Archive for Marzo 13th, 2011
13
Mar
Pachuca 0-4 Atlante
Six-gun champions
Bayern Munich ended a three-game losing streak in emphatic style against Hamburg in their first match since coach Louis van Gaal’s end-of-season departure was announced.
Arjen Robben was Bayern’s hero with a hat-trick before being removed early in view of Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Inter Milan.
Franck Ribery added the fourth before Thomas Muller grabbed a fifth for a dominant Bayern.
Heiko Westermann’s late own goal compounded Hamburg’s woes and moved Bayern back up to fourth in the Bundesliga, just two points adrift of third-placed Hannover and their minimum aim of a place in the Champions League next season.
It took a while for Bayern to get going, but after half an hour of sparring with Hamburg, they started to take the initiative.
Mario Gomez should have put them ahead in the 35th minute, but after doing the hard work in beating Frank Rost, he sent his shot onto the post from a tight angle.
The ball fell to Muller, who rattled his shot against the crossbar.
The woodwork came to Hamburg’s rescue for a third time moments later when Rost pushed Daniel van Buyten’s effort onto the bar.
But Bayern took the lead in the 40th minute with Robben’s accurate shot under the crossbar finally breaking the deadlock.
The Dutchman grabbed his and Bayern’s second two minutes into the second half with a free-kick which neither Muller nor Gomez got to, but Rost also let the ball go past into the back of the net.
Robben completed his hat-trick eight minutes later when he exchanged passes with Ribery before providing the finish on the turn.
Ribery got in on the act nine minutes later with Robben this time the provider for the Frenchman, who lifted his shot past Rost, who came out of his goal to meet him.
And Muller added the fifth 11 minutes from time when he slotted his shot through the legs of Rost after being set up by Hamit Altintop.
An own goal from Westermann completed the scoring in the 85th minute, giving Bayern a morale-boosting win ahead of Tuesday’s crucial Champions League tie which will make or break their season.
Hamburg coach Armin Veh, meanwhile, may not now last until the end of the season when he has already announced he will be leaving.
Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com
Brazil striker Luis Fabiano has rejoined former club Sao Paulo from Sevilla.
Luis Fabiano, who is currently sidelined for around six weeks with a knee injury suffered in last weekend’s defeat to Athletic Bilbao, has agreed a four-year deal and will cost the Brazilian club €7.6 million.
The 30-year-old Luis Fabiano enjoyed a hugely successful three-year spell at Sao Paulo earlier in his career, scoring 118 goals in 160 games before moving to Porto in 2004.
After a short-lived spell in Portugal, the forward moved to Sevilla, where he scored 106 goals in all competitions and helped the Andalusian club win six trophies, including two UEFA Cup and two Copa del Rey crowns.
In August Luis Fabiano, after months of transfer speculation linking him with a move away, signed a two-year contact extension with Sevilla tying him to the club until 2013.
This season the former Ponte Preta and Rennes hitman has not been an automatic starter for Sevilla, but remains their joint-leading scorer in La Liga with 10 goals.
Luis Fabiano, who made financial sacrifices to help push through the move, said: “Money is not everything in life. Nothing could pay for how happy I am to once again be able to wear the shirt of the team closest to my heart.
“I owe everything I have to Sao Paulo. I’m going to sweat for this shirt and I’m going to score many goals. I’m already thinking about coming out of the dressing room tunnel at the Morumbi stadium.”
Luis Fabiano is set to be presented by Sao Paulo on March 30.
Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com
13
Mar
Nancy edge clear of danger
Goals from defender Landry N’Guemo and substitute Bakaye Traore earned Nancy a 2-0 win over Caen and a useful three points in the congested Ligue 1 relegation battle.
The hosts went into the game just three points above the drop zone and three points behind their opponents. But N’Guemo gave them a half-time advantage and, after Caen’s Sambou Yatabare was sent off, Traore’s clincher lifted them six points clear of the bottom three after a dominant display.
Lyon continue to put pressure on the Ligue 1 leaders thanks to a 2-0 victory at mid-table Sochaux.
Lisandro Lopez and Miralem Pjanic scored the goals which extended Les Gones’ unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions. The win moved Lyon a point behind joint leaders Lille and Rennes, although the former play their game in hand against Valenciennes.
Eric Mouloungui scored the winner to earn Nice a 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers Auxerre and move them seven points clear of the Ligue 1 drop zone.
Mouloungui volleyed home Anthony Mounier’s cross just after the hour mark to leave the visitors, Champions League participants earlier this season, three points above the bottom three.
Auxerre had hoped last weekend’s win over title hopefuls Paris St Germain would prove a turning point in their disappointing season, but instead it looks to have been another false dawn.
A controversial penalty set St Etienne on their way to a 2-0 victory at home to Brest.
Bakary Sako converted the 35th-minute spot-kick, but Brest had reason to feel very hard done by as replays suggested Alejandro Alonso dived to win it. Their anger boiled over, with coach Alex Dupont getting sent to the stands before Dimitri Payet sealed the win late on.
A late goal from Remy Cabella rescued a well-deserved point for basement side Arles in an entertaining 3-3 clash with Lorient.
Having trailed to Camel Meriem’s opener, the visitors hit back with strikes from Morgan Amalfitano, Sigamary Diarra and Kevin Gameiro to take what appeared to be a healthy lead. But Arles belied their league position as Yann Kermorgant reduced the deficit before Cabella equalised 10 minutes from time.
Federico Santander scored the only goal of the game as Toulouse ended their four-game losing run at relegation-threatened Lens.
Santander struck with 15 minutes remaining when he headed home a Fode Mansare cross. It meant Toulouse secured an overdue victory and while they look safe from relegation with a 10-point buffer above the bottom three, Lens’ predicament is more concerning.
Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com
13
Mar
Real Zaragoza 4 – 0 Valencia
Zaragoza crush Valencia
Real Zaragoza turned up the heat on Valencia coach Unai Emery with a thumping 4-0 win.
Valencia president Manuel Llorente backed his boss after the team tumbled out of the Champions League at the hands of Schalke in midweek, but got far from the perfect response at La Romareda.
Goals from Jiri Jarosik and Ander Herrera in the first half and a brace of penalties after the break from Gabi completed a miserable night for Valencia.
And they finished the game with 10 men as Marius Stankevicius was sent off in the 65th minute for a second yellow card he received in conceding the first penalty.
Valencia got off to a nightmare start as they conceded after just four minutes, Jarosik heading Javier Paredes’ free-kick from the right into the roof of the net.
At the other end Zaragoza goalkeeper Toni Doblas fumbled a cross from Jeremy Mathieu but got away with it.
Ikechukwu Uche had a chance to double the hosts’ lead in the 39th minute but his shot from six yards was weak and went wide.
But the Nigerian made up for that miss just a minute later by crossing for Herrera to knock home the second.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors in the 65th minute as Stankevicius brought down Nicolas Bertolo in the area.
The Lithuanian collected his second booking and Gabi stroked home the penalty.
Zaragoza were rampant now and Braulio’s shot was tipped round the post by goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
But he was picking the ball out of his net for a fourth time in the 74th minute, Gabi coolly sending another penalty into the bottom corner after David Albelda had fouled Braulio to put the seal on a comprehensive win.
Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com
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