Martin Palermo heads towards the record books
October 6, 2009
Is Martin Palermo’s amazing winner for Boca Juniors on Sunday, a header from nearly 40 metres that bounced just once on the line of the six-yard box on its way into the net, worthy of an entry into the Guinness Book of records?
This is a question Argentines have been asking, while TV sports chat shows have been running footage of other remarkable goals and moments in the career of the 35-year-old striker.
Palermo himself barely knew what had happened on Sunday. His expression as he celebrated his feat said it all. First a quick run, taking his shirt off and waving it over his head. Then a stance with feet and arms out wide in front of the hardcore fans at the Bombonera, soaking up the adulation but also with a wry grin as if to ask “How did I manage that?”
Velez Sarsfield goalkeeper German Montoya came out of his box to kick the ball clear. It went at head height towards the centre circle. Palermo, standing just outside the circle 38.90 metres from goal headed it right back and it sailed, veering towards the right, into the net. Another 10 metres and it would have hit the post or gone just wide.
“It always happens to me. When I look for similar stories of other players there aren’t any. Things happen to me that I can’t explain,” Palermo told TyC Sports cable TV.
Diego Maradona is probably going to give Palermo, who scored twice with two orthodox headers in a friendly 2-0 win against a weak Ghana team last Wednesday, a start in Argentina’s critical World Cup qualifier against Peru at the Monumental on Saturday.
It is another remarkable moment in the career of a striker who won seven caps in 1999, one of which came in a match against Colombia in which he missed three penalties, and then did not put on an Argentina shirt for 10 years.
Last month, he made his international comeback as a substitute in Argentina’s 1-0 defeat by Paraguay that has left Maradona’s team teetering on the edge of World Cup oblivion. Argentina’s only real chance of that match fell to him in stoppage time but he was just short of getting to Rolando Schiavi’s header across the face of goal.
A younger Palermo would probably have reached it and turned it in for an equaliser. Maradona hopes he can score against the Peruvians and Palermo said his wonder header on Sunday has been a confidence booster.
“Mentally, it’s a great boost for what’s coming with the national team,” said Palermo, who, if he plays, will win his 10th cap.
“Obviously it’s not the same to arrive (at the match) in good form as getting there in (the middle of) a bad run,” added Palermo, whose Boca side had lost their previous four matches before Sunday’s 3-2 victory over league title holders Velez.
PHOTO: Argentina’s Martin Palermo celebrates after scoring against Ghana during their friendly in Cordoba September 30, 2009. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci
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You can still watch Ukraine v England on TV … you just have to come to Croatia
October 6, 2009
A quick look around the blogosphere suggests that for many England fans the idea of watching the World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in front of a computer screen at the mercy of an ISP, or at a crammed cinema, sounds about as appealing as making the long trip to Dnipropetrovsk.
But do not despair, England fans, because there is an option for those of you determined to watch it on telly.
Croatia’s HRT 2 state television, also viewable in Serbia on cable, is showing the game live, so here is your chance to combine a bit of light football watching with an autumn dip in the Adriatic somewhere along Croatia’s mesmerising coast, or an evening spent sampling Belgrade’s unique and vibrant nightlife, epitomised by boat-bars and clubs along the Danube.
And fear not that the Croatian faithful might have a go at you after their team’s recent 5-1 drubbing at Wembley. They will be praying for an England win that would leave their boys in the driving seat for a runners-up spot in Group Six.
PHOTO: A subscription page is shown on a laptop computer at a cafe in central London October 5, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville
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Artificial pitch holds no fear for Ballack
October 6, 2009
Germany captain Michael Ballack on Tuesday dismissed concerns over the artificial pitch for the crunch World Cup showdown with Russia, saying his team is well-prepared to adapt to the tricky surface.
The Chelsea midfielder, 33, said Germany is confident ahead of the Group Four clash in Moscow on Saturday where a win would see them book an automatic place in South Africa at next June’s tournament.
The match will be played at the 78,000-seater Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, one of the few major European grounds with artificial turf, but Germany have been practising on a similar surface this week at their training base.
“I have only trained on artificial turf a few times and never played a match on it,” Ballack told reporters after a training session on the astroturf.
“But we are well prepared and … there are also advantages to playing on artificial turf, not just disadvantages.
“Of course, it’s all a bit new, but it’s the same for both teams and so I do not think it will play much of a role.”
