out to the edge of the box to try and claim possession, he was beaten by Aris midfielder Costas Mendrinos who launched a shot goalward.
Mendrinos' effort hit the crossbar but the rebound fell kindly for Koke to slot into an empty net.
That was a setback for Atletico, but they did not take long to turn the match on its head with Forlan and Aguero both scoring to put the hosts in front with just 16 minutes gone.
Aguero also tested visiting goalkeeper Michail Sifakis, who then denied Jose Antonio Reyes from a free-kick as Atletico dominated the first half following Aris' early breakthrough.
Quique Sanchez Flores' side then came agonisingly close to increasingly their lead 30 seconds after half-time when Aris defender Kristi Vangeli, in attempting to cut out Tomas Ujfalusi's cross, sliced the ball onto the underside of his own crossbar.
However, the ball did not cross the line and five minutes alter Aris drew level from the penalty spot.
The referee spotted Atletico defender Alvaro Dominguez tugging the shirt of Lazaridis at a corner, and from the resulting spot-kick Koke drilled his shot down the centre of the goal as De Gea dived to his right.
Despite that, Atletico still looked the more likely winners as the game progressed and Forlan drew a good save out of Sifakis in the 61st minute.
The champions would end up with nothing, though, as they conceded a shock winner to Aris with nine minutes remaining.
De Gea did well to deny Aris on a couple of occasions during a goalmouth scramble but when the ball ran loose to Lazaridis near the penalty spot his thumping drive flew into the back of the net via an Atletico defender

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Lech Poznan 1-1 Juventus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:40:00 +0000

Lech Poznan knocked Juventus out of the Europa League by holding the Italian club to a 1-1 draw in their Group A clash.

The result was all the Polish club needed to progress to the last 32 of the competition.

Artjoms Rudnevs had given Lech a 12th-minute lead and though Vincenzo Iaquinta silenced the crowd at the Miejski Stadion by hitting the equaliser with six minutes remaining, Lech held on.

The Italians are third in Group A, three points behind second-place Lech. Even a loss for the Polish outfit in the next game and a win for Juventus would not be enough for the Turin club due to Lech's greater number of away goals in matches between the two sides.

Manchester City defeated Salzburg 3-0 in the other pool game and are top of the group, two points clear of Lech.
Juve host City on December 16 in Turin while Lech travel to Salzburg.
Juve went into the encounter in Poland unbeaten in 10 league games but still searching for their first win in Europe.
The sub-zero temperatures and snowfall just before kick-off in Poznan meant the already fragile pitch deteriorated and it troubled both teams.
Despite the difficult conditions, the hosts took an early lead with just their second effort on target.
Rudnevs' close-range header from Semir Stilic's corner kick beat Juventus goalkeeper Alex Manninger, who had previously saved Rudnevs' 20-yard strike.
Juve almost equalised midway through the first half but Leonardo Bonucci nodded just over the bar from Alessandro Del Piero's cross.
On the half-hour mark, Del Piero's 30-yard free-kick was met by a fine save from Lech Poznan goalkeeper Krzysztof Kotorowski.
Juve continued to push forward and had a good chance to level the score before half-time.
Mohamed Sissoko fed Iaquinta inside the area and his central shot was saved by Kotorowski.
Lech twice had the chance to double their lead early in the second half.
Rudnevs struck just wide of the far post from a good position while shortly after, substitute Marcin Kikut's right-footed strike from the heart of the area was off target.
Juve should have made it 1-1 with 20 minutes remaining but Del Piero's header from Milos Krasic's dangerous cross went wide.
Del Piero was again narrowly off target with a bullet strike from outside the area.
The hosts could not withstand the intense pressure and conceded soon after.
Krasic set up Iaquinta inside the area and his diagonal strike beat Kotorowski but Juve did not find the second they needed for victory

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Rosenborg 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:37:00 +0000

Bayer Leverkusen secured a spot in the Europa League last 32 with a hard-fought 1-0 win in bitter cold conditions against Rosenborg.

Sidney Sam scored the only goal of the game in the 35th minute for the German side.

Leverkusen remained top of Group B with 11 points with one match remaining and extended their unbeaten streak in Europe to eight matches since their 4-1 loss to Zenit St Petersburg in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

Rosenborg have just three points and cannot now reach the knockout stages after Aris beat Atletico Madrid in the group's other match tonight.

Rosenborg missed the first two chances of the game with Morten Moldskred shooting wide after 10 minutes and Rade Prica headed just wide seven minutes later.
Leverkusen were close to grabbing the lead after 24 minutes but Rosenborg keeper Daniel Orlund did a fine job stopping Nicolai Jorgensen's header from six yards out.
Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes scored three minutes later but his effort was disallowed for an offside.
The visitors struck after 35 minutes with Stefan Reinartz passing to Sam, who turned towards the goal and hammered a left-foot shot from 22 yards just inside the near left post for a 1-0 lead.
Just one minute after the break, Leverkusen defender Sami Hyypia cleared Steffen Iversen's header off the line after Leverkusen keeper Fabian Giefer - replacing the injured Rene Adler - was beaten by Moldskred's cross.
The hosts were close just three minutes later, though Prica's shot went wide of the left-hand post.
Rosenborg were just inches away with 19 minutes to play as Mikael Dorsin's free-kick went to Per Skjelbred, whose header went just left of the left post.
The next chance for Rosenborg and Prica was a minute later as the Swedish striker's shot to the far left post went just wide.
Leverkusen held on as Rosenborg came close again as Iversen first headed a chance wide with 10 minutes to play and Giefer then held the former Tottenham's next headed effort in the 89th minute.

