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Fan beaches Liverpool´s title hopes

Instant notoriety is guaranteed for a young spectator who effectively condemned Liverpool to a 1-0 defeat against Sunderland here at the Stadium of Light.

The ’supporter’, who was wearing a dark blue top – the colour of Liverpool’s city rivals Everton – has been captured on YouTube throwing a beach ball into the Liverpool penalty area during a Sunderland attack.

He could not have imagined the consequences before a shot from Darren Bent struck the ball and diverted it past goalkeeper Pepe Reina for the decisive goal in Saturday’s match.

It was an incident which provoked surprising responses from the two managers, with Liverpool’s Rafael Benitez remarkably sanguine about a goal that brought about his team’s third successive defeat.

Asked if the goal should have been disallowed, Benitez said: “It’s a technical question. It could be a goal, but it’s difficult to say. In this case, I think it should be a goal.”

Steve Bruce, the Sunderland manager, was not so certain after speaking to a referee after the game about “outside interference”.

He said: “I’ve been told the laws of the game state it should have been disallowed and the game restarted with a drop ball. But does anybody know that rule?”

Bent didn’t care who was right. He was just happy to claim a goal which meant he’d scored in each of Sunderland’s last five games.

It also moved him level with Liverpool’s Fernando Torres as the Premier League’s top scorer with eight goals.

Bent, who is staking a powerful claim for an England return, said: “It was a strange goal, but I will take it.”

While it was a freakish winner, the outcome of the game was the right one with Sunderland confirming the promise they showed in drawing at champions Manchester United a fortnight earlier.

They outclassed a Liverpool team who were deprived of Torres and Steven Gerrard through injuries and could not fill the gap in class left by those two internationals.

This was their third successive defeat and their fourth in the league this season – and no team has won the championship after losing so many times in the past decade.

However, Benitez is refusing to accept that Liverpool’s pursuit of the title is over.

He said: “This is a bad defeat, but in a normal season, teams at the top would be wining every single game.

“This is a bit different. Chelsea have lost twice and I’ve seen a lot of teams at the top losing games.

“If we win the next two or three games, we could be top of the table. It’s a question of keeping our confidence and working hard. We have to analyse things and see if we are making mistakes,” the Spaniard said.

Bruce said: “I thought we deserved it. We had three one-on-ones in the second-half and could have scored more.

“There was a great atmosphere and maybe the players have not been able to handle it in the past, but they did this time and it’s pleasing.

“We had a bit of luck with the goal, but we took them on and beat them hands down,” the former United captain added.

Sunderland moved above Liverpool with this victory and into seventh place. On this evidence, they could go even higher and it would be no surprise if they still head the Anfield club at the end of the season.

That is the measure of the progress they have made this season thanks to Bruce’s shrewd transfer activity.

SUNDERLAND, England (AFP)

Tags: CHELSEA, city rivals, Darren Bent, decisive goal, England, everton, fan, Fernando Torres, five games, fortnight, game state, internationals, laws of the game, Liverpool, liverpool team, Manchester, manchester united, notoriety, pepe reina, premier league, rafael benitez, Reina, spectator, Steve Bruce, Steven Gerrard, Sunderland, technical question, top scorer, youtube

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No more away fans at Ajax – Feyenoord clashes

Matches between Ajax Amsterdam and Feyenoord Rotterdam will be played without away fans for the coming five years. This was announced on Wednesday.

Following irregularities ahead of Sunday’s match between the two sides, played in Amsterdam, the dutch FA, the mayors and the clubs decided to avoid this kind of trouble in years to come.

Away fan regulations are relatively strict in the Netherlands. Many fans are forced to buy combined tickets consisting of transport and stadium access.

The prohibition will be evaluated in two years from now.

Written by: Jonathan Roorda

Tags: ajax amsterdam, ajax feyenoord, Amsterdam, clashes, Dutch, Eredivisie, fan, feyenoord, feyenoord rotterdam, irregularities, jonathan, kind, match, Matches, mayors, netherlands, prohibition, ROTTERDAM, stadium, Sunday, the Netherlands, transport, trouble, Wednesday

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Apologetic Fuller says his future in Stoke´s hands

LONDON (AFP) – Stoke City striker Ricardo Fuller apologised to the clubs fans Wednesday after being sent-off for slapping his own captain Andy Griffin in the Premier League defeat against West Ham last weekend.

