PSU soccer girls
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Armenia keep hopes alive
Armenia boosted their hopes of claiming a top-two finish in Group B after comfortably seeing off ten-man FYR Macedonia 4-1 in their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier in Yerevan.
First-half goals from Marcos Pizelli and Henrikh Mkhitaryan set Armenia on their way and, after Macedonia had lost Velice Sumulikoski to a red card just after half-time, Gevorg Ghazaryanmade it 3-0 in the 69th minute.
Macedonia, who had lost five of their eight matches coming into the clash, pulled a goal back through Vance Sikov in the closing stages but Armenia had the final word when substitute Artur Sarkisov completed the scoring in stoppage time.
The win provisionally lifted Armenia level with erstwhile leaders Russia on 17 points and two clear of the Republic of Ireland, with those two sides playing later tonight. Armenia play Ireland in their final qualifier in Dublin on Tuesday.
After a low-key start in which neither goalkeeper was tested, Armenia broke the deadlock in the 28th minute. Yura Movsisyan played the ball in from the left and Pizelli slotted in from close range.
Armenia take advantage
It was 2-0 six minutes later when Mkhitaryan, with his fifth goal in qualifying, drilled home a long-range shot that Macedonia goalkeeper Martin Bogatinov was unable to keep out.
It was 2-0 six minutes later when Mkhitaryan, with his fifth goal in qualifying, drilled home a long-range shot that Macedonia goalkeeper Martin Bogatinov was unable to keep out.
Macedonia came close to halving the deficit just before the break when home custodian Roman Berezovsky was called on to parry Nikolce Noveski's effort, but the visitors saw their hopes of getting anything out of the game suffer a setback in the 52nd minute when Sumulikoski was shown a second yellow for a foul on Karlen Mkrtchyan.
Armenia made the most of their man advantage to extend their lead in the 69th minute through Ghazaryan, who, like Mkhitaryan, made it five goals in qualifying when he fired past Bogatinov.
Sarkisov then hit the crossbar for the hosts but he would still end up on the scoresheet, slotting in from Movsisyan's ball in the 90th minute, four minutes after Macedonia had netted a consolation strike through Sikov's header from a Vlade Lazarevski corner.
England join EURO elite
England booked their ticket at UEFA EURO 2012 on Friday evening, thereby becoming the seventh team qualified for next summer’s continental contest, joining Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, as well as hosts Poland and Ukraine.
Elsewhere, Sweden and Montenegro both ensured that they would finish second in their respective groups, earning themselves a slot in the play-off round. These knockout ties will see the eight group runners-up paired off to decide the last four participants that will travel to Poland and Ukraine. The final round of fixtures will be played on Tuesday.
Game of the day
Montenegro 2-2 England
Goals: Elsad Zverotic 45, Andrija Delibasic 90+1 (Montenegro); Ashley Young 11, Darren Bent 31 (England)
Montenegro 2-2 England
Goals: Elsad Zverotic 45, Andrija Delibasic 90+1 (Montenegro); Ashley Young 11, Darren Bent 31 (England)
England enjoyed the ideal start to this match, taking charge right from kick-off and creating several good chances against a static Montenegro defence. Spearheading a 4-4-2 formation with Darren Bent, Ashley Young opened the scoring from a fine Theo Walcott cross, before turning provider for Bent 20 minutes later, following a tremendous break by Wayne Rooney. Just before half-time, Elsad Zverotic’s clinical finish signalled the beginning of a fightback for the Montenegrans, whose performance markedly improved in the second half. The sending-off ofWayne Rooney a quarter-hour from full time provided a further boost to the home side’s chances, but they would have to wait until injury time to score the elusive equaliser, Rayo Vallecano forward Andrija Delibasic heading home to secure a point and an historic play-off spot for his country.
Germany overcame Turkey in typical authoritative manner, in a match that featured another goal from the in-form Mario Gomez. Belgium, who disposed of Kazakhstan without any great trouble, consequently move one point ahead of Turkey in the standings. This could all change during the final round of matches, however, as while the Turks host Azerbaijan, the Belgians face a tricky trip to Germany.
Russia, who play host to Andorra in their last match, took an enormous step towards qualification by pulling off a crucial away win in Slovakia, with CSKA Moscow midfielder Alan Dzagoev scoring the only goal of the game. As the Russians are now practically assured of finishing top of the section, the play-off place will likely be decided in Dublin, where a point will be enough for the Republic of Ireland in their clash with Armenia, for whom victory is essential.
Group C
Northern Ireland 1-2 Estonia
Serbia 1-1 Italy
Group C
Northern Ireland 1-2 Estonia
Serbia 1-1 Italy
Stunned by a first-minute strike by Claudio Marchisio, Serbia fought back to earn a draw withItaly, whose starting line-up included no fewer than six players from Juventus. Meanwhile,Estonia continued their impressive run of results by beating Northern Ireland via a brace from Konstantin Vassiljev. This triumph propels the Baltic side to second spot in Group C, one point ahead of Serbia, over whom they also enjoy a better head-to-head record. To leapfrog the Estonians and enter the play-offs, the Serbians must defeat Slovenia away on Tuesday.
Leaders France and nearest challengers Bosnia-Herzegovina, comfortable winners over Albaniaand Luxembourg respectively, will now meet on the final matchday to decide who qualifies automatically from the group, in what promises to be a suspenseful encounter.
Thanks to the three points they brought back from their trip to Finland, secured via goals from Sebastian Larsson and Martin Olsson at the start of each half, Sweden confirmed their place in the draw for the play-offs. Even if the Swedes lose their last fixture against the Netherlands, and Hungary were to draw level on points, the Scandinavians will remain in second spot by virtue of their superior head-to-head results. The Dutch, meanwhile, maintained their 100-per cent record by getting the better of a stubborn Moldova side through a Klaas-Jan Huntelaar goal.
Greece gave themselves a great chance of appearing at EURO 2012 by defeating Croatia via second-half goals from Giorgios Samaras and Theofanis Gekas in front of a raucous crowd in Athens. The Greeks now enjoy a two-point lead over the Croatians, who need to beat Latvia at home and hope that their Hellenic rivals slip up in Georgia to qualify automatically for the tournament.
After having beaten Montenegro in their last outing, Wales saw off another supposedly superior side, with Switzerland the victims this time around in Swansea. Aaron Ramsey’s penalty and Gareth Bale’s expert finish propelled the home side to victory and eliminated the Helvetians from Poland/Ukraine 2012 in the process.
Denmark ruthlessly disposed of Cyprus in a match where the away side had built up an unassailable 4-0 lead after just 20 minutes of play. The evergreen Dennis Rommedahl was the star of the show with a double. Portugal, leading Iceland 3-0 at half-time through goals by Nani (twice) and Helder Postiga, gave their fans some nervous moments in the second period, allowing Hallgrimur Jonasson to score a brace, before regaining control of the match in the last ten minutes. The final group positions will become clear on Tuesday, when the Danes and Portuguese meet in Copenhagen.
Defending European champions Spain made it seven wins out of seven with victory in Prague. The Czechs will regret losing control of the game at a crucial time, especially as they have now opened the door to Scotland, who still harbour hopes of claiming a place in the play-offs.
The player
The career of Romanian forward Adrian Mutu has continually risen from the ashes over the years. In March 2011, he hit the net twice – against Luxembourg – in a match that marked the controversial striker’s return to the national set-up, two years after being banned from the team for disciplinary factors in October 2009. Excluded from the side again in August of this year for the same reasons, the former Parma star proved once more that comebacks bring out the best in him, as he scored twice in his country’s 2-2 draw with Belarus.
The career of Romanian forward Adrian Mutu has continually risen from the ashes over the years. In March 2011, he hit the net twice – against Luxembourg – in a match that marked the controversial striker’s return to the national set-up, two years after being banned from the team for disciplinary factors in October 2009. Excluded from the side again in August of this year for the same reasons, the former Parma star proved once more that comebacks bring out the best in him, as he scored twice in his country’s 2-2 draw with Belarus.
The Czech defence was still finding its feet in this match when Spanish midfielder Xavi threaded one of his trademark slide-rule passes through to Juan Mata, who suddenly found himself bearing down on goal from the right-hand corner of the box. One-on-one with Chelsea team-mate Petr Cech, Mata made no mistake, opening the scoring and sending Spain on their way to an eventual 2-0 success.
The stat
40 – the number of matches over which Fabio Capello has now presided as England coach. The Italian tactician boasts a record of 26 wins, 8 draws and 6 defeats, a set of statistics that places him at the top of the all-time list of Three Lions’ managers.
40 – the number of matches over which Fabio Capello has now presided as England coach. The Italian tactician boasts a record of 26 wins, 8 draws and 6 defeats, a set of statistics that places him at the top of the all-time list of Three Lions’ managers.
Eight qualify but big boys are denied
Angola, Ghana, Guinea, Libya, Mali, Niger, Tunisia and Zambia all qualified for the 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations today, while Nigeria and South Africa were eliminated after a day of drama.
South African footballers, coaches, supporters and media celebrated after a 0-0 home draw with Sierra Leone, believing Bafana Bafana had qualified, only to discover later that Niger had topped the table on the head-to-head rule despite a 3-0 drubbing in Egypt.
Early goals from Asamoah Gyan and John Mensah earned four-time champions Ghana a 2-0 victory in near 40 degrees celsius temperatures in Sudan, and top place in their group with 16 points from six matches.
Ibrahima Traore levelled in the final minute as Guinea salvaged a 2-2 draw against Nigeria after a dramatic second half in Abuja saw Ismael Bangura put the visitors ahead, before goals from Obinna Nsofor and Ikechukwu Uche swung the game in favour of the home team.
Zambia, Angola seal spots
Although Zambia and Libya failed to score in Chingola, the 0-0 draw took the home team through as group winners, while the north Africans are sure to fill one of two places reserved for the best runners-up.
Although Zambia and Libya failed to score in Chingola, the 0-0 draw took the home team through as group winners, while the north Africans are sure to fill one of two places reserved for the best runners-up.
Angola won 2-0 in Guinea-Bissau via goals from Manucho and Mateus, to finish a point ahead of long-time group leaders Uganda, who could only draw 0-0 at home against Kenya and so a 33-year wait to get back to the Cup of Nations continues.
Mali drew 2-2 in Liberia to pip Cape Verde Islands on the head-to-head rule and Tunisia, who triumphed 2-0 at home against Togo, were grateful to Chad, whose last-gasp 2-2 draw prevented Malawi from qualifying.
Ethiopia completed a miserable campaign for winless Madagascar with a 4-2 victory in Addis Ababa, Mozambique finally found their scoring boots to outclass Comoros Islands 3-0 in Maputo, and Congo defeated Swaziland 1-0 in Lobamba.
Messi, Higuain spark Argentina rout
© EFE
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi enjoyed a commanding debut as Argentina skipper as his country opened their 2014 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying campaign with a 4-1 win over Chile.
Messi scored once while Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain hit a hat-trick to give new coach Alejandro Sabella a triumphant start in his first competitive match in charge. Argentina's Spanish club influence was completed by Angel Di Maria setting up two of the goals for his Real Madrid teammate Higuain.
"It was important to get off on the right foot and we did just that," said Higuain. "I liked a lot of what we did tonight. Now we have to keep this up."
The 1978 and 1986 world champions, rebuilding after a poor Copa America which saw them exit in the quarter-finals, were ahead after eight minutes at Buenos Aires' Estadio Monumental where they haven't lost a FIFA World Cup game for 18 years.
I liked a lot of what we did tonight. Now we have to keep this up.
Argentina hero Higuain
Di Maria slipped in a pass to Higuain who drove the ball high into the net past Claudio Bravo in theChile goal. Messi then scored his 18th international goal in his 63rd appearance in the 26th minute when he was released by a fine pass from Higuain before beating Bravo with a low shot from the edge of the box.
Chile, who were without key players Alexis Sanchez and Gary Medel through injury, came close to cutting the deficit in the 42nd minute when Humberto Suazo was unfortunate to see his effort deflected wide by the foot of Pablo Zabaleta.
Di Maria set-up the third for Argentina in the 51st minute when he found Higuain with a smart cross which his Real Madrid teammate converted with a shot on the turn. Nine minutes later Matias Fernandez pulled one back for Chile before Messi teed-up Higuain for a his hat-trick in the 63rd minute after a poor Bravo clearance.
Joy for Canada, Haiti as T&T stumble
© AFP
Free-scoring Canada and Haiti solidified places at the top of their respective groups in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil with big wins. Trinidad and Tobago, however, were not so fortunate on their travels, losing out to minnows and bogey side Bermuda for the second time in as many qualifying campaigns. FIFA.com catches you up on all the Friday-night action around the New World.
Match of the day
Bermuda 2-1 Trinidad and TobagoThe tiny Atlantic island of Bermuda has a way of getting up for games against their big neighborsTrinidad and Tobago. They nearly sent the Soca Warriors out of South Africa 2010 qualifying on the strength of an inspirational home win, and many of those same players – John Nusum and captainKhano Smith in particular – repeated the dose in qualifying on Friday. The Bermuda’s so-called Gombey Warriors took advantage of a T&T side missing captain and talisman Kenwyne Jones to pull off an impressive 2-1 win and get their campaign back on track with a first win. Suffering their first loss of the qualifiers, the Trinidadians lose top spot in Group B to Guyana, with the resurgent Bermudans charging just three points behind them. With only the top team going through to the next phase, the fancied Trinidadians will need to re-find their form and winning ways when they take on basement-dwellers Barbados on Tuesday.
In other action
El Salvador kept hold at the top of Group A with a tense 2-1 win in the Dominican Republic, who were forced to play a man down for most of the game in San Cristobal. The late game in the group saw Suriname cement their hold on second place with a 1-0 win over bottom side Cayman Islands which puts them two points off the Salvadorans’ pace.
Guyana took full advantage of Trinidad and Tobago’s big loss to Bermuda in Group B, sending Barbados virtually out of contention with a simple 2-0 win in Bridgetown. Anthony Abrams and Chris Nurse scored the goals in the last 17 minutes of a game that will likely end the pointless Barbadians’ miserable campaign.
Panama, semi-finalists from this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, took sole ownership of pole position in Group C with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Caribbean outfit Dominica, who have yet to pick up their first point. Blas Perez and Luis Tejada were both on target as Julio Dely Valdes’ Canaleros are soaring on six points from two games.
Canada maintained their stranglehold at the top of Group D with a 7-0 goal-fest (one of two on the day) against little St. Lucia on the road, powerful striker Simeon Jackson leading the rout with a trio of well-taken goals. Chasing the Canucks four points points back are St. Kitts and Nevis, who drew 1-1 away against third-place Puerto Rico.
Group E leaders Guatemala never looked like stumbling in their away meeting with St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Mario Rodriguez scored twice for the Central Americans and section favourites before Dwight Pezzarossi made it a 3-0 rout for the Chapines. In the section’s other game, Grenada found their footing to best Belize 4-1, creating a frenzied three-way tangle for second place.
Over in Group F, Haiti kept up their sparkling form with a 7-0 hammering of lowly US Virgin Islands who – despite some nominal improvements – are mired on zero points and have conceded an astounding 21 goals in the competition thus far. Antigua and Barbuda kept pace with the Haitians, even on points at the top of the section after beating Curacao 1-0 on the road.
Player of the day – Simeon Jackson (Canada)
Powerful, bulky and lightning fast, Canada’s ace up front ran riot against St. Lucia, scoring no fewer than three times to keep the country’s 100-per cent record alive. The Kingston, Jamaica-born striker, who plays his club football in England’s Premier League with new boys Norwich City, has been making waves in recent contests and had a night to remember on the cricket oval in Gros Islet. All of the pacey ace’s strikes came in the space of 20 first-half minutes. When the 24-year-old tormenter was substituted with 23 minutes left in the match, a weary sigh of relief was heard among the home fans.
What they said“I liked the seriousness my team showed today, even more than I liked the score of the game. We took things very seriously when we had the ball and we kept it. We are hoping to cement first place on Tuesday, but Nicaragua is a tough opponent and will give us plenty of resistance,” Panama coach Julio Dely Valdes after his side’s 5-0 dismantling of Dominica.
The number
17 – the number of goals that Group F leaders Haiti have scored over the course of their three matches, an average of 5.6 per game and three more than Canada, their closest chasers in the top-scorer stakes.
CONCACAF Second Round, Matchday Three
Dominican Republic 1-2 El Salvador
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 0-3 Guatemala
Belize 1-4 Grenada
Barbados 0-2 Guyana
US Virgin Islands 0-7 Haiti
Dominica 0-5 Panama
St. Lucia 0-7 Canada
Cayman Islands 0-1 Suriname
Bermuda 2-1 Trinidad and Tobago
Puerto Rico 1-1 St. Kitts and Nevis
Curacao 0-1 Antigua and Barbuda
Match of the day
Bermuda 2-1 Trinidad and TobagoThe tiny Atlantic island of Bermuda has a way of getting up for games against their big neighborsTrinidad and Tobago. They nearly sent the Soca Warriors out of South Africa 2010 qualifying on the strength of an inspirational home win, and many of those same players – John Nusum and captainKhano Smith in particular – repeated the dose in qualifying on Friday. The Bermuda’s so-called Gombey Warriors took advantage of a T&T side missing captain and talisman Kenwyne Jones to pull off an impressive 2-1 win and get their campaign back on track with a first win. Suffering their first loss of the qualifiers, the Trinidadians lose top spot in Group B to Guyana, with the resurgent Bermudans charging just three points behind them. With only the top team going through to the next phase, the fancied Trinidadians will need to re-find their form and winning ways when they take on basement-dwellers Barbados on Tuesday.
In other action
El Salvador kept hold at the top of Group A with a tense 2-1 win in the Dominican Republic, who were forced to play a man down for most of the game in San Cristobal. The late game in the group saw Suriname cement their hold on second place with a 1-0 win over bottom side Cayman Islands which puts them two points off the Salvadorans’ pace.
Guyana took full advantage of Trinidad and Tobago’s big loss to Bermuda in Group B, sending Barbados virtually out of contention with a simple 2-0 win in Bridgetown. Anthony Abrams and Chris Nurse scored the goals in the last 17 minutes of a game that will likely end the pointless Barbadians’ miserable campaign.
Panama, semi-finalists from this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, took sole ownership of pole position in Group C with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Caribbean outfit Dominica, who have yet to pick up their first point. Blas Perez and Luis Tejada were both on target as Julio Dely Valdes’ Canaleros are soaring on six points from two games.
Canada maintained their stranglehold at the top of Group D with a 7-0 goal-fest (one of two on the day) against little St. Lucia on the road, powerful striker Simeon Jackson leading the rout with a trio of well-taken goals. Chasing the Canucks four points points back are St. Kitts and Nevis, who drew 1-1 away against third-place Puerto Rico.
Group E leaders Guatemala never looked like stumbling in their away meeting with St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Mario Rodriguez scored twice for the Central Americans and section favourites before Dwight Pezzarossi made it a 3-0 rout for the Chapines. In the section’s other game, Grenada found their footing to best Belize 4-1, creating a frenzied three-way tangle for second place.
Over in Group F, Haiti kept up their sparkling form with a 7-0 hammering of lowly US Virgin Islands who – despite some nominal improvements – are mired on zero points and have conceded an astounding 21 goals in the competition thus far. Antigua and Barbuda kept pace with the Haitians, even on points at the top of the section after beating Curacao 1-0 on the road.
Player of the day – Simeon Jackson (Canada)
Powerful, bulky and lightning fast, Canada’s ace up front ran riot against St. Lucia, scoring no fewer than three times to keep the country’s 100-per cent record alive. The Kingston, Jamaica-born striker, who plays his club football in England’s Premier League with new boys Norwich City, has been making waves in recent contests and had a night to remember on the cricket oval in Gros Islet. All of the pacey ace’s strikes came in the space of 20 first-half minutes. When the 24-year-old tormenter was substituted with 23 minutes left in the match, a weary sigh of relief was heard among the home fans.
What they said“I liked the seriousness my team showed today, even more than I liked the score of the game. We took things very seriously when we had the ball and we kept it. We are hoping to cement first place on Tuesday, but Nicaragua is a tough opponent and will give us plenty of resistance,” Panama coach Julio Dely Valdes after his side’s 5-0 dismantling of Dominica.
The number
17 – the number of goals that Group F leaders Haiti have scored over the course of their three matches, an average of 5.6 per game and three more than Canada, their closest chasers in the top-scorer stakes.
CONCACAF Second Round, Matchday Three
Dominican Republic 1-2 El Salvador
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 0-3 Guatemala
Belize 1-4 Grenada
Barbados 0-2 Guyana
US Virgin Islands 0-7 Haiti
Dominica 0-5 Panama
St. Lucia 0-7 Canada
Cayman Islands 0-1 Suriname
Bermuda 2-1 Trinidad and Tobago
Puerto Rico 1-1 St. Kitts and Nevis
Curacao 0-1 Antigua and Barbuda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
