Tag Futebol

With the FA Cup final coming up between Manchester City and Stoke I thought it would be a good time to look at some other games over the years that have featured a highly fancied team against one that wasn’t given a chance before the game. Here is a top ten list of some memorable games that big underdogs have taken part in.

10 2009-10 Chelsea 1 Portsmouth 0

I feel this is worth a place on the top ten because of the immense problems Portsmouth went through that season that included heavy debts and ended with relegation. However, despite those problems the club still managed to reach the FA Cup final at a packed Wembley. Chelsea won the match thanks to a 59th winner from Didier Drogba.

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9 2007-08 Cardiff 0 Portsmouth 1

This game makes the list for two main reasons. Firstly, it was a fantastic achievement for a Championship club to reach the FA Cup final and playing in Europe for either club would be a fantastic achievement. Portsmouth won this encounter thanks to a winner goal from Kanu in the 37th minute. The result ensured Portsmouth had qualified for Europe for the first time in their history.

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8 2003-04 Manchester United 3 Millwall 0

Manchester United won this game comfortably with a goal from Ronaldo and a superb brace from Dutch forward Ruud Van Nistelrooy. But it should be noted that Millwall did fantastically well just the reach the final considering it was the first time the club had reached a final in the League or FA Cup.

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7 2002-03 Arsenal 1 Southampton 0

Arsenal went into this game as big favourites after finishing second in the Premier League and having won the double the previous season. Even though Southampton were a solid side also but in this situation they were underdogs. As expected Arsenal won the game 1-0 with Pires getting the winner goal.

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6 1991-92 Liverpool 2 Sunderland 0

This was another great final between a massive club from the top flight and massive underdog from outside the top division. But the game went the expected way and Liverpool won through goals from Michael Thomas and Ian Rush.

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5 1987-88 Wimbledon 1 Liverpool 0

Liverpool were always billed as the likely winners of this game having just won the title for the top flight that season but it was plucky Wimbledon who upset the bookies with an unlikely win. Lawrie Sanchez struck the unlikely winner in the first half and Wimbledon recorded a famous victory.

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4 1986-7 Coventry 3 Tottenham 2

This was a classic of a game that again needed extra time to find a winner. The two sides were close throughout the game – but it was eventually Coventry that won thanks to a Gary Mabbutt own goal.

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3 1989-90 Manchester United 3 Crystal Palace 3

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What a classic game of football this was and even after extra time there was still no winner. In fact there was even time for two goals to be scored in the extra time period. Manchester United won the reply 1-0.

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2 1982-3 Manchester United 2 Brighton 2

Manchester United were big favourites going into this game and Brighton had been relegated from the top flight that season and never reached the final before. However, they gave United quite a game and the match finished in a 2-2 draw thanks to 87th minute equaliser from Gary Stevens.

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1 1982-3 Manchester United 4 Brighton 0

After such a strong performance in the original game they would have had high hopes for the replay but it proved to be a very one-side affair with United winning 4-0. United did well to record such a convincing win in what must have been such a tricky game.

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If there is a better footballer in the World than Cristiano Ronaldo at this moment in time then I haven’t seen one, as his goalscoring exploits and performances for Real Madrid has seen him eclipse the likes of Lionel Messi for the crown. There is one thing being a good player in England; but doing it in technically the best league in the world is a much different feat altogether.

While his exploits on the pitch continue to leave supporters salivating in awe, his exploits off the pitch draws an equal amount of adulation as he continues to date some of the most beautiful women in the world. The latest women on the arm is the model Irina Shayk, who let’s be honest puts most of the Premier League wags in the shade.

Click on image below to see a gallery of Ronaldo’s latest lady

In the wake of Lee Clark’s dismissal at Huddersfield, despite his outstanding record of just three defeats in 55 games, I have decided to compile my top ten strangest decisions in football.

The ‘beautiful’ game we all know and love sometimes lets its hair down, downing bottle after bottle of champagne until it loses its inhabitations and evolves into a ‘funny old’ game.

The examples below are a combination of the obscure, the bewildering and the damn right absurd decisions that have lodged themselves in my memory. It goes without saying that human error forms a large part of footballs entertainment factor, but that doesn’t stop us fans cursing the high heavens when our superstar striker falls arse over elbow when clean through on goal.

Click on Leroy Rosenior to unveil the top 10

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Got an example that you think should have made the Top 10? Send me a message on Twitter @theunusedsub

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AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf has signed a one-year contract extension with the Serie A champions, the club announced on Wednesday.There had been speculation over the 35-year-old’s future with his contract set to expire in June.

But rumours of his impending departure have been put to rest as the Dutch international signed a deal to stay with the club he joined in 2002.

“There was almost no need to negotiate. Last week, we settled on an agreement on the main points of the contract and today we have finalised it,” he said.

“Everything is fine. There weren’t any problems. AC Milan has made me an offer, which I’ve accepted. As I’ve said, we didn’t negotiate that much. Everything has been very quiet and serene.”

Seedorf said there were no problems between him and the club in reaching the agreement.

“The willingness of the club and of the president (Silvio Berlusconi) has been very clear and I’ve been clear as well. In this way, we can restart next year with important objectives, like all years,” he said.

“We have won the championship and now we should get closer to Europe. This represents a great incentive for me and I’d like to repeat the same performance next year as well.”

Seedorf joins fellow veterans Alessandro Nesta, Massimo Ambrosini and Filippo Inzaghi in signing new deals to remain at the San Siro.

Sunderland are hopeful that England striker Darren Bent will be fit for Monday's Premier League fixture against Blackburn Rovers.

Bent missed England's Euro 2012 qualifier with Montenegro on Wednesday after picking up a groin problem while on international duty.

The seven-goal striker was immediately made a doubt for the trip to Ewood Park.

However, following scans on Bent's return to the north east, Black Cats boss Steve Bruce is upbeat about his chances of being passed fit.

"Darren's had a scan and his injury is not too serious," he told the club's official website.

"You're always concerned if a player picks up a groin injury.

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"If the game against Blackburn was this Saturday I'd say he had no chance of playing, but given that it's Monday he's got half a chance of being fit for it.

"We'll keep monitoring the situation and we'll see how he is come Monday."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Surely the number one candidate for the England job and his recent comments should have sent alarm bells ringing among most when he suggested bringing Paul Scholes out of international retirement and persisting with the ‘golden generation’ that has failed so spectacularly in the past. Well not for the media’s favourite son Harry Redknapp, who at this moment can do or say no wrong. But is this what the country really want, and should the upcoming Euros be seen as more of a preparation for the next World Cup rather than the extremely unlikely chance of winning an international tournament this year?

Is was pleasant to see Harry Redknapp in high spirits during his pre-game press conference last week after his “nightmarish” previous two weeks. The suggestion that the media were already trying to get him out of the England job before he’d even got it raised a pleasant reaction from all in attendance. But when one of the world’s best coaches could not turn England’s fortunes around, even after he’d kept to his word and lowered the average age of the England squad, why are there not raised eyebrows and question marks over Redknapp’s early talk of who he’d bring in or keep in the England set up. The media, fans and whoever else decided to jump on the anti-Capello bandwagon, chased the Italian manager out of the job with pitchforks and torches raised over the heads because he was seemingly inadequate for the job—a total disregard for his previous successes abroad. Well what exactly does Redknapp bring to the table that Capello couldn’t—other than being best mates with all the players.

Even though Capello also tried to venture down this avenue in the past, do we really need to see Paul Scholes in an England shirt again? Michel Salgado commented in his recent column in FourFourTwo that this country likes to bring in former players when they’ve moved on from their clubs for one reason or another. Along with their qualities, they also bring a sense of nostalgia and a little bit of hope; but something like that would never be done in Spain. And that is the fundamental difference: other nations are not afraid of moving on into new eras and possibly establishing new ways of playing that suits their current squads. Instead the nation and it’s managers are desperately clinging onto something that is safe and familiar, even though it didn’t always work.

The failings of Fabio Capello are not attributed to his lack of ability as a manager, even if his methods were unpopular. He failed, in the eyes of most, because the England squad is poor. So what hope does Harry Redknapp have? Even though he might add something a little different to what Capello brought to the table, there’s no guarantee that his arm-around-the-shoulder approach will be a success with this group of players. Harry Redknapp has done exceptionally well to get his Tottenham side playing good football while racking up the points; but importantly he has also got them working. How much work ethic will there be from a group of players who are persistently called up to the England squad yet fail to deliver when it matters? The core of the squad that has been in place for so long needs refreshing, just in the same way that fresh ideas were so desperately called for from the managerial position.

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Aside from the man-management aspect of the coaching, should Harry Redknapp not take responsibility in breaking up the poisonous and disruptive atmosphere that has surrounded the England camp for so long? John Terry, arguably, has no place in the England squad for the Euros or beyond following his demotion from captaincy. Not only does it create hostilities between current regulars in the England squad, but it has the chance of spilling over into the next generation of England players who have every chance of doing more for the national side that the current squad have done.

It would be extremely refreshing to see Redknapp—should he get the job—give the squad a much-needed facelift. It’s extremely unlikely that England will win the tournament in the summer, not just because of the quality of other nations, but because of the lack of preparation the manager will have; so why not take this opportunity to give the squad a new look and allow the younger players the chance to experience a big tournament ahead of the World Cup in Brazil. A failure to reach the semi-finals, for example, should not be seen as a poor tournament for a younger squad in the springtime of their careers. But what is vital is that they be given the chance to experience the Euros without the negative input of current members of the squad. It will be a positive learning experience that will only strengthen England’s ambitions for a successful World Cup.

Harry Redknapp may be the right candidate for the job from a very small pool of likely candidates, but it is so important that he doesn’t just come in and continue with what has failed the team over the past decade. Talk of Paul Scholes’ ability in comparison to current Spanish internationals is not a positive move and will only be used as a stick to beat the manager when the team fails this summer. Move on from the stale and predictable players that have done very little over the years and introduce a foundation of younger, hungrier players that will take this opportunity with both hands.

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The obsession to change the manager when things aren’t going well for England starts to become a tired exercise when the real problem is identified in the squad. Fresh ideas and changes in the dugout should be complemented by fresh faces and changes in the starting XI. Until that happens, the national side is likely to carry on the cycle of continued failure.

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There is no question where the match of the weekend is and Old Trafford which could prove to be the title decider for the 2010/11 season. Chelsea have stormed into the race out of nowhere and should they eclipse United and land the title this season, then it must go down as one of the biggest turnarounds in history.

In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Viera claims the race quotas are scandalous; Whelan reveals talks of a salary cap, while David Gold concedes that his England stars are likely to move on if West Ham are relegated.

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Vieira: FFF race quotas are ‘scandalous’ – Guardian

Fifa alarmed by global match-fixing threat – Daily Telegraph

Real Madrid legend Mijatovic could step into Arnesen’s shoes at Chelsea – Daily Mail

Whelan reveals top-flight salary cap talks – Daily Telegraph

Young’s Villa departure is not ‘inevitable’ – Guardian

Parker and England mob will leave if we go down, says Gold – Daily Mail

Win or lose, Ferguson’s fire will still burn bright – Daily Telegraph

Man Utd close in on keeper Rui – Sun

Liverpool and Villa are tracking Baggies’ Brunt – Mirror

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I was hoodwinked by Harry – Sun

Real Madrid refuse to buy Adebayor – even at £15m – Mirror

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Played four, lost four and conceded twelve. This does not just represent West Ham’s worst start to a Premier League season but their worst start to a league campaign ever. Defensive frailties were in evidence again as the Hammers succumbed to the might of a Chelsea side which did not leave second gear, losing 3-1 at home. In the match day programme David Sullivan revealed the scale of the club’s debts in case anyone had forgotten. On the touchline, Avram Grant appeared forlorn and weary in what has already become an onerous campaign. But the Israeli said, “If you saw the level we played, it’s not a team for relegation.” Is Grant accurate in his analysis and what can be gleamed from this defeat?

Red…Yellow…Green…Shoot

Chelsea took the lead within two minutes as Michael Essien scored with an unmarked header from Didier Drogba’s corner. Poor marking was to blame but Robert Green was at fault for their second goal. Drogba struck a low free-kick straight at Green but the former Norwich keeper fumbled and Matthew Upson pounced on the loose ball. Rather than kicking the ball out for a throw-in, the England defender struck it against Salomon Kalou and the rebound looped into West Ham’s net. Upson should have reacted better but the focus was on Green’s ineffective handling. On Radio FiveLive the summariser, Pat Nevin said many teams will be looking to fire low shots at Green which awkwardly bounce at the last second. This will plausibly form the basis of many opposition team talks whilst his erratic form continues.

Scott Parker is worth every penny

The talismanic midfielder signed a new contract last week, keeping him at Upton Park until 2014. His wages have been enhanced and are believed to be somewhere in the region of £65,000 and £70,000 per week. This does not seem to tally with Sullivan’s talk of financial austerity. However, considering the relatively high wages of Benni McCarthy and Frederic Piquionne it is difficult to begrudge Parker of his increased pay packet. He scored a sumptuous volley from the edge of the box as the ball fell to him from Petr Cech’s punched clearance. He shaped to leather the ball but intelligently opted to carefully lift it over the traffic and into the far corner. It was a moment of exceptional quality from the former Newcastle captain who will be looking to boost his goal haul this season.

Obinna will be Cole’s striking partner

Victor Obinna made his debut on loan from Inter Milan against Chelsea, playing alongside Carlton Cole. Intermittently the two combined well as the Nigerian gave an impressive performance, regularly finding space in the opposition penalty area. He had two excellent opportunities in the first half, firstly receiving a chipped pass from Cole and volleying wide. The pacy forward then cut into the box from the left wing and unleashed a powerful right footed shot which curled narrowly beyond the far post. Considering the strength of the opponents, who had not conceded a league goal since April, it was an impressive performance. He showed elusive movement, strength, energy and speed. These characteristics will surely see him prosper in the PL.

Communication Problems

Two more players had league debuts for West Ham on Saturday, Lars Jacobson and the former Chelsea centre-back Tal Ben Haim. The side’s captain is a mainstay in central defence but has been paired with James Tomkins, Danny Gabbidon and Winston Reid this season with Manuel da Costa yet to return. These frequent changes are not breeding defensive meanness or effective relationships. The marking for the first goal was woeful and a driving run from Essien allowed him to score his second and Chelsea’s third as he met Paulo Ferreira’s cross under no pressure. The Israeli defender did seem comfortable at times and made a few impressive forward runs. Jacobson impressed in segments but arguably afforded too much room for Kalou and the rampaging Ashley Cole. Upon signing for the Hammers, the Danish international said he would relish their style of play and managed to get forward, make over-lapping runs and deliver teasing crosses.

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West Ham have their strongest squad in recent years

This was a claim made by Upson during their unbeaten pre-season campaign. A miserable start to the season should not obscure this view which carries some weight. Kieron Dyer came off the bench while other wide players, Pablo Barrera and Julien Faubert were unused substitutes. Junior Stanislas and Benni McCarthy did not even make the bench, displaying the range of options available to Grant. The quality of these players can be debated but it is critical that a manager has choices which have been lacking at the Boleyn in past years. With Jack Collison and Zavon Hines still to return from knee injuries, expect the team to get stronger as the season progresses.

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Roberto Mancini has stated that Liverpool have made mistakes over their handling of the Luis Suarez racial abuse incident, but feels the Reds’ striker is not a racist.

The Uruguay international has been given an eight-match ban from the FA after he was found guilty of insulting Manchester United defender Patrice Evra due to his ethnicity.

The Anfield club have been widely criticised due to their unrelenting support of Suarez, and an incident of racism against Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi by a club fan.

The Manchester City boss has stated that things can happen in the heat of the moment, but must be apologised for in the aftermath.

“I think that sometimes it can happen on the pitch, a situation like this. It is important to apologise for what you did,” he told The Telegraph.

“Sometimes on the pitch you can do something you don’t want to do, because you are nervous, you don’t think on the pitch. I don’t think Suarez is a racist. I think he made a mistake, probably, yes.

“Everyone can make a mistake sometimes, everyone. It is impossible that we are always perfect. It is important to say ‘I am sorry, I made a mistake, I apologise for this’ and accept the charge.

“Everything was said to me during my 20 years as a player, but I understand. I didn’t cry for this on the pitch because, I repeat, I have my opinion that on the pitch everything can happen because you don’t think, because you are tired, because you are stupid, you are young, for many reasons,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Juventus boss Luigi Delneri was left fuming after his side threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at home against Catania on Saturday.Two first-half goals from Alessandro Del Piero put Juventus comfortably ahead at the break, but Catania fought back with strikes from Alejandro Gomez and Lodi – from a free kick on the stroke of full-time – to secure a crucial point in their battle to avoid the drop.

Delneri, whose side are in seventh place and three points short of a Europa League berth with four games to play, was furious by the performance of his men and referee Mauro Bergonzi, who allowed five minutes of stoppage time.

“I am angry with everything, not just with Juventus’ performance, but also with the serious mistakes we made in the second half and the mistakes in the game’s finale due to high tension and due to errors from the referee,” Delneri said.

“At the end he did so many things he (Bergonzi) shouldn’t have done.”

“There was a series of quite complicated factors – the injury time, their free kick from (Felipe) Melo’s foul that wasn’t a foul, because it would have been impossible not to use that arm.”

“A more serious foul by (Pablo Martin) Ledesma was not seen from a Del Piero free kick, so to tell the truth I think he made quite strange decisions.”

“I’m not saying he did that on purpose, but if you are a referee you should behave as a referee otherwise it would be better to change profession. You should have a logic in what you see.”