| Real Salt Lake advances in CONCACAF league, dumps Toronto Substitute Javier Morales scored on a free kick in the second half Tuesday and Real Salt Lake reached the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Redknapp delighted to play right moves • 'I picked the right team and we won 4-1,' says manager• Michel Preud'homme claims referee was the key factorHarry Redknapp hailed Tottenham's win over Twente as just reward for his adventurous management. Redknapp said he knew his decision to deploy two strikers in front of an attack-minded midfield would leave his defence exposed but concluded that his team's potency meant the risk was worth running."We picked an open team, we went for it," said Redknapp. "They had an extra man in midfield and we knew there'd be spells where they'd hit us on the counterattack but that's how we decided to play. You've got to look at the opposition and see where their strengths are and where you can hurt them."We decided to press them high up the park with our two centre-forwards to stop them playing out from the back and it worked well. That's what it's about: picking the right team. I picked the right team and we won 4-1. Not a problem."Redknapp's Twente counterpart, however, believed Tottenham's win could partially be attributed to factors other than their manager's tactical mastery. Michel Preud'homme complained about the Norwegian referee, Terje Hauge, who punished his team with three penalties, two of which were converted to tilt the game irrevocably in Tottenham's favour.He was particularly annoyed by Tottenham's third penalty, awarded after a Roman Pavlyuchenko shot crashed into the arm of Peter Wisgerhof, who seemed too close to take evasive action. Moments earlier Hauge had waved away Twente penalty appeals after Peter Crouch had blocked a Theo Janssen shot with his hand from similar range."If you give a penalty to one side you have to give it to the other," said Preud'homme, who had spent much of the second half shaking his head in apparent disbelief at the referee's performance. "I was upset because you feel that the players don't believe some of the things that were happening. We took all the risk and made the tactical decisions to come back into the game but that third penalty cut everything."Redknapp admitted "the third penalty was soft but I've seen them given". He also said that "the first two were blatant fouls, you couldn't argue with them" and suggested that Tottenham's first penalty, which Rafael van der Vaart failed to convert, should have been retaken. "The keeper's two yards off his line when he saved it, I don't know how [the referee] didn't see that."Redknapp did not quibble with the referee's decision to send off Van der Vaart in the 61st minute for a second bookable offence and said he had considered substituting the Dutchman after he collected his first yellow card."Van der Vaart will now be suspended for [the game at] Inter Milan," said Redknapp. "I was thinking about subbing him just before he got sent off because he'd made a bit of a rash challenge on the other side and I was concerned that, if he made one more mistimed challenge, he'd be sent off. As I was contemplating he made not a malicious challenge but a typical bad forward's tackle, I suppose."Tottenham HotspurHarry RedknappFC TwenteChampions LeaguePaul Doyleguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Liverpool's Roy Hodgson defends his signings ahead of Merseyside derby • Critics are 'naive in their expectations', says Liverpool manager• 'We've expected too much from some of the people'Liverpool's manager, Roy Hodgson, has defended the club's summer signings ahead of Sunday's derby against Everton, accusing critics of the likes of Christian Poulsen and Raul Meireles of being "naive in their expectations".He added: "Quite a few of our players are new – some are new to the country and not just the club – so it takes time for players to adjust to that. We are naive in our expectations sometimes. We sign a good player from abroad and then expect him to go and play like Steven Gerrard from the first moment. That doesn't happen."That's our situation at the moment. It's a new team and a new venture. Maybe we've expected too much from some of the people – they are still finding their feet. But they are good players so let's hope they have the ability and quality to deal with it."Meireles was signed from Porto for £10.7m, while Poulsen moved from Juventus for £4.5m. Joe Cole, Paul Konchesky and Milan Jovanovic also joined in the summer. They have seen the new club suffer their worst start to a season for over half a century, since they were relegated in 1953-54, with only one win so far.Hodgson, however, believes his side – and Everton, who have fared little better and are ahead only on goal difference – are certain to climb the league. "It would've been nice if we could have been in a better position," said Hodgson ahead of his first Merseyside derby. "I'm sure my colleague David [Moyes] would be saying the same thing."It's a bit unusual to see a derby with both teams down there, but I'm pretty sure we'll see both teams in a better position for the next one. I suppose there is extra importance because both of us are desperately in need of points – but it would be nice if we could get them."Roy HodgsonLiverpoolDavid Moyesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
U.S. pulls bid to host 2018 World Cup to focus on 2022 FIFA says the United States has pulled out of the bidding race for the 2018 World Cup to focus on winning the hosting rights for 2022. cbc.ca |
Hamburg end Mainz's perfect start Bundesliga: Paolo Guerrero scored in the 89th minute to give Hamburg SV a 1-0 win at Mainz 05 guardian.co.uk |