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Valencia advance at UEFA Cup
Valencia took a huge step after thrashing Rosenborg 4-0 away and moving into next stage at UEFA Cup.
Valencia used the same tactics that led them to get good results (though it had many changes) to face Rosenborg in Norway, where the cold is severe, and may have had some influence on the team at the beginning of the game.
Rosenborg never gave the impression of being a dangerous team, so Valencia could put pressure on them at their whim; then, a good play from Edu finished in a cross to Mata, who powered it with a header to open the score at minute 20.
Five minutes later, Mata had another chance, but it was offsided; as for the team coached by Trond Henriksen, they tried to scare Valencia, but they weren't strong enough to succeed.
Mata was replaced by Joaquin in the second half to make Valencia had a better start. Yet, Rosenborg almost score the equalizer through a shot from Skjelbred.
Rosenborg kept trying, but Valencia, which were quite solid at the defense, had the most dangerous goal chances; as a result, Pablo Hernandez scored a tremendous goal after dribbling two defenders fifteen minutes before then end.
Valencia took control of the game, and that gave them the confidence to go for more; indeed, Baraja and Joaquin fired their goals to seal a great away win.
Portsmouth hoping for take-off in Uefa Cup
Portsmouth’s Uefa Cup campaign has yet to get off the ground and neither did the team’s plane to Germany yesterday after the company that owned the aircraft went bust 4½ hours before the players and staff were due to embark for this evening’s group E match against Wolfsburg.
Flightline, a Southend-based charter company with six planes, went into administration at 10am. Although Thomson Sport, the club’s official travel provider, eventually found an alternative aircraft, it had to fly from Cologne to Southampton to pick up the squad, which arrived two hours late. The club wanted to fly via Brunswick, where the runway is too short for Thomson’s planes, which were used to take media and spectators via Hanover.
For Adams and his wealthy players, it was barely an inconvenience. For the 235 Flightline employees made redundant three weeks before Christmas, it was much more serious. For a club in Portsmouth’s reported financial difficulties, it must have been a chilling reminder of the possible consequences of the global credit crunch.
Flightline is the fourth company used by Barclays Premier League clubs to hit problems this season after the failures of XL, Markoss and European Aviation Air Charter. Portsmouth will hope that yesterday’s events were not a bad omen.
There was never a danger that Portsmouth would fail to arrive in Germany less than 24 hours before kick-off — which woud have contravened Uefa rules — and they had trained before setting off as Tony Adams sought to replicate normal working patterns. That was just as well because Portsmouth, who must win this evening to have a realistic chance of reaching the knockout phase of the competition, can ill-afford to start at a disadvantage against a team who could prove formidable opponents.
Wolfsburg, eighth in the Bundesliga and unbeaten at the Volkswagen Arena since April, have scored 27 goals in nine home games, conceding only six. Coached by Felix Magath, the former West Germany midfield player, they have won both their group games, beating Heerenveen, of the Netherlands, 5-1 and snatching victory in injury time away to Braga, winning 3-2. They need only a point to join AC Milan in qualifying.
Portsmouth must match Braga’s result this evening away to Heerenveen, who have yet to take a point, then beat the Dutch side at Fratton Park on December 17 to progress. Adams, who confessed that he is an admirer of German football and methods, despite a “very good” personal record against German club sides, will not concern himself with events in the Netherlands. “We’re fully focused on tonight,” he said. “We won’t be worrying about Heerenveen and Braga. That’s out of our hands.
“This is a very tough place to come. Their home record is very good. But the facts are that if we win our last two games, we’re through. But we can only play one at a time and we will try to win tonight.”
If Portsmouth manage to take the lead, Adams will hope that they prove better at holding it than they have in recent home matches, where Wigan Athletic, Hull City and AC Milan have scored late goals to take points. But Adams admitted that a desire to satisfy the club’s supporters may not have worked in their favour. “The fans demand a certain style at Fratton Park, but away from home we will not be so adventurous,” he said.
He is boosted by the news that Sol Campbell has travelled after recovering from a toe injury and is likely to start in place of Younès Kaboul, who received an ankle injury in the match against Milan. “Great news,” Adams said. “I need my best players on the pitch and I want Sol to play every game. He is a phenomenal footballer and we’ve missed him. It’s a question of team maturity. After a couple of matches where we’ve been done late on, his experience could have helped.” -TimesOnline
Transfer News
Profile
Name : Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Nationality : Netherlands
Date of birth : August 12, 1983
Height : 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position : Striker
Benfica Coach Dreads Losing Di Maria To Real Madrid
As the Real Madrid transfer machine cranks up another gear, several clubs and their coaches are now starting to fear the worst - and none more so than Benfica.
As Real Madrid look set to confirm and seal the arrival of Ajax Amsterdam striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the club are now moving quickly to snap up their second winter signing as promised by president Ramon Calderon.
Benfica’s Argentine winger, Angel Di Maria, appears to be odds-on favourite to become Los Blancos’ next target and the Portuguese outfit’s coach, Quique Sanchez Flores, is eager for confirmation from his own board about the player’s situation.
“First, it is necessary to find out how true these reports are, which the club will confirm with me soon,” he was quoted as saying by Marca.
“The stories of Di Maria joining Real Madrid are quite recent and because of that, we will need time to analyse the situation, which is of grave importance to the club.”
It is believed that Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer is also wary of Madrid’s transfer threat surrounding his team’s two star figures, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribery. Goal
Acrobatic Brazilian teen gives new twist to beautiful
The talent shows through early.
Pele famously won the World Cup aged 17 and, although she hasn't reached those stellar heights yet, another 17-year-old is coming to prominence in the women's under-20 squad.
Leah Lynn Gabriela Fortune, born to American parents in Sao Paolo, has been making a name for herself with acrobatic throw-ins which are an assist in themselves given the havoc they create on landing in the penalty area.
Fortune, a keen gymnast who plays in defence for Team Chicago, hurls her missile throws after launching herself on the touchline with an eye-catching forward flip, a technique learned off father David.
"I don't do it for the spectacle - it's almost like a corner and it's a dangerous attacking weapon," says the teen, who moved to the United States as a toddler but who played a leading role in Brazil's run to the quarter-finals of the Under20 world championships in Chile after being offered a trial last year.
Monday, she and her teammates succumbed in their quarter-final to Germany, but in the group phase Leah was outstanding, particularly in a 5-0 thumping of Mexico, when one of her throws directly led to a spectacular goal.
Leah says she learned her move aged just five and adds "I've been a football fan since I was just a couple of years old."
Her grandparents had arrived in Sao Paulo in the first place to undertake Christian missionary work but even after her parents moved to Chicago, taking their girl out of Brazil, it proved impossible to take Brazil out of the girl as her passion for football grew and grew.
In 2006, under20 Brazilian coach Jorge Luiz Barcellos found out about her, as Chicago's Wheaton Academy had before him, and promptly brought her into the Brazilian fold - even though she does not speak Portuguese, unlike her parents, who are fluent.
"I've never spoken Portuguese so the first few training sessions were a little difficult - but football is a universal language," says the bubbly blue-eyed blonde.
"When I got the call up to the Brazilian squad it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up," says Leah.
"These girls are phenomenal, they treat football with a passion that I've never experienced in the United States. The way they live the game is incredible," she told FIFA.com ahead of the loss to the Germans, who advanced to the semis with goals from Sylvie Banecki, Nathalie Bock and Nicole Banecki to leave Leah's auriverde empty-handed despite her efforts.
The Germans moved on to a semi meeting with Leah's 'other homeland' the United States on Thursday while title-holders, having put out Japan, will meet France. AFP
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