..::Football II::..

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    Borussia Monchengladbach 3-4 Bayern Munich: Champions fight back to end season with victory


    Bayern Munich wrapped up a record-breaking Bundesliga campaign in sensational style on Saturday afternoon, die Roten twice coming from behind to defeat Borussia Monchengladbach 4-3 in an typically thrilling end-of-season encounter.

    The Bavarians were two down inside five minutes, with Martin Stranzl and Mike Hanke on target for the hosts, and although the champions immediately pulled a goal back through Javi Martinez, Havard Nordtveit restored die Fohlen's two-goal advantage just as quickly.

    However, Franck Ribery then dragged his side back into the game with a low strike before levelling matters in the second half with a stunning volley. The Frenchman was involved again as Arjen Robben volleyed home to decide a remarkable game in the visitors' favor.

    Bayern had gone into the game having conceded just 15 goals in its previous 33 outings in this season's Bundesliga. The club shipped three inside the opening 11 minutes at the Borussia Park.

    Bayern's much-vaunted backline was breached for the first time just three minutes in, with Stranzl enjoying the freedom of the penalty area as he headed home Juan Arango's in-swinging free kick from the right-hand side.

    The hosts surprisingly doubled their advantage just two minutes later when Hanke finished with aplomb after being slipped in on goal by strike partner Branimir Hrgota.

    Bayern posted an almost instantaneous reply, with Martinez coolly rolling the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen, after taking a terrific first-time layoff from Ribery in his stride, but Gladbach restored their two-goal lead soon after through Nordtveit.

    Arango was involved again, this time releasing Patrick Herrmann with a sublime outside-of-the-foot pass. The German fed the ball inside to Nordtveit and he coolly stroked it past a shell-shocked Manuel Neuer.

    Bayern were in complete dissarray at the back, but Ribery was doing his utmost at the other end to keep them in the game, and he made it a one-goal game on 18 minutes by beating Ter Stegen at his near post with a low strike from just inside the area.

    The second goal belatedly settled Bayern, which dominated the remainder of the half and could well have gone in level at the interval, with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ribery and Arjen Robben all going close with well-struck efforts.

    Monchengladbach remained an attacking threat, though, and the lively Hrgota, fresh from his hat-trick at Mainz last weekend, fired just wide from the edge of the area during what was a bright spell for the home side just after the break.

    However, that did not stop Bayern from equalising on 54 minutes. Indeed, nothing could have stopped Bayern from equalising, with Ribery beating Ter Stegen all ends up with a blistering volley from a Philipp Lahm cross.

    Arango nearly put Gladbach back in front with a swerving set piece that very nearly deceived Neuer, but it was, almost inevitably, Bayern who went 4-3 ahead instead, with Robben calmly sidefooting home a volley, after being picked out at the back post by the irrepressible Ribery.

    Monchengladbach was stunned and, in truth, never looked remotely like turning the game around, with Bayern ultimately cruising to a deserved victory in Jupp Heynckes' final Bundesliga game at the helm.
     

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    Clichy signs new four-year Manchester City contract

    The left back expressed his delight at signing an extended new deal before insisting that his side will return stronger after a disappointing season all around.Manchester City left back Gael Clichy has signed a new four-year contract at the Etihad Stadium that will keep him at the club until 2017.

    The Frenchman joined City two years ago and has 56 league appearances for the club since leaving Arsenal, playing a starring role in the title-winning team of last season.

    The contract is set to keep him at the club until he is 31 and, having signed the contract, Clichy is hopeful about his long-term future as he assured supporters that the side will return stronger after a disappointing season.

    "I'm really happy to have agreed a new deal with City and I'm already looking forward to next season," he told the club's official website. "Things didn't go the way we wanted them to this year but we'll come back stronger next season and learn from this experience."

    The France international previously spent eight years at Arsenal, making 187 appearances after joining the club in 2003 from Caen.
     

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    Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Brest: PSG prevails on emotional night for Beckham

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    Paris Saint-Germain marked what could be the last game in a glorious career for David Beckham with a convincing win over Brest, running out a dominant 3-1 winner in a result that never looked in doubt.

    The veteran midfielder rose to the occasion with a corner that set up Blaise Matuidi for one of the goals, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his mark by scoring two stunning efforts as the champions cruised to three more points.

    With the Ligue 1 title sewn up and Brest already condemned to relegation, the path was clear for David Beckham to take center stage at the Parc des Princes. Playing in what most likely would be his final professional match, the former England international's first touch was greeted with rapturous applause and he proceeded to delight the crowd with his long passing, struck with precision across the pitch.

    Of course, there was one man who was never likely to let the ex-Manchester United star take all the spotlight. With just a handful of minutes played, a slick passing move executed from deep culminated with Clement Chantome laying off to Ibrahimovic. The Swede's first touch took him effortlessly past his marker, and Alexis Thebaux was beaten with an emphatic finish to give PSG the lead.

    Brest did not give up, and went close on a number of occasions from deep. The pick of the visitors' chances came from Kamel Chafni, who forced a good save from Salvatore Sirigu, as well as Adama Ba whose vicious effort from outside the box was tipped wide by the keeper.

    There was no way Paris' party would be spoiled, however. A Beckham corner directed to the penalty spot found Blaise Matuidi, who was criminally unmarked. The midfielder somehow made contact with a left-footed volley that bounced wickedly out of Thebaux's grasp and into the net. The advantage was widened further with a stunning free kick from Ibrahimovic, who smashed in from 30 yards out to put the match already out of Brest's reach.

    After that frenetic, action-packed first 45 minutes the tempo dropped somewhat after the break, with PSG taking the opportunity to change things around and seemingly settling for the three-goal margin. The newly-crowned champion dominated possession across the field, stroking the ball around without pushing too hard for another strike.

    There were still opportunities, however. A wonderful lofted pass from Beckham found Kevin Gameiro in the area, and the forward's diving header narrowly missed out on marking the fourth goal of the evening. Gameiro was later thwarted again on a one-on-one before substitute Lucas went close. Despite a late consolation from Charlison Benschop there was no threat of an upset, and the hosts cruised to a convincing victory on a very special evening.

    Beckham was taken off with 10 minutes to play, and the former England international was clearly emotional as he left the pitch, exchanging embraces with all of his teammates both on the field and on the sideline.

    The victory moves PSG onto 80 points with one game still to play in Ligue 1, while Brest remains rooted to the bottom of the table.
     

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    Barclays Premier League 2013.05.19 Final Matchday of The Season Fixtures

    Barclays Premier League 2013.05.19 Final Matchday of The Season Fixtures


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    Chelsea Vs Everton
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    Liverpool Vs QPR
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    Manchester City Vs Norwich City
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    Newcastle United Vs Arsenal
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    Southampton Vs Stroke City
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    Swansea City Vs Fulham
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    Tottenham Vs Sunderland
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    WBA Vs Manchester United
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    West Ham United Vs Reading
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    Wigan Vs Aston Villa
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    Wolverine GTR

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    Tottenham 1-0 Sunderland: Bale stunner not enough as Spurs miss out on top four spot

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    LONDON -- Gareth Bale scored a stunning late winner as Tottenham beat 10-man Sunderland 1-0 at White Hart Lane - but it was not enough for Spurs to secure a place in the Champions League next season.

    Arsenal’s victory at Newcastle meant that Tottenham’s north London rival will play in Europe’s elite competition next term, while Spurs will again have to settle for a place in the Europa League despite achieving their highest ever point total.

    Spurs looked like they would be frustrated by Sunderland, a man down after David Vaughan’s dismissal in the 75th minute, but Bale launched a sensational 88th-minute winner into the top corner from 30 yards.

    It showed just why Tottenham will have a difficult task in keeping the star man over the summer as the double player of the year slammed home his 21st Premier League goal of the campaign.

    Andre Villas-Boas made one change to the Spurs side that beat Stoke last week as Benoit Assou-Ekotto returned from a knee injury to replace Steven Caulker in defense. Sunderland was without the ineligible Danny Rose while Phil Bardsley was left out of the squad entirely following unflattering reports about him on Sunday.

    Tottenham supporters arrived at White Hart Lane full of hope and created a tremendous atmosphere in the early stages as they looked to roar on the home side.

    Spurs started brightly but the first real action of the game came in the 21st minute when Bale raced through on the Sunderland goal from Tom Huddlestone’s pass before going to ground in the penalty area under a clumsy challenge from Sebastian Larsson. It looked a certain penalty but referee Andre Marriner stunned Bale and the home crowd by waving away the appeals and showing the Welshman a yellow card for diving.

    Sunderland had to wait until the 30th minute for its first chance of the game. A swift counterattack ended with Danny Graham breaking down the right and squaring for strike partner Connor Wickham, whose close-range shot was kept out by sharp reactions from Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

    Tottenham attempted to reply but struggled to create clear-cut chances, Bale coming closest before the break with a dipping free kick over the wall from 30 yards that forced Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet into a diving save.

    Spurs had another huge shout for a penalty shortly after the restart when Carlos Cuellar blocked Emmanuel Adebayor’s shot in the style of a goalkeeper with his arms - but Marriner again waved away the appeals to the fury of Villas-Boas on the touchline.

    Sunderland’s defending was admirable yet frantic. After the ball bounced free in the the penalty area, Jack Colback cleared Bale’s shot of the line before the defender got a toe on Aaron Lennon’s rebound to deflect the ball on to the post.

    Bale then twisted Colback inside out but his powerful right-footed shot was saved by Mignolet as the Sunderland goalkeeper raced off his line.

    With 15 minutes to go, the Sunderland was reduced to 10 men and Paolo Di Canio could have no complaints. Vaughan, already booked for a foul on Scott Parker, lunged in to a late challenge on Aaron Lennon and this time Marriner made the right decision.

    Then, as the clock ticked down, Bale produced yet another moment of magic in a sparkling individual season, curling home a brilliant strike with his left, but it was not enough to get Tottenham into the Champions League.
     

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    Swansea City 0-3 Fulham: Visitors secure final day spoils

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    Swansea was left ruing missed chances after Fulham's forward line taught a lesson in finishing and earned the visitors a 3-0 victory on the final day of the Premier League season.

    The fixture offered a lively opening 10 minutes, but it was midway through the first half when Alexander Kacaniklic opened the scoring for the visitors with his fourth goal of the season. Two goals late on from Dimitar Berbatov and second-half substitute Urby Emanuelson took their goal tally to three, despite spending much of the second period in their own half.

    The game started brightly with both sides creating chances early on, yet it was Fulham – entering the game off the back of five straight league defeats – that took the lead through Kacaniklic after the midfielder found plenty of space to slot the ball home.

    The Sweden international nearly doubled the lead after a fine through ball from Costa Rica international Bryan Ruiz allowed him to advance on Michel Vorm once more only to see his shot clip the post, while Nathan Dyer fizzed a long-range drive inches over the bar just moments later.

    Swansea was left frustrated by its opponents’ disciplined first-half performance, and Jol's team held a deserved lead entering the second half.

    The League Cup winner was offered the chance to level early through Chico, but the Spanish defender couldn't make a clean connection with the ball when it suddenly fell to him from a corner.

    Fulham was again on the back foot and Pablo Hernandez – who was an ever-present feature in the home side’s attacking moves – was denied goals in consecutive attacks when Mark Schwarzer prevailed in a one-on-one opportunity and then saw a curled shot from the edge of the area dip wide of the post.

    The home side was made to pay for the numerous chances squandered in front of goal when Berbatov rounded the keeper and dispatched the second in clinical fashion.

    With just a minute remaining on the clock, substitute Emanuelson was gifted an easy opportunity with a rebounded effort to notch his first goal for the club on his final appearance, in a win that saw the visitors claim their first-ever victory against Swansea in the Premier League.
     

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    West Brom 5-5 Manchester United: Lukaku hat trick spoils Sir Alex's send off

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    Sir Alex Ferguson brought the curtain down on his glorious 39-year managerial career in astonishing fashion as Manchester United drew 5-5 at West Brom in a match of incredible twists.

    Goals from Shinji Kagawa and Alex Buttner either side of a Jonas Olsson own goal put the champions three goals ahead with barely a third of the 1,500th and final game of Ferguson’s United career played.

    James Morrison and halftime substitute Romelu Lukaku reduced the deficit to a single goal with strikes either side of the halftime break but Robin van Persie’s 30th goal of the season and a Javier Hernandez tap-in appeared to have handed the champions a comprehensive win.

    But two more goals from Lukaku, whose hat trick spanned just 40 minutes, either side of Youssouf Mulumbu’s strike, gave West Brom a share of the spoils.

    It marred the send off for Sir Alex, whose 26-and-a-half years in the United dugout ended shortly before 6 p.m. when referee Michael Oliver blew the whistle on one of the most memorable Premier League matches of all.

    Before the match, the Scot had been given a guard of honor by the two sets of players as he entered the pristine Hawthorns pitch on what was a glorious afternoon.

    With both home and away fans rising to their feet to give the 71-year-old a standing ovation, he responded by lifting his arms above his head and waving to all parts, including his family in the Cyrille Regis suite.

    One of the many Ferguson banners in the away end summed up the feelings of the United fans lucky enough to get tickets for this landmark fixture: ‘For 26 years, you gave us the world’.

    Ferguson was not the only giant of British football ending his top-flight career. Paul Scholes, in his 718th and final United game, had a 26-minute cameo that featured a series of tackles that verged on the reckless.

    The Hawthorns was a haven for momento collectors, with the match programme, which featured a 38-page tribute to Ferguson, in especially high demand.

    For his final game, arguably the greatest British manager in history lived up to his pre-match pledge of selecting a forward-thinking team.

    Stalwarts Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes, as well as David De Gea, all had to settle for places on the bench as Jonny Evans and Phil Jones formed a youthful center back pairing, left back deputy Alex Buttner made a rare start and Tom Cleverley, Kagawa and Anderson lined up in the midfield four.

    One player who was not involved was Wayne Rooney, who is unlikely to have figured even if he had not been given permission to sit out the trip as his wife Coleen is due to give birth to the couple’s second child.

    It took just five minutes for Ferguson’s men to demonstrate how they wanted to give the manager the send-off he would have craved.

    Hernandez’s pinpoint cross from the right was met by the head of the unmarked Kagawa at the near post.

    Three minutes later, United doubled its advantage as the club once again used the full width of the pitch in a manner that has been a hallmark of Ferguson’s Old Trafford tenure.

    Antonio Valencia, deputizing at right back, romped forward and his cross-cum shot was deflected into his own net by Olsson.

    United’s supporters responded by going through their full repertoire of songs, including the old favorite ‘Let’s all laugh at City’.

    In the 30th minute, United went 3-0 up after Buttner seized upon a beautifully weighted pass from Cleverley and sent in a left-footed drive.

    Just when it threatened to turn into a humiliation for West Brom, the home side mounted a fightback to place Sir Alex’s winning send off in doubt.
     

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    Southampton 1-1 Stoke: Lambert strike forces draw in Owen's finale

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    Former Saint Peter Crouch’s goal was not enough to end Stoke City’s season on a high as Rickie Lambert cancelled out his effort to give Southampton a well-deserved point in a 1-1 draw in the last match of Michael Owen's career.

    Crouch headed Tony Pulis’ Stoke ahead in the 47th minute following good wing play by U.S. international Geoff Cameron only for Lambert to level after sloppy defending 10 minutes later. Owen made his last professional appearance from the substitutes bench, coming on in the 74th minute.

    Southampton top scorer Lambert appeared to have given his side the lead with less than two minutes on the clock when Adam Lallana saw his effort rebound off the post, and the 31-year-old smashed home the rebound. The home crowd’s celebrations were cut short, though, as the effort was ruled out for offside.

    Lambert again came close to opening scoring 10 minutes later, following a misplaced pass by Peter Crouch. The forward‘s effort edged agonizingly wide of the post from 25 yards to keep the game scoreless.

    As the game was played out in midfield, there was not another scare for the visitors until the 38th minute when Lallana dispossessed Robert Huth just outside his own penalty area. The lofty German reacted well though to make a last ditch challenge, to spare his blushes.

    After being second best for the majority of the first half, Stoke City exploded out of the blocks at the start of the second period and took the lead two minutes later. Cameron delivered a delightful ball from a wide-right position that Crouch, who previously made 33 appearances for Southampton, nodded past Kelvin Davis with a deft finish.

    The goal acted as a wake-up call for Maurico Pochettino’s men, and they came close to an immediate reply when Nathaniel Clyne escaped Ryan Shawcross down the right wing and found Steven Davis unmarked. He turned the ball goalwards first time, and forced Asmir Begovic to save low to his right.

    Five minutes later Begovic again kept his side in front, this time turning away Lambert’s effort with his legs following a great interchange with Jay Rodriguez

    Despite the in-form keeper’s best efforts, the hosts were level four minutes later, when Lallana’s cross was not dealt with by the Potters backline. The ball bounced around the area before Davis’ shot fell to Lambert, who rolled the ball home with ease.

    The introduction of Owen, for his final appearance before retirement, was met with cheers from all around the ground but that was to be the only other talking point in what was a dull second half, as both sides seemed content with the draw.

    The result sees Stoke finish the season one place and point above Southampton, as they sit 13th and 14th in the final table, respectively.
     

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    West Ham 4-2 Reading: Nolan hat trick rounds off Hammers’ season with a win

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    West Ham managed to tame a inspired second-half comeback from already relegated Reading in the final fixture of the season, getting a hat trick from Kevin Nolan to emerge victorious 4-2 in an enthralling game at Upton Park.


    It took until the 20th minute for the first real goal-scoring opportunity when Jobi McAnuff’s shot was well saved by Jussi Jaaskelainen, who parried the ball into the path of Reading's Chris Gunter who could only direct his shot wide of the post.Almost immediately from the resulting goal kick, the Hammers opened the scoring following an error from Royals ‘keeper Alex McCarthy.

    McCarthy, who was this week called up to the England national team for the first time, attempted to send a long ball in West Ham’s half from his own box; however, the ball ricocheted off of Andy Carroll’s back into the path of Nolan, who rounded the McCarthy and easily finished into an open goal.

    Ten minutes later Ricardo Vaz Te doubled the home side’s lead when a long ball was pumped into the Reading box to Carroll. He controlled well and laid the ball off for Vaz Te, who drove the ball low into the corner past McCarthy.

    As the half drew to a close, the Hammers continued to cause the Reading defense all sorts of problems and could've been three or four up at the break but for poor finishes from Vaz Te and Mohamed Diame.After a bright opening five minutes from Reading to the second half, Gareth McCleary pulled a goal back with a powerful finish from the edge of the West Ham area. Reading's Jem Karacan squared the ball to McCleary on the edge of the box following some fantastic wing play, and McCleary rifled the ball into the back of the West Ham net.

    Just two minutes later Upton Park was stunned as the two Reading strikers combined, and halftime substitute Adam Le Fondre equalized to complete a fine Reading move. Royals striker Nick Blackman crossed a beautiful ball into the box to which top goal scorer Le Fondre got on the end of to neatly finish, giving Jaaskelainen no chance in the Hammers' goal.

    Reading continued to pile the pressure onto West Ham's back four as the half went on and was unlucky not to take the lead following chances from Blackman and again McCleary.Despite all the Royals' pressure, it was the home side that went ahead with just about 10 minutes remaining when Nolan grabbed his second of the match. Again, Carroll was the provider when he laid the ball off to Mark Noble, who neatly slid the ball into Nolan to slot the ball past McCarthy to go ahead.

    Nolan completed his hat trick five minutes from time when substitute Modibo Maiga was allowed too much space on the right flank and sent an inviting cross towards Nolan, who guided the ball past McCarthy.​
     
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