Juve finishes league season unbeaten

Updated May 14, 2012 08:36:55

Champion Juventus broke AC Milan's record of 42 matches unbeaten and finished the league season undefeated with a 3-1 win over Atalanta on Monday morning (AEST).

It was also the perfect send-off after 19 years with the Old Lady for club captain Alessandro Del Piero, who took the armband for the final time in a Serie A game in Juve's colours and netted his team's second goal.

Youngster Luca Marrone scored the opener and Andrea Barzagli netted a last-minute penalty as Juve finished the season with 84 points, four clear of last year's champion Milan.

The only blips were a late own goal from Stephan Lichsteiner and an injury to centre-back Giorgio Chiellini that could put his Euro 2012 participation at risk.

The victory meant Juve took its unbeaten run in all competitions to 43 games, including the final match of last season, a record for an Italian team.

The champions also produced the first unbeaten Serie A campaign since Milan in 1992, and the first since Italy moved from an 18 to a 20-team league.

"The aim was to remain unbeaten and to celebrate with our own fans," coach Antonio Conte said.

"We managed that and that had never happened in a 20-team league. This is a legendary season because in the future no-one will ever be able to beat what we've done, only equal it.

"No one ever gave us anything and that's reason for great pride.

"Del Piero played like a champion once again but I told him the season isn't over because he must been decisive again on Sunday in the Italian Cup final against Napoli."

If Juve avoids defeat in next weekend's final it will become the first team to go an entire season unbeaten in league and cup, although it was helped by not playing in Europe.

Juve's clash with Atalanta was little more than a glorified friendly.

The game descended into near farce in the second period when Conte decided to substitute Del Piero so he could receive a rapturous ovation from the fans.

He got that but the sight of a league match being held up for at least a couple of minutes to affect a substitution while all his team-mates joined him in the centre-circle to salute him seemed like a scene from a testimonial match.

With the game ongoing, he then embarked on a lap of honour to salute the fans.

Milan finished its season with the perfect party scenario as 38-year-old Filippo Inzaghi scored the winner on his 300th and final appearance for the club before retiring in a 2-1 win over relegated Novara.

"I'm spent, now it's hard to give up everything, my legs are there, I don't have any pain," the man of the moment said.

"After the cruciate knee ligament operation I got well again. Playing a long way from Milan is so hard but I will return to this club."

With popular stalwarts Inzaghi, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta all making their final bow in a Milan shirt, this match took time to come to life.

Gattuso captained the side but looked a shadow of his former self while the biggest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for Inzaghi's entry from the bench.

It was Inzaghi's 156th goal in Serie A and just to top things off, it was fellow veteran Clarence Seedorf who played the pass.

Udinese secured third place and the final Champions League qualification position with a 2-0 win at Catania.

Emblematic captain Antonio Di Natale gave his side a 19th-minute lead on a lightning counter-attack and Diego Fabbrini sealed the victory in the 58th minute.

That result rendered Lazio's 3-1 win over Inter Milan meaningless, although that was enough to finish fourth.

Diego Milito gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot but goals from Libor Kozak, Andrea Candreva and Stefano Mauri gave the Romans victory.

Napoli finished fifth, just above Inter, after its 2-1 win over Siena.

Lecce joined Cesena and Novara in Serie B after its 1-0 defeat at Chievo.

Needing to win and for Genoa to lose, it could not have survived anyway as Genoa beat Palermo 2-0.

AFP

Tags: italy, soccer, sport, italy

First posted May 14, 2012 08:36:55

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Kosmina's return finishes all square

By Mike Tuckerman

Updated December 23, 2011 10:54:05

The pre-match hype surrounded John Kosmina but Sydney FC was in no mood for sentiment as it twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Adelaide United at the Sydney Football Stadium on Thursday night.

Kosmina returned for his second spell in charge of Adelaide after Rini Coolen's dismissal last weekend, as he took on another of his former clubs in the form of Sydney.

Playing without star striker Sergio van Dijk, who was missing through a hip flexor strain, Adelaide twice took the lead but was pegged back by a determined Sydney outfit, which had youngster Dimitri Petratos to thank for scoring the all-important equaliser midway through the second half.

"It seems to me it's more tough to play at home than away," Sydney coach Vitezslav Lavicka said after the game.

"We're always chasing the game, so there is disappointment because we wanted to pick up three points tonight."

Petratos' thunderous volley was the final goal of a topsy-turvy affair, as Kosmina was forced to settle for a point on his return to the A-League coaching ranks.

Criticised before the game for lacking his coaching 'A-licence,' Kosmina made light of the missing paperwork by living every kick and pass from the sideline.

With the words "get into them, son" scrawled on the top of his coffee cup, Kosmina's team did exactly that as defender Daniel Mullen headed home an early opener.

Sydney equalised from the penalty spot after Nigel Boogaard had brought down Bruno Cazarine, before Adelaide's Iain Ramsay was booked for grabbing the throat of Sydney defender Jamie Coyne, as tempers frayed between the two fierce rivals.

The argy-bargy continued in the second half when Sydney goalkeeper Liam Reddy brought down Bruce Djite inside the penalty box, and although Reddy saved Dario Vidosic's spot-kick, the young attacker promptly slammed home the rebound.

But Kosmina's dream of a winning return was dashed by 19-year-old midfielder Petratos, who crashed home a spectacular half-volley to frustrate the visitors, as Adelaide finished the game with 10 men following Iain Ramsay's late dismissal.

"I enjoyed it," Kosmina said of his return to the A-League.

"There's smiles on the boys faces in the dressing room as well and it's probably because we almost got away with that. I think Sydney were a bit lucky with their equaliser."

Kosmina was pleased with his team's response to a turbulent week.

"Coming from the position our guys did, having been under the pump and with all the changes and the drama, I think it was a fantastic effort," he said.

"The fact is you have to show a bit of ticker and these guys did - unbelievable effort."

Sydney FC: 2 (K Kisel pen 19', D Petratos 66')

Adelaide United: 2 (D Mullen 8', Vidosic 56')

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, sydney-2000, nsw, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted December 22, 2011 21:55:27

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Chelsea finishes Euro job, Gunners reserves spiked

Updated December 07, 2011 15:09:58

Chelsea has booked its passage to the Champions League knockout phase with a 3-0 win over Valencia at Stamford Bridge, while an already-qualified Arsenal went down to defeat at Olympiakos.

Valencia enjoyed some impressive periods on the ball, but the Spaniards - who went into the final-day duel level on points with their rivals - never recovered from a third-minute opening goal from Didier Drogba, who played a starring role in a match which saw the Blues win Group E at Bayer Leverkusen's expense.

Daniel Sturridge hit a laser-guided pass to Juan Mata and the former Valencia star fed Drogba, the Ivory Coast striker firing home an unerring left-footed finish.

Jordi Alba responded by striking the post for Valencia but Chelsea, knowing it had to go for the three points to ensure further progress, turned the screw again on 22 minutes as a defensive mix-up, coupled with a mazy Drogba run, saw Ramires nip in ahead of Victor Ruiz to score.

A neat Drogba finish with 14 minutes remaining wrapped up an ultimately comprehensive victory, with Chelsea emphatically crushing any talk of crisis at the club three days after winning by a similar scoreline at Newcastle.

Chelsea, who had made life hard for itself after squandering leads in its three away matches, won the group by a point with 11 points from its six games after Leverkusen could only draw 1-1 at Belgian makeweights Genk.

Drogba said the side had been focused on the job and determined to win.

"There was a lot of pressure (but) our attitude was positive," the Ivoirian said.

"I think the pressure sometimes can be positive."

Coach Andre Villas-Boas praised his men.

"They worked very hard for this win - and guess what? We finished top of the group against all odds," he smiled after consigning Valencia to the Europa League.

Arsenal meanwhile was able to ring the changes - nine in all compared with its weekend romp at Wigan - having already won Group F.

But Arsene Wenger's 200th European match in charge ended in a 3-1 loss to Olympiakos after Algerian forward Rafik Djebbour netted the hosts' opener before substitute 'keeper Vito Mannone - who came on for the injured Lukasz Fabianski - completely flunked an attempted clearance as David Fuster made it 2-0.

Yossi Benayoun pulled one back on the hour but the Gunners almost conceded again when Mannone missed coming for a loose ball and Francois Modesto headed wide of an open goal before finally making amends with the late third.

The result looked to have secured Olympiakos's progress to the last 16, but a late turn-around in the group's other clash between Dortmund and Marseilles broke Greek hearts.

A stunning late goal from Mathieu Valbuena capped off a brilliant Marseilles comeback from two goals down to beat Dortmund 3-2, meaning the French outfit pipped Olympiakos to qualify in second place.

"I have some regrets," Wenger admitted afterwards, noting his team lacked experience at this level.

Like Arsenal, Barcelona - the reigning champions and the team which denied Wenger in the 2006 final - also sent out a second-string side but it showed its strength in depth in brushing aside BATE Borisov 4-0 at Camp Nou.

First, 19-year-old Sergi Roberto produced a classy finish for Pep Guardiola's side 10 minutes before half-time and then Martin Montoya and a brace, one a penalty, from Pedro Rodriguez, emphasised the huge gulf in class.

Barca won Group H at a canter with 16 points while seven-times winner AC Milan, held 2-2 at Czech outfit Plzen, also went through on nine points.

But Porto, which won the trophy in 2004 under Jose Mourinho, is out after Zenit St Petersburg held it to a goalless draw in Portugal to go through from Group G.

Zenit knew a point would be enough and defended stoutly to progress behind already-qualified APOEL Nicosia, the Cypriot club winning Group G by virtue of a better head-to-head record despite losing its final game at home to Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0.

AFP

Tags: champions-league, soccer, sport, england, spain

First posted December 07, 2011 09:30:48

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