Bolivar, Quito ensure Libertadores progression

Bolivar, Quito ensure Libertadores progression
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Bolivar saw-off Chile's Universidad Catolica 3-0 to reach the Copa Libertadores Round of 16 on Tuesday.

Pablo Frontini's second-minute goal immediately settled the nerves of the Bolivian side in a must-win game.

Walter Flores long-range strike doubled the lead in the 27th minute before Damian Lizio consolidated the win four minutes after half-time.

"We knew it was a must-win game for us. Failure was impossible," Lizio told Fox Sports. "We managed the game well after the goals. We could have scored even one more goal."

The other Chilean team in the group, Union Espanola, ended on top even though they lost 2-1 at Junior in Colombia.

Union Espanola scored the first goal of the game, as Emiliano Vecchio netted a tremendous free-kick in the 12th minute.

However, first-half penalties from Sherman Cardenas and Luis Paez gave Junior the win despite the 29th-minute dismissal of keeper Carlos Rodriguez. Union Espanola failed to equalise despite their man advantage after the break.

Argentinian side Velez Sarsfield and Deportivo Quito of Ecuador made it into the knockout stage from Group Seven.

The Argentinian team ended on top of the group despite a 3-1 home defeat to Uruguay's Defensor Sporting.

Nicolas Olivera put Defensor ahead early in the seventh minute, while Diego Rodriguez widened the gap 30 minutes later and Matias Britos made it 3-0 two minutes after the half-time.

Federico Insua reduced the deficit with a 63rd-minute penalty but Velez failed to maintain the best record in the group stage - which would have allowed them the advantage of playing the second leg of all the remaining games at home.

Velez boss Ricardo Gareca was angry with his side's result in Buenos Aires, telling reporters: "If you play this way, you become eliminated. We must fix some aspects in the next stage. All defeats are useful to make decisions. It can not happen again."

Defensor Sporting crashed out though as Deportivo Quito hammered Mexican giants Guadalajara 5-0 with Matias Alustiza netting four goals.

The Argentinian forward netted at the 17th, 27th, 70th and 84th, while Fidel Martinez added the other 20 minutes after the break. Guadalajara defender Jorge Enriquez was sent-off at the 57th minute.

Guardiola excited by Chelsea challenge

Guardiola excited by Chelsea challenge


Pep Guardiola has lavished praise on Chelsea's ageing stars and claimed he is struggling to formulate a plan to see off the Blues and earn his Barcelona team a place in their eighth European Cup final.

Chelsea face their biggest task of the season tonight when they host Guardiola's all-conquering side in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Upon taking charge at Stamford Bridge last summer, Andre Villas-Boas embarked on a new project which centred on phasing out Chelsea's veterans such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba and introduce a new crop of hungry young stars in their place.

Unfortunately for the Portuguese, the move backfired, with Villas-Boas leaving the club last month after a dreadful run of form and reports of disharmony within the Stamford Bridge dressing room.

His successor Roberto Di Matteo has turned to Chelsea's trusted lieutenants since the 34-year-old's departure and the move has worked, with Chelsea winning nine of the Italian's 12 games in charge.
I do admire what they have achieved. It will be exciting to play them.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola

Many claim the likes of Lampard (33), Drogba (34) and even John Terry (31) are on the wane, but Guardiola disagrees. "I do admire that generation of players," Guardiola said.

"They have done so well over the last seven years and have got into so many semi-finals and finals, and competed in the Premier League so well. That's not easy, so I do admire what they have achieved. It will be exciting to play them."

Despite being four points behind leaders Real Madrid, Barcelona have played some of the best football the world has ever seen this year and with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and, of course, Lionel Messi, it is easy to see why they are overwhelming favourites to progress.

But Chelsea's recent resurgence under Di Matteo has left Guardiola with much to worry about, it seems.

Guardiola added: "They have John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba ... They are players who have had thousands and thousands of adventures.

"Maybe they do not have the consistency in the league but in competitions like this they are one of the best teams in the world. I saw what they did against Tottenham," Guardiola added, referring to Chelsea's 5-1 win over their rivals at Wembley on Sunday.
Everyone wants to beat Barcelona and play well against us, because we are the current holders.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola

"Everyone wants to beat Barcelona and play well against us, because we are the current holders but I am struggling to see how we are going to hurt them and how we are going to create chances to score goals."

Guardiola's last visit to Stamford Bridge ended in success after Andres Iniesta fired home a 93rd minute away goal to take his team through to the Champions League final for the first time in his reign.

Barcelona went on to win the competition, and a remarkable 12 more pieces of silverware have followed under the stewardship of their former midfield maestro.

Such an accomplishment has naturally led to huge acclaim for Guardiola, with Chelsea reported to be among his interested suitors.

But the Barcelona boss, whose contract expires this summer, last night dismissed the idea he could swap the Nou Camp for Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, however.

He said: "It's fantasy. Hypothetical. I'm coach of Barcelona. Chelsea have a very good manager because, in the last 10 games, they've made unbelievable results. It's not the time to be talking about that. I'm here as Barcelona manager. Chelsea have a manager."
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Mourinho still optimistic of reaching final

Mourinho still optimistic of reaching final


Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has insisted the Spanish giants can turn things around in the return leg despite losing 2-1 at Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Germany striker Mario Gomez hit an 88th-minute winner in Tuesday night's first leg to put Bayern in pole position to reach the 19 May final at their own Allianz Arena stadium against either holders Barcelona or Chelsea.

After France winger Franck Ribery gave Bayern an early lead, Real's Mesut Ozil equalised before Gomez's winning strike, but Mourinho says his team can hit back at their Bernabeu stadium in next Wednesday's return leg.
If we win at home, we are there. I am optimistic we can return here to play in the final.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho

"We have the second leg to come and it's not like we have to make a historical comeback, what we have to do is very achievable," said Mourinho, whose team are away to Barcelona in El Clasico on Saturday in the Spanish league.

"If we win at home, we are there. I am optimistic we can return here to play in the final.

"I think a more justified result would have been a draw, but that's football. Whoever scores goals wins games, simple as that. It's not a bad result, it just means we have to win at home and turn it around.

"It wouldn't be the biggest turn around in history, I still think the team can do it, the fans will be behind us, just like the fans helped Bayern. We will prepare after Saturday's game and the team will be ready. Real always plays to win and I would have liked to have won today."

Mourinho said the referee had made a mistake in awarding Bayern's opening goal as replays showed Ribery fired home with a Bayern player offside, but he refused to criticise the official.

"We had the feeling that one team could get through with a lucky punch and they made it," said Mourinho. "Their first goal was offside, that is clear. I accept the referee's decision, but he shouldn't have given the goal."

Happy Heynckes
Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes was delighted with his team's performance as they preserved their remarkable record of having never lost at home to Madrid, with nine wins and a draw in their 10 meetings in Munich since 1976.

"We deserved to win, it was a hard bit of work," said the 66-year-old. "I had said we would play with passion for 90 minutes and the players did just that, they gave their all. I must pay a great compliment to my team, they ran very hard and played a great game."

Heynckes also singled out match-winner Gomez for his tireless display. "He worked hard for the 90 minutes and won back several balls we had lost and he deserved to get the winner," said Heynckes.

With all still to play for in Madrid, Heynckes said his team will not play for the draw. "No, we don't have to produce a defensive display," he said. "I don't know my tactics yet, but Bayern Munich will play to their style.

"We will play to make chances and we are capable of creating a few goals, I won't be thinking defensively, you have to balance well in defence and attack. The defence wasn't that organised for their goal, but we will play for a win in Madrid and we will not play for the draw."

Di Matteo leading Chelsea revival

Di Matteo leading Chelsea revival


Former Chelsea star Roberto Di Matteo has worked wonders in the caretaker role he assumed when replacing Andre Villas-Boas in the Blues hotseat at the start of last month.

An assistant coach to the Portuguese, Di Matteo engineered an instant revival in the team’s fortunes. After coming back from a 3-1 first-leg deficit to beat Napoli in the UEFA Champions League, the Londoners then ousted Benfica to reach the semi-finals of the competition, where they are about to face Barcelona.

Just for good measure they brushed aside Tottenham last weekend to tee up an FA Cup final with Liverpool, and have closed the gap on fourth-placed Spurs in the league to a mere two points. Presided over by a relative novice in the trade, who is still better known for his achievements as a player than his successes in the dugout, it has been quite a turnaround, one that could yet lead to him being given the job on a permanent basis.

Born in the Swiss town of Schaffhausen to Italian parents, Di Matteo is no stranger to adversity, as he explained: “When I was a child they used to call me ‘the immigrant’ and I suffered because of that. The situation has changed a lot now, though, and Italian people are well integrated in Switzerland.”

It was there in the country of his birth that the ex-Italy international began his career, winning the Swiss title with Aarau in 1993. “I started out in the second division and took up one of the places allocated to foreign players,” he said, recalling his early days in the country of his birth, a place with which he has always felt strong ties.

“People often said to me, ‘You’ll have a bigger career if you become Swiss’. But when I was 17 I turned down an invitation to play for Switzerland at that age level. I’d already made my mind up, and if I’d had to, I would have gone to Italy to retain my Italian nationality, even if it had meant working in a factory.”

Di Matteo did eventually make that journey, arriving at Lazio and catching the eye as an industrious midfielder. Doing enough to impress national team boss Arrigo Sacchi, he made his debut with La Nazionale on 16 November 1994 against Croatia, going on to win 34 caps in all, appearing at UEFA EURO 1996 in England and the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™.

By that time Di Matteo had already made the switch to Chelsea, for whom he played 119 times and won a number of trophies. After sustaining a triple leg fracture, he retired at the age of 31 in 2002.

A new direction
Following a long convalescence in which he underwent numerous operations, Di Matteo returned to the game in 2008, taking over as coach with English third-tier team Milton Keynes Dons. A spell in charge of West Bromwich Albion, whom he led to promotion, followed prior to his appointment in June last year as assistant to Villas-Boas. A little over eight months later, he was the boss at the Bridge, albeit on an interim basis.

Choosing to alter tactics rather than personnel, Di Matteo switched from his predecessor’s 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 formation, one he felt suited his players better and provided the team with more solidity. The change worked immediately, with the Blues regaining the defensive attributes that have made them such a ruthlessly effective outfit.
They don't like to play against us. The results in the past have shown that because of the way we play it's a little bit more difficult for them to play against.
Roberto Di Matteo on Barcelona

With Chelsea fighting on a number of fronts, the Italian has not been afraid to rotate his star players, daring to leave the likes of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard on the bench for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie against Benfica.

“I just want to make sure the team has as much energy as possible, that it’s always physically fresh,” he explained, delighted to have earned the confidence of key players, who made no secret of the problems they had with his predecessor. “Every player in the team has to be involved. Even the ones who’ve played less for me will get their chance.”

The right credentials
The caretaker has also deployed Fernando Torres in a wider role to prevent him “treading on Didier Drogba’s toes in the centre”, as he put it. As a result, El Niño has rediscovered his long-lost scoring touch and contributed a number of assists in Chelsea’s fine recent run.

“I’m happy with Fernando’s performances of late,” said Di Matteo. “He’s doing a lot of good work for us and there’s no question he’s a great player and a fantastic team-mate. He’s doing much better and he’s happy now, although I need to give all the players in the team the same attention.”

“What’s happening on the pitch has shown that he’s breathed new life into the team and that something special has happened,” commented the Italian’s former Blues team-mate Marcel Desailly, venturing an opinion on Di Matteo's chances of making the job a permanent one. “I think he deserves to be given an opportunity and that [Chelsea owner] Roman Abramovich should keep him on as manager.”

The calls for that to happen will become a clamour if Chelsea see off the Champions League holders in their semi-final meeting.

“Barcelona are the strongest team in the world, but we can do it. I think it's fair to say we need two perfect games from our point of view against this team. I think also the fact that the last six weeks we've been performing very well that gives us the belief that we can produce two perfect games against this team. They don't like to play against us. The results in the past have shown that because of the way we play it's a little bit more difficult for them to play against."

If Chelsea can indeed make life awkward for the European champions once again, Di Matteo might just find that it is sufficient to convince Abramovich that he is worthy of a longer-term stay.

Streaks, strikes and a new sensation

Streaks, strikes and a new sensation
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Sequences and scoring feats dominate FIFA.com’s latest stats review, with Eden Hazard, Mario Gomez and Joel Pohjanpalo featuring alongside Fluminense and Manchester United.
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consecutive Ligue 1 appearances, the longest current run in the French top flight, was the milestone reached by Eden Hazard on Sunday. The Belgian, who has not missed a league match since October 2009, marked the occasion by scoring one and laying on another as Lille beat Ajaccio 4-1. Hazard currently leads the Ligue 1 assist table with 12, and lies second on the scoring chart on 15. The weekend past was also a productive one for Marseille, who ended their 11-match winless run by beating Lyon 1-0 in the Coupe de la Ligue final. The south-coast giants duly became the first team to win this trophy in three successive seasons, with coach Didier Deschamps having won all 12 matches he has overseen in the competition since taking charge.
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matches have now passed since Manchester United failed to score at home in the Premier League, enabling the Red Devils to set a new record. Not since Aston Villa won 1-0 at Old Trafford in December 2009 has any visiting team emerged from the Theatre of Dreams with a shutout, and Villa never looked like repeating that feat on Sunday. Wayne Rooney was the architect of United’s 4-0 win with a brace that leaves him on 24 Premier League goals for the season, just two short of his best-ever season in 2009/10. It was also the 28th time that Rooney has scored more than once in a top-flight match; in the Premier League’s history, only Alan Shearer – the record-holder with 57 – Thierry Henry, Robbie Fowler and Andy Cole have done so more often. Yet, vital as Rooney always is, it is Paul Scholes who has emerged as United’s lucky charm, having remained unbeaten in all 12 league matches he has played since coming out of retirement. Sunday’s victory also maintained Scholes’ amazing record against Villa, against whom he has not tasted defeat since a famous opening-day loss in 1995.
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years after their last home defeat in international competition, Fluminense finally succumbed in their Rio backyard last Wednesday. Boca Juniors were the team to end this 32-match run, clinching a 2-0 win - the first by a foreign team at Flu since Argentinos Juniors emerged triumphant in 1985. The victory also provided sweet revenge for the visiting Argentinians, who had seen their own 36-match unbeaten home streak ended by Fluminense just a few weeks earlier. The group stage of the Copa Libertadores concludes tomorrow and, with Santos and Internacional well placed to join Flu, Corinthians and Vasco da Gama in qualifying, Brazil could have five teams in the knockout phase for the fifth year in succession. One Brazilian team who won't be flying the flag in the next stage, however, is Flamengo, who exited in dramatic fashion, failing to survive the group phase for the first time in a decade.
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goals in a single UEFA Champions League campaign is a feat that, before last night, only two players had achieved. In firing the winner against Real Madrid, Mario Gomez became the third, joining Ruud van Nistelrooy (2002/03) and Lionel Messi, who has managed the accomplishment both this season and last. Gomez’s goal was Bayern’s 22nd against Real in the Champions League, breaking the record by one team against another in Europe’s premier competition – a record previously set by the Bavarians’ 21-goal haul against Spartak Moscow. Jupp Heynckes also maintained his 100 per cent home record in 11 Champions League matches with both Bayern and Real, and did so at the expense of his former club’s long unbeaten away run. This, after all, was Jose Mourinho’s side’s first defeat on the road in 22 matches, while they also conceded a first-half goal in European competition for the first time since December 2009.
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minutes and 42 seconds was the time it took 17-year-old Joel Pohjanpalo to score the quickest hat-trick in the history of Finland’s Veikkausliiga on Sunday. HJK were 1-0 down at home to Mariehamn with 71 minutes played when the youngster grabbed the first of a treble that he completed before the 74-minute mark had been reached. And as if that feat wasn’t impressive enough, Pohjanpalo managed to chalk up a ‘perfect' hat-trick, scoring the first with his head, the second with his left foot and the third with his right. The youngster spent a week on trial with Liverpool last month after scoring 33 times in Finland’s third tier for HJK’s reserve side, but Sunday’s match was just his second-ever appearance – and first-ever start – at senior level.
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Buffon: Juve’s success is down to Conte

Buffon: Juve’s success is down to Conte


Gianluigi Buffon has credited Antonio Conte with reviving Juventus's fortunes this season. The Turin giants ended the previous two campaigns in seventh place and out of European football contention.