Coach Joachim Loew said his players had worked on ball retention and precision passing at their training session and were already coming to terms with the new surface.
“Of course there is an adjustment that we’re going to have to get used to in the next few days but we will get used to it,” said Loew.
“We have a few days to get accustomed to it and then it shouldn’t play a role.”
Germany are just a point ahead of Russia in the qualifying group and victory in Moscow would guarantee Loew’s side a place in South Africa regardless of their last match against Finland in Hamburg next Wednesday.
Ballack said he expected former mentor Guus Hiddink – who left Chelsea after a short stint as coach last season to return to his former role as Russian trainer – to prepare his team well.
“But at the end of the day, you can have respect but you mustn’t forget to play football,” he said.
“We are well prepared and we are full of self-confidence. We know what we can do. We are at the top of the table and I am expecting a classic game, obviously with a good result for us,” Ballack said.
BERLIN (AFP)
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Muslim side spurns gay football challenge
October 6, 2009
A gay football club in a Paris suburb have protested to local league chiefs after being snubbed for a scheduled match by a fellow league side.
Paris Foot Gay (PFG) were set to play fellow Creteil side Bebel, who are composed of mainly Muslim players, but the evening before the match Bebel cried off.
PFG said they received an e-mail from Bebel which said they could not honour the match because it was “against their principles”.
“Sorry, but because of the name of your team and in keeping with the principles of the team, which is a team of practising Muslims, we cannot play against you,” said the e-mail, according to PFG’s co-founder and current president Pascal Brethes.
It added: “Our convictions are stronger than a game of football. Sorry to have informed you so late.”
PFG believe the decision was “homophobic”, and have threatened to press charges “if Bebel continue to carry on like this”, according to Brethes.
He said his team was a haven for all kinds of races and also welcomed non-gay players, and he believes Bebel’s decision contravenes laws governing racism and homophobia.
“We (PFG) are first and foremost an association which is against homophobia in football,” he said, adding the the club had “heterosexuals, blacks, whites, north Africans, and several different religions.”
But an unnamed representative from Creteil Bebel said in a local radio interview they would not back down.
“We’re sorry if anyone feels insulted. (But) as a Muslim I still have the right to decide not to play because I don’t agree with their philosophy,” said.
CRETEIL, France (AFP)
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United warned “bully” Ferguson will pay for ref rant
October 6, 2009
Alex Ferguson has been branded a “bully” over his latest verbal onslaught on a referee and warned that Manchester United could face a backlash from outraged match officials.
Ferguson has been asked by the Football Association to explain why he labelled referee Alan Wiley as “unfit” after United’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The move represents the first step towards a possible charge of improper conduct which could result in the Scot being fined or banned from the touchline for a number of matches.
Ferguson’s comments, widely interpreted as being designed to distract attention from a sub-par display by his side and the latest in a string of errors by goalkeeper Ben Foster, have caused outrage among leading English referees.
That fury was articulated by Jeff Winter, now retired but until recently one of England’s top match officials, who said he would not be surprised if Wiley decided to sue the United boss over the damage he had caused to his reputation.
“It was a cowardly attack — Sir Alex wouldn’t have said it to Alan Wiley’s face,” Winter told the Guardian.
“Every game Alan Wiley takes charge of now where he makes a decision which upsets some fans is going to result in chants of ‘You’re not fit to referee’, he’s going to be known as the ‘unfit ref’.
“Sir Alex won’t care though. He’s a knight of the realm and he thinks he’s untouchable, bullet proof.
“But he’s also a bully. He spoke at Sir Bobby Robson’s memorial service a couple of weeks ago and said he’d learnt a lot from Sir Bobby. But he hadn’t, they were totally different, Sir Bobby was a gentleman. He was humble and had respect for people.”
Winter predicted that the anger among referees would affect how they handle future matches at Old Trafford.
“I think Sir Alex may have overstepped the line this time and he may be about to get his come-uppance,” Winter added.
“I think referees will be so incensed about this that Sir Alex may find that United no longer get the benefit of the doubt on certain decisions.”
Wiley’s handling of the United match on Saturday had not resulted in any particular controversy but Ferguson nevertheless criticised the official in a post-match interview with the club’s in-house television station.
“He (Wiley) was not fit enough for a game of that standard,” Ferguson said. “The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit. It is an indictment of our game. You see referees abroad who are as fit as butcher’s dogs. We have some who are fit. He wasn’t fit.
