Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts

Thursday, October 18, 2012


By Shehzad Owaisi







KARACHI, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) October 19, 2012: National Frontier (Banaras) came up with an outstanding display against North Muslim North Karachi to thrash them by five goals to nil in first round of 32 teams event of All Karachi Saqib Memorial Six a Side Flood-lit Football Tournament at U.P. Gymkhana Football Ground North Karachi on Wednesday.






In the other game of the day, Young Hussaini New Karachi thrilling won over Qasba United (West) on spin of the coin.

Jameel went ahead National Frontier in the 9th minute before Akhtar doubled their lead a minute later. Striker Bakhat Zaman further inflated National Frontier’s tally with a fine field effort in the 27th minute.

At half-time, National Frontier were leading 3-0. After the breather, National Frontier went on aggressively, adding two more goals through Jameel and Akhtar in the 35th and 40th minutes respectively to complete the rout.

In the other match Young Hussaini recorded a thrilling win over Qasba United on spin of the coin. The match remained goalless in the stipulated time. In the tie-breaker both the teams ended up on 2-2. The match was then decided on spin of the coin. Young Hussaini's captain called "heads" done and moved into second round.

By Shehzad Owaisi








KARACHI, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) October 19, 2012: The Beaconhouse Defence defeated defending champions Beaconhouse Jubilee by two goals to nil to claim the Beaconhouse Intra Region O-Levels (Boys) Football Championship title at PSB Ground near National Stadium on Wednesday evening.






BSS Defence had previously beaten BSS PECHS 2-1, while BSS Jubilee had overcome BSS Gulshan 3-2 in the semi finals.

The thrilling final failed to witness a goal in regular time and both the goals were scored by star striker Noman Tahir in the extra time.

Firstly Noman Tahir converted a penalty kick when the captain of Jubilee Usman Saad deliberately hand ball in the area, Referee Habibullah showed no hesitation to award a penalty kick in favour of BSS Defence in the 65th minute.

Second goal of the final scored in the 75h minute by Noman Tahir when he received a beautiful cross from left winger Asad Mehdi. Noman made no mistake in kicking the ball into net as BSS Defence successfully clinched the title and broke the consecutive success of Jubilee.

BSS Defence not only clinched the title but avenged their 1-2 defeat against Jubilee in the previous final held on January 31, 2012.

The 3rd position playoff saw BSS Gulshan United hammering BSS PECHS by three goals to nil. Gulshan United Hayyan Hassany 5, Abdullah 25 and Amjad Ali 55 scored one goal apiece for the winners.

Referee Habibullah supervised the match while Riaz Ahmed and Babar Khan assisted him on the line. Mr. Ahsan Raza was the Match Commissioner.

BSS Defence were presented with Winners' Trophy by Cheif Guest Asim Iftikhar Yakub, School Group Head for Southern Region, with BSS Jubilee and BSS Gulshan United collecting their respective position trophies.

BSS Defence striker Noman Tahir was given top scorer award with six goals to his name and was also declared Player of the tournament.

BSS Gulshan Saad Farooq was named the Best Defender and BSS PECHS Huzaifa Tariq was declared the Best Goal keeper.

By Shehzad Owaisi








KARACHI, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) October 18, 2012: FC Rovers Malir Cantt defeated Mehran Soccer New Karachi 6-0 and Shah Faisal Nazimabad outplayed Jahangir Memorial North Nazimabad 3-0 to move into second round of All Karachi Saqib Memorial six-a-side Flood-Lit Football Tournament at UP Gymkhana Football Ground North Karachi on Thursday.






FC Rovers easily won over Mehran Soccer 6-0. Irfan Junejo and Haris scored two goals each while Ammar Sharif and Usama Noor netted one goal apiece for winners.

Shah Faisal Nazimabad beat Jahangir Memorial 3-0. Haider, Hayat and Amir Khan netted one each for Shah Faisal.

Referee Riaz Ahmed and Mohammad Hanif while Mohammad Shamim was Match Commissioner.

