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WEDNESDAY, September 10, 2003
Morgan Flashes In Debut MORECAMBE-- Sure, it's just reserves, but new Boro winger Lionel Morgan showed Tuesday it may not be too long before he's seeing regular time with the big club. Morgan scored the only goal for the Boro in a 1-1 draw with the Blackburn reserves at Christie Park in Morecambe on Tuesday. The 20-year-old left winger took two shots, both on goal, intercepted three balls, went on four runs, won six headers and collected two tackles. Morgan has been out with a knee injury for two months, and Tuesday was his first action on the pitch since last season. Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta, who has said he intends to Morgan to play with the first team, sent the winger down to the reserves to get match-ready. The Boro were fortunate to get the draw after Blackburn by-and-large controlled the ball and kept it near the Middlesbrough goal. The Rover reserves outshot the Boro, 7-4, but all four of the Boro's shots were on goal, while just three of Blackburn's shots had to be fended off by goalkeeper Sam Russell. The match was also the first reunion between the three players Kieta transferred away from First Division Wimbledon last month. Morgan was bought from the financially-troubled club with defender Mikele Leigertwood and defensive midfielder Dean Lewington. The latter two have been playing with the reserves since their arrival. All three are considered good prospects with bright futures, and none are older than 20 years old. |
THURSDAY, September 11, 2003
England Is Back On Track Four Days After Drawing With Lowly Macedonia, National Team Stomps Liechtenstein, 5-1 LONDON-- England gave its citizens something to cheer about again, as they took the needed step to set up a showdown in the European Championships Qualifying with Turkey next month. The Brits pounded Liechtenstein, 5-1, at Abbey Road Wednesday, moving them up to 17 points in Group Seven, just one behind idle Turkey. England will play Turkey in Istanbul in October in a match which will send one team to an automatic berth in the 2004 Euros, Europe's most prestigious national team competition, while the other side will be forced to play through the playoff legs in November to gain one of the additional spots available. There was a stretch early in the match where it appeared little Liechtenstein might actually stay with England. The home squad took a 1-0 lead on a goal by winger Kieran Dyer of Newcastle, but the Liechtensteiners got it back in the 21st minute with a goal by fullback Roland Beskid. Dyer's goal came after England had missed out on a couple cross opportunities, including a corner. After one long clear out to the right, Dyer ended up with the ball near the right touchline. He sent a hard cross toward the goalbox that was deflected by Liechtenstein winger Thomas Beck of Swiss Challenge League side Chiasso. The ball bounced toward the penalty edge, where winger Joe Cole of Chelsea picked it up. After dodging a few charging Liechtensteiner defenders, Cole made a nice flick pass to Dyer on the left side of the goal box. Dyer turned around and blasted the ball into the left side of the net, before Liechtenstein goalkeeper Peter Jehle of Swiss Superleague Grasshopper could get over. Beskid's tying goal in the 21st minute was a poor one for England keeper Chris Kirkland of Liverpool. Fullback Frédéric Gigon of Swiss side Baulmes sent a far cross over the penalty area into the right edge of the goalbox. Beskid was being marked by both winger Steven Gerrard of Liverpool and fullback Ashley Cole from Arsenal, and yet managed to beat them in the air and put a header on goal. The ball was high but right at Kirkland, who watched in horror as the ball glanced off his hands, bounced over him and into the net. Perhaps taking that as a sign of a lack of effort, England played much stronger after that. They would put the match behind them within twelve minutes, on a 30th minute goal by Everton striker Wayne Rooney and a 33rd minute score by Southampton forward James Beattie. Rooney's goal was painfully easy, thanks to a sharp shot by Dyer and an overactive defensive reaction on the part of Jehle. Beattie took a run down the left touchline toward the penalty area, freeing the middle of the pitch for Dyer. Beattie sent a nice pass in just ahead of the penalty area, and Dyer one-timed a hard shot swerve toward the goal. Jehle fended off the pass, and the ball bounded down the left byline. Jahle gave chase to it, in an attempt to beat Beattie to the ball. It turned out to be a grave error, as Beattie beat the keeper to the ball and sent a centering pass to Rooney running into the box. Rooney easily put the ball in the middle of the opening net, even as Jehle scrambled to try and get back. Beattie's goal came off of some nice passing work. Dyer sent in a wide swerving cross toward the near end of the goalbox off of a corner. Paul Scholes of Manchester United went up for the cross, but Beskid again won out an aerial challenge and cleared the ball to the outer edge of the penalty box. Rooney collected the ball, but had to retreat under pressure. He sent a quick pass toward the right edge of the penalty and Dyer. Dyer charged in toward the box and then sent a very short high pass to Beattie amidst the group near the near post. Beattie headed the ball into a wide open net, as Jehle was apparently caught by surprise by the speed of the move. Beattie would add another goal in the 61st minute, and Gerrard would cap it off in the 71st minute for a domianting day for England. Beskid's scoring header turned out to be Liechtenstein's lone shot of the match, while England put no less than 25 shots into the air, with 14 of them needing to be defended by Jehle. Nearly half the match in Leichtenstein's defensive third of the pitch. "It was a very pleasing win," England manager Sven-Gôran Eriksson said. "We started off a little slow, but once we got going, wow, we really played well." The win is expected to ease the pressure on the manager a little, who took some heat from the media when his club failed to defeat Macedonia on Saturday. Although England had already clinched a playoff spot, the draw will make it more difficult for the national team to earn the automatic berth from Group Seven. They will have to defeat Turkey in Istanbul to win the berth. Turkey is the sixth-ranked team in the world by FIFA, just ahead of England at seventh. The rest of Group Seven is playing out the string. Slovakia defeated FYR of Macedonia at home, 3-1, to move up to third place alone with nine points. Macedonia has six, and Leichtenstein one. The match with Turkey will take place in Inonu Stadium on October 11. |
THURSDAY, September 11, 2003
Scotland, Ireland Leading Way For Playoff Spots Wales Is Still In It As Well At The Euro Champ Quals REISKIRCHEN, Germany-- Scotland remains in second place in Group Five and in line for a berth to the playoffs for extra qualifying spots in the 2004 European Championships in Portugal next season. But that's only because Iceland had the day off. Scotland failed to protect an early lead against powerful Germany at the Sportstadion Reiskirchen, and the ninth-ranked national team by FIFA came storming back in the second half, led by two penalties by FC Bayern midfielder Michael Ballack. Ballack was given the opportunity to tie the match up in the 68th minute after West Ham defender Christian Dailly was ruled to have pushed Kaiserslautern striker Miroslov Klose in the penalty area. Ballack shot the ball past Scotland keeper Paul Gallacher of Dundee United for the equaliser. The match remained tied, though, well into the late going. Klose finally moved the Germans ahead with a score in the 83rd mintue, and Ballack's second penalty finished the Scots off in the 90th minute. Germany's win clinches Group Five's automatic qualifier, but the race is still on for second. Scotland came into the match in second with 11 points, and remained there because third place Iceland was diel on Wednesday. Lithuania missed out on a huge chance to get back into things when it lost 1-0 on the road to weak side Faroe Islands. A win would have moved them into a tie with Iceland for third, but the loss eliminated them from contention for second place and the playoff berth that comes with it. Lithuania has seven points, and the Faroe Islands five. Scotland does catch a break, though. In order for Iceland to catch them, the Icelanders will have to do what Scotland couldn't Wednesday--beat Germany in Germany. Scotland will host Lithuania, and a win or draw combined with anything less than a Iceland win will clinch second place for them. Ireland was off Wednesday, but it ended up a good day for them anyway in a crowded Group Ten. Russia was just three points behind Ireland and hosting group leader Switzerland today. A win would have put them in a tie for second, with a better matchup in the final match in October. Fortunately for the Irish, the Swiss defeated Russia on the road, 4-3, clinching Group Ten's automatic qualifier with 15 points. It's not in the bag yet for Ireland, though, in second with 11 points. Russia remains three points--just a win--back of Ireland, and will be hosting last place Georgia while the Irish will take on the Swiss in Switzerland. Albania beat Georgia to keep the latter side from becoming a factor in the playoff. Albania has eight points, but no more matches, while Georgia has seven points. Wales has not had a good run in the last two matches and have played themselves out from first place in Group Nine to just outside of the playoff. Wales allowed Finland to come back into it when they lost to the Fins, 3-1, in Cardiff Wednesday night. The win moved the Scandinavian country into a tie for second place with Wales at 12 points, and they have a one-goal-difference advantage over the Welsh to win the tiebreaker. The loss to Finland gave the Finns two straight victories, while Wales has now lost two in a row. Wales does catch a break in that Finland has played all of its matches, so Wales still controls its own destiny. The stunner in Group Nine, though, was Serbia & Montenegro drawing Italy. Not only did it keep Italy from clinching the automatic qualifier, it moved Serbia & Montenegro close enough to possibly squeak in to second place with a win in the last match. Wales will host Serbia & Montenegro in perhaps the key match of the grouping, while Italy gets to toy with lowly side Azerbaijan before finishing them off for the easy qualifier. In Group Six, Northern Ireland has been out of it for some time, but they got a little measure of dignity back Wednesday when they defeated Armenia 2-1. the win moved them past Armenia into fourth place with five points. Armenia has four points. On a more important note, Spain continues to underachieve, allowing the Ukraine to draw them, 2-2, in Spain, and stay ahead of them in the Group Six table. The Ukraine has 13 points to Spain's 12. The Ukraine has played all of its matches, but Spain will have to draw or beat Armenia on the road to nab the second place spot. The draw also clinched a playoff spot for group leader Greece, but the Greeks could still lose the qualifier if Northern Ireland somehow beats them ont he road, while Spain beats Armenia. Other Group Results Israel's 3-0 win over Malta, and France's 2-0 defeat of third-place Slovenia has wrapped up all the particulars in Group One. Israel entered the day in second palce with 11 points, but Slovenia was just behind them with 10. France had already clinched the automatic qualifier for the group. By winning while Slovenia lost, Israel clinched second place and the playoff berth that goes with it. Cyprus is fourth with seven points, while Malta finished its matches without earning a single point. Group Two didn't get any clearer Wednesday and will have to go to the final day to figure out where anyone will end up. Norway came into the day in first place with 14 points, but they were idle Wednesday. Denmark and Romania were tied for second at 13 points. Both sides missed a diamond opportunity to pass up Norway completely by drawing 3-3. The tie moved them into a three-way battle for two spots, including the automatic qualifier. Romania is likely done, as they are currently out on goal differential and they have exhausted their fixture. Norway gets Luxembourg at home, which should be an easy win, and Denmark would have to lose by more than six goals to Bosnia ont he road for Romania to beat them on a tiebreaker. Bosnia is fourth with seven points, but they embarassed themselves Wednesday by drawing with painfully bad Luxembourg, 2-2. It is the only point Luxembourg has earned in the group action. In Group Three, Holland clinched the automatic qualifier when they beat the Czech Republic,3-2, on the road Wednesday. The two sides had already clinched first and second, but first was yet to be decided until the victory by the Dutch sealed it. They have 19 points, while the Czechs have 14 points. Idle Austria is third with nine points, while Moldova beat Belarus, 3-1, to pass over the former Soviet satellite into fourth place with six points. Belarus has four points. Sweden and Hungary cleared up a tight situation in Group Four with road wins over Poland and Latvia, respectively, on Wednesday. The Swedes came into the day in first place in the group with 14 points, and their 3-1 win over Latvia moved them to a playoff-clinching 17 points. Hungary was in second place and stayed there after a 3-0 win over Poland. The win also clinched them a playoff spot. Poland and Latvia, both with 10 points, came into the day with home matches and a chance to end up in second, but they blew it with the losses. Last place San Marino had the day off, and have no points at all. Sweden can clinch the automatic qualifier with a win over Latvia at home in the last match in October. In Group Eight, Bulgaria clinched a playoff spot at least with a 5-0 win over low-end Andorra, which has no points. At 17 points, Bulgaria only needs to win or draw at Croatia to clinch the automatic qualifier, and even if they lose, Croatia will have to beat them by five goals to get the tiebreaker. Croatia itself earned its stay in second place with a tough 0-0 draw at Belgium. Belgium was expected to be very competitive in the group, but has been lackluster. Even if Belgium beats Estonia in October and Croatia loses to Bulgaria, the Belgians are ten points back of Croatia in goal differential. Estonia, which was idle, has eight points in fourth place. Germany, Holland and Switzerland join previous qualifier France and host Portugal as national teams that have already clinched automatic spots in the 2004 European Championships. In addition to the Czech Republic, Turkey, England and Bulgaria, which all clinched at least playoff berths on Saturday, Israel, Swden, Hungary and Italy all clinched playoff berths with Wednesday's matches. All of the remaining group stage matches will be played on October 11. |
THURSDAY, September 11, 2003
Brazil, Uruguay Lead Early World Cup Quals Brazil, the top-ranked team in the world by FIFA, defeated Ecuador, 2-1, at home in the second match of CONMEBOL's World Cup berth determining round robin fixture. In the earliest such competition, South America's international football federation is holding a two-year fixture in which all ten of the major South American nations will play each other in home-and-homes. The top sides will likely end up with one of the continent's World Cup berths. Uruguay, ranked 27th in the world, beat 71st-ranked Chile on the road, 2-1, to be the only side besides Brazil to remain unbeatan and undrawn through two matches. Colombia bounced back from a surprising home draw to Venezuela Saturday to beat Argentina, 1-0, at home. Argentina is the fourth-ranked team int he world, but has a draw and a loss through two matches. Paraguay, ranked 21st in the world, crushed Bolivia, 4-0 at home. Bolivia, at 109th, is the weakest rated South American side in the competition. Venezuela continued a surprisingly good early run by beating Peru, 4-1 on the road. Venezuela is ranked 57th in the world, while Peru is 67th. The competition will take a break until November. |
Can't wait to see England vs. Turkey in Istanbul! That's going to be a goodie.
Just out of curiousity, it appears Owen didn't play, did Sven wise up and bench him after last game's debacle or was he injured? |
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Besides, I think Celtic are going to make a good showing. In my career, they were always dangerous. Don't know how well they'll match up with Lazio, though. They're almost always funky. Quote:
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I did such a good job writing up that one, I'm curious about that England-Turkey matchup, too. :D
Should be a good one. As for Owen, he didn't start, but he played. He came in at 62 for Rooney. Got a 7 rating, but didn't score (obviously). Now let's here it for Celtic-Arsenal smack talk! Good as Celtic is, though, I still think they will have problems with Lazio. CR |
SATURDAY, September 13, 2003
Charlton (1-1-2) at Middlesbrough (2-1-1) When: 3:00 p.m. Where: The Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough Forecast: 12º C (rainy) Middlesbrough Out: DC Ugo Ehiogu, ML Allan Johnston Charlton Out: DC Richard Rufus Outlook: After two weeks off for international play, the Boro return to action, along with the rest of the Premiership. The Boro will host the Addicks of Charlton. Charlton has a close loss to Newcastle and a big win over the Wolves on their recent fixture list, but they haven't won, or even drawn, on the road yet. The Boro have been very solid at home, with two big victories over Tottenham and Fulham in Middlesbrough. The conditions on the Riverside Stadium pitch are expected to be very poor today, thanks to the steady rain from the past couple days. Left winger Stewart Downing returns today after missing three matches with a knee injury. Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said Carlo Nash would make his first start of the regular season in the net as well. FA Barclaycard Premiership Game of the Round Arsenal (4-0-0) at Liverpool (2-0-2) Although Manchester United and Chelsea at home are nothing to sneeze out, this is the first true test for the Gunners, the only unbeaten, undrawn squad in the Premiership. They have yet to play a top five league club on the road this season, but today's match in Anfield will take care of that. The Reds have had mixed early results. They blew out Bolton at home and beat newly promoted Leicester at home, and even their away loss to Manchester United went as expected. But a season-opening loss at home to Leeds has them looking less strong than it seemed. Arsenal will be seeking to advance a fine start to the season, while Liverpool wants a big win to move them in the right direction. The Rest of the Matches Southampton at Birmingham Aston Villa at Chelsea Charlton at Middlesbrough Manchester United at Newcastle Leicester at Portsmouth Bolton at Wolverhampton Everton at Manchester City (Sunday) Fulham at Tottenham (Sunday) Leeds at Blackburn (Monday) |
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SUNDAY, September 14, 2003
When It Rains, It Snores Boro Fail To Capitalize On Opportunities, Fall In 1-0 Snoozer To Charlton MIDDLESBROUGH-- Boro supporters must have felt deja vu. Watching Saturday's match was likely very similar to last season, when the Boro would play well, but still mystifyingly lose a match they shouldn't have been close to even drawing. The Boro outshot the Addicks, 14-5, Saturday, but it was the Addicks that made it work, riding a Jonaton Johansson score to a 1-0 victory on a rainy afternoon in front of 33,569 at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday. "this was a very frustrating match," interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said. "By all rights, we should have won that match. But we couldn't get the ball in close enough, and when we did, we didn't put it in the net." Of the Boro's 14 shots, only four ended up on goal, with several long shots forming the bulk of the home squad's offense. Too often Saturday, Boro shots skimmed over the bar, failing to hit the mark. Much of that fell on midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, who seemed to fall in love with his long shot for much of the match. The midfielder who dominated action with similar play against Tottenham last month was off the mark Saturday, taking eight shots, but putting just one on goal. Several of his shots missed by mere inches, and few came from inside the penalty area. "I may need to ask Gaizka to work the ball inside a little more," Kieta said after the match. "Still, the Addicks played a very strong, interior game. I know Gaizka was doing what he thought he needed to do to get us some offense." On top of the shot advantage, the Boro were consistently in control of the ball, beating the slower Addicks to rebounds and clear outs. More than a third of the match was played in the Addicks' defensive third, while the ball entered the Boro's defensive third just 14% of the time. Conditions were poor and muddy all around, as the match was played in a consistent if light rain. Several players on both sides slipped during play, hindering ball movement. The lone goal was scored on a header by forward Johansson in the 33rd minute. The Addicks showed some toughness in scoring the goal, which came on a corner shortly after the Boro were given two straight yellow cards for separate incidents. Fullback Franck Queudreu was given a yellow for a two-footed tackle on midfielder Graham Stuart along the right touchline. On the resulting freekick, winger Malcolm Christie was given a yellow card as well, when he pushed over winger Matt Holland during an air fight for the ball. Starting Boro goalkeeper Carlos Nash was barely able to get to the resulting direct freekick by midfielder Claus Jensen, which sailed in to the left post from just outside of the penalty area. Nash was forced to put the ball just over the net with a diving block. On the resulting corner, Jensen sent a high corner pass dropping right into the goalbox. Johansson went up with the crowd, including Mendieta marking him. He got to the ball and headed it high and hard at the net. Midfielder Boudewijn Zenden just missed getting in front of the shot, which went past him and Nash, who wasn't quick enough to react to it. The referees were very quick to penalize the harder play Saturday, flagging the Boro with four yellows, and the Addicks with one as well. Christie, whose foul resulted in the freekick which became the scoring corner, had a poor match at right wing, and was replaced at halftime by fullback Danny Mills. Football raters put his performance at a 4. "We had several players not really play up to high standards today," Kieta said when asked if Christie would see any consequences for his poor play. "I don't know yet that we should single Malcolm out." Saturday also represented a step backward for a noted trouble area, the forwards. Inconsistent play by younger forwards like Massimo Maccarone and Michael Ricketts has led Kieta to play forward Joseph-Désiré Job and attacking midfielder Juninho, somewhat out of position. The two vets scored all three goals in a strong performance against Fulham in August, and Saturday was the club's first return to that pairing. The two forwards this time got only two shots off, one each and neither on goal. Juninho played very poorly, rating a 5, and was replaced by Maccarone in the 69th minute. "It remains a work in progress," Kieta said about his forward crew. "Maybe that's the right pair, and they had a bad match. Or maybe we need to try something else." Kieta said there would be some things done in Saturday's match lineup that he may not go back to when the Boro play again next Saturday. He wasn't more specific about his plans. The Boro return to action on the road at Leeds on Saturday. Boro Under-19s Crush Scarborough, 4-1 Well, at least one Boro side won Saturday. The Under-19s shined in their second straight big win, beating Scarborough's Under-19 squad 4-1. Last week, striker Tom Orchard scored a hat trick against Macclesfield, and yet, he didn't even see the pitch Saturday, as an unused substitute--not that the Boro youths needed him. Four different players put in goals for the squad at The Stadium in Billingham, with striker Jason Kennedy playing a particularly strong match. He scored one of the goals while taking six shots, five of which went on goal. The other goals were scored by winger Chris Emms, midfielder Adam Johnson and striker Danny Reed. |
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Sneeze at. ;) I'm good, but with as much as I type, even I'm gonn ahave the occasional screw up. :) CR |
Morgan has been playing well for me in my new game as well(i love the demo :) ) . He and ronaldo(christiano, for manU) are one hell of a tandem, then i got nistelrooy, Ljunburg upfront with suprising Landon Donovan playing his way into the AM spot quite suprisingly, when he subbed in the second half of 3 games and scored 8 goals...But the boro are currently #2 in the premiership in my game, led by transfer Sanli Tuncay(Scoring Machine for them, and hes only 21), and youth player of the month Andrew Davies. Keep it up chief!
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Yeah, Morgan should be up with the big squad soon. I'm excited to see what he can do. My biggest problem right now is I have three starter quality left wings in Zenden, Downign and Morgan. More on that in the articles, though. I need a right wing Interestingly enough, I had been trying forever to remember Babangida's name, and as it turns out, Calis bought him in his dynasty. So now I know where he is. I have to wait ofr the next transfer window, of course, but at least now I have him shortlisted. As for Tuncay, he was bought by Real Madrid in July and is worth over £14 M now. Ouch. He wasbought for £9.25, too--that's a lot more than I can afford. makes me wonder how in the hell the Boro in your game got him. BTW (and this is to anyone reading), anyone have an idea why my loan options are grayed out? When I try and loan a player, it doesn't give me the option (just grays it out). I thought I could have four loans at once, and eight for the season. Right now, I only have three. Anyway to check that in the game that guys know of? Anyway, more updates coming. CR |
SUNDAY, September 14, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Birmingham 0, Southampton 0 By all rights, the Blues should have rolled in this one. The Saints got just three shots off, and only one of them was on goal. Southampton had to play in their own third for 30% of the match, and of the 12 shots the Blues took, nine were on goal. The difference turned out to be Saints' goalkeeper Antti Niemi, who scored his second clean sheet of the year to keep Southampton in the match. Niemi, of course, received the Man of the Match award for his flawless net work. Chelsea 4, Aston Villa 1 After tough losses to Premiership powers Arsenal and Manchester United, and a surprising road loss to Bolton, the luster had come off of all that talent Chelsea brought in this past offseason. They finally really put it together Saturday and rolled past vsiting Aston Villa. The Villans satyed with the Blues early on, after striker Darius Vassell tied the match up at 1-1 in the 25th minute. But that just got Chelsea mad. Striker Hernán Crespo put them back up with a penalty in the 28th minute, and then midfielder Claude Makélélé added another inb the 31st minute. Chelsea was pretty much able to sit back after that. Centreback William Gallas finished off the scoring in the 71st minute. Chelsea outshot Aston Villa, 14-7. Fullback Wayne Bridge, who scored Chelsea's first goal in the fifth minute, got the Man of the Match with a wonderful all-around match that fatured five tackles, 12 headers, six interceptions, four runs, one foul drawn and two shots taken, in addition to the goal and an assist. Not all went well for Chelsea-- the versatile Geremi, at winger Saturday, had to leave the match in the 13th minute with a shoulder injury. Liverpool 0, Arsenal 0 The Gunners still haven't lost, but they no longer have their winning streak. The Reds, despite allowing eight shots to Arsenal, kept them to just three shots on goal to keep them out of the net. Liverpool was more accurate on the other end, putting five of seven shots on net, but Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann made sure this wasn't the day Arsenal finally lost, earning his third clean sheet of the young season already. Lehmann received the Man of the Match award. Charlton 1, Middlesbrough 0 In many ways, this match was a carbon copy of the Birmingham-Southampton match, in which the home team dominated play but didn't get the win. The Boro took it one step further, though, and actually lost their match. Charlton striker Jonaton Johansson scored the only goal of the match in the 33rd minute, just one of three the Addicks put on net. Despite outshooting Charlton 14-5, the Boro couldn't figure out goalkeeper Dean Kiely, who received the Man of the Match award. Kiely didn't have to work that hard, though--the Boro only put five of that 14 on goal. Newcastle 2, Manchester United 0 Were it not for the match at Anfield, this matchup would have been heads and tails over every other match as a top notch contest. Manchester United continues to be tested on the road by some of th ebest sides in the Premiership. After beating Chelsea on the road, but losing to Arsenal, the Red Devils fell to a talented Magpies squad Saturday. Striker Alan Shearer set the tone early, netting the first Newcastke goal in the sixth minute. Then Newcastle settled into a tight defensive posture that kept Man U from peppering the net with shots. The visitors only got five shots off, three on goal. Midfielder Jermaine Jenas put it away with a score in the 76th minute. Shearer was a problem all day for the Red Devil defense. Not only did he score, he took three shots, won 10 headers and drew four fouls in earning the Man of the Match award. Portsmouth 2, Leicester 0 The Pompey continue to show why they were the top team in Division One last season. They come through when it counts against fellow promotee Leciester Saturday, scoring their goals off of a penalty shot and one of just three shots on goal. The Foxes actually outshot Portsmouth 9-6, but they couldn't solve Pompey keeper tandem Harold Wapenaar and Pavel Srnicek. Fullback Jamie Vincent put the home squad up a goal with a penalty in the 16th minute, and striker Yakubu got his first goal of the season to put it away in the 58th minute. Yakubu also garnered the Man of the Match, with a tackle, eight headers, one foul drawn, and two shots on goal. Portsmouth lost Amdy Moustapha Faye to a knee injury in the 20th minute. Bolton 3, Wolverhampton 2 The Wanderers continue to surprise, even if beating First Division promotee Wolverhampton on the road isn't that great of an achievement. And the team that surprised Chelsea at home and then drew Newcastle did it the hard way Saturday, scoring the tying and go ahead goals in the last ten minutes of the match to complete a comeback from a two-goal deficit. Midfielder Kevin Nolan scored the match-winner in the 88th minute, just six minutes after fellow midfielder Ricardo Gardner completed a come back fifty minutes in the making. Jardel got Botlon's other goal in the 55th minute. The comeback overcame two Henri Camara goals in six first half minutes. Adding to the Wolves' misery, Camara had to leave the pitch in the 75th minute with a shin injury. Nolan, with an assist, two shots on goal, four interceptions and three tackles, in addition to his goal, won the Man of the Match award. Injuries & Suspensions There were no major injuries Saturday, nor suspensions. Of three minor injuries, the Wolves' striker Henri Camara got it the worst, with a shin injury that will put him out for a week. Midfielder Geremi of Chelsea will miss four days with a shoulder injury, and Portsmouth midfielder Amdy Moustapha Faye will be out an equal time with a knee injury. Today's Matches Everton at Manchester City Fulham at Tottenham |
MONDAY, September 15, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Manchester City 2, Everton 1 Everton came out of the City of Manchester Stadium about as beat up as a team can get on Sunday. After a brutal match in which City dealt out 20 fouls, and four yellow cards were tossed at the two sides, Everton not only lost the match, but also three of their best players to injury. Winger James McFadden broke his arm just four minutes into the match, and midfielder Steve Watson had to be escorted off the pitch in the 11th minute with an arm injury. The Blues' hospital wagon came one last time in the 40th minute for star striker Wayne Rooney, who suffered a groin injury. Meanwhile, the Blues left ont he pitch had to deal with a City squad that outshot them 12-6, including 9-6 on goal. Midfielder Danny Tiatto opened Man City's scoring in the 42nd minute and forward Trevor Sinclair put it away in the 71st minute. Everton midfielder Li Tie made the Blues look closer with an 87th minute strike. City keeper Nicky Weaver got the Man of the Match after stopping five of Everton's six on goal shots. Tottenham 3, Fulham 1 The Cottagers continue to show they may be the worst side in the Premiership, at least in the early going. The winless Cottagers lost their fifth straight match Sunday. In an oddity that shows how far they seem to be from winning, they lost the match by two goals, the same deficit they have lost all of their other matches. Still, the match was far more competitive than it would seem. Fulkham actually had a 1-0 lead at halftime, thanks to a midfielder Sylvain Legwinski goal in the 44th minute, and for the match, they just lost the shot tally, 16-12, and matching the Cockerels' nine shots on goal. Tottenham finally turned it on in the second half, though. Midfielder Christian Ziege tied it up in the 48th minute, and then forward Robbie Keane put the home squad ahead just two minutes later. Winger Simon Davies finished Fulham off with a 70th minute goal. Tottenham goalkeeper Kasey Keller got the Man of the Match, although both he and Cottagers' keeper Edwin van der Sar deserved notice in a match with 18 total shots on goal. Injuries & Suspensions It was a bad day to be a Blues player. Winger James McFadden's broken arm will cost him at least a month, but his is by far the worst injury. Striker Wayne Rooney will miss five days with a groin injury. Everton midfielder Steve Watson, who also had to leave the match with an injury, was fortunately just knocked around a bit and will be on the practice pitch on Monday. There were no suspensions, although Everton fans might argue there should have been after their team was brutalized by City. Tonight's Match Leeds at Blackburn |
TUESDAY, September 16, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Blackburn 3, Leeds 1 The Rovers used two late second half goals to break out of a tight 1-1 match with United Monday night at Ewood Park. Goals by midfielder Brett Emerton in the 74th minute and striker Paul Gallagher in the 84th minute proved to be the difference. The Rovers outshot Leeds 12-7, but had just a 7-6 shot-on-goal advantage. Blackburn jumped to the early lead on a ninth minute strike by fullback Vratislav Gresko, but Leeds tied it up on a goal by striker Cyril Chapuis in the 38th minute. Gresko received the Man of the Match, thanks to seven tackles, five headers, a run, a drawn foul and two shots on goal, besides the match's first score. |
WEDNESDAY, September 17, 2003
Report: Boro Make Lazio Offer For Mendieta ROME-- Middlesbrough has made an offer to Italian superpower Lazio for the permanent services of international Spanish star midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, according to reports out of Rome on Monday. The offer is reportedly for about £5 M,although neither officials for Lazio nor for Middlesbrough would even confirm the offer had been made, much less the numbers involved. One report Monday said the Italian club had already accepted the offer for the flashy midfielder, whom had been placed on teh transfer list in the offseason. Mendieta, currently on loan with the Boro, has quickly won over fans in both Middlesbrough and throughout England with his exciting midfield play. He has also become very popular with the Boro players. In five matches this season, Mendieta has two goals, an assist and a Man of the Match to go along with a 7.60 rating. He also is vaeraging a very solid 3.60 tackles per match, and has drawn six fouls with his tireless form on the pitch. The 29-year-old Spaniard has appeared in 40 career matches for his native Spain, scoring eight goals. Last season, he went scoreless in 20 matches with Lazio. He has 46 goals in 320 career appearances during a 12-year career with the Boro, Lazio and Primera Liga power Valencia. The transfer is likely to go through at the end of the season, since Mendieta is already on loan with the Boro through June, 2004. The numbers for the transfer also don't match up with the Boro budget. Middlesbrough only has £3.4 M left in transfer funds this season, whcih would be another reason to delay the move untilt eh end of the season. Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta refused to comment on the reports, saying it "wouldn't be appropriate to address that at the moment." Reserves Pound Ipswich 5-0 The reserve Boros ran Ipswich Town's reserves out of the Stadium in Billingham on Tuesday, winning 5-0. Two of interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta's Wimbledon transfers played key roles in the scoring, but the day belonged to striker Chris Garbutt. Garbutt scored the hat trick with three first-half goals, including two penalty kicks. HE also got the match strarted off in style, scoring his loan in-action goal in the very first minute. Former Wimbledon players winger Lionel Morgan and midfielder Dean Lewington scored the Boro's other two goals. Morgan scored his in the sixth minute, playing in his second match since healing up from a knee injury that shelved him for two months. Lewington's goal capped the action, with a 78th minute strike. The Boro reserves outshot Ipswich 10-2, and didn't allow a single shot on goal. Garbutt received the Man of the Match, but Morgan was particularly domiannt. Morgan is expected to be elevated to the first team soon, as his stint witht he reserves was only to get him match ready. English Football Notes ...For the second time in the past two weeks, a Portsmouth player has become vocal about being placed on the first team. Striker Lee Bradbury told local media in Portsmouth Tuesday that he was concerned about being left off the first team of the Pompey in recent action. Bradbury has been on the reserve squad since the beginning of the season. The 28-year-old forward appeared in just three matches with the Pompey last season, scoring one goal, before going on an 11-match loan stint with Sheffield Wednesday of the Second Division. Earlier this month, Portsmouth midfielder Nigel Quashie, a 2002-03 starter with the Pompey, made similar comments about being left off of the club's first team. ...The Hereford Bulls hired Noel White, 51, to be their new manager. White, a former player with Irish side Shelbourne who has moved on to managing, replaces Mal Donaghy. He comes to the Nationwide Conference Bulls from the assistant manager position with Dublin City of the Irish First Division. Donaghy was hired away from Hereford in late July to be the assistant manager with Singaporean League side Geylang United. Donaghy was only with the Bulls for a week before changing his mind and heading to Singapore. |
WEDNESDAY, September 17, 2003
Arsenal, Newcastle Open Champions League With Wins Tuesday Marks Beginning Of Group Stage, Which Also Saw Celtic In Action The English Premier League got off to a strong start in the Champions League Group Stage Tesuday eveing, when Premiership powers Arsenal and Newcastle each opened up their group fixtures with wins Tuesday. Arsenal defeated Greek National A Division club Olympiakos, 2-0, in Athens, behind goals by forward Silvain Wiltord and star striker Thierry Henry. The Gunners outshot the Greek power 12-5 and spent as mucha s a third of the match in Olympiakos' defensive third of the pitch. Newcastle got away with a huge last second win when striker Alan Shearer connected in extra time to give the Magpies a stunning 1-0 victory over La Ligue One side Monaco. The draw seemed as much as in the bag when Shearer headed in a short centering pass from winger Kieran Dyer at St. James Park in Newcastle. Newcastle got what it deserved, as the score doesn't show how it dominated play ont he pitch. The Magpies outshot the French club 12-3 and allowed just one shot on goal. Celtic, which is in the same Group A as Arsenal and Olympiakos, didn't open up their bid for Europe's top club prize so well. In a critical match against Italian power Lazio, the Scottish Premier League side fell 3-0 in Rome Tuesday night. Lazio got most of its scoring on two halftime-wrapping goals by Bernardo Corradi. The Italian striker scored at the end of the first half and again just two minutes into the second half. Lazio's Brazilian midfielder César finished off the scoring in the 78th minute. The Italian power outshot Celtic, 11-6. Goalkeeper Magnus Hedman had a particular bad game for the Scots, allowing three of seven shots on goal to get past him. In Newcastle's Group B, Ukrainian High League side Shakhtar continued to surprise, beating Primera Liga side Real Sociedad, 1-0, in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Tuesday. The difference-maker was scored by Shakhtar fullback Olexiy Gai in the 57th minute. Two others of the eight four-club groupings were in action Tuesday night. In Group C, Bundesliga power FC Bayern survived an early deficit and an Anderlecht comeback, on top of playing a man down after centreback Thomas Linke was sent off in the 21st minute, to come away with an improbable 3-2 victory over the Belgian side in Mûnchen, Germany. Dutch club PSV didn't need any heroics in its home match against Portuguese Superleague squad Benfica Tuesday night. The Dutch side beat Benfica, 3-0, with striker Mateja Kezman leading the way with two goals. In Group D, defending Champions League holder AC Milan needed two second-half goals at home to beat surprising Norwegian Premier Division side Rosenborg, 2-1. Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko scored both of Milan's goals to overcome a 1-0 first half deficit in Milan. Turkish Premier Division Besiktas got a 69th minute from Romanian striker Daniel Pancu to draw even with Primera Liga power Deportivo. The goal forced an eventual 1-1 draw with the Spanish club in Istanbul Tuesday night. Groups A, B, C and D will resume action on OCtober 1. Tonight, the other groups, E, F, G, and H, will all be in action, including Chelsea, Manchester United and the Rangers. |
THURSDAY, September 18, 2003
Man U, Chelsea Make It A Clean, English Sweep Rangers Add To Fun, Drawing Superpower Real Madrid English Premier League powers Manchester United and Chelsea both opened their Champions League group fixtures with wins Wednesday night, giving the Premiership four Champions League opening victories in two nights. The biggest "victory" for the United Kingdom, though, might have belonged to the Scottish Premier League squad Rangers. The Scottish power surprised perhaps the top superpower in the world when they scored a 1-1 draw against the Primera Liga's Real Madrid in Glasgow on Wednesday. Adding even more shock value to the accomplishment, the Rangers suffered three injuries in the match, all of whom had to be replaced, including starting goalkeeper Stefan Klos near the end of the running time. Midfielder Stephen Hughes finally broke a scoreless stalemate with a notch in the 62nd minute, although Real Madrid superstar striker Ronaldo was quick to tie it back up in the 66th minute. Rangers might have even deserved better. They outshot Real Madrid, 13-8, including a 9-3 on-goal advantage. None of the injuries are expected to sideline the players for more than a week. The match was also the first time former Premiership star wingers David Beckham from Manchester United and Steed Malbranque from Fulham returned to the United Kingdom since they were sold to Real Madrid. In Stuttgart, Germany, Manchester United had little problem with Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart, winning 2-0. Despite being on the road, the world's other premier superpower outshot Stuttgart, 11-2, and won on goals by star striker Ruud van Nistlerooy and winger Cristiano Ronaldo. At Stamford Bridge in London, Chelsea had to deal with a full on shower, in addition to Greek National A Division club AEK Athens Wednesday night. Neither turned out to be a problem, as the Blues went on to win 2-0 on two mid-match goals. Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Sebastián Verón scored near the end of the first half, while striker Djibril Cissé added another in the 48th minute. Chelsea dominated play on the pitch, with 18 shots to the Greeks' four. The wins by Chelsea and Manchester United, coupled with Tuesday night victories by Arsenal and Newcastle, gives the Premiership a flawless, four-win opening to the group stage of Europe's premier club competition. The Rangers' draw with Real Madrid in Group E wasn't the only surprise int he group Wednesday night. Dutch power Ajax was stunned, 3-1, in Amsterdam by another Greek National A Division squad in PAO Panathinaikos. The Dutch squad tied the match in the 66th minute on a goal by forward Rafael van der Vaart, but it was shortlived, as Emmanuel Olisadebe got his second goal of the night in the 69th minute to put the Greek club ahead for good. In Chelsea's Group F, Juventus got a big win when they beat UEFA Cup holder Porto of the Portuguese Superleague, 2-0. Porto showed it was no pushover when it beat AC Milan in the Super Cup in late August, so a win in Porto for the Italian power Juventus is a big one. Juventus got goals from forward Pavel Nedved and super star forward David Trezeguet. In Group G, which includes Manchester United, Russian Premier Division squad Lokomotiv Moscow used an 88th minute goal to pull out a big 1-0 victory over Primera Liga power Celta. Striker Mikhail Ashvetia was the hero for the Russian side, which outshot Celta 13-8. Group H was the only group in action Wednesday night that did not include a club from the United Kingdom. In a clash of Italian and German superpowers, Inter sweeped past Dortmund, 3-1, behind two goals by super star striker Christian Vieri in the first ten minutes of the match. Forward Mohammed Kallon added the clincher in the 60th minute of the match, which was played in Milan. On the other side of Group H, La Ligue One squad Lyon got a goal from forward Sidney Govou in the 48th minute and then made the goal stand for a nice 1-0 road victory over Austria Vienna. Groups E, F, G, and H will resume play on September 30. |
More good stuff Chief. Up the Boro!
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Thanks, Foz. More to come.
CR |
SATURDAY, September 20, 2003
Middlesbrough (2-1-2) at Leeds (2-1-2) When: 3:00 p.m. Where: Elland Road, Leeds Forecast: 14º C (rainy) Middlesbrough Out: DC Ugo Ehiogu, ML Allan Johnston, DR Danny Mills (ineligible; loan from Leeds) Leeds: MC Eirk Bakke Outlook: The Boro are coming off of a frustraing home loss to Charlton, a match they played well enough to win, but in which they ran into what is becoming a nemesis: scoring problems. The Boro haven't scored a goal since they got three against Fulham in August. Their scoring drought runs back through two League matches, the 1-0 loss against Chalrton and a 0-0 draw with Everton. Fullback Danny mills can't play int oday's match, due to the conditions of his loan contract from Leeds. After an impressive season opening win on the road against Liverpool, Leeds has been very inconsistent, including a 4-1 blowout of Portsmotuh and a 3-1 loss to Blackburn. For all its noted moves to cut costs in the past year, Leeds still has some significant talent on its roster, including star striker Mark Viduka and England's national goalkeeper Paul Robinson. FA Barclaycard Premiership Game of the Round Newcastle (3-2-0) at Arsenal (4-1-0) Newcastle and Arsenal represent the only two sides in English Premier League football that have not yet been defeated this season. Until last week's draw with Liverpool, Arsenal had yet to lose at all. The Magpies should represent another big opponent for the Gunners, although matters will be eased somewhat by playing at Highbury. Until the Liverpool match, Arsenal had yet to finish a game closer than two goals ahead of its opponents. Newcastle is coming off of a huge home win over Manchester United last week. The win was somewhat of a surprise, given that Newcastle had in the two previous matches drawn with lower-end sides Bolton and Leicester. The Rest of the Matches Liverpool at Aston Villa Portsmouth at Bolton Manchester City at Charlton Tottenham at Everton Birmingham at Fulham Middlesbrough at Leeds Blackburn at Leicester Wolverhampton at Manchester United Chelsea at Southampton |
*supporters holding signs "Please sign, Gaizka" in the stands*
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SUNDAY, September 21, 2003
Leeds Pours It On The Boro Are Dominated In Worst Match Of Early Season LEEDS-- If Saturday is a sign of things to come against the better top-elevens in this league, then the Boro are going to have very long days against the Arsenals and Manchester Uniteds of the world playing like they did Saturday. Middlesbrough was dominated at Elland Road by Leeds on Saturday, falling 4-0 in a macth interime Boro manager Matthew Kieta would like to quickly forget. "Disgust doesn't even begin to describe my feelings right now," Kieta said. "This was so far beyond a simply poor effort, words fail me in describing it. From me on down to the last player on this side, we shouyld all be ashamed of ourselves." The Boro were outshot 16-4 by United, with an equally bad 10-2 shots-on-goal disadvantage. Leeds kept the ball in the Boro's defensive third for 28% of the match. It got so bad, the club even had to go the last 30 minutes a man down, after forward Juninho broke his nose in an aerial challenge mishap in the 59th minute. The squad was playing so badly that Kieta had exhausted his substitutes removing poor performers and was unable to replace Juninho when the veteran playmaker had to leave the pitch. In addition to the poor play and substitution error, Kieta also abandoned the 4-4-2 tactic he had been employing since the middle of the preseason for the 3-5-2 a few minutes into the second half. "It was a desperation move," Kieta said. "We needed to get something going. Of course, losing Juninho pretty much scrapped any ability to test the tactic out anyway." Despite being a man down, the Boro actually kept Leeds out of the net for the last third of the match. Leeds did its damage against the full eleven, moving to 4-0 on powerful striker Mark Viduka's 56th minute score. The Boro were outplayed in the first half as well, but they were fortunate to escape to the engine room with just a 1-0 deficit. Even the one goal they allowed was an odd play no Leeds player will expect to reproduce soon. In the 13th minute, Leeds received a corner after centreback Chris Riggott put out a centering pass from Viduka. Leeds winger Jermaine Pennant sent a high pass tight down the goal line to the near post, where centreback Roque Júnior was stationed. Fullback Salvatore Fresi and midfielder Gaizka Mendieta both challenegd Júnior, but he still got his head on the ball. His shot from a couple yards beyond the near post went virtually parallel to the goal mouth, past a frozen Mark Schwarzer in net, and then somehow got by both fullback Colin Cooper and hit the edge of the left post and squirted in for the fluke score. "I have seen some strange goals, but that one takes the cake," Kieta said. "What makes it hurt even more was it was so preventable. Our fullbacks really let us down there." Down just an odd goal after a struggle of a first half, the Boro had to be thinking of doing to Leeds what Charlton did to them last week at Riverside Stadium-- beat them despite playing much poorer than the home team. Alas, Leeds quickly put those hopes away. In the 47th minute, winger Nick Barmby run toward the left goal line and then into the penalty area. Drawing two defenders, he found an opening toward striker Alan Smith. The ball skipped past Smith and out of the penalty area into the center of the pitch, where Pennant got to it first. Pennant scooted by winger Lionel Morgan--making his Premiership debut--and back into the penalty area, where Fresi awaited him. When Pennant sought to avoid the Italian defender by swerving to the right, Fresi tripped him, earning Leeds a penalty. Barmby made it count, kicking a high and hard shot just to Schwarzer's right. The keeper appeared frozen by the expectation of a straighter shot. Schwarzer did little better two minutes later, not that his defense helped him much. Smith slipped behind his marker, Doriva, for what seemed to be the defense's umpteenth time and ran hard toward the goal line through the left of the penalty area. He sent a low centering pass to Viduka in the center of the penalty area. Viduka kicked a half-volley off of the pass, blasting the shot toward the left corner. The hard shot beat a diving Schwarzer, but in one brief bit of luck for the Boro, the ball rebounded off of the post to the left. The luck ended there, though--Smith got to the ball first and put a high shot into the far corner of the net, over a charging Scwarzer. Viduka's goal in the 56th minute finished off a three-goal, nine-minute blitz that officially put the match away. When asked why he used his three subs, Kieta's terse response was, "Because they don't allow me more." Kieta said to expect changes if the team continued playing this way. "We have to get a fire lit under these guys here," Kieta said. "It's too easy to fall behind in this league. We can't let up." Winger Stewart Downing was the only Boro player to receive a 7 or higher rating from the football raters, and he had to be subsituted in the 56th minute because he was fatigued. Schwarzer got a 5 for allowing four goals in 10 on the net to get in, and he was joined by the veteran Cooper with 5. The other fullback Fresi ended up with a 6, but at one point was even lower. Continuing problems up front, Michael Ricketts scored a squad-low 4 at striker. Ricketts also hurt his elbow, but neither that, nor Juninho's broken nose is epxected to sideline either player longer than a day. The Boro are now working on both a three-match winless streak and a three-match scoreless streak. Middlesbrough will play Sheffield United on Tuesday in the second round of the Carling Cup before resuming league play on Saturday with a match at home against Leicester. |
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lol...funny you should say that, since I would imagine there would have been such signs in te stands...had there not been an announcement prior to the match. ;) Article on its way... CR |
SUNDAY, September 21, 2003
Lazio, Boro Work Out Transfer Deal For Mendieta The Spanish Midfield Star Will Join The Boro Permanently In 2004 MIDDLESBROUGH-- It may have been raining in central England, where midfielder Gaizka Mendieta and the rest of the Middlesbrough squad were busy taking a beating from Leeds United, but the mood was consierably brighter at Riverside Stadium on Saturday. The club announced it has successfully worked out a £4.7 M transfer deal for Mendieta, currently on loan with the squad from Italian power Lazio. Club chairman Steve Gibson confirmed reports from early last week that Lazio had accepted the Boro's offer, and that the midfielder had agreed to terms on a contract with the Premiership side. Mendieta has quickly become a very popular player with both Boro supporters and his teammates. He has worked his way onto the first-eleven and established himself as one of the club's premier players in just a short stint with the club. "This is a wonderful day for the Boro," Gibson said, fortunately hours before the club's 4-0 loss at soggy Elland Road. "Gaizka is already an indispensable part of this side." Terms of Mendieta's contract with the club were not released, but Gibson did confirm details of the transfer arrangement. Mendieta will officially move over to Middlesbrough on June 8, 2004, after the completion of the current English football season. Since his current loan contract with the Boro runs through July, he will never actually leave the club roster. Mendieta, 29, is regarded as a world-class level midfielder with terrific technical skills and a high mental aptitude for the game. The Spaniard has been capped 40 times, scoring eight goals in international play. In six matches this season, Mendieta has two goals and an assist to go along with a 7.33 rating. The 6 rating he received Saturday against Leeds was the lowest he has yet received with the Boro during the league season. In a twelve-year career, the midfielder has scored 46 goals in 321 matches, most of which were played with Primera Liga power Valencia. Prior to joining the Boro this season, Mendieta played two seasons with Lazio. Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta's comments on the signing of Mendieta were the only light comments he was able to make after the bad loss to Leeds. "He's a difference-maker," Kieta said. "He's focused, tenacious. He creates, and can score from far away. He gives us a weapon that very few clubs in the Premiership can match, and that's saying a lot for little ole Boro." Mendieta chose not to comment on the deal personally Saturday, in deference to his teammates and the club's defeat. but did release a statement through his agent which stated he was "overjoyed to have completed the move" and that he wss "looking forward toa long career in Middlesbrough." One potential glitch remains, though. Club officials have long publically noted that the Boro have roughly £3.5 M left in transfer funds for this season, which would not be enough to secure the deal they have agreed to with Lazio. Gibson refused to comment on the financial particulars of the deal. "It's something we will deal with by the end of the season," Kieta said, saying nothing further about the matter. The club is not on the hook for the £4.7 M until the actual day of transfer, giving them the rest of the season to secure the needed funds. |
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I had way more then four loaned out in my game, but i had some of my guys signed to youth contracts grayed out for loan options...I believe you can only loan them out when they are fully on your squad, but dont take my word for it. :( |
Thanks for the info, Blade.
I'm more looking at loan-ins right now, though. Sorry if that wasn't clear. At the moment I have three loan-ins in Mills, Zenden and Mendieta (who still qualifies as a loan at the moment). CR |
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Edit: Actually I just had a look, and it seems that you can't make any loan signings when the transfer window is closed (at least I can't with my Liverpool team). So that is likely the cause. |
Maybe. Or maybe Liverpool is is the same situation as the Boro, whatever that situation is. The thing that's odd about that is that I can still make transfer offers. But then maybe the fact they can be delayed to the next open window is why that is so. Another thing that is weird about it is I have actually had teams come up to me to offer to loan players after the transfer deadline. I would think if it weren't possible, they wouldn't be doing that. Also, I had a news item where a loan-out from an EPL squad to a Second Division team was voided (post transfer window) not because of the inability to loan, but because the D2 club already had four loan-ins.
