TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Hull City 1-3 Man Utd Hello again Seeing as I'll be rolling directly over to this game from the Arsenal v Aston Villa minute-by-minute I guess I better get in here early with a pre-preamble. Not that I'm planning to go for an actual amble at any point later on, though, you understand.Anyway, the good news for Manchester United fans is that it looks like Sir Alex Ferguson has at last stumbled across the solution to Manchester United's defensive problems: Hull. Only Stoke have scored fewer Premier League goals so far this season, and the Tigers' joint-top scorers, Geovanni and Stephen Hunt, have just three each.Hull have also gone three games now without a goal, but so far this season all four of their wins have come at home. They have also averaged - wait for it - more than one goal a game at home.All of which does bring me on to a question I asked yesterday ... but will ask again because so far I haven't had a decent answer. Why are some teams so much better at home than away? I appreciate crowd noise can be a factor - but top-flight grounds in particular aren't as noisy as they used to be and teams could surely have worked out by now how best to minimise the impact of travelling on match preparation. Some of it comes down to tactics, of course, but if that's the main factor then why do people bother changing their tactics at all?Afternoon again Right, I'm here properly now, having wrapped up the coverage of Arsenal v Aston Villa. Let's see if I can't rustle up some team news.Here they are Manchester United welcome back Rafael Da Silva, Nemanja Vicic and Wes Brown in defence, meaning Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick can both move back up into midfield. Ryan Giggs and Dimitar Berbatov both also start. Three changes for Hull, with Bernard Mendy, Seyi Olofinjana and Jozy Altidore replacing Paul McShane, Nick Barmby and Geovanni.Hull: Myhill, Mendy, Gardner, Zayatte, Dawson, Garcia, Boateng, Olofinjana, Hunt, Altidore, Fagan. Subs: Duke, Barmby, Geovanni, Kilbane, Ghilas, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Cairney.Man Utd: Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, Vidic, Brown, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Giggs, Berbatov, Rooney. Subs: Foster, Owen, Park, Welbeck, Fabio Da Silva, Obertan, De Laet.Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)Time for an email "Did anyone notice the picture on the wall behind Phil brown in his office," demands Anthony O Connell. "No it wasn't his family it was, yes, Phil Brown. The man is in love with himself."In case you didn't realise Today's referee is Alan Wiley. The same Alan Wiley who Sir Alex Ferguson accused of being 'not fit' during Manchester United's draw with Sunderland in October. Unless I'm very much mistaken this is the first United game Wiley has taken since then.Thoughts on home and away form "The answer to your question is that once a suitable standard has been reached, sport is 90% psychological," says David Acaster. "Teams believe they will win at home, so they win at home. If they believe they will win all the time, the probably will. The manager's job is to instill this belief."1 min We're off. Wayne Rooney has gloves on. Tsk.3 mins The two teams take turns to roll the ball about in the middle of the park but so far nobody's making any real headway. Hull's midfield are sitting very deep and very flat.5 mins Hull win the first free-kick of the game about three yards into United's half after Brown takes down Altidore. The ball is pumped long in towards the box, but Boateng nobody can get a clean touch on the ball and it eventually is scuffed behind for a goal-kick.6 mins Finally some better football from United, as Rooney feeds Valencia down the left channel and the winger eases in towards the edge of the area before chipping the ball back across the area to Giggs, whose first-time effort flies just over the bar. That would have been a very nice goal.8 mins "It's all about preparation and the psychological side," insists Russell Richardson following my earlier question about teams doing so much better at home than away. "I remember reading how Liverpool in the 70s were the first to book hotels and a training ground for their European Cup away games, and took their own chefs - arriving a day early. This gave them a huge advantage (rested, bonded, well fed) while their opposite numbers sometimes arrived off a flight on the matchday The combination of a more solid away result and huge home dominance were (according to Liverpool) the reason they did increasingly well up to the Heysel disaster."Now, maybe a close look at teams' travel arrangements would be interesting. I doubt that many teams travel a full day ahead (e.g. from London to Manchester) but it'd be intriguing to know. What, for instance, do Burnley do compared with Manchester United?"10 mins Hull win another free-kick just inside the United half, but this time Stephen Hunt's attempt to lump the ball forward is cleared at the first attempt by United. The visitors break quickly with Rooney racing down the left before checking back inside and threading a pass through too far ahead of Valencia on the far side. Or at least I think it was a pass. It may have been a bad shot.12 mins Craig Fagan receives treatment after an overenthusiastic leap takes him right over the back of Da Silva and ends with the Hull player landing on his own shoulders. He seems to be alright, mind.14 mins Boateng arrives late and chops down Carrick about 35 yards from the Hull goal. Giggs stands over the free-kick for United ...15 mins ... but fails to clear the first man with his eventual delivery.17 mins United win another free-kick inside the D after Zayatte brings down Rooney - and it was nearly a penalty actually, with the striker having one leg inside and one outside the box - and this time Giggs is so close to giving United the lead, whipping the ball up over the wall and just inches wide of the left-hand post.18 mins That Giggs free-kick seems to have scared Hull into life, as Fagan exchanges passes with Hull down the left before the latter thumps in a cross with the outside of his boot that Vidic has to react sharply to head clear.19 mins Fantastic challenge from Bernard Mendy to deny Rooney what would surely have been the opening goal. United got lucky twice in the build-up - the ball ricocheting back to Fletcher after a loose touch and then into the path of Rooney after his team-mate attempted a shot from 18 yards, but just as the striker put his foot through the ball Mendy was able to dive in front and block.20 mins Mendy actually had to receive treatment after that block, but he's back on his feet now and seems OK.21 mins Big penalty shout for Hull, as Wes Brown brings down Garcia as the Hull players chases onto a throughball from Fagan in the United area. Wiley waves the appeals away, and the first two replays suggest he got the call right, but a third angle clearly shows Garcia himself had nudged the ball away to the left before Brown came in and failed to reach it. That should have been a penalty.23 mins And now Kuszczak has to get down sharply to block an effort from Garcia.24 mins Hull appeal in vain for an infringement that I'm just not seeing after Berbatov lifts a neat ball into Rooney behind the home defence, but the latter sees his shot parried over the bar by Myhill. This game's beginning to open up a little.27 mins Now Mendy sends the ball in towards Altidore with a meaty swing of his right boot but this time Vidic clears.28 mins Nobody managed to cut out the cross that time and United again have Kuszczak to thank after he shows sharp reflexes to block Olofinjana's volleyed effort from 10 yards out. It was a really nice run from deep by the midfielder, but to be fair the shot was close to the keeper in the end.31 mins Sir Alex Ferguson prowls the touchline looking grumpy as Rooney attempts another speculative effort across goal from some 25-yards out. The shot bounces gently into the hands of Myhill.32 mins Patrice Evra picks up the first booking of the game after appearing to hold back Garcia as the winger sought to break free down the right. Actually the replay makes it look like he tried to grab Garcia's shirt but failed, though there may still have been a tangle of legs.34 mins What a mess! Myhill sliced a backpass horribly off the outside of his boot and it looked for all the world as if Rooney was going to end up putting the ball into an open goal, but the ball sat up in the air long enough for the keeper to recover and force the striker into passing the ball back to Fletcher. That gave Myhill time to recover and the defence then blocked Fletcher's shot anyway, but the ball still seemed to ricochet around the Hull area for an age before eventually being hacked clear.37 mins So far Man Utd have had five shots, but only two on target, while Hull have had three shots, all of which have been on target. Or at least that's what Sky tell me.38 mins The cameras have just picked up Steve Bruce sat in the stands. I'm not going to lie, he looks bored.39 mins Absolutely calamitous miss from Hunt. Olofinjana won possession in midfield and came striding forward to feed a totally unmarked Hunt racing into the left-hand side of the area. From 10 yards out Hunt opted for a simple side-footed finish but somehow managed to roll it right across the goal and wide of the far post by a good few yards.40 mins United almost makes Hull pay for that miss, Berbatov racing onto a ball down the right channel but finding only the side netting from close range.42 mins Stunning save from Myhill! Hull's players all stood and appealed for offside as Carric threaded the ball into Rafael, but the United full-back was in fact being played on by both Hull full-backs and his smartly-taken shot was arrowing right into the bottom corner before Myhill shot down to get a firm hand on it. United wanted a corner afterwards, but Berbatov clearly got the last touch as he attempted to stop Myhill from claiming the ball at the second attempt.45 mins Hull win another free-kick just the right side of half-way - they've had a few of those today - but Mendy's long-ball forward is dealt with effectively enough by United.45 mins (+1) We're going to have two minutes of injury time and United have just won a corner ... but it's headed clearGOAL! Hull City 0-1 Manchester United (Rooney 45 mins (+2)) With just under a minute left in the first half Rooney breaks the deadlock, sliding the ball home from close range after Giggs had helped on Fletcher's cross from the right with a tidy little flick of the heel.45 mins (+2) Almost immediately Hull pump a long ball forward to Altidore, who heads it down for himself before turning and letting fly with a volley from a good 25-yards out, but it's not quite clean enough and Kuszczak gets down to save.Peepety-peeeep! That's half-time, and it's hard not to feel at least a little sorry for Hull. They gave as good as they got in that first half, but neither team looked entirely convincing at the back and you always suspected United were that little bit more likely to take their chances when they came. Back in a tick with some half-time thoughts and emails.On home and away performances "I've heard it said in several US sporting contexts that star performers tend not to be influenced by venue but less talented players are," ponders Greg Crawford, a US ex-pat and self-professed 'football novice'. "If true (and it seems plausible), perhaps this is felt more keenly in football, where coordination of effort is presumably most important to good play (i.e. a team is only as strong as its weakest players)? Baseball is most dependent on individual performances and therefore has the weakest home-field advantage, although the same predictions for American football (some home-field advantage) and basketball (strong home-field advantage) don't exactly line up …"On dressing rooms "Re your question as to why some teams play much better at home: if you've ever looked round the inside of a stadium you'll have noticed the blatant difference between the home dressing room (spacious, luxurious, well-equipped) and the away one (cramped, dark, claustrophobic). I went on a tour of one football team's ground where the guide claimed with an absolutely straight face that the away teams' lockers, which were tiny and awkwardly low down, had been deliberately placed to maximise the risk of injury to the opposition."On a small box in Dartmoor "I am in the middle of nowhere on Dartmoor in Devon, standing as close as I can to the wireless internet box so I can follow this minute by minute, as so far this Christmas holiday I have been entirely deprived of any football-related action," whimpers Maudie Spurrier. "Hopefully Manchester United will make it worth the effort as I write this balancing in the most awkward of positions to get a stronger connection."46 mins An ominous thought for Hull to start the half with: United have won every game this season in which they have had the lead at any point. No subs for either team at half-time.48 mins Wiley gives Fagan a talking to after Fagan attempts to give Wiley a talking to. "I think Manchester United should only turn up to play added times," ho-hums Stephen in Brussels.49 mins Altidore shows off a deft touch to create a yard of space in which to turn on the edge of the box, then a preposterously heavy one to pass the ball straight to the attendant United defender. From the sublime to the subpar in, quite literally, two easy steps.51 mins Scrappy start to the second half so far, as both teams take turns to give the ball away. Hull's fans let out a loud ironic cheer as the flag goes up against Rooney for offside, then harangue Berbatov with a round of "what a waste of money".53 mins Fletcher feigns his own death after Olofinjana treads on his foot inside the centre circle.55 mins Olofinjana looks for Fagan with a direct but tidy ball forward from half-way but his team-mate can't quite get ahead of Wes Brown. The defender heads the ball back to Kuszczak, and Fagan then runs into the keeper for no good reason, which is fairly foolish for a man already on a yellow card. Wiley does not feel moved to punish him though.57 mins "That's Altidore in a nutshell," sighs Chris in Maryland, USA, following my 'sublime to subpar comment (49 mins). "One minute he shows that he could be a player, but the next he goes and gives it away carelessly. He has carried a threat today, but in a typically haphazard way."58 mins Penalty to Hull! Wayne Rooney's woeful backpass was seized on by Fagan, whose cross into the middle had hardly presented Altidore with the easiest of headers but Da Silva ran into the back of him and the striker goes down. Da Silva picks up a yellow card for the foul.GOAL! Hull City 1-1 Manchester United (Fagan 59 mins) Geofanni's missed penalty was arguably the turning point in Hull's defeat to Arsenal, but Fagan makes no mistake, slotting the ball calmly into the bottom right corner after the keeper had already committed himself the other way.62 mins Manchester United come sweeping forward with a predictably renewed energy, but here are still plenty of errors. Carrick chances his arm with a left-footed drive from just outside the D and though it was probably going wide, Myhill threw himself at it and pushed it behind to be safe.63 mins The corner is met by a United player and seems to be looping it's way towards goal before Myhill, under pressure from Rooney just gets a finger to it and pushes it back over the bar.64 mins And now Hull manage to clear Giggs's delivery from the far side.65 mins Ji-Sung Park is on for Antonio Valencia. "Greg Crawford has clearly been an ex-pat for a long time," chortles Allan Castle as Altidore receives treatment following an aerial collision. "Basketball has not been played on a field since the mid 1980s."66 mins So nearly a second goal for Hull, as Hunt's outswinging corner from the left is headed just wide of the far post by Garcia.68 mins Evra risks a second yellow by kicking the ball away after United give away a free-kick inside their own half, but Wiley is obviously in a generous mood.69 mins And Evra is even luckier to escape a second caution there after wrestling Fagan down as the Hull player tries to control a clearance on the half-way line. Wiley calls over Evra and Giggs and gives them both a talking to, but really he would have been welll within his rights to send the United player off.GOAL! Hull City 1-2 Manchester United (Dawson og 73 mins) A lightning-fast break from United after the corner provides them with their second goal. It will go down as a Dawson own goal but in reality it's harsh on the defender, who had little hope of cutting out Wayne Rooney's square ball across the face of goal but equally will have known that Park was waiting behind him if he failed to cut it out.76 mins Hull will once again feel hard done-by after controlling much of the play here in the second half, but once again it must be acknowledged that this is one of the key differences between the two teams: United have the sorts of players who only need one chance to score, whereas Hull have had plenty of opportunities yet only managed to find the net from the penalty spot.78 mins Hull withdraw Garcia in favour of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, while United bring on Gabriel Obertan for Ryan Giggs.79 mins An impressively optimistic shout for a penalty goes up from the home support as Vennegoor of Hesselink goes up for a ball in the area. I'd say it's going to have to be fairly clear-cut before Wiley considers giving another.GOAL! Hull City 1-3 Manchester United (Berbatov 82 mins) That's just a wonderful pass from Rooney, who looks for a way past Zayatte, realises there isn't one and so instead just checks back and rolls slides an inch-perfect ball across to Berbatov on the far side of the box. The Bulgarian, who hadn't really done much in the game so far, makes no mistake from five yards out.83 mins Hull were preparing a double substitution before that goal and now they've made it anyway - Geovanni and Kamel Ghilas coming on for Boateng and Altidore.85 mins Fine chance for Mendy to reduce the arrears as Vennegoor of Hesselink gives him a clean run on goal with a neat backheel inside the area, but the Hull midfielder's shot finds only the side netting.87 mins Carrick's attempted clearance cannons off Gardner and loops all the way over to Fagan on the far side of the box, but his first-time volley fizzes just wide.89 mins Ghilas sees another effort deflect away over the bar and you certainly couldn't accuse Hull of a lack of effort in in this game. They've kept coming at United and if they were a bit more clinical in front of goal it might have been a very different result.90 mins We'll have four minutes of added time.90 mins (+2) Obertan thrashes the ball wide and high after from an acute angle - not sure if that was meant to be a cross or a shot to be honest.Peep! Peep! Peeeeep! Hull win a pair of corners right at the death but United deal with both and tie up a win that takes them back to second in the Premier League - now just two points behind Chelsea at the top. The scoreline is harsh on Hull, and they might reasonably point out both that they should have had another penalty and that Evra could easily have been sent off with the score level at 1-1, but they also must take stock of their own failure to convert chances into more goals. For now they remain 19th. Thanks for all your emails, sorry I couldn't use more.Premier LeagueHull CityManchester UnitedPaolo Bandiniguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
The Joy of Six: Solo goals From 'Diego's personal journey' to Matthaus's chilling statement of intent, here are half a dozen memorable individual effortsNB: this list does not purport to be definitive. It is just a list of six solo goals we like. That's all. Then you can tell us the ones you like. The point of the Joy of Six is not to rank things, only to enjoy them.1) Diego Maradona, ARGENTINA 2-1 England, World Cup quarter-final, 22/06/1986During World Cups and the like, British commentators sometimes refer disparagingly to the fact the pictures come from the host broadcaster, smug in the knowledge that their channel would never miss a crucial goal because of a Tic Tac advert or miss the build-up to the third goal in an FA Cup final in 1994. Yet these silly foreigners occasionally get it right, and whoever directed the picture that went worldwide of Diego Maradona's second goal against England in 1986 was bang on top of his game.There is a lovely moment in every great solo goal when you suddenly realise that what at first appeared to be just a nice little run could actually end in a goal you'll never forget. With Maradona, that exact moment is accentuated brilliantly by a hard cut of which Scorsese would have been proud. At first we see Maradona chugging down the right wing, with the ball bobbling horribly and poor old Peter Reid panting miserably in his slipstream. All very pleasant, but there is no sense of the bigger picture or the danger to England. Then, maybe a second after Maradona comes inside Terry Butcher, the picture snaps to a deeper shot and we realise that the only man between Maradona and Peter Shilton is Terry Fenwick.Though Fenwick is dismally on his heels, the earliness of Maradona's touch past him is quite sublime: it takes Fenwick out of the game before he even knows he's in it. One of the best things about solo and team goals, as opposed to others in the genre, is that they split into a series of little parts, so each person will have his favourite. It might be that touch past Fenwick, the dainty pirouette to start things off, the way he has the courage to go round Peter Shilton – the product of a startling memory of a very similar incident at Wembley six years earlier – or the almost reckless determination to finish the job with his left foot, a decision which so nearly allowed Butcher to thwart him at the last.The goal produced a perfectly judged commentary from the BBC's Barry Davies, who, in an endearing and thoroughly naïve appeal to the better nature of Joe Bloggs, said simply: "Och! You have to say that's magnificent." (Although interestingly, a few seconds later he would say that it was merely "one of the best goals we've seen in these championships".) Jorge Valdano, who ran most of the way with Maradona before realising there was no point wasting energy, described it beautifully as "Diego's personal journey". It was a once-in-a-lifetime goal. So he did it again four days later.2) Davie Cooper, RANGERS 3-1 Celtic, Drybrough Cup final, 04/08/1979It's hard enough going past three or four defenders when the ball is rolling perfectly along the floor, never mind when it's in the air. For that reason, Davie Cooper's impromptu game of keepy-uppy against Celtic in 1979 – voted the greatest goal in Scottish football history – is quite unlike any other. It came in the final of Drybrough Cup, a short-lived pre-season competition for the four highest scorers in the league the previous season, and has acquired almost mythical status.The fact that the only footage of it comes from such a dodgy angle has enhanced that status; it is football's answer to a bootleg of Spike Island or Hendrix at Woodstock. It was also a fitting legacy for the late Cooper, a humble genius – no hyperbole in the use of the word 'genius' here – who wowed Ruud Gullit, and who Graeme Souness thought was more naturally gifted than even Kenny Dalglish. Brian Clough famously noted that there was a reason why God didn't put grass in the sky. If he'd seen this goal, the great man – and God – might have had a different opinion.3) Roberto Baggio, Napoli 3-2 FIORENTINA, Serie A, 17/09/1989Nobody scored solo goals quite like Roberto Baggio. Nobody floated towards goal with the same smooth languor. Nobody had quite the same combination of immaculate control and bigger-picture awareness. Nobody sliced through opponents with such forensic cleanliness that defenders could not lay a foot on him, never mind the ball.We all know about his Italia 90 saunter against Czechoslovakia . There was also this gem against Udinese , when, with one gorgeous touch, he evoked Geoffrey Green's wonderful description of a defender rushing "like a fire engine going to the wrong fire" . But the best came against the champions-to-be Napoli in his final season with Fiorentina, when he moved (you can't really say he ran) 70 yards to score. Appropriately for a man who did things in his own time, it looks even better in slow motion .When he scored that goal, in September 1989, Baggio was the next superstar of Italian football. There is a certain poignancy to seeing a prodigy score a goal of such individual brilliance as to apparently justify the hype in 10 seconds flat. Sometimes, as with Ryan Giggs at Tottenham in 1992 , it will be the prelude to so much more; other times, as with Michael Owen in 1998, it will be a career zenith. With Baggio, it was both.4) Lothar Matthaus, WEST GERMANY 4-1 Yugoslavia, World Cup Group D, 10/06/1990There is an understandable tendency to think that solo goals are based almost exclusively on skill, twisting the blood and frazzling the minds of defenders. Yet when Lothar Matthaus scored one of the most awesome solo goals of all, against Yugoslavia during Italia 90, he beat only one defender, and that by simply changing the direction of his run rather than through any sleight of foot.As Sean Ingle pointed out the other day while proving that Jonathan Wilson isn't the only Rain Man in the Guardian sport team, this Sunday-night game was not live on TV in England. The BBC showed Brazil beating Sweden 2-1 and cut to highlights of this game at half-time and full-time. Yugoslavia were a fine side, who should have reached the semi-finals, but Germany trounced them 4-1. And worse still, we didn't see the mundane bits and the mortal bits. All we saw were the goals, the first three of which all possessed a startling majesty and suggested a soul-crushing omnipotence. They were goals that no other team could have scored. This one, Matthaus's second and West Germany's third, was comfortably the pick, In fact, it's hard to think of a goal which, at the time, was quite so terrifying.At his absolute peak either side of Italia 90, Matthaus bore comparison to any powerhouse midfielder in the game's history – Cris Freddi, these islands' best football historian, puts him in his all-time World Cup XI – and this was zenith. It was the scene in the movie where the robotic monster eats a young baby whole and then starts cackling. Except for England fans, this film would not have a happy ending. Right there, right then, we all knew they were going to win the World Cup. So did they.5) George Best, SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 3-2 Fort Lauderdale Strikers, 22/07/1981One particular sub-genre of the solo goal involves the scorer beating a number of defenders in a confined space the size of a phonebox. It's like a game of football Jenga: after each manoeuvre you think they have to shoot before it all falls down, but they keep adding layers of skill before they finally score. Famous examples include Zlatan Ibrahimovic , Alexandr Mostovoi and Jay-Jay Okocha , whose dance with Oliver Kahn is as much a Benny Hill sketch as a piece of football. But we've gone for a 35-year-old George Best's remarkable effort in the NASL, because Best actually predicted it a few seconds before it happened, and more importantly because we are tickled by the soccerball commentary ("That's the greatest soccer goal I've ever seen. Pow!") and orgy-at-a-keep-fit-class music that accompanies it.The backstory is interesting, too. Anger is ostensibly more likely to motivate displays of aggression than skill, but the goal which Best describes as the greatest of his career came from a fit of pique. His side were 2-0 down, and he had just been booked for arguing with the referee when he was fouled during a counter-attack. "George said to the referee, 'I was going to score,'" said his team-mate Chris Dangerfield. "The ref said, 'No, you weren't,' and George said, 'Yes, I am.'" And after the goal, the product of Best's legendary balance as much as anything else, he broke away from his awestruck team-mates to seek out the referee and, presumably, prescribe an alternative use for that whistle.Ray Hudson, a midfielder with Fort Lauderdale, said it was "like watching Fred Astaire on a surfboard, riding a wave, with a Turkish belly dancer thrown in there." We haven't got a clue what this means, but it's proof that even the opposition didn't begrudge this extraordinary goal.6) Romario, PSV EINDHOVEN 5-1 Steaua Bucharest (agg: 5-2), European Cup second round second leg, 01/11/1989This might not be as spectacular as many other solo goals, and we're extremely confident that we'll be slagged off for including it , but who needs to be spectacular when you can be as-near-as-damnit to perfection. Unlike almost all individual goals – whether it be George Weah and Saeed Al-Owairan getting the bounce of the ball or Lionel Messi's slightly heavy touch around the goalkeeper against Getafe – there is not even a hint of luck or imperfection involved here.Romario's brain-speed is frightening: it's as if he