Torres sends Liverpool back to the top
April 11, 2009
LONDON (AFP) – Fernando Torres sent Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League as Rafael Benitez’s men plunged Blackburn deeper into trouble at the other end of the table with a 4-0 win at Anfield.
The Spanish striker ensured the contest was over by half-time, following up a fifth-minute volley with a header after 33 minutes to take his goal tally for the season to 14.
A long-range strike from Danish centreback Daniel Agger, seven minutes from the end, and a last-minute goal for young striker David Ngog completed a win that will have revived Liverpool’s spirits after their Champions League defeat by Chelsea on the same pitch in midweek.
The win lifted Liverpool two points clear of Manchester United ahead of the champions’ match at Sunderland later on Saturday.
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Celtic miss chance to pull clear of Rangers
April 11, 2009
GLASGOW (AFP) – Celtic wasted a chance to pull clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League after the leaders were held to a 1-1 draw at Hearts on Saturday.
Gordon Strachan’s side could have moved six points clear of second-placed Rangers with a victory at Tynecastle, but they had to settle for a four-point lead after Bruno Aguiar cancelled out Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink’s first minute opener for the champions.
After successive 4-0 wins over Hamilton and Falkirk, Celtic found it hard to hit top form again and Rangers can close the gap at the top to one point with a win over Motherwell at Ibrox later on Saturday.
Strachan had sprung a pre-match surprise as he left Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura on the bench, while Lee Naylor and Vennegoor of Hesselink came in for the injured Darren O’Dea and Georgios Samaras.
Celtic made a dream start when Vennegoor of Hesselink volleyed home his third goal in eight days inside 30 seconds.
Andreas Hinkel crossed towards the Dutchman, who hooked his shot into the corner past Hearts keeper Janos Balogh’s weak attempted save.
Hearts tried to mount an immediate response with Marius Zaliukas heading over from a Ruben Palazuelos cross.
But Vennegoor of Hesselink was giving the Hearts defence a torrid time. After sharp interplay with Scott McDonald, the Dutchman fired beyond the far post.
Then he got his head to Lee Naylor’s near-post corner, only to see his effort bounce off the woodwork.
Just as Celtic were taking control, Aguiar hit a spectacular equaliser in the 32nd minute.
Michael Stewart won a foul 30 yards out and Aguiar curled the free-kick over the wall and into the corner with Artur Boruc well beaten.
Celtic defender Stephen McManus was forced off with an injury at half-time and Hearts tried to take advantage with a fast start after the interval.
Zaliukas shot narrowly wide from 20 yards after a powerful run and Calum Elliot should have done better than fire a low cross into Boruc’s hands after Michael Stewart’s pass had sent him clear in the left channel.
Nakamura came on for Willo Flood soon after and immediately fired in a free-kick that appeared to strike Elliot on the hand in the penalty area, but referee Craig Thomson waved away their appeals.
Balogh got down well to hold a powerful long-range drive by Nakamura, whose compatriot Koki Mizuno replaced Aiden McGeady with eight minutes left.
Nakamura’s curling effort was forced just wide by a brilliant block from Zaliukas after Naylor had set up his team-mate.
Mizuno blasted wide after a long throw fell perfectly for him 12 yards out as Celtic failed to find a late winner.
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Gerrard says Hillsborough scars will never heal
April 11, 2009
LIVERPOOL (AFP) – Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard believes the scars of the Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the life of his cousin, as well as 95 other fans, will never heal.
With the 20th anniversary of the tragedy being marked on Wednesday, the England star, who was only nine at the time, recalled the horror of discovering his 10-year-old cousin Jon-Paul Gilhooley had become the youngest victim of the disaster.
“We got the dreaded knock the next morning to say that a member of our family was at the game and had been tragically killed,” said Gerrard.
“Obviously it was a difficult time to know that one of your cousins had been at the game and had been crushed.
“Seeing the reactions of his mum, dad and family helped me drive on to become the player I have developed into today.
“Time has gone by, but the scars will never ever be healed and the fans will never ever forget. So you can always rely on our supporters to be there for you when you need them.”
Gerrard will play a prominent role in the memorial service to be held at Anfield on Wednesday, the day after Liverpool try to overturn a 3-1 Champions League quarter-final deficit at Chelsea.
