Yugoslavia coach Vujadin Boskov, when asked about his future after losing 6-1 to Holland: “I am not ill, so I hope I won’t die. That’s my future.”
November 8, 2008
In response to Chris’ recent article on the Roma blog regarding Sinisa Mihajlovic’s obscure quip reported on La Gazzetta Dello Sport: “Non c’è bisogno di un fucile per vincere, gli possiamo fare male anche con una pistola ad acqua, se gli spariamo in un occhio”. (A rifle is not needed to win. It’s also possible to hurt with a water pistol, if we shoot for the eye.), I felt it necessary to come to our new man’s defense. I can only translate Chris’ anti-Mihajlovic sentiment as xenophobic bigotry, fascism(maybe?) or simply the shuddering fear which spurred him from sleep this past evening at the far from ideal state his team currently lies.
It seems Serbian managers have a penchant for what seems to be misinterpreted humor, overlooked satire, or some deep Ex-Yugoslavian wisdom that fails to cross the language barrier.
Vujadin Boskov, was famous in Italy for his Boskovisms. Headliners such as: “Winning is better than drawing, and drawing better than losing”, “It is a penalty when the referee blows”, and “Ball to us, we play; ball to them, they play.”
Aside from his loose grasp of the Italian language, and profound tactical insight of the game, Vujadin Boskov was also celebrated for a Serie A championship campaign in the season of 1990-1991 where he led Sampordia to their first and only Scudetto. In 1992 the same team were runners-up to Barcelona for the European Cup at Wembley (Gianluca Vialli’s wasteful attempts in front of goal proved to seal their fate). The Romanistas may have long forgotten, but the great Boskov muttered his philosophical footballing tome on the grounds of the Olimpico in the season of 1992-1993.
Sinisa Mihajlovic has taken the torch, though his water pistol comment was as stupefying as Boskov’s past, at least the man is pushing metaphors. We do not have rifles as Roma: Totti,De Rossi, Aquilani, yet we can do proper damage with our water pistols: Di Vaio, Valiani, Mudingayi; that is of course if we shoot for the eye. ONCE AGAIN THE PROBABLE FORMATIONS:
WEATHER REPORT:
Partly cloudy 57 degrees Fahrenheit
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Quick Report: Nasri leads Arsenal past United
November 8, 2008
LONDON (SW) – Two impressive goals from Samir Nasri earned Arsenal a deserved victory over Manchester United at Emirates Stadium.
United dominated in the opening phase but lacked focus in front of Almunia’s goal.
Instead, the Gunners then took the lead themselves with a diagonal strike from Samir Nasri, which was slightly but sufficiently deflected by a defender.
Three minutes after the break, Nasri added a second goal for the home side. The position from which he struck made a straight shot into the right corner of the goal more likely, but Nasri surprised keeper Van der Sar by directing the ball into the left corner instead.
Rafael got one back for Manchester in the 90th minute, but even six minutes of added time weren’t enough for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to find the equaliser.
Written by: Jonathan Roorda
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Canada eliminated from U-17 Women’s World Cup by Germany 3:1
November 8, 2008
WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Nkem Ezurike scored her second goal of the tournament, but Dzenifer Marozsan scored one in each half and Germany beat Canada 3:1 in the quarterfinals of the Women’s U-17 World Cup on Saturday.
Eruzike’s goal a minute before halftime pulled Canada within 2:1 and gave the North Americans hope, but Marozsan’s second goal in the 78th assured their elimination.
Maroszan gave the European champion the lead in the fourth and Lynn Mester doubled the advantage in the 34th, knocking in a rebound after Alexandra Popp hit the post.
Ezurike tried to rally Canada, poking in Tiffany Cameron’s ball across the face of the goal in the 44th.
The victory sent Germany to a Thursday semifinal against either the United States or Korea Republic, which face off in their quarterfinal on Sunday in Hamilton.
In Saturday’s earlier quarterfinal, Korea DPR defeated Denmark 4:0 to set up a match against Japan or England, who will play Sunday before the Korea Republic-USA match.
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Taça de Portugal
November 8, 2008
In a repeat of last years Taça de Portugal final, Porto visits Estádio José Alvalade to face Sporting. It is an twist of fate to see these two rivals drawn so early in the competition, particularly as you consider both played in tough Champions League matches earlier this week.
While the Dragões generally only release selected information before matches, Jesualdo Ferreira has been particularly tight-lipped about this and excluding the posted squad list, all commentary is media supposition or a nice way to say, building up content. For the match he has posted the squad list as below with the only change being a fully-fit Jorge Fucile returning in lieu of Cristian Săpunaru.
Bruno Alves, Fernando, Jorge Fucile, Freddy Guarín, Helton, Hulk, Lino, Lisandro López, Lucho González, Mariano González, Nuno, Pedro Emanuel, Pelé, Raul Meireles, Cristian Rodríguez, Rolando, Milan Stepanov, Tarik Sektioui e Tomás Costa,
Going into the match Paulo Bento is confident and with good reason. Besides having tremendous crowd support in defense of the being back to back winners of the Taça de Portugal they are without a doubt playing consistently better than Porto and showing signs that this is “their year.” That might be a bitter pill for Port supporters but three wins in seven matches is a deplorable start and reason for concern. Domestically Porto has been terribly inconsistent and showing a embarrassing lack of commitment, losing to Leixões and Naval 1º de Maio in a manner that champions should never allow on the pitch. How this past weeks stunning victory against Dynamo Kyiv will impact them is guess work but hopefully it will be a wake-up call to not only improve performance but remember the crest they wear.
While I have uttered it in the past, it’s time to see Pelé more on the pitch, not simply because of his abilities but as a representative of the regional product and the obvious connection to the community. That might not be a concern to many but it is structurally key for all clubs to support to the core of the sport and this is a logical step of a leader.
Enjoy the match and I will report on it as it concludes.
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Saturday Morning Hangover
November 8, 2008
Another busy day means another pilfered preview, but you guys are great when it comes to discussion so we should be fine. Many thanks to Channel 4…
New Serie A leaders Milan are planning to add one more win to their four victories in a row as they take on draw-addicted Lecce. The Rossoneri will be strong favourites to collect the three points, but history shows that nothing can be taken for granted – especially at the Via Del Mare.
The San Siro giants are approaching the peak of their form, playing good football at times and returning to the top of the table for the first time in four years after a narrow victory over Napoli on Sunday.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti will use Thursday’s UEFA Cup game against Sporting Braga to test the condition of a few players. As a result, Philippe Senderos and Kakha Kaladze should be in contention to win a place in the starting XI at the weekend.
Upfront, former Genoa striker Marco Borriello seems to have won the battle with young gun Alexandre Pato and old fox Pippo Inzaghi. The Italian will be supported by the Brazilian duo of Kaka and Ronaldinho. Playmaker Andrea Pirlo is still out, which should see Massimo Ambrosini again start.
Lecce Coach Mario Beretta is still struggling to find the perfect design for his team, but proclaimed himself happy with his side’s performance in the draw with Atalanta. Playmaker Andrea Ardito and star man Simone Tiribocchi have minor problems, but there is no doubt they will start.
Guillermo Giacomazzi is back from suspension, but Brazilian full-back Angelo is still out. Vitorino Antunes will keep his place on the left. Former Pisa striker Jose Castillo is likely to be the first choice to partner Tiribocchi, while Daniele Cacia, still in poor form, will probably start from the bench.
Keep an eye on: Simone Tiribocchi (Lecce) – Up against Samba stars Ronaldihno and Kaka, the former Torino striker will be looking to steal the headlines against the Serie A leaders.
Last season: Not played
Form guide: Lecce (D D L D D) Milan (D W W W W)
——————————————————————————–
Lecce (probable): Benussi; Polenghi, Stendardo, Fabiano, Antunes; Giacomazzi, Zanchetta, Ardito, Caserta; Tiribocchi, Castillo
Milan (probable): Abbiati; Zambrotta, Bonera, Kaladze, Jankulovski; Gattuso, Ambrosini, Seedorf; Kaka, Ronaldinho; Borriello
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Trinidad secures place in Caribbean finals with 3:1 victory over St. Kitts
November 8, 2008
MACOYA, Trinidad – Trinidad & Tobago claimed a place in the finals of the Digicel Caribbean Championship on Friday, beating St. Kitts & Nevis 3:1.
Khaleem Hyland and Devon Jorsling scored a minute apart midway through the second half to put Trinidad ahead 3:0 in the 66th, giving the Soca Warriors their second win in as many games in second-round Group H of Caribbean qualifying.
Antigua & Barbuda beat Guyana 2:1 earlier Friday and was in second place with three points, putting it in position to claim the last remaining berth in next month’s finals with a draw against St. Kitts on Sunday.
Trinidad will play Guyana later Sunday. St. Kitts leads Guyana on goal difference with one point each. Both will enter Sunday’s play with a chance to advance.
Keon Daniel gave Trinidad the lead in the 37th minute and Hyland and Jorsling secured the game with their goals in the second half.
Jevon Francis scored a consolation goal for St. Kitts in the 86th.
Earlier, Ranja Christian scored in the 78th minute to lift Antigua & Barbuda past Guyana.
The game included a dispute goal in the 11th minute when Mikele Leigertwood’s 25-yard shot struck the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and out of the goal. Guayana, led by captain Charles “Lily” Pollard, challenged Dominican referee Willy Minyetti that the ball had not crossed the line to no avail.
Randolph Jerome equalized for Guyana in the 45th, scoring within a minute of entering the game to replace Howard Newton. Carey Harris dribbled past two defenders before sending a high ball to Jerome, who finished with a header just before halftime.
The victory gave avenged Antigua’s 6:0 loss to the Golden Jaguars in the second round of qualifying for the 2007 Caribbean championship in Guayana.
Trinidad joins host Jamaica, defending champion Haiti and fellow qualifiers Guadeloupe, Cuba, Grenada and Barbados in the December 3-14 Caribbean finals. Four teams from the Caribbean championship will qualify for next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
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Leeds starts FA Cup with dowdy performance
November 8, 2008
Leeds started their FA Cup with dowdy 1-1 draw to Northampton Town. In considering the match, more shocking the the ineptitude that Gary McAllister accepts on the pitch was the cavernous Elland Road. Announced at 9,000 it seemed like far less and was at-times difficult to watch as a reminder of the great clubs fall from grace. For clubs in the higher ranks, presently going through troubled times, this match was a haunting tale of what can happen should you crash into the lower leagues.
To summarize the match simply, it was a case of Leeds consistently playing to the speed of their opposition and a very telling weakness of why many players don’t make the jump to the next level. The core of Fabian Delph, Robert Snodgrass and Luciano Becchio were waiting for others to attack instead of letting the opposition re-group and wait for the next rousing school-yard smash at the ball. This is Leeds weakness; a dowdy attack that sadly a number of fine players must be told to one-touch the ball-on and stop waiting to decide what to do. Should they continue to play as such I can assure you they will not be promoted and then need to deal with the exodus of young talent.
Returning to the match although Leeds was controlling the run of play, Scott McGleish got the visitors on the score-sheet first converting on a perfect cross by Ryan Gilligan. However after a bumbling yellow-card two minutes into the match, Giles Coke received his second at the twenty-seven minute mark and Northampton played the balance of the match a man down. Leeds continued to control possession of the ball but once it got in the attacking end it slowed for a standard fair of bashing a cross into the box. Eight minutes before the half Mark Hughes was adjudged to fouling Jonny Howson in the box with a resulting penalty awarded. Unfortunately it was a miserably embarrassing dive by Jonny and somewhat easy to spot as he took a step then swanned onto the ground. Andy Robinson tucked the ball into the net to bring the match level but Leeds couldn’t find the winner in a horrible display.
The replay is set for Sixfields next Tuesday
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Real´s Van Nistelrooy ´faces knee operation´
November 8, 2008
MADRID (AFP) – Real Madrid’s talismanic Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy could be sidelined for two to three months if he undergoes surgery on his injured knee, according to reports.
Van Nistelrooy was the top scorer in the Spanish league last season so any prolonged absence would prove a huge setback for Real, whose limitations in attack have been exposed of late.
The Madrid giants sit third in La Liga two points adrift of on-form arch rivals Barcelona, but were resoundingly beat 2-0 by Juventus in the Champions League in midweek.
Real have confirmed that Van Nistelrooy, who is out of Saturday’s league match against Malaga, is suffering from the same external meniscus injury on his right knee which prompted him to go under the knife in 2000.
The club said the Dutchman is set to consult American doctor Richard Steadman, who carried out that operation eight years ago. According to Spanish sports dailies AS and Marca Saturday, a second operation is imminent.
AS added that Real are already looking into the possibility of signing VfB Stuttgart’s German international striker Mario Gomez, 23, as a replacement.
Written by: AFP
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Jordan walks out on Pompey, set for Spurs
November 8, 2008
LONDON (AFP) – Portsmouth assistant manager Joe Jordan has quit the club and is set to join up with former Pompey boss Harry Redknapp at Tottenham, reports said Saturday.
The departure of Jordan comes days after new Portsmouth manager Tony Adams said he was looking to appoint new back room staff, naming former Arsenal teammate Dennis Bergkamp as one of two possible candidates.
The 56-year-old Jordan was initially expected to remain at Fratton Park, where he was Redknapp’s assistant manager before his decision to join Spurs in the wake of Juande Ramos’ sacking.
However it now appears the former Scotland international is set to perform a surprise u-turn.
Adams, the former Arsenal skipper, said midweek he had already spoken to former teammate Martin Keown about a possible role at the club, however since then Keown is reported to have said he would prefer to concentrate on media work.
Plans to talk to Bergkamp, who is currently working with the youth team of Dutch giants Ajax, have so far failed to get off the ground.
Adams is still looking for his first victory as manager of Pompey, who face Sunderland on Saturday.
Written by: AFP
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Gunners to walk high wire in Man Utd showdown
November 8, 2008
LONDON (AFP) – Arsene Wenger has billed Saturday’s showdown between Arsenal and Manchester United as one of the summit meetings between England’s big four that will decide this season’s Premier League title battle.
That assertion is backed up by the stats that show United took 13 points out of a possible 18 from their meetings with Liverpool, Chelsea and the Gunners last season — a haul that effectively kept the trophy at Old Trafford.
With Wenger’s Arsenal having lost three times already this season — leaving them six points adrift of leaders Chelsea — they would appear to be the side with most to lose in Saturday’s lunchtime encounter.
But United’s most seasoned campaigner, Ryan Giggs, believes Arsenal will still be a threat regardless of whether or not United emerge from the Emirates with three points.
"When you look at the quality Arsenal have, I don’t think we can finish off their title hopes on Saturday," said the Welshman, who effectively booked United’s place in the last 16 of the Champions League with his late equaliser at Celtic on Wednesday.
Giggs recognises that Arsenal have been hit hard by the combination of injury and suspension that have deprived them of strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie for Saturday’s match, as well as making Theo Walcott a doubtful starter.
But he insisted: "They have got a few players out at the moment – but all four top teams, if they are there or thereabouts, are capable of going on a run. That has always been the case.
"I expect us all to be involved at the end. We are going to have losses of form and not get the results we want. Hopefully we have had our poor spell."
None of the top four have been entirely convincing of late: Liverpool’s unbeaten start in the league ended at Tottenham last week while leaders Chelsea were well-beaten by Roma in midweek.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men will seek to pick up the pieces at Blackburn on Sunday with scathing criticism from skipper John Terry still ringing in their ears.
Terry is hoping the Roma setback will serve as a "kick up the backside" for a squad he accused of lacking fight and desire in the Italian capital.
"We just sort of strolled and went there thinking we were better than them when clearly we were not," he said. "The quicker we forget about it and wipe the slate clean the better."
Liverpool, who needed a stoppage time penalty to salvage a Champions League draw at home to Atletico Madrid in midweek, will expect to return to winning ways when West Brom vist Anfield on Saturday.
Rafael Benitez would never admit it but it is highly likely that Liverpool’s Spanish manager will be breathing a sigh of relief over the anticipated return from injury of Fernando Torres, whose absence for the last few weeks has severely blunted the Reds cutting edge.
Tottenham’s quest to escape the relegation zone has been boosted by a haul of seven points from their three matches since Harry Redknapp took charge last month.
But Spurs remain rooted to the bottom of the table and Sunday’s trip to Manchester City will provide a stiff test of the extent of the revival engineered by Redknapp.
Despite his extraordinary start to life at White Hart Lane, Redknapp is taking nothing for granted given that just six points currently separate his side from Everton in seventh place.
"I’ve never seen a tighter league and it might take more points than usual to stay up," he warned this week.
Fixtures (1500 GMT unless stated)
Saturday
Arsenal v Man Utd (1245 GMT), Hull City v Bolton, Liverpool v West Brom, Sunderland v Portsmouth, West Ham v Everton, Wigan v Stoke (1245 GMT)
Sunday
Aston Villa v Middlesbrough, Blackburn v Chelsea (1330 GMT), Fulham v Newcastle (1600 GMT), Manchester City v Tottenham
Written by: AFP
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