Garcia hoping for Derby delight

November 28, 2009

LOSC Lille coach Rudi Garcia has demanded his side play for local bragging rights when they host Valenciennes on Saturday night.

The clubs are just 32 miles apart and there will be a derby flavour at the Stade Metropole with Lille in the unusual position of having to play second-fiddle to their near-neighbours.

Garcia’s side are 14th with Valenciennes eight places and seven points better off.

The Lille boss said: “This derby matters greatly.

“We are lucky to have a squad with some players who have come through the club and understand the history.

“A clash between two clubs in the same region, it should excite everyone.

“And we want to take all three points.”

He knows it will be a difficult game against a side who have surpassed expectations this season.

“We are aware of the difficulty of the task before us tomorrow against a Valenciennes side full of confidence,” he added.

“We are not drawing up a specific strategy but the determination must be great.”

VA have a strong squad to choose from – much to the delight of coach Philippe Montanier.

He told the club’s official website: “Having 17 or 18 fit players is always helpful.

“It unfortunately does not guarantee us a result but we are well stocked.”

Montanier is expecting a close game and believes the flair players could make the difference.

He added: “There is not much difference between VA and Lille. We player similarly, with a zonal defence. After that, it is the individuals which will make the difference.”

VA striker Johan Audel has dismissed suggestions Lille are the underdogs.

“Lille beat Bordeaux (in their last home game) so we will not start as favourites,” he said.

“Also it’s a derby and they will be determined to make up for their early season difficulties and their defeat to Montpellier (last weekend).

“We are hoping for a big performance and we will try to maintain the standards set in previous matches.

“We know Lille are difficult to play against because they have several attacking options.”

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: Bordeaux, boss, bragging rights, clash, coach, confidence, flair, flavour, home game, johan audel, Lille, losc lille, Montpellier, neighbours, Philippe Montanier, saturday night, seven points, striker, underdogs, VA, valenciennes

Fighting spirit pleases Madrid coach Pellegrini

November 1, 2009

Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini hailed the spirit among his players after they overcame the early dismissal of Raul Albiol to record a morale-boosting victory over Getafe.

Madrid were in desperate need of a good performance and a good result against their local rivals after losing three of their previous five competitive games, including Tuesday’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at third-tier Alcorcon in the cup.

And the big-spending Spanish giants achieved both of those things, rallying after the controversial 27th-minute sending-off of centre-back Albiol to produce a superb battling display and win the game 2-0.

“I liked my team’s spirit above anything else. Personal and collective performances may vary, but at this club the spirit must always be there, especially when you have to get through difficult situations,” said Pellegrini.

Madrid looked much better with 10 players than they did with 11, although Pellegrini dismissed suggestions that Albiol’s red card had actually helped his side.

“I don’t think the expulsion benefited us, firstly because I believe it was unfair, but also because we had very good spirit from the start,” said Pellegrini.

Pellegrini was under the most pressure heading into the match, with Spanish media speculating that a bad result against Getafe combined with a defeat against AC Milan in the Champions League next week would see him fired.

Saturday night’s win could have earned the Chilean some breathing space, but the former Villarreal coach preferred to think about how the result can help the team rather than himself.

“This was a very important game for the club because we had bad results last week. We are still amongst the leaders in La Liga and in the Champions League and we hope to make a comeback in the Copa del Rey. This was a key encounter with which to turn our recent situation around,” he said.

“I hope this triumph allows us to perform well in Milan and to stay alive in every competition. But every game is difficult.”

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: ac milan, alcorcon, breathing space, champions league, copa del rey, desperate need, difficult situations, early dismissal, encounter, expulsion, getafe, giants, good spirit, MADRID, manuel pellegrini, Milan, raul albiol, real madrid, Rey, rivals, saturday night, spanish media, Villarreal

Record-breaking Zanetti wracks up 139 straight games

October 24, 2009

Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti will wrack up 139 consecutive appearances dating back three years when he plays against Catania on Saturday night.

And the 36-year-old Argentine revealed his secret is in his training, having not even taken a break on his wedding day.

“I was in Argetina during a break in the championship and as ever I did some training,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I’ve never cheated on (my wife) but I was like this when she met me and she chose me warts and all.”

Zanetti’s run of games is all the more remarkable given his age but the Argentine is almost never injured or suspended — his last red card was more than 10 years ago — and continues to be an integral part of the Italian champions’ midfield.

And it is his example that Inter coach Jose Mourinho is hoping will rub off on youger players such as Mario Balotelli.

Mourinho criticised Balotelli in his Friday press conference saying that after a good performance last weekend against Genoa, he trained badly during the week.

Mourinho added that Balotelli would play against Catania but only because he has a striker crisis and has no other options.

Zanetti had some advice for the young Italian, saying he needed to realise the opportunity he has been given.

“Mario is someone who listens, he’s young, has phenomenal potential, has the right to make mistakes but also has the duty to capitalise on the incredible luck he has,” he said.

“Not many people have the chance to grow, make mistakes and learn at a club like Inter, surrounded by great players who never deny him advice or a pat on the back, the coach included.

“Because Mourinho is always the first to encourage him and you can’t say he hasn’t given him time or opportunities.”

It is Balotelli’s attitude that has always been in question rather than his ability and he could do a lot worse than learning from his club captain.

Zanetti will join Inter legend Giacinto Facchetti on 476 Serie A appearances for Inter on Saturday night, putting him joint second in the club’s all-time list behind Giuseppe Bergomi.

And Zanetti revealed his secret is quite simply dedication.

“You need the luck of not having physical problems or even catching the flu but then it’s all down to hard work,” he said.

“I approach every training session as if it was a final or a derby. It’s during the week that you make your professional luck.”

ROME (AFP)

Tags: 10 years, argetina, attitude, catania, club captain, consecutive appearances, gazzetta dello sport, genoa, inter milan, italian champions, Javier Zanetti, jose mourinho, mario, midfield, pat on the back, s young, saturday night, warts, wedding day

Ticos end slide, beat Trinidad 4-0

October 11, 2009

Alvaro Soborio scored a pair of goals and helped on another as Costa Rica ended a three-game losing streak to revive its World Cup hopes, beating Trinidad & Tobago 4-0 Saturday night in Rene Simoes’ first game as manager.

Costa Rica, which hadn’t scored its three losses, climbed into third place in the standings for the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with 15 points, four behind the leading United States but two ahead of Honduras in the fight for the last guaranteed trip to South Africa.

Three sides are assured of berths in the 32-team World Cup field while the fourth-placed team will have to play a two-leg playoff with the fifth-placed team from South America for the last place in South Africa.

Costa Rica will play its final game against the already qualified United States in Washington on Wednesday while Honduras will have to travel to play already eliminated El Salvador.

Costa Rica dominated the first half but took the lead on an own-goal by Radanfah Abubark.

The 28th minute score came from after a seemingly innocent cross by Costa Rica midfielder Michael Barrante had deflected off the foot Trinidad defender Julius James before striking Abubakr in the shoulder and past goalkeeper Marvin Phillip.

Costa Rica appeared to have taken the lead just seconds earlier when a strong long distance blast from Barrante had Phillip beaten but smashed off the Trinidad and Tobago post.

Phillip made two saves in the first 25th minutes, thwarting a blast from defender Christian Montero and another try in the 25th minute by defender Esteban Sirias.

Phillip kept the game close late in the half, turning away close shots by Costa Rica midfielder Brian Ruiz in the 36th and 41st minutes.

Phillip could not deny Walter Centeno, who notched his 23rd career goal for the Ticos in the 50th when he got behind a Saborio cross to make the score 2-0.

Sabario got things started when he raced down the left wing, turned Abubakr at the goal line and sent a pass across the face of goal to an onrushing and unmarked Centeno.

Sabario then scored his first in the 61st minute when he raced on to a through ball after a clever back-heel from midfielder Rolando Fonseca before outpacing Abubakr and calmly slotting the ball past Phillip.

Sabario added his second of the game and 16th of his career for the Ticos two minutes later, outjumping Phillip and striker Kenwyne Jones to head a corner kick past Phillip.

Trinidad finished the game with 10 men after James was ejected in the 65th after colliding with Centeno and appearing to make contact with his elbow.

Costa Rica could have made the score 5-0 in the 82nd minute but Montero couldn’t convert his penalty kick after Phillip made a sensational save and then made a second stop when Dennis Lawrence nearly knocked the spot kick rebound into his own goal.

Saturday’s match kicked off in a driving rain which made the aging playing surface at Saprissa Stadium slippery leading to several strange bounces off the artificial surface and several players on both teams struggling to keep their footing.

While Trinidad already had been eliminated from advancing to the 2010 tournament before Saturday’s game they close out their campaign against Mexico on Wednesday in Port-of-Spain.

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica

Source

Tags: abubakr, berths, Brian Ruiz, career goal, Christian Montero, close shots, Costa Rica, Dennis Lawrence, El Salvador, Esteban Sirias, final game, first game, game losing streak, goal line, James, Jones, Julius James, left wing, marvin, Marvin Phillip, Michael Barrante, midfielder, minute score, montero, port of spain, Rene Simoes, rolando fonseca, San Jose, saturday night, sirias, South Africa, Trinidad, trinidad and tobago, United States, Walter Centeno, Washington, world cup field

United States beats Honduras, qualifies for sixth consecutive World Cup

October 11, 2009

Conor Casey scored a pair of second-half goals and Landon Donovan added another, sending the United States to a sixth consecutive World Cup with a 3-2 victory over Honduras Saturday night.

Casey scored in the 55th and 66th and Donovan added a free kick in the 71st to send the United States to South Africa along with Mexico, which clinched earlier in the day. Carlos Pavon missed an equalizing penalty in the 86th to doom Honduras.

Julio de Leon had a pair of goals for Honduras, which fell to the bottom of the standings in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with one match remaining.

The result kept the United States atop the standings with 19 points, one ahead of Mexico, four in front of Costa Rica and six ahead of Honduras. Three sides are guaranteed berths in the 32-team World Cup field with the fourth-placed side entering a two-leg playoff with the fifth-placed team from South America for the final berth in South Africa.

Honduras , in fourth place with 13 points, travels to faces already eliminated El Salvador on Wednesday in their final match needing a victory to have any chance of earning one of the three guaranteed berths. The United States will face Costa Rica in Washington on Wednesday.

Honduras had more chances in the first half but U.S. forward Charlie Davies had the best opportunity in the 32nd when, unmarked, he headed Stuart Holden’s cross that Noel Vallardares blocked with an outstretched right arm. The rebound came back to Davies, who sent it well over the bar.

Honduras took the lead in the 47th after U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu fouled Carlos Pavon just outside the area. De Leon’s right-footed blast curled into the upper left corner past goalkeeper Tim Howard.

The United States responded when Casey outleapt Noel Valladares and looped a headed ball over the Salvadoran goalkeeper in the 55th. He took one touch after a feed from Donovan and placed a right-footed shot around Valladares for a 2-1 lead.

Donovan then matched De Leon, blasting a 24-meter free kick past Valladares and the United States looked secure. But De Leon added his second in the 78th to create some anxious moments, especially when a bounding ball hit Stuart Holden’s right arm.

Pavon, however, sent the shot well over the bar.

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras

Source

Tags: berth, Carlos Pavon, Casey, Charlie, conor casey, Costa Rica, de leon, El Salvador, final match, free kick, Goalkeeper, holden, Honduras, Julio de Leon, landon donovan, Mexico, noel, Noel Vallardares, oguchi onyewu, rebound, right arm, saturday night, South America, Stuart Holden, tim howard, U.S, United States, valladares, Washington, world cup field

Swedish coach prepares farewell

October 11, 2009

Lars Lagerback announced Sunday he would step down as Sweden’s coach if as expected the Scandinavians fail to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Sweden lost 1-0 in Denmark on Saturday night and with Portugal beating Hungary 3-0 face elimination from Group One.

Lowly Malta would need to win or draw in Lisbon on Wednesday and Sweden to beat Albania to see Lagerback’s side reach the play-offs.

Lagerback told a press conference he and his deputy Roland Andersson would resign “whatever the result … either after the World Cup in South Africa, or after a play-off or after the Albania match,” on Wednesday.

Sweden have failed to even score in qualifiers against main rivals Denmark and Portugal and Lagerback, who has coached the national side since 2000, has come under increasing fire.

Former European champions Denmark secured automatic qualification for the 2010 finals after downing Sweden in Copenhagen. Sweden have 15 points, behind Portugal on 16.

Only group winners secure automatic qualification for the finals in South Africa next year, with the eight best group runners-up being forced into a two-leg play-off.

STOCKHOLM (AFP)

Tags: Albania, automatic qualification, copenhagen, denmark, face elimination, farewell, Hungary, Lars Lagerback, Lisbon, Malta, portugal, rivals, Roland Andersson, runners, saturday night, scandinavians, South Africa, Stockholm, Sweden, swedish coach, world cup finals

Ribery is using Bayern for career, says Beckenbauer

July 27, 2009

European giants Bayern Munich’s club president Franz Beckenbauer has launched a vicious attack on the club’s French player Franck Ribery, claiming that he is just using the club to further his own career.

A World Cup medal winner as a player and manager, Beckenbauer has questioned the Frenchman’s loyalty to Bayern after he was strongly linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena this summer.

Spanish giants Real Madrid pursued the 26-year-old, who has made it clear that he would have preferred to leave this summer.

“Ribery only came here to make a name for himself,” Beckenbauer was quoted by the Bild newspaper as saying at a benefit evening on Saturday night.

“He doesn’t give a damn about Munich.”

While, Bayern have resisted the temptation to sell Ribery to Madrid, they could lose him for a reduced fee next summer due to FIFA article 17 which allows a player under the age of 28 to walk away from a club after three years of his contract.

Ribery signed a four-year contract when he arrived in Munich from Marseille two years ago and Beckenbauer believes the midfielder was aware of this rule when he signed that deal.

“Why would I sign a four-year contract if I only want to stay for three?” he said.

However, Ribery is a doubt for the start of the new Bundesliga season due to a knee injury which has kept him out of training for the last week.

Tags: allianz arena, Arena, Bayern, bayern munich, benefit evening, bild newspaper, club president, franz beckenbauer, frenchman, giants, knee injury, loyalty, MADRID, Marseille, medal, midfielder, Munich, saturday night, vicious attack, World Cup

McDonald faces probe over tackle that triggered row

May 15, 2009

GLASGOW (AFP) – Scott McDonald could face a ban at the start of next season after his controversial challenge on Dundee United defender Lee Wilkie was referred to the Scottish Football Association’s review panel.

The Celtic forward’s challenge has been passed on to the panel as it was not seen clearly by referee Stuart Dougal, who came under fire from Dundee United boss Craig Levein for failing to stop play immediately so Wilkie could receive treatment.

The review panel will not meet until the end of this season so there is no chance of Australia striker McDonald missing either of Celtic’s two remaining Scottish Premier League matches.

Wilkie, who has lost three years of his career to injury, stayed down after being caught by McDonald’s studs but, when the ball went out for a goal kick, Dougal waved play on, sparking a furious reaction from Levein, who accused the referee of over-reacting to his legitimate protests.

“He lost his composure, stuck his finger in my face and told me to shut up,” the United boss said.

“It wasn’t acceptable. In all my time in football, no other referee has ever done that. I have lost all respect for him after the way he spoke to me.

“If it happened in the pub on a Saturday night to any of you guys, the guy would have got a punch in the face.”

McDonald’s chances of avoiding a ban could be helped by the fact that, immediately after the match, Wilkie absolved him of any blame for the incident.

“He caught me just below the knee but I don’t think it was intentional,” the defender said. “I was waiting for the ref to to stop the game but he waved play on and it looked like he wasn’t going to let the physio on.”

“I said to the referee at half time, ‘what were you playing at?’ and he said, quite arrogantly, that his kids had had bigger knocks than that, which was a stupid comment to make – his kids must be some size.”

McDonald is the second Celtic player to be referred to the SFA panel this week, with Dutchman Glenn Loovens’ challenge on Rangers’ American midfielder Maurice Edu during Saturday’s Old Firm game also being investigated.

An SFA spokesman said: “The same review panel will consider both incidents and we hope to get it convened by the end of this week.”

However, both players will be free to play in the title run-in as the disciplinary committee will not convene until the season is over, if they decide either player has a case to answer.

Levein’s public criticism of the match official could also land him in hot water with the SFA.

Tags: Australia, celtic, composure, craig levein, Dundee, dundee united, dutchman, Glasgow, goal kick, lee wilkie, Maurice, physio, protests, punch in the face, referee, saturday night, scott mcdonald, scottish football association, Scottish Premier League, striker, stuart dougal, studs

McDonald faces probe over tackle that triggered row

May 14, 2009