..::Football II::..

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Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Stade de Reims: Gameiro goal sends hosts top of Ligue 1

A second half header from Kevin Gameiro helped PSG maintained its unbeaten Ligue 1 run with a 1-0 victory over Stade de Reims.

The visitors worked hard to stifle Les Parisiens' rhythm throughout but Gameiro's strike ensured PSG's victory. The recently-promoted side had the opportunity to take the lead from the spot late in the first half, but a brilliant Sirigu save denied Diego from 12 yards out.

The hosts opened the match in unconvincing fashion, with Christopher Glombard twice allowed to cut inside from his left flank. His first venture saw the ball eventually cleared by PSG's congested defense, while the second led to had to Kossi Gassa parrying the the Frenchman's effort.

PSG's Maxwell, shifted to a midfield role for the night, should have opened the scoring for his side after being put through by a delicate through ball from Ibrahimovic. The former Barcelona man failed to put power behind his strike however, and Gassa collected calmly.

Carlo Ancelotti's charges grew in confidence as the first half wore on, dominating possession but failing to find penetration through the middle of the field. The central midfield duo of Alex and Maxwell often resorted to long balls in an attempt to break forward, restricting Les Parisiens to long range efforts.

And it was a lofted ball that presented Ibrahimovic with the chance to put his side ahead, Silva finding his former Milan team-mate with a well-weighted pass. The Swede was unable to direct his volley on target however, firing wide from a tight angle.

Gameiro came inches form finding the breakthrough minutes later, after Nene had put the Frenchman through with a classy backheel. The forward could only direct his strike straight at Gassa, with the deflection cleared off the line by Anthony Webber.

Reims were handed a glorious chance to take a lead into the halftime break, with the referee awarding the visitors a penalty following Gregory van der Wiel's handball in the area. Diego stepped up to the spot, but a brilliant save from Salvatore Sirigu kept the sides level.

Both sides ramped up the pressure with the interval looming, but failed to find a breakthrough in the closing stages of the first half. Alex failed to tap in a curling free kick with only the keeper to beat, before Mamadou Sakho put his body on the line at the other end to deny Glombard.

The second half picked up largely where the first left off, with a dynamic showing from the visitors stemming PSG's rhythm. The hosts were largely restricted to aerial forays, with Sakho making a mess of a header he should have converted minutes after the break.

Blaise Matuidi then found himself in acres of space in the area following a poor corner clearance from Reims, but the midfielder could only direct his scrappy effort at the crossbar. The Frenchman then saw a drilling effort deflected by his own teammate, when the ball appeared to be heading for goal.

PSG was rewarded for its dominance in the 65th minute, when Gameiro latched on to a Maxwell delivery from six yards out. The Frenchman's powerful header left Agassa helpless, and handed his side the lead they and been probing for.

The hosts continued to push for a second in the closing stages, but continuously lacked the final pass to forge opportunities of note. Ibrahimovic's backheel was very nearly controlled by Menez in his stride, after the former had been denied a headed chance by Gameiro's intervening and ineffective contact with the ball.

Ibrahimovic and Menez both had opportunities to put the tie to bed in the opening exchanges, but both failed to beat Agasse from narrow angles. Julien Toudic then saw a scissor kick fly just over at the other end, denying the Frenchman what would have been a spectacular equalizer.

The win sees PSG provisionally draw level with league leaders Marseille, who travels to Troyes later in the round.

 

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West Brom 1-2 Manchester City: Super-sub Dzeko saves champions with dramatic double

WEST BROMWICH, England -- On paper, this trip to fortress Hawthorns always looked a major test of Manchester City’s title credentials.

So it proved as Edin Dzeko came off the bench and rescued a 2-1 victory from the jaws of defeat for Roberto Mancini’s 10-man team in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Shane Long’s poacher’s goal had given West Brom a 67th minute lead and looked like propelling the home side to its fifth consecutive home Premier League win of the season following James Milner’s early sending off.

But Dzeko had other ideas. A minute after coming on the pitch, he headed an 80th minute equalizer from Carlos Tevez’s free kick following an error from Ben Foster.

Then, in added time he sent City’s travelling fans wild with his second goal and fifth league strike of the season, calmly slotting home with his right foot.

Either side of Dzeko’s last-minute winner, another substitute, Romelu Lukaku, had come close to scoring, but he was denied - first by Joe Hart and then by an Aleksandar Kolarov goal-line clearance.

Before kickoff this clash had ‘upset’ written all over it. West Brom has adapted smoothly following the change over from Roy Hodgson to Steve Clarke, accumulating 14 points from their first seven matches.

Moreover, the Hawthorns has been quite a fortress for Clarke’s team. Their opening four home league matches have yielded four victories - against Liverpool, Everton, Reading and QPR – and nine goals.

Mancini selected a team with a strong English core. Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott and James Milner all started despite the 20-hour delay to England’s match in midweek and they were complemented by Gareth Barry and Micah Richards.

Sadly for City, Milner only last 23 minutes. A mistake by Vincent Kompany allowed Long a clear run on Hart’s goal, which meant that the midfielder had to time his tackle perfectly. He did not.

Long was hacked to the ground and replays showed that Mark Clattenburg was correct to show Milner a straight red card for a professional foul.

Briefly, City lost its composure as feisty challenges rained in from the home side, backed by its vocal home support.

Mancini needed his 10 men to stand firm but Balotelli was having one of those days when he felt the whole world was against him. After being booked in the 19th minute for lashing out following a challenge, he began to tread a disciplinary tight-rope as the opening half finished, even if he was harshly penalized for a foul.

When the whistle blew and with the crowd increasingly getting on his back, Balotelli marched up to Clattenburg and his assistants to have his say, before being sensibly escorted away by Joe Hart.

Few among the 24,891 spectators expected the temperamental Italian to come back out after the break, but Mancini reshaped his team into a 4-3-1-1 formation, moved Tevez back and gave Balotelli the spearhead role in which he is far more comfortable.

It paid immediate dividends. City began to gain a foothold in the match, creating opportunities and quietening the home fans for the first time.

Tevez’s long-range shot was heading for the top corner before it was athletically pawed away by Ben Foster while Toure headed over the bar after Balotelli’s mis-hit volley.

Against the run of play, West Brom took the lead after 67 minutes. Substitute Peter Odemwingie made an immediate impact, putting Long through on goal with a slide-rule pass and the No. 9 tapped in his third league goal of the season and fifth in all. Replays showed he was narrowly onside as City’s defenders moved forward.

Mancini hauled off Barry and sent on Dzeko to rescue a point. The Bosnian managed to do even better.

 

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Swansea City 2-1 Wigan: Hernandez and Michu strikes give Laudrup much-needed win

Swansea City secured its first win in five Premier League games thanks to a thrilling second half against Wigan.

Goals from Pable Hernandez and Michu proved to be enough for the 2-1 victory, despite a late surge by Roberto Martinez's men.

The hosts started the first half like a team with a point to prove, but after their initial pressure came to nothing Wigan was able to find itself a foothold in the game.

Indeed, it was The Latics who had the fist real chance of the match, as the lively Arouna Kone helped Emmerson Boyce's knock-down back across goal for Shaun Maloney, who hit his shot rather tamely into the grateful arms of Michel Vorm.

Michael Laudrup's choice to move Michu from his usual position in attacking-midfield to a lone striker role seemed to deny The Swans a goalscoring dimension in their loaded midfield, with Jonathan De Guzman, Ki Sung-Yeung and Leon Britton failing to make telling runs into the Wigan box.

This meant that the home side's attackers were largely feeding off half-chances, and goal-machine Michu failed to hit the target with either a volley from the edge of the box or a header from a corner in the opening half hour.

Wigan seemed happy to soak up the pressure and hit the hosts on the counterattack, and again came close when Maloney found Jean Beausejour with a beautifully weighted through ball, only for the Chilean winger to ignore Kone in the centre and blaze the ball over the bar from inside the box.

For all Swansea's energetic wing play, Michael Laudrup's men failed to really trouble the visitors' defense as the game peetered out towards halftime.

Normal service was resumed after the break, with Swansea enjoying significant territorial dominance but unable to get too many bodies into the box.

Leon Britton got the crowd on their feet early on with a well-struck shot that went just wide of Al-Habsi's goal, and the midfielder was slightly unfortunate not to notch his first ever Premier League goal.

Swansea finally started to pile more players into the box, and was rewarded when Pablo Hernandez latched onto Wayne Routledge's pass in the penalty area before turning and firing in his first goal in English football.

The Liberty Stadium erupted, and fans barely had time to take their seats before the home team doubled its lead, as Michu grabbed his customary goal with a header from De Guzman's corner.

However, any hopes of coasting to victory were immediately dispelled as Wigan hit back straight away to halve the deficit.

A ball into the box was knocked down by the impressive Kone, and James Macarthur's scuffed shot across goal was turned in acrobatically by Emmerson Boyce's audacious back-heeled volley.

Swansea was stunned, and it could have been worse moments later as Kone was controversially adjudged to be narrowly offside as he chested Beausejour's cross into the back of the net.

The game was blown wide open by that crazy five minutes, and there were chances at both ends as Wigan piled forwards in search of an equalizer and left themselves exposed to the counterattack.

However, The Swans did just enough to hold on for a valuable three points that will ease the pressure on Michael Laudrup.

 

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Liverpool 1-0 Reading: Sterling strike gives Rodgers first home league win

LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool posted just its third Premier League victory at Anfield in 2012 as it earned a 1-0 win over Reading on Saturday afternoon.

Raheem Sterling struck the solitary goal, finishing well into the corner after a chipped through ball from Luis Suarez - who was at his wasteful best as the Reds failed to carve out a bigger lead.

The hosts made just one change following their disappointing 0-0 draw with Stoke last time out, as goalkeeper Pepe Reina – injured on international duty with Spain – dropped out for Brad Jones. Royals boss Brian McDermott, meanwhile, swapped Jay Tabb and Noel Hunt for Mikele Leigertwood and Danny Guthhrie respectively, after his side threw away a 2-0 lead to draw with Swansea in their last outing.

Keen to atone for its limp showing against the Potters, Liverpool began the game brightly, with Nuri Sahin flagged narrowly offside after latching onto a lofted ball in the box with just minutes on the clock.

Reading was dealt an early blow as Jem Karacan was forced to leave the field following a cruching 50-50 challenge with Steven Gerrard, with Gareth McCleary sent on as his replacement. And things almost immediately got worse for the visitors, as Sahin shot inches over from a Sterling pull back in the box.

The young winger was unwisely being given the freedom of Anfield by the Royals and had not always used it effectively, but more than made up for that with 29 minutes on the clock. An intelligent first-time pass from Luis Suarez let the 17-year-old free and, after taking one touch, he fired beyond Alex McCarthy to put the Reds in front.

The hosts continued to dominate the ball in the Reading half from that point, leading to a bizarre moment 40 minutes in which brought perhaps the loudest cheer from the Anfield crowd all season. Suarez jinked in front of the back four to draw a foul, prompting the referee to award a free kick which was welcomed rapturously by all four corners of the ground in recognition of the perceived injustices the Uruguayan has been dealt this term.

In truth, the crowd had little else to cheer for the remainder for the first period, as matters came to a close with Liverpool one ahead.

It took just five minutes of the second half for Liverpool to go close again, as Suarez saw his shot across McCarthy well saved, but the Royals almost got themselves on terms after breaking with speed after that effort. Garath Mcleary beat the hosts’ offside trap with ease but Jones was more than equal to his tentative attempt at the near post.

That miss prompted Liverpool into attacking with more abandon and Suarez should have done better than strking Sterling’s cross over, following a delightful through ball from Sahin to start the attack.

Brendan Rodgers’ side went close twice in quick succession moments later with a McCarthy save from Gerrard’s shot and Shelvey’s poor touch denying them a two-goal cushion. And the typically profligate Suarez also contrived to keep the scores level with two horrendous misses in a matter of seconds at the Kop end.

But the hosts were let off for those misses, as the Royals failed to conjure an attack of real note with time running out.

 

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Di Matteo: Chelsea is more than Mata and Hazard

Chelsea's forward line caught the eye again during their 4-2 win over Tottenham but manager Roberto Di Matteo insists that the result was down to more than their brilliance.


Juan Mata scored two and set up another while Eden Hazard had a pair of assists and Oscar continued to show signs of his talent in a rip-roaring game at White Hart Lane.

"You focus on those players but, if you look at Mikel and Ramires in midfield, what kind of work they did and our full-backs and defence ... we always focus on the team," Di Matteo told Sky Sports after the match.

"I know those are the ones who are more creative and probably smoother on the eye to watch but we have a good team and we showed the team spirit as well."

The Italian was thrilled with his team's performance, having come back from a 2-1 deficit following Spurs' two-goal burst after halftime.

"If you look at the whole game, it probably was only those 10-12 minutes in the second half where Tottenham got back into the game, with the early goal after halftime, where we lost a little bit of our control," he observed.

"For the rest of the game, I think we very much took the initiative and had a lot of control of the game, created a number of chances and we deservedly won."

There are always question marks following international breaks, but Di Matteo is happy with the way his team responded on Saturday.

"The way we're playing, it's very pleasing for us," he said. "We go away from home and we have the same attitude as at home; we want to play forward, we want to keep the possession, we want to control the game and try to be the team who impose ourselves on the opposition."

The Chelsea board announced on Saturday morning that captain John Terry had been given a "very, very heavy fine" after not appealing a punishment for racial abuse and Di Matteo admitted that the affair had been a testing period.

"It's been hard for us as a club to deal with all these issues but today we showed that we can channel our energy to football, which is our priority," he added.

"The board decides what they want to do and they decided to announce it – and that's the way it is. I'm fully aware of what's going on. I support the decision and was involved in it and ultimately they make the decision."

 

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Hazard & Mata 2nnama Patta

 

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Laporta: Guardiola loves Italy

Joan Laporta says Pep Guardiola "loves Italy" as rumors linking the coach with AC Milan continue to mount.

The Serie A giants have lost four of their seven league matches this campaign, fuelling speculation that Massimiliano Allegri's tenure at the helm could be nearing its conclusion, with the Spaniard possibly waiting in the wings.

And Laporta, who appointed Guardiola as Camp Nou boss in 2008, sent a cryptic message to Milan president Silvio Berlusconi about his former protege's credentials and affection for the way of life in Italy.

"Pep is someone who pays no attention to frills," he told Tuttosport. "He was at Barca purely for work purposes and did it in the utmost tranquility.

"I know [Silvio] Berlusconi and I can assure him that [Pep] is a man of great charisma. Guardiola loves Italy, it is a common passion of his."

He added that Guardiola only reads Italian newspapers when traveling.

"Do I see him on a bench again this year? Ask him," Laporta said. "Pep is a great person, who is always in search of perfection."

 

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Pardew keen to keep emotions in check when Newcastle faces Sunderland

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is looking to lead by example when his side face Sunderland on Sunday, warning staff and players to keep their emotions in check.

The 51-year-old has a good record at the Stadium of Light, recording four points from two previous visits and a draw in his only home tie against the Black Cats. Pardew admitted he wasn’t full aware of the importance and passion involved with the Tyne-Wear derby before moving to St. James' Park, but insisted there is a line that cannot be crossed.

"No, if am honest, not with the intensity that I have found. It's one of the great derbies of the world, you have to say that," Pardew told reporters. "But when you are involved in this - and I have been to many, many games, including the Glasgow derby, and this game is as venomous as that.

"It makes it electric. You don't want to lose that passion, but hopefully at the end of the game, everybody shakes hands, the better team has won and we all go home safely. That's important."

The former West Ham manager was involved in angry exchanges with opposition boss Martin O’Neill at the end of the reverse fixture last season, but indicated he will be keeping a cool head this weekend.

"There is a little bit of passion flying about and it needs to be conducted in the right manner by players and staff alike," Pardew said. "But emotions sometimes get the better of you, like it did with me at the end of last season's game when we scored in the last minute. It's an emotive game, we want to win.

"Martin O'Neill wants to win, I want to win, Sunderland want to win and Newcastle want to win, so it is a big, big game. Both myself and Martin will be very keen that 11 men end the game. You have got to control your emotions because at some point, there will be a flash-point in the game. There will be a tackle that's mis-timed and probably look worse than it is, and it will be how you behave when that incident occurs."

Fabricio Coloccini could make a much anticipated return from injury against their rivals, with his boss labelling him as a key man who has been sorely missed.

"The most important person in the whole team has been Coloccini, and we have been missing him. He has only played two or three games this season," Pardew said. "His leadership, his presence, his control sets an example for everybody else. In periods in games, we have desperately needed him and not had him, so it would be nice to see him there."

 

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Vilanova: We’ve got to improve, but I’m happy with our results

Barcelona head coach Tito Vilanova has little to grumble about so far in his reign of the Catalan giant but insists he is looking for improvement.



The Blaugrana sit top of the league on 19 points and have yet to lose this season. In stark contrast, this weekend’s opponent Deportivo La Coruna languishes in 18th position with only six points.

The 44-year-old coach says the objective after the international break is to ensure the club keeps up its rich vein of form - while to continuing to improve - citing the tricky away visit to the Riazor as the perfect place to start.

“There are no easy games and certainly not away to Deportivo -- especially with the players coming off the international break. Riazor has never been an easy ground," Vilanova told reporters.

The Catalan coach rotated his side after the last international break but feels this weekend could merit a different approach.

“It’s important to get players back," he said. "If that happens we can start to make rotations in the team. Every situation is different – you have to bear in mind how the players feel when they come back.

“This time they’ve had a better trip back and we’ve been able to train. We’ll see how they feel when they get up on Saturday and if there are any hints of jet lag.”

Vilanova also took time out to respond to reports that the club had made a video on Real Madrid’s Pepe while former coach Pepe Guardiola was in charge.

“There are no videos of any players at all. We record all of our games so we can get an overall view, but we don’t make videos of other players -- we’ve never concentrated on one player.
“We would have been better talking about the game [against Real Madrid] after the match, rather than concentrating on a single incident."

He also revealed that Gerard Pique will play no part this weekend while David Villa will slowly come back into the side.

“[Pique] is still not 100% and we’ll not be taking any risks with him. [Villa] knows that he’s just come back from a long lay-off and that he will gradually come back into the team and start to figure.”

 

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Herrera: This is the best Real Madrid side in history

Paco Harrera believes the current Real Madrid squad is the strongest the club has ever had and has pointed out their main threats.

Celta Vigo travel to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday evening and even though Jose Mourinho's side has been hit with a lengthy injury list, the Celestes' coach does not think it will affect them.

“This is the best Real Madrid in history,” he declared. “Last year they were the top scorers, they beat you by knockout. This year they have started differently but they are recovering their style.”

The 58-year-old then reeled off a list of potential hazards to his team's target of leaving Madrid with a surprise victory.

“They have the best goalkeeper in the world, Iker Casillas, the best central defender, Sergio Ramos, and one of the best central midfielders, Xabi Alonso," he added.

"Cristiano Ronaldo? That's different, him and Lionel Messi are the two best.”

 

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Germany's Bierhoff: We were all depressed after Sweden collapse

Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff has revealed that every member of the squad was left depressed by the recent 4-4 draw with Sweden.

The Nationalelf appeared to be cruising to victory with 30 minutes remaining, but a late rally from Blagult helped them recover from a four-goal deficit.

The Euro 2012 semifinalists were criticized by fans and its own players alike in the aftermath of the tie, and their team manager has now revealed the effect of the result on his players.

"We were all affected and depressed, because we played like champions in the first 60 minutes," he told Die Welt."[Immediately after the game] everyone was busy with themselves, shook up. Everyone needed to collect themselves and on those evenings, you notice the team slowly opens up and things are discussed."

The former Milan forward went on to insist that no one in either the squad or staff of the national side were pinned with the blame for the draw, but conceded all involved should evaluate the mistakes made.

"We're all in this together. But it is important that everyone looks at what we could have done differently in the coming days," Bierhoff said.

Germany will continue its World Cup qualification campaign when it travels to Kazakhstan in March.

 

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Barcelona not the best in the world, says Oliveira

Nelson Oliveira has accepted Deportivo La Coruna that beating Barcelona in Saturday's La Liga encounter will be a difficult task, but believes the Catalans are no longer best team in the world.


Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho pointed out earlier this week that the Blaugrana are no longer Spanish nor European champions, and are therefore not the benchmark any more, and the Portugal international has echoed his compatriot's sentiments that the Camp Nou side are not on another level to the rest.

"Barcelona aren't the best team in the world. I think they're up there with the best, but Madrid are also a great team, albeit with a totally different playing style to Barca, but they have a great team too," Oliveira was quoted as saying by Marca.

