| Whitecaps reach USSF semifinals The Vancouver Whitecaps advanced to the semifinals of the USSF Division-2 playoffs with a 2-1 aggregate win over the Portland Timbers on Sunday. cbc.ca |
Brazil 2-0 Ukraine Brazil 2-0 UkraineGoals from Dani Alves and Alexandre Pato gave Brazil a third win in three matches under their new coach, Luis Menezes, with Ukraine again looking a pale shadow of their former selves and perhaps the more disoriented by their surroundings at the half-empty but still appreciative Pride Park. Alves scored the goal of the night with a stunningly crisp finish, while there were encouraging performances for Brazil from the newcomer Carlos Eduardo and old hand Robinho, back on these shores after what Menezes termed an inexplicable interlude at Manchester City.You will be wanting to know what Brazil were doing playing in Derby on a coldish October evening, watched by so few spectators that when their players emerged waving for a warm-up they initially had difficulty in finding any fans to run towards.A samba beat had struck up by the time the match got under way, though the shirtless drummers and flag-wavers sensibly stayed inside the Marston's stand until the last moment, enjoying the sort of refreshment they would have been unlikely to find had the game gone ahead as scheduled in the Middle East.This friendly, against a Ukraine side with no need to qualify for Euro 2012 in their capacity as joint hosts, was originally pencilled in for warmer climes. That arrangement unexpectedly collapsed at the end of last month, leaving the agents who handle Brazil's normally lucrative friendlies needing to find a venue capable of putting on the game in under a fortnight.Several English grounds were initially considered but with London out of commission due to England's game against Montenegro, Derby was settled on as the next best option, partly because the club responded to a somewhat unusual request on the Friday before a home match with Crystal Palace with an immediate yes.Rather more supporters were in evidence when England played a friendly against Mexico here at the very beginning of Sven-Goran Eriksson's reign, though in the circumstances the turnout was not too bad, particularly as several big names, from Kaká to Andriy Shevchenko, were not involved. Menezes, though, had anticipated a fuller stadium. "I thought people loved Brazil so I expected more fans," the coach said.There were plenty of UK-based Ukraine supporters to be found in a crowd of 13,088, and if the locals found the night a bit nippy once the sun went down, at least they could console themselves that it was a good deal warmer than most evening kick-offs at the World Cup in South Africa.Robinho, making an unexpectedly quick return to this country, captained Brazil and laid on the first goal for Alves after David Luiz had squandered an excellent chance by firing too high when a corner was knocked down. It was a typical Brazil goal in that few saw it coming, including the Ukraine defence. Just as it seemed Robinho had sent over a deepish cross from the left to no one in particular, Alves accelerated sufficiently to meet it at the far post with a volley that flew past a helpless Andriy Dykan and in off a post.The new No10 Carlos Eduardo sent a venomous shot just over the bar a couple of minutes before the interval but he should really have doubled his side's lead moments earlier, when a chance in front of an open goal came to him too quickly after Pato's shot came back off a post.Ukraine were slightly unlucky to see Oleksandr Aliyev's goal just before the half-time ruled out for a foul in the build-up, and were denied again shortly after the interval when Ruslan Rotan hit a post.Brazil also appeared to lack a cutting edge, and when Robinho rolled the ball invitingly across the face of goal there was nobody to tap it in, though with his last act of the game Eduardo conjured a goal for Pato moments before being substituted.Although Eduardo's cross from the right went behind its intended target, Pato was still able to reach it and turn before beating Dykan from close to the penalty spot.Preston North End, next up at the England's latest venue of legends on Saturday, have a lot to live up to.FriendliesBrazilUkrainePaul Wilsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Man U wins without Rooney again: EPL Javier Hernandez filled in for the injured Wayne Rooney in style Sunday, scoring twice to lift Manchester United into a three-way tie for second place in the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Stoke. cbc.ca |
Russian official: England bid 'primitive' • The English are afraid of how badly it's going, claims Koloskov• Complaint against Russia 'has little chance of success'The honorary president of the Russian Football Union has described England's 2018 bid team's behaviour as "absolutely primitive" as the war of words between the two countries escalated today. Vyacheslav Koloskov also told the Russian website championat.ru that a complaint by England's bid team to Fifa about comments by the head of the Russian bid was a sign of "nervousness".Koloskov, a former member of Fifa's and Uefa's executive committees, was reported as saying: "It's a comical situation. The English are afraid of how badly their bid is going. Their journalists are provoking members of the committee, and they now say one of the members of our bidding team has spoken out against England in an improper manner."I think it's a raising of tensions, and also an attempt to in some way influence the work of our bidding team. These acts have little chance of success. Russia should not be afraid of sanctions. There won't even be an investigation."English bid officials complained to Fifa after the head of the Russian bid, Alexei Sorokin was reported to have described London as a city with high crime rate and high alcohol consumption among its youth.Earlier today, Sorokin said he had sent a letter to England's bid team to explain the comments and put to rest "any misunderstanding" between the rivals, but he refused to apologise.World Cup 2018Football politicsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Manchester United buys Nobby Stiles's 1966 World Cup winner's medal for £188k 1966 World Cup winners' medal belonging to England player Nobby Stiles bought for a record-breaking sum by his former club. telegraph.co.uk |