Dejan Lovren scored a heart-stopping
stoppage-time header as Liverpool completed an astonishing comeback to beat
Borussia Dortmund 4-3 on Thursday and reach the Europa League semi-finals. Held
1-1 in last week’s first leg at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund scored twice in
nine minutes through Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to take a
firm grip on the tie. After Divock Origi had given Liverpool a foothold, Marco
Reus struck again for the visitors, but goals from Philippe Coutinho and
Mamadou Sakho levelled the tie before Lovren headed home in the 91st minute to
give former Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp the biggest win of his Anfield tenure.
Liverpool’s stirring rally, which unfurled amid an electrifying Anfield
atmosphere, took them into a continental semi-final for the first time since
2010 and kept Klopp on course to end his first season at the club with a
trophy. His successor at Dortmund, Thomas Tuchel, could only look on in
disbelief at the final whistle as the 5-4 aggregate scoreline condemned his
side to defeat, four days on from a 2-2 draw with Schalke that left his men
seven points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Kick-off was
preceded by a rousing communal rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the two
clubs’ anthem, and a solemnly observed minute’s silence to mark the 27th
anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. But any sense of sentimentality
quickly vanished as Dortmund turned the tie on its head in the early stages. An
early Aubameyang effort that curled wide gave Klopp’s side a warning and when
the ball next found its way into the hosts’ box, after a Liverpool attack broke
down high on the left flank, there was no reprieve. – Nerveless Reus – Gonzalo
Castro’s flighted cross picked out Aubameyang and although his close-range
volley was alertly parried by Simon Mignolet, Mkhitaryan tucked in the rebound.
Sakho had played both Dortmund attackers onside and he was also at fault for
the second goal as Aubameyang ran in behind him to collect Reus’s delicately
threaded pass and slam a shot into the top-right corner. Klopp had been bold in
his team selection, bringing in Roberto Firmino for the injured Jordan
Henderson, and while it left Liverpool light in central midfield, after the
early shock had subsided they began to make chances. Origi, preferred up front
to Daniel Sturridge, had a shot blocked and flicked a half-volley wide, Alberto
Moreno miscued a volley, Adam Lallana produced an embarrassing air-kick and
Firmino steered a header wide, while Coutinho saw a drilled effort deflect
behind. Liverpool needed an early goal in the second half and they got it in
the 48th minute, Emre Can exchanging passes with first James Milner and then
Firmino before releasing Origi to prod his fourth goal in three games past
Roman Weidenfeller. No sooner had the hosts closed in than Dortmund accelerated
again, Mats Hummels taking Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne out of the game
with an exquisite pass and Reus nervelessly beating Mignolet. Coutinho reduced
the arrears again with a low strike into the bottom-right corner before Sakho
atoned for his earlier misdemeanours by bludgeoning a header into the net from
Coutinho’s corner. It set up a breathless climax that culminated in Croatian
centre-back Lovren climbing at the back post to nod in Milner’s cross from the
right and set the seal on an unforgettable Anfield night.
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Thursday, 14 April 2016
15:05
Almighty Liverpool sink Borussia Dortmund to reach the Europa league semi-final
Dejan Lovren scored a heart-stopping
stoppage-time header as Liverpool completed an astonishing comeback to beat
Borussia Dortmund 4-3 on Thursday and reach the Europa League semi-finals. Held
1-1 in last week’s first leg at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund scored twice in
nine minutes through Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to take a
firm grip on the tie. After Divock Origi had given Liverpool a foothold, Marco
Reus struck again for the visitors, but goals from Philippe Coutinho and
Mamadou Sakho levelled the tie before Lovren headed home in the 91st minute to
give former Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp the biggest win of his Anfield tenure.
Liverpool’s stirring rally, which unfurled amid an electrifying Anfield
atmosphere, took them into a continental semi-final for the first time since
2010 and kept Klopp on course to end his first season at the club with a
trophy. His successor at Dortmund, Thomas Tuchel, could only look on in
disbelief at the final whistle as the 5-4 aggregate scoreline condemned his
side to defeat, four days on from a 2-2 draw with Schalke that left his men
seven points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Kick-off was
preceded by a rousing communal rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the two
clubs’ anthem, and a solemnly observed minute’s silence to mark the 27th
anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. But any sense of sentimentality
quickly vanished as Dortmund turned the tie on its head in the early stages. An
early Aubameyang effort that curled wide gave Klopp’s side a warning and when
the ball next found its way into the hosts’ box, after a Liverpool attack broke
down high on the left flank, there was no reprieve. – Nerveless Reus – Gonzalo
Castro’s flighted cross picked out Aubameyang and although his close-range
volley was alertly parried by Simon Mignolet, Mkhitaryan tucked in the rebound.
Sakho had played both Dortmund attackers onside and he was also at fault for
the second goal as Aubameyang ran in behind him to collect Reus’s delicately
threaded pass and slam a shot into the top-right corner. Klopp had been bold in
his team selection, bringing in Roberto Firmino for the injured Jordan
Henderson, and while it left Liverpool light in central midfield, after the
early shock had subsided they began to make chances. Origi, preferred up front
to Daniel Sturridge, had a shot blocked and flicked a half-volley wide, Alberto
Moreno miscued a volley, Adam Lallana produced an embarrassing air-kick and
Firmino steered a header wide, while Coutinho saw a drilled effort deflect
behind. Liverpool needed an early goal in the second half and they got it in
the 48th minute, Emre Can exchanging passes with first James Milner and then
Firmino before releasing Origi to prod his fourth goal in three games past
Roman Weidenfeller. No sooner had the hosts closed in than Dortmund accelerated
again, Mats Hummels taking Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne out of the game
with an exquisite pass and Reus nervelessly beating Mignolet. Coutinho reduced
the arrears again with a low strike into the bottom-right corner before Sakho
atoned for his earlier misdemeanours by bludgeoning a header into the net from
Coutinho’s corner. It set up a breathless climax that culminated in Croatian
centre-back Lovren climbing at the back post to nod in Milner’s cross from the
right and set the seal on an unforgettable Anfield night.Saturday, 26 March 2016
16:39
Jose Mourinho Reportedly to Be Offered £60M Manchester United Manager's Deal
Jose Mourinho will reportedly become the highest-paid manager in football history if he takes the Manchester Unitedhot seat next season.
Neil Custis of the Sun reported the former Chelseaboss will sign a three-year contract worth a cool £60 million, which includes bonuses for titles and trophies.
The £20 million per year total even eclipses the staggering £15 million rate that Pep Guardiola will pocket when he moves to Manchester City next season and is said to be almost twice what current United manager Louis van Gaal earns, according to Custis.
Mourinho has been linked with the top job at United ever since Sir Alex Ferguson departed the club, and Custis said the 53-year-old was stunned when David Moyes was handed the role over him to kick off the post-Fergie era.
Alastair Grant/Associated Press
Van Gaal’s tenure hasn’t exactly been much better, which raises the question as to whether or not Mourinho can, in fact, reverse the club’s fortunes.
Underneath the barrage of mind games and ludicrous media interviews lies a quite remarkable tactician—one who could restore pride and belief at United.
One player who knows Mourinho better than most is former Chelsea star Frank Lampard, who told Franco Panizo of Goal that the Portuguese has the attributes to succeed:
I think Mourinho can manage anywhere in the world.I think he’s shown it with his record and whether it’s with Porto, a so-called smaller team in Europe; Chelsea, the success he had there; Inter, again taking a team that’s hardly won the Champions League to go and win it; Real Madrid.No job will be too much for him. [United is] not an easy job, ... but he certainly has the attributes to do it.
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Mourinho didn’t seem to handle Chelsea particularly well before his dismissal in December, with reports of him falling out with key players and subsequently losing the dressing room, per Sky Sports.
United desperately need a manager who can bring the best out of their underperforming stars, and it’s safe to say that his ruthless approach could do exactly that.
Attracting the biggest stars in the game will also be a big job for Mourinho, with rebuilding the squad a big priority. And for £20 million per year, United will expect nothing less.
Sunday, 6 March 2016
08:08
10 man liverpool defeats crystal palace with Christian Benteke late penalty.
This was the kind of result to knock the stuffing out of any team. Crystal Palace, already perplexed by a winless league run that stretches back to mid-December, should have sparked the recovery here only to implode at the last. If their own generosity had handed Liverpool a route back into this fixture, dreadful sloppiness presenting the visitors with an equaliser, then the point denied them in stoppage-time felt insanely cruel.
Christian Benteke, recently introduced to the fray, eased around Damien Delaney to the byline before taking to the turf dramatically at a vague hint of contact with his trailing leg. The linesman’s frantic waving had Andre Mariner awarding a penalty kick which the Belgian stroked into the corner, with Alan Pardew flinging his coat back into the dugout in disgust. This is a 12th league game without a win to leave Palace hovering on the fringes of the relegation scrap. Fortune has long since deserted them. They must some kind of resolve now if this campaign is not to veer into even murkier territory.
Wilfried Zaha and Pape Souaré were just as threatening, the left-back’s delivery thumped on to the crossbar by Adebayor when he should have scored after more hesitant Liverpool defending. That Mignolet also denied the Togolese at his near-post and Yohan Cabaye belted another presentable opportunity into the side-netting reflected the reality that the home side had been the more urgent through a fractious opening period. The players had departed at the break with Jordan Henderson and Adebayor arguing, and Jurgen Klopp attempting to placate Cabaye after the Frenchman had been crunched once too often near the touchline.This had been a game theirs for the taking. If Liverpool had selected a team geared towards combating their hosts’ physical threat, wary as they were of what had occurred up on Merseyside back in November, then it was Palace’s pace which actually presented more problems. Yannick Bolasie has tended to revel against these opponents and he was a nuisance from the start, counterattacking at pace whether down the flank or through the centre. His early exchange with Emmanuel Adebayor, restored to the lineup for the injured Connor Wickham, should have yielded the opening goal only for Simon Mignolet to suffocate the winger’s close-range attempt.
The visitors had offered very little, Divock Origi curling their clearest chance on to the roof of the net, and were unlikely to remain unscathed for long. The corners sloppily conceded upon the restart duly cost them, Souaré and Mile Jedinak seeing attempts blocked or deflected away as Liverpool heaved but failed to clear their lines. Joe Ledley’s intervention was more emphatic, smashing a first-time shot through the mess of bodies in the area and into the corner of the net to provide Palace with the lead they merited.
Klopp flung on Philippe Coutinho in a bid to retrieve parity and should have drawn level when Origi side-footed wide from Adam Lallana’s cut-back but, by then, they were depleted. James Milner, who would have switched to right-back upon Coutinho’s introduction and already booked for a foul on Cabaye, had slid in to check Zaha’s counter and was dismissed. It was only the second sending off of the England international’s career, and his first for four years, but it left Palace in the alien position of playing against 10. Perhaps it was the expectation which affected them thereafter given there were sudden flashes of anxiety, the home side unnerved when they should have been dominant. Even so, their implosion was mystifying.
Alex McCarthy, on his first appearance since September, proved to be the fall guy. Ledley’s back-pass should have been dealt with easily enough only for the goalkeeper to slip as he connected with the ball and scuff his clearance straight at Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian collected and slid the ball through McCarthy for a seventh goal in eight Premier League games and, instantly, the whole complexion of the occasion was altered.
Benteke might have converted with his first touch, was denied by the goalkeeper with his second and Alberto Moreno spat a glorious shot from distance which rattled the inside of a post before rebounding clear. Then came the Belgian’s charge and collapse and a penalty slid in which laid to rest Liverpool’s recent league hoodoo against these opponents. Palace departed crestfallen, McCarthy close to tears near the tunnel, with the locals utterly dumbfounded by the brutality of it all. In truth, this all felt utterly in keeping with the second half of their season.
Sunday, 28 February 2016
13:48
Watch the Manchester united Boss pictures that broke the internet.
Unhappy at
the perceived theatrics of Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez, the United boss
made his feelings clear to Dean by mocking his actions on the touchline.
His
colourful protest drew an enormous cheer from United fans, and even a
sporadic and rare outburst of 'Louis Van Gaal's red and white army' from
the Stretford End.
'That
was too emotional - it is not good for the referee and the linesman and
the fourth official,' Van Gaal reflected afterwards post-match.
'It
doesn't happen much normally - I have had a lot of criticism because I
am sitting on my bench and now I am off my bench and I have lot of
criticism because I'm doing that.
'I
have apologised to the referee and the linesman and I hope everything
is solved. I have to control my emotions and I have said that also to my
players.'
Gunners boss
Arsene Wenger would only offer a wry smile when asked to venture an
opinion on his opposite number's touchline antics.
'Nothing,'
Wenger replied. 'You will have to ask him the question. I do not want
to comment on that because [you will say] I'm a bitter loser - I am, in
fact.'
Despite
his anger at the time, Van Gaal's emotions were of a happier nature
come full-time as his injury-ravaged side defeated Arsenal.
Teenage striker Marcus Rashford continued the dream start to his United career, scoring two goals and setting up another.
Only
playing because of United's chronic injury crisis, the 18-year-old
Rashford marked his league debut by scoring in the 29th and 32nd minutes
to put his team 2-0 ahead - three days after a double in the Europa
League against Midtjylland on his senior United debut.
After
former United striker Danny Welbeck replied for Arsenal, Rashford set
up Ander Herrera for a shot from the edge of the area that deflected in
off Laurent Koscielny.
Mesut Ozil made it 3-2 in the 69th minute but fifth-place United held on comfortably to move three points off the top four.
Arsenal,
who put in an off-colour performance against a young and injury-hit
United side, dropped five points behind league leaders Leicester.
The North London side haven't won in the league at Old Trafford since 2006.
Monday, 22 February 2016
13:37
FC Barcelona to set up football academy in Lagos
Mr. Ambode, who spoke at the Lagos House, Alausa, while receiving the senior management staff of the football club, said he was delighted with the development.
He said it was in synchrony with his administration’s philosophy for sports development.
Mr. Ambode also pledged maximum support of the government in ensuring the successful take-off of the project.
He described the development as a historic moment for the state, saying it was indeed a thing of joy coming at a time when the government was still basking in the euphoria of the successful hosting of an international marathon.
Mr. Ambode said the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon was a major pointer to how Lagos could actualise its dream of improving the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state using sports as a major instrument.
“This visit by FC Barcelona is coming at a point where I believe strongly that we have nothing else to say than to say we are committed to this partnership because we know it will give us the first FCBEscola in Africa.
“I was made to understand that this is the first of its kind in Africa and so, Lagos is priding itself as a major receptor of the next academy to be established in Africa,’’ he said.
The governor, who restated the importance of sports to integration and development, said sports were the future of service to create a platform for youth employment and youth engagement in Lagos.
Mr. Ambode also pledged the full support of the government to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in hosting the first ever Beach Soccer African Nations Cup in Lagos between Dec. 10 and 23, 2016.
Earlier, Pau Vilanovai Vila-Abadal, Director of Business and Member of FC Barcelona Management Board, who led the team, thanked Mr. Ambode for the support given to them so far in actualising the project.
He said FC Barcelona decided to establish its Academy in Lagos due to the impressive population of the state, and the opportunity to share the philosophy of the team with the state.
On his part, Oscar Grau, Worldwide Director of Barcelona Academy, said it was indeed a big honour for the club to establish its academy in Lagos as many of the big names in the team started from such academy.
He said players like Messi, Iniesta, Sergio Busquet, Pique, among others, all started from such an academy.
The club has a unique methodology of instilling great virtues in footballers apart from football skills and education.
He added that through the academy the club also aimed to raise excellent players for Nigeria and that the core values of the club included efforts, team work, humility and respect.
Also speaking, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, congratulated Mr. Ambode over the hosting of the Lagos International Marathon, saying it was one of the most successful tournaments in the world.
He pledged the support of the federation to ensure the success of the academy, especially in terms of facilitating the necessary approvals needed for expeditious take off of the project.
He added that Lagos, under Mr. Ambode and his predecessors, had always been a major destination for sports.
Mr. Pinnick said that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had just approved the hosting of the first ever Beach Soccer African Nations Cup in Lagos in December.
“The tournament is a major qualifier for the World Cup and eight best beach soccer teams in Africa will converge on Lagos for the tournament,’’ Pinnick said.
Saturday, 20 February 2016
18:47
Money man Mayweather says he makes seven digit number monthly and will not come out of retirement to fight anyone...
Floyd Mayweather Junior has called time on his illustrious career in the ring indefinitely, telling talkSPORT that after 20 years at the top it is ‘time for the next generation to take over’.
The 38-year-old American ensured his unbeaten legacy remains intact by beating compatriot Andre Berto in Las Vegas in his final ever fight in September - in turn equalling former heavyweight great Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record.
He announced his retirement following the bout and vacated his welterweight and super welterweight titles in November, but that hasn’t stopped rumours spinning of another money-making comeback.
It was reported he could don the gloves again to face the winner of Amir Khan v Manny Pacquiao – a bout which has since failed to come to fruition – while other contenders have been also reported.