He added, "We're going to give it our all and go all out against them, because that's the only way you can beat Barcelona. They have a great team, but we have quality too and we'll have to see what happens.

"Overcoming Barcelona won't be an impossible" task, but it will be difficult because they have an incredible squad and they're very tough to beat. They don't really have any weaknesses."

 

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Sir Alex Ferguson slams Rio Ferdinand after Kick It Out t-shirt snub

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has criticized defender Rio Ferdinand after the defender did not wear a Kick It Out t-shirt during his side's prematch warmup ahead of its game against Stoke at Old Trafford.

Ahead of the match the United boss had questioned Jason Roberts after the Reading striker said he would not wear the t-shirt in protest at what he feels is the lack of progress in the fight against racism.

And Ferdinand now appears to have followed Roberts’ lead, causing Sir Alex to claim his player's actions have embarrassed him and that action will be taken.

“I’m disappointed because at the press conference yesterday I said to press [that my players would wear the shirts] and it’s embarrassing to me. But he’ll be dealt with, don’t worry about that," Ferguson told reporters.

 

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AC Milan's Galliani: Pato's comeback is a gradual process

AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has stressed that it won't take any risks with Alexandre Pato following his comeback from injury.

The Brazil international has yet to make his first official appearance for the San Siro side this term due to injury, but is set to make his comeback against Lazio at the weekend after being included in the 21-man match squad.

"Pato is in good shape and he has been training well since his return to the training ground," Galliani told Sky Sport Italia.

He added, "However, we should not forget that he has been out of action for a long time, and his comeback is a gradual process.

"It's up to coach Massimiliano Allegri to decide how he will use him."

 

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Norwich City 1-0 Arsenal: Holt winner leaves blunt Gunners 10 points off title pace

Norwich picked up its first Premier League win of the season after a determined and hard-fought performance against Arsenal at Carrow Road, edging the match 1-0.


The Gunners had more possession throughout, but the host opened the scoring through Grant Holt in the first half after Vito Mannone spilled a long-range shot.

The Canaries were forced to hold on for periods of the match, but a solid defensive performance saw them hard to break down, with the visiting side creating few clear-cut chances.

Norwich made two changes from the side that was swept aside by Chelsea two weeks ago with Leon Barnett being replaced by summer signing Michael Turner, while Anthony Pilkington came in for Jonny Howson, who dropped to the bench.

Arsenal came into the match in good form and made just the one change to the side that beat West Ham away last time out, with Andre Santos starting at left back in place of the injured Kieran Gibbs.

Jack Wilshere was named among the Gunners' substitutes, despite Arsene Wenger's claims that the midfielder, who has missed 14 months due to injury, was still weeks away from a return.
The host came out of the trap in a determined manner, with Pilkington going close early on, but the Gunners soon took control of possession, making the match look like a training session at times, yet they could not create clear opportunities.

Norwich’s steely rearguard action was providing an excellent launch pad, and it was soon in the lead, with the help of Arsenal goalkeeper Mannone.

Bradley Johnson cut the ball back to Alexander Tettey about 25 yards out, and the Norwegian tried his luck, only for his effort to be spilled by Mannone but Holt was rushing in and buried the rebound.

The goal saw Norwich showing significantly more on the ball, and although Arsenal generally continued to edge the possession, it was the host which went close next, but Turner, who was booed before kick-off, headed a great chance wide after Wes Hoolahan’s corner and the Canaries went into the break in the lead.

After the break, the match followed a similar pattern to what had been established in the first half, with Norwich doing most of the running about, while the Gunners stroked the ball around with little end product.

Olivier Giroud was presented with an opportunity to get a shot in when John Ruddy punched Carl Jenkinson’s cross straight to him, but his effort bobbled harmlessly wide as Arsenal pressed hard for an equalizer.

With 20 minutes to go, Thomas Vermaelen presented Norwich with an excellent chance to secure the win after slipping on the halfway line, but Holt’s attempted chip went straight into the hands of Mannone.

Arsenal piled the pressure on in the final ten minutes, but they still could not break down the Norwich defense that held strong, with Leon Barnett's last-ditch block on Gervinho securing the win.

 

[මුගටියා]

Manchester United striker Rooney scores 200th club goal

Wayne Rooney scored his 200th goal in club soccer following his 65th-minute strike for Manchester United in a 4-2 win over Stoke City.

