Henry's Bulls to face Beckham's Galaxy

Henry's Bulls to face Beckham's Galaxy


Joel Lindpere scored in the 61st minute and Thierry Henry added a stoppage-time goal to give the New York Red Bulls a 2-0 victory over Dallas on Wednesday to open the Major League Soccer playoffs.

The victory puts New York into a Western Conference semi-final against regular-season champion Los Angeles, matching the league's best-known players in Galaxy's English midfielder David Beckham and Frenchman Henry.

New York will play host to the Galaxy on Sunday with the second leg of the series at Los Angeles on 3 November.

The Red Bulls played with a man down after Jan Gunnar Solli received a red card in the 79th minute but were equal to the challenge, goalkeeper Frank Rost making eight saves for the shutout.

Henry, who was third in MLS regular-season scoring charts with 14 goals, scored on a breakaway in the sixth minute of extra time to complete the victory only seconds before the final whistle.

Dallas were a man down at that stage as defender Zach Lloyd was hurt and carried off on a stretcher after the hosts had used up their substitutions.

Real romp, Levante win again to stay top

Real romp, Levante win again to stay top


A first half exhibition of attacking play set Real Madrid up for a 3-0 win over Villarreal on Wednesday but they still trail surprise leaders Levante who earlier came from behind to beat Real Sociedad 3-2.

Real are in blistering form and have now scored 28 goals in their last seven games in all competitions, an average of four a match, but they are a point adrift of Levante.

Karim Benzema sent Real on their way with a clinical finish after just three minutes and then Kaka fired in the second minutes later against Villarreal whose coach Juan Carlos Garrido is under pressure with the side having not won in seven games. Angel Di Maria finished off a fine team move for the third after 30 minutes and with the game won Real relaxed in the second half while Villarreal offered little threat.

"The plan is to continue as we are doing and picking up points. We are working towards finding our best form and there are still things to improve upon," said Real's assistant coach Aitor Karanka. "In the last few games we have scored goals quickly and then we have eased off with the difficult part of the job done."

Levante maintain momentum
A sensational injury time winner against Sociedad kept Levante in pole position. Ruben Suarez' injury-time winner allowed Levante to retake top spot in La Liga off champions Barcelona. The modest side from Valencia are sweeping all before them at the moment in a superb start to the season.

Sociedad went ahead after just three minutes when a poor clearance from the keeper fell to Daniel Estrada who slotted the ball home. It looked as though it was going to be Sociedad's night as they then hit the post through Alberto De la Bella and had the better of the first half.

Levante came back strongly though after the break with goals from Nano Rivas and Valdo Lopes but it appeared as though they would have to settle for a draw with Inigo Martinez equalising with three minutes to go. However, four minutes into injury time Suarez gave Levante a stunning victory with a free-kick from distance which went in off the post.

"We are not used to playing three games a week. The run we are on at the moment is almost impossible and in this game we could have easily dropped points," said Levante coach Juan Martinez. "When we were behind, the team had to respond and they have confidence at the moment and a small amount of luck which you need."

Valencia back to winning ways
A Jordi Alba goal after 82 minutes gave Valencia a 1-0 win away to Real Zaragoza and was a welcome victory after a poor run of just one win in seven matches.

Malaga, though, failed to bounce back from their 4-0 thrashing by Real Madrid at the weekend as they lost 2-0 to Rayo Vallecano while Getafe drew 2-2 at home to Osasuna.

On Tuesday a Xavi Hernandez free-kick gave a lacklustre Barcelona a 1-0 win over nine-man Granada 1-0 which extended their club record run to seven games without conceding a goal. The visitors dominated possession from start to finish but lacked a finishing touch. Messi and Pedro Rodriguez went close before Xavi hit a fine free-kick from distance after 32 minutes which flew into the top corner.

They still couldn't wrap the game up with a second goal despite a man extra after Jaime Romero was sent off. In injury time Daniel Benitez was also red carded after being cautioned for a second time.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said that fatigue had been behind his side's unusually ineffective display. "We didn't play the ball around very quickly and we tried to have more control of the game but this is all understandable when you play so many matches," said Guardiola.

"With the score at 1-0 anything can happen. Any mistake against a side as quick as this (Granada) can be very costly."

City cruise through, Chelsea leave it late

City cruise through, Chelsea leave it late
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Manchester City turned on the style again as Roberto Mancini's side followed their demolition of Manchester United with a 5-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the League Cup fourth round.

Mancini made 11 changes from the side that routed United 6-1 on Sunday, but the Italian's understudies were still far too strong for struggling Wolves as Edin Dzeko's double, strikes from Adam Johnson, Samir Nasri and a Dorus De Vries own goal booked City's place in the quarter-finals.

Wolves took the lead thanks to a Nenad Milijas strike from Adlene Guedioura's pass in the 18th minute. But City were full of confidence after surging five points clear at the top of the Premier League and English winger Johnson swept in a 37th-minute equaliser from Dzeko's pass.

Nasri put City in front in the 39th minute, sliding home a Johnson pass, while Bosnian striker Dzeko added the third a minute later with a tap-in after Luca Scapuzzi's shot was saved.

City's fourth goal arrived in the 50th minute when Scapuzzi, a 20-year-old Italian forward making his first start, fired in a shot that hit the post and cannoned into the net off the back of Wolves goalkeeper De Vries.

Dzeko made it five, turning in Stefan Savic's cross in the 64th minute, and Jamie O'Hara got one back for Wolves, who will hope for a better result when they face City again this weekend.

Mancini wants more from Johnson despite a fine display from the winger and he said: "Adam Johnson played well, but I think he can give more. He has everything to be one of the best wingers."

Chelsea clinch extra-time win
Chelsea put a traumatic few days behind them to beat Everton 2-1 after extra time at Goodison Park. Andre Villas-Boas's side have had to deal with the fall-out from a 1-0 loss at Queens Park Rangers that saw the FA launch an investigation into England captain John Terry.

However, they showed impressive spirit to see off Everton in dramatic fashion. Nicolas Anelka missed a first-half penalty after Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran was tripped by Johnny Heitinga.

Chelsea still went ahead, though, in the 38th minute when Jan Mucha made a complete hash of saving a weak lob from Ivorian forward Salomon Kalou and allowed the ball to trickle through his grasp into the net.

Everton wasted a chance to get back in the match after half-time when Chelsea goalkeeper Ross Turnbull was sent off after conceding a penalty for a foul on Louis Saha. Petr Cech came on to replace Turnbull and saved Leighton Baines' proceeding penalty.

Saha headed an 83rd-minute equaliser from Seamus Coleman's cross, but Everton midfielder Royston Drenthe was sent off in extra-time for two bookable offences and Daniel Sturridge netted the winner in the 116th minute.

Suarez brace sends Liverpool through
Luis Suarez fired Liverpool into the quarter-finals for the first time in four seasons as the Uruguayan's double clinched a 2-1 win at Stoke City.

Tony Pulis's side opened the scoring when Kenwyne Jones dived to head past Jose Reina, but Liverpool were level nine minutes after half-time as Suarez stole possession from Ryan Shotton and curled a sublime strike past Thomas Sorensen. Suarez then bagged the winner five minutes from full-time, heading in Jordan Henderson's cross.

"I don't think he's ever going to score with a tap-in. We know the quality he has got," Reds boss Kenny Dalglish said of Suarez. "I think the attitude and desire of the players pleased me. If you don't match that here you are going to struggle."

Blackburn Rovers eased the pressure on beleaguered boss Steve Kean with a 4-3 win over Newcastle United after extra time at Ewood Park.

Rovers, who lie bottom of the Premier League, were ahead after just five minutes when Ruben Rochina converted Martin Olsson's cross. Ayegbeni Yakubu increased Blackburn's lead with a 64th minute penalty after a foul on Rochina, but Danny Guthrie's injury-time strike gave Newcastle hope and Yohan Cabaye completed an astonishing revival as he equalised with a stoppage time free-kick.

Morten Gamst Pedersen restored Blackburn's lead in extra-time, only for Peter Lovenkrands to equalise for Newcastle from the penalty spot. Rovers kept pressing and French defender Givet bagged the winner in the 120th minute.

On Tuesday, Manchester United won 3-0 at Aldershot and Arsenal beat Bolton 2-1, while Championship clubs Crystal Palace and Cardiff also advanced.

Ramzy: Egypt are among favourites

Ramzy: Egypt are among favourites


Former Egypt international Hany Ramzy is relishing the challenges that face him as coach of his country’s U-23 team. FIFA.com caught up with the legendary centre-back before his side begin the final round of African qualifiers for the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament London 2012, which are set to take place in Morocco between 26 November and 10 December this year. The former Kaiserlautern defender spoke of the U-23 team’s preparations for the tournament and their participation in the 2012 CAF African Cup of Nations qualifiers in lieu of the senior team.

FIFA.com: How are Egypt preparing for the CAF U-23 Championship that serves as the African qualifiers for the 2012 Olympics?
Hany Ramzy: We start off with a couple of friendlies in Cairo against Senegal and Nigeria before travelling to Morocco on 18 November. We’ll have a game on 21 November against one of the sides from the Moroccan league and then contest the tournament’s opening match against Gabon on 27 November.

Did the decision to move the competition from Egypt to Morocco just a month before it was due to start affect the morale of the players, especially given the loss of home advantage that entailed?
It did have an effect because we were forced to make a number of changes to our training programme. For instance, we would have preferred to travel to Morocco at least ten days in advance to acclimatise. And of course, I won’t deny that we wanted the tournament to be held in Egypt. Playing at home in front of your supporters would have given our young players a huge boost, but we just have to take this as a new challenge. Morocco is an Arab country and I know the Moroccan public will get behind us, especially since we’ve been drawn in Group B with Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire and South Africa.

Which of your Group B opponents present the biggest threat to you?
All three sides are technically very gifted. However, it’s usually the opening game that’s the hardest, and that will be against Gabon, who have already knocked out a very resilient Zambia team. Côte d'Ivoire are one of the strongest sides on the continent in this age group and we’ve got reason to believe that South Africa are also very talented and play attractive football. All three are strong sides and there’s not much difference between them. Moreover they all have a lot of Europe-based professionals. The matches will be tough but, as I said before, if we get off to a good start in the opening game against Gabon, it will be a huge boost for us.

Does the dearth of professionals in the Egypt squad put you at a disadvantage?
I’ve got complete confidence in the players. At the 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt, you’ll recall that most of the African sides fielded a large number of European-based professionals, while Egypt relied on local talent. Despite that, we still won the title, so it’s not really an issue for me. We’ve got some excellent players in our squad, and the challenge for our youngsters will be to prove their worth on the pitch and perhaps earn a move to Europe if they do well in London.

Your team’s last two games were against Niger and Sierra Leone in the 2012 CAF African Cup of Nations qualifiers, where the U-23’s stood in for the senior Egypt side. What did you make of that experience?
I was very pleased. I thought the benefits of facing a side like Sierra Leone outweighed losing to them 2-1. We benefited in terms of skill and fitness, not to mention the experience of travelling abroad, the nerves, and playing in front of a packed stadium. The 3-0 victory over Niger restored the team’s self-belief, especially since Niger ended up qualifying from that group. It was Egypt’s first and only win in the qualifiers and all credit to the youngsters and the coaching staff. It was the perfect start to our preparations for the qualifying campaign for London 2012.

The team has received some criticism lately for lacking punch up front. Is this a problem in the national team at all age groups and have you managed to find a solution?
I don’t happen to agree with that assessment. We’ve got at least three forwards: Marwan Mohsen, who is Petrojet’s main striker, Ahmed Sherwida from Al Masry and Ali Afifi from Arab Contractors. Marwan is one to watch in the future and he’s been in excellent form recently, with two goals against Niger. I should also mention Mohamed Hamdy who was in the Egypt U-20 squad that went to Colombia.

And what about your goalkeeper? Your first choice, Mohamed Abougabal, has been having some difficulties with his club, ENPPI.
Ahmed El Shenawy has been playing well recently and I hope he can maintain his high level of performance. I’m also looking at Aly Lotfi and Mohamed Bassam. Mohamed Abougabal has been with us for a long time now. He played in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2009 and has been in my side for the last 20 months. Every player goes through patches when their form dips a little, that’s only natural. He might be having problems, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a promising player. The emergence of Ahmed El Shenawy’s only makes the other goalkeepers more competitive, which ultimately benefits the side as a whole.

Finally, how do you see next month’s qualifying tournament in Morocco panning out?
I expect it will be a very hard-fought tournament. All eight sides are looking to progress and qualify for London 2012. Moreover, they all play outstanding football, in particular Nigeria, who have a lot of experience at Olympic football tournaments. Morocco, of course, have home advantage and Algeria are not far from home themselves. Egypt are considered one of the favourites to go through, but I should add that everyone has a fairly equal chance of success. To be perfectly honest, I hope all three Arab teams make it through.

Young Crocodiles eye new prey

Young Crocodiles eye new prey

Lesotho’s national side may not have played a competitive international since the last FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers, but there has been no laid back break for the footballers from the mountain kingdom, which is completely surrounded by South Africa.

Likuena (The Crocodiles) will make a return to international action in November when they take on the Swallows of Burundi over two legs in the first stage of the African preliminaries for Brazil 2014. Their last full competitive game came in Sekondi in October 2008 when they lost away to Ghana 3-0 to complete a run of six successive losses in their difficult South Africa 2010 qualifying group, which also included Libya and Gabon.

The failure to secure even a point was an unexpected setback for the side and led to some serious soul searching for the country of just two million people. After playing a handful of friendlies and putting in a solid performance in the regional COSAFA Cup in 2009 came a decision to leave the national side on hiatus - skipping qualifying for the 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations - and put resources and effort instead into the youth teams and talented players coming through the development system.

But Lesotho’s tiny population, its landlocked position and its threadbare sporting infrastructure have previously been little impediment to their relative competitiveness in football. The Basotho national side finished second in 2000’s COSAFA Cup, and in the past they have beaten the likes of Cameroon, Angola and Zimbabwe as well as drawn away in the cauldron that is Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Building on youth
Having previously been appointed interim coach of the senior side in September of 2009 after the sacking of Serb Zavisa Milosavljevic, Leslie Notsi was primarily tasked with coaching Lesotho’s under-20 side and given the immediate ambition of garnering a place at the 2011 African Youth Championships. Lesotho achieved that goal in the most splendid fashion, eliminating regional rivals Mozambique, neighbours South Africa and Kenya in the qualifiers. They won both away legs in the latter two ties to ensure only the second-ever appearance for a Basotho side at a continental youth championship.

The finals tournament did not deliver on dreams of a place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia, but it did serve as invaluable international experience for the youthful group, which Notsi praised for their “speed, teamwork and the technical awareness.” And, in line with the policy of the Lesotho Football Association, the coach has now promoted the bulk of that under-20 side to the senior squad and, is also looking to mix them with players who have much more acumen at full international level.
A bit like what David Beckham did for England at the World Cup finals last year.
Lesotho coach Leslie Notsi on the role of injured captain Lehlohonolo Seema

“The President of the FA said he wanted 80 per cent of the new national team to come from the under-20s but after further discussion we agreed on 60 per cent,” said Notsi, who feels his youngsters will be better served having the likes of Lehlomela Ramabele and Bushy Moletsane, who play at clubs in Botswana, and the Tunisian-based Bokang Mothoana alongside them in Lesotho colours. Long-standing captain Lehlohonolo Seema will not be able to compete against Burundi because of a recurring injury, but Notsi feels he still has a role to play as a mentor. “A bit like what David Beckham did for England at the World Cup finals last year,” he added.

Recent positives give hope
Lesotho have already had a handful of warm-up friendlies, beating surprise CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Botswana away and drawing with Swaziland. On Monday they take on Namibia in Windhoek as they continue to fine-tune the youthful squad for the Brazil 2014 qualifiers, which give the continent's minnows a rare chance to capture the spotlight.

Notsi knows the limitations of his team and the small pool of talent he can choose from, but he says he has hopes that his team's lack of inhibitions will help transcend the pressure of the two-legged tie against Burundi, a side which the Crocodiles have never met before. Should Lesotho succeed, they will be through to the group phase where a slot awaits in a daunting table alongside Ghana, Sudan and Zambia. “If the boys can be as consistent and committed as they showed against Botswana when we played them in that friendly [in August], then I think we can give Burundi a run for their money,” said Notsi.

Lille impress at Lyon's expense

Lille impress at Lyon's expense


Lille kept up the pressure on the top two in Ligue 1 with an impressive 3-1 win over Lyon tonight. Jimmy Briand fired Les Gones in front at Stade Metropole, but Moussa Sow drew the hosts level on the stroke of half-time.

Second-half strikes from Marko Basa and substitute Joe Cole then settled the match in Lille's favour, moving the side just four points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

It was the second heavy defeat inflicted on Lyon in four days after Remi Garde's men were hammered 4-0 by Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

"Our fans were a real 12th man tonight," said Lille coach Rudi Garcia. "This team is strong mentally and they don't worry when they let a goal in. Knowing how to win after falling behind is important.

"We've had three consecutive victories. We're back where we want to be, which is on the podium."

Les Gones began brightly and Briand tested Mickael Landreau early on with a left-footed strike which the home goalkeeper smothered.

Briand got the better of Landreau after 22 minutes, though, getting on the end of a cross from Yohan Gourcuff and then shaking off the atte

Levante lead as Atleti, Valencia draw

Levante lead as Atleti, Valencia draw


Levante's fairytale start to the season continued tonight as they moved a point clear at the top of the La Liga table after defeating local rivals Villarreal 3-0 at El Madrigal.

Juanlu scored twice for the visitors, the first a flashing volley and the second a close-range effort as Levante took command before the break. Arouna Kone added a third after 58 minutes to help Levante to their sixth consecutive win and move clear of Real Madrid. European champions Barcelona are two points adrift in third.

Roberto Soldado netted a late equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw for Valencia with Athletic Bilbao, who had gone ahead through 18-year-old Iker Muniain with an impressive opener in the 72nd minute.

Villarreal had won just one of their previous six competitive games heading into the contest, but with time ticking down and a own-goal deficit, Soldado levelled the score to ensure an end to a poor run of form.

Atleti level with Mallorca
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, scored their first goal in three matches, but were still unable to defeat Real Mallorca at the Vicente Calderon.

Gregorio Manzano's inconsistent side conceded a penalty within the opening 30 seconds, which was converted by Tomer Hemed, but Radamel Falcao replied from the spot two minutes before half-time to salvage a point.

Rayo Vallecano earned their second win of the season thanks to two late goals in a hard-fought clash against fellow promoted side Real Betis. Rayo midfielder Lass opened the scoring in the 80th minute before Sergio Koke doubled the lead from the penalty spot a minute before the final whistle to help Rayo climb away from the relegation zone.

Osasuna assert authority
Osasuna produced a dominant display to blow away Real Zaragoza 3-0 in their La Liga clash at the Reyno de Navarra. Zaragoza failed to defend set-pieces all afternoon and Raul Garcia scored the opener after 18 minutes when the visitors failed to clear a long throw into the box.

Nino doubled the advantage from another throw-in and Javad Nekounam scored the pick of the goals with a fantastic looping header after half an hour.

Pedro Leon struck the bar in the last minute as Getafe had to settle for a point in a largely uneventful goalless draw at Real Sociedad. The result leaves Getafe just above the relegation zone with only one win and six points to their credit this season, while Sociedad are two points better off after bringing an end to their three-match losing streak.

Udinese in front, Milan shine again

Udinese in front, Milan shine again


Antonio Di Natale fired Udinese to the top of Serie A with two goals in a 3-0 win over Novara at the Stadio Friuli.

Di Natale's 33rd-minute opener was aided by a deflection off Matteo Centurioni, which helped the ball loop past Alberto Fontana in the Novara goal. Di Natale's then had a corner met by Maurio Domizzi at the near post, and his header found its way into the far corner.

Udinese's third goal was the pick of the bunch with Di Natale scoring his sixth of the season, curling a 25-yard free-kick over the bar and into the top corner of Fontana's goal.

Lazio on a roll
Lazio, meanwhile, clinched their third straight victory in Serie A and climbed into second place by beating Bologna 2-0.

A first-half own goal by Bologna striker Robert Acquafresca put the visitors on their way before

City solo at summit with chasers beat

City solo at summit with chasers beat


Mario Balotelli inspired the worst loss of Sir Alex Ferguson's career as Manchester City thrashed ten-man Manchester United 6-1 to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League on Sunday.

Balotelli, who was forced to flee his home on Saturday following a bizarre late night blaze triggered by fireworks, lit the fuse on City's title charge in their biggest win at Old Trafford in 85 years. The 21-year-old Italian scored in the 22nd minute and added a second on the hour mark before Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero netted a third in the 69th minute.

A brace of late goals from Edin Dzeko and a David Silva finish completed City's scoring on a memorable afternoon as United suffered their worst home defeat in Premier League history.

United, who had Jonny Evans sent off two minutes into the second half, scored a memorable late goal through Darren Fletcher but it was scant consolation after a chastening afternoon for Ferguson's men. The defeat was United's first league loss at Old Trafford since April 2010 and left City in pole position at the top of the table.

"It's good but I think it's not so important that we won 6-1 but that we beat a fantastic team - that is important," City manager Roberto Mancini said.

Mancini was also pleased with the contribution of Balotelli, who repaid his faith in him with a two-goal performance. "I'm happy for him because he scored two important goals, because he played well," said Mancini. "I think it's important for our confidence to come here and beat United."

Balotelli celebrated his opening strike by removing his jersey to expose a t-shirt with the slogan: "Why Always Me?" to the delight of his team-mates but irked the referee who promptly booked the forward.

Stunned United coach Ferguson said the defeat was the worst of his 54-year career as a player and manager. "It was our worst ever day," said Ferguson. "It's the worst result in my history, ever. Even as a player I don't think I ever lost 6-1.

"The sending off was a killer for us. We kept attacking when we went 4-1 down and we should have just said: 'We've had our day'. We just kept attacking. They were attacking three versus two. It was crazy football," Ferguson told Sky Sports.
I think it's important for our confidence to come here and beat United.
Roberto Mancini, Manchester City coach

QPR defeat nine-man Chelsea
A good afternoon for City got even better in the late games as Chelsea fell to a 1-0 defeat against Queens Park Rangers in a pulsating west London derby which saw Andre Villas-Boas's side finish with nine men.

Promoted QPR took the lead from the penalty spot on ten minutes, Heidar Helgusson slotting home after being bundled over by David Luiz. And, Chelsea's challenge came further apart soon after when Jose Bosingwa was shown a red card for hauling down Shaun Wright-Phillips.

A disastrous opening 45 minutes got worse for Chelsea when Didier Drogba became the next to receive his marching orders, given a straight red card for a rash two-footed tackle on Adel Taarabt. Chelsea came back superbly in the second half and carved out a string of chances to score, with Nicolas Anelka coming closest with a late header, but Rangers held on for the win.

QPR boss Neil Warnock was pleased with the victory. "It was a fantastic result for the fans. We had a plan and it worked to a treat."

Van der Vaart bags a brace
Tottenham Hotspur moved up one place with a 2-1 win at Blackburn Rovers, who slipped back to the foot of the table after the defeat at Ewood Park. Rafael van der Vaart put Spurs ahead before Mauro Formica levelled for Rovers on 28 minutes. But Van der Vaart clinched it for Spurs with his second on 53 minutes.

Elsewhere Sunday, Arsenal captain Robin van Persie came to the rescue once again as the Gunners downed Stoke City 3-1 at the Emirates.

Van Persie, came off the bench to score Arsenal's second and third goals after Peter Crouch had levelled for Stoke following Gervinho's opener. The win saw Arsenal move up to seventh position.

At Craven Cottage, Everton scored twice in injury time to clinch a 3-1 victory over Fulham. Everton took the lead through Royston Drenthe after only three minutes before substitute Bryan Ruiz levelled for the Cottagers in the 67th minute. But with a draw looming Louis Saha made it 2-1 for Everton before Jack Rodwell made it 3-1 three minutes into stoppage time.

Villas-Boas: Torres has his confidence back

Villas-Boas: Torres has his confidence back
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Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas believes Fernando Torres has finally rediscovered his confidence after the Spain striker scored twice in a 5-0 demolition of Genk.

Torres had gone 875 minutes without scoring in the UEFA Champions League, a miserable run that dated back to April 2009 when he scored for Liverpool against Chelsea. But he finally got back on track with two clinical finishes against the woeful Belgian champions at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

It took the much-maligned £50 million forward's goal tally to four in his last four appearances and Villas-Boas believes Torres is at last playing with the belief that characterised his time at Liverpool.

"It's important for players to feel confident, and he's feeling confident in his abilities," Villas-Boas said. "It was never a question of him (not being at his best form). He was always on form."

Torres had missed Chelsea's last two Premier League matches as he served a suspension following his red card against Swansea and the Blues scored eight goals without him. He will also be sidelined for Sunday's trip to QPR due to the ban, so it was essential to remind Villas-Boas of his qualities.

It was emphatically mission accomplished on that front but Villas-Boas insists it doesn't matter whether it is Torres or anyone else who scores as long as Chelsea win. "It's about the team's performance. Our goals have been spread out in various ways in our squad," he said.

"The strikers are nearer to goal and get in good positions - Fernando did that today very well - but we look at the collective performance. I'm pretty pleased with the way the team played. It would have been a long period off (if Torres hadn't played), though we are able to choose from the best up front. The choice fell with Fernando today and he responded pretty well, as have all the strikers who have been used."

Goal-happy Blues sitting pretty
Chelsea's victory, which also featured Raul Meireles' first goal for the club and strikes from Branislav Ivanovic and Salomon Kalou, equalled their biggest in the competition and put them in control of Group E. They have seven points from three games and Villas-Boas knows they could clinch a place in the last 16 with a win in their next match against Genk, providing Bayer Leverkusen defeat Valencia.

"This group could become very tight depending on what happens in Leverkusen with Valencia. The only way we can avoid surprises is to try and get three points in Genk," he said.

"That won't be easy, coming as it does after the Arsenal game. We have to show the right motivation over there. At the moment we are on course and meeting our objectives. We are trying to get the best result possible, get the qualification and go as far as possible in the competition."

After a slow start to Villas-Boas's reign, Chelsea are starting to show the smooth-passing style favoured by the former Porto coach.

Genk coach Mario Been admitted his side had been totally out-classed but he stopped short of heralding Chelsea as potential European champions. "They have a lot of quality. They can change a lot of things because they have so much quality on the bench but Barcelona and Real Madrid are also great teams," Been said.

Been was more concerned with how he would revive his players in time for Chelsea's visit to Belgium. "It is possible the size of defeat could affect us, especially because we are missing a lot of players and are not in the best shape but we have to learn from it and stick together," he said.

Jeonbuk prevail as Suwon stumble

Jeonbuk prevail as Suwon stumble


Korea Republic’s two representatives experienced vastly differing fortunes in Wednesday's AFC Champions League semi-final first-legs, with Jeonbuk Motors coming from behind to edge hosts Al Ittihad 3-2, while Suwon Bluewings suffered a stunning 2-0 home defeat against Al Sadd.

The narrow win at Jeddah has left Jeonbuk with a crucial advantage heading into next Wednesday's return match at home however compatriots Suwon in contrast, will need to turn in a monumental effort in Qatar if there is to be an all-Korean final in 2011. Join FIFA.com as we review a drama-charged matchday.

The match
Al Ittihad 2-3 Jeonbuk Motors
The highly-anticipated encounter lived up to its tag as the 'champions' derby', with 2006 winners Jeonbuk narrowly prevailing over two-time victors Al Ittihad in a tightly contested match. The game got off to an explosive start with the opening goal arriving inside the first minute in the visitors' favour, Eninho catching Ittihad goalkeeper Mabrouk Zaid out with a deflected corner.

That lead, however, lasted just four minutes as Naif Hazazi got his head onto Sultan Al Numare's cross to draw the hosts level. The Saudi Arabia striker went on to put his side in front on 17 minutes when he collected the ball on the edge of the area, before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot into the back of the net.

With the Saudis seemingly content to defend their slim advantage, the Koreans came out like a house on the fire after the interval seeking to claw themselves back into contention. Their efforts paid dividends 11 minutes after the break when Son Seng-Jun latched onto Park Won-Jae's clever lay-back to restore parity, before captain Cho Sung-Hwan headed home Eninho's corner to seal a famous win with 13 minutes remaining.

The surprise
Suwon Bluewings 0-2 Al Sadd
In what turned out to be a feisty encounter during which three red cards were showed, hosts Suwon were on the wrong end of a 2-0 upset as the strongly-favoured Koreans went down at home against Al Sadd. Mamadou Niang was the two-goal hero for the visiting side with his second-half brace helping the Qataris to an upset win.

Coach Yoon Sung-Hyo's charges had the better of the opening half, with both Yang Sung-Min and Lee Sang-Ho coming close to giving Suwon the lead, before Park Jung-Jin saw his long-distance drive crash against the woodwork. At the other end, having survived some early scares, Al Sadd came into life with attacking duo Abdulkader Keita and Niang causing some anxious moments for the Koreans.

Desperate to break the deadlock, the home side heaped pressure on the Qataris after the restart. But it was the visitors that found the opener out of nothing on 70 minutes when Niang's seemingly harmless shot deflected into the net. The former Marseille striker then sealed the triumph with his second ten minutes later, only for controversy surrounding the lead-up to the goal resulting in a fracas which brought about the dismissal of Keita and Suwon's Stevica Ristic. Niang also received his marching orders in stoppage time for a second bookable offence, meaning the Qataris will have to make do without their entire strikeforce for the return next Wednesday.

The player
Eninho proved the driving force behind Jeonbuk's away triumph as the Brazilian set-piece specialist had a hand in all three of Jeonbuk's goals.

The stat
29 – The number of goals Jeonbuk have racked up so far, making the Koreans the tournament’s most prolific team with an average of 2.9 goals per match.

What they said
"Today's game was very disappointing but there is still hope. We will prepare as much as we can for the second leg. We earned a crucial away win in the previous quarter-final second leg so it is possible for us to repeat the triumph in Qatar," Suwon coach Yoon Sung-Hyo

2011 AFC Champions League semi-final first-leg results
19 October
Suwon Bluewings 0-2 Al Sadd
Al Ittihad 2-3 Jeonbuk Motors

Europe's big guns celebrate wins

Europe's big guns celebrate wins


It proved a night to rejoice for Europe’s leading sides in the UEFA Champions League as Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and AC Milan all brought the third instalment of group-stage games to a close with valuable wins.

While the big guns celebrated victory, there were positives too for Cypriot minnows APOEL Nicosia, who held on to top spot in Group G with a draw away against Porto.

They and their fellow hopefuls will look to advance their cause as Europe’s leading club competition continues on 1 and 2 November.

The big game
Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Valencia
Goals: Andre Schurrle 52, Sidney Sam 56 (Leverkusen); Jonas 24 (Valencia)
With the home side struggling to settle or generate much forward momentum, Valencia enjoyed the best of the opening exchanges, not least when Roberto Soldado fired against the base of the post. The La Liga outfit were rampant and Soldado soon returned to fashion the opening goal when his cross was volleyed in by Jonas between a pair of defenders. It was no more than the visitors deserved, but the whole complexion of the game changed after the interval, firstly when the threatening Andre Schurrle thumped the ball past Diego Alves from the left, and then, when Sidney Sam latched on to a Michael Ballack pass to do the same from a tight angle on the right four minutes later. Stunned, Valencia quickly roused themselves and dug deep to force an equaliser, their efforts making for a spectacular end to the game marked by chances at both ends. Soldado was particularly impressive for the Liga hopefuls, but they failed to salvage a draw and now find themselves four points behind Leverkusen ahead of the return meeting in Spain in two weeks’ time.

The other games
Group E
Chelsea 5-0 Genk
Fernando Torres’s return to form came at the worst time for Genk as the Belgian champions found their defence overrun at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea racked up four goals before the interval and took their foot off the pedal in the second half, knowing the three points were enough to take them top of the section.

Group F
Olympique Marseille 0-1 Arsenal
Olympiacos 3-1 Borussia Dortmund
Aaron Ramsey’s stoppage-time goal changed everything in Marseille, where the Gunners came away with maximum points from a tight affair that could have swung in either direction. Gervinho’s touch on Johan Djourou’s late cross left Ramsey in space to apply the finishing touch and the Welsh international made it three defeats for France’s three representatives this week. As a result, Arsenal climb to the top of the pile, with Olympiacos back in the race following their win against a Borussia Dortmund side struggling to live up to last season’s highs.

Group G
Shakhtar Donetsk 2-2 Zenit St-Petersburg
Porto 1-1 APOEL Nicosia
It was a case of onwards and upwards for APOEL as the Cypriot aspirants picked up a point in Portugal to consolidate their hold on first place. Hulk fired the Dragons into an early lead courtesy of his 13th-minute free-kick, but APOEL refused to be overwhelmed and drew level six minutes later as another Brazilian, Ailton, registered a fine individual effort. After that, the hosts toiled in vain to find a way through their opponents’ rearguard.

Elsewhere in the section, Shakhtar and Zenit played out a thrilling encounter that brought a multitude of chances at both ends, the Russian contenders enjoying the lions’ share only to be frustrated by the in-form Olexandr Rybka in the Shakhtar goal. In fact, it was Zenit who twice had to pull themselves back into the game, but as the final whistle blew it was Shakhtar who left the pitch happier with the result.

Group H
AC Milan 2-0 BATE Borisov
Barcelona 2-0 Viktoria Plzen
The European champions enjoyed another comfortable assignment in Europe as they pinged the ball around with their usual ease on the way to victory against their Czech visitors. Lionel Messi wowed yet again with several moments of magic and he played a vital role in the opening goal, playing a pair of one-twos with Andres Iniesta before his team-mate clipped the ball past a defender with his right and volleyed in with his left. For the second goal, Messi found his route to goal barred by a defender before David Villa picked up the pieces to blast in.

At the San Siro, meanwhile, the experimental partnership between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Antonio Cassano looks to be bearing fruit, while serving up plenty of entertainment for the fans in the stands. BATE keeper Aleksandr Gutor did what he could to keep I Rossoneri at bay, but he was powerless to keep out thundering efforts from Ibrahimovic and Kevin-Prince Boateng.

The player
Fernando Torres has rediscovered his goalscoring touch on the European stage at last. Uncharacteristically quiet since signing for Chelsea, the Spanish striker pounced on out-of-sorts Belgian champions Genk to notch a pair of goals, his first coming from a curled effort which fizzed inside the far post and the second the result of a superbly angled header. It was his first double in the Champions League since 28 November 2007, when his goals helped Liverpool get the better of Porto.

Goal of the night
Olympiacos 2-1 Borussia Dortmund (Rafik Djebbour 40)
Collecting a throw-in, Kevin Mirallas raced clear down the right before cutting the ball back into the area, where Algerian forward Rafik Djebbour bamboozled Mats Hummels with a superb touch and made room for himself to aim a shot high into the far corner of the net. As the ball crossed the line, Djebbour became the second Algerian player to score in the Champions League, two years after his compatriot Madjid Bougherra hit the target for Rangers.

The stat
25 - The number of goals racked up in Europe’s leading club competition by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who opened the scoring for AC Milan against BATE. The powerful Swedish international has reached his tally despite turning out for a handful of clubs down the years, rattling in six for Ajax, Inter and Milan, three for Juventus and four for Barcelona.

Have your say
Will any French club survive to seal a place in the last 16?

Europe's big guns celebrate wins

Europe's big guns celebrate wins


It proved a night to rejoice for Europe’s leading sides in the UEFA Champions League as Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and AC Milan all brought the third instalment of group-stage games to a close with valuable wins.

While the big guns celebrated victory, there were positives too for Cypriot minnows APOEL Nicosia, who held on to top spot in Group G with a draw away against Porto.

They and their fellow hopefuls will look to advance their cause as Europe’s leading club competition continues on 1 and 2 November.

The big game
Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Valencia
Goals: Andre Schurrle 52, Sidney Sam 56 (Leverkusen); Jonas 24 (Valencia)
With the home side struggling to settle or generate much forward momentum, Valencia enjoyed the best of the opening exchanges, not least when Roberto Soldado fired against the base of the post. The La Liga outfit were rampant and Soldado soon returned to fashion the opening goal when his cross was volleyed in by Jonas between a pair of defenders. It was no more than the visitors deserved, but the whole complexion of the game changed after the interval, firstly when the threatening Andre Schurrle thumped the ball past Diego Alves from the left, and then, when Sidney Sam latched on to a Michael Ballack pass to do the same from a tight angle on the right four minutes later. Stunned, Valencia quickly roused themselves and dug deep to force an equaliser, their efforts making for a spectacular end to the game marked by chances at both ends. Soldado was particularly impressive for the Liga hopefuls, but they failed to salvage a draw and now find themselves four points behind Leverkusen ahead of the return meeting in Spain in two weeks’ time.

The other games
Group E
Chelsea 5-0 Genk
Fernando Torres’s return to form came at the worst time for Genk as the Belgian champions found their defence overrun at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea racked up four goals before the interval and took their foot off the pedal in the second half, knowing the three points were enough to take them top of the section.

Group F
Olympique Marseille 0-1 Arsenal
Olympiacos 3-1 Borussia Dortmund
Aaron Ramsey’s stoppage-time goal changed everything in Marseille, where the Gunners came away with maximum points from a tight affair that could have swung in either direction. Gervinho’s touch on Johan Djourou’s late cross left Ramsey in space to apply the finishing touch and the Welsh international made it three defeats for France’s three representatives this week. As a result, Arsenal climb to the top of the pile, with Olympiacos back in the race following their win against a Borussia Dortmund side struggling to live up to last season’s highs.

Group G
Shakhtar Donetsk 2-2 Zenit St-Petersburg
Porto 1-1 APOEL Nicosia
It was a case of onwards and upwards for APOEL as the Cypriot aspirants picked up a point in Portugal to consolidate their hold on first place. Hulk fired the Dragons into an early lead courtesy of his 13th-minute free-kick, but APOEL refused to be overwhelmed and drew level six minutes later as another Brazilian, Ailton, registered a fine individual effort. After that, the hosts toiled in vain to find a way through their opponents’ rearguard.

Elsewhere in the section, Shakhtar and Zenit played out a thrilling encounter that brought a multitude of chances at both ends, the Russian contenders enjoying the lions’ share only to be frustrated by the in-form Olexandr Rybka in the Shakhtar goal. In fact, it was Zenit who twice had to pull themselves back into the game, but as the final whistle blew it was Shakhtar who left the pitch happier with the result.

Group H
AC Milan 2-0 BATE Borisov
Barcelona 2-0 Viktoria Plzen
The European champions enjoyed another comfortable assignment in Europe as they pinged the ball around with their usual ease on the way to victory against their Czech visitors. Lionel Messi wowed yet again with several moments of magic and he played a vital role in the opening goal, playing a pair of one-twos with Andres Iniesta before his team-mate clipped the ball past a defender with his right and volleyed in with his left. For the second goal, Messi found his route to goal barred by a defender before David Villa picked up the pieces to blast in.

At the San Siro, meanwhile, the experimental partnership between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Antonio Cassano looks to be bearing fruit, while serving up plenty of entertainment for the fans in the stands. BATE keeper Aleksandr Gutor did what he could to keep I Rossoneri at bay, but he was powerless to keep out thundering efforts from Ibrahimovic and Kevin-Prince Boateng.

The player
Fernando Torres has rediscovered his goalscoring touch on the European stage at last. Uncharacteristically quiet since signing for Chelsea, the Spanish striker pounced on out-of-sorts Belgian champions Genk to notch a pair of goals, his first coming from a curled effort which fizzed inside the far post and the second the result of a superbly angled header. It was his first double in the Champions League since 28 November 2007, when his goals helped Liverpool get the better of Porto.

Goal of the night
Olympiacos 2-1 Borussia Dortmund (Rafik Djebbour 40)
Collecting a throw-in, Kevin Mirallas raced clear down the right before cutting the ball back into the area, where Algerian forward Rafik Djebbour bamboozled Mats Hummels with a superb touch and made room for himself to aim a shot high into the far corner of the net. As the ball crossed the line, Djebbour became the second Algerian player to score in the Champions League, two years after his compatriot Madjid Bougherra hit the target for Rangers.

The stat
25 - The number of goals racked up in Europe’s leading club competition by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who opened the scoring for AC Milan against BATE. The powerful Swedish international has reached his tally despite turning out for a handful of clubs down the years, rattling in six for Ajax, Inter and Milan, three for Juventus and four for Barcelona.

Have your say
Will any French club survive to seal a place in the last 16?

The Olsen Gang’s rapid rise

The Olsen Gang’s rapid rise


Danish sport had multiple reasons for cheer as 2009 began. Mikkel Kessler was fresh from knocking out Danilo Haussler with a stunning five-punch combination to retain his WBA super middleweight boxing title and up his professional record to a magnificent 41-1; Soren Kjeldsen had won the lucrative last edition of the Volvo Masters, the concluding event of the PGA European Tour, to claim a top-ten position on the 2008 Order of Merit; and recent conquests had rendered the southernmost Nordic nation the reigning European Handball Championship and Speedway World Cup kings, while Nicki Pedersen was about to begin the quest for an unprecedented third successive Speedway Grand Prix crown.

But while boxing, golf, handball and speedway have prominent followings in Denmark, football is unequivocally its most popular sport. And in footballing terms, Danes had nothing to smile about in March 2009.

Their national team had missed out on a place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. They had finished fourth in their UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying group – acceptably, perhaps, behind Spain; unacceptably, outright, behind fierce enemies Sweden and minnows Northern Ireland. Their last two results were a 1-1 draw with Greece and a 1-0 loss at home to minnows Wales. They had, accordingly, slumped to 38th - their lowest-ever position - on the FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking.

Denmark’s existing model was a decaying shadow of their Michael Laudrup-inspired wow machine of the 1980s, the resolute regiment Richard Moller Nielsen guided to glory at EURO 1992, or the outfit that occupied a personal best of third place on the global ladder in May, July and August of 1997.

The current cast, by contrast, had the critics rallying. How long could they persevere with Morten Olsen, who assumed the reins in 2000? Could 30-somethings Thomas Sorensen and Dennis Rommedahl still cut it on the international stage? Did the output of youngsters Simon Kjaer and Nicklas Bendtner really vindicate their hype? Did Denmark genuinely have a chance of holding off Portugal, Sweden and Hungary for Group 1’s automatic ticket to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™?

Those questions have been answered in the most pleasant of red and white fonts. Denmark did, of course, qualify for 19th edition of the global finals, and, thanks to Olsen’s tactical acumen, an admirable defensive record indebted to Sorensen and Kjaer, and the attacking contributions of Rommedahl, Bendtner and teenage sensation Christian Eriksen, they entered the final week of Group H qualifying for EURO 2012 in with a chance, albeit a slim one according to the odds, of seizing top spot and a place at the continental finals.
His results are indisputable, and the way the team plays bears witness to the fact that we are on the right path.
Jim Stjerne Hansen, the Danish FA's general secretary, on Morten Olsen

De Rod-Hvide (The Red and Whites) won 4-1 in Cyprus on 7 October to leave themselves knowing that victory over visiting Portugal in their final qualifier four days later would accomplish the feat, and anything less would hand the coveted berth to Paulo Bento’s charges. Raul Meireles, Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo and Co arrived in Copenhagen in confident mood, given that they had won eight and drawn one of their last ten matches – including a 3-1 win over the Danes and a 4-0 thrashing of world champions Spain – and were chasing a sixth straight victory. However, with Eriksen stylishly conducting proceedings, the hosts dominated from the outset and, with an early Michael Krohn-Dehli effort and a second-half tap-in from Bendtner preceding an 11th-hour consolation from Ronaldo, the Scandinavians emerged 2-1 winners to clinch a EURO 2012 berth.

Yesterday, those six paramount points received a padding prize: a seven-place rise to joint-tenth, alongside Argentina, on the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Denmark had leapt above, among others, Croatia, Russia, France, Chile and Japan to return to the top ten for the first time since May 2003.

Eriksen reflected: "We are growing game by game and everybody enjoys playing for this team – that's why we are getting results.” Right-back Lars Jacobsen added: "Portugal have a great side and some great players, but we played as a team, showed courage and won deservedly. We did everything we had talked about before the game – our tactics were spot on.”

Those tactics were the brainwork of Olsen. And though the 62-year-old’s contract is due to expire after EURO 2012, the Danish Football Association (DBU) is already striving to tie the man who represented his country 102 times, in various positions, between 1970 and ’89 to an extension.

The organisation’s general secretary Jim Stjerne Hansen said: “I think Morten Olsen is the coach with Danish blood in his veins who is best for this job. His results are indisputable, and the way the team plays bears witness to the fact that we are on the right path.”

That path has already slungshot Denmark from their FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking nadir to the heights of the top ten in the space of just 31 months. And while the overwhelming consensus is that they have zero chance of going on to surpass their all-time high of third or conquer the continent next year, they will not lack aspiration of belief. After all, Olsen-Banden (The Olsen Gang), are nicknamed after a group of fictional movie criminals renowned for their outrageously ambitious plots, while every Dane has heard the factual ’92 tale that could easily be mistaken for a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.

Gameiro treble keeps PSG clear

Gameiro treble keeps PSG clear


Kevin Gameiro struck a hat-trick as Paris St Germain restored their three-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 with an impressive win at struggling Ajaccio. France international Gameiro was one of several big-money signings for PSG over the summer and repaid a large chunk of his transfer fee with a treble which proved too much for the Corsican hosts.

Gameiro's first-minute opener was cancelled out by Carl Medjani but the former Lorient man had the final say. His opening contribution was the first goal, volleying home at the far post after Sylvain Armand had flicked on Nene's corner. PSG could have gone two up inside eight minutes but home keeper Guillermo Ochoa produced a wonderful save to keep out Nene's volley.

Brazil-born Nene was instrumental in the early stages and, after 13 minutes, he played in Mohamed Sissoko but his first-time effort flashed inches wide of the post. Nene then whipped in a free-kick which Mamadou Sakho headed on goal only for Ochoa to make the save.

Having been completely outplayed for the opening 20 minutes Ajaccio promptly equalised. A free-kick into the PSG box was not fully cleared and after Arnaud Maire had pumped it back in Medjani chested it down nicely and volleyed it past Salvatore Sirigu. Nene was to the fore once again after 33 minutes but this time in a defensive capacity as he hacked Richard Socrier's header off the line.

Ajaccio came close to going ahead at the start of the second half but Sirigu made a fantastic reflex save to keep out Socrier's volley. That was the cue for PSG to raise their game and they restored their advantage shortly after when Christophe Jallet's cross was nodded down by Sissoko for Gameiro to fire home.

It was 3-1 after 52 minutes, Gameiro tapping in after good work from Jallet and Clement Chantome for his eighth goal of the season. Ajaccio rarely threatened a comeback with their best chance coming after 65 minutes when Frederic Sammaritano shot narrowly over.

Klose king on dramatic derby day

Klose king on dramatic derby day


Miroslav Klose struck a stoppage-time winner as Lazio beat ten-man Roma in the Eternal City derby tonight. I Biancoceleste had lost their previous five meetings with Roma - four under current coach Edy Reja - and this match looked to be heading the same way in the electric atmosphere of the Stadio Olimpico when Pablo Osvaldo gave Roma a fifth-minute lead.

But Hernanes equalised five minutes into the second half from the penalty spot after Simon Kjaer brought down Christian Brocchi, the defender shown a straight red card. Klose was then denied by the crossbar and team-mate Djibril Cisse's volley rebounded off the post with seven minutes to go, but there was still time for a dramatic winner and for Lazio to stop the rot against their city rivals.

The win moved Reja's Lazio up to fourth in the Serie A standings, just one point behind leaders Juventus. "We showed great character," Reja said. "We prepared for this game throughout the week and we have done a good job. Once we equalised, things got easier for us. We have beaten a great team. I think the penalty changed the game as we played better in the second half."

Roma had Simon Kjaer sent off early in the second half after he fouled Christian Brocchi inside the area. Reja admitted he thought his side would have to settle for a point after his team were twice denied by the woodwork late in the game. "I thought we would not be able to win tonight," Reja said. "The ball didn't seem to want to go in. Fortunately, it did."

Reja had reason to celebrate as he had lost his four previous meetings against Roma. "I had been waiting for this win for some time," Reja said. "Roma struggled more than in previous games but we deserved this victory. We have given great satisfaction to our fans and we have to make the most of our potential and try to improve on last season's position in the standings."
I had been waiting for this win for some time.
Lazio coach Edy Reja, having lost the last four derbies


Roma coach Luis Enrique felt the result was tough on his players. He said: "It's a pity to lose the game at the death. When we thought we had already secured a point, we got hit by Klose's goal. We could have done much more in the first half but after going in front, we weren't able to play as we know how. Lazio played a good second half. We still have a lot of work to do. We have to learn to play the way we did in our opening 15 minutes for an entire game."

Enrique, experiencing his first derby, was without injured captain Francesco Totti and fielded Miralem Pjanic in support of Bojan and Osvaldo. Roma, playing as visitors, could not have asked for a better start. Pjanic fed Osvaldo inside the area and the Italy international took it down on his chest before firing a right-footed shot past Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti. Lazio reacted and Hernanes found Klose inside the area but he fired wide from a good position.

Midway through the first half, Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg came off his line to clear Cisse's dangerous cross towards an unmarked Klose. Lazio continued to press forward and Stekelenburg did well to keep out Hernanes' 30-yard bullet strike before half-time.

The hosts' efforts paid off in the 50th minute when referee Paolo Tagliavento pointed to the spot after Kjaer fouled Brocchi, earning the Dane a straight red card. Hernanes made no mistake with the spot-kick, placing it out of the reach of Stekelenburg. The goal inspired Lazio, who almost went in front soon afterwards when Hernanes fed Klose and he hit his shot just wide of the far post.

Lazio continued to look for the winner and Roma were forced to defend deeply. In the 70th minute, Klose got his head to Cristian Ledesma's corner and his effort beat Stekelenburg but struck the crossbar. Lazio kept the pressure on as Cisse threatened but he saw his right-footed volley hit the woodwork. However, Reja's men received their reward in stoppage time when Matuzalem passed the ball into the area for Klose to fire past Stekelenburg.

Wenger unsure over Van Persie future

Wenger unsure over Van Persie future


Arsene Wenger admits Robin van Persie's long term future at Arsenal remains uncertain after the Dutch forward underlined his value with a match-winning display against Sunderland.

Van Persie eased the pressure on Wenger with the two goals that secured a 2-1 victory over the Black Cats at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The Arsenal captain declared after the victory he remains committed to the club but with less than two years left on his contract, Gunners boss Wenger admitted the player has yet to enter into negotiations about a new deal. Having seen Samir Nasri leave for Manchester City and Cesc Fabregas depart for Barcelona during the last transfer window, Wenger is keen to keep hold of the influential Dutchman.

But no matter what the long term intentions of Van Persie, Wenger insists the player's commitment to the cause cannot be questioned. "For me commitment is as long as you are at the club, not how long you are at the club, you give absolutely 100 per cent until the last day of your contract. That is what I call commitment," Wenger said.

"The rest is different, it is dates of contract which for me is different. You have players who have 10 years of contract who are not committed. For me it is not commitment to have a long contract. He knows that we are ready to talk about it, but the most important thing is what you do today and how much you are committed to the cause as long as you are at the club.

"Unfortunately the ideal situation in football doesn't exist very often. The ideal situation is that he extends his contract and if he doesn't you have to respect that. What is important is he plays how he plays. We are all eager to see special football players and he is a special player."
We are all eager to see special football players and he is a special player.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Robin van Persie

Van Persie struck after just 29 seconds and then sealed the victory with a free kick eight minutes from time after Sebastian Larsson had levelled for the visitors with a 31st-minute free-kick. The result ensured Arsenal travel to face Marseille in the UEFA Champions League this week with growing confidence although Wenger admitted his team is not yet performing at their best.

"We have now won five games on the run at home and when we can get two or three more wins it will get better," he added. "You feel the attitude and spirit of the team is great. Even at half time there was a good response. The motivation is there, the quality is there, so slowly we must get better."

Kieran Gibbs is a doubt for the trip to Marseille after damaging stomach muscles while Aaron Ramsey is struggling with a hamstring problem. Wenger admits they will face a side experiencing similar problems.

"I think Marseille are a good team but they are under pressure a little bit in the league like we are," he said. "Everybody expects, so that puts more pressure on you. But we are in the Champions League and that is a competition where there is less expectation and they are less under pressure. And they are a quality team."

Steve Bruce's Sunderland side sit outside the relegation zone on goal difference but the manager insists he can see signs of improvement. "I think we have only played badly once and that was against Norwich so we haven't got quite what we deserve," he said.

"That's football. That's the Premier League. Being beaten by a wonder goal by Van Persie in the last five minutes doesn't happen very often in other divisions. You can quite easily go six or seven games without a win at this level. It's our turn. We must accept that and get on with it and keep believing that we will get better and that the results will come."

Maghreb pair set up African final clash

Maghreb pair set up African final clash
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Esperance and Wydad Casablanca had 1-0 leads to defend in the second leg of the CAF Champions League semi-finals over the weekend, and both North African sides did just that to reach the final of the continent’s biggest club competition.

Esperance were heavily favoured after claiming an away win at Sudan’s Al Hilal a fortnight ago, but they were made to wait before running out to a 2-0 victory with two second half goals on Saturday. Youssef Msakni scored for the second match running seven minutes after half-time before Wajdi Bouazza settled the tie 3-0 aggregate with a strike in the dying moments behind closed doors in Rades on the edge of Tunis.

Wydad’s 1-0 first-leg win came at home, and they faced a daunting trip at Enyimba, but the Red and Whites made the lone goal of the tie hold up with a tense scoreless draw in Aba, Nigeria on Sunday. The People’s Elephant assailed the Moroccan goal in front of their roaring supporters, but the 2003 and 2004 champions were unable to overturn Pascal Angan’s last-minute header from a fortnight ago.

Next month's final will be a two-legged, home-and-away contest with the winner claiming a spot in December's FIFA Club World Cup, which takes place in Japan. The two finalists met twice in the group stage in August with both matches ending up as draws, so it should be an exciting climax to the African club showpiece.

Second chances for both
The Blood and Gold of Esperance won the previous version of this event in 1994, but since then they have lost in the final three times - including last year when TP Mazembe thumped them by a 6-1 aggregate score. Proving themselves among the continental giants has driven the side since, and coach Nabil Maaloul has modulated their performances perfectly through the long campaign. Esperance have scored 23 goals while conceding just six, and they have lost just once in 12 matches - a 2-0 defeat at ASPAC in the second leg of the first round after they had essentially killed the tie with a 5-0 victory in the opener.

Despite the lack of home supporters against Hilal after crowd trouble in the group stage, the hosts were seldom threatened by the Sudanese, who have now gone out in the semi-finals three times in the last five years. Rising star Msakni is again hitting stride after a hot start to the tournament, and he has five goals in the ACL after being given the opportunity to attack through midfield due to the injury absence of captain Oussama Darragi. The 20-year-old Tunisian international was a menace from the opening whistle, but it wasn’t until the second period that he beat Hilal goalkeeper Moez Mahjoub after showing his skill to burst past two defenders and finish strongly. Bouazza’s goal was another impressive goal in traffic to settle the match and set off celebrations, outside of the stadium at least.
They were unlucky not to have converted their chances, but overall I can say we played better than them.
Wydad coach Michel Descatel on overcoming Enyimba

Enyimba went through their first 11 matches unbeaten in the Champions League until their 1-0 reverse in Casablanca, but their previously vaunted attack let them down in the last four. Despite the depression of Nigerian supporters, who are also dealing with the elimination of their national team from qualifying for January’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations, it was a professional performance by Wydad that undid them.

The 1992 champions have made little impact on the competition since then, but the Moroccan Botola holders will be no soft touch against favoured Esperance. Wydad's Swiss coach Michel Decastel, in his second spell with the club, said that his side would push for an away goal in Aba, and they hit the woodwork in the early going, which seemed to knock the hosts onto their heels. In the second half, Enyimba created a number of chances as WAC retreated into a shell, but Uche Kalu and Ifeanyi Ede missed opportunities before substitute Victor Barnabas spurned a short-range chance in the late going when it looked like he would put things into extra time.

It was a well-deserved result for the side said Decastel afterwards, who was nonetheless proud his team dealt with the power of the Nigerians. "Enyimba are a very strong side, and we expected their pressure in the second half," he said. "They were unlucky not to have converted their chances, but overall I can say we played better than them and responded better to circumstances. The players have made us all proud."

Morocco and Tunisia are generally powers in African club football, with their teams winning the Champions League five and three times respectively overall. They currently have two teams in the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup this year, with Club Africain and MAS Fez both on the inside track to also reach a continental final and make it a banner year for the two North African nations.

Bluewings eye continental hat-trick

Bluewings eye continental hat-trick


"Power lasts only ten years" is a Korean proverb which suggests a giant's decline with the passage of time. Despite the wisdom it embodies, however, it seemingly fails in the case of Suwon Bluewings who, nine years after they had claimed back-to-back Asian club titles, are now well on track to return to their glory days.

The four-time K-League champions are only three matches away from winning their third continental title, having edged past Iran's Zob Ahan 3-2 on aggregate and into the last four of this year's AFC Champions League. Should they prevail against Al Sadd of Qatar over the two-legged semi-final, they will face either compatriots Jeonbuk Motors or Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad in a one-off final, with the victors to represent Asia in December's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.

"It is too long since we last won a continental title," Suwon coach Yoon Sung-Hyo told FIFA.com in a recent exclusive interview prior to Wednesday’s first-leg meeting with Al Sadd at home. "It is time that we returned to the top in Asia and I believe our side have sufficient qualities to contend with our rivals and win."
It is time that we returned to the top in Asia and I believe our side have sufficient qualities to contend with our rivals and win.
Suwon coach Yoon Sung-Hyo

Continental glory will also mark a maiden success since the rebirth of the competition in its current format eight years ago. Having failed in four previous attempts, including losing out to eventual winners Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 4-3 in last year's quarter-finals, Suwon have proven themselves unstoppable on the Asian scene this season, winning a group that also featured Japanese heavyweights Kashima Antlers, Sydney FC and Shanghai Shenhua, before outlasting J.League champions Nagoya Grampus 2-0 in the Round of 16.

But their narrow triumph over Zob Ahan has provided the 49-year-old Yoon with food for thought, ahead of the Al Sadd test. "We were struggling to cope with the Iranians’ different tactics in the two legs and my team didn't perform at their best,” he said.

“Al Sadd are a strong opponent and they won the Asian Club Championship in 1989. They also have an excellent coach and group of players. But still, we have a lot of Asian experience and we can overcome them as long as we keep our cool and focus on our own play.”

Goalscoring skipper
Yoon’s confidence is not unfounded considering the club’s star-studded roster, which features the likes of goalkeeper Jung Sung-Ryong and captain Yeom Ki-Hun. The latter has been a stand-out with four goals in continental competition so far this campaign. Having also racked up ten goals on the domestic front to steer his side to third place in the K-League, the 28-year-old Korea Republic international told FIFA.com he is ready to give his best against the Qataris.

“I have been in top form with Suwon since wearing the captain’s armband,” Yeom said. “I have never played against Al Sadd but I am familiar with the west Asian playing style. They possess skills and pace so we can’t underestimate our rivals.”

Suwon won their last continental laurels by defeating compatriots Anyang LG (now FC Seoul) in the 2002 Asian Club Championship final. And coach Yoon is of the view that history can be repeated. “If we meet Jeonbuk in the final and win, it will definitely be an interesting scenario,” said Yoon. “And the chances are pretty much good this time around. Having achieved this nine years ago, I believe our experiences will stand us in good stead throughout the remainder of the campaign.”

The five-point European review

The five-point European review

Barcelona and Real Madrid enjoyed comfortable victories this weekend, as did Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. Manchester United dropped valuable points, though, while struggling heavyweights Inter Milan and Marseille again failed to win.

In its five-point review, FIFA.com looks back on all the action in the major European leagues.

1. Match
Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United, Matchday 8 in England

Liverpool have enjoyed a decent start to the season, and the arrival of leaders Manchester United offered Kenny Dalglish’s charges an opportunity to gauge their progress. Liverpool’s fans were out in force, and the atmosphere and pre-match strains of club anthem ‘You'll Never Walk Alone’ seemed even more raucous than usual. Steven Gerrard was back in the starting XI for the home side for the first time since March, while their opponents omitted both Wayne Rooney and Nani from their line-up.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men appeared content to soak up pressure and hit on the break, allowing Liverpool to take the initiative. Chances were few and far between, though, and the deadlock was eventually broken in the second half by a Gerrard free-kick. At that point the home fans would have been forgiven for thinking that the points were in the bag. But against the run of play, United found an equaliser through substitute Javier Hernandez, who was perfectly positioned to nod Danny Welbeck’s flick-on into the net. It was a tough blow for the Reds, who nevertheless pressed for a winner in the final minutes, but were unfortunate to come up against an inspired David de Gea.

Manchester City’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa enabled them to leapfrog their city rivals in the table, while Chelsea sit just a point further back in third after they defeated Everton.


2. Teams
Montpellier were promoted back to the French top-flight three years ago, and have not looked out of place ever since. Their 5-3 victory over Dijon, during which they trailed 2-0 after just eleven minutes, once again demonstrated the qualities of this young, solid outfit, who now sit in second place behind PSG. Les Heraultais boast the best attack in the league, as well as a squad containing no fewer than 13 players who were brought through the club’s youth academy, an unusual feat at this level.

After a disappointing 2010/11 season, a reaction from Bayern Munich’s players was somewhat expected, but it is likely that even their most fervent fans did not foresee this kind of response. The figures speak for themselves: the Munich giants boast the highest number of goals scored and the least porous defence, giving them a significant lead at the top of the Bundesliga. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has now gone 748 minutes without conceding a goal and is on the point of entering the record books.

3. Players
Gonzalo Higuain is back at his very best, having netted his third hat-trick in four matches this weekend. The Real Madrid forward’s triple against Real Betis follows on from those he scored against Espanyol and Chile, the latter coming in an Argentina shirt. As for the issue of whether or not ‘El Pipita’ has moved ahead of Karim Benzema in the pecking order, Jose Mourinho responded: “You can’t really talk about starters with players that are as good as these.”

Vincent Kompany’s star has risen significantly over the past few years, and if his positioning, long passing, technique and aggressive ball-winning skills are anything to go by, it will continue to do so in the future. Regarded as one of the best central defenders in the Premier League, his performances have taken on a whole new dimension since he was handed the captaincy of a Manchester City side firing on all cylinders. The Belgian even managed to chip in with a goal during his club’s triumph against Villa this weekend.

It is very likely that Guti had envisioned a happier end to his illustrious career. Having opted to try his luck with Besiktas last summer, the Spanish midfielder has never quite found his bearings in the Turkish league, much like his team, who lost 2-0 to Kayserispor on Saturday. Now 35, the former Real Madrid star has spent more time on the bench than on the pitch recently, and announced after the match that he is considering retiring from the game altogether.

4. Stats
1 – Augsburg obtained the first Bundesliga victory in their history on Saturday. The promoted club’s 1-0 win in Mainz was even more satisfying for their fans, given that it was secured by a Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker penalty two minutes from time.

5 – The number of scoreless draws recorded this weekend in Serie A. Of the six matches played on Sunday afternoon, Bologna were the only one of 12 teams to find the net.

5 – The minutes it took for Lyon to take complete control in their 3-1 home victory over Nancy. A goal from Bafetimbi Gomis and a brace from Michel Bastos put Les Gones in an unassailable position after just half an hour.

7 – Barcelona continue to collect impressive statistics. Their 3-0 success versus Racing Santander was the Catalans’ seventh home match in a row without conceding a goal.

5. Memorable moments
Family affair: While all matches are important, some mean more than others. This weekend Bayern Munich welcomed Hertha Berlin, coached by one of the Bavarian side’s former stalwarts, Markus Babbel. Hertha’s Thomas Kraft, Christian Lell and Andreas Ottl started their professional careers with Bayern, while current Munich players Ivica Olic and Jerome Boateng were also facing their former club. The latter pair ended up celebrating a 4-0 success.

Defensive despair: Inter Milan’s troubles at the back went from bad to worse over the weekend, as I Nerazzurri fell 2-1 to modest Catania, taking their number of goals conceded to 13 in six matches - the club's worst defensive record at this stage since the 1930/31 season.

Tight at the top in Russia: With three matches to go until the end of the campaign, Zenit St. Petersburg hold a two-point lead over CSKA Moscow, who are closely followed in turn by neighbouring outfits Dynamo, Lokomotiv and Spartak. All of the current contenders will still fancy their chances of lifting the title, in what promises to be an exciting championship play-off.

Actions speak louder than words: Robin van Persie had already underlined his attachment to Arsenal prior to the match with Sunderland. All that was left was to demonstrate that commitment on the pitch, which he promptly did with two excellent goals in the Gunners’ 2-1 win.

Marseille malaise: Unable to find a way past Toulouse’s defence, Marseille’s Ligue 1 struggles continue. The point earned in the 0-0 draw is only the ninth obtained out of a possible 30 this season by the champions of two years ago, despite their having held on to some key players over the summer. A turnaround in fortunes is essential if L’OM are to drag themselves back into the title race.

Lucas: I’m focused on Sao Paulo

Lucas: I’m focused on Sao Paulo


Though there are still nearly three years to go until the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, such has been the rapid rise of Sao Paulo’s attacking midfield starlet Lucas that he is already heavily backed to feature for the host nation. The player's popularity is understandable, however, given his seamless adaption to life with the seniors, for whom he made his debut in March this year and scored his first goal on 28 September against arch-rivals Argentina.

Yet Lucas himself insisted there is still plenty of football to play before Brazil 2014 and that there are no shortcuts - this despite the now 19-year-old clearly being on the fast track to success. This year alone he has carved out a place in O Tricolor Paulista’s first team, played a key part in Brazil’s win at January/February’s South American U-20 Championship and earned selection for Mano Menezes’ senior Seleção.

In conversation with FIFA.com, the player, who is known for his explosive attacking bursts and elusiveness on the field, revealed how he is coping with his new status, his early days with Menezes’ Amarelinha squad and his aim of lifting silverware with Sao Paulo before any potential transfer to Europe.

FIFA.com: Shortly before you joined up with Brazil’s squad for this year’s U-20 Sudamericano, you told us about how fast your career was moving. Well, having been one of the stars of the show in that triumph, which guaranteed a place at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament 2012, and made your senior Brazil debut, are you still able to go out without being mobbed?
Lucas: It’s true, there have been lots of changes in a short space of time – everything’s happening very fast for me in my career. In less than a year so many things have occured in my life but even so, yes I’m still able to walk around the city. I’m pretty relaxed about it. A lot of people recognise me, come and take photos and ask for autographs but I’m happy to tend to them all. I’ve got no problem at all with that.

How have you found being involved with A Seleção under Mano Menezes, who has been attempting to find a blend of experienced performers and rising young stars?
It’s been really marvellous. I was part of the U-20 squad and we won the (continental) title, and I’d barely gone back to Sao Paulo before I was called up to the senior national side, which has always been my dream. I just have to be thankful every day and keeping working hard, because in football you have to prove you’re good enough every single day. And I also try to make the most of every time I’m called up to A Seleção, by spending time with more experienced players and talking with them. So I have to make sure I keep doing my very best for Sao Paulo to keep my place in the national team.
Sao Paulo are strong and very focused on what they have to do. We really want to win the title.
Lucas, Brazil and Sao Paulo midfielder

When it came to the friendly game against Scotland, which was your first call-up to the senior squad, did you feel you had a realistic chance of getting on the pitch?
Look, I’m not going to deny that I was hoping for that. Yes, I was hoping for my chance to be involved and show what I can do. I had to be ready for that moment. I couldn’t sit there thinking I wasn’t going to come on – I had to be ready and optimistic about my chances of playing a part. It was a fantastic experience. It might sound like a cliché, but when I was listening to the national anthem being played I thought about my family and my boyhood dream (of representing Brazil). It’s a feeling you can’t put into words, but it’s one I wanted to really savour.

Well, you certainly proved you were ready to seize your chance. Right from the off you began leaving defenders in your wake, much like you do regularly in Brazilian football. Was it as simple as it looked?
You inevitably get butterflies in your stomach; you can’t help feeling tense and anxious. But once I took to the field I just tried to do my best, play the way I know how and prove why I was there. That meant getting on the ball and running at defenders using my bursts of acceleration, which are the main feature of my game.

Brazil 2014 is still three years away. Do you think it’s too early to be thinking that far ahead or is it unavoidable in your situation?
No, I don’t think it’s too early. People have to dream, to have faith, but there aren’t any shortcuts either. I’ve got lots of competitions to play with my club side first, before we even know which national teams will qualify for the tournament, and all of us have to do our best in every one of those competitions to be in with a chance of playing at the World Cup.

Sao Paulo are currently in the thick of the race for the Brazilian championship and the finish line is drawing ever closer. How have the club’s new signings fitted in and what are the team’s chances of winning the title?
The squad’s been strengthened by the arrival of players brought in to help the team, which is important since the championship race is so long. You’re always going to get problems with injuries and suspensions, so it’s important to have a squad packed with players who can come in and do a job. Sao Paulo are strong and very focused on what they have to do. We really want to win the title.

Over the course of this year, a number of clubs have shown an interest in acquiring your signature. How did you handle this new development in your career?
I’m happy that big European clubs are interested in me, as it shows I’ve been doing my job well. But I’m still very young and I’ve got a lot to learn. Right now my mind is fully focused on Sao Paulo. I want to win titles here, write my page in the club’s history and only then, yes, will I think about a move abroad.

Lucas: I’m focused on Sao Paulo

Lucas: I’m focused on Sao Paulo


Though there are still nearly three years to go until the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, such has been the rapid rise of Sao Paulo’s attacking midfield starlet Lucas that he is already heavily backed to feature for the host nation. The player's popularity is understandable, however, given his seamless adaption to life with the seniors, for whom he made his debut in March this year and scored his first goal on 28 September against arch-rivals Argentina.

Yet Lucas himself insisted there is still plenty of football to play before Brazil 2014 and that there are no shortcuts - this despite the now 19-year-old clearly being on the fast track to success. This year alone he has carved out a place in O Tricolor Paulista’s first team, played a key part in Brazil’s win at January/February’s South American U-20 Championship and earned selection for Mano Menezes’ senior Seleção.

In conversation with FIFA.com, the player, who is known for his explosive attacking bursts and elusiveness on the field, revealed how he is coping with his new status, his early days with Menezes’ Amarelinha squad and his aim of lifting silverware with Sao Paulo before any potential transfer to Europe.

FIFA.com: Shortly before you joined up with Brazil’s squad for this year’s U-20 Sudamericano, you told us about how fast your career was moving. Well, having been one of the stars of the show in that triumph, which guaranteed a place at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament 2012, and made your senior Brazil debut, are you still able to go out without being mobbed?
Lucas: It’s true, there have been lots of changes in a short space of time – everything’s happening very fast for me in my career. In less than a year so many things have occured in my life but even so, yes I’m still able to walk around the city. I’m pretty relaxed about it. A lot of people recognise me, come and take photos and ask for autographs but I’m happy to tend to them all. I’ve got no problem at all with that.

How have you found being involved with A Seleção under Mano Menezes, who has been attempting to find a blend of experienced performers and rising young stars?
It’s been really marvellous. I was part of the U-20 squad and we won the (continental) title, and I’d barely gone back to Sao Paulo before I was called up to the senior national side, which has always been my dream. I just have to be thankful every day and keeping working hard, because in football you have to prove you’re good enough every single day. And I also try to make the most of every time I’m called up to A Seleção, by spending time with more experienced players and talking with them. So I have to make sure I keep doing my very best for Sao Paulo to keep my place in the national team.
Sao Paulo are strong and very focused on what they have to do. We really want to win the title.
Lucas, Brazil and Sao Paulo midfielder

When it came to the friendly game against Scotland, which was your first call-up to the senior squad, did you feel you had a realistic chance of getting on the pitch?
Look, I’m not going to deny that I was hoping for that. Yes, I was hoping for my chance to be involved and show what I can do. I had to be ready for that moment. I couldn’t sit there thinking I wasn’t going to come on – I had to be ready and optimistic about my chances of playing a part. It was a fantastic experience. It might sound like a cliché, but when I was listening to the national anthem being played I thought about my family and my boyhood dream (of representing Brazil). It’s a feeling you can’t put into words, but it’s one I wanted to really savour.

Well, you certainly proved you were ready to seize your chance. Right from the off you began leaving defenders in your wake, much like you do regularly in Brazilian football. Was it as simple as it looked?
You inevitably get butterflies in your stomach; you can’t help feeling tense and anxious. But once I took to the field I just tried to do my best, play the way I know how and prove why I was there. That meant getting on the ball and running at defenders using my bursts of acceleration, which are the main feature of my game.

Brazil 2014 is still three years away. Do you think it’s too early to be thinking that far ahead or is it unavoidable in your situation?
No, I don’t think it’s too early. People have to dream, to have faith, but there aren’t any shortcuts either. I’ve got lots of competitions to play with my club side first, before we even know which national teams will qualify for the tournament, and all of us have to do our best in every one of those competitions to be in with a chance of playing at the World Cup.

Sao Paulo are currently in the thick of the race for the Brazilian championship and the finish line is drawing ever closer. How have the club’s new signings fitted in and what are the team’s chances of winning the title?
The squad’s been strengthened by the arrival of players brought in to help the team, which is important since the championship race is so long. You’re always going to get problems with injuries and suspensions, so it’s important to have a squad packed with players who can come in and do a job. Sao Paulo are strong and very focused on what they have to do. We really want to win the title.

Over the course of this year, a number of clubs have shown an interest in acquiring your signature. How did you handle this new development in your career?
I’m happy that big European clubs are interested in me, as it shows I’ve been doing my job well. But I’m still very young and I’ve got a lot to learn. Right now my mind is fully focused on Sao Paulo. I want to win titles here, write my page in the club’s history and only then, yes, will I think about a move abroad.

Croatia set for Greek fight, England poisedCroatia set for Greek fight, England poised

Croatia set for Greek fight, England poised

Germany, Italy, Netherlands and defending champions Spain have already qualified along with host nations Poland and Ukraine for UEFA EURO 2012, with six more automatic slots and eight play-off berths to be decided between Friday and next Tuesday.

Headlining the Friday-night bill are top-of-the-section games in Groups F and G, between Greece and Croatia, and Montenegro and England respectively. Should the Croatians win and the English draw, they will both advance to the finals.

The big game
Greece-Croatia, Group F, Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, 8.45 cet

Section leaders by a single point from the Greeks, despite a shock 1-0 loss in Georgia in March, Croatia will make sure of top spot if they prevail in Piraeus. “We’re going to win in Greece and qualify for the finals,” predicted their coach Slaven Bilic, who has five Dynamo Zagreb players forming the spine of his side. Greece have been in formidable form, however, winning eight and drawing six of the 14 games they have played since Portuguese coach Fernando Santos took over in the aftermath of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. In their eight group games to date, the miserly Greeks have let in just four goals.

The other games

Group A
Azerbaijan-Austria
Turkey-Germany
Belgium-Kazakhstan

Germany clinched their finals place last month and will now have a big say in whether Turkey or Belgium, their next two opponents, take the play-off slot. The group winners can expect a spicy atmosphere at the Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul, where Guus Hiddink’s men will be going flat out for three potentially decisive points.

Group B
Armenia-Macedonia
Slovakia-Russia
Andorra-Republic of Ireland

Four teams are still in the running for the top two places in this keenly contested pool. Leaders Russia are two points clear of the Irish, with Armenia and Slovakia a point further back, the Armenians having slipped into third after last month’s stunning 4-0 win in Zilina. The inconsistent Russians lost at home to the Slovakians last September, and should they avenge that result, they will be all but through.

Group C
Northern Ireland-Estonia
Serbia-Italy

The Italians have already won the group, leaving Serbia (14 points), Estonia (13) and Slovenia (11) to battle it out for second. The Serbs have played one game less than their two rivals, and should they beat the Italians in Belgrade, the play-off place will be theirs. The first group meeting between the two sides was abandoned following crowd trouble, with Italians being awarded a 3-0 win.

Group D
Bosnia and Herzegovina-Luxembourg
Romania-Belarus
France-Albania

A mere point separates the French and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the expectation is for their fates to be decided when they meet at the Stade de France on Tuesday. Yet while the Bosnians will hope to make short work of Luxembourg, Bleus coach Laurent Blanc has had a spate of injuries to contend with, particularly up front, with Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery and Kevin Gameiro all out for the visit of the Albanians. The incoming Bafetimbi Gomis and Djibril Cisse are the men charged with the task of securing three essential points.

Group E
Finland-Sweden
Netherlands-Moldova

While Netherlands will be aiming to maintain their perfect pool record at home to the Moldovans, second-placed Sweden have a crucial assignment in Finland. Level on 18 points with Hungary having played one game less, the Swedes have a superior head-to-head record to the eastern Europeans and will clinch the play-off slot if they win in Helsinki. Having crushed the Finns 5-0 at home, that ought not to be beyond their reach.

Group F
Latvia-Malta

Group G
Wales-Switzerland
Montenegro-England

England are six points clear of the Montenegrins but are playing their last game and still need a point to secure their UEFA EURO 2012 finals place. Fabio Capello has left old stagers Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand at home, putting his faith instead in young guns Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck, Micah Richards and Andy Carroll. Opposite number Branko Brnovic has Savo Pavicevic Marko Basa, Miodrag Dzudovic and Milan Jovanovic all back from injury and suspension for a game they must win if they are to have any chance of topping the section. Should they do so, they will have the opportunity to complete the job in Switzerland on Tuesday.

Group H
Cyprus-Denmark
Portugal-Iceland

Portugal, Denmark and Norway are tied on 13 points, though wins for the Danes and the Portuguese here will leave the Norwegians out of the running for first place and make Tuesday’s meeting between the two in Copenhagen a section decider.

Group I
Czech Republic-Spain
Liechtenstein-Scotland (Saturday)

Michal Bilek’s men are comfortably placed in second, two points ahead of Scotland and with a better record in the head-to-head. A point from this game could well be enough to see them into the play-offs, though the Spanish will no doubt be keen to preserve their 100 per cent record.

Player to watch
With Karim Benzema out through injury, 26-year-old Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis returns to spearhead the France attack after a two-year absence. Currently the joint-top marksman in Ligue 1 with six goals in nine games and the scorer of two goals for Les Bleus to date, Gomis has a silky touch to go with his power, as he showed in the recent UEFA Champions League match against Dynamo Zagreb, where his exquisite lob helped Les Gones to victory.

The stat
17-15-6 - David Villa’s vital stats in the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying competition. The Spain striker, the joint-highest scorer at South Africa 2010, has had 17 shots on goal so far, 15 of them on target and six of them finding the back of the net.

What they said
“Miracles only happen when you believe in them,” Montenegro coach Branko Brnovic.

Have your say
Can Montenegro spring a surprise by getting the better of England?