“Notice how odd the map segment above looks without the usual suspects (ie, no Manchester United Red Devils and no Liverpool Reds). And the fact that uber-minnows Accrington Stanley are still alive in the 2009-10 FA Cup makes it even more unusual.” (billsportsmaps)
“It may be too early for Davies, but well past time for the fans of Nottingham Forest, a provincial club that once breathed the rarefied air at the pinnacle of European soccer when it won back-to-back European Cups (the precursor to the Champions League) in 1979 and 1980 under the legendary manager Brian Clough (who was the subject of a recent film, ‘The Damned Unite’).” (NYT)
The Hunt In The Forest, Paolo Uccello
“Dirk Kuyt’s double strike injected new life into Liverpool’s stuttering Barclays Premier League campaign as it secured a 2-0 victory over Tottenham. The Holland international fired home in the sixth minute from the edge of the area and then converted a twice-taken penalty in second-half injury time. Victory lifted the Reds to within one point of fourth-placed Spurs and eased the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez after early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup.” (ESPN)
Liverpool 2 Tottenham Hotspur 0: match report
“In climbing to within a point of fourth in the Premier League, Liverpool went back to basics last night. Sometimes it is simply a case of digging in, of eschewing the tricks, of relying on set-pieces as much as party pieces. Sometimes it is simply down to endless endeavour, of going the extra yard, of throwing yourself constantly into challenges, even those 60-40 against. This was a performance of grit not glamour.” (Telegraph – Henry Winter)
Determined Liverpool show signs of revival
“Writing Rafa Benitez’s Anfield obituary is a perilous business. He has a habit of resuscitating his career, to the irritation of a baying mob and the relief of a crowd whose habitual loyalty towards their manager has been sorely tested. For one who was supposed to be a dead man walking, Benitez is showing renewed signs of health. The unexpected and effusive endorsement of George Gillett began a rare fine day for the Spaniard; defeating Tottenham completed it.” (ESPN)
Rafael Benítez says Liverpool back on track after victory over Spurs
“Rafael Benítez believes Liverpool have shown their rivals for a Champions League place that they will remain in the fight for fourth until the end of the season. Benítez’s side lifted the gloom around Anfield last night with a deserved 2-0 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur.” (Guardian)
Kuyt double lifts Liverpool spirits
“Here, after many months of waiting, was a brief restoration of something they care to call the Liverpool Way in these parts. It is the quality manifest around Anfield Road in the decades when titles were won of everyone pulling together in a measured and dignified way.” (Independent)
“Paul Doyle, Raphael Honigstein and Barry Glendenning join James to discuss a feast of midweek football action. The Carling Cup semi-finals produced a 10 goal bonanza at Villa Park and a very tasty Manchester derby. But will Carlos Tevez’ goal celebration come back to haunt him in the second leg? Will it? Eh?” (Guardian – James Richardson)
“You know things are a little different when a footballer tells you he’s been missing the media – and at any Nations Cup, things tend to be different. After 10 days or so holed up in Cabinda, with such heavy security following the Togo disaster that the players only ventured out for training, Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson was giddy to be elsewhere. ‘I’m very happy to be here, seeing beautiful people like you and my countrymen, because in Cabinda there was nothing,’ the Wigan man told me here in Luanda, as though he’d been at the bottle.” (BBC – Piers Edwards)
Gabon 1 – 2 Zambia
“Zambia reached the African Nations Cup quarter-finals as a dramatic final day in Group D saw Gabon – top before kick-off – miss out on qualification. Goals from Rainford Kalaba and James Chamanga earned Herve Renard’s side a deserved victory in Benguela despite substitute Fabrice Do Marcolino’s late consolation. But it came at a price, with both Kabala and centre-half Kampamba Chintu collecting bookings which rule them out of the last eight clash.” (ESPN)
Africa Cup of Nations: Group A profiles
“Group A is led by hosts Angola who come up against star-studded Mali, World Cup-bound Algeria and Mali.” (BBC – A), (BBC – B), (BBC – C), (BBC – D)
Cameroon 2 – 2 Tunisia
“Cameroon booked their place in the quarter-final of the African Nations Cup after twice coming from behind to seal a 2-2 draw against Tunisia in Lubango. The Indomitable Lions, who needed at least a point to ensure qualification from Group D, fell behind after just 57 seconds thanks to a fine diving header from Amine Chermiti. It stayed at 1-0 until a minute after half-time, when Samuel Eto’o equalised with a close-range strike, before an own goal from Aurelien Chedjou restored the advantage for the Carthage Eagles.” (ESPN)
African Nations Cup – 2010
(ESPN)
“Yesterday, we noted that the avalanche of negative media stories about the Glazers’ regime at Old Trafford seemed finally to be pushing the moderate fans into the rebellious camp. Pointing to the same piece we noted in the Daily Mirror by Oliver Holt yesterday, Ian at Two Hundred Percent suggests there is a “sea change” in the analysis of football and money by the English media…” (Pitch Invasion)
“ITV compiled this little gem of the 50 greatest goals in World Cup history a few years back, which then made it to YouTube and then to our doorstep. Given that ITV is a proper media outlet, this should be rather accurate. However, it’s likely that there a few worthy omissions – notably those when television cameras weren’t quite so abundant. Which those are, it’s impossible to say at the moment (except for that rather stellar Argentine movement 4 years ago).” (World Cup Blog)
“Defending champions Egypt completed their Group C campaign with a third win from three as first-half goals from Ahmed El Mohamady and Emad Moteab ensured Benin’s elimination from the competition. Benin needed to win and for Nigeria to lose to stand any chance of progressing but Egypt scored through El Mohamady’s fortunate goal after only eight minutes to ensure that was never likely. Moteab squeezed home a second from a tight angle but despite plenty of chances there were no further goals.” (ESPN)
Egypt 2-0 Benin
“An impressive Egypt take a convincing 100% record into the next round after easily beating Benin. Ahmed Al Muhammadi’s cross somehow drifted its way into the net to put The Pharaohs ahead. Emad Moteab made it 2-0 after 24 minutes – the linesman ruling the ball over the line despite goalkeeper Yoann Djidonou’s best efforts to clear.” (BBC)
Super Eagles seal quarter final place
“A brace from Peter Odemwingie scored either side of half-time proved the key for Nigeria as they sealed a place in the quarter-finals of the African Nations Cup with a win over Mozambique. The Lokomotiv Moscow forward scored in the 45th and 48th minutes, before substitute Obafemi Martins sealed victory with a late strike to hand under-fire Shaibu Amodu a welcome boost.” (ESPN)
African Nations Cup – 2010
(ESPN)
“When Angola tied Algeria 0-0 on Monday in Luanda to finish first in Group A of the African Cup of Nations, it was cause for celebrations throughout most of Angola. Wherever you go in Luanda, the capital, you’ll see locals wearing the national-team colors of red, black and yellow. Angola shirts, scarves and flags are everywhere there; TV and radio broadcasts talk soccer around the clock. Billboards proclaim that Angola, which ended a 27-year civil war in 2002, can unite through soccer.” (SI)
“Do we want to read ‘interesting and entertaining stories well told’ about soccer? I presume the answer to that is pretty obvious: hell yes. This is the same presumption that J Hutcherson at US Soccer Players ends a very interesting piece about the state of American soccer writing with:…” (Pitch Invasion)
“‘How soon is now?”, asked The Smiths. As the dust settles on West Brom’s consecutive clashes with their two closest rivals at the top of the Championship, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, we can ask much the same question with regard to promotion to the Premier League.” (thetwounfortunates)
“Tonight sees Liverpool and Tottenham go head-to-head in the latest battle between the contenders for fourth spot. If week 22 matches were anything to go by then all teams are doing their best to give the priceless spot to someone else. Liverpool’s average display against Stoke is a microcosm of their ‘pants on the ground’ season, with performances lacking sharpness, imagination and concentration (not bad luck) in dropping points in key Premier League and Champions League games.” (EPL Talk)
“In his first game after rejoining Flamengo, Adriano’s mere presence put an extra 50,000 on the gate. “The emperor has returned,” they chanted – and the 27-year-old striker was looking imperious from day one. His 19 goals – which made him the competition’s joint-top scorer – and his all-round attacking play were vital to the Rio de Janeiro club ending a 17-year wait to win the Brazilian Championship.” (Worlk Soccer – Tim Vickery)
“History, it has been said many times, is written by the victors. It’s a thought that may pass through the heads of some older Manchester City supporters during their League Cup semi-final against Manchester United at The City of Manchester Stadium this evening. It is a scarcely believable twenty-nine years since the blue half of Manchester made so much as the semi-final of a major competition. Much has happened to City since then, but what is often forgotten in the fog of history is just how close they came to winning the 1981 FA Cup and what sort of a difference to the club such a win may have made. There would certainly have been few that would have confidently predicted in 1981 that the club would not get as close again to winning a trophy in the next three decades.” (twohundredpercent)
“With the return of David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady to football at West Ham yesterday we look back to WSC 124 (June 1997). John Tandy examined the regime’s first years at Birmingham City, where Brady scrapped the youth scheme with the phrase, ‘baked bean companies don’t grow their own beans’.” (WSC)
“This week’s Video Of The Week is a curio from the 1980s. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is a video that features… every goal of the 1986 World Cup. At the time, FIFA’s official films of the tournament were still relatively big business.” (twohundredpercent)
“In an unusual opening tournament, in which the smaller clubs stood out, Banfield from the Greater Buenos Aires suburb of the same name won the first title in their 114-year history.” (World Soccer)
“Ghana progressed to the quarter-finals of the African Nations Cup after a first-half goal by Andre Ayew saw them through in unconvincing fashion. Ayew took advantage of some woeful marking by Burkina Faso to head home after half-an-hour and qualify in second place from Group B, behind Ivory Coast.” (ESPN)
Algeria coach admits his side played for a draw
“A goalless draw in Luanda was enough to see hosts Angola and World Cup-bound Algeria through to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. Angola finished top of Group A while Algeria took second thanks to their win over Mali earlier in the tournament.” (BBC)
African Nations Cup – 2010
(ESPN)
Drawings of the first international between England and Scotland in 1872 show some of the virtues of the burgeoning British style
“Celtic travel to Morton today for a Scottish fourth round Cup tie that assistant manager Mark Venus has declared to be ‘a really difficult game against a team that is going to be fired up.’ It’s also against a team that has won twice at home all season and is third from bottom of the Scottish First Division.” (WSC)
“Last Thursday, I was away from the television set so I decided to follow the Blackburn Rovers against Aston Villa Carling Cup tie via the radio for a change. Listening to the Tunin.FM radio app on my iPhone, I was immediately captivated by the commentary for a few different reasons.” (EPL Talk)
“While you’re waiting for the Burkina Faso – Cote D’Ivoire match to kick off, here’s a most beautiful Angolan intermission.” (David Patrick Lane)
“Amidst all the tragedy, politics, business, and even bits of sport that have made news from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, I’ve been intrigued by something conspicuous primarily in its absence: there have been virtually no stories of the juju / muti / witchcraft commonly used to exoticize the African game. Confederation of African Football (CAF) administrators must be pleased. In the midst of several embarrassing incidents during the last decade, most notably the arrest of Cameroonian coaches (one of whom was German) during the 2002 Cup of Nations in Mali for ‘trying to place a magic charm on the pitch,’ CAF has worked hard to ‘modernize’ the image of African soccer. As a CAF spokesperson noted after the Mali episode: ‘we are no more willing to see witch doctors on the pitch than cannibals at the concession stands. Image is everything.’ ” (Pitch Invasion)
“Angola and Algeria both advanced to the quarter-finals of the African Nations Cup thanks to a goalless draw in Luanda.
With Mali beating Malawi in the other Group A match, a point apiece proved enough in a game that started brightly before petering out in the second half. The hosts went into the match top of the pool and knowing a draw would be enough to guarantee their progress.” (ESPN)
Angola 0-0 Algeria
“A goalless draw in Luanda was enough to see hosts Angola and World Cup-bound Algeria through to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. Angola finished top of Group A while Algeria took second thanks to their win over Mali earlier in the tournament. Algeria’s best chances came from Madjid Bougherra, with a weak close-range effort, and Karim Matmour, who failed to connect in front of an open goal.” (BBC)
Mali 3 – 1 Malawi
“A dream start for Mali gave them a first win in this year’s African Nations Cup, but Angola’s goalless draw with Algeria meant both they and Malawi missed out on a place in the quarter-finals.
Frederic Kanoute scored after just a minute thanks to a goalkeeping blunder from Swadick Sanudi and Seydou Keita added a second with a thumping free-kick two minutes later.” (ESPN)
African Nations Cup – 2010
(ESPN)
“Tournaments are like time speeded up – teams can suddenly come together, or fall apart. Each tournament has its own dynamics, so it would be unwise to draw definitive conclusions for the World Cup from a competition taking place six months earlier. But if the Africa Cup of Nations is a good opportunity for five World Cup-bound teams to get some competitive match practice, it is also a great chance for their future opponents to do some reconnaissance. From a South American point of view, there’s the possibility of Uruguay meeting Nigeria in the second round, just as Paraguay might face Cameroon, and Chile could come up against Ivory Coast.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“Okay, so did anyone really see the Sheffield United match working out differently? If so, logic on a postcard please. The Blades have been in fine form recently and look to be creeping into the playoff picture. Growing in confidence and with an eye on Mark Yeates, Kevin Blackwell’s team started yesterday’s match the poorer side but soon took control once they realised Boro had little substance. Richard Cresswell’s headed goal produced about the right result, whilst we went into hibernation once the penalty shout against Chris Morgan was denied. In fairness, the defender’s shove on Aliadiere could have resulted in a spot kick, but it was one of those decisions that usually goes with the home team, and besides we didn’t deserve much better than nothing.” (Smog Blog)
“Presumptions that Chelsea or Barcelona would lose ground in their domestic leagues while their African players were appearing in the African Cup of Nations appear to have been greatly exaggerated. Chelsea has four key players — Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Jon Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou — on national team duty in Angola. Without them, Chelsea on Saturday thrashed Sunderland, 7-2, the first time in 50 years that the club had scored seven goals in a top-flight match in England.” (NYT)
“Some belters from the Brazilian and international media here, with almost any glimpse of talent meaning this label is often slapped on a youngster. In many cases they’ve been right, but in some they were wide of the mark.” (midfielddynamo)
“New Orleans is not a place you immediately associate with the beautiful game, nevertheless, the Big Easy is responsible for one of the best books about soccer ever to emerge from this side of the pond. Northern Ireland ex-pat Stephen Rea’s account of his experiences forming a pub team and living through Hurricane Katrina with his teammates is a must read for all soccer fans. First Touch is proud to present the first of three excerpts from the book that will run on these pages between now and Mardi Gras.” (First Touch Online)
Lionel Messi
“Lionel Messi grabbed his 100th Barcelona goal as Pep Guardiola’s side went some way to overcoming this week’s Copa del Rey exit at the hands of Sevilla as they beat the Andalusians 4-0 in the sides’ league meeting at the Nou Camp. Sevilla keeper Andres Palop was the hero on Wednesday night as Barca failed to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the home leg and crashed out of the competition on the away-goals rule.” (ESPN)
FC Barcelona Thrash Sevilla; FC Barcelona – 4, Sevilla – 0
“An excellent second half performance saw Barca extract revenge on Sevilla for the Copa Del Rey dissappointment with a sublime 4-0 victory. Earlier on the night Real Madrid were defeated by Athletic Bilbao and that means with this victory we have opened a lead of five points at the top. Barca opened the account courtesy of an own goal by Escude, Pedro then doubled the lead and in the last five minutes Messi grabbed two to complete the tally.” (All About FC Barcelona)
FC Barcelona 4-0 Sevilla – Recap and Video Highlights – La Liga – Saturday, January 16, 2010
“FC Barcelona played Sevilla for the third time in less than two weeks on Saturday, January 16, 2010. The previous two were in the Copa del Rey with Saturday’s match taking place in La Liga. With Real Madrid’s loss earlier in the evening, Barcelona could extend their lead to five points at the top of the table.” (The 90th Minute)
““Mancini really is magic,” proclaims The Sun newspaper, and others agree. Since Roberto Mancini replaced Mark Hughes as manager of Manchester City, the world’s richest football club, City have won four games straight. There are whispers that the flaxen-haired Italian might even win the Premier League. Stefan Szymanski and I argue in our book Soccernomics that few club managers have any effect on their teams’ performances.” (FI – Simon Kuper)
“Being of Haitian descent, this earthquake has hit home with young American striker Jozy Altidore. He has uncles and family in Haiti, and over the years has maintained a closeness with the country through charitable works and donations.” (The Offside)
“Nigeria reignited their African Nations Cup hopes with a narrow victory over Benin in an entertaining game in Benguela. Ayegbeni Yakubu’s spot-kick four minutes before the break was enough to separate the sides. Nigeria are now level on points at the top of Group C with Egypt, who face Mozambique later. Benin are rock-bottom.” (ESPN)
Celebrations on the streets as joy takes place of gloom
“The saga of Togo’s withdrawal from the tournament rumbled on in a blizzard of voltes-face and misinformation. First the players had decided to stay after last Friday’s terrorist attack, then their prime minister had told them to go, then Emmanuel Adebayor said they would go even though they wanted to stay, then the sports minister said they could stay, but only if they were first to go and observe three days of mourning.” (Independent)
Malawi on the verge of football history in Angola
“Malawi’s squad know they stand on the brink of history ahead of Monday’s final Group A clash with Mali in the Angolan city of Cabinda. After the red-hot opening day victory over Algeria, when the tournament outsiders thumped the World Cup finalists 3-0, a win will take the Flames to the quarter-finals.” (BBC)
Gabon 0 – 0 Tunisia
“Gabon added a 0-0 draw with Tunisia to their opening win against Cameroon as they put themselves within touching distance of the African Nations Cup quarter-finals. There was little between the two sides in this Group D encounter at the Nossa Senhora do Monte and a draw was a fair result.” (ESPN)
Tony Baffoe talks Africa Cup of Nations
“BBC Fast Track’s Farayi Mungazi puts listeners questions on the Africa Cup of Nations to the former Ghana international Tony Baffoe.” (BBC)
African Nations Cup – 2010
(ESPN)
“Coaches Henk Ten Cate and Otto Rehhagel discovered the true meaning of losing and winning in Greece. Panathinaikos boss Ten Cate was sacked following a 2-0 loss at arch-rivals Olympiakos – a defeat that cost his team top spot in the league – and national team supremo Rehhagel found a shock 1-0 win in Ukraine restored the Euro 2004 winner to the status of local hero.” (World Soccer)
“Pele’s oft-cited prediction, made in 1977, that ‘an African nation will win the World Cup by the year 2000’ is, apparently, apocryphal: he has repeatedly claimed his words were twisted and taken out of context. Nevertheless, it endures, both as a spectacularly errant prophecy (no African team has made it beyond the quarterfinal stage of the competition) and as evidence that the continent has been punching below its weight.” (WSJ)
The Martyrdom of St Stephen, Lorenzo Lotto, 1516
“Rafael Benitez was denied a victory to lift the intense pressure on him when Stoke grabbed a last-ditch equaliser at the Britannia Stadium. It was never pretty, but this much-derided Liverpool outfit stood up to be counted in a physical showdown. And they went ahead when Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos scrambled home his first goal for the club early in the second period of a bitterly contested battle.” (ESPN)
Robert Huth hits Liverpool with last-gasp equaliser for Stoke
“Rafael Benítez was denied refuge from the storm threatening to engulf him by a 90th-minute equaliser from Robert Huth. Liverpool thought they had won it with a scruffy second-half goal from Soitirios Kyrgiakos, but battling Stoke refused to accept defeat and their spirit had its reward at the death.” (Guardian)
Benitez: even Shankly had bad years
“For a heart-stopping moment, until Rafael Benitez’s dry humour revealed itself, history seemed to be about to repeat itself yesterday. ‘Before we start, some facts. Facts,’ said the Liverpool manager, whipping a note from his pocket in a reprise of the routine which preceded Liverpool’s last trip to Stoke City, 12 months ago.” (Independent)
James Lawton: Liverpool must dither no longer – it’s time to send for Hiddink or Mourinho
“Maybe it was an act of cynical cruelty by Guus Hiddink to suggest he might be available for the Liverpool job – and an additional twist of the knife for the club’s ravaged sense of itself that if it was to happen he would first seek a dispensation from his football godfather Roman Abramovich.” (Independent)
Stoke City 1 Liverpool 1: match report
“At this rate, expect Rafael Benítez and Liverpool to demand all their games last only 89 minutes. Yet again, Liverpool threw away two points in the dying stages, handing Stoke City a point they scarcely warranted, and extending their own run of poor form to five wins in 22 games.” (Telegraph)
Rafael Benitez thwarted again by late goal
“Liverpool suffered more heartbreak at the end of a game when Stoke City equalised in the last minute of their Premier League match at the Britainnia Stadium. After a season which has seen Rafael Benitez’s side lose crucial games right at the end of matches, it had seemed that Sotirios Kyrgiakos’s goal in the second half had given Liverpool and their beleaguered manager three valuable points. But Robert Huth scored after a period of sustained Sotke pressure in the 89th minute.” (TimesOnline)
“It is a sign of the extent to which Liverpool’s season has become a train wreck that their home defeat has become a litmus test for the health of Rafael Benitez’s reign at Anfield. However an atrocious result and performance it was – and it was both, topped with whipped cream and a glacé cherry – it really shouldn’t have mattered. Last season, they were beaten just once in the Premier League and there were those that predicted that 2010 would be the season in which they broke their miserable run of almost two decades without an English championship, whilst launching another assault on the Champions League at the same time.” (twohundredpercent)
“Gervinho, Siaka Chico Tiene and Didier Drogba were on target as tournament favourites Ivory Coast secured their first victory of the African Nations Cup with a 3-1 win over Ghana in Cabinda. Gervinho finished off a fluid counter-attacking move after 23 minutes to give Ivory Coast the lead, but they were reduced to 10 men after 55 minutes when Emmanuel Eboue was shown a straight red card for a reckless two-footed tackle.” (ESPN)
Nigeria 1-0 Benin
“Nigeria revived their chances of reaching the last eight of the Africa Cup of Nations after an edgy 1-0 win over Benin in Group C on Saturday. Yakubu Aiyegbeni converted a 42nd- minute penalty after Squirrels defender Romuald Boco handled in the box.” (BBC)
Terror at the Africa Cup of nations
“The attack on the Togolese national football team brought chaos and confusion to the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Angola. The team had finished final preparations and were leaving their training camp in Congo-Brazzaville for the Angolan enclave of Cabinda. It is there that the team bus was ambushed by an armed group and caught in a hail of gunfire. Two members of the Togolese team were killed. Togo captain, Emmanuel Adebayor, clearly shaken by the incident, described what happened to the BBC’s Matthew Kenyon.” (BBC)
African Nations Cup – 2010 (ESPN)
“The final specks of dust have now come to rest on the best single performance of the season from a Championship club and Reading face the harsh next step of a trip to the City Ground today; with a Nottingham Forest side lying in wait whose psychological confidence will be at the extreme global opposite of Liverpool’s, even if they cannot call upon the services a freckly blonde man of Madrid and a Phil Collins fan prone to spending time in the pubs and clubs of Southport.” (thetwounfortunates)
“The floodlights were on last Tuesday at Cantilever Park – home of Unibond Division One North side Warrington Town. However the players were not carrying out their usual pre-match warm-up. Instead, armed with wheelbarrows and shovels, they were attempting to make the pitch playable for the first time in five weeks. Despite their best efforts, and those of 20 or so volunteers, this Saturday’s game against Halifax has been called off with more inclement weather forecast for the weekend.” (WSC)
Kodjovi “Dodji” Obilale
“Beyond the trauma unit and the screen of green trees, the row rages on. But then as far as Kodjovi Obilale, who is hooked up to a ventilation machine, it might be happening on another planet. He has the simple imperative to live – and perhaps one day discover with some wonderment how it was he became nothing less than a symbol of both the anguish and the hope of a continent which sees sport not as a problem but deliverance.” (Independent)
World Cup hopefuls suffer in Angola
“It may have taken almost a week but on Thursday, the fifth day of the Nations Cup in Angola, one of Africa’s World Cup qualifiers finally registered a win. Prior to Algeria’s 1-0 win over Mali in Luanda, the best result garnered by a South Africa-bound side was the goalless draw achieved by Ivory Coast against Burkina Faso on Tuesday. The Algerians had opened with a shock 3-0 defeat by minnows Malawi, Cameroon went down 1-0 to unfancied Gabon, Nigeria led, but then lost, 3-1 to defending champions Egypt, while Ghana’s start to the tournament was delayed by the events in Cabinda.” (ESPN)
Caf acknowledge Malawi complaint
“The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has referred an official complaint it has received from Malawi to the local organising committee (Cocan) following Thursday night’s defeat to Angola. Malawi coach, Kinnah Phiri, told the BBC his team had been ‘demoralised’ by being refused access to training facilities on three separate occasions.” (BBC)
“Did you know that in Switzerland it is illegal to flush the toilet after 10 PM? Or that in Thailand, it is illegal to leave your house without wearing underwear? In Los Angeles, a man can legally beat his wife with a leather belt or strap, but the belt can’t be wider than 2 inches, unless he has his wife’s consent to beat her with a wider strap. And in Scotland, failing to check the paperwork prior to a Scottish Cup game can have you expelled from the competition. Crazy.” (Inside Left)
“In this week’s Football Weekly … Extra James is joined by Sean Ingle, Barry Glendenning and Rob Smyth to discuss the week’s football news. Liverpool’s train-wreck of a season took yet another turn for the worse when the hapless Merseysiders were dumped out of the FA Cup by managerless Reading. They were out-thought as well as out-fought by the Royals and the pod wonder when Rafa will finally be shown the door.” (Guardian)
“The only things that might outpace the talent of Argentina’s forwards at the World Cup this summer are the expectations facing Diego Maradona’s team in South Africa. Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune writes that Maradona, ‘must marvel at the form his forwards are in at the moment.’ Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, et al are scoring goal after goal after goal in the top leagues in Europe.” <a href=”
“Having crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages, the FA Cup in the third round, and hanging out in 7th place on the table with their three best players out of action, Liverpool are staring straight at catastrophe. Without the revenues available to buy their way out of this mess, and with no more money coming in from the Champions League or ticket sales from the FA Cup and a probable lack of Champions league football next year, all those unthinkable questions now need to be asked.” (EPL Talk)
