Friday, December 17, 2010

Champions League Last 16 Draw

AS Roma - Shakhtar Donetsk

AC Milan - Tottenham Hotspur

Valencia CF - Schalke 04

Internazionale - Bayern München

Olympique Lyon - Real Madrid

Arsenal - FC Barcelona

Olympique Marseille - Manchester United

FC København - Chelsea

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid

Barcelona showed their class with a resounding 5-0 win over Real Madrid at the Nou Camp in a memorable El Clasico to usurp their rivals in style at the top of the La Liga table.

Xavi gave the hosts a 10th-minute lead as Pep Guardiola's side seized the initiative from the off, before Pedro doubled their lead eight minutes later as the visitors were made to look sluggish in the face of Barcelona's scintillating attacking play.
The second half followed a similar pattern of dominance from the hosts with Real humbled into submission as David Villa unleashed a clinical three-minute brace before substitute Jeffren Suarez added a fifth in stoppage time to crown an imperious display from Guardiola's side.
There was a surprise inclusion for Karim Benzema in place of the injured Gonzalo Higuain, while Jose Mourinho resisted the temptation to effectively asphyxiate Barca - as he did last season in charge of Inter - with an additional holding midfielder, sticking with Mesut Ozil in his usual creative berth.
A vociferous atmosphere was created at the Nou Camp as the 98,000 Barca fans were handed placards to form a mural in the Catalunya colours and eventually the hype gave way to a frenetic opening as Barcelona stamped their authority on the clash from the outset.
The hosts dominated the early possession, and almost found a sublime seventh-minute opener through a predictably inspired source: Lionel Messi unfurled an audacious chip from out on the right which beat Iker Casillas, but not the far post.
Guardiola's side were in front three minutes later, however, albeit in slightly fortuitous fashion as Messi combined with Andres Iniesta outwide, before the latter's through ball deflected off Marcelo into the path of Xavi, who kept his composure to poke the loose ball beyond Casillas.
Barcelona continued to stroke the ball around with consummate ease as they held their opponents firmly under the cosh, and the hosts doubled their lead in the 18th minute. A mesmerising 25-pass move culminated in David Villa hurtling to the left byline before cutting a precise delivery back into the path of the onrushing Pedro, who was able to simply tap home from just a yard out.
Amid all the exhilarating exchanges, the first half was littered with petulance from both sides. First, an exasperated Cristiano Ronaldo pushed Guardiola on the touchline to spark off an absurd melee, then a stray elbow from Ricardo Carvalho saw Lionel Messi mysteriously booked for diving.
Real were desperate to muster any kind of a resurgence, and Ronaldo took a tumble under a challenge from Victor Valdes just before half-time which provoked merely a withering look from the referee, but represented a source of grievance in the eyes of a few visiting players.
Mourinho acted swiftly at the break as he introduced Lassana Diarra at the expense of Ozil, but it was Barcelona who almost made an immediate impact after the restart as Carvalho was forced to make a sliding block to deny Villa from close range.
Xavi then squandered a glorious opportunity to grab his brace in the 52nd minute as he surged down the right but, after Casillas parried away his initial snap shot, could only turn the rebound into the side netting with the goal gaping at his mercy.
But Barcelona were three up minutes later as Messi slid an incisive through ball beyond Pepe, and Villa beat the offside trap with a perfectly timed run before planting an emphatic finish beyond the helpless Casillas.
It was quickly turning into a rout, and the same combination made a mockery of the visitors' static and beleaguered defence once more as Messi picked out Villa, who thundered in another clinical strike just before the hour mark.
Carvalho could quite easily have been dismissed for a deliberate handball to deny Villa a goalscoring opportunity late on, but in an extreme case of leniency, the referee appeared to take pity on the defender and brandished the yellow card.
A disgraceful passage of play ensued on the stroke of the final whistle as tempers flared following a rash challenge by Carvalho on Messi, and Sergio Ramos was shown a second yellow card in the aftermath.
The comprehensive victory not only sees Barcelona leapfrog their rivals to the top spot in the La Liga table, but the Catalan club now have a superior goal difference to Mourinho's side.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Lyon screw Real Madrid Dreams

Cristiano Ronaldo could not prevent Real Madrid from crashing out of the Champions League after a 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu saw Lyon progress to the last eight 2-1 on aggregate.

The Portuguese lashed in an early opener as Real went on the attack for the remainder of the first half.
However a half-time reshuffle by Claude Puel paid dividends as Miralem Pjanic crashed home to leave the home side needing two goals in the final 15 minutes they barely threatened to score.
The first chance of the evening arrived less than a minute in, Kaka's shot from an angle on the right blocked close up by Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris.
Lyon barely touched the ball before Ronaldo hit the back of the net. Guti, recalled to the starting XI due to the absence of Xabi Alonso, sent a long raking ball down the left for the jet-heeled attacker to chase into the box.
From quite a wide position he shot low and hard and the otherwise imperious Lloris suffered the ignominy of the ball flying through his legs as he went to ground at the near post.
Real, who executed a stunning comeback against Sevilla in Madrid on Saturday, went looking for more. Kaka bent a shot from the left that stung Lloris's palms and Esteban Granero sent in cross after cross as Lyon struggled to get a touch, but managed to shore up their backline.
Los Merengues were in one of those moods and should have made it two through striker Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentina star, flawless at times this season, went past Lloris and into the box following a through-ball; with Jean-Alain Boumsong unable to get back, he contrived to strike the near post with his effort.
Three minutes on Higuain was denied by Lloris from inside the box with Ronaldo free square of him for an open goal. Kaka had laid on the chance with a lovely flick inside.

Jean Makoun flailed at a cross when Lyon orchestrated a rare attack and Les Gones were fortunate to go in at the break only a goal down and level on aggregate.
That result would have led to extra time, and for most of the second half that seemed the most likely outcome. However at its beginning question marks hung over Lyon's chances as the impressive Boumsong was withdrawn, with Jeremy Toulalan dropping back to sweep up behind the dominant Cris.
It was like watching two entirely different sides playing the second 45 minutes. Cesar Delgado, tireless in his defensive duties in the first half, began to get forward more and more, while substitute Kim Kallstrom also worked well out wide.
Twenty-year-old Maxime Gonalons, also a half-time introduction, headed the first chance over while soon after frustrated striker Lisandro Lopez unleashed a fearsome drive that Iker Casillas beat away.
Whenever Madrid ventured towards the box the ball was taken from them, while Lyon built patiently from deep to unnerve home fans mindful that their club had been knocked out at this stage for each of the past five seasons.
The apprehension morphed into full-blown anxiety when Lyon snatched the vital away goal. Delgado played a pass to the feet of Lisandro, lurking in the area, and his tee-up for Pjanic was not left disappointed by excellent control and a thunderous finish.
There was an aborted fightback as Lyon cleared a couple of corners following the arrival of Champions League record scorer Raul for Kaka, and as Real became increasingly undisciplined, Lisandro raced through only to screw his shot wide with all the time in the world.
Delgado then skied a further one-on-one in injury-time, but it did not matter: Real were down and out as Lyon recorded a famous European triumph.

Manchester United demolish Milan by four

A brace from Wayne Rooney sealed a 4-0 victory and an emphatic 7-2 aggregate scoreline as Manchester United romped past Milan at Old Trafford to clinch their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Rooney gave United the lead in just the 13th minute with a sublime glancing header, and the England forward netted his 30th goal of the season with a deft finish seconds after half-time to stun the visitors.
David Beckham was confined to the Milan bench from the outset, but the former United midfielder had to wait until his side were 3-0 down before he was introduced after Park Ji-Sung slammed a fierce shot beyond Christian Abbiati just before the hour-mark.
Darren Fletcher capped an imperious display from the English champions with a fourth goal in the 88th minute, and Milan and Beckham were left utterly shell-shocked at the final whistle.
Rooney almost gave the hosts the lead in the fourth minute as he swivelled on the edge of the Milan box to latch on to Antonio Valencia's cut back and fired a low shot which he dragged narrowly wide of Christian Abbiati's near post.
Milan were hardly subdued at the other end, as Andrea Pirlo whipped over a devilish delivery in the eighth minute which Nani inadvertently flicked over to Ronaldinho, but the Brazilian's header drifted narrowly wide.
Two minutes later, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who flanked Marco Borriello along with Ronaldinho, stole in at the back post beyond Patrice Evra to receive Thiago Silva's raking diagonal pass from the back, but his first touch was sloppy as the ball evaded him.
Neville was preferred to Rafael at right-back for United, and Sir Alex Ferguson's decision was vindicated as the skipper picked out Rooney with a pinpoint cross from the right as United stamped their authority on the match in the 13th minute.
Rooney's exquisitely-timed run caught Daniele Bonera napping as the forward climbed above his marker to glance a deft finish beyond a helpless Abbiati and score his third headed goal in the tie.

Milan looked devoid of ideas in attack as they sought to redress the balance of the tie and, as Ronaldinho and Huntelaar were dragged outwide to gain possession, Borriello was left increasingly isolated and stifled for space.
Veteran midfielder Clarence Seedorf was introduced at half-time as the Rossoneri looked to inject some impetus into their midfield, but it was United who began the half in sparkling fashion.
Nani surged down the left wing at blistering pace before the Portugese's precise cut back was dabbed past the onrushing Abbiati by Rooney with the utmost swagger and composure.
Milan were left horribly exposed as their three-pronged attack offered about as much defensively as they did in forward areas, and United capitalised in the 59th minute to kill the tie.
Paul Scholes found Park in behind Marek Jankulovski, and the midfielder's low shot fizzed into the bottom corner to make it three in the 59th minute as the hosts were rampant.
Then ensued a procession of substitutions as both managers recognised that the tie had been effectively decided, and the first to make his entrance was Beckham, to a standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd.
Rooney was withdrawn to a rapturous reception as the forward was denied a potential second hat-trick, and Paul Scholes and Neville departed swiftly afterwards.
The evening was capped off by Fletcher in the 88th minute as the midfielder capitalised on more shoddy defending by the visitors to turn home Rafael's deep cross and make it four.
United swagger through to the quarter-finals after humbling Milan over the two legs, as Rooney yet again established himself as one of the world's most potent attacking forces.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Robin helps Bayern to progress

Fiorentina won 3-2 but still crashed out of the Champions League as Bayern Munich sealed their quarter-final spot on away goals at the Artemio Franchi.

Bayern suffered their first defeat in 19 games, but thanks to stunning strikes from Arjen Robben (pictured) and Mark van Bommel, the German side progressed at the expense of a valiant effort from the Viola as the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.
Bayern assumed a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg at the Allianz Arena as Miroslav Klose's controversial offside winner separated the sides, but the German side's advantage was eroded as early as the 28th minute.
Vargas unfurled an emphatic finish from a tight angle on the left after Marco Marchionni's speculative drive from range stung the palms of Hans-Jorg Butt, who parried the ball away poorly into the path of the midfielder.
Stevan Jovetic made it two in the 54th minute with a clinical finish from Alberto Gilardino's exquisite flick, but Mark van Bommel unleashed an impeccably-struck shot which arrowed into the bottom corner on the hour mark to reduce the deficit.
Jovetic played a slick one-two with Gilardino before he netted his brace to restore the hosts' two-goal cushion in the 64th minute, only for Arjen Robben to curl a sublime finish into the top corner of the net from 25 yards just 74 seconds later.
Cesare Prandelli's side dominated the early possession in Florence as the Gigliati sought to exploit a howling gale which was in their favour in the first half, which they duly did through Vargas's clinical finish.
Butt was entirely at fault for gifting the opener to the Peruvian, but the goalkeeper saved superbly in the 15th minute as the midfielder's cross took a vicious deflection off Daniel Van Buyten's hand. The hosts appealed vehemently for a penalty, but to no avail.
Arjen Robben had a glorious opportunity to equalise in the 34th minute, but Sebastien Frey tipped the Dutchman's close-range volley over the crossbar to preserve the hosts' lead.

Bastian Schweinsteiger was booked for fending off Jovetic with a flailing arm in the 23rd minute, but it could easily have been a red card as the midfielder shrugged off his opponent in a reckless fashion.
Robben was made to pay for his profligacy as Vargas surged down the left and capitalised on some shoddy keeping by Butt to locate the top corner of the net and open the scoring.
Bayern striker Mario Gomes was anonymous in the opening half-hour before he was forced to depart after sustaining an injury, and Klose was handed another opportunity to make an impact in the tie.
Robben, who adopted a strarting berth on the right wing, should have restored the visitors' aggregate advantage as he stole in at close range to latch on to Van Bommel's through ball, but his volley was wild and straight at Frey who made a fine reflex save.
Fiorentina's 14-goal marksman Gilardino should have doubled his side's lead in the 50th minute after he latched on to Cristiano Zanetti's cross from the right, only for Butt to make a stunning save from point-blank range.
But four minutes later, Fiorentina doubled their lead as another cross from Zanetti was turned into the path of Jovetic courtesy of a deft touch by Gilardino, and the midfielder lashed his shot past Butt to further exert the hosts' dominance.
Bayern were undeterred, however, and Van Bommel struck a hammer blow with the away goal after a perfectly-placed low shot which fizzed unerringly past Frey from range.
Jovetic grabbed his second after a delightful exchange with Gilardino inside the Bayern box and a neat finish as Butt was beaten for a third time just after the hour mark.
But again Bayern responded in emphatic fashion as Robben cut inside from his role out on the right and let fly with a stunning strike to beat Frey and once again redress the balance of the tie.
Fiorentina pressed forward incessantly as Bayern sat deep, soaked up the hosts' advances and broke forward through Robben and Ribery.
The German side never looked entirely convincing at the back, but Louis van Gaal's side clung on to clinch the tie on away goals and leave the Artemio Franchi in stunned silence.

Arsenal brilliance Porto 5-0

A Nicklas Bendtner hat-trick helped Arsenal thrash Porto 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium to triumph 6-2 on aggregate and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

Bendtner grabbed both first-half goals before a moment of brilliance from Samir Nasri and finish from substitute Emmanuel Eboue ended a nervous opening to the second period.
And Bendtner, who came under fire at the weekend for missing several chances against Burnley, secured his first career treble from the penalty spot in injury-time.
It was the most emphatic way for the tall Dane to answer his critics: not only demonstrating again the art of being in the right place at the right time, but also finishing almost every opportunity that fell his way.
Yet there were greater stars shining for the Gunners on an uplifting night in North London. Mercurial Russian Andrei Arshavin put the opening strikes on a plate as well as the fourth for Eboue, while Nasri had a hand in the first and stunned the 60,000 crowd with a wonderful run and strike to seal the tie.
Arshavin could have opened the scoring with a header from a Bacary Sagna cross only eight minutes in, Helton providing the first of many impressive saves despite the unflattering scoreline.
A minute later it was 1-0. Arshavin wandered back from an offside position as Manuel Almunia launched a ball forward from outside his box, climbed to win a header back to Nasri and spun off; when the inevitable through-ball came a three-way tussle between Arshavin, Helton and Jorge Fucile saw the ball run loose - and Bendtner was lurking to finish.
Arshavin likes to come inside and curl into the corner, but Porto, well aware of this, showed him the outside throughout. Undeterred he powered to the by-line and squared out of Helton reach, but his cross beat everybody.
Three minutes on, in the 25th, he did it again. Right-back Fucile turned in from the touchline, frustrated that the ball would not run out, and his poor ball was gathered by the Russian who ambled through two weak tackles before delivering the same run and cross - and this time Bendtner arrived with perfect timing to sidefoot home.

Even great players have lapses, and so it proved with Arshavin guilty of firing over with an open goal at his mercy following a deep cross by Sagna.
Porto began to attack more frequently, with Hulk disappointing with a near-post cross when Ruben Micael was unmarked for the pull-back.
Helton kept his side in the tie with a pair of saves in the corner from Bendtner and Thomas Vermaelen, and, with Cristian Rodriguez introduced at the break, the Portuguese club had Arsenal worried for a time with their best spell of football.
Arsene Wenger was angry on the touchline as Falcao began to make inroads in attack and Jesualdo Ferreira's men won a succession of corners.
Almunia blocked a first-time Falcao strike and Nasri cleared off the line following a Rodriguez header while at the other end Arshavin forced Helton into a desperate double save with a lovely volley from outside the area.
On 63 minutes the tie was effectively sealed. Nasri turned away from goal on the right touchline, looking for a pass, and seeing none turned back again; he shimmied his way past Raul Meireles, Bruno Alves and Rodriguez before rocketing a low shot in off the far post from a tight angle.
Arsenal added another less than three minutes later when Arshavin brushed off Fucile following an away corner, ran 40 yards and fed an ideal ball onwards for the intelligent run of Eboue, who had replaced Tomas Rosicky.
With Helton rushing out, the Ivorian took the ball to one side and finished past the despairing dive of a defender.
The Gunners were on easy street from there on in, their fans cheering their keep-ball strategy and Falcao left chasing shadows every 10 minutes when a ball came near him.
The match was given a glorious ending when Eboue raced into the box, drawing a tackle from behind from the unfortunate Fucile.
Helton went the right way but Bendtner, whose name had been sung by the home fans throughout the second half, responded to a renewed chant by dispatching it firmly into his left-hand bottom corner.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Manchester United wins the Carling Cup

Rooney, on as a 42nd minute substitute for Michael Owen, headed home in the 74th minute to ensure last year's winners retained the trophy - the first time United have successfully defended a cup competition.
James Milner gave Villa an early lead from the penalty spot only for Owen, who started the game in place of Rooney, to level things up on 13 minutes with a classic strike.
But inevitably it was Rooney who grabbed the headlines, the England striker continuing his recent electric form with a 12th goal in nine games.
Villa raced out of the blocks at a soggy Wembley and took the lead in just the fourth minute, Milner sending Tomasz Kuszczak the wrong way from the spot after Gabriel Agbonlahor was upended by Nemanja Vidic in the box.
It was not the last time Vidic, who bafflingly got away without further punishment, looked suspect during a shaky first half, particularly when faced with the pace of Agbonlahor and Ashley Young.
But Villa's lead lasted just eight minutes, with Owen restoring parity soon after.
Rooney's appearance on the bench came as a surprise - he was suffering from a slight knee complaint - yet in Owen, Ferguson not only had a natural born finisher to call on, he had a player who was desperate to make an impression in what was a rare start for him.
And what an impact the striker made in front of the watching Fabio Capello. As he has on occasion this season, he rolled back the years with a tremendous finish past Brad Friedel after Richard Dunne's pockets were picked by Dimitar Berbatov.
But, just as it looked like the 'Owen for England' bandwagon was about to be fired up once again, the wheels promptly fell off as he limped off with a pulled hamstring before the end of the first half.
Nevertheless, Owen's goal had served to spark United into life, and the Premier League champions went on to enjoy the better of the opening period, despite sighters from James Milner and Emile Heskey which Kuszczak was forced to deal with.
Park Ji-sung nearly made United's slight superiority count in first half stoppage time, the South Korean's crisp strike pinging back off the upright after Stephen Warnock had slipped on the greasy turf, allowing Antonio Valencia to deliver a cross.
And United emerged for the second half in similarly determined mood, Michael Carrick's effort from the edge of the box matched only by Friedel's excellent save four minutes after the restart.
Valencia in particular was on fire after the break, and it was the Ecuadorian's lofted cross which Rooney met with a looping header over Friedel - similar to his first against Milan in the Champions League - to put United into the lead.
Rooney could have added another four minutes later - again with his head - but his downward effort from a standing position cannoned back off the base of the upright with Friedel beaten all ends up.
Villa briefly threatened to grab a late equaliser as the clock ran down, Kuszczak having to backpeddle furiously to tip a deflected cross over his crossbar on 82 minutes, but United never looked like being beaten for a second time.
So it proved as United held on to finally avenge their defeat by Villa in the 1994 final.





