Winning a cup competition can bring out strong emotions. In the case of Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez, a dramatic victory in tonight's Europe League final appeared to stimulate a fetish for men with long hair. His first port of call after the final whistle was to approach Benfica manager Jorge Jesus from behind and [.
[Update: We'd originally credited this to Davide Somma (on account of the commentary sounding like it's Somma, the YouTube video claiming its Somma and even the minute-by-minute live text updates of national newspapers claiming it was Somma). After taking some of the comments left below on board, it looks like it's actually Rodolph Austin.
Following the final whistle in tonight's Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester United, the TV cameras showed this banner. It reads: "MANCHESTER MUFC MDMA BOTH MAGIC." Presumably a reference to the city's ecstasy culture of the early 1990s or perhaps the owner of the banner's personal love of both the [.
While Houston extended their 21 match home unbeaten streak, it did not go as they had hoped, as
the home Dynamo side let a lead slip away in the final minutes. Toronto FC's Terry Dunfield evened
up the score in the closing minutes to tie up the match at 1-1, just five minutes before the final
whistle blew.
Whilst I hope the feeling at the end of last season sticks with our players for a long time,
serving as the motivation for them to work even harder, I have spent the past couple of months
trying to pretend that 2011-2012 didn't happen. We didn't drop eight points behind then go eight
points clear, only to lose it all with the last kick of the game at the Etihad.
Algeria snaffled a late 1-0 away win against neighbouring Libya on Sunday evening in their
African Cup of Nations qualifier played on neutral soil in Casablanca, with substitute El Arbi
Hillel Soudani scoring a minute from time to give the Algerian's the advantage going in to the
second leg in October which didn't go down particularly well with the Libyans, as it happens.
Algeria snaffled a late 1-0 away win against neighbouring Libya on Sunday evening in their
African Cup of Nations qualifier played on neutral soil in Casablanca, with substitute El Arbi
Hillel Soudani scoring a minute from time to give the Algerian's the advantage going in to the
second leg in October which didn't go down particularly well with the Libyans, as it happens.
Sometimes supposed rivalries between sporting icons are played out in the newspapers and nowhere
else. But relations between the two best footballers on the planet looked decidedly frosty after
the final whistle in last night's Spanish Super Cup second-leg. Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano
Ronaldo were keen to shake hands with various opponents and the [.
Roy Hodgson experienced a painful start to an ultimately satisfying night as England defeated
Italy. The Three Lions boss bumped his head on the dugout during the pre-match formalities, but had
probably forgotten all about his headache by the time the final whistle blew on a 1-2 win for
England. The new Wankdorf stadium in [.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed his delight at the club's transfer business this
summer, implying that the doubters are already being proven wrong by the likes of Lukas Podolski
and Santi Cazorla.
Podolski and Cazorla both scored impressive goals in the Gunners' 2-0 win at Liverpool yesterday
while third signing Olivier Giroud also came close.
United travel to St Mary's to take on Southampton this weekend, and are 1.57 with Betfred to come
away with all three points. They have won on their last four visits in all competitions, and having
got back on track with a 3-2 win over Fulham following their opening game defeat at the hands
of Everton and in reality should prove far too strong for The Saints.
Rob Dawson and Mike Keegan, football writers at The Manchester Evening News, has given their
thoughts on United ahead of the 2012-2013 season.
Scott the Red: United usually end the season so strongly. What went wrong last
season?
Rob Dawson: I've still got no idea. I think if United played that sequence of games 100 times,
they wouldn't get a lower points tally than they did last season.
Rob Dawson and Mike Keegan, football writers at The Manchester Evening News, has given their
thoughts on United ahead of the 2012-2013 season.
Scott the Red: United usually end the season so strongly. What went wrong last
season?
Rob Dawson: I've still got no idea. I think if United played that sequence of games 100 times,
they wouldn't get a lower points tally than they did last season.
At Sounder at Heart we like to say that we are supporters of supporters (some of us are actual
supporters as well). So we offer this message to you, from the fine folks at the Emerald City
Supporters who are opening up their remaining tickets for their trip to see the Seattle Sounders at
some local team in Oregon.
The New York Red Bulls should have entered Sunday night's home match against Portland Timbers full
of confidence. After a disastrous, listless showing two weeks ago in Houston, they had bounced back
with a 2-0 home victory sealed by a late Jan Gunnar Solli goal. Despite intense competition at the
top of MLS' Eastern Conference, there's no team in the East (perhaps none in the league) that can
match RBNY's roster, on paper at least.
Tonight the USA Men's National Team played the Mexican National Team in Stadium Azteca. Most
people probably could care less about a friendly, even one in Mexico. I, for one, am always
intrigued by these international friendlies, but not so much for the results. I love the
opportunities presented to guys who might not normally get the opportunity to get decent minutes
against quality competition.
Motherwell were held at home by St Mirren and Hearts remained unbeaten with a draw at Aberdeen
in the Scottish Premier League matches on August 26, 2012.
Aberdeen 0-0 Hearts
Hearts continued their unbeaten record in the new season with a clean sheet at the Pittodrie
Stadium. Aberdeen were the stronger side in the beginning as Hearts looked a bit lethargic
following their loss to Liverpool in the Europa League.
That was more like it, a much more reassuring friendly than the three in the USA. Which may have
had something to do with the stronger XI, not all that different from the one which faced Gomel on
Thursday. It was far stronger than expected, with Gerrard, Suarez, and Lucas all surprise starters.
Maybe we shouldn't get carried away after beating the third-best Belorussian team in the qualifying
stage of the Europa League, but it's hard to avoid getting carried away when Liverpool look light
years better than last week or in any of the previous preseason matches.
In some respects, the fixture compilers had been a little unkind to Alex Ferguson. A trip to
Goodison Park seldom feels like a guaranteed three points, and this year's Everton vintage is one
that looks upwardly mobile rather than one beset by the shadow of stagnation for the first time in
several years, after all.
Ingy Flores lines up a free kick in the 83rd minute that would result in Edgar Lopez's go-ahead
goal.
CUMBERLAND, R.I. Justin Kahle's 93rd minute equalizer delivered East Providence from the brink
in Saturday's 2-2 draw to Lusitana Sports at Lusitana Field.
Kyle Teixeira scratched the scoresheet first in the 23rd to give the guests a halftime lead.
It seemed that everybody was ready to point out how physical Sporting Kansas City was on
Saturday night against the Revs. And, yeah, they're right-KC really took it to us. But let's not
forget that this was the third time we played them this year. So, shouldn't that physical
element have been part of the game plan coming into this one?
When the final whistle blew at the Stadium of Light on the 13th of May 2012, Sir Alex Ferguson
applauded his players, and waited for the news. The news was not good. Manchester City had scored
at the death against QPR, and snatched the title on goal difference. Phil Jones wore a look of
utter distress; Dimitar Berbatov put his hand behind his head and stared into the distance.
Despite some good chances, Mario Balotelli failed to score in his brief appearance as a
second-half substitute during Man City's 3-2 comeback win against Southampton to start the Premier
League season. Balotelli is recovering from conjunctivitis, so a bit of rust on the pitch is
understandable, but he showed that his pranking is already in midseason form.
When the final whistle blew at Wembley Stadium Saturday afternoon, a wide range of emotions
quickly came and went. First was relief, Oscar's header went wide. Then came incredulity – did I
really just see what I just saw? Euphoria followed. Is one allowed to cry when in a euphoric state?
I hope so, because I was blubbering – what Oprah calls the "ugly cry.
For their third Olympics in a row and fourth time overall, the United States Women's National
Team stood at the center podium, and had gold be put around their necks. Even sweeter was the
victory, which came at the expense of Japan, who stole the 2011 World Cup in a heartbreaking
penalty shootout last summer.
Bournemouth midfielder Eunan O'Kane was responsible for conceding one of the strangest penalties you will ever see during his side's defeat at Walsall on Saturday. O'Kane thought his side had been awarded a free-kick outside the box, casually flicked the ball up inside the area and caught it. But the ref had not stopped play [.
Ugly scenes occurred at the end of England's victory against Serbia in an under-21 match today.
As England scored a goal with the last whistle of the game, England footballers were on the receiving end of missiles thrown by the crowd. Plus, England midfielder Danny Rose inferred that he was a victim of racial abuse.
Full game recap coming, but a post-game discussion got me to do some research. Namely people were
asking why Pareja seemed to be unwilling to play Casey and Cummings at the same time. I wondered
how much of that was by choice and how much was due to injury so I looked it up.
Only 9 times this season have they both been Probable on the injury report or better, and in each
of those games at least one of them was listed as Probable, so they've never been completely
healthy (Casey has been on the injury report every game this season).
Hearing the full-time whistle Samuel Eto'o knew where to head. Anzhi just beaten AZ 5-0 in
Alkmaar, but there was no mood to celebrate, instead he had to see him up close and offer a few
words to a talent without limitations that left a huge impression.
I think I've seen the next great football manager. He didn't stop moving, gesticulating or
encouraging from the first whistle to the last. He had a strange semi-crouch, as if he was watching
just the legs and the feet and ... Continue reading →
When you sell your two best players during the summer, and let almost all of your most
experienced players leave on Bosman's, the fact that AC Milan lost 1-0 at home to newly promoted
Sampdoria probably should not be a surprise.
Still nobody gave Sampdoria much of a chance in the San Siro, but the Milan faithful were
stunned when
Andrea Costa scored the only goal of the game in the 58th minute from a corner and, although the
Rossoneri hit the woodwork twice, their fans made their feelings clear at the final whistle.
We are just a couple of hours before kickoff in a very big Eastern Conference game. With a win,
the Fire would jump up to 44 points along with the Red Bulls. The game figures to be a grind-it-out
battle, but I am confident when the whistle blows the Fire will be leaving RFK with all 3 points.
We all remember the two goal, stoppage time stunner that the Men in Red pulled off late last fall
at RFK.
So I went to bed shortly after the final whistle, and I woke up this morning trying to recall
whether the game I am certain I witnessed last night was real. On the one hand, the entire team has
periods of absolute inconsistency with passing and finishing, and then on the other they nailed
home two astonishingly impressive goals.
Nike wanted to know just how powerful the trembles Boca Juniors fans produce so they set up
seismographs throughout the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario prior to the Copa Argentina final
between Boca and Racing last week. Though the neutral ground only holds a little more than 25,000
people -- far less than the Boca's famously intense La Bombonera (which holds nearly 58,000), Boca
fans still got the place shaking and registered a 6.
As the final whistle was blown on our 1-0 victory over Sunderland on the final day of the
season, we were top of the league, waiting for the game at the Etihad to end. News came through at
the Stadium of Light that City had scored two late goals and had won the league, leading Sunderland
fans to do their best poznan celebration.
It was just a friendly, both sides left out key players and the intimidating Estadio Azteca had
a lot of empty seats, but the U.S. still beat Mexico 1-0 for a surprising and historic first ever
win in Mexico. In 24 previous matches over the course of a bitter and often violent 75-year
rivalry, the U.
Juventus beat Napoli 4-2 after extra time in the Supercoppa Italiana and the Azzurri were so
upset about the three red cards they were shown near the end of the first 90 minutes that they
walked out on the post-match ceremony. Goran Pandev was sent off for dissent when he argued a
penalty that was given to Juventus in the 73rd minute, Juan Zuniga followed him back to the
dressing room after a second yellow during injury time and manager Walter Mazzerri was sent off for
arguing the first two decisions before extra time.