has paused the game before each touch, so immaculate are the choices he makes and then executes through those jerky movements that leave viewers and defenders feeling seasick. It's hard to think of any striker who took more pleasure out of humiliating opponents, and here he treats them with the most delicious disdain. The dummy that leaves defender and goalkeeper sprawling pathetically at his feet is magisterial and even fools the cameraman, while the nonchalant sweep into an open net is memorably cocky. In many ways, this is the signature Romario goal.The team context also adds significant clout to any appreciation. It was the culmination of a stunning European comeback: PSV, 1-0 down from the away leg, conceded early on in the second leg to a very good Steaua side (Hagi, Lacatus, Petrescu, Dumitrescu, Balint) and needed three to go through. They got five, three from Romario, who completed his hat-trick with this goal in the dying minutes. There is a charm all of its own surrounding the solo goal as emphatic denouement: the bit on top of the bit on top of the cherry on the icing on the cake. In scoring a goal of such flawless genius, Romario got to have his cake and eat it.Rob Smythguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Mozambique 2-2 Benin Africa Cup of Nations: Benin blew a two-goal lead as they were held by their fellow underdogs in Angola guardian.co.uk |
Everton 1 Birmingham City 2: match report Birmingham had to show their renowned grit and defensive power to hold off Everton's onslaught at Goodison Park. telegraph.co.uk |
Senderos ready for a new start at Everton • Swiss defender hopes to 'grow as a player and a man'• 'I am not bitter at leaving. Arsenal gave me a fair chance'Philippe Senderos has conceded he can have no complaints about being frozen out of Arsenal by Arsène Wenger and that his six-month loan to Everton marks a critical period for a career in need of revival at club and international level.The 24-year-old was unveiled as Everton's second loan signing of the transfer window today and becomes a free agent when his Arsenal contract expires this summer, having made only two Carling Cup appearances for Wenger's team this term. Senderos admitted he is under pressure to impress David Moyes quickly in his attempts to secure a permanent transfer to Goodison Park, with no agreement for a long-term deal in place at present, and to secure a role in Switzerland's World Cup squad after the manager, Ottmar Hitzfeld, said he would not consider players confined to the sidelines.Senderos's current options are a far cry from the clamour for his signature as a highly rated teenager but the centre-half, who was also sent on loan to Milan for a season by Wenger, admits he failed to seize the opportunities that came his way at Arsenal."They gave me a fair chance," Senderos said. "But at big clubs you have a lot of players and two or three games a week and, if they come in and do well, they will take your place. That's what happened to me. I don't think I've been unfairly treated apart from the last few months but even then the players in the team were doing well and staying in."I am not bitter at leaving. Arsenal are a big club who gave me a lot and I owe a lot to them. They took me from Switzerland when I was 18 and I got to play in a Champions League final and to win the FA Cup. I am proud to say I was an Arsenal player but I couldn't go on not playing every week. I needed to move. I didn't just move to Everton for opportunities, I've moved to Everton because it's a massive club and I can see myself growing as a player and as a man here."Moyes confirmed Everton have concluded a deal to sign the Slovakia goalkeeper Jan Mucha on a free transfer from Legia Warsaw when his contract expires with the Polish club at the end of this season. Having signed Landon Donovan and Senderos on loan this month and made inquiries about a free transfer for the Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford at the end of the season, the Everton manager believes this window indicates that the days of exorbitant transfer fees are numbered – with the exception of isolated clubs such as Manchester City and Chelsea."Not every club has the same problems but, if you see some of the debts the really big clubs have now, then what is it like for those who don't have the same revenue?" asked Moyes. "It has been like this for a while now and maybe transfer fees are going to be a thing of the past. Maybe there are not going to be many of the big ones in seasons to come. And that will apply to a lot of clubs."Senderos is likely to be on the bench tomorrow when Everton host Sunderland, with Mikel Arteta doubtful after suffering a groin strain in a behind-closed-doors game arranged to improve his recovery from a cruciate injury on Monday.EvertonDavid MoyesArsenalPremier LeagueAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |