It was a night for the home teams as both Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania strengthened their Euro 2012 qualification campaigns with wins.While France top the Group D table with 12 points, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania and Belarus all maintain hope of reaching the tournament’s finals in Poland and the Ukraine.
Albania has not qualified for a major tournament since 1964, but have given themselves a good chance of breaking the drought after edging Belarus 1-0 in Tirana.
Rapid Vienna striker Hamdi Salihi struck the match-winning goal in the 62nd minute after good build-up work from Altin Lala, with the victory keeping Albania in third and just goal difference from their second-placed opponents.
Bosnia-Herzegovina remain in touch with Belarus and Albania following a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Romania that keeps them a point in arrears.
Stuttgart forward Ciprian Marica handed the visitors a 29th-minute lead in Zenica, but Vedad Ibisevic equalised 18 minutes after the break.
With the game edging towards a 1-1 draw, Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko struck in the 83rd minute to hand his side all three points.
The winners have the upper hand in the qualification race, having played one game less than fellow aspirants Albania and Belarus.
Dwayne De Rosario could not quite inspire New York Red Bulls to a win on his debut, while Portland picked up their first-ever MLS point.Dane Richards handed visitors New York a 47th-minute lead after getting on the end of De Rosario’s pass – his first touch for his new club – but the game was to finish 1-1 when Cam Weaver equalised just three minutes later.
Canadian international De Rosario joined the Red Bulls on Friday from Eastern Conference rivals Toronto FC and was only afforded a spot on the bench for his new side’s trip to Houston Dynamo on Saturday.
He watched an often dour first half from the sidelines, but was involved immediately after his injection for Moroccan midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy.
Recruited to fill the playmaker role in New York’s midfield, the 32-year-old instantly endeared himself to his new club’s fans by providing the defence-splitting pass for Jamaica striker Richards to score.
The advantage lasted just three minutes, however, when Weaver’s deft chip beat Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul.
It stayed that way for the remainder of the game, despite Richards, Luke Rodgers and designated player Thierry Henry going close for New York and Brad Davis shooting wide for Houston.
Elsewhere, the Vancouver Whitecaps came from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at home Kansas City.
Forward Teal Bunbury struck a brace early in the second half and Sierra Leone striker Kei Kamara also netted to put visitors Kansas 3-0 up by the 63rd minute.
Atiba Harris pulled one back on 72 minutes for the Whitecaps, but they still looked destined for defeat before two stoppage-time strikes from Brazilian forward Camilo Sanvezzo salvaged an improbable point.
The Portland Timbers gained their first point in Major League Soccer with a 1-1 draw away to the New England Revolution.
Rookie Stephen McCarthy put the Revolution ahead with his first goal in MLS, before Jack Jewsbury levelled on 38 minutes to earn a draw for the Timbers.
Toronto FC drew 1-1 at home to Chivas USA, with Alan Gordon equalising for the hosts after Alejandro Moreno put Chivas ahead after just two minutes.
In the later games, the LA Galaxy survived the 52nd-minute dismissal of Chris Birchall to topple Philadelphia Union 1-0. Striker Leonardo got the decisive goal from a David Beckham free-kick.
San Jose and Seattle traded goals before both sides had to settle for a 2-2 draw, continuing the Sounders’ winless start to the season.
Hearts gave up a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League Championship group play-offs on Saturday.Jim Jefferies’ side had a three-goal buffer after 52 minutes but gave up the lead after John Sutton’s second, either side of a goal from Tom Hateley, clinched Motherwell an unlikely point.
Full-back Craig Thomson put Hearts ahead from the penalty spot in the 26th minute after Steven Saunders fouled Ryan Stevenson.
Midfielder Rudolf Skacel doubled their advantage 10 minutes later after playing a one-two with Irish striker Stephen Elliott.
When Stevenson scored their third seven minutes after the interval it looked as though Hearts would romp home.
But a Sutton goal was followed by a free-kick from 21-year-old Hateley to bring the score back to 3-2 with half an hour to play.
A cross from Gavin Gunning was met by the head of Sutton to score a dramatic 88th minute equaliser.
The draw leaves Motherwell in sixth, two points behind Kilmarnock, while Hearts are seven points clear of Dundee United with Celtic and Rangers well clear at the top.
Dundee made the perfect start to the play-offs with a 4-2 win over Kilmarnock.
Striker David Goodwillie struck a brace either side of half-time to help United open up a 4-0 lead before Kilmarnock hit back twice late on.
After a lively start to the contest, it took 25 minutes for Dundee to find the opener through Scott Severin.
He rose highest to head in a corner from Craig Conway for his first goal of the season.
Goodwillie doubled the lead seven minutes before the break when he headed home a cross from Conway.
In the space of three second-half minutes the game was over when Goodwillie headed in another Conway cross from the right and the provider of the first three goals struck from long-range to cap off a fine performance.
Portuguese substitute David Silva pulled a goal back with a low strike in the 70th minute and midfielder Manuel Pascali headed in another three minutes from time to make it 4-2.
Kilmarnock are left eight points from United after the loss.
Tottenham Hotspur outcast Niko Kranjcar is almost certainly going to leave White Hart Lane this summer, after opportunities for the Croatian International have become almost nonexistent this season. The player himself has made his feelings clear on his desire to leave and it looks a nailed on certainty the former Portsmouth man will be heading for pastures new. He was quoted in the Sun yesterday morning as saying “Is there a point of beginning next season as a bit-part player? None whatsoever.” With this in mind, the player would be an excellent addition to the Newcastle United squad, and is an option I would hope Alan Pardew would consider.
Regardless of his evident ability, Kranjcar has failed to break into Harry Redknapp’s starting line up playing second fiddle to a number of quality players. Redknapp has preferred to play either Modric, Huddlestone, Jeans, Sandro or Van der Vaart ahead of him in the central midfield role. Kranjcar has only completed 90 minutes once in the league this season and only made two starts, incidentally during one of which he scored a stunning goal against Sunderland. Whether the Croatian would be interested in a move to Newcastle or not is unknown, but he would definitely bring a creativity to the Newcastle midfield that was missing in yesterday’s game with Liverpool.
The article in The Sun quotes Kranjcar as stating he would be interested in a move to Italy, “I would definitely be interested in moving to Italy. I think I would adapt quickly to Italian football.” If Newcastle were to show an interest in the player he may well be interested in prolonging his Premiership career, however this is all assumption.
Newcastle’s current midfield is blessed with talented players, Nolan, Barton and Tiote all of who bring significant qualities, but there does still appear to be a spark missing at times. Newcastle need a player who can unleash rasping shots from 25 yards, a player with quick feet who can spot a through ball and I see Kranjcar as that man. Usually when a player becomes unwanted, as it appears Kranjcar is at Tottenham, the opportunity to secure a bargain can arise and I can’t see Spurs wanting much more than £5-6 million for the player. Unfortunately I don’t make the transfer decisions at Newcastle and I’m sure Alan Pardew has his eye on a selection of players already. However, I feel the chance to buy a player of Kranjcar’s class would be a great acquisition for the Toon Army and not seizing upon Kranjcar’s availability would be a mistake in my book.
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Newcastle made a last ditch attempt to buy back Charles N’Zogbia in the January window for a reported £10 million pounds. If they are willing to part with that sort of money for the Frenchman, buying Kranjcar for possibly half the price is a no brainer! If it transpires that Kranjcar heads to Italy, not only would the Premiership lose a talented player but someone with proven Premier League calibre will have been overlooked by Newcastle.
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It could be assumed, that the majority of those living outside of central Africa would name Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s heavyweight title fight as the most significant sports news to emanate from Zaire in 1974. The now legendary bout, mostly referred to as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ was held in Kinshasa in October of that year, resulting in Ali’s reinstatement as world champion following an eighth round knockout.
But for those actually living in the capital, and the rest of what is now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, 1974 is meaningful for an altogether different sporting occasion. That summer, Zaire became the first team from sub-Saharan Africa to qualify for the World Cup, but their players and fans recall the tournament in West Germany with mixed feelings, despite the achievement of being the first black African representatives on global football’s grandest stage. “I was very proud, and still am, to have represented Black and Central Africa at the World Cup,” says former defender, Mwepu Ilunga. “But we had the erroneous belief that we would be returning from the World Cup as millionaires. We got back home without a penny in our pockets. Look at me now, I’m living like a tramp,” an incensed Ilunga told BBC Sport.
The retired right full-back remains bitter about several aspects of the ‘Leopards’’ campaign, most notably the fact that Zairean officials are alleged to have pocketed his and his team-mates’ wages for the tournament, something Ilunga would only discover mid-way through the group stages. The opening game saw Zaire defeated 2-0 by Scotland, but Ilunga claims that the players were told that they wouldn’t be paid at all, prior to the next match against Yugoslavia. “Before the Yugoslavia match we learnt that we were not going to be paid, so we refused to play,” claims the defender, who has since become a cult footballing icon for running out of the defensive wall to kick a Brazilian free-kick away in Zaire’s final first-round fixture. Unfortunately, the Leopards were thrashed 9-0 by Yugoslavia, having been persuaded at the last moment to attend the encounter, a result that did immense damage to the image of African football.
Following the humiliating defeat at the hands of Yugoslavia, the late Mobutu Sese Seko, Zaire’s leader at the time, intervened directly in the team’s affairs. “After the match, he sent his presidential guards to threaten us,” remembers Ilunga. “They closed the hotel to all journalists and said that if we lost 4-0 to Brazil, none of us would be able to return home.” The unforgivable treatment of Zaire’s players at the World Cup was in stark contrast to the way they had been received following qualification, when Mobutu is said to have gifted each team member a car and a house. “Mobutu’s generals were so jealous of the gifts we were given that he had to buy them a car each, to keep them quiet,” Ilunga said. In their last game, Zaire lost 3-nil to Brazil, which allowed the team to return home free from the fear of retribution, but Africa’s first World Cup showing saw the Leopards record an unenviable statistic of conceding 14 goals without scoring a single one.
Fast forward almost exactly 36 years and 120 minutes, and Africa’s sixth and longest-surviving representative at the 2010 edition of FIFA’s esteemed international tournament are simply a 12-yard spot-kick from reaching the semi-final stage, a watershed moment in the continent’s history. By this point, the global audience had thrown their full support behind Ghana’s ‘Black Stars’ following Luis Suarez’s deplorable goal-line hand-ball, which prevented the West Africans’ justified progression. Their talisman, Asamoah Gyan, who had scored in three of the previous four games, struck the cross-bar with the game’s final kick, and despite redeeming himself by converting in the subsequent penalty-shootout, Ghana were eliminated following a 4-2 reverse.
The country’s desolate onlookers were at least able to assess their players’ performances with a considerable element of pride, despite Ghana just failing to erode the semi-final barrier which no African side has yet been able to. But what are the factors which have contributed to the vastly altered assessment of African national teams? Previously, one or two representatives at international level would be perceived, by the European media at least, as negligible whipping-boys, with less than technically-adept playing staff. This is clearly no longer a widely-held view, evidenced by the number of African players not only competing in Europe at club level, but also at the very highest echelons of European competition.
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It is worth mentioning that Africa’s footballing development coincided with the continent’s increased representation at World Cups. It wasn’t until the 1998 tournament in France, when the competitions’ format was adjusted to include eight more nations totaling 32 teams, that Africa was granted as many as five positions in the group phase. Of those five, only Nigeria progressed to the knockout stages where they were emphatically beaten 4-1 by Denmark, but one particular feature of the ‘Super Eagles’’ composition may explain the relative success enjoyed by several African countries since the 1998 World Cup. Although FIFA’s casual regulations pertaining to nationality requirements in international football allowed nine countries to benefit from foreign management in 1998, Nigeria’s performance under the stewardship of Serbian coach, Bora Milutinovic, encouraged future African World Cup contestants to acquire overseas direction.
The succeeding tournament hosted by Korea and Japan was remembered as much for Senegal’s impressive maiden appearance at a World Cup as for Ronaldo’s relentless form, as Frenchman, Bruno Metsu, led the ‘Lions of Teranga’ to the quarter-finals and a heroes welcome in the capital, Dakar, upon their post-elimination arrival. The acceleration of this trend reached a potentially damaging juncture last summer, when five out of Africa’s six attending nations elected foreign supervision prior to the continent’s first hosting of a World Cup in South Africa. Algeria were the only African representative with a home-grown head coach, – Rabah Saadane – but Nigeria’s conduct in releasing manager, Shaibu Amodu, three months before the tournament highlights a much broader concern within African football. “A lot of people [in Africa] still have the mentality that the European knows more,” said Thomas Mlambo, a distinguished television presenter and analyst on the South Africa-based sports network, SuperSport. The fact that Amodu was sacked following not only the remarkable achievement in qualifying Nigeria for the World Cup, but also in leading them to a third placed finish at the African Cup of Nations last year, emphasizes this confusing ‘mentality’ which inspired the Nigerian Football Federation to replace the 52 year-old with Lars Lagerback, who was only available to take the helm having failed to guide Sweden to the finals tournament.