The 26-year-old, who had earlier diverted the ball into his own net to give the away side the lead, capitalized on confusion in City's defense and fired home at the back post following Robin Van Persie's corner for the Red Devils' final goal.

The England striker exploded onto the Premier League scene when he was just 16, scoring the winner for Everton in a 2-1 win over Arsenal, a game that occurred 10 years ago this week.

He went on to score 17 times for the Toffees in 77 appearances before Sir Alex Ferguson lured him to Old Trafford for 30 million euros following a successful Euro 2004 with England in a move which angered many Evertonians.

The former PFA Player's Player of the Year and twice crowned PFA Young Player of the Year went on to score a hat trick in his first game for United in the UEFA Champions League against Fenerbache and has been a mainstay in the United lineup ever since.

Since the move to Manchester in 2004, Rooney has won the Premier League four times, the Champions League once, the League Cup twice and FIFA Club World Cup but so far has failed to add an FA Cup medal to his blooming trophy cabinet.

Rooney was not the only England striker to have reached the milestone at the weekend as Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe also claimed his 200th club goal in his side's defeat at home to Chelsea.

patta

 

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Cazorla: I try to copy Barcelona's Iniesta



Santi Cazorla has said fellow Spain international Andres Iniesta has all of the necessary attributes needed to be the ultimate player and dreams of one day being able to reach the Barcelona midfielder's level.

Cazorla is playing in his first season in the Premier League and has been impressive so far assisting and scoring twice in his first seven games for Arsenal.

But the 27-year-old, who moved from Malaga in the summer, believes fellow Liga star Iniesta is the one everyone should be trying to emulate.

"Iniesta is the standard against which I measure myself. Playing by his side is something else. He's a total footballer in every sense," Cazorla told Marca.

"I try to copy the things he does, but it's very difficult. The problem is that when he does them he makes them look easy, but then you try it and you get all tangled up. Andres is a role model on and off the pitch."

Cazorla also spoke about how the transition from La Rosaleda to the Gunners has been made easier because both teams have similar playing styles.

"I've adapted to my new team really well. The change hasn't been as drastic as you might think. The football is quicker and more intense, but I wasn't shocked by that," Carzola explained.

"Plus I've joined a team, Arsenal, whose playing style is very similar to the one at Malaga."

 

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Hulk: Zenit will become one of the biggest teams in Europe



Hulk is confident that Zenit St Petersburg has what it takes to compete with the top teams in Europe in the not too distant future.

The Brazil international has revealed that he got a number of offers during the summer transfer window, but only Zenit did enough to convince him of its immense potential to make him want to leave Porto.

"I’m certain that, in the future, Zenit will be one of the biggest teams in Europe," Hulk was quoted as saying on the official FIFA website. "Before I signed for Zenit, I’d spoken to [coach Luciano] Spalletti. He sold the club to me very well, telling me about the great structure that was in place and their project of building a great side. And that’s just what I found when I came here: a great structure and an ambitious project. "

"During the whole transfer window there were a lot of rumors about me interesting a number of big clubs, but neither Porto nor I were keen on the offers that came in."

Hulk has made six official appearances for Zenit since his summer move, scoring twice in the process.

 

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Germany 4-4 Sweden: Germany stunned as Elm completes Sweden's incredible four-goal comeback



Germany threw away a four-goal lead, as a late Sweden comeback saw the two sides share a point in a wild 4-4 World Cup qualifying draw at the Olympiastadion.

Miroslav Klose got the hosts off to a brilliant start as he netted two early goals, putting him two strikes away from equalling Gerd Muller's record of 68 goals for Germany. Per Mertesacker added another before the break, and soon after the restart Mesut Ozil gave Joachim Low's side a comfortable lead.

The Swedes responded impressively in the second half, with Erik Hamren's halftime substitutions having a great effect, as they had a hand in all the goals. Strikes from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mikael Lustig and Johan Elmander set up a tense finish, and the visitors completed an astounding comeback in stoppage time through Rasmus Elm.

Sweden began its ascent in 62nd minute as Ibrahimovic beat the offside trap to steer a header past Manuel Neuer from Kim Kallstrom's ball forward. Seemingly galvanized by that goal, another ball over the top, again courtesy of Kallstrom, created another chance for the visitors. Lustig controlled it well, and with his second touch powered a shot at Neuer that somehow squirmed into the goal.

Tthe Swedes then came to within one goal of the hosts, stunning the Berlin crowd in the process. In space on the left, Alexander Kacanikilic picked out Elmander who beat Holger Badstuber to the ball and poked it in at the far post.

Tobias Sana blazed over in front of an open goal in the 85th minute, but unperturbed, Sweden found the eqaulizer at the death. A cross from the left was not dealt with by Mertesacker and his loose header fell to Elm who volleyed in to complete the remarkable comeback.

The first half could not have contrasted more starkly, as following their 6-1 thumping of Republic of Ireland, the Germans got straight into their stride. Less than two minutes had been played when Andreas Isaksson stopped Thomas Muller and the follow-up effort crashed off the post.

The Germans took the lead in the eighth minute, though. Philipp Lahm played Marco Reus in at the byline and his cutback was smashed into the top corner by Klose to finish a brilliant move. Things only got better for the hosts as Klose added his second in the 15th minute following some intricate one-touch play. Reus initiated the move, scything his way into the box with two successive one-twos before pulling the ball back to the 34-year-old, who fired home at the second time of asking.

After stepping off the gas midway through the half, Low's men soon reasserted themselves, and following Isaksson's save to keep Reus out, they got their third in the 39th minute. A cross from the left was kept in play at the back post by Muller, whose looped header was rifled past the keeper by an unmarked Mertesacker.

Germany did not let up after the break, and after Muller was once more denied by Isaksson, he delivered a cross that found Ozil at the back post. The Real Madrid man controlled the ball on his chest before angling a shot into the far corner.

The result means Germany has surrendered its perfect record in Group C but remains three points clear of second-placed Sweden.

 

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Norwich City 1-0 Arsenal: Holt winner leaves blunt Gunners 10 points off title pace

Norwich picked up its first Premier League win of the season after a determined and hard-fought performance against Arsenal at Carrow Road, edging the match 1-0.


The Gunners had more possession throughout, but the host opened the scoring through Grant Holt in the first half after Vito Mannone spilled a long-range shot.

The Canaries were forced to hold on for periods of the match, but a solid defensive performance saw them hard to break down, with the visiting side creating few clear-cut chances.

Norwich made two changes from the side that was swept aside by Chelsea two weeks ago with Leon Barnett being replaced by summer signing Michael Turner, while Anthony Pilkington came in for Jonny Howson, who dropped to the bench.

Arsenal came into the match in good form and made just the one change to the side that beat West Ham away last time out, with Andre Santos starting at left back in place of the injured Kieran Gibbs.

Jack Wilshere was named among the Gunners' substitutes, despite Arsene Wenger's claims that the midfielder, who has missed 14 months due to injury, was still weeks away from a return.
The host came out of the trap in a determined manner, with Pilkington going close early on, but the Gunners soon took control of possession, making the match look like a training session at times, yet they could not create clear opportunities.

Norwich’s steely rearguard action was providing an excellent launch pad, and it was soon in the lead, with the help of Arsenal goalkeeper Mannone.

Bradley Johnson cut the ball back to Alexander Tettey about 25 yards out, and the Norwegian tried his luck, only for his effort to be spilled by Mannone but Holt was rushing in and buried the rebound.

The goal saw Norwich showing significantly more on the ball, and although Arsenal generally continued to edge the possession, it was the host which went close next, but Turner, who was booed before kick-off, headed a great chance wide after Wes Hoolahan’s corner and the Canaries went into the break in the lead.

After the break, the match followed a similar pattern to what had been established in the first half, with Norwich doing most of the running about, while the Gunners stroked the ball around with little end product.

Olivier Giroud was presented with an opportunity to get a shot in when John Ruddy punched Carl Jenkinson’s cross straight to him, but his effort bobbled harmlessly wide as Arsenal pressed hard for an equalizer.

With 20 minutes to go, Thomas Vermaelen presented Norwich with an excellent chance to secure the win after slipping on the halfway line, but Holt’s attempted chip went straight into the hands of Mannone.

Arsenal piled the pressure on in the final ten minutes, but they still could not break down the Norwich defense that held strong, with Leon Barnett's last-ditch block on Gervinho securing the win.