Saturday’s Fixtures
Gulshan Soccer FC vs Hazara United (Central) at 8:30 pm
Gulshan Soccer Academy vs Young Hussaini (New Karachi) at 9:30 pm
Ghousia Sports New Karachi vs Young Mala (New Karachi) at 10:30 pm

Tuesday, October 16, 2012


By Shahzad Owaisi








KARACHI, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) October 16, 2012: Rahbar Sports New Karachi and Hazara United (Central) defeated Young Azizabad 5-2 and Clifton Shaheen (South) 2-0 respectively to move into second round of the All Karachi Saqib Memorial Six-a-Side Flood-Lit Football Tournament at U.P. Gymkhana Football Ground North Karachi on Tuesday.






Rahber Sports outclassed their strong opponent Young Azizabad FC 5-2. The Hero of the match Mohammad Asif of Rahber Sports who scored all five goals from his side. Young Azizabad scored only two goals through Yasir Shah and Sunil Panda.

In the other match played between Hazar United and Clifton Shaheen of the tournament. Young team Hazara United give better performance than Clifton Shaheen. Hakeem and Sher Ali scored one goal apiece for winner. Clifton Shaheen striker Munir missed spot kick during the match.

Referee Mohammad Hanif whileMohammad Shamim was Match Commissioner.

Fixture for Thursday (18.10.2012)
Jahangir Memorial (Central) vs FC Rovers Malir Cantt at 8:30 pm
Shah Faisal Nazimabad vs Mehran Soccer (North Karachi ) at 9:30 pm

Monday, October 15, 2012

By FIFA Official Website
 
 
 
Asian Soccer Rivalries Take Center-Stage in FIFA 2014 Asian Qualifiers
 




SEOUL, South Korea (TheSportsNEXT) October 15, 2012: Old rivals meet again as Asia's final qualifying round for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ reaches the halfway mark on Tuesday. Notably, Iran entertain leaders Korea Republic in Group A's top-of-the-standing meeting, while in Group B Iraq and Australia resume their fast-developed rivalry in Doha, with both sides desperately seeking their opening win.



 

Elsewhere, Jordan arrives at Manama confident of prolonging their dominant head-to-head record against struggling Oman. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, travel to Qatar aiming to put their campaign back on track with three points. Join FIFA.com as we preview these enticing match-ups across the continent.

Final qualifying round, matchday 5 fixtures
16 October
Group A: Qatar-Uzbekistan, Iran-Korea Republic
Group B: Oman-Jordan, Iraq-Australia

The BIG match: Iran-Korea Republic
The game at Tehran represents one of Asia's greatest rivalries which has now spanned six decades, with the pair playing 25 matches, including five FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Although Korea Republic can boast two more wins, Iran have secured their share of crucial victories down the years.

A 1-1 draw in Seoul three years ago, which ended Team Melli's qualifying hopes for South Africa 2010, remains a painful memory for the Iranians. And new salt was rubbed into old wounds when the Koreans prevailed 1-0 over Iran during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in their most recent meeting.

Revenge, though, will be on the hosts' minds. And Carlos Queiroz's side will be particularly motivated to bounce back, having been stunned 1-0 in Lebanon recently. To the Iranian fans' satisfaction, they have a full-strength line-up with the return of Fulham new acquisition Ashkan Dejagan, while Belgium-based striker Reza Ghoochannejhad is likely to reinforce the attacking-line in his international debut.

The visitors, meanwhile, have fixed their sights on making history with their first-ever win at the Azadi Stadium. Having dropped veteran striker Lee Donggook, coach Choi Kanghee has called up in-form Hamburg marksman Son Heungmin. At the back, Yun Sukyoung and Shin Kwanghoon are likely to shore up the defence alongside Kwak Taehwi, who will return as captain following the omission of Lee Jungsoo.

The other attractions
Any slip-up by Iran will be welcomed by Qatar, who can move into the section's top two with a home win over bottom side Uzbekistan. However, Paulo Autuori's hosts must push aside their lacklustre form which saw them draw 1-1 against firstly Oman, and then Jordan, during the build-up. Adding to their concerns, defender Ibrahim Majed will miss the game through suspension, while forward Yusef Ahmed remains a doubt with injury. Knowing that a win is important to their diminishing hopes, the visitors arrive in Doha hoping to emulate their feat of a 2-0 win in the continental finals last year. However, the Central Asians twice came from behind to draw 2-2 against United Arab Emirates in a recent friendly, adding to coach Mirdjalal Kasimov's concerns.

Level on two points each, Iraq and Australia meet in their fifth FIFA World Cup qualifying meeting, with both anxious to revive their fortunes with a first triumph. Despite conceding six unanswered goals against Brazil recently, the Iraqis remain one of the toughest rivals for the Socceroos on the Asian scene. To the pleasure of coach Zico, a series of key players including midfielder Samer Saeed and forward Mustafa Kareem are back from injury, although Karrar Jassim is sidelined for disciplinary reasons. Holger Osieck's visitors, for their part, arrived in Doha a week early to acclimatise. The Socceroos have Matthew Spiranovic set to replace the injured Sasa Ognenovski in central defence and midfielder Carl Valeri coming in for David Carney, while midfielder Mark Bresciano is likely to provide the decisive attacking spark.

Boosted by their 2-1 upset win over Australia, Jordan travels to Oman expecting to cement their runners-up place behind Japan with three points. And the visitors' confidence is not unfounded, with their record of nine wins to three providing them with a clear mental edge. Coach Adnan Hamad will be pleased to see the return of striking duo Abdullah Deeb and Tha'er Bawab, although they must make do without goalkeeper Amer Shafi and defender Basem Fathi through suspension. Facing a must-win, though, the hosts' hopes were dealt a blow by an injury to striking-ace Emad Al Hosni. With the Al Ahli marksman a doubt to start, coach Le Guen summoned striker Younis Almshfri to enhance their firepower.

Player to watch
Having been on target as Uzbekistan swept past Qatar in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup opener, two-time AFC Player of the Year Server Djeparov returns to Doha hoping to relive his heroics from last year.

The statistics
4 - A quartet of sides, namely Iraq, Australia, Oman and Uzbekistan enter matchday 5 still seeking their first win.

What they said
“The match against Uzbekistan will not be easy but we must defeat them. Only a victory can put us in the group's second position. We must take advantage of playing at home and I hope our fans will show up in big numbers to support us,” Qatar coach Paulo Autuori

Original Link: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1785333/index.html

By FIFA Official Website



Can Lionel Messi repeat his heroics for Argentina?




BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (TheSportsNEXT) October 15, 2012: Leaders Argentina and third-placed Ecuador both face away trips tomorrow as they look to consolidate their positions in the South America qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. Second-placed Colombia sit out the latest round of games, while Uruguay and Chile, who host the Argentinians, are both anxious to improve their faltering form. At the other end of the table, meanwhile, Bolivia and Paraguay have no option but to start picking up points fast.



 
 

The big game: Chile vs Argentina
Tuesday 16 October, Estadio Nacional, Santiago, 20:05 (local time)

Chile and Argentina go into this game in very different frames of mind. Riding high at the top of the table, La Albiceleste are full of confidence after thumping Uruguay 3-0 win to extend their unbeaten run to six games. Lionel Messi has had a big hand in that purple patch and now has 30 international goals to his name, putting him fourth on Argentina’s list of all-time top scorers, just four behind Diego Maradona in third. Angel di Maria and Sergio Aguero have also been in fine form of late, though striker Gonzalo Higuain has a hip injury and is doubtful for the trip to the Chilean capital.

The picture is not quite so rosy for Claudio Borghi’s men, who lie fifth after going down to Ecuador in Quito last week. That 3-1 defeat that was followed by a frank exchange of views in the dressing room, which ended with the players promising to turn round a campaign that looked promising in June, after three straight wins, but has now hit the buffers. To make matters worse Arturo Vidal, Osvaldo Gonzalez and Pablo Contreras are all suspended, though the Chilean midfield will be bolstered by the return of the combative Gary Medel. His bite will be crucial to halting the in-form Argentinians, who thrashed the Chileans 4-1 in Buenos Aires in the opening game of the competition.

Elsewhere
Ecuador, who stand a point behind Argentina, are also on the road, with Venezuela their destination. Untouchable at their Quito stronghold, Reinaldo Rueda’s side have proved less impressive on their travels, losing two and drawing the other of their three away games to date. Sixth in the standings and aiming to pull up on the leaders, Venezuela should be full of running after enjoying a day off last Friday, and will be looking for yet more inspiration from Salomon Rondon. On the downside, Andres Tunez is out with injury.

Uruguay need to get back to winning ways fast after suffering defeats in two of their last three qualifying games, conceding eight goals in the process. La Celeste visit Bolivia tomorrow but will be without captain Diego Lugano, Diego Godin and Martin Caceres for what is a crucial game against a side just one point off the bottom of the table. The Bolivians have not given up hope of a place at Brazil 2014 yet, though as their Spanish coach Xabier Azkargorta acknowledged, they have a huge task ahead of them: “It’s tough, but there are 24 points left and we’ll be fighting for every one of them.”

Four-time FIFA World Cup finalists Paraguay are the side who lie below Bolivia and need a minor miracle if they are to get back into the qualification race. Beaten in their last five games, they entertain Peru with designs on avenging their 2-0 loss in Lima 12 months ago. The Peruvians fielded a reshuffled side in their 1-1 draw in Bolivia last week, and will be looking to striker Claudio Pizarro to spearhead their push for more valuable points in Asuncion.

Player to watch
Felipe Caicedo (Ecuador)
Frozen out of the national side since the 2011 Copa America, the Locomotive Moscow forward was given the chance to resume his international career by coach Reinaldo Rueda in September. The recall has proved an inspired decision, with Caicedo striking four goals in three qualifying matches, including a brace against Chile, and also earning praise for his positive attitude.

Did you know?
Andrea Pirlo and Ronaldinho were the inspirations behind the low free-kick that Lionel Messi fired under the Uruguay wall to seal Argentina’s 3-0 win in Mendoza on Friday. Speaking afterwards, Messi said he decided to take a leaf out of their book after seeing them score with similar strikes last week: “The keeper was standing still, and he knew I like to send the ball over the top. I guessed the wall was going to jump and so I decided to hit it low.” For the third time in a week, the tactic paid off.

What they said
“It’s been a tough week and this result hurts. It was a derby, we needed the three points, and we’re in a tight spot now. Every game will be a final for us, and our trip to the World Cup is in danger,” Uruguay captain Diego Lugano reacts to his side’s 3-0 defeat to Argentina last Friday.

Original Link: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1785408/index.html
By FIFA Official Website



Marcelo forced out of action for three weeks after injuring his foot





MADRID, Spain (TheSportsNEXT) October 15, 2012: Real Madrid defender Marcelo is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a foot injury while on international duty with Brazil.



 

According to a statement on the Brazilian football federation website, Marcelo is likely to be out of action for around three months after damaging his foot during training with the national team in Poland yesterday. Marcelo has now returned to Madrid where he will undergo further tests with the Spanish champions.

A Madrid statement read: "The left-back has suffered a fracture in his right foot, the Brazilian football federation (CBF) have announced in a statement. Marcelo suffered the injury while taking part in a training session with the Brazil national team in the Polish city of Wroclaw on Sunday.

"The Brazilian underwent tests at a local hospital which revealed he had fractured the fifth metatarsal of his right foot. The player, who immediately returned to Madrid, will be placed in the hands of the club's medical staff, who will verify the extent of the injury and determine what course of treatment the player will follow."

Original Link: http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1785397.html
By FIFA Official Website



Anfield ready for a MakeOver!




LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) October 15, 2012: Liverpool have moved a step closer to redeveloping Anfield after formally confirming their preference is to remain at their existing home and not build a new stadium in Stanley Park.



 

Symbolically, on the day of Fenway Sports Group's two-year anniversary of buying the club, a definitive way forward in relation to the long-running ground issue was identified by managing director Ian Ayre. Liverpool City Council have announced extensive plans for a regeneration of the Anfield area having secured a £25m grant with a housing association set to also invest heavily.