“Like Bill Shankly, Kenny Dalglish gave up the Liverpool job and soon regretted it. Plagued by stress-related blotches, and still haunted by the Hillsborough disaster, King Kenny resigned in 1991 and returned from a family holiday in Orlando a few weeks later dismayed that Graeme Souness had taken over.” (Guardian)
“What a difference seven weeks makes. Particularly in the life of a 34-year-old global megastar and footballing itinerant. In late November, David Beckham was a deep-lying central midfielder in despair; a limping, losing finalist in the footballing backwater of Major League Soccer, as his LA Galaxy side slumped to defeat in the U.S. season finale. Come early January, Becks is effectively an inside-right in peak physical condition; a crucial piece in the jigsaw which sees his Milan team, along with Villarreal, Rangers, and, er, Birmingham City as one of the form teams in Europe.” (Footballing World)
“2010 Copa Libertadores fixtures {click here (ESPN Soccernet)}; … . Defending champions are Argentina’s Estudiantes de La Plata. As holders, they enter the 2010 Copa Libertadores automatically. Two other clubs entered automatically, the two Mexican clubs that left the 2009 tournament in the wake of the H1N1 virus scare…Chivas de Guadalajara and San Luis FC. They will enter the tournament in the Round of 16, so they can pick up where they left off last year, so to speak.” (billsportsmaps)
Pieter Jansz Saenredam, Church of Santa Maria della Febbre, Rome
“Liverpool’s disastrous season plunged to new depths as they suffered a humiliating FA Cup exit at Anfield to Reading. The Reds lost Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to injuries and were stunned by the Championship side, who forced extra-time before substitute Shane Long headed the winner in this third round replay. Gerrard had seen a shot deflected home by Reading defender Ryan Bertrand to give Liverpool the lead in the final seconds of the first-half.” (ESPN)
Liverpool hit new low as Reading triumph at Anfield
“This time there is no one else to blame but the players and manager of Liverpool FC. Mountainous debt, divided owners, balancing acts in the transfer market and injuries have excused, explained or disguised so many failings at Anfield this season but no more. Beaten, and deservedly so, at home in the third round of the FA Cup by a Reading team under caretaker management and languishing fourth from bottom of the Championship. Rafael Benítez will be lucky if the next email sent by a Liverpool director in Dallas is simply abusive.” (Guardian)
Liverpool woe as Torres out for six weeks
“Liverpool’s hopes of salvaging their season have suffered a serious setback with key trio Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun all being sidelined. The club confirmed this afternoon the three players, all injured in last night’s humiliating FA Cup loss to Reading, will be out for varying lengths of time up to six weeks.” (Independent)
Liverpool trio hit by injuries to Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun
“Torres, who limped off during the FA Cup third-round defeat to managerless Reading at Anfield, is set to be out for up to six weeks as he prepares to go under the knife.” (Telegraph)
Fernando Torres’ surgery decision will have major implications for Liverpool and Spain
“Torres faces a choice of immense significance for Liverpool. Club or country? Who has more to play for in 2010. If the prolific forward does what is best for Spain, and misses two months of the new year on surgery and rehab, then certain other members of the Liverpool squad with one eye on South Africa might be tempted to ease up, conserving their energies for a potentially momentous summer.” (Telegraph – Henry Winter)
“When the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Angola tomorrow, many African soccer fans will ignore it. Instead they will keep gathering in “show houses”, “chicken parlours” and cinemas across the continent to watch the English Premier League. This may be more than a change in viewing habits. Just possibly, it could signify that the brief era of nationalism in Africa is ending.” (FI – Simon Kuper)
“A somewhat belated Happy New Year to anyone who happens across these pages, pages that have incidentally been jolted into life by Gordon’s frantic activity in the transfer market of late. Yes, while the annoying levels of snow we’ve received gave Boro a fortuitous opportunity to postpone a potentially tricky home game against Swansea, our manager has used his time well, raiding the coffers of his old club, Glasgow Celtic, for players.” (Smog Blog)
Cameroon
“Anyone fancying a flutter on an African team to do the unthinkable and win this year’s World Cup may be thinking twice about dipping into their pocket after the first round of matches in the Nations Cup. So far, little Malawi – the tournament’s rank outsiders – have managed to muster more points than the combined tally earned by World Cup finalists Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.” (BBC – Piers Edwards)
African viewpoint: Soccer power
“In our series of viewpoints from African journalists, Sola Odunfa considers the power of football in Nigeria and why it is the opium of the masses. Once again it is time for mass hysteria in Nigeria. The only enterprise that pulls Nigerians together irrespective of ethnicity, religion or politics is under way.” (BBC)
Algeria stay in the hunt
“Algeria kept their hopes of progress in the African Nations Cup alive as they edged past Mali in Cidadela .
