Italy 1 New Zealand 1

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Highlights of Sunday’s World Cup Group F match which saw Italy and New Zealand draw 1-1 at the Mbombela stadium.

Sports

7 – GOAL – ITALY 0 NEW ZEALAND 1 – New Zealand take a shock lead when a long free kick into the box reaches Shane Smeltz who pokes the ball past Federico Marchetti in the Italian goal.

14 – YELLOW CARD – New Zealand forward Rory Fallon is booked for a foul on Fabio Cannavaro.

27 – Italy midfielder Riccardo Montolivo hits a low bending, long-range drive that beats stationary goalkeeper Mark Paston but the ball hits the inside of the post and bounces away.

28 – YELLOW CARD – New Zealand defender Tommy Smith is booked for pulling Daniele De Rossi’s shirt in the area and referee Carlos Batres points to the spot.

29 – GOAL – ITALY 1 NEW ZEALAND 1 – Italy striker Vincenzo Iaquinta sends Paston the wrong way as he confidently puts the ball into the back of the net.

45+2 – HALFTIME – ITALY 1 NEW ZEALAND 1 – The teams go in level at the break, although world champions Italy have dominated after New Zealand’s early goal.

46 – SUBSITUTION – Double change for Italy at the start of the second half with winger Mauro Camoranesi and forward Antonio Di Natale coming on for Simone Pepe and Alberto Gilardino.

61 – SUBSITUTION – Third and final change for Italy with striker Giampaolo Pazzini coming off the bench to replace midfielder Claudio Marchisio.

63 – SUBSTITUTION – New Zealand make a change with forward Chris Wood replacing Fallon.

70 – Italy’s Montolivo hits a fierce low drive from 25 meters and Paston pulls off an excellent one-handed save.

80 – SUBSTITUTION – Midfielder Jeremy Christie is brought on by New Zealand for defender Ivan Vicelich.

83 – New Zealand’s Wood turns his man on the edge of the box and hits a low left-foot shot that goes just wide.

87 – SUBSITUTION – New Zealand captain Ryan Nelson is cautioned for time wasting.

88 – Camoranesi hits a thunderous effort from about 30 meters but Paston pushes the ball behind for a corner.

90+3 – SUBSTITUTION – New Zealand bring on midfielder Andy Barron for forward Chris Killen.

90+5 – FULLTIME – ITALY 1 NEW ZEALAND 1 – New Zealand hang on for a shock 1-1 draw against world champions Italy.

(Writing by Michael Holden)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dempsey wants consistency in penalty box decisions

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

South Africa (Reuters) – Players were warned before the World Cup that holding and grabbing at set-pieces would result in a penalty but referees are not cracking down on the pushing, shoving and headlocks that go on in the box, said U.S. forward Clint Dempsey.

Sports

The United States were denied a game-winning goal against Slovenia on Friday after referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali disallowed Maurice Edu’s 85th minute effort.

The incident left the U.S. camp fuming and they are still in the dark about Coulibaly’s decision.

Reports have suggested the referee penalized Dempsey for an infringement in the box as Landon Donovan whipped in a free kick.

“If you freeze frame that play, three of our guys are in a headlock,” Dempsey told a news conference on Sunday.

“Before the tournament they told us any kind of holding on corners is a penalty. Any type of grabbing around the player is a penalty. And then you get to the game and that’s not what’s going on.”

Dempsey said the grabbing and holding at corners and free kicks was something he experienced often in the English Premier League but that if referees at the World Cup were prepared to let it go he should not be penalized for trying to break free.

“That’s something you get used to playing in the Premiership,” he added. “Playing against teams like Stoke, Blackburn, Bolton, teams with strong players at the back, you just have to find a way to get free.”

The United States play Algeria in the final Group C game and Dempsey said it was important to keep their emotions in check.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley had been driving home that message throughout the World Cup, he added.

“This game is no different, we need to make sure that we’re smart and that we don’t let emotions get the best of us,” said Dempsey, whose goal in their Group C opener gave the United States a 1-1 draw with England.

“We lost a little bit of that in the last game, but the only person we’re going to be missing in the next game is (striker Robbie) Findley, who got a yellow card for the ball hitting him in the face.”

(Editing by Nigel Hunt)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pitch, ball under scrutiny as Slovenia win

June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

South Africa (Reuters) – Slovenia chalked up their first ever World Cup win when a dreadful mistake by Algeria goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi handed them a 1-0 victory in their opening Group C match on Sunday.

Sports

Both coaches said afterwards that their sides had struggled to adapt to the new high bouncing World Cup ball and the semi-synthetic pitch in Polokwane, and that that might have been a factor in Chaouchi’s blunder.

Time and again throughout the game, players overhit their passes or failed to tame the ball as it sprang off the surface.

A largely lackluster encounter took a twist in the 73rd minute when Abdelkader Ghezzal was sent off for handball having already been booked within seconds of coming on. The attacking midfielder was only on the pitch for 15 minutes.

Six minutes later Chaouchi fumbled Robert Koren’s harmless looking shot, allowing the ball to squirt through his arms into the bottom left hand corner of his net.

Asked about the playing surface, Koren said: “The turf itself is very fast and it resulted in some mistakes.”

Slovenia’s only previous appearance at a World Cup finals, in 2002, ended in three defeats but Sunday’s win has put them top of the group with three points, two ahead of England and the United States, who drew 1-1 in Rustenburg on Saturday.

“It’s going to be more difficult for us now,” said Algeria coach Rabah Saadane. “Our great opportunity was today against Slovenia and we missed that opportunity.”

Until the goal, the Algerians had been marginally the better side with the bleach-blonde Hassan Yebda bossing their midfield.

But they created few chances with their best opening coming as early as the third minute through a Nadir Belhadj free kick which Samir Handanovic tipped over the bar.

BOUNCING BALL

At the other end, Slovenia created little of note until just before the break when a rasping left foot strike from midfielder Valter Birsa forced an acrobatic save from Chaouchi.

Saadane defended Chaouchi and Ghezzal when asked about the mistakes that had cost his team a share of the points.

“Football is full of mistakes and I don’t want to blame the two players. I think it was perhaps the state of the turf. Both the ball and the turf were difficult for both goalies.”

“The speed and the impact, especially on crosses, was very difficult. The players had to place the balls very carefully.”

Asked if he would drop Chaouchi for the next match against the United States on Friday, Saadane replied: “He is the best goalkeeper we have at the moment. It’s out of the question.”

“He said sorry. He said sorry to the team. But that’s only normal and I don’t want to go back over the incident.”

Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek was also critical of the pitch, which is a mixture of grass and synthetic fibre. This was the first World Cup match ever to be played on it.

“I don’t agree with this turf,” Kek said. “We only got adjusted to it yesterday with 60 minutes of training. I’m not saying this as an excuse because it was the same for us and Algeria. But there are lots of artificial bits and that means it’s a different game.”

England’s draw with the U.S. in the group’s opening match also contained a goalkeeping error, with England’s Robert Green producing a howler to gift the Americans their equalizer.

That match was played on grass.

(Writing by Gideon Long; Additional reporting by Opheera McDoom, Editing by Nigel Hunt)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bad balls, pitches and vuvuzelas worry Dutch boss

June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has not seen his team kick a ball in competition at this World Cup yet but that has not stopped him finding fault with much of what he has seen so far.

Sports

On Sunday, it was the new Jabulani ball which added another crease to the brow of the irascible Dutch boss although the altitude was also a concern not to mention the ubiquitous vuvuzela trumpet and problematic itches.

“So far every free kick I saw went far over the goal while cross passes proved hard to control,” Van Marwijk told a news conference after Dutch training at Soccer City ahead of Monday’s opening Group E clash with Denmark there.

“During our training camp in Austria we also experienced problems with the ball at a higher altitude but during the warm up matches in Rotterdam the ball reacted normally.”

Besides the problems with the ball and the much-discussed vuvuzela trumpets which have made a terrific din during the matches played so far and have been banned by him from training sessions, Van Marwijk also found time to find a problem with the pitches.

“The pitches are good and even but the foundation is harder than we are used to so it is tougher to keep standing.

‘IMPROVE THINGS’

“As for the noise from the (vuvuzela) horns, playing with earplugs is not an option as the players wouldn’t be able to hear each other so that wouldn’t improve things.”

To add to Van Marwijk’s concerns, his key player, winger Arjen Robben was still unable to train with the rest of the squad following a hamstring injury picked up last weekend.

“Robben trained separately at Wits (University) and follows the same program like we did when we arrived and it is better for him to use a whole pitch,” he added.

Even when he turned his attention to Group E, which also includes Japan and Cameroon, Van Marwijk found it hard to look on the bright side even though his men are firm favorites to progress as its winners.

“We know the Danes very well and they know us, so we have no surprises for each other,” he said. “But you saw yesterday at the England match that nobody wins their opener easily.”

(Editing by Jon Bramley)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Own goals aid England, France held in Tunisia

May 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – England failed to convince in a 2-1 victory over Japan in their final World Cup warm-up on Sunday and France were held to a 1-1 draw by Tunisia in their penultimate match.

Sports

There was more bad news on the injury front for Germany whose defender Heiko Westermann will miss the tournament after breaking a bone in his foot in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Hungary.

Off the field, South African security officials moved swiftly to deny claims in a Sunday newspaper of a high risk of a terrorist attack during the World Cup.

After England’s Frank Lampard missed a 56th-minute penalty, his side needed own goals from defenders Tulio Tanaka and Yuji Nakazawa to come from behind to beat Japan in Austria.

Coach Fabio Capello took consolation where he could, enjoying the second half better than the first and telling ITV: “I saw a lot of players who didn’t play before and learnt more about them.”

England start their campaign on June 12 against the United States who also staged a 2-1 comeback win in Philadelphia on Saturday over Turkey.

Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was denied a winning start with his Ivory Coast team when Paraguay scored twice in the last 15 minutes to draw 2-2 in France.

Didier Drogba gave the Elephants the lead and Eriksson looked set to celebrate a win when substitute Souleymane Bamba made it 2-0. But Lucas Barrios scored and Aureliano Torres snatched a last-gasp equalizer with a deflected free kick.

Oddly, the match was played on a ground not considered fit even for French second division soccer.

Adding color, the Ivory Coast players turned out in light blue shirts and chocolate shorts and socks, looking rather as if they had waded through mud before taking the field.

In Tunisia, France were indebted to a 63rd minute goal by William Gallas which enabled them to salvage a draw.

Tunisia opened the scoring on five minutes through forward Issam Jemaa but France, still adapting to the new, 4-3-3 system they had introduced in a 2-1 win over Costa Rica Wednesday, improved gradually.

CONGRESS BRIEFING

In Johannesburg, a Sunday Times report pointed to a briefing to the U.S. Congress counter-terrorism caucus last week by the NEFA Foundation, which investigates terrorist activities.

It quoted foundation director Ronald Sandee as saying: “I believe there is an 80 percent chance of an attack.”

But the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure, which coordinates security operations for the World Cup, said in a statement: “The security forces can firmly state that there is no known specific terror threat against the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“All operational plans are on track, teams already in their base camps are moving around and police deployments are increasing.”

Back with the players, Germany will miss Westermann especially as injuries have already ruled out Michael Ballack and Christian Traesch. He was seen as possible cover in midfield.

“Heiko would have played a very important role at the World Cup for our team. That is because of his multi-faceted play. In training he was in superb physical condition,” said Germany coach Joachim Loew.

Portugal got a boost with news that influential midfielder Pepe had been cleared to continue training. He damaged a cruciate knee ligament in December and has not played since.

Already looking beyond the tournament, Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli will succeed Italy coach Marcello Lippi after the World Cup, a national soccer federation spokesman said.

Federation president Giancarlo Abete wanted clarity before the team flew off to South Africa and has now found his man, famed for his slicked-back hair and purple puffer jacket.

Meanwhile, goalkeepers in particular are getting more vociferous about the official ball to be used at the tournament.

Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini felt it was a “disaster” for both goalkeepers and forwards because it is so light and moves around so much. Spain keeper Iker Casillas has likened it to a beachball.

Italy counterpart Gianluigi Buffon described the ball as “absolutely inadequate,” while Brazilian Julio Cesar has said it was like one purchased in a supermarket.

(Editing by Sonia Oxley)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Czechs give United States 4-2 wake-up call

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The United States were given an early World Cup wake-up call when they were beaten 4-2 at home by the Czech Republic in their opening warm-up game on Tuesday.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley rested many of his likely starters but gave a run-out to key central defender Oguchi Onyewu, who had been sidelined since a knee operation in October and looked well short of match fitness.

The States, who face England in their World Cup opener on June 12, took the lead in the 17th minute through Maurice Edu but goals from Tomas Sivok (44) and Jan Polak (58) put the Czechs in front.

Substitute Herculez Gomez equalised but a shaky American defence conceded twice more as Martin Fenin (77) and then Tomas Necid (90+2) led the Czechs to victory.

Bradley will reduce his 30-man squad to 23 on Wednesday but were he looking for players to give him a last minute re-think, there would seem little scope for adjustment.

“I think for the most part we had good ideas there were certain things that were on the fence and so we will have some discussions tonight and make some tough decisions,” said Bradley.

Midfielder Stuart Holden, another player returning from a lengthy lay-off, created both goals.

His in-swinging free-kick from the left was only flapped at by Czech keeper Petr Cech and allowed Edu to tap in the loose ball. Later, Holden’s corner kick was nodded back by defender Clarence Goodson before Gomez headed in at the back post.

Gomez and Brian Ching caused more danger than the first half strike pairing of Eddie Johnson and Edson Buddle and Bradley singled out central defender Clarence Goodson for praise.

“I thought that Clarence Goodson still did a solid job at the back and helped us on some set pieces, that was good to see,” he said.

But Bradley’s biggest concern will be the condition of AC Milan defender Onyewu who was at fault for the first Czech goal, failing to jump and challenge Sivok for his header.

Onyewu looked awkward at times and not surprisingly, after seven months out, was far from the commanding figure before his injury.

“It is good to see him back on the field. Throughout this period in the camp he is moving better all the time, we will see how he comes out of this game, I think he felt good coming off the field and we will keep working him hard,” said Bradley.

The United States also face Slovenia and Algeria in World Cup Group C. Before then, Bradley’s team face Turkey in Philadelphia on Saturday and then Australia in Roodepoort, South Africa, on June 5.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jong’s double secures draw for North Korea

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

North Korea forward Jong Tae-Se, dubbed the ‘People’s Wayne Rooney’ by Asian media, scored twice for North Korea in a 2-2 draw with fellow World Cup finalists Greece in a friendly on Tuesday.

Greece twice took the lead but were pegged back by the impressive Japan-based frontman.

Kostas Katsouranis’s second-minute strike from close range after defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos headed a Giorgos Karagounis free-kick across goal gave Greece the perfect start.

But the Koreans, with their direct running and incisive passing making the pedestrian Greeks look embarrassingly one-dimensional, dominated the remainder of the half.

North Korea skipper Hong Yong-Jo twice rattled the crossbar and on 23 minutes Jong equalised with a superb long range effort that went in off the underside of the crossbar.

Greece’s sole threat stemmed from their set pieces and after making five changes at halftime, they regained the lead through substitute Angelos Charisteas’s volley from another Karagounis free-kick.

But Jong showed his class with a clinical finish moments later, controlling a long ball, skipping past Nikos Spiropoulos and then firing powerfully past substitute goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas to level again.

Greece, who begin their Group B campaign against South Korea on June 12, struggled to make an impression in a disjointed display and coach Otto Rehhagel will be hoping for an improvement when they continue their preparations against Paraguay on June 2.

“I expect us to get better as things move on from here,” he told reporters.

“What I didn’t like was that we were slow with our passing.

“They (North Korea) play a fast game and I expect us to play the ball more quickly and have more fluency. Our group opponents South Korea are a very good side and we must be absolutely ready for the start of the World Cup because we will have to give our all in every game.”

North Korea are in Group G with Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal.

(Editing by Justin Palmer

To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chelsea win dramatic Cup final to seal Double

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Chelsea overcame a resilient Portsmouth side, who made a mockery of their pre-match billing as lambs to the slaughter, to win a dramatic FA Cup final 1-0 and clinch their first League and Cup Double on Saturday.

Didier Drogba maintained his remarkable knack of scoring at Wembley Stadium with the winner from a 59th minute free-kick after Chelsea had hit the woodwork five times in the first half while Frank Lampard missed a late penalty.

In an astonishing match of twists and turns, Portsmouth’s Kevin-Prince Boateng, who had scored from the spot in the semi-final at Wembley, saw his 56th minute penalty saved.

The triumph gave Chelsea a second straight FA Cup final victory, after they beat Everton last season, and was a third success in four seasons for the west London side.

It was Chelsea’s sixth FA Cup triumph and fifth in 13 years as they became the seventh English club to win the double and the first team since Arsenal in 2003 to retain the trophy.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who has won the Double in his first season in England, told reporters afterwards: “Its a fantastic victory for me, I am very happy.

FANTASTIC SEASON

“We won’t do anything special to celebrate, I will follow my players and my friends. Wine, sure, champagne. It is right to have a celebration, the team had a fantastic season.”

“It has never happened in my career to hit the bar or post five times in one half… and we didn’t start too well in the second half but I was not worried because we were in control of the game and had chances to score.”

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant said: “It was a very difficult season. It is a season I will not forget. I have won a lot of games in my life, trophies and everything, but this was unbelievable. We always played against the odds.”