So while I don't have conclusive prroof that you can or can't loan-in players during the closed periods between transfer windows, I seem to have a lot of circumstantial evidence that isn't the case. If it's not, then there is some other reason I can't do it, and I still haven't figured out which. Too bad, too--there are some players out there I could use. CR |
dola,
I don't absolutely know it's for everybody, but I haven't been able to get it activated for some six or seven players I have looked at closely since the transfer window closed. CR |
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The early transfer window only applies to the top division in each league in Europe. Therefore a 2nd Division club can make loan offers and transfers outside of the August to January window that EPL teams cannot, and any transfer or loan out from an EPL is perfectly acceptable. You just can't bring the players in. |
SUNDAY, September 21, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Arsenal 2, Newcastle 1 Yes, the Gunners got another win and against a big opponent, but it's nice to see them perhaps gain a little humilty after jumping off to a four-win streak to begin the season. Despite playing at Highbury, the Magpies were right there with Arsenal the whole way. The shot numbers were nearly identical, at 11-9 in total shots, and an even six apiece in shots on goal. The ball was played into each team's defensive third an exactly even amount of time. And Newcastle didn't fold after star Gunners striker Thierry Henry broke the scoreless tie with his first goal of the season in the 53rd minute (don't fret about that late scoring by Henry, Arsenal fans--he missed four of the first five league matches with a knee injury). The Mgpies tied it up just eight minutes later, on a score by striker Alan Shearer. Henry's frontline partner Dennis Bergkamp finbally put in the definitive score, shooting in the game-winner in the 74th minute. The match was a costly one for both teams, with Arsenal winger Robert Pires, Newcastle winger Keiran Dyer, and Shearer all suffering injuries. Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira got the Man of the Match with five tackles, five interceptions a drawn foul and a shot on goal. Liverpool 2, Aston Villa 1 The Reds were inspired by a none-too-surprising source Saturday, as premier striker Michael Owen scored both of their goals in a match at Villa Park. Aston Villa didn't go quietly, though, despite, losing the war on shots, 12-5. Althopugh Owen got his first goal, and the Reds a lead, early in the match in the ninth minute, all five Villa shots were on the mark, and they kept the match within one by matching Owen's second score, in the 71st minute, with a strike by midfielder Gary Mason in the 72nd minute. Still, Liverpool got a hard-earned road win Saturday. Owen got the Man of the Match, with a tackle, two interceptions, two runs, three drawn fouls and three shots, all on goal, to go along with his two goals, his fourth and fifth of the season. Bolton 0, Portsmouth 0 Two of the more surprising squads in the Premieriship this season met in Reebok Stadium Saturday, and in no surprise, neither one did anything to blunt the other's run at respectability, as neither side managed to lose. Bolton had beaten Chelsea and drawn Newcastle at home so far this season. First Division promotee Portsmouth had three wins in its first five matches. In terms of pitch play on Saturday, the Wanderers deserved better. They outshot the Pompey 12-6, and had nine shots on goal to just three by the road side. That, of course, led to a Man of the Match performance for beleaguered Portsmouth keeper Harold Wapenaar. In two league starts, in factm Wapenaar has yet to allow a goal--and he is the backup. Charlton 1, Manchester City 1 The Addicks and City played a tough, back-and-forth defensive match at The Valley in London on Saturday. Both sides scored first half goals and then spent the rest of regulation trying to figure out the other's defense. Charlton outshot the road side 11-9, but City led the way in shots on goal, 6-5. Star midfielder Claus Jensen, better known for his playmaking, scored his first goal of the season for Charlton in the 6th minute. That would stand up until defender Sun Jihai scored his first goal of the season in the 34th minute. Jensen received the Man of the Match with dominating play for the Addicks, adding two tackles, five headers, four intercpetions, four runs, two drawn fouls and five shots to his goal. Everton 1, Tottenham 0 The Blues got an early 16th minute score from midfielder Thomas Gravesen, and then rode out the Cockerel offense for a close win at Goodison Park. Tottenham, which has not been overly strong this season, played well against a squad picked by many to secure a spot in Europe's club competitions this season, matching Everton in shots taken at seven each, and outshooting them on net, 6-4. It did little good, though, since Tottenham could not seem to figure out goalkeeper Richard Wright. Centreback Joseph Yobo led an aggressive Everton defense, with five tackles, 21 of 26 headers won, and seven interceptions, to give him the Man of the Match. Birmingham 2, Fulham 0 The idea is that the road side is supposed to feel uncomfortable in another club's venue and in front of hostile road crowds. Not so at Loftus Road Saturday, where the Blues dominated weak Fulham, the last place side in the Premiership. Birmingham outshot the Cottagers, 9-1, and accepted the benefit of an own goal by Fulham fullback Martin Djetou in the 36th minute. Perhaps deflated by the own goal, Fulham immediately gave up a second, to striker Mikael Forsell in the 37th minute. Fullback Kenny Cunningham landed the Man of the Match award, with a tackle, 19 for 20 in headers and six interceptions at one end while he had three runs and two drawn fouls at the other. Leeds 4, Middlesbrough 0 United gave the Boro an old-fashioned thrashing at Elland Road Saturday. Four different players scored for Leeds, including three in a nine-minute span of the second half. United played very strong defensively, holding Middlesbrough to just four total shots, two on goal. By comparison, Leeds had 16 shots, with 10 on the mark. The match was a much closer 1-0 at halftime, with centreback Roque Júnior getting the only goal of the first half in the 13th minute. In the second half, though, Leeds opened things up with a three goal strike via a penalty by winger Nick Barmby and scores by strikers Alan Smith and Mark Viduka. The three goals put the match away by the 56th minute. The Boro had to go the last 30 minutes a man down, when midfielder Juninho had to leave the pitch with a broken nose, and the road side's substitutions all used up. Júnior received the Man of the Match award for his goal, a tackle, 19 for 21 on headers, and six interceptions. Leicester 4, Blackburn 2 The Foxes got their first win over a Premiership clubt hat didn't play in the First Division last season when they surprised the Rovers with a strong offensive attack at Walkers Stadium on Saturday. The Rovers played well wnough to earn a 2-2 tie going into the last ten minutes of the match, but Leicester finally started capitalizing on its 18-8 shot advantage when centreback John Curtis and fullback Ben Thatcher scored the go ahead and clinching goals in the 80th and 86th minutes respectively. Up until then, the match represented a comeback for Blackburn, which tied it up on forward Matt Jansen's 72nd minute score, after falling behind 2-0 early on on an 8th minute goal by Stanley Spencer and 19th minute score by Jordan Stewart, both Leicester forwards. Midfielder Tugay got Blackburn's other goal in the 49th minute. Curtis got the Man of the Match with three tackles, 18 fo r19 headers, six interceptions, a drawn foul and his goal, which moved the Foxes ahead for good. Manchester United 5, Wolverhampton 0 The only surprise from this match would have been if it had ended differently. Historically, freshly promoted squads don't play well at Old Trafford. All five Red Devil goals were scored by different players. Star striker Ruud van Nistlerooy scored early, in the sicth minute, and fullback Paul Tierney moved the advantage to two with a 16th minute score. Nistlerooy's fellow striker Nicolas Anelka put Man U up 3-0 in the 36th minute. In the second half, United got goals from midfielder Roy Keane and fullback Gary Neville to finish off a dominating day. The Wolves got just one shot off, to the Red Devils' 14, with 12 on goal, and the road squad had to defend its own third 32% of match time. Keane got the Man of the Match with a tackle, three interceptions, two runs, two drawn fouls and three shots on goal, along with his goal. Chelsea 3, Southampton 0 It was Hernán Crespo day at St. Mary's Stadium on Saturday. The Argentinian striker scored a natural first half hat trick to provide all the offense the Blues would need to beat the Saints. Crespo got a penalty in the 14th minute, and then added goals in the 28th and 43rd minutes. Southampton didn't fare so badly in shots, losing the offensive chance battle 10-8, and matching the Blues' five shots on goal, but Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini was the difference in the net in this one. Crespo was even more dominating than his hat trick would suggest. He had three runs and no less than seven drawn fouls, to go along with essentially being Chelsea's entire offense, taking seven of the road squad's 10 shots, and taking the Man of the Match. Injuries & Suspensions Although there were no serious injuries in Saturday's action, there were plenty of week-long injuries and in that area. The Arsenal-Newcastle match was particularly brutal with injuries. The Gunners' lone injury was to winger Robert Pires, who will miss ten days with a groin strain. Newcastlem though, had three injuries of varying severity. Defender Jonathon Woodgate pulled his hamstring and will miss ten days. Striker Alan Shearer is out for a week with a foot injury. And winger Keiran Dyer, who had to leave the match in the 16th minute, will miss five days with a knee injury. Among injuries that didn't happen at Highbury Saturday, Aston Villa winger Mustapha Hadji picked up a thigh injury that will shelve him about a week; Bolton forward Kevin Davies will also miss a week with a foot injury; and Blackburn forward Daniel Nardiello will also miss a week with another foot injury. The rest of the injuries were day to day at worst. No one was suspended Saturday. |
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That would seem to explain it then. :) I don't think I have seen any offers that don't in some way fall under this set of circumstances, and it would explain mine and Liverpool's inability to loan-in anyone. CR |
TUESDAY, September 23, 2003
Carling Cup Second Round Resumes Today One of England's three most prestigious competitions takes its next step today when the Carling Cup resumes play with its second round. Forty-eight English league clubs, including 12 Premiership sides, will meet today for the right to move on to the third round, the first of the rounds to include all clubs from Division Three on up. The Premiership squads represent those clubs which finished outside of European competition last season. None of the Premierships sides will be playing each other, instead playing First, Second and Third division squads. The top matches of the day will feature First Division clubs hosting a big club from the English Premier League. Three matches fit that bill, with the most intriguing matchup, perhaps, taking place in Sunderland. The former Premiership squad will host a club that passed it on its way up in Leicester. Another First Division promotee Portsmouth will meet up with Cardiff, and Middlesbrough will play Sheffield United to round out the top matches. Burnley and Nottingham Forest play each other int he only matchup of First Division squads. The match will take place in Nottingham. Four Premiership clubs will meet Second Division sides. Tottenham hosts Barnsley, one of just two EPL clubs that will be hosting matches today. The other Second Division-Premiership contests are Wolverhampton against Tranmere, Birmingham at Sheffield Wednesday, and Fulham at Bournemouth. In what many higher clubs will likely think of as close to a bye, five Premiership squads will meet Third Division squads, and Chalrton even gets to host its opponent, Leyton Orient. In the other matchups, Bolton plays Scunthorpe, Aston Villa meets Doncaster, Everton goes to Northampton, and Leeds plays Southend. The winner of today's 24 matchups will be entered into the draw for the third round, along with the remaining top Premiership squads. The third round will be played in October. |
TUESDAY, September 23, 2003
PRM Middlesbrough at D1 Sheffield United When: 7:45 p.m. Where: Bramall Lane, Sheffield Forecast: 9º C Middlesbrough Out: DC Ugo Ehiogu, ML Allan Johnston Sheffield United Out: None Outlook: This may not be as easy a match as Boro supporters would like to think. For one thing, the club has not been playing well of late. Middlesbrough hasn't scored a goal in three matches, and were blown out by Leeds on Saturday. Second, this one is on the road. Third, of the three First Division squads playing Premiership sides, Sheffield United is the highest in the division table, at seventh. Sheffield United has two players on loan from Premiership sides, including Wolves' striker Dean Sturridge. |
WEDNESDAY, September 24, 2003
Boro Make It Work In The End Middlesbrough Advances To Third Round With 2-1 Win Over Sheffield United SHEFFIELD-- It wasn't all that pretty a win. The Boro didn't ever really put it, so much as time just ran out on Sheffield United. But Middlesbrough gutted through it, and now they are in the third round of the Carling Cup. The Boro beat First Division Sheffield United, 2-1, on Tuesday night, with centreback Gareth Southgate putting the key score in the 71st minute. The Boro outshot United, 11-5, to go along with a 7-3 shot on goal advantage. They also showed the kind of ball control you expect to see out of superior level squads, keeping the home squad in its own defensive third for 32% of the match in front of 18,721 at Bramall Lane. "I don't think if I would call it a text book well-played match," Kieta said after the match. "It certainly wasn't our best ball. But we got the win and that's what matters." The match-winning goal came after a bit of hard work on the part of the Boro. The club had already taken a shot on goal and forced a couple corners prior to the winning play. On the second corner, winger Boudewijn Zenden sent in a high-arcing out-swerving kick from the lest corner. The pass was right ont he mark, falling ionto the goal box and amidst several players. Southgate jumped up and won the aerial challenge with a strong header toward the goal. Centreback Chris Morgan tried to get int he way of the ball, but he only served to deflect it slightly toward the right half of the goal. Goalkeeper Paddy Kenny was frozen by the delfection and came nowhere near the shot as it went into the back end of the net. It was Southgate's first goal of the season in league or cup play. "I can barely believe I got to it," Southgate said. "It looked like it was headed toward me, but I knew plenty of others had a chance at it. I felt like I was standing in the middle of everyone in front of that net." The Boro may not have clinched the match until late, but they put pressure on Sheffield United from the very beginning. In the 4th minute, the Boro set up a beautifully executed diversion play to get their first score. After receving a pass along the left touchline from Zenden, fullback Franck Queudreu put a high soft pass forward toward the penalty area. Forward Szilard Németh beat fullback Chris Armstrong to the ball and headed a short pass to midfielder Juninho, who was running close to the goal box with a step on Morgan. Kenny appeared ready for the shot at the near post, though, so Juninho sent a pass up the right goal line to winger Michael Ricketts near the edge of the penalty area. The cross-goal pass drew Kenny to the post on Rickett's side and left him completely out of position when the winger half-volleyed the pass back to Juninho. Kenny had barely the time to react, much less cross more than half the goal, before the midfielder put in an easy shot from just a couple yards away. Having jumped to the early lead and controlling the ball well, it appeared the Boro were about to break it open ina big way. That did not come to pass, hoever, as Sheffield United got in some key clear outs and continued its tenacious play. It finally paid off in the 31st minute. Forward Jack Lester received a long pass from Armstrong as he angled toward the left corner from the penalty area. Lester had a step on his markers as he approached the goal line, but fullback Danny Mills and Southgate were quickly closing. Lester decided to try and seek out striker Dean Sturridge, being marked by centreback Chris Riggott in the six yard box. His pass got up in the air, but not before deflecting off of Southgate. The ball proceeded to take a weird bounce into the goal box, skipping by RIggott to Sturridge. The striker then blasted the ball into the left end of the net before Boro keeper Carlo Nash could get over to catch it. "That was just a fluke play," Riggott said. "It took a funny bounce and just went by me. I think Sturrudge was almost as surprised as me and Carlo. We got the win, though, and that's what counts." The draw for the third round will be held Thursday. All third round matches will be held on October 29. Middlesbrough returns to league action Saturday when they host recent First Division promotee Leicester. |
WEDNESDAY, September 24, 2003
Birmingham Falls In Carling Cup Blues Are Only Premiership Side To Fall--But It Was Close The town of Sheffield was hopping Tuesday night. Local hostelries and hotels were packed with sizable fan contingents from Middlesbrough and Birmingham as the two Premiership sides ventured into Sheffield to play the town's two clubs, United and Wednesday, in the Carling Cup's second round. One of those Premiership sides didn't get away. Birmingham was stunned by Sheffield Wednesday when the Premiership side played lackluster against a solid defensive performance by the Second Divisiong home club. Sheffield Wednesday kept the lues scoreless, including through extar time, and then proceeded to beat them on penalty kicks--and even that went to extras. The Blues forced extended penalty kicks after last chance striker Stern John beat Sheffield Wednesday Scott P{Pressman for the tying score. It only lasted a couple more rounds, though, as Birmingham's Carling Cup hopes died on a failed penalty shot by fullback Damien Johnson, giving the Second Division side a 6-5 advantage in penalty kicks. Birmingham didn't play much like a club in one of the world's top leagues. They were outshot 11-8 and were forced to defend their own third of the pitch 29% of the match. Middlesbrough didn't have an easy match either Tuesday night, but they did pull out the 2-1 win over First Division Sheffield United. Centreback Gareth Southgate's 71st minute header off of a corner kick broke a 1-1 tie to set up the win. Birmingham was the only Premeirship squad to lose, but there were some other close calls. Fulham needed extra time to beat Second Division Bournemouth, 2-1. In fact, they were mere seconds away from going to penalty kicks themselves when striker Elvis Hammond finally put it away with the match-winning score in the 120th minute. Aston Villa almost went down with more embarrassment, as they struggled to beat Third Division and recent Nationwide Conference promotee Doncaster. The Villans also needed extra time to beat Doncaster, winning 2-1 on a penalty by striker Peter Crouch in the 17th minute. Leeds struggled against Third Division Southend before pulling it out late. Fullback Gary Kelly scored a penalty in the 85th minute to provide the lone score ina 1-0 win for United. Middlesbrough wasn't the only Premiership club to play a First Division side Tuesday. Portsmouth edged out former fellow First Division club Cardiff 1-0 on an 87th minute score by striker Svetoslav Todorov. Leicester scored two goals in the last 20 minutes of the match to defeat relegated former Premiership squad Sunderland. In matchups of Premiership sides playing Second Division squads, Tottenham beat Banrsley at home, 2-0, and Wolves beat Tranmere on the road, 2-0. The rest of the day's Premiership matches pitted them against low-end Third Division squads. Charlton crushed Leyton Orient 4-0 at home. Everton did a similar number on Northampton, winning 3-0. Bolton beat Scunthorpe, 3-0. The top match not involving a Premiership club was between First Division sides Nottingham Forest and Burnley. Forest won this one on penalty kicks after a 2-2 match. They took the post match competition 4-2. The 24 winners of Tuesday's matches will be joined by the eight remaining Premiership sides that have been held out of the cup competition so far in a draw for the third round Thursday. Third round matches will be played on October 29. Here are the rest of the night's scores in Carling Cup action: Brighton (D2) over Swansea (D3), 3-0 Bristol City (D2) over York (D3), 5-1 Cheltenham (D3) over Stockport (D2), 4-0 Hull (D3) over Crewe (D1), 3-0 Crystal Palace (d1) over Wycombe (D2), 2-1 Rushden (D2) ober Notts County (D2), 4-1 Oxford (D3) over Chesterfield (D2), 1-1 (on penalties) Queens Park Rangers (D2) over Gillingham (D1), 1-0 West Bromich Albion (D1) at Rochdale (D3), 2-1 Stoke (D1) over Bristol Rovers (D3), 1-0 Watford (D1) over Lincoln (D1), 5-2 |
WEDNESDAY, September 24, 2003
UEFA First Round Begins Tonight Ten British Isle Squads, Including Four Premiership Clubs, Will Be In Action Europe's biggest club competition begins tonight, with ninety-six clubs meeting in forty-eight matches in the UEFA Cup first round. The second most prestigious competition in Europe includes several teams from the British Isles, including Liverpool, Blackburn, Manchester City and Southampton of the English Premier League. The first round is a two-leg event, with the second leg of the home-and-home series set to be played on October 15. The Reds and Rovers begin their quests for the UEFA Cup against Polish First Division squads. Liverpool will play Groclin in Grodzisk Wielkopolski tonight, while Blackburn will host GKS Katowice. Man City is in Israel tonight to play Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League. Southampton will host Swedish Premier Division squad Malmö FF at St. Mary's Stadium. England isn't the only country in the British Isles to be represented tonight. Scotland's Hearts gets an unenviable matchup when they play Primera Liga power Valencia in Spain tonight, while Dundee is in Bern, Swirzelrand to play Swiss Super League side Young Boys. Welsh side TNS Networks, the only remaining squad from the Welsh Premier Division, have a tough matchup themselves in Bundesliga club Werder Bremen. TRhey will meet the German squad in Bremen tonight. Northern Irish League Premier Division club Portadown is also playing. They will host Denmark'd Eridivisie squad FC Nordsjælland. Ireland has two squads from the Irish Premier Division in the competition. The Bohemians go to Russia to play Torpedo Moscow, while Shelbourne hosts Serie A squad Udinese. Among the other notable clubs in the competition are Serie A's Roma, Parma and Perugia; the Primera Liga's Barcelona and Mallorca; the Bundesliga's Kaiserslautern, Schalke 04, and Hertha BSC; and La Ligue One's Auxerre, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Sochaux. Major clubs from smaller European leagues include 2001-02 UEFA champ Feyenoord from the Dutch Premier Division, Belgium's Club Brugge, Galatsaray of Turkey, and Portuguse Super League power Sporting. |
THURSDAY, September 25, 2003
A Clean Sweep All Four English Premier League Squads Win Their UEFA Openers England is off to a good start int he UEFA Cup this season, thanks to four wins by English Premier League sides in the opening half of the first round leg Wednesday night. Liverpool defeated Polish First Division club Groclin, 2-0, in Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Poland. The Reds didn't make it easy, though. The score was still 0-0 when centreback Sami Hyyplä finally managed to beat Groclin keeper Mariusz Liberda in the 88th minute. Midfielder Danny Murphy added another shortly after to finish off the Polish squad. Liverpool keeper, Polish national team star Jerzy Dudek, was both booed and cheered on by the home crowd. He wasn;t tested very often by Groclin, as Liverpool outshot them 15-2. Blackburn was also playing a Poolish First Division squad in GKS Katowice, and they, too, won 2-0, but everything else was the opposite. The Rovers scored quick and early, getting their scores with a fifth minute score by midfielder Barry Ferguson and strike by defender Brett Emerton in the 16th minute. Also, the match was played at Ewood Park in Blackburn. The Rovers were similarly dominating on the pitch, outshooting the Polish side 12-2. Manchester City had more of a test from Israeli Premier League squad Hapoel Tel Aviv in Jaffa. After a 50th minute score by Tel Aviv striker Ibezito Ogabuna, the two clubs were tied at one apiece. Forward Trevor Sinclair, though, ended up being the difference for City, scoring his second goal and the match-clincher in the 70th minute. Fellow Man City forward Darren Huckaby added an insurance goal in the 90th minute. While City did win the shot advantage, it wasn't nearly as decisive, at 12-7, as the other matches. Southampton dominated a home match against Swedish Premier Division squad Malmö FF, beating them 3-0, and outshooting them 13-3. One of the scorers was former SPD winger Anders Svensson. Forward Brett Ormerod and striker James Beattie also scored for the Saints. Although three of the other six British Isles' squads lost, it turned out to be a pretty big day all around for the island group. The huge win was in Spain, where Scottish Premier Division side Hearts stunned Primera Liga power Valencia, 2-1. Fellow Scotland club Dundee also won, beating Switzerland's Young Boys, 2-1. Welsh side Total Network Solutions ended up falling to Bundesliga club Werder Bremen in Germany Wedesday night, but not before really testing the big club, 4-3. With a home match coming up against them, TNS may have a shot at a major upset. Irish club Bohemians beat Torpedo Moscow, 2-1, in Russia, but fellow Irish Premier Division side Shelbourne lost badly at home to Serie A club Udinese, 5-1. Northern Irish squad Portadown was also beaten badly at home, losing to Eridivisie club FC Nordsjælland, 4-0. There were several high profile matchups Wednesday night, and more than few upsets as well. It was bad night for the Primera Liga. Barcelona lost to Auxerre in France, 3-0, and Mallorca failed to beat Hungary's Ferencváras at home, drawing them 1-1. Belgian power Club Brugge, which lost its way out of the Champions League, proceeded to freefall, losing 4-0 at home to Russian Premier Division club CSKA Moscow. Outside of Auxerre's big win, La Ligue One didn't have a terrific day either. Marseille was upset 3-0 by Macedonian squad Belsica GC in the Balkans, Bordeaux lost to Portuguese Superleague squad Leiria, 3-1, in Portugal, and Sochaux drew 2-2 with Bosnia & Hercegovina club Zeljeznicar. The Bundesliga also had mixed results Wednesday. While Schalke 04 pounded Cypriot squad APOEL, 6-0, and Kaiserslautern beat Danish side Esbjerg fB, 3-1, Hertha BSC lost on the road to Belarusian squad Dinamo Minks, 3-0, and HSV fell, 2-1, to Czech power Sparta Prague, in addition to Wereder Bremen's close win. The Serie A, like the EPL, swept its matches Wednesday. In addition to the Udinese win over Shelbourne, Parma beat Belgian squad La Louvière, 1-0; Perugia beat Greek National A Division squad Panianos, 3-0; and Italian power Roma beat Romanian side Steaua, 3-1. In other major club matchups, Eridivisie power FC Copenhagen beat fellow Norse club Swedish Premier Division Djurgàrden, 4-2; 2001-02 UEFA Cup champ Feyenoord of the Dutch Premier Division was drawn at home by Ukrainian High League power Dinamo Kiev; Turkish power Galatsaray was also drawn at home, 0-0, by Serbia & Montenegro's Partizan; and Portuguese Superleague power Sporting fell to Greek National A Division side PAOK, 1-0. The second half of the first round leg will take place on October 15 for most matches. The lone exception is Sprak Moscow against Turkish club Malatyaspar, which will be played on October 14. |
SATURDAY, September 27, 2003
Carling Cup Third Round Is Set The Boro Will Play Fellow Premiership Club Southampton Middlesbrough got another big road match in the Carling Cup Friday when they drew Southampton for its third round opponent. The Boro will play the Saints at St. Mary's Stadium on October 29. Thirty-two English clubs found out who and where they would play in the Friday drawing, including the last additions to the competition, the eight Premiership clubs entered in European club competition this season. With these last additions, the field is now set for the run to one of England's three top competitions. The Carling Cup will be awarded in February after five, single-elimination rounds. For as early as it is in the competition, the third round is not without its premier matches. Liverpool hosts Arsenal in the top matchup, with Manchester United drawing a tough opponent at home in Blackburn. In addition to those two matches and the Boro-Saints contest, there are five Premiership squad matchups. Aston Villa hosts Wolverhampton, Fulham will go to Chelsea, Leeds takes on Leicester on the road, Charlton will meet Newcastle at St. James Park, and Everton will play Bolton at home. The more fortunate Premiership sides drew lower division squads, although none of the three got home matches. Manchester City plays Third Division Hull and Tottenham also gets its opponent from the Third Division in Oxford. Portsmouth gets a somewhat stronger opponent in Second Division Queens Park Rangers. The remaining five matchups all involve lower league squads on both sides. The top of those matchups is between two First Division clubs. Watford will visit Nottingham Forest. First Division Crystal Palace will be playing Second Division Brighton on the road, and Stoke City of the First Division will host Second Division Bristol City. Former Premiership side West Bromich Albion travels to play Third Division Cheltenham, while Second Division Sheffield Wednesday--which beat Premiership club Birmingham on penalty kicks in the second round Tuesday--will go to fellow Second Division side Rushden & Diamonds. Liverpool is the current holder of the Carling Cup. |
SATURDAY, September 27, 2003
Leicester (2-1-3) at Middlesbrough (2-1-3) When: 3:00 p.m. Where: The Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough Forecast: 9º C (downpour) Middlesbrough Out: DC Ugo Ehiogu, ML Allan Johnston Leicester Out: GK Danny Coyne, DR Callum Davidson Outlook: The Boro are coming off of a 2-1 win over Sheffield United, which should raise squad spirits, but that won't make the monkeys on their backs any lighter. The club is still scoreless in three straight league matches, and they didn't win any of them. Their last match prior to the Sheffield United contest was a 4-0 blowout at Leeds. Fortunately, Leicester seems to be a very beatable opponent, as a reent promotee to the Premiership. The Foxes have lost as expected in matches with Chelsea and Liverpool, but they surprised Newcastle, drawing them at home in August, and last Saturday they beat Blackburn at home, 4-2. Forward James Scowcraft leads Leicester with four goals, while winger Jordan Stewart has three. Centreback Steve Howey leads the defense, posting a squad-high 7.43 rating. FA Barclaycard Premiership Game of the Round Chelsea (3-0-3) at Liverpool (3-1-2) It is more or less acknowledged that Arsenal and Manchester United are the top two clubs in the league. The next team is up for grabs, though. Liverpool, the traditional holder of that spot, is epxected to be challenged for it by the financially well-supported Blues of Chelsea. Neither side has played nearly as well as expected so far. Although Chelsea has more recently hammered Southampton and Aston Villa, they also have a surprising loss to Bolton on their fixture, in addition to losses to Manchester United and Arsenal. While Liverpool has generally beaten who they were expected to, and even gave Arsenal it's first non-victory with a draw two weeks ago, they are still trying to recover from a surprise season-opening home loss to Leeds. The winner of this match will no doubt have the upper hand to run to the spot behind the top clubs in the Premiership. The Rest of the Matches Bolton at Blackburn Southampton at Fulham Leicester at Middlesbrough Aston Villa at Newcastle Manchester United at Portsmouth Arsenal at Wolverhampton Everton at Birmingham (Sunday) Leeds at Manchester City (Sunday) Charlton at Tottenham (Monday) |
SUNDAY, September 28, 2003
Boro Brings Bad Play Home Squad Reaches New Low By Losing To Leicester At Riverside, 2-1 MIDDLESBROUGH-- They finally scored at least. The Boro ended their three-match league scoreless streak Saturday, but they failed to stop their winless streak, extending that dubious honor to four matches with a 2-1 loss to Leicester in front of 27,504 disappointed Boro supporters at Riverside Stadium. The Foxes, promoted from the First Division this past offseason, outplayed the Boro on their own turf, even as both sides were drenched by a shower for most of the matrch. Leicester outshot Middlesbrough, 11-6, with eight shots on goal to five by the home squad. "We're in a funk right now," interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said. "We need to come to play each day, and right now, we're not doing it." The Foxes scored two goals in the first half to put the Boro back on their heels early. The first score came courtesy of forward James Scowcraft, who put in his squad-leading fifth goal of the season in the 15th minute. The Foxes won a corner after Boro keeper Carlo Nash put a Scowcraft shot over the net. Midfielder Muzzy Izzet sent a high pass directly into the six yard box. Scowcraft jumped in a crowd of Boro markers, including fullbacks Salvatore Fresi and Danny Mills, and midfielder Gaizka Mendieta. Scowcraft got to the pass and headed the ball to the right of Nash, who was just a couple yards away from the group. Nash made a jump and got his fingertips to it, deflecting the ball back out toward the goalbox. Scowcraft jumped to the ball before a Boro defender could get to it and put it into the open right end of the net before Nash could react. "I can't pin that one on Carlo," Kieta said. "That one was all defense. We had three guys right there, and a bunch of others close by. There is absolutely no reason for Scowcraft to get to his own rebound before they should have gotten to it." The second Leicester score came just seconds before the end of the half, when forward Stanley Spencer scored his second goal of the year. Once again, it came off of a corner kick. The corner was set up after centreback Chris Riggott made a superb tackle on Scowcraft as the Leicester forward was making a run to the left post in the penalty area. On the ensuing corner, Izzet sent an in-swerving pass at a wider angle than the pass that set up the Foxes' first score. The ball fall into another group near the right end of the goal box edge. Spencer jumped up with centreback Gareth Southgate and headed the ball to the goal. The ball deflected slightly off of winger Lionel Morgan, though, and bounced past Nash for the second goal of the match. "You can say the first goal wouldn't have happened with a better response from our guys in the box," Kieta said. "That second one could have been nailed down to a fluke deflection. The fact is, you can't give a team this many chances at this level and expect to come away with the win. There might two or three goals in the avergae match, and it can be just a little thing that makes the difference between a win and a loss." The one highlight for the home squad came in the 80th minute, when forward Juninho scored his second goal of the season, and the first league goal by the Boro in a month. The goal was set up by a nice defensive play near the right touchline. Winger Michael Ricketts made a fine tackle on Fox winger Jordan Stewart. Southgate charged into the play and launched a long pass across the pitch toward the right corner of the penalty area. Juninho, reading the play, broke from his marker, centreback John Curtis, and opened a wide lead to get under the pass. Juninho charged into the box from the right and kicked a sharp angled pass at the far post to elude hard-charging Leicester keeper Ian Walker. The shot just caught the edge of the post and went into the net. "It just shows what teamwork can do," Kieta said. "That was a great tackle, a heads-up play by Gareth to get to it, a fine read by Juninho to break open, and a terrific shot." Kieta said he was reaching the point where he would have to only play the guys he could count on to be consistent at their positions. "I am hoping to avoid that, because that means the guys who can't be consistent aren't going to get onto the pitch, and that will unsettle some people," the manager said. "But we can't afford to lose any more matches this way. It can't be about potential anymore or tactical switches. We need definable performances right now. Next week, I think that's the sort of lineup you're going to see." Kieta refused to say which players he had in mind--or which ones weren't making the cut. The Boro will travel to Bolton on Saturday, beginning a rough two-month stretch that includes matches with several of the league's heavyweights, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool. "With an upcoming fixture like that, we're not in an especially comfortable position in the table," Kieta said, noting the Boro had fallen to 17th in the league, just outside of the relegation spots. "Right now, I would call the Bolton match our most significant of the season. We need a win there." Scowcraft received the Man of the Match. Boro Under-19s Edge Out York, 1-0 Forward Tom Orchard is at it again. The 17-year-old forward who scored a hat trick to lead the young Boros to a 4-0 win earlier this month scored the youth squad's only goal in their win over the York Under-19 squad at Bootham Crescent in York on Saturday. Orchard got his goal in the 37th minute, giving him four goals in two matches, and a two-match goal streak. Orchard was selected, but never substituted into a match with Scarborough in between yesterday and his strong performance against Macclesfield. The Boro dominated the match, outshooting York 14-1, and keeping the ball in the home squad's defensive third of the pitch for 31% of the match. York keeper Aaran Reid received the Man of the Match for facing off six shots on goal and only allowing one score. |
SUNDAY, September 28, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Blackburn 2, Bolton 0 The Rovers came into this season as one of the league favorites to end up in Eurpean competition next year, but some solid matches this season have been tarnished by surprise losses to Birmingham and Leicester, the former at home. Saturday they played the way they are expected, dominating the Wanderers at Ewood Park. They outshot Bolton 12-6, and kept the ball in Bolton's defensive third of the pitch for 35% of the match. The Rovers got to work early, when striker Andrew Cole scored his fourth goal of the season in the fourth minute. Forward Matt Jansen got the other score, his third, in the 28th minute. Bolton did put five shots on goal, but couldn't figure out Blackburn keeper Brad Freidel, who got his second clean sheet of the league season. Jansen got the Man of the Match as the Rovers' primary source of offense. Not only did he get a goal, he took six shots, four on goal, went on four runs and drew a foul. Southampton 4, Fulham 1 Fulham is the only league squad to have yet to win or draw a match, losing its first six matches. So it isn't a shock to see Southampton come in and add to the Cottagers' woes. Star striker James Beattie scored his third and fourth goals of the season in the first half to get the Saints rolling. Fulham would get one back when striker Barry Hayles scored in the 59th minute. But it turned out to be a tease, as forward Brett Ormerod scored a twosome of his own in the 66th and 73rd minutes. They were Ormerod's first league scores of the year. The Saints outshot the Cottagers 17-8, and put 11 shots on goal. Beattie received the Man of the Match, with three runs, two drawn fouls and seven shots to add to his two goals. Liverpool 2, Chelsea 2 Both squads had an opportunity to one-up the other to make a move on the top of the table, so it figures that they would instead draw each other and continue to tread water. The Reds will be kicking themselves over this one for a bit. They squandered a two-goal lead when striker Hernán Crespo scored in the 79th minute, and fellow striker Djibril Cissé put up the equaliser in the 87th minute. For Crespo, it was his league-leading sixth goal, while Cissé's score was his first in the Premiership. The squads were as evenly-matched shooting the ball as they were in scoring goals, each side getting off seven shots. Liverpool opened the scoring on a penalty by midfielder Danny Murphy in the 42nd minute, his first of the season. Striker sub Emile Heskey added what was thought to be the clincher in the 65th minute, also his first. Despite playing less than 30 minutes, Heskey got the Man of the Match nod. In his short time, he won 7 of 11 headers, drew three fouls, and took three shots, all on goal (and one in it). Leicester 2, Middlesbrough 1 Following a 4-2 home shellacking of solid Blackburn, the Leicester Foxes are looking much more solid now after Saturday's road win over the Boro. The Foxes outplayed Middlesbrough on its own turf, outshooting them 11-6. Leicester got early goals from striker james Scowcraft, his fifth, in the 15th minute, and another by forward Stanley Spencer, who scored his second of the year with the first half coming to an end in the 45th minute. The nly good news was the Boro broke their three-match league scoreless streak when forward Juninho got his second goal of the season in the 80th minute. It was too little, too late, though. Scowcraft got the Man of the Match award, with the goal, five shots on goal, two runs and two drawn fouls. Aston Villa 2, Newcastle 0 If the Magpies are trying to confuse the observers, consider that mission a success. Just a week after playing Arsenal tough at Highbury and beating Manchester United at home, Newcastle dropped its second odd home match of the season Saturday. The first came in the form of a season-opening loss at St. James Park to Leeds. The Magpies were further hampered in the 55th minute when star centreback Lúcio was sent off for a slide tackle on Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel. Not only did the tackle send the Brazilian defender to the engine roomearly, but it gave the Villans a penalty, which fullback Gareth Barry "buried" for the clinching score. Lúcio may have had a point in taking out Angel. who was on a run to the net when the defender cut him down. Angel was responsible for the Villans first score in the 33rd minute and his second of the season, and the striker also got the Man of the Match award. Angel picked up the goal and an assist on the penalty, in addition to three interceptions and two drawn fouls. Portsmouth 0, Manchester United 0 The Pompey continue to show they are for real. Saturday's non-loss might have been their biggest match of the season yet, holding mighty Manchester United down to a draw. Even more amazing was how they kept the road squad to just three shots, only one on goal. Portsmouth fared little better, with four shots and also just a single shot at the net, in a very defensive match. Despite playing in such a defensive matchup, Pompey striker Yakubu got the Man of the Match, with one tackle, one run, five drawn fouls and a shot on goal. Arsenal 4, Wolverhampton 2 It was a big day for recent promotees from the First Division. No, the Wolves were beaten by the powerful Gunners, but Arsenal needed a second half comeback to pull of the win, on a day when the other two new Premiership sides scored a road victory over Middlesbrough and a tough draw at home against Manchester United. Wolves' striker Henri Camara scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season by the 23rd minute to give the home squad the 2-1 lead. They would make it stick for a good way before star striker Thierry Henry scored his second of the season in the 60th minute to tie it up. Winger Freddie Ljungberg put int he go-ahead a fe wminutes later, and Henry scored again in the 75th minute tp cap the comeback with a clincher. Not surprisingly, the stats showed more dominance than the scoring ont he pitch did, with Arsenal outshooting the Wolves 18-6, although the goal shots was a smaller difference in eight to five. Henry got the Man of the Match, adding to his two goals an assist, a run and three interceptions. Injuries & Suspensions It was a fortunate day for the Premiership, as there were no injuries that go beyond a day-to-day level in Saturday's matches. But then there are the suspensions. The obvious one is to Newcastle's star centreback Lúcio. The brazilian defender was sent off after a rough tackle on Juan Pablo Angel, a striker for Aston Villa, in the 55ht minute. Not only did his removal put the Magpies down a man, but his ill-placed tackle gave the Villans a penalty they converted, essentially putting the match away. Lúcio will automatically miss Newcastle's nest league match. In less obvious suspension news, Wolverhampton fullback Lee Naylor collected his fifth yellow card in the Wolves' match with Arsenal Saturday. The fifth yellow card, of course, carries with it an automatic one-match ban. Naylor has picked up four yellow cards in leeague play, and a fifth during English cup action. Today's Matches Everton at Birmingham Leeds at Manchester City |
MONDAY, September 29, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Everton 2, Birmingham 2 Birmingham got the lead, let it slip away and fell behind, and then they got back even again, just in time to escape their home St. Andrews with a draw with Everton Saturday. The two Blues squads went back-and-forth all match and ended up even in shots, with 11 each, as well as goals. Birmingham midfielder Darren Carter opened the scoring with his first goal of the season in the 10th minute. For a long while it looked like that might stand up, but Everton finally got its act together in the second half. Striker Francis Jeffers scored in the 47th minute to tie it up, and then fullback Alessandro Pistone put the road Blues ahead just two minutes later. They couldn't finish it off, though, as Birmingham striker Stern John scored his match-tying and third goal of the season in the 71st minute. Centreback Mike Duff for Birmingham was sent off with his second yellow card in the 89th minute, but ti was too late for Everton to take advantage. Everton keeper Richard Wright got the Man of the Match for facing off eight Birmingham shots on goal. Manchester City 2, Leeds 0 Leeds played a fairly decent defensive match in keeping City to eight shots, three on goal, at its own place, but it's tough to win if your keeper isn't on. United netminder Paul Robinson wasn't on his game, and he allowed two of three shots to get by him for the difference in this one. City striker Antoine Sibierski scored his third league goal of the season in the 54th minute, breaking a lengthy scoreless draw. Manchester City's defense limited Leeds to just four shots overall to make the goal stand up. City midfielder Claudio Reyna added a goal in the 90th minute to seal the deal. Centreback David Sommell eight tackles, 14 for 16 headers, and five interceptions to lead the defense and earn himself the Man of the Match. Injuries & Suspensions Manchester City striker Robbie Fowler sprained his ankle, but it is a light sprain that is expected to keep him out for just three days. There were no other injuries that aren't ay-to-day. Birmingham centreback Mike Duff was sent off with two yellow cards in the Everton match. He will automatically miss the Blues' next match. There were no other suspensions or send offs from Sunday's matches. Tonight's Match Charlton at Tottenham |
TUESDAY, September 30, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Tottenham 0, Charlton 0 Tottenham may have played its best match of the season so far, and in a pouring rain to boot, but it did them little good. Despite outshooting the Addicks 14-2, and leading the shots-on-goal tally 7-2, the Cockerels couldn't figure out Charlton keeper Dean Kiely. Kiely made sure his own side's lack of offesne wouldn't hurt the squad, taking the Man of the Match award. It was his second clean sheet of the season. It was also Keller's second clean sheet in league play, but he didn't have to work for it nearly as hard. Injuries & Suspensions Charlton midfielder Scott Parker recived his fifth yellow card in league play Monday night, and will have to miss the Addicks' next match. There were no injuries in Monday night's match. FA Barclaycard Premiership Table Code:
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TUESDAY, September 30, 2003
Grimsby To Loan Dove MIDDLESBROUGH-- The Boro announced Monday that reserve forward Craig Dove will be spending the next three months on loan with Second Division Grimsby Town. "Craig han't really been getting a lot of time with the reserves, so we thought this might be a good move for him," interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said. Dove has appeared in just one match for the Boro reserves, going scoreless and getting a 6 rating. The 21-year-old forward has never played for a first team in the English leagues. Kieta wouldn't go into details on the loan contract except to note its length and that Grimsby would be taking on "most" of Dove's £75,000 annual salary during that period. Dove, who has above average physical skills, but has a long way to go in both the technical and mental aspects of the game, is seen as a prospect with decent talent but very far from reaching the Boro first team. Danny Graham and Chris Garbutt have been starting most of the Boro reserves' matches this season. Dove is expected to join Grimsby today, and he will remain there through the end of the calendar year. |
WEDNESDAY, October 1, 2003
Kieta: "Play or Go" Boro Manager Says Players Are Playing For Their Jobs Now MIDDLESBROUGH-- Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta put his foot down Tuesday, and threatened to send players away from the club who don't meet expectations. "These guys are playing for their very livelihood now," Kieta said at his weekly press conference--but first in nearly a month. "Jobs are on the line. I'm going to play the best eleven I have, and everyone else should probably reconsider buying any homes in the area." The tough words from the manager comes three days after the Boro fell at home to recent First Division promotee Leicester, 2-1. The Foxes outplayed the Boro at Riverside Stadium, a week after the Boro were embarassed, 4-0, in a road match at Leeds. Middlesbrough has a four-match winless streak and has scored just one goal in league play since August. The Boro now stand at 17th in the English Premier League, seven matches into the season. They are just outside of one of the three relegation spots in the league table, although it is very early in the season. "Three months," Kieta warned. "The players on this club have three months to show me they deserve to stay. In July, when the last transfer window was open, I was reluctant to make big moves. I wanted to see what I had first. Well, now I am beginning to see what I have, and if it doesn't improve, I am going to go out there and get what I need. And I can't afford to do that unless I move some of the guys here with the club." Kieta refused to say whom he was targeting, saying that all players would be considered on equal footing. That won't stop football observers and media from making some guesses, though. It is thought that strikers Massimo Maccarone and Malcolm Christie might be deemed expendable if their play up front doesn't improve. The play of the forwards has been a key trouble area this season. Others thought to be in some trouble are the formerly transfer-listed Szilard Németh, who may be listed again not for poor performance but simply because he has no defined role with the team; and fullback Franck Queudreu, whom it has been rumored has been the source of some discontent because of his attitude. Even star midfielder and forward Juninho is a possibility, given the likely high transfer fee he would bring to the club. The only player observers seem to agree is safe is midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, the target of a future transfer with his current employer Lazio. Mendieta has been on loan with the Boro since the beginning of the season and has been one of the club's best players this season. The manager said his main concerns remain with the forwards and on the right wing, which has been a swinging door most of the season for starter tryouts, but that he is beginning to be very concerned about the fullback position as well. "I may switch up on tactics again somewhat slightly," Kieta said. "It might be time to bring ina true defensive midfielder, and shrink the backline to three men." That would likely mean more time for midfielder George Boateng, who specializes in defnesive play in the midfield, but might put too much stress on right wing, which would be responsible for running with opposing wingers along the touchlines. Kieta called the upcoming stretch, and particularly Saturday's road match with Bolton "absolutely critical" to the club's success. "I said it Saturday and I will say it again," Kieta said. "We have matches coming up against Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea, the Reds and 'Castle. We have other matches, too, but that's a lot of them right there. We need to get this win, so we can approacht hat stretch with some kind of hope we can get through it and pull this club back into the position its talent should be placing it." Kieta said Mark Schwarzer would start in net for the Boro. The goalkeeper position has also been in flux. Schwarzer was in net for the embarassing Leeds' loss, but Carlo Nash faired little better against Leicester. Boro Reserves Beat Bolton, 3-2 The Boro reserve squad won for the second time ina row and extended to three a loss-less match streak Tuesday, as they beat the Bolton Wanderers' reserve squad, 3-2, at Reebok Stadium in Bolton. Chris Garbutt starred again, scoring two penalty kicks in the eighth and 55th minutes. Garbutt scored a hat trick in the reserve's last match, against Ipswich on September 16. Striker Danny Graham scored the Boros' other goal in the 14th minute, as they took an early 2-0 lead. Bolton would get one back on a score by midfielder Kribib Reda in the 15th minute, but Garbutt's second goal would put the match away. The Boro made theirs count, as Bolton outshot the road side 13-5, including 7-3 in goal shots. Bolton didn't help themselves with 16 fouls, two of which Garbutt converted into goals on penalty. Reda got the Man of the match in a losing cause. In addition to his goal, the midfielder had two tackles, three interceptions, one run, an assist pn Bolton's other goal, and took three shots, two on goal. Forward Jamie Cade suffered a pulled hamstring in the match and will likely be out ten days. Parnaby Headed To Riverside Defensive midfielder Stuart Parnaby was called up from the reserve squad Tuesday, following the conclusion of the reserve side's match with Bolton. "He has played well down there, and I think he might be able to help us," interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said Tuesday. Parnaby, 21, has a 7.40 rating in five matches with the reserve squad this season, and served as its captain. He averaged 2.4 tackles and 3.1 interceptions, and has been very strong in the air, losing just five of 63 aerial challenges. Parnaby might be most useful for the Boro as a fullback, an area that has been troubled for the club recently. He can also play centreback, which might come into play if the club switches to a three-man backline. Parnaby isn't very quick, but he is a tough, strong defender who plays smart and has reasonable technical skills. He appaered in 21 matches for the Boro first team last year, going scoreless. Last month, the defender complained about his exclusion from the top club, but backed off of his comments when Kieta told him he would "call him when he's ready." |
WEDNESDAY, October 1, 2003
Chelsea, Man U Have Bad Night At Champions Chelsea Loses On The Road, While The Red Devils Draw At Old Trafford This isn't likely to be a day most English football fans will like to remember. Premiership sides Chelsea and Manchester United failed to get wins Tuesday night when their Champions League group fixtures began again. Chelsea dropped a 3-1 tally to Serie A power Juventus, while United was surprised by Locomotiv Moscow at home, drawing with them, 0-0. In Torino, Italy, Chelsea got an early score from striker Adrian Mutu in the fifth minute, but they were unable to add anything to it the rest of the match. In fact, Juventus allowed Chelsea to take just six total shots, with only two on goal. Even Mutu's score only tied the match after Juventus defensive midfielder Stephen Appiah opened things with a goal in the second minute. Fullback Alessandro Birindelli scored the go ahead in the 31st minute, and forward Alessandro del Piero finished the Blues off with a 71st minute score. Altogether, Juventus took 15 shots, and put nine on goal. At Old Trafford, Manchester United was expecting to get an easy win against Lokomotiv Moscow, which is not considered to be anywhere near United's talent level. Instead, the Red Devils were treated to a hot goalkeeper. Sergey Ovchinnikov faced off seven shots on goal, and 12 overall, to preserve a scoreless draw for his side. Lokomotiv Moscow took just three shots all match, and had just one shot on goal. United controlled the ball in the Russian Premier Division club's defensive third of the pitch for an amazing 40% of the match. Ovchninnikov, of course, receied the Man of the Match award for his work in net. Making it an all around bad day for the British Isles, Scottish Premier Division power Rangers fell, 3-0, to Panathanaikos, or PAO, of the Greek National A Division in Athens. The Greek squad dominated the Scottish side, outshooting them 18-5, and allowing just one shot on goal. Juventus' win over Chelsea gives the Italian power early control of Group F, after beating Portuguese Superleague squad Porto in the Champions League group fixture opener. Porto moves into a tie with Chelsea after beating Greek National A Division squad AEK. In Group G, Lokomotiv Moscow's draw of the Red Devils is actually its second surprise so far, after beating Primera Liga at home in September. That puts it in a first place tie with United in the group. Celta is just a step behind with a win and a loss after beating Bundesliga squad VfB Stuttgart Tuesday. The Rangers' loss spoils a diamond opportunity for them in Group E. The Scottish power drew 2001-02 Champions League holder and superpower Real Madrid at home. The loss to PAO, though, puts them third in the group. Real Madrid beat Dutch power Ajax to move up to second, while PAO is the surprise group leader with two wins. Group H was the only group in action that didn't include a club from the British Isles. Serie A power Inter took early control of the group when they secured their second win with a 3-1 victory over La Ligue One squad Lyon. Lyon is now tied with Austria Vienna after the Austrian Premier Division squad beat BBundesliga power Dortmund, 3-0. Dortmund is a surprising 0-2 to start off the group fixture. Play resumes in Groups E, F, G and H on October 21. The first four groups of the Champions League, Groups A, B, C and D, will be in action tonight, including Arsenal and Newcastle. The Champions League is Europe's most prestigious club competition. The current group stage features eight groups of four clubs each, with the top two clubs moving on to the competition playoffs. |
Way to put 'em players in their place! :D
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I'm serious, too, darnit! :) I go all around the league all the time and see players I like or that can help me, and their pricetags just aren't that bad. If it's true that I get 75% of transfer fees back into my transfer funds, I can make some decent funds available by moving some of these guys, funds I can use to get the kind of guys I am looking for. No more waiting for a decent right wing to emerge, or trying to decide if I can find a fullback besides Queudreu to play on the left, or seeing other teams' strikers seem so unstoppable while my guys tread water. Those guys are out there, so these guys are duly noted. CR |
THURSDAY, October 2, 2003
New Day, Same Results Arsenal Draws At Home, Newcastle Falls On The Road Arsenal was drawn by Lazio on Wednesday, and Newcastle lost badly to Primeral Liga squad Real Sociedad in Spain, repeating the results of Premiership sides in the Champions League from Tuesday night. On Tuesday, Manchester United was surprised at home by Lokomotiv Moscow, drawing 0-0 with them, while Chelsea fell to Serie A power Juventus in Torino, Italy. Arsenal has been virtually untouchable so far this league season, but that doesn't apparently apply to Lazio, which drew the powerful Gunners, 1-1, at Highbury. Forward Stefano Fiore scored for Lazio in the 31st minute, putting the Gunners on their heels. They didn't tie it up until winger Robert Pires scored in the 67th minute. Arsenal probably deserved better--they outshot Lazio, 12-6, and 8-5 in shots on goal. In San Sebastián, Spain, Newcastle fell victim to Real Sociedad's Nihat. The Turkish forward scored the hat trick, with goals in the 30th, 51st and 53rd minutes. Fullback Augustín Aranzabal added the fourth, which turned out to be the match-winner, in the 38th minute. The Magpies got a 35th minute score from winger Laurent Robert to tie it up at one, but they were unable to make it stick. Starting Newcastle keeper Shay Given, in particular, had a bad day. The defense limited Real Sociedad eight shots overall, with just five on goal, but Given stopped just one of the shots that hit the net. Newcastle actually matched Real Sociedead's eight shots and outshot them on goal with six. Scottish Premier Division Celtic didn't help itself much either, drawing at home, 2-2, to Greek National A Division side Olympiakos--and they need an injury time score to even get that. Striker Chris Sutton scored in the 90th minute to spoil the upset attempt by Olympiakos. The Greek club got scores from forward Giovanni and striker Labros Choutos, while midfielder Neil Lennon got Celtic's other score. As in the Newcastle match, the two sides had matching shot totals, at 10 apiece. Olympiakos put six on goal, though, to Celtic's four. The draw at Highbury left Arsenal and Lazio in a first place tie in Group A. Cletic and Olympiakos are likewise tied at the back end of the group after their draw. In Group B, surprising Urkrainian High League squad Shakhtar moved to the top, after a road draw with La Ligue One side Monaco. They have a win and a draw. Real Sociedad and Newcastle are tied in second with a win and a loss, while Monaco brings up the rear with a draw and loss. There were two other groups in Europe's most prestigious club competition in action Wednesday night that did not include any teams from the British Isles. In Group C, everyone is tied with a win and a loss after Anderlecht beat PSV in a Lower Countries matchup, while Portuguese Superleague squad Benfica defeated Bundesliga power FC Bayern. Anderlectht won 3-0, while Benfica took their match 2-1. Group D is all AC Milan right now. The defending Champions League holder won its second match in the group fixture, beating Primera Liga squad Deportivo, 2-0, on Wednesday. Rosenborg got its second draw to put itself in second in the group. The Norwegian side tied with Turkish power Besiktas, 1-1. Groups A, B, C and D will return to action October 22, a day after the four other groups in the competition resume play. The current group stage of the Champions League features eight groups of four clubs each, with the top two clubs moving on to the competition playoffs. |
THURSDAY, October 2, 2003
Mendieta Receives Recognition For Tottenham Goal MIDDLESBROUGH-- The English Football Association announced the first monthly awards of the new season on Wednesday, and Boro midfielder Gaizka Mendieta was on the roll call. The midfielder received recognition when his second score against Tottenham in Middlesbrough's season opener was named the Goal of the Month. Mendieta, who was particularly brilliant that day in scoring two of the Boro's three goals, struck a curling shot from beyond the penalty area that just skirted the left post for a score from some 30 yards out on the play for which he was given the award. Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane's goal against the Wolves on September 20, and Chelsea striker Hernán Crespo's strike versus Southampton on the same day, were given the second and third awards for goals of the month. The FA gave out much more prestigious awards on Wednesday, though. Crespo not only won a goal award for the third best goal of the month, but he also received the English premier Division Player of the Month award for September. The Argentinian star, playing in the Premiership for the first time this year, scored six goals in seven appearances. He drew 16 fouls and had a league-leading 8.29 rating. Newcastle midfielder Jermaine Jenas received the Young Player of the Month. The 20-year-old continues to establish himself as an up-and-coming young star. Since the season opener, Jenas has posted a 7.43 rating in seven appearances, along with a goal, an assist, a four tackles-per-match average, and nine drawn fouls. The Manager of the Month award went to Manchester City's Kevin Keegan. City has been one of the surprises of the early season. They currently stand at third in the league table with a 4-2-1 record, and a goal differential of +5. |
THURSDAY, October 6, 2003
English League & British Isle Round Up There are other leagues besides the English Premier Division, after all. Here's a look at the tables of the lower English professional leagues, and the top leagues throughout the British Isles. First Division Nottingham Forest has simply been dominating in the early going. In eight matches, they have five wins and three draws for a table-topping 18 points. They are tied by Gillingham, which has actually won more matches, six, but unlike Forest, they have actually lost a couple games. Nottingham has a commanding +13 goal differential. West Bromich Albion is the only former Premiership side in line for the playoffs at the moment. They sit at third with 16 points. Milwall is fourth with 15 points, and Crewe and Burnley round out the six playoff spots, with 14 points each. Crewe has the second best goal differential in the league with +9. They are particularly notable for having just been elevated to the First Division this season. Sunderland, another former Premiership squad, also has 14 points, but loses out on goal differential. Last season's third place finisher Sheffield United is off the mark so far, with 12 points. Forest forwards Marlon Harewood and David Johnson have been incredible, scoring nine and eight goals apiece to easily distance themselves from the rest of the division. Second Division Considering they beat Bormingham in the Carling Cup a week ago, it should come as no surprise that Sheffield Wednesday leads this division with 24 points in nine matches. They lead the division with eight wins. Brighton might be the best team, though. They are second with 23 points, are the only team to have avoided losing so far, and they have a second-best +15 goal differential. Barnsley is the least impressive of the six playoff squads with a +9 goal differential. Nevertheless, they have played themselves into third with six wins and 20 points. Colchester, with 18 points, might have an argument for being the best squad, with a division-best +16 goal differential. They have the best offense in the league, lead by pthe division's best player so far in Portsmouth loan Rowan Vine. Vine leads the division with 11 goals and an 8.33 rating. Rich Rushden & Diamonds and Chesterfield round out the playoff spots with 17 points apiece. Rushden was just promoted from the Third Division. Third Division Three sides in particular have really stood out in the early going..Table-topping Cheltenham has 24 points in nine matches. Cheltenham has eight wins so far and the division's best defense, with just three goals allowed, courtesy of goalkeeper Steve Book, with six clean sheets already. Cheltenham also has a good scorer in striker Paul Brayson, with seven goals so far, and are second in the elague with a +17 goal differential. Hull isn't too far behind, with 23 points and a +15 goal differential. They also get it done with defense, allowing just five goals in nine league matches. Keeper Colin STewart has allowed just three goals in six matches, with four clean sheets. Hull is led by the top threesome in the league, ratings-wise. Forwards Danny Alsopp (seven goals, five assists, 8.22 rating) and Stuart Elliot (two goals, 8.00 rating) lead the ofense, while defender Dasmien Delaney (two goals, 7.89 rating) runs the backline. The best offense in the division belongs to Cambridge, sitting in fourth with 18 points. Cambridge has scored 25 goals, five more than the next two sides (Cheltenham and Hull), and they also have the third best defense with just six goals conceded. Their +19 goal differential leads the division. Forward Dave Kitson (seven goals, six assists, 7.56 rating) stars on the front line, while midfielder Justin Walker (four goals, two assist, 7.63 rating) might be their best player. Northampton is in third with 20 points, but their much slimmer +7 goal differential doesn't inspire confidence. Bury is tied with Cambridge with 18 points. In the sixth and seventh playoff spots, Doncaster and Leyton Orient have 17 points each. Leyton Orient looks especially iffy, though--their goal differential in -2. Torquay forward David Graham leads the division with nine goals, with Doncaster's veteran striker Leo Fortune-West is second with eight goals, and he also has the fourth-best rating at 7.89. Doncaster was elevated to the Third Division this past season. Nationwide Conference Scarborough leads the way with 24 points in 10 matches, a division-best +15 goal differential, and the second-best offense in the league with 26 goals. They are led by forwards Mark Quayle (five goals, 8.50 rating) and Chris Senior (five goals, 7.63 rating). Scarborough is the only club which has yet to lose. Barnet has some strong star power in their division-leading 30 goals of offense, though. They sit in second with 23 points and a +14 goal differential. Striker Ben Strevens leads all of English professional football with 13 goals. He also has three assists, five Man-of-the-Match awards, and a 7.90 rating. Fellow striker Giuliano Grazioli (eight goals, eight assists, 7.80 rating) has been bearly as deadly. Shrewsbury and Halifax are tied for third with 21 points. They are also the two best defensive sides, so far, with seven goals allowed apiece. Shrewsbury gets the edge with a +12 goal differential, to Halifax's +10. Shrewsbury gets great scoring from forward Colin Cramb (nine goals, three assists) Chester rounds out the Conference's five playoff spots with 18 points and a +7 goal differential. Morecambe has been the Conference's most disappointing club. The team which placed second in the division last year and just missed out on promotion in the playoffs has fallen to 20th and a relegation spot. They have just six points and just one win so far. Telford's striker Lee Mills (eight goals, four Man-of-the-Match awards, 8.67 rating) has been toiling for a squad in the middle of the table so far. British Isle Top Leagues Scottish Premier Division It's early yet, but, surprisingly, Rangers, the division's defending champions, are not among the leaders eight matches into the season. The traditional Scottish power is sitting at seventh right now, with 10 points and just three wins so far. Overall, they have a +1 goal differential. Of course, where one may have faltered, the other is doing just fine. Celtic sits atop the Scottish Premier Division with 17 points and a division-best +10 goal differential. Celtic has the best offense and second-best defense in the league currently, with 17 goals scored and just seven conceded. Celtic's defense is led by Stanislav Varga (two goals, two assists, division-leading 8.17 rating), the SPD Player of the Month in September. Superstar striker Henrik Larsson (four goals, 7.63 rating) leads an offense with several different quality options. The surprise second place sides are Kilmarnock and Dundee United, both with 15 points and +7 goal differentials. Kilmarnock has the second best offense and one of the better defenses, led by leading division scorer and striker Paul di Giacomo (five goals, 7.38 rating). He is supported by fellow striker Kris Boyd (four goals), midfielder Gary McDoanld (five assists, 7.75 rating) and defender Peter Canero (one goal, four assists, 7.75 rating), the last of whom will be joining Leicester in a future transfer in January. Dundee United is the best defensive side in the division so far, with just five goals conceded. The head of the defense is Scott Paterson (7.88 rating), the August Player of the Month in the SPD. Goalkeeper Paul Gallacher has five clean sheets in eight matches. Dundee sits just behind United and Kilmarnock with 14 points and a +1 goal differential. Dundee has the third-best offense in the league with 15 goals, but needs work on defense (14 goals conceded). Striker Steven Milne (four goals, one assist, 8.00 rating) leads the offense, with playmaker midfielder Garry Brady (one goal, division-leading six assists, 7.75 rating) in support. Welsh Premier League Total Network Solutions, which just gave Bundesliga power Werder Bremen all it could handle in the UEFA Cup competition last week, leads the Welsh Premier League with 15 points in six matches. Their +8 goal differential gives them the edge over Welshpool, which also have 15 points, but a +14 goal differential. TNS finished in second in the division last season. Port Talbot Town sits in third place with 13 points and a division second-best +5 goal differential. Bangor City, one of a handful of Welsh squads with a match in hand on most of the other squads, could leap past Port Talbot Town when the sides have played equal fixtures. Last year's third place squad has the division's best defense so far, sits in fourth place with 11 points and is the only club that has yet to lose in league play. The surprise of the season so far is defending champion and traditional Welsh power Barry Town. They have a shocking four losses in six matches, including a division-worst -11 goal differential. Their 15th placement leaves them just outside of relegation. Northern Irish League Premier Division The boys in Northern Ireland have just begun play, two matches into the season. Glentoran are the defending champions, with Portadown the runner-up. Irish Premier Division As usual, the Irish do it their own way. Their top league runs furthest from the English league and has been in its fixture since April. The league playoffs will be run in December. Cork City tops the table with 52 points in 26 matches. Cork has a league-leading totals of 45 goals and a +20 goal differential. Forwards Kevin O'Doyle (league-leading 13 goals, 7.24 rating) and George O'Callaghan (nine goals, one assist, 7.00 rating) are leading a versatile offense with several quality options. The defense is led by centreback Daniel Murray (one goal, five assists, 7.31 rating), who also does more than his share on offense. Irish power and defending champions Bohemians sit in second place with 48 points, and they have the advantage of having played in two less matches than Cork City. The Bohemians are tied with St. Pat's Athletic in offense with 40 goals and have the league's best defense with 23 goals conceded. Their +17 goal differential is second behind Cork City. Goalkeeper Séamus Kelly has 10 clean sheets in 24 appearances. The offense is led by forward Glen Crowe (eight goals, 7.29 rating), winger Bobby Ryan (seven goals, six assists, 7.17 rating) and midfielder Stephen Caffrey (four goals, eight assists, 7.26 rating). Another traditional power in Shelbourne sits in third with 44 points in 24 matches. Shelbourne has a +11 goal differential, and the second-best defense in the league with 24 goals conceded. Winger Richie Baker (four goals, league-leading 11 assists, 7.46 rating) isd the playmaker that keys an offense with four different players with four or more goals scored. St. Patrick's Athletic and the Shamrock Rovers are tied at fifth with 41 points. St. Pat's Athletic is tied with Bohemians for second in offense with 40 goals, and has a +11 goal differential in 25 matches. For all its offense, St. Pat's best pest players might be fullback Keith Foy (one goal, 10 assists, 7.46 rating) and centreback Colm Foley (three goals, one assist, 7.26 rating). Striker Gary McPhee (nine goals, one assist) and forward David Freeman (seven goals) lead the offense. The Rovers may be in the best position, as they are in a tie for fourth place with just 22 matches played. Their goal differential, though, is a more pedestrian +6. Strikers Tony Grant (12 goals, 7.00 rating) and Trevor Malloy (10 goals, one assist, 7.00 rating) form the best pair of forwards in the league, and winger Shane Robinson (7 assists, league-leading 7.55 rating) feeds them the ball. |
THURSDAY, October 2, 2003
European League Round Up Here is a look around at some of the top European leagues in action so far. Two of the very best, Italy's Serie A and Spain's Primera Liga, however, will not be reviewed here yet, as they are only four and five matches into their seasons, respectively. Bundesliga--German First Division Dortmund is off and running. Last year's third place finisher is dominating in the early going of the Bundesliga's First Division. They have yet to lose a match in seven contests so far, and have a goal differential of +16, and 21 points, with a five-point lead. To show how far better they are right now, consider that second place Hertha BSC has a goal differential of +7--and that's the second-best total in the division. Not surprisingly, Dortmund's goals scored (21) and conceded (five) both lead the division. Dortmund's strong start has hidden a solid run by Hertha BSC. They have the second best offense (16 goals) and are tied for the second best defense (nine goals conceded). Their 16 points is almost as much ahead of the rest of the pack--four points--as Dortmund is ahead of them. Two of Germany's traditional superpowers are involved ina three-way tie for third. Levekusen and defending Bundesliga champion FC Bayern both sit at 12 points, with HSV also tied for the position. Leverkusen's +4 goal differential gives them the edge over the other two. They are tied with Hertha BSC for the second-best defense in the division. FC Bayern hasn't been nearly as dominating as usual. They have a +2 goal differential to open the season and already have three losses in seven matches. Their ten goals conceded remains one of the better ndefensive numbers in the league, which doesn't surprise considering they have world-reknowned German star Oliver Kahn in net. HSV has a +1 goal differential to bring up the rear of the 12-point squds. VfB Stuttgart, last year's second place finisher, is off to a poor start, sitting in 13th with eight points and a -3 goal differential. La Ligue One--French First League Two clubs sit atop the table in France's top league, but neither of them finished in the top three last year. Bordeaux and Rennes are tied for first place with 19 points after nine matches. They are getting it done with defense, as they are tied with Ajaccio for the league lead with nine goals conceded. Bordeaux in particular is getting it done on both ends. The club is also the best in the league in offense, with 21 goals scored, and has a league-leading +12 goal differential. Fullback David Jemmali (two goals, one assist, 7.00 rating) and goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé (two clean sheets, nine goals conceded, 7.00 rating) lead the defense, while striker Darcheville (four goals, one assist, 7.33 rating) and midfielder Eduardo Costa (two goals, three assists, 7.11 rating) head the offense. Rennes isn't as good on offense (18 goals scored, +9 goal differential overall), but it's the only La Ligue One squad that hasn't lost yet this season. Goalkeeper Petr Cech (three clean sheets, nine goals conceded, 7.13 rating) has been the best keeper in the league so far, and Lyon import forward Tony Vareilles (five goals, three assists, 7.67 rating) is keying a solid offense, with help from winger Philippe Delaye (one goal, three assists, 7.67 rating). Three clubs are drawn even for third place at 18 points. By goal differential, the best of the bunch is Montpelier, at +8. Montpelier is also second in the league in scoring with 20 goals. Forward Andrés Mendoza (four goals, 7.57 rating) leads the way up front for Montpelier, where he is given aid by one of the better midfields in France, which includes midfielder Bruno Carotti (one goal, three assists, 7.50 rating) and winger Geoffrey Doumeng (three goals, three assists, 7.00 rating). Montpelier is tied with Monaco, which finished in second last season, and Sochaux. Monaco has a +6 goal differential, and one of the best offenses with 18 goals scored. Real Madrid loan striker Fernando Morientes (five goals, one assist, 7.56 rating) hasd made a quick impact. He is helped by winger Ludovic Giuly (two goals, three assists, 7.63 rating). Sochaux doesn't look nearly as strong for being tied for third. They have just a +1 goal differential. Sochaux is led by forward Pierre-Alain Frau (five goals, one assist, 7.56 rating) and midfielder Benoît Pedretti (league-leading six assists, 7.67 rating). Last year's champion Lyon remains a dangerous club in seventh place, with a +5 goal differential that ranks ahead of all but the top four sides. Paris-SG hasn't started off so well (14th, 10 points, -2 GD), but they are a squad to watch with former Bordeaux star striker Pauleta (league-leading seven goals, 7.56 rating), winger Edson Araújo (three assists, league-leading 7.89 rating) and Cruzeiro-loan fullback Juan Pablo Sorin (two goals, five assists, league-leading 7.89 rating). Greek National A Division Like the other major warm weather leagues in Italy and Spain, Greece has just gotten underway and are only five matches into the season. Olympiakos, which is causing Celtic problems in the Champions League, is the defending champion of Greece's top division. Portuguese Superleague When talking about the Superleague, it's easy to figure Porto, Sporting and Benfica are leading the league, and that isn't far from the truth early this season. The difference this year, though, at least so far, is that Vitória Guimarâes has leapfrogged the Big Three. Vitória Sport Club is one of just two sides which have yet to lose, through seven matches. The club is playing the best defense in the league so far, with just five goals conceded, and they have 17 points to lead the league. Their +5 goal differential is third best in the league. The Big Three follow shortly. Porto, the defending Superleague and UEFA Cup champion, and Benfica even have the exact same records, 5-1-1, and goal differential, +7. They are just behind Vitória Sport Club with 16 points each. Porto has the best offense in the league (18 goals), while Benfica has the second-best defense (nine goals conceded) to go along with the second-best offense, at 16 goals. Sporting sits in fourth with 12 points, but haven't been as solid to start the season, winning just three of their first seven matches. They have a +3 goal differential and the third best offense in the league at 15 goals scored. Nacional de Madeira sits in fifth, and is the only other Portuguese side without a loss. The difference is that Nacional de Madeira has been involved in five draws already, to go along with two wins. They have a +3 goal differential and 11 points. Dutch Premier Division This usually comes down a two-side race between Ajax and PSV, and neither club is waiting too long to get started. Seven matches into the league season, Ajax leads the division with 19 points, and PSV is just behind it with 17 points. The two Dutch superpowers are the only squads that have yet to lose. Ajax has one more win than PSV, given it the edge in the early going. Ajax has been phenomenal on defense, allowing just two goals to lead the division in defense. Their 16 goals is good for second in the division in offense as well, to go along with a +14 goal differential, even with PSV. PSV leads the league in offense with 18 goals, and isn't much worse than AJax defensively, with just four goals conceded. The goal numbers and differential show a big difference, but the season hasn't gone long enough for the top two clubs to pull away yet. Third place belongs to Herenveen with 14 points. Although their 11 goals isn't too impressive, Herenveen's seven goals conceded is good for third in the league. FC Utrecht and RKC round out the top five at 12 points each. Utrecht has the third best goal differential with +6 and ranks among league leaders in both offense and defense, while RKC has gotten by more on defense and moxie, with a -1 goal differential. The actual story of the early season might be the disappointing performance of Feyenoord. Last season's third place finisher, Feyenoord won the UEFA Cup in 2001-02 and looked like it would be joining Ajax and PSV atop the division as the top dogs. The club is scoring well, with 15 goials, and their goal differential of +3 is respectable, but a somewhat loose defense (12 goals conceded) has kept them in eighth place with 10 points. Turkish Premier Division After a year when they fell out of the top three, Turkish power Fenerbahçe seems to want to return to the top of the table. They are leading the division in the early going with 22 points and a second=best +11 goal differential. They have the third best offense with 20 goals and are tied with two other squads for the best defense, with nine goals conceded. The squad is led by striker Akin Serhat (league-leading six goals, one assist, 7.89 rating), winger Aslan Kemal (two goals, four assists, league-leading 8.25 rating) and Bursaspor transfer winger Alkan Ender (two goals, six assists, league-leading 8.25 rating). That's right, it's the Akin, Aslan and Alkan show. Traditional power Galatsaray sits in second place with 20 points. The Turkish superpower leads the league with 23 goals and is one of the two clubs tied with Fenerbahçe for the league-lead on defense, with nine goals conceded. Obviously, it has a division-best +14 goal differential. Former Blackburn striker Hakan Sukur (league-leading six goals, three assists, 8.13 rating) has settled into the Turkish Premier Division just fine. He gets support from Inter loan winger Buruk Okan (three goals, league-leading seven assists, 7.88 rating) and forward Hasan Sas (three goals, four assists, 7.75 rating). Gençlerbirligi finished last season in third place and seems content to move back to that spot this year. They are tied with Trabzonspor with 16 points, and gain the edge with a +7 goal differential. Gençlerbirligi has the second-best offense in the league, with 21 goals scored. Forwards Souleymane Youla (five goals, 7.38 rating) and Cihan Veysel (four goals, two assists, 7.38 rating) do the work up front while winger Marcel Mbayo (one goal, five assists, 7.63 rating) and midfielder Balci Serkan (three goals, three assists, 7.63 rating) deliver the passes. Trabzonspor hasn't been as impressive in their matches, but have won enough to stay tied for third. They have a +4 goal differential. Forwards Yilmaz Mehmet (five goals, 7.63 rating) and Augustine (five goals, 7.38 rating) lead a strong offense. One club to watch is fifth place Besiktas, the defending champion. With a +6 goal differential that is better than all but four clubs, they are still a threat to keep an eye on. They are the third squad that has allowed a league-low nine goals, along with Fenerbahçe and Galatsaray, and their 15 goals scored isn't bad either. Goalkeeper Oscar Córdoba (three clean sheets, nine goals conceded, 7.13 rating) leads the defense. A playmaking midfield led by wingers Uzulmez Ibrahim (one goal, five assists, 7.25 rating) and Koç Okan (3 assists, 7.13 rating) helps run an offense that goes through striker Ilhan Mansiz (four goals, one assist, 7.63 rating). Other League Leaders Belgian First Division 1st Club Brugge (6-1-0, +16, 19 pts) 2nd Standard (4-3-0, +8, 15 pts) 3rd Anderlecht (5-0-2, +7, 15 pts) Czech First Division 1st Sparta Prague (8-1-0, +13, 25 pts) 2nd Banik Ostrava (6-2-1, +11, 20 pts) 3rd Brno (5-2-2, +4, 17 pts) Swiss Super League 1st Basel (7-2-2, +12, 23 pts) 2nd Servette (6-3-2, +1, 21 pts) 3rd Thun (5-2-4, 0, 17 pts) Ukrainian High League 1st Dinamo Kiev (12-0-0, +28, 36 pts) 2nd Chornomorets (8-1-3, +16, 25 pts) 3rd Shakhtar (7-2-3, +13, 23 pts) Israeli Premier League The IPL is just three matches into its season. Austrian Premier Division 1st Rapid Vienna (11-0-2, +14, 33 pts) 2nd Austria Vienna (8-2-3, +14, 26 pts) 3rd Salzburg (7-2-3, +3, 23 pts) Polish First Division 1st Lech (4-2-1, +3, 14 pts) 2nd Wisla Plock (4-1-2, +5, 13 pts) 3rd Legia (4-1-2, +4, 13 pts) Russian Premier Division 1st CSKA Moscow (18-3-4, +29, 57 pts) 2nd Lokomotiv Moscow (18-3-3, +29, 57 pts) 3rd Krylja Sovetov (13-7-5, +9, 46 pts) Serbia & Montenegro First Division 1st Red Star (7-0-1, +13, 21 pts) 2nd Vojvodina (6-0-2, +10, 18 pts) 3rd Partizan (5-2-1, +11, 17 pts) Norwegian Premier Division *-- clinched division championship 1st Rosenborg* (19-1-3, +29, 58 pts) 2nd Stabæk (12-4-7, +10, 40 pts) 3rd Tromso (10-8-5, +11, 37 pts) Croatian First Division 1st Hajduk (6-2-1, +13, 20 pts) 2nd Rijeka (6-2-1, +9, 20 pts) 3rd Dinamo (6-1-2, +8, 19 pts) Swedish Premier Division 1st AIK (18-1-4, +27, 55 pts) 2nd IFK Göteborg (14-6-3, +18, 48 pts) 3rd Halmstad (12-4-7, +11, 40 pts) Danish Eredivisie 1st Brondby (9-0-2, +15, 27 pts) 2nd Odense Boldklub (7-2-2, +10, 23 pts) 3rd FC Nordsjælland (5-3-3, +6, 18 pts) |
Woohoo! Nice roundup. No Spanish reports, though?
By the way, did the game do these roundups for you or did you manually do them yourself? |
I did them myself. Yeah, it took a while, but it was actually fun, because I don't know many of these teams from any other teams. I am beginningto recognize the names of the best ones from even the smaller leagues, though, which is cool.
You might have missed it up at the top of the European league round up. I said I would hold off on doing the Primera Liga and Serie A because they are too early in their fixtures (4-5 matches). I'll get to them next time. In fact, they will be at the top of the list. :) If you're wondering how I listed the leagues in the order I did, I went straight down the UEFA coefficients page, figuring the "best" leagues are at the top and the lower leagues at the bottom. CR |
D'oh! My bad. I did missed it. I was too eager and started reading the roundups right away.
Sorry about that. :) Good reads, though. :) |
SATURDAY, October 4, 2003
Middlesbrough (2-1-4) at Bolton (2-2-3) When: 3:00 p.m. Where: Reebok Stadium, Bolton Forecast: Middlesbrough Out: DC Ugo Ehiogu, ML Allan Johnston Bolton Out: DC Florent Laville, MC Gareth Farrelly, MC Jay Jay Okocha Outlook: While the Wanderers' last match was a 2-0 loss to Blackburn last week, they were on a solid run before that, with a four-match nonloss streak, including their Carling Cup win over Scunthorpe. They haven't shown themselves to be a very strong offensive side, with just seven goals in league play, nor better than mediocre defensively, with 11 goals conceded. But any team is tough at home, and the Boro aren't exactly playing at top form either. Middlesbrough is working on a four-match non-win streak in league play, stretching back to their last victory, a 3-1 tally over Fulham in August. Midfielder Juninho's 80the minute goal ina 2-1 loss to Leicester last week was the Boro's first goal since that Fulham match. Both teams come in pretty beat up with serious injuries. Jay Jay Okocha will be ready to return soon, but isn't quite ready for this one. FA Barclaycard Premiership Game of the Round Blackburn (4-1-2) at Manchester United (4-1-2) Considering they lost two of their first seven matches, they were drawn in their last match by recent First Division promotee Portsmouth, and they were shocked by Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League, drawing at Old Trafford with the Russian Premier Division squad, United isn't exactly playing at top form so far this season. Of course, a bad season for them so far still has them in fourth. Still, this is a statement game for the Red Devils, who wlecome upstart top-five contender Blackburn to Old Trafford today. Blackburn is actually tied with Manchester United, behind only in goal differential, so the winner of this match will have a leg up on the competition to break into the league's top three. The Rovers are playing well, with four wins in their past six matches and just one loss, a 4-2 drop to Leicester on September 20. This match is as much an opportunity for them as it is a must-win for Man U. The Rest of the Matches Portsmouth at Arsenal Wolverhampton at Aston Villa Middlesbrough at Bolton Birmingham at Charlton Newcastle at Chelsea Fulham at Everton Tottenham at Leeds Manchester City at Leicester Liverpool at Southampton |
SUNDAY, October 5, 2003
It Worked! Kieta's Threats Find A Receptive Audience As Boro Roll Wanderers, 3-0 BOLTON-- Maybe the roster isn't going to be shipped out so quickly after all. Four days after interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta threatened the team with an all-around transfer, the squad showed him they might have some guys he would want to keep when they made their scoring chances work against Bolton, 3-0, Saturday. It wasn't nearly as flawless as the score would seem, as Bolton outshot the Boro, generally controlled the ball and forced goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to make six saves in front of 26,564 at Reebok Stadium, but Middlesbrough made good on three of its four shots on goal. "I don't feel we dominated this match like I think we could, but it's hard to argue with results," Kieta said after the match, which elevated the Boro to 13th in the English Premier League, while dropping Bolton to 18th and a relegation spot. Although the scoring chances were few, they were high quality, as the Boro used an adjusted tactic and good midfield play to break off a number of one-on-one opportunities with their strikers and Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jääskeläinen. Rather than go with the 4-4-2 Attack, the Boro took off the fullbacks, added another centreback in front of the box, and employed a defensive midfielder for the first time this season. Early returns seem good. "I think this [tactic] might better suit this squad," Kieta said. "We aren't deep at fullback and we have some talent issues there as well. But we have a lot of centrebacks and midfielders, which are heavy needs in this new tactic. Plus, it allows me to get [defensive midfielder George] Boateng on the pitch more." The steady Boateng was a regular player with the Boro last season, but has found himself on the bench more often this year in favor of more offensive midfielders. Boateng specializes in controlling the back end of the middle of the pitch. On Saturday, Boateng was one of several players to play well for Middlesbrough, garnering a 7 rating, a tackle, three interceptions and even a run. It was his second start and fifth appearance of the league season. The Boro got going early in the match, in the 11th minute. After centreback Gareth Southgate headed a Wanderers' clear out pass toward winger Boudewijn Zenden at the halfway line fifteen yards from the left touchline, the Dutch winger moved across the line through a seam in Bolton's defense. He nudged the ball forward to midfielder Stewart Downing, a winger who was getting a shot at one of the middle spots this match. Downing took the ball and charged the rest of the way toward the penalty area. Fullback Danny Livesey was marking Downing, and forced the midfielder to kick it forward too far and into the penalty area. The play appeared over as Jääskeläinen stepped forward to grab it. But he failed to control the rolling ball, allowing Downing to step forward and blast it into the open net for the opening score. It was Downing's first ever goal in Premiership play. The Boro weren't done in the first half, although they took a while to wind it up again. With mere seconds left in the half, they had another great scoring chance, courtesy of Juninho. After winger Michae Ricketts headed a Bolton corner kick out to the right of the pitch, Juninho got to the ball first and sent a long diagonal cross pitch to forward Joseph-Désiré Job running along the left touchline. Midfielder Per Frndsen was marking Job, though, and made a nice tackle on the pass to send the ball up further toward the left corner. With a step on Job, Frandsen got to the ball well before Job, seeming to end the chance. But then Frandsen sent a head-high cross pitch pass to winger Ricardo Gardner ont he other touchline. It turned out to be a very bad decision, as Juninho, whom had crossed into the center of the pitch, made a brilliant move forward and headed the pass toward the penalty area. Centreback Emerson Thome was closing in on Juninho as he charged into the penalty area, but the Brazilian forward had a step. Jääskeläinen charged out of the net at Juninho, but the savvy veteran just struck a high pass that sailed over the Bolton keeper and dropped right into the back of the net for the Boro's second score. Juninho's score was his squad-leading third of the season. In a match that seemed to go out of its way to please anyone who had expressed displeasure at recent events in Middlesbrough, the Boro's third score in the 85th minute fit right in. Juninho won a challenge with Thome at the halfway lien and proceeded up to the right touchline. With Juninho drawing attention from both Thome and Livesey up there, substitue striker Massimo Maccarone was free to make a forward run down the center of the pitch. Juninho lofted a perfect pass right onto Maccarone, splitting the widely-turned centrebacks as he charged into the penalty area. Jääskeläinen made another attempt to charge out at the attacker, but once again it didn't work. Rather than loft the ball over the keeper as Juninho did, Maccarone instead struck a low shot that blasted past Jääskeläinen to his right and slammed into the net for his second goal of the season. Maccarone has been unsettled most of the season after Kieta criticized him for a poor performance in the season opener against Tottenham in AUgust. Saturday may have been the striker's best of the season so far, and it could have been even better if he had capitalized on a second half pass from winger Lionel Morgan that was very similar to his later goal. Unfortunately, he put that shot well over the goal. "I liked the way Massimo went to the goal today," Kieta said. "That's the kind of thing we need from him." For all the nice scoring plays the Boro put up, though, the best man on the pitch turned out to be Schwarzer. Bolton put six of seven shots on net, and Schwarzer made some big saves to preserve his third clean sheet of the season. Among those saves was a point blank clutch off of a corner kick header, and a great leap to the right post to catch a long, curling shot. Schwarzer was given the Man of the Match award for his efforts. On Tuesday, Kieta called the Bolton match "absolutely critical", with several top Premiership squad matchups following it for the Boro. The squad will now have a new burst of confidence going into the latest two-week break for international play. When the Boro return to league action, they will be welcoming powerful Manchester United to the Riverside Stadium on October 18, and then they go to Highbury for a match with table-topping superpower Arsenal on October 25. Zenden Injury Is Minor Boro supporters got a scare when winger loan Boudewijn Zenden had to leave the pitch in the 61st minute after he collided with Bolton forward Ibrahim Ba on a hard aerial challenge. Ba came in hard on a header pass to Zenden and hit the winger's arm. Zenden had to leave the pitch, where he was replaced by Lionel Morgan. Zenden, however, was later diagnosed to have just a lightly sprained wrist caused when Ba hit him. It isn't going to keep him out of practice, much less a match. Zenden also had a slight calf pull in the 30th minute that needed brief off-pitch treatment from squad physio Grant Downie, but he returned quickly and said after the match the injury was far less serious or painful than his wrist injury. Despite Bolton's best efforts to jar him, Zenden continued to be the Boro's top playmaker, picking up his team-leading fourth assist in league play on Downing's score. Under-19's Edge Out Boston United By all rights, Boston United should have left The Stadium in Billingham with a win over the Boro youth squad, but they couldn't figure out goalkeeper and squad captain David Knight in a 1-0 win for the Boro. Knight made six saves and held up for the clean sheet, his fourth in seven appearances with the Under-19 squad. He received the Man of the Match award. Striker Danny Reed got the only score in the match, putting in the match-winner in the 54th minute. Boston United outshot Middlesbrough, 6-4, with the Boro getting just three shots on goal. The youth squad's win was its fifth in a row, and they are currently third in their division with a 5-0-1 record and +8 goal differential. Club Makes Changes To First Team, Reserves The elevation of defender Stuart Parnaby tot he first team this week, and the loan out of reserve Craig Dove to Second Division Grimsby has left the Boro a little short on their reserve squad. Under-19 forward Nilas Nordgren, a well-regarded 18-year-old Swedish prospect, got the call up after some stellar play with the Boro's youngest squad. Nordgren had two goals, an assist and a 7.50 rating in six matches with the Under-19s. Nordgren will likely go to a backup role behind strikers Chris Garbutt and Danny Graham, whom have excelled this season for the reserves. Nordgren didn't move up alone. Andrew O'Shea, a 19-year-old fullback and winger was also elevated. O'Shea was solid with the Under-19 squad, if not spectacular. In five appearances, O'Shea put up a 6.60 rating and went scoreless. His defensive play has been solid, though, with 2.40 tackles per match, and he has drawn a surprising six fouls. Parnaby, who has been practicing with the first team all week, wasn't selected for the lineup against Bolton, but interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said Parnaby would see spot duty at minimum in the near future. Four Boro Players Called To International Duty Several Boro players were given notice of their homelands' needs to have them play for the national sides in the upcoming last round of matches in the European Championships Qualifying on Saturday. The competition to get into Europe's premier national competition last season concludes next Saturday. Centreback Gareth Southgate was called up to again serve as a backup on England's side in the national team's critical match with Turkey in Istanbul. Striker Szilard Németh will also be playing with his Slovakian national team, for whom he starts. Winger Boudewijn Zenden was called up to Holland's national side. He is a key reserve, but he didn't see the pitch in the national side's two matches last month. Defender Brian Close, a starter for Northern Ireland, will also be playing for his country next weekend. |
SUNDAY, October 5, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Arsenal 1, Portsmouth 0 The Gunners have a three-match winning streak now after opening the season with a four-match win streak, but they didn't make it easy on themselves, putting just four of their 14 shots on goal. Forward Sylvain Wiltord put in the difference-maker with just seconds left in the first half. The Pompey only had four shots, but because they put them all on goal, they actually matched the Gunners' on-goal totals. They failed to beat Gunners keeper Jens Lehmann, though, who earned his fourth clean sheet of the season. Lehmann got the Man of the Match. Portsmouth's loss was their first since a 4-1 drop to Leeds in August, and their lossless treak included a 0-0 draw at home with Manchester United last week. Aston Villa 3, Wolverhampton 0 A week after stunning Newcastle at St. James Park, Villa returned home and dominated the Wolves like a superpower. Of course, this might be as much because Wolverhampton isn't one of the better squads in the league. In fact, they have yet to win a Premiership match, extending their winless streak to eight matches on Saturday. The Villans outshot the wolves 16-2, including a 10-2 on-goal advantage. Midfielder Gavin McCann scored his second goal of the season in the 13th minute to open things up. Fellow midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger jumped on the rebound from his own failed penalty shot in the 36th minute and scored to put Villa up by two. Then striker Darius Vassell scored his fourth goal of the season in the 82nd minute to add the final touch to Aston Villa's win. Hitzlesperger got the Man of the Match, with a goal, an assist, two shots on goal, one drawn foul, one interception and two tackles. Middlesbrough 3, Bolton 0 The Boro broke out of their funk in style. Coming into the contest with a four-match losing streak and having scored just one goal during that streak, the Boro were due for a break out. Midfielder Stewart Downing opened the scoring with his first ever strike in the 11th minute. The Boro extended their lead with a Juninho goal--his third of the season--right before the end of the first half. Striker Massimo Maccarone finished off the scoring with his second goal of the season in the 8th minute. Despite the score, it was Bolton leading th way in shots, 7-6, and shots on goal, 6-4. They alo did most of the ball control. Still, they couldn't figure out Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer. Schwarzer saved all six shots and earned himself the Man of the Match award. Birmingham 1, Charlton 0 With the Addicks' four-match lossless streak going up against the Blues' five-match one, this was likely going to be the end of one of those runs. Despite playing at home and outshooting the Blues 11-7, it turned out to be Charlton. Birmingham striker Mikael Forsell got the only goal of the match in the 40th minute, his second of the season. That proved to be the difference, as Maik Taylor faced off four shots on goal for his third league clean sheet. Forsell got the Man of the Match with the goal, two shots on goal, three interceptions and a drawn foul. Birmingham's win keeps them in second place, as probably the league's early surprise sensation. Chelsea 2, Newcastle 1 For as much talent as they have, it can only be true to say that usually powerful Newcastle has fallen into a rut. Despite dominating the play on the pitch at Stamford Bridge Saturday, the Magpies lost their third straight league match. In fact, they haven't won in league since beating Manchester United at home. Saturday, they outshot the Blues 13-6, and allowed just three shots on goal, but Chelsea made two of those shots count. Adrian Mutu scored his first goal of the season in the third minute, and then Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini kept the Magpies out of the goal for most of the match. Premiership leading scorer Hernán Crespo put it away with his seventh goal in the 78th minute. Forward Craig Bellamy finally figured Cudicini, who got the Man of the Match, in the 86th minute, but by then it was too late. Fulham 1, Everton 0 It was a huge day for the Cottagers. Not only did Fulham get its first win of the year, it vaulted past Wolverhampton and out of last place in the Premiership. Everton, meanwhile, which came into the season with such hopes, continues to be one of the bigger enigmas around, as it struggles for consistency. Being Fulham's first victim--and at home--is probably the squad's low point so far. Forward Malik Buari scored the match-winner and his first goal of the season in the 72nd minute, after the two sides locked in a bitter defensive battle in which just ten shots were taken. Fulham goalkepper Edwin van der Sar picked up the Man of the Match after stopping four Blues' shots for his second clean sheet of the year. Leeds 1, Tottenham 1 Leeds did all they could to hand this one to the Cockerels, but it turns out Tottenham wasn't up to task. Despite having defender Dominic Matteo take an early shower after grabbing too strong a handhold in forward Frédéric Kanouté's shirt in the eighth minute, Leeds almost rode a 12th minute score by forward Alan Smith to a man-down victory. In fact, the Cockerels needed a penalty score by winger Rohan Ricketts in the 84th minute to finally figure out Leeds' defense. Tottenham outshot United 11-9, but Leeds had the on-goal advantage at 7-5. In fact, despite the disadvantage, Leeds shot enough to force Tottenham keeper Kasey Keller to earn his Man of the Match award. Leicester 1, Manchester City 0 It shows how far the Foxes have come along that they won this one. City hasn't lost a league match since the season opener, and with Birmingham is one of the league's two big surprises this season. Leicester, meanwhile, is fresh off promotion from the First Division, but they are acting like this is easy now. After beating City Saturday, they are working on a three-match winning streak, and are suddenly sitting at a very respectable seventh in the Premiership. Moving everything into the sublime is the fact the match's only goal was an own goal by Man City centreback David Sommeil, whom has been one of the better defenders in the league this season. The accidental goal in the 26th minute was the difference in a match that had 23 total shots, with 13 on goal. Leicester keeper Ian Walker earned his first clean sheet and the Man of the Match after stopping five shots on goal by Manchester City. Manchester United 3, Blackburn 0 Even if the strong wind and wet weather didn't blow the Rovers out of Old Trafford, United was certainly strong enough to do so on its own. Despite coming into the match as competitors for the similar positions in the league table, Manchester United treated Blackburn like a has-been, allowing just one shot while taking 13, and keeping the ball in the Rovers' defensive third of the pitch 36% of the running time. United's win coupled with Manchester City's loss allowed the superpower to move into third in the league. Winger Ryan Giggs and midfielder Paul Scholes both hit late first half scores to get the ball rolling. Forward Ole Gunnar Solskjær finished things off with his first goal of the season in the 89th minute. Scholes got the Man of the Match with five shots, four on goal--one of which went in, four drawn fouls, one run, one interception and four tackles. Southampton 1, Liverpool 1 This one was about as even as you could get. The Saints had 10 shots to the Reds' nine, and a five to four on-goal advantage. Their scores came just six minutes apart. And in the end, neither did much to move up or down in the league standings. Southampton striker James Beattie scored his fifth goal of the season in the 55th minute, but Reds forward Emile Heskey tied it up int he 61st minute with his second of the year. In addition to the goal, Heskey put three shots on goal, drew a foul, had a run and an interception, and also dominated in the air, with 13 of 19 headers won, for the Man of the Match. Injuries & Suspensions Among several minor to medium-level injuries, the worst was to Fulham midfielder Junichi Inamoto. The loan from Japan's Gamba broke his wrist in the 27th minute of the Cottagers' first win of the season. He will miss two weeks, making him questionable for Fulham's next league match. Newcastle forward Craig Bellamy got the Magpies' lone goal Saturday, but he also picked up a groin strain that tightened up on him after the match. The forward will be out for a week. Charlton goalkeeper Dean Kiely also finished his match, but he suffered a minor neck sprain and will be out five days. Villa midfielder Gavin McCann picked up a bruised rib in the squad's win over the Wolves, but he will miss just three days. Liverpool striker Milan Baros had to leave the match against Southampton in the 20th minute, but his arm injury was minor and will keep him out of training for just a couple days. The rest of the injuries were day to day. It turned out to be a big day for suspensions. The most notable punishment was assessed to Newcastle midfielder Lee Bowyer. Perhaps frustrated with his squad's inability to beat keeper Carlo Cudicini in the Magpies' 2-1 loss to Chelsea, the midfielder threw a vicious elbow into Blues' winger Damien Duff's face during injury time on Saturday. The vicious attack saw immediate action from the English Football Association, which tabbed on another two matches to the automatic one-match ban Bowyer received when he was booted off of the pitch with a red card. The other notable red card was given to Leeds defender Dominic Matteo, who was removed from United's match with Tottenham in the just the eighth minute after holding back forward Frédéric Kanouté by his shirt. Despite that, Leeds went on to draw the Cockerels. There were also a couple five-yellow-card suspensions given out on Saturday. The most cruel was given to Manchester City centreback David Sommeil. He accidentally scored an own goal that proved to be the only goal int he 1-0 loss to Leicester, and then he got his fifth yellow card and an automatic one-match ban--as if his own embarassment at the own goal wasn't enough. Southampton fullback Graeme Le Saux also picked up his fifth yellow card and will miss the Saints' next league match. |
WEDNESDAY, October 8, 2003
Boro May Stick With New Tactic MIDDLESBROUGH-- The new tactic the Boro used against Bolton on Saturday may be around for a while, interim manager Matthew Kieta said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. "LIke I said on Saturday, I think this is a tactic which is better suited to our strengths," Kieta said. The Boro scored three goals, matching their season best, in a 3-0 win over Bolton on Saturday, in a match Kieta said last week was "absolutely critical". The new tactic is an adjustement of the 4-4-2 attack formation Middlesbrough was using for most of the regular season up until Saturday. While that tactic helped bring early success to the team, the club had recently gone through a three-match scoreless streak. In the new formation, the fullbacks are removed in favor of a third centreback and a defensive midfielder. It also calls for more shallow forward runs by the wings and midfield. "We have a lot of central defenders, including some guys we have tried to force into fullback roles," Kieta said. "And we also have plenty of quality midfielders to help fill those spots." The new defensive midfield role would seem to be ideally suited to George Boateng, whom started for the Boro for much of last season, but had only started one match going into Saturday's win. Boateng is considered a steady and reliable player with strong defensive skills, but a limited option on offense. The third centreback role went to Danny Mills on Saturday, and Salvatore Fresi is also expected to see a lot of time there. Although Mills is versatile enough to play in a number of different positions on the pitch, the change could be a boon for Fresi, who is a much better central defender than fullback. The formation, should the Boro stick with it, would also be a boon for when commanding defender Ugo Ehiogu comes back from a knee injury in January. With captain Gareth Southgate and promising young centreback Chris Riggott playing well in the middle, there was concern for how Ehiogu--widely considered the team's best defneder--would work his way back in. This formation practically hands him a starting role when he returns. "Ugo is coming along fine," Kieta said. "I am looking forward to seeing what he can do on the pitch. In fact, he has been walking around some without crutches and might even be able to begin some light training soon." Kieta said he was particularly pleased with the all around performances by his offensive players on Saturday, who made good on three of the four shots on goal they took. "I would have liked to test [Bolton goalkeeper Jussi] Jääskeläinen some more, but I can't say we didn't make it work," Kieta said of his team's attack. The Boro made up inquality for what they lacked in quantity, using key forward breaks to the penalty area, solid forward running by the midfield and wings and well-placed passes to put together some very strong opportunities. Coming into the match, the Boro had scored just one goal in the past four league matches. On Saturday, they got scores from forward Juninho, midfielder Stewart Downing and striker Massimo Maccarone. Kieta refused to address the Boro's next match, a visit from superpower Manchester United on October 18. "Right now, my guys are in training during a two-week break while the internationals take care of themselves," Kieta said. "Manchester United is almost two weeks away. I would prefer my guys work hard to keep them saves in shape than spend time worrying about that bunch." Manchester United beat Blackburn, 3-0, on Saturday to move up to third in the English premier Division table, its highest position this season. Boro Reserves Fall To Forest The Boro reserves lost their three-match point streak on Tuesday after they lost, 1-0, at The Stadium in Billingham to First Division Nottingham Forest's reserve squad. Forest came prepared to play, outshooting the Boro 10-6, and 6-2 in shots on goal. The only score came in the 44th minute, when Forest forard Matt Bodkin got the match-winner. Boro goalkeeper Sam Russell was the best player on the pitch, earning a Man of the Match award, although in the end it wasn't enough to stop Nottingham Forest from leaving with the win. Striker Chris Garbutt had by far his worst match of the season. After scoring five goals int he reserves' last two matches, he was held to one off-goal shot and was dominated in the air, where he failed to win a single header. Raters gave the reserve forward just a 2 rating. It was the reserves' first match without defender Stuart Parnaby, whom was elevated to the first team, and striker Craig Dove, who was shipped out on loan to Grimsby Town. Under-19 players midfielder Andrew O'Shea and striker Niklas Nordgren have been added to the squad, but weren't selected on Tuesday. The reserves are now 3-1-2 and in fifth in their reserve division with 10 points and a +6 goal differential. |
SATURDAY, October 11, 2003
England To Meet Turkey For Spot In Euros Today ISTANBUL, Turkey-- England's most important match in the past two years will be played today at Inônû, the home stadium of Turkey, the national team the English need to beat to secure an automatic spot in next year's European Championships. England comes into the match just one point behind Turkey in the Group Seven table, with just today's match left to play. Although both national teams have clinched playoff spots at the very least, the big prize awaits. The top team in the group, one of ten five-team groupings of European national teams in the Euro qualifications group stage, gets an automatic entry into the 2004 European Championships, Europe's most prestigious international competition. The second place squad, however, will have to play a two-leg round with one of the other groups' second-place finishers to earn the remaining five spots. In all, sixteen squads compete in the championships, with host Portugal receiving an automatic bid. England beat Turkey, 2-0, at Wembley Stadium on April 2 in the first meeting of the two squads. That would give them the upperhand if they had been as successful against the other teams in their group. While Turkey has swept all three of Slovakia, FYR of Macedonia and Liechtenstein, England has had mystifying difficulties with Macedonia, drawing with them twice, including last month. The draws put England ina must win situation to get the automatic spot, while Turkey needs only not lose--and at home, too. "We put ourselves into this position," England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson said. "It's up to us pull this one out. Turkey is no slouch. This is going to be a very tough match." On top of Turkey and a cadre of loyal Turkish fans, England will also have to deal with the weather. It is expected to be a wet, soggy day in Istanbul today. Boro centreback Gareth Southgate is on England's roster, although he is a little used reserve. Lewington Hurt In Training Boro reserve fullback Dean Lewington suffered a groin strain in training Friday and will be out for two weeks. The fullback, who also does work as a midfielder, has been a regular for the reserve squad this season since he was acquired from First Division Wimbledon in August. In six matches with the reserves, the 19-year-old prospect has a goal and a 7.00 average rating. He also is averaging 3.17 tackles per match and has drawn five fouls. Lewington was acquired with defender Mikele Leigertwood and left winger Lionel Morgan from Wimbledon after the First Division squad went into receivers. All three are considered strong prospects, with Morgan already playing with the first team. |
SUNDAY, October 12, 2003
Portugal, Here We Come! England Clinches Automatic Spot In The 2004 European Championships With Big Win Over Turkey ISTANBUL, Turkey-- If he gets England's national team to play this way in Portugal next year, England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson won't have to worry about job security for a while. The national team scored a huge 4-0 win over fellow European Championship Qualifier Group Seven squad Turkey in front of 20,857 at Inônû Stade in Istanbul on Saturday. The win earns England the automatic berth given to each champion of the ten groupings in the qualifying rounds. England finished the eight-match fixture of Group Seven with 20 points, edging out Turkey at 18. Turkey will now be entered into a playoff to determine the final five spots in the 16-team European Championships tournament to be held in Portugal next summer, held with allt en second-place teams from the group stage. "I can't say enough for how these guys showed up today," Eriksson said. "They really wanted it, so they went out and grabbed it." England came into the match needing a win to grab the automatic spot. Although England had a 2-0 win over Turkey in the books from last April, two draws against FYR of Macedonia left the Brits a point behind Turkey going into the match. Turkey swept Macedonia, and both sides swept Slovakia and Liechtenstein, the other two nations in Group Seven. Despite the powerful Turkish squad, the presence of a cadre of rabid fans for the home squad and a rain that made conditions difficult at best, England dominated the match, outshooting Turkey 16-9, with aa shots on goal to four. England also did most of the ball control, keeping it in Turkey's defensive thrid of the pitch 30% of the running time, asopposed to just 21% in their own. Still, England didn't put it away right away. After England got an early score from Southampton's James Beattie, they didn't start to put it away until the 71st minute, when star winger David Beckham scored to put the English up 2-0. Liverpool striker Emile Heskey finished off the scoring in the late going, with two goals in the last ten minutes of the match. Beattie, who would go on to earn the Man of the Match award, beat several defenders to secure England's opening goal. Arsenal fullback Ashley Cole struck a high centering pass from the left corner and onto the outer edge of the six yard box. Despite being marked by no less than four Turkish defenders, Beattie got up to the ball first and headed a strike almost right at Turkish goalkeeper Reçber Rustu of Spain's Barcleona. The shot came faster than Rustu apparently realized, blasting over his left shoulder and into the net before he could react. "I think it just caught him by surprise," Beattie said. "I was able to angle my head a little better to get it off hard. Ashley's pass came int hat way, just perfect for me to pull it off." Beattie finished with a goal and an assist, to go along with four shots on goal and five drawn fouls. He was also very strong in the air, winning 15 of 20 headers and playing out a weakness that would hurt the Truks later in the match as well. The second score that finally allowed England some breathing room came from Real Madrid's Beckham. The popular star winger has made his living on scoring passes from crosses and set pieces, so it should come as no surprise that is how he would score here. Beckham was called upon to hit a direct freekick from the right outer corner of the penalty area after fullback Korkmaz Bulent of Galatsaray pushed down Heskey in the 71st minute. Beckham hit a hard strike at the right post, where forward Nihat of Real Sociedad was guarding the edge of the net. The shot went off of Nihat's shoulder, bounced off of Rustu charging up the line and into the back of the net for a very frustrating score for the Turks. Heskey finished off the scoring in the 81st and 86th minutes. In the first score, Beckham sent a centering cross-pitch pass to Beattie, who was ten yards outside of the penalty area. Beattie deftly headed the ball forward to Heskey, who was charging into the right end of the area. With a step on fullback Hasan Unsal of Galatsaray, it was Heskey versus Rustu. The goalkeeper came off his line to close down the Liverpool forward, but Heskey took advantage of the move and hit a soft floater over Rustu and into the back end of the net. The second score demonstrated Turkey's problem with forwards with length. Beattie sent in a crossing pass from the left touchline in the 86th minute. Much like Beattie's own score early in the match, Heskey beat several Turkish defenders in an aerial challenge and shot a header at the left post. Rusutu was there to stop it from going in, but he couldn't gather it cleanly in the wet conditions and the ball bounded out. Heskey was first on it and blasted it into the open right end of the net. "Emile was amazing," Eriksson said. "Both of our forwards were excellent today. There aren't too many front line combos they can do what Heskey and Beattie did today." Eriksson deserves some credit himself for starting Heskey. Usually England starts Heskey's Reds teammate superstar striker Michael Owen, but Owen hasn't started since a poor performance in England's draw with Macedonia in September. Owen wasn't even selected as a reserve for the Turkey match. "We got the win and that's what matters," Owen said. "I am happy for Emile. He's a very underrated player." Owen said he wasn't worried about playing time with the national team. The European Championships will be played in Portugal in June and July next year. They are Europe's most prestigious international event. |
SUNDAY, October 12, 2003
England In, Scotland, Ireland Reach Playoffs For Euros Wales Doesn't Make The Cut After Home Loss To Serbia & Montenegro The 2004 European Championships could have a decidedly "British Isles" feel to it if the playoffs work out right. Scotland and Ireland both won Saturday to earn second-place spots in their repsective groupings at the European Championship Qualifying, even as England received the automatic bid for winning Group Seven. Second place finishers from the ten groups will compete in November for the five remaining spots to Europe's most prestigious international event. It could have been even better, had Wales held serve at home. The Welsh national team lost to Serbia & Montengro, and subsequently also lost its own second-place spot in Group Nine. Scotland came into Saturday's match with a pretty strong shot at making it in. The Scots had a one-point lead over third place Iceland in Group Five, and were playing Lithuania at home while the Icelanders faced off with group leader Germany. The home teams did as expected, as Scotland won 2-0, while Iceland fell to Germany, also 2-0. Scotland finished with 14 points, well ahead of Iceland with 10. Germany finished with 20 points and had clinched the group's automatic bid in September. Ireland also came into the day in second place, but with far from an easy road to keep them there in Group Ten. Russia was just a win behind and had the advantage in head to head, with a win and a draw over the Irish, in case of a tiebreaker. In addition, Ireland was going up against group leader Switzerland on the road, while Russia faced last place Georgia at home. Switzerland had already clinched the group's automatic bid, so they may not have approached the match as strong as they could have. Regardless, the Irish beat the Swiss strongly, 4-1, to make the issue of what Russia did moot. Russia did indeed beat Georgia, also 4-1. Ireland finished with 14 points, one back of Switzerland. Russia finished with 11 points. Wales had similar control over its destiny as Ireland did, and an even better situation, as they were playing at home against the very team trying to take that second place spot from them in Group Nine. Unfortunately, it was Serbia & Montengro that came to play, as they beat Wales badly, 4-0. By beating Wales, Serbia & Montengro moved into a three-way tie with Ireland and idle Finland, all with 12 points. They earned the tiebreaker by having the best record in head-to-heads among the three teams. Had Wales beaten Serbia & Montenegro, or even simply drawn them, the Welsh would have clinched second-place and a playoff spot. Italy beat last place Azerbaijan to lock up the group's automatic bid. That, too, was up for grabs, although few thought Azerbaijan would provide a challenge to Italy at home, which they didn't in losing 3-0. Northern Ireland had already long been eliminated from contention in its Group Six fixture, coming into Saturday in fourth with just five points. They lost to Greece, 2-0. England beat Turkey, 4-0, on the road to wrap up the Group Seven automatic berth. The win was a must situation for the English to clinch the spot, although both teams had long since clinched at least the playoff spot in the group. England finished with 20 points to Turkey's 18. Other Group Results Coming into Saturday's action, five teams had clinched spots at the European Championships, including defending champion France in Group One, Holland in Group Three, Germany in Group Five, Switzerland in Group Ten and Portugal as the tournament host. Six more automatic spots were handed out Saturday, including to England in Group Seven. In Group One, France finished off a dominating run by beating Israel, 3-0, at home, to run through the entire eight-match group fixture unbeaten. The match was essentially meaningless, though, as Israel itself had already clinched the group's playoff spot. France finihed with the maximum possible 24 points, while Israel ended up with 14. Slovenia beat Cyprus to move up to 13 points, but it was too little, too late. In Group Two, nothing was set coming into Saturday, although Romania had to despair at its chances, as it was idle. The Eastern European country was tied with Norway and Denmark at 14 points, with the latter two playing the two squads at the bottom of the group in Luxembourg and Bosnia. As expected, the Scandinavian nations won those matches to take the group's two spots with 17 points apiece. Denmark got the automatic spot by virtue of a win and draw over Norway in head-to-head action. Group Three was set before Saturday. Holland clinched the automatic spot, with the Czech Republic landing the playoff spot. They also both won on aturday to solidify their spots. Holland finished with 22 points, while the Czech Republic had 17. Group Four was similar to England's group in that the two teams, Sweden and Hungary, had clinched playoff spots, but the automatic bid was still up for grabs. Sweden came in with the three point lead and a home match against Latvia, but Hungary could sneak up and contest the first place spot with a win over Poland at home, so long as Sweden lost. It went about as bad for Hungary as it could get, though, as they lost to Poland, 2-0, at home, while Sweden beat Latvia, 1-0, to get the automatic spot. Hungary's consolation prize is the already-clinched playoff spot. Group Six, Northern Ireland's group, was an intriguing one, as powerful Spain was needing a win to get into the playoffs. First place Greece had 15 points and a clinched spot, but Spain was a point behind idle Ukraine, and needing a win on the road over Armenia. Fortunately for Spain, Armenia was the last place squad and the Spaniards came through with a 2-0 win. The victory jumped them into second place and a playoff spot, while Greece's 2-0 win over Northern Ireland earned them the automatic bid. Belgium had been the favorite in Group Eight, but found itself in trouble entering Saturday. After underachieving through most of the group fixture, Belgium needed a win over Estonia at home and croatia to draw or lose to group leader Bulgaria at home. Croatia did indeed draw with Bulgaria, opening up a chance for Belgium. But the Belgians held to recent form and drew, 1-1, with Estonia to stay in thrid place with 12 points. Bulgaria clinched the automatic spot with 18 points, while Croatia got the playoff spot. Altogether, the automatic qualifiers ended up as France, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Germany, Greece, England, Bulgaria, Italy, Switzerland and host Portugal. The last five squads will come from a two-leg, five-match playoff in November between the ten second-place squads, including Israel, Norway, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Scotland, Spain, Turkey, Croatia, Serbia & Montenegro and Ireland. The playoff fixtures will be announced on Monday. The 2004 European Championships will be held in June and July, 2004. |
MONDAY, October 13, 2003
Boro Ink Ehiogu To Extension The Centreback Signs On Through 2005 MIDDLESBROUGH-- Key central defender Ugo Ehiogu agreed to a one-year extension on his contract with Middlesbrough on Sunday, according to club officials. The 30-year-old defender agreed to a same-pay extension of his £1.2 M per season contract trhough June, 2005, sealing him up through the 2004-05 English season. "Ugo has established himself as a necessary part of the Boro squad," interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said. "I may have not yet seen him play in person, but his value to his teammates, his dedication to his game, the tapes of his play I have seen and his willingness to work through his injury all lead me to believe this is one of the better things I have done sicne coming here." Ehiogu has been out with torn knee ligaments since May, and isn't expected back in match play until January at the soonest. With captain Gareth Southgate, Ehiogu has led the Boro's strong defense of the past couple seasons. "I am happy to get this one off of my back," Ehiogu said, referring to the looming contract talks. "I know it takes time for new managers to get a feel for players and whether they want to pay to keep them. I appreciate that Coach Kieta has the faith in me to give me an extension before I have even played for him." It might have been a risk-reward situation for Kieta, some observers say. Ehiogu's contract was due to end in June, so he would have been available via Bosman transfer in December. The extension is thought by some to be an effort to seal him up before another squad can sweep in and get the veteran defender. Ehiogu is epxected to make a full recovery from the knee injury. The centreback, who is known for his strong work ethic and powerful presence on the pitch--as well as his bone-jarring tackles, could be the key missing ingredient to the Boro's defense later this season. The emergence of young Chris Riggott as a first-eleven starter has eased backline concerns, but a recent switch to a tactic with three centrebacks would allow Riggott, Southgate and Ehiogu to all be on the pitch at the same time. Ehiogu has been with the Boro since the 2000-01 season, scoring seven goals in 82 appearances with the squad. Prior to that, Ehiogu was a fixture in Aston Villa's defense, where he also played beside Southgate. Ehiogu played nine seasons with the Villans, after debuting with West Bromich Albion in 1990. In 319 career matches, Ehiogu has 19 goals. He has also appeared in four matches with England's national team, and even has an international goal. Team officials hinted that other signings might be coming. The most prominent remaining player without an extension is versatile forward Joseph-Désiré Job, whose role in the first eleven has been elevated in recent months. |
I was about to be shocked that England managed to beat Turkey 4-0 and on the road, no less! But then I saw that, unlike his real life counterpart, the virtual Sven had the intelligence to actually give James Beattie a chance. Now, I'm no fan of Beattie since I don't know very much about him but the guy has been playing incredibly well and just never ever get a chance on the national team.
Heh. Heh. Heh. Emile Heskey with two goals. Heh. Heh. Heh. |
TUESDAY, October 14, 2003
Scotland, Ireland Get Their Euro Playoff Dates Scotland Will Play Norway, While Ireland Draws Tough Spain The European Championships Qualifying took its last step to completion Monday when the competition organizaers announced the results of the draw of the ten second-place teams from the recently-completed group stage. Scotland will play Norway, and Ireland will meet up with Spain to fight it out for one of the five remaining spots to the European Championships in Portugal next summer. The two-leg playoffs will be held on November 15 and November 19, with home-and-home switches and aggregate scores being used. Scotland will open at Ullevàl Stadion in Oslo, Norway in the first leg, before hosting Norway at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland the next round. Ireland will open at Lansdowne Road in Dublin, before going to San Miguel in Casetas, Spain for the follow-up. The other matchups are the Czech Republic and Israel, Hungary and Croatia, and Turkey and Serbia & Montenegro. All ten teams earned their way into the playoffs by finishing second in their respective five-team groups during the European Championships Qualifying group stage, which wrapped up on Saturday. Ireland, the 13th-ranked national squad in the world by FIFA, didn't receive a kind draw in third-ranked Spain. Norway, at 22nd-ranked, is a much more pallatable opponent, but Scotland is ranked 56th and won't be favored to beat the Norwegian squad. The 12th-ranked Czechs will be favored over 44th-ranked Israel; Croatia at 28th should have the advantage over 49th-ranked Hungary; and 6th-ranked Turkey should be very tough for 32nd-ranked Serbia & Montenegro. The five winners of the playoffs will fill out the sixteen team tournament. Eleven teams--the ten group winners and host Portugal--make up the other squads, including France (2nd), Holland (5th), England (7th), Germany (9th), Italy (11th), Denmark (14th), Sweden (20th), Greece (30th), Bulgaria (37th), and Switzerland (47th). Host Portugal is the 16th-ranked team by FIFA. The 2004 European Championships will be held in June and July next year. Wilson Returns To Boro Midfielder Mark Wilson's loan with First Division Stoke City ended Monday, and the 24-year-old reserve has returned to Middlesbrough. In 11 matches with Stoke, Wilson scored two goals, got a Man of the Match award, averaged 4.08 tackles per match, and put up a very solid 7.27 rating. He was also named to the First Division Team of the Week for the September 22-28 week. The club said Wilson would play with the reserve squad for now, and that they would play it by ear on whether they might need him on the first team. Wilson was not expected to play with the first team this season, and might even be loaned out again to get him more experience. Neither interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta nor Wilson were available for comment Monday. |
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Beattie has been a regular fixture with the first team from what I have seen. It's been Owen's spot that continues to be a revolving door. Heskey is just the latest, of course. Darius Vassell of Aston Villa is another guy used a lot (in fact, I would say he was the primary backup until Heskey got the call in the Turkey match). Fun fact: Heskey doesn't even start for the Reds, apparently. I usually see Alan Smith next to Owen. Beattie earned a 10 rating, while Heskey got a 9. How's that for forward play? I was surprised at how dominant the whole team was, especially in Turkey. I know the English have had a lot to gripe about with their team in recent years, so quite a shock, eh? Now if onyl I could talk Sven into giving more time to Southgate. I mean, at least include him in the subs every other match or so. :) BTW, something I never mentione dthere, because he was never really tested, but it wasn't Paul Robinson in net for England. It was Richard Wright of Everton. Robinson might have a tough time getting his job back if Wright keeps putting up clean sheets. CR |
Richard Wright!
I'm still peeved he and Matthew Upson never really got a full chance with us. |
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Thanks for name-dropping Upson. I forgot about him after I did the Birmingham preview, but he seems to be a good guy to keep track of with my fullback issues. Of course, he's a little rich for me at some £5 M in value, but always good to keep an eye on the talent. CR |
In my 01/02 game, I could never get Matty to play worth a darn at fullback and ended up selling him. Turned out he was a centreback and ended up becoming a good player with his new team. Apparently, he's more of a natural centreback in real life as well so he may not be the solution to your problem.
I don't know if Gael Glichy made it into your game or not, but he was highly regarded and has played well for the Gunners this season when he's been asked to step in for Ashley. Former Gunners kiddie, Moritz Volz, is a good fullback as well but I don't know if he's rated as a left-back in the game. One possible target may be Jlloyd Samuel who is suppose to be well regarded as a left-back and Aston Villa isn't that great financially so the money may be a temptation for them. |
WEDNESDAY, October 15, 2003
UEFA Cup First Round Wraps Up Tonight Four Premiership Squads Will Look To Wrap Up Second Round Bids Last month, all four English Premier League squads vying for Europe's UEFA Cup got off to strong starts in the first leg of the first round. Tonight they will try and finish things off. Liverpool, Blackburn, Manchester City and Southampton all defeated their opponents by at least two goals on September 24. The aggregate score winners after tonight's matches move ont o play in the second round of Europe's second most prestigious tournament. Including the four Premiership squads, 94 European clubs will meet in 47 matches tonight. One other match was completed Tuesday night, when Russian Premier Division squad Spartak Moscow won 4-1 aggrewgate (3-1 last night) over Turkish Premier Division club Malatyaspor. Liverpool will host Polish First Division squad Groclin at Anfield, while Blackburn travel's the Groclin's league-mate GKS Katowice in Poland. The Reds beat Groclin 2-0 in Poland last month, the same score Blackburn beat GKS Katwoice by at Ewood Park. Southampton beat Malmö FF of the Swedish Premier Division, 3-0, at St. Mary's Stadium in September, and will travel to Sweden tonight. Manchester City beat Israeli Premier Leagie squad Hapoel Tel-Aviv, 3-1, in Israel last month, and will host them at City of Manchester Stadium tonight. There are several other squads from British Isle nations in action tonight as well. Scottish Premier Division squads Dundee and Hearts will both be at home tonight after opening with wins in September. Hearts was particularly impressive, as they beat Primera Liga squad Valencia, 2-1, in Spain. Dundee will host Swiss Super League side Young Boys, whom they also beat 2-1. Welsh Premier League side Total Network Solutions has a big opportunity tonight after playing Bundesliga club Wereder Bremen tough in Germany last month before falling, 4-3. Just a goal down and at home, the Welsh squad could pull off a huge upset tonight. Northern Irish League Premier Division squad Portadown's outlook isn't so rosey. They were beaten handily at home, 4-0, by Eridivisie squad FC Nordsjælland, and now they will have to go to Denmark to try and overcome a big deficit. Irish Premier Division power Bohemians beat Torpedo Moscow of the Russian Premier Division in Russia, and will host them in Ireland tonight. Shelbourne isn't looking so hot, with a match against Serie A club Udinese in Italy and already down 5-1. Some of the top clubs in Europe are entered in this competition, including the Primera Liga's Barcelona, Dutch Premier Division and 2001-02 UEFA Cup champion Feyenoord, Serie A power Roma, Turkish Premier Division club Galatsaray, and Portuguese Superleague squad Sporting. |
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Ah, well, I don't really need centrebacks with Southgate, Riggott and Ehiogu around, not to mention key solid backups and/or future types in Salvatore Fresi, Brian Close and reserves Andrew Davies and Mikele Leigertwood. Still, I will keep my out on him anyway. Glichy is on the Arsenal reserve squad. He looks fairly solid, but I can't see all of his stats. Volz is on loan with Fulham, and, like in real life, he will be joining Fulham full time (I had the player update with future transfers). I remember J'Lloyd Samuel from my Villa preview. He does look like a good one, and for some reason, Villa isn't starting him much in my dynasty, although he seems to still find his way on the pitch eventually. I have him under watch as well, but I'm not so sure I can afford the money needed to tempt Aston Villa. YEah, they may not be rich, but neither am I. ;) CR |
THURSDAY, October 16, 2003
Premiership Foursome Make Jump To UEFA Second Round Liverpool, Blackburn, Southampton and Man City All Move On England's chances of ending up with Europe's second most valued prize in club competition stayed strong as all four English Premier League squads completed aggregate victories in the first round of the UEFA Cup competition on Wednesday. Liverpool beat Polish First Division squad Groclin, 3-0, at Anfield last night to complete an easy 5-0 aggregate win. Manchester City also played in England, although they had a tpougher time than expected with Israeli Premier Division club Hapoel Tel-Aviv, drawiing with them 0-0 Wednesday night. Fortunately, City beat H. Tel-Aviv 3-1 in Israel last month, and move on in aggregate. Southampton didn't allow Swedish Premier Division club Malmö FF to score in Sweden anymore than in England. The Saints put up a second clean sheet, 1-0, on Wednesday to finish off a 4-0 aggregate win. Blackburn was in Poland, facing Groclin league mate, GKS Katowice. The Rovers, like City, were drawn 0-0, and had to win on the basis of their 2-0 win over the Polish squad iat Ewood Park in September. The most impressive club from the British Isles, though, may turn out to be Scottish Premier Division squad Hearts. After upsetting powerful Primera Liga squad Valencia in Spain in September, Hearts continued to roll on Wednesday, beating the Spanish side, 3-1 to complete an impressive 5-2 aggregate victory. Fellow SPD side Dundee also moved on after beating Swiss Super League club Young Boys 2-0 at home, and 4-1 overall. Ireland's Bohemians had to wint he hard way Wednesday night. After allowing Russian Premier Division squad Torpedo Moscow to edge them in regulation, 2-1, the Bohemians had to play extra time with the Russian club to determine a winner. As it turns out, it went all the way to penalty kicks before the Bohemians prevailed at home. Fellow Irish Premier Division squad Shelbourne wasn't so lucky, although, with a -1 loss to Serie A squad Udinese already int he books, one could hardly have expected a miracle in Italy. As expected, Udinese spanked Shelbourne, 4-0, to give them a 9-1 aggregate win and the second most goals by a club in the round (behind only Germany's Schalke 04, who beat Cypriot squad APOEL, 10-1). Welsh Premier League squad Total Network Solutions had a diamond opportunity to beat Bundesliga club Werder Bremen Wedsnesdya, but let it slip through their hands. Despite playing at home and being just a goal behind the German squad, the Welsh side lost 3-1, and 7-4 on aggregate. Eridivisie squad FC Nordsjælland finished off a beating of Northern Irish League Premier Division squad Portadown, 2-0 on Wednesday and 6-0 overall. All of the top keagues in Europe had significant contingents of clubs in the UEFA Cup competition. Spain's Primera Liga had an awful day. In addition to losing Valencia to Hearts, superpower Barcelona also fell, losing to French La Ligue One squad Auxerre, 5-4 on aggregate, after Barça's 3-2 win Wednesday proved to be not enough to overcome a stronger Auxerre win in September. Mallorca was the only Primera Liga squad to make it to the second round, beating Hungary's Ferencváros 4-2 on aggregate. Like England, Italy and its top league, Serie A, came into the day looking likely to win all four of its matches. They, too, pulled off the impressive quad-win, but it wasn't without a risk. Parma was drawn at home by Belgian First Division club La Louvière, 0-0, and had to rest a tight aggregate win ona 1-0 road victory in Belgium last month. Italian superpower Roma beat Romanian suqad Steaua, 6-3, on aggregate, while Perugia beat Greek National A club Panionios, 6-1 overall. Udinese, of course, handled Shelbourne with ease. With Werder Bremen beating TNS, and Schalke 04 blasting APOEL, the night had the makings to be a good one for Germany's Bundesliga. HSV beat Czech First Division power Sparta Prague on away scores, 2-2, while Kaiserslautern handled Eridivisie club Esbjerg with ease, 7-2. The only loss was by Hertha BSC, which fell in an upset to Belarus's Dinamo Minsk, 3-2. Hertha's 2-0 win Wednesday night wasn't enough to counter a worse loss in September. Auxerre scored the big win for La Ligue One with its defeat of powerful barcelona, but otherwise, it wasn't all that sunny a day for the French. Both Bordeaux and Marseille fell Wednesday. Bordeaux lost 3-2 on aggregate to Portuguese Superleague squad Leiria, while Marseille was shocked, 3-2, by Belasica GC of Macedonia. Sochaux did beat Bosnia & Herzegovina squad Zeljeznicar, 5-3, to give France two entrants into the next round. There were several other notable matchups among European powers. Russian Premier Division club CSKA Moscow beat Belgian First Division power Club Brugge, 4-0, while a little to the southwest, Ukrainian High League power Dinamo Kiev shocked Dutch Premier Division and former UEFA champion Feyenoord, 2-0. Turkish power Gençlerbirligi had a surprisingly difficult time with another Ukrainian High League squad in Metalurg Donetsk, edging them out 3-2. Turkish traditional superpower Galatasaray beat Serbian & Montenegro side Partizan, 4-2. In one of the top matchups of the first round, Portuguese Superleague power Sporting beat Greek National A Division squad PAOK, 3-2, Wednesday night. The 48 remaining squads will receive their new fixtures and second round opponents from a draw to be held on Friday. |
I realise this has been said before, but excellent depth on the reports outside your primary team. I find it hard to garner much interest in European competition as a lower league manager, but for a reader looking for detail, this provides tonnes. Good luck for the return to Premiership action for Middlesborough.
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Thanks, Alpha. Not being from Europe, I have just taken a stab at what the interest might be in the European competitions. Obviously, lower league fans (and managers) aren't going to care since those competitions are generally for the big boys.
As a guy following from across the pond, though, I find the international club competitions to be a lot of fun to follow. Hopefully, my readers will, too. ;) CR |
"Coach Kieta, what position do you expect to finish in this season. i am well aware that many changes have happened and are still occuring to the squad, but what can fans expect to see this year in terms of final league position. Are you thinking relegation level squad, or are we going to be up near the top?"
"Also, you have mentioned the possible changes comingto the squad in he near future. Do these only apply to first teamers, or are you also going after young prospects to bring up through your system. Im sure even an american understands the importance of a youth squad to the future of a club on any level. Can you comment on your transfer goals, or even a few players that have caught your eye?" |
THURSDAY, October 16, 2003
Boro Re-Up With Job He Becomes The Second Boro To Sign An Extension With The Club In Three Days MIDDLESBROUGH-- Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta has apparently decided to take care of some business, as he gave out his second extension in three days on Wednesday. Forward Joseph-Désiré Job agreed to a two-year, £1.0 M contract extension, which will keep him with the club through the 2005-06 season. Job had been approaching the end of his contract, set to terminate in June. The move comes just two days after injured centreback Ugo Ehiogu was signed to a one-year extension. Like Ehiogu, Job signed for the same annual salary. "I'm very excited at this opportunity to make Boro football an international icon," the 25-year-old Cameroonian forward said. "We have some good players here, and we can make some noise in this league." Job has played himself into a prominent role on the Boro front line. The versatile forward came into the season as a key reserve for anywhere from striker to winger, but his quickness, ball control and consistency have led Kieta to keep him on the pitch more. In eight appearances, including five league starts and a cup first eleven, Job has two goals, a Man of the Match, has drawn 19 fouls, averages 2.84 dribbles per match, and has a squad-best 7.38 average rating. This is the forward's fourth season with the club, although last year was the first time Job saw regular play with the first team. He scored four goals in 28 appearances last season, and nine goals in 52 career appearances witht he Boro. In a seven-year career that also includes stints with La Ligue One powers Lyon and Lens, as well as a loan to French side Metz, Job has scored 27 goals in 129 appearances. He also has six goals in 43 international appearances for Cameroon, with whom he has split-nationality with France. "Job has proven his worth time and time again," Kieta said. "When I needed some one to step up and give me strong play up front, he was the one who really responded. No one is going to say Jospeh is singularly great at anything. But he does everything well, and he brings it every time." In other news, Ehiogu has resumed training for the Boro. The defender is still months away from returning to the pitch, but he is able to particpate in some of the lighter training exercises. It is thought Ehiogu might be back by January. |
SATURDAY, October 18, 2003
UEFA Second Round Is Set Manchester City Draws Tough Sporting From Portugal The nest step in Europe's second most prestigious club competition is set. The second round will play its first leg matches on November 6, and then wrap up on November 26-27 with the second legs. Forty-eight clubs remain in the vying for the UEFA Cup, which went to Portuguese Superleague squad Porto last season. Among four Premiership squads int he competition, Manchester City is the only club that will open at home. That is countered, however, by the liekly toughest draw of the four, as they will face off with Portuguese power Sporting. Sporting was third in the Superlague in 2003, and won it in 2002. They are currently fifth in one of Europe's better leagues. They beat Greek National A Division squad PAOK, 3-2 on aggregate. City beat Israeli Premier League side Hapoel Tel-Aviv, 3-1. Liverpool, Southampton and Blackburn also remain in the competition. Liverpool drew Eridivisie squad FC Nordsjælland, which beat another British Isles squad in Northern Irish club Portadown, 6-0, in the first round. The Danish squad finished third in the Eridivisie last season and is currently fifth this year. The Reds beat Polish First Division squad Groclin, 5-0, in the first round. Southampton drew Petrzalka of the Slovak First Division. The Slovakian squad was a runner up in its league lasts eason, and is currently in sixth. The club edged out Slovenia's Publicum, 1-0. The Saints beat Swedish Premier Division squad Malmö FF, 4-0. The Rovers might actually get a test from Belarussian squad Dinamo Minsk. Minsk stunned Bundesliga power Hertha BSC, 3-2, in the first round. Blackburn beat Polish club GKS Katowice 2-0. Two Scottish clubs and one from ireland remain in the competition as well. Hearts will have to go far to top their accomplishments int he first round, after beating Primera Liga power Valencia, 5-2, in the first round. They drew the Dutch Premier Division squad FC Utrecht, current fourth in the DPR. Utrecht beat Hapoel Ramat-Gan of Israel, 5-0, and should be another tough opponent for hearts. Dundee, the other Scottish premier Division team, will start on the road against Bulgarian club Levski Sofia. Dundee beat Swiss Super League side Young Boys, 4-1, while Levski Sofia defeated Hungarian club Debrecen, 4-4, on away goals. The Bohemians barely got out of the first round, beating Russian Premier Division club Torpedo Moscow on penalty kicks, 3-3. Things won't get easier this round for the Irish Premier League squad, as they drew a very good opponent in Turkish Premier Division Gençlerbirligi, which is currently third ina good league, and finished third last season as well. The Turkish squad beat Ukrainian High League squad Metalurg Donetsk, 3-2. Several of Europe's top clubs remain in the competition as well, including Italy's Roma, Spain's Mallorca, France's Auxerre, Germany's HSV, Turkey's Galatasaray and Portugal's Leiria. The Manchester City-Sporting man looks odds on to be the biggets matchup in the second round. |
SATURDAY, October 18, 2003
Manchester United (5-1-2) at Middlesbrough (3-1-4) When: 3:00 p.m. Where: The Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough Forecast: 12º C Middlesbrough Out: DC Ugo Ehiogu, ML Allan Johnston Manchester United Out: DC Wes Brown Outlook: Every year, the Red Devils visit Riverside Stadium, and there is always hope the Boro will beat them. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. This season's matchup is a difficult one to call. The Boro just recently endured a four-match winless streak in which they scored just one goal. But two weeks ago the Boro looked confident and strong in producing a solid 3-0 win over Bolton on the road. Powerful Manchester United hasn't lost since the season opener, when they fell to table-topping Arsenal at Highbury. They beat a good Blackburn squad 3-0 at home on October 4, but they aren't without their vulnerabilities, having recently drawn with Lokomotiv Moscow at Old Trafford in the Champions League, and with Premiership squad Portsmouth on the road. FA Barclaycard Premiership Game of the Round Arsenal (7-1-0) at Blackburn (4-1-3) Arsenal appears to be as strong as ever. This week's match is merely the latest test of that dominance. Blackburn has been solid this season, but they haven't played so well in recent weeks, with a 3-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford (forgiveable) and a 4-2 loss to Leciester on the road (unforgiveable). Arsenal meanwhile will be trying to match its previous four-match win streak. The Gunners opened the season with the streak before drawing with Liverpool at Anfield. Since then, they have won three, including a 1-0 decision at Highbury over Portsmouth two weeks ago. The Rest of the Matches Leeds United at Birmingham City Arsenal at Blackburn Rovers Southampton at Everton Charlton at Fulham Bolton Wanderers at Manchester City Manchester United at Middlesbrough Liverpool at Newcastle United Aston Villa at Portsmouth Leicester City at Tottenham Hotspur Chelsea at Wolverhampton |
I took a refresher break, prepared for my baseball fantasy draft, simmed ahead a bit in this game, started up a fun career in FBCB, watched some tourney games and worked a whole lot at my job. And now I am back to get the dynasty going again. ;)
Man U write up article coming. CR |
SUNDAY, October 19, 2003
The Boro Survive Man U They Escape Their Own Stadium With A Draw AGainst The Superpower MIDDLESBROUGH-- Sometimes it's better to be lucky than it is to be good. And soemtiems a draw is as good as a win. On Saturday afternoon, the Boro pulled off one of their bigger stunts of the young season when they managed to draw powerful Manchester United, 0-0, in front of just a handful of people short of a fullhouse at The Riverside Stadium. The Boro were dominated all match long, with the world-class Red Devils controlling the ball some 35% of the running time inside the Boro's defensive third of the pitch, and taking 10 shots--six on goal--to just one lone shot by Middlesbrough. Despite that, goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and an opportunistic clear-out defense led by centreback Chris Roggott and winger Michael Ricketts kept the mighty United power from ruffling the Boro net. Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta tempered the enthusiasm at his post-match conference. "Guys, it was a draw," Kieta said, point-blank, like a few of the Red Devils' shots. "I don't want to understate the moral victory of drawing a powerful team like Manchester United, but I don't want to overstate it either. We got a point, and I will take it--but I wanted the win." Schwarzer agreed with his manager's thoughts, saying it was a winnable match for the home Boro. "Yeah, it was a tough test, but maybe we get a couple better breaks on the ball, or [Tim] Howard doesn't make that great save on Bolo[ Zenden]'s shot, and we come away with a fine victory," said the goalkeeper, who won Man of the Match honors for his efforts on Saturday. The shot in question was a beauty struck by Zenden in the 42nd minute. It was the Boro's one shot, but it was as close to getting in as any of the United shots. Centreback Danny Mills collected the ball off of a corner clear out by the United defense and went on a run toward outer right corner of the penalty area, with winger Kléberson in pursuit. Mills had just enough room to send a deep, swerving cross parallel to the goal toward midfielder Doriva. The pass was off, though and sailed to near the back end of the other side of the penalty area. Zenden was positioned perfectly and sent a beautiful volley of the pass the left post. Howard, the Man U keeper, had to make a long break for the save, going virtually the length of the net before nabbing the ball at the line. The goalkeeper clutched it, ending the chance. Other than that, the Boro offensive chances were essentially nil. On the few breaks they had or holes they exposed, the opportunities were quickly closed down at midfield by United's powerful centrebacks, who were faster and more nimble than Boro forwards Joseph-Désiré Job and Juninho. Physical dominance was the name of the whole match for Manchester United, in fact, as they werew clearly faster, taller and more talented. Winger Ryan Giggs, in particular, was very dangerous, as he went on several playmaking runs into the Boro defensive area, keyed by on-spot passing from midfielder Roy Keane. A Giggs play set up United's best chance in the 65th minute. Giggs charged into the left end of the penalty area and approached the goal line. Before he could be closed down, he sent a soft cross intot he middle of the goal box area. Scary superstar talent Ruud Van Nistlerooy was there to head it on goal, but Schwarzer was ready, knocking the ball up the line with a dive to his right. Centreback Gareth Southgate ended up witht he abll and cleared out the opportunity. Riggott and Ricketts were the keys to the defense, as they cleared out several strong Manchester United pushes into the Boro defensive zone. Schwarzer himself had a fine game. He was also called upon to save strong direct freekicks by striker Nicolas Anelka and Kléberson, the last coming with mere minutes left in the match. In both cases, he needed to make sizable adjustments ont he line, but was there when the ball reached it, and grabbed each one without a rebound. "What goalie controversy?" Kieta joked, referring to the summer battle between Schwarzer and Carlo Nash. "Seriously, we're blessed to have two fine keepers in Mark and Carlo. My main regret right now is that I can't conceive of pulling Mark from goal, which means Carlo is going to have to satsfy himself with practice pitch time until I can work him into a match." The point gained from Saturday's match did little for the Boro standing in the league table, although it certainly doesn't hurt it. The Boro remain in 17th, now with a 3-2-4 record, although with admittedly a good deal more enthusiasm. Coupled with the 3-1 win over Bolton two weeks ago, Middlesbrough now has a very modest two-match unbeaten streak. That streak will be severely tested next Saturday, however, as the Boro travel to London and a meeting with table-topping super squad Arsenal at Highbury. Under-19's Fall To Derby Considering the first team was facing off with perhaps the biggest world power club on its own pitch, one couldn't have been further out of mind than a little match in Burton-on-Trent, involving the Broo's third, youth team. Apparently, even a few of the Boro Under-19 players will still back in Middlesbrough, at least in their minds, because they were dominated in this one, falling 2-0 to Derby at Eton Park. Derby scored the match-winner early on, on a strike by forward Kyle Macauley in the 16th minute, but they got a litte help from Boro fullback Tony McMahon, who clinched it for the home team when he accidentally put an own goal past Middlesbrough keeper David Knight. The two goals by Knight were the first he had allowed in three matches, since one he let get by him against Scarborough in early September. Knight had two clean sheets sine then, and four shut outs in seven appearances so far. Despite the goals allowed, Knight still nabbed a Man of the Match award. Derby outshot the Boro, 7-3, and road squad had just two shots int he match. It was also a very ugly-played match by the young Boro squad--they drew no less than seven yellow cards to the Derby's one. They were prodigious in how they spread them out, though--no one had to be sent off. European League Football notes The first of the Scandinavian leagues has wrapped up its regular season. Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, or HJK for short, won its second straight Finnish Premier Division trophy when it ended its season with a table-topping 55 points and a 16-7-3 record. FC Haka finished in second with 51 points, an improvement of one from its 2002 third place finish. My Pa was third with 46 points, after finishing in second last season. Jaro has been automatically relegated as the last place squad, while FC Hämeenlinna, as the second-to-last finisher in the division, will need to play a playoff with Finnish First Division squad Vaasan Palloseura, or VPS, for its spot in the Premier Division. First Division winner Honka moves up to replace Jaro. The Scandinavian leagues, excepting Denmark's Eridivisie, and the Russian Premier Division play winter-to-fall fixtures, contrary to those of most of the more sourthernly leagues. This is largely due to the brutal winters in these areas which make even breathing, much less playing football, very difficult outside in December and January. Norway, Sweden and Russia will all finish up play in the next couple of weeks. |
SUNDAY, October 19, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Leeds 2, Birmingham 0 The Blues may have takent hemselves out of the match before they even had a chance. Just 28 minutes into the first half, centreback Mike Duff was sent off for yanking on Jody Morris's shirt as the Leeds midfielder was bearing down on goal. The foul was committed outside of the penalty area ona break way, which was doubtless the only reason it didn't result in a penalty. Despite Duff's absence, Birmingham still outshot Leeds 7-6. Their problem--besides covering up for a man disdavantage--was that they couldn't put a shot on goal. Just two Birmingham shots ended up at the net, next to four by Leeds. The Whites made it count, too, getting two quick scores early in the second half from fullback Ian Harte and winger Jermaine Pennant. Pennant got the Man of the Match with five runs and three tackles, in addition to his goal. Blackburn 3, Arsenal 1 The streak is no more. The Rovers introduced the Gunners to their first loss of the season, in the ninth match of the season. Arsenal had seven wins, and their only blemish was a road draw to Liverpool coming into the match. For the Rovers, the win is a big turnaround, coming off of a brutal 3-0 loss to Manchester United. Blackburn didn't dominate in shots. with just a 10-8 advantage, but they kept the Gunners from getting good shots on net, keeping the visitors to just two on goal. Blackburn got going early, getting a 17th minute score from striker Dwight Yorke and a 31st minute goal from fellow striker Ashley Cole. Arsenal star striker Thierry Henry got one back in the 43rd minute, but the Gunners were already out of it. Midfielder Brett Emerton finished them off with a 71st minute strike, capping a Man of the Match performance. He finished with seven tackles, four interceptions and five runs, along with the goal. Southampton 2, Everton 0 Both the Blues and Saints came into the season with expectations of challenging for a Top Five spot in the league table, and both got off to bad starts. The good news for the Saints is they turned it around. Everton has yet to do so, though, despite solid play in spots. Saturday's action was just an exclamation point on that development, as Southampton went into Goodison Park and scored when they needed to get the victory. Both sides shot eight times, putting six each on goal. Making the loss even more difficult for Everton to stomach was the fact they controlled the ball in the Saints' defensive third for nearly twice as long as Southampton did in their own. The Saints truck quick and early, getting their first goal by star striker James Beattie in the third minute, and putting in the second in the 33rd minute by fullback Chris Baird. Beattie got the Man of the Match, with three shots, two on goal, two interceptions and four drawn fouls. Fulham 0, Charlton 0 Two weeks after getting their first win of the season, Fulham got every break they needed to get win number two. Not only did Charlton lose two players to injury, but midfielder Graham Stuart was sent off in the 49th minute for disputing a foul by teammate Carlton Cole on Cottagers centreback Andy Melville. The veteran midfielder's furious outbursts at the ref earned him an early shower and the Addicks a man-disadvantage. Despite that and a 16-6 shot advantage, Fulham couldn't solve Charlton keeper Dean Kiely, who faced off 10 shots on goal in winning the Man of the Match award. Manchester City 0, Bolton 0 After losing their six-match unbeaten streak in a 1-0 road loss to Leicester two weeks ago, a home match against the lowly Wanderers was just what City needed. Too bad Bolton didn't get the memo. Despite losing badly to Blackburn ont he road 2-0 and Middlesbrough at home 3-0 in its past two matches, the Wanderers managed to draw Manchester City, despite being challenged by no less than 24 shots on goal from the Citizens. Fourteen of those shots went on goal--a league-high so far this season, although City couldn't have done less with them. Needless to say, the Man of the Match went to embattled Charlton goalkeeper Juusi Jääskeläinen, who garnered the rare 10 rating from football raters (and deservedly so). The keeper had to do it all, considering his defense allowed Manchester City to control the ball in Charlton's third of the pitch for almost half (44%) of the match running time. Middlesbrough 0, Manchester United 0 Two of United's last four Premiership matches have been 3-0 and 5-0 wins over Blackburn and the Wolves, respectively. They are housed around two stunning scoreless road draws, though, including Saturday's draw with the Boro. The home squad managed just one shot on goal to the Red Devils' 10, with six on goal, but the powerful Manchester squad couldn't solve goalkeeper mark Schwarzer, who became yet another keeper to receive the Man of the Match award on Saturday for his efforts in securing an unlikely clean sheet. Newcastle 1, Liverpool 0 Like the Everton-Southampton match, this match featrued two squads with apirations for higher things that have been, at times, less than stellar this season. The difference here is these guys are traditional powers, and a fall from grace would be even more surprising. The Magpies took a step in the right direction but holding serve on their own pitch, getting a fourth minute strike from midfielder Jermaine Jenas and making ti stand up for the whole match. Newcastle outshot the Reds, 13-5, in the match. Liverpool's star goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek got the Man of the Match for stopping five of the Magpies' six shots on goal, despite giving up the match-winning shot. Portsmouth 2, Aston Villa 2 If the surprise sensation Pompey are to continue in that role this season, they are going to need to pull out the easier home matches against Aston Villa, which wasn't expected to be very good this season--and haven't been. In fact, the Pompey needed a 73rd minute score from striker Teddy Sheringham to equalise things, after allowing an early 1-0 lead to disappear. The Villans got scores from midifelder Otto Addo and star striker Darius Vassell to take the lead by early in the second half. Winger Patrik Berger got the early score in the 12th minute for Portsmouth. Aston Villa came to play--they outshot the home side 13-6, with 10 shots on goal, and earning Pompey goalkeeper Harold Wapenaar the man of the Match. Tottenham 0, Leicester 0 The Cockerels and Foxes were two teams that came into the match playing better than they did to start the season. Tottenham had lost just once in its last four Premiership matches, while Leicester had a three-match win streak. So it figures they would end up in a scoreless draw--the fourth of an odd day of scoreless draws in the Premiership. The two squads managed just 12 shots overall, with the Cockerels getting eight of them. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller of Tottenham got the Man of the Match with three saves in net. Wolverhampton 1, Chelsea 1 A squad as talented as Chelsea is shouldn't be drawing with the Wolves. Nonethelss,t he underachiev9ing squad continued to do so Saturday with the draw against low-talent Wolverhampton. The Blues outshot the Wolves, 7-2, but they were unable to stop winger Mark Kennedy from tying the score up in the 70th minute. Until Kennedy scored, a tight Chelsea defense almost made a 34th minute goal by Hernán Crespo stand up. Wolves' centreback Isaac Okoronkwo got the Man of the Match with seven tackles, 10 of 14 headers won, and 10 interceptions. Injuries & Suspensions The injury of the day occurred to Tottenham fullback Gregg Berhalter. In the 20th minute, the American defender took a misstep, and his knee gave way, leaving him writhing on the White Hart Lane pitch. The diagnosis after the match was that Berhalter had damaged his cruciate ligament in his right knee, and would miss the rest of the season. He might be able to return in May, but it seems unlikely he would be forced into action for the last couple matches of the season for Tottenham. Newcastle midfielder Jermaine Jenas, as a regular for one of the league's top squads, was probably the most notable injury, if not severe. Just halfway into a match he essentially won with the only goal, Jenas pulled up short on a run with a hurt hamstring. The muscle was torn and will shelve Jenas through November at least. The rest of the injuries--of which tere were quite a few--turned out to be day-to-day. There was some significant action in the discipline department. Birmingham defender Mike Duff was sent off in the 28th minute for grabbing the shirt of Leeds midfielder Jody Morris on a breakaway on Saturday, a loss which severely inhibited his side in a 2-0 loss. Charlton forward Graham Stuart isn't likely getting any kind words from manager Alan Curbishley. Stuart was sent off with a quick two yellow cards in the 49th minute of the Addicks' 0-0 draw with Fulham after arguing a foul call on fellow teammate Carlton Cole. Tottenham fullback Stephen Carr was sent off with his second yellow card after the ref thought he slid in too hard on Leicester striker James Scowcraft on Saturday. Since the penalty came in the 88th minute, though, it had little effect on the outcome of the 0-0 scoreless draw. |
Damn Blackburn.
As an aside, in my game, Emerton kicked my butt every single time he played against us as well. |
Quote:
I'm glad it's consistent. What did you expect, a 30-game unbeaten streak? Like that would happen in real life! :rolleyes: ;) CR |
MONDAY, October 20, 2003
Murphy Returns From Watford MIDDLESBROUGH-- Fullback and midfielder David Murphy returned from his three-month loan with First Division Watford, FC Middlesbrough announced on Sunday. The 19-year-old defender appeared in 11 matches for Watford, compiling a 6.73 rating and 3.39 tackles per match, to go along with a goal. Murphy was sent on loan earlier this summer after the Boro coaching staff determined he was unlikely to see significant time with the first team, at least in the early going. Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said Murphy would be sent to the Boro reserve squad to continue to hone his skills. The young defender is considered to be one fo the Boro's better prospects, with excellent technical defensive skills and above average speed. Kieta said Murphy still had a long way to go with his handling of on-pitch tactics and that he needed a good season or two of steady conditioning to help the slight prospect gain some strength. Kieta did not rule out a return to a loan for Murphy. The young player appeared in eight matches with the Boro last season, going scoreless. He is the second player to return to the Boro from a loan in the past two weeks, after midfielder Mark Wilson returned from Stoke City earlier this month. |
TUESDAY, October 21, 2003
The Boro Pursue Zenden London Reports Have Chelsea Accepting A Middlesbrough Offer For The Winger Loanee LONDON-- Premiership power Chelsea has reportedly accepted a Middlesbrough transfer offer for Dutch winger Boudewijn "Bolo" Zenden on Monday. Reports surrounding the London-based club are indicating the Blues have accepted a £3.5 M offer for the loaned-out winger from the Boro, which currently have him as a key part of their first team. Neither Chelsea nor Middlesbrough club officials would confirm the reports on Monday. Chelsea has had Zenden, a veteran international of 46 matches for the Netherlands, on the transfer-list since the offseason, but had yet to drum up much interest. Zenden has been and will continue to be on loan with the Boro for the 2003-04 season. The 27-year-old has been the top playmaker for the Boro this season, with five assists in eight matches so far this year, including one cup match. Zenden has put together a 6.87 rating, to go along with 3.5 tackles and 1.25 runs per match. Zenden scored one goal in 21 appearances of part time duty with Chelsea last season. He has 29 career goals in 235 club appearances across a ten-year professional career, including stints with Dutch power PSV and Primera Liga squad Barcelona. Zenden also has six goals in 46 appearances for his native Holland. If the reports turn out to be true, it will be the Boro's second big ticket future transfer of the season, after they negotiated a transfer deal for their Spanish midfielder star Gaizka Mendieta. Mendieta, who is on loan with Lazio, is the target of an arranged transfer for £4.7 M that will go through in June. The Boro negotiated the deal with the Serie A power and Mendieta in September. Football observers note that the collective £8.2 M transfer fees would far exceed the Boro's remaining transfer budget of £3.4 M, and the club has yet to place any of its current players ont he list to try and make up the difference. |
WEDNESDAY, October 22, 2003
Kieta Mum On Who Is Going Boro Manager Refuses To Name Names Of Players Who Might Leave To Pay For Mendieta And Zenden MIDDLESBROUGH-- Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta refused to give details of his future transfer plans in light of recent reports the Boro had agreed to a transfer for winger Boudewijn Zenden on Monday. The Boro have about £3.4 M left of a transfer budget thought to have started around £5 M this season, but have confirmed a £4.7 M future transfer for Lazio for midfielder Gaika Mendieta, and are reportedly working on a £3.5 M transfer for Zenden, on loan from Chelsea. If the Zenden reports are true, the Boro will need to sell off some players to make up a deficit almost as large as their initial transfer budget to finish off the purchases of Mendieta and Zenden. Despite that, Kieta would not say if he had centered on any players to move to pay for the transfers, nor would he even confirm the Zenden rumors. "At this time, I think it's best if we allow [the Zenden transfer] to remain behind the scenes," Kieta said. "We do have interest in retaining Bolo's services past this season." Kieta's silence was not shared by some of his players. "Yeah, I am concerned," star forward Juninho said Tuesday after practice. "I think Gaizka and Bolo are great players, but some guys will have to go to pay for them. What good will we be if we sacrifice some good players at other positions for just two guys?" Juninho said he is even worried about his own spot with the Boro, and considering whether he may need to look at moving clubs. Kieta was adamant that Juninho was not in any danger. A move involving the popular Brazilian forward would likely incite a mini-revolt among Boro supporters and teammates alike, among whom he is well-respected. "Juninho has nothing to worry about," Kieta said. "He's not just a critical part of the first team, he's a big part of this community. I have no intentions of moving him." Removing emotion or team chemistry reasons, Juninho would be a logical target. A natural midfielder, Juninho has been playing slightly out of position on the front line this season. Were the Boro to acquire the top forwards they have been seeking since the summer, Juninho would seem to be a player without a first-eleven spot. As a name player of some value, a Juninho transfer would likely cover the entire transfer deficit. Kieta said the transfer deficit is having its effect on other areas of squad improvement as well, as he believes it will need to be taken care of before other transfers are completed. "We have our scouts and looking for young talent, good, quality kids, to rebuild the organizational depth here at Middlesbrough," Kieta said. "But until we take care of any issues with our transfer budget, we will be unable to pursue the youth players we are looking at." Kieta said that despite the possibility the funds won't be there, the club scouts remain on the move, looking at possible future Boro players all across Europe, and even beyond. "I can't say enough about our scouting staff," Kieta said. "They have done a wonderful job and have focused us on some players I think we will be able to bring in to help this team out." Kieta refused to specify what players he was looking at, saying it would be "inappropriate to comment" two months before the next available transfer window is to open. The scouts may also be looking at potential Bosman transfers. Hundreds of player contracts are due for termination in June, and those players with expiring contracts will be eligible to agree to negotiate their future employment six months prior to the end of their current contracts. That means players will start to become Bosman-eligible in the next two to three months. Kieta confirmed the club is looking at both Bosman and standard transfers. The manager was much more open in discussing the club's recent play. "I have been pleased by our recent on-pitch results," Kieta said. "The guys are showing some good play right now. We need to use that and build some momentum." The Boro drew with mighty Manchester United on Saturday after beating Bolton on the road on October 5. The two-match unbeaten streak follows a four-league-match stretch in which the Boro failed to score a single goal and lost three. The key might be a tactical change. The Boro switched from a forward-moving 4-4-2 to a 3-1-4-2, removing the fullbacks for a defensive midfielder and an extra centreback. The tactic fits better with the Boro depth, which is long on midfielders and short on fullbacks. The Boro will continue to be tested int heir new tactic, with a visit to mighty Arsenal at Highbury and Saturday, followed by a Carling League matchup at Southampton next week. They will also be playing Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle over the next month. Man U Reserves Beat Boro Youth, 2-0 Mark Wilson returned to the Boro against a familiar opponent on Tuesday. The midfielder, playing in his first match with the Boro reserves since returning from a loan with First Division Stoke City, was on the pitch when his former team, the Manchester United reserve squad, beat his current one 2-0. Wilson played with the United reserves before being transfered to Middlesbrough three years ago with first team midfielder Jonathon Greening. The Red Devil reserve squad dominated the Boro at Moss Lane in Altrincham the way their first team partners likely should have against the Boro on Saturday. They allowed just one Boro shot, and it wasn't even on goal. They got first half scores from striker Frazer Campbell and winger Benjamin Collett to lead the way. Centreback Adrian Nevins dominated the pitch-play to get the Man of the Match award, with eight tackles, six of seven headers won, an intercpetion, four runs, a drawn foul and an assist. |
WEDNESDAY, October 22, 2003
Big Night For United Kingdom In Champions Man U, Chelsea, Rangers All Win Key Matches In Their Groupings Tuesday Three groups reached the halfway points of their Champions League group fixtures Tuesday night, and all three United Kingdom clubs in action took big steps forward. Manchester United and Chelsea of the English Premier League and the Rangers of the Scottish Premier Division all won key matches Tuesday night. The biggest win belonged to the Scots. The Rangers beat key group rival Dutch power Ajax, 4-1, in Glasgow. Rangers came into the match badly needing a win after blowing an early advantage with a 3-0 loss to PAO last month. The unexpected loss to the Greek national A Division squad took the luster off of Rangers' opening draw with superpwer Real Madrid, and left them just a point ahead of Ajax in Group E. Surprising PAO was in first with wins over Rangers and Ajx, while Real Madrid had the second spot after following up its Ranger draw with a win over Ajax. On Tuesday night, Scotland made limited chances count, as they built up a 3-0 lead by the 48th minute, despite being outshot on the match 12-8 by the Dutch side. The Rangers are still in third, but just two points behind PAO and three behind group leader real Madrid, which beat PAO 2-0 in Madrid Tuesday night. Ajax, without a single win, is in last with zero points. Manchester United beat Primera Liga squad Celta, 2-0, in Vigo, Spain Tuesday night to regain the lead in Group G. United was coming off of a surprising placing itself after being surprised at home by Russian premier Division squad Lokomotiv Moscow last month. The Russian club drew Manchester United and put both teams in a tie for first in the group. United's win, coupled with Lokomotiv Moscow's surprising 2-0 loss at home to Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart, gives the Red Devils a nice three-point lead over te Russian club in Group G. VfB Stuttgart's win draws them even with Celta at three points, one behind Lokomotiv Moscow. Manchester United dominated the Celta match, outshooting the Spanish club 15-4. Still, it was close until forward Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored in the 81st minute. Until then, United was attempting to make a 13th minute penalty score by forward Paul Scholes stand up ina tough match. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea was facing a huge match with defending UEFA and Super Cup champion Porto of the Portuguese Superleague. Serie A power Juventus had the clear edge in Group F with wins over both Porto and Chelsea, but the two Juventus victims had each won their other match against Greek side AEK. That made Tuesday's match an early battle for that key second place spot. The Blues came through with flying colors, crushing Porto 4-0. Romanian forward Adrian Mutu was the star, scoring a natural hat trick to lead Chelsea. Striker Hernán Crespo added the finishing touch in the 80th minute. Chelsea limited Porto to just two shots total, neither of which came on goal. The win puts Chelsea in second with six points, three behind Juventus, which beat AEK on the road, 2-1. Porto is third with three points, while AEK has zero points. Group H was also in action, and was the only one of the four groups Tuesday night to not include a squad from the British Isles. Austria Vienna of the Austrian Premier Division surprised Serie A superpower Inter, 1-0, at home Tuesday night to draw even with the Italian club for first. La Ligue One squad Lyon blew a chance to stay even with Inter and Austria Vienna when it allowed itself to be drawn at home by last place Dortmund, 2-2. The first four groups, A, B, C, and D, are in action tonight, including Arsenal going to Celtic Park in Glasgow to face off with Newcastle in a key Group A match. Newcastle is also playing, hosting a match at St. James Park versus Ukrainian High League squad Shakthar. |
THURSDAY, October 23, 2003
Arsenal Lose Match, Ljungberg The Winger Hurts His Back In 2-0 Champions League Loss To Scotland's Celtic Wednesday night was one of the few ones Gunners' fans will likely want to forget in what has otherwise been a near golden season thus far. Arsenal was largely outplayed by fellow United Kingdom squad Celtic in the match, being outshot 9-5, and only putting two shots on goal. The more serious event, though, may have been the loss of Swedish winger Freddie Ljungberg. The playmaking winger came off bad in a challenge with Celtic winger Didier Agathe and fell to the pitch awkward and hard. The winger had to be stretchered off of the Celtic Park pitch with a back injury. After the match it was determined Ljungberg had slipped a disk and would miss four months. "There should have been a foul on that call," Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said. "Maybe a card, too. Freddie's fall was clearly caused by Agathe going up too hard." Wenger's comments, however, come after a match in which Arsenal played a brutally physical match, with 19 fouls to Celtic's 8, and with all three of the match's yellow cards being assessed to the Gunners. Celtic got a score from striker Chris Sutton in the 26th minute, and then clinched it with a strike from star forward Henrik Larsson--an international teammate of Ljungberg--int he 56th minute. The win moved Celtic up until a second place tie with Arsenal in Group A of the Champions League, Europe's most prestigious club competition. The Scottish Premier Division squad have matched Arsenals' 4 points halfway through the group fixture. Serie A power Lazio took the lead in Group A after beating Greek National A Division squad Olympiakos, 2-1, at home, putting them on top with seven points. The Italian club came into the match tied with Arsenal after the two sides drew at Highbury on October 1. Arsenal and Celtic weren't the only British Isles squads in action. Newcastle hosted Ukrainian High League power Shakhtar at St. James Park Wednesday night. Shakhtar came into the match leading Group B, making the matchup for the Magpies all the more critical. Newcastle came through, scoring a tough 1-0 win in which they were suprisingly dominated at home. The Ukrainian side outshot them 13-5, including a 9-3 on-goal disadvantage, but goalkeeper Shay Given was on his game, turning away all shots for the Man of the Match. The only goal of the match went to fullback Andrew Griffin in the 53rd minute. The win propelled Newcastle into first place in Group B with 6 points. Primera Liga squad Real Sociedad missed out on an opportunity to stay with the Magpies when they srew with La Ligue One squad Monaco in France, 1-1. The draw puts them in a second-place tie with Shakhtar with four points each. Group C came into the day's action as the most intriguing of the competition's eight groupings so far. All three sides had a win and a loss int he first two rounds and were tied at three points apiece. Things got clearer Wednesday, as Portugueuse Superleague squad benfica grabbed control of the group with a 3-1 home win over Belgian squad Anderlecht. A 1-1 tie in the Netherlands between Dutch power PSV and Germany's superpower bayern Munich kept both squads two points behind Benfica. With just three points separating top from bottom, this group remains wide open halfway through the group fixture. There aren't any question of who is winning Group D, as defending Champions Cup holder AC Milan continues to dominate play in its run at a repeat. The Italian superpower crushed Turkish squad Besiktas 5-0 in Italy Wednesday night, to give AC Milan three wins in three matches, nine points and a commanding five-point lead. Second-place belongs to surprising Norwegian squad Rosenborg, which itself dominated Primera Liga squad Deportivo in Norway Wednesday night, winning 3-0. Rosenborg has four points. Besiktas is in third place with two points, while Deportivo has just one point. The fourth round of the Champions League group stage will take place on November 4-5. The groups in action Wednesday night will play on November 4, with an immediate turnaround in the fixture--every matchup is a rematch of Wednesday's, but on the road squad's home pitch. Arsenal will get another shot at Celtic in the near future, and this time it's at Highbury. European League Notes Finnish squad FC Hämeenlinna protected its spot in the Finnish Premier Division by beating Finnish First Division squad VPS, 6-1, in a two-leg playoff over the last four days. As the second-to-last squad in Finalnd's top division, FC Hämeenlinna needed to beat VPS, the second-place finisher in the First Division, to keep its spot in the Premier Division. Last weekend, Jaro was relegated for finsihing in last place, and was replaced by First Division champion Honka. HJK finished the season as the champion of the Premier Division. |
SATURDAY, October 25, 2003
Middlesbrough (3-2-4) at Arsenal (7-1-1) When: 3:00 p.m. Where: Highbury, London Forecast: 8º C Middlesbrough Out: DC Ugo Ehiogu, ML Allan Johnston Arsenal Out: MR Freddie Ljungberg Outlook: A visit to Highbury is never a comforting thought for Premiership squads, but the Boro might be catching the table-topping Gunners at just the right time. It appears Arsenal is at a gut-check point of its season, coming off of its first Premiership loss to Blackburn last week, and then falling to Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday. Further hampering Arsenal's mood, they lost star winger Freddie Ljungberg to a slipped disc in the Celtic match, and he will be out until February at least. The Boro are coming off of one of their bigger matches of the year with a 0-0 home draw against mighty Manchester United, and they have a two-match unbeaten streak. That said, they aren't far off froma three-match losing streak and a four-match scoreless string. FA Barclaycard Premiership Game of the Round Manchester City (4-3-2) at Manchester United (5-2-2) One of the biggest derbies in Premiership history resumes action on Saturday. The two sides, and their embattled fans, brutally hate each other. And on top of that, City is off to a strong start, making this match one with importance outside of Manchester, which is up for grabs here. United is coming off of a surprising draw at Middlesbrough last week, and they have also seen scoreless draws against Portsmouth and Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League, so their play, especially on offense, has been better. Still, counting international and league play, haven;t been beaten for seven matches, going back to a 2-0 loss at St. James Park in Newcastle in September. City hasn't played as well as it did to start the season. Manchester City were drawn at home by Bolton last week, 0-0, and lost to Leicester City on the road earlier this month. The Rest Of The Matches Middlesbrough at Arsenal Blackburn Rovers at Aston Villa Tottenham Hotspur at Bolton Wanderers Everton at Charlton Athletic Portsmouth at Chelsea Fulham at Leeds United Birmingham City at Leicester City Wolverhampton at Liverpool Newcastle United at Southampton |
SUNDAY, October 26, 2003
Boro Put Scare In Arsenal Middlesbrough Nearly Matches Powerful Gunners Blow For Blow Before Falling 1-0 LONDON-- One week after drawing manchester United at home, Middlesbrough was just an errant shot or two away from pulling off the upset of the year on Saturday. Arsenal held on to beat the Boro, 1-0, despite being outshot on goal 6-4, and facing off Boro control of the ball in Arsena;'s defensive third of the pitch for 31% of the running time. A first minute atrike by striker Theirry Henry proved to be the difference, as neither Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann nor Boro netminder Mark Schwarzer proved easy to beat in front of 35,529 at Highbury. "We all know how much close means," interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said. "It's still a loss. I think the guys played well, but we could have and should have gotten points out of that match." Perhaps viewing the Boro as lighter fare on their fixture, Arsenal rested a few of its key players, including forwards Dennis Bergkamp and Silvain Wiltord, and star defenders Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole. Still, Henry, their premier player and Lehmann were both in the lineup along with winger Robert Pires, and midfielders Patrick Vieira and Gilberto. For the match, Arsenal actually outshot the Boro, 11-9, but they couldn't bring their shots down, as the Boro forced them to take longer shots. That mattered little, though, after the first minute. Fullback Gaël Clichy collected a clear out kick and put a long pass to the right corner of the penalty area and winger Ray Parlour, starting in place of injured Freddie Ljungberg. Parlour beat Boro winger Boudewijn Zenden in the air and headed a beautiful pass forward into the goal box area. Henry had slipped behind centreback Chris Riggott and was all alone for the pass. Schwarzer never had a chance as the star French striker blasted the shot into the right end of the net, just over Scwarzer's right shoulder. Given the early score, the Gunner supporters might have expected an easy match after that start. They were treated to anything but. In the first half, the Boro had several breakaways that tested Lehmann and the Gunner defense. In the 13th minute, forward Joseph-Désiré Job break into the box from the left side and blasted a shot at lehmann that the German keeper clutched. A couple minutes later, striker Massimo Maccarone broke free into the right of the goal box and hit a hard shot that, unfortunately, went right on Lehmann, who again grabbed it. Lehmann had to survive an open Job shot at the left post, a breakthrough by Maccarone that was just cleared by centreback Jonnes Djourou, and a curving Juninho freekick at the right post. Schwarzer wasn't tested as often, but not surprisingly, when he was, it was by Henry, a player the Boro had no answer for. Henry was splitting defenders on runs all day, and would have ended up with more than three shots--two on goal--were it not for stellar marking play by centreback Gareth Southgate. Henry got the Man of the Match for his game-winning goal, four runs and five drawn fouls. "That's why he is a star," Kieta said. "He really came to play today, and we just couldn't really stop him. He could have scored on a few of those other plays, so it seems funny he should score ona paly he shouldn't have had in the first place." Kieta said Riggott, who had an uncharacteristically bad day, should have known to be more careful with Henry on the scoring play. Also, fullback Danny Mills had a lot of problems with Pires, who set up a lot of the Gunners' scoring chances from the left side of the pitch. "Every Pires cross was a crisis," Kieta said. "I know Danny can play better than he showed today." Mills was subbed in the 74th minute after putting up a performance that raters ranked as just a four. Mills wasn't alone, though--the embattled Maccarone, who failed to make good on some nice opportunities and has been in kieta's doghouse for much of the season, also garnered a four. Kieta refused to comment on Maccarone's performance. The Boro take a brief break from Premiership p[lay to resume their march for the League Cup. They travel to Southampton to take on the Saints in the third round on Wednesday. They follow that up with a home match against Aston Villa next Saturday. |
SUNDAY, October 26, 2003
It's Official: Zenden To Boro Next Year The Club Announces It Has Come To A Contract Agreement With The Dutch Winger From Chelsea MIDDLESBROUGH-- The club finally put to rest the rumors swirling around their Chelsea loan Boudewijn "Bolo" Zenden Saturday when Middlesbrough announced it had secured the Dutch winger's signature to a contract for next year. The winger, currently with the Boro on loan from Chelsea, will officially move to Middlesbrough on transfer on June 8, 2003, for £3.5 M. Incidentally, that is the same day Lazio midfielder Gaizka Mendiatea--another loanee with the team--will be making his £4.7 M move to the Premiership club. "Bolo has been a tremendous playmaker for us on the left side," interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said after the club's 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Saturday. "He and Giazka give us a completely new look in the midfield this season, and allows us to move Juninho forward, who has been one of our few consistent players up front." Zenden leads the Boro with five assists is nine appearances, with the club, including a cup match. He has a 6.89 avergae rating so far this season. The 27-year-old winger is also a member of Holland's national team. He has appeared as a sub in one appearance this season for Holland, putting up a 7 rating. The details of Zenden's contract were not announced, but the club did say they had been working on a contract with the winger since Chlesea accepted their £3.5 M transfer offer on Monday, confirming reports that came out of the London area earlier this week. "I look back on my time at Stamford Bridge withg fondness," Zenden said, "and I will miss many of the guys there. But it's clear the Blues have moved in a different direction and that I am no longer in their plans. This is just a tremendous opportunity for me,a nd I hoep my new teammates and I can bring glory to Teeside." Zenden was with Chelsea for two seasons, last year appearing in 21 matches with one goal scored. In a ten-year career with Chelsea, Primera Liga power Barcelona and Dutch club PSV, Zenden has 29 goals in 236 matches. He also has six goals in 46 caps with Holland. The official addition of Zenden at the end of the season isn't likely to make Kieta's job any easier the rest of the way. With a reported £3.4 M left in the Middlesbrough budget, the manager will have to come up with almost £5 M in additional transfer funds by June to cover the Zenden and Mendieta moves. The manager has refused to say who on the squad he would look to move to recover those funds, but he may have to make a decision soon, with the next transfer window coming up in January. Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson has not said whether he would be willing to give Kieta more funds before the end of the season. Kieta was given £5 M to begin the season. The rumor mill has it that several players have expressed concern over the club's ability to handle the moves, with just star forward Junihno speaking of it publically. The Brazillian forward has said it has him concerned enough to be considering a club move, prompting the manager to say Juninho was not one of the players targetted for a transfer. Boro Under-19s Draw With Blackburn, 0-0 Gaolkeeper David Knight, who has been excellent for the Boro this season, returned to his strong play after allowing two goals in a match against Derby last week. The 16-year-old youth prospect blanked Blackburn in a scoreless draw at The Stadium in Billingham Saturday, to earn his fifth clean sheet in eight matches, and also his third Man of the Match award. In a very defensive match, the Boro Under-19s got just two shots off against the Rovers' youth squad, putting just one on goal. Blackburn itself had just five shots, four on goal. Thanks largely to Knight's sterling play, the Boro reserve squad is fourth in its reserve league, with a 5-1-2 record. Derby is on top of the table, followed by Lincoln and Blackburn. The Boro are six points back of Derby. |
Reporter Question:
"Does Maccarone's poor play against Arsenal display a lack of depth among Middlesbrough forwards?" |
SUNDAY, October 26, 2003
FA Barclaycard Action Recap Arsenal 1, Middlesbrough 0 The Gunners got back on the winning track at Highbury on Saturday, albeit barely. They didn't dominate like you would expect facing a lower-end squad in Middlesbrough, but they got the score they needed from star striker Thierry Henry and made it stand up. The Gunners outshot the Boro, 11-9, but had a 6-4 on-goal disadvantage. Henry got the Man of the Match for his goal, four runs and five drawn fouls. Last week, Arsenal lost its first match of the Premiership fixture after it fell to Blackburn. The Gunners remain atop the Premiership standings. Aston Villa 1, Blackburn 0 Aston Villa came into this one with a three-match unbeaten league streak, and got a nice notch in their cap when they went out and edged the Rovers, coming off of a big win over Arsenal. This match wasn't one for offense, with just none shots total taken. The Rovers only took three, with just one on goal. It seems fitting the only score of the match didn't even count against the total. Midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger scored a penalty in the 75th minute to provide the difference for the Villans. Fullback Gareth Barry got the Man of the Match with domianting air play in front of the net. He won 13 of 14 headers and also had eight interceptions. Tottenham 1, Bolton 0 It took four matches but the Spurs finally got a win. Tottenham came intot he match with trhee straight draws and looking to finally get a win, and Bolton was just what the doctor ordered. The Wanderers were on a four-match winless streak prior to hosting the Cockerels. Still, it was far from easy for Tottenham, as the lone goal wasn't scored until forward Robbie Keane finally solved Bolton keeper Juusi Jääskeläinen in the 87th minute. Tottenham had 13 shots to Bolton's seven including 11 on goal. Keane's frontline partner Bobby Zamora got the Man of the Match award, with a versatile performance that included an interception, a run, four drawn fouls, three shots, strong 12 for 20 head play and an assist on Keane's score. Charlton 3, Everton 1 Charlton came in with no wins in its last four matches, while Everton had a similar streak at three, including two home losses to Fulham and Southampton in its last two. So something had to give. Early on, it looked like the Blues would come to play, as star striker Wayne Rooney opened scoring in the 14th minute. Addicks' young star striker Carlton Cole, on loan from Chelsea, fixed that up, though, scoring a natural hat trick in just eight minutes. Cole's domianting play produced goals int he 17th, 19th and 25th minutes, shocking Everton into a 3-1 deficit before they even realized it. Not surprisingly, Cole also got the Man of the Match, as Everton went down without a fight. Chelsea 4, Portsmouth 1 While Chelsea's loanee was scoring a natural with Charlton, one of his primary replacements at Stamford Bridge was doing the same to Portsmouth. Forward Adrian Mutu scored three straight goals in the first half to quickly put the Pompey behind a deficit they could not overcome. The score wasn't even as dominating as it could have been--the Blues outshot Portsmouth 26-4, and put a season league-high 15 shots on goal. Chelsea also got a 90th minute score from fullback Wayne Bridge, countering an 81st minute score by Yakubu. Mutu receiv3ed the Man of the Match. Leeds 1, Fulham 1 If the Whites want to show they can continue to play strong despite their depleted roster, they are going to need to pull out matches at home against lowly Fulham. The draw was particularly maddening to Leeds supporters in that the Cottagers got the equaliser off of a 90th minute penalty by forward Lee Clark. The frustrating draw came after Leeds outshot Fulham 22-5, and put 14 shots on goal. The lone United score came from winger Jamie McMaster, who scored off of the rebound from Leeds' own failed penalty kick int he 33rd minute. Those looking for a goat can look to centreback Roque Júnior, who's ill-timed slide on Fulham striker Elvis Hammond led to the tying penalty. The Man of the Match went to Fulham Edwin van der Sar, who had a masterful game to keep the Cottagers in this one, including blocking the initial penalty kick by fullback Ian Harte. Leicester 1, Birmingham 1 Leicester has been steadily climbing the table over the past couple months after a poor start, coming into Saturday's game having won three of four league matches, and not losing since September. Birmingham was beat at home by Leeds last week, but has otherwise enjoyed a strong season and have been near the top of the table since the very beginning. So this was a standout matchup for both squads. As it turns out, neither could a step on the other. Birmingham was outshot by the Foxes, 10-5, but they got the first goal, a score by striker Mikaell Forsell int he 32nd minute. Leicester needed a 49th minute strike from forward Stanley Spencer to tie it up, and they only managed to put three of their 10 shots on goal. Centreback Steve Howey got the Man of the Match with three tackles, seven interceptions and dominating air play, winning an amazing 26 of 28 headers. Liverpool 2, Wolverhampton 2 This is officially a bad season for the Reds now. Liverpool was stunned at home Saturday when last place Wolverhampton came into Anfield and went out with a stunning draw. The Wolves did it by overcoming a two-goal deficit late in the second half, off of scores from forwards Henri Camara in the 79th minute and Kenny Miller in the 83rd minute. The Reds didn't even dominate on shtos taken, winning that battle just 9-6. Striker Milan Baros was all the offense for the Reds on Saturday, scoring both of their goals int he 25th and 51st minutes. Baros's efforts earned him the Man of the Match. Manchester United 2, Manchester City 0 The first battle for the city of Manchester is over, and United is the champ. In a key early match, the Red Devils made a second minute score by striker Nicolas Anelka the difference with strong defensive play, limiting City to five shots, three on goal. Still, United itself only had four shots on goal from its 13 total shots, and the superpower didn't put this one away until forward Diego Forlán scored in injury time. Centreback Rio Ferdinand was dominating on defense, with two tackles, two runs, nine intercpetions and 21 of 22 headers, all of which got him the Man of the Match. Southampton 2, Newcastle 0 The Manchester derby may have been the top match in importance for this round, but this one wasn't far behind. The Saints came into the season hyped, but got off to a bad start. With a three-match unbeaten streak, including a 2-0 win against Everton last week, Southampton seemed to have turned it around. Newcastle, meanwhile, is a traditional powerhouse of the Premiership that has been up and down this season. Last week, they beat Liverpool, 1-0, but prior to that they had a three-match league losing streak, and were dominated at home in a Champions League match with Shakhtar (which, incidentally, they still won). Unfortunately for the Magpies, their inconsistent play continued, and the Saints took advantage. The home squad outshot Newcastle, 12-5, and only allowed them two shots on goal. Southampton got all of its offense from striker Kevin Phillips, who scored in the 45th and 61st minutes. Phillips also received the Man of the Match award. Injuries & Suspensions There was only one major injury in the Premiership on Saturday, although it could have been much worse. Aston Villa winger Moustapha Hadji suffered a broken leg in a brutal challenge for the ball in the 33rd minute of the Villans' 1-0 win over Blackburn. The injury should be a tough one for Aston Vilal to overcome, as Hadji had established himself as a solid starter for the Villans, with two assist and a 7.13 rating in eight appearances so far. He will be out for at least three months, and maybe four. The next biggest injury also happened to Aston Villa, although it is much lighter in comparison to Hadji's hurt. Goalkeeper Thomas Sorenson hurt his shoulder diving for a shot. He stayed int he match, but afterwards, he was diagnosed with a shoulder bruise that is epxected to keep him out for three days. While both injuries weren't serious, Manchester United got scares when offensive stars striker Ruud Van Nistlerooy and winger Ryan Giggs both picked up knocks in United's 2-0 win over Manchester City. Nistlerooy happened when he was accidentally hit on the head in an errant earial challenge and had to leave the match int he 37th minute. Giggs pulled up short late in the match with a strain of his thigh. Fortunately for Man U fans, both injuries are considered to be day-to-day. Unlike last week, when three players were sent off, no one received an on-pitch red card on Saturday. Manchester City winger Danny Tiatto, though, did receive his fifth yellow card against Manchester United and will have to miss City's League Cup match with Third Division Hull City on Wednesday. |
MONDAY, October 27, 2003
Wilson Hurt In Training MIDDLESBROUGH-- Midfielder Mark Wilson, one of the Boro's more prominent reserve players, suffered a groin strain in practice Sunday. The Boro first team had the day off, as is interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta's policy for days following matches, but the reserve team hasn't been in action since playing Manchester United last Tuesday. Wilson will miss a week of action, including the reserve squad's match at Newcastle tomorrow. Wilson recently returned from a three-month loan with First Division Stoke City. The Manchester United matchw as his first match of the season with the Boro reserves. Norway, Sweden Finishes Out Regular Seasons The Norwegian and Swedish premier divisions wrapped up their regular seasons on Sunday, although the end results haven't been in doubt for some time. Rosenborg has made it an annual tradition to win the Norwegian Premier Division, and this year is no different. Not only did Rosenborg, based out of Trondheim, win the division for the 12th straight season, they had it wrapped up by August. Rosenborg won 20 of 26 league matches and finsihed 17 points ahead of second place Stabæk, with a 20-3-3 record and 63 total points. Stabæk finished with a 14-4-8 record and 46 points, just ahead of Odd Grenland with a 12-5-9 record and 41 points. Last year's second place squad Molde finished in fourth with 40 points, and traditional past powers like Viking and Lillestrom finished 8th and 9th respectively, with 34 and 33 points. Viking was the last side to win the Norwegian Premier Division besides Rosenborg, winning its last title in 1991. Twelfth place Aalesund just won its way up to the Premier Division, and it's already having to fight to stay. Byt finishing third-to-last, Aalesund will have to place Norwegian First Division third-place squad Fredrikstad for its spot in the division. Bodo-Glimt and Bryne weren't so lucky. As the bottom two teams in the division, they are automatically relegated to the First Division. They will be replaced by First Division champ Honefoss, and runner up Moss. Bryne in particular could use a move down. They won just two of their 26 league matches and finished with 11 points, 16 back of Bodo-Glimt, and an astoundingly bad -37 goal differential. In Sweden, it has likely been a foregone conclusion in the Swedish premier Division, albeit not for as long as for Rosenborg. AIK finished well ahead of the rest of the division with 64 points, via a 21-1-4 record, and 10 points ahead of IFK Göteborg. Of course, even IFK Göteborg finished 12 points over everyone else, which shows how far ahead the two teams were in front of the division. IFK Göteborg finished with a 16-6-4 record and 54 points. Third place was a tie between Malmö FF and Djurgàrden at 42 points, the top two sides from last year. The most stunning result, though, was from last year's third place squad OIS, which dropped to within a couple points of automatic relegation this season. OIS will have to play First Division third place squad Trelleborg for its spot in the Premier Division. Speaking of relegation, Sunday spelled the end for last place Oster and second-to-last Enköpings SK, which were officially sent down to the Swedish First Division. They will be replaced by Kalmar FF and Norrköpping. |
Go Gooners!
Er, sorry Chief. It had to be said. :D |
The fans are singing a version of the old Monkees song..
"Cheer up sleepy Dream.. Oh what can it mean.. "To be a Boro Fan.. Cheering on a shite football teammmmmm" (not that I'd do such things, mind you ;)) |
You guys both suck. :)
CR |
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