Pro Eleven Headline News

Manchester United Tops Gamba Osaka, Makes Club World Cup Final

Manchester United beat Japan’s Gamba Osaka 5-3 today to reach the final of the FIFA Club World Cup in a match that came alive in a six-goal second half.

Wayne Rooney scored twice for United in front of 67,618 fans in Yokohama, Japan, as the European champion set up a final against Ecuador’s Liga de Quito. Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic and Darren Fletcher got the other goals for United.

“There were times when I was nervous,” United coach Alex Ferguson said at a press conference. “What we’ve seen tonight is an indication that Japanese football is really improving.”

United is aiming to become the second European team to win the global club championship after AC Milan last year. Sao Paulo and Internacional, both from Brazil, are the two other champions. The winner will get $5 million prize money.

Gamba’s Tomokazu Myojin and Ryuji Bando forced sharp saves from Edwin van der Sar early in the match before United took control with goals from Vidic and Ronaldo, both headed from corners.

The second-half began with few chances, before four goals were scored in five minutes after the United manager substituted Paul Scholes, Vidic and striker Carlos Tevez.

Gamba striker Masako Yamazaki scored with a clean finish in between two long-range strikes from Yasuhito Endo that had Van der Sar at full stretch. United responded with three goals from substitutes Rooney and Fletcher to make it 5-1

Endo, a Japan national team regular often compared by the Japanese media with Celtic’s Shunsuke Nakamura, then scored from the penalty spot before Gamba striker Hideo Hashimoto ended the scoring with a goal in stoppage time.

“Tough Game”

“It was a very tough game but there were times when we controlled it and played our way,” Gamba coach Akira Nishino told reporters after the match. “The timing of their goals, especially Rooney’s first, was unfortunate for us.”

The Club World Cup is contested by continental soccer champions. It was formed in 2005 from a merger between the FIFA Club World Championship, played once in Brazil in 2000, and the Intercontinental Cup, which was played annually between the South American and European champions.

Gamba Osaka, which changed its name from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Soccer Club when the J-League was formed in 1992, is the second Japanese team to win the Asian Champions League after Urawa Red Diamonds. The team finished in 8th place in this year’s domestic competition below champions Kashima Antlers.

Quito, which won Ecuador’s first Copa Libertadores title in July, beat Mexico’s Pachuca 2-0 yesterday in the other semifinal in Tokyo. The final will be played Dec. 21 in Yokohama.

“It’s going to be a massive game, a difficult game and we have to prepare for it,” Ronaldo said after the game. Bloomberg


Two-time winner Sevilla crashes out of UEFA Cup after loss to Sampdoria

Sevilla's bid for a third UEFA Cup title in four years was ended Thursday by Sampdoria, which progressed to the knockout stage alongside Stuttgart, Tottenham, NEC Nijmegen, Paris Saint-Germain and Olympiakos.

Jonathan Bottinelli's 75th-minute goal gave Sampdoria a 1-0 win over Sevilla, which was also overtaken in Group C by Stuttgart after the German club's 3-0 victory over group winner Standard Liege.

Racing Santander was knocked out on goal difference in Group A when Manchester City, which had already qualified, scored an injury-time consolation goal in a 3-1 loss. PSG qualified in third place by one goal after crushing FC Twente 4-0.

Tottenham rallied from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Spartak Moscow to advance at the expense of the Russian club along with NEC Nijmegen, which scored two late goals to beat Group D winner Udinese 2-0.

Olympiakos trounced Hertha Berlin 4-0 to reach the last 32, but it was Metalist Kharkiv which topped Group B ahead of Galatasaray by edging Benfica 1-0.

AC Milan, Valencia and Hamburg were among the clubs to advance from the four groups completed Wednesday. The 24 teams will be joined in Friday's draw by the eight third-place finishers in the Champions League group stage.

Sevilla entered the final group matches in second place in Group C, but its campaign ended when an unmarked Bottinelli bundled Reto Ziegler's curling free kick in. Not since the 2003-04 season has a Spanish team failed to advance from the group stage.

Stuggart went ahead in the fifth minute against Standard Liege when Sami Khedira blasted past goalkeeper Rorys Aragon Espinoza.

Having set up the first goal, Roberto Hilbert scored four minutes after the break and Ciprian Marica added a third in the 72nd by sending a left-footed shot inside the far corner for Stuggart.

Manchester City's second-string team had only securing top group spot on its mind, but substitute Felipe Caicedo scored a late goal to also inflict heartache on Santander and complete a miserable night for Spanish football.

Santander had led 2-0 after half an hour following goals from Jonathan Pereira and Oscar Serrano, with Juan Valera adding a third in the 54th.

PSG's rout of Twente proved vital as Paul Le Guen's side squeezed through ahead of Santander because it had scored one more goal than the Spaniards over the four group matches each.

Peguy Luyindula and Stephane Sessegnon gave PSG a two-goal lead by halftime, and Luyindula scored the crucial fourth goal after Mateja Kezman had also found the net in the closing minutes.

"We didn't know whether to keep going forward or not by the end," Le Guen said. "I had some false information that Racing had gone 4-0 up at the end of their match. I thought we were being eliminated, so I was telling my players to go forward."