In the first final between the champions and the bottom team in the top flight, Chelsea dominated the first half but were thwarted on five occasions when Drogba (twice), Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and John Terry all hit the bar or post.

Despite the pressure on their team, Portsmouth’s incredibly vociferous fans made the greater noise inside the sun-drenched stadium and stayed to applaud their players even after defeat.

The match only turned Chelsea’s way when Boateng’s penalty, awarded after Chelsea’s Brazilian substitute Juliano Belletti brought down Aruna Dindane, was saved by Petr Cech’s legs.

Drogba fired home a 25-metre free-kick three minutes later that went in off the inside of a post to maintain his record of scoring in all of the six competitive matches he has played for Chelsea at Wembley — three semi-finals and three FA Cup finals.

Lampard fired wide from the spot in the 88th after Michael Brown clattered into him but Chelsea had already just about done enough to become the seventh club in English history to win the Double, the 11th time the feat has been achieved.

OVERWHELMING FAVOURITES

Chelsea were quoted at 5-1 on to beat Portsmouth who are in administration, have debts of 138 million pounds ($201.2 million) and finished bottom of the Premier League.

Some pundits had predicted a record FA Cup final victory following Chelsea’s 8-0 trouncing of Wigan Athletic when they clinched the league title at Stamford Bridge last Sunday.

But Portsmouth, many of whose players may have been playing their last match for the south-coast club because of the financial problems and relegation, weathered the storm and at times dominated Chelsea for possession and passing.

However, the Londoners had only one first half scare with Cech producing a reflex save to deny Frederic Piquionne.

Pompey’s first close shave came after 14 minutes when Lampard shot against the outside of David James’s left-hand post with a 25-metre drive.

Kalou was guilty of one of the most blatant misses in any Cup final after 27 minutes when he shinned an Ashley Cole cross against the bar in front of an open goal from four metres.

Chelsea captain Terry and Drogba, twice, also hit the woodwork before halftime.

The Ivory Coast striker, who will lead his country at this year’s World Cup finals, showed his utter frustration by smacking the post with his hand.

Chelsea had four other chances in the opening period but needed a stunning reflex save from Cech to keep out an instinctive close-range effort from Piquionne after 22 minutes.

Portsmouth had the brighter start in the second period but there was an air of inevitably about the outcome once Boateng saw his penalty saved and Drogba scored.

The icing on the cake for Chelsea’s England defender Ashley Cole was a place in the record books as he climbed the steps to the Royal Box and collected his sixth FA Cup winners’ medal.

(Editing by Ken Ferris To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Memorable FA Cup final caps incredible English season

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mega-rich Chelsea beat impoverished Portsmouth 1-0 to win the FA Cup and claim the Double on Saturday but that was about the only predictable outcome of a remarkable afternoon at Wembley.

Chelsea, who lifted the Premier League title last week with an 8-0 win over Wigan Athletic, were odds-on favourites and some pundits predicted they could beat the record winning Cup final margin of 6-0 set when Bury beat Derby County 107 years ago.

Portsmouth had other ideas and weathered a ferocious onslaught in the first half with plenty of help from the Wembley woodwork which Chelsea hit five times in 30 minutes.

They restricted the champions to a single goal but that was enough for the west London side to lift the FA Cup for the sixth time to retain the trophy they claimed last year.

In a way the twists and turns of the final reflected in 90 minutes the twists and turns of the domestic season, which saw the lead in the title race change more than 20 times before Chelsea pipped Manchester United by a point to become champions.

The winning goal finally came after 59 minutes when Didier Drogba smashed home a free kick from 25 metres that this time hit the post and went in with David James helpless.

YELLOW BOOTS

The goal came just three minutes after Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, whose yellow boots dazzled in the Wembley sunshine but failed to blind keeper Petr Cech, saw his penalty saved by the Chelsea stopper’s feet.

But the Portsmouth fans, whose club have gone through five owners and an administrator this season, been docked points and suffered relegation with debts of 138 million pounds ($201.2 million), never stopped cheering.

Their cries of “Play Up Pompey” rang around Wembley, drowning the cheers of the Chelsea fans, who became more anxious and withdrawn as the match went on. They could not relax, even after their team had taken the lead.

The stadium was awash with the blue-and-white of both teams but it was the flag-waving Pompey section that became increasingly animated as the absorbing game ebbed and flowed.

As Portsmouth manager Avram Grant said afterwards: “If anyone ever doubts if it is good to buy this club, it is a good club. If you see the fans today, no competition, they won the final by far.”

The football was not that great but the tension was tangible as Chelsea edged closer to their first double and Portsmouth tried to salvage some silverware from their most traumatic season.

SCUFFED SHOT

Chelsea had a chance to wrap it up when their England international Frank Lampard was awarded a penalty with two minutes to go but the occasion even got to the normally unflappable midfielder who scuffed his shot wide.

It was not Chelsea’s most embarrassing moment of the day though — that belonged to Salomon Kalou who somehow shinned the ball against the bar just four metres from an open goal in the first half, one of the worst misses in any FA Cup final.

On the touchline Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti and Chelsea’s former coach Grant extolled one last effort from their men.

Ultimately Chelsea held out, collected their medals and danced with the Cup as Portsmouth’s players, many if not all of whom had played their last match for the club, cheered their fans then collapsed on the field in dismay.

Grant, Chelsea boss when they lost the Champions League final to Manchester United on penalties two years ago, was widely acclaimed by both sets of fans after the match.

His future is as uncertain as Pompey’s who could yet start next season with a 17-point penalty in the Championship (second division) if they do not come out of administration soon.

On the day, though, balance sheets and finances, tax demands and missed wage payments were far from anyone’s mind.

Although an intriguing final ended in a predictable triumph for the favourites, Portsmouth’s unquenchable spirit should helpt them through the tough times that are still ahead.

(Editing by Ken Ferris To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chelsea beat Portsmouth in dramatic final to seal Double

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Chelsea overcame a resilient Portsmouth to win a dramatic FA Cup final 1-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday and achieve their first League and Cup Double.