“He was taking 30 seconds to book a player. He was needing a rest. It was ridiculous.”
At 49, Wiley is one of the oldest referees officiating at the top level in England but his supporters have stressed that his fitness, like that of other officials, is subjected to weekly monitoring and a demanding annual assessment.
The Times reported that Wiley ran more than 11 kilometres (seven miles) during the match — more than most of United’s stars.
MANCHESTER (AFP)
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Liverpool co-owner blames Benitez
October 6, 2009
Co-owner George Gillett has urged Liverpool fans to blame manager Rafael Benitez for on-field failings and insisted more money has been pumped in to the team than into rival outfits.
“We have invested more money than our competitors in keeping with the history of the club,” Tuesday’s Daily Telegraph quoted the American businessman as saying.
“In the last 18 months we have invested 128 million pounds on top of what has come in. That means it should be getting better.
“Now if it’s not getting better, it’s not Gillett and (co-onwer Tom) Hicks, it’s the manager, it’s the scouting,” the newspaper quoted Hicks as telling a fan meeting at the club’s Kirkby academy last week.
“There was plenty of money, so if you have any complaints, take a look at the ins and outs,” Gillett said.
Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Chelsea was the Reds’ third defeat of the season — more than they suffered in the whole of last season — and they also lost against Fiorentina in the Champions League last week.
Gillett added that the 30 million pound fee recouped from Xabi Alonso’s move to Real Madrid “went straight back” into the club’s transfer budget, which was already set at “22-23 million as part of our budgets”.
“The club is in extraordinarily good financial condition. Far better than Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal,” he said.
“We have invested massively, we have put more money in than anyone other than Manchester City, with the craziness they have got.”
Spanish manager Benitez, who has this season steered clear of public statements on the owners after nearly two years of conflict, has refused to write off Liverpool’s chances of winning the Premier League this season despite falling lying in fifth place, six points behind leaders Chelsea.
Benitez’s team looked anything but championship quality on Sunday as Chelsea overpowered them in the second half.
“This year the top sides will lose games but you have to try to improve and we will try to win against Sunderland next,” the Spaniard said.
“We drew a lot of games last season too, we will now try to win and if we have more wins than draws, we could end with the same amount of points.”
LONDON (AFP)
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Home town honours Man Utd star Park
October 6, 2009
Manchester United star winger Park Ji-Sung presided Tuesday at a ground-breaking ceremony for a sports complex named after him in his South Korean home city.
The Park Ji-Sung Football Centre in Suweon just south of Seoul will be completed in May next year and offer two playing fields, a clubhouse, a clinic, a museum and a library, city officials said.
The centre plans to run a training programme initially for children aged between six and 13 and later for older players.
“I started playing football and spent most of my youth here,” Park was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.
“I hope that the centre will help many young players grow physically and mentally through football and encourage them to enjoy the sport.”
Hundreds of sports officials, including Chung Mong-Joon, vice president of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), attended the groundbreaking.
Park is one of the country’s biggest sporting stars. A street, a park and a forest are named after the player in and around his home town.
Park, who joined United from PSV Eindhoven four years ago, signed a new two-year contract with United on Friday. The improved deal is reportedly worth 3.6 million pounds (5.9 million dollars).
SEOUL (AFP)
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Real look CR9 dependent as Sevilla heed cry for challengers
October 6, 2009
One swallow does not make a summer, but Sevilla’s bristling 2-1 victory over Real Madrid on Sunday offers hope that the answer to the question posed in Thursday’s blog is ‘no’.
Three teams can challenge for the La Liga title this year.
Manolo Jimenez’s side inflicted a first defeat on Real with a vibrant, attacking display that was reminiscent of their performances under Juande Ramos when they won back-to-back UEFA Cups.
Sevilla are now level on 15 points with Real, though third due to their inferior goal difference. Barcelona are top with 18 points from six games.
Wingers Jesus Navas and Diego Perotti did the damage at the Sanchez Pizjuan, truly testing Real Madrid’s defence for the first time this season, but it was a strong all-round team performance.
They have strength in depth, are solid at the back and club president Jose Maria del Nido boasts: “the best strike force in Europe” with Frederic Kanoute, Luis Fabiano and Alvaro Negredo. They have now won seven on the trot in all competitions.
Real were without top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo due to an ankle strain, but it was the absence of first choice left back Alvaro Arbeloa that may have been more telling as Navas made a fool of his replacement Marcelo.
