Eduardo diving ban over-turned by UEFA

September 14, 2009

Arsenal striker Eduardo’s two-game Champions League ban for diving has been over-turned by UEFA’s Appeals Body, UEFA announced on Monday.

The Brazil-born Croatian was retrospectively punished after being found to have deceived the referee when winning a penalty in Arsenal’s Champions League play-off return leg at home to Celtic last month.

Arsenal appealed after saying that the decision was “deeply biased” and based on “errors” and “uncertainties”.

“Following examination of all the evidence, notably the declarations of both the referee and the referees’ assessor, as well as the various video footage, it was not established to the panel’s satisfaction that the referee had been deceived in taking his decision on the penalty,” read a statement on the UEFA website.

The decision to ban Eduardo, which was taken by UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body on September 1, was subsequently “annulled”.

During Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Celtic, Eduardo won a first-half penalty, which he then scored to put his side 1-0 up, after going to ground under a challenge from visiting goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

The London side, losing semi-finalists last season, begin their Champions League campaign with a trip to Belgian champions Standard Liege in Group H on Wednesday.

NYON, Switzerland (AFP)

Tags: arsenal, Artur Boruc, brazil, champions league, croatian, declarations, disciplinary body, errors and uncertainties, league campaign, nyon switzerland, referee, referees, return leg, satisfaction, semi finalists, side 1, standard liege, uefa, victory, video footage

Adu, Holden Rogers lead USA past Grenada 4-0

July 5, 2009

SEATTLE – Stuart Holden struck for one of two first-half goals to help lead the United States to a 4-0 win against Grenada on Saturday in both team’s CONCACAF Group B opener in front of 15,387 fans at Qwest Field Saturday.

Freddy Adu, Robbie Rogers and Charlie Davies also scored for the Americans, who moved ahead of Honduras on goal difference after the opening day of group play. Los Catrachos edged a feisty Haitian side 1-0 in the first game of the doubleheader.

It took just seven minutes for the U.S. to go ahead as Adu scored his second career international goal. Rogers won the ball on the left side of midfield, dispossessing Ricky Charles and made a darting run into the box. The Columbus Crew midfielder cut inside of his defender and laid the ball back to Adu, who beat Grenada goalkeeper Desmond Noel to his left from 12 yards.

Charles attempted the equalizer, firing from distance, but his shot from 35 yards was just wide of the far post in the 15th minute.

Two minutes later, Rogers headed wide of the six-yard box and then took a pass from Adu and put a ball off the side netting. In the 22nd minute, Rogers again found some space down the left and served a perfect ball to Davies, who forced Noel into a difficult save.

Rogers again was the provider in the 31st, serving a perfectly weighted ball across the face of goal. Holden slipped past Grenada captain Anthony Modeste to beat Noel with a downward header inside the six-yard box to double the Americans’ advantage.

Just prior to the goal, Holden attempted to set up Davies, but his cross went awry. Rogers collected the ball and served it back across where the young Houston Dynamo midfielder struck.

Rogers continued to terrorize the Spice Boyz, playing a perfect cross to Adu five minutes later, but Noel parried the header over the crossbar for a corner kick.

Rogers then switched roles and scored his first goal for the U.S. on the hour mark. Logan Pause slipped the ball through and Rogers pushed the ball past a helpless Noel to give the United States a 3-0 lead.

Davies completed the scoring in the 68th with his third international goal. Marshall found Heath Pierce down the left and the 24-year-old fullback sent a one-time cross to Davies, who took a touch and beat Noel inside the far post.

The group moves to Washington, where the United States and Honduras, the two favorites to move out of Group B, will clash after Haiti and Grenada meet in the opener of a doubleheader on Wednesday.

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