Aston Villa leapfrogged Arsenal into fourth place as an own-goal by Kamil Zayatte gifted them a 1-0 victory over Hull City in the last Premier League match of the year.
Zayatte turned his attempted clearance from Ashley Young's cross past goalkeeper Boaz Myhill to extend Villa's unbeaten sequence to eight, while Hull must be staring anxiously at the bottom three as they have only won once in their last 11 games. They looked to be on course to salvage a point in time added on when referee Steve Bennett awarded them a penalty for handball but after consulting with a linesman he correctly rescinded his decision as former Real Madrid target Young had not handled the ball, though he did raise his arm as the ball went over the bar.
His Hull counterpart Phil Brown - who had been so infuriated by the abject display of his players in the first-half against Manchester City last Friday when they were losing 4-0 at half-time he gave them their half-time talk on the pitch - accepted that his side had stepped up to the plate. fifa
Dimitar Berbatov drifted through 69 minutes of Manchester United's home game with Middlesbrough on Monday before scoring the only goal to keep the champions in touch with the Premier League leaders.
The Bulgarian striker appeared an uninterested observer for much of a freezing night at Old Trafford, but when the visiting defence failed to properly clear a Michael Carrick cross he was well placed near the penalty spot to steer it back past Ross Turnbull for the decisive goal.
United began the game ten points behind Liverpool, albeit with three games in hand, and though they made most of the running in the first half they were short of spark. Cristiano Ronaldo had several half-chances but sent them either wide or straight at the keeper, while centre back Nemanja Vidic headed wide from a corner.
Middlesbrough, who had not won in their previous seven games as they slid towards the relegation zone, got a little more adventurous after the break, with Afonso Alves and Tuncay Sanli both going close. United also had plenty of shots, but they were generally tame and the Old Trafford fans were getting edgy, as well as cold.
They were warmed 21 minutes from time, however, when Berbatov cracked the winner from 12 metres.
"He's a marvellous player," Ferguson said of his summer signing from Tottenham Hotspur. "He's taken the goal very well at a crucial moment. At that stage you start to get concerned." fifa
Manchester United 1 - 0 Middlesbrough Highlights
Manchester United FC forward Dimitar Berbatov has been named Bulgarian Player of the Year for the fifth time in his career, equalling the record of Hristo Stoichkov.
The 27-year-old took the accolade with 283 points to add to the titles he picked up in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007. PFC Levski Sofia goalkeeper Georgi Petkov came second with 162 points while PFC Slavia Sofia midfielder Blagoy Georgiev finished third with a tally of 122. During 2008, Berbatov won the first major trophy of his career after lifting the English League Cup with Tottenham Hotspur FC and then joined UEFA Champions League winners Manchester United on 1 September for €38m.
Berbatov, who has scored 41 goals in 68 appearances for Bulgaria, said:
"There is something special about winning this honour for a fifth time. The most important thing for me is to be healthy and to fulfil my aims step by step." Bulgarian legend Stoichkov was on hand to present the award and the former Bayer 04 Leverkusen forward added: "I was really happy to receive it from Stoichkov. It was a great gesture from him."In the night's other awards, Levski's Georgi Ivanov was voted forward of the year in the Bulgarian A PFG while Aleksander Aleksandrov of PFC Cherno More Varna took the prize in the midfield category. CSKA Sofia's Kiril Kotev was proclaimed top defender, his team-mate Pavel Vidanov most improved player and Petkov named No1 goalkeeper.
Liverpool footballer Steven Gerrard arrested and spends night in cells after fracas. England footballer Steven Gerrard was among six men being questioned by police after officers were called to a Merseyside bar. The Liverpool captain was arrested after an early morning disturbance on Monday at licensed premises in Bold Street, Southport.
A 34-year-old Southport man was taken to hospital with facial injuries, which were not thought to be serious. The Liverpool FC star spent the rest of the night in the cells and was still being quizzed by police this morning. Officers were called to the Lounge Inn at around 2.30am. Police later detained six people nearby on Lord Street. Four men, aged 33, 31, 29 and 19, all from Huyton, Gerrard, 28, from Formby, and an 18-year-old from Litherland were arrested on suspicion of Section 20 assault.
The alleged incident happened 12 hours after Liverpool crushed Newcastle United 5-1 at St James's Park on Sunday. Gerrard scored two goals in a brilliant display that helped the Reds extend their lead at the top of the Premiership to three points. A Liverpool FC spokesman said the club would not be commenting about the alleged incident. It is still unclear why trouble started or if the group of six men knew the victim.
A police spokeswoman said:
"We are investigating an assault in the early hours of the morning. Officers attended a licensed premises where they detained six people on suspicion of Section 20 assault. They are still being questioned."
Newcastle United 1 - 5 Liverpool
Liverpool maintained their grip on first place the Premier League table with a 5-1 win against a toothless Newcastle United at St. James' Park on Sunday.
Reds captain Steven Gerrard scored twice, and had had it not been for Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given, the hosts could have been on the wrong end of a double-figure disaster after being completely outclassed. The Reds grabbed a three-point advantage over Chelsea.
It was Gerrard who broke the deadlock in the 31st minute when he drilled Yossi Benayoun's pass in off the post. Given had no opportunity to reprise his heroics and the Irishman was stranded again five minutes later when defender Sami Hyypia was given the freedom of the Newcastle penalty area to head home Gerrard's corner. These were torrid times for Newcastle but Canada international defender David Edgar reduced the arrears on the stroke of half-time by heading in Danny Guthrie's corner kick.
Liverpool's third goal, five minutes after the restart, had an element of luck about it, with referee Mark Halsey failing to spot Lucas's handball. But Dutch international Ryan Babel tapped in from five yards despite being surrounded by several Newcastle players. Gerrard grabbed his second from Lucas's astute through ball in the 66th minute. When substitute Xabi Alonso wrapped things up with a well taken penalty 13 minutes from time with Gerrard off the field, after his fellow replacement David Ngog had been brought down by Edgar, Liverpool could celebrate heading into 2009 on top of the Premier League.
Fulham 2 - 2 Chelsea
Clint Dempsey's last-gasp equaliser dented Chelsea's English Premier League title hopes as hosts Fulham came back to earn a 2-2 draw in an exciting west London derby at Craven Cottage on Sunday.After hitting the opener, the United States international headed in his second goal of the game in the 89th minute to cancel out two Frank Lampard strikes and leave Chelsea three points behind leaders Liverpool, who beat Newcastle 5-1.
Midfielder Dempsey put the Cottagers ahead in the 10th minute, capitalising on some sloppy defending. Lampard levelled in the 50th minute following a Fulham defensive blunder and the England international scored what looked to be a winning free-kick in the 72nd minute. Dempsey,however, nodded a goal from a corner two minutes from time.
William Gallas' goal nine minutes from time enabled Arsenal to reclaim fourth place in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Portsmouth at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.The victory saw the Gunners move ahead of Aston Villa, who do not play until Tuesday, on goals scored, although they remain ten points adrift of leaders Liverpool. The win also ended a run of three successive drawn games that had also seen captain Cesc Fabregas ruled out until March by injury. Portsmouth, managed by former Arsenal captain Tony Adams, frustrated Arsenal for long periods but had no answer to Gallas' 81st-minute header.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made three changes from the side that drew 2-2 at Villa on Boxing Day. Alex Song missed out through injury but Robin van Persie and Kolo Toure found themselves on the bench as Gael Clichy, Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Adebayor returned, with the latter having served a one-match ban following his sending off in last week's 1-1 draw with Liverpool. Adams also made changes following his side's 4-1 defeat at home to West Ham. Papa Bouba Diop and David Nugent came in for Glen Little and Jermain Defoe, the former Spurs striker, who were named as substitutes. fifa
Current results;
Newcastle United 1 - 5 Liverpool
Arsenal 1 - 0 Portsmouth
Bolton Wanderers 0 - 1 Wigan Athletic
Everton 3 - 0 Sunderland
Fulham 2 - 2 Chelsea
West Bromwich Albion 2 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United 2 - 1 Stoke City
Blackburn Rovers 2 - 2 Manchester City
.......
Manchester United ? - ? Middlesbrough
Hull City ? - ? Aston Villa
It could not have been a more dramatic finish at the My Dinh Stadium tonight. With time up, including the three added minutes, Vietnam's number one player, Le Cong Vinh, sent the entire nation into a frenzy when he headed in the winner to deliver the prestigous AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 to his country for the very first time in the history of this competition. Vietnam, making only their second final appearance, were awarded a freekick in the added time when Suree Sukha brought down Cong Vinh on the left edge of the box. Skipper Phan Tan Vai Em let loose the freekick which Cong Vinh cooly glanced in to provide Vietnam with a fairy-tale like finish.
Tonight's victory ended the despair Vietnam suffered exactly 10 years ago when they were beaten by Singapore in the 1998 then Tiger Cup final. But today, in front of over 40,000 fans, the hosts, led by Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto, gave Vietnam their first ever major football title. The tears of joy streamed down the faces of the fans, players and officials. Even some journalists wept openly as they celebrated Vietnam's finest hour. The fans stayed back until the very end and their cheers reached a crescendo when AFF President Tengku Tan Sri Dato Seri Ahmad Rithaudeen along with Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung.
In what was the best ever final of this series, Vietnam and Thailand battled right from the start. Their players threw everything they had as they pushed forward in search of goals. Vietnam especially did not waste any time and went out in full flight for the early goal. It took them just 10 minutes to take their first crack at goal. Doan Viet Cuong let loose a sizzler which whizzed over the crossbar.
Thailand replied with their first look in the 14th minute but Suchao Nutnum's header fell short. Vietnam continued to pile on the pressure but as it turned out, it was Thailand that broke the deadlock. From a cross, Teerasil Dangda leapt up high and did well to beat goalkeeper Duong Hong Son to the ball, levelling the two-leg aggregate score at 2-2. The fans got behind their team and cheered them on and Vietnam responded by contiuing to attack in droves. Le Tan Tai and Cong Vinh had their chances but were just off the mark.
Both Thailand and Vietnam had their chances but nothing came out of them. With time running out, Thailand brought in super-sub Ronnachai Rangsiyo for Teeratep Winothai, who almost doubled the score in the 59th minute. As the clocked ticked away, it looked almost certain that the game was headed into the dreaded extratime. Then, Cong Vinh, Vietnam's most expensive player, proved his worth with a sensational winner. suzukicup.com
AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 Honours;
CHAMPIONS: Vietnam
RUNNERS-UP: Thailand
FAIRPLAY AWARD: Thailand
TOP GOAL SCORER: Teerasil Dangda (Thailand)
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Duong Hong Son (Vietnam)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes winning four more trophies this season is not a 'realistic' target.
The Red Devils are currently playing catch-up in the defence of their Premier League title and are also in contention for more silverware. Derby County await in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup, Inter Milan are last 16 opponents in the UEFA Champions League and United start out in the FA Cup against Southampton next weekend.
United have already scooped the Club World Cup this month, but Ferguson is not getting carried away by dreams of a further four trophies this season.
"To win one major trophy is unusual but nice all the time," said Ferguson in the Daily Star. "But there is no chance of winning all four competitions we are left in this season. It is appetising and we will have that opportunity if we are still in them all come March and April, but it is not realistic.
Rio Ferdinand faces a 10-day lay-off after being forced to pull out of Manchester United's victory over Stoke City with a recurrence of a back injury.
The centre-back was named on the team-sheet at the Britannia Stadium but was withdrawn minutes before the Boxing Day kick-off when the problem flared up and he was deemed unfit to start the game. Ferdinand's place was taken by young Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans and the England international has now been ruled out of the rest of the Christmas and New Year programme.
"We have to get to the root of this because he has had this problem too many times now," said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. "We have to get to the bottom of it. It will be a week to 10 days and then he should be okay."His injury means Ferdinand will miss Monday's visit of Middlesbrough to Old Trafford and the FA Cup third round tie at Southampton the following Sunday. The defender, who would almost certainly have been rested for the first leg of the League Cup semi-final with Derby County on Jan 7, will now target the visit of Chelsea to Old Trafford four days later for his return.
Sunderland have appointed Ricky Sbragia as manager after his successful spell as caretaker. The Scot, 52, has been handed an 18-month contract by chairman Niall Quinn as the reward for his four games in charge, which have brought two victories a 4–0 win over West Brom and a 4–1 thumping of Hull, a draw and a single defeat, and that away to Manchester United.
"Ricky Sbragia is a thoroughly professional football person," said Quinn. "We have been taken aback by how easily he has slotted into the managerial role and are really heartened by his intelligent approach in dealing with the players and the day-to-day rigours of the job.Sbragia succeeds Roy Keane, who resigned earlier this month with the club in 18th place in the Premier League. Results under Sbragia's caretaker charge have lifted the club out of the relegation zone and into 14th, though they remain only two points clear of the bottom three. Prior to rejoining the club last year, Sbragia had spent eight years as a youth and reserve-team coach with the Black Cats after joining from York in 1994.
Premier League leaders Liverpool were still looking down on their rivals after a 3-0 win over Bolton Wanderers during today's Boxing Day programme.
Albert Riera volleyed Liverpool into a sixth-minute lead at Anfield when he got on the end of a Steven Gerrard corner. Liverpool captain Gerrard also played a key role in making it 2-0, the England midfielder's pass to Robbie Keane the prelude to a powerful shot. Keane then took his personal tally to three goals in two games when he turned in a Yossi Benayoun cross.
Chelsea, who had briefly gone top after an early kick-off victory, remained a point behind in second place after beating basement club West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
First-half goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard sent Chelsea on their way to a comfortable victory. It was the Ivorian's second goal of the season and his first in the Barclays Premier League this term.
Reigning champions Manchester United, in their first domestic match since winning the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, stayed seven points off top spot, with two games in hand, after winning 1-0 away to Stoke City.
United had to wait until seven minutes from time for their goal at the Britannia Stadium. It was only after Stoke right-back Andy Wilkinson was sent off for a second bookable offence that Carlos Tevez scored for United. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said victory left his side well-placed to maintain their title-bid.
But it was a frustrating day for the other member of the 'big four' as Arsenal surrendered a two-goal lead in stoppage-time in a 2-2 draw away to Aston Villa, the Midlanders retaining their place amongst the leading quartet.Villa hit the woodwork three times in the first half only for Arsenal to open the scoring through Brazil midfielder Denilson in the day's late kick-off. The visitors were 2-0 up at Villa Park nine minutes after half-time when a brilliant exchange of passes between Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue ended with the France midfielder beating Brad Friedel. Villa, however, grabbed a lifeline when England midfielder Gareth Barry scored a 65th minute penalty after Gabriel Agbonlahor was brought down by William Gallas. Arsenal, not for the first time this season, could not see out the game with Villa's Zat Knight scoring in stoppage time.
Earlier, Manchester City moved out of the bottom three with a spectacular 5-1 win over Hull City. Two-goals apiece from Felipe Caicedo and Robinho at Eastlands helped Manchester City end a run of six games without a win in all competitions. Caicedo put City ahead in the 15th minute when he turned in Stephen Ireland's cross. The Ecuadorian had his and City's second 12 minutes later, with Ireland again the provider. Ireland also laid on City's third, releasing Robinho. The Brazil forward made it 4-0 in the 36th minute with a picture-book goal after a superb cross from Shaun Wright-Phillips. Craig Fagan pulled one back for Hull before Ireland got the goal his play deserved eight minutes from time.
Full results;
Stoke City 0 - 1 Manchester United
Chelsea 2 - 0 West Bromwich Albion
Portsmouth 1 - 4 West Ham United
Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 0 Fulham
Liverpool 3 - 0 Bolton Wanderers
Manchester City 5 - 1 Hull City
Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Everton
Sunderland 0 - 0 Blackburn Rovers
Wigan Athletic 2 - 1 Newcastle United
Aston Villa 2 - 2 Arsenal
Highly-rated Russian forward Andrei Arshavin could finally be on his way to Europe after his agent said the Zenit St Petersburg player was almost certain to be sold in the transfer window.
Arshavin has been linked to Arsenal, Tottenham and Real Madrid and, according to a BBC website report on Tuesday his agent, Dennis Lachter, said Arshavin and Zenit had agreed that he should find a new club in January.
"He will definitely move in January or the player and club will lose money. Zenit and Andrei understand that it is time for them to part from each other." Lachter said.Arshavin, 27, was linked with Tottenham last summer following his impressive performances at Euro 2008, and this week Zenit general director Maxim Mitrofanov was quoted as saying his price tag was STG20 million (RM102 million) and they hoped Arsenal would make an offer. But Lachter denied reports that the player had visited both teams' training grounds on a recent trip to London.
"That is not true," he said. "I was in London and he was there too, but the only reason he was there was to shoot an advert for a company he has a contract with. "I was at the Tottenham training ground, but it looks like someone saw me there and made the connection -- he's never been there, either to Arsenal or Tottenham."Lachter also denied reports that the player had said he was only interested in playing for Barcelona and was uninterested in England. -- AFP
Le Cong Vinh made all the difference for Vietnam when he set up one and then grabbed the other for them to beat hosts Thailand 2-1 in the first leg final of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 which was played at the Stadium Rajamangala.
In a match which the pundits had already felt should got to the Thais, the visiting Vietnamese side played a patient game as they defended as a team before scoring both their goals just before the break off Nguyen Vu Phong in the 42nd minute and then Cong Vinh two minutes later. Thailand replied through substitute Ronnachai Rangsiyo in the 75th minute.
In front of well over 30,000 fans and also the attendance of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vechacheeva spurred Thailand to go into the early attacks as they welcomed the return of Sutee Suksomsit from injury where in the eight minute, his freekick came off Vietnam defender Le Phuoc Tu. A minute later, a corner from the left saw Nataporn Phanrit heading straight to Vietnam keeper Duong Hong Son as Sutee was again in the thick of the action four minutes later with a header which was parried out of play.
Vietnam was content to play the waiting game and following and as the frustration on Thailand grew, the visitors went ahead in the 40th minute when Cong Vinh broke through for a cross which was put into the back of the net by Vu Phong. And two minutes later, Cong Vinh finally scored his first goal in the competition when he picked up a pass from Nguyen Viet Thang to slam home.
Thailand started the second half stronger and created several chances on a trot with Surat Sukha unleashing a cracker in the 65th minute which was blocked by Hong Son. The introduction of Ronnachai for the ineffective Teerathep Winothai turned the game for Thailand when he scored Thailand’s first goal in the 75th minute with his very first touch following a cross from the left from Natthapomg Samana. suzukicup.com
Next fixtures,
28/12/08 19:00 Final Leg 2
Vietnam v Thailand
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger revealed that Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas will be out of action for four months after suffering a partial rupture of his medial knee ligament in Sunday's draw against Liverpool.
The Spaniard suffered the injury in a challenge with Liverpool's Xabi Alonso and limped off at half time at the Emirates Stadium. Wenger initially hoped Fabregas would only be out for three weeks but scans confirmed the Spain midfielder won't play again before April.
"The news is not good. It will take three to four months, we count four. He will be working hard to come back earlier but I count four months." Wenger said.The loss of his recently installed skipper and creative talisman is a massive blow to Wenger as he tries to end Arsenal's four-year wait for a trophy. He was already short of experienced midfielders after losing Mathieu Flamini, Gilberto Silva and Alexander Hleb in pre-season, while Tomas Rosicky has been injured for the whole of the current campaign.
"We will miss him, of course, but how much is difficult to say," Wenger said."We have to find a way and we want to find a way to compensate the fact that he is not on the pitch to give everyone a bit more. I'm sure we can deal with it. When he comes back he can help us get over the line in the final months. I believe we are able to do it."A bid for Zenit St Peterburg's Russian midfielder Andrei Arshavin is one possibility for Wenger, who is yet to decide who will replace Fabregas as captain. Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia wore the armband when Fabregas came off against Liverpool and would be the leading candidate. fifa
Ten-man Chelsea failed to go top of the English Premier League, after being held to a goalless draw away to Everton in a match in which their captain, John Terry, was sent off.
This result at Goodison Park moved Chelsea to within a point of leaders Liverpool - Everton's city rivals - and ended a run of 11 straight away league wins for the Blues. Chelsea played 55 minutes of the game a man down, after England skipper Terry received a straight red card from referee Phil Dowd for a late and dangerous tackle on Everton midfielder Leon Osman.
But, despite the centre-half's dismissal ten minutes before half-time, Everton - without a recognised striker because of injury - could not score, even though they came close, and the draw left them seventh in the table. fifa
See the highlight;
Full results;
Blackburn Rovers 3 - 0 Stoke City
Bolton Wonderers 2 - 1 Portsmouth
Fulham 3 - 0 Middlesbrough
Hull City 1 - 4 Sunderland
West Ham United 0 - 1 Aston Villa
.......
West Bromwich 2 - 1 Manchester C.
Newcastle United 2 - 1 Tottenham H.
Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool
.......
Everton 0 - 0 Chelsea
Striker Nguyen Quang Hai sent Vietnam into their second final in the history of this regional tournament when he netted the winner in the 75th minute of the second leg AFF Suzuki Cup semifinal battle at the National Stadium tonight.
Quang Hai’s crucial strike sent defending champions Singapore out of the competition and destroyed their dreams of a record fourth title. Vietnam, who were held in Hanoi in the first leg, have set the stage for final showdown against their arch rivals and three-time champions Thailand on Dec 24 and Dec 28. The famous Kallang roar suddenly fell silent as the fans watched in disbelief. But the 50,000 spectators, mainly Singaporean fans, quickly threw their support behind the Lions again in the hope that they would hit the target.
Singapore, who were in control for the better half of the game, tried desperately but the all important goal never came. They in fact, almost equalised on at least two occasions but was stopped by goalkeeper Duong Hong Son, who along with Quang Hai were the heroes of the Vietnam team tonight.
The victory for Vietnam today came at a high price as defender Doan Viet Cuong was given the sack after picking up a second booking in injury time. An overzealous attack on Singapore’s Daniel Bennett led to his exit and more importantly a place in the final. For Vietnam, the win may finally heal the wounds of the 1998 final when Singapore defeated them 1-0. That was Singapore’s first-ever title and also the last time Vietnam appeared in the final. suzukicup.com
After Barclays Primere League, UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup, what next?
"They've proved that they're capable of beating anybody, They have so much quality - and they play as a team. They're unstoppable. They knew it was going to be their day from the beginning." Sir Bobby Charlton
LDU de Quito 0 - 1 Manchester United Highlights
For more picture of Manchester United in FIFA Club World Cup Final, visit here
Thierry Henry scored the winner as Barcelona came from behind to beat Villarreal 2-1 away and go ten points clear at the top of La Liga on Sunday.
Cani had given Villarreal the lead just after the restart in a pulsating match at the Madrigal, bursting clear to chip Victor Valdes. Barca's Mali midfielder Seydou Keita levelled with a brave header soon after, and France striker Henry volleyed the winner in the 67th minute from Xavi's run and cross. Barca played the last 15 minutes with ten men after defender Gerard Pique was shown a second yellow card, but they hung on for the win and have now beaten all five of their closest challengers.
Pep Guardiola's side have 41 points from 16 games, which is the side's best start to a league campaign, beating the previous record set under Frank Rijkaard in the 2004/05 season when they achieved 39 points at the same point. They also claimed the honorary title of 'winter champions' with three matches left to the mid-point of the season.
See the highlight;
Sevilla were held to a 0-0 draw away to struggling Real Mallorca but climbed into second place on 31 points. Manolo Jimenez's side, who were knocked out of the UEFA Cup during the week, put in a listless display and Luis Fabiano headed their best chance against the bar in the first half.
Atletico Madrid are third with 30 points, above Valencia on goal difference after their 3-2 win at Espanyol on Saturday, when Valencia lost 1-0 at Real Madrid. The champions are a point back in fifth ahead of Villarreal on goal difference, and two points in front of seventh-placed Deportivo La Coruna, who sank Recreativo Huelva 4-1 at home. fifa
Juventus cut the gap with Serie A leaders Inter Milan back to six points with a hard-fought 3-1 win at Atalanta on Sunday. Third-placed AC Milan also racked up an important victory ahead of the mid-season break, thrashing Udinese 5-1 at home with January loan signing David Beckham watching in the stands.
Juve's Alessandro Del Piero and Nicola Legrottaglie put the visitors 2-0 up before former Juve striker Christian Vieri pulled one back with a header just after the break. Determined Atalanta searched for an equaliser, but Amauri's bullet header eight minutes from time ended their hopes. "It was a well-deserved and hard-earned victory," Juve coach Claudio Ranieri told reporters. "I knew it wouldn't be easy away to Atalanta."
Marco Marchionni was offside when he crossed for Del Piero's opener just like Maicon was when he scored the 83rd-minute winner in Inter's fortunate 2-1 victory at Siena on Saturday. Injury-ravaged Milan, three behind Juve, quickly took control of an extremely open contest in the late game.
See the highlight;
Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato scored twice from close range and set up compatriot Kaka for another tap-in with Antonio Di Natale also netting for Udinese in a frantic first 18 minutes. Clarence Seedorf slid home after Andrea Pirlo's free-kick hit the post just before the interval and Kaka blasted in from 20 metres early in the second period.Beckham, who is joining Milan for two months from Los Angeles Galaxy to stay in contention for an England place, appeared on the pitch before kickoff to wave to the San Siro crowd. He then took his place in the stand alongside wife Victoria.
See the highlight;
Fiorentina moved up to fourth thanks to Riccardo Montolivo's crisp strike in a 1-0 win at Sampdoria. The Florence side were helped up the table by suspension-hit Napoli losing 1-0 at struggling Torino and dropping to fifth. Torino are now a point above the drop zone.
Mid-table AS Roma, who had won five league games in a row after a poor start, lost 3-2 at Catania with Japanese forward Takayuki Morimoto confidently scoring twice for the Sicilians. Roma drew 1-1 at Catania on the final day of last season when they lost the title to Inter.
Serie A resumes from the mid-season break on 10 and 11 January. fifa
Full results;
Lazio 1 - 0 Palermo
Siena 1 - 2 Inter Milan
.......
Atalanta 1 - 3 Juventus
Cagliari 1 - 1 Reggina
Catania 3 - 2 AS Roma
Chievo 0 - 1 Genoa
Lecce 0 - 0 Bologna
Sampdoria 0 - 1 Fiorentina
Torino 1 - 0 Napoli
AC Milan 5 - 1 Udinese
Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool
Leaders Liverpool stayed eight points clear of Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title after the two sides fought out an epic 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal, reduced to ten men after 62 minutes when Emmanuel Adebayor was sent off for a second yellow card after raising an elbow to Alvaro Arbeloa, continued to cause Liverpool problems throughout. But in the end, the league leaders were well worth the point that keeps them ahead of Chelsea at the top of the table. Robin van Persie put Arsenal ahead with an excellently-taken goal after 24 minutes, before Robbie Keane, who has struggled to find his form for Liverpool since his move from Arsenal's arch-rivals Tottenham in the off-season, equalised three minutes before half-time.
Although Adebayor's controversial red card gave Liverpool the numerical supreriority, they were forced to defend resolutely to thwart Arsenal in the second half. The result left Liverpool top with 39 points from 18 matches, two more than Chelsea who play Everton on Monday.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was forced to stay at home and watch the match on television following surgery for kidney stones, leaving his assistant Sammy Lee in charge of the side. However, he would have been pleased with the way his men started the match, despite the absences of striker Fernando Torres (hamstring) and Javier Mascherano (flu).
Newcastle United 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
Damien Duff came off the bench to fire Newcastle United to a last-minute victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
The Republic of Ireland midfielder had only been on the pitch for two minutes when he combined superbly with fellow substitute Mark Viduka before beating goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. Spurs midfielder Luka Modric cancelled out Charles N'Zogbia's 11th-minute opener 17 minutes later, but it was Duff who had the final say.
N'Zogbia managed to reach Given's clearance before Assou-Ekotto, and although the defender recovered to hold him up, the midfielder turned smartly to fire right-footed past Gomes. However, the visitors were back on terms a minute later when Dawson's strong challenge on Ameobi saw him lift the ball over the top to Modric, and as the home defence hesitated with Pavlyuchenko working his way back from an offside position, the Croatian ran in unopposed to beat Given.
Duff, who had replaced Enrique two played a superb one-two with Viduka and slid a left-foot shot past Gomes to snatch an invaluable win in the final minute of normal time.
West Bromwich 2 - 1 Manchester C.
Roman Bednar's injury-time header earned bottom-placed West Bromwich Albion their first win in 11 matches - and increased the pressure on Manchester City manager Mark Hughes.
Luke Moore's first goal for the Baggies had given them the lead before City substitute Felipe Caicedo levelled six minutes from time - only for Bednar to have the final say. fifa
Current results;
Blackburn Rovers 3 - 0 Stoke City
Bolton Wonderers 2 - 1 Portsmouth
Fulham 3 - 0 Middlesbrough
Hull City 1 - 4 Sunderland
West Ham United 0 - 1 Aston Villa
.......
West Bromwich 2 - 1 Manchester City
Newcastle United 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool
.......
Everton ? - ? Chelsea
David Beckham impressed the locals from the start when he was unveiled as an AC Milan player last night, by speaking Italian at his first press conference.
Dressed in a blue jumper, jeans, mirrored sunglasses and a scarf against the chill he smiled and waved at the small group of fans who had gathered to welcome him. After landing at Milan's Malpensa airport he headed off to a private clinic for a medical, which he reportedly passed with flying colours.
As he left the airport he said:
"I am honoured to be here and to play for one of the most successful clubs in the world. I have played for the biggest club in England, the biggest club in Spain and now I want to play for the biggest club in Italy."Beckham also was keen to emphasise that his stay in Milan would be strictly football.
"Fashion had nothing to do with coming to Milan," he said. "The red and black shirt and the history of the club took me here."
You can see the press conference here;
Ten-man Manchester United have won the FIFA Club World Cup, thanks to Wayne Rooney's 73rd minute goal over Liga de Quito in Yokohama.
However that fails to tell the story of an entertaining final, which saw Nemanja Vidic dismissed four minutes after the interval for an elbow on Claudio Bieler. United were given a wake-up call as early as the fourth minute. Patrice Evra fouled Bieler on the edge of the penalty area and the resulting free-kick from Alejandro Manso almost caught United napping, with Jairo Campos unable to divert the ball past Edwin van der Sar from close range. Save for a few long-range efforts from Bieler and Luis Bolanos, which whizzed wide of the United No1's right hand post, the first half was dominated by the Red Devils who were unlucky not to be ahead at the interval.
Their first chance came after ten minutes when Nemanja Vidic's long ball was well controlled by Rooney, who unleashed a ferocious volley which Jose Cevallos was forced to push away at full stretch. The England international also tested the keeper five minutes later when his low strike was turned behind for a corner. Cevallos was in fine form and pulled off an outstanding save to deny Carlos Tevez whose header from Cristiano Ronaldo's cross seemed to be destined for the net. An audacious lob from Rooney hit the roof of the net, rather than the target and Park Ji-Sung should have at least tested the keeper when he was presented with an opportunity from close range.
Rooney, Carrick and Tevez all had chances from distance which went wide - and on the stroke of half-time, United went close again when Cristiano Ronaldo's cross from the right was hit wide. The dynamics of the game change completely at the beginning of the second half when Vidic was sent off. The Serbian fouled Bieler just inside the United half and then elbowed him in the face. Referee Ravshan Irmatov had a full view of the incident and had no hesitation in brandishing the red card. Tevez was sacrificed for Jonny Evans as Sir Alex Ferguson reshuffled, but despite the numerical disadvantage, United still played positively. Rooney forced Cevallos into two comfortable saves, but if the end product was lacking - the intent was admirable.
Rooney finally broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute with a fine goal. Michael Carrick slipped the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo who spotted and found the striker lurking to his left. He made no mistake, firing a low shot across the body of Cevallos and inside the far post. As expected, the goal provoked a deluge of pressure from Liga de Quito - and once again van der Sar pulled off a truly outstanding save to deny Manso. The Argentinian must have thought he had equalised when his right-footed screamer was heading on target, but once again, he sprung at full stretch to tip the ball over. That proved to be the last action of an entertaining match in a year which has seen Manchester United crowned champions of England, champions of Europe and champions of the world. FIFA Club World Cup
Thailand made their fifth appearance in the final of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 when they beat Indonesia 2-1 in the second leg semi finals for an aggregate 3-1 victory here at Stadium Rajamangala.
But the win was not an easy walk on the park for the Thais where they had to come back from being a goal down in the first half before scoring twice after the break for the well-deserved victory. The win for Thailand came at a price where they will have to play the first leg final on 24 Dec 2008 at the same venue of the Stadium Rajamangala without the influential Suchao Nutnum, who picked up his second yellow card in the game tonight.
It was Indonesia who started stronger on the night when they opted to put striker Bambang Pamungkas on the bench and utilized more presence at the centre of the park. The early pressure saw Thailand back pedaling for much of the first quarter of an hour as Isnan Ali sent in a swerving freekick which was cleared by Suree Sukha. And while a header from Talaohu Abdul Mushafry came off Nataporn Phanrit in the eighth minute, there was no stopping Indonesia from taking the lead barely a minute later.
A quickly taken corner from Ismed Sofyan allowed defender Nova Arianto to put the ball back into the net past a rooted Thai keeper Kittisak Rawangpa as the aggregate stood at 1-1. But Thailand was just not playing as well as they should in front of close to 40,000 fans where their best chance in the before the break came in the 26th minute when Teerathep Winothai's attempt came off the crossbar.
The second half saw Indonesia sticking to their defensive plan as Thailand's frustration grew, so did tackles and the pushing and shoving which resulted in a minor altercation at the hour mark between Thai captain Datsakorn Thonglao and Indonesia midfielder Syamsul Bachri. Thailand upped the pressure and in the 64th minute, a cross from Suree saw Teerasil Dangda jumping high for the header which unfortunately went straight to Indonesian custodian Markus Harison.
But the goal finally came in for the Thais in the 72nd minute when off a Teerasil cross, Teerathep blasted in the equalizer from the far post to put Thailand on equal terms on the night but on a 2-1 advantage on aggregate. Two minutes to the end, substitute Ronnachai Rangsiyo made it a 2-1 win for the Thais in what was their first home game in Bangkok when he stabbed home a melee. suzukicup.com
Inter Milan stretched their lead at the top of the Serie A table to nine points, for a day at least, after a crucial 2-1 victory at Siena on Saturday.
Brazilian full-back Maicon was the hero with both goals, either side of an equaliser from Moroccan Houssine Kharja, as the reigning three-time champions won for the eighth league match in a row. Inter have not dropped points since October. They will take a lead of between six and nine points into the three-week winter break, depending on how Juventus fare on Sunday at Atalanta.
The visitors took the lead on 34 minutes. Before that only Zlatan Ibrahimovic had struck at goal in anger but his free-kick skidded well wide. But soon after the half hour mark Siena's defenders were punished for ball-watching at a corner. Mario Balotelli sent over a pea-roller of a cross and Maicon managed to steal in and poke the ball home from inside the six-yard box despite being surrounded by several Siena defenders.
Siena did not let their heads drop and equalised a minute before the break as Cristiano Del Grosso crossed from the left. Kharja threw himself full length in front of Maxwell to nod home from close range. Inter came out after the break with more purpose and Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari curled an effort just wide of the upright. On 58 minutes Ibrahimovic came within inches of giving Inter the lead as he crashed a shot against the cross-bar.
Siena were dangerous too. Substitute Massimo Maccarone should have done better with his close-range header than send it high over the bar. The hosts were made to pay for that miss as Maicon grabbed the winner seven minutes from time. Centre-back Ivan Cordoba tried his luck from distance but his shot took a deflection and landed at the feet of Maxwell, who released his Brazilian compatriot with a clever flick, leaving Maicon to apply a chipped finish over Gianluca Curci. Siena could have come away with something but poor finishing cost them again as Abdulkader Ghezzal skied his left-foot shot from six yards.
Meanwhile, Lazio won for the first time since November 9 in a 1-0 success over Palermo to move up to sixth. The early season leaders had gone five matches without a win but overcame their Sicilian opponents thanks to a strike from club captain Tommaso Rocchi, who nipped in front of his marker to clip home Frenchman Mourad Meghni's near post cross. fifa
An early goal for Gonzalo Higuain was enough to give Real Madrid a 1-0 victory over Valencia on Saturday and the first win for Juande Ramos in La Liga as coach. Real bounced back from the 2-0 defeat in the clasico against Barcelona last weekend to score after just three minutes with Higuain firing home after good work from Arjen Robben.
Robben was the key player in the early stages of the match and a constant threat, setting up Rafael van de Vaart who hit the post and then he himself saw a shot cleared off the line after he had rounded the goalkeeper. Valencia gradually came back into the match and keeper Iker Casillas made a series of stops from David Villa.
In the second half Real, were hanging on with Casillas parrying a Ruben Baraja strike on to a post but the pressure eased mid-way through the half following the expulsion of Carlos Marchena for his second yellow card. Real had chances to add to their lead but Higuain and Juan Guti in particular missed excellent chances.
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Meanwhile, Atlético are eight points shy after they were made to wait for their triumph in Espanyol. Maxi Rodríguez set Los Colchoneros on their way with a mere seven minutes on the clock, but Sergio Sánchez put the home side back on level terms in the 58th minute and the scoreline remained unchanged until Sergio Agüero made Atlético's pressure pay with nine minutes left. Maxi then provided the cushion of a third goal in stoppage time and the visitors needed it too, with substitute Valdo responding almost immediately for Espanyol. uefa
Current results;
Real Madrid 1 - 0 Valencia
Espanyol 2 - 3 Atletico Madrid
.......
Deportivo La Coruna ? - ? Recreativo Huelva
Mallorca ? - ? Sevilla
Numancia ? - ? Valladolid
Osasuna ? - ? Getafe
Racing Santander ? - ? Malaga
Sporting Gijon ? - ? Almeria
Villarreal ? - ? Barcelona
Real Betis ? - ? Athletic Bilbao
Blackburn Rovers 3 - 0 Stoke City
South Africa striker Benni McCarthy scored twice as Blackburn Rovers began life under new manager Sam Allardyce with a 3-0 win at home over Stoke City on Saturday.
The victory was only Rovers's fourth in 18 English Premier League matches and came three days after former Bolton and Newcastle boss Allardyce replaced the sacked Paul Ince. Despite a win, which ended a run of six straight defeats, Rovers remained in the relegation zone.
McCarthy put Rovers ahead at Ewood Park with a ninth-minute penalty after Ibrahima Sonko fouled Morten Gamst Pedersen. Jason Roberts added a second after Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross diverted a cross from Brett Emerton into the striker's path. McCarthy, on his 100th appearance for Rovers, made it 3-0 before the half-hour mark after being played in by forward Roberts.
West Ham United 0 - 1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa moved into the top three of the Barclays Premier League after a slice of good fortune for James Milner earned them victory over West Ham United.
The winner at Upton Park came in the 78th minute after Milner's cross deflected in off Lucas Neill, with three points allowing Martin O'Neill's men to overtake Manchester United in the table. It may be one for the dubious goals panel, but it mattered little to Milner in a week where Fabio Capello suggested he would be the next Villa youngster to get an England call-up. O'Neill's young English players have given Villa fans real hope of breaking into the top four - but an American veteran in goal is also playing his part. Brad Friedel produced a string of saves to keep the scores level when the Hammers threatened through Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole.
West Ham remained fourth from bottom although the Londoners will drop into the relegation places if fellow strugglers Manchester City do not lose away to basement club West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola named an unchanged starting line-up following last week's 1-1 draw at the Italian's former club, Chelsea. Martin O'Neill, the Aston Villa manager, reverted to a more familiar line-up after seeing a shadow side lose 3-1 at Hamburg in midweek in a UEFA Cup game where nothing but pride had been at stake.
Fulham 3 - 0 Middlesbrough
Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard showed the west London club what they would be missing if he is allowed to leave by scoring the opening goal in his side's 3-0 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Bullard is trying to negotiate an extension to his current contract, which expires at the end of next season. But talks have reached a stalemate and Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson hinted on Friday that could lead to the player being sold before he loses value. But judging Bullard's inspirational performance at Craven Cottage, it would be a foolhardy move to let him leave.
Bullard opened the scoring just before half-time and goals after the break from Danny Murphy, who slotted home a penalty, and American midfielder Clint Dempsey secured a sixth home win of the season to move Fulham up to eighth in the Premier League. Middlesbrough have gone six matches without a win and the spectre of a relegation battle is hanging over Gareth Southgate's team.
Current results;
Blackburn Rovers 3 - 0 Stoke City
Bolton Wonderers 2 - 1 Portsmouth
Fulham 3 - 0 Middlesbrough
Hull City 1 - 4 Sunderland
West Ham United 0 - 1 Aston Villa
.......
West Bromwich ? - ? Manchester C.
Newcastle United ? - ? Tottenham H.
Arsenal ? - ? Liverpool
.......
Everton ? - ? Chelsea
Matches will be played over two legs on 24/25 February and 10/11 March. In the ceremony staged at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, the eight winners of the group-stage pools were paired with teams that finished second. No clubs from the same association could be pitted together, while sides that met in the group stage were also kept apart. The draw for the remaining rounds will be made on 20 March, with this season's final taking place in Rome on 27 May.
First leg : 24 & 25 February 2009
Second leg : 10 & 11 March 2009
Chelsea FC (ENG) v Juventus (ITA)
Villarreal CF (ESP) v Panathinaikos FC (GRE)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) v FC Bayern München (GER)
Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP) v FC Porto (POR)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v FC Barcelona (ESP)
Real Madrid CF (ESP) v Liverpool FC (ENG)
Arsenal FC (ENG) v AS Roma (ITA)
FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) v Manchester United FC (ENG)
The sides who finished first in each UEFA Cup section were drawn against one of the third-ranked teams from another group while the runners-up in each section were paired with one of the eight clubs joining the competition from the UEFA Champions League group stage. The group winners and runners-up will play their second leg at home, while sides from the same association were kept apart in the draw. The format is two-legged knockout ties with the first legs being played on 18/19 February and the second legs on 26 February. No teams were seeded in the draw for the last 16.
First leg : 18 & 19 February 2009
Second leg : 26 February 2009
Round of 32 draw
Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA) v VfL Wolfsburg (GER)
FC København (DEN) v Manchester City FC (ENG)
NEC Nijmegen (NED) v Hamburger SV (GER)
UC Sampdoria (ITA) v FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
SC Braga (POR) v R. Standard de Liège (BEL)
Aston Villa FC (ENG) v PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS)
KKS Lech Poznań (POL) v Udinese Calcio (ITA)
Olympiacos CFP (GRE) v AS Saint-Etienne (FRA)
ACF Fiorentina (ITA) v AFC Ajax (NED)
Aalborg BK (DEN) v RC Deportivo La Coruña (ESP)
Werder Bremen (GER) v AC Milan (ITA)
FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA) v Galatasaray AŞ (TUR)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) v Valencia CF (ESP)
FC Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS) v VfB Stuttgart (GER)
Olympique de Marseille (FRA) v FC Twente (NED)
FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) v Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
Racing Santander 3 - 1 Manchester City
Real Racing Club's victory was not enough for the Spanish Liga side to reach the UEFA Cup Round of 32 while Manchester City FC won Group A despite the defeat.
Racing were on top for large periods in Santander and were three goals up by the 54th minute thanks to strikes from Jonathan Pereira, Óscar Serrano and Juan Valera. Substitute Felipe Caicedo scored City's consolation goal in added time yet it was events in the French capital, where Paris Saint-Germain FC scored two late goals, which proved Racing's undoing, the Ligue 1 club pipping Racing to third place on goal difference.
The visitors received a let off in the eighth minute when a poor clearance from goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel let in Mohamed Tchite but he directed his effort wide. Javier Garrido then sent a free-kick for City way over the crossbar though they were soon behind when Schmeichel failed to deal with a routine cross from Óscar and Pereira finished from close range. Soon after, Pereira tested Schmeichel from distance before City responded when Elano released Pablo Zabaleta, though his effort went high and wide. A minute later, the hosts extended their lead as Óscar started and finished a flowing move. The midfielder found Pereira with a long ball, took the return in his stride and sent a shot beyond Schmeichel.
Racing were cutting City open with ease and Tchite tested Schmeichel with a volley in the 36th minute following a cross from Pedro Munitis. The third arrived ten minutes after the break when City failed to cut out another centre from Munitis, Marcano headed on and Valera scored from close range. Three should have became four soon after but somehow Tchite, allowed to continue after colliding with Schmeichel, put his effort past the post with the goal unguarded. City managed to breach a well-organised Racing backline in added time when Caicedo headed in a cross from Zabaleta.
Sampdoria 1 - 0 Sevilla
Substitute Jonathan Bottinelli struck the only goal of the game as UC Sampdoria beat Sevilla FC in Genoa to book their spot in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup and eliminate the two-time winners.
Bottinelli bundled in Reto Ziegler's free-kick with 15 minutes remaining as Sampdoria, who had started the game two points behind Sevilla, claimed one of the three qualifying places in Group C. With VfB Stuttgart beating group winners R. Standard de Liège, the Spanish side's hopes of claiming a third UEFA Cup title in four years were shattered as they became only the second team in the five-year history of the group stage to be knocked out with six points, Rangers FC having suffered the same fate in 2004/05.