England’s World Cup opponents had lost 3-0 to Malawi in their opening Group A encounter but Rafik Halliche’s header saw them bounce back in style.” (ESPN)
Dhaouadi earns point
“Zambia and Tunisia failed to take advantage of Group D rivals Cameroon’s shock African Nations Cup loss to Gabon as the two nations had to settle for a 1-1 draw in Lubango.” Algeria stay in the hunt
(ESPN)
“Be proud of the effort this team put in today. Even though it was too little, too late, Barcelona took on and defeated Sevilla 1-0 tonight at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan but ultimately it was not enough, as we are knocked out of the Copa del Rey 2-2 on the away goals rule (which I find to be bullshit, and have never liked even if it did benefit us on occasion. This however is a rant for another day). A somewhat tense and irregular first half was followed by a thrilling nonstop second, which is the best forty-five minutes of football I have seen so far this season, even if only one goal resulted and we did not come away with the desired result.” (The Offside)
Sevilla vs Barca, Copa Del Rey 2nd Leg Full Highlight
(All About FC Barcelona)
“For a league which draws snores and a national team which draws derision, those Italians must be doing something right. Everywhere you look in England, they just keep popping up. From all the way at the tippety-top of the English national team down to the Championship, there’s an Italian to be found.” (The Offside)
“This summer’s World Cup in South Africa isn’t just the biggest event on the sporting calendar, it’s also the biggest marketing opportunity of the year. Eight out of 10 people around the world are expected to watch the four-week competition and broadcast rights alone are estimated at $2.7 billion. Billions more will be spent by the global brands that have signed up as official sponsors and are banking on the tournament to give revenues a welcome boost.” (WSJ)
Federico Barocci
“The end of Diego Maradona’s worldwide ban from his game and the beginning of his greatest challenge, the World Cup in South Africa, are exactly 21 weeks apart. The lapsed Argentine idol, marginalized since FIFA forbade him from any involvement in soccer after his foul outburst in a broadcast news conference in November, is free to resume as Argentina’s head coach this Friday.” (NYT)
“In his WSJ column, Gabriele Marcotti brings up the dearth of British managers at the top of English football. Seven of the 20 Premier League managers are foreign. Sir Alex Ferguson is the only British manager among the so-called “Big Four.” Manchester City dumping Mark Hughes for Roberto Mancini seems only to exacerbate this trend.” (EPL Talk)
“Defending African Cup of Nations champion Egypt came from 0-1 down to open the defence of their title with a 3-1 victory of Nigeria earlier today. Hoffenheim striker Chinedu Obasi put the Super Eagles up in the 12th minute. Emad Moteab, Ahmed Hassan and Mohamed Nagui responded for the Pharaohs in the 34th, 54th and 87th minutes.” (Football Fashion)
“While I was putting together today’s “About Last Night”, three separate Liverpool stories all popped up. Given the option of either condensing each of those stories into a one-line blurb or fleshing out the details of each story and presenting them to you, I decided that more is always better; this is doubly true when we’re talking about clearing the air about some odd stories from last weekend. Let’s do that, then; follow along after the jump!” (Avoiding the Drop)
“I’ve had a soft spot for Brian Laws dating back to 1989 when John Aldridge patted him on the head in thanks for an own goal in an FA Cup Semi Final that Nottingham Forest were almost morally disallowed from winning, coming as it did in the wake of Hillsborough. Liverpool achieved partial solace by going on to win the Cup but Laws retained my strong sympathy for this maltreatment.” (thetwounfortunates)
“Benin earned their first ever point in the Africa Cup of Nations, but were denied victory after Mozambique came back from 2-0 down to earn a draw. Razak Omotoyossi scored Benin’s first with a 15th-minute penalty after goalkeeper Rafael had brought him down. Dario Khan’s own goal from a defensive mix-up put the Squirrels 2-0 up.” (BBC)
Scissors Kick 