Spartak went through similar tribulations at White Hart Lane, with Artem Dzjuba's two goals in the space of 11 minutes before halftime putting the Russians in sight of qualification.

But Luka Modric, who moved to Spurs in the off-season, chose the perfect moment to score his first goal for the club in the 67th. Aaron Lennon weaved through the defence on the right flank before squaring to the unmarked Croatia playmaker, who turned it past goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa with his first touch.

Tom Huddlestone drew level seven minutes later when he rose inside the box to head in Bale's cross.

NEC Nijmegen join Spurs in the draw in Nyon, Switzerland, after second-half substitute Collins John scored in the 75th and Jhonny van Beukering added another three minutes later to give the Dutch side a 2-0 win over Udinese.

Olexandr Rykun came off the bench to clinch Metalist Kharkiv's victory over Benfica in the 84th, ensuring the Ukrainians avoid the third-place Champions League teams by topping Group B.

Greek champion Olympiakos claimed the third qualifying spot with four second-half goals against Hertha Berlin. Canadian Press


Real Madrid recall Parejo from QPR loan deal

Real Madrid have recalled Daniel Parejo from his loan spell at Queens Park Rangers, the Spanish club confirmed this evening.

Parejo signed a one-year loan deal with QPR at the end of July but, with the Primera Liga champions plagued by injuries, Madrid have activated a recall clause to bring him back to the Bernabeu.

"Parejo, the Spain Under-21 international, was loaned out last summer to Queens Park Rangers,'' read a statement on the official website www.realmadrid.com.

"The midfielder, following a brilliant path in the youth sections of Real Madrid, played last season in the Castilla (reserve team) and has already played minutes in the first team.

"Daniel Parejo becomes one of Real Madrid's reinforcements for the winter transfer market.

"Dani Parejo, 19, is already in Madrid and will be immediately at the service of Juande Ramos in the Ciudad Deportiva de Valdebebas.''

QPR confirmed that while Parejo is officially set to return to Madrid on New Year's Day, they have agreed to release him a couple of weeks earlier.

With midfielders Ruben de la Red and Mahamadou Diarra both out for the rest of the season (along with striker Ruud van Nistelrooy) and Madrid's injury list seemingly growing by the day, sports director Pedja Mijatovic has opted to bring the youngster back to the Spanish capital.

Parejo made 18 appearances for QPR during an impressive loan spell at Loftus Road.

"We have a very good working relationship with (president Ramon) Calderon and Mr Mijatovic at Real Madrid and we are very grateful to them for allowing us to take Daniel on loan in the first place,'' Rangers manager Paulo Sousa told the club's official website www.qpr.co.uk.

"He is a player of great potential and I am sure that with a good professional attitude, he has the talent to achieve at the very highest level.

"I will continue to follow his progress at Madrid, and of course, we wish him all the best for his future career.''


Europe's top goalscorer, Janko, aims for England

Two years ago, Marc Janko visited Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium as a fan. If Europe's hottest forward gets his wish, he will be returning as a player.

The 25-year-old leads European soccer with 30 goals this season and is likely to leave Austrian league leader Red Bull Salzburg next month.

"There are a lot of great clubs, but I clearly prefer to play in England," Janko said Wednesday, three days after the Austrian league began a two-month winter break. "There are several candidates, but there is no agreement yet."

Janko declined to name any of the clubs he's been talking with, though British media report that Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Blackburn are the main contenders to sign the 6-foot, 4-inch forward, whose mother was an Olympic bronze medalist in the javelin.

Janko expects to make a decision on his future in the next couple of weeks.

"I leave all options open for now," Janko said. "But going to England would be my favorite, for sure."

Janko's contract with Salzburg expires in 2011, and he says he and his manager, Georg Stanggassinger, have kept the club informed about negotiations.

"We don't hide anything. We play open cards. I owe that to this club," said Janko, who has been with Salzburg since 2005.

The club will expect to earn a transfer fee of at least $14.3 million, which would make him the most expensive Austrian soccer player.

Janko was born in Vienna, the son of Eva Janko-Egger, who won the 1968 javelin bronze at Mexico City and who still holds the Austrian record at 202 feet.

In his first season with Salzburg, Janko had 11 goals in 17 matches and got his first callup to the national team for an exhibition against Croatia in May 2006.

However, a pelvic injury kept him sidelined for almost the entire 2006-07 campaign. After recovering, he struggled to find his rhythm and was benched in most matches. He scored just five goals last season.

Coach Josef Hickersberger dropped him from the national squad shortly before the start of the European Championship. Janko said he was not frustrated at being overlooked but used it as extra motivation.

He is now the indisputable first-choice striker for Hickersberger's successor, Karel Bruckner.

Salzburg, which lost its domestic league title to Rapid Vienna last season, is reluctant to let its best forward leave in the middle of the season.

"We want to win the championship," Salzburg coach Co Adriaanse said, "so it would be very unlucky if one of our best players was to leave during the winter break."

But Janko is clear about his intentions.

"If the sporting perspective is right, I won't hesitate," he said. -Herald Tribune