Camacho 1-0
Agüero 2-0
Camacho 3-0
Atletico Breeze past Recre
Atletico Madrid coasted past Recreativo de Huelva as they now tighten their grip in fourth place, while the visitors are facing relegation...
Ignacio Camacho grabbed his first two league goals for the club either side of a Sergio 'Kun' Aguero strike in a game where Atleti were rarely troubled by their humble visitors.
First Half
Aitor had the first shot of the game for the visitors, but it was deflected off target by Antonio Lopez. Forlan replied a minute later with a disappointing effort that went well into the stands.
With Recre camping in their own half, life was made difficult for the hosts in the opening stages, and it became quite a pragmatic and uneventful affair.
Raul Garcia forced Sorrentino into some meaningful action after a quarter of an hour, sending in a volley from long range that the keeper punched to safety.
Beginning to show a threat, Atleti took a deserved lead when Pernia's corner was met by Nacho Camacho, who nodded past a stranded Sorrentino for his first league goal for the club.
Kun Aguero thought he had made it two just minutes later, as Forlan drilled a cross into the area and Aguero hammered it home. Replays show that he was offside, but the goal still should have stood, as the last touch came off a Recre defender.
Luis Garcia forced Sorrentino into more action just after the half hour mark with one of his trademark drives from distance that the Italian stopper did well to tip over the bar.
The best Recre could manage were sniffs at chances that broke down at the final ball. Atletico, meanwhile, were testing the keeper on a regular basis, with Pablo rising highest to head a Pernia corner into the arms of a well-placed Sorrentino.
Second Half
After the restart the game was sloppy, neither team could string a decent passing move together and it was here where Recre needed to strike but failed to.
Less than 10 minutes into the second half, they were made to pay for it, as Kun Aguero grabbed his first goal of the game - second if the officiating had been correct in the first half - as Maxi Rodriguez did magnificently on the right hand side to make space and drill the ball across goal for his compatriot to hit home.
The hosts continued to enjoy the better of the play, as Luis Garcia hit another effort from distance that was not too far off the target.
A few minutes later, Recre had possibly their only clear cut chance of the game when Florent Sinama-Pongolle was through on goal, and with Leo Franco rushing out, the former Liverpool striker put his effort wide.
Camacho almost grabbed a sensational second, as yet another Atleti player was allowed by Recre to shoot from distance, and his effort had Sorrentino beaten, but was denied by the post.
Diego Forlan had a chance to add his name to the goal-scorers' chart and should have done, but was closed down by Sorrentino and then failed at an attempted lob.
However, 15 minutes from time, Camacho struck with an opportunist's goal, half-volleying a flick-on from Luis Garcia into the back of the net. At 17 years of age, it was a performance to remember from a promising player.
The home side saw out the remainder of the game in complete comfort, as Recre looked like a side knowing their fate.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
EPL Week 36: Manchester United - West Ham
Ronaldo 1-0
Ronaldo 2-0
Tevez 3-0
Ashton 3-1
Carrick 4-1
Manchester so close to the title
Ronaldo 2-0
Tevez 3-0
Ashton 3-1
Carrick 4-1
Manchester so close to the title
Manchester United took an effortless step towards retaining their Premier League title with an elementary home win over West Ham. Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice to take his tally for the season to 40 in all competitions, and Carlos Tevez and Michael Carrick found the net against their former club, despite Nani being sent off in the first half. Dean Ashton replied for the visitors.
United are now three points clear of Chelsea, who travel to Newcastle on Monday, and Sir Alex Ferguson believes the result against West Ham has put his side in the driving seat. "It's been a great day for us and we've got a big chance," he said. "The way Chelsea have been talking is that it'll be easy up there [in Newcastle] - but we know that's not the case.
"Our players have been absolutely fantastic this season," he added. "We were down to 10 men today and I said try to run the clock down, keep possession and be patient in the second half. I'm very pleased as there was a bit of tiredness."
In the build-up to this match, the Chelsea manager Avram Grant expressed annoyance about Alan Curbishley's declaration that it would be "a great injustice" if United were not crowned champions this season. Grant, however, insisted that he didn't doubt West Ham's integrity but the Hammers did not play like a side determined to prove their commitment. Thanks to appalling West Ham defending, United scored with their first attack.
In the third minute, Ronaldo picked up a Park Ji-sung pass on the right, Lucas Neill slipped, and the Portuguese cantered into the box to fire past Robert Green. Easy as that.
Shambolic remained the word for West Ham, who continued to offer United's forwards the freedom of the park. Even though the visitors should have been awarded a penalty when Wes Brown handled the ball in the United box, a second goal for the home side looked inevitable; it was a surprise that it did not arrive until the 24th minute – though it was not a surprise that the visitors' absurd defending was again a contributory factor. Owen Hargreaves clipped a cross in from the right and centre-back James Tomkins completely missed his header, allowing Ronaldo to divert it into the net with his knee for his 30th league goal of the season.
"How many players could score that many?" said Ferguson. "He is improving all the time. He always wants the ball, which takes a lot of courage, and don't forget, while he played up front today, he has spent 90% of the season on the wing."
Two minutes later United were three up, former Hammer Carlos Tevez smacking a swirling shot past Green from 25 yards.
But two minutes after that, West Ham turned up. Even more shocking, they made their entrance in spectacular fashion, Dean Ashton holding off Rio Ferdinand before pulling a goal back with a splendid overhead kick that left Ferguson fretting on the touchline. "He was a United fan as a kid but scored a goal which could have killed our hopes," admitted the manager afterwards.
Still, it was clear that if West Ham were to make a comeback they would need United to act as accomplices in their own downfall. In the 37th minute, Nani made a stab at that, reacting to a harmless skirmish at the edge of the box by thrusting his head at Neill. The Australian made the most of the contact, collapsing in false agony - and then the aggressor tried to dupe the referee by doing the same. Mike Riley was not fooled, however, and after consulting his assistant issued Nani with a deserved red card. It was an incident that took the sheen off United's display and left Ferguson promising darkly to "deal with it" before adding that Nani had shown "a measure of immaturity".
West Ham momentarily raised their game but even against 10 men they did not look like troubling Edwin van der Sar again, and soon the match sunk back into its first-half pattern. In the 59th minute, Carrick collected the ball in midfield and ambled forward unburdened by any semblance of a tackle. Once he got within range he let fly and a ricochet off Neill helped his 25-yarder on its way past Green.
Although United were not having to exert themselves much, Ferguson decided to give Ronaldo a rest, withdrawing him just after the hour mark. His replacement, Darren Fletcher, almost added a fifth for United moments later but his low shot after a sweeping United move cannoned off the post. Hargreaves then had two opportunities to add his name to the scorers, first hitting a 20-yard free-kick just wide and then failing to control the ball when Giggs sent him scampering through on goal.
Not until the 78th minute did West Ham muster a second shot on target, Bobby Zamora blasting straight at Van der Sar from 20 yards.
If Chelsea are to take the title, they will need Steve Bruce's Wigan to put up a much tougher fight against United next week than Curbishley's men did today.
Uefa Cup: Fiorentina - Rangers
Penalties 2-4
Both teams fancied their chances of joining Zenith St Petersburg in the final in Manchester, following the goalless draw in the first leg in Glasgow last week.
Fiorentina came into this game at full strength, as Marco Donadel returned from suspension. Fabio Liverani was preferred to Zdravko Kuzmanovic, as was Massimo Gobbi to Manuel Pasqual in the left back position.
Rangers had numerous injuries, with Stevie Naismith, Chris Burke, Allan McGregor, Lee McCulloch and DaMarcus Beasley all sidelined. David Weir picked up a groin injury against Celtic at the weekend, as did Steven Davis, but both recovered to play. Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson returned from suspension.