Many will have questioned the decision to remove a coach who had spent two years conditioning the team, and succeeded in meeting his short-term objectives, with a manager who had recently failed to accomplish a similar target and with almost no knowledge of the country’s footballing traditions and philosophy. Amodu was actually sacked in a replica scenario prior to the 2002 World Cup and is unlikely to accept a fifth stint as Nigerian head coach should the opportunity arise. An Ivory Coast fan described the unusual racial barrier most African coaches face, and perhaps goes some way to explaining the seemingly irrational choices many African football federations have made recently: “The players have more respect for whites,” says Bienvenue Kehedi, a 26 year-old student in Abidjan. “An Ivorian can’t assert their will against the players because he tries to keep on the side of all the players and is scared of taking tough decisions.” Although European leadership may have assisted a few African nations in achieving their World Cup aspirations before last summer, the continent’s relatively poor showing at the 2010 tournament was interpreted by many as a sign of African football’s static development based on the dependence on foreign coaches.
The 1995 World, European and African Player of the Year, and Liberian legend, George Weah, has claimed that overseas influences are only serving to harm the progression of the sport in Africa. “In 1999, I addressed international coaches at FIFA and I said it; they come to Africa to coach but they are not the right people for the African team because they are not developing our players, they are just making the money, come for vacation and that’s it,” the former AC Milan forward stated. Weah implied that the Ivory Coast’s, Cameroon’s, Algeria’s, Nigeria’s and hosts South Africa’s premature elimination should act as a wake-up call to provoke a change to the continent’s process of pursuing European management. “The European coaches are not the best for Africa. Some agree with me, some they don’t. Look at the statistics of the World Cup, since Africa started hiring European coaches, only the Africans coaches have done well,” Weah concluded.
The three-time African Player of the Year (1989, 1994 and 1995) may be right in some respects, but the continual appointment of foreign coaches embodies a natural corollary to African players’ increased presence in the European leagues. The employment of European coaches makes sense considering a large number of modern African national teams consist of mainly European-based players, evinced by a Sven Goran-Eriksson selected Ivory Coast squad containing just one Ivorian-based player out of 23 – the third-choice goalkeeper. There is certainly a growing feeling amongst many Africans that a change in organizational structure at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is required to assist the development of the presently insufficient, and future, African coaches. With a campaign being led by Weah, arguably the continent’s most recognized footballing and political exemplar, it is not inconceivable to imagine prospective World Cups being contested by African nations guided by African managers. “We have to believe in ourselves, believe in our people. Give them the support to be trained and to develop our teams,” pleads Weah. “The CAF needs to wake-up, we need an institution for coaching in Africa. Our people don’t need to go to Europe, they need to stay in Africa and train.” Weah is certainly fighting a valid cause, because in spite of Africa’s varying successes under foreign managers, it would be catastrophic to witness a repeat of Ghana’s Serbian coach, Milovan Rajevac’s, inexcusable despair following the Black Stars’ 1-0 victory over Serbia in last years’ tournament. Africa’s sudden and meteoric ascension to the top of European football’s consciousness must not halt now, and with a burgeoning pool of talent swarming every region on the continent, it is time for the national federations to cultivate the hidden coaching talent to avoid future disappointment, and maintain the extraordinary progression.
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All eyes are on Wembley tonight as both Manchester United and Barcelona seek their 4th European Cup success. Sir Alex Ferguson believes that the game could be the best Champions League final in years as the two most successful sides in Europe in the past 10 years face off for what is arguably the biggest competition in domestic football.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include FIFA opening an ethics case against Blatter; Sam Allardyce set to move in at West Ham, while Gareth Bale has called upon Tottenham to do everything to keep Redknapp at White Hart Lane.
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Fifa opens ethics case against Blatter – Guardian
Hiddink expecting the call from Chelsea – Daily Telegraph
Ferguson: United are playing Barça for pride not revenge – Guardian
Harry has to stay! Bale predicts dark future for Spurs if Redknapp moves on – Daily Mail
Platini may step up if Fifa charges stick – Daily Telegraph
Reo-Coker among 10 Villa departures – Guardian
It’s West Sam United – Sun
Liverpool flop Acquilani’s dream move to Juventus looks in doubt – Daily Mail
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Karim: I’m Gunner stay at Madrid – Sun
Newcastle trying to beat Sunderland to Hammers star – Mirror
Chicharito almost quit football after just one goal in two years – Mirror
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Imogen Thomas Joins Paddy Power For a Champion Offer! They will refund losing Champions League Final bets if Man United lose the match Make your bets now!
