Exit looms for Zenit after Juve stalemate

November 26, 2008

ST PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) – UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg are on the brink of Champions League elimination after failing to break down Juventus in a 0-0 draw here on Tuesday.

The Russians needed to beat the Italians to ensure they would have the chance to progress to the knock-out rounds in two weeks time when they play their final Group H match away to Real Madrid.

A Madrid win away to Belarus minnows BATE Borisov later on Tuesday will eliminate Zenit and send them back into the UEFA Cup.

Juve meanwhile closed in on securing top spot in the group, and a more favourable second round draw, and need only a point in the final group game at home to Borisov to ensure they finish first.

"We came here looking to make off with the booty, we didn’t manage that due to bad luck and being too hasty," said Juve coach Claudio Ranieri.

"But we put up a dam in central midfield and on the counter attack we created four or five chances.

"On Saturday the credit went to Inter (who beat Juve 1-0) but tonight it goes to us. We showed we’re in good form at the moment."

The Russians dominated the ball in the first half but it was the Italians who came closest to scoring, hitting the woodwork twice.

Sweden defender Olof Mellberg was first to clip the outside of the post as he rose highest on the edge of the six-yard box to meet a free-kick from Mauro Camoranesi on 10 minutes.

By then Vincenzo Iaquinta had missed a great chance, heading over a Camoranesi cross when unmarked.

And it was the Italian forward who was next to rattle the frame of the goal on 22 minutes as he met a cross from full back Christian Molinaro 12 yards out after good interplay between Molinaro and Pavel Nedved.

For all Zenit’s neat approach play, Juve were solid at the back and the Russians rarely opened them up.

Anatoliy Tymoschuk finally forced Juve goalkeeper Alex Manninger into a sprawling save from a fierce free-kick on 39 minutes and from the resulting corner Zenit had the ball in the net, only for it to be disallowed for offside.

The corner was semi-cleared but the ball fell to Tymoschuk who fired it back into a crowded penalty area. The ball ricocheted off a defender to Igor Denisov who slotted home, only to see the linesman raise his flag.

Two white shirts had been standing in an offside position when Tymoschuk shot but Denisov was not one of them.

Juve continued to enjoy the better chances at the start of the second half and Alessandro Del Piero should have scored from six yards out but put Iaquinta’s cross wide.

Midway through the half, though, Zenit had a great opportunity of their own on the counter-attack but Portuguese midfielder Danny dallied his shot too long and allowed Claudio Marchisio to block.

Moments later Pavel Pogrebnyak hit the post with a shot from distance with Manninger beaten as Zenit stepped up the pressure.

Eight minutes from time Zenit opened up Juve down the left but Danny poked a shot with the outside of his right boot just wide of the far post.

Juventus had to survive a few hairy moments late on, not least when everyone missed Radek Sirl’s inswinging cross that Manninger had to palm away but the Italians held on for the draw.

Written by: AFP

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Crisis-hit Arsenal face defining moment

November 26, 2008

LONDON (AFP) – Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Dynamo Kiev represents the start of a defining period for the crisis-hit Gunners.

With the after-shocks from William Gallas’s rant against his team-mates still being felt throughout the north London club, Wenger knows his team cannot afford another defeat against Dynamo on Tuesday.

The manner of Arsenal’s dismal 3-0 loss at Manchester City on Saturday – coming less than 24 hours after Wenger dropped Gallas and stripped the French defender of the club captaincy – left the impression that their season is in danger of imploding.

A run of one win from five matches would have been bad enough without Gallas revealing the extent of the rifts dividing Arsenal’s dressing room.

Now Arsenal desperately need to ease the sense of turmoil engulfing the Emirates Stadium.

While a win over the Ukrainians is unlikely to completely see off the vultures who are ready to pick over the corpse of Arsenal’s season, it would at least guarantee progress to the second round and give the increasingly anxious Emirates Stadium faithful reason for optimism.

Wenger has kept his counsel over Gallas in public but he insists the current crisis can be averted if the rest of his team retain their belief.

"With a strong team in a strong club, you have sometimes to go through a period like this," Wenger said.

"It is how well you deal with that situation you determine your future.

"I believe we have to try to win our next game and not set targets and see where we go. Let’s try to win and see where we go from here."

Wenger can hardly have imagined the season would turn out like this but he refuses to single out individuals for blame.

"I have had worse weeks! I always look at myself, even when we win," he said. "We are not in a blaming culture at our club and we must stand up to our own responsibilities."

For once the man dubbed Le Professor by fans who routinely trumpet their belief that "Arsene knows" has to take his share of the responsibility.

His decision to give Gallas the captaincy was always a gamble given the player’s introverted nature and it has backfired spectacularly.

Now he has to make amends for the mistake with his next appointment. Manuel Almunia took the captain’s armband against City but Cesc Fabregas, who was suspended at Eastlands, could take over if Kolo Toure doesn’t recover from injury.

Dynamo arrive in London knowing their hopes of qualifying from Group G will be over if they lose and Porto beat Fenerbahce.

Yuri Semin’s side will believe they can exploit Arsenal’s problems but Fabregas is convinced the Gunners will be a tough nut to crack if Wenger switches back to the five-man midfield that helped beat Manchester United earlier this season.

Wenger played Fabregas, Abou Diaby, Denilson, Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott – now out with a shoulder injury – across the middle in that match and the Spaniard wants to go back to that formation.

"We can maybe defend a little better with five in midfield," he said.

"We can put a little more pressure on our opposition and if we defend well as a team we know it gives us a big step forward into the game."

Written by: AFP

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Tags: English Premier League, premier league, UEFA Champions League

Celtic manager Strachan cheered by Japan star Nakamura

November 23, 2008

GLASGOW (AFP) – Celtic manager Gordon Strachan praised Japanese international Shunsuke Nakamura after the midfielder scored a fine goal in the 3-1 over St Mirren.

The win was Celtic’s 11th in succession and consolidated their position at the Scottish Premier League summit.

Greek striker Georgios Samaras opened the scoring for the reigning champions in the 64th minute of the game at Love Street before setting up Nakamura for Celtic’s second.

The former Reggina man received Samaras’s pass, cut inside and guided the ball into the far corner of the goal from 12 yards out, leaving boss Strachan purring.

"You can show the second goal all night," said Strachan, who named Nakamura in his starting eleven three days after the midfielder played the full 90 minutes of Japan’s 3-0 World Cup 2010 qualifying win over Qatar on Wednesday.

"I thought Nakamura was fantastic all day. Maybe people didn’t expect it on a day which was grey and horrible."

Substitute Cillian Sheridan sealed the victory for the visitors with 10 minutes remaining before Jim Hamilton nodded in a late consolation goal for the home side.

Rangers manager Walter Smith says he doesn’t feel under pressure having to play catch-up after watching his side win 2-0 against Aberdeen.

The Ibrox side had found themselves temporarily seven points behind Celtic before their win over the Dons reduced the gap to four.

But Gers boss Smith said playing after their Old Firm rivals doesn’t add any pressure on him or his players as their fans always expect them to win.

"These things happen every week now as we hardly ever play at the same time so it’s not a pressure on us," Smith said.

"The pressure, if it is such a thing, comes from having to win a football match. That’s the main thing from our own point of view. I think our performances recently have been good.

"I think there is always the perception that, especially if you are coming to Ibrox, teams are just going to turn up and there is not going to be a game. I think that is something people in Scotland take for granted a little bit.

"We are not going to go out and play in the manner we would like to play every game and walk off with the win. It doesn’t happen like that."

Smith praised his players for their performance against Aberdeen, with the Ibrox club missing four first-team regulars for the match as Steven Davis was joined by Sasa Papac, Madjid Bougherra and Kenny Miller on the injury list.

"We still have a fair way to go before we can lose a number of players and still play in the same manner but I felt they played very well," said the Rangers chief.

"We are just trying to settle our team down just now. I think we have been doing that reasonably successfully lately. We’ve been playing at a good level and had one or two little inconsistencies in our play.

"Losing four players who have been playing regularly for us this season and having to cover for that in the game against Aberdeen was a big thing for us."

Goals from Jean-Claude Darcheville and Kris Boyd secured the 2-0 win for Rangers as the Dons’ 17-year wait for a win at Ibrox continued.

Written by: AFP

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McCoist next in line to boss Rangers says Ibrox chairman

November 21, 2008

GLASGOW (AFP) – Rangers legend Ally McCoist has been backed as the long-term successor to Ibrox manager Walter Smith.

McCoist, who is Rangers’ record goalscorer, returned to the Scottish Premier League club as Smith’s assistant last year and helped them win the Scottish Cup and League Cup, as well as reaching the UEFA Cup final.

Rangers chairman Sir David Murray has revealed that while there is currently no formal agreement for McCoist to succeed Smith, it is his intention to appoint the former Scotland international if the current management team prove successful.

