Palmeiras moved fourth in Brazil’s Campeonato Paulista after they crushed Ituano 4-1 away from home on Thursday.
Striker Kleber netted a brace in the victory, opening the scoring in the 27th minute, before Welton equalised for the home side on the stroke of half time at the Estadio Barao de Serra Negra.
But it was all Palmeiras after the break, with Dinei putting the visitors ahead eight minutes after the restart before Kleber scored his second on the hour mark.
Tinga added an injury time goal to top off an emphatic victory.
Noroeste twice pegged back Botafogo on the road to force a 2-2 draw at the Estadio Santa Cruz.
Rodrigo Pontes got Botafogo on board in the 11th minute to give the hosts the lead.
But Ricardinho equalised for Noroeste in the 56th minute, before Moacir re-installed Botafogo’s lead 12 minutes later.
Not to be denied, Ze Carlos produced the point-snatching goal for Noroeste in the 74th minute to leave both sides on two points after two games.
Paulista’s trip to Gremio Prudente proved a fruitful one, as they walked away with all three points in a 2-1 victory at the Estadio Municipal Eduardo Jose Farah.
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Hernane got the visitors off the ideal start with a 10th minute goal, but Rai restored parity seven minutes later to level things up at the break.
Rone Dias scored the winner for Paulista on 59 minutes, and the win leaves them in third place on the table, one of four unbeaten teams in the competition after two matches.
Bolton boss Owen Coyle lamented some poor finishing from his side on Saturday in their 0-0 draw with Wigan in the FA Cup fourth round.
With neither side able to break the deadlock at Reebok Stadium, the teams now face a replay to decide who moves into the round of 16 and Coyle said he feels replays are still the best way to decide drawn cup ties.
“There were certainly chances at both ends,” Coyle said.
“I did feel that we had two gilt-edged chances. I would normally expect us to hit the back of the net but we didn’t take them.”
“Now we both find ourselves with a replay to content with.”
“I think you have to give Wigan credit, they defended for their lives when they had to. Now we’ve both got an extra game to contend with which we probably both didn’t want.”
“I personally love the FA Cup I think it’s the best competition in world football. Replays have always been in place and I don’t see why we should change them.”
“We all realise that the Barclays Premier League is the best league in the world and everyone wants to be fresh and energetic for that but you have to pay respect to the FA Cup and we’ll do that.”
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez said he was pleased with the spirit shown by his young side, and declared he wanted to use a positive result in the cup as a springboard to get his team out of the Premier League relegation zone.
“I’m honest with you. I think it will be very, very positive for us,” Martinez said.
“We made changes today and I feel that games like this are very good for us. We’ve got a young squad that probably need football, we need to play in certain conditions.”
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“Today we had two or three very good performances and these players are shouting that they want to have a role in this team in the last third of this competition and that’s reassuring.”
“We wanted the cup to be a help to our league campaign.”
“The manner that we performed today showed great concentration, we knew that it was going to be a tough game because we know Bolton play with great confidence.”
If you are a Newcastle fan at the moment you have certainly become used to Alan Pardew’s key players being linked with Premier League rivals. Rumours of players leaving St James’ Park in January were incessant, with Andy Carroll eventually heading to Liverpool for a whopping £35 million. Many Newcastle supporters will understand the move to some extent, what with the amount of money the club recouped for their number nine, but surely that needs to be it as far as high profile exits are concerned? Once is bad enough, but twice would be the final straw.
Unsurprisingly, the two players that the Premier League big boys are being linked with right now are two of Newcastle’s best performers this season: Jose Enrique and Cheik Tiote. I might be a bit biased, but I would challenge anyone to find a better left back in the Premier League than Enrique. He may have been at fault for Damien Duff’s goal against Fulham and had a bit of a shocker in the first half last week against Arsenal (who didn’t?), but I would put him right up their with the likes of Patrice Evra and maybe even Ashley Cole. If reports to be believed it is telling that Manchester United are interested in ‘The Bull’ as that shows how even Sir Alex Ferguson rates him comparably with Evra.
Then there’s Cheik Tiote who’s been nothing short of a revelation in the Premier League this season. Cries of ‘Cheik who?’ when he signed in the summer for a modest fee have quickly disappeared as he has become a legend on Tyneside in an incredibly short space of time. His stunning volleyed equaliser against Arsenal last weekend certainly hasn’t harmed his growing reputation in the north east, and comparisons are already being drawn with defensive midfielders of yester year. Chelsea reportedly made a bid for the Ivorian in January and are likely to follow that up in the summer, as they look to Tiote as their new Claude Makelele. While Tiote might not have the experience yet, I would argue he impacts the game more than someone like Makelele and is perfectly suited for the style of English football, as has already been shown thus far.
As far as Newcastle are concerned, on the back of the departure of losing Carroll in January, selling either of these two players would be an incredibly bitter pill to swallow. However, I am realistic enough to know that if a Champions League club were to offer stupid money, like Liverpool did for Carroll, then Mike Ashley will put his business head on and be happy to sell. Newcastle don’t want to become a selling club though. They did a decent job of standing relatively firm over Carroll, even if it meant they didn’t have any time to replace him, but there comes a time when you have to say that a player is not for sale, within reason.
Pardew has already said he has all the £35 million from Carroll to spend on rebuilding the squad. I won’t believe that until I see it, but if Newcastle want to keep their best players they have to show they are serious about mounting a challenge for the upper echelons of the Premier League table. As far as Enrique’s and Tiote’s personalities are concerned, the Spaniard has already showed commitment to the club by sticking with Newcastle through relegation, while Tiote seems like someone with his head screwed on. Come summer though bids will come in and heads will be turned, I just hope that Newcastle stand firm as the departure of more key players would really put another nail in the coffin.
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The traditional British dish of pie and mash was on the menu for Tottenham’s players this week, courtesy of David Beckham.The 35-year-old LA Galaxy midfielder and former England captain has spent the last six weeks training with the Premier League side in a bid to maintain his fitness going into the new MLS season.Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had nothing but praise for Beckham’s gesture of kindness.”It’s David’s last day with us. We’ve enjoyed having him here and, as I have said before, and I’m not just saying this, you couldn’t meet a nicer fellow,” Redknapp said.”Absolute top class, a top class person. We all know he has been a great player but he is a great guy as well.” “I had three pie and mash actually. I knicked an extra pie that day because I was brought up on pie and mash in the east end of London. It was fantastic.” “He had pie and mash delivered from Waltham Abbey or somewhere up the road. There’s a lovely pie and mash shop there and we all tucked into some. I think some of the foreign lads weren’t too sure what to make of pie and mash but we eat their portion.”LA Galaxy kick off their new season on March 16 away to the Seattle Sounders, while Tottenham take on Blackpool on Tuesday.
PSV Eindhoven took the lead in the Dutch Eredivisie with a 4-1 win over NAC Breda on Sunday after Twente could only draw.PSV and defending champions Twente were level on 50 points ahead of their respective matches, but Fred Rutten’s PSV side are now out in front with 53 points.Visitors Breda got off to a bad start at the Philips Stadion when Nemanja Gudelj saw a straight red card after just 15 minutes.Balazs Dzsudzsak gave PSV the lead in the 25th minute. Anthony Lurling levelled for Breda on 64 minutes, but goals from Jeremain Lens, Ola Toivonen and Francisco Rodriguez wrapped up a comprehensive win for the hosts.Twente meanwhile were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to NEC Nijmegen.Niki Zimling had NEC ahead after 17 minutes at De Grolsch Veste, but Emir Bajrami equalised. A point each leaves Twente second, two points behind PSV, while NEC are 10th.Mounir El Hamdaoui’s goal in the 11th minute at the Amsterdam Arena gave Ajax a 1-0 win over visitors VVV Venlo.Ajax are third, three points behind Twente and five behind PSV. Venlo, who finished with 10 men following the sending off of Ken Leemans in the 74th minute, are second from bottom, five points above last-placed Willem II. Two late goals saw ADO Den Haag snatch a point at home to Feyenoord.Visitors Feyenoord led through a first-half double from Luc Castaignos at the Het Zuiderpark and the strugglers looked on course to collect three valuable points, before Charlton Vicento pulled one back for the hosts in the 81st minute.Dmitry Bulykin then struck with five minutes remaining to ensure a share of the spoils for ADO.The draw leaves ADO fifth and Feyenoord 15th, just three points outside the relegation zone. Vitesse Arnhem climbed above Feyenoord and into 14th place following a 2-0 win at home to De Graafschap.Bonno Wilfried broke the deadlock for the home side 72 minutes in at the Gelredome and Serbian Nemanja Matic – on loan from English Premier League club Chelsea – doubled the lead with six minutes to go.The defeat leaves De Graafschap 12th, just a point better off than Vitesse and only four clear of the drop zone.
Ian Baraclough has been sacked as manager of Championship club Scunthorpe after just seven months in charge.Baraclough, 40, took over the role following the departure of Nigel Adkins to Southampton in September 2010.His removal comes after a run of five defeats in the last six matches, one that has left the club inside the relegation zone and four points adrift of safety. Their latest reverse was a 3-0 defeat at home to fellow relegation candidates Preston North End. “Scunthorpe United Football Club has relieved Ian Baraclough of his first team duties with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement.”The difficult decision was reached in light of the team’s disappointing performances.”Assistants Steve Parkin and Kevin Pressman have also left the club.Head youth coach Tony Daws will take charge of the team for Saturday’s match away to Ipswich Town. He will be assisted by chief scout Lee Turnbull.Baraclough spent four years with Scunthorpe as a defender between 2004 and 2008. Adkins appointed Baraclough as first-team coach in 2006, a position he combined with his playing duties.Former Scunthorpe boss Brian Laws has already been linked with a return to Glanford Park. The 50-year-old spent nine years as Scunthorpe manager between 1997 and 2006, guiding the club to two promotions.He is without a club after being sacked as Burnley manager in December, but Scunthorpe chairman Steve Wharton moved immediately to play down the reports. “Brian is still a very good friend of mine – but I would not use that friendship to try and encourage him to be interested in the job,” Wharton said.”Brian has served this club very well in the past but it is always dangerous to consider returning to old ground too many times.”
Fabio Capello will not field an entirely new England team against Ghana on Wednesday, but the coach is planning significant changes.England secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Wales in Euro 2012 qualifying on Saturday, but six of the players involved have now been released to rejoin their club sides.
With a near-capacity crowd at Wembley Stadium expected to see a second-string team in the international friendly, Capello has been forced to justify his thinking.
“There will not be 11 changes. It will be seven changes, depending on which players will be fit tomorrow (Tuesday),” the Italian said.
“(Phil) Jagielka, (Gary) Cahill, (Leighton) Baines and (Andy) Carroll will start, (Gareth) Barry will be captain and (Joe) Hart will be in goal.”
“It is important for me to see the players play a team like Ghana, this is a really important team.”
“I respect the fans but it will be interesting to see some players they don’t know so well.”
“It will be interesting for me as well because these players who will play are really good.”
Reinstated captain John Terry, Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard were among those who featured against Wales but have now been released.
All six players are expected to be in Champions League action next week.
“The players that went home are not here because I prefer to preserve them for the clubs and for us,” Capello said.
“At this moment if you are tired it is easy to be injured.”
“They would have played four games in 10 days. It is dangerous for players to play so many games in a short time. Now they will play only three in eight days.
Capello also gave his blessing for Jack Wilshere, newly promoted to the senior team, to take part in the England under-21 side’s European Championship campaign in June.
“Yeah, I will support him 100 percent because I think the players will be really important for the under 21s,” he said.
Last summer’s World Cup in South Africa exposed some of the developing football nations to the grandest stage in the sport with some exciting results. Chile qualified for the tournament impressively under Argentinian coach, Marcelo Bielsa, and produced some of the most offensive displays of any team in South Africa. Fellow South Americans, Paraguay, also exceeded expectations by reaching the quarter-finals where they were knocked out narrowly by eventual winners Spain. But one emerging football nation, located a lot closer to home, are in the process of building a national squad perhaps capable of competing with the best at the next World Cup in Brazil three years from now.
Even though they failed to qualify for the past two World Cups and have featured only once in the European Championship since 1984 (and that was in 2000 when they qualified as co-hosts), Belgium currently retains the most promising collection of 16 to 23 year-olds anywhere on the planet. Perhaps the most impressive feature of this exciting crop of talent is the squad’s range and versatility. A first XI could already be picked from the technically gifted pool of players as each area of the pitch has been addressed in Belgium’s development process.
Steven Defour is 22 and propelled Standard Liege in to the Champions League twelve months ago alongside team-mate Axel Witsel, also 22, who is proficient in any area of the midfield. Marouane Fellaini transformed the Everton midfield in his first two seasons in England, and Eden Hazard, who at 20 is already one of the most coveted young players in Europe, provides the creative stimulus and is often employed as a forward.
In defence, Thomas Vermaelen provides the steel, and proved his quality by adapting to the Premier League within minutes of his arrival at Arsenal two years ago. He is accompanied by Vincent Kompany, who has arguably been Manchester City’s stand-out player this campaign, and Jan Vertonghen (23), the left-footed giant who controls the Ajax back-line.
Up front they have Moussa Dembele, who made his name in the AZ Alkmaar side who won the Dutch Eredivisie in 2009 before a £5million move to Craven Cottage last summer, and has performed exceptionally in the absence of Bobby Zamora in an otherwise struggling Fulham side. The country’s most exciting talent of all is Romelu Lukaku who is interesting Tottenham and Man City amongst others (click here to find out where he will be playing next season) and made his debut for the senior national side at the age of 16 and has already scored 27 goals in 64 appearances for Anderlecht before the age of 18.
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Lukaku is widely compared to Chelsea’s Didier Drogba based on his size (6ft 4inches), athleticism and pace, but there is one significant distinction between the two. Drogba only became universally recognised at the age of 25 whilst playing for Marseille, whereas Lukaku, along with his young Belgium team-mates, are already acknowledged as considerable talents playing for esteemed football clubs.
Lukaku has regularly started for Anderlecht since he was 16, Fellaini, Defour and Hazard have been starting for respected, recognizable sides since the age of 17, Dembélé and Witsel since they were 18, and Vertonghen long before his twentieth birthday. The experience they have each been acquiring from such a young age will surely serve their development as a team in the long run.
Belgium’s precocious squad bear striking similarities to the young German side who performed so exceptionally at the World Cup in 2010, in that they embody a multicultural and multinational bent. Lukaku’s heritage traces back to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dembele’s ancestors hail from Mali and Fellaini, who has roots in Morocco, won the Ebony Shoe in 2008 whilst playing for Standard Liege, an award given to the best player of African descent.
The youth development and coaching infrastructure in Belgium is largely influenced by their German, French and Dutch neighbours and the country boasts facilities of a decent standard compared with the rest of Europe. It remains unclear why so many young stars have emerged at once, providing a glimpse at the promising future of Belgian football, but their potential is extraordinary.
This glut of talent represents a diverse range of attributes and impressive versatility from defence up to attack without even citing the talented young Sunderland goalkeeper, Simon Mignolet, 22, who recently kept a clean sheet on his international debut, winger Nacer Chadli, who at the age of 21 scored against Azerbaijan in his third appearance for Belgium and Kevin de Bruyne, the 19 year-old Racing Genk forward currently making waves in the Jupiler League.
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The nation face a struggle to reach the play-offs for Euro 2012, and the tournament in Poland and Ukraine may just have come too soon, but it is not inconceivable to imagine approaching the 2014 Brazilian World Cup considering Belgium as serious contenders, with their stars having gained experience with any number of Europe’s big boys.
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Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer insists Schalke are not afraid of Champions League semi-final favourites Manchester United.Bundesliga side Schalke host English Premier League leaders United on Tuesday in the first leg of their European Cup tie, with a place in the Wembley final up for grabs.
United, boasting the likes of England striker Wayne Rooney, Serbia centre-back Nemanja Vidic and Portugual winger Nani, appear better equipped to reach what would be their third final in four years.
But 25-year-old Neuer – himself a sought-after Germany international – does not fear Sir Alex Ferguson’s seasoned campaigners.
“I have respect for those players but I’m not afraid of them,” Neuer said.
“I’ve already played against Rooney once in the World Cup and it ended positively for Germany. I hope it’ll be similar against Manchester United.”
“They have many good players,” he added.
“There is the experience of Ryan Giggs and Edwin van der Sar. I was a big fan of Van der Sar when I was growing up, but you can’t just pick out one player.”
“The team is the star at Manchester United. I have to say I really like the way they play.”
Schalke have their own Champions League veteran in former Real Madrid striker Raul, a man Neuer is backing to give his side the edge over the two legs.
“He has so much experience and he’s very important for us in these games,” Neuer said.
“Raul has great statistics in the Champions League. He scores a goal every two games – so he’ll definitely score against Manchester United.”
Despite upsetting defending champions Inter Milan in the quarter-finals, Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick believes his team remain the least fancied outfit in the last four.
“We are the clear underdogs in this tie too,” Rangnick said.
“Everybody expects Manchester United to win easily.”
An 89th-minute Brek Shea goal has handed FC Dallas a 2-1 win over LA Galaxy in their rain-soaked MLS encounter.The Texas club moves into fifth in Western Conference standings as a consequence while LA remain on top despite the defeat.
LA Galaxy, who named David Beckham in the line-up despite his attendance of the royal nuptials back in his native England, welcomed back former Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel to the starting eleven.
The home side had to be content without star midfielder David Ferreira, who is out with a broken ankle.
Fellow Colombian Fabian Castillo opened the scoring for Dallas two minutes after half-time, sumptuously looping the ball over Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts for his maiden MLS goal.
Castillo celebrated by paying tribute to team-mate Ferreira, who broke his ankle against the Vancouver Whitecaps last Saturday.
After scoring, Castillo held up a shirt with the name of his compatriot, recipient of last season’s MLS Most Valuable Player award.
But it only took four minutes for the Galaxy draw level, through captain Landon Donovan’s sliding poacher’s effort from close range.
Heavy rain and lightning forced the game into an hour-long impasse in the 83rd minute, which resulted in a mass departure of supporters from Pizza Hut Park.
Dallas, however, were not to be denied when play resumed, as Brek Shea floated a cross-cum-shot over Ricketts from the edge of the box to send his side into fifth.
Dallas will now head to the capital to face DC United on Saturday, while the Galaxy welcome New York Red Bull on Saturday.