Once again, Real lacked fluidity in their play and it was the familiar figure of Iker Casillas who was their outstanding player, pulling off a couple of magnificent saves.
“Real reveal their shortcomings in the first serious test of the year. They have CR9 dependency. They continue to rely excessively on their stars,” Marca wrote on Monday.
Barcelona remain unbeaten after shaking off Almeria 1-0, but the Andalucians made life extremely difficult for them at the Nou Camp with their man-marking of midfield creators Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
“It wasn’t marking, it was an obsession,” Xavi said of Almeria midfielder Chico’s work on Saturday. “All he did was watch me. I felt very important. I told him ‘Why don’t you go and mark Messi?’”
It may not be pretty but it was effective, and as Espanyol and Chelsea showed last year an asphyxiating pressure on the midfield can throw Barca off their game.
“I hope it is a blueprint for a way to play against a team as powerful as Barcelona. I hope they respect my patent,” Almeria coach Hugo Sanchez said.
After six rounds of matches, La Liga could be about to get a bit more interesting with both Real and Barca showing chinks in their armour. Maybe it won’t be the most boring league in Europe after all…
PHOTO: Real Madrid’s Kaka (top) falls over Sevilla’s Didier Zokora during their Spanish First Division soccer match at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville October 4, 2009. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo
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Patrick, you predictions king
October 6, 2009
There’s one game left to go (Aston Villa v Manchester City later on Monday) but frankly this weekend’s prediction league is already all sewn up.
Arise Sir Patrick Johnston, who with a bit of luck at Villa Park, could be romping towards the top of the table having so far predicted four scores bang on and only missed out on points in two games.
To be fair to Patrick, none of our “elite(?)” panel and few of our contributors reckoned Manchester United would draw at home to Sunderland.
However, his psychic powers said Chelsea would overcome Liverpool 2-0 while he was one of five at Reuters to guess that Burnley would beat Birmingham 2-1. Unfortunately our leader Simon Evans, who hails from those parts, did not have the same faith in the men from Turf Moor.
We’ll have a full update with all the scores on Tuesday after Villa and City destroy much of Fabio Capello’s already-announced England squad by kicking each other.
PHOTO: Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov shoots to score against Sunderland during their English Premier League soccer match in Manchester, northern England, Oct. 3, 2009. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis
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Al Faraj company lands majority Portsmouth stake
October 6, 2009
Saudi Arabian businessman Ali Al-Faraj has completed his takeover of English Premier League club Portsmouth, the club said late Monday.
The club confirmed on their website former owner Sulaiman Al-Fahim had sold 90 percent of the shares to Falcondrone Limited, a company owned by Al-Faraj, in a move freeing up funds to pay players and executives.
A statement on the Portsmouth website, www.portsmouthfc.co.uk, said: “The takeover will ensure Portsmouth Football Club’s future is safe and will bring financial stability.”
Al-Fahim only took over the club himself in August, but had said he would relinquish full control in the event of a suitable offer from Al-Faraj.
Ivo Gabara, a spokesman for Al-Fahim, had said earlier: “Sulaiman’s lawyers are engaged in talks with lawyers for Al-Faraj. He expects an offer to be made today (Monday).
“In the best interests of the club he is willing to forego full ownership and if or when an offer is on the table, it will be considered on its merits.”
Al-Fahim has been attempting to refinance the club after banks demanded the television receipts and profits from the last transfer window.
Portsmouth chief executive Pete Storrie revealed last weekend “there is no money left” and that 30 percent of the 50 million pounds package Al-Fahim had pledged to raise is due by mid-October.
Al-Faraj is reported to have been involved in a consortium brought together by Storrie that was beaten by Al-Fahim to the initial takeover.
Storrie brought Al-Faraj back to the table when doubts began to grow that Al-Fahim would be able to raise the required funding in time. Al-Faraj was reported to have supplied the five million pounds bridging loan needed last week to pay the wages of club staff.
Storrie said: “It was imperative that something had to be done to safeguard the future of this club,” adding the club were “completely skint.”
Portsmouth are also enduring tough times on the field.
They prop up the Premier League after losing their opening seven matches – the worst start by an English top-flight club for 79 years – but they did get their first victory at Wolverhampton on Saturday as Hassan Yebda’s goal sealed a 1-0 win.
PORTSMOUTH (AFP)
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