| Lowly Leeds chases FA Cup upset at Man United With 9,000 Leeds fans headed for Old Trafford, Sunday's FA Cup third round game against record 11-time winner Manchester United will be a throwback to some of the great showdowns between the two teams. cbc.ca |
Socceroos 'shot by lasers' Socceroos players have accused Kuwait fans of deliberately shining laser lights in their eyes during the Asian Cup qualifier in Kuwait City on Thursday morning (EDT). foxsports.com.au |
Premier League on course for record haul The Premier League is set for a record goals haul after Chelsea maintained the high goals return on Saturday. telegraph.co.uk |
Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Leeds United | FA Cup match report They may be two promotions away from a long-term return to the top table, but Leeds United have shown enough qualities in this FA Cup to suggest they are not a million miles away from the Premier League.They showed extraordinary courage and conviction to level the tie away from home against a side some 41 positions above them in the hierarchy of English football. Not once, but twice. Jermaine Beckford, a rough diamond who has now cut through two members of the Premier League's Âcurrent top four, once again proved he has the nerve to get under the skin of anyone.It was the former non-leaguer with Wealdstone who forced a replay in stoppage time. Having been chopped down by Michael Dawson, he stepped up to rifle in a penalty that brings another milestone to Leeds' season. Not many Premier League teams will emerge from Old Trafford and White Hart Lane undefeated.Inspiring as they were in outmanoeuvring Manchester United in the previous round, Leeds' form has suffered in the aftermath. They have frittered away five out of six points in successive games, and lost to Carlisle in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, as the performance level dropped sharply from the wonder of Old Trafford.Peter Lorimer was not completely Âsurprised to see his old team dip recently. "There's always the danger that a victory of that magnitude breeds complacency," the Leeds legend wrote in the Yorkshire Evening Post. "It's not altogether easy to stay level-headed when you beat one of the best sides in England."Leeds succumbed pole position in League One to Norwich before kick-off at White Hart Lane – although they do have two games in hand – but their travelling support was cocksure enough to belt out songs about going up. Could Leeds flick the switch here? Manager Simon Grayson had vowed that Leeds would set about Tottenham with the same intensity as they showed against United. But waves of Tottenham attacks made this an entirely different challenge for Leeds, as they struggled for breathing space early on. They barely had time to regroup before another white-and-navy wave coursed over them. Their own fort was manned bravely by Casper Ankergren, who showed the combination of concentration and reflexes to enable his team to ride a pressured opening spell.In the seventh minute the Leeds goalkeeper confronted Jermain Defoe in a one-v-one from the penalty spot. Alan Wiley had had no hesitation in the decision, after Michael Doyle clobbered into Danny Rose, a midfielder Tottenham had whisked away from the Elland Road academy in 2007. Defoe's penalty was fast and low, but positioned too centrally, and Ankergren made a fine save. The Danish keeper had a Âfrantic opening 20 minutes, during which he also repelled an audacious lob from Defoe, a fizzing drive from Niko Kranjcar and a curling set piece from Gareth Bale.When Ankergren did show a sign of weakness, fumbling Kranjcar's free-kick, Patrick Kisnorbo was on hand to hook away the danger. Harry Redknapp was entitled to wonder whether it would be another of those days for Tottenham when an opponent's rearguard would not buckle. Defoe sought another penalty when he tumbled under the challenge of Jason Crowe. But the referee was not tempted to award a second spot-kick – a let-off for Leeds.In the 25th minute, the visitors gained some respite, breaking to ask their first question of Heurelho Gomes. Robert Snodgrass curled in from the edge of the area and the Brazilian keeper lunged to claw the ball away. Four minutes later Leeds hearts soared again as Beckford teased the Tottenham defence and sauntered into position, only to drag a decent chance wide. Grayson nearly pulled a clump of hair out in frustration. Chances to tilt the tie were too precious to squander. But another came quickly, as Leeds found their footing and Jonathan Howson lobbed a sweet pass to Beckford, who volleyed on target, but not beyond Gomes.Four minutes from half-time, all that solid work in nudging themselves back into the game crumbled as Tottenham took the lead. The influential Kranjcar caught Bale's cutback with a clever first time shot. Although Ankergren kept it out with his legs, the ball skidded straight to Peter Crouch, who was in exactly the right place to help the goal in.Leeds sniffed a half-chance straight after the restart as Beckford pounced on Jermaine Jenas's dozy backpass. Fortunately for Tottenham, the Leeds frontman was not clinical enough with his touch. The warning for Spurs was clear on two fronts. One: Beckford looked increasingly threatening. Two: Jenas looked dangerously sloppy. And sure enough, those two aspects combined moments later to send the Leeds supporters into another FA Cup rhapsody. From Snodgrass's corner, Jenas inexplicably tried (and failed) to shepherd the ball back to Gomes. Beckford was able to intercept and slip a shot in from close range.Spurs' answer was to bring on two international centre-forwards for the last 20 minutes. Roman Pavlyuchenko took five minutes to make his mark, opening his body to steer into the far corner after ÂWilson Palacios and Defoe combined to carve Leeds open. Robbie Keane, the other sub, was denied a goal by a tight offside decision. But Leeds had the belief to bounce back once again. Grayson can only hope this performance helps his players to remember what they have to show to begin the great march on in the league.FA CupTottenham HotspurLeeds UnitedAmy Lawrenceguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Germany's Simon Rolfes to miss World Cup? Bayer Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes underwent another operation on his knee and is in doubt for the World Cup. cbc.ca |