United top as Chelsea stutter
(AFP) Sunday 21 March 2010
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Manchester United returned to the top of the Premier League on Sunday as Korea Republic midfielder Park Ji-Sung sealed a 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Liverpool, while spluttering Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at Blackburn.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team trailed to an early goal from Fernando Torres at Old Trafford, but Wayne Rooney equalised with the rebound from a controversially awarded penalty before Park's third goal of the season won it for the champions. United are now two points clear of second-placed Arsenal and four ahead of third placed Chelsea, who have played a game less than the champions.

At Ewood Park, Chelsea suffered another setback after their midweek UEFA Champions League exit against Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan. It took just six minutes for Carlo Ancelotti's side to take the lead as Didier Drogba, sent off against Inter, slotted home Nicolas Anelka's cross for his 28th goal of the season. But the Blues couldn't build on their advantage and El-Hadji Diouf equalised in the 70th minute when he climbed above Paulo Ferreira to head in Michel Salgado's cross.

"Blackburn won a lot of second balls and we lost our composure before conceding the goal," Ancelotti said. "We still came back to play but it was too late and I'm disappointed. We've lost two points, important points."

Earlier in the day, Torres took just five minutes to score his third goal in his last three meetings with United. Liverpool's lead lasted just seven minutes as United equalised through Rooney's 33rd goal of the season.

Antonio Valencia was deemed to have been fouled by Javier Mascherano in the penalty area. Jose Reina saved Rooney's spot-kick but the rebound fell perfectly for the England star to tap home into the net. United were dominant after that and Park sealed United's first win over the Reds since March 2008 with a brave diving header from Darren Fletcher's cross in the 60th minute.

"I thought the penalty kick decision was a red card but it was very tight and Liverpool are good at stopping you playing, we know that," Ferguson told Sky Sports News. "You have got to be patient and we scored a tremendous goal from Park Ji-Sung, who played another vital role for us."

At Craven Cottage, Manchester City beat Fulham 2-1 to move above Liverpool into fifth place. Fulham looked tired after their stunning UEFA Europa League victory against Juventus on Thursday and City raced into a two-goal lead before half-time.

Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz claimed his first goal since December in the seventh minute after Craig Bellamy hit a post, then Carlos Tevez jinked past Chris Smalling in the 36th minute to score his seventh goal in eight appearances. Danny Murphy got one back for Fulham with a 75th minute penalty after Gareth Barry was penalised for handball.

On Saturday, Arsenal had kept the pressure on United and Chelsea by beating London rivals West Ham 2-0 despite the first half dismissal of defender Thomas Vermaelen. After Denilson had given Arsenal the lead, Vermaelen was sent off for a professional foul on Guillermo Franco but Manuel Almunia saved Alessandro Diamanti's penalty and Cesc Fabregas sealed the points with a late spot-kick of his own.

Elsewhere, Tottenham consolidated fourth place with a 2-1 win over 10-man Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. Aston Villa were held to a 2-2 draw at neighbours Wolves, Everton defeated Bolton 2-0 and Sunderland beat Birmingham 3-1.

Portsmouth scored twice in the last two minutes to defeat fellow strugglers Hull 3-2 at Fratton Park, while Hugo Rodallega's 90th minute goal for Wigan secured a 1-0 win over Burnley.

Hat-trick hero Messi stars again

Hat-trick hero Messi stars again
(AFP) Sunday 21 March 2010
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Lionel Messi hit a second successive La Liga hat-trick, and his eighth goal in a week, as the magical Argentine inspired Barcelona to a 4-2 win at Real Zaragoza on Sunday.

Messi has now scored eleven of Barcelona's last 14 goals, virtually single-handedly keeping the champions neck-and-neck with Real Madrid at the top of the table. It was his fifth career hat-trick for Barcelona, and followed his triple in the 3-0 win over Valencia last weekend, and double strike in the 4-0 midweek win over Stuttgart which ensured a spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Barcelona, needing a victory to stay level with Real Madrid, who beat Sporting Gijon 3-1 on Saturday, got off to the perfect start with Messi heading them in front after four minutes. Barcelona had to wait until midway through the second half for a second goal when Messi went on mazy run, beating two players before finishing clinically.