Didier Drogba got the winner with a 59th minute free-kick after they hit the woodwork five times in the first half and missed a late penalty. Portsmouth also missed a spot kick.

The triumph gave the west London side successive FA Cup final victories after they beat Everton last season.

Although the newly-crowned Premier League champions dominated relegated Portsmouth in the opening half, they were thwarted on five occasions when Drogba (twice), Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and John Terry all hit the bar or post.

The match turned Chelsea’s way after Portsmouth’s Kevin-Prince Boateng had a 56th minute penalty, awarded after Juliano Belletti brought down Aruna Dindane, saved by Petr Cech.

Drogba fired home a 25-metre free-kick three minutes later to maintain his record of scoring in all six competitive matches he has played for Chelsea at Wembley — three semi-finals and three FA Cup finals.

Lampard missed a penalty in the 88th minute but Chelsea had already done more than enough to deserve their victory.

(Editing by Ken Ferris To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chelsea’s Drogba maintains Wembley scoring streak

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Didier Drogba maintained his remarkable scoring record for Chelsea at Wembley Stadium when his 59th minute free-kick put his team 1-0 ahead in the FA Cup final against Portsmouth on Saturday.

The striker, who will also lead Ivory Coast as captain in the World Cup, has now scored in all six competitive matches Chelsea have played there since the stadium reopened in 2007.

He scored the winner in their 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Manchester United in 2007; Chelsea’s only goal in a 2-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in the 2008 League Cup final and the winner in the 2-1 semi-final victory over Arsenal in 2009.

Drogba also grabbed the equaliser in a 2-1 win over Everton in last season’s FA Cup final and got the opener in Chelsea’s 3-0 FA Cup semi-final win against Aston Villa last month.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chelsea claim double with FA Cup victory over Portsmouth

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Chelsea beat outsiders Portsmouth 1-0 in the FA Cup final thanks to a long-range Didier Drogba free-kick at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Drogba’s goal just before the hour ensured Chelsea became the seventh English club to achieve the League and FA Cup Double, having lifted the Premier League trophy last weekend.

(Editing by Ken Ferris; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Late Totti penalty makes Inter wait for title

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Francesco Totti ended a tough week on a high on Sunday, hitting two late goals to give AS Roma a 2-1 over Cagliari and take their title battle with Inter Milan down to the final day of the season.

Leaders Inter did their job by beating Chievo 4-3 at home but the agonising win for second-placed AS Roma keeps them two points behind ahead of next Sunday’s final round of matches.

The battle for the fourth Champions League qualifying place will also go to the wire after Sampdoria in fourth drew 1-1 at fifth-placed Palermo following a penalty apiece.

Roma started with Totti despite the striker being widely condemned in the Italian media for kicking out at Inter Mario Balotelli and being sent off in Wednesday’s Cup final defeat.

Media reports also said Totti will not be included in Italy’s preliminary World squad on Tuesday after the Cup final incident prompted national coach Marcello Lippi to reject the striker’s offer to come out of international retirement.

If the controversy was bothering Totti, he did not show it.

First he hit the post and the bar as Roma fans began to look desperate as news filtered through of Inter winning.

Cagliari then scored midway through the second period against the run of play through Andrea Lazzari’s freekick to further dampen the mood.

But Totti went from fallen hero to Captain Marvel yet again when he quickly equalised and then converted a penalty seven minutes from time after Davide Biondini had handled.

BIZARRE START

Champions League finalists Inter, still on for a unprecedented Italian treble, had a bizarre start to their game with an own goal at each end within a minute of each other.

Inter midfielder Thiago Motta was unlucky to divert in Michele Marcolini’s free kick on 13 minutes before Andrea Mantovani deflected in Samuel Eto’o's strike straight away.

Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso then put Inter ahead with a well-taken goal from Maicon’s cross on 34 minutes and compatriot Diego Milito netted a classy strike to score his 21st goal of the campaign in his first season with the champions.

Mario Balotelli, so often at odds with his coach this term, made it four early in the second period before goals from Pablo Granoche and Sergio Pellissier sparked a nervy finish.

The colourful San Siro crowd lost their verve as Totti netted the penalty but had earlier reserved a special chant for coach Jose Mourinho given constant media speculation he may leave because given he says he is unhappy in Italian football.

Samp’s draw will have allowed third-placed AC Milan a slight sigh of relief after Leonardo’s side lost 1-0 at Genoa in a game played behind closed doors because of fears of fan violence.

Faltering Milan are now assured of third spot and direct entry into next season’s Champions League because of a better head-to-head record over Samp.

Atalanta joined Siena and Livorno in being relegated to Serie B after a 2-0 defeat at Napoli.

The Bergamo-based side, known as the Queen of the Provinces for daring to lock horns with the big city teams, had put up a brave fight in recent weeks but will be back in the second tier next season for the first time since 2006.

(Writing by Mark Meadows; Editing by; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Juve miss Champions League spot, Siena go down

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Juventus suffered the biggest embarrassment of a terrible season when their slim Champions League hopes were extinguished in a 1-1 Serie A draw at Catania on Sunday.

The twice European champions, Serie A’s most successful club, have lurched from one bad result to another this term and respite from the misery never looked likely in Sicily despite Claudio Marchisio equalising Matias Silvestre’s opener.

Beleaguered Juve lie seventh, assured of a Europa League qualifying berth next term like sixth-placed Napoli but eight points behind fourth-placed Sampdoria with two matches left.

Samp stayed two points clear in that final Champions League qualifying spot thanks to a 2-0 home win over relegated Livorno with Antonio Cassano scoring a typically classy goal on five minutes and Reto Ziegler blasting in a late free kick.

Luigi Del Neri’s side are four behind third-placed AC Milan after the Rossoneri beat Fiorentina 1-0 on Saturday.

Fifth-placed Palermo are now the only team that can catch Sampdoria and they host them next weekend in a mouthwatering clash.

Strikers Edinson Cavani and Fabrizio Miccoli netted as Palermo won 2-1 at Siena to confirm the home side’s relegation after they were effectively condemned last weekend because of their poor goal difference.

Third-from-bottom Atalanta, who missed a first-half penalty and were reduced to 10 men for the whole second period, stay five points adrift of safety after a calamitous late own goal from Federico Peluso in a 1-1 draw with fourth-from-bottom Bologna.

Peluso sank to his knees and held his head in his hands after he miscontrolled the ball with one touch and it ran into the net following a save by Andrea Consigli.

Conceding the freak equaliser followed a bizarre episode on halftime when the referee awarded Bologna a penalty and dismissed Maximiliano Pellegrino for protesting, then reversed the penalty decision because the ball had been out of play.

Lazio can make sure of safety with victory at home to second-placed Inter Milan later (1845 GMT) but such a result would hand the Serie A title initiative back to bitter city rivals AS Roma, 2-1 winners at Parma on Saturday.

(Editing by Clare Fallon;

To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Messi double puts Barcelona back on track

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Lionel Messi scored twice to help Barcelona shake off the disappointment of their midweek Champions League semi-final exit with a 4-1 victory at Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday.

Any thoughts that tired limbs or damaged morale might affect the defence of their league title were misplaced as Messi, Xavi and Bojan Krkic netted in the first half at the Madrigal.

World Player of the Year Messi then bagged his second goal near the end to take his league tally for the season to 29 after Joseba Llorente had pulled one back for the hosts.

Barca have 90 points with three matches left, four ahead of Real Madrid who play Osasuna at the Bernabeu on Sunday. Villarreal stay sixth on 52 points.

“It was a tough game and we needed to turn the page so I must congratulate the coach and players,” Barca president Joan Laporta told Spanish television.

Villarreal striker Nilmar fluffed two early chances before the visitors took control.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola left Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the bench, preferring Bojan alongside Pedro and Messi up front, and it was the Argentine who showed excellent skill to score the opener.

Controlling Xavi’s pass on the turn after 19 minutes he advanced and his shot deflected in off a defender.

Xavi doubled the lead with a curling free kick after 34 minutes and Bojan scored a wonderful third, spinning away from his marker and beating a second defender for pace before firing the ball into the far corner.

Llorente’s goal on the counter threatened to ignite a Villarreal comeback in the 67th minute but Messi clipped the ball over the diving Diego Lopez to secure the points.

ZIGIC GOALS

Earlier, Nikola Zigic scored twice to lead Valencia to a 2-0 victory at Espanyol that strengthened their hold on third place and Spain’s last automatic Champions League qualification slot.

The towering Serbia striker, who will play at the World Cup in June, replaced David Villa early in the second half and changed the course of the game by netting twice from Vicente crosses in the 61st and 74th minutes.

Valencia have 65 points, nine ahead of fourth-placed Real Mallorca who visit Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Mario Bermejo headed a last-gasp winner for Xerez to earn the basement club a dramatic 2-1 victory at home to Almeria that kept alive their hopes of avoiding relegation.

Television replays showed the Xerez striker was offside when he scored in the 93rd minute to set off wild celebrations around the stadium, and scuffles between the rival players as the final whistle blew straight after.

The top-flight debutants played the whole of the second-half with 10 men and in an increasingly desperate atmosphere Almeria also had a player sent off in the closing stages.

Xerez stay bottom on 30 points but closed to within five of 17th-placed Malaga and safety.

Felipe Caicedo grabbed a late equaliser to keep Malaga out of the bottom three with a 1-1 draw at home to Sporting Gijon but they are now level on 35 points with 18th-placed Tenerife.

The islanders, who have an inferior head-to-head record, were 2-1 winners over Racing Santander and moved above Real Valladolid (33 points) who drew 0-0 at home to Getafe.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fulham bounce back to reach Europa League final

April 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, April 30 (DPA) Fulham came from behind Thursday to beat Hamburg 2-1 and set up a Europa League final date with Atletico Madrid.

After a goalless draw in the first leg, Mladen Petric’s first-half free-kick seemed to have put Hamburg in control.

But Simon Davies levelled midway through the second half, before the Hungarian forward Zoltan Gera forced in the winner with quarter of an hour to go.

‘It’s the most important goal I have ever scored so I’m very, very happy. It’s amazing,’ Gera told ITV4. ‘We did so well, every single player.’

For a modest club on the Thames, reaching a first European final, a first final of any sort since 1975, represents an extraordinary achievement, and the six minutes between the goals was probably the greatest six minutes in their 131-year history.

Most of all, though, this was a triumph for Roy Hodgson, Fulham’s experienced and affable manager.

‘This team has got an unbelievable amount of spirit and character to come back from a goal down,’ said goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

‘They really did rock us and it took us a while to get going again.

‘(Hodgson) has been fantastic since day one when I arrived at the club, and every player can vouch for that.’

Centre-forward Bobby Zamora, who had been a doubt with an Achilles injury, was fit enough to start and, although he seemed to be moving a little gingerly, he caused Hamburg problems from the off.

Two minutes in, he collected a pass from Gera, stepped inside a defender, and was denied only by the outstretched left hand of Frank Rost.

Hamburg, though, were far from overawed, and welcomed back Petric after injury.

As in the first leg, their greatest threat came from the Burkina Faso winger Jonathan Pitroipa, whose pace troubled John Pantsil.

It was Petric, though, who opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. Danny Murphy tripped Ze Roberto, and the Croatia international smashed a dipping, swerving free-kick into the top corner.

Schwarzer was perhaps a little slow to get across to it, perhaps deceived by the ferocity of the strike.

Fulham immediately began to dominate possession, but it was Pitroipa on the break, drilling a drive just wide from 20 metres, who had the next real chance.

The home side looked neat enough in possession, but after the early Zamora chance, they created little but corners in the first half.

With Zamora battling gamely but clearly still struggling, Fulham lacked fluidity, and he was withdrawn 12 minutes into the second half for Clint Dempsey.

