TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Newcastle's Danny Simpson is thriving on the inspiration of Manchester United old boys The presence of Nicky Butt and Alan Smith has been a big factor in Newcastle's revival according to Danny Simpson. telegraph.co.uk |
6 Hurt in Attack on Togo Football Team Bus in Angola Gunmen in an area plagued by separatist violence opened fire Friday on a bus carrying Togo’s national football team to a tournament in Angola, wounding at least six people including two footballers. feeds.nytimes.com |
Togo withdraw and head home Togo's national football team, still reeling from a rebel attack that killed two of their squad, headed home against the players wishes as the Africa Cup of Nations kicked off in Angola. foxsports.com.au |
Everton 1-2 Birmingham City | FA Cup match report BenÃtez: the name has inspired agonised conversation all season on the red side of Stanley Park. This time the suffering was Everton's. It fell to Christian BenÃtez, Birmingham's Ecuadorian striker, to heap further misery upon Merseyside as he gave early warning that its FA Cup campaign was about to come to grief.BenÃtez scored with a stooping header as early as the seventh minute, the sort of goal that BenÃtez the manager might even have knocked in, although on the evidence of this season not before he had removed his specs rather sadly, checked and cleaned them, and put them on again.Birmingham's BenÃtez is 33 and life's many little tortures have yet to afflict him and a clear-sighted finish looked inevitable from the moment Keith Fahey's cute cross eluded Leighton Baines. Barry Ferguson's role in the goal should not be overlooked – a 30-yard break through midfield after an Everton free-kick had come to naught.Birmingham, unbeaten since October, have done many good things this season, but it is their defensive solidity that has demanded most respect. Freshened by a break in Malta, they were crisp and well drilled. In terms of attacking thrust, they have surely produced little as impressive as their second goal, scored by Ferguson, three minutes before the interval. It was a goal that exuded the confidence gained during a winning run.This time the midfield energy came from Keith Fahey. When he fed Sebastian Larsson on the right, Everton seemed back in numbers, but Larsson's immediate, low cross was dummied by Ferguson, James McFadden, a former Evertonian, alertly supplied a short return pass and Ferguson curled the ball around Tim Howard left-footed.Alex McLeish, Birmingham's Âmanager, said: "Barry has to be one of the best Âmidfield players in the Premier League. Both goals were delicious, but the second was a contender for goal of the month, if not goal of the season. We will lose a game, I can guarantee that, but I would back these guys to bounce back from a setback."McLeish will buy a striker in the January window if he gets a fair price. With £40m to spend, a fair price will not be offered overnight. He does not look the sort of man to crack easily. "I will spend a few bob if the price is right," he said.Everton, as so often, produced little of consequence before half-time, and left to sporadic boos. It took an occasional yard of space for Phil Neville, moving forward from right-back, to bring a roar of expectation, which tells its own story. One miskicked clearance by Lee Bowyer did give Marouane Fellaini a sniff, but he blazed high. Fellaini's mop of black hair gives him the look of a sitcom Scouser, one imagined by Harry Enfield rather than signed by David Moyes, not a man on the face of it who does much comedy.FA Cup history majors on drama and upset, but countless fourth-round ties over the years have been won by the top division team showing most organisation and resolution. Birmingham abound with such qualities.Scott Dann and Roger Johnson were again unyielding in central defence, uncomfortable only during a brief Everton flurry after last year's losing finalists reduced the deficit to 2-1. Hope was provided by Leon Osman, a half-time substitute, who finished calmly after Leighton Baines had skipped around Stephen Carr's sliding challenge on the flank. Louis Saha then went close twice, before being substituted. and Dann pulled off a great block on Fellaini.The largest cheer of the afternoon came for the return of Mikel Arteta 14 minutes from time, his first appearance since he ruptured cruciate ligaments at Newcastle United 11 months ago. When Everton broke, and Fellaini overhit a pass to Arteta, who was sprinting forward, the sit-com Scouser threw his hands into his hair as if Arteta was to blame.Almost the last kick of the match gave Arteta a chance to make a fairy-tale return: a free kick 35 yards out. He scuffed it and it trundled half the distance. It was a warning that much work lies ahead if he is to revive Everton's season. "I'm pleased to have him back," said Moyes.FA CupEvertonBirmingham CityDavid Hoppsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
United swoop for Fulham defender Manchester United have agreed to sign central defender Chris Smalling from Barclays Premier League rivals Fulham, but the player will remain with the Cottagers for the rest of the season. foxsports.com.au |