TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Manchester City interested in Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres Manchester City manager would move for Liverpool's top players if they finish outside top four and are forced to sell. telegraph.co.uk |
Rosicky inks extension with Arsenal Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has signed a new contract with the club. cbc.ca |
Ivory Coast 3-1 Ghana Gervinho 22, Tiene 66, Drogba 90 | Gyan 90 (pen)The doubts, at least for now, can be put away. After their rusty start to the competition, Ivory Coast became the first side to reach the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations with a performance that bristled with authority.The sending-off of Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboué briefly threatened to derail them, but just when they needed it, Siaka Tiéné converted a curling free-kick to double their lead and quash Ghana's surge. The Âpressure lifted and the message was clear: this is not merely a talented side, but one with the ability to bend games to their will.They also demonstrated a fine judgment of the prevailing mood, with the goalkeeper Boubacar Barry unfurling a narrow banner to dedicate each goal to the memory of the three members of the Togolese party who died in last Friday's terrorist attack.That Ivory Coast can play powerful, domineering football we knew; what was more impressive last night were the occasional glimpses of swagger. In terms of their outfield play, there have always been two major question marks about them: their temperament and the lack of a creator with the panache to break down sides who set out to defend against them.They responded under pressure here last night, and it may be that they have found their joker. Like many of the Elephants, Gervinho is quick and direct, but he also has something more, a sparkle to match the diamond studs he wears in his ears.The Lille forward's goal last night, knocking the ball into an empty net after Salomon Kalou had squared Yaya Touré's immaculate through-ball after 22 minutes, was unexceptional, but it was his all-round performance that caught the eye before he was the man sacrificed after Eboué's red card.Kalou was the one change to Ivory Coast's side from Monday's goalless draw against Burkina Faso, replacing Bakary Koné, who missed a series of chances. The Chelsea forward seemed to give Ivory Coast a greater balance, a fluency among their front three they had lacked in that opening game. That said, Ghana's young side – four of their starting XI were part of the squad that won the Under-20 World Cup last year – seemed far less defensively sound than Burkina.Until the introduction of Michael Essien, making a tentative and far from convincing return after hamstring trouble, Ivory Coast seemed comfortable, but he added fire to the midfield battle. Didier Zokora could have been sent off for a retributive kick at Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, and Eboué did go for a horrible lunge through the back of Agyemang Opoku 10 minutes after the break, the first red card of the championship.Matthew Amoah volleyed against the post two minutes later, and as Barry – the goalkeeper still the glaring weak link in the Ivory Coast side – flapped a Kwadwo Asamoah free-kick over, Ghana briefly seemed in the ascendant. Their fight-back, though, was cut off as Tiéné whipped a free-kick in at Richard Kingson's near post.Didier Drogba stretched the lead to three as he headed in Kader Keita's cross in injury-time, and Asamoah Gyan scored a late consolation from the penalty spot after a slightly harsh decision as he had tumbled under Souleymane Bamba's challenge. It did nothing to change the equation, though, which is that Ghana must beat Burkina Faso on Tuesday if they are to reach the last eight.Ghana (4-1-4-1): Kingson; Inkoom, Vorsah, Addo, R Ayew; Narry (Essien, 46); D Ayew (Gyan, 46), Agyemang-Badu, Asamoah, Opoku (Afful, 77); AmoahIvory Coast (4-3-3): Barry; Eboue, K Toure, Bamba, Tiene; Zokora, Y Toure (Fae, 67), Tiote; Gervinho (Demel 60), Drogba, Kalou (Keita, 84)Referee: Jerome Damon (South Africa)Africa Cup of NationsGhanaIvory CoastJonathan Wilsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Tevez brace makes Ferguson squirm The Argentinian's goals for Manchester City in the League Cup semi-final were the latest indignity to befall Manchester UnitedThey will try to tell us that it is only the Carling Cup. They will remind us that for years they have regarded this competition as little more an afterthought, cluttering up an already-congested fixture list and getting in the way of more important matters. They will enjoy the fact that Manchester City created a commemorative programme for reaching their first semi-final since 1981 and they will insist this competition represents football's equivalent of the girl next door to the supermodels they normally date.Yet this is a strange time for Manchester United. There has been a bad vibe at their recent home matches. The crowd have been restless, occasionally mutinous, as the team have laboured and the news has seeped out of the offences to football committed by that orchestra of geeks known as the Glazer family. The whole club needs a lift and there can be no doubt how much it will hurt them if they are unable to turn this tie upside down next Wednesday. This was another blow to their morale.Sir Alex Ferguson's team have already lost five times in the league and been knocked out of the FA Cup by a Leeds United side from League One. Now the latest indignity: two goals from the striker they lost to City during the summer. United fans used to have a "sign him up" campaign on Tevez's behalf. Since he left they have, almost overnight, tried to convince themselves he had the worst first touch of any United attacker since Ralph Milne, the man Ferguson remembers as his worst-ever signing. In the away end at the City of Manchester Stadium they will have watched Tevez milking his celebrations through the latticework of their fingers.• FA to investigate after Neville gives Tevez the finger• Paul Wilson: Will City ever be bigger than United?• Kevin McCarra's match report: Man City 2-1 Man Utd• In pictures: Tom Jenkins's best pictures from EastlandsFerguson argued that the damage was not irreparable, and justifiably so given the number of chances his team carved out. Yet the United manager is beginning to sound like a looped tape, lamenting his team's finishing, almost rolling his eyes as he expresses his astonishment that they could be so generous. Ferguson has been almost reluctant in the past to acknowledge City as genuine rivals for United, calling their stadium the Temple of Doom and offering painkillers to City journalists at his press conferences. But the team he selected last night demonstrated how he has had to modify his thinking.The old deceiver had initially promised to play his youngsters, as is the norm in the Carling Cup. He then backtracked a little after the defeat to Leeds United in the FA Cup to say it would be a mix, but mainly still the kids. What we got instead looked suspiciously like Team A when you consider Edwin van der Sar's previous appearance in this competition was all the way back in the final against Wigan Athletic five years ago. Darron Gibson, the hero in the quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur, was not even on the bench. Rafael da Silva brought down the average age but, even then, there was an argument the Brazilian deserved his place given that Gary Neville can be a danger to his own team when the pace is this frenetic.Or at least that was the sense beforehand. As it turned out, Ferguson must regret not going for the more experienced man when he considers the impetuousness with which Rafael tugged at Craig Bellamy's arm to concede the penalty that changed the course of this game.This was the moment Tevez had been craving since his defection from Old Trafford and the lingering sense of bad feeling could be seen in the exuberant way he chose to celebrate compared to the respect he has afforded West Ham when scoring against another of his former clubs. Tevez was so pumped up he made a beeline for the touchline where Gary Neville had been warming up and informed his former team-mate (imagine Rod Hull with an invisible Emu) that he talked too much. Neville had said on the eve of this match that he could not argue with Ferguson's assessment that Tevez was over-priced at £25.5m.For the second goal his intention seemed to be to make a point to Ferguson, running to the same touchline to cup his ears in front of the two dug-outs. Ferguson, one imagines, will use the memory of that moment to motivate his players in the return leg. As it stands, however, United look like they could do with Carlos Alberto Tevez.Carling CupManchester UnitedManchester CityCarlos TevezSir Alex FergusonDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
West Ham make offer for McCarthy • McCarthy's absence from training angers Sam Allardyce• West Ham keen to sign two strikers during transfer windowWest Ham have submitted a written offer for the Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy. Gianfranco Zola's side have been linked with the South African after his manager, Sam Allardyce, said he could leave during the current transfer window.McCarthy has not impressed Allardyce by failing to turn up for the last two training sessions and his days at Blackburn appear to be numbered. The 32-year-old has struggled to find form this season, scoring only once in the Premier League and regularly finding himself left out by Allardyce."We are very disappointed with Benni's non-appearance for training and will deal with it separately should he remain here after the transfer window has closed," said Allardyce."We have said all along that we will listen to offers, but only agree to sell if both the commercial and football reasons satisfy Blackburn Rovers. That situation remains unchanged."West Ham are desperate to bolster their attacking options and their new owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, who completed their takeover of the club last week, have pledged to sign two strikers this month. Injuries to Carlton Cole, Guillermo Franco and Zavon Hines have stretched their forward line to breaking point and Zola was recently forced to give the 18-year-old striker Frank Nouble his Premier League debut at Aston Villa.Sullivan last week went public with an attempt to bring Ruud van Nistelrooy to West Ham on a £100,000 a week contract, but the Dutchman opted to join Hamburg instead. West Ham, only out of the bottom three thanks to their superior goal difference, are also thought to be monitoring Monaco's Eidur Gudjohnsen and Stoke City's James Beattie.Transfer windowWest Ham UnitedBlackburn RoversPremier LeagueSam Allardyceguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |