Victorious coach Cesar Farias could not hide his delight after Venezuela booked their spot in the last four of the Copa America on Sunday.Goals from Oswaldo Vizcarrondo and Gabriel Cichero led Venezuela to a shock 2-1 victory over Chile in their quarter-final in San Juan, earning a semi-final place for the first time in their history.
Farias’ team remains unbeaten so far in the Copa and will meet Paraguay on Wednesday for the chance to make the final.
“We trained to play six matches and we did it, despite the fact that nobody took us into consideration,” Farias said.
“Venezuela have played against three World Cup teams and Ecuador, and haven’t lost against a single one.”
“Today we beat Chile, the revelation of the (World Cup) qualifiers, confirmed in South Africa. We proved that we can compete with the rest of South America.”
And having already come this far, Farias said his squad were determined to push on and claim Venezuela’s first major title.
“(The players) are not content with this and they are hoping to continue going forward,” Farias said.
“This experience also leaves us well-placed thinking about the next qualifying tournament, since our hope is to play the Brazil World Cup in 2014.”
Chilean coach Claudio Borghi dismissed claims that he had taken Venezuela lightly, and said he was proud of how his team fought to get a result.
“I don’t believe in luck, I believe in being able to do what you have to or not. Chile always wanted to win,” Borghi said.
“They always had the conviction that they could win the game. I’m going home sad, but not disappointed.”
Manchester City is aiming for two wins over Stoke in the space of four days when the two teams square off on Tuesday night.It was 1-0 to City on Saturday as the Citizens broke their 35-year trophy drought in the FA Cup final at Wembley and Robert Mancini’s charges will be full of confidence heading into their penultimate clash of the Premier League season at the City of Manchester Stadium.
And if you thought that City have nothing to play for this season after their Cup victory, then think again as third place on the table is still a possibility.
Arsenal’s shock loss at home to Aston Villa on Sunday has left the door open for City and a win here will see Mancini’s side leapfrog Arsene Wenger’s team heading into the final weekend of the season.
Manchester City currently have 65 points compared to Arsenal’s 67, but victory here and then another three points in their final game of the season against Bolton at Reebok Stadium will mean automatic qualification for the Champions League next season.
Mancini has no fresh injury concerns, with long-term absentees Shay Given and Jerome Boateng the only players certain to be missing, although the Italian may freshen his team from the 11 that played on Saturday.
Stoke have already exceeded expectations this season, with Tony Pulis’ side currently sitting in ninth spot on the table with 46 points.
A win would see them jump past Fulham into eighth, but a loss against City combined with defeat in their final game of the season at home to Wigan could see them drop as low as 15th.
Matthew Etherington was substituted at half-time of the FA Cup final and may miss this clash, but there are no fresh injury worries for Stoke.
Danny Higginbotham, Ricardo Fuller and Mamady Sidibe are all out injured and will not feature.
In the corresponding fixture played earlier this season the points were shared, with Micah Richards giving City the lead late in the match, only for Etherington to salvage a 1-1 draw for Stoke with a stoppage time strike.
If you believe the News of the World, Arsenal’s assistant boss Pat Rice is ready to retire at the end of the season. Rice, 61 years-old, joined the Gunners as a player in 1964 and went on to make 528 appearances for the club. On a poll on the official Arsenal website, Pat Rice was voted the 17th Greatest Gunner of all time. The man is Arsenal through and through.
He retired from the game in 1984, but soon took up a role as Arsenal’s youth team coach. He remained the youth team manager for 12 years, until he was designated Arsenal’s caretaker manager following the departure of Stewart Houston. He won all three of his games in charge, making him the only Arsenal manager with a 100% victory rate.
He was to be replaced by Arsene Wenger in 1996 and graciously took an assistant manager role alongside him. Almost 15 years later, it seems that Rice is ready to relinquish his Arsenal commitments.
I have to say, I think the time is right. Pat Rice has done a good job at Arsenal, but the Gunners must embrace change. Over at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistants have changed as regular as clockwork and all have helped to add something different to the side.
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Arsenal need a new voice. Rice doesn’t strike me as the kind of man to speak against Arsene Wenger. The Gunners need an assistant manager who will question Wenger if needs be. I would also suggest that Arsenal’s new number two should have some defensive nous. The Gunners have been all over the place at the back this season and need somebody who can whip them into shape. Arsenal had such success in the 2006 Champion’s League (reaching the final) because they brought in Martin Keown as a specialist defensive coach and he whipped the likes of Senderos and Flamini into shape.
So just who could this man be? For me there is only one obvious answer. Since 2001, Arsenal’s youth team has been coached by Steve Bould with great success. He’s vocal, opinionated and thick-skinned. More important still, he’s defensively minded. Bould was part of Arsenal’s “famous four” defensive line up, which also featured Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn and Lee Dixon. Let’s put it this way: he knows a thing or two about defending.
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Pat Rice made it to the assistant managerial spot through his success managing the youth team. I for one hope that Steve Bould takes the same route. A fresh outlook could be just what the Gunners need in their push for silverware.
If you’re interested and want to hear more feel free to follow me on Twitter: @ThePerfectPass
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You’ve come out of your local town’s youth structure, you’ve signed a scholarship with the Arsenal academy and by the age of 18-20 you’re getting a few chances to impress in the first team proper. Yes, Arsene Wenger has been more proactive than most in fast-tracking talents of a more youthful variety into the first team reckoning over the years with a heavy focus on learning and development. It is difficult to undermine the work of the Frenchman with Jack Wilshere, Wojciech Szczesny and Emmanuel Frimpong more recently representing that the endless conveyor belt of talent is still in fully working order.
But if we look back retrospectively, every manager makes mistakes and from an early age, a wise old head can usually gauge whether a player is going to go on to sample a successful long career or not. Arsene Wenger infamously released a young Jay Bothroyd at 18 after the striker threw his shirt at youth team coach Don Howe in frustration at getting substituted. Whilst Bothroyd has tasted relative success elsewhere, this example represented that Wenger takes pride in a good grounded attitude in his players when coming through the system, and if this is sound enough, praise and rewards of a first team berth shall be the repayment. But if we look the attitudes and careers of some past and present Arsenal academy stars such as Nicklas Bendtner, Jermaine Pennant, David Bentley and Denilson, a belief of their own hype and a seemingly inflated opinion have derailed their progress, and their distractions have led to an intermittent career at Arsenal and in football as a whole. So in the case of these players, is Arsene Wenger’s grooming to blame?
Perhaps Nicklas Bendtner is the greatest example of an ego-tripped youth whose performances don’t always match up with those envisaged in his head. Currently on loan at Sunderland, after failing to capture the imagination at the Emirates, the Dane makes himself an easy target whether wearing bright pink boots or simply making brash quotes about his play in the press; his most famous quote being
‘If you ask me if I am one of the best strikers in the world, I say yes.’
Alright Nicklas! Making his Gunners debut in 2007, Bendtner has gone on to strike 22 goals in 99 appearances which isn’t the worst record but at the expectant North London club, a few inconsistent glimpses of clinical striking abilities each season simply isn’t enough to satisfy the watching spectators. Wenger has refused to condemn his overstated opinion over the years and has only praised his mental strength at responding to criticism whilst giving him plenty chances to impress with 27 Premier League appearances representing his involvement last term. It seems Bendtner’s talent has been a bit forced in contrast to the likes of Kieran Gibbs or Jack Wilshere who have recognised their rise to prominence more quietly.
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Additionally, Bendtner’s task as a striker will always be more difficult as he will naturally be judged upon his goal tally and when key strikers have been out at Arsenal, the Dane who is still learning the game has been the inadequate replacement. Another currently on loan to his native Sao Paulo is Denilson and his transfer in the summer again represents the backward step made by the youngster as punishment for his coasting whilst being given many first team outings. Surely both players would find themselves in the 2011/12 Gunners’ squad had they made the most of their opportunities in former seasons.
Side-tracked Arsenal youth isn’t an exclusive phenomenon to recent times however, with David Bentley in 2003 representing another who showed great promise, yet has gone on to sample mediocrity at Tottenham in his career. After scoring an audacious lob in a 4-1 FA Cup triumph over Middlesbrough at Highbury, tongues were wagging and even Dennis Bergkamp likened his play and made this bold judgement in response to young Bentley’s performances
“He’s not afraid not to do something wrong, that’s the main thing for a young player – not to have any fear. If you don’t try a chip like that, you’ll never succeed”.
Manager Arsene Wenger similarly jumped on the Bentley-Bergkamp bandwagon stating
“David has a long way to go to match what Dennis has done in his career, but it was a typical Bergkamp goal”.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and perhaps Bentley was misguided by these bold quotes at the time, but to put big ideas into young and impressionable heads is certainly questionable amidst an importance to remain level-headed at that age. Perhaps the example of Bentley has made Wenger even tighter with his fast tracking of Arsenal youth these days with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still in and out of the team in respect of his age, learning and exposure to top level football. Showing he can cut it at the top in glimpses, Wenger will have learnt not to burn his youth out such as in the case of Jack Wilshere or to introduce and expect great things immediately such as in the case of Theo Walcott.
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Whilst many young stars have gone on to achieve acclaimed careers in North London, a handful have also reminded us all that even Wenger can get it wrong at times in terms of mentality and grooming . The readily published myth that the Arsenal academy is flawless is certainly one that could be deemed wide of the mark.
Is Wenger or the players to blame for inflated egos and missed opportunities? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989
It’s not often you hear about a footballer contracting a rare illness, it’s even more unlikely you see that same player make a comeback in the professional game. But, that’s exactly what happened to Markus Babbel. The German defender, who is best known by fans in England for his time at Liverpool, overcame a life-threatening illness to play football once more. But, what happened after his time in England came to an end?Babbel started out with his hometown club Bayern Munich at a very early age, progressing through their youth system. He made a handful of appearances for the first team before moving on to fellow German club Hamburg in 1992. Following a successful two-year spell here, in which he became an established first-team player, Munich were convinced to buy him back.The Munich yearsMunich were the great force in German football at this time and Babbel was able to pick up several major honours during his time there. These included three Bundesliga titles, two German cups, the UEFA Cup and, of course, a runners-up medal for the famous 1998/99 Champions League Final against Manchester United.Also, during his time with Munich, he broke into the German national side and became a regular member of the side. He picked up a winners medal from Euro 1996, after Germany beat Czechoslovakia in the final – a match Babbel played in. His performances at the competition did not go unnoticed and a rumoured move to Manchester United had been on the cards. However, the move did not go through and he remained at Munich for several more years – before joining Liverpool in June 2000.In his first year at Infield, he helped the club to a fantastic treble of the League Cup, FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. He became known for his attacking play from full-back and even helped set up a goal in the UEFA Cup final. However, not all was well for Babbel, who had begun to complain of tiredness and fatigue towards the end of the season. Thinking it was just general wear and tear, he returned after the summer break with optimism.Life-threateningHowever, the problem continued and he was substituted at half-time during the first few games of the season. Further tests confirmed that Babbel was suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome – a rare illness that affects the nervous system and can cause life-threatening symptoms. This kept him out of action for around a year, most of which he spent in hospital back in Germany.[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]But when he returned to fitness, he was unable to get back into the first team, restricting him to just a few appearances in the 2002/03 season. He was sent out on loan to Blackburn for the next season, where he was a regular in the side. Upon his return to Liverpool, he left the club and moved back to Germany to join Stuttgart.He found himself in and around the first team for the majority of his time at the club, and even helped them to the Bundesliga title in the 2006/07 season – which also proved to be his last playing season. However, he was able to stay on at the club as assistant manager to Armin Veh.Manager MarkusWith the club expected to once again challenge for major honours, there was understandably a lot of pressure on the duo. This began to show just a couple of months into the season and, with the club languishing in 11th in the league, Veh left the club. Babbel was appointed manager immediately and managed to turn the fortunes around and helped them to a third-placed finish.Stuttgart rewarded him with an extended contract, but this was not to last. Despite helping them to second place in their Champions League group, the club continued to struggle in the league. In December 2009, with the club in 16th place in the Bundesliga and facing a battle to avoid relegation, Babbel was sacked.After spending a few months away from the game, Babbel was given the chance to return to management with recently relegated Hertha ‘BSC’ Berlin. Here, Babbel regained a lot of credit as a manager as he helped the club win the league and gain an immediate return to the Bundesliga.With just one game left until the end of the season, Babbel can look forward to a summer of building a team capable of competing in Germany’s top league. Nobody would begrudge Babbel a second chance at managing at the top. A man with such determination, which saw him battle for his life and return to professional football at the highest level, one cannot help but admire him.Good luck Markus. If you continue to manage with such determination as you played, then a return to England might not be too far away.FootballFanCast.com WORLD Exclusive, Robbie Savage’s Face in a Baby Scan[ffcvideo file=’robbie_savage’]
Aston Villa will look to move further away from the relegation zone when Wolverhampton visit in the Midlands derby on Saturday.Sitting in 13th on the English Premier League table, Villa are only two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United.A 3-2 loss at Bolton on March 5 out did not help their cause but memories of their last home game, a 4-1 thrashing of Blackburn, will be fresh.A win would only see them move mid-table but would be a serious aid to ensuring they remain in the top flight next season.Emile Heskey’s late winner gave Villa the points at the Molineux when the teams last met in September.It is the beginning of a season-defining run for Gerard Houllier’s side, which includes games against teams around them on the table before finishing the season with a trip to Arsenal and a home clash against Liverpool.Everton, Newcastle, West Ham, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Wigan Athletic beckon in six crucial games.They will again be without defender Richard Dunne, who is out with a shoulder injury but has been the subject of an off-field investigation during the week. Visitors Wolves have been poor on the road this season, losing 11 of 14 trips and collecting only five of a possible 42 points.Wolverhampton face a similar run home but points are a must as they begin to drift away from the safety zone.An 87th-minute equaliser from Steven Fletcher gave them an unlikely point at home to Tottenham in their last league game on March 6.Although they are unbeaten in their last three home games, they have not won away from Molineux this year, with their last win on the road a shock 1-0 defeat of Liverpool on December 29.Winger Michael Kightly has declared himself fit to play after an injury-ravaged 15 months, but he is likely to be used off the bench against Villa.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has stated that his side’s 1-0 over West Brom on Tuesday night was a ‘big win’, especially after the taxing festive fixture list.
A solitary Jermain Defoe strike in the second half decided the game, with The Baggies making it difficult for the North London hosts.
Redknapp admitted that his team did not play as well as they have been in recent weeks, but feels the three points is the most important thing.
“It was a hard game,” the Spurs coach admitted to Sky Sports.
“It was a tough game tonight. They came – they had lots of injuries as well – but Roy set them up and they were difficult to break down.
“There were lots of bodies in there and there was nowhere to go. We had the ball for a lot of the game but we were struggling for the breakthrough because they defended well and looked to hit us on the break when they could. They made it very hard for us.
“We created less chances than in any other game this season tonight and the lads were tired, they were leggy.
“They’re not used to playing that many games in such a short space of time – people like Luka Modric said he’s never felt so tired in there.
“It was hard, if you look at the results over the holiday period you get some funny results, lots of people getting injured, tired legs and it gets more and more difficult to play with the energy and type of pace we normally play with. We were a slower version tonight.
“We were getting wide and crossing balls which suited them because the centre halves were dealing with most things and they got bodies back.
“We picked up a few injuries; I lost Sandro with a torn calf, I lost Wiliam Gallas with a torn calf, Jake Livermore split his lip open and suddenly we had a very open looking team late on. That’s when they started to push and look for an equaliser.
“In the end it was a great win for us, you’re not always going to smash teams that come here and play flying football and look fantastic. It was a tough game tonight and we picked up three big points,” he concluded.
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Spurs have Cheltenham in the FA Cup on Saturday, before entertaining Everton at White Hart Lane next Wednesday.
The Cherries had lost just 4 of their 21 league games as the end of the January transfer window approached. Having lost key players 12 months ago it was a different time for Cherries fans, with the co-owners investing in the squad this time around. In came tricky midfielder Donal McDermott and one of the most wanted lower league strikers Matt Tubbs. These are two very good signings on paper, but were they good signings in relation to the balance of the squad?
AFC Bournemouth had been playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, due to the creative ability and lack of strikers. Wes Thomas made the front man spot his own and scored some 9 goals in 15 games, looking very confident in doing so. The Cherries already had Scott Malone who had moved to the left side of midfield before his injury and Marc Pugh a right footed left midfielder who was playing on the right. The three in midfield were a mixture of defensive and creative players. This was working for them as the side went 11 matches unbeaten on the road.
With a mixture of injuries and added personnel, the Cherries have changed to a more orthodox 4-4-2 with new signing Matt Tubbs joining up with former team mate Wes Thomas and Donal McDermott slotting on the right for the injured Wes Fogden. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, it isn’t working. The signing of McDermott has seen some added craft and guile to the side, but an orthodox or wide midfielder he is not. Often the right back is left exposed or if someone covers then gaps in the central midfield start appearing. With the cultured player liking to come in on his left foot it leaves a lack of an outlet which The Cherries lost when Liam Feeney moved to Millwall.
With Matt Tubbs arrival, the Cherries lost Michael Symes on loan to Rochdale as the forward wanted game time. Symes is a good player at this level and it is a blow to lose a striker like that. It has left the Cherries reliant on the aging Steve Fletcher and a young Jayden Stockley to change games. Also the understanding between Symes and Thomas was good and they both worked well together or on their own. Wes Thomas also looks to have been affected by the signing, he was a big fish, a crowd favourite and the top dog at the club. Spending a large fee on a decent goalscorer seems to have affected him and he actually seems to be intimidated playing with Tubbs. An opportunity came in the final moments against MK Dons that had it been a couple of months ago, Wes Thomas would have put away with his eyes closed. At the moment he looks a shadow of the player. However, after spending that amount of money, Lee Bradbury will persist with Tubbs and Thomas.
Lastly, we come to the formation. In a 4-4-2 the Cherries are missing a midfield Dynamo, someone that is tough tackling and will drive the side and bring excitement that gets the fans going. Marvin Bartley went to Burnley, Anton Robinson to Huddersfield and Danny Hollands to Charlton. This kind of player has not been replaced, yet. Recently the Cherries signed Miles Addison on loan from Derby, could he be the missing link that brings all of this together. At the moment he is playing centre back while Steve Cook is injured, but once Cook is back, I think Addison will be moved into the middle. This could change the Cherries season, but it may just be too much for this year.
One frustrating thing is fans expectations. Going to games is a horrible experience at the moment. The crowd are on the teams back very quickly and feel there should be some divine right to win. Teams come to Dean Court and defend and we do not have the quality to break them down. Also, we have been adding and removing players all season that the squad has never settled.
The January arrivals haven’t bedded in yet and it would be harsh to make a full judgement after five games, but after a poor start to the season, losing three games on the bounce wasn’t something AFC Bournemouth could afford, especially with a run of Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday, Carlisle and Brentford coming up. The squad lacks balance and understanding as well as any steel to the side. It lacks the ability to break through teams that sit and defend. The recent signings are good signings at this level, but do they fit into the way the side have been playing. No. 3 defeats in five games since their arrivals would suggest something is wrong. However, the Cherries still sit five points off of the Play Offs despite only one win in six. I wouldn’t write them off though, because once they click they could be a force and maybe with a full pre-season under their belt, AFC Bournemouth could be a side to watch out for next season.
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Minas Gerais state secretary Sergio Barroso believes England should be invited to play the opening match in the region’s World Cup stadium.Barroso has extended an olive branch to England following Brazilian Football Association President Ricardo Teixeira’s open hostility toward the country.
Teixeira, the subject of bribery and corruption allegations dating back to the 1990s, was named in a UK parliamentary enquiry accused of seeking favours in exchange for supporting England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup.
Last week he launched a scathing attack on the English FA and promised to obstruct the England team, media and fans during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
But Barroso does not share the views of his countryman, and wishes to see England take on Brazil in the US$442 million-dollar Mineirao World Cup Stadium, set to be completed in December 2012 with a capacity of 65,000.
“We want England to play Brazil in a friendly in the opening match of the new stadium on February 8, 2013 on the recognised date for FIFA friendlies,” Barroso told Reuters.
“We know what Ricardo Teixeira has said about the English, but the opening of the new stadium is more than just what he has said and his view of England. I am speaking to him and I am going to ask him to invite England to play here.
“FIFA says it is all about fair play and the good of the game so let’s see what Mr Teixeira will do about it.”
“England was the birthplace of football and Brazil developed the game and there are very strong links between our two footballing countries.”
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has praised his team after they won the North London derby 2-1 on Saturday, and has stated the win was deserved, despite Arsenal having more possession.
Goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Kyle Walker gave Spurs the three points, with Aaron Ramsey scoring for the visitors.
Despite The Gunners’ having the lion’s share of the ball, especially in the first half, Redknapp feels the win was justified.
“They had a lot of possession in the first half. It was difficult. They played three in midfield,” he told Sky Sports after the game.
“So they were always going to hold the sway in terms of possession. We had the two (players) in there. But we got the goal before half-time. To be honest, I nearly changed it (Spurs’ formation) at half-time. I nearly made the change and thickened us up in there.
“But I thought, ‘well, let’s see how we go’. They (Arsenal) got off to a better start in the second half, got the goal, and watching the game you would have thought, ‘they are in the ascendency. We could be in trouble’.
“But we upped it. We got better and stronger and we took over. We deserved the win in the second half, I thought we were excellent. We had all the good chances,” he stated.
Walker’s long distance strike proved to be the winner, and despite a mistake by Wojciech Szczesny, Redknapp was full of praise for the young defender.
“He is a great attacking full-back, he loves to get forward. It was a good strike from Kyle. He has done ever so well, he has had a good start to the season,” he concluded.
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Spurs have a week off now for international duty, and travel to take on Newcastle at St James’ Park in their next game.