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socratinho — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:09:26 +0000

Suárez conflagrates the Devils as Anfield goes electric

transe-exquise — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:15:00 +0000

By Darshan Joshi, writing in Sydney

It may be stretching the truth a little had I begun this by saying that there was only one team on the field, but it wouldn’t be a lie either. There was one moment during the match when it seemed as though Liverpool weren’t in grotesquely severe control of the match – Dimitar Berbatov lashed a half-volley, so curvaceous it may have made this month’s Playboy centrefold, beyond Pepe Reina, but, alas! All it did was shake the frame of the Spaniard’s goalmouth. And then there was a silence. Liverpool’s defensive third remained untouched for a long, long period, like a virgin resolutely set on prolonging its spell of abstinence. The picture is painted clearer than a van Gogh masterpiece when you notice the possession statistics: the Devils with 58% of the ball, yet, this very ball remained in United’s half for the majority of the match. And when United did get their goal, oh, if only there wasn’t a period of ninety minutes before then!

The Reds, led exceptionally by Luis Suarez, were stunning. Anfield was electric, buzzing more than a florist’s cash register on Valentine’s Day. They were slaughtering the old enemy. The goalscoring hero of the afternoon, Dirk Kuyt, might not net a simpler hat trick in his life, and yet, there won’t be many sweeter than this one. The aforementioned Uruguayan, though, carved himself a star in Liverpool’s very own walk of fame. There was ridiculously perfect drunken sashay through the Manchester United defence to set Kuyt up for the opener. We shouldn’t forget that he was actually the last Liverpool man to touch the ball en route to Kuyt’s second, and in the second-half, he sent a curling free kick through United’s wall. Edwin van der Sar fumbled, and Liverpool’s blonde Dutchman slammed home his third tap-in of the night. Luis Suarez was a god, of sorts, on this fine day.

Meanwhile, we saw Sir Alex Ferguson like never before. Well, from a dental perspective anyway. If the rate at which his teeth were dangerously chomping at his gum were an indication of the rate at which the world’s oil prices are currently rising, we’ll all find ourselves in more of a quagmire than we are. Poor Wrigley’s, you should never be treated in such a way. His opposite number, the birthday boy Kenny Dalglish, couldn’t be filled with more glee had he been on that television show; his charges were fulfilling their task with such grace and grit. Is it possible for his reputation to skyrocket any further?

What we witnessed today will have implications on the title race. Of this there cannot be any doubt. While Manchester United remain the league leaders, that can’t be the case for much longer. Luck has deserted them, and this represented a second defeat in the same week. And to think that they were dreaming of an unbeaten season not too long ago… how the last month has eroded their confidence. This isn’t the time to consider the sprint for the Premier League trophy, though. Today, all we do is applaud Liverpool following a gorgeous dismantling of the team aiming to overtake their haul of league titles.

Lampard penalty completes comeback and revival for Chelsea

afootballreport — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:09:00 +0000

By Tom Flatt, follow on Twitter @zolasbackheeel

Chelsea came from a goal down to defeat Manchester United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening, with a first goal from David Luiz cancelling out Wayne Rooney’s opener, and Frank Lampard netting the winner from the penalty spot with ten minutes to go.

Watching the game at the local pub, I was one of only two Chelsea fans present. Was I in Manchester? No, of course not, I was in Essex, severely outnumbered by United fans. A packed pub, with beers swilling and arguments and debate aplenty, never makes the ideal environment for concentrating fully on the game in hand (new blog idea: see how many beers I can drink before my writing becomes incomprehensible – so far so good).

These kind of matches have in recent years become clichés for over-hyped affairs, with both teams careful and hesitant, often not living up to expectation. This was a notable exception. It was end-to-end for 90 minutes. Although United had the better opening, Chelsea looked much more energetic and enthusiastic than in recent matches. With Ancelotti fielding a 4-4-2 formation, United’s 3 in midfield dominated proceedings, before Rooney finished expertly from outside the box in the 30^th minute. Van der Sar saved miraculously Ivanovic’s close-range shot-come-rebound from Lampard’s freekick, but little else troubled the Dutchman in the first half.

Chelsea equalised in the 54^th minute through one of their January signings. But it was not £50m striker Fernando Torres. A cross into the box was headed back by Branislav Ivanovic, and the excellent David Luiz slammed the ball into the back of the net, showing excellent technique in doing so. The Brazilian was perhaps lucky to stay on the field after a cynical trip on Rooney, but he was again a candidate for man of the match. Confident and strong in defence, he bombed forward, bringing back memories of Carvalho, but often exhibiting passes and touches familiarly seen by midfielders and strikers.

The to-and-fro chances continued, both managers showing their desire to win by making positive substitutions. It was one of these substitutions, Yuri Zhirkov, a peripheral figure for Chelsea so far this season, who won the penalty. Lampard had the ball in the box. It ricocheted off Smalling and fell to the Russian winger, who knocked the ball forward and was tripped by the United centre back. Ferguson was unhappy, and reinstated his belief that it was not a penalty after in the post-match interview. Smalling was perhaps unlucky – there is the argument that Zhirkov ran into him – but the leg was stray and so it must be seen as a failed challenge for the ball.

Lampard duly converted, hammering the ball straight down the middle, high up into the roof of the net. Drogba was excellent in the final minutes, showcasing his almost unnatural abundance of strength in holding up the ball. Things went from bad to worse for United when Vidic received his second yellow for a foul on Ramires, meaning he will miss the game against Liverpool this weekend. With Ferdinand injured, and now his Serbian partner in defence suspended, Chelsea fans can begin to believe that something special could, COULD, be around the corner.

“I would love it!” - Why memories of 1996 could be reignited if Chelsea beat Manchester United

afootballreport — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:17:14 +0000

By Tom Flatt, follow him on Twitter @ZolasBackHeeel

Chelsea are 15 points behind Manchester Utd with under a third of the season left to play. Alex Ferguson has risked getting blue egg all over his face this week by claiming Chelsea are out of the title race, and to all but the most optimistic (stupid) Chelsea fans, they are. But, at the risk of sounding deluded, there is still a slight, far-away, barely visible glimmer of hope for the Londoners.

We have been inundated in recent days and weeks with inspirational messages from the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry, the latter claiming: “It is a must-win game [against United] for us and the fans are going to be up for it. If we can win, who knows, it could put a little bit of pressure on them and the teams around us.” This is reminiscent of the words of some of the Bayern Munich players and staff this week, who boasted their chances of catching Borussia Dortmund in the title race, only to refute that belief after succumbing to a 3-1 defeat, backtracking somewhat afterwards, saying they had really given up hope weeks ago.

Likely lineups:

Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard; Anelka, Torres, Malouda

Man Utd: Van Der Sar; O’Shea, Vidic, Smalling, Evra; Carrick, Fletcher, Scoles; Rooney, Berbatov, Nani

With tomorrow’s match the first meeting in the Premier League this season between the two, that is already 6 points to play for. Oh, and Chelsea have a game in hand. That’s already 9 points closer to United, narrowing the gap to four! Oops, I’ve lost track of my optimism. Impartiality is difficult to maintain when stakes are so high. It’s win or bust for Chelsea, after all.

