Football/Soccer

Torres ponders Chelsea future(PA) Monday 21 May 2012
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Fernando Torres will hold showdown talks with Chelsea after attacking his treatment by the club and threatening to quit Stamford Bridge this summer.

Torres delivered an astonishingly-timed swipe at the Blues hours after helping them end their agonising wait for European Cup glory on Saturday night.

The £50million man was fuming after being snubbed in favour of rookie Ryan Bertrand in the final against Bayern Munich, branding it possibly the biggest disappointment of his life.

And the Spain striker warned he could walk away if he did not receive assurances about his future role.

Torres told Press Association Sport: “This season, I felt things I had never felt. I felt they have treated me in a way I was not expecting, not the manner for which the club brought me here.

“We have had many conversations and, now the season is finished, we will have more talks to see what happens in the future because this is not the role for which I came. I have been through the worst moments of my career during the season and I am not willing to relive those moments.

We will have more talks to see what happens in the future because this is not the role for which I came.Chelsea striker Fernando Torres

“There have been many ups and downs and many moments where I felt lost and I didn’t know what to do and where to be. The ideal for me for next season is if someone tells me what’s going to happen, what role will I have in the team, what function what is expected of me and to evaluate if it is worth it.”

Torres did not get on the pitch at the Allianz Arena on Saturday until Chelsea fell behind seven minutes from time.

The 28-year-old won the corner that saw Didier Drogba equalise and impressed in extra time but he was not among those chosen to take a penalty in the 4-3 shoot-out win, which saw Drogba once again steal the limelight.

Torres added: “Before the game, I felt it was going to be one of my best moments and I came with great desire and ambition. But then I had to start on the bench. I felt huge disappointment when I saw the starting line up, maybe the biggest disappointment of my life.

“In the end, I was able to play a bit and help the team. Right now, I do feel it’s all worth it but the truth is I’ve gone through some very bad moments.”

Torres’ fortunes have improved dramatically under caretaker Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo after he was in danger of being branded the most expensive flop in football history.

He more than doubled his goal tally for the club in the last three months of the season, scoring seven times, including a hat-trick against QPR.

But he has remained second fiddle to Drogba, despite the record sum Roman Abramovich spent to prise him from Liverpool a year and a half ago.

Santos Laguna seal Mexican crown(PA) Monday 21 May 2012
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Santos Laguna were crowned champions of Mexico as they beat Monterrey 2-1 in the second leg of the Clausura play-off final for a 3-2 aggregate victory on Sunday.

Santos, who finished top of the regular-season table, four points clear of second-placed Monterrey, opened the scoring after just five minutes through Daniel Luduena.

As Monterrey threatened, Oribe Peralta added a crucial second to give Santos a two-goal cushion and, though Aldo De Nigris scored 12 minutes from time to give the visitors hope, the title belonged to Santos.

Santos, who lost to Monterrey in the final of the CONCACAF Champions League, take the crown from Apertura winners Tigres.

West African duo march easily to Japan
(AFM)
Monday 21 May 2012

Ghana and Nigeria both marched with impressive efficiency into the line-up for the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan, winning by handsome margins in their final qualifying ties. The two countries, who also appeared in Germany two years ago, will again represent Africa at the competition after sending a loud message of their competency in the preliminaries.

Ghana’s Black Princesses overcame Tunisia 7-2 on aggregate while Nigeria, who have reached all five previous U-20 finals, demolished the Democratic Republic of Congo 7-0 over the two legs. The pair have long been strong in the women’s game, with Nigeria in particular rightly seen as the dominant continental force at all age groups.

The Falconets reached the final in Germany two years ago, falling to the hosts 2-0, but not before winning the right to call themselves the first African team to reach the ultimate match of any FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Nigerians completed their qualification with a 3-0 away win at Kinshasa’s imposing Stade des Martyrs on Saturday to add to their 4-0 first leg win in Abeokuta earlier in May. Coached by Edwin Okon, the Falconets wasted no time in setting about their business despite the alien, and imposing, environment.

Ngozi Okobi, who played in the last two FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cups, opened the score after eight minutes and star striker Desire Oparanozie doubled the lead just six minutes later, which made up for her failing to score in the first leg.

It also effectively took the tie beyond the wildest dreams of the Congolese, who went further behind when Francisca Ordega contributed another goal before the break. Goals in the first leg earlier this month had come from captain Gloria Ofoegbu, who scored a brace, Ordega and Ebere Orji.

We can match-up with the rest of the world … We are not going to relent in our effort.Nigeria coach Edwin Okon

The performance was straightforward, but Okon was feeling both confident and resolute about his side’s chances when looking ahead to the global challenge. “We can match-up with the rest of the world,” he said boldly to reporters. “I already have a prototype of how my squad will be at the World Cup. We are not going to relent in our effort, we are very determined to make Nigeria happy at the forthcoming World Cup in Japan.”

A crown for the Princesses
Ghana had won their first leg away 3-1 and so were confident heading into the second leg at home, and though they started slowly, they eventually coasted their way to a win at the Accra Sports Stadium, also on Saturday.

Although things worked out in the end for the Black Princesses, they found themselves uncomfortably behind at half-time in the second leg after Chayma Abbassi put Tunisia, who had two French-based players in their squad, shockingly in front. Although they still led on aggregate, the hosts pushed hard for the equaliser and found it after the break through Elizabeth Addo.

In the second half, the Ghanaians exerted their control on the match with Alive Eva Danso making it 2-1 and USA-based Candice Osei-Agyemang adding the third on her U-20 debut. Osei-Agyemang attends the University of Pennsylvania and played for Ghana at the first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand four years ago.

Her elder sister Myralyn also went to the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup™. Addo scored her second of the match and the fourth for Ghana to give a resounding scoreline to a match that had them in trouble at times.

Black Princesses coach Robert Sackey credited his side’s background with the easy victory. “[My team] have been at the World Cup before. They are very poised and have the experience to go about situations like this. That is what they are about,” he said.

Timbers revival sends Galaxy bottom(PA)
Monday 21 May 2012
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The Portland Timbers sent the Los Angeles Galaxy to the bottom of the Western Conference as they claimed a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Sunday.

Eric Brunner opened the scoring for Portland in the 20th minute, ending a run of 448 minutes without a goal for the Timbers, but Jalil Anibaba levelled six minutes before the break.

Logan Pause inadvertently struck the decisive blow when he put the ball in his own net seven minutes into the second half.

The win, just Portland’s third of the season, lifted them above the Galaxy, who lost to Chivas USA yesterday.

Boca regain top spot(PA)
Monday 21 May 2012
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Boca Juniors went top of the Clausura table with a 2-0 win at Racing Club on Sunday.

Boca left it late, as goals from half-time substitute Lucas Viatri in the 70th minute and Nicolas Blandi eight minutes from time sealed the victory.

With 15 games played, the result left Boca one point ahead of Tigre and Newell’s All Boys, and two ahead of All Boys.

Colon Santa Fe were held to a 0-0 draw at Atletico Rafaela, while Velez Sarsfield slipped to a 1-0 home defeat against Belgrano Cordoba, Andres Silvera netting in the 63rd minute.

Olimpo lifted themselves off the foot of the table with just their third Clausura win, 2-1 over Independiente.

Nestor Bareiro scored both their goals, in the eighth and 69th minutes, sandwiching Ernesto Farias’ 20th-minute reply.

Champs Corinthians open with defeat(PA)
Monday 21 May 2012
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Corinthians made a less than ideal start to their Campeonato Brasileiro title defence as they were beaten 1-0 at home by Fluminense on Sunday.

Euzebio scored the only goal in the 72nd minute for Flu as Corinthians, who perhaps had half an eye on this week’s Copa Libertadores quarter-final against Vasco da Gama, slipped up.

Flu are also in Libertadores action later this week, against Argentinian side Boca Juniors.

Vasco made a winning start to the season as they beat Gremio 2-1. Fellipe Bastos opened the scoring for Vasco in the 23rd minute, but the lead lasted just three minutes before Fernando levelled.

Alecsandro sealed the points for the hosts in the 69th minute. Half-time substitute German Herrera scored a hat-trick as Botafogo twice came from behind to beat Sao Paulo 4-2.

Sao Paulo led through Jadson at the break, but the introduction of Herrera changed things as he levelled five minutes after the restart, then again from the penalty spot in the 68th minute after Luis Fabiano put the visitors ahead a second time.