“The memory of Hillsborough is very central and very important to this club and the 96 will never be forgotten, as well as the people that got hurt,” he added.
“It is important these people get remembered individually and not just as a number of 96. This club has fought for justice ever since and will continue to do so.
“We have stuck together since that day like we always do at this club and that shows what kind of football club we are, sticking by each other when times are tough.
“We are not just about what happens on the pitch, we are all one off the pitch as well.
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Walcott hints at extending Arsenal contract
April 11, 2009
LONDON (AFP) – Theo Walcott, whose contract with Arsenal is due to run out in June 2010, has hinted that he’s ready to extend his playing days with the English Premiership giants.
The 20-year-old England star, who is in talks about extending his deal, has become a key member of Arsene Wenger’s side this season despite missing four months with a shoulder injury and is also a first-choice pick for England coach Fabio Capello.
“I’ll let my agents deal with the contract situation and just get on with playing,” Walcott told the Daily Mail.
“But I do look around and think what a great team this is. We’ve got a great squad and some great talents. Some of the things Robin (van Persie) and Eduardo do in training are just ridiculous.
“There are so many examples of players who have developed into great players under our manager, Thierry (Henry) for a start, and I want to be one of them.”
Walcott really announced himself on the international stage with a hat-trick in the 4-1 World Cup qualifying win over Croatia earlier this season but he is hoping to return to under-21 level this summer for the European Championships in Sweden.
“For me, playing for England at any age is an honour,” the former Southampton youngster continued. “And while it’s ultimately up to the managers to decide, I think I probably will play.
“In my opinion it would be good experience to play in a tournament because I haven’t really had that. It’s good experience for young players if they can win something as well.”
The shoulder injury, suffered while training with England, put the brakes on Walcott’s season but he believes the extra gym work that was part of his recovery has made him a better – and faster – player.
“Now my sprinting action is much better,” he added. “I’m more balanced when it comes to using my arms. I was a bit of a lightweight before.
“That was part of the problem. I’m more powerful now and much better equipped to deal with the physical demands of the game.”
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Besiktas Takes the Top Spot in Turkey
April 11, 2009
Besiktas did it, with a hornlike artefact after hardship prototypal half they came backwards in the ordinal half to vex Kocelispor in Kocaeli with the last-gasp goals. Kocaelispor scored the prototypal content of the correct in the ordinal time of the correct by Agbetu and the prototypal half ended with aforementioned reason after Kocaelispor movement downbound Besiktas team.
But, after Besiktas was awarded a penalisation squawk , everything invoke Besiktas’s artefact , after the 75nth minute.
Zapotochny scored on penalisation squawk to bond the reason first, than Bobo in the 85nth time and Yusuf Simsek winking the mantle in the 89nth time . It was a hornlike fought correct for Besiktas.
Kocaelispor players forfeited the strength after the penalisation squawk content on the field.
So, call it phenomenon or a brushwood , Besiktas is on crowning of the association until Sat night…
If Sivasspor retrograde saucer or points on Sat , Besiktas could near the weekend on crowning of the Turkcell Super association every by them selfs.
Like I said before, the 27th hebdomad in the League is the motion point…
Besiktas, came discover clean, after reaching behindhand to vex the aggroup who is hunting for springy accommodate to stop on in the league….
Sivasspor module hit to do that if they don’t poverty to retrograde the crowning blot to Besiktas!
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The Hillsborough disaster, 20 years on
April 11, 2009
PARIS (AFP) – It would be remembered as one of the blackest days in British sport, but Saturday April 15, 1989, began as a perfect day for a game of football.
Bright blue skies greeted fans of Liverpool and Nottingham Forest who had travelled to the northern industrial city of Sheffield for an FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, home of Sheffield Wednesday.
Mingled with the anticipation was a sense of deja vu.
The sides had met at the same ground at the same stage of the previous season?s competition, Liverpool winning 2-1.
Despite bringing far more supporters, Liverpool were given the small Leppings Lane stand to the west of the stadium, with the larger Spion Kop behind the opposite goal taken over by Forest fans who had journeyed to the ground from the south.
The terraces behind the goal at the Leppings Lane end were split into pens, and by 2.30pm pens three and four, directly behind the goal, were already heaving with supporters.