However, I Bianconeri have improved drastically since Conte took over the reins last summer. Juventus are through to the Coppa Italia final on 20 May, and remain in the Scudetto race with nine rounds remaining in Serie A.

"The secret of our success is the ambition our coach has," Buffon told Corriere dello Sport. "He has shown that ambition since day one and has combined that with hard work."
Conte has brought a new mentality to the club. He has pushed us to sweat, to find strength and to undergo hard work in order to cancel out the last two disappointing campaigns.
Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon believes Conte is responsible for the club's improvement, hailing the former Juventus player's philosophy and mentality. "Conte has brought a new mentality to the club," said the experienced goalkeeper.

"He has pushed us to sweat, to find strength and to undergo hard work in order to cancel out the last two disappointing campaigns. He brings that winning mindset to the club every day based on his own hard-working, committed character."

The Italy international is nevertheless surprised by his side's unbeaten run this season.

"I certainly didn't expect us to have the campaign we have had so far, although I did hope we could do well," Buffon said. "Now we have a Coppa Italia final to look forward to and we will not give up in the Scudetto race."

Juventus are second in the standings, four points behind leaders AC Milan, and host Napoli on Sunday night.

Heynckes dampens semi-final talk despite win

Heynckes dampens semi-final talk despite win


Bayern Munich's fans may have greeted their UEFA Champions League victory at Marseille by goading holders Barcelona, but coach Jupp Heynckes refused to look beyond next week's quarter-final second leg.

Bayern's 2-0 win in the first leg puts them in firm control of the tie and raises the prospect of a semi-final showdown with Real Madrid, who crushed Cypriot side APOEL 3-0 in the first leg of their last-eight tie on Tuesday.

Barcelona could then await the victors in the 19 May final at Bayern's Allianz Arena home, and it was to Pep Guardiola's side that the away fans' thoughts turned as the minutes ticked down at Stade Velodrome on Wednesday.

Heynckes, though, says his team cannot afford to think about anything beyond finishing the job against Marseille in Munich next Tuesday.

"There is a return leg to come first," he said. "There are 90 more minutes against Marseille first, so we can't talk about the semi-finals yet, let alone potential opponents.

"It's not that I have doubts - I just respect our opponents. I have a lot of experience in football and I know that these matches are decided over both legs."
It's not that I have doubts - I just respect our opponents. I have a lot of experience in football and I know that these matches are decided over both legs.
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes

Goals in each half from Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben put Bayern in the driving seat, but Heynckes did express irritation at a late yellow card for substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger that rules him out of the return leg.

"I'm happy with this match, as we're playing matches every two or three days at the moment," he said. "But I wasn't happy with the five yellow cards, particularly the one that Schweinsteiger got. He needs to build up his fitness and he could have played in the second leg."

Bayern enjoyed the lion's share of possession in the first half but Marseille threatened their goal at several set-pieces and looked set to hold out until half-time until Gomez struck in the 44th minute.

As Marseille appealed for a handball against Philipp Lahm, a quick break by the visitors set up Gomez 20 yards from goal and he beat Elinton Andrade with a low strike that squirmed beneath the goalkeeper's grasp.

Andrade, Marseille's third-choice goalkeeper, was chosen to deputise for the suspended Steve Mandanda after Gennaro Bracigliano performed badly in a shock French Cup loss to third-tier Quevilly last week but Didier Deschamps refused to blame the Brazilian.

"You (the media) can make your own analysis," said the Marseille coach. "Steve is Steve, Andrade is Andrade. I have nothing to blame him for."

Bayern have been in rampant form in recent weeks, having scored 22 goals in their previous five games, and they put clear daylight between themselves and their hosts when Robben added a second goal in the 69th minute.

Out-of-form Marseille
While OM's hopes of reaching the last four have receded sharply, the 2010 French champions also find themselves 13 points outside the Champions League places in Ligue 1.

Deschamps said there was no time for self-pity though, particularly with the second leg coming up so quickly and a French League Cup final against Lyon awaiting on 14 April.

"We have matches to play and we haven't lost them yet," he said. "We won't be fighting for the top three, that's obvious. But there's no need to get excessively fatalistic. We still have things to play for and matches to win. It could also be better, but there are teams worse off than us."

Mandanda will return from suspension for the second leg, but Marseille will be without injured centre-back Souleymane Diawara and Alou Diarra, who picked up a yellow card that means he cannot make the trip to Germany.

Valentino Mazzola poses alongside his Torino team-mates before a match

Valentino Mazzola poses alongside his Torino team-mates before a match

Sometimes, the figures tell only a half the story. In the case of Valentino Mazzola, they relate an even cruder fraction, the Torino legend having earned himself a place in the pantheon of Italian football in the space of seven short seasons and 12 international appearances. Revered in the same hushed tones as Giuseppe Meazza and Silvio Piola, Mazzola’s reputation is even more remarkable given that he achieved immortality despite never appearing in a FIFA World Cup™ due to the Second World War.

Mazzola’s was a talent of the purest kind. Captain of the Grande Torino side that excelled in the 1940s and provided the backbone of the Italy team, he could take up any position on the pitch and still perform to the same rarefied standard. “If I had to choose one indispensable player for my team, I wouldn’t choose Pele, [Alfredo] Di Stefano, [Johan] Cruyff, [Michel] Platini or [Diego] Maradona – I’d only go for those players after choosing Mazzola,” commented former Juventus President Giampiero Boniperti.

Nine years before Manchester United lost eight players in the Munich Air Disaster, however, Mazzola’s life was ended in similarly tragic circumstances. Torino’s superlative array of international stars was wiped out in the Superga catastrophe on 4 May 1949, with Mazzola one of 18 players killed that day. Taken from the game in his prime, his impact has nonetheless never been forgotten, and his son Sandro later went on to bring even more honour to the family name.

Long road to the top
Hailing from a humble background, Valentino lost his own father at a young age and had to leave school at 11 to work as a baker’s boy, before finding a job in a factory three years later. His only contact with football at the time was the box of milk he would juggle with his feet on his way to and from work, though he later joined modest local side Tresoldi. At the age of 18, he was then spotted by a neighbour, who managed to find him employment as a mechanic at the Alfa Romeo plant in Arese, and he soon made his debut for the company’s football team in the third division.

A year later, Mazzola was called up for military service, and once again fate intervened to give him a push in the right direction. Legend has it that his talents caught the eye of a Venezia-supporting officer while performing wonders for the team of the marine commandos. Recommended by the officer, he made the trip to Venice and showed up for a trial with the club in bare feet, preferring to leave his boots at home so as not to wear them out.

Venezia coach Giuseppe Girani quickly fell under the youngster’s spell and Mazzola signed his first professional contract on 1 January 1940. He made his Serie A debut in a 1-0 loss to Lazio on 31 March the same year and was soon wearing the captain’s armband. A natural leader, he may not have looked the most physically impressive of players, but he made his influence felt on all four corners of the pitch once the whistle blew, combining bursts of speed worthy of a sprinter with the stamina of a long-distance runner. A rock at the back thanks to his perfectly timed tackles, Mazzola was just as effective in midfield and it was by no means unusual for him to take up three separate positions during the same game, though he eventually took up a regular spot as a left-sided attacking midfielder, with fellow provocateur Ezio Loik operating on the right.

Glory years
Two years later, in July 1942, Torino paid 1.25m Lira to bring Mazzola on board. It was a record transfer fee for the time, but for club president Ferruccio Novo – who also swooped for Loik – it would soon begin to look like the best bit of business of his entire career. He and his new signing formed a strong bond, with Mazzola naming his second son after Novo, while on the pitch Torino became the first Italian side to win a league-and-cup double in Mazzola’s maiden season. The newcomer contested every match as Torino racked up a series of commanding victories, beating Juventus 5-1, AC Milan 5-0 and his former employers Venezia 4-0.

Il Granata (The Clarets) reigned supreme domestically between 1942 and 1949 and were equally accomplished in Europe, where they played a number of friendly games in the period before organised continental competitions. Meanwhile, Mazzola seemed to improve with every passing year, even finishing top scorer in 1947 after notching 29 goals in 38 appearances.

“He earned twice as much as his team-mates because that’s how they wanted it,” explained Novo. Indeed, far from the type of player prone to wowing supporters with momentary displays of magic, he was a tireless worker who covered incredible distances each game, setting a sterling example for colleagues who felt compelled to match his efforts.
If I had to choose one indispensable player for my team, I wouldn’t choose Pele, Di Stefano, Cruyff, Platini, Maradona – I’d only go for those players after choosing Mazzola.
Giampiero Boniperti

Because of his untimely death, Mazzola’s experience of international football was limited to a dozen friendly outings. Called up for the first time for a 4-0 win over Croatia on 5 April 1942, he opened his scoring account for La Nazionale two weeks later as they swept aside Spain by the same margin. Just as he was finding his feet, however, international football was forced to take a back seat to the conflict increasingly ravaging Europe, and he would have to wait another three years to wear his country’s colours again.

Mazzola’s finest Italy appearance was generally judged by observers at the time to be his very last, as he starred in a 3-1 defeat of Spain on 27 March 1949, reaching the same level of excellence he regularly displayed for Torino. Overall, he plundered four goals in nine wins, a draw and two defeats, but those modest statistics do nothing to reflect the sheer magnitude of his ability.

Tragic ending
A few weeks later, on 3 May, Mazzola was expected to sit out Torino’s trip to Lisbon to take on Benfica in a friendly match. Suffering from a throat infection, he nonetheless insisted on making the voyage, not least since the occasion represented a testimonial match for his friend Francisco Ferreira.

The journey back ended in tragedy as the three-engine Fiat G212 airliner carrying 31 players, officials, journalists and crew members crashed into the wall of the Basilica of Superga. There were no survivors and, with that, the era of the great Torino side was over.

Italy was in shock, and half a million people turned out to attend the funerals on 6 May, while Torino were named champions four games from the end of the season following a proposal by their fellow Serie A clubs.

Spot-kicks, a stalwart and a centurion

Spot-kicks, a stalwart and a centurion


Cristiano Ronaldo and Alessandro Del Piero star in FIFA.com’s latest stats review, which also features an impressive streak in Braga, an unwanted record in Cologne and some wayward penalties in Avellaneda.
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league goals in 92 appearances is Cristiano Ronaldo’s amazing Real Madrid tally, this after he reached the century mark on Saturday in record-breaking fashion. No player in the history of La Liga had previously accumulated 100 goals in such a comparatively small number of matches and, with 131 goals overall, Ronaldo has already entered the top ten in Real’s list of all-time leading scorers. Karim Benzema joined his Portuguese colleague in scoring a double in the 5-1 win over Real Sociedad and, in doing so, reached 39 Liga goals to surpass Zinedine Zidane as the division’s highest-scoring Frenchman. And with Gonzalo Higuain also on target, Real’s prolific trio of forwards are now just eight goals away from eclipsing Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry’s tally of 100 from 2008/09 and becoming the highest scoring triumvirate in La Liga history.
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consecutive league campaigns have now witnessed an Alessandro Del Piero goal after the Juventus legend opened his Serie A account for the season in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Inter Milan. The strike, Il Pinturicchio’s 186th in the Italian top flight, secured a result that extended Juve’s unbeaten run to 30 matches, equalling the club record. It was also the Turin giants’ third successive win in the Derby d’Italia, the first time they have managed such a streak since 1996, when current coach Antonio Conte was among the players. Sadly, for Conte’s Inter counterpart on Sunday, this latest loss – the club’s eighth in the last two months – proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Claudio Ranieri, who had been sacked following his last defeat in Turin in 2009, suffered the same fate in the wake of this latest reverse, meaning that Inter have sacked two coaches in the same season for the first time since 1998/99.
13

straight wins have taken Braga to the SuperLiga summit for the first time in over two years. Os Arcebispos (The Archbishops) haven’t dropped points in the Portuguese top flight since last November, and are the only side, other than Porto, to manage such an extended run of SuperLiga victories over the past two decades. Braga, of course, have never won a national title; indeed, in the league’s 78-year history, only twice - Belenenses in 1946 and Boavista in 2001 - has the championship been claimed by anyone outside the traditional big three of Porto, Benfica and Sporting. Os Dragões (The Dragons) and As Águias (The Eagles) – one and two points behind Braga respectively – remain firmly in the hunt for this year’s crown, and between them this heavyweight duo have won each of the last nine Superliga titles.
11-1

is Borussia Dortmund’s aggregate score from their two encounters with Cologne this season - the highest they have ever recorded against a Bundesliga opponent. The 6-1 win on Sunday that topped up the overall scoreline was also Dortmund’s joint-highest away win, equalling a 6-1 victory in August 1994, when Cologne were again their opponents. It was a miserable weekend for Die Geißböcke (The Billy Goats), for whom Ilkay Gundogan's fourth goal for Dortmund was the 900th they have conceded at home in the Bundesliga, making them the first club to reach this undesirable milestone. They also conceded five goals in a single half of top-flight football for the first time in their 64-year history. Elsewhere, there was better news for Otto Rehhagel, who won his first away Bundesliga fixture since April 2000 as Hertha Berlin, with only two goals in their previous nine matches, won 3-1 at Mainz.
4

penalties were taken in Union de Santa Fe’s 3-0 win at Racing Club on Saturday – and all four failed to find the net. There was a remarkable symmetry to the spot-kicks, with the original efforts - one for each team - both saved ahead of a retake being ordered, and the second attempts struck well off target. Nor was this the only unusual statistic to emerge from the Estadio Presidente Juan Domingo Peron, with the first of Union’s goals coming after just nine seconds, making it the fastest strike of the Clausura season. Not that it’s a record Matias Martinez will be particularly proud of, with the Racing Club defender breaking the deadlock with the first own goal of his top-flight career.

Olimpia outlast Flamengo

Olimpia outlast Flamengo


Paraguayan side Olimpia beat Flamengo 3-2 in Group Two of the Copa Libertadores to take a big step towards the last 16 on Wednesday.

The thrilling clash in Asuncion started with Sergio Orteman latching on to a Pablo Zeballos cross to open the scoring for Olimpia in the sixth minute.

However, Ronaldinho assisted Vagner Love, who equalised three minutes after the break, before Zeballos put Olimpia ahead again in the 51st minute.

Eduardo Aranda made it 3-1 in the 70th minute and Dario Bottinelli reduced the deficit for Flamengo four minutes later, but it was vain for the Brazilian team.

"We gained three very important points by beating very tough opponents. Flamengo fought until the last minute of the game," Orteman told Fox Sports. "We relaxed a little bit and they damaged us and made us suffer."

Olimpia went level with Lanus of Argentina on seven points and sent Flamengo third.

Defensor Sporting, meanwhile, claimed a 1-0 home win over Mexican giants Guadalajara in Uruguay.

A 71st-minute goal from Nicolas Olivera helped Defensor climb up to the second in Group Seven, but the remainder of their participation will not be easy as they have to play both Velez Sarsfield of Argentina and Ecuador's Deportivo Quito.

Guadalajara played with 10 men from the 40th minute as midfielder Julio Nava was sent off.

In Chile, Universidad Catolica edged out compatriots Union Espanola 2-1 in Group Three.

Catolica took the lead in the seventh minute, when Roberto Ovelar headed a Felipe Gutierrez cross into the back of the net.

And though Gonzalo Villagra equalised at the 85th, Daud Gazale gave Mario Lepe's Catolica the win two minutes later.

Despite the defeat, Union Espanola stayed at the top of the group on seven points alongside Bolivar of Bolivia, with Catolica third.

Samoa sailing strongly in the Pacific

Samoa sailing strongly in the Pacific

It might represent relatively modest progress in global terms, but Samoa are slowly but surely making waves in Oceania. The Polynesian nation have long battled to make an impact in their region yet, as of last December, they found themselves catapulted to second in the continent’s pecking order. It is quite a leap considering the previous month they were ranked equal bottom in Oceania, alongside neighbours American Samoa.