Botafogo sealed the points with a quickfire double as Vitor Junior netted after 73 minutes and Herrera completed his hat-trick five minutes later. The win put Botafogo nominally top of the table after one round of matches.

The day’s other winners were Internacional and Atletico Mineiro. Inter beat Coritiba 2-0 through first-half strikes from Leandro Damiao and Dagoberto, while Damian Escudero netted in the last minute to give Atletico a 1-0 win at Ponte Preta.

The other two games, Bahia v Santos and Cruzeiro v Atletico Goianiense, finished goalless.

Cruzeiro held on after having Anselmo Ramon dismissed in the 76th minute.

Montpellier clinch maiden title, Dijon drop(AFP)
Sunday 20 May 2012
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Montpellier claimed the first league title in their history after winning 2-1 at Auxerre on an extraordinary final day of the season on Sunday, after a game twice delayed due to protests by the home fans.

Second-placed Paris Saint-Germain did all they could by winning 2-1 at Lorient, and the delays at Auxerre meant that Rene Girard’s side had to endure a nervy wait before their title success was confirmed.

Montpellier finished the season three points clear of PSG in the final standings, which gave the southern club, who were 14th in Ligue 1 last season, their first major honour since the 1990 French Cup.

“I think it’s deserved,” said Montpellier coach Girard amid scenes of jubilation on the pitch at Auxerre following the final whistle. “It was a huge fight right until the end. Looking at the number of points, you have to say that the three teams at the top have had extraordinary seasons.”

There was no hint of the drama to come when Auxerre broke the deadlock in the 20th minute at Stade Abbe Deschamps, with Olivier Kapo heading home from a corner. A defeat was the only means by which Montpellier could have been denied the title, but they equalised in the 32nd minute when John Utaka converted a low right-wing cross from Souleymane Camara.

The Auxerre fans’ protest at their relegation, which saw them throw tennis balls and toilet rolls onto the pitch, began at the start of the second period and forced the players to return to the changing rooms.

It was a huge fight right until the end. Rene Girard, Montpellier coach

When play resumed, Montpellier were 19 minutes behind the Lorient-PSG game, and with PSG winning, the leaders were left living on their nerves. Goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren repelled a powerful drive from Delvin N’Dinga before flares thrown by Auxerre’s fans obliged the players to leave the pitch again and led to a second delay lasting around 20 minutes.

With PSG’s players watching on television from Lorient, riot police began to clear the protesting fans from the stand behind the Montpellier goal and play was able to resume. There were still 16 minutes to play, but Utaka calmed the visiting fans’ nerves in the 76th minute when he swivelled to slam home his second goal and take the title to Stade de la Mosson for the very first time.

Montpellier’s Olivier Giroud finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1, ending the season level with PSG’s Nene on 21 goals but prevailing by virtue of having scored fewer penalties.

PSG end runners-up
PSG needed to win to stand any chance of winning the title, but they fell behind in the 28th minute at Lorient when Kevin Monnet-Paquet ghosted in behind Zoumana Camara to score with a back-post header.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men equalised in the 61st minute through record signing Javier Pastore and claimed victory through Thiago Motta with 15 minutes left, but although PSG had done their job, it was not enough to deny Montpellier their day in the sun.

Elsewhere, Bordeaux won 3-2 at Saint-Etienne to pip their opponents to fifth place and a berth in the UEFA Europa League, with Rennes consigned to sixth despite a 5-0 thrashing of Dijon that sent the promoted side back down to Ligue 2.

Caen were also relegated after going down 3-1 at Valenciennes. Finally, Eden Hazard bid farewell to outgoing champions Lille by netting a first-half hat-trick in a 4-1 win at home to Nancy in his final game for the club.

Nice stayed up in enthralling fashion after winning 4-3 at Lyon. Goals by Lisandro Lopez and Jimmy Briand had the hosts in charge inside the opening half-hour, but the visitors hit back through Luciano Monzon and Kafoumba Coulibaly.

Nice were gifted the lead early in the second half when Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris inexplicably punched into his own net as he tried to clear Didier Digard’s free-kick. A stunning 30-yard effort by Briand brought Lyon level, but with 18 minutes remaining Esmael Goncalves popped up to win it for Nice.