Focusing on the match, we should expect to see United lining up in their usual away formation, sticking the elbow-happy Rooney on the left, with Berbatov being a likely replacement for Hernandez. There is some debate as to how Chelsea will line up: diamond, 4-3-3 or even 4-4-2? Although it’s generally considered silly in the modern game to pin most teams down to a single formation in a game, it will be important to not let United stifle the midfield. Ancelotti may therefore revert to the diamond formation, hoping to utilise the “free role” player in between defence and midfield. With Torres the likely spearhead of attack, Vidic will surely be assigned to marking the Spaniard. Anelka, drifting in from the right, will look to exploit the vulnerabilities of Vidic’s partner, whether it’s Smalling or Evans. Malouda and Cole will be looking to cause problems to United’s weak right-back position; the latter will surely frighten O’Shea/Rafael into submission, fearful that he may pull out an Uzi on their asses…

I could go on about possible formations and player match ups; I fear that this emphasises the possibility of a cagey affair. But with Cole’s newfound penchant for gun rampages, and Rooney’s recently granted license to punch anyone in the face without punishment, it could be a spicy game. Chelsea are unbeaten against Man Utd since Abramovich began pouring his roubles in to the Stamford Bridge coffers, and there are still other difficult games for United to play. Although Ferguson’s claim was slightly less effervescent than Keegan’s memorable, immortal “I will love it if we beat them! Love it!” he should know by now that strange things do happen in this league.

It could ironically be the league’s prime jester, Ian Holloway, who applies the egg to Ferguson’s face come the 22^nd May. What a way to cap the season would that be? Hope is all that remains.

Carling Cup Final: Arsenal and Birmingham face-off for some much needed silverware

goonerinmontreal — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 10:02:30 +0000

By Ulysse Pasquier, writing from Montreal

There will be much more than just golden statuettes distributed on Sunday as Arsenal will look to end their 6 year trophy drought against Birmingham in the Carling Cup final. Arsenal’s lack of silverware since 2005 has been a talking point in the press - for what seems like forever for us Gooners - and yet it will be Alex McLeish who will have the task of ending the longest winless run with Birmingham lifting their only major trophy back in 1963. Puts things in perpective doesn’t it? However Arsene Wenger has evidently felt under pressure this season breaking off with his nonchalant attitude toward the League Cup and lining up stronger sides. The Gunners will be eager to silence the critics but will first have to get past a strong Birmingham side and do so without the injured Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas.

Although Arsenal will be going into the game as favourites, they are simply not the same team without El Capitan. So, can the Gunners be fab without Fabregas? Following the double injury suffered at Stoke it will be a headache for Wenger to choose who to play in midfield.

Tomas Rosicky has been Le Prof’s preferred choice lately in cup competition, however the Czech has had a very disappointing season playing so badly at times he was accused (wrongly) of match fixing. On the other hand, Denilson was the man to replace Fabregas at Stoke and I would have enjoyed seeing a Song-Denilson-Wilshere trio if not for the Brazilian’s recent poor passing and defensive performances. If I had to choose, I would therefore go for Abou Diaby who is available again and although not at his best either I believe he is still more reliable (as long as he doesn’t throw another temper tantrum).

Whoever plays in midfield will have to face a Birmingham side, led by Barry Ferguson, that will offer a much tougher challenge than the one that was brushed aside 3-0 at St Andrew’s earlier this year. The Blues do not often have this kind of opportunity to win silverware and they’ll certainly do everything to make the shaky Arsenal defence’s job as difficult as possible.

While Robin Van Persie has been in world class form since his return from injury, Nikola Zigic will be the player to watch for Birmingham. At the top of his 2.02 m (6 ft 7¹⁄₂ in) the Serbian striker represents the typical threat the Arsenal defence is known to struggle with; even scoring at the Emirates in October with a well-taken header (what else?). With Birmingham particularly efficient on set pieces, the final will be the perfect test for the Gunners to see how far they’ve truly come. The clean sheet against Stoke in midweek may be a sign they do have what it takes with the emergence of Wojciech Szczesny and Johan Djourou as pillars in the first team.

The Carling Cup may be the least important competition for the top Premier League clubs, league cups have had a history of being the first step for greater success. Most notably, Mourinho’s glory and trophy-filled years with Chelsea started off with a win against Liverpool in 2005. Similarly, last year in France, Olympique de Marseille won the French League Cup just a few months before becoming Ligue 1 champions, their first trophies in 18 years. Superstition aside, it will be a game with a great deal of meaning for both clubs.

My prediction is a 3-1 win for Arsenal. What’s yours?

Lucas Spearheads Brazil's Trophy-Winning Blitz

socratinho — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:17:00 +0000

By Gordon Fleetwood writing from NYC

South American U20 Championships: Day 15

Lucas, the talented midfielder from São Paulo, had been overshadowed by Neymar in this tournament. Not in terms of performances, but there is little hope of the quiet playmaker standing out beside the mowhawk sporting rockstar-esque striker. However, the most important game of the tournament, it was Lucas, not Neymar, who took the spotlight. His stellar performance was the centerpiece of Brazil’s annihilation of Uruguay. With the win, Brazil vaulted over the Uruguayans into first place. The trophy was theirs for the third time in a row.

Everything was set for a majestic battle. The light rainfall, the battered pitch showing scars accumulated over the last month, the occasion. The two teams involved, who played some of the best football in the tournament. It was a setting taken right out a Hollywood script. You could even see the title, “Brazil vs. Uruguay: Showdown in Arequipa.” The last match in a tournament of two group stages would be a championship game in all but name.

However, when the teams took the pitch, it was evident who was the more motivated individuals. Brazil were a win away from winning the trophy for the third consecutive time, and they were times it was as if there was only one team on the field. Brazil were rampant, creating chances almost at will. Yet, despite their dominance, they could not find the breakthrough. Then Lucas decided to take matters into his own hands.

On forty minutes a Neymar pass found the playmaker at the top of the box. A little gig gave him some room to shoot, and his blast flew into the bottom corner, leaving Ichazo motionless in goal. Two minutes later, Lucas was back for more. The youngter picked up the ball just inside his own half before setting off. Opponents were left in his dust as he glided by. Moments later Lucas was in the box. Seconds later the ball was flying past Ichazo into the net. One Lucas-inspired barrage and Uruguay were two goals down. The Uruguayans were stunned. Then came what looked to be a killer blow. Just before the break, Adrian Luna was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Alex Sandro. Brazil went into the half two goals and a man up.

It didn’t take long for the odds to become even in the second half. Not long after the restart, Saimon received a second yellow card for hauling Ceppelini down in the box. With a penalty in hand, and the numbers equal once again, things were looking up for Uruguay. Then Ceppelini blew the penalty over the bar. It all went downhill for La Celeste after that.

Danilo added a third goal for Brazil after a lung-bursting run from right-back. Six minutes later, Lucas laid it on a platter for Neymar to add a fourth. With both sides on ten men, space was readily available. The Brazilians were reveling in it. It didn’t take long for Neymar to grab his second goal of the night. He tap in the rebound after Willian’s long-range blast was parried by Ichazo. At 5-0, the lowered Uruguayan heads become more pronounced. Thirty minutes remained on the clock, but the game was already over. It was now a question of how emphatically Brazil wanted their victory to be.

In the end, despite their dominance, only one more Brazilian chance was converted. It was Lucas who added a superfluous nail to the coffin in the eightieth minute. With a drop of his shoulder and a strike of considerable force, the hat-trick was sealed. The young Brazilians spent the rest of the game passing the ball around the back, sparing Uruguay any more humiliation.

The game ended and it was party-time, for one team at least. Finally, when Casemiro received the coveted trophy and lifted it into the night sky, the man of the moment was right beside him. There was Lucas with a Brazilian flag draped around his shoulders, the architect who had built the bridge to the promised land. Brazil were champions of South America once again.

Other games

Argentina 2-0 Colombia

Ecuador 1-0 Chile

Argentina opened the last day with a well deserved 2-0 win over Colombia. Goals from Facundo Ferreyra and Bruno Zuculini sealed the win for the Argentineans. It was a poor consolation for failing to qualify for the Olympics, at least La Albicelesteleave Peru on a winning note. After so much promise, Colombia flattered to deceive in the second round. Los Cafeteros finish with only a point to show from their five games. Luckily for them, qualification for the U20 World Cup was already assured, due to it being in their backyard. Some major improvements will be needed if they want to avoid embarrassing themselves in the summer.

Chile might have beaten Venezuela in a must win situation in the first group stage, but similar performance wasn’t for coming against Ecuador. A water-logged pitch coupled with pouring rain meant the game didn’t turn out to much of a spectacle. In the end, a wonderful long-range strike by substitute Dixon Arroyo settled the game. Ecuador came out grasping the win, and the last spot for the U20 World Cup. Chile - despite a valiant effort throughout the tournament - leave empty-handed.

Summary

Thus ends another truly exciting edition of this prestigious tournament. Here are the results of all the labors of the previous month.

Qualification for the 2011 U20 World Cup

Brazil

Uruguay

Argentina

Ecuador

Colombia (as hosts)

Qualification for the 2012 Olympics

Brazil

Uruguay

Winners: Brazil

Player of the Tournament: Neymar*

Top Scorer: Neymar (9 goals)

*This was the official decision, but in my opinion Lucas deserved to be given the award.

Last gasp penalty save spares the blushes for uninspiring Chelsea

dominicvieira — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:00:07 +0000

By Tom Flatt, writing from Chelmsford, England. Tom is a new recruit for AFR and will be focussing his work on Chelsea. He can also be found on twitter under the name:@ZolasBackHeeel

Petr Čech was the hero of Craven Cottage, for Chelsea fans at least, rescuing a point after saving an injury time penalty. Clint Dempsey won and took the spot kick after being clumsily fouled by Chelsea’s new boy David Luiz, who otherwise impressed in his first start for the club. The 0-0 result has tarnished Chelsea’s title campaign as they now sit in 5th place trailing Manchester United by 12 points.

Didier Drogba was dropped for Florent Malouda as Chelsea reverted to the 4 – 3 – 3 that had provided them with a string of positive results before last week’s loss to Liverpool, where the diamond formation failed to bear fruit. Ramires also came in for the attackingly-inept John Obi Mikel and Chelsea started how their formation suggested. There was fluidity in the centre, with Michael Essien starting in the holding role, flanked by Ramires on the right and Frank Lamard on the left. When moves began to dry up, Ramires dropped back to partner Essien, pushing Lampard into a more attacking central role, but there was a notable lack of invention throughout.

Chelsea dominated possession but were ultimately unable to penetrate a stubborn but disappointingly defensive Fulham side. Nicolas Anelka and Malouda offered width but drifted inside too often, packing an already tight midfield. Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey, playing on the right and left respectively, tracked back well, restricting Branislav Ivanović and Ashley Cole to just a few bombing runs down the wings. On one such occasion on the half hour mark, Lampard made a trademark charge into the box, stepping back to meet an Ivanović cross, half-volleying a yard over the bar. Fulham lacked the pace to hit Chelsea on the break, with Moussa Dembélé playing too deep to support a severely isolated Andy Johnson.

Liverpool fans will have watched on with glee as their former golden boy Fernando Torres passed through another game with relative obscurity. He had a couple of opportunities in the last five minutes of the half, notably failing to capitalise on a poor pass back by Danny Murphy. But it was on the stroke of half time that he had his big opportunity; a fantastic pass by the excellent David Luiz dropped perfectly for Torres, but his first touch was poor and Schwarzer gathered. Had the ball dropped on his right side, the outcome may have been different, but we should not be making excuses: the Torres of old would have scored at least once this evening. With the inevitable revamping of the youth and recruitment systems and the £75 million splashed out in January, Abramovich is obviously willing to spend, but equally losing patience with the lack of silverware at Chelsea. He will be hoping that his oil-funded £50 million golden boy Torres will repay him in the near future.

The second half was played almost entirely in the Fulham half, but attacks were equally disjointed and good chances sporadic. Ramires and Essien in particularly peppered Schwarzer with shots, and more half-chances from Torres and Lampard went begging. The introduction of Kalou and Drogba provided little change, with Hangeland and Hughes coping well with Drogba’s power and runs into the box. Malouda should have probably won a penalty after being pushed by Fulham’s Norwegian giant, Hangeland, in the 69th minute, but a draw was probably a fair result.

Ignoring the final 15 minutes, the match was overall a stodgy affair, with Fulham more than happy to take a point, and Chelsea lacking a cutting edge. The Brazilian pair of Ramires and David Luiz, brought some of their country’s flair to West London, the former showing us what a true box-to-box midfielder can do. Breaking and building attacks, bombing forward at every opportunity but always somehow getting back to make a tackle or put a block in, he was impressive in his energy and commitment. Luiz looked like an accomplished centre back, giving Johnson scraps to feed on. He was strong in the air, skilful and calm in possession, closing down intelligently and had the confidence to make several Carvalho-esque runs in to the opponent’s half. With ten minutes remaining, Ancelotti put him at right-back, seemingly hoping his energy and skill could produce something Ivanović hadn’t managed in the previous 80. Too little, too late.

Despite a couple of strong individual performances, Chelsea’s inability to gain 3 points means they are now effectively out of the title race. Focus will be on the Champions League and the FA Cup, both still achievable targets, whereas Fulham’s run of form has put them in a fairly safe position, narrowing down the candidates for relegation as the season approaches its final quarter.

Uruguay Seal Olympic Glory

socratinho — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:08:00 +0000

By Gordon Fleetwood writing from NYC

South American U20 Championships: Day 14

The year was 1928, and Uruguay’s football team had made it to the Olympic games for the second time in a row. They went to Amsterdam to defend the title they had won so convincingly four years earlier. With the nucleus of that triumphant squad in tact, Uruguay were a good bet to retain their title, and so they did. It was a duplicate of their performance in 1924, as La Celeste swept aside all comers, only encountering resistance in the final against Argentina. It took two games, but the Olympic trophy was draped in sky blue once again. The win put another exclamation mark on what was a golden era for Uruguayan football, where they were arguably the best team on the planet. As a result of the 1928 Olympic victory, Uruguay was given the privilege of hosting the first World Cup in 1930. The World Cup trophy went to the men in sky blue, but the Olympic trophy, the instigator that catapulted their meteoric rise, was never to be theirs again. Uruguay did not qualify for another Olympic tournament after 1928.

Eighty-three years have passed since that day in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, where Uruguay won their second Olympic crown. However, last night in Arequipa, the combatants were the same, although a bit younger than their Olympic counterparts would have been. Uruguay faced their neighbors Argentina knowing that a win would punch their ticket to the 2012 London Olympics. Argentina were just as motivated. They are the reigning Olympic champions, and missing out on the chance to defend their title - something they experienced by no qualifying for the last U20 World Cup - was not an option. It was La Celeste against La Albiceleste for a shot at Olympic glory.