At 150, Samoa are now only four positions shy of their best-ever position on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, achieved just over four years ago. Equally remarkable is that Samoa are only 31 positions away from regional kings New Zealand, who famously competed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ without suffering defeat.

Maximising opportunities
Samoa’s leap in the global pecking order is due of course to positive results, but just stepping onto the pitch is a victory of sorts for the Polynesians. After all, they did not take to the field for a full international between completing FIFA World Cup qualifiers in August 2007, and a pair of matches against Fiji almost four years later to the day. Unlike eight of their fellow Oceania nations, Samoa did not participate at last September’s South Pacific Games, thus missing further matches and the chance to accrue additional points.

Instead, Tunoa Lui’s side made do with the two-match series against Fiji, ahead of their much-anticipated return to the FIFA World Cup stage. Hosting Oceania's four-nation Round One qualifiers last November at the J.S. Blatter Stadium in the capital Apia proved to be both a joyous and historic occasion for Samoan football, albeit one full of drama.

Just one team would progress to Round Two, with Samoa jostling alongside fellow Polynesian nations American Samoa, Cook Islands and Tonga, and with only three matches each, there was little margin for error. Samoa set the early pace thanks to an injury-time win against Cook Islands. The following match with Tonga was drawn, which meant the hosts entered the final match against American Samoa in the knowledge that a share of the spoils would be sufficient.

A history-making result was assured whatever the outcome, with neither nation having previously progressed to the second stage of qualifying. Despite being in one of the globe's most remote regions, a tense derby duly ensued much like it would in any part of the world between two neighbours vying for local supremacy. And much like Samoa’s rise up the world rankings, again it was a case of fine margins as Silao Malo etched his name into local folklore with a last-minute winner.

Bigger fish to fry
Awaiting Samoa in June’s Round Two - which doubles as the OFC Nations Cup and thus provides the winner with passage to the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup - will be Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Tahiti. The other group comprises Fiji, hosts Solomon Islands, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with the top four advancing to the third and final stage of Oceanian FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Advancing further will be a monumental task for Samoa, whose 200,000 inhabitants is a figure dwarfed by many of their upcoming Round Two competitors. If they are to succeed the Polynesians will need all their famous warrior spirit of the kind regularly witnessed on a grander stage by Tim Cahill, the Australia and Everton midfielder who willingly and frequently displays pride in his Samoan heritage.

Whatever happens, not only have large strides been made, but Samoa - after so little international exposure in recent years - are almost certainly assured of further progress in the global ranking.

Guardiola: One goal won't be enough

Guardiola: One goal won't be enough


Pep Guardiola said his Barcelona team will need to score at least two goals at the Camp Nou next week if they are to oust AC Milan and reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

The Italian and Spanish champions played out a 0-0 draw at the San Siro on Wednesday, leaving next week's quarter-final second leg finely poised. And having failed to snatch an away goal to take back to Catalunya, the Spaniards' boss is worried that one goal at home won't be enough.

"I think we have to score more than one to go through and we'll try to do that," he said. "Scoring away gives you a lot, but they were lucky because they didn't even get one free-kick around the box or a corner.

"They're a very strong team and I imagine one goal won't be enough. The (Nou Camp) pitch will be better, it will be faster and I hope we'll play well."
I think we have to score more than one to go through and we'll try to do that.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola

Like Arsenal's Arsene Wenger in the previous round, Guardiola was particularly critical of the San Siro pitch, which gets played on twice as much as most grounds as it's shared by Milan and city rivals Inter.

"Like us UEFA want a spectacle but if you don't have the conditions it's difficult and you have to overcome the pitch's condition," said Guardiola. "It's not Milan or Inter who are the problems because I'm sure they want to play on a good pitch, it's the stadium's problem."

Although they failed to score, Guardiola insisted that a draw away from home is a good result. "At the beginning of the season if you had offered me a Champions League quarter-final with a 0-0 draw away I would have signed for it, and even more so against Milan," he said.

"They've won seven European Cups, they won their league last year but we came here and were our usual selves, we played football as we usually do. They didn't have many chances, although (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic should have scored. We conducted ourselves well, it's the halfway point, they have their chances and we have ours."

Allegri satisfied
Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said his side now have a slightly better chance of going through than they did before the match. "I'm satisfied because the lads played well, they interpreted the game as they did," he said.

"We pressed them high up the pitch and defended well in our half. The result gives us the knowledge that we're going to Barcelona (still in with a chance), we have a difficult match ahead of us but we know we can get two results from three (a win or a draw).

"It's very difficult to close the gap to Barcelona in this moment but we played really well. And to not concede will improve our self-confidence and self-esteem, although it will be very difficult at their ground. But we can go through."

Guardiola seemed buoyed by the fact that Milan were so happy with a home draw in the tie, but he said nothing has changed at the club since the 1980s.

"I admire their faith and self belief but it was always like this with the Milan of (Arrigo) Sacchi and (Fabio) Capello so they're happy with this 0-0," he said. "It's a great eulogy for us and what we've done in the past that they're happy.

"They know that if they score, we need to score two and if they score two then we need three. But we're used to playing to win, we know it will be difficult."

Blatter marks remembrance of Japan tragedy

Blatter marks remembrance of Japan tragedy

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has sent a letter to the Japanese Football Association to mark the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country.

A year ago today, the north-east of the nation suffered huge amounts of damage, and a massive loss of life, after a tremor measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale struck about 45 miles out to sea. The resulting tsunami ravaged the coastline, causing destruction as far as six miles inland, leaving close to 16,000 people dead.

“On this day we solemnly remember the events of 11 March 2011 when your country was struck by the East Japan earthquake and tsunami disaster,” President Blatter wrote. “We also remember all those who lost their lives and express our sympathy with the pain and suffering of all the victims of this tragedy.”

He went on to recognise “the courage and selflessness of all those who tirelessly worked to relieve the affected areas, rescuing victims and providing them with food and shelter”, as well as those who have helped restore the country’s pride.

The Japanese women’s team were a perfect example of this, triumphing at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Germany just four months after the tragedy. The victory gave the population a chance to take their minds off the reconstruction of the nation and come together in a moment of joy.
On this day we solemnly remember the events of 11 March 2011 when your country was struck by the East Japan earthquake and tsunami disaster.
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter

What turned out to be a huge year of football for Japan culminated in them hosting the FIFA Club World Cup in December, which Blatter described as being “perfectly organised”. The JFA were emotionally acknowledged for the strife they have fought through and hard work undertaken by being awarded the FIFA Fair Play Award in January 2012.

“The strength the JFA has shown in the face of adversity serves as an example to us all of what can be achieved through unity and solidarity,” Blatter said. “Thanks to those whose brave actions helped to inspire your country’s recovery, today we are able to look to the future with greater hope and optimism.”

Following the disaster, the world football family sprang into action, organising various charitable events to aid the country, while FIFA donated a total of 6.4 million USD to the JFA. This came in the form of three new Goal projects, totalling 1.5 million USD, as well as allowed for a number of other areas of redevelopment.

These covered a variety of sites, including the restoration and expansion of Matsushima Football Centre as well as the construction of new centres in the Iwate and Fukushima prefectures. It also saw Sendai City, Mito City and Kashima City all undergo necessary improvements.

Shakira: I can’t get away from football!

Shakira: I can’t get away from football!


If you were to carry out a poll of the most famous faces in the world today, there can be little doubt that Colombian singer Shakira would feature near the very top of the list. A veritable pop music phenomenon, able to perform in both English and Spanish, she has enjoyed success on every continent and has a fan base that runs into the millions.

What is more, the artist has now become inextricably linked the beautiful game. In addition to performing at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups™, she has been involved in a host of football-related social welfare projects and her current partner is Spain and Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique. Speaking on all these subjects and more, Shakira gave an exclusive interview to FIFA.com.

FIFA.com: Shakira, how did you first start getting involved in football?
Shakira: In 2006 I was asked to sing at the World Cup in Germany, and in 2010 I was fortunate enough to be asked again. There I had one of the most unforgettable times of my life: the World Cup in South Africa gave me so much on both a personal and professional level. That was how I started to really get involved in football after realising, through those World Cups, the importance and impact this sport has on the lives of billions of people every day, on the dreams of the young people and children who devote so many hours of their lives to playing the game, and the passion it stirs in so many people across the entire globe.