"I would have thought, all things being equal, that he will become manager," Murray said.

"I hope he gets it. It hasn’t been talked about, but it is an understanding among us.

"Walter and I discussed it when he came back, that McCoist would come in, hopefully we would get back to a successful period and then he would get the chance.

"It will be success driven. If we are successful, if Walter is successful then the natural successor would be McCoist. But if we go another two or three years without winning the league then we will all be under pressure."

Written by: AFP

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CSKA beat champions Kazan to finish second

November 17, 2008

MOSCOW (AFP) – CSKA Moscow clinched runners-up spot in the Russian Premier League, thrashing newly-crowned champions Kazan 4-0 here on Sunday.

Kazan top the table with 60 points from 29 matches, four ahead of second-placed CSKA. Dynamo Moscow sit third on 51 point, leaving their chasers Perm only a slight mathematical chance of taking third with one match remaining.

The Red Army side dominated play from the start but suffered from a lack of killer instinct in front of goal, missing a hatful of scoring chances in the first half.

After the interval CSKA put more pressure on their rivals and opened the score in the 53rd minute.

CSKA Brazilian striker Vagner Love, who leads the league’s scorers’ contest, netted his 18th goal of the season with a 10-metre header from a right-flank cross of his Lithuanian teammate Davidas Semberas.

In the remaining time Vagner Love scored two more goals, beating Kazan defence on the breakaway on both occasions, to record a classic hat-trick, while Yury Zhirkov made it 4-0 for CSKA to secure their well-deserved win.

Dynamo Moscow, meanwhile, recorded a 1-1 away draw with last year’s champions Zenit St Petersburg to stay in third place.

After a goalless first half Dynamo went into the lead in the 53rd minute through Argentinian full back Leandro Fernandeo, who fired home a ricochet after a corner.

Zenit Turkish striker Fatih Tekke pulled the scores level with 11 minutes to go, sending the ball into the net from the edge of the box due to a ricochet.

In the closing stages, Zenit created several more chances but failed to score the winning goal and dropped out of the race for a place at the podium.

Vladivostok and Yaroslavl were relegated and will be replaced by Rostov and Krasnodar nest season.

Written by: AFP

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Sheridan double boosts Celtic´s title lead

November 13, 2008

GLASGOW (AFP) – A Cillian Sheridan double and a fantastic goal from Shunsuke Nakamura saw Celtic extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League with a 3-0 win over Kilmarnock on Wednesday.

Killie haven’t won at Celtic Park since 1955 and this run never looked in danger of ending in a match which the home side dominated without creating a glut of chances.

Irish youngster Sheridan scored a goal in either half before Nakamura made the points safe with a late curling effort.

With Old Firm rivals Rangers only managing a 0-0 draw away to Motherwell the Parkhead club are four points clear in the race for the championship.

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan said his players’ attitude had pleased him.

"It was not a night that the stadium was buzzing and the players had to work to get the fans onside," said Strachan.

"We started the game terrifically and moved the ball about well but we wasted too many chances.

"I think we could have been more clinical in front of goal. That was the only disappointing aspect."

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies thought his injury-ravaged side had done well.

"Celtic had a lot of possession and a lot of the time we helped them because we kept giving away the ball in the first-half," Jefferies said.

"I don’t think Alan Combe (the Kilmarnock goalkeeper) was overly stretched but when the chances came to them they took them."

Celtic dominated possession and Shaun Maloney was twice presented with chances early on but he couldn’t find the net.

Donovan Simmonds should have done better when he was picked out in the box by a Kilmarnock corner in the 14th minute but his header was off-target.

Celtic took the lead in the 18th minute following good link up play between Scott McDonald and Sheridan.

The Australian striker held the ball up with his back to goal and flicked a pass into the path of the advancing Sheridan who broke into the box and rolled the ball low past Combe.

The home fans were screaming for a penalty when Massimo Donati appeared to be pushed in the box after 28 minutes but referee Mike Tumilty waved away his protests.

Kilmarnock came close with their first meaningful forward foray of the half when Moroccan international Mehdi Taouil hit a 20-yard shot just wide of Mark Brown’s left-hand post in the 33rd minute.

McDonald should have done better when he collected a long pass played over the top of the Kilmarnock defence but his effort from 10 yards was turned round the post by Combe in the 49th minute.