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Gent 1-0 Levski Sofia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:35:00 +0000

Fernando Wallace grabbed the only goal of the game against Levski Sofia to propel Gent into second place in Europa League Group C.

Gent moved to seven points with the win, two ahead of next opponents Lille, with runners-up spot now to be decided when they meet in a fortnight.

Things looked as if they would be even tighter going into that match with the scores locked at 0-0 until Wallace's 77th-minute intervention.

Zlatan Ljubijankic had the first chance of the match in the seventh minute but Dustley Mulder was on hand to clear the danger for Levski.

Yassine El Ghanassy also failed to breach the defence when he tried his luck from 20 yards in the ninth minute.
The Bulgarians began to assert themselves physically as the half progressed, incurring a series of fouls as they went in hard on the hosts.
Levski's first serious attempt went to Vladimir Gadzhev after 20 minutes' play, but his ambitious effort from 25 yards sailed wide.
Gadzhev went closer three minutes later, only for Stef Wils to close down his shot.
Both sides struggled for a final ball, Hristo Yovov's awkward cross which required Bojan Jorgacevic's attention aside, but Randall Azofeifa did force a smart save with a 36th-minute free-kick.
Jorgacevic had one more straightforward save to make before the half-time whistle, but Gent failed to hit the target through Bernd Thijs and El Ghanassy.
The second half began in familiar fashion, Levski conceding a handful of fouls and a couple of shots flying off target from outside the area.
Azofeifa and Shlomi Arbeitman combined 10 minutes after the restart only for the latter to see his right-footed shot saved by Bozhidar Mitrev.
The Belgians continued to move into a dominant position from that point, first Mario Baric and then El Ghanassy drawing good stops from Mitrev.
The Sofia stopper looked like the only obstacle in the way of a Gent win when he again parried an El Ghanassy effort 20 minutes from time and Arbeitman fluffed the loose ball.
But Wallace had other ideas, profiting from a swift counter- attack and sliding his shot over the line to end the stalemate.
There were to be no further goals though, ending Levski's interest in the competition and leaving Gent facing another tense outing against Lille.

West Ham 4-0 Manchester United

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:08:00 +0000

West Ham United dumped holders Manchester United out of the Carling Cup with a stunning 4-0 victory.

Jonathan Spector had never scored during his six seasons in the Barclays Premier League but the USA defender struck twice to end United's unbeaten start to the season.

Further damage was done by Carlton Cole after the interval with the England marksman pouncing twice to bring feeble United crashing back down to earth after their 7-1 drubbing of Blackburn.

Spector and Cole were brilliantly supported by Victor Obinna with the Nigerian forward, on loan from Inter Milan, having a hand in each goal.

Sir Alex Ferguson made 10 changes to the side that hammered Blackburn last weekend with only Anderson remaining, but the manner of this defeat will still prove difficult to stomach.
Experience was supplied by the likes of Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher and John O'Shea but they also wilted in the face of West Ham's onslaught.
Those who had braved the arctic conditions at a near-sold out Upton Park enjoyed a night of high drama, the benefit of which could be felt in the Hammers' Premier League survival bid.
Manager Avram Grant has proved something of a cup specialist but while he will be delighted to see his side through to the semi-finals, he will be just as pleased at having strung together successive victories that could inspire a climb up the table
Wigan were dispatched 3-1 last weekend but Grant made six changes with captain Scott Parker on the bench despite suffering from a chest infection.
There was little sign of the carnage to come early on when the holders were denied the lead by the woodwork with Robert Green showing lightning reflexes to push Gabriel Obertan's shot on to the post.
Anderson expertly picked out Giggs but the Welsh winger's delivery into the box was poor and the ball looped away harmlessly.
Controversy reigned in the 16th minute when West Ham scored through Obinna - only to have the goal ruled out for offside.
Obinna's shot deflected off Spector and the linesman had made the correct decision, but the Hammers were incensed.
Players queued up to demonstrate with referee Mark Clattenburg, who then warned Grant after the Israeli hurled the ball away in disgust after it had gone out of bounds.
Any sense of injustice was soon remedied, however, when Spector nodded West Ham ahead.
Obinna supplied an exquisite chip that Spector, having crept inside Fletcher, headed into the net.
Emboldened by their goal, West Ham attacked with greater conviction but were almost caught by a United counter that ended with a tame header from Obertan.
Cole almost got the better of Fabio before James Tomkins angled a corner wide and in the 37th minute the home side's ascendancy was rewarded once more.
The hapless Fabio was involved as his attempted block of Obinna's shot instead fell into the path of Spector who blasted home from close range.
A header from Bebe was easily saved by Green but most of the action continued to take place at the other end.
A dreadful blunder from Green, who until now had looked rock-solid, almost let United in with his clearance hitting the back of Federico Macheda.
The ball deflected into the path of Javier Hernandez but reinforcements arrived for the Hammers to clear the danger in the nick of time.
United were pouring forward as the expected fightback began in earnest, only to be halted in their tracks in the 55th minute when they were caught on the break.
The superb Obinna was the supplier with his inch-perfect cross met by Cole, who headed the ball home.
There was still more to come from West Ham, however, as little over 10 minutes later Cole slammed home his second after being set up by Obinna.
Zavon Hines had a strong penalty shout rejected by Clattenburg after being shoved in the back by O'Shea, but West Ham had the result wrapped up long ago.
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