Barcelona 3 Manchester United 1: match report

Beneath the soaring Wembley arch, Barcelona ascended to new heights. Inspired by an exhilarating Lionel Messi, Pep Guardiola’s team swept past Manchester United in a thrilling performance and, with their third Champions League title in the last six seasons, they earned the right to be called one of the very greatest club sides in the history of the game.

United had their moments of sporadic resistance and Wayne Rooney, who fought defiantly, scored a superb equaliser in the first half but ultimately Barcelona were simply too good. There might have been parity in the half-time scoreline but, as Messi and David Villa scored in the second half, the gap in class was impossible to deny.

This 90 minutes of excellence was the consummation of the Dutch philosophy imported to the club by Johan Cruyff two decades ago, refined by Frank Rijkaard and now perfected by Guardiola. The Barcelona manager was on this pitch when his club won their first European Cup back in 1992 but not even Cruyff’s Dream Team are a match for this gifted group.

The statistics cannot convey the style in which Barcelona played but they can give you an indication of their dominance. They had 19 attempts on goal to United’s four, had 67 per cent of the possession and completed 667 passes to United’s 301. They imposed themselves with near total authority.

Sir Alex Ferguson was gracious in defeat, quick to congratulate Barcelona. He had spent the last fortnight on the training ground trying to concoct a way of disrupting the mesmeric passing of this team, trying to find a way to stop this being a repeat of the 2009 defeat.

Where he had tried to contain them in Rome, this time he decided to be bold, sending out a team with two strikers and two wingers.

For the first 10 minutes it looked like it was working. United started with intensity and aggression, giving Barcelona a taste of their own full-court press. Ji-sung Park made three superb tackles in the first five minutes alone, including one on Messi. Without the leadership of Carles Puyol, not fit enough to start, the Barcelona defence looked rattled. Victor Valdes had to come racing off his line to punch the ball away from Rooney and then Gerard Pique almost passed the ball beyond the Barcelona goalkeeper under pressure from Javier Hernández.

Once that initial burst of energy waned, Barcelona found their composure. Xavi took control and Messi made his first darting run of the game, finishing it with a pass to Pedro - Nemanja Vidic had to be alert to close him down.

Villa hit one crisp shot wide and had another saved by Edwin Van der Sar and first Vidic and then Rio Ferdinand tackled Messi brilliantly but, having started with a high defensive line, United were being pushed deeper and deeper. They were struggling to hold on to the ball when they won it back, and there was an edge of desperation about their passing. Hernández, nervous, struggled and was repeatedly offside.

It was little surprise when Barcelona took the lead. Andres Iniesta exchanged passes with Sergio Busquets before poking the ball through to Xavi. Ryan Giggs was not close enough and the Barcelona captain, head up, eyes darting, closed on the United box, flicking an exquisite pass with the outside of his boot to Pedro. The Barcelona forward had discreetly evaded Patrice Evra and Vidic could not get across in time to prevent him from passing the ball past Van der Sar at the near post.

Ferguson was becoming animated on the touchline, clearly frustrated at the way his team were surrendering possession. Yet United were not going to roll over, equalising with a goal in the style of their opponents.

Rooney picked up a loose ball on the right and played a quick one-two with Michael Carrick before surging towards the Barcelona box. He then flicked the ball to Giggs with the outside of his boot and the Welshman, who replays showed was just offside, cushioned it with his thigh before teeing up Rooney again. The England striker crashed his powerful shot past Valdes.

Not that Barcelona appeared shaken. A brilliant free-kick routine between Xavi and Busquets almost found Pedro and then Messi set off on one of his incredible runs, skipping clear of Vidic, sprinting away from Carrick before finding Villa on the right with a perfect pass. Villa’s return cross was just ahead of the Argentina forward.

United could not keep Barcelona out for long, though, not sitting that deep and with that little of the ball. Iniesta and Xavi were almost at walking pace in the last third when they worked the ball to Messi, who drove to the ‘D’ and shot low and into the net. He should have been closed down more effectively but the shot was almost in the middle of the goal and it was a concession way below Van der Sar’s usual standards.

The Dutchman did his best to make up for it, saving first from Messi with his legs and then brilliantly from Xavi’s curving shot from range. There was, though, nothing he could do to stop Barcelona’s third.

Messi again went shimmying into the United area and the ball broke to Busquets. He rolled it to the edge of the area where Villa had taken up position, rolling his studs over the ball before striking an accurate, dipping shot into the top corner.

There were sporadic efforts on United’s part to get back into the game. Rooney hit a shot on to the roof of the net from outside the area and Giggs was convinced his team should have had a late penalty. It showed the mental strength of those two players that they refused to give up — even against all the evidence of Barcelona’s superiority.

View the original article here

Manchester United 1 Everton 0: match report

Javier Hernandez edged Manchester United to within seven points of a record 19th league title with late winner at Old Trafford following a nervy encounter with Everton.

Hernandez, a £7m signing from Chivas de Guadalajara last summer, took his tally for the season to 19 goals when he headed in Antonio Valencia’s far post cross on 84 minutes.

Everton had seen two penalty appeals rejected by referee Peter Walton prior to the goal and will feel aggrieved at emerging with nothing for their efforts.

But with four games left to play – including fixtures at Arsenal and at home to Chelsea – United now know that two wins and a draw will confirm the title.

With the Champions League semi-final against Schalke looming on Tuesday, Ferguson gambled on wholesale changes to his starting line-up in order to rest key players ahead of the trip to Germany.

But with Everton’s recent form seeing them climb to seventh in the table, such tinkering was always likely to be a risky tactic against David Moyes’s team.

As has been proved on numerous occasions already this season, the likes of Jonny Evans, Darron Gibson and John O’Shea lack the quality of the more established players that they replaced and it showed as United struggled to put Everton under any sustained pressure.

The home side did not even test Everton keeper Tim Howard until 29 minutes had elapsed, but the former United number one did well to deny Javier Hernandez following his snapshot from Wayne Rooney’s pass.

Everton were unfortunate not to win a penalty on 36 minutes, however, when Evans’s clumsy challenge on Jermaine Beckford went unpunished by referee Peter Walton.

Moyes’s team were then denied what appeared a certain penalty on 56 minutes when Rio Ferdinand bundled substitute Victor Anichebe over on the edge of the six yard box. Once again, Walton ignored Everton appeals.

United were certainly riding their luck, but with Everton looking comfortable at the back, Ferguson replaced Nani with Michael Owen on 63 minutes in an effort to find a crucial goal.

And Owen, who has scored just once in the Premier League this season, almost put United ahead when his effort from Fabio’s cross was deflected onto the near post by defender Sylvain Distin.

Everton also went close, though, when United target Jack Rodwell forced Edwin van der Sar into full-stretch save to push his 20-yard strike past the post.

United appeared to be heading for a draw they simply did not want when Hernandez saw a header brilliantly tipped over the bar by Howard on 81 minutes.

But the Mexican striker won the game three minutes later with a brave header at the far post that left Howard beaten and moved United nine points clear of Chelsea and Arsenal.

View the original article here

Scotland 0-2 Brazil | International friendly match report

As Brazil began their farewells to a former hero, further proof that a new star has been born arrived in London.

Comparisons between Ronaldo and Neymar begin and end at the fact both are Brazilian and both know exactly where the goal is. The recently retired Ronaldo appeared on the Emirates pitch before kick-off to take a bow before followers who still adore him. The 34-year-old was never famed for being lean during his career but unlearned observers would now take some convincing to believe he was the best player in the world not so long ago.

Neymar, conversely, has a frame so slight and face so boyish that you could fear for his safety against rugged Scottish defenders. He is the epitome of appearances being deceptive, as was illustrated for the latest occasion here.

The 19-year-old, already courted by at least Chelsea and Real Madrid, will generate a serious amount of money when he is eventually coaxed away from Santos. From a position on the left side of Brazil's front three, Neymar proved Scotland's tormentor-in-chief by scoring the goals which endorsed the dominance of the Brazilians.

Elements of Scotland's support understandably over-indulge with alcohol as a means to forget about defeat. Those who stayed sober for this friendly should have only appreciated the skill of someone who is only just old enough to imbibe.

Afterwards, Neymar's national manager was posed with what will become ever-more frequent questions regarding where the player's future will lie. Far from discourage Neymar regarding a life-changing move to England, the Brazil manager Mano Menezes virtually advocated such a transfer.

"I think that could only be good for Neymar," said Menezes when asked directly about the prospect of Chelsea acquiring the youngster's services. "Going to England would give him more physical strength, to enable him to escape strong marking. If he got that, he would be a more complete player to of course it would be good for him.

"Of course, if young players leave Brazilian football when they are young then it is bad for us. It deprives us of the opportunity to watch them play but I understand the personal ambitions of each one of them and the financial benefits available to them."

Brazil's football federation benefitted in monetary terms from the latest round of their world tour. This could be regarded, then, as the perfect exercise with Scotland essentially unable to trouble their illustrious opposition.

Craig Levein and his players, in fact, readily discovered that Brazilians have little trouble indulging in the less glamorous side of the game at which the Scots have been forced to master.

For long periods, it looked as if those in blue and white were being restricted to one touch per minute.

Neymar was eventually withdrawn 60 seconds before the end of stoppage time, allowing the forward to earn the ovation he deserved from one half of the ground at least. Menezes could reasonably have substituted his star man on humanitarian grounds a lot earlier.

The opening goal is worthy of more credit than some may give it. Albeit Scotland - and Scott Brown, bizarrely given he had spent the preceding minutes arguing with the Brazil midfielder - were slack in allowing Andre Santos to cavort down his left flank, Neymar's finish was exquisite. A curling but not fierce shot ended up in virtually the one corner of the goal where the Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor had no chance of covering.

There rarely seemed much likelihood of Scotland recovering. Their sole striker, Kenny Miller, was so marginal he had cause to place a Lonely Hearts advert.

Neymar clipped McGregor's crossbar with an effort within seconds of the second-half getting underway. It was from the penalty spot, though, that he rightly emphasised Brazil's superiority.

Charlie Adam found himself on the wrong side of Neymar inside the area, with a tired - and illegal, in the view of the referee Howard Webb - challenge following. The moment rather summed up the afternoon of Adam, for whom high hopes are now routinely held.

"Charlie told me afterwards that he was disappointed with the way he played," said Levein. "I told him that shows how far he has come in the last year, that he has that disappointment. It was refreshing to hear him speak like that; some people had spoken before the game about Charlie being as good as anyone on the pitch."

There was never any doubt that Neymar would dispatch from 12 yards. McGregor, who had kept the scoreline respectable with a string of smart saves, was left feeling as helpless as his team-mates. The Scots can take solace from the fact they won't be the last team to suffer on account of a fresh-faced kid from Sao Paulo.

View the original article here

Inter Milan 3 Barcelona 1: match report

So Barcelona do have an affliction: travel sickness. In deference to the Icelandic volcano, the Catalan all-stars had embarked on a two-day coach trek just to reach the San Siro and, in the wake of a remarkable Champions League defeat that recast the order of Europe’s football powers, they were no doubt hoping that Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan would be forced to do the same in two weeks’ time.

This was a stunning result for Mourinho, all the more so given that his players had failed to score against Barcelona in three previous attempts and had gone a goal down again last night.

 Related ArticlesMourinho: Inter still have work to doBalotelli outburst enrages InterDebate: Can Barcelona turn it around against Inter Milan?Advantage MourinhoInter v Barca: as it happenedMourinho plays down Messi threat

But galvanised by dynamos including Diego Milito, Maicon and the irrepressible Wesley Sneijder, they not only cancelled out Pedro Rodriguez’s opener but glimpsed an opportunity to complete the task at the Nou Camp and advance to the most unlikely final in Madrid.

Truth be told, Barcelona did not have to endure the greatest hardship en route to Lombardy, travelling by luxury coach and staying overnight in Cannes.

Indeed, Mourinho, in the all-conquering mindset that comes with snuffing out the lethal threat of Lionel Messi, would no doubt gladly walk his way to the return leg.

Barcelona’s passing sequences were just as exquisite as those that unravelled Arsenal in the first leg of a rivetingly one-sided quarter-final, but Inter Milan’s doughty defence refused to be so exposed.

Anchored by the formidable Lucio, the Inter back line absorbed the early running of Maxwell and Dani Alves, those tireless full-backs, with relative ease – at least until they were taught a salutary lesson in how to turn defence into attack before the average player could blink.

Pep Guardiola’s master craftsmen are so far above average that it is a great surprise, after Inter’s fine win, that their bid to be the first team since Arrigo Saachi’s Milan to win consecutive European titles is in doubt.

Surely, their profound recent impact on the continental stage demands nothing less. Even if their form did not last, they demonstrated their full capacity to achieve their ambition in the construction of the first goal, winning the ball high up the pitch before Maxwell darted down on a devilish run to the by-line.

Espying the unmarked Pedro to his right, the left-back found the perfect weight for the pass, but questions surrounded the role of Maicon as the Brazilian was caught horribly out of position.

Pedro was quick to exploit his freedom, angling a finish beyond Julio Cesar with an aplomb that befitted one of Barcelona’s least heralded performers.

He might be barely mentioned in the same breath as Messi but already the striker has contributed 20 goals for the blaugrana this season, in six different competitions.

Thoughts of a seamless passage to Madrid proved premature, however. Milito served notice that Inter would not be cowed with an instant riposte, pouncing on a cross from Sneijder but sliding his shot inches wide of Victor Valdes’ far post.

At least he fared better than Lucio, who underlined his status as a natural centre-back with one particularly wretched header.

The Inter pressure was gradually gathering, and the breakthrough fashioned by Sneijder, such an inventive presence behind the front two, fully merited.

The Dutchman has often been likened to David Beckham for the range of his passing but he proved his forward’s instincts last night, sidefooting past Valdes after Eto’o’s scuffed cross had been touched on by Milito.

Immediately he turned to the San Siro’s seething 70,000-plus crowd in salute but there was a sense of a comeback only just beginning.

Barcelona were rattled, as Sergio Busquets hinted by throwing the ball away even when his own side had won a free-kick. Tellingly, Mourinho was in the dug-out long before the second half started, satisfied that the briefest team talk would suffice after such an auspicious Inter performance.

His air of serenity, always ominous for his opponents, was soon explained as Maicon, the fall guy in Pedro’s strike, atoned spectacularly.

The move had opened with the unusual event of Messi being dispossessed and the brutish right-back was emphatic in ending it, controlling an awkwardly bouncing ball from Milito to stab his shot beyond Valdes’ clutches.

The upset was on, and Milito, the temperamental Argentine who had squandered a raft of chances, confirmed it when he surged clear of Barcelona’s punch-drunk defence to head in the third. Suspicions of offside will only enrage the Catalans as they look to repair the damage done by this game.

Messi was conspicuous by his absence from the plot, an omission he almost corrected when he unleashed a wickedly swerving free-kick that Julio Cesar did well to repel. But there was to be no place for his magic.

Barcelona were denied an apparent penalty when Sneijder raked the heels of Dani Alves but for the scoreline they had only their curious listlessness to blame. Their journey home would take another 16 hours and this time they would feel every second of it.

View the Original article

Liverpool 3 West Ham United 0: match report

Liverpool's journey to Madrid will be far more taxing than this leisurely stroll through West Ham United’s defence, which obligingly parted three times to allow goals for Yossi Benayoun, David Ngog and a rebound in off the unfortunate Robert Green.

In stark contrast to their lively support, West Ham’s lack of fight was alarming as they remain in 17th position, only three points above Hull City, who play their game against Aston Villa tomorrow. West Ham remain in peril, although at least their goal difference is markedly superior to Hull’s.

 Related ArticlesLiverpool and Fulham face 24-hour journeysPremier League tablePremier League actionTelegraph player raterPremier League fixturesSport on television

West Ham had no one in the class of Steven Gerrard, who ran the game until leaving to a standing ovation, and whose set-pieces triggered carnage in the visitors’ defence. Liverpool’s captain seemed a man on a hurry, as if he had a train to catch, which he actually does today.

Such was Liverpool’s early control, the hosts cruising into a two-goal lead, that they could have left even earlier for Madrid. Despite their team’s very obvious travails, the West Ham supporters were at least in good voice, taunting the Kop with chants of “Thursday night, Channel Five’’, although they could easily have added “Tuesday night, Channel Tunnel’’.

Liverpool’s complicated journey to Madrid seems to involve everything but the ferry across the Mersey, and it seemed slightly cruel to stage stop-overs in London and Paris, two cities where they have experienced such joy in the European Cup.

Ignoring the West Ham jibes, Liverpool let their football do the talking. Benayoun was really in the mood, taking the game time and again to his old team, doubtless stirred by some of the ribald chants coming his way, scoring early. When Steven Gerrard swung over a free-kick from the right, West Ham’s defence froze, allowing Benayoun to glide in and score via his midriff.

For those West Ham supporters who had questioned Benayoun’s occasional stomach for the fight, here was the most ironic of responses.

Sadly for West Ham, Zola’s defence lacked the defiance of their supporters and the visitors almost fell further behind from another chaos-bringing set-piece. This time it was a corner from the right, driven in by Gerrard, perfectly measured to pick out Sotirios Kyrgiakos. Somehow, he managed to head the ball down and over the bar.

Beware Greeks wasting gifts? Liverpool swiftly recovered from the centre-half’s aberration, extending their lead through a fine, quick-passing move. Benayoun was again involved, darting through the middle before intelligently switching the ball

right to Maxi Rodríguez. The Argentine’s cross was immaculate, swept into the box where Ngog deftly re-directed it first time past Green.

In front of the watching Ray Clemence, and in the wake of good reviews for David James against Aston Villa, Green picked a bad moment to falter. However much he was let down again by his sluggish defenders, West Ham’s England keeper reacted too slowly to Ngog’s finish.

West Ham tried to respond, tried to give their fans some reward for their devotion, something to remember on the tortuous journey back down the cone-zone that is the M6. Carlton Cole, who was being watched by Franco Baldini, embarked on a typical muscular charge through the middle, Liverpool players bouncing off him, before he shot wide.

Badly missing the suspended Scott Parker, West Ham’s midfield lacked real bite and Gerrard drove through the middle almost at will. When space really opened up just before the interval, Dirk Kuyt tried his luck from 30 yards, bringing a sprawling save from Green.

West Ham were so disappointing, so tame. Arguably the best touch from a visitor in the first half came from Zola, the Italian neatly controlling a loose ball as it hurtled out for a throw near the tunnel.

Zola had little choice but to gamble at the break sending on another striker, attempting to pose Liverpool some semblance of a threat. He removed his right-winger, Junior Stanislas, and sent on Guillermo Franco, who ran around, soon colliding with Pepe Reina. Franco was often involved, soon lifting a long pass towards Cole on the right only for Glen Johnson to intercept.

After this brief flurry of action from West Ham, the game settled back into its earlier rhythm. Liverpool were dominant, adding a third just before the hour mark from more dead-ball mayhem. When Gerrard whipped over another free-kick, Kyrgiakos diverted the ball goalwards, it hit the post and rebounded in off the luckless Green.

West Ham finally remembered the art of defending when Gerrard came raiding into the box, being denied only by a block from Manuel da Costa.

West Ham woke up, piecing together a quick attack, bringing Cole one-on-one with Reina. It was an unequal contest, Reina spreading himself and saving with ease at an Anfield Road End that was far from full. For all the talk of a fans’ protest, it appeared that the empty seats were a result of Liverpool’s Scandinavian and Irish fan clubs being unable to travel.

The Kop was full but quiet and the only real noise emanated from the West Ham section. “4-3, we’re going to win 4-3’’ they chanted, breaking off from a lengthy version of the Hokey Cokey.

Keen to shake it up, Zola sent on Benni McCarthy for Cole. Rafa Benitez made a substitution that will have doubtless pleased Baldini, removing Gerrard, who departed to a standing ovation after tenderly tying the armband around Jamie Carragher’s left bicep. Some of Gerrard’s passing and turning had been superb and Liverpool briefly lost some of their zest. Rodríguez sought to raise the tempo again with a powerful shot that Green clutched at the second attempt.

View the Original article

Surrey talking to Lara - Report

Surrey are reportedly in talks with Brian Lara about him coming of retirement to play Twenty20 cricket for the county.

The former West Indies batsman, 40, who retired from international cricket after the 2007 World Cup, has not played competitive cricket for two years.

"We have been in discussion with Brian regarding his possible involvement with the club," the BBC website quoted a Surrey statement as saying.

"However we have no further comment to make at this stage."

Lara averaged 52.88 in 131 Tests for the Windies and 40.48 in 299 one-day internationals.

He holds the highest individual score in Test cricket with 400 not out against England in Antigua in 2004.

Surrey have already recruited flamboyant Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds to play Twenty20.

View the Original article