Saturday, January 23, 2010

Fa Cup Results

Holders Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-0 victory at Preston North End on Saturday while Jermaine Beckford's last-gasp penalty earned Leeds United a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur.
Burnley were the day's Premier League fall guys, losing 1-0 to Championship (second division) Reading while Wigan Athletic escaped humiliation by the skin of their teeth, drawing 2-2 at League Two (fourth tier) Notts County after trailing 2-0.
Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers needed a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at home to Championship side Crystal Palace and Fulham had some tricky moments before winning 3-1 at the lowest-placed survivors Accrington Stanley.
League Cup finalists Aston Villa had to work hard to advance with a 3-2 defeat of third-tier Brighton & Hove Albion at Villa Park while Birmingham City stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 with an impressive 2-1 win at Everton.
In another all top-flight clash hard-up Portsmouth guaranteed some welcome income with a 2-1 home win over Sunderland.
Five-times winners Chelsea took the lead when Nicolas Anelka shot powerfully past goalkeeper Andy Lonergan in the 36th minute before doubling their advantage when Daniel Sturridge finished from close range two minutes after the restart.
OPEN GOAL
Championship side Preston, managed by Darren Ferguson, son of Manchester United boss Alex, missed a gilt-edged chance when Darren Carter shot over an open goal in the first half.
"We found it hard in the first half but that's what the FA Cup is all about," Chelsea captain John Terry told ITV. "It has been an amazing day. When you come to grounds like this it's what the Cup is all about, smaller clubs giving their all."
Leeds brought a noisy travelling army of fans to White Hart Lane as the once-mighty Yorkshire side who now play in the third tier of English football attempted to shock eight-times Cup winners Tottenham as they had done 11-times winners Manchester United in the third round.

It looked as though substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko's 75th minute goal had won an exciting tie for Tottenham but Beckford tumbled over the outstretched leg of Michael Dawson in the fifth minute of stoppage time and then showed nerves of steel to send his penalty high into the net past Heurelho Gomes.

Beckford's scrambled effort just after the break had brought Leeds level after Peter Crouch had given Tottenham a halftime lead despite a missed penalty by Jermain Defoe.
"It could have been a penalty, it was a tight one and I certainly wouldn't question the referee," Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp told reporters.
"We should have been able to see the game out. We had the game in the bag and it's disappointing."
Leeds manager Simon Grayson praised Beckford who recently withdrew a transfer request. "It took an eternity for the referee to give the penalty and then there was a pause before he took it so he showed good mental strength to score it.
"It just shows what confidence he has in his own ability," Grayson said, adding that only a "silly money" offer would tempt Leeds to sell their top striker in the transfer window.
Championship strugglers Reading did manage a repeat performance. After beating Liverpool in a replay at Anfield in the previous round, an 88th-minute goal from Gylfi Sigurdsson dumped Burnley out of the competition.
Two sides battling for promotion back to the Premier League met at the Hawthorns where West Bromwich Albion beat Championship leaders Newcastle United 4-2.
After two successive Premier League defeats by Arsenal, Owen Coyle enjoyed his first victory as Bolton Wanderers manager when his side beat Championship team Sheffield United 2-0 at the Reebok Stadium.

Beckford keeps Leeds Cup dreams alive

Beckford added the spot-kick to the equaliser he had got early in the second half to cancel out Peter Crouch's opener. Roman Pavlyuchenko came off the bench to fire Spurs back in front but Beckford drew a foul from Michael Dawson in the sixth minute of stoppage time to win a dramatic late penalty.
Beckford, who scored the winner against Manchester United in the last round, held his nerve in front of the travelling Leeds supporters to fire the spot-kick into the top corner and book a replay at Elland Road.
Both sides had been on disappointing runs since their respective third round wins at the start of January. Leeds had not won a match since their famous victory at Old Trafford, while Spurs followed a 0-0 home draw with Hull by losing at Liverpool in midweek.
The visitors weathered the early Spurs storm, and it was not until the 42nd minute that the home side made their breakthrough. Gareth Bale beat Jason Crowe down the left wing and cannily pulled a pass back to Niko Kranjcar on the edge of the box. The Croatian's shot was saved by the foot of Leeds keeper Casper Ankergrem, but Crouch was on hand to fire home from close range.
Tottenham fielded an attacking line-up, with a midfield featuring Kranjcar, Luka Modric and former Leeds trainee Danny Rose, who was handed a first Tottenham start against his former club.
The 19-year-old made his presence felt after just eight minutes when Michael Doyle upended him inside the Leeds box and referee Alan Wiley pointed to the spot. Jermain Defoe, who missed a stoppage time penalty against Everton last month, saw his tame spot-kick saved by the impressive Ankergrem.

Defoe should have had the chance to atone for that miss midway through the half when he was brought down by Crowe as he lined up a strike, but this time the referee waved play on despite the defender not getting a touch on the ball.
Leeds began to grow in confidence as the half wore on, and Beckford had two good opportunities to once again shock Premier League opposition. The striker fired one low shot wide of the far post before drawing a decent save from Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.
However, Beckford was not to be denied his headlines, and on 52 minutes he was in the right place at the right time to score from close range after Leigh Bromby had knocked Robert Snodgrass's corner into the Spurs six-yard box.
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp threw the dice, first adding steel to his midfield by replacing Rose with Wilson Palacios before bringing on strike duo Robbie Keane and Pavlyuchenko.
The Russian, widely expected to be on his way out of White Hart Lane after falling out with Redknapp, took less than five minutes to put Spurs ahead again. He dummied over Bale's pass and Defoe played the ball back into his path for him to lift a neat finish over Ankergrem to restore Spurs' lead with 15 minutes remaining.
However, Leeds showed all of their fighting spirit to rally late on and, after Dawson had already made one inch-perfect tackle on Beckford in the box, the Spurs captain slid in to make another challenge on the striker that referee Wiley deemed a foul.
Beckford made no mistake from the spot, hitting the top corner to register his 22nd goal of the season and keep his side's Cup dreams alive.

Rooney hits super four goals

Rooney made his league tally 19 for the season - a career-best total only mid-way through the campaign - with an early opener and three late strikes to put down a brave effort from the Tigers, who stay in the drop zone after the loss.
It was not all sweetness and light for United though as captain Rio Ferdinand, returning to the team after a worrying back injury, could be in trouble with the FA after his elbow on Craig Fagan was missed by the match officials.
United were utterly dominant in the first half but only had Rooney's eighth-minute poacher's goal to show for two-thirds of the possession and almost 20 chances.
Michael Owen was particularly profligate, notching his first miss in the second minute when his finish came off Anthony Gardner and spun wide for a corner after good work by Rooney.
Rooney soon notched his 16th Premier League goal of the season though, poking the ball home from close range after Boaz Myhill could only parry a Paul Scholes distance special.
Myhill arguably could have done better with Scholes's initial effort, but he kept them in the contest afterwards.
Ji-sung Park headed wide five minutes later, off-balance as he met Darren Fletcher's cross, and Ferdinand poked Nani's corner just wide of the near post on his return from a worrying back injury.
The now usual haphazard United defending reared its ugly head soon after though, with consecutive suicidal defensive headers from Scholes and Jonny Evans forcing Edwin van der Sar to save bravely at Nick Barmby's feet, and the Dutch keeper flapping at the resultant corner and only saved by a Ferdinand clearance from Gardner at the far post.
After that though it was business as usual for the Red Devils.
Rooney had a half-volley deflected just over by a last-gasp Paul McShane block, while Nani saw a penalty appeal waved away after a reckless challenge by Geovanni, although the Brazilian seemed to pull out just in time.

United were all over the Tigers, as Owen was denied when Myhill stopped his spectacular volley and Kamil Zayatte blocked him on the rebound, while Rooney sent a superb free-kick inches wide with Myhill rooted to his goal-line.
Rooney then spooned the ball well wide from 12 yards after another swarming attack initiated by the evergreen Scholes, while late in the half Owen fired weakly at Myhill from eight yards out after some great build-up saw him play one-twos with Rooney and Nani.
Somehow it stayed 1-0 into the break, with Hull fortunate not to be long gone as they went down the tunnel.
The second half started slowly as, while United had almost all the possession, they failed to create any clear-cut chances until Myhill spilled Nani's low cross on 57 minutes.
Lone striker Fagan, while not getting any quarter in front of goal, defended from the front for Hull and chased everything and anything put in the United half, while Gardner and McShane in particular impressed at the back.
They gained in confidence, testing Van der Sar with some crosses and winning a corner on the right that bounced dangerously in front of goal before hitting Zayatte and going wide.
United woke up, and Rooney went close with a low drive before Park mis-hit another good low cross from Nani straight at Zayatte.
Owen was responsible for another miss, heading inches wide after getting behind Gardner to meet a perfectly-weighted free-kick won and delivered by Nani.
Hull came agonisingly close to an equaliser when substitute Kamel Ghilas did brilliantly to control McShane's cross before turning and firing a low drive across Van der Sar but just wide of the far post.
Another sub, Darron Gibson, nearly made it 2-0 for the hosts but his lob landed just the wrong side of the crossbar, while there was a moment of controversy in the build-up to that chance, with Ferdinand potentially in hot water after seeming to aim an elbow at Fagan in an off-the-ball-incident missed by referee Steve Bennett.
United got their second soon afterwards though.
On 82 minutes Nani - who would have been man of the match but for Rooney - smashed a free-kick off the bar: with Andy Dawson hurt after colliding with Myhill while clearing the rebound, Hull decided not to put the ball out of play and Nani fed Gibson, who slid Rooney through to smash the ball into the roof of the net.
Hull's resolve was broken and Rooney added a third four minutes later, arriving unmarked to head into the bottom left after yet another great delivery from Nani.
The England striker added a gloss to the victory with a fourth - the first time he has scored that many in one match - when he drilled into the bottom left after sub Dimitar Berbatov's pull down put him in, although Hull's defence backed off him to allow the shot.
United go two points clear of Arsenal and Chelsea, who have one and two games in hand respectively: Hull stay 18th, with a goal difference of -26, the worst in the division.

Monday, January 4, 2010

FA cup Manchester United is out

Manchester United suffered their most embarrassing FA Cup defeat for 26 years when Leeds United pulled off a stunning 1-0 third-round victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.
A 19th-minute goal from in-form striker Jermaine Beckford gave the League One (third division) leaders victory as United lost at this stage of the competition for the first time since third division Bournemouth beat them in 1984.
Beckford struck his fifth goal in three games and 20th of the season when a 50-metre ball from Johnny Howson went over the champions' defence, allowing him to control it and angle a shot wide of goalkeeper Tomas Kuszczak.
It was the first time Alex Ferguson had suffered defeat in the third round, the stage at which the top clubs enter the FA Cup, since he became United manager in 1986.
"I must admit, I didn't expect that performance," Ferguson told MUTV. "If you don't start and the other team does, you're always up against it.
"Leeds had a far bigger appetite than us for the game. You need a bit of luck and they got it but they deserved it because they played really well."
United's first lost to lower league opposition since 1984 also gave Leeds a memorable victory at a ground where they regularly used to duel with United for national supremacy before their slide down the leagues.
The 9,000 away fans went wild with delight at the end of a thrilling Cup tie which produced the first big shock of the round after a series of predictable results on Saturday.
"It was a good long diagonal ball from Johnny Howson and nine times out of 10 Jermaine finishes them off and that's what he did," Leeds manager Simon Grayson told ITV.

"We gave ourselves an opportunity to go and win the game from there and with a bit of luck here and there we've hung on.
"I am sure they will be celebrating in Leeds for the next few days."
DESERVED VICTORY
Grayson's men thoroughly deserved their victory which could have been even greater if Beckford had scored after 78 minutes instead of dragging his shot just wide.
Robert Snodgrass smashed a 25-metre free kick against the United bar two minutes later before goalkeeper Casper Ankergren parried a goalbound effort from Wayne Rooney in stoppage time.
Michael Owen, Dimitar Berbatov and Rooney went close to equalising for United but Leeds, who needed a replay to get past non-League Kettering Town in the last round, hung on for a memorable victory -- their first at Old Trafford since 1981.
FA Cup holders Chelsea face Championship (second division) Watford later at Stamford Bridge and there is an all-Premier League London derby between West Ham United and Arsenal at Upton Park.