“Looking around, I could see that fans older and clearly more seasoned than me were getting edgy,” Liverpool fan and survivor Adrian Tempany told The Observer newspaper.
Roadworks had held up some Liverpool fans en route to the game, and with kick-off fast approaching thousands of supporters were stuck outside the turnstiles, pressing to get in.
This created a bottleneck effect and when it became clear that fans were in real danger of being hurt, police Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield made the fateful call to open Gate C in the security wall and release the pressure on those stuck outside.
The fans poured in, sweeping through the concourse that led to the terraces and straight into the already crowded pens behind the goal.
The result was catastrophic.
Penned in by the perimeter fencing at the front of the stand, 96 people in pens three and four were crushed to death.
“Within feet of me people were standing dead, bolt upright,” Tempany said.
“The only comfort I could find was that thousands of people who were still alive were now shouting for help, screaming, ‘There are people dead in here!?”
Oblivious to the unfolding tragedy, police allowed the game to kick off as scheduled at three o?clock.
“Four minutes into the game I had a shot that hit the crossbar,” remembered Liverpool striker Peter Beardsley.
“Naturally, at the time I was disappointed. In hindsight, it was good that I didn’t score, because people outside the ground heard the roar when I hit the bar and tried even harder to get into the terraces.”
Very quickly, though, it became apparent that something had gone tragically wrong, as fans desperately sought to haul themselves over the fence or clamber into the tier above.
At six minutes past three the match was brought to a halt by the referee.
Finally police opened a gate in the perimeter fence, which separated the spectators from the pitch, and the pressure in the pens was eased.
Breathless fans spilled onto the grass and were soon ferrying their gravely injured friends across the pitch on makeshift stretchers fashioned from advertising hoardings.
Only one ambulance was allowed onto the pitch by the police, who were heavily criticised by Lord Justice Taylor in his report into the disaster for their failure to react to the situation.
The legacy of the Taylor Report would be the all-seater stadia that would one day make England the envy of the footballing world, but for those touched by the tragedy, the wounds would take much longer to heal.
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Injury problems mount for Wenger
April 11, 2009
WIGAN, England (AFP) – Arsene Wenger has had no shortage of challenges to face in this turbulent season for Arsenal, but the most daunting of all is yet to come.
Greatness remains within touching distance for the Frenchman’s young squad but, to grab it, they will have to conquer not simply the best sides European football has to offer, but also an injury crisis which has struck at the most inopportune moment imaginable.
William Gallas is out for the rest of the season with a knee problem, while Manuel Almunia and Gael Clichy will be sidelined for at least the next fortnight.
The trio will be missing for a period in which Arsenal face four defining matches: they travel to Wigan in the league on Saturday, then host Villarreal in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, play Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals before a league trip to Liverpool.
Such a fixture list would furrow Wenger’s brow at the best of times, but given his current lack of resources, it has a particularly ominous look as he seeks to cement another top-four league finish and win his first piece of silverware since 2005.
The absence of Gallas could be felt most keenly of all. The French centre-half has been in sterling form since being humiliatingly stripped of the captaincy by Wenger for one public outburst too many in December, and Arsenal have no ready-made replacement.
Mikael Silvestre and Johan Djourou are the obvious candidates to step in, but neither are in Gallas’ class.
Silvestre has been bedevilled by his own fitness problems this term and, is susceptible to searing pace, while Djourou, though improving, lacks the nous that only experience can bestow.
He might have cursed his fortune in private, but Wenger was doing his best to be bullish as he revealed the extent of his selection problems for the trip to Wigan, where Arsenal will be seeking to stretch their unbeaten league run to 18 games and maintain momentum ahead of next Wednesday’s visit of Villarreal.
“It is a big blow but the squad comes in,” he said. “We are on a strong run in the league and want to keep the run going. We did that even without the injured players.
“It is super important to keep the run going. Consistency is the real sign that we have improved and at the moment we are quite consistent. Until now we have dealt well with our problems.”
Wenger has learnt the hard way never to under-estimate opponents – Arsenal have already tasted defeat at Stoke, Fulham and Manchester City this season – but the Frenchman should expect even a patched-up squad to emerge unscathed from Wigan, whose form has dipped alarmingly since mid-January.
Steve Bruce’s side have won just twice in 11 games and were crushed 4-0 by Everton in their last outing. Bruce has also had his ire stoked by his errant on-loan striker Amr Zaki, who failed to return on time from international duty with Egypt, claiming he had suffered a hamstring injury.
Bruce is planning talks with Zaki – who has already been fined two weeks’ wages for his indiscretion – but a permanent move to the JJB stadium now looks certain to be scrapped.
“We will sit down with the player and his advisors in the next 24 hours and see where we go from there,” Bruce said. “We have to listen to what he has to say but I expect him to apologise not just to his team-mates, but to the people who employ him as well.
“You cannot have one rule for one and another for the others. It’s left such a sad and bitter taste because he had such a good start with us.”
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Fergie returns fire in Benitez feud
April 11, 2009
MANCHESTER (AFP) – Sir Alex Ferguson has cranked up his war of words with Rafael Benitez by voicing surprise that the Liverpool manager took aim at Manchester United while preparing for their Champions League clash with Chelsea.
United boss Ferguson and Liverpool manager Benitez have been embroiled in a lengthy verbal feud since the Spaniard hit out at Ferguson’s conduct at a January press conference.
Benitez stepped up the row earlier this month by responding to suggestions by Ferguson that the winners of the Liverpool-Chelsea Champions League tie would prove to be United’s closest challengers in the Premier League title race, with a claim that the Old Trafford boss was ‘maybe a little bit scared’ of Liverpool.
With United and Liverpool still vying for the title, Ferguson has questioned the timing of Benitez’s ’scared’ accusation.
The Scot said: “If you ask me a question about other teams, I’ll give you an opinion. There’s no fault in that.
“Arsene Wenger was talking about Manchester United a couple of weeks ago when he was asked a question and he gave a fair answer.
“But the interesting thing as far as Rafa Benitez is concerned is that he’s got a European tie (against Chelsea) and he’s talking about Alex Ferguson. Fantastic! I didn’t know I was that important!”
Ferguson, speaking ahead of Saturday’s league trip to Sunderland, smiled when asked whether he had ‘got under Benitez’s skin.’
“I have no more comment to make!” he said.
With many focusing on the battle between United and Liverpool, Ferguson has warned against discounting the claims of Chelsea, who flexed their muscles with a 3-1 win at Anfield in their Champions League first-leg.
Ferguson said: “Chelsea will be absolutely buoyed up (by the victory at Liverpool). You saw the celebrations at the end.
“They knew it was an emphatic result and they will be flying at the moment. That was a good performance by them. I remember when we won the Treble in 1999 — you can never forget Ryan Giggs’ goal (agains Arsenal) at Villa Park.
“That just lifted everyone and from then on we were unbeatable. It does that to you when you get a very important result, but hopefully Chelsea are beatable.
“I’d be happy with the race going down to the last day, though. It would do me fine because we’re used to that. We’ve done it four times.”
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Revitalised Chelsea bid to put pressure on United
April 11, 2009
LONDON (AFP) – If confidence guaranteed results then Guus Hiddink and his Chelsea players would only have to turn up to beat Bolton on Saturday as the Blues bid to boost their Premier League title hopes.
Hiddink’s impact at the west London club since he took temporary charge in February has been remarkable.
His side’s stunning 3-1 demolition of Liverpool in this week’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Anfield confirmed that under the Dutchman, Chelsea are back to their intimidating best heading into the final weeks of the season.
The result means they are clear favourites to claim a place in the last four of European football’s premier competition while next weekend’s FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal could see them progress to a domestic final.
With leaders Manchester United stumbling awkwardly in recent weeks, Hiddink’s re-energised side are by no means out of the running in the title race heading into the final seven games of the campaign.
Chelsea face a Bolton side who have all but secured their top-flight status four points behind United who have a game in hand.
But victory over Gary Megson’s side will maintain the pressure and if there was any doubt that expectation amongst Hiddink’s players is currently sky high, it was surely removed by full-back Ashley Cole’s reaction to the unexpected score-line against Liverpool.
“We were a little disappointed we didn’t score four or five,” said the England defender. “When we came in everybody was saying we could have finished it there and then. But we are happy.
