SEA Game 2011 Football Final Malaysia vs Indonesia

Malaysian players celebrate upon winning their SEA Games soccer final as Indonesia's goalkeeper Kurnia Mega, bottom, reacts at Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. Malaysia beat Indonesia 4-3 through penalty shootout (Full time 1-1 }(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Malaysia's soccer team celebrates after defeating Indonesia in a penalty shoot-out during their SEA Games soccer final at the Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta late November 21, 2011. REUTERS/Supri (INDONESIA - Tags: SPORT SOCCER)

Malaysia's soccer team celebrates after defeating Indonesia in a penalty shoot-out during their SEA Games soccer final at the Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta late November 21, 2011. REUTERS/Supri (INDONESIA - Tags: SPORT SOCCER)

Malaysian players celebrate upon winning their SEA Games soccer final match against Indonesia, at Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. Malaysia won the game 5-4 through penalty shootout. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Sukan SEA 2011- Malaysia 1 Myanmar 0

SEA Game Jakarta: Malaysia 2 Thailand 1

Natarid Thammroddodpon (L) of Thailand scores for his team as goal keeper Khairul fahmi of Malaysia tries to block during their qualification match in South East Asian Game in Jakarta. Malaysia defeated Thailand 2-1.

Izzaq Faris Ramlan (R) of Malaysia celebrates with his team mates after scoring a goal against Thailand.

Pictures: AFP PHOTO / ADEK BERRY (Photo credit should read ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images

Wenger says Barca still favourites

LONDON (AFP) - – Arsene Wenger insisted Barcelona remained favourites to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals after Arsenal came from behind to score a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Spanish giants.

A goal apiece from Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin in the final 12 minutes sealed a memorable win for the Gunners after a largely dominant Barcelona had taken a first-half lead through David Villa.

Arsenal's slender advantage gives the Premier League side a fighting chance of progressing when the two teams meet in the second leg.

But while Wenger is adamant that Barcelona will be favourites to prevail, he believes his vibrant young team will be armed with a vital commodity when they enter the Camp Nou on March 8 -- belief.

"We are not the favourites now," Wenger said. "But what is important is we believe we have a chance and we'll go for it. Barcelona are still favourites. "But after tonight we know that we can beat them. And we didn't know that last year," said Wenger, referring to last season's quarter-final, which saw Barcelona crush the Gunners 4-1 in the second leg, 6-3 on aggregate.

"Tonight's result gives us a chance to go to Barcelona with belief. We know that it will be a very difficult game but we will prepare well and be highly focused and try to play our natural game," Wenger said.
"It gives a special lift to my team. Our players have shown their strength and togetherness and this result will reinforce that."
Arsenal's victory was also a vindication of Wenger's unrelenting commitment to attacking football.
While conventional wisdom dictated that the only way to beat Barcelona is via containment, Wenger insisted all along that his side would be true to their instincts and seek to fight fire with fire.
At the Emirates on Wednesday they proved as good as their word, when, despite ceding possession for long periods, they continued to throw men forward on the counter-attack.
When the final whistle blew, Arsenal had two strikers on the pitch, Nicklas Bendtner and van Persie, complemented by a midfield brimming with creative intent -- Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Arshavin.
"I wanted to go for it offensively," said Wenger, as he explained his risky decision to substitute defensive midfielder Alex Song for Arshavin with Arsenal trailing 1-0 early in the second half.
"We needed to score two goals. I just took a gamble -- it could have backfired to 2-0 or 3-0 but it worked.
"I'm very proud for Arsenal tonight. Because everybody urged us to play differently to our nature and this result will strengthen the belief in our philosophy. That's important."
Wenger is only too aware that one big performance from Lionel Messi, however, could see his team's hopes unravel next month.
The mercurial Argentinian threaded through the pass for Villa's opener and came agonisingly close to opening the scoring after 15 minutes, when he committed Wojciech Szczesny with a lovely feint and beat the Arsenal keeper with a delicate dink, only to see his effort trickle just wide of the upright.
"Who doesn't worry about Lionel Messi?" Wenger said. "When we play in Barcelona that will be one of our tasks. But you never can keep him completely quiet. However we can take encouragement from tonight."
Wenger's counterpart Pep Guardiola said his side had paid the price for failing to convert more than one of the half-a-dozen openings their famously slick passing play presented.
"In general I'm happy with the performance -- the result is the thing I don't like," Guardiola said.
"It was a fantastic match for anyone who likes football. When two teams want to play attacking football its always nice. We're try to turn the tables on them at our place."
Guardiola predicted another classic could be on the cards in three weeks time as his team try to overturn the first leg deficit.
"They are going to attack and we are going to attack," Guardiola said.
"So if you have nothing better to do, I invite you to come to Barcelona because it's going to be a great match."

Taarabt Tantrum Put Fergie Off Making Move

By Ben Johnston (Correspondent) on February 2, 2011

                                                      Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Neil Warnock has revealved that Adel Taarabt has been watched by United scouts recently, and that a temper tantrum which saw him substituted in the first half against Hull has cost him his chance of making the move, at least in the near future.

“He let himself down on Saturday,” said Warnock. United came to watch him and he had a strop. I said on the bus that’s done that, hasn’t it? He can forget about joining United. I’m delighted because it means we’ve no chance of losing him now.”
This comes as confirmation that Sir Alex Ferguson was interested in the exciting winger, as could be expected of any player tearing up the championship in the way that Taarabt has this season.
Since being sold by Tottenham after Harry Redknapp got fed up of his lack of effort and commitment, Taarabt has developed into one of the most dazzling players in Europe. But despite his obvious talents, his mentality and decision-making leave an awful lot to be desired.
Sir Alex has previously tamed players of a similar mould, most notably mentoring Christiano Ronaldo into becoming the best player in both United’s recent history and the world.
However, the ease with which Taarabt lost his rag against Hull is worrying, and Ferguson must think that, with similar projects already underway with Gabriel Obertan, Ravel Morrison and Bebe, it is probably not worth the risk on Taarabt.

Fergie: Van der Sar will quit

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Manchester United expect Edwin van der Sar to retire at the end of the season.
The Dutchman celebrated his 40th birthday earlier this year yet, apart from one mistake against West Brom in October, has still been performing to his usual high standards.
However, Van der Sar has always been mindful of the potential for a dip in standards and whilst the player himself has remained silent on the issue, Ferguson feels this campaign will be his last.
"We are planning for this being his last season," he said.
Given his vast experience, Van der Sar is bound to be an attractive proposition as a coach, although Ferguson admitted talks are still to take place on the matter.
"We have not discussed it," he said.
"But Edwin is a player who would be of interest in terms of his knowledge and standing in the game."
Having stated on numerous occasions his regret at not bringing in Van der Sar as an immediate replacement for Peter Schmeichel when the legendary Dane retired in 1999, Ferguson will want to avoid being similarly exposed this time around.
Already, Denmark international Anders Lindegaard has arrived and started training at United following his transfer from Aalesund, while Germany's Manuel Neuer continues to be linked with an Old Trafford move.
Lindegaard is certainly an interesting proposition, although Ferguson has revealed his newest recruit will not be eligible until after the Premier League encounter with Stoke on January 4.
"We can't register him until after the Stoke game because of the Bank Holiday," he said.
"But he is training with us now and that is important.
"It will bring him to a better level of fitness because he has not played for a few weeks. We will see how his progress goes."
It means Van der Sar is virtually certain to start the Boxing Day encounter with Sunderland, when United will look to consolidate their position at the top of the table.
Ferguson reported the majority of his squad have shrugged off the effects of flu, which would have ruled Nemanja Vidic and Anderson out of last weekend's trip to Chelsea, if it had not been postponed.
Paul Scholes and John O'Shea are missing due to groin and calf problems respectively as United prepare for a meeting with the Wearsiders, who had the better of a draw at the Stadium of Light earlier this season and are one of the Premier League's most progressive outfits.
"We were lucky to get a point at Sunderland," said Ferguson.
"It is the hardest game we have had away from home all season."
As usual, Ferguson will take stock of the league table once all four Festive matches have been completed, although he accepts postponements may make it a difficult task.
"My aim is to try and be the top by January 4. That would be good," he said.
"If we are, we have done well. By that time, the top of the league will have taken shape, depending on the weather. "
ESPNSTAR.com

Hodgson: This is not my team

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has washed his hands off the mess the club are in, claiming the current squad is not his own.
The former Fulham manager has endured a difficult start to his Anfield career since taking over from Rafael Benitez.
A start that saw Liverpool in the drop zone after losses to Blackpool and Everton in October.
While Hodgson has managed to drag the club out relegation troubles into the top-half of the Barclays Premier League table, the Reds continue to produce disappointing results - the last being the 3-1 defeat at Newcastle.
In his own defence, the 63-year-old has reminded critics that he is still picking up the pieces left behind by Benitez.
He said: "It is starting to feel more like my side.
"But it is still a team that I have not put together. I want to make that clear.
"I took the team over and I have not made that many changes. I brought in Paul Konchesky to play left-back, Raul Meireles to replace Javier Mascherano and Joe Cole came in at the same time as me, as did Christian Poulsen.
"The other players I have inherited. So to really call it my team, I would have had to make a slightly bigger impact on those who have been brought in."
Hodgson also hopes he can be given more time to make his mark in the team - starting from the January transfer window.
He added: "I am more than happy to take responsibility for this squad but it takes a coach more than five or six months to make his stamp on a club.
"I am hoping we will do some good business in the transfer windows to come and then I will be able say, 'If you don't like it then I have no one to blame but myself'."
Liverpool are ninth in the standings, nine points behind fourth-place Chelsea.

ESPNStar.com

Blanc drops France W.Cup squad for Norway game

AFP
PARIS (AFP) - – New France coach Laurent Blanc Friday has punished the country's farcical World Cup squad by dropping each of the 23 players for a friendly against Norway next month.

Blanc's decision to take action was approved by the French Football Federation's (FFF) federal council after a meeting with Raymond Domenech's successor in Paris.
France suffered a miserable World Cup campaign in South Africa, marked by striker Nicolas Anelka's expulsion after his foul-mouthed tirade at Domenech, infighting, and the players' refusal to train.

'Les Bleus' returned home in ignominy after failing to win any of their first round games, with Domenech refusing to shake South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parriera's hand following the final defeat to the hosts.

New France coach Laurent Blanc              

(pictured) has requested that no
member of the 23-man squad who
played in their disastrous World Cup
campaign be called up for a friendly
against Norway on August 11 in Oslo.


 
Blanc, who will release his squad for the Norway game on August 5, refused to elaborate on his decision to boycott the World Cup squad.
France football has endured a woeful year, with Thierry Henry's controversial handball which put France into the World Cup at the expense of Ireland in the play-offs, their pitiful display in the competition itself, and then the scandal involving international stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema who this week put under investigation on charges of having sex with an under-age prostitute.
The crisis that engulfed Domenech's last mission as national coach resulted in the resignation of FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes, with his successor due to be unveiled on Friday.

ESPANA the World Cup 2010 Champion!

Andres Iniesta lifts the World Cup trophy for Spain, which came into the tournament as the second-ranked team in the world and the best country never to win the World Cup. Now, the Netherlands move on as the best to never win it.

Vicente del Bosque's Spain finally shed its underachiever tag by beating the Netherlands 1-0 at Soccer City Stadium.

Spain's defense, led by Carlos Puyol (pictured), didn't give up a goal in the knockout rounds. Puyol was the hero in the semifinals, scoring in the 73rd minute against Germany to send Spain to its first World Cup final.

Andres Iniesta gets set to fire his game-winning shot on goal in the 116th minute. Iniesta, 26, an attacking midfielder, scored twice in six matches for Spain.

Andres Iniesta celebrated his goal by ripping off his shirt (an automatic, yet well-worth-it yellow card) to show a message translated to "Dani Jarque is always with us," a tribute to a former teammate who died of a heart attack last year.

Spain keeper Iker Casillas didn't give up a goal in the knockout rounds. The captain earned the Golden Glove award as the best goalkeeper in the tournament, his third career World Cup.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/
Photos: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

World Cup 2010 Final Netherlands 0 Spain 1 (Extra Time)

Sergio Ramos (left) and Spain overcame Dirk Kuyt and the Netherlands 1-0 after a grueling game in extra time.

Spain's Sergio Ramos (C) reacts after missing a shot at goal during the 2010 World Cup final soccer match against the Netherlands at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg July 11, 2010. REUTERS

Iniesta scores in extra time to give Spain WCup


STUART CONDIE, AP

JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- Spain's place among world football's all-time greatest teams was assured Sunday when Andres Iniesta scored with four minutes of extra time remaining to beat the Netherlands 1-0 and clinch his country's first World Cup.
With the teams facing a penalty shootout after an often ill-tempered game of few clear chances, Iniesta collected a sliding pass into the area from substitute Cesc Fabregas and smashed the ball across goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and in at the far post.
The goal clinched Spain's fourth straight 1-0 victory in South Africa and made the team only the third to be world and European champion at the same time.
"This really is quite a cup," Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas said. "The European Championship was the most important moment of our lives, but today is much bigger than anything else."
At the final whistle, the Spanish players hurried to swap their blue shirts for their more familiar red colors in time to collect the trophy. They donned shirts decorated with a single gold star to mark their triumph, becoming the eighth nation to receive the honor in the tournament's 80-year history.
"I can't quite believe it yet," said Iniesta, who was voted man of the match. "I had the opportunity to score that goal which was so important to my team. It's something absolutely incredible. I simply made a small contribution to my team in a match that was very rough."
The Dutch players trudged forlornly to collect their runners-up medals, the third squad from the Netherlands to finish second in football's biggest game.
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk took off his silver medal as soon as left the podium, with a look of disgust on his face at having failed to better the "Total Football" generation that lost the 1974 and '78 finals.
"We had our plan and of course we tried to play our football, but Spain is a very great team with a lot of great players," Netherlands winger Arjen Robben said. "We tried to stop them offensively.
"We've done everything we could today."
It was a less-than-classic performance by Spain and both teams created few clear chances at Soccer City, although the game opened up slightly after a cagey opening hour. The Netherlands broke up Spain's attempts to get its famous passing game going with physical play that brought nine yellow cards.
Defender John Heitinga got his second yellow and was sent off in the 19th minute of extra time to become only the fifth man to get a World Cup final red card.
With Spain also collecting five yellows, the total beat the 1986 record of six between Argentina and West Germany and made it the dirtiest World Cup final of all time.
"There were all sorts of things happening on the pitch," Iniesta said.
Extra time was littered with almost as many chances as normal time. Stekelenburg saved a low shot by Fabregas before Robben was blocked and defender Joris Mathijsen headed over at the other end.
With Wesley Sneijder crowded out and Spain striker David Villa continually forced wide in search of possession, Robben looked the most likely player to put the finishing touch to his team's uncompromisingly physical approach.
The winger broke free in the 62nd minute but his low shot to the far post was brilliantly kept out with the toe of Casillas' right boot.
He was clear again with seven minutes of normal time remaining, collecting Robin van Persie's flick from Nigel de Jong's hopeful punt forward. Robben held off Carles Puyol's attempts to wrestle him to the ground and tried to take the ball across Casillas, only for the goalkeeper to gather it at the forward's feet.
Villa and Sneijder had few chances to add to their five tournament goals, the latter unable to find his range with free kicks and most notable for the sliding pass between Spain's central defenders that set Robben free in the 62nd.
Villa went closest in the 70th when Stekelenburg somehow knocked his close-range finish over the bar, shortly before Sergio Ramos headed over the bar while unmarked.
Villa, Sneijder, Uruguay striker Diego Forlan and Germany forward Thomas Mueller tied at the top of the tournament scoring charts with five goals from seven matches. Mueller took the golden boot for the leading scorer, winning because of the number of assists he provided.
The Netherlands' physical approach only began after its attempt to defend deep in the opening exchanges allowed Spain 60 percent of possession and gave away chances. Stekelenburg had to dive at full stretch to keep out a header by Ramos, and Villa broke free of the defense only for the Netherlands to be saved by a narrow offside call.
The Dutch responded by pressing hard whichever Spanish player happened to be in possession, heralding a spell of five yellow cards -- three of them for the Netherlands -- in 14 minutes.
De Jong was lucky not to get a red card when he slammed his boot into Xabi Alonso's chest.
"They made it very difficult for us to play comfortably," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. "It was a very intense match."
But one incident showed the Dutch fouls were perhaps down to surplus passion rather than a premeditated mean streak.
Casillas threw the ball upfield and out to allow Puyol to receive treatment after a heavy fall. In keeping with sporting convention, the Netherlands attempted to return possession to the Spanish but the punt back to Casillas deflected up off the turf and forced the goalkeeper to tip it behind for a corner.
Not a single Netherlands player went forward for the corner kick and Van Persie just rolled it along the ground for Casillas to pick up.
"Our fouls may be sad for a final," Van Marwijk said, "(but) I would have loved to win it with not so beautiful football."
Lineups:
Netherlands: Maarten Stekelenburg, Gregory van der Wiel, John Heitinga, Joris Mathijsen, Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Edson Braafheid, 105), Mark van Bommel, Nigel de Jong (Rafael van der Vaart, 99), Dirk Kuyt (Eljero Elia, 71), Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie.
Spain: Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso (Cesc Fabregas, 87), Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Pedro Rodriguez (Jesus Navas, 60), David Villa (Fernando Torres, 106).