But ‘the Money Man’ has now ruled out a possible return, revealing he has no need for another pay day with him earning ‘seven figures a month for the rest of [his] life’.
Asked if he will ever fight again, Mayweather told talkSPORT: “As of right now I’m not focused on me, I’m focussed on the young fighters under the Mayweather Promotions banner, and trying to help those young fighters to be pay-per-view stars.
“I’m not thinking about who I could fight or who I could come out of retirement for, I just want to get back into the sport in a different way.
“I’ve been fighting my whole life and as a professional I competed at the highest level for 20 years, so it’s time for me to let the young guys take over.
“I will make seven figures a month for the rest of my life. I’ve made some very smart investments and I’m living very comfortably, my children are going to school and will be going to college soon, and that’s what is most important to me right now.
“I’m just blessed way beyond belief.”
Friday, 19 February 2016
12:59
Mourino' deal with Manchester United completed....
Jose Mourinho has reportedly signed a pre-contract agreement withManchester United and will take over from current Old Trafford manager Louis van Gaal in the summer.
According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, the Portuguese has sealed a three-year deal with the Red Devils worth £48 million, equivalent to £308,000-a-week.
The report added that, despite increasing calls for Van Gaal to be sacked immediately, Mourinho, 53, will not take over until the end of the 2015-16 season.
The former Chelsea, Inter Milan andReal Madrid boss has been continually linked with the United job as their season has unravelled, and Bleacher Report's Dean Jones believes he could be a big help at Old Trafford:
The Van Gaal experiment does not seem to have worked, and reached a new low on Thursday night when United were downed 2-1 by FC Midtjylland in their Europa League last-32 first leg.
Per Veysey, it was defeats such as to the Danish minnows that persuaded the club's hierarchy—including those with reservations over Mourinho's conduct, profile and style—to seal the deal with the two-time Champions League winner.
But, in truth, Van Gaal has been flattering to deceive almost since he arrived in Manchester.
He returned United to the Premier League's top four last term, but they were knocked out of the 2015-16 Champions League at the group stages and have little chance of qualifying for next season's tournament.
Even the Manchester Evening News, has now turned against the Dutchman, via the Associated Press' Rob Harris:
Mourinho has a proven track record in the Premier League having won it three times with Chelsea.
He may not be able to reintroduce the swashbuckling attacking style that was the club's trademark under Sir Alex Ferguson—that is not Mourinho's style—but he should engineer an upturn in results ay United.
Van Gaal has managed a period of stagnation at Old Trafford and his chances of seeing out his contract until the end of the 2016-17 season now look very slim indeed.
Tuesday, 16 February 2016
16:07
Manchester United face repairs bill after ‘300 seats damaged by fans’ at Derby
Manchester United are facing a repair bill running into thousands of pounds because of alleged misbehaviour by supporters that has had a knock-on effect for the security arrangements surrounding their FA Cup tie at Shrewsbury Town on Monday.
United will be asked to compensate Derby County after a significant number of seats were damaged in the away end when the teams met in the FA Cup fourth-round at the end of last month, resulting in a 3-1 win for Louis van Gaal’s team.
Derby have already informed United about what their groundstaff found on the morning after the match and intend to charge them for the relevant repairs, claiming that more than 300 seats were broken or pulled off whole.
A spokesman for the Championship club said: “There was damage caused to seats in the away section and we are liaising with Manchester United.”
It is one of the principal reasons whyShrewsbury have abandoned plans to increase the 9,875 capacity at New Meadow with temporary seating, when they host United for a place in the quarter-finals.
Shrewsbury had contemplated putting up two extra areas of seating as they did when they played Chelsea in the Capital One Cup last season, meaning another 500 fans could get in
The League One club have been in touch with Derby and have also been informed there were incidents of ticketless fans trying to storm the gates when United played at Cambridge in last season’s competition.
After talks between the relevant authorities, Shrewsbury have decided against extra seating because of the additional security risk and high policing costs.
“Each fixture is looked at on a case-by-case basis and all circumstances are taken into consideration,” Ch Insp James Baker, the event tactical commander for West Mercia police, said. “We have an excellent relationship with the club and having jointly discussed the options, we support the club’s decision not to provide additional temporary seating.”
United have been allocated 1,500 tickets despite receiving more than 9,000 applications. The front two rows of seats will be cordoned off with netting.