Minutes later Andreas Hinkel found Nakamura in the box with a clever pass but the Japanese international didn’t connect properly with his shot and the ball flew past the post.

Celtic doubled their lead in the 75th minute when Sheridan got his second of the game. Donati fired in a fierce shot from the edge of the box which Combe spilled and Sheridan was there to blast the rebound home high into the roof of the net.

The home side sealed the win in the 85th minute through Nakamura.

Scott Brown found the Japanese star in the box and he curled a fabulous shot into the top right-hand corner of the net.

At Fir Park Motherwell had keeper Graeme Smith to thank for saving a number of chances to keep Rangers at bay in a 0-0 draw.

At Tannadice Dundee United made it ten games without defeat as second-half goals from Darren Dods and Francisco Sandaza gave them a 2-0 win.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Falkirk shared the points at the Tulloch Homes Stadium with goals from Michael Higdon and Adam Rooney in a 1-1 draw.

Christian Nade scored Hearts’ only goal of the game as the Jambos won 1-0 against bottom club Hamilton.

In Tuesday night’s game late goals from Andrew Consindine and Sone Aluko sealed a 2-0 win for Aberdeen against St Mirren at Pittodrie.

Written by: AFP

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Zenit´s Arshavin ´keen on Madrid move´

November 13, 2008

MADRID (AFP) – Zenit St Petersburg star Andrei Arshavin said he would love to join Real Madrid, which is reportedly keen to sign him, if his club will let him go.

"How could I not want to go to Real Madrid, it’s a great team, one of the best," Arshavin told the AS sports newspaper published on Wednesday.

"The only thing that I have said is that I want to leave Zenit next year at all costs" and "I think by the start of 2009 I will definitely be with another team.

"I have not come out in favour of another club. The most important thing now is not whether Real Madrid wants me or not, but rather if Zenit will let me leave," said the striker, one of the revelations of Euro 2008.

AS said on Tuesday that Real want to sign the Russian on a six-month loan from January.

The Spanish champions would then negotiate the purchase of the striker with Zenit, based on his performance during those six months, it said.

The 27-year-old was linked with a move to English Premier League side Tottenham last summer, but finally remained at Zenit after the Russian club refused to budge on its 30 million euro asking price.

Real is on the lookout for new strikers after Brazil’s Robinho left for Manchester City in September and Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy suffered a knee injury which could see him out of action for several weeks.

Real is currently fourth in the Primera Liga, two points behind league leaders Barcelona, with its attack relying largely on the good form of Argentine Gonzalo Higuain.

In the Champions League, Real has suffered two defeats against Juventus, and must beat Zenit next month to be sure of qualifying for the last eight.

Real would be unable to play Arshavin in the Champions League as he has already turned out for Zenit in the competition this season, AS said.

Written by: AFP

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Tags: premier league, Primera Division

Papac signs new Rangers contract

November 12, 2008

GLASGOW (AFP) – Rangers defender Sasa Papac signed a new contract on Tuesday which will keep him at the Scottish Premier League club until 2011.

The Bosnian left-back was handed the deal as a reward for his impressive displays for Walter Smith’s side in the last year.

"We are pleased to complete a new deal with Sasa that sees him commit his future until 2011," Rangers chief executive Martin Bain said.

The former Austria Vienna star, who moved to Ibrox in 2006, helped Rangers win the Scottish Cup and League Cup, as well as playing a key role in their run to the UEFA Cup final.

"We had success last season with the two cups and then we got to the UEFA Cup final which was fantastic," Papac said. "However, the main target is the Scottish Premier League title and I would love to win that this season.

"I believe we have the players to achieve this dream but we know we will have a battle on our hands."

Written by: AFP

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Celtic fit enough to last the footballing pace, says Hartley

November 11, 2008

GLASGOW (AFP) – Celtic midfielder Paul Hartley says his team mates are fit enough to last the pace as the club enters a hectic period of the season.

The Parkhead side face their fourth game in 11 days on Wednesday when they take on Kilmarnock in their Scottish Premier League clash. Celtic’s injury list continues to mount with manager Gordon Strachan bemoaning the fact he was a whole team of players now missing from his squad.

The Hoops made only one change from their Champions League clash against Manchester United for their weekend match against Motherwell, with Mark Brown replacing Artur Boruc in goal as the Polish keeper prepares to undergo knee surgery.

But Scotland international Hartley has hit back at critics who claim some Celtic players looked lethargic in the games and said the team should be judged at the end of the season.

"Some people question our fitness. Some people have got a lot to say on how fit the team is," Hartley said.