Gradually, as Hamburg dropped deeper, Fulham began to take control.

Damien Duff flashed a shot-cum-cross across the face of goal, before the equalizer arrived with 21 minutes to go.

Murphy chipped a ball over the top for Davies, who controlled it with the back of his heel, turned back past Guy Demel, and prodded a finish past Rost.

Seven minutes later came the second. Davies won a corner on the right, and as Murphy’s delivery bobbled around the box, Gera turned smartly to slam in the winner.

Hamburg seemed shattered by that, and their threat was fairly comfortably contained in the final minutes.

A minute into injury-time, though, a loose ball fell in the box to Ruud van Nistelrooy, who scored ten goals in nine games against Fulham as a Manchester United player, but he scuffed badly wide.

‘It just keeps getting better,’ said captain Murphy.

‘When we went a goal behind it would have been easy to think this was the end of the journey, but I thought the spirit we showed in the second half was tremendous.’

Fulham face Atletico Madrid in the final in Hamburg May 12 after an extra-time strike from Diego Forlan helped the Spanish side progress on the away goals rule after the tie finished 2-1 on the night to Liverpool but 2-2 on aggregate.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pompey turn despair into FA Cup joy

April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Crisis club Portsmouth stunned Tottenham Hotspur with a 2-0 extra-time win as it reached its second FA Cup final in three years at Wembley, just a day after being relegated from the Premier League.

Portsmouth, the 2008 FA Cup winners when now Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp was its manager, will face double chasers Chelsea – the team Pompey boss Avram Grant managed when they lost the 2008 Champions League final to Manchester United – in the May 15 final at Wembley.

Frederic Piquionne, on-loan from French club Lyon, scored from close range in the ninth minute of extra-time following former Spurs player Kevin-Prince Boateng’s header on from a Mark Wilson free-kick as Tottenham defender Michael Dawson slipped on the much criticised Wembley pitch.

Spurs thought they had equalised two minutes later but former Pompey striker Peter Crouch’s effort was ruled out by referee Alan Wiley for a foul by Niko Kranjcar, another ex-Portsmouth player, on England goalkeeper David James.

Pompey’s win was sealed when Boateng scored from the penalty spot with four minutes of extra-time left after striker Aruna Dindane was brought down by Wilson Palacios.

“It’s superb, we deserved the win,” Porstmouth keeper James told ITV.

“We played very well throughout the team.

“Look what it means to Pompey, it’s fantastic.

“We were eight- or nine-to-one (against) to win beforehand but we have proved people wrong.”

Redknapp could not understand why Crouch’s ‘goal’ was chalked off but praised his former club.

“It wasn’t our day,” he told reporters. “That’s how it goes.

“We had a good goal disallowed but full credit to Portsmouth. They always looked dangerous on the counter-attack and it was always going to be hard when they’ve got their full side out.

“We had good chances, a lot of possession and good opportunities.”

Redknapp though slammed the state of the Wembley playing surface.

“The pitch is a disgrace. I’m not using it as an excuse, it’s the same for both sides. But how can you play on a pitch you can’t stand up on? It’s farcical, unreal.”

Tottenham may be fifth in the table and chasing Champions League football but there was little evidence of a gap in class between the Londoners and their south coast opponents.

Portsmouth, bottom of the Premier League and with acknowledged debts of more than 76 million pounds, kicked-off knowing West Ham’s win over Sunderland on Saturday meant it had been relegated.

Portsmouth looked a threat on the counter-attack and had an excellent chance in the 37th minute only for Piquionne, one-on-one with Heurelho Gomes, to see his shot saved by the Brazilian’s left leg.

James though had to be at full stretch to palm away one-handed a shot from Tom Huddlestone.

Pompey continued to threaten on the break and when the quick Aruna Dindane crossed accurately to the equally speedy Piquionne, his fellow striker should have done better than head straight at Gomes.

Soon afterwards Spurs claimed a penalty after Pompey’s Steve Finnan appeared to handle in the area but Wiley dismissed the appeals.

And with 20 minutes of the second half left, Mokoena cleared off the line from Crouch, who later grazed the far post with a header.

Crouch could have won the match in stoppage time as he tried to turn in Gareth Bale’s shot but James made an excellent block from point-blank range.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Adelaide keeps ACL run going

March 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Adelaide United has moved closer to the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League for a second time, just seeing off Japanese heavyweight Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-2 at Hindmarsh Stadium.

In a frantic finale to the Group H clash, 10-man Sanfrecce took the lead with 15 minutes to play only for Adelaide to strike twice in four minutes to regain the lead, with substitute Cassio firing home a free-kick winner in the 82nd minute.

That clinched the former ACL finalists a hat-trick of group stage wins in front of 12,841 fans and maintained their top ranking in the group.

Acting Adelaide head coach Joe Mullen said his team’s steely determination, tenacity and team spirit had seen them pluck a win from the jaws of defeat.

“Even when they took the lead in the 75th minute we still had enough time to come back and take the game,” he said.

“The spirit and belief that’s engendered in this team is completely different to the A-League campaign.”

But the home side had to sweat out the victory in the dying stages after a pointless Sanfrecce turned the tie on its head after half-time.

Adelaide captain Travis Dodd crowned a dominant first-half display with a headed goal after just 11 minutes but Sanfrecce grew bolder in the second half and midfielder Kazuyuki Morisaki netted in the 55th minute.

Substitute Issei Takayanagi then stunned the home crowd in the 75th with a headed goal which put Sanfrecce 2-1 up.

But defender Robert Cornthwaite equalised in the 78th minute by heading home a Scott Jamieson corner and Cassio deflated the Japanese side with his deflected free kick from 20 metres out that wrong-footed the keeper.

Sanfrecce’s task had got bigger after defensive linchpin, Bulgarian international Ilian Stoyanov, was sent off in the 32nd minute for hauling back Adelaide’s teenage striker, Matthew Leckie just outside the penalty box.

