TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Manchester City 2-0 Stoke City At least Roberto Mancini started off with a win, which was all he would have wished for in the circumstances.The game was nowhere near as eventful or entertaining as last week's seven-goal frolic against Sunderland, but after dropping Craig Bellamy for Martin Petrov and restoring Robinho to the apex of the attack Mancini's selection was partly justified when Petrov opened the scoring on the half-hour.Only partly, though, because given freedom to roam up front alongside Carlos Tevez Robinho gave another startling indication of just how little £32.5m buys you these days if you do not spend it carefully. The Brazilian was hardly in the game, and little that he tried came off.Stoke gave a good account of themselves for the first 20 minutes or so, and should have taken the lead when Tuncay found himself one on one with Shay Given. The goalkeeper made an excellent scrambling save, hurting himself in a collision with Kolo Touré in the process, though a striker of Tuncay's experience should have done better than hit Given with the whole of the goal to aim at.The visitors were left regretting that miss when Petrov scored at the other end eight minutes later, following a good run and cross from Tevez that Robinho managed to scuff in front of goal but still succeed in moving along to the Bulgarian for a tap-in at the far post.Robinho sliced a volley horribly wide from another Tevez cross on the stroke of the interval, though there was still time in the minutes added on for the home side to double their lead. Pablo Zabaleta's ball into the penalty area was headed back across goal by Gareth Barry for Tevez to fly through the air and acrobatically get a foot to it to divert in past Thomas Sorensen at the last minute.When Bellamy came on for Robinho 20 minutes from the end it produced the biggest cheer of the afternoon and the Welshman was instantly busy at both ends, getting back to help his defence and making things happen in attack in a way Robinho no longer seems inclined to attempt. No further goals arrived, though Bellamy should have had a penalty when he was checked in the area by Robert Huth.Premier LeagueManchester CityStoke CityRoberto ManciniPaul Wilsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson celebrates new contract with realism Roy Hodgson celebrated new 12-month contract by vowing Fulham must never set expectations beyond surviving in the top flight telegraph.co.uk |
Togo football team fly home from Africa Cup of Nations after attack in Angola In pics: Togo fly home from Africa Cup of Nations after attack. telegraph.co.uk |
You are the Ref Click to enlarge, and debate the strip below the line. Keith Hackett's official answers appear in Sunday's Observer and here from Monday.Competition: win an official club shirt of your choiceFor a chance to win a club shirt from the range at Kitbag.com send us your questions for You are the Ref to you.are.the.ref@observer.co.uk. The best scenario used in the new Observer YATR strip each Sunday wins a shirt of your choice from Kitbag. Terms & conditions apply.For more on the fifty year history of You Are The Ref, click here.guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Kaka, Pires score as stars gather for Haiti charity match Kaka and Robert Pires were among the scorers in a charity game to raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake. rssfeeds.usatoday.com |