Donovan, Altidore to join USA camp(AFP)
Sunday 20 May 2012
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Landon Donovan and Jozy Altidore and defender Oguchi Onyewu were among 11 players announced on Sunday by US Soccer as additions to the USA training camp ahead of 2014 FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers.

USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann welcomed Los Angeles Galaxy forward Donovan and four other Major League Soccer players plus Borussia Dortmund forward Terrence Boyd on Sunday in Orlando, Florida, for two-a-day workout sessions.

Sporting Lisbon’s Onyewu is set to arrive on Monday, a week ahead of AZ Alkmaar’s Altidore, who figures to be in the final 23-man roster picked from 27 hopefuls for five upcoming matches that Klinsmann will select next Friday.

We are excited now to get towards full numbers with the MLS guys and also the players from Europe who are coming in with great form.Jurgen Klinsmann, USA coach

“We are excited now to get towards full numbers with the MLS guys and also the players from Europe who are coming in with great form,” Klinsmann said. “We want them to pick up the rhythm as fast as possible and make them understand that we are taking the next couple weeks very seriously.”

Donovan is the all-time US scoring leader, while Altidore scored 19 goals for AZ Alkmaar this season. The Americans will play host to Scotland on 26 May in Jacksonville, Florida, and five-time FIFA World Cup champion Brazil on 30 May in Washington before visiting Toronto for a friendly against Canada on 3 June.

US players launch their quest for a seventh consecutive trip to the FIFA World Cup on 8 June when they entertain Antigua and Barbuda in Tampa, Florida, in their first semi-final round match of CONCACAF regional qualifying. Four days later the Americans visit Guatemala.

Napoli win Coppa, end Juve run(AFP) Sunday 20 May 2012
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Napoli brought an end to Juventus’ record-breaking undefeated run on Sunday as they claimed a 2-0 victory in the Coppa Italia final.

Serie A champions Juventus saw their hopes of a league and cup double shattered by two second-half goals, with defeat particularly painful for Alessandro Del Piero, who was playing the last match of his 19-year career with the club.

“It’s almost unthinkable to beat Juventus over 90 minutes when they hadn’t lost all season. It was an achievement within an achievement,” said Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri.

It’s almost unthinkable to beat Juventus over 90 minutes when they hadn’t lost all season. Walter Mazzarri, Napoli coach

Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute when goalkeeper Marco Storari brought down Ezequiel Lavezzi. It was Cavani’s 33rd goal of the season.

Seven minutes from time, Napoli’s first Coppa Italia triumph since Diego Maradona’s team won the 1987 double was assured when Goran Pandev launched a lightning counter-attack before playing in Marek Hamsik, who slotted the ball into the corner.

Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella was sent off in the last minute for elbowing Salvatore Aronica in the face.

Nordsjaelland leapfrog FCK at the summit(PA)
Sunday 20 May 2012
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Nordsjaelland are in the driving seat in the race for the Superligaen title after victory over Brondby, while FC Copenhagen lost top spot with a defeat at FC Midtjylland.

A 59th-minute strike from Kasper Lorentzen earned Nordsjaelland a 1-0 win and moved them two points clear at the summit, with one round remaining, as Copenhagen were beaten by the same scoreline. Danny Olsen scored fourth-placed Midtjylland’s only goal after 66 minutes to inflict a fifth defeat of the season on Copenhagen.

Horsens consolidated third place with a 3-1 win at home to AGF Aarhus. Alexander Andersen’s 28th-minute opener for Horsens was cancelled out by Hjalte Bo Norregaard six minutes before the interval. But Ken Fagerberg fired the hosts in front once more after the break and a late penalty from Martin Retov made sure of the points.

Basement side Koge suffered a 1-0 loss to AaB with Nicklas Helenius converting a penalty four minutes from time. Odense routed Lyngby 4-0 thanks to goals from Kalilou Traore with two, Rasmus Falk Jensen and Andreas Johansson. Koge and Lyngby have already been relegated.

Silkeborg and Sonderjyske shared the points in a 1-1 draw in their mid-table contest. The home side went ahead through Kasper Riisgaard (39), but Sonderjyske responded with a Jarl Andre Storbaek penalty on 77 minutes.