Heartbreak For Leeds

Leeds United's magical FA Cup run came to an end tonight after a punishing 3-1 defeat to Spurs at Elland Road. A trio of goals from Spurs hot shot Jermaine Defoe ended the run, which saw Leeds defeat Manchester United away and then take it to a replay against Spurs. Defoe, who could have easily grabbed a bundle of goals, ended Leeds hopes of progression with an impressive display. The England starlet grabbed the opener in the 37th minute after a miss hit looped the ball in the top corner, leaving keeper Casper Ankrengren hopeless to stop it. But Leeds were able to grab an equaliser on the stroke of half time through Argentine striker Luciano Becchio. The front man pounced on Jermaine Beckford's strike to poke the ball into the empty net after it rebounded of keeper Gomes. Signs were beginning to suggest that the tie would be much alike the first, with frustration for Spurs. However, after the interval it was all one-way traffic. A barrage of efforts rained in at the Leeds goal and the Elland Road faithful who could hardly argue when Defoe put Spurs ahead once again. Man of the match David Bentley produced a fine cross on the right hand side for Defoe to finish crisply in the 73rd minute. The task of pegging Spurs back seemed out of reach for the tiring Leeds side as Defoe added to his tally of 19 goals by topping of the night with his hat trick. The fairy tale was over for the League 1 side but they certainly held their own against the Premier League outfit something Manager Simon Grayson can be very proud of his players for.

Watson Takes A Swing At Woods

American golfing legend Tom Watson has hit out at World Number 1 Tiger Woods for his actions on and off the course. Watson claimed that he needs to 'clean up his act' and that he should 'come clean' about his extra marital affairs. The 60 year old was speaking ahead of his rare European Tour Golf appearance in the Dubai Desert Classic. The veteran claimed that Woods should 'show some humility' to the public after details of his endless affairs were splashed in the media. He insisted that he should not only improve his life off the course but also improve his actions whilst competing. Watson exclaimed that, Woods does not hold the same presence as some of the games greats because of his sometimes sluggish demeanour. 'I feel that he has not carried the same stature as the other great players that have come along like Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan in the sense that there was (bad) language and club throwing on the golf course, ' Watson stated. 'You can grant that to somebody, a young person, that has not been out there for a while, but I think he needs to clean up his act there and show the respect for the game that the people before him have shown'.

Woods is currently on an indefinite leave after the astonishing claims about his private life hit the media. The comments from Watson are just string of criticisms that have been aimed at Woods since the revelations and questions are being asked as to whether or not the games greatest will ever come back.

Fergie Charged Over Comments

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct following his comments of referee Alan Wiley during his sides 2-2 draw with Sunderland. The United boss launched a skiving attack on Wiley questing his fitness and ability to keep up with the game. He accused the experienced official of 'walking up and down the pitch' after mentioning to United striker Wayne Rooney that he was struggling to keep up with the pace of the game during the match. Ferguson provoked anger within the Referee's union calling for action to be taken by the F.A. The United boss did present Alan Wiley with an apology a week after the incident but this has not been enough to save him as he now faces a touchline ban. He has until November 3rd to appeal to his charge if found guilty he could be punished with a fine or more likely a touchline ban. Despite this, Fergie has been clever by drawing the attention away from his own mistakes. The team he sent out on the day was not a full strength side with star players like Dimitar Berbatov and Ryan Giggs sat on the bench. Ben Foster's shaky performance was not underlined in the press conference after the game showing Ferguson's clever intuition to protect him and his team from the media spotlight.

Maradona Musters Win

Argentina scraped through to the World Cup Finals after a thrilling match away to Uruguay. Heavily under fire boss Diego Maradona faced one of the biggest games of his career as Argentina required vital points away from home to progress. The hostile atmosphere within the stadium before hand was a as taste of what was to come. Argentina, who have struggled throughout the group stage were looking to take some huge pressure of their shoulders by qualifying for South Africa but the game did not go all their own way. It took a late goal for debutant Mario Bolatti to seal an unconvincing win after the sending off of Caraceres. Maradona and his team were greeted by raptures boos from the home fans as they entered the field and the home fans reaction was met by that of the players. The game started very lively, with seemingly both teams fired up for the big game. To begin with it was a very stop and start game with tackles flying in from every direction. The referee's attempts to calm the players resulted in numerous yellow cards within the first 10 minutes. The first real chance fell to the home side as Jorge Rodriguez made use of some slack defending to burst through on goal only to crash his effort against the upright. 10 minutes later and Argentine keeper Romero was sent scrambling after a fierce drive from Alvaro Pereira went narrowly wide. However, the Argentine's quelled their nerves and started to stroke the ball around effortlessly. They had a decent penalty shout on the half hour when Diego Perez appeared to wrestle Gabriel Heinze to the ground only to be waved away by the referee. As the clock approached the half time mark Uruguay almost grabbed the lead when a sensational drive from Diego Forlan scrapped the post, ending a thrilling first half. The hosts continued to press in the second half as Maradona's men looked tame in front of goal. Maradona who has come under some harsh criticism for Argentina's disjointed World Cup campaign looked to be heading for more misery. Athletico Madrid forward Forlan unleashed rasping drive from the edge of the box only to be saved well by Romero as Uruguay pressed for the opening goal. World player of the year Lionel Messi looked anonymous in the first half but displayed some his talents after taking the ball past three defenders before putting his shot wide. Argentine hearts where in their mouths once again when Diego Lugano was left free in the area only to fluff his header over the bar. The home side were dealt a heavy blow when Caceres picked up a second booking after hauling down Jonas Gutierrez. This was a telling blow as the resulting free kick allowed Bolatti to smash the ball home giving Argentina all three points and qualification. Maradona and his men had been able to silence their critics at least until South Africa.

Real Ace Roo Injury Woes

Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo could be looking up to a month out on the sidelines after damaging his ankle in Portugal's 3-0 World Cup Qualifier over Hungary. Despite going into the game already carrying an ankle knock, Portugal boss Carlos Queiroz started the winger, who could only manage 27 minutes of the game. Queiroz has come under some criticism from Madrid for allowing the ‘Galitico’ to play and a spokesmen for the Spanish outfit had this to say 'After a clinical examination and an MRI scan, it is confirmed the player has suffered a recurrence of his injury to his right ankle, a medial collateral sprain with inflammation in the bone. The estimated recovery time is three to four weeks.' Ronaldo who already missed their defeat to Sevilla will now miss both games against Italian giants AC Milan in the Champions League.

Reds Safely Secure Win

Liverpool came through an awkward opening to their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win at home to Hungarian champions Debrecen. The game started brightly for the reds who retained the majority of the possession despite any cutting chances in the final 3rd. Liverpool lacked ideas as a secluded Gerrard played in an unfamiliar midfield role. The Captain played in a much deeper position than were used to seeing him in and lead to a lack of fluency between the midfield and attack. Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun looked positive in the opening stages and a quick fire move from the pair almost allowed Torres to find the breakthrough only for his shot to be saved. The game opened up slightly as Debrecen began to feel their way into the game almost taking the lead after a lose ball on the edge of the area was almost punished were it not for a clever save from Pepe Reina. However, spaces began to appear and Alberto Riera almost utilized the extra space after a glorious pass from Carragher put him through on goal. The keeper stood up well to make a good save but from the resulting shot Kuyt came agonizingly close with his effort saved off the line. The pressure final broke through as the half was drawing to a close Kuyt was able to pounce on a Torres shot to smash in from 8 yards. A penetrating ball from Gerrard allowed Torres to turn and swivel firing a good shot at the keeper who could only parry the ball into Kuyt's path.

The second half was no different but Liverpool failed to turn their dominating possession into any clear cut chances. Debrecen looked dangerous on the counter attack as the willingness of forward Coulibaly nearly paid off were it not for his miss-control. Despite this, Benitez's side were never really troubled and were able to come away with a good 3 points in their opening game. They will have to pick up their performances though if they are to challenge for the trophy.

Reds Recover To Smash Trotters

Liverpool recovered from a miserable result midweek by taking all 3 points at the Reebok in a pulsating game. The Reds came from behind twice to eventually come away winners, thanks to inspirational captain Steven Gerrard whose scorching half volley minutes from the end handed them the win.

After a lacklustre display at home to Villa, Benitez's men needed a vital win to kick start their season. However, things did not start well as on 33 minutes Kevin Davies found the net after yet again some suspect defending. Liverpool, who have won the last 3 games at the Reebok were looking to bounce back quickly and managed to do so as a suburb solo effort from Glen Johnson on the 41st minute levelled the encounter. The much touted title challengers, looked dominate after half time but again went behind on 47 minutes. A long punt up field from Trotter's goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was flicked on by Kevin Davies for Tamir Cohen to smash the ball into the back of the on watching Reina.

The game was about to see a major turning point in favour of the Reds when in the 54th minute Sean Davies was sent off for a second bookable offence. A needless clip to midfielder Lucas Leiva saw him furiously head for an early shower. This proved decisive when on the 56th minute hot-shot Spanish starlet Fernando Torres finished well after some great work from Gerrard and Kuyt, the striker notching his 3rd goal in 4 games getting the Reds back on track.

All the attack was coming from the away side and eventually the Bolton defence was breeched once again on the 83rd minute. Captain Gerrard, who recently came under some criticism from the media, silenced them with a stunning half volley, emphatically handing the Reds all 3 points.

Could this be the win that kick starts Liverpool's season? A tough encounter against Burnley awaits after the International break for Benitez's men.

Liverpool Stunned By Ekotto Screamer

Liverpool were handed a wake up call on the opening day of the season going down 2-1 to Tottenham at White Hart Lane. The reds have been undefeated in their last 8 away games on the opening day but fell to a disappointing defeat.

Liverpool, who have been hotly tipped to end their 18 year wait for a league title, started the game very poorly as both teams were unable create any chances. Benitez's men, who only lost twice last season, struggled to carve out any chances early on. Spurs looked the more likely team to score as Robbie Keane could have bagged a first half hat trick were it not for Pepe Reina. A superb point blank save from Reina denied Keane a glorious chance to score against his old club as the Reds failed to even get into the game. Liverpool looked lackadaisical in all departments and an error in judgment by Jamie Carragher ended with an injury for team mate Martin Skrtle. Carragher and Skrtle jumped for the same ball but the vice captain instead headed the jaw of his team mate, leaving him nursing a cracked jaw. Skrtle now faces 2 weeks on the sidelines. Things only got worse for the title contenders when a stunning strike from Benoit Assou Ekotto opened the scoring. A Huddlestone free kick could only hit the wall but Ekotto smashed the ball beyond the excellent Reina to open his Spurs account.

The Reds started the 2nd half in a more positive fashion but once again failed to create any clear cut chances. Spurs squandered some good opportunities, the electric pace of Aaron Lennon almost got them second were not for his poor judgment. However, Liverpool new boy Glen Johnson scampered into the box and was brought down by Ekotto to earn himself a penalty. Captain Steven Gerrard stepped up to slot away the penalty and put his team back on track. It wasn't level for long though, as a free kick from a wide area and slack marking enabled former Newcastle defender Sebastian Bassong to head home to give Spurs a 2-1 lead on 59 minutes.

Manager Raphael Benitez turned to his bench to try and salvage a draw by bringing on Andriy Voronin. The Ukrainian striker, who spent last year on loan with Hertha Berlin, impressed during pre-season and straight away made an impact as he was brought down by Ekotto in the area only for Referee Phil Dowd to wave it away. This decision deeply angered the Reds bench as assistant coach Sammi Lee had to be sent into the stands for his protests. Spurs were able to clinch an impressive 2-1 win over Liverpool and the question has to be asked, can Liverpool be a dominant force in the league? After this performance you wouldn't say so. They lacked real depth in the team and without Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso in the team they missed that cutting edge they had last season. Perhaps Rafa could miss him more than he expected to.

Kop Silenced By Travelling Blues

Liverpool’s hopes of obtaining European glory where washed away by Chelsea this evening as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Anfield. The Reds now have a huge mountain to climb with the return leg at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday.

As the blazing sun dipped behind the clouds another eventful night of Champions League football was about to begin as Liverpool looked to grab the initiative to take into the 2^nd leg.
The game started brightly with the Reds taking a hold of the game gliding the ball beautifully around the pitch. Benitez’s men took an early lead as a suburb Torres goal gave them their just rewards for early pressure. Dirk Kuyt playing a sublime ball into the on rushing Alonso who fizzed a brilliant ball into the feet of Torres which he directed past Cech to make it 1-0. Despite the early advantage Chelsea reacted straight away when Malouda pounced on a mistake from Aurelio sliding the ball into Drogba but he failed to put it away one on one with Reina. The Reds dominated possession but failed to create any chances as they were unable to decide whether to stick or twist, their hesitancy aloud Chelsea to get at them as the game was beginning to turn on its head. Drogba looked a potent force up top for the Blues and had the chance once again to level the game firing over the bar from 12 yards. Eventually Chelsea did grab an equaliser when lacklustre defending from a corner enabled defender Ivanovich to fire a header past Reina on 40 minutes.

Chelsea came out the 2nd half very much the same and looked the more likely to take the lead. They almost did when Drogba again got into a good position but was denied by Carragher on the line. The Blues did snatch a crucial 2^nd away goal when Ivanovich popped up on another corner to header his 2^nd goal of the game on 62 minutes. The stunned Reds were in shock after a fairytale start was diminishing in front of their eyes. Rafa Benitez’s ‘Zonal Marking’ coming into question as Liverpool looked at the daunting score line. However, the problems intensified when a classy Chelsea move allowed Drogba to smash it in from 6 yards after good play from Ballack and Malouda. Liverpool desperate to grab a late goal brought on Yossi Benayoun who had managed to save their blushes at the weekend with a dramatic late goal at Fulham. He failed to replicate that on this occasion and Chelsea now have one foot in a potential semi final with Barcelona after they thumped Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp.
In my view, although, Chelsea have stopped the inform team going out of the Champions League may not all be that bad for the Reds. With a clutter of fixtures piling up Benitez’s focus can be set upon chasing United down for that elusive Premier League title.

Argentina Humiliated In Bolivia

Argentina's World Cup hopes took a major blow last night when they fell to a huge defeat at the hands of Bolivia. The Argentinians were thrashed 6-1, there biggest defeat in almost 60 years. Much controversy surrounded the game as reports emanating from Italy suggested that Argentina head coach Diego Maradona was in massive debt to the Italian Government. The debt believed to be in the region of 37 Million Euros is for unpaid taxes during his time at Napoli. The pressure was on for Maradona and Argentina who despite maintaining a 100% record during his time in charge, have not looked at all convincing in recent games.
Before the game had even kicked off there was even more problems as Fifa had attempted to block the the game being played in Estadio Hernando Siles Stadium because of an altitude issue. Since the mid 80s teams have traditionally had to combat with the altitude problems in South America by aclimatising at least 10 days before. However, Argentina were unable to do this because of a weekend qualifier against Venezuela.
The game started in dramatic fashion as the Bolivians set out their intentions of a shoot at will policy cracking 4 shots from long range in the first 10 minutes. The Argentinians found it difficult to get to grips with the fast tempo and looked sluggish in midfield. The early pressure paid off for Bolivia as they grabbed a goal through Moreno on 11 minutes after some good work inside the box. The stunned Argentines fought hard to get control of the game but Bolivia battled back making the unmistakable Messi look human, forcing him into several errors. After a spell of pressure the Bolivian defence were undone by a long range effort from Gonzalez on 25 minutes. The keeper to blame entirely for the equaliser with the ball bouncing over the top of him. Despite this Bolivia continued to apply pressure as Argentina sat back and allowed Camacho to shoot from long range. The following corner lead to a certain penalty and the chance for Bolivia to retake the lead. All time top goalscorer Botero cheekily slotted the penalty right down middle of the goal to make it 2-1. Argentina hunted for an equaliser and a poor free kick from Messi allowed goal keeper Carlos Arias to thump the ball to Botero. He floated a perfect ball into the box for 32 year old Alex Da Rosa to make it 3-1 at the interval.
Argentina came out of the second much like the start of the first. They looked very slow compared with Bolivia and struggled to get a hold of the ball in midfield as the high altitude appeared to be taking its toll on the players. Bolivia kept pressing forward and spectacularly scored a fourth on 54 minutes when Botero got his second goal of the game. A shell shocked Maradona could only look on as his Argentinian side were dismantled. He sought to change the pace of the game by bringing on substitute Di Maria. Although, this had an adverse effect as he was sent off 7 minutes later for a ridiculous trip on Torrica. Things only went from bad to worse for Argentina as Botero grabbed his hat trick after superb play from strike partner Da Rosa on 66 minutes. Argentina had all but given up at this point as they pushed to gain back some integrity but were undone by a scintillating drive from Torrico on 87 minutes to seal a sensational victory for Bolivia.
After the game this is what Maradona had to say ' I suffered with them (the Argentine public). Every Bolivia goal was a stab in my heart.'
'If we had dreamed this was going to happen before the game, we would have thought it was impossible'
'We have to give merit to Bolivia who were better than us in every part of the field.'
'Bolivia played a great game and hit the target with every attack'

Despite the stunning result an enquiry will be made by Fifa into the altitude problem.

Murray Cruises Through In Miami

Andy Murray cruised through into the 4th round of the Sony Ericsson Open with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Chilean Nicolas Massu. The Brit overcame a sticky start surrendering all 3 of the opening games. However, Murray battled back to take the set 6-4 but looked far from his best. Massu, a former top ten, also found it hard to get to grips with the intense heat in Miami as both players struggled with their ground strokes. The Chilean handed Murray the advantage early in 2nd set by gifting Murray with a break of serve who went on to take the match.
Massu who had only won one match before Miami showed glimpses of his powerful forehand early on and Murray eventually got on the scoreboard after a successful hawk-eye challenge at 40-30. Massu playing a high risk game conceded a number of errors and let the Scot back in the set after a poor forehand by his standards. Massu was given numerous chances by Murray but his serve was erratic, letting him down on several occasions. Murray took the set in the 9th game 40-0 although not looking convincing.
The Briton broke early in the 1st then in 5th game and looked like he was coasting at 5-1 but the Chilean rallied back winning 3 games on the bounce. But, Murray came out on top easing passed Massu in the 9th game.

"He started very well, hitting the ball hard with his forehand and I was hitting it short," Murray explained.

"But after 3-0 in the first set I played very well until 5-1 (in the second) and then completely lost concentration, and ended up being in a battle at the end, which I didn't necessarily need.

"I was much happier with the way I hit the ball today compared to my first match, bar the first and last three games."

Murray now faces Viktor Troicki of Serbia in the 4th round.

Dragons World Cup Hopes All But Over

The game for Wales was a vital fixture for the Welsh in keeping their hopes alive for qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In the pre game press conference Captain Craig Bellamy described the qualifier as a 'make or break' game for their chances of qualification. Victory would keep them on tales of Russia but a loss would be a devastating blow to their credentials, with Russia and Finland with games in hand.
"We obviously get to a time in any group stage, like now, where this is make or break for us," said Bellamy.
"We are aware of the size of this game and and how important it is for us, and hopefully we can get a result.
"If we are going to put pressure on [leaders] Germany and Russia, we need to beat Finland."
Bellamy described the game as pivotal for both sides with Finland not certain of qualifying.

However, the Dragons hope of progression were slain by the Finish as the game ended a disappointing 2-0 to Finland. Goals from former Charlton midfielder Jonatan Johansson and Crystal Palace striker Shefki Kuqi on either side of both halves proved devastating to the drab Welsh side.
Wales began the game brightly through Craig Bellamy but failed to create any chance to note. Goals galore this game was not with the first half looking to end 0-0. 3 minutes till the whistle for half time and Johansson struck some what against the run of play, placing the ball passed the on rushing Wayne Hennessey. Former Liverpool star Jari Litmanen splitting the Welsh defence with an intelligent through ball to set up Johansson to give the visitors the lead. The 2nd half only got worse for Wales as the scoreline only stayed at 1-0 thanks to a couple of vital stops from Wayne Hennessey and Joe Ledley heading off the line. Litmanen provided a masterclass dictating the midfield and providing ample opportunities for Birmingham striker Mikel Forssell. Wales were increasingly slowing down in attack and constantly squandering possession in a poor game at the Millennium Stadium. The frustrated Welsh support could only look on as the Fins expertly ran down the clock. With 2 minutes to go Finland brought on Shefki Kuqi in replace of the lively Forssell. A penetrating ball from Litmanen once again fed Kuqi who beat the offside trap to run away and score the 2nd for the Fins. Wales are now left on 6 points from 5 games whilst Finland climb to 3rd with only their 2nd win of the campaign. A guttering sight for the Welsh contingent.