“It’s going to be tough for them to come to Stamford Bridge and score three goals. We have scored in every game since the new manager came in but we are confident we can go through.”
Hiddink’s main challenge this weekend will probably be to bring his players back down to earth, but with Didier Drogba returning to his very best form this week and Michael Essien completely nullifying Steven Gerrard, it’s hard to envisage them being denied by a solid, but unspectacular Bolton side who have not won in eight away games.
Chelsea have won eight of their ten games since Hiddink succeeded Luiz Felipe Scolari and while the manager remains adamant he will return full time to his job with the Russia national team in May, there is a growing belief his brief reign will be marked by at least one piece of silverware.
And the margin of victory over Liverpool means he may feel under less pressure to rest key players ahead of next week’s return meeting with Rafael Benitez’s side.
For Bolton, the target for the remainder of the season is to break into the top half of the table which would be a considerable achievement after a campaign spent on the fringes of the relegation zone.
Megson – who insists his side are not yet safe despite sitting eight points clear of the bottom three – praised the efforts of Swedish striker Johan Elmander, who has come in for criticism after failing to live up to the 10 million pounds price-tag he carried with him when he switched from Toulouse.
“The stats show that no forward in the Premier League works harder than Johan,” said Megson.
“He’s put in a lot of effort and he is extremely unselfish. Being a centre-forward people will look at his goals and both Johan and myself are disappointed with five goals.
“But that’s not the be all and end all for the coaching staff and the people that work with him. In every other aspect he has settled well and his hard work has helped people like Kevin Davies and Matthew Taylor score the goals that they have.”
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Under fire Man Utd aim to silence critics
April 11, 2009
SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) – Manchester United have a golden opportunity to silence the critics proclaiming their demise when the Premier League leaders travel to struggling Sunderland on Saturday.
By the time United kick off at the Stadium of Light, they could have been leap-frogged by Liverpool, who host Blackburn in Saturday’s early match, but a victory for the champions would immediately restore them to top spot.
Including Wednesday’s error-strewn 2-2 draw with Porto in the Champions League, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have now conceded 10 goals in their last four matches and pundits are beginning to question United’s ability to get over the finish line in the Premier and Champions Leagues.
United’s recent wobble, which has seen them win just once in four matches, has allowed both Liverpool and Chelsea, who trail by four points, back into the title race.
A key factor in the Old Trafford club’s recent slump has been the sudden defensive meltdown. Ferguson has had to endure regular injuries and Rio Ferdinand continues to be troubled by a groin problem that also affects his back, while Jonny Evans sustained a groin injury in the draw with Porto and is also set to miss the Sunderland clash.
United are still without Wes Brown, who has missed much of the season with an ankle injury, while the young Brazilian full-back Rafael da Silva is unlikely to play again this season due to a similar injury.
To add to United’s problems, Wayne Rooney is doubtful for the game against the Black Cats with a rib injury and Dimitar Berbatov is set to be missing for another week.
Despite United’s problems, they should still be strong enough to beat a dismal Sunderland side, who are just three points clear of the relegation zone after winning only one of their last eight league matches.
United’s Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is adamant they can turn it around and has challenged his team-mates to re-discover their fine defensive form.
“It’s not that the goals we are conceding are great goals from our opponents,” he said.
“Of course, we have to sort that out and start focusing on what we did very successfully for a long time this season.
“We need to get back to that way of defending and then we should be okay.
“We had a hard game on Sunday, and again on Tuesday. We need to make sure we focus again for Saturday against Sunderland.”
Black Cats boss Ricky Sbragia is under pressure after his side failed to win any of their last six matches and he is likely to be without defender George McCartney and striker David Healy with calf and groin problems respectively.
Finnish midfielder Teemu Tainio could make a first appearance since suffering a knee injury in February.
A lack of goals has been the key to Sunderland’s slump. The club’s two main strikers Djibril Cisse and Kenwyne Jones have not managed a goal between them in more than a month.
Yet Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon is adamant that Sbragia’s team can pull themselves out of trouble.
“There’s no escaping it, and that’s where you see the true character of the players,” Gordon said.
“We’re better off than three teams below us so we’re not in the worst position, we roll our sleeves up and fight for every point possible.
“We’ve got players in this dressing room that have experience of last year and we’re desperate to ensure we get the same outcome this season.”
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