"But we just keep going until the end and we have a very fit team here and a very young team apart from some people.

"It was a good team performance against Motherwell and after the game in midweek a lot of people have been talking about us being tired.

"But we’ve got a very fit squad and it was a good three points for us.

"People talk about us being tired, but we’re only in November. Let’s see how we are in April, if we are tired or not.

"At the start of the season we probably had the biggest squad since I came here. Now, though, it’s been depleted.

"But the players in the team, the young kids who have come in, have given it their all."

Midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura has given the Hoops a boost by declaring himself ready to play in Wednesday’s match.

The Japanese international was expected to be out for two weeks with a knee injury but he has told Strachan he is willing to be selected for the game.

Kilmarnock face Celtic just three days after losing 4-0 to the other half of the Old Firm.

Jim Jefferies will be hoping his side can stop the run of three straight league defeats at Parkhead. On Tuesday Aberdeen host St Mirren knowing the visitors could leapfrog them in the league with a win.

Defenders Lee Mair and Andrew Considine return to the Aberdeen squad while St Mirren defender Scott Cuthbert is available for the Saints after recovering from flu.

In Wednesday’s other matches Rangers travel to Fir Park to take on Motherwell sitting two points behind leaders Celtic in the SPL. The Ibrox side will be without midfielder Kevin Thomson, whose season looks to be over after he damaged his cruciate ligament.

Motherwell will be without striker David Clarkson after he was sent off in last weekend’s defeat to Celtic. Hibernian make the trip to Tannadice for their match against Dundee United looking for their first win in five matches.

United will be looking to hold on to third spot in the league after their win against Aberdeen at the weekend. Hearts host bottom placed Hamilton at Tynecastle without Michael Stewart who is suspended.

Hamilton will be hoping to stop the rot after collecting just one point in their last seven league fixtures. Inverness CT welcome Falkirk to the Tulloch Homes stadium with the home side on a high following their recent win against Hibs.

Fixtures (1945 BST unless otherwise stated)

Tuesday

Aberdeen v St Mirren

Wednesday

Celtic v Kilmarnock, Dundee United v Hibernian, Hearts v Hamilton, Inverness CT v Falkirk, Motherwell v Rangers

Written by: AFP

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Premier League best in the world? Don’t believe the hype

November 10, 2008

The British press are purring after Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United was decided by French winger Samir Nasri’s two strikes.

“Onlookers across the world were reminded that this sport, in its modern form, can cause excitement and awe in equal measure,” wrote the Guardian’s Kevin McCarra of Arsenal’s breathless 2-1 win over the champions.

After Arsenal’s bonkers 4-4 draw with neighbours Tottenham Hotspur two weeks ago, Hull City’s unbelievable start to top-flight life and the fact that Liverpool might just be genuine title contenders, the Premier League is once again ‘the best league in the world’ TM.

Or is it?

For the few upsets so far (Hull and Stoke City beating Arsenal), the chasm between the top four and the rest remains as vast as ever. Give United their game in hand and the gap between Champions League and UEFA Cup football may only be three points but can anyone really see Aston Villa, 2-1 losers at home to Middlesbrough on Sunday, breaking into the exclusive club?

While the melee below promises a cracking relegation battle, it also resembles the tightness of the Championship in recent seasons. You could comfortably divide the English divisions into five and not four.

And for every exhilarating Arsenal win over Manchester United, there’s a cagey 1-0 Liverpool victory at Chelsea or a dogged 2-1 Liverpool success over United. If every big four clash was as good as Saturday, then onlookers across the world would rightly be excited. The fact is they’re not.

Away from the top four and things get steadily worse. Last month Sunderland beat Newcastle United 2-1 in a North east derby. It may have been a windy day, but it was awful stuff. Sky Sports summariser Jamie Redknapp told us that this was in fact what English football “was all about”.

Haste over timing. Tempo over quality. A colleague simply remarked: “Is this the 39th game we want?”

Is the Premier League so good that the wider world wants to host a wretched midtable battle?

And on a weekend where Barcelona scored their 34th Primera Liga goal in 10 games and Real Madrid came back from a goal down three times, missed a penalty and still won 4-3, is it the best league in the world?

PHOTO: The Beautiful Game? Arsenal’s Niklas Bendtner climbs above Manchester United’s Michael Carrick in an aerial challenge during their Premier League match at Emirates Stadium Nov. 8, 2008. REUTERS/Toby Melville

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