The United States opened their CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Canada on Tuesday, while Panama held off Guadeloupe.Villarreal striker Jozy Altidore, who spent the second half of the 2010-11 season on loan to Turkish club Bursaspor, opened the scoring 14 minutes into the match at Ford Field, Detroit.
Fulham’s Clint Dempsey doubled the US lead just after the hour mark.
And it would have been 3-0 to the home side, but for a missed penalty from San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski four minutes from time.
The win sees the US lead Group C on goal difference from Panama, who held off a Guadeloupe revival to win 3-2 earlier at Ford Field.
Two goals in the space of three minutes, the first from Club Leon striker Blas Perez and the second courtesy of Juan Aurich forward Luis Tejada, gave Panama a 2-0 lead just 31 minutes into the match.
Guadeloupe’s position worsened when they lost defender Mickael Tacalfred to a red card in the 37th minute.
Panama went 3-0 ahead courtesy of a penalty from defender Gabriel Gomez on 56 minutes.
But Guadeloupe’s 10 men almost managed an unlikely comeback, as a brace from Le Havre striker Brice Jovial saw the team from the Caribbean island threaten to restore parity.
But Panama held on to record the win to sit equal with the US on three points.
All the talk around the Emirates this week has been about players leaving the Gunners with Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy continually linked with a move away. Reports suggest that Nasri is set to put in a transfer request on Monday in order to force a move away, with both Manchester clubs waiting in the wings.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Gunners blogs that include a look at Arsenal without Cesc Fabregas; debunking myths about Gael Clichy, while there’s finally a transfer rumour to get excited about at the Emirates.
We also look at the best Arsenal articles around the web this week.
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‘Suits you sir!’ – The Premier League club’s Kit collection for 2011/12 season
VIDEO: The GREATEST Premier League goal ever…you decide!
What direction are Arsenal taking?
Looking ahead at Arsenal, with or without El Capitan
Debunking myths about Gael Clichy
Finally a transfer rumour to get excited about at Arsenal
Just how much is Cesc Fabregas really worth?
Arsenal join £15m race for Chilean international
VIDEO: Lee Dixon talks to Football FanCast about all things Arsenal
Why Arsene Wenger should learn a valuable lesson from 1998
*Best of WEB*
3 in 3 out?? Wenger on the turn, or has he totally lost the plot?? – Highbury House
Removing the well entrenched – Online Gooner
Gary Cahill spills the beans over a shot | Another Arsenal player wants out? – Le Grove
New Signings Ahead Of Far East Tour? Don’t Be Too Sure… – A Cultured Left Foot
Would an £8M summer move for this Inter keeper be an astute one by Wenger? – Gunnersphere
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Click below to see the latest addition to the WAG Arena
Consistently one of the biggest spenders in the Premier League over the last ten years or so, Tottenham have signed some great players during that time, but there have also been some stinkers too. Since Daniel Levy became Tottenham chairman in 2001, Spurs have had 7 different managers and some of their big-money signings have left much to be desired. While in charge Levy has had the dubious honour of seeing his managers waste money and no manager has had a perfect record when it comes to transfers.
Here is a look at the top ten Spurs flops during Levy’s time at the club. To be honest there are a lot of Tottenham signings who could have been on this list but the competition for places was fierce. If there is anyone who hasn’t made the list but you feel deserves to be on it then let me know in the comments below, but before anyone says Sergei Rebrov, he was signed before Levy arrived at Tottenham!
Click on Daniel Levy below to see the Top 10
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Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino has been given a two-match touchline ban for his part in a post-match brawl following his side’s Copa America semi-final win over Venezuela.With emotions running high after a 5-3 victory for Paraguay on penalties, players and staff from both sides were involved in an unruly scuffle.
Martino had himself already been sent off during the match for dissent and he saw his side reduced to 10 following the dismissal of Dario Veron.
As a result, Martino, who has been coach of the national team since 2006, will have to watch Sunday’s final against neighbours Uruguay from the stands.
Martino’s opposite number, Cesar Farias, made it clear after the game that he felt the blame lay squarely at the feet of the Paraguayan camp.
“Today we have seen how [an established] World Cup team [in Paraguay] and some of their officials had to come and provoke us,” he said.
“Now we are so important that they already know our names, we are so important that we got to penalties and we are so important they have to come and attack us after the game.”