On the back of that the club plan to push ahead with proposals to extend and improve their only home since 1892. "Today represents a huge step forward for the Anfield area. Everyone at the football club knows the importance of today," Ayre told reporters at a press conference at Liverpool Town Hall.

"We welcome the opportunity to be part of this partnership - we want to thank Joe Anderson (mayor of Liverpool) and the council for the time and the support they've given us to help make the right decision. LFC celebrated its 120th year in 2012 at Anfield and there is no doubt Anfield is the spiritual home of the club - our preference was always to remain at Anfield.

"This is a major step forward for the football club but more importantly the residents. This is step one as there is land to acquire, plans to be approved etc, but this is a significant moment. Questions about capacity and cost are not for today - not until we have certainty."

Redevelopment is likely to see major improvements to, and extensions of, the main stand and the Anfield Road end although that is all subject to planning permission, which has been made possible by the regeneration plans to clear some streets close to the ground, and the support of homeowners and the community.

However, redevelopment is entirely dependent on being able to get the necessary permissions to carry out the work the club want - which means a new-build on Stanley Park cannot be conclusively consigned to the wastebin until those have been secured.

Original Link: http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1785406.html

Saturday, October 13, 2012

By Steve Roberts


Lionel Messi finally silences his critics by scoring goals for Argentina




LONDON (TheSportsNEXT) October 13, 2012: World and European champion Spain romped to a 24th straight qualifying win on Friday, although no one in the country was able to see it.



 

Pedro Rodriguez scored a hat trick as the world's best team routed host Belarus 4-0 in one of a group of big wins for Europe's leading nations in 2014 World Cup qualifying.

Radamel Falcao
Yet, celebrations were muted in the debt-ridden country after no broadcaster paid to televise the national team's match for the first time in 29 years.

Spain's wasn't the most convincing win of the third round of regional qualifiers, with Germany handing Ireland its worst loss since 1971, 6-1 at Dublin.

Wayne Rooney celebrated being handed the temporary England captaincy by scoring twice in a routine 5-0 win over San Marino, taking his goal total in international matches to 31, fifth on the country's all-time list.

But Italy was again unconvincing in beating Armenia 3-1, and the Netherlands managed only a comfortable 3-0 win over Andorra, which is 201st in the rankings.

However, Euro 2012 semifinalist Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, couldn't make the most of its dominance against Russia and lost 1-0 in a match between the top two teams in Group F.

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps goal-scoring form
The Portuguese are three points behind Russia, which is unbeaten under new coach Fabio Capello and has three straight wins in qualifying.

Also, Belgium enhanced its burgeoning reputation as a growing force in Europe with a 3-0 win in Serbia, which lost a home World Cup qualifier for the first time in more than 10 years.

Sweden and the Czech Republic needed second-half rallies to avoid draws against weak competition, beating Faeroe Islands 2-1 and Malta 3-1, respectively.

The victory for the Swedes left them second in Group C, three points behind Germany ahead of their meeting in Berlin on Tuesday.

The third straight qualifying victory for Germany was launched by Marco Reus' goals in the 32nd and 40th minutes before Mesut Oezil's penalty kick and goals by Miroslav Klose and Toni Kroos (two) turned it into a rout.

Spain warmed up for its Group I match against France, which surprisingly lost 1-0 at home to Japan in a friendly on Friday, by stretching its winning run in qualifying that dates back to September 2007.

Pedro set up Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba for the opener before scoring the remaining three goals himself in Minsk, putting Spain ahead of France on goal difference. Both countries have six points and only one team qualifies automatically from each group.

Spain, seeking an unprecedented fourth straight major international tournament trophy, is enjoying a golden era in its soccer history, but that still didn't persuade broadcasters to pay for coverage.

Wayne Rooney
The blackout came after the producer, Sport Five, failed to reach a deal with any Spanish television channel. This was the first time a Spain match was not broadcast at home since 1983, when the team visited Malta.