There was nothing to separate the two sides in the first half, although Sevilla's Andrés Palop was the slightly busier of the goalkeepers, making a couple of decent saves. His first came in the ninth minute when he dived full length to turn away Mirko Pieri's effort from the edge of the box and then, just before the break, the 35-year-old was called upon once again to deny Paolo Sammarco after clever passing had cut through the Sevilla defence.
The hosts finally got the breakthrough they had been threatening as Bottinelli managed to force the ball in with his midriff following Ziegler's deflected free-kick. Sevilla laid siege to the Italian side's goal, but Diego Capel spurned their best chance when he shot wide of the far post after breaking free down the left.
Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 2 Spartak Moscow
Tottenham Hotspur FC flirted with disaster at White Hart Lane, but recovered from going 2-0 down against FC Spartak Moskva to ease into the UEFA Cup Round of 32.
Goals from Luka Modrić and Tom Huddlestone helped Tottenham make amends in the second half after Artem Dzyuba struck twice before the interval to revive the Russian side's hopes of progressing. Had Spartak kept a clean sheet, Tottenham would have been out of the competition on goals scored away from home, with NEC Nijmegen winning 2-0 against Udinese Calcio in the evening's other Group D game.
Michael Laudrup's Spartak rocked the hosts in the first half, with huge centre-forward Dzyuba causing endless problems. His backheel allowed Vladislav Ryzhkov to fire at Heurelho Gomes from the edge of the area, and then took advantage after Gilberto misjudged a pass from Gareth Bale, stealing in to put the ball between the goalkeeper's legs and score. Dzyuba's second goal ten minutes later, in the 33rd minute, was also one Tottenham would rather forget as he tapped the ball past Didier Zokora, skipped beyond the Tottenham defence, rounded Gomes and put the ball into an empty net. Things could easily have been worse for the English side, with Gomes then parrying a deflected Dzyuba effort to deny the striker a first-half hat-trick.
Tottenham emerged chastened after the break, with Stipe Pletikosa forced to make a save from Fraizer Campbell's header, but Dzyuba was to have another chance to score – firing straight at Gomes after Zokora's clearance went directly to him – before Modrić beat fellow Croatian international Pletikosa from substitute Aaron Lennon's pull-back. Huddlestone headed the leveller on 74 minutes, with Bale delivering a fine cross after David Bentley had sent the Welshman free down the left.
Full results;
Group A
Paris S.G. 4 - 0 FC Twente Enschede
Racing Santander 3 - 1 Manchester City
Group B
Benfica 0 - 1 Metalist Kharkiv
Olympiakos Piraeus 4 - 0 Hertha BSC
Group C
Sampdoria 1 - 0 Sevilla
Stuttgart 3 - 0 Standard Liege
Group D
NEC Nijmegen 2 - 0 Udinese
Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 2 Spartak Moscow
Group E
AC Milan 2 - 2 Wolfsburg
Portsmouth 3 - 0 SC Heerenveen
Group F
Ajax Amsterdam 2 - 2 Slavia Prague
Hamburger SV 3 - 1 Aston Villa
Group G
Club Brugge 0 - 1 FC Copenhagen
Saint-Etienne 2 - 2 Valencia
Group H
Deportivo La Coruna 1 - 0 Nancy
Feyenoord Rotterdam 0 - 1 Lech Poznan
Manchester United booked their place in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2008 after a thrilling 5-3 victory over Gamba Osaka at the International Stadium in Yokohama. Incredibly, six of the goals came in the final 16 minutes as both sides produced a feast of attacking football.
Osaka, full of energy and enthusiasm, started the game on the front foot and they they set the tone for an entertaining first half in the fourth minute when Tomokazu Myojin fired in low shot from 25 yards which forced Edwin van der Sar into a smart save. However, the capacity crowd roared louder when Cristiano Ronaldo hit a shot straight at Yosuke Fujigaya two minutes later. A sign that the Asian champions would be no pushovers came in the 13th minute when Ryuji Bando broke clear and found himself with just van der Sar to beat. However, the veteran Dutchman spread himself well to keep the scores level. Osaka too were given a let-off when Carlos Tevez failed to square the ball to the unmarked Ryan Giggs or Nani, who were bearing down on goal.
The frantic pace of the opening minutes eventually died down, which suited United who were able to keep possession and pick their passes to greater effect. As the pressure increased, Tevez's cross-field pass found Cristiano Ronaldo on the right and he fired a goalbound effort which took a deflection off Osaka skipper Satoshi Yamaguchi, giving the European champions a corner. Ryan Giggs delivered an inch-perfect ball from the right and Serbian international Nemanja Vidic rose highest to head home, provoking thousands of cameras to flash around the stadium as the Red Devils celebrated.
Anderson had a great opportunity to make it 2-0 five minutes later, but headed Cristiano Ronaldo's centre wide from close range. This prompted a period of dominance from the European champions, but Akira Nishino's side were not going to give up without a fight. Lucas fired over from 25 yards and then Bando latched on to a loose pass from Rio Ferdinand, but rushed his shot which failed to trouble van der Sar. With half-time approaching, Tevez turned quickly in the box and had a shot deflected wide. Another Giggs corner from the right produced the same result - a United goal. This time it was Cristiano Ronaldo who met the cross to the delight of the fans who had been cheering his every move in the game so far.
Buoyed by the two goal lead, the English champions started the second half well and could have taken the lead when a determined run from Nani almost created a golden opportunity for Giggs, but his cross was cleared. Minutes later, Paul Scholes saw a shot blocked with no signs of United resting on their advantage. Tevez had the ball in the net in the 50th minute after a delightful through ball from Evra, but he was adjudged to be in an offside position. Osaka then had a great opportunity when Endo's free-kick was superbly palmed away by van der Sar and Bando blazed the loose ball over.
Four goals in five minutes is an unusual occurrence at a FIFA tournament, but that is what happened between the 74th and 79th minutes. First Masato Yamazaki got on the end of a good move from Osaka and curled the ball past Van der Sar and into the net from 20 yards. United replied instantly when substitutes Rooney and Darren Fletcher combined to good effect. Fletcher threaded a defence-splitting pass which the striker latched on to, before clipping the ball home. Then Van der Sar spilled an Endo shot which almost fell into the path of Hideo Hashimoto, before Gary Neville made a desperate clearance.
The fourth came when Evra put in a fine cross for Fletcher to head home and another United goal followed a minute later when Rooney produced a wonderful finish. Osaka grabbed two consolations in the final minutes. The first came when Endo converted a penalty following Neville's handball in the box and in injury time Hashimoto scored arguably the goal of the night when he fired a thunderbolt past Van der Sar from the right hand side of the box.
Sir Alex Ferguson must now prepare his side for a final showdown with Liga de Quito on Sunday, while Osaka will now meet Pachuca in the match for third place. FIFA Club World Cup
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