He added a third before substitute Adrian Colunga brought Zaragoza briefly back into the match with a brace. Messi though was proving unstoppable and he forced a penalty which Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted in injury time.

"Messi did well, I'll leave it for others to find the adjectives to describe him," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. Guardiola gave his backing to Ibrahimovic, who has been struggling in front of goal.

"He has returned to playing how he was in September and October when he was moving very well. The question of him scoring goals is the least important. What is crucial is that he is involved in the play."
We were unable to stop an incredible player. It was like watching Maradona again but this time with more turns and a lot faster.
Real Zaragoza coach Jose Aurelio Gay

Meanwhile, Zaragoza coach Jose Aurelio Gay felt that Messi was the difference between the teams. "We were unable to stop an incredible player. We battled to the end, we never gave up and we were able to hold our own except against Messi," he said. "It was like watching Maradona again but this time with more turns and a lot faster."

Valencia got their Champions League ambitions back on track with a 2-0 win over Almeria. Following three matches without a win, Valencia put to one side defensive absentees and tiredness after playing in the UEFA Europa League in midweek.

Only poor finishing and vital saves from keeper Diego Alves were responsible for Valencia not going ahead before half-time. Alves made an excellent block to deny David Villa and then Ruben Baraja inexplicably missed from a few yards out.

After the break Juan Mata made the breakthrough from a delightful pass by David Silva. Then it was Silva who assured the win by sliding the ball home from close range.

"We knew this was an important game as these are the matches at home where it will be decided whether we qualify for a place in the Champions League. We put in a good display and got the victory," said Valencia coach Unai Emery whose team are third in the table, but a huge 18 points behind the top two.

Mallorca continue run
Real Mallorca continued their impressive home record with an emphatic 4-1 win over Atletico Madrid which took them up to fourth place, four points behind Valencia. With just one loss all season at home it was always going to be a tough task for Atletico and they went behind after ten minutes with an unmarked Victor Casadesus slotting past the keeper.

The Atletico defence was struggling and while Diego Forlan drew them level it was only to be a brief respite as two minutes later Aritz Aduriz headed home. Chances of a comeback were shattered by the second-half dismissal of Raul Garcia, and from there on Mallorca took control. Luis Perea rounded off a poor personal performance with an own-goal and then Felipe Mattioni hit a fine strike to wrap up the scoring in the final minutes.

"We showed that we are a strong and ambitious side who are candidates for a place in Europe," said Mallorca coach Gregorio Manzano. "In the first half we were very good and then after the sending off we were able to control the play more easily."

On Saturday, Real Madrid secured their ninth straight victory after coming from behind to beat Sporting Gijon 3-1. Sporting went ahead through David Barral before Real woke up and hit back through Rafael van der Vaart, Xabi Alonso and Gonzalo Higuain.

AFC Champions League preview

AFC Champions League preview
(FIFA.com) Monday 22 March 2010
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The 2010 AFC Champions League reaches its midway point this week, with the sides pitted against each other on Matchday 3 set for the first of two back-to-back meetings.

There are three top-of-the-table contests in Groups A, B and E, while pace-setters in the other five groups face up to their sections’ bottom sides.

Adding extra spice to the Matchday 3 are ten ‘derbies’ between near neighbours. In West Asia, four Saudi representatives square off with opponents from United Arab Emirates, while Uzbeks Bunyodkor and Pakhtakor do battle with Zob Ahan and Sepahan of Iran. In the continent’s east, meanwhile, four Chinese sides compete against rivals from Korea Republic.

The match
Pohang Steelers (KOR)-Shandong Luneng (CHN)

Despite losing their Group A opener to Adelaide United, defending champions Pohang bounced back with a 2-1 win over Hiroshima a fortnight ago to put their campaign back on track. They also welcome Shandong on the back of a morale-boosting 4-0 win over Gangwan FC 4-0 on Saturday in which new Brazilian import Mota grabbed a hat-trick. The South Koreans may, however, have to make do without suspended defender Hwang Jae-Won, although the return of former Fullham striker Seol Ki-Hyun provides coach Waldemar Lemos with an additional attacking option.

For their part, Shandong travel to Pohang aiming to atone for a 2-0 home defeat to high-flying Adelaide. Although Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic has shown unwavering confidence in his 4-3-1-2 formation, he may be forced to modify his tactical approach due to the loss of defender Jiao Zhe, who recently injured his heel in training.

The other headliners
Two of the seven teams still preserving a perfect record, Group E joint-leaders Seongnam Ilhwa and Beijing Guoan, face off in Korea Republic. The hosts had looked unstoppable both domestically and on the continental front but their length winning streak was brought to end this weekend in a draw with Jeonbuk Motors. Beijing, meanwhile, will be hoping for better luck against South Korean opposition this time, having lost twice lost to Ulsan Hyundai last season. In the section’s other match, pointless Kawasaki Frontale and Melbourne Victory know that victory is all but essential if they are to preserve any hopes of qualifying.

Group F sees 2006 champions Jeonbuk Motors travel to Changchun Yatai. The South Koreans will start as strong favourites, but it is the Chinese who raised quite a few eyebrows by trouncing Persipura Jayapura 9-0 in their last fixture. Changchun have also been boosted by the return of playmaker Du Zhenyu, while Jeonbuk are without the services of the suspended Jung Hong. Elsewhere, runaway leaders Kashima Antlers are expected to make light work of Persipura despite the loss of Koji Nakata.

Another Chinese-Korean affairs is served up in Group G, where leaders Suwon Bluewings travel to face Henan Jianye. Suwon’s Brazilian striker Juninho is in prolific form after scoring twice to firing his side to a 2-1 win against Incheon on Saturday but the visitors will be wary of these resilient Chinese debutants, who held Gamba Osaka to a surprise 1-1 draw in their last outing. Gamba themselves, champions in 2008, face a desperate search for their first win against Singapore Armed Forces.

High-flying Al Hilal lead the Saudi charge against UAE with a home match against pointless Al Ahli in Group D. While Al Hilal are hotly-tipped favourites with captain Yasser Al Qahtani back to his best form, it is the section’s other game that looks more evenly-matched, with Al Sadd and Mes Kerman competing for the second place.

Another Saudi outfit, Al Ittihad, face a must-win against Al Wadha in Group B after picking up just a solitary point from their first two games. In the section’s other match, front-runners Bunyodkor will again look to their Brazilian duo of Rivaldo and Denilson for inspiration against Iranian hosts Zob Ahan.

After winning their third Qatari league title following a 4-1 defeat of Al Sadd this weekend, Group A leaders Al Gharafa will be confident of continuing their perfect run against Iran’s Esteghlal. Group C looks to be the most open, meanwhile, with only three points separating leaders Al Shabab and bottom side Al Ain ahead of these sides doing battle

Player to watch
Back from a length injury-enforced absence, Younes Mahmoud has not taken long to rediscover his goalscoring form with Al Gharafa. After opening the scoring in his side’s opening win against Al Jazira, the Iraqi hitman was twice on target in their 4-1 victory over Al Sadd. Can he continue this fine run?

What they said
"We know what our Korean opponents are and we are also clear about what we are capable of. Regardless of our rivals and the gameplan we employ, our goal remains the same: to gain maximum points." Beijing Guoan head coach Hong Yuanshuo

European Leagues review

European Leagues review
(FIFA.com) Sunday 21 March 2010
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There were no changes of leadership in Europe’s most prestigious championships over the weekend, but that does not mean to say the frontrunners had things all their own way. Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bordeaux all had to come from behind to win their respective engagements, while Inter Milan and Bayern Munich were indebted to slip-ups on the part of their closest rivals as they stayed out front. FIFA.com reflects on the latest developments.

Premier League: United show their resolve
Manchester United came from behind to record a vital 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford, with goals from Wayne Rooney and Park Ji-Sung cancelling out Fernando Torres’s early opener. The result took United back to the top of the table, two points clear of Arsenal, who temporarily held the lead after downing West Ham United 2-0 on Saturday. Two points further back in third are Chelsea, who drew 1-1 at Blackburn Rovers.

Fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur boosted their hopes of securing the final UEFA Champions League slot with a hard-fought 2-1 triumph at Stoke City. Manchester City stayed within two points of the Londoners after seeing off Fulham by the same scoreline at Craven Cottage, with Liverpool dropping to sixth. Aston Villa, who drew 2-2 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, remain seventh with a game in hand on the Merseysiders.

Top three: Manchester United (69 pts), Arsenal (67), Chelsea (65)
Bottom three: Burnley (24), Hull City (24), Portsmouth (13)
Leading scorers: Wayne Rooney (26 goals), Didier Drogba (22), Darren Bent (20)
Weekend stat: 6 - Arsenal’s move up to second has come on the back of six consecutive wins, their best run for two and a half years.

La Liga: Real, Barça march on
Real Madrid fell a goal behind to Sporting Gijon but battled back to win 3-1 and maintain their perfect league record at the Santiago Bernabeu this season. Following their every step are Barcelona, who won 4-2 at Zaragoza, with the inimitable Lionel Messi scoring his second league hat-trick in a week.

In the battle for the minor placings Valencia beat Almeria 2-0 to stay third, while Sevilla ended a miserable week by going down 2-0 at Espanyol. Mallorca jumped above the misfiring Andalusians into fourth courtesy of a 4-1 romp at home to Atletico Madrid.

Top three: Real Madrid, Barcelona (68 pts), Valencia (50)
Bottom three: Real Valladolid, Tenerife (23), Xerez (18)
Leading scorers: Lionel Messi (25 goals), Gonzalo Higuain (20), David Villa (17)
Weekend stat: 18 - Valencia handed Almeria their first defeat in eight matches but remain some 18 points adrift of Spain’s big two.

Serie A: More Sicilian woes for Inter
Sicily has not been a happy hunting ground for Inter Milan in recent days. A week after falling to a 3-1 defeat at Catania, I Nerazzurri dropped two more points in a 1-1 draw at Palermo, who are riding high in fourth. That result gave AC Milan the chance to relieve Inter of their long-held leadership when they took on Napoli at home on Sunday. I Rossoneri fluffed their lines, however, and shared the points following a disappointing 1-1 draw.

Roma closed the gap on the leading duo thanks to a handsome 4-2 defeat of Udinese, with three of the goals coming from their Montenegrin striker Mirko Vucinic. Antonio di Natale hit both Udinese’s goals to extend his lead in the Serie A scoring charts. Sampdoria jumped above Juventus into fifth after edging out the Turin giants 1-0 in Genoa.

Top three: Inter Milan (60 pts), AC Milan (59), Roma (56)
Bottom three: Atalanta, Siena (25), Livorno (24)
Leading scorers: Antonio di Natale (21 goals), Diego Milito (17), Alberto Gilardino (14), Giampaolo Pazzini (13)
Weekend stat: 8 - Antonio Cassano’s solitary strike was enough for Sampdoria to beat Juventus for the first time at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris since a 2-0 triumph in 1995, when both Samp’s goals came from Enrico Chiesa.

Bundesliga: Off-key Bayern hang on to top spot
Bayern Munich’s closest challengers failed to cash in on their shock 2-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Bayer Leverkusen remain three points off the pace in third after slumping 3-0 at Borussia Dortmund, two of whose goals came from Argentinian forward Lucas Barrios.

Schalke then had their chance to overtake Bayern when they faced Hamburg on Sunday. Felix Magath’s side looked as if they would do just that when they led 2-1 with 13 minutes remaining. A goal from Burkina Faso international Jonathan Pitroipa rescued a point for the hosts, though, and kept the Bavarians ahead of the pack.

Bottom club Hertha Berlin pulled off a stunning 5-1 win at reigning champions Wolfsburg but remain in deep trouble, seven points behind Nuremberg in 15th place.

Top three: Bayern Munich (56 pts), Schalke (55), Bayer Leverkusen (53)
Bottom three: Hannover, Freiburg (23), Hertha Berlin (18)
Leading scorers: Stefan Kiessling (16 goals), Lucas Barrios, Kevin Kuranyi, Edin Dzeko (15)
Weekend stat: 19 - Eintracht Frankfurt produced a dramatic late comeback to end Bayern Munich’s 19-game unbeaten run, Juvhel Tsoumou and Martin Fenin scoring in the final three minutes as Eintracht moved up to eighth.

Ligue 1: Bordeaux stand tall
Trailing to Eden Hazard’s 24th-minute strike, Bordeaux hit back hard to run out 3-1 winners against Lille and retain pole position. Still second on goal difference, Montpellier maintained their challenge by seeing off Valenciennes 2-1, while Marseille stayed in touch when they beat Lyon by the same score at the Stade Velodrome.

Auxerre remained in the thick of things by squeezing past Le Mans 2-1, and Rennes swept Toulouse aside 4-1 to collect their third straight win and stay seventh. Down at the other end of the table, Boulogne kept their hopes of survival alive by disposing of Lorient 2-0, allowing them to cut the gap on Saint-Etienne to six points.

Top three: Bordeaux, Montpellier (56 pts), Auxerre (55)
Bottom three: Boulogne (23), Le Mans (21), Grenoble (15)
Leading scorers: Mamadou Niang (15 goals), Nene (13), Mevlut Erding, Asamoah Gyan, Lisandro Lopez (12)

Weekend stat: 3 - The number of teams who held the lead in Ligue 1 over the course of the weekend. After disposing of Le Mans 2-1 on Saturday Auxerre moved top only to be replaced for a short while on Sunday by Montpellier, who were themselves overtaken by reigning champions Bordeaux.

Elsewhere
Shakhtar Donetsk pulled two points clear at the summit in Ukraine after they downed Zorya Lugansk 2-0 and fellow title aspirants Dinamo Kiev drew 1-1 with Metalurg Donetsk.

In the game of the day in the Netherlands, leaders Twente played out a 1-1 stalemate with PSV, who lost their hold on second place to Ajax, emphatic 5-1 winners at RKC Waalwijk.

Where does Rooney rank?

Where does Rooney rank?
(FIFA.com) Tuesday 16 March 2010
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Wayne Rooney is in the form of his career. FIFA.com wants to know where you feel the Manchester United and England star ranks among the world’s best players.

Is he the sport’s best striker? Is he its finest player? Has he still got some way to go before he can be compared to the game’s elite performers?

Be sure to read what a selection of footballing personalities think about Rooney (see below) and tell us which position you feel he occupies on a list of football’s best players.

Simply click ‘Add your comment’ to join the discussion, remembering to keep your comments clean, respectful, on-topic and in English.


On Wayne Rooney...
Carlo Ancelotti: “He’s a fantastic, fantastic player. Is he the best in the world at the moment? I think yes. At the moment he’s the most decisive player in the world.

David Beckham: “He's such an exceptional talent. I think without a doubt he's one of the best, if not the best, player at the moment along with (Cristiano) and (Lionel) Messi.”

Dimitar Berbatov: “At the moment he is the best in the world. He is still so young and has the chance to be even greater.”

Fabio Capello: “Wayne is an extraordinary player. He holds the ball very well. He dribbles. He can shoot from long distance. He can score goals with his head. And he presses a lot, he runs a lot. The others (Messi and Ronaldo) don't do that. It is a big difference."

Sir Alex Ferguson: “Wayne is in absolutely devastating form, which is putting him up alongside the greats like Ronaldo, Messi and Kaka. He is so complete and looks dangerous every time he's on the pitch."

Essam El-Hadary: “Rooney is one of the best forwards in the world, if not the best. He dominates games.”

Steven Gerrard: “His form this season has been special. At the moment, on current form, Wayne is the best player in the world.”

Gilberto Silva: “We (Brazil) watch Rooney very closely. He's a top player. He’s on the same level as them (Kaka, Messi and Ronaldo)."

Roberto Mancini: "Rooney is the best in the world with Messi. He scores loads, works for the team and is intelligent all over the pitch.”

Gary Neville: “It is not just about his performance, it is about his determination and character and his willingness to always fight for the team. He is not just a player who wins you games - he fights for everything as well.”

Martin O'Neill: "He's a world-class player and arguably in the top three players in the world."