But the Jamaica forward was unsure if his words would be enough to keep him with the Potters, whose 2-1 loss to West Ham last Sunday left them in the relegation zone.

Fuller, who accused Griffin of "disrespecting" him, told Sky Sports on Wednesday: "It (the incident) happened and thats all. Im sorry for the fans especially as we didnt get the three points."

The bizarre flashpoint came just moments after Carlton Cole equaliser for the Hammers at Upton Park as Fuller lost his cool following a row with Griffin over who was responsible for the goal.

"It was just one of them things. It shouldnt have happened. I just simply said to Griff clear the ball out and he was rude and disrespectful. Its all done and dusted now.

"What he said was bad but what I did was worse and Im probably going to be suspended for three or four games now."

Stoke chairman Peter Coates insisted Monday the Potters wanted to keep Fuller but the forward, asked if the clash with Griffin signalled the end of his time at the Britannia Stadium, added: "Who knows? Its up to the club.

"I give my all for Stoke, all the time," said the 29-year-old, who joined from second-tier Ipswich in 2006.

"Maybe I give too much. Maybe thats why I am in this position now because I was trying to do so much for football and for Stoke City because I am a Stoke City player at the moment and thats all I care about – Stoke City, the team and myself," added Fuller, who has scored six goals so far this season.

"Anything that goes, goes, Im okay. Its not a position any football player would like to be in. Its one of them things and Ive just got to get over it. It will go away anyway, its just a matter of time. Time is always the master.

"Im sorry for what happened, especially for the fans who have been great this season. Hopefully, it will never happen again. Its not a position I like to be in. Im so passionate, I love to do football work and I love to do football work for Stoke City. Anyway, its up to the club."

Coates told the clubs official website that Stoke had no plans to offload Fuller during the January transfer window.

"It hasnt entered our heads to sell him," he said. "Were absolutely sure we want to keep him.

"Rics a good player and you dont sell your good players.

"He a big player and an important player, he helped to get us here (the Premier League), and hell stay at the club.

Written by: AFP

Tags: AFP, andy griffin, britannia stadium, captain andy, captain Andy Griffin, English Premier League, equaliser, fan, flashpoint, football player, four games, Griff, Griffin, hammers, ipswich, Jamaica, last sunday, london, matter of time, moment, peter coates, potters, relegation zone, ricardo fuller, Sky Sports, Stoke City, striker, time time, upton park, west ham

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Alexis Sanchez wants to move to Manchester United

Twenty-year-old Chilean and Udinese striker Alexis Sanchez has said that his greatest desire is to play for Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United’s manager has already shown an interest in the young star and had him watched regularly when the youngster was on loan at Boca Juniors.

Sanchez added that he was a fan of the Red Devils as well as the fast game that is currently being played in the English Premier League.

Written by: Dave Cohen

Tags: alexis, Boca, boca juniors, dave cohen, desire, Devils, English, English Premier League, fan, game, interest, Juniors, loan, manager, Manchester, manchester united, premier league, red devils, rsquo, Sanchez, Serie A, sir alex ferguson, striker, United, youngster

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Mourinho speaks out about post-match interviews

José Mourinho has spoken out against post-match interviews.

Never one to hold back on controversial issues, the Inter Milan coach said that he is no fan of post-match interviews.

He added that he was expected to do them, as it was a part of his contract.

Mourinho, who has been linked with a move back to the English Premier League, said that he found the interviews far too pressurised, as there was always a tendency to comment on something controversial.

He concluded by saying that after a match coaches needed to rest and reflect.

Written By: Dave Cohen

Tags: coach, contract, controversial issues, dave cohen, eacute, English, English Premier League, fan, Inter, inter milan, match, Milan, mourinho, move, part, Serie A, something, tendency

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