Like all contests between neighbors in football, it was a hard-fought battle. As the game went on, as chances were created, as tackles flew in, something shone from the field. The men looking faster,stronger, and hungrier were in sky blue. With success so close, the young Uruguayans were on the warpath. The Argentineans, still lacking cohesiveness after all this time, faltered under the Uruguayan assault. It was foreshadowing of a decisive nature.

The moment came on sixty-four minutes. Matias Vecino picked up the ball on the halfway line before laying it off to Adrian Luna. Vecino continued his run as Luna turned. Vecino was still running as Luna strolled through midfield past three Argentineans. He was still running as Luna played a lovely pass between two defenders. He was running into the penalty box when the ball came beautifully into his path, with no-one but a team-mate and the goalkeeper in sight. Without breaking his stride, Vecino delicately chipped the ball over Andrade into the open net. He only stopped running when he was celebrating on the sideline.

Argentina could not muster an adequate response. The final whistle triggered scenes of mass celebration among the Uruguayan squad. They had finally made it back, back to the stage that helped define their golden era. Somewhere the heroes of that era smiled down at their young successors, the ones that had brought Uruguay back to the Olympic fold.

Other games

Brazil 1-0 Ecuador

Chile 3-1 Colombia

It was a crazy game between Brazil and Ecuador. The tentative opening minutes were blown away by a constant barrage of chances after Casemiro opened the scoring. The game after the goal could be likened to a shoot-out at the OK Corral, with both teams bringing out an impressive arsenal. Unfortunately - just like in the movies - no live ammo was in sight, only blanks. The game was essentially a tutorial on how not to finish, as every opportunity was wasted. Ecuador’s Marlon de Jesus may be looking to get a job in teaching the art of not finishing, with a second glaring miss to add to his previous effort. In the end Brazil collected the three points, and more or less guaranteed their spot in the 2012 Olympics.

It was a disappointed end for Colombia. Their loss to Chile relegated them to the bottom of the table. The Colombians took the lead early through an own goal, but three ~~goals~~ golazos from Chile meant sealed their fate. A missed penalty by Cardona further compounded their misery. With the win, Chile just keep themselves in the qualification hunt.

The Last Match Day

Argentina-Colombia

Ecuador-Chile

Brazil-Uruguay

With one round left to play, there is still glory up for grabs. By pure coincidence, the order of the games means the importance increases from game to game. Firstly Argentina take on Colombia in what could be termed as a meaningless match. The Colombians are left to fight only for pride, while the Argentineans have the smallest of hopes of taking Brazil’s Olympic qualification spot. Then Chile face Ecuador. The Ecuadorians have five points and sit in fourth, the last qualification spot for the U20 World Cup. Chile qualified for the second group stage in a must win game against Venezuela in the first stage. Sitting in fifth on three points, they face the same task to gain entry to the U20 World Cup. Only a win will suffice if the young Chileans are to make it to Colombia in the summer.

The tournament ends with what is essentially a final. Uruguay face Brazil in Arequipa with the odds tilted in La Celeste’s favor. They sit on ten points, a point ahead of their Brazilian opponents. A draw with give the Uruguayans their first title since 2003 to go with their historic Olympic qualification. With Neymar and Juan back from suspension, Brazil will be looking to keep Uruguay from denying their third title in a row. It promises to be a grandstand finish to what has been a thoroughly exhilarating couple of weeks.

Torres debut falls flat as Meireles gatecrashes the party

jacobs2011 — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:48:02 +0000

By Ainsley Jacobs, London

Liverpool would have stepped out onto the Stamford Bridge pitch with something to prove today. A point or two to prove to against the doubters who expected their recent winning streak to come to an end but also a point to prove to a certain former striker who decided to swap Merseyside for London. As Chelsea fans unveiled their El Nino banners which incidentally looked remarkably like the old Liverpool ones, the men in red were out to prove that there is life after Torres and on the evidence of this performance, their once Spanish matador will be quickly forgotten.

In a bold move, Carlo Ancelotti decided to employ all three of his strikers from the start, with Anelka playing behind the front two meaning Florent Malouda missed out. In contrast, Liverpool continued with the three centre backs that served them well against Stoke with Jamie Carragher returning from injury to replace Kyrgiakos. This system allowed both Kelly and Johnson to play to their strengths by getting forward and giving Liverpool much needed width with only three in midfield and Kuyt playing as a lone striker.

After a cagey opening it was Chelsea who had the first opportunity when Rodriguez inexplicably passed the ball to Torres. Chelsea supporters held their breath, only for the Spaniard to balloon his effort over the bar. Liverpool then began to take control of the game with a passing fluidity that has marked their recent performance under Dalglish. They managed to survive a major scare midway through the first half when Drogba’s throughball let Torres through on goal only for the excellent Jamie Carragher to block his effort. However, Bosingwa’s increasing forward forays were leaving Chelsea exposed on the left hand side and Liverpool began to exploit this more and more as the half went on. After good work from Johnson and Gerrard on the left, the Liverpool captain’s ball across the box evaded the Chelsea back line, falling to Rodriguez only for the Argentine to miraculously hit the crossbar from five yards out. Liverpool fans must have been wondering whether they would pay for that miss yet their organised team play and tireless work rate meant Chelsea found it increasingly difficult to break them down. Torres was beginning to show the same poor body language that he displayed at Liverpool but that was in no small part to a resolute defensive display from the reds not afraid to show a bit of brute force when necessary with an Agger forearm to Torres’s throat, much to the delight of the travelling reds supporters.

After a brief spell of pressure from Chelsea at the beginning of the second half, Liverpool began to hit their stride again with Glen Johnson going close with an shot outside the box. Chelsea soon hit back with a ferocious effort from Essien just going over the crossbar although Reina seemed to have it covered. As the second half progressed, Chelsea’s players began to get more and more frustrated and sensing a change had to be made, Ancelotti decided to bite the bullet and take the ineffective Torres off. With their ex star number nine off the pitch Liverpool began to sense blood and with their endeavour showing no signs of abating, it was they who made the breakthrough midway through the second half. Gerrard managed to create space on the right flank before sending in a teasing ball that left Cech in no man’s land and while the Chelsea defence stood like statues, Raul Meireles stole in at the far post to smash the ball into the back of the net. The goal was fitting reward for Liverpool’s play and left the Chelsea players knowing they had it all to do to get back into the game and salvage their title hopes. Both Kalou and new man Luiz were both brought into the action but with Liverpool paying on the counter attack, Chelsea’s efforts began to get more and more desperate. With the game nearing an end, Chelsea pumped more and more balls into the box only for the excellent Liverpool defence to repel their attacks, aided in no small way by the superb Lucas screening in front of them.

As Dalglish jumped in the air at the final whistle, a dejected Fernando Torres walked down the tunnel with his head bowed down. Only time will tell if he made the right decision in leaving Liverpool but as we have heard from the reds all week; no man is bigger than the club. With four wins on the bounce, Liverpool are most certainly heading in the right direction while this defeat for Chelsea will make the chances of them retaining their title even more remote. Penny for your thoughts Fernando?

Night Of The Paraguayan Messi

socratinho — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:14:00 +0000

By Gordon Fleetwood writing from NYC

South American U20 Championships: Day 13

Juan Manuel Iturbe may not be a household name, but with his talent, you wouldn’t bet against it happening in the future. The former Paraguayan youth international left his mark on the most anticipated game of the tournament. Brazil versus Argentina, the clash of two football giants that generates a storm at any age level. A fiery game, full of passion and intensity was settled by the 17 year-old Iturbe. It was the winding run and cool finish from the kid labeled the Paraguayan Messi that sealed a 2-1 win for La Albiceleste against ten man Brazil.

The match had hardly begun when Brazil were on the backfoot. They lost both starting centerbacks within the first ten minutes. First Bruno Uvini picked up an injury and had to be substituted. Then Juan’s elbow on Funes Mori in the box earned the Brazilian a straight red card. Funes Mori dispatched the resulting penalty himself. Brazil were now a goal down, and had the better part of eighty-two minutes to play on ten men. Coach Ney Franco immediately sacrificed Oscar for a defender to reorganize the defense.

Despite going being a man down, Brazil hardly cowed, and gave as good as they got as the match continued. They were helped by the fact that Argentina were - unsurprisingly - lacking cohesiveness. In fact, Brazil created one of the better chances after the goal. Neymar’s header on thirty-seven minutes was tipped by Andrade onto the bar. A little later, Iturbe shot barely missed going in and doubling Argentina’s lead. Funes Mori’s penalty separated the teams going into the half.

The Argentineans came close to extending their lead early in the seconf half. However, it was Brazil who came up with the game’s second goal. Willian controlled Neymar’s pass and turned in one smooth motion, before hammering his shot past Andrade from the top of the box. That tied the game, and Brazil had what was a deserved equalizer. The parity was to last though, as Iturbe put his stamp on the match. Danilo’s poor attempt at quick free-kick gifted the ball to Argentina in the Brazilian half. A quick pass found Iturbe who set off purposefully with the ball at his feet. The youngster blew past one opponent, and a quick change of pace saw him pass two more with incredible ease. All that was left was for the 17 year-old to slot the ball past Gabriel in goal.

Brazil had to go searching for goal. The attacking intensity from the side in yellow and blue rose to a crescendo as time wore away. Gaps appeared in the Brazilian armor as a result of this, but Argentina’s blunt sword was unable to score a hit on Gabriel’s goal. The best chance in the time remaining come from Casemiro in the eighty-sixth minute. His freekick hit the crossbar, before rebounding off Andrade’s head, and going out for a corner. Argentina managed to see the rest of the game out, and handed Brazil their first defeat in the tournament so far.

Argentina are now on the same number of points as Brazil going into the last two match-days. An exciting finish is the cards.

Other games

Uruguay 1-0 Chile

Colombia 0-0 Ecuador

It was that man Adrian Luna again, as his wonderful freekick was enough to give Uruguay victory over Chile. It’s the second time in the competition that a freekick from Luna turned out to be the game winner. The night’s first game saw Colombia battle to a 0-0 draw with Ecuador. The point was fine for Ecuador, but Colombia desperately needed the win. Los Cafeteros now lie fifth on one point, only above a hapless Chilean side.

Newcastle In Best Comeback Ever

oddsoccer — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 12:17:00 +0000

By Oliver Sparrow, writing from London

What a fantastic game of football - I think I’ve just about managed to recover my breath. The beautiful game doesn’t get much better than this. I can’t recall having watched a better match than this in any league, cup competition or major final.

In a way, this was a match that very much suited the English football fan’s mentality. Arsenal are the ‘baddies’ – if you will. They’ve got the players and the skill to play Newcastle off the park. Placing the starting line-ups side by side only serves to juxtapose the gulf in quality between the two squads. On the other hand we have Newcastle – the ‘goodies’. They might not have the same silky refinement and glorious guile that their Southern opponents possess, but they’ve got strength, passion and an impenetrable Northern resilience. You can’t teach character; that needs to come from the heart. Newcastle are the very epitome of the English underdog. This was David versus Goliath.

And so, true to form, Arsenal burst out of the gates like a greyhound frothing at the mouth. A mere forty seconds had passed before Theo Walcott hared past the last line of defence and slid the ball neatly into the gaping Newcastle net. It was a terrible start for the Geordies. Arsenal were all over Newcastle like a bad rash, and it wasn’t long before it was two. A weakly-marked Johann Djourou leapt above his marker to head in an Arshavin free-kick, and Newcastle’s woes had doubled before the four-minute mark had been reached.

The match had already started to resemble a training exercise and Arsenal were scything through Newcastle at will. It was a sad sight to see, but the Gooners were hungry for more. Silence had fallen upon the St. James’ Park faithful, but the Highbury hordes were baying for blood. Just like the inevitable passing of time, the third goal went in. Walcott teased his way to the bye-line and cut it back for an unmarked Van Persie to slam home. Less than ten minutes had elapsed. Wave after wave of the red sea battered at the Tyneside gates and it was Van Persie who netted again before the half-time whistle. Just as before, he wandered care-free into the Newcastle box to head in from three yards. Newcastle were in disarray, and some fans were already starting to file out of the stadium, disgusted with what they had witnessed.

But more fool them. The real Geordies who had stayed true to the cause were to witness one of the greatest comebacks that football has ever seen. The difference in outlook of the Newcastle team between the two halves was akin to night and day. The main catalyst was Joey Barton, who set the comeback in motion by putting in a crunching challenge on Abou Diaby. It was a firm but fair tackle, yet Diaby saw it differently. A push on Barton followed by another on Nolan in the aftermath was enough to send the Frenchman for an early bath.

The next Arsenal player to put a chink in their own armour was the uninspiring Koscielny, who gave away a penalty after a clumsy challenge on Leon Best inside the box. Barton stepped up to roll the ball into the corner of the Arsenal net, and the comeback was on. He rushed to collect the ball from an un-obliging Szczesny and his belief was starting to rub off on his teammates. Leon Best was then wrongly disallowed a goal for offside when he was clearly being played on by an out-of-position Tomas Rosicky. The Arsenal boat was starting to rock in the choppy waters of the Tyne.

Best was to score again, though. The ball perhaps fortuitously falling at his feet after his header rebounded off Clichy, but he coolly took his chance. Now the fans were starting to believe. An enormous roar rang round St James’ Park, and the panning camera shot of the crowd picked out Geordie fans turning to each other as if to say “Howay the lads! We can do this!” Howay indeed. All but the Arsenal fans were starting to feel that little bit of football magic deep inside their stomachs. The underdogs are coming – watch out!

Perhaps the referee had got caught up in the excitement, as the penalty he then gave for what he deemed a push inside the area should never have stood. The crowd didn’t care, though, and neither did Joey Barton who pushed his penalty straight down the middle. Cue screams of delight all around Newcastle, and an unrestrained “Come on!” and fist-pump from my lounge in St Albans. This was really happening, and I was jumping on for the ride.

Newcastle had seven minutes of normal time in which to fashion an equaliser, and nearly every football fan in the country was behind them. Even the most optimistic of football daydreamers couldn’t have imagined a more spectacular equaliser. Barton swung in a free-kick from the right, but it was easily headed out of the area. Hearts sank momentarily, but there was Cheick Tiote to meet the ball on the volley, and send a dipping thunderbolt into the bottom-left corner.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Deafening roars, mental dancing around my lounge, disbelief in the Arsenal ranks. It was a goal of epic proportions and couldn’t have had a more fitting scorer. Tiote has been magnificent for Newcastle at times this season, and he showed everyone that he isn’t just about hard work and athleticism with a truly stunning finish.

There were still five minutes of extra time to play, and Nolan went close, but it didn’t matter. This was the best football comeback I had ever seen and even a fifth goal for Newcastle couldn’t have heightened my delirium much more. A victory for the English underdog as Goliath was brought to his knees. Now that’s what I call a bit of football magic.

Happiness? Support? Is this Ronaldinho's road to redemption?

afootballreport — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 12:54:08 +0000

By Leoul Yiheyis, writing from the States

Two-time FIFA World Player of the Year, and World Cup winner Ronaldinho has parted ways with Italian megaclub AC Milan, and joined popular Brazilian side Flamengo. The maestro was greeted by a stampede of 20,000 crazy fans who tore down the stadium’s gates to greet their new midfield maestro. Since his move to Milan, Ronaldinho has drawn much skepticism, from his late night clubbing to his seemingly effortless displays on the pitch. However, on the 2nd of February, all tuned in to his debut to see if he still had the spark of that God-given talent left in him.

Within two days of tickets being put on the market, not one was left as everyone in Rio couldn’t wait to see their new man in action. Flamengo was playing Nova Iguaçu in the Rio State Championship. It was party atmosphere in the Joao Havelange Olympic stadium, and Ronnie masks were passed out to the supporters as they danced around wearing his trademark smile. Upon the players release from the tunnel, the crowd made a mosaic that read “Biem-vindo R10”, Welcome R10.

Though it was earlier announced that Ronaldinho would most likely make a substitute appearance, as he wasn’t in the best physical form just yet, to the joy of the fans, he was put in the starting line-up (and surprisingly played a full 90 minutes). Prior to kick-off, Flamengo’s former captain, Leonardo Moura, handed the captains armband to Ronaldinho, marking him the new skipper.

As the match began everyone could see Ronnie was in the mood to impress; he was in the heart of key movements from midfield, and he was played in his favorite position, left attacking-midfielder. After releasing teammate Deivid with a simply-Ronnie back-heel, Abreu wasted the opportunity with a shanked left-footed shot. Ronnie then tried to take matters into his own hands with a brilliant free-kick, but Diogo tipped it over the bar. At the end of a pretty wasteful first half, Ronnie’s men went in 0-0 with the newly promoted side.

The second half was shortly underway, and it seemed evident that Fla were trying hard to squeeze out a goal. After hard offensive pressing by the Urubu, Nova were making mistakes all over the pitch. The defense couldn’t get a hold of the ball, and the offensive players couldn’t hold on to it. It was wave, after wave of assaults at Diogo’s goal, and in the dying minutes, substitute Maurinho put the ball in the back of the net following a sorry save from the keeper.

At the end of the match, Ronaldinho showed his appreciation for both the fans and the club by kissing his shirt and bowing to the crowd. He seems to already be a hero at Flamengo, as the crowds chanted his name, and sung his praises. At the end of his debut, Ronnie said, “it has been an unusual day. I hadn’t played in a while and my match fitness is a bit off. I am still getting to know my teammates, but I have to thank them all. Everyone has a bit of Flamengo inside them, and my bit has become even greater after this game. All the county and all the state of Rio de Janeiro stopped to watch this game, which is why I’m going to work hard to give plenty of joy to these people.” Let’s look to see how he does in his homeland, and hopefully he’ll regain his love for the game that made him who he is.

Brazil Still Have Colombia's Number

socratinho — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:35:00 +0000

By Gordon Fleetwood writing from New York City

South American U20 Championships: Day 12

It was the second meeting between Brazil and Colombia in the competition, and the game was almost a carbon copy of their first encounter. Again, it was a fiercely contested encounter, and for the second time, Brazil won by a two goal margin. Colombia for their part did put in an improved performance, but once more, poor composure in front of goal resigned them to defeat.

Brazil opened the score minutes after the opening whistle. A short corner caught Colombia’s defense napping, and Alex Sandro was free to swing in a cross unmolested. The ball was met by Casemiro at the back post to nod it in for the first goal. The early goal proved to be red herring as Brazil really didn’t dominate the game. Colombia were as solid as they were in the first meeting. Recognizing the problem, Coach Lara brought on Cardona for Miguel Julio on thirty eight minutes. Immediately Colombia started creating better chances. In spite of this, no more goal were forthcoming, and the first half ended with Colombia on top.

Colombia continued their late first half advantage into the second half. Chance after chance came, and chance after chance went as Colombia wasted every one of them. At the other end, Brazil found it hard to break down Colombia’s disciplined defensive wall. When the Brazilians did manage to break through, goalkeeper Mosquera or a last ditch tackle was there to prevent a goal. Neymar had the chance to kill the game when the ball fell to him after a turnover in midfield. He ghosted past Saiz before hammering his shot off the post. Colombia went on create and squander more opportunities. Bad finishing was their undoing, with Andres Escobar being most culpable. Time after time he received the ball in good positions, only to blast his shots into the night sky.

With a minute left in regulation time, Brazil sealed the game with a second goal. Lucas’ nonchalant outside of the foot pass to Diego “Drogbinha” Mauricio was hammered home by the dreadlocked striker at the near post to make it 2-0. Escobar came close to getting a consolation goal in the dying moments, but missed the target once again. It’s two wins in two for Brazil as they march on to top spot. Contrastingly, Colombia have two losses from their two games. They desperately need some finishing practice if they are to have any hope of qualifying.

Other games

Chile 2-3 Argentina

Uruguay 1-1 Ecuador

Argentina may never find their groove, but they returned to winning ways all the same. A second half fight back - along with help from the ref - allowed them to claim a 3-2 win over Chile. Elsewhere, Ecuador’s Marlon de Jesus will not be sleeping easy tonight. His incredible miss from a yard out meant Ecuador missed out on a win against Uruguay. The draw means the two teams remain tied on four points.

Montaño gives Ecuador Victory

socratinho — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:28:31 +0000

By Gordon Fleetwood writing from New York City

South American U20 Championships: Day 11

The cohesion Argentina has been searching for ever since they landed in Peru is still elusive. Ecuador’s Edson Montaño ‘s bullet header on the stroke of halftime was the game’s deciding moment in a 1-0 win. Argentina’s best chance came from a penalty won by Sergio Araujo. The young striker took the kick himself, but his effort ballooned into the night sky. Ecuador did defend admirably at times, but this was Argentina’s game to lose. The number of chances they created was staggered, but one went in. Walter Perazzo’s men will need to get their act together soon, or risk the ignominy of missing out on qualification for the second time running.

Other games

Chile 1-5 Brazil

Uruguay 1-0 Colombia

In the day’s other games, wins for Brazil and Uruguay got both countries off to a good start in this second stage. Brazil blew past Chile, after a second-half collapse by the Chileans saw them concede four unanswered goals. Uruguay had to rely on a brilliant free-kick from Adrian Luna to pip Colombia in their game.

Cardona's Late Penalty Sends Colombia Through

socratinho — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 09:45:00 +0000

By Gordon Fleetwood writing from New York City

South American U20 Championships: Day 10

Drama and suspense ruled until the very end in this all or nothing clash. When the dust cleared, it was Colombia who had pulled through. The 3-3 draw gave Los Cafeteros the point they needed to progress. An 87th minute penalty by playmaker Edwin Cardona was the goal that denied Paraguay a spot in the next stage. Paraguay will be kicking themselves for not keeping the lead they held since the 32th minute. To further compound their misery, the hunting of the referee post-game is sure to have serious ramifications.

The opening minutes resembled the match the day before between Chile and Venezuela, where a draw was enough to see Venezuela through. Like Venezuela, Colombia sat back on their laurels. However, they did look to press and keep the ball in midfield. Paraguay went looking for the goal they need with gusto, but Colombia’s outset meant that unlike Chile the day before, they did not dominate. In fact, the balance was delicately poised at the first half wore on.

Then the first goal came. A Paraguayan corner flashed across the penalty box, and was sent back into the box by Paraguay’s Gustavo Gomez. As the ball rolled by, Correa threw his foot out and stabbed it into the net. That sent a jolt through Colombia. It didn’t take long for Paraguay to stretch their lead. Five minutes later, Perez’s right wing cross found an unmarked Ruiz who headed the ball firmly into the net. Soon after, Colombia pulled one back. Calle’s lofted throughball was headed in by Cardona past the stranded goalkeeper. 2-1 is how it went to the break. It was now Colombia who had to go searching for a goal.

In an usual move, Colombia’s coach, Eduardo Lara, sent on Michael Ortega, an oft used substitute, not for Cardona, but for Julio. This is the first time in the tournament he played the two playmakers together. Armed with their two pianists, Colombia came out for the second half in a purposeful mood. Paraguay were pinned in their own half, as their opponents bossed the game. A couple of chances went begging for Los Cafeteros before another went in. It was Paraguay who scored.

Nelson Ruiz won the ball in midfield before strolling to the penalty box and playing a lovely ball to an unmarked Oscar Ruiz. The striker controlled the ball on his chest before striking it firmly into the bottom right-hand corner. It was 3-1 to Paraguay, and their jubilation was tangible. Colombia kept on plugging on, still believing that they could overturn the result. Cardona was playing up to his usual high standards, but it was Michael Ortega who took the leadership role. He played the role of the team’s metronome, establishing a passing rhythm, and creating chances. Ortega conjured two gilt edged chances which were wasted, before passing his way through Paraguay’s defense, only to see the goalkeeper block his shot.

It was no surprise that he was central in getting Colombia’s second. Ortega’s neat ball released Escobar who passed it to Arias out wide. Arias fired the ball into the middle where Ortega and Cardona lay in wait. There was some neat interplay between the two playmakers before the ball fell to Ortega, who smashed it in. That made it 3-2, and with twenty minutes left, hope was alive for the Colombians.

However, even with their continued dominance, and creation of numerous opportunities, Colombia could not find the breakthrough.Slowly the seconds slipped away, and Colombia were becoming visible more desperate. Then on in the 87th minute, there was the situation that changed the game. Cardona beat two defenders on the left flank before slipping a pass through to Castillo in the penalty box. As Castillo turned to goal, a push in the back sent him to the ground. Immediately referee Jorge Osorio blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. The Paraguayans were livid. However, with the decision made, there was nothing their arguing could do. Edwin Cardona walked to the spot with the weight of the hopes of his team on his young shoulders. That late in the game, a miss would almost certainly doom his country to elimination.

That didn’t seem to bother Cardona one bit, as he coolly slotted home the penalty straight down the middle. The comeback was completed, and the game was essentially over. After defending for all of the second half, Paraguay found it hard to switch to an attacking mindset. Colombia expertly closed the game out to get the point, and consequently qualification to the next round. Paraguay were headed home.

Other games

Ecuador 3-1 Bolivia

Ecuador strolled through to the next round, despite going one down to Bolivia late in the first half. Second half strikes from Chalá, Jackson, and Montaño guaranteed La Tri’s progression to the next round. Bolivia leave Peru ignominiously, collecting only a single point from their four games.

Chile Advance At Venezuela's Expense

socratinho — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:10:50 +0000

By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from New York City

South American U20 Championships: Day 9

It was a night of rain and drama in Arequipa, as ten man Chile came back from a goal down to vanquish Venezuela, and snatch a spot in the next round. The Venezuelan’s only needed a draw to progress, but were undone by some slack defending, and their opponents unending drive. Chile had been unimpressive before this game, but with their backs against the wall, they delivered. Venezuela will go home ruing what was a golden chance to advance from the group stages.

Unsurprising from a team needing to win, Chile took the initiative early in the game. They were energetic and aggressive as they took the game to Venezuela, with Bryan Carrasco down the right being the preferred weapon of choice. Venezuela chose to sit back and rely on the counter, safe in the knowledge that a draw would suffice. The Venezuelan tactic worked like a charm, when they took the lead in the 14th minute. The mercurial Yohandry Orozco found himself with space and time, before lofting a delightful pass to José Meza. The striker accepted the chance with glee, hammering his spot past Alfaro in goal.

Chile were unfazed, as they continued to hammer away at an uncertain Venezuelan defense, often swinging in crosses from wide positions. It was with one of these crosses that got them the equalizer. Carrasco’s precise ball to the back post found the head of Yasir Pinto to tie the game. It was as is at that point, but the Venezuelan defense looked to be increasing in porosity. It was a scene of utter confusion anytime a cross came into the box. Carrasco for one, continued to run riot on the right flank, continually set up chances.

It was no surprise that he was instrumental in giving Chile the lead just before the interval. Carrasco weaved his way in from the flank, before launching a stinging shot on goal. His strike was saved, but the rebound fell to the winger, who found passed to an onrushing Gallegos. The youngster made no mistake, blasting the ball into the roof of the next. It was 2-1 to Chile at the half, and suddenly, it was Venezuela who had to go searching for a goal.

Role reversal was the name of the game in the second half, as the onus was on Venezuela to get an equalizer. Expectedly it was their talisman, Yohandry Orozco, who lead from the front. He and his teammates peppered the Chilean goal, but always looked vulnerable to the counter, especially down Carrasco’s flank. The game decidedly swung in Venezuela’s favor when Nicolás Peñailillo was dismissed for receiving a second yellow card in the 61st minute. With only ten men on the field, Chile looked to sit even deeper, while Venezuela prepared to throw the kitchen sink.

The game was played at a frenetic pace as Orozco and company tried to save their tournament run. They were guilt of missing several golden opportunities, the worst of which came from Daniel Febles. Some great work from Orozco, left Febles alone on goal, but he whiffed his first time shot. Then in the 86th minute, it was all over. A turnover in midfield left Chile’s Luis Gallegos all alone with the ball at his feet. He smoothly moved past the single defender in his path before sliding a pass across to Alejandro Márquez to tap it in. At 3-1, there was little chance of a comeback.

That’s how it ended at the final whistle. The pouring rain set the contrast as a jubilant Chilean side celebrated in the background, while the clearly distraught Venezuelans looked on.

Other games

A 2-0 win over Uruguay was not enough for host’s Peru, as they exited the tournament on goal difference. Despite the loss, Uruguay hung on to a qualification spot in the next round.

A Little Magic Lifts Brazil Over Ecuador

socratinho — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:11:00 +0000

South American U20 Championships: Day 8

In a game where most of their first team players were rested, Brazil had to relie on a single moment of flair to overcome Ecuador. Henrique’s 24th minute strike was the only goal in a game where Ecuador played for an hour with ten men. The three points meant that Brazil topped the group comfortably heading into the next round. Ecuador need only a draw against hapless Bolivia to ensure their progression to the next stage.