What has had the biggest impact on you during this period?
The level of cultural exchange that happens via events like the World Cup, where people share so much, are brought closer together and become more united. All of this is a social phenomenon which really interests me, while I was also pleasantly surprised by the social work carried out by FIFA through its One Goal campaign, which I was able to be a part of. As a result, this all came together to make the experience even richer for me, because working from that basis we were able to promote the issue of education, which is one of my biggest interests. And now of course football’s a central issue for me at home (laughs). I get the impression that football follows me everywhere and I can’t get away from it!
I’m better suited to singing songs that get the fans going. Gerard’s tried passing the ball to me a few times, but I can’t say I’m any good!
Shakira on whether she's ever played football

Football is very popular in Colombia, so are your family fans?
My brothers are, but my father’s never been that keen. But of course now his daughter’s going out with a player it’s got him interested - I think he’s even learnt the offside rule! The thing is, my dad’s always been more of a bookworm, he was interested in more intellectual pursuits, but nobody can escape the passion that football stirs. There are a lot of people who weren’t interested before who’ve ended up catching the bug.

Like your good self, for example…
What happens is once you start to understand football you realise that it’s not just about the physical side of the game and chasing after a ball. It’s a strategic sport which requires a lot of intelligence. It’s a very mental game.

Are you able to sit through a full match?
Yes, of course!

Even when Pique is not involved?
Erm (laughs)… yes, yes. I’ve watched the odd game to try and learn more and because I’m very curious. And also to see how the other teams are doing, but I always watch the games he plays in.

Can it be tricky going out with a footballer, given all the training, games and travelling involved?
It can’t be easy having a performer as a partner either! (laughs). The truth is that I understand that it’s a very difficult profession, which requires dedication, commitment, discipline and teamwork, which is very different to what I do. I don’t have to answer to anyone except myself, but a footballer is like a soldier and has to bear huge responsibility both on and off the pitch. So, it’s been down to me to understand that and support Gerard whenever he needs it.

Have you ever tried playing the game?
I’m better suited to singing songs that get the fans going. Gerard’s tried passing the ball to me a few times, but I can’t say I’m any good!

You’ve already appeared at two FIFA World Cups and the next one is in Brazil. Are you excited about the possibly of being at the competition in South America?
Of course! Brazil is a country I hold very dearly. I’ve got followers there who I’ve been interacting with for years, as well as fellow artists like Ivete Sangalo, and it also has huge figures like Pele. I’d love to go to that World Cup, I’m not sure in what capacity, but I’ll definitely be there. I know that nobody wants to miss it, least of all me.

Finally, can you tell us a little about your football-related social projects?
I’m convinced that promoting sport is an intelligent way of educating our children. In fact, through FC Barcelona and my own Pies Descalzos foundation we have put programmes into place aimed at getting more sport into schools, some of which we have built in highly vulnerable areas where children live in conditions of extreme poverty. Also, with FIFA, we carried out the One Goal campaign and through sales of Waka Waka we raised funds for 20 Centres [for 2010] as part of this initiative. I enjoy taking part in footballing events that are for social causes because, in my view, inspiring children through sport is a way of keeping their bodies and minds healthy, as well as helping nurture their intelligence and ability to relate with others.

The one club 900

The one club 900


A fortnight ago, Ryan Giggs reached a milestone achieved by few others in the game. The Welsh wide-man clocked up his 900th professional appearance for Manchester United in their 2-1 win over Norwich City, aptly scoring an injury-time winner.

The feat left him in illustrious company, joined by FIFA World Cup™-winners and international legends alike. FIFA.com glances back across Giggs’ phenomenal career and at four other legends of the game who have surpassed the same landmark.

United’s gold standard
Having made his debut a few months before the final Division One season concluded, Giggs is the only player to have ever competed, and scored, in every Premier League campaign to date. In doing so he has also become English football’s most decorated player. During his 20 years with United, he has accrued 12 Premier League titles, four FA and League Cups, two UEFA Champions League medals and a FIFA Club World Cup, amongst others, and a stack of personal honours.

Since making his debut against Everton on 2 March 1991 he has been seen as the consummate professional. His consistency at the highest level has been reflected by United’s dominance during the last two decades. The Red Devils have finished outside the Premier League top two just three times since his first full season, and have made it to four Champions League finals, notably winning the treble in 1999.

On reaching his landmark tally with a goal, manager Sir Alex Ferguson provided a glowing appraisal: “For a player to play for one club for 900 games is exceptional. He deserved that goal for his service to the club. He's had an amazing career and he's an amazing man.”

Sao Paulo's saviour
Only one player still yet to hang up his boots has a more impressive appearance record than Ryan Giggs – Sao Paulo’s goalkeeper of almost 20 years, Rogerio Ceni. While his name may be best known for being the highest goal-scoring goalkeeper in history, with over 100 to his name, he has also appeared more than 1000 times for the Tricolor.

Ceni has seen many momentous events during his lengthy career, but his finest are built around the Copa Libertadores, which he has won twice. For the first victory he was just a substitute, but in 2005 it was his championship. Scoring five times en-route to the final, he was named player of the tournament, before repeating the feat by being awarded the Golden Ball and lifting the title at the FIFA Club World Cup.
We’ve won the two greatest trophies in our history. When I look in these awards I see the faces of my team-mates, the coach and everyone involved at the club.
Rogerio Ceni, Sao Paulo goalkeeper and captain


On being presented with the latter, the magnanimous shot-stopper expressed his deep-rooted connection to Sao Paulo. “In the last eight months we’ve won the two greatest trophies in our history. When I look in these awards I see the faces of my team-mates, the coach and everyone involved at the club.”

Milan’s master general
Maintaining the performance level to reach 900 appearances at one of the world’s top clubs, like Giggs has done, always deserves huge respect – and if there’s one thing Paolo Maldini always commanded, it was respect. He is a man who has seen and done it all multiple times with AC Milan. In Europe he was dominant, winning the Champions League a staggering five times, appearing in a record eight finals and sits joint second with Giggs for overall appearances on 139.

Both a tenacious and elegant defender, during his 24 years at the club the Italian holds the Serie A appearance record and his seven titles for Milan are only matched by former team-mate Alessandro Costacurta. A legendary captain for both club and country, Maldini’s reading of the game was second to none and the presence he emitted was pivotal in steering Milan to their most successful period in history. It was no surprise that his No3 shirt was retired when he did.

On hanging up his boots in 2009, aged 40, former Rossoneri legend Gianni Rivera paid a fitting tribute to the steel and stability he has provided over two decades. “Maldini is the symbol of Milan. He brings continuity and he has represented the antique and the modern.”

Nurnburg’s loyal star
Those examples may imply that this sort of longevity is a modern phenomenon, but almost a decade before Giggs was born a German legend with over 900 appearances to his name was ending his career. When Max Morlock called time on his 24-year FC Nurnburg career in 1964, the fans saw the last of an icon whose legacy has never been challenged at the club. Scoring almost 700 goals in his time with Nurnberg, he took them to two national championships, six regional titles and a DFB-Pokal in the pre-Bundesliga years.
For a player to play for one club for 900 games is exceptional. He's had an amazing career and he's an amazing man.
Manchester Unted manager Sir Alex Ferguson on Ryan Giggs

He received numerous offers from bigger clubs abroad, but he stayed faithful, and his final season as a professional coincided with the first national league, leading Nurnberg to a respectable midtable finish. However he did get to show his talents on a bigger stage, helping them to the quarter-finals of the 1961/62 European Cup before losing to the Eusebio-inspired eventual champions Benfica.

His greatest moment, however, came in one of the nation's highest-points, scoring their first goal in ‘The Miracle of Bern’, the 1954 FIFA World Cup final win against Hungary. But it's the fans at home hold his memory the dearest, recently calling for their stadium to be named after him, where his statue already sits proudly outside.

Santos’ legendary son
But while all those players’ achievements are at the very pinnacle of the sport, they still sit in the shadow of Pele’s. While internationally renowned for his exploits with A Seleção, the Brazilian legend tore up the record books at home as well. Scoring over 1000 goals in over 1000 games for Santos, the striker has set the bar impossibly high for future generations, such that his records for a single club will almost certainly never be matched.

Known as ‘The King of Football’ - O Rei do Futebul - by the home faithful, he collected a whopping 25 titles while at the club, and defined a generation of fans as he spent 18 years at the Estadio Urbano Caldeira. For a run of five seasons between 1961 and 1965 he did the double four times, and the other year Santos did the treble. His influence can be put into stark reality when you realise that across 82 years without Pele, Santos have only won 17 cups.

On winning his first Intercontinental Cup, where he scored five goals across both legs against Benfica, opposition defender Costa Pereira was frank in defeat. “I arrived hoping to stop a great man,” he explained. “But I went away convinced I had been undone by someone who was not born on the same planet as the rest of us.”

Milan pull away atop Serie A

Milan pull away atop Serie A


AC Milan extended their lead at the top of the Serie A table to four points after easing past Lecce at the San Siro today. Antonio Nocerino's early goal set Milan on their way and Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed the win midway through the second half with a superb strike as the league leaders took full advantage of Juventus' draw at Genoa to pull further clear at the summit.

Milan dominated throughout after Nocerino's seventh-minute strike put them ahead and the only surprise was that they only added one more goal to their tally against relegation-threatened Lecce. Nocerino slotted in Ibrahimovic's pass and Milan created three more decent chances in quick succession soon after, but Urby Emanuelson and Robinho were denied by Massimiliano Benassi in the visiting goal before Sulley Muntari fired wide.

Lecce briefly stemmed the tide with a Luis Muriel shot that went just over before normal service was resumed towards the end of the first half, with Robinho going close and Benussi keeping out shots from Nocerino and Ignazio Abate.

Milan continued their quest for a second goal after the break with a long-range Robinho effort, although that went high and wide. Lecce then gave their hosts a major scare in the 52nd minute when Valery Bojinov fired in a left-footed shot from outside the box that Milan keeper Christian Abbiati did well to save diving to his right.

Milan ensured Lecce would not get another chance to draw level as they finally made it 2-0 in the 65th minute following a well-worked move that was finished off with a brilliant Ibrahimovic finish. Robinho's ball into the area with the outside of his foot picked out the run of Emanuelson, whose header back to the edge of the box fell perfectly for Ibrahimovic to lash an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

That goal settled the match in Milan's favour but i Rossoneri will feel their final winning margin should have been greater, with Benassi finding himself overworked in the closing stages to save efforts from Ibrahimovic (twice), Emanuelson and Stephan El Shaarawy, while Alberto Aquilani saw two shots fizz just wide.

Fergie sets 40-goal target for Rooney


Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged Wayne Rooney to break the 40-goal barrier after his double put Manchester United back on top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over West Brom.

Rooney took his tally for the season to 26 at Old Trafford on Sunday with a well-taken first half goal and a second half penalty, awarded for a push on Ashley Young by Keith Andrews.

That leaves the England striker - who has nine goals in his last six appearances - just eight short of his previous highest total for an entire campaign, recorded in the 2009/10 season.

But United manager Ferguson is hoping Rooney can reach 40 as United attempt to retain the English title - they lead Manchester City by one point - and also stay in the UEFA Europa League, the competition in which they must overturn a 3-2 first leg deficit at Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.

"As long as he gets to 40 I'll be absolutely delighted because we are in business then. He's on a hot streak - he does these things," Ferguson said. "The first goal was fantastic. I thought he was offside he was so far clear but the timing of the run was fantastic and a really good finish."
As long as he gets to 40 I'll be absolutely delighted because we are in business then. He's on a hot streak - he does these things.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson

Thanks to Rooney's latest heroics, and the second half dismissal of Albion defender Jonas Olsson, United have finally overhauled bitter rivals City and sit top of the pile for the first time since October.

But Ferguson insisted he isn't worried about the table now, only at the end of the season. "I don't mind being top but I don't care about the positions just now," he said.

"I'm happy to be there because only a few weeks ago we were seven points behind at one time, now we are one point ahead so we have turned around eight points. Credit to the players and the resilience of the squad because everyone knows we have had a lot of injuries."

Rooney's form also earned praise from Albion manager Roy Hodgson, one of the names being mentioned as being in contention for the vacant England post.

And should Hodgson be in charge of England at UEFA EURO 2012, he has little doubt about how much Rooney will be missed in the opening two group games from which he is suspended. "He's certainly playing well," said Hodgson. "He always looks to be a player in form to me because he's a world class footballer.

"His goal was a mark of that. He came from nowhere and it's the type you don't concede too often in the Premier League unless you are playing against a player of his calibre. We always appreciate the players we see on a week-to-week basis. Rooney is a world-class player and is going to be a major loss for England in the first two matches of the championship."

Rooney himself clearly saw the significance of his team returning to first place and believes United have been unfairly criticised of late. "This is where we want to be at the finish," he said. "I don't think we have had the credit we deserve these past few months.

"Europe has been disappointing, that's fair enough, but we've played well against the big teams recently. We've not always been at our best but we've got the wins and we fully deserve to be top."

Ferguson, conscious that his team now only need match City the rest of the way to win their 20th league title, seemed equally content at the position in which United find themselves. "If we keep winning games, that's the name of the game for both of us," he said. "The games whittle away and you run out of time."

Messi brace fires Barça to victory

Messi brace fires Barça to victory


Barcelona closed the gap on Real Madrid at the top of the Primera Division back to ten points thanks to another two goals from Lionel Messi at Racing Santander.

Andres Iniesta had hit the bar and Cesc Fabregas was denied by a fine save from Mario Fernandez before Messi put the visitors in front as he slid in to meet Fabregas' cross on 29 minutes. And the Argentinian doubled his and Barça's tally for the day when a penalty was given after Fabregas went down under Domingo Cisma's challenge. Messi sent Mario the wrong from the spot.

Barcelona and Messi in particular had been in record-breaking form in midweek as they swept aside Bayer Leverkusen 7-1 in the UEFA Champions League. And, although, they never quite hit those heights at El Sardinero, they were never in danger against a Racing side who failed to muster a single shot on goal all day.

Messi was first to threaten as his free-kick was well turned away by Mario before another quickly taken free-kick ended up at the feet of Iniesta and his delightfully floated effort clipped the top of the bar on its way over. Fabregas then should have opened the scoring as he burst through one-on-one with Mario, but the keeper closed the angle well and made a good save.

However, it was only a matter of time before the European champions found a way through and the goal duly arrived when another Fabregas run into the box saw the former Arsenal midfielder this time turn the ball across goal and Messi was there to apply the finishing touch.

New Racing coach Alvaro Cervera brought on Christian Stuani for Khouma Babacar at half-time in a forlorn attempt to turn the game around, but the one way traffic continued in the second period and Mario had to produce another fine save to deny Isaac Cuenca from point-blank range on 54 minutes.

Two minutes later, though, the visitors were given the opportunity to seal all three points when a challenge by Cisma on Fabregas was called for penalty and Messi made no mistake from the spot to move within five goals of Cesar Rodriguez's record as Barça's all-time leading scorer. Cuenca was unlucky again minutes later as he struck the outside of the post and Messi was twice denied his second hat-trick of the week by another decent save from Mario and a brilliant last-ditch challenge from Alvaro Gonzalez.

Mario again came to Racing's rescue late on as he parried Pedro's attempted chip, but there was to be no response from the hosts in the attacking third as they remain without a win since January and three points from safety in 18th place.

Mexico qualify, USA crowned

Mexico qualify, USA crowned


Mexico have sealed CONCACAF’s third and final berth to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Japan 2012 in comfortable fashion, while USA scored a comeback win against Canada to claim the continental title.

Panama never looked like troubling Mexico despite home advantage in Panama City on Sunday.

Yamile Franco and Natalia Gomez-Junco scored two each and Tanya Samarzich added another to earn Mexico a fourth straight trip to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup World Cup.

USA dominated large tracts of the final against northern neighbours Canada but needed to rely on two goals in the final 11 minutes to see off their opponents, and earn a second straight CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship and third overall.

Canada took the lead on just five minutes as Jenna Richardson converted her fourth goal of the tournament only for firstly Maya Hayes, and then Chioma Ubogagu in the second last minute, to lift the Americans to the crown.

Both USA and Canada qualified for Japan 2012 on Friday thanks to their respective semi-final wins against Mexico and Panama.

Mancini: Title race will go to wire

Mancini: Title race will go to wire


Roberto Mancini insists Manchester City will take the Premier League title race down to the wire after his side surrendered top spot to Manchester United in a shock 1-0 defeat against Swansea.

Mancini's men gave a lacklustre performance at the Liberty Stadium and were punished by substitute Luke Moore's 83rd minute winner for the Swans. With United cruising to a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, City were pushed off pole position by their bitter rivals for the first time since October.

Despite a frustrating afternoon in south Wales, at the end of a week which also featured a 1-0 UEFA Europa League loss to Sporting Lisbon, Mancini remains confident City are still in the right frame of mind to take the title fight to the final weeks.

"We shall fight against them until the end. We have another 10 games to finish this championship," he said. "The season is long and the situation changes every week. It is important that we stay together. But this result changes nothing.

"It is better to stay at the top, of course, but we are now a point behind. It does not change our target. I don't see it as a critical game. I think this championship will be decided with two games to go."
I don't see it as a critical game. I think this championship will be decided with two games to go.
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini

Mancini admitted Swansea had given his side a tough time, with Joe Hart saving an early penalty from Scott Sinclair, but he was disappointed City were unable to convert any of their own chances.

"It has been a difficult last four days for me. But I don't think we deserved to lose the game," Mancini said. "Swansea played very well for the first 30 minutes, they played very good football.

"After that, in the second half we had control of the game, but we missed three or four chances and that is the problem we have at the moment. After that we conceded a stupid goal. We cannot concede goals like this. We could be tired because after seven months, when you play three games in one week, it is difficult."

Mancini hauled off Gareth Barry after 36 minutes but claimed that his decision was based on a mystery injury rather than his performance. "Gareth has had a problem for three weeks. They had a lot of possession for 30 minutes and we needed another striker," Mancini said.

"It is not because he played bad. He has had a problem but I don't know where. I know it is not a big injury."

Swans sail along
Meanwhile, Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers was left to salute his side's latest impressive showing in their first season back in the top flight. "Over the course of the game some of our passing and ball retention and movement was phenomenal," he said.

"We got one goal but we also missed a penalty too. We could have had one or two more and I think the players deserve every credit they get for the tactical and technical ability of their game.

"There have been some wonderful results over many years at this great club but certainly it was a terrific performance. When you take on a team like Manchester City, with all the resources they have got, and you dominate the game like we did, it fills you with great pride.

"As a manager I am still learning and always will be. I have the L plates on! But I thought it was a defining moment when we played them up there at the start of the season. I congratulated the players afterwards although we had just been beaten 4-0. For an hour of that game they showed that we can play our style and technical game and even hurt the biggest opponents.

"We just needed to continue with that and mature as the season went on. I think we have achieved that and this confirms that."

The five-point European review

The five-point European review

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Real Madrid maintained their healthy lead in Spain, while the title races in Europe's other top leagues remain hotly contested. It was a good weekend for AC Milan, but there was a change at the top in England and Borussia Dortmund conceded ground in Germany. Ligue 1 is turning into a neck-and-neck dash for the line between the clubs from Paris and Montpellier. FIFA.com rounds up the latest events.

One match
Lyon-Lille, Matchday 27 in Ligue 1
It has been a tough time of late for former serial champions Lyon, with a five-game winless streak in Ligue 1 and the disappointment of a UEFA Champions League exit to minnows APOEL Nicosia. However, Les Gones set out on the road to recovery with a 2-1 victory over last term's double winners Lille. Lyon now lie seventh, four points off their weekend opponents, who occupy the Champions League qualifying spot in third.

Alexandre Lacazette and Lisandro Lopez handed the home side a two-goal lead, and although Aurelien Chedjou pulled one back on the stroke of half-time, Lyon protected their lead through to the final whistle.

Two teams
The weekend brought relief for 2010 FIFA Club World Cup winners Inter Milan, who ended a dismal run of nine matches without a win in all competitions with a 2-0 success away to Chievo Verona. The result, interrupting a sequence of seven defeats and two draws, means the worst streak in the Milan club’s history remains an 11-game winless run in February and March 2004.

For the first time in 21 matches, England's most successful club Manchester United moved back to the top of the Premier League standings courtesy of a 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion. The Red Devils made the most of a shock 1-0 defeat for Manchester City away to Swansea, and now lead their local rivals by a single point.

Three players
It was a good weekend for Didier Drogba and his Chelsea team-mates. The Cote d'Ivoire hitman scored his 100th Premier League goal to earn his side a 1-0 victory over Stoke, keeping the Blues in touch with the Champions League qualifying places and signalling a winning start to the post-Andre Villas-Boas era.

Fact in football sometimes outdoes fiction, as in the case of Mohamed Zidan. The Egypt striker, who returned to former club Mainz from Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window, scored for the sixth game in a row at the weekend. Zidan has now hit the target for Mainz in all their matches this calendar year.

When Andres Iniesta features in the starting line-up, it seems Barcelona cannot lose. The weekend 2-0 victory over Santander was the 49th league match in a row in which the Catalans have remained undefeated with the Spain midfield star in the side (41 wins, eight draws). The last occasion when this was not the case was a 2-0 defeat to Hercules in September 2010. Iniesta is now just one game short of levelling a revered record in Spain, as the legendary Emilio Butragueno went 50 games undefeated with Real Madrid in the 1980s.

Four stats
900 - Germany's most successful club Bayern Munich recorded the 900th Bundesliga victory in their history at the weekend. It was spectacular stuff too, as Jupp Heynckes’ side thrashed Hoffenheim 7-1. Mario Gomez fired a hat-trick, Arjen Robben scored a brace, and Franck Ribery and Toni Kroos also chipped in with goals. It was a miserable afternoon for Hoffenheim, who even failed to score their consolation effort, as Luiz Gustavo put through his own goal at the end.

100 - Jose Mourinho’s 100th game in charge of Real Madrid ended in a 3-2 victory over Real Betis. The Portuguese boss, who is in his second season with the Spanish league leaders, boasts an impressive record of 77 wins, 13 draws and only ten defeats in his spell at the helm. Real maintained their ten-point lead over Barcelona in the standings.

55 - A mere 55 seconds had been played in the Bundesliga meeting between Mainz and Nuremberg before the ball found its way into the net, Nicolai Muller opening the scoring for the home side with the fastest goal of the 2011/12 German top flight. Mainz went on to win 2-1.

19 - Borussia Dortmund made it 19 Bundesliga matches without defeat on Saturday evening, equalling the club record from 1991/92. However, the goalless draw away to promoted Augsburg was a dour affair, and also allowed second-placed Bayern to claw back ground and cut the gap at the top to five points.

Five memorable moments
Premature celebrations: A wave of euphoria swept Marseille following a 1-0 victory over Inter in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg on February 22, but two and a half weeks later, the mood at the club is a lot less jubilant: since beating I Nerazzurri, Marseille have lost four on the bounce in Ligue 1. OM were beaten away to Ajaccio on Friday, the only goal arriving with just a minute to play.

Off, off and away: Mirroring the two-horse race between Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Paris St Germain (58 points) and Montpellier (57) have left the pack trailing in their wake in France. The men from the capital beat Dijon 2-1 and the south coast side triumphed 3-0 against Caen at the weekend. Leaders PSG are now 11 points clear of Lille in third.

Much-celebrated shutout: Blackburn Rovers’ 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers meant not only a welcome three points for the Premier League strugglers, but was also their first clean sheet of the season. Rovers last managed a match without conceding a goal in late April last year.

It never rains, but it pours: For the first time in almost three-and-a-half years, Tottenham Hotspur have been beaten three times on the bounce. Harry Redknapp's side fell to the only goal of the game against Everton at the weekend to seal the club's worst run since October 2008. Back then, the team’s loss of form cost coach Juande Ramos his job.

The pleasure has been brief: Davide Ballardini had only been in charge at Cagliari for four months, but a spectacular 6-3 defeat to Napoli saw the coach dismissed at the weekend. The 48-year-old is the 15th Serie A coach to be shown the door this season alone.