Ferguson hails "fantastic" Rooney after Milan double

AC MILAN 2-3 MAN UTD
Sir Alex Ferguson hailed a "fantastic" performance from two-goal Wayne Rooney after Manchester United overcame an early setback to beat AC Milan 3-2 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday night.
Ronaldinho put the hosts ahead in the opening moments but Paul Scholes grabbed a fortuitous equaliser and two goals from Rooney put United in charge. Clarence Seedorf's late goal pegged Sir Alex Ferguson's side back before Michael Carrick was shown a late red card.

Ferguson admitted United's last trip to San Siro, when they were thrashed 3-0 in the semi-finals in 2007, may have played on their minds following Ronaldinho's early goal.

He told Sky Sports: "There was a catalogue of errors. The start to the game helped them and we started to get nervous - the last time we came here we conceded two early goals. But once we were settled I thought we did okay.''

United were transformed in the second half, and Ferguson knew Rooney would be the key. "The most important thing was better use of the ball and to use Rooney more. I felt he had the beating of them and he was fantastic tonight,'' continued the United boss.

"I thought we were coasting at 3-1 then it was a carnival end to the game. It's made it a game when it shouldn't have been a game. We've got to do a job at Old Trafford now. Let's go out and win it.''

Wayne Rooney hailed Manchester United's quality after they came from behind to beat AC Milan. Rooney said: "It was a disappointing start but after that we did well to get back into it. The second half we stepped it up and we fully deserved to win, we were always the better side. When we went 3-1 up I thought it was only us that looked like scoring. The goal keeps Milan in the tie but 3-2 in the San Siro is a great result.''

Rooney cut a frustrated figure through much of the first half as Milan largely dominated and he hinted it was displeasure with the referee's performance that was riling him.

"Some people were not doing their job right,'' he continued. "But I got the booking and I learned from it.''

The match was David Beckham's first against his former employers, and Rooney had some generous words for his England team-mate. "You can see the quality he's got,'' added the striker. "The experience, set-pieces, he's a great player.''

Beckham insisted he had enjoyed facing the club with which he began his career, despite the result. "It was all right,'' he said. "I enjoyed it. The fans were great to me. It's great to play in front of a full stadium.''

The former England captain admitted Milan's missed chances in the first half had cost them. "We had three really good chances but you have to put those chances away,'' he continued. "The second half the game opened up and they put them away.But it's not over. We'll go to Manchester and it's going to be a tough game, we know that.''

Rooney Double Rocks San Siro

Two second-half goals from in-form Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney installed last season's beaten finalists as favourites to book a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Not even the concession of a third-minute opener for AC Milan, created by David Beckham for Ronaldinho, could derail Sir Alex Ferguson's troops, although they were forced to endure some nervy moments at the end after Clarence Seedorf hauled Milan back into the tie five minutes from time with an audacious flicked finish.

It took a fortunate Paul Scholes effort to bring United level before the break. But after surviving another spell of Milan pressure after half-time, Rooney stamped his class on the contest, scoring his first two European goals of the season to take his overall tally to 25.

In United circles, the summer of 2003 has become famous for Beckham's exit from Old Trafford. Yet about a month after his move toReal Madrid was confirmed, there was an equally significant event involving Ronaldinho.

Ferguson was sure he had signed the Brazilian from Paris St Germain, convinced in his own mind every eventuality had been covered. It was with some annoyance - mostly directed at former chief executive Peter Kenyon - Ferguson learned Ronaldinho had in fact signed for Barcelona.

It took the former world footballer of the year just three minutes to remind Ferguson what he missed, after Beckham had done what everyone knows he can, produce an excellent set piece delivery.

Patrice Evra's acrobatic attempt to clear that one set Ronaldinho up, although Edwin van der Sar had the shot covered before it deflected off Michael Carrick and ended up in the opposite corner.

Milan dominated proceedings in the first period, their passing causing United to twist and turn.

Ronaldinho, Luca Antonini and Klaas Jan Huntelaar twice came agonisingly close to finding Van der Sar's net again. If any had passed the Dutch goalkeeper, Ferguson could not have complained.

As it was, apart from Beckham, the only other United 'Class of 92' graduate on the pitch was about to make a decisive contribution. Scholes has peppered the intervening years with a number of howitzers, goals that will be admired decades from now.

This was not among them. Swinging at Darren Fletcher's low cross from the by-line, Scholes missed the ball completely with his right foot, the ball striking him half way up the shin of his standing left. What could only be described as a freakish deflection not only took it the six yards to Dida's goal, but right in the bottom corner, giving the Brazilian no chance of keeping it out.

Milan's response was admirable, given what a shattering blow that away goal was, Andrea Pirlo forcing a one-handed save out of Van der Sar with a 30-yard free-kick, before the 39-year-old Dutchman required every inch of his massive frame to flick a goalbound Ronaldinho effort round the post.

Yet in that one stroke of good fortune for Scholes, it seemed the destiny of the tie had been shaped and a minute after what turned out to be an inspired substitution, Rooney break his European duck.

Antonio Valencia, who had just replaced Nani, was the provider, sending over a cross from the right that allowed Rooney to steer a header back over Dida into the opposite corner.

Now the age in Milan's legs began to tell, and when Darren Fletcher chipped another cross into the box, Rooney stole between defenders to head home once more.

It seemed victory and progress was assured, so Ferguson will be livid at the Seedorf effort five minutes from time that ensured an uncomfortable ending and gives Milan a flicker of hope for the return in three weeks' time, when Michael Carrick will be unavailable following his dismissal deep into stoppage time.

Marcelo makes Madrid commitment

Brazilian international Marcelo has signed a new three-year contract extension at Real Madrid CF which will keep the defender at the Santiago Bernabéu until June 2015.
Real Madrid CF have received a boost ahead of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie against Olympique Lyonnais with the news that defender Marcelo has signed a three-year contract extension until June 2015.

The Brazilian international moved to the Spanish capital from Fluminese FC in 2007 and has since established himself as a first-team regular, scoring six goals in 76 Liga appearances for Los Merengues. The 21-year-old was also a part of Madrid's championship-winning teams in 2007 and 2008. Manuel Pellegrini's side, who have fallen at the first knockout round every season since 2003/04, travel to Lyon on 16 February before staging the return leg on 10 March.

Benzema struggling for Lyon return

Real Madrid CF striker Karim Benzema faces a race to recover from a groin problem in time to face former club Olympique Lyonnais in the first knockout round.
Karim Benzema has been ruled out for seven days and could therefore miss the first leg of Real Madrid CF's UEFA Champions League first knockout round tie against Olympique Lyonnais.

The 22-year-old, who joined Los Merengues from Lyon in last summer, complained of discomfort in his left leg while training on Tuesday and is expected to be absent for a week with swelling to his groin. The nine-time European champions visit the Stade de Gerland on 16 February, with the return in the Spanish capital on 10 March. Benzema has scored seven league goals in 19 appearances for Madrid, having struck 43 times in 112 games for Les Gones.

Beckham, Mourinho ready for high-profile reunions

High-profile reunions will lead the headlines when the UEFA Champions League resumes as José Mourinho and David Beckham renew acquaintances with Chelsea FC and Manchester United FC.
Two high-profile reunions will dominate the headlines when the UEFA Champions League resumes after its winter break, as David Beckham and José Mourinho renew acquaintances with Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC respectively.

Beckham left Old Trafford for Real Madrid CF in 2003 and, now in his second loan spell at Milan from LA Galaxy, is relishing the opportunity to go back to Manchester – although, with the first leg at San Siro, he will have to wait a little longer. "Emotionally, it is going to be very difficult after seven years," Beckham said. "But I can't wait now. To be back in that stadium will be fantastic." The omens point to a happy return for the midfielder – the sides have met in four previous European Champion Clubs' Cup ties and Milan won them all, most recently the 2006/07 semi-finals.

Mourinho's FC Internazionale Milano side also have home advantage for their first leg against Chelsea – and, having lost in the first knockout round for the last three seasons, will be keen to make it count. Mourinho enjoyed a glittering three-year spell at Stamford Bridge, winning two Premier League titles before leaving in September 2007. The tie also represents a swift return to Milan for one of Mourinho's Chelsea successors Carlo Ancelotti, who had eight years in charge of Inter's city rivals and led them to three UEFA Champions League finals, including the victories of 2003 and 2007.

Real Madrid CF have not survived the first knockout round since 2003/04. To do so this season they must overcome Olympique Lyonnais for the first time, although Karim Benzema should provide plenty of inside knowledge having swapped the Stade de Gerland for the Santiago Bernabéu last summer. FC Porto and Arsenal FC are also familiar foes – their meeting will be their third in four seasons – while FC Bayern München were paired with ACF Fiorentina in the 2008/09 group stage and will be out to deny the in-form Italian team a sixth successive competition victory in the first leg in Bavaria.

FC Barcelona have already inflicted plenty of misery on Christian Gross with a 5-0 win at the VfB Stuttgart's coach's former club FC Basel 1893 last season – although Gross, who can call upon on-loan Barcelona midfielder Aleksandr Hleb, would prefer to remember Basel's 1-1 draw in the Camp Nou return. FC Girondins de Bordeaux will be favourites to overcome Olympiacos FC having dropped only two points in the group stage, while PFC CSKA Moskva take on a Sevilla FC side who saw off FC Lokomotiv Moskva and FC Zenit St. Petersburg en route to the first of their

Abidal KO adds to Barça concerns

Eric Abidal has joined Daniel Alves and Yaya Touré in being ruled out of the holders' UEFA Champions League first knockout round encounter away to VfB Stuttgart in a fortnight's time.
FC Barcelona's injury problems continue to mount with the news that defender Eric Abidal has suffered a groin tear that could sideline him for up to two months.

The setback provides Josep Guardiola with another headache after the coach last week lost Daniel Alves (calf) and Yaya Touré (thigh) for the UEFA Champions League first knockout round encounter away to VfB Stuttgart on 23 February. The 30-year-old Abidal – who last November signed a one-year contract extension until 2012 – suffered the injury in training for the trip to Club Atlético de Madrid on Sunday.

All Whites name best for Mexico test

New Zealand today named their strongest possible squad for their 2010 FIFA World Cup™ warm-up against Mexico in Los Angeles next month, with only two players missing from the team which clinched qualification last year.

Goalkeeper Mark Paston - one of New Zealand's heroes in the 1-0 two-leg qualification victory against Bahrain after saving a penalty - is still recovering from a fractured leg. Defender Ivan Vicelich is serving a one-match suspension and has been replaced by Tommy Smith of English club Brentford, while goalkeeper Glen Moss returns from suspension.

Attacking midfielder Craig Henderson, who recently signed for newly promoted Swedish premier league side Mjallby, has also been brought into the squad. Plymouth Argyle striker Rory Fallon - who scored the winning goal against Bahrain - has been includeddespite a dispute with the club over his availability for the friendly.

"We haven't played for nearly four months now and we could be a little rusty," New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert said. "Mexico won't do us any favours but that gets us back to the reality of what we're going to face in South Africa in June."

New Zealand will play Mexico on 3 March and travel to Europe in late May for further warm-ups against Serbia and Slovenia.

New Zealand squad
Goalkeepers: Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory/Aus), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington)

Defenders: Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers/England), Andrew Boyens (New York Red Bulls/USA), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Brentford/England)

Midfielders: Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Simon Elliott (San Jose Earthquakes/USA), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell/Scotland), Craig Henderson (Mjällby AIF/Sweden)

Forwards: Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United/Australia), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle/England), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough/England), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion/England)

Spain set for Poland friendly

Spain will complete their preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ with a friendly against Poland, the Spanish FA confirmed today.

The European champions will host Poland at an as yet unconfirmed venue in Spain on 8 June before heading to South Africa, where Vicente del Bosque's first group match is against Switzerland on 