| Toronto FC reaches crisis stage Toronto FC was eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday night after a 1-1 draw at home against Real Salt Lake. cbc.ca |
Football fakers and ballboy brilliance Also featuring Ricky Hatton challenging Chris Kamara to a milk race and Jari Litmanen proving he's still got it1) Ever wondered what a fake Togo team looks like? Wonder no longer – here they are conceding their first, second and third goals against Bahrain. And while we're on the subject of football fakery, here's Classic YouTube favourite Remi Gaillard celebrating with Lorient's players after they won the Coupe de France in 2002. And here's a fake Sven-Goran Eriksson in Mexico. And oh, go on then, here's Ali Dia.2) The women showing the men how to play football dept: here's the 17-year-old Japan star Kumi Yokoyama (yes, yes, you'll get your spotters' badge – but just so you know, we saw it first!) doing her thing for Japan, Brazil's Marta humiliating the USA and Australia's Lisa de Vanna putting it in the top corner. For reasons of balance we should probably point out that the women, like the men, are capable of unfortunate but hilarious mistakes too.3) Ricky Hatton and Chris Kamara overindulge on the white stuff. Painful, on so many levels.4) Ronny Rosenthal may be best known in England for this miss, but many in Israel remember him for one of their greatest goals ever.5) We've seen a few American footballers jumping over other American footballers in our day but this one really takes the biscuit.6) And can you name all 36 retro football videogames in this clip?Our favourites from last week's blog1) If you've seen France's 1994 Try From The End Of The World against New Zealand before, the chances are it was either on telly, or the footage was a lot shabbier than this. If you haven't seen it before, then you really should.2) Regular readers will be familiar with the work of Khalid Askri, the goalkeeper who blocked a penalty, then turned his back and celebrated while the ball span into his unguarded net. Turns out that gaffe was not a one-off.3) A rather cheeky (geddit?!?) own goal.4) In this week's ballboy special: Angry Ballboy, Laidback BallBoy and Right At Your Ballsboy.5) Jari Litmanen. Still got it.6) And Troy Polamalu shows that it's not just high school kids who can jump over their opponents.Spotters badges: Flegmeister, Catsunstein, stoltissimo, pexteballa, beersjot, beanyboy79guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Aston Villa v Chelsea: Carlo Ancelotti confirms six first-team players out injured Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Chelsea are missing six first team players, including Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, as they prepare to travel to Villa Park. telegraph.co.uk |
Straka feels the fury: I won't back down Don't expect North Queensland Fury coach Franz Straka to cool it because he has a one-match ban hanging over his head for touching an official. foxsports.com.au |
Cardiff City 3-2 Bristol City | Championship match report Peter Whittingham struck his first two goals of the season as Cardiff completed a stirring fightback against Championship strugglers Bristol City. Cardiff had trailed 2-0 at the interval, but Whittingham arrowed his first goal into the bottom corner a minute into the second half and then curled home a sublime free-kick to leave last-placed Bristol City without a win in their last six league matches.Keith Millen's side had established their two-goal lead in the first eight minutes thanks to strikes from the on-loan Tottenham teenager Steve Caulker and Jon Stead, before Jay Bothroyd pulled one back for the home side. Cardiff have now won three of their last four league encounters and stay second in the table.Michael Chopra returned for Cardiff after a two-month lay-off due to ankle ligament damage, but there was no Craig Bellamy, who has ongoing knee trouble. New father Danny Haynes returned for the visitors to partner Stead in attack, but it was defender Caulker who ensured the Robins made a flying start, rising highest at the far post to head home Jamie McAllister's left-wing cross in the sixth minute.The visitors stunned the home support two minutes later when they doubled their lead from another set-piece. Marvin Elliott headed on Cole Skuse's corner and when the ball broke to Stead six yards out the striker lashed the ball into the top corner for his third goal of the season.But in a storming start Bothroyd settled home nerves in the 12th minute, applying a clinical finish from 12 yards after collecting Chopra's ball into the penalty area. Bothroyd forced a fine save from former England goalkeeper David James shortly before the break and Mark Hudson headed Whittingham's corner just over the crossbar.But Cardiff were rewarded for their pressure just a minute into the second half thanks to a stunning effort from Whittingham, who rifled the ball into the bottom corner from 30 yards. James pulled off another top-class save to keep out Chris Burke's close range effort, but the visitors still carried a threat on the counter-attack.McAllister's 30-yard bullet was save tipped round the post by Cardiff goalkeeper Tom Heaton and Albert Adomah's angled shot was blocked by defender Gabor Gyepes. Bothroyd volleyed wide from close range and Whittingham pulled his effort wide as Cardiff chased a third goal before the Robins responded again through midfielder Elliott, whose thumping drive was brilliantly kept out by Heaton.But Cardiff maintained their momentum and edged their noses in front in the 78th minute. The Bristol City captain Louis Carey fouled Whittingham 25 yards from goal and the Cardiff midfielder picked himself up to curl the subsequent free-kick beyond the flailing James into the top corner.Caulker then headed narrowly wide at the other end as the Robins tried to salvage a point, but despite Danny Rose's superb 30-yard volley, Cardiff closed the game out comfortably, with successive shots from substitute Jason Koumas blocked by visiting defender Liam Fontaine. ChampionshipCardiff CityBristol Cityguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |