Monday, April 30, 2012
Refreshed Mariners target elusive ACL win
Central Coast coach Graham Arnold is hoping the well-rested and refreshed Mariners can breathe life into their fading Asian Champions League (ACL) campaign against China's Tianjin Teda on Tuesday.
The Mariners sit last in Group G with two matches to play but Arnold believes they still remain a hope of securing a top-two finish and progressing to the knockout stage.
That would require a win at Gosford and another in their final match away to Japan's Nagoya Grampus in a fortnight - no mean feat for a side yet to win an ACL match in 10 attempts.
But Arnold expects to see the Mariners of old after a much-needed two-week break following a hectic schedule comprising eight A-League and ACL matches in just over a month.
The Mariners looked a shadow of the side that claimed this season's A-League Premiers' Plate in their last ACL clash, a 5-0 trouncing by Seongnam Ilhwa in Korea on April 18.
"They've got the power back in their legs," Arnold said of his players on Monday.
"They've trained the house down the last few days, they look like they were before and I'm expecting a fantastic performance."
The heavy defeat in Seongnam dealt a blow to the Mariners' goal difference (-5) and could hurt their chances of progression, but Arnold is confident two wins of any margin will get his side through to the next round.
"Everything's still in our hands at the moment," Arnold said.
"If we win tomorrow night 1-0, then go to Nagoya and win 1-0, we're there."
Mariners captain Alex Wilkinson agreed the players were reinvigorated but admitted there were some demons to exorcise from the loss to Seongnam.
"Everyone can say that we backed up three days after the (preliminary final loss to Perth) but still, it was nowhere near good enough," he said of the performance.
Arnold has virtually a full strength squad with left back Josh Rose returning from suspension.
Tom Rogic is expected to start in midfield ahead of fellow young gun Mustafa Amini, who will likely make his last appearance in Gosford before returning to German club Borussia Dortmund after being signed and then loaned back for the season.
In other news, Perth Glory has continued its offseason squad rebuilding, signing former Gold Coast striker Chris Harold and Melbourne Heart winger Adrian Zahra.
AAP
Tags: sport, soccer, australia, nsw, gosford-2250 First posted April 30, 2012 14:56:59Hodgson set for England job
Roy Hodgson seems set to become the next England manager after the Football Association confirmed it has made an approach to speak to the West Bromwich Albion boss.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has long been regarded as favourite for a role left open when Fabio Capello resigned in February in protest at the FA's decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy.
But in a stunning development, the FA turned to Hodgson, who has a wealth of international experience having coached the likes of Switzerland and Finland.
FA chairman David Bernstein, thanking West Brom counterpart Jeremy Peace, said: "I'm grateful to Jeremy and all at West Bromwich Albion for their co-operation in allowing us to approach Roy, who I have since spoken with.
"Roy is the only manager we have approached and we remain on course to make an appointment within the timescale we set-out soon after Fabio Capello's departure.
"Further conversations will now take place with Roy and my Club England colleagues before any further announcements can be made."
The 64-year-old Hodgson, whose current Albion deal ends on June 30, has, unusually for an English manager, had spells with several overseas clubs, including Italian giants Inter Milan.
He took over at West Brom in 2011 after a brief and unsuccessful time in charge of Liverpool and the Midlands club are currently a respectable 10th place in the Premier League.
"Roy has done a fantastic job over the past 15 months and the fact the FA want to discuss the England role with him is testament to that," Peace said.
"Roy is a proud Englishman and we can understand why he wants to speak to the FA about this highly-prestigious managerial position.
"However, we have emphasised to Roy how much we would like him to remain as our head coach and continue his major contribution to our project at the Hawthorns as we look to establish ourselves as a Premier League club.
"Everyone here has an excellent working relationship with him and he is immensely popular with our supporters."
It may be the FA felt able to speak to Hodgson at this time as the Baggies' season is effectively 'over', whereas they might have been accused of disrupting Tottenham, currently fourth and battling for a Champions League place, were they seen to speak to Redknapp before the end of the campaign.
And the fact Hodgson is shortly out of contract means the FA would not have to get involved in any expensive compensation deals, whereas prizing Redknapp away from White Hart Lane could prove extremely costly.
Redknapp has never managed outside of England whereas Hodgson, who has also been in charge of Blackburn and Fulham, started his coaching career in Sweden.
Hodgson has made no secret of the fact that he aspires to lead his country.
England are currently under the caretaker charge of Stuart Pearce, the former England defender who is also the manager of the national Under-21 side and coach of the British Olympic team.
Concerns have been raised about the FA's failure to bring in a permanent replacement for Capello so close to the start of the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, where England begin the tournament against France in Donetsk on June 11.
England have two friendly internationals, away to Norway in Oslo on May 26 and against Belgium at Wembley on June 2, before Euro 2012 gets underway.
AFP
Tags: sport, soccer First posted April 30, 2012 07:13:23Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saints promoted to Premier League
Southampton manager Nigel Adkins admitted a weight had been lifted off his shoulders after his side finally clinched promotion to the Premier League.
Adkins' men had been favourites to go up for much of the campaign, but looked in danger of blowing their bid to reach the top-flight after two defeats in their last three games.
Heading into the final day of the Championship campaign, Southampton knew a victory over relegated Coventry would be enough to hold off the challenge from third placed West Ham, who could snatch the second automatic promotion spot with a win over Hull and a Saints defeat.
West Ham did beat Hull 2-1 and will take part in the play-offs along with Birmingham City, Blackpool and Cardiff City.
Champions Reading lost 2-0 at Birmingham.
West Ham will now meet Cardiff in one semi-final play-off, while Blackpool will play Birmingham in the other. Those matches are decided over two legs with the final at Wembley on May 19.
Adkins' side delivered in style as goals from Billy Sharp, Jose Fonte, Jos Hooiveld and Adam Lallana crushed Coventry in front of a capacity crowd at St Mary's.
After a seven-year absence from the Premier League, the Saints will be rubbing shoulders with Manchester United, Chelsea and company thanks to successive promotions under Adkins, who couldn't hide his relief at meeting the club's increasingly high expectations.
"I won the League One title with Scunny (Scunthorpe) and it's a similar feeling," Adkins said.
"That weight is off your shoulders, that burden - you're doing everything you can to keep everybody focused and all of a sudden you've achieved it.
"Now we've got to look at a new set of goals. We've achieved that, we've got to go and achieve something else.
"We've put a lot of hard work in and a lot of hours but we've achieved something special this season.
"We achieved something special last season and I suppose it's that drive to do well. Everyone works so hard at this football club and it's great to see the smiles and delight on the supporters' faces.
"It's been a nervy week for them but it's been well worth it. Every plaudit that goes their way they richly deserve because they've worked hard for it."
Despite the celebrations following the final whistle at St Mary's, Adkins revealed the failure to claim the Championship title was the only regret at the end of a triumphant campaign.
A stumble towards the end of the season allowed Reading to sneak into top spot above Southampton and he added: "It's a great achievement to get promoted, but I'm gutted we haven't won the league to be honest.
"I really wanted to win the league so we'll have to get over that.
"It's very soon after the game so it's very emotional still. I'm just trying to take it all in.
"I need to let it all soak in but it's been very, very special.
"I'd like to think I'm going to have a glass of champagne tonight because that's what you should do if you win."
AFP/Reuters
Tags: english-premier, soccer, england, united-kingdom First posted April 28, 2012 23:40:44Manchester braced for 'derby of all derbies'
The defining plot twist of the most enthralling title race in years could be written when Manchester City attempt to seize control of the EPL by beating leaders Manchester United.
Three weeks ago, United already had one hand on a record 20th title after City's defeat at Arsenal left Sir Alex Ferguson's team a hefty eight points clear with only six games remaining.
But a poor run of results from United, which has seen them take only four points from a possible nine, has suddenly given City the chance to put themselves back on pole position as the finish line looms into view.
An estimated worldwide television audience of more than 650 million is expected to tune in for a match that is being hyped as the biggest in Premier League history.
"This is the derby game of all derby games," Ferguson said. "It's in the blood of the supporters and I know lots of fans who would give everything to win this game," the United manager added.
City midfielder Gareth Barry also emphasised the unique nature of the top-of-the-table duel.
"People are speaking of this as being the biggest game in Premier League history and it's a massive game to play in," Barry said.
"I don't think you can get away from the size of the game against United and the pressure."
The equation for City is simple: a victory on Monday would see them return to the top of the table.
Wins at Newcastle and at home to Queens Park Rangers would then guarantee City the title, provided United are unable to make up their rivals' significant advantage in goal difference, which currently stands at plus six.
City manager Roberto Mancini has attempted to douse the expectation level by stating that United will remain favourites for the title even if they lose, citing the champions' final two matches against Swansea and Sunderland.
"I think they have more chance than us because we play the derby on Monday, after we play against Newcastle, that will be a very tough game," Mancini said.
"Instead United play Swansea and Sunderland. For them, they will be two easy games."
Ferguson meanwhile is relishing the challenge from opponents he views as the biggest threat to United's position at the summit of the English game owing to the club's seemingly limitless wealth.
United have already demonstrated that they have the know-how to get a result at a ground where City have dropped just two points all season, winning January's FA Cup third round tie 3-2.
Yet Ferguson must be concerned by the sudden frailty of a United defence that was punctured repeatedly by Everton last weekend in a 4-4 draw.
City, who humiliated United 6-1 at Old Trafford in October, have rattled in 12 goals in their past three games, and their nimble strikeforce of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez will fancy their chances of adding to that haul if Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans have another off-day.
Of all the storylines to emerge from this year's Premier League page-turner, it is the re-emergence of Tevez that is potentially the most compelling.
Ostracised by Mancini after his infamous refusal to warm-up during the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich in September, the former United striker then disappeared to Argentina for three months of unauthorised leave.
Mancini, who had previously said Tevez would never play for the club again, has been forced to reverse his stance during the run-in, particularly after ill-discipline saw Mario Balotelli sidelined for three games.
Tevez has responded to his recall by delivering goals, adding an injection of verve to a City forward line that had been struggling to reproduce their scintillating early season form.
The Argentinean striker, who is expected to seek a move this summer, will be putting his talents on show to a mammoth worldwide audience on Monday, with a record 16 broadcasters airing the match live.
AFP
Tags: sport, soccer, english-premier, england First posted April 29, 2012 10:38:56Newcastle's top-four hopes take big hit
Newcastle's bid for Champions League qualification suffered a reality check on Saturday as Wigan eased their relegation fears with a thumping 4-0 win over the Magpies.
Newcastle had dared to dream of winning a place in European football's elite competition after moving into the top four of the Premier League last week with their sixth straight victory.
However Alan Pardew's side were blown away in a devastating first half display by Wigan, who scored four unanswered goals at the DW Stadium to move three points clear of the drop zone with two games remaining.
Wigan raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening quarter of an hour, Victor Moses scoring a quickfire brace in the 13th and 15th minutes.
Shaun Maloney added a third for the Latics on 36 minutes before Franco Di Santo made it 4-0 with a long-range effort on the stroke of half-time.
Newcastle boss Pardew blamed his side's loss on a lack of "intensity."
"Forget shape, systems and so on, intensity is everything in football," he said.
"For the first two goals we were really loose and disorganised. It was not until half-time that we got back to our level and showed discipline.
"You'd have to say we got beat by the better team."
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez hailed another fine display from his team, who have also notched wins over Arsenal and Manchester United in recent weeks.
"In every department of the club we know we need to work really hard to keep our dream alive and that comes with belief," he said.
"It's great to beat these sides but that means nothing if we can't achieve our aim. Our aim is to stay in the league and we haven't got enough points. We have two big games left, big finals."
Newcastle's surprise defeat saw Arsenal cement their grip on third place after battling to a 1-1 draw at Stoke.
Peter Crouch headed Stoke into the lead on nine minutes before Arsenal's newly-crowned Footballer of the Year Robin van Persie levelled on 15 minutes with his 35th goal of the season in all competitions.
The draw leaves the Gunners four points clear of fourth-placed Newcastle, and Arsene Wenger's men will guarantee their entry to next season's Champions League if they win their remaining games against Norwich and West Bromwich Albion.
With leaders Manchester United facing Manchester City on Monday, and Chelsea and Tottenham in action against QPR and Blackburn respectively on Sunday, Saturday's other games focused on the battle for survival.
Bolton's hopes of moving out of the bottom three were dashed after they could only draw 2-2 at Sunderland.
Veteran striker Kevin Davies got Bolton off to a dream start with a goal on 26 minutes before Sunderland levelled through Nicklas Bendtner nine minutes before half-time.
James McClean then pounced for Sunderland in the second half to put the Black Cats 2-1 up before Davies grabbed a second on 70 minutes to secure a share of the points for Owen Coyle's side.
Meanwhile Aston Villa remain in the relegation mire after scrapping to a 0-0 draw in a nervy midlands derby with West Brom.
Villa, who remain only three points off the bottom three, were given a huge slice of luck after referee Mark Clattenburg failed to spot an apparent handball on the goal-line from defender Alan Hutton.
Elsewhere, Liverpool recorded only their second win in seven games as Luis Suarez's first hat-trick for the club helped them to a 3-0 win over Norwich.
The Uruguayan struck twice in the first half before clinching his treble with a magical 45-yard chip over John Ruddy as the Reds sealed only their fourth league win of 2012.
At Goodison Park, Everton scored four goals for a second week running as they romped to a 4-0 win over Fulham that kept David Moyes' team in seventh place.
Nikica Jelavic scored twice while Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill added one apiece in an easy win.
A bizarre game at the Liberty Stadium saw relegated Wolves fight back from 3-0 and 4-1 down to grab a 4-4 draw against Swansea.
Andrea Orlandi, Joe Allen, Nathan Dyer and Danny Graham helped put Swansea 4-2 up at half-time, with Wolves scoring through Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis.
Yet Wolves were given hope through David Edwards in the 54th minute before Jarvis grabbed his second on 69 minutes to make it 4-4.
Results:
Wigan 4 Newcastle 0
Stoke 1 Arsenal 1
Norwich 0 Liverpool 3
West Brom 0 Aston Villa 0
Sunderland 2 Bolton 2
Everton 4 Fulham 0
Swansea 4 Wolves
AFP
Tags: sport, soccer, english-premier, england First posted April 29, 2012 05:50:56Saturday, April 28, 2012
Heart rescue Adelaide draw
Melbourne Heart linchpin Eli Babalj's sustained excellence was rewarded with the equalising goal in their 1-1 away draw with Adelaide United in Friday night's A-League match.
Adelaide striker Sergio van Dijk gave the Reds a lead with a a first-half penalty, before Babalj's second-half leveller at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Adelaide's point for the draw confirmed Gold Coast United will collect the wooden spoon.
And the Heart will play away against Perth Glory or Wellington Phoenix in their inaugural A-League final next weekend.
The Reds will finish ninth despite taking a lead in the 37th minute when Van Dijk converted a penalty after Heart stalwart Simon Colosimo tangled with Adelaide's Daniel Mullen.
As Reds defender Cassio curled a free kick into the penalty area, Colosimo collided with Mullen, who was grounded by the contact.
Referee Adam Kersey instantly called the penalty, and van Dijk struck low and to the right of Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton to score.
Heart star Babalj threatened twice in the opening half, but aimed a header wide before a powerful 25-metre shot was tipped over the crossbar by Reds goalkeeper Mark Birighitti.
Birighitti was one of six changes to Adelaide's starting line-up from its Asian Champions League win over Gamba Osaka on Tuesday night.
The Reds also substituted playmaker Dario Vidosic at half-time and influential defender Cassio with 30 minutes remaining.
The changes unsettled Adelaide's fluency and Babalj finally capitalised in the 68th minute.
Babalj, after squandering two more scoring chances early in the second stanza, sliced through three Adelaide defenders before wrong-footing Birighitti to score with a finish oozing class.
The Heart enter the finals series undefeated in their past six games.
But their ultimate finishing position - fifth or sixth - and initial finals destination depends on Sunday's result between Sydney FC and Newcastle United.
Melbourne Heart coach John Van 't Schip said he was not unhappy with the draw, given the looming finals series.
"The most important thing is we got into the finals, we have no injuries, we can now look forward to our next game against Perth or Wellington," he said.
Adelaide United coach John Kosmina said he considered the match a hit out for the club's Asian Champions League campaign.
"We went out there to practice what we do in Asia and what we have been doing in the last few weeks," he said.
"You never not want to make the finals - although now the full focus is Asia, it still rankles a little bit that we haven't got a game next weekend."
Adelaide United: 1 (S van Dijk 37' (pen))
Melbourne Heart: 1 (E Babalj 68')
AAP
Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted March 23, 2012 22:02:24Sydney FC sacks Reddy
Sydney FC has sacked goalkeeper Liam Reddy for his drunken escapades before the club's recent A-League elimination final.
The Sky Blues terminated Reddy's contract on Friday after several meetings to discuss his behaviour and future.
Reddy, who had been demoted late in the season to back-up goalkeeper, had admitted to drinking on the team flight to New Zealand to play the Wellington Phoenix.
It has been reported Reddy consumed alcohol both before and on the flight, and vomited on the plane and team bus to the hotel in Wellington.
Reddy was immediately stood down from the match against the Phoenix and sent home by Sydney officials.
The Sky Blues lost 3-2 to end their season.
The 30-year-old had one year remaining on his contract.
Reddy and his representative appeared at a meeting with Sydney FC acting chief executive Stefan Kamasz and football director Gary Cole on Thursday morning.
The club said it considered his response to a charge of serious misconduct levelled against him, before sacking him on Friday.
"Sydney FC today terminated the employment and contract of Liam Reddy following incidents that took place before, during and after a flight to Wellington before the recent semi-final," Kamasz said in a statement.
"Those actions represented serious misconduct and do not reflect the actions we believe to be appropriate for a professional football player with Sydney FC."
The club had originally charged Reddy with breaking Football Federation Australia's player code of conduct.
But Sydney FC upgraded the charge to breaching his standard player contract, allowing them the option of sacking Reddy rather than just fining or banning him.
AAP
Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, sydney-2000 First posted April 13, 2012 14:47:34Wigan stuns United to give City hope
Struggling Wigan breathed life into the Premier League title race with a stunning 1-0 upset of Manchester United on Thursday (AEST) as Manchester City romped to a 4-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
Just days after United looked to have assured themselves of a 20th league crown by opening up an eight-point lead over City, Shaun Maloney's 50th-minute winner for Wigan suggested the title race may yet have more twists in store.
City's emphatic win over West Brom at Eastlands reduced United's lead at the top to five points with five games remaining, meaning Sir Alex Ferguson's side have little margin for error in their remaining fixtures.
United - who must travel to City on April 30 - looked sluggish throughout as Wigan claimed a precious three points that lifted it out of the relegation zone at the expense of Bolton.
United were fortunate not to fall behind after Wigan appeared to have taken the lead through Victor Moses midway through the first half, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul on United goalkeeper David de Gea.
But United were not so fortunate on 50 minutes when Wigan took the lead with a magical strike from Maloney, curling a superb shot beyond De Gea after a clever short corner routine.
Meanwhile City bounced back from the disappointment of Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Arsenal with a drubbing of West Bromwich Albion which included a goal for returning bad-boy Carlos Tevez.
Sergio Aguero opened the scoring for City after only six minutes, sweeping in past Ben Foster after evading the attentions of Keith Andrews.
Aguero then grabbed his second shortly after half-time, applying the finishing touch after neat inter-play between David Silva and Samir Nasri.
Tevez then made it 3-0 from Aguero's cut back on 61 minutes and City then piled on the misery for the Baggies as Silva added a fourth three minutes later.
Elsewhere, Arsenal tightened its grip on third place and an automatic Champions League qualifying place with a 3-0 win over bottom club Wolves at Molineux.
Arsenal's win saw it take a five-point lead over fourth-placed Tottenham as Wolves slumped to a seventh straight defeat that leaves them nine point from safety.
The match was effectively over as a contest inside the first 11 minutes as Arsenal surged into a two-goal lead and Wolves were reduced to 10 men.
Robin van Persie opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Sebastien Bassong picked up a red card for fouling Theo Walcott as he raced in on goal following a one-two with van Persie.
Van Persie then returned the favour on 11 minutes, swapping passes with the England winger as Walcott's shot made it 2-0.
Arsenal had to wait until the 69th minute to add its third, Yossi Benayoun shooting low into the net after good work down the left from Alex Song.
At the other end of the table, Queens Park Rangers boosted its hopes of Premier League survival with an emphatic 3-0 win over Swansea at Loftus Road.
QPR took the lead on the stroke of half-time through captain Joey Barton, the midfielder lashing home from the edge of the area after Swansea failed to deal with a free-kick swung in from the right.
Rangers then took a stranglehold on the contest 10 minutes into the second half through Jamie Mackie, the Scottish international's deflected shot wrong-footing Michael Vorm to make it 2-0.
A 25-yard thunderbolt from Hungarian international Akos Buzsaky made it 3-0 on 67 minutes to seal a win which moved Mark Hughes' side two points clear of the relegation zone.
AFP
Tags: sport, soccer, english-premier, england First posted April 12, 2012 07:22:20FFA left red-faced after medal mix-up
In an embarrassing gaffe, Perth Glory captain Jacob Burns was awarded the Joe Marston Medal for the A-League grand final's best player after it was initially mistakenly given to Brisbane Roar playmaker Thomas Broich.
Following the Roar's controversial 2-1 win over the Glory on Sunday, eyebrows were raised when Broich was read out as the best-on-ground recipient in front of a packed Lang Park.
Broich did set up Besart Berisha's 84th-minute goal that locked up the scores at 1-1 before the Roar scored in stoppage time after a controversial foul to ensure they became the first team to win back-to-back A-League titles.
However, Broich seemed fortunate to earn best-on-ground honours ahead of the workaholic Burns.
About an hour later, a red-faced A-League boss Lyall Gorman admitted an "administrative error" had led to Broich and not Burns being handed the medal.
"It was just a breakdown in communication between the judging panel and the announcer - it was one of those unfortunate incidents," Gorman said.
"Just purely in the delivery from the votes being counted to (post-match announcer) Simon (Hill)."
Instead of receiving the medal in front of the grand final crowd, Burns was forced to accept the honour at the post-match press conference in the bowels of the stadium.
"Unfortunately there has been an administrative error with the awarding of the Joe Marston Medal," Gorman said.
"We apologise to the Roar, Thomas Broich and Perth Glory, but most of all to Jacob Burns.
"It's just a shame it isn't done in front of 20,000 - at least we tried to rectify it."
Roar coach Ange Postecoglou said he felt disappointed for all affected by the mistake.
"It's disappointing. It's not fair on Jacob Burns, it's not fair on Thomas Broich, it's not fair on us, the opposition, the 50,000 who turned up to the game," Postecoglou said.
"I'm not into bashing the people who run our game, there are enough people who do that, and I’ve always been the kind of person, because I earn a living from the game, who is an advocate for the positive parts of the game, but you can’t get that wrong."
AAP
Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, brisbane-4000, qld, perth-6000, wa First posted April 22, 2012 21:06:34Roar play down Berisha's absence
A quick glance at Brisbane Roar's training session on Thursday showed just how much their nightmare schedule had taken its toll.
But Roar playmaker Thomas Broich believes it should play into their hands ahead of the A-League grand final.
The Roar were the first to admit they were "rusty" as they went through the motions on Thursday despite a couple of days rest after booking a second straight grand final appearance.
However, the biggest concern was what the Roar did not see at training - strike weapon Besart Berisha.
While Broich played down Berisha's absence, he conceded a schedule that was showing no signs of slowing down had left the team "run down".
And he would not have it any other way.
Still buzzing from taking out the Johnny Warren Medal this week, Broich hoped juggling the Asian Champions League with a title defence would have them primed for April 22's domestic decider.
The Roar host Ulsan Hyundai in the ACL on Tuesday night - and five days later the A-League grand final.
Berisha's absence was a concern after the Albanian international admitted he was "struggling" following Sunday's 3-2 major semi-final second leg win over Central Coast at Gosford - Brisbane's third game in nine days.
That run of matches included a 1-1 draw in South Korea against Ulsan Hyundai.
But Broich allayed any fears surrouding Berisha.
"It's just a cold. We've got plenty of time to fix that," he said.
"We were all pretty run down after the trip (to Gosford) - everyone was a bit rusty today.
"To have two weeks without a game is probably not the best - it (busy schedule) might be good for us.
"It (ACL clash) is a great warm-up game for us.
"It's a big game every week now and that's what you want. It's really exciting."
Broich considered the re-match with Ulsan Hyundai a must-win for the Roar's ACL hopes - they currently sit bottom of Group F after three games.
"We've not only got the grand final but also a Champions League game in which we still have a great chance," Broich said.
"But we need a win there and then we can start thinking about the grand final.
"We need to win and if we do we are back in the competition."
The Roar will play the winner of Saturday night's Central Coast-Perth Glory preliminary final.
"It would be nice to play someone different for a change but Central Coast deserve to be there again - but it makes no difference to me," Broich said of a grand final opponent.
Broich was a surprise Johnny Warren Medal winner considering he played 17 of the Roar's 27 games due to injury.
But he was not surprised he was one of four foreigners to take out the prize in the A-League's seven seasons.
"That's the way it should be. If you bring in foreign players they should have something special about them - they don't bring in average players right?" he said.
AAP
Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia First posted April 12, 2012 15:51:19Schwab quits PFA
Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) chief executive Brendan Schwab has resigned from his position.
Schwab, instrumental in delivering the Socceroos and A-League players' current wage deals, will step down at the end of June to focus on working for world soccer's players union FIFPro's Asian operations.
He helped form the PFA in 1993.
"It has been a great honour to represent Australia's professional footballers for almost 20 years," Schwab said.
"In that time, the PFA has played a positive role, not only in representing and supporting players collectively and individually, but in working constructively for the positive reform of the game."
Schwab says he is also keen to focus on establishing his own sports law firm and consultancy.
But he will remain general secretary of the Australian Athletes Alliance, the peak body for Australian professional sports' players' unions.
AAP
Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, socceroos, australia First posted April 18, 2012 12:40:49Roar draw 1-1 with Beijing Guoan
Brisbane Roar are back on track in their Asian Champions League campaign after drawing 1-1 away with Beijing Guoan in China on Tuesday night.
The Roar looked to have had the worst possible start when goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos conceded a near post howler after Cheng Piao beat the off-side trap.
But Brisbane suddenly looked like a team that had wracked up a record-breaking unbeaten run of 36 straight games when they finally flexed their muscles in the first half.
Brazilian import Henrique caused all sorts of problems before Ivan Franjic's perfect cross and Mitch Nichols's pin-point header locked up the scores in the 21st minute.
The slippery Henrique kept causing trouble and would have been ruing his luck after setting up a golden chance for Albanian international Besart Berisha to add to his prolific season in the 22nd minute.
Indeed Berisha always seemed set to add to his record-breaking goal scoring A-League season in a menacing first half performance against the Chinese team.
Berisha notched goal No 19 in Brisbane's weekend 2-1 win over Newcastle to equal the season-record set by ex-Gold Coast United striker Shane Smeltz in 2009-10.
Just when the Roar looked at home in the ACL, the Chinese side became less than hospitable hosts.
Late in the first half Franjic let Mao Jianqing sprint clear and with only Theoklitos to beat, the Beijing threat's shot went awry.
Indeed the Beijing side hit back with a vengeance in the second half when former Roar striker Reinaldo came on after surprisingly being left out of the starting line-up.
Brazil-born striker Reinaldo was so embraced by the Roar during his five-year stint that he took out Australian citizenship.
He left in December 2010, ending a stint that included 92 appearances and 24 goals.
The Roar are bottom of their group after two games but still a win away from top spot.
Roar coach Ange Postecoglou liked what he saw after Brisbane looked like kangaroos in the headlights in their opening ACL clash a fortnight ago.
"We knew we had to start positively," he said.
"We tried to play attacking in the first half because we knew it would be difficult in the second half.
"In the first half we created opportunities that we didn't take but we played better today than we did against Tokyo.
"Today was more like a Brisbane Roar performance."
AAP
Tags: soccer, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, china First posted March 21, 2012 10:58:02Glory coach Ferguson re-signs for two more years
Perth Glory coach Ian Ferguson has re-signed with the A-League club for a further two seasons.
Ferguson took over as coach midway through last season and has guided the Glory to third on the table this year.
Perth will begin its finals campaign on Sunday, when it takes on Melbourne Heart in an elimination final.
Ferguson has become the second A-League coach in a week to be rewarded with a new contract.
Last week Adelaide United gave John Kosmina a contract extension following the Reds' flying start to the Asian Champions League.
Kosmina, who took over as Adelaide coach for a second time following the mid-year sacking of Dutchman Rini Coolen, has been signed for another A-League season, with the option of an extra year.
AAP
Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, perth-6000, wa, australia First posted March 27, 2012 14:59:17Roar young guns bury Gold Coast
A weakened Brisbane Roar broke the hearts of Gold Coast United with a late goal to seal a 2-1 victory at Skilled Park on Sunday night in an emotion-charged M1 derby.
The match looked set for a 1-1 draw after the Roar's Albanian international Besart Berisha squandered a golden chance in the 86th minute when he sprayed a shot over the bar from point-blank range.
A goal would have boosted Berisha past the season record of 19 set by ex-Gold Coast United marksman Shane Smeltz in 2009-10.
But substitute George Lambadaridis rocketed a curling drive into the top corner of the net in the 90th minute to ensure United ended potentially their final match with a shattering loss.
"I just saw the goal and hit through it," the 19-year-old midfielder told Fox Sports.
"The boys worked so hard over 90 minutes... we created plenty of opportunities and I think we deserved to win the game."
It was the Roar's first A-League win on Gold Coast turf and came after being forced to play from behind after Daniel Bowles gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute before another Roar youngster Nick Fitzgerald equalised just short of the hour mark.
"We were just that half yard off," Gold Coast captain Michael Thwaite said.
"Credit to them they are a great team and they deserve to be where they are on the table."
The clash was virtually meaningless for the second-placed Roar, who were denied the chance to claim the Premiers' Plate after Central Coast defeated Wellington Phoenix 2-1 in Sunday's early match.
But wooden spooners United were desperate to end a disappointing season on a positive note, with the high likelihood the club will not be part of the A-League next season.
The Roar rested six regular players from their last A-League clash, a 2-1 win over Newcastle, although Bahraini defender Mohamed Adnan (knee) had been ruled out in the lead-up.
The others omitted were goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos, captain Matt Smith, strike weapon Mitch Nichols, defender Ivan Franjic and German talisman Thomas Broich - a fair chunk of experience and talent.
Coach Ange Postecoglou has one eye fixed on the first leg of the major semi-final against Central Coast at Lang Park on Saturday and the other on his club's Asian Champions League campaign, which continues on Wednesday in South Korea.
United were playing for pride - in front of 6,102 mostly Roar supporters - and for new contracts for those players who might be left without jobs.
Football Federation Australia is examining the merits of a new consortium's bid to take over the A-League licence which was stripped from maverick billionaire owner Clive Palmer late last month.
"The feeling is more negative than positive at the moment," Thwaite admitted.
"Hopefully we can at least keep the youth team here on the Coast.
"I've got some options, but I haven't signed anything yet," the central defender added.
"I'm a loyal person and I'll be loyal until the end."
Postecoglou's mass changes in the line-up seemed to throw the Roar, who were content to simply retain possession without creating any clear-cut chances in a lacklustre first half.
United made them pay for their slow start, with Peter Jungschlager's pinpoint long ball finding an unmarked Bowles, who slammed the ball past the Roar's number two goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne in the 29th minute.
United keeper Jarrad Tyson made two excellent saves in the opening half to deny Brazilian sharpshooter Henrique, who looked most likely to prise the Coast's defence open.
The Roar equalised in the 58th minute through substitute Fitzgerald, who showed good footwork to drive a low shot from just inside the box past the diving Tyson.
Brisbane: 2 (N Fitzgerald 58', G Lambadaridis 90')
Gold Coast: 1 (D Bowles 29')
ABC/AAP
Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, robina-4226, qld, australia, brisbane-4000 First posted March 25, 2012 20:40:15Mariners humiliated in South Korea
The A-League's humbling at the hands of Korean opposition was taken to new heights on Wednesday when Central Coast was defeated 5-0 by Seongnam Ilhwa.
A day after K-League outfit Ulsan Hyundai all but ended the Asian Champions League hopes of A-League finalists Brisbane Roar with a 2-1 win at Lang Park, Graham Arnold's side suffered a greater humiliation.
Arnold had singled out the ACL qualification as the priority for the A-League premiers over a grand final appearance but now it looks like the Mariners will not reach the knockout stage of the competition next month.
Looking to bounce back from the disappointment of Saturday's domestic preliminary final loss to Perth, the weary-looking Mariners outfit were totally outplayed on a frustrating night at the Seongnam Tancheon Sports Complex.
The result left the Mariners sitting last in Group G and likely needing to win their final two games against Tianjin Teda (home) and Nagoya Grampus (away) to progress to the knockout stages.
Nagoya was held to a scoreless draw at home against Tianjin in Wednesday's other group match.
With the Mariners feeling the effects of a hectic schedule, Arnold made a handful of changes from Saturday's loss, with Mustafa Amini, Trent McClenahan and Sam Gallagher all brought into the starting line-up.
The Mariners were under the pump early but Adam Kwasnik almost put them in the lead against the run of play in spectacular fashion in the 29th minute.
The striker controlled Michael McGlinchey's cross brilliantly with an outstretched foot, swivelled, and unleashed a left footed volley that sailed just wide.
It proved to be one of only a few bright moments for the visitors, however, and some sloppy play saw them go a goal down in the 39th minute.
Oliver Bozanic lost possession just shy of halfway and the home side took full advantage, with Brazilian Heverton striding forward and finding an unmarked Lee Chang-Hoon to score.
Heverton was the provider again as Seongnam doubled their advantage four minutes later, looping a header to fellow Brazilian Santos, who finished with a neat volley.
Troy Hearfield and Trent Sainsbury were brought on after half-time in place of the injured Kwasnik and Bozanic but the Mariners struggled to find their way back into the contest.
Seongnam continued to piece together some impressive passages of play and could have added to their lead with Santos failing to finish a fine move in the 64th minute.
It mattered little, though, when Seongnam added another two goals in the space of four minutes.
Kim Sung-Hwan scored in the 69th, finishing superbly with a volley from a near-impossible angle before Santos scored his second with a 73rd minute spot kick.
The rout was complete when Santos provided Vladimir Jovancic with an easy finish in the 84th minute.
Seongham 5: (Lee 39', Santos 43', 73' pen, Kim 69', Jovancic 84')
Central Coast 0
AAP
Tags: soccer, a-league, gosford-2250, korea-republic-of First posted April 18, 2012 23:00:57Kewell, Emerton not in A-League best XI
They were the star recruits of the A-League this season but Socceroos duo Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton were absent from the starting side of Professional Footballers Australia's (PFA) team of the season.
Victory midfielder Kewell was named on the bench of the squad, voted on by A-League players, while Emerton missed out altogether in his first season with Sydney FC.
A-League heavyweights Central Coast and Brisbane had three players each in the starting line-up while Melbourne Heart had four players selected for the overall squad.
The Mariners' Matt Ryan continued his remarkable rise by being named as starting goalkeeper, while Wellington's Paul Ifill earned a spot up front alongside Brisbane's Besart Berisha and Melbourne Victory's Archie Thompson.
Kewell was joined on the bench by fellow Victory midfielder Carlos Hernandez but there was no spot for prolific Perth striker Shane Smeltz.
PFA chief executive officer Brendan Schwab said: "The PFA A-League Team of the Season has a strong balance of clubs and players who have lit up the league, and more than half of the team are from the two clubs who fought out the premiership."
Mariners boss Graham Arnold was named coach of the season.
PFA A-League Team of the Season
Goalkeeper: Matt Ryan (Central Coast Mariners)
Defenders: Michael Marrone (Melbourne Heart FC), Patrick Zwaansijk (Central Coast Mariners), Josh Rose (Central Coast Mariners)
Midfielders: Thomas Broich (Brisbane Roar), Fred (Melbourne Heart FC), Mitch Nichols (Brisbane Roar), Aziz Behich (Melbourne Heart FC)
Forwards: Paul Ifill (Wellington Phoenix), Besart Berisha (Brisbane Roar), Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory)
Subs: Clint Bolton (Melbourne Heart FC), Andrew Durante (Wellington Phoenix), Nicky Carle (Sydney FC), Carlos Hernandez (Melbourne Victory), Harry Kewell (Melbourne Victory)
AAP
Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, melbourne-3000, vic, gosford-2250 First posted March 29, 2012 08:49:36Glory's Smeltz ready to take on Phoenix
In-form Glory striker Shane Smeltz expects to be a marked man when he confronts former team-mates in Saturday night's minor semi-final against Wellington Phoenix in Perth.
Smeltz was the hero in Sunday's elimination final win over Melbourne Heart, scoring a second-half hat-trick to seal the 3-0 win and passage through to the next round.
It came just eight days after he put four goals past Melbourne Victory in the final round of the regular season.
The Phoenix know all about the talents of Smeltz after he spent two seasons there from 2007-09.
Wellington's coach Ricki Herbert is also in charge of New Zealand's national side, in which Smeltz is an integral member.
Smeltz said he was looking forward to taking on his former side, and expects to be closely marked by Wellington's defenders.
"They know me and I know them," Smeltz said.
"I'm probably marked most games quite tightly."
The Phoenix booked their place in the minor semi-final with a 3-2 victory over Sydney FC on Friday night.
Wellington knocked Perth out of the finals race two years ago, but Glory coach Ian Ferguson said he would not be using that loss as motivation.
Ferguson was not at the club at the time, and has a largely new-look squad at his disposal.
The winner of Saturday night's clash will progress through to an away preliminary final, where they will take on either Brisbane or Central Coast.
And with Smeltz in white-hot form, Ferguson said his team should not be scared about any task confronting them.
"I fancy my chances against anyone," Ferguson said.
"On any given day anybody can beat anybody. It's a one-off.
"I've been through it before with the Mariners (as an assistant coach) where we reached two grand finals under Lawrie McKinna. Anything can happen."
Melbourne Heart's loss brought an end to the two-year reign of coach John van 't Schip, who will return to the Netherlands for family reasons.
Van 't Schip guided Heart to eighth and sixth in his two seasons in charge, but said he left with no regrets.
"Hopefully making the finals will give them this - that they want more," van 't Schip said.
"Getting into the grand final should be a goal in the next two or three years."
The Heart were renowned for playing attractive football, but put on an ugly display against the Glory.
Heart defender Brendan Hamill said the team were left disappointed and empty with how they played against the Glory.
"JVS has put so much into this club, and to send him off like that is not just," Hamill said.
AAP
Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, perth-6000, wa, australia First posted April 02, 2012 13:44:43Sydney FC starts off-season clean-out
Sydney FC has started clearing the decks for next A-League season by releasing Bruno Cazarine, Karol Kisel, Jamie Coyne and Juho Makela.
The players will not be offered new deals for the 2012-13 season with all off contract except for Coyne, who agreed to the mutual termination of his current deal.
Championship-winning Slovakian midfielder Kisel had already decided to return to Europe while Brazilian Cazarine departs despite proving the club's most prolific striker in his two seasons.
Defenders Michael Beauchamp, Shannon Cole and Scott Jamieson are also off contract but their futures will not be decided until the Sky Blues appoint a successor to departing coach Vitezslav Lavicka.
The club said Sydney-born youngsters Mitch Mallia, Daniel Petkovski and Hagi Gligor would be added to the senior squad for next season.
It takes Sydney's contracted squad for 2012-13 to 17, though goalkeeper Liam Reddy could be sacked or allowed to pursue a move after he was sent home in disgrace from the club's finals loss away to Wellington a fortnight ago.
Reddy will front Sydney FC officials on Thursday charged with serious misconduct over being drunk on the team flight.
With Sydney's search for a new coach ongoing, football director Gary Cole said the recruitment process for next season had not stalled but stressed no new deals would be offered until an appointment.
"It is critical to the revitalisation of the squad that we select and contract a coach before we finalise the playing squad," Cole said.
"Earlier in the season Sydney FC identified and contracted three of the current crop of youngsters who have come through the system and they will step up into the A-League squad next season.
"The remaining spots will not be filled until we have selected a coach.
"That includes current players who are out of contract and players we have identified and started discussions with from within Australia and overseas."
AAP
Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First posted April 10, 2012 15:39:00ACL always Mariners' biggest priority: Arnold
Central Coast has no choice but to focus on the Asian Champions League now but coach Graham Arnold insists the competition means more to him than contesting the A-League grand final would have.
The Mariners' hopes of a second straight grand final against Brisbane Roar were shot down as Perth Glory beat them to a spot in next week's competition decider with a penalty shootout win in Saturday night's preliminary final in Gosford.
Arnold was left disappointed after the loss, taking aim at referees after replays showed the Glory's goal to Shane Smeltz should have been ruled offside, as the match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes.
But he was also philosophical, declaring himself a traditionalist and saying he considered more value in the Mariners winning the Premiers' Plate for finishing top of the table and their current ACL campaign.
The Mariners face Seongnam Ilhwa in South Korea on Wednesday and Arnold even claimed he was considering fielding a weaker team for the grand final, should they have made it through.
"It (losing to Perth) probably saves me one embarrassing thing of whether I was going to play a second team on Wednesday night or a second team in the grand final," Arnold said.
"Because having to go to South Korea is obviously very difficult and again, I'm a traditionalist.
"For me it's more important to get into the last 16 of the ACL than win a grand final.
"The grand final is obviously the Australian way and it's a beautiful way, but it's cup football and totally different to what you do for 27 rounds.
"Our focus now is to get to the last 16 of the ACL."
Central Coast sit equal second in their ACL group with Seongnam after three games and Arnold admitted his players would have to quickly bounce back after being left devastated by the loss to the Glory.
Arnold said his players could be proud of their season but admitted the cash-strapped club's mid-season sales of striker Matt Simon and midfielder Rostyn Griffiths had been a setback.
"Our form probably over the last 10 weeks, has been quite good, but he haven't played the way we wanted to play and losing the heart and soul of your team has hurt us and hurt us quite badly," Arnold said.
"That's the disappointing thing - you build a team at the start of the year then you have two of your best players sold during the season. It makes it difficult."
While Arnold joked copping more bad decisions from referees meant he "maybe should go to a bigger club" he is likely to have to make some serious calls on his future in the coming weeks, with Sydney FC expected to ramp up their pursuit of the former Socceroos coach.
AAP
Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, gosford-2250 First posted April 15, 2012 12:41:31Jones set to play in semi-final
Brad Jones saved a penalty with his first touch for Liverpool in the Premier League on Wednesday morning (AEST) and is now set to play in the FA Cup semi-final against Everton on Saturday.
Jones, who was down the pecking order as third-choice goalkeeper at Anfield, was placed on the substitutes' bench against Blackburn due to Jose Reina's sending off against Newcastle.
Then when Brazilian stopper Alexander Doni was dismissed after 25 minutes at Ewood Park, Jones made his first league appearance for the Reds.
Jones then saved his former Middlesbrough team-mate Yakubu's penalty in a match the Reds eventually won 3-2.
The Socceroos goalkeeper pointed to the heavens afterwards dedicating the stop to his son Luca who died of leukaemia five months ago.
The 'keeper, whose partner Dani gave birth to a baby boy Nico Luca Jones last week, said afterwards: "It has been a difficult 18 months with my son passing away.
"That was for him and for the Liverpool fans, who have been brilliant."
Jones admitted his knowledge of Yakubu's style helped him make the save.
"I remembered many a Friday morning on the training pitch at Boro," Jones said.
"We used to practise penalties, so I knew his (Yakubu's) style and what he does."
Jones later conceded a penalty that Yakubu converted to bring the scores level at 2-2 before Andy Carroll's late header gave Liverpool victory.
Now Jones is set to play in possibly the most high profile Merseyside derby since the 1989 FA Cup final.
"It hasn't sunk in yet, it's been a bit of a shock - not something I was expecting," Jones said. "Now it's a case of getting focused and ready."
Another Australian goalkeeper Adam Federici also saved a penalty that brings Reading a step closer to Premier League football next year.
Federici stopped Burnley's Ashley Barnes' kick and made many other crucial stops as Reading beat Brighton 1-0 to move level with Championship leaders Southampton.
The top two sides in England's second tier will meet on Friday in a match that could well decide the destination of the title.
However, with both teams six points clear of third-place West Ham with four games left Federici and the Royals should be playing in the top-flight later this year.
Elsewhere in England there was better news concerning Aston Villa midfielder Chris Herd who has been released from hospital after staying overnight following a head injury during his side's game against Stoke on Tuesday morning (AEST).
Herd landed head-first on the turf where teammate James Collins made matters worse by unintentionally falling on top of the grounded Socceroo.
After receiving treatment on the field, Herd was stretchered off and taken to hospital by ambulance feeling "sick" but remaining conscious, said Villa manager Alex McLeish.
Herd posted on Twitter late on Tuesday: "Feeling much better this morning!!!"
ABC/AAP
Tags: sport, soccer, english-premier, england First posted April 11, 2012 08:38:48Reddy sent home for drinking on flight
Sydney FC goalkeeper Liam Reddy has been sent home from New Zealand for being affected by alcohol on the team's flight to Wellington ahead of Friday night's A-League elimination final.
A club official confirmed the back-up goalkeeper had been sent home on Thursday after it become apparent on Wednesday night's flight he had been drinking alcohol.
Reddy will be served a breach notice under the A-League disciplinary procedure and is unlikely to figure in the rest of the finals series.
Reddy was expected to be on the bench for the do-or-die clash against the Phoenix in Wellington.
The former Brisbane and Wellington 'keeper has been kept out of the starting line-up by Ivan Necevski after being dropped following Sydney's 5-2 loss to Newcastle early last month.
Reddy, 30, is in the second season of a three-year deal with the Sky Blues.
His place on the bench will likely be filled by youth team goalkeeper Ryan Norval, who flew to Wellington on Thursday morning.
The club is expected to issue a statement later on Thursday.
AAP
Tags: soccer, a-league, sport, sydney-2000 First posted March 29, 2012 16:48:02Jones all set for FA Cup semi
Australian goalkeeper Brad Jones looks set to start Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final against city rivals Everton after the club's appeal against second choice Doni's suspension was rejected.
Jones, whose young son Luca died of leukaemia late last year, was thrust into the spotlight at Blackburn Rovers in midweek when Doni was dismissed for bringing down Junior Hoilett in the penalty area with Liverpool leading the Premier League game 2-0.
The Australia international's first job was to save Yakubu's spot kick, after which he raised a finger to the sky.
While he was twice beaten later in the 3-2 victory, once from the spot after he escaped a red card after a fumble, his performance and composure so soon after a personal tragedy impressed manager Kenny Dalglish.
"You can only guess what it must be like to go through what he's been through, but he has done and I'm sure he enjoyed his first bit of action on Tuesday night, saving a penalty," Dalglish said of Jones, who was signed from Middlesbrough in August 2010 but has rarely featured.
"We know that to do what he's done has shown a great deal of strength of character."
Doni's appeal was rejected by the FA, a statement from the English governing body said on Thursday.
With regular keeper Pepe Reina also suspended following a recent sending off against Newcastle United, Liverpool has recalled youngster Peter Gulacsi from a loan spell at Hull City as backup for the semi-final at Wembley.
While it will be an emotional day for Perth-born Jones, it will also be a poignant occasion for the club on the weekend of the 23rd anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy in which 96 Liverpool fans died at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
Dalglish was manager on that occasion in his first stint in charge and said it was fitting Saturday's semi-final was against Everton, the team Liverpool beat to win the FA Cup final in 1989 just weeks after the shocking events in Sheffield.
Saturday's match will be preceded by a minute's silence.
"A minute's silence at Wembley - it's ironic that it's Liverpool and Everton at Wembley again because that was the final that year," Dalglish told a news conference on Thursday.
"It's going to be very emotive for everybody. The Evertonians were affected by Hillsborough as well as the Liverpool fans, with family members who never came home.
"It will be poignant and I'm sure both sets of fans will grace the minute's silence with the dignity they've shown since 1989."
Liverpool, which won the League Cup earlier this year but are eighth in the Premier League, parted company with Director of Football Damien Comolli earlier on Thursday.
Hours laters, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner insisted Dalglish's job is safe and backed the Anfield legend to bring the good old days back to the misfiring club.
"We've got great confidence in Kenny," he told liverpoolfc.tv.
"We feel the team is going to make strides in the future and he enjoys our full support."
Australian doctor Peter Brukner was also sacked by the club.
Dr Brukner had been the head of sports medicine and sports science at the club for the past two years.
He had previously worked for the Socceroos and AFL clubs Melbourne and Collingwood.
ABC/Reuters
Tags: english-premier, soccer, sport, australia, england, united-kingdom First posted April 13, 2012 06:10:48Borussia Dortmund go back to back
Borussia Dortmund won the Bundesliga for the second year running, clinching the title with a 2-0 home win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Ivan Perisic and Shinji Kagawa scored in each half, as Dortmund wrapped up the title with two matches to spare and completed their 26th league fixture without defeat, a Bundesliga record for a single season.
Juergen Klopp's side have an unassailable eight-point lead over second-placed Bayern Munich with two matches left to play.
It was the eighth time Dortmund have been German champions, five of them in the last 20 years.
Reuters
Tags: soccer, sport, germany First posted April 22, 2012 06:30:51Wigan upsets Arsenal in EPL
Wigan Athletic pulled off a shock 2-1 win at third-placed Arsenal on Tuesday (AEST) to continue its dramatic late bid to escape the Premier League relegation zone.
Roberto Martinez's side scored twice in the first eight minutes and although Arsenal struck back quickly at the Emirates Stadium, Wigan hung on to claim a victory that moved them five points clear of relegation with four matches left in the season.
Arsenal stayed third, five points ahead of its north London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur and fifth-placed Newcastle United.
"I am so so satisfied because this wasn't an accident," Martinez said after the match. "The manner in which we coped physically and tactically makes me very very proud.
"It was a well deserved three points and to say that speaks volumes about the performance of my players."
Wigan, which beat league leaders Manchester United 1-0 last week, took the lead when striker Franco di Santo scored a classic counter-attacking goal after seven minutes and it immediately doubled the advantage through Jordi Gomez.
Arsenal, which had won nine of its last 10 league matches, was shell-shocked but it regrouped quickly and defender Thomas Vermaelen powered home a header after 21 minutes from Tomas Rosicky's whipped cross.
The hosts continued to dominate possession and Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi made several fine saves to keep his team in front at half-time.
Wigan defended bravely in the second half as Arsenal's frustration mounted and the visitors' man-of-the-match striker Victor Moses wasted a good chance to add a third goal after breaking clear of the defence.
Wigan climbed three points ahead of 17th-placed Queens Park Rangers and five clear of Bolton Wanderers who occupy the last relegation spot but have two games in hand on their rivals.
Reuters
Tags: sport, soccer, english-premier, england First posted April 17, 2012 07:13:15Broich honoured as A-League's best
Brisbane Roar's German sensation Thomas Broich continued a trend of foreign players taking out the A-League's top individual prize as he claimed the Johnny Warren Medal in Sydney on Tuesday night.
Broich became the third straight import to claim the league's player of the year award, following Costa Rican Carlos Hernandez (2009-10) and Argentine Marcos Flores (2010-11).
Broich capped a stellar season for the Roar, receiving 390 votes from his playing peers to top the voting ahead of team-mate Besart Berisha (252 votes) and Melbourne Victory's Archie Thompson (243 votes).
The 31-year-old Broich is widely considered one the best imports in the league's history and is key to Roar's hopes of a second straight championship having already reached the grand final.
"I'm honestly totally surprised. I was injured for a lot of the season and it's not easy to come back from injury," said Broich, who suffered heel and shoulder injuries and only made 17 appearances.
"To get this award is totally unexpected ... I'm very grateful."
Premiers' Plate winner Central Coast was also well represented with Graham Arnold named coach of the year and teenage shotstopper Matt Ryan named young player of the year for the second season as well as goalkeeper of the year.
Berisha collected the golden boot award for an impressive 19-goal haul for the Roar while Hernandez collected the goal of the season award for his stunning strike against the Roar in round 19.
The Roar received the fair play award for the second season running for accruing the least number of yellow and red cards while their midfielder Nick Fitzgerald was named youth league player of the year.
Matildas midfielder Sally Shipard took out the top women's going, rewarded for her impressive form at the heart of midfield in Canberra United's unbeaten championship season with the Julie Dolan medal.
The 24-year-old topped the voting ahead of Melbourne Victory's Jodie Taylor and Brisbane Roar's Tameka Butt.
Canberra's Lydia Williams was named W-League goalkeeper of the year while Melbourne Victory youngster Ashley Brown won the young player of the year award.
United dominated the women's prizes with Michelle Heyman claiming the golden boot with 12 goals and Czech coach Jitka Klimkova winning the women's coach of the year.
AAP
Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia First posted April 10, 2012 22:24:34Reds extend Kosmina's reign
John Kosmina has been rewarded with a contract extension following Adelaide United's flying start to the Asian Champions League.
Kosmina, who took over as Adelaide coach for a second time following the mid-year sacking of Dutchman Rini Coolen, has been signed for another A-League season, with the option of a third.
And chairman Greg Griffin said the club would be thrilled if he stayed even longer.
"We discussed it with John and we've got a good relationship, it works as it is, it's year by year and we'd be delighted if he was here as a long-term coach," he said on Thursday.
"When the time is right we will have the same discussion again so the length of the term doesn't matter.
"It's the performance, and what we've seen is a terrific performance and one that deserves to be rewarded with an extension."
The Reds have been out of the domestic finals race for some time, with their better performances coming in the ACL - most notably a 2-0 home win over Japanese powerhouse Gamba Osaka earlier this week.
"For me it's a privilege and an honour because this club is really special and I don't think even the people in it now realise how special it can be," Kosmina said.
"It's unique in Australian football and it's got a pretty good history in the A-League, even in terms of how long it has been alive.
"The club has achieved a lot and I think it's got a lot more it can achieve."
Despite their ACL heroics, the ninth-placed Reds have been out of the A-League finals race for some time.
Their final match is at home on Friday against Melbourne Heart, who are guaranteed a first-ever play-offs berth - and a trip to either Wellington or Perth for a knock-out final - regardless of the result.
The Heart's most recent game ended in a 2-2 home draw with Sydney FC, when they threw away yet another lead after going two goals up.
"Physically in the last few weeks, everybody is looking very fit but we know that we have to be more stable in the way we play," said coach John van 't Schip.
"There's too much difference in two parts of the game, first half, second half.
"But taking away that, we create a lot. We have some really good play and now we have to have to extend that longer.
"That's the thing because if you want to be important in the finals, you have to be sharp - 90 minutes of good play."
Van 't Schip denied his young side was unable to close out games, but acknowledged it had to focus on not straying outside its structure.
The coach has made only one change for the game against Adelaide, swapping Jason Hoffman for Rutger Worm in the midfield.
AAP
Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, australia First posted March 22, 2012 18:58:22Glory into grand final after shoot-out win
Perth Glory have clinched the second grand final berth after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Central Coast Mariners at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday night.
Midfielder Michael McGlinchey was the unfortunate man to miss for the Mariners as he blasted his penalty high over the crossbar with the scores locked at 1-1 after extra time.
Perth skipper Jacob Burns converted the winning spot-kick to send the Glory into their first A-League grand final, where they will face Brisbane Roar at Lang Park on April 22.
Adam Kwasnik had given the Mariners the lead in regulation time in Gosford, capitalising on a defensive error from Travis Dodd to blast home from a corner.
But Perth equalised almost immediately when Billy Mehmet broke the offside trap and played in Shane Smeltz to tap home.
The Mariners' frustrations were on full display as early as the ninth minute when boom youngster Tomas Rogic was yellow-carded for a scything tackle on Travis Dodd.
Rogic was struggling to get into the game but the Mariners' fortunes turned in the 33rd minute when Glory midfielder Dodd miscontrolled a harmless corner kick, allowing Kwasnik to pounce and finish from close range.
Central Coast's lead lasted barely 60 seconds before Perth equalised in controversial fashion when Mehmet evaded the offside trap before squaring the ball for an unmarked Smeltz to tap home.
The Mariners were furious with referee Strebre Delovski's decision, with replays suggesting Mehmet had marginally strayed into an offside position when he was played in.
The controversy did not end there and Perth was denied a second goal shortly after half-time when a Mehmet header was correctly ruled out by an offside flag.
Delovski was firmly in the spotlight once again from the resultant free-kick, as the Mariners raced into the Perth penalty area and were awarded a spot-kick for Glory defender Steve Pantelidis' challenge on Kwasnik.
The decision looked decidedly harsh on the visitors and Perth's travelling fans will have felt justice was done when Mariners defender Patrick Zwaanswijk smashed the resultant penalty against the crossbar.
It was just one of several Mariners misses in a frenetic second half, with Kwasnik butchering two gilt-edged opportunities to send Central Coast through to a grand final rematch against the Roar.
Both times he volleyed wide of the far post with the goal at his mercy as the Mariners failed to land the decisive blow.
The misses proved costly as the game went to penalties following a scoreless extra-time, with New Zealand international McGlinchey the player to lose his nerve from 11 metres.
It was left to Glory captain Burns to send his team through to its maiden A-League grand final and first championship decider since winning the 2003-04 National Soccer League title.
Mariners: 1 (A Kwasnik 33')
Glory: 1 (S Smeltz 35')
Perth won 5-3 on penalties.
Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, gosford-2250, nsw, australia, perth-6000 First posted April 14, 2012 19:58:24Newcastle draws level with Spurs
Newcastle United moved level on points with fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur as the battle for Champions League qualification from the Premier League intensified on Tuesday morning (AEST).
Newcastle's 2-0 win over strugglers Bolton, combined with Tottenham's 2-1 loss at home to Norwich, left the Champions League rivals together on 59 points.
Chelsea would also have moved to 59 points with a victory at Fulham and looked like doing so when Frank Lampard became the first midfielder to net 150 Premier League goals on the stroke of half-time, scoring from the penalty spot.
However, Clint Dempsey headed home a corner in the second half, the American's 13th goal in 2012, to ensure the sides again drew for the fourth west London derby in succession.
Roberto di Matteo's side now lies two points adrift of fourth spot.
The Premier League's top three clubs go into the first round of the Champions League proper, with the fourth-placed side set for a qualifying round.
At St James' Park, France midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa gave Newcastle a sensational 73rd minute lead when he beat several Bolton defenders before slipping the ball into the corner.
Newcastle's in-form Senegal striker Papiss Demba Cisse then made it 10 goals in nine games when, from close range, he turned in Shola Ameobi's cross seven minutes from time.
"It was a special, special goal from Ben Arfa," Newcastle manager Alan Pardew told Sky Sports.
"He's got that magic touch. Hopefully, it will edge the French manager (Laurent Blanc) to include him in the French squad (for Euro 2012)."
Tottenham fell behind at White Hart Lane when Anthony Pilkington capitalised on a mix-up in the Spurs defence to fire the Canaries into a 13th minute lead.
But England striker Jermain Defoe drew Tottenham level 20 minutes later.
However, the Canaries - now in the top half of the table following promotion last season - saw winger Elliott Bennett lash the ball past Brad Friedel as the Spurs defence backed off to make it 2-1 in the 66th minute.
Defeat means Tottenham, who faces London rivals Chelsea in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley at the weekend, has won just once in eight league games.
"Credit to them (Norwich) as I think they deserved it," said Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.
"I thought they bullied us a little bit. It was a bad day but we have to pick ourselves up."
Delighted Norwich boss Paul Lambert added: "That was phenomenal. From start to finish we were brilliant. I told the players I have seen some big games in my time and that was colossal."
Everton warmed up for its FA Cup semi-final against Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Wembley on Saturday by thrashing Sunderland 4-0 at Goodison Park.
All of the home side's goals came in a second-half spree, with winger Magaye Gueye firing Everton ahead in the 52nd minute.
The Frenchman then turned provider as South Africa's Steven Pienaar sealed victory with a 75th minute shot from the edge of the box.
Barely 60 seconds later Leon Osman made it 3-0 before Nigerian striker Victor Anichebe added a fourth nine minutes from time.
Victory also saw seventh-placed Everton go four points clear of Liverpool in their bid to finish above their neighbours for the first time since 2005.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa opened up a seven-point gap between themselves and the bottom three with six games to play after a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke.
Villa went ahead through Andreas Weimann's 32nd minute curler before Stoke defender Robert Huth equalised with a header from a free-kick 19 minutes from time.
AFP
Tags: sport, soccer, english-premier, england First posted April 10, 2012 06:07:09Adebayor double lifts Spurs
Two late headers by Emmanuel Adebayor gave Tottenham Hotspur a 3-1 home win over promoted Swansea City to boost its hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Newcastle United's surprising push for European football next season also continued after a 2-0 home victory over Liverpool, with Senegal striker Papiss Cisse scoring twice.
Adebayor used his physical prowess to floor a fluent Swansea side and to give fourth-placed Tottenham 58 points from 31 matches, the same total as north London rivals Arsenal in third spot.
Arsenal is ahead on goal difference, with both teams trailing leaders Manchester United by 15 points and Manchester City by 13.
"We showed our true class today. The confidence is building and we're ready for a run," Spurs winger Gareth Bale told Britain's Sky Sports.
Chelsea is fifth, level on 53 points with Newcastle, who motored 10 points clear of seventh-placed Everton.
Rafael van der Vaart put Spurs in front after 19 minutes following a typically energetic run from Bale.
A smart Gylfi Sigurdsson strike levelled matters in the 59th minute and was a fitting reward for Swansea, who had loads of possession.
Togo striker Adebayor restored the advantage for Spurs with a 73rd-minute header from a corner and he wrapped up victory with four minutes remaining by converting Aaron Lennon's right-wing cross.
"We've seen Adebayor do that before, not just against us," Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers said.
The slick style of play shown by the visitors earned high praise from Wales international Bale.
"The way they play the ball is just unbelievable, all credit to them," Bale said.
Newcastle number nine Cisse, equally as imposing as Adebayor, headed his team in front from Hatem Ben Arfa's 19th-minute cross before sidestepping goalkeeper Pepe Reina to notch his second goal in the 59th minute.
It was a miserable afternoon for out-of-sorts Liverpool, who felt it should have been awarded a first-half penalty when Danny Simpson appeared to handle the ball on the line.
Cisse also looked offside in the build-up to Newcastle's second goal.
Liverpool had Reina sent off with eight minutes remaining when he was adjudged by referee Martin Atkinson to have head-butted James Perch after being tripped by the defender.
Television replays showed Perch made the most of whatever contact there was.
Liverpool remain eighth, a point behind local rivals Everton.
Reina's late sending-off was a sign of frustration, according to manager Kenny Dalglish, who has won only two league matches in 2012.
"It was the frustration of being behind," he said. "When (former Newcastle striker) Andy Carroll comes off and runs up the tunnel it's purely disappointment and frustration.
"It's all very well having that but we have to manage that and channel it in a proper way. If we don't stick together and have trust in each other it is going to be a lot more difficult."
Reuters
Tags: english-premier, soccer, sport, england, united-kingdom First posted April 02, 2012 05:59:17Chelsea sets up Barca semi by seeing off Benfica
Chelsea nervously beat 10-man Benfica 2-1 in their Champions League quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge on Thursday (AEST) to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory and set up a semi-final with holders Barcelona later this month.
Chelsea doubled its aggregate advantage when Frank Lampard scored a 21st-minute penalty and its grip on the game tightened five minutes before half-time when Benfica skipper Maxi Pereira was sent off for a second yellow card after a lunge.
Javi Garcia headed in from close range on 85 minutes to prompt an awkward finale for the Londoners before Raul Meireles struck in stoppage time.
"We knew... we were going to face a difficult game tonight and so it proved," Chelsea interim manager Roberto Di Matteo said after the match.
"The second goal was missing to kill the game off."
Asked about next opponents Barca, which Chelsea hosts in the last-four first leg on April 18, the Italian said: "They probably are one of the best teams if not the best team in the world."
Chelsea has now reached the semi-final for the sixth time in the last nine seasons.
However, it has made only one final and has never won the competition.
Benfica began with all guns blazing and although it came close to scoring at regular intervals, Chelsea defended superbly.
Defender John Terry, who later went off injured, was forced to clear a shot from Oscar Cardozo off the line while goalkeeper Petr Cech made a superb diving save from Pablo Aimar at the start of the second half.
Chelsea's breakthrough came when makeshift defender Garcia clattered into Ashley Cole to concede a clear penalty and Lampard scored from the spot, although Artur got a hand to the ball.
Benfica, which won the second and last of its two European Cups 50 years ago, came into the match having scored in all of its away games in the competition and seemed intent on keeping that record intact.
The visitors finally scored after spells of pressure through Garcia's flicked header when Cech could have done better. Benfica then went close to a sensational winner which would have put them through.
However, Chelsea broke up field and Portuguese Meireles blasted home to end his compatriots' hopes and send Stamford Bridge into delirium.
Real thrash APOEL
In the day's other fixture, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid enjoyed one of their most comfortable passages into the Champions League semi-finals with a 5-2 victory over APOEL Nicosia, progressing 8-2 on aggregate.
Ronaldo and Kaka, two of the world's most expensive players, scored before the break, the second from the Brazilian a wonderful curling effort from outside the area.
Gustavo Manduca had the noisy travelling support in full song after he broke away to pull one back for APOEL in the 67th minute, but Ronaldo with a free-kick and Jose Callejon quickly restored order at the Bernabeu.
Esteban Solari netted a penalty for the competition debutants but Angel Di Maria immediately lobbed a fifth for Real who eased into a semi-final meeting with Bayern Munich.
"Our objective has been achieved, we won, and we are in the semis against Bayern," Ronaldo said after the match.
"Bayern will be very difficult. They are the type of team who can win the Champions League so it will be extremely tough."
APOEL's colourful and raucous fans were the most exciting part of the opening half hour as Real laid siege to their goal without making much headway.
Ronaldo had come close twice before he breached their defence in the 26th minute, tapping in from Marcelo's low cross.
Kaka curled in a second from outside the area in the 37th minute and as half-time approached he curled another effort against the post.
Complacency crept into Real's game and APOEL took full advantage, a well-worked passing move setting Manduca through to score wide of Iker Casillas.
Constantinos Charalambides forced Casillas into a fingertip save, but Ronaldo ended the wobble with a swerving free-kick from wide of the area that arrowed into the top corner in the 75th.
Substitute Jose Callejon fired in a low shot five minutes later, but APOEL's fans had more to cheer when Hamit Altintop brought down Aldo Adorno and Solari scored from the spot.
Di Maria rounded off the scoring in the 84th minute.
Reuters
Tags: sport, soccer, champions-league, england First posted April 05, 2012 06:52:02Holman strikes in Europa quarters
Socceroos star Brett Holman scored once and set another up as AZ Alkmaar triumphed 2-1 over Valencia in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
Holman, who will move to Aston Villa next season, volleyed in a Maarten Martens' corner on the stroke of half-time but Mehmet Topal headed the equaliser for the Spaniards soon after the interval.
Martens found the target from Holman's tearing run and cross in the 79th-minute to give his side the upper hand ahead of the second leg.
Fernando Llorente grabbed a brace as Athletic Bilbao proved their conquest of Manchester United was no fluke with a 4-2 win at Schalke.
Llorente struck in the 20th and 73rd minutes in Gelsenkirchen after veteran compatriot Raul had scored twice to give the German side a 2-1 lead on the hour mark before Bilbao hit three goals in the last 17 minutes.
After Llorente had levelled for 2-2, Oscar de Marcos and Iker Muniain scored in the closing 10 minutes while Schalke's Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar hit the post with a smart volley.
Bilbao will start as comfortable favourites to make the semi-finals when the second leg is played at home next week although it will have defensive midfielder Ander Iturraspe suspended.
Raul's goals, his second a fine volley, also extended his record as Europe's deadliest striker with the 34-year-old now having 76 goals in European competition, six more than Filippo Inzaghi.
Atletico Madrid, the 2010 champions, needed a goal a minute from time to edge another German side Hanover 2-1 in Spain.
Falcao fired Atletico in front after nine minutes with Mame Biram Diouf levelling for Hanover seven minutes from half-time.
But substitute Eduardio Salvio popped up in the 89th minute to give Atletico a narrow lead.
Sporting Lisbon, who knocked out Manchester City in the last 16, saw off Metalist Kharkov 2-1, but were left to regret conceding a last-minute penalty against the Ukrainians.
Metalist secured their vital away goal after Sporting goalkeeper Rui Patricio had brought down substitute Marko Devic allowing Cleiton Xavier to score from the spot.
Unbeaten in their last 10 European home games, Sporting went ahead through Marat Izmailov in the 51st minute with Emiliano Insua adding a second 13 minutes later.
AFP
Tags: uefa-cup, soccer, sport, netherlands, germany, spain, portugal First posted March 30, 2012 09:21:17