The win ensured Adelaide held tightly onto top spot with a buffer in the group with three games still to play and Sanfrecce pointless and bottom.

Adelaide United turned the screws on Sanfrecce early with Argentine playmaker Marcos Flores dictating the rhythm and punching holes in the Japanese side’s five-man defence.

Dodd was also a standout in the first half and made the most of Flores’ precision on the left to net his first goal in the Champions League this season in style.

Flores took a quick throw-in at his feet, lost his marker and whipped in a low cross that Dodd steered into the side netting with a glancing header.

But an inspired Sanfrecce almost Adelaide pay for careless defending after half-time as Morisaki drove home a weak clearance from Cornthwaite on the edge of the penalty area and Takayanagi back-headed a free kick into the far corner.

United faces Sanfrecce again next Tuesday night in Japan in the reverse fixture.

In the evening’s other Group H fixture, Korean outfit Pohang Steelers had a 1-0 home win over China’s Shandong Luneng.

Adelaide: 3 (T Dodd 11′, Robert Cornthwaite 78′, Cassio 82′)

Sanfrecce 2 (K Morisake 55′, I Takayanagi 75′)

-AAP

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

All tied up in A-League grand final

March 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne and Sydney were locked at 0-0 at half-time in the A-League grand final at Docklands stadium.

The major feature of an eventful first half was the sight of Socceroos striker Archie Thompson limping off with a left knee injury in the 13th minute, ruled out of the rest of the game.

The Victory had already been forced to head in without last year’s grand final hero Tom Pondeljak, who succumbed to a persistent hamstring injury, and Thompson going down only added to the blow.

The home side however dusted itself off and had the better of the opening 45 minutes, with their best chance coming late on when Thai import Surat Sukha blasted a first-time strike just over the bar.

A goal would have been just reward for a well-worked move which saw elusive midfielder Carlos Hernandez display dazzling skills to get the ball to Nicky Ward, who crossed with Robbie Kruse providing a dummy for Sukha’s attempt.

Hernandez, looking dangerous whenever he had the ball at his feet, also arrowed a free kick over the visitors’ wall but wide of Clint Bolton’s right goal post.

Sydney’s best chance came on the counter, with a Terry McFlynn through-ball finding young striker Chris Payne, whose low right-footed strike across the face of goal was touched away for a corner by Victory custodian Mitchell Langerak.

Payne, scorer of two goals including a controversial hand-ball effort in Sydney’s 4-2 preliminary final win over Wellington, earned a spot in the starting 11 with veteran John Aloisi unavailable because of a torn hamstring.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Liverpool tripped up by Hazard

March 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Eden Hazard crowned an enterprising display with a late goal to give Lille a 1-0 victory over beleaguered English giant Liverpool in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie this morning (AEDT).

Liverpool, which is sixth in the English Premier League after losing 1-0 to Wigan on Tuesday, was short of fluency on an uneven playing surface in northern France and sank to defeat when Hazard’s 84th-minute free kick drifted straight in.

The Belgian youngster had been a constant torment with his purposeful running and his goal, albeit fortuitous, puts his side in the driving seat prior to the return match at Anfield on March 18.

Elsewhere, Serie A giant Juventus assumed command of its Europa League last-16 tie against Fulham with a 3-1 first-leg victory.

Juve took an early lead in Turin when centre-back Nicola Legrottaglie headed home from a ninth-minute corner before right-back Jonathan Zebina extended the advantage with a thunderous 25-yard effort.

Dickson Etuhu’s deflected shot reduced the arrears but former France international David Trezeguet restored the home side’s two-goal cushion by volleying home in first-half injury time after his shot came back off the post.

Lille has lost just twice at home all season and it began the game full of intent, with Yohan Cabaye testing Jose Reina inside the first minute.

Liverpool eventually settled, though, and on 26 minutes Ryan Babel was thwarted by Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau after a neat one-two with Fernando Torres.

Liverpool ended the first half strongly and Landreau was twice called into action, palming away Steven Gerrard’s free kick and then springing to his feet to claw away Torres’s header.

Hazard raised the temperature in the stadium shortly before the break with a menacing dribble and shot, while Babel was first to threaten in the second period when his fierce effort stung Landreau’s palms.

Lille counter-attacked sporadically, with Pierre-Alain Frau, Cabaye and substitute Stephane Dumont all threatening from distance, while Daniel Agger narrowly avoided diverting Florent Balmont’s cross into his own goal.

Torres picked up a yellow card for persistent dissent as Liverpool became rattled, before Hazard provided the breakthrough with an in-swinging free kick from wide on the left that missed everyone and crept inside the far post.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang volleyed against the outside of the post as Lille went close to extending its advantage, while Gerrard was denied by a convergence of home defenders after surging into the penalty area in injury time.

Elsewhere, a delightful curling finish from Bosnian playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic in the 67th minute earned Wolfsburg a 1-1 draw at Rubin Kazan in the battle of the reigning league champions from Germany and Russia.

Ruud van Nistelrooy scored his first home goal for new club Hamburg as it defeated Anderlecht 3-1, with Jonathan Legear’s superb free kick on the stroke of half-time earning the visitors an away goal.

Sporting Lisbon secured a 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid despite the 31st-minute dismissal of defender Leandro Grimi for two bookable offences and a straight red card for Tonel in the final minute.

Meanwhile in Spain, Valencia was held to a 1-1 draw at home to last season’s runners-up Werder Bremen, which took a 24th-minute lead via a Torsten Frings penalty.

The hosts had Argentine midfielder Ever Banega dismissed in the second half for violent conduct but they drew level almost immediately through Juan Mata, who slotted home after Spain team-mate David Silva’s shot was blocked.

A last-minute Hatem Ben Arfa header earned Marseille an impressive 1-1 draw at free-scoring Portuguese league leader Benfica, while Panathiniakos, which eliminated Serie A heavyweight Roma in the last round, wase beaten 3-1 at home by Standard Liege.

- AFP

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts