Spanish La Liga Round One
Posted on September 5, 2008
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Sunday 30th August
The first two games of round one of La Liga saw Espanyol beat Real Valladolid 1-0 and Valencia beating Real Mallorca 3-0. Luis Garcia scored Espanyols winner against Valladolid in the 49th minute. This was the first goal of the La Liga Season. David villa gave Valencia the lead after 35 minutes. That lead was doubled by Juan Mata just three minutes later. Vicente completed the scoring in the 82nd minute for Valencia.
Sunday 31st August
The two favourites for the La Liga title both suffered defeats in the first round of games in La Liga. Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat away from home to Deportivo. Barcelona were beaten 1-0 at league newcomers Numancia. This season was meant to be the rejuvenation of a Barcelona team who looked very stale last season. In their first game of the season they looked just like the team that appeared under the leadership of Frank Rijkaard. Barca were beaten by a 13th minute Mario goal. They had no answer to the newly promoted team.
Real Madrid were also poor away in Coruna. The home team took the lead on the 27th minute through Miguel Mista. Real equalised just after the break on the 47th minute through Dutchman Ruud Van Nistelrooy and must of thought that they could go on to win the game. Albert Lopo scored the winner just five minutes after Real’s equaliser.
Second place team last season Villarreal fared only slightly better with a 1-1 draw against Osasuna. Villarreal took the lead through Marcos Senna nine minutes into the second half. Iranian Javad Nekounam levelled the scores through a free-kick on the 68th minute. Hugh Leal was sent off after conceding the free kick that resulted in the goal. Osasuna then had Bejunartea Miguel Flano sent off in the 78th minute.
Atletico Madrid managed a big 4-0 victory over Malaga. Two Diego Forlan goals, a Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero goal and the scoring was completed by former Liverpool player Florent Sinama-Pongolle. Sevilla could only manage a 1-1 draw with Racing Santander. Luis Fabiano opened the scoring for Sevilla in the 71st minute. Only for Juan Juanjo to come off the bench to grab an equaliser 5 minutes later. Almeria beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 with Hernan Pellerano (7), Alvaro Negrado (33) and Juan Manuel Ortiz (50) scoring the goals for the away side. Ion Velez scored a consolation goal in the 56th minute for Bilbao.
Recreativo Huelva beat Real Betis 1-0 in Andalucia. Perez Adrian Colunga scored the only goal of the game in the 36st minute. Getafe won 2-1 against Sporting Gijon thanks to a winner just four minutes from time. Getafe took the lead in the 14th minute through Juan Albin. Gimenez Diego Castro scored an equaliser in the 35th minute for Gijon. Javier Casquero scored the winner four minutes from time.
Italian Serie A First Round
Posted on September 3, 2008
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Saturday 30th August 2008
The Italian Serie A season kicked off with disappointment for champions Inter Milan after they drew with Sampdoria 1-1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the scoring for the Nerazzurri in the 30th minute set up by new signing Mancini. Samp managed an equaliser on the 68thminute through Gennaro Delvecchio from close-range.
Elsewhere Udinese beat Palermo 3-1. Antonio Di Natale started the scoring in the 9th minute and he secured his brace before the break. A Mark Bresciano goal looked to have put Palermo back into the game. That hope was short-lived though as Swiss international Gokhan Inler headed a third for Udinese as they wrapped up the points.
On the second day of First round matches in Serie A we saw a Bologna shock 2-1 Ac Milan at the San Siro. The former European champions were shocked by an 18th minute Marco Di Vaio goal to give Bologna an early lead. AC hit back through midfielder Massimo Ambrosini in the 41st minute. Francesco Valiani scored the winner in the 79th minute. Milan do not seem to have improved from last season’s poor form.
New Boys Chievo also won as they beat Reggina 2-1. Reggina opened the scoring in the 72nd minute through a Bernardo Corradi penalty. Michele Marcolin then equalised with Chievos on spot-kick just four minutes after Corradis goal. Vincenzo Italiano clinched victory for Chievo in the 88th minute.
Lazio saw off Cagliari 4-1 in an impressive display. Joaquin Larrivey gave Cagliari a 33rd minute lead. In the 60th minute Diego Lopez conceded a penalty and saw red for Cagliari. Mauro Zarate converted from the spot for the equaliser. Pasquale Foggia then gave Lazio the lead in the 65th minute. Zarate then added a third for Lazio in the 72nd minute. Goran Pandev then rounded it off with a fourth goal six minutes from the end.
Roma could only manage a 1-1 draw with Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico. Roma took the lead on the 29th minute through Italian international Alberto Aquilani. Things got worse for the team from Naples in the 54th minute when Fabiano Santacroce was given his marching orders. Just a minute after losing Santacroce Napoli equalised through Marek Hamsik.
Juventus and Fiorentina drew 1-1. Juve took the lead on the 38th minute through Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved. That goal seemed to be enough for victory, especially as the Viola had Felipe Melo sent off in the 83rd minute. Alberto Gilardino ensured Fiorentina would share the spoils with a last minute equaliser.
Catania beat Genoa 1-0 courtesy of a Giuseppe Mascara strike in the 60th minute. Atalanta beat Siena 1-0 Simone Padoin’s 15th minute header was the only goal of the game. It got worse for Siena as Massimo Maccarone was sent off. Elsewhere Torino trounced Lecce 3-0 thanks to goals from Alessandro Rosina in the 29th minute, Paolo Zanetti in the 33rd minute and Rolando Bianchi’s 73rd minute strike finished the scoring.
Premier League Round-Up Sun 31-08-08
Posted on September 1, 2008
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Three more games today as the first live game saw Tottenham come back to earn a draw with Chelsea. Man City with new signing Shawn Wright Phillips beat a Sunderland side that with all there signings look like struggling again. Also Liverpool who don’t really look that good so far this season getting a draw against big spending Aston Villa.
Chelsea’s 100% record went when they could only draw with Tottenham 1-1 in the first London derby. Chelsea dominated the first half with some good play & movement Lampard had the first chance when he chipped goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes it looked like going in but the big goalkeeper managed to get back & finger tip it over the bar. Anelka also had a good chance but wasted it but after 27 minuted they took the lead a Deco corner came in & missed everyone but it hit Belletti & went into the bottom corner. Tottenham got back into the game on the stroke of half time when a lucky bonce of the football off Lampard put Bent free & he finished coolly past Peter Cech. The second half was about both teams keeping each other apart & neither really tested each others keeper’s but even with the frantic finish the game ended a draw…
Man City look like a team on the up with everything happening & with new boy Shaun Wright-Phillips coming back & scoring didn’t give Sunderland much of a chance as they went down 3-0. The game started with the ref being more busy then the players with him booking players left right & centre & hardly any goal scoring chances. But just before the break Man City took a chance to go into the lead Stephen Ireland was there to meet a Michael Johnson Cut back to guide it past Craig Gordon. The second half wasn’t much better as even more tackles went in with the Sunderland players looking frustrated. But they were even more mad when good work by new striker Jo found Shaun wright-Phillips unmarked at the far post & he tapped in to mark his return with a goal. He was at it again 9 minutes later when he ran onto a clearence from Michael Ball & hit the ball on the bounce & fired it past Gordon into the net leaving Sunderland in the bottom 3 & fans wondering were they will be this season..
Liverpool lost there 100% record for the start of the season when they could only have a bore draw against Aston Villa 0-0. Liverpool had to start the game with out there captain Steven Gerrard also had to suffer another injury when Torres looked to do his hand string during the first half. Liverpool could have gone top of the premiership but it was Aston Villa who had the best chance of the first half but John Carew could only send his shot straight at Jose Reina after Ashley Young set him up. The two teams did step it up in the second half but but creating chances wasn’t on any one’s agenda as both keepers didn’t really have much to do. But with 20 minutes left Robbie Keane could have scored his first goal as he found himself through on goal but he completely made a mess of things & wasted the chance. The game after that died out as a draw..
Premier League Round-Up Sat 30-08-08
Posted on August 31, 2008
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This week of premiership matches saw a first win for Portsmouth & Wigan with Arsenal being back to themselves after there loss last week thus ending Newcastle’s unbeaten record. Middlesborugh & west Ham had good wins also & Bolton & West Brom battled out a entertaining draw.
Arsenal came back with a bang this weekend with a fantastic 3-0 over Newcastle. Robin Van Persie was in fine form & showed what he could do. The first of his two goals came from the penalty spot after a unfortunate Charles N’Zogia handled inside the box . His second was a typical Arsenal flowing move which ended with Van Persie putting in to the net. The second half was much the same as the first half as Arsenal dominated & looked like a team who could challenge all the way this season & when Denilson struck a third in the 60th minute it was all over for Newcastle.
Portsmouth got there season on track with there first win of the season with a 3-0 win over a poor Everton side who looked very light in midfield & need more players. Jermain Defoe got there first goal after 12 minutes as he collected a Peter Crouch flick on from a long throw held of the defender Lescott done a turn & fired it into the net past Howard. Everton did have a couple of chances but David James was in fine form making one brilliant save from Arteta. But just before the break Portsmouth got there second Defoe layed the football of to Glen Johnson who showed a cool head & slotted it past Howard. Everton had a chance to get back into the game at the start of the second half when they were awarded a penalty but Yakubu saw it fantastically saved by James. But it was all over in the 69th minute when Defoe chip Howard & it hit the underside of the bar & in even though Crouch headed in the rebound it looked to have crossed the line from Defoe.
Hull’s unbeaten record went when they were shown what life was like in the premiership when they were thrashed 5-0 at home by Wigan. It only took Wigan 5 minutes to get on the score sheet when Kevin Kilbane’s corner was sliced into his own net by Sam Ricketts another 8 minutes later & they were two down as a counter attacking move saw it finished by Antonio Valencia. With no more scoring in the first half the second had even more. Wigan’s new signing Zaki added a third on 63 minutes hammering home a shot from the edge of the area then moments later Emile Heskey added a fourth & his 100 career goal as he sized onto a Wayne Brown mistake & slotting home. Zaki added the fifth wait a tremendous shot that smacked of the crossbar & into the net.
West Ham had a good day at the office giving Paul Ince his first defeat as a premiership manager & easing the pressure on Alan Crubishley by winning 4-1. West Ham were one up after only 12 minutes when Callum Davenport headed home from a corner, 8 minutes later it was two nil & Christopher Samba put the football into his own net after trying to clear a Dean Ashton shot. Back came Blackburn with a Jason Roberts goal which he scored very coolly past Robert Green but he got the best of it when he then made a superb save from Jason Robert’s penalty at the start of the second half. Blackburn pushed for the equlizer but couldn’t find a way through & it was up to sub Craig Bellamy to ease West Ham’s nerves with a third goal for them in the 90th minute. Carlton Cole then added a fourth right at the end of injury time to give the score a more convincing look.
Middlesbrough got back winning again with a 2-1 victory over 10 men Stoke. Stoke were holding there own quite well untill the 36th mnute when the ref had no choice but to send off Arndy Faye after his two footed kirate like challange on Mohamed Shawky. Stoke still trying to sort themselves out let Middlesbrough take advantage & just 60 seconds later scored from it, they got a free kick which Afonso Alves curled into the net all from 25 yards.They could have gone further ahead in the second half when Alves was fouled in the penalty box by Seyi Olofinjana. Up stepped Steward Downing but his penalty was awful & he hit the crossbar & out. Stoke rallied & equalized in the 71st minute when Justin Hoyte scored an own goal after being under pressure from Dave Kitson but Middlesbrough got the win when Didier Digard shot somehow fell into the path of Tuncay Sanli & he made no mistake & stabbed the ball into the net..
Bolton & West Brom fought out a entertaining draw after both being put out in the Carling cup in midweek 0-0. The closest any team got in the first half was a James Morrioson 20 yard effort which Jussi Jaaskelainen made a camera shot save. They came closest in the second half also when Do-Heon saw his shot cannon off the crossbar but Bolton thought they had gone ahead near the end but Kevin Davis goal was ruled off side & when you saw the tv reply the assistant ref was correct. Kevin Davis then had anouther goal ruled off side at the death which was also a correct decision.This leave only West Brom & Tottenham the only teams not to win so far something Tottenham could put right on Sunday against Chelsea.
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