First Half
Fiorentina started with intent, and Carlos Cuellar was forced into a crucial challenge to prevent Gobbi getting onto the end of a give-and-go. The pattern of the game resembled that from the first leg, with the Viola looking to attack, and Rangers sitting deep waiting to counter-attack.
There was little space for Fiorentina to penetrate, and the next attempt didn’t arrive until the 19th minute when Riccardo Montolivo shot straight at Neil Alexander from long range.
Adrian Mutu held off Brahim Hemdani but didn’t get hold of his effort, while Montolivo shot wildly over from distance.
Fiorentina began to up the pressure, and Rangers were slightly fortunate when Alexander’s fumble from a Gobbi cross didn’t prove costly.
A delightful chipped pass from Fabio Liverani found Montolivo and his cut back caused Rangers’ hearts to stop inside the six yard box, before the danger was cleared.
Fiorentina’s best chance so far arrived on the half-hour as Liverani intelligently located Mutu on the edge of the box in a pre-worked free kick, but the Romanian’s shot couldn’t find its way through the mass of bodies.
Mutu saw another shot charged down, as the home side really searched for the breakthrough. Pazzini, who was finding Cuellar a difficult proposition, then headed well wide from a corner.
Fiorentina received a blow just before half time as Donadel failed to run off an injury and had to be replaced by Kuzmanovic.
Second Half
Into the second half and the attack versus defence pattern continued. Martin Jorgensen burst forward from right back and fired over, as did Mutu somewhat disappointingly.
Fiorentina had a fine chance to break the deadlock on 51 minutes as Mutu fired in a ball from the left, and Pazzini flashed a shot past Alexander’s near post.
The Viola were camped in the visitors half now, winning a succession of corners, and Mutu headed wide from one of these.
The ex-Chelsea man was involved in everything now, and he curled a low free kick wide from just outside the box. Pazzini then missed his kick as Rangers defended for their lives.
Just past the hour mark a miss-kick from Kuzmanovic, following a corner, fell to Ujfalusi, who thumped a ferocious half volley just over the bar.
The game was embarrassingly one-sided as almost the entire second half was played inside the Rangers half, but Fiorentina just couldn’t find a way past the bus parked in front of the goal. Montolivo fizzed in a long-range shot that went wide.
On 70 minutes Mutu had another free kick attempt, from fully 35 yards. Alexander spilled, but recovered before Pazzini got to the ball.
Jorgensen was the next Viola player to shoot from outside the box but his effort was high, wide and not very handsome.
Rangers had their first shot of the game in the 76th minute, and it was a half-decent chance as Steven Davis profited from an Ujfalusi mistake, but his left footed attempt was weak, and saved easily by Frey.
On 79 minutes Christian Vieri replaced Pazzini, and he should have scored with his first touch, as he fell on the ball with the goal at his mercy following a right-wing free kick.
Vieri missed another chance soon after, as Mutu left Kirk Broadfoot for dead, and his cutback was blazed over by the veteran.
For all Fiorentina’s dominance, Rangers could have stolen the tie on 84 minutes as Steven Whittaker’s curler was beaten away by Frey.
Liverani saw his shot deflected wide, and Kuzmanovic pulled his effort, as Rangers held out to take the game to extra time.
Extra Time
On 91 minutes Vieri missed a third decent chance, screwing his shot on the left just wide of the far post. Minutes later the home side missed another great chance as Gobbi’s cross was headed over the bar from just eight yards out.
Jorgensen whipped in a wicked cross from the right, and Vieri was inches away from being able to turn the ball home.
Substitute Daniel Cousin then had two attempts in quick succession as a tiring Rangers side continued to fight gallantly. Montolivo had his umpteenth long shot of the game, but he pulled the ball horribly wide.
Into the second period of extra time, and it continued to look like it wasn’t going to be Fiorentina’s night. Mutu’s volley was goal-bound but the magnificent Cuellar made yet another superb block.
On 110 minutes Rangers were reduced to ten men as Cousin received a second yellow card for putting his head into Liverani’s face.
Jorgensen flashed in a ball with his left foot that Vieri couldn’t grow enough to reach, as Fiorentina continued to launch wave after wave of attack.
In the space of 30 seconds both sides could have stolen it. First a corner from the right for Rangers caused havoc inside the Fiorentina box. Down the other end, Mutu headed the ball into the ground and over from just six yards out.
In the penultimate minute Vieri volleyed over with his right foot, before the 34-year-old flashed another effort with his stronger foot into the side netting. That was that, as the game moved into a dreaded penalty shootout.
Shootout
Barry Ferguson stepped up for Rangers’ first penalty and was denied by a simply world class one-handed Frey save. Kuzmanovic, Whittaker, Montolivo, and Papac all scored, before Alexander denied Liverani to make it 2-2 after three penalties each. Hemdani scored to put Rangers ahead, before Vieri blazed over. This left Nacho Novo with the chance to put Rangers in the final, and he sent Frey the wrong way to spark glorious scenes on the Rangers bench.
Fiorentina will be wondering just how they managed to lose this match having battered their opponents from start to finish, but Rangers will not mind, as they take on Zenith St Petersburg in the final in Manchester in 13 days time.
Fiorentina: Frey, Jorgensen, Ujfalusi, Gamberini, Gobbi, Donadel (Kuzmanovic 41), Liverani, Montolivo, Santana (Semioli 93), Pazzini (Vieri 78), Mutu
Rangers: Alexander, Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Whittaker, Hemdani, Thomson, Davis (Novo 80), Ferguson, Darcheville (Cousin 64)
Penalties
Ferguson (R) – Saved
Kuzmanovic (F) – Goal
Whittaker (R) – Goal
Montolivo (F) – Goal
Papac (R) – Goal
Liverani (F) - Saved
Hemdani (R) – Goal
Vieri (F) – Miss
Novo (R) - Goal
Both teams fancied their chances of joining Zenith St Petersburg in the final in Manchester, following the goalless draw in the first leg in Glasgow last week.
Fiorentina came into this game at full strength, as Marco Donadel returned from suspension. Fabio Liverani was preferred to Zdravko Kuzmanovic, as was Massimo Gobbi to Manuel Pasqual in the left back position.
Rangers had numerous injuries, with Stevie Naismith, Chris Burke, Allan McGregor, Lee McCulloch and DaMarcus Beasley all sidelined. David Weir picked up a groin injury against Celtic at the weekend, as did Steven Davis, but both recovered to play. Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson returned from suspension.
First Half
Fiorentina started with intent, and Carlos Cuellar was forced into a crucial challenge to prevent Gobbi getting onto the end of a give-and-go. The pattern of the game resembled that from the first leg, with the Viola looking to attack, and Rangers sitting deep waiting to counter-attack.
There was little space for Fiorentina to penetrate, and the next attempt didn’t arrive until the 19th minute when Riccardo Montolivo shot straight at Neil Alexander from long range.
Adrian Mutu held off Brahim Hemdani but didn’t get hold of his effort, while Montolivo shot wildly over from distance.
Fiorentina began to up the pressure, and Rangers were slightly fortunate when Alexander’s fumble from a Gobbi cross didn’t prove costly.
A delightful chipped pass from Fabio Liverani found Montolivo and his cut back caused Rangers’ hearts to stop inside the six yard box, before the danger was cleared.
Fiorentina’s best chance so far arrived on the half-hour as Liverani intelligently located Mutu on the edge of the box in a pre-worked free kick, but the Romanian’s shot couldn’t find its way through the mass of bodies.
Mutu saw another shot charged down, as the home side really searched for the breakthrough. Pazzini, who was finding Cuellar a difficult proposition, then headed well wide from a corner.
Fiorentina received a blow just before half time as Donadel failed to run off an injury and had to be replaced by Kuzmanovic.
Second Half
Into the second half and the attack versus defence pattern continued. Martin Jorgensen burst forward from right back and fired over, as did Mutu somewhat disappointingly.
Fiorentina had a fine chance to break the deadlock on 51 minutes as Mutu fired in a ball from the left, and Pazzini flashed a shot past Alexander’s near post.
The Viola were camped in the visitors half now, winning a succession of corners, and Mutu headed wide from one of these.
The ex-Chelsea man was involved in everything now, and he curled a low free kick wide from just outside the box. Pazzini then missed his kick as Rangers defended for their lives.
Just past the hour mark a miss-kick from Kuzmanovic, following a corner, fell to Ujfalusi, who thumped a ferocious half volley just over the bar.
The game was embarrassingly one-sided as almost the entire second half was played inside the Rangers half, but Fiorentina just couldn’t find a way past the bus parked in front of the goal. Montolivo fizzed in a long-range shot that went wide.
On 70 minutes Mutu had another free kick attempt, from fully 35 yards. Alexander spilled, but recovered before Pazzini got to the ball.
Jorgensen was the next Viola player to shoot from outside the box but his effort was high, wide and not very handsome.
Rangers had their first shot of the game in the 76th minute, and it was a half-decent chance as Steven Davis profited from an Ujfalusi mistake, but his left footed attempt was weak, and saved easily by Frey.
On 79 minutes Christian Vieri replaced Pazzini, and he should have scored with his first touch, as he fell on the ball with the goal at his mercy following a right-wing free kick.
Vieri missed another chance soon after, as Mutu left Kirk Broadfoot for dead, and his cutback was blazed over by the veteran.
For all Fiorentina’s dominance, Rangers could have stolen the tie on 84 minutes as Steven Whittaker’s curler was beaten away by Frey.
Liverani saw his shot deflected wide, and Kuzmanovic pulled his effort, as Rangers held out to take the game to extra time.
Extra Time
On 91 minutes Vieri missed a third decent chance, screwing his shot on the left just wide of the far post. Minutes later the home side missed another great chance as Gobbi’s cross was headed over the bar from just eight yards out.
Jorgensen whipped in a wicked cross from the right, and Vieri was inches away from being able to turn the ball home.
Substitute Daniel Cousin then had two attempts in quick succession as a tiring Rangers side continued to fight gallantly. Montolivo had his umpteenth long shot of the game, but he pulled the ball horribly wide.
Into the second period of extra time, and it continued to look like it wasn’t going to be Fiorentina’s night. Mutu’s volley was goal-bound but the magnificent Cuellar made yet another superb block.
On 110 minutes Rangers were reduced to ten men as Cousin received a second yellow card for putting his head into Liverani’s face.
Jorgensen flashed in a ball with his left foot that Vieri couldn’t grow enough to reach, as Fiorentina continued to launch wave after wave of attack.
In the space of 30 seconds both sides could have stolen it. First a corner from the right for Rangers caused havoc inside the Fiorentina box. Down the other end, Mutu headed the ball into the ground and over from just six yards out.
In the penultimate minute Vieri volleyed over with his right foot, before the 34-year-old flashed another effort with his stronger foot into the side netting. That was that, as the game moved into a dreaded penalty shootout.
Shootout
Barry Ferguson stepped up for Rangers’ first penalty and was denied by a simply world class one-handed Frey save. Kuzmanovic, Whittaker, Montolivo, and Papac all scored, before Alexander denied Liverani to make it 2-2 after three penalties each. Hemdani scored to put Rangers ahead, before Vieri blazed over. This left Nacho Novo with the chance to put Rangers in the final, and he sent Frey the wrong way to spark glorious scenes on the Rangers bench.
Fiorentina will be wondering just how they managed to lose this match having battered their opponents from start to finish, but Rangers will not mind, as they take on Zenith St Petersburg in the final in Manchester in 13 days time.
Fiorentina: Frey, Jorgensen, Ujfalusi, Gamberini, Gobbi, Donadel (Kuzmanovic 41), Liverani, Montolivo, Santana (Semioli 93), Pazzini (Vieri 78), Mutu
Rangers: Alexander, Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Whittaker, Hemdani, Thomson, Davis (Novo 80), Ferguson, Darcheville (Cousin 64)
Penalties
Ferguson (R) – Saved
Kuzmanovic (F) – Goal
Whittaker (R) – Goal
Montolivo (F) – Goal
Papac (R) – Goal
Liverani (F) - Saved
Hemdani (R) – Goal
Vieri (F) – Miss
Novo (R) - Goal
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Uefa Cup: Zenit - Bayern Munich
Pogrenyak 1-0
Zyryanov 2-0
Fayzulin 3-0
Pogrenyak 4-0
Zenit on their first-ever European Final
Zenit St Petersburg secured passage to their first-ever European final in emphatic fashion after inflicting a 4-0 defeat on Bayern Munich in their UEFA Cup semi-final second-leg clash at Petrovsky Stadium.
Zyryanov 2-0
Fayzulin 3-0
Pogrenyak 4-0
Zenit on their first-ever European Final
Zenit St Petersburg secured passage to their first-ever European final in emphatic fashion after inflicting a 4-0 defeat on Bayern Munich in their UEFA Cup semi-final second-leg clash at Petrovsky Stadium.
After holding the German outfit to a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Allianz Arena last week, first-half goals from Konstatin Zyryanov and Pavel Pogrebniak set Dick Advocaat's men on their way to the final at the City of Manchester Stadium on May 14.
Viktor Faitzulin added a third 11 minutes after the restart while Pogrebniak's second of the night after 73 minutes ensured Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld's final European campaign before taking up the reins of the Swiss national team ended on a sour note.
The night ended badly for two-goal hero Pogrebniak, however, after he received a yellow card for an innocuous aerial challenge with Lucio that means the tournament's top scorer, with 11 goals, will not feature in the final.
Bayern almost made a dream start when the hosts were forced to clear off their line inside the first 90 seconds.
Miroslav Klose had the chance, lofting the ball over Zenit goalkeeper Viacheslav Malafeev only to see a defender hook the ball clear of danger.
Zenit, playing without suspended trio Andrei Arshavin, Radek Sirl and Fernando Ricksen, survived that scare to take the lead less than three minutes later.
A free-kick 25 yards out was left to Pogrebniak, who fired home down the middle of the goal when the wall broke in front of the unsighted Oliver Kahn.
Bayern were struggling to fire on all cylinders, perhaps finally showing fatigue as the end of a long season approaches, but Franck Ribery at least created an opening for them after 19 minutes, turning his marker and firing in a bouncing shot from 25 yards that Malafeev gathered at the second attempt.
Two minutes later the hosts almost snuck in for their second when Aleksandr Aniukov broke into the box down the right channel but saw his shot kept out by the right boot of Kahn.
Luca Toni, Bayern's hero in the last round against Getafe, spurned a glorious chance to level after 26 minutes when he headed over from Ribery's centre.
And the Italian's miss took on added significance 13 minutes later as Zenit went two goals ahead.
Alejandro Dominguez passed the ball to Zyrianov, who sent Bayern's Martin Demichelis the wrong way with a delightful body feint before surging into box and finishing beyond the advancing Kahn with a lofted shot into the left corner.
Bayern might have made more of a game of it in the second half had Toni found the back of the net rather than the fists of Malafeev with a powerful rising shot, but instead the result was put beyond all doubt after 56 minutes.
A brisk Zenit passing move resulted in Aleksandr Aniukov being set free in space down the right channel, and his cross was met with a thundering header by Faitzulin that went straight down the middle of Kahn's goal.
Bastian Schweinsteiger forced a save from the home goalkeeper after 70 minutes and Lukas Podolski skewed the follow-up wide as Bayern's last chance to mount a fightback went begging.
Three minutes later the hosts were home and hosed as Alejandro Dominguez centred low for Pogrebniak to score with a controlled side-footed finish from 18 yards that wrong-footed Kahn and set the seal on a famous win for the Russian champions.
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