Cristiano Ronaldo: “Rooney is a winner. He’s a fantastic player. He is scoring a lot of goals and is always brilliant. He is the man at Manchester United.”

Nemanja Vidic: “Wayne is definitely the best striker in the world. He is strong and he has pace. For a defender, players like that are always difficult.”

Gazza weeps as Germans prevail

Gazza weeps as Germans prevail

“Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end the Germans win."

This famous Gary Lineker quote might have been uttered partly in jest, but it captured an expectation of failure in England that stems from plenty of painful experience. Drama and disappointment have tended to go hand-in-hand with the Three Lions’ major tournament experiences over recent decades, and none of their failures brought more despair than defeat in the semi-final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™.

One hundred and twenty minutes of emotion, tension and passion combined for a match later described as “a Klassiker” by Franz Beckenbauer, and as Italy 1990’s “real final” by the then England captain Terry Butcher. Here, FIFA.com looks back at a game that paved the way for yet more German success and signalled the start of their opponents’ long-running penalty curse.

The Stakes
With Argentina having seen off the hosts the day before, these old rivals arrived in Turin with the carrot of settling an old score dangling tantalisingly before them. For West Germany, the challenge was to set up a rematch of the 1986 Final, and reverse the outcome; for England, it was to avenge Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ at the same tournament.

Yet the teams’ form in previous rounds suggested that there was only one likely winner. West Germany had, after all, been the tournament’s most accomplished side and highest scorers, comfortably topping their group before brushing aside the Netherlands, who were then European champions. England, on the other hand, had scored just twice in their three group games, and came into the match on the back of an ill-deserved extra-time victory over the gallant Cameroonians. “We’ve got here,” said Robson, “but I don’t know how.”

This was also the Three Lions’ first FIFA World Cup semi-final since 1966, whereas the Germans were competing in the last four for a record ninth time. The odds were stacked firmly against Robson’s men.

The Story
The England coach’s only hope was that his team would produce when it mattered most and, during the match itself, they did just that. Lothar Matthaus, hitherto the tournament’s leading player, had grown accustomed to dictating matches, but he was to meet his match that humid evening in the Stadio delle Alpi.

Paul Gascoigne was the joker in Robson’s pack, an ebullient but fragile character who also happened to be a midfielder of exceptional strength and skill. He had been England’s shining light prior to the semi-final, and was again the pivotal figure as the Three Lions produced their best performance of the tournament to subdue and, at times, dominate the favourites.

Yet, at half-time, the match remained goalless, with little hinting at the classic that was about to unfold. The spark that lit the touchpaper came on the hour mark, when Andreas Brehme's drilled free-kick took a huge deflection off Paul Parker and looped over the despairing Peter Shilton. If anything, the setback seemed to inspire England and Gascoigne to greater heights and, within five minutes, he had created chances for Lineker, Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle, all of which went begging.

But Robson still had a tactical trick up his sleeve, and the gamble of withdrawing Butcher, his sweeper and captain, for midfielder Trevor Steven paid off with ten minutes remaining. The Germans had been put on the back foot, and when Jurgen Kohler miscued a hurried clearance, Lineker capitalised on the confusion to smash home his fourth goal of the finals.

The match could have gone either way in extra time, with both sides hitting the post, but penalties beckoned and it was West Germany who held their nerve. Brehme, Matthaus, Karl-Heinze Riedle and Olaf Thon provided a masterclass in power, precision and composure that their English counterparts simply couldn’t match, with Stuart Pearce the first to crack under the strain. Blasting the ball against Bodo Illgner’s legs left Waddle needing to score to keep English hopes alive, but the winger blazed over from 12 yards and the Germans were through.

"I went up and kicked the ball as hard as I could,” Waddle recalled later. “If I'd miskicked it, it would probably have gone in. But that's life."

The Star
For one English player, life would never be the same again. Gascoigne had been described by his coach as “daft as a brush”, but Robson’s faith in Gazza the footballer was fully justified in Turin by an outstanding display full of industry and invention.

Yet it was not the midfielder’s performance, but rather his reaction to earning a yellow card that would have ruled him out of the Final – and later to England’s defeat – that put him on the back pages of newspapers the world over. Holding back the tears proved impossible, and the public display of raw emotion that followed merely endeared Gascoigne further to the already besotted England fans.

Sadly for those same supporters, their hero’s tearful display also prompted Robson to relegate him to sixth place in the order of penalty takers. “I doubt if he could actually have taken one, he was so distraught,” the coach said later. “He broke down in the middle of the pitch when the penalties were being taken.”

What they said
“When I was a young kid playing at my youth club, every night I used to dream about playing football at the World Cup. I lived that dream in Italy, but when I was shown the yellow card I knew it had come to an end. When things are good and I can see they’re about to end I get scared, really scared. I couldn’t help but cry that night.”
Paul Gascoigne, England midfielder

"It was the best match of the World Cup for me… Everything was there in that game. Either team could have won. The players had real comradeship. Even now, if I meet one of the England players, we could go and have a drink and talk about it. I always enjoyed playing against England.”
Andreas Brehme, Germany defender

“My world collapsed. I had been taking penalties for as long as I could remember, but I’d missed the most important penalty of my life. It was my fault that England were not in the World Cup Final.”
Stuart Pearce, England defender

"I still remember Peter Shilton not diving towards the corner until the previous penalties from Riedle, Matthaus and Brehme had already gone in, so I said to myself: ‘Come on son, just hit the target, nothing too precise, nothing too risky.’ And that’s what I did. He went the right way, but he was too late."
Olaf Thon, Germany midfielder

What happened next...
England, with Gascoigne suspended, were beaten 2-1 by Italy in the third-place play-off, while their conquerors exacted revenge over Argentina in an ugly Final. A solitary Andreas Brehme penalty enabled West Germany to draw level with Brazil as the FIFA World Cup’s most successful side - for four years at least - while Franz Beckenbauer became the first and only man since Mario Zagallo to win the Trophy as player and coach.

Pearce, opting against retirement, was able to lay the ghost of Turin to rest six years later when he scored from the spot against Spain in the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 96. England, however, went out on penalties in the last four to, you've guessed it, Germany, and have since gone on to lose crucial shootouts at EURO 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Benin embark on new direction

Benin embark on new direction
(FIFA.com) Thursday 18 March 2010
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Benin have announced sweeping changes to the make-up of their national team in the wake of their first round elimination at the recent CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals in Angola and have received an immediate boost with a jump in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

They have moved up to 65th in the latest edition, two places higher than their position in February and edging ever closer to their highest ever position attained just a few months ago. The Ecureuils reached 59th in November 2009, confirmation of their steady progress in recent years.

It was only in July 2007 that the small west African state broke through into the top 100 of the Ranking and have they continued a steady climb since. Qualification for the Cup of Nations finals, for only the third time, was symbolic of that progress and their harsh reaction to their early elimination reflects the new levels the Beninoise believe they are capable of reaching.

Benin were unlucky not to beat Mozambique in their opening group game in Benguela, squandering a two goal lead before drawing the match. They then lost to neighbours Nigeria by a single goal in a game in which they created several opportunities to claim all three points, Their elimination from the tournament was confirmed when they were beaten by eventual winners Egypt in their final group outing. It cost Michel Dussuyer his job as coach and led to the dramatic announcement of the dissolution of the national team, news of a drastic step creating headlines across the footballing world.

A new squad of young and, so far, locally-based players, many of whom are barely out of their teens, has already been unveiled as the new generation of Ecureuils. They were even presented to the Benin public at a recent press conference in Cotonou. Benin FA president Anjorin Moucharafou spoke at the function of the need to have players willing to defend the national colours. “The national team is not the property of certain players,” he said.

French-born coach Michel Sorin has taken over as national coach on a temporary basis and already played with his home-based side in the first stages of the African Nations Championship, the tournament hosted by the Confederation of African Football for players who compete in their local leagues. Benin lost 2-0 in the first leg of their tie at Niger at the start of March but still have hopes of overturning the deficit when they host the return match before the end of the month.

Sorin, who previously worked as coach of Cotonou club Requins Atlantique FC, was a player at Laval, Rennes and Brest during his career in the French league. But it has been made clear by the Benin federation that they are looking for a new long-term coach and have already held several interviews with perspective candidates.