Rooney was playing for England for the first time since Euro 2012 and was given the captain's role with Steven Gerrard suspended and Frank Lampard sidelined with injury. Rooney marked the occasion by joining Manchester United teammate Danny Welbeck in scoring twice at Wembley Stadium.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also scored for the hosts, who moved to the top of Group H.

It wasn't such a good night for Oxlade-Chamberlain's Arsenal teammate, Theo Walcott, who will spend the night in a hospital after colliding with goalkeeper Aldo Junior Simoncini early in the game.

Russia's winner against Portugal came with its only shot on goal in the first half, Alexander Kerzhakov scoring in the sixth minute.

Ronaldo, who has scored six times in his last three Spanish league games for Real Madrid, barely had a sniff in Moscow.

''Maybe we weren't as calm as we usually are,'' said Portugal coach Paulo Bento, whose team is the only leading European nation not to be atop its group at this stage.

Eddie Johnson scored two goals for the United States, including the winner in second-half injury time, in a 2-1 victory over Antigua and Barbuda. The road win put the Americans in position to advance to CONCACAF's final qualifying round if they draw with Guatemala on Tuesday night in Kansas City, Kan.

Guatemala beat Jamaica 2-1 on Friday night.

In Group B, Mexico was held scoreless for more than 75 minutes by Guyana, but wound up winning 5-0 to stay perfect. Costa Rica held onto second place in the group by winning 1-0 at El Salvador.

Canada beat undermanned Cuba 3-0 in Group C. The Cubans had only 11 players for the game, and finished with 10 after striker Roberto Linares was ejected for a challenge that crumpled captain Kevin McKenna. Four players left the team in Toronto.

In the other Group C game, Honduras and Panama tied 0-0.

In South American qualifying, host Argentina took the overall lead with 17 points as Lionel Messi scored two second-half goals and Sergio Aguero added another. Messi scored in the 66th and added another with a free kick in the 80th while Aguero scored in the 75th.

Alejandro Chumacero scored in the second half to lift host Bolivia into a 1-1 draw with Peru, while Colombia beat Paraguay 2-0.

Radamel Falcao scored two second-half goals as Colombia improved to 16 points in eight matches - among the leaders in qualifying - and left Paraguay with only four points from five matches, the worst record among the nine teams.

Felipe Caicedo scored twice as Ecuador defeated Chile 3-1 in Quito. Ecuador improved to 16 points, Chile has 12.

Read Original Article here: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/spain-germany-england-scoring-form-230658511--sow.html

Sunday, September 23, 2012

By Ashley Williams





LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) September 23, 2012: Manchester United came from behind to stun their arch-foes Liverpool 2-1 in English Premier League match at Anfield on Sunday.



 

Liverpool, who are yet to meet victory this season, were cut down to 10 men in the 39th minute when Mark Halsey showed Jonjo Shelvey the Red Card for a stupid foul and ended up recording their worst calendar year since 1993 in terms of most number of defeats.

Skipper Steven Gerrard scored for Liverpool in 46th minute but Rafael took only five minutes to equalize the affair before Robin van Persie sealed the deal for Manchester United in 75th minute.

After this crucial victory, Manchester United are now second in the EPL points table, just a point below leaders Chelsea FC while Liverpool are among the three worst teams in the league.

In other English Premier League matches this weekend, Tottenham Hotspur defeated Queens Park Rangers by 2-1, Newcastle United beat Norwich City by 1-0, while Manchester City were held for a 1-1 draw by Arsenal FC.





Following is the complete list of results from the English Premier League this weekend.
Everton 3-0 Swansea City on September 22, 2012
West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Reading on September 22, 2012
West Ham United 1-1 Sunderland on September 22, 2012
Chelsea FC 1-0 Stoke City on September 22, 2012
Fulham 2-1 Wigan Athletic on September 22, 2012
Southampton 4-1 Aston Villa on September 22, 2012
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool FC on September 23, 2012
Newcastle United 1-0 Norwich City on September 23, 2012
Manchester City 1-1 FC Arsenal on September 23, 2012
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Queens Park Rangers on September 23, 2012