Other games

Colombia 2-1 Bolivia

Two neat finishes first half finishes by Pedro Franco and Andres Escobar were enough for Colombia to overcome Bolivia, despite Darwin Rio’s second half goal. Colombia need only a draw Paraguay in their last game to progress. On the other hand, Bolivia’s hopes are dangling by a thread. Only a win over Ecuador will give them any hope of qualifying.

Argentina Finish In Style

socratinho — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:53:00 +0000

By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from New York City

South American U20 Championships: Day 7

It was a revamped Argentina side who took on Chile in Arequipa. The pouring rain dampened the game as a spectacle, but four goals in the second half gave the drenched fans something to enjoy. Argentina ran out 3-1 winners, and officially booked their ticket in the next round.

Chile had the edge in a first half short of many chances, but it was Argentina who had perhaps the best chance to go ahead. A late corner found Juan Iturbe rushing in. However, His side-footed strike flew narrowly past the post. The rain-drenched pitch did not seem to bode well for an improved second half.

Early in the second half it didn’t seem to be getting any better. Then the first goal went in. An Argentinean free-kick was first headed by Leonel Galeano onto the bar. Facundo Ferreyra had an easy header to give his Argentina the lead. That gave the game the kick it needed, as both teams upped the tempo. Ferreyra stretched the lead to 2x0 after an a give-away in midfield by Chile. The youngster neatly skipped past a couple of challenges before cushioning the ball past Esteban Andrade. Chile managed to grab one back less than two minutes later. Some poor Argentinean marking allowed Marquez to poke home Gonzalez’s misdirected shot. The balance had shifted once again.

It didn’t take long for Argentina to regain their two goal lead, albeit in a comical fashion. Substitute Michael Hoyo’s curling strike hit the post and fell into the crowded penalty area. A brief pinball imitation followed as Chilean defenders tried to clear their lines. Finally, one defender’s attempted clearance found the head of Claudio Mosca and flew into the net.

That sealed the game for Argentina. Chile’s resistance was broken and the game came to a close with other chances few and far between. Argentina are undisputed groups winners, and will be buoyed by the improvements in their displayed. Chile have to pick themselves up for their decisive last group game against Venezuela.

Other matches

Peru 1-1 Venezuela

Yohandry Orozco’s golazo was enough to give Venezuela a point after Oscar Noronha’s opener. The young Venezuelans now have a do-or-die game against Chile to fight for qualification. Peru, on the other hand, will face Uruguay in their final game knowing that only a win will give them a chance to progress.

Ecuador’s Smash and Grab Downs Paraguay

socratinho — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 05:27:00 +0000

South American U20 Championships: Day 6

Paraguay bossed this Sunday encounter, yet still lost after Ecuador sneaked a goal in mid-way off the second half. The young Ecuadorians held on for dear lie for most of the game, but Edson Montaño’s header meant that they left with all three points. The result means that Group B remains open, with two spots to the next round still undecided.

It took a while for Paraguay to establish their dominance in the game, but after the 20 minute mark, Ecuador were camped out in their own half. Paraguay created chances at will, and poor finishing was one of the reasons they didn’t break the deadlock. The other was the magnificent John Jaramillo, who was having an inspired game in goal for Ecuador. Time after time he kept the opposition out with some spectacular saves from a myriad of attacks. The best was probably a close range header from Marcos Caicedo which seemed destined for the back of the net. It was because of Jaramillo that the first period ended scoreless.

It was more of the same in the second half, with Jaramillo once again playing savior. Then, the game took an unexpected turn. In one of Ecuador’s few cohesive attacks, a cross from the right-wing found an unmarked Edson Montaño. From less than four yards out, his made no mistake with his header. Paraguay were stunned. The game took a massive swing after the goal, as a buoyed Ecuador started to plug the holes in their midfield and defense. Paraguay labored to create chances, while Ecuador’s increased confidence saw them create some chances of their own.

Paraguay pushed and pushed, but Ecuador did not budge. The final whistle came with little fanfare. The exuberant Ecuadorians celebrated together, while isolated Paraguayans were left staring at the pitch, wondering what could have been.

Other games

Brazil 1-1 Bolivia

It was more of the same in the other game today, as Bolivia spent most of the match hanging on for dear life. Brazil were in a rampant mood, and created a glut of goal-scoring opportunities. Time after time, last-ditch defending, wastefulness, and the goalpost denied O Selecão. Henrique’s late first half strike made one think the floodgates were about to open, but it was not to be. Bruno Uvini’s slip gifted Bolivia an equalizer in the 78 minute, and La Verde hung on until the end.

Dalglish sees shoots of recovery as Torres tames the wolves.

afootballreport — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 09:07:00 +0000

By Ainsley Jacobs, writing from England

Revenge would have been on the minds of the Liverpool players as they headed down on the coach to Molineux this morning. Just 26 days ago, Stephen Ward scored the only goal in the reverse fixture at Anfield and in doing so hammered another nail into Roy Hodgson’s coffin. That performance was one of the worst ever witnessed at Anfield but a month on and a with a new coaching team at the helm the fans may have seen Liverpool turn a long overdue corner.

Liverpool mostly dominated the first half treating the away supporters to some pass and move football so rarely seen this season. At the heart of this was the excellent Raul Meireles and it was his vision that created the first real chance of the game with a beautiful long range pass to Fernando Torres. Sadly the Spaniard’s attempt to curve the ball around Wayne Hennessey was well read by the keeper but Liverpool served warning to Wolves about their attacking intent. The first goal of the game followed not long after with again good work from Meireles slicing through Wolves pathetic attempt of an offside trap to then cooly pick out Torres for an easy side foot finish. Torres looks like a striker reborn under Dalglish who has galvanised his star number 9. With fire in his belly and steely determination, he was a constant thorn in Wolves side.

However Wolves may have considered themselves unfortunate to not go in at half time on parity when from a free kick Milijas had the freedom of the ground on the far post only for Reina to block his effort.

Second half saw Wolves come out of the starting blocks quicker than their adverseries but one moment of magic quickly stopped them in their tracks. With the Wolves defence failing to clear from a free kick the ball fell to Meireles 25 yards out. With fantastic technique the Portuguese international volleyed the ball over Hennesseys head and into the back of the net. It was fitting reward for a player who was by far man of the match. Many Liverpool supporters have wondered whether this player was worth the hype after an indifferent start to his Anfield career but it does take time to adapt to the pace of the Premiership. You don’t win 38 caps for the Portugal national team without being a good player and Dalglish has quickly realised that his best position is as an attacking central midfield player rather than being stuck out on the flanks.

Credit though to Wolves who after the shock of the second goal didn’t lay down and die as Liverpool began to get nervous. Martin Kelly in particular had to be on constant alert as the pacy, adroit Matt Jarvis became more and more of an influence. However a combiantion of solid defending and poor finishing kept Wolves at bay and almost inevitably Liverpool hit them on the counter attack. After a wonderful 30 pass move , Dirk Kuyt sprung the offside trap only to see his effort thwarted by the recovering Wolves defenders. However Feranado Torres was on hand to blast in from close range and so earn Liverpool only their second away victory this season.

What would have been most pleasing for Liverpool supporters today was the fluidity and confidence in Liverpool’s play. These same players who have been labelled “not good enough” and “not Liverpool quality” were imbued with positivity from the first whistle. Both Suarez and Charlie Adam would be excellent additions in particular Adam because of his passing ability which Liverpool have lacked since Xabi Alonso’s departure. If Kenny can get Liverpool playing like this on a consistent basis then long suffering reds supporters might just have something to cheer about after all this season.