| Goal: Evaluating the United States Performance: Your View The United States earned a 0-0 tie with Colombia on Tuesday, the team's second straight tie in an international friendly. What do you make of the Americans' performance. feeds.nytimes.com |
Sepp Blatter praises England World Cup bid Fifa boss Sepp Blatter has paid tribute to English football and its 2018 World Cup at a trip to meet David Cameron at Downing Street. telegraph.co.uk |
Old Firm ref's family threatened The referee in a stormy Old Firm clash receives threatening phone calls after awarding a controversial penalty to Rangers. foxsports.com.au |
BBC Makes New Allegations Against FIFA Ex - Co Members ZURICH (Reuters) - An investigation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) accused three FIFA executives of taking bribes in a program to be aired on Monday, three days before the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups are decided. feeds.nytimes.com |
Didier Drogba: Chelsea won't win the league unless we improve fast • Chelsea's poor run continued with 1-1 draw with Newcastle• 'We have to change if we want to go back to the top'Didier Drogba has warned Chelsea they need to improve at both ends of the pitch if they are to retain their Premier League title. The Blues ended the weekend in second place for the first time this season after drawing 1-1 at Newcastle, and have taken only four points from the past 15 on offer.Salomon Kalou's equaliser meant they at least avoided a third successive league defeat, which they have not suffered for 11 years, but with Manchester United having shot back to the top of the table with Saturday's 7-1 demolition of Blackburn, Drogba knows they need to be more ruthless in both penalty areas.The 32-year-old told the BBC: "That's normal, that's football. We had these moments last year and it is up to us to change things, to get back to scoring goals and not concede. We had so many clean sheets for a certain time, but now we are conceding in every game, so that's something we have to change if we want to go back to the top of the league."Chelsea headed for St James' Park desperate to return with all three points after losing to Liverpool, Sunderland and Birmingham either side of a 1-0 victory over Fulham in their previous four league games.Kalou's strike was only their second in that run of fixtures, which has now seen them concede seven, and that imbalance has proved costly."Once again, we created a lot of chances and could have scored maybe another goal," Drogba said. "But the problem is we conceded a goal very early in the game and we had to chase, and when you have to chase, you create more space and you create more fatigue as well, so it is difficult to convert the opportunities you have."Chelsea contributed to their own downfall on Tyneside when the centre-back Alex guided a back-pass wide of the advancing goalkeeper Petr Cech, and Andy Carroll took full advantage to claim his ninth goal of the season.After a slow start the visitors gradually worked their way into the game, but it took them until first-half injury time to get back on level terms when Kalou's shot was deflected past Tim Krul.Chelsea largely dominated the second half, but after Ashley Cole had headed a Wayne Routledge volley off the line Kalou fired into the side-netting when he should have done better and the substitute Daniel Sturridge dragged a shot across the face of goal as they failed to make the pressure tell.To compound matters, the Londoners left St James' Park for Newcastle airport only to be told the plane on which they were due to fly back had been stranded in Aberdeen because of bad weather, meaning a long coach journey home.That will have given the Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, and his players plenty of time to reflect upon just where they have gone wrong in recent weeks.Drogba said: "You expect Chelsea to win every game and people are maybe surprised. But that means we are one of the best in the league, so that's why the expectation is high. It's a responsibility we have to take and we are trying to do that."Chelsea's fortunes could take an upturn this week with their captain, John Terry, and his England team-mate Frank Lampard set to resume full training, although Alex is heading back to Brazil to undergo knee surgery after delaying his operation in Terry's absence.Didier DrogbaChelseaguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |