Both sides of the pond (12/17)
by Paul O'Donnell
This round of competition promises to have a huge impact on the top of the table as the Big Four face off. Manchester United travels to Anfield and Chelsea visits a depleted Arsenal at The Emirates. The Gunners will be glad to end their 3 match road swing that saw their lead at the top reduced to a single point. Can United extend The Reds poor form at home or will Liverpool display their true potential as they did in successfully managing to qualify for the Champions League against the odds?
Others have their seasons on the line too, their just not at the top of the table such as Wigan’s need to recover from their disastrous run of losses and Aston Villa’s charge for the top six has been derailed recently. Can Reading sustain their mini-revival? Will Tottenham take advantage of Pompey’s inability to score goals on their home pitch (Pompey have failed to score in 4 of their last 5 home games)? Can Mark Hughes spur Blackburn to success now that they get Ryan Nelsen back? Will the big summer signing Rocque Santa Cruz get back on the form he displayed early on (he has not scored a single point in ten games)? Will Everton’s drive to the top of the table continue?
At the end of the weekend action the three teams I chose (on August 9, 2007) to be relegated (Derby, Wigan and Fulham) could indeed occupy those spots and in that very order. Fulham have earned only 1 point since October and could see their slide into the relegation zone continue despite being at home versus Newcastle. The rush to replace Chris Coleman as manager and the loss of Brian McBride to injury and Steed Malbranque to Tottenham has really cost this team. Dempsey has improved a great deal but if he had only taken a few of those golden chances he squandered badly this team would not be on their way down.
Questions, questions and more questions and some answers we get this weekend will not satisfy a lot of fans. By the time the blitz of games of the holiday period end in early January answers to many of those questions will be front and center, like it or not.
But first, the NCAA College Cup
Wake Forest 2:1 Ohio State
Wake Forest and former Baron Jamie Franks made their 2nd straight appearance in the final four a winner with a thrilling fightback against an Ohio State team that were in the final four for the very first time. It was Wake’s first national title in soccer in the school’s history. The match had many twists and turns, and firsts too. It was the Demon Deacons first comeback for a win on the season. Of course, in a season where they established a record of 22-2-2 they weren’t behind very often. Their only blemishes this season were two losses to this years ACC Champion and number one seed in the tournament Boston College, and draws at Elon and Va. Tech. It was also Ohio State’s only loss after scoring first and leading at half time. And perhaps the sweetest of all, the young man that missed the PK last year on the frozen pitch in St Louis that allowed UCSB to advance to the championship game where they won the title scored the goal this year that won it for Wake.
FIFA Club World Cup
AC Milan 4:2 Boca Jrs
AC Milan waited a long time for revenge after losing the last Toyota Cup (the forerunner of what is now known as the Club World Cup) to Boca Jrs. They would say it was worth the wait as they dominated Boca to win it 4-2 with their superb, and the world’s best player, Kaka leading the way. This year was also revenge for Europe as their club champion is widely considered to be the world’s best professional team yet they had seen losses by Liverpool and Barcelona to South American sides in this competition. Kaka’s brilliant play and generalship even overshadowed Pipo Inzaghi’s two goals and simply made it very unlikely that anyone but Kaka would be named the world’s best player this week.
Liverpool 0:1 Man United
The Reds dominated play, possession (61-39%) and shots (20 to 5) especially during the opening 45 minutes but a goal bound shot by Rooney was helped to the top of the net by Carlos Tevez for the games only goal in the 43rd. What? Yep, of those 20 shots only 6 were on frame and as you all know those don’t count. Tevez got the only one that did. United go to the top and they could stay there if Chelsea’s Blues defeat the Gunners later.
Arsenal 1:0 Chelsea
One thing for certain Chelsea are not only a very different team without Drogba their not very good either. Watching this one you’d think that Chelsea’s brain trust learned nothing from Boro’s defeat of the Gunners last week. Add Essien to the missing and they become almost an average team. About the most interesting happening of the opening period was the loss of John Terry to an injury in the 38th minute which left another big hole in this Chelsea team and likely led to the defeat. Oh, their opponents on this day, the home-standing Arsenal weren’t much better for that matter. Until first half stoppage time that is where Chelsea’s Petr Cech made a horrendous error. Coming off his line to snatch a corner kick, he misjudged it badly, never got a hand on it and Gallas headed it home into the now empty net.
Birmingham 1:1 Reading
Birmingham got out the gate quickly on a strike from Forssell (3) and the hard working Royals scrambled to get back before Hunt’s penalty (50) leveled matters.
Derby 0:1 M’Boro
Boro win again on a Sanli (37) goal and Southgate’s job may have been saved in the process. They might even start filling up those empty seats at The Riverside.
Man City 4:2 Bolton
City’s Bianchi put the home side up early on (6) before Diouf knocked home a wayward shot from Davies (30) and Kevin Nolan’s well placed shot to the back post side netting (39) got the visitors on top. Goals from Hamann (47) and a classy strike from a scramble in front by Vassell (76) rallied City before Etuhu’s in stoppage time closed the book. With the win City extend their 100% record at home under Sven and this time they did it by scoring more than once in a competitive and entertaining match.
Portsmouth 0:1 Spurs
Pompey’s poor scoring record at home continued allowing Spurs to snatch the points on a late winner (80) from Berbatov. A few more wins like this one will erase some of the frowns at White Hart Lane.
West Ham 0:2 Everton
Yakubu scored again for the Toffees in first half injury time (45). With the Hammers pressing up to try to snatch a match leveler late Andy Johnson was sent home free in stoppage time for the goal that sealed the deal as Everton stake their claim to a European place. With the win Everton extend their unbeaten run to 13 games.
Wigan 5:3 Blackburn
Santa Cruz and Marcus Bent Hat Tricks Highlight This Lancashire Derby Confrontation
Wigan raced out to a 3-0 lead on goals from Landzaat (9), Bent (11) and Scharner’s brilliant header to the feet of Friedel (36). Santa Cruz ended his goal drought in style with a hat trick (45, 49 & 60) to get Rovers level at the JJB. But Wigan were not going to be denied. Brent Emerton was sent off for his 2nd yellow in the 57th before Marcus Bent produced two more for Wigan (65 & 80). Mark Hughes was direct and correct that both were tainted by the strong hint of offside to be honest to end a thrilling Lancashire Derby. It wasn’t all smiles for Steve Bruce however as he watched Emile Heskey stretchered off yet again in the first half with a severely strained ankle.
Sunderland 1:1 Aston Villa
Higginbotham’s glancing header off a corner (9) and steadfast defending had the Black Cats on the verge of a victory before Shaun Maloney’s stunning free kick (72) got Villa level. Martin O’Neill must be terribly frustrated after guiding Villa to making what looked like a strong challenge for a UEFA Cup place has come apart over their most recent 4 league games. A true top six side would win this match but then we said the very same thing after Villa’s two successive defeats on their home ground too. They’re not there yet.
Fulham 0:1 Newcastle
The frustration mounts at Craven Cottage as Fulham slip into the relegation zone on a stoppage time penalty cashed in by Joey Barton.
As if to emphasize their plight being deserved Fulham have managed only one point from their last 7 Premier League games. Fulham can, and have, played well enough to be much higher in the table but like their neighbors in London over at White Hart Lane they seem inclined to find a way to drop the points or outright lose a game at the very end.
Fulham’s example shows that more often than not the musical chairs game with the manager’s we see year in and year out in the EPL turns out to be a failed attempt to right the ship (Harry Redknapp’s recent rant on this topic is correct in my view). Fulham had a far more competitive (and combative) manager in Chris Coleman and his replacement and summer spending spree now has them in the relegation zone. Recall that Coleman was fired because he couldn’t keep them in the top ten after having them close to earning a UEFA Cup place.
Now his replacement will have them being relegated unless something changes in a hurry at Craven Cottage.
