The Goa under-19 team had to struggle all the way in the face of a good bowling performance by Kerala and were perched precariously at the end of the first day with only 71 runs on the board while losing eight wickets along the way in the Cooch Behar Trophy South Zone league match at the Medical College Ground in Trivandrum on Tuesday.Play started only at 1 pm due to overnight rains and put in to bat, Goa made a disastrous start losing opener SS Sandesh (1) in the seventh over of the day. S Santh who picked up the wicket of Sandesh struck again, trapping SD Saheel (7) in front of the stumps. His partner TA Yousaf then removed the other opener AA Swapnil (9). Goa were in dire straits with three of the top order batsmen dismissed and with only 25 runs on the board. But Santh was not finished and he struck once more when he had SK Suraj (4) caught behind.Goa’s innings was in real disarray, when Yousaf shattered the defence of KK Sagun (4) with only 33 runs on the board. Then R David (20) and RA Aditya (14) struggled along to take the Goa innings past the 50-run mark in the 20th over of the innings. But in the very next over Aditya departed, offering a return catch to NK Aneesh.NN Gautham then gave David some company, while taking the score to 71 before he was trapped leg before by Aneesh. David himself did not last long. Seven balls later, he struggled to reach his crease and was run out with no runs added to the score. Almost at once, Goa found some help by way of bad light which put an end to the proceedings. At this stage, Santh had taken three wickets for 17 while Yousaf had two for 23.
Everton made a number of signings in the January transfer window, with Dele Alli, Donny van de Beek and Anwar El Ghazi all joining from other Premier League clubs to help bolster the squad ahead of the challenge that lies ahead for the club in their challenge for safety in the league.
Both Alli and van de Beek have had opportunities to make an impact on the side, however, El Ghazi has only been given 11 minutes of game time since he joined the club two months ago.
Although, there does seem to be a glimmer of hope for the winger after the Toffees boss spoke about the player’s contribution.
Speaking recently about the 26-year-old, as cited by BirminghamLive, Frank Lampard said:
“I think he can offer, he’s a talented player. I know that from going up against him as a coach. It’s an area where we do have personnel. He has a slightly different skill set to anyone else in that area.”
The £38k-per-week gem who was hailed “remarkable” by pundit Adrian Clarke, had a better goal to minutes ratio than Richarlison last season, with El Ghazi scoring every 170 minutes and Richarlison finding the net every 257 minutes.
Considering the fact that Everton haven’t scored a single goal in the Premier League in their last four fixtures, conceding consecutive defeats, it could be an opportunity tonight to offer an opportunity to El Ghazi.
He’d add a fresh perspective and attacking threat to the game against Newcastle United at Goodison Park, especially since the winger has already bullied the Tyneside club this season, scoring for Villa against them last year.
Earlier on in the season, back in August, the Dutch national netted the second goal in Aston Villa’s 2-0 comfortable victory over the Magpies at Villa Park, and Lampard must not ignore the potential for the goal threat to emulate his performance against Eddie Howe’s side now that Everton find themselves in a desperate situation.
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The Toffees must capitalise on the fact that the clash with Newcastle United tonight is a game in hand on their relegation competitors, and if Lampard needs to be ruthless with his attacking line by dropping regulars to accommodate El Ghazi it could be well worth the risk.
In other news: AVFC plot bid to sign £50m gem who’s “Champions League material”, imagine him & McGinn
Crystal Palace are through to the semi finals of the Carling Cup, after they stunned Premier League champions Manchester United and beat them 2-1 after extra time on Wednesday night.
Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a second string side, but with the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Antonio Valencia and Ji-Sung Park in the home side will have expected to progress.
Darren Ambrose gave the Championship side the lead in the second half, before Federico Macheda equalised for the hosts from the penalty spot and pushed the game into overtime.
Substitute Glenn Murray grabbed the all important winner after 98 minutes, and away manager Dougie Freedman was delighted with his team’s efforts.
“It is a wonderful night for the football club considering the position we have been in in recent years. We really enjoyed our night,” he told Sky Sports.
“We got the win, which I thought we deserved, we played some good football and showed desire to see out the game.
“When you come to Old Trafford you have to give everything you have got and the lads did that. We believe in each other and that takes you a long way at times,” he concluded.
Ferguson meanwhile apologised to the home supporters, and admitted his disappointment at being eliminated from the tournament.
“I’m so disappointed. I have to apologise to my fans and all the players who weren’t playing. We never expected that,” he said.
“Any time we go on the pitch it means a lot to Manchester United. We have our pride to protect and our history to protect. Every time we walk on the pitch it’s important. We didn’t see that tonight.
“Nine internationals out there. So that was a big disappointment.”
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The draw for the next round has been completed also, and Crystal Palace will play against Cardiff for a place in the final, whilst Manchester City take on Liverpool.
Pick over a current world eleven? Easy. Decide upon the worst FA Cup final suit in the history of Wembley clashes? No problem. Choose from a list of classic football video games and identify a winner? Impossible.
I thought this was going to be the most fun article ever. The idea of smashing out hours of qualification drama on FIFA: Road to the World Cup with a fledgling Trinidad and Tobago side and once, just once winning the league title on Pro Evolution Soccer 5 sounded incredible.
Alas, my task was a little tougher than I thought it might be. Can I justify including Steven Gerrard’s Gameboy Advance game in the list, even though no one will have heard of it? Can I possibly get a mention in for ‘Michael Owen’s World League Soccer’ and the painstaking banter between the forgotten Peter Brackley and Ray Wilkins every time there is a lull in play?
I know I can’t possibly please everyone, but all of the games on this list are absolute masterpieces, one way or another- let me know your favourite…
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10: FIFA Street (2005)
Presumably inspired by the Nike advert from the 2002 World Cup, FIFA Street was EA Sports’ attempt at trying to bridge the gap between themselves and the phenomenally successful Pro Evolution Soccer series.
Released in between their 2005 and 2006 editions, the game never really took off, and was a little too complicated, however there was enough about it to admire its inventiveness. Putting Peter Crouch on the front cover, however, was not the smartest move in the world…
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9: FIFA 2000 (1999)
By the turn of the century, the FIFA series was almost untouchable. Helped by a number of turkeys released around the same time, such as; ‘Michael Owen’s World league Soccer’ and ‘This is Football’, the game franchise was a significant force to be reckoned with. This edition, released in October 1999 managed to pack in the first comprehensive season mode and the ability to unlock classic teams.
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8:World Cup Italia 90 (1990)
Not quite the game that started it all off, but one of the first attempts to try and tie in a major tournament with a video game release. Sega’s Mega Drive was not renowned for its sports simulators, however there was much here that later games would build on.
The interface is very reminiscent of arcade soccer games that adorned cinemas, leisure centres and airports throughout the 1990’s, and for a game that is over 20 years old, the concept and graphics hold up well.
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7: FIFA RTWC (1998)
Back when I first acquired a football game for the PC, my main requirements were that the goalkeeper could get sent off and that you could give every player on your side a peroxide blonde haircut in tribute to the Romanian side that donned the look in that year’s World Cup.
Sadly, the holy grail of the goalkeeper getting sent off was still some years away, however this game remains very close to my heart. A meticulous qualification process was available to those with patience, and the database of players and teams from across the world was unrivalled. The commentary of Des Lynam, Andy Gray (R.I.P) and John Motson was also world class.
6: Pro Evolution Soccer 2 (2002)
Who would have known that a game which referred to West Ham as ‘Lake District’ would go on to be such a major success? The Japanese company, Konami, were responsible for the creation of the Pro Evolution Soccer (Winning Eleven) Series and in the early years of the PS2 implementation, rose to become FIFA’s biggest rival.
Games snobs initially refused to play PES because of the lack of licencing on any of the top sides or players, however the addictive nature of the series took off, even with a control system which was in direct contrast with its rival.
Played now, the game feels very dated, but the framework for success was laid here for more illustrious successors.
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5: Championship Manager 2 (1995)
Before the 2004 Eidos/ Sports Interactive split put paid to this top selling franchise, Championship Manager, was a humongous hit for football fans. Like Sensible Soccer, it was the first game of it’s kind with creators Paul and Oliver Collyer, designing the game from the confines of their bedrooms.
Starting slowly, the series exploded with the release of Championship Manager 2. Implementing many of the key features which adorn management games today, the 1995 release remained popular even after more updated versions were made available.
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4: FIFA 2010 (2009)
When the Playstation 3 finally hit shelves in the first quarter of 2007, the big question surrounded how EA Sports and Konami would deal with the transition from PS2 to PS3.
FIFA games from the early noughties had become formulaic and to be honest, pretty dull. As always they were a visual treat, but the ability to bend the ball in on the volley from 40 yards every game quickly became mundane.
When PS3 came along, everything changed. Konami struggled to transfer the fluidity of the PS2 hits when developing a visually more impressive product for the new console. EA Sports were quickly ahead, learning from many of the mistakes they had made in the PS2 era.
FIFA 2010 was an amalgamation of the best parts of the franchise’s visually stunning past, and the addictive playability that had contributed so much to the success of EA’s rivals.
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3: Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (2006)
I once sat down with a friend at university and had a race to 100 (ish) wins on ‘Pro Evo 6’ over the course of a term. It was the sort of titanic tussle that I will look back on with my grandchildren and explain how I gave away a 35-6 lead and recovered from being 95-70 behind to draw level at 99 apiece.
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There was something about Pro Evo 6 that compelled you to keep playing. It had neither the technical wizardry of recent FIFA Playstation 3 versions, nor the endearing loveableness of earlier Konami incarnations, but it was just so damn addictive.
Despite drinking enough Red Bull to believe that Tal Ben Haim might actually be a decent central defender, taking the shoulder buttons out of my controller because I believed it made Michael Ballack run faster, and not showering for three days I eventually lost the series 105-103. Needless to say, I struggled with the ladies that term…
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2: Football Manager 2005 (2004)
After being the product of the Eidos/ Sports Interactive split in 2004, Football Manager has set new standards for sport’s management games. Quite simply, the level of detail and control afforded the armchair fan is insane.
Sports Interactive have done particularly well in creating a consistent interface across each edition which they still release on an annual basis. The biggest advantage over competitors, however was the introduction of the network game, linking armchair fans all over the world. Millions of courses, degrees and exams have been failed the world over as a result of this particular feature.
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1: Sensible Soccer (1992)
When I took a straw poll of my friends’ favourite games on this list, Sensible Soccer was the first name on everyone’s lips.
When you look at the game’s level of invention, it is not hard to see why it remains such a popular title. Originally released for the PC, later 3D versions were released, however, it was this basic, birds eye view of the football pitch that initially won over fans.
The 1994 release of The Sensible World of Soccer was later named as one of the ten most important video games ever created by a Stanford study. Most uniquely, SS managed to transfer it’s charms across all platforms and systems- a feat that both FIFA and PES have yet to manage.
Manchester City have confirmed that out-of-favour striker Craig Bellamy has agreed to join Cardiff City on a season-long loan.
The 31-year-old Wales international has been frozen out of the first-team picture at Eastlands and had been linked with a number of other Premier League clubs, as well as SPL giants Celtic.
However, Bellamy has instead opted to join his hometown club to try and help them realise their dream of reaching the English top-flight.
He recently told reporters:"I've always wanted to play for Cardiff.
"My wife and kids live here and I've missed them for the last five or six years. So that would have more of a pull more than most. I certainly wouldn't rule that out.
"Would I love to get Cardiff into the Premier League? Of course I would, I would have more of an impact doing that than playing 100 games for Wales.
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"For us to move forward as a nation football-wise, we do need a Premier League team to come from Wales, either Swansea or ourselves."
Bellamy joined the Citizens in January 2009 from West Ham United and has since scored 16 goals in 51 appearances.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Kenny Dalglish has called upon the FA to resolve this Luis Suarez affair once and for all. The Scot doesn’t believe that the delay is doing the Uruguayan any favours, a player who Kenny believes can be the perfect role model for the club.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include a £35m conundrum for Liverpool fans; improvements needed at Anfield, while UEFA ruling sees the Reds flex their financial muscles.
We also look at the best Liverpool articles around the web this week.
Are Supporters inadvertently getting in the way of progress?
Two football institutions could help pave the way for greater success
A long overdue clampdown on the very parasites of football
A £35m question that only Liverpool fans can answer
Dalglish and Villas-Boas’ £2m pursuit highlights the lengths clubs go
Simply costing Liverpool dear
Improvements still needed in Liverpool’s key area
UEFA ruling ensures Liverpool flex their financial muscles
John W Henry’s transfer theory holds up on closer inspection at Liverpool
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Don’t worry Stewart, most of it isn’t your fault – Live4Liverpool
The holier than thou and the whiter than white? – This is Anfield
Suarez & Downing | Statistically compared to rivals | Liverpool FC – Anfield Index
Is Kenny Dalglish’s irritated reaction over Andy Carroll justified? – Liverpool Kop
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Bang Tidy €5M International Claims Anfield Move “Close” – Transfer Tavern
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Click on Mrs Van der Vaart to unveil the Premier League Wag XI
If Fabio Capello thought that he had bought himself a little respite with the media after a shocking World Cup, then he finds himself back in the firing line following his decision to reappoint John Terry as captain. I am not suggesting that Terry is a bad choice, far from it, but is the armband really going to make a huge difference in his commitment for his country? There is no prouder lion than JT, regardless of whether he is wearing the armband or not.
Capello has just created a mess where he didn’t need to and the decision has done little more than rub Rio Ferdinand up the wrong way. The way it has been handled is an indictment of the poor communication that appears to have surrounded Capello’s reign and Rio certainly deserved better than to find out he had lost the role within the media.
Rio has been an absolute gentleman about the decision and has wished John Terry well, and it certainly won’t stop him giving 100% the next time he puts on an England shirt. I think that it is the bottom line of all this and while the rest of the squad won’t mind one iota about Capello’s decision, it is that the honour of playing for your country far outweighs your concerns about leading it, therefore that is why I find it strange to alienate not only Rio, but Stevie G as well by making this decision. It was a headache that Fabio didn’t need to create and only serves to throw further pressure on himself.
But let’s be honest, does the captaincy at any level, mean anything now? There was a time when the captain and vice ran the playing side of the football club and were that only bridge between the players and the manager; whereas now the armband is handed around like confetti and you only have to look back to that England friendly where no fewer than eight players were given the armband and now have the personal recognition of claiming they captained their country. It no longer holds the honour it once did and maybe Capello feels that JT holds the England pennant in a better fashion, or has a stronger handshake for the opposition, but the decision certainly does seem a bizarre. John Terry would have run through brick walls for his country anyway, regardless of the band of elastic around his arm, therefore the point of attempting to fix something that wasn’t broken seems like a pointless task by Capello to me.
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Former Tottenham, Liverpool and West Ham defender Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock is one of the great characters of English football. Razor has the same no-nonsense attitude off the pitch as he did on it.
Uncompromising, controversial and outspoken, read more of Razor’s thoughts in his weekly column
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At just under a month away, the start of the Championship season is drawing closer and as ever, it’s going to be a stormer.
As many will tell you, the excitement of the league lies in its unpredictability. Who will go up? Who will go down? Because you don’t get the financial chasms that you see in the Premier League each team is competitive, from those coming up to those coming down. It is a gamblers nightmare, but a treat for the purists.
Last season was a little different, before the August it seemed like Newcastle were going to be clinching the title, and so it proved. But there was still much to keep people interested. Who would have expected Blackpool to gain promotion? Who’d have thought that Ipswich and QPR would under perform and Leicester and Nottingham Forest over perform?
So, who is going to win it this year? Well, according to the bookies Middlesbrough, Forest and Burnley are the favourites, but QPR, Reading, Leicester and Cardiff will have something to say about that. Leeds and Norwich, two big names coming up are sure to be in the mix also. If you asked people to guess next years Premier League top three, I would wager they would be identical. Ask the same people to do the same with the Championship and they’ll all be different.
This year is also going to be interesting for Hull, Portsmouth and Burnley, the relegated three. Burnley have kept their finances in check, so perhaps look best suited to bouncing back, but it won’t be easy. You can get odds of 50/1 for all three to come straight back up, a bet that I certainly will not be backing.
The problem the Championship has is the distance that the Premier League has moved in the last 10 years. Because it is so financially dominant teams that go up struggle to compete, so it is seen as a lesser league, which is simply not true. If I were to put my money where my mouth is I’d take Boro, with the addition of Kris Boyd, to nick the title with Cardiff finishing second. The playoffs? Well, that’s anyones guess!
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Leighton Baines scored a dramatic late penalty as Everton came from behind to beat Wolves and secure only their second home win of the season.
The left back had already set up Phil Jagielka’s equaliser curling in a wonderful free kick for the Toffees skipper to head home after Stephen Hunt had given Mick McCarthy’s men a first half lead with a penalty of their own. It was then left to Baines to decide the game and he made no mistake cooly slotting home from the spot with just seven minutes left on the clock. It will come as a welcome relief to manager David Moyes who has seen his side slip to 17th after a run of one win in six Premier League games. For Wolves they will feel that the decision by referee Jon Moss to award a penalty for Steven Ward’s nudge on Louis Saha in the area was harsh with the defeat seeing them slip to fourth bottom. Despite starting the campaign in positive fashion McCarthy’s side have claimed only one victory in their last nine and are too close to the drop zone for comfort.
Despite their poor run of form the visitors were bright in the opening exchanges and they took a deserved lead through Hunt’s penalty on 37 minutes. David Edwards made strides into the Everton penalty only to his progress halted by the outstretched leg of Maroune Fellaini. Referee Moss didn’t hesitate in pointing to the spot and Hunt made no mistake from 12-yards and score his second goal of the season. That proved to be the wake up call the home side needed and they were level within seven minutes with Jagielka getting on the end of Baines’ whipped free kick to plant a header past Wayne Hennessey. Controversy then engulfed the confines of Goodison Park with Toffee’s fans convinced they should have had a penalty after Karl Henry appeared to tug back Tim Cahill as the midfielder tried to get on the end of Fellaini’s shot. Mr Moss kept his whistle firmly away from his lips as the home support appealed ferociously for a spot kick.
Half time certainly didn’t do the game any favours with the opening 20 minutes passing without incident with the Everton supporters’s going from penalty appeals to lambasting their team for their sloppiness in possession. However the Toffees kept plugging away as Wolves faded and the travelling support had Hennessey to thank for snuffing out Saha as he made a rare foray into the penalty area. Ward then produced a marvellous block to deny Cahill from two yards out but it proved to be all in vain as the home side stole the points in the dying embers. Moss adjudged Ward of fouling Saha in the penalty area and Baines kept his nerve to drive home the spot kick to hand Moyes’ side a vital three points that moves them clear of the bottom three and into 12th.
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Hoffenheim dealt Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund just their third loss of the season, while Bayern Munich thrashed Hamburg on Saturday.Ninth-placed Hoffenheim had not won in four games heading into their clash with the runaway league leaders at Rhein Neckar Arena, but Vedad Ibisevic’s goal in the 63rd minute was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for the hosts.Bayern Munich’s hopes of reeling in Dortmund are all but over, but they at least snapped a three-game losing streak in all competitions with their 6-0 triumph over Hamburg at the Allianz Arena.Dutch international winger Arjen Robben scored a hat-trick, netting Bayern’s first three goals in the 40th, 47th and 55th minutes.France midfielder Franck Ribery added the fourth in the 64th minute – assisted by Robben – before Germany attacker Thomas Mueller made it 5-0 15 minutes later.A Heiko Westermann own-goal topped off a rampant victory for Bayern and moved them above Mainz into fourth spot on the table, though Louis van Gaal’s side have played an extra game.Schalke 04 moved into 10th place with a late 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Veltins Arena.Spaniard Jurado put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot, but Georgios Tzavellas equalised in the 70th minute for Frankfurt.Substitute striker Angelos Charisteas took just 60 seconds to have an impact on the game after coming off the bench for Mario Gavranovic, scoring the winner in the 84th minute.Kaiserslautern upset seventh-placed Freiburg 2-1 with a 90th-minute winner to Erwin Hoffer at the Fritz Walter Stadion.Freiburg forward Adam Nemec scored at both ends to leave the match poised at 1-1, before Hoffer’s heroics helped Kaiserslautern out of the relegation zone.Nuremburg came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 at the Volkswagen Arena.Croatia forward Mario Mandzukic had put the hosts on target for a crucial victory with a 23rd-minute goal, but Nuremburg were level at half-time courtesy of defender Philipp Woolscheid.Swedish centre back Per Nilsson nabbed the winner for Nuremburg at the death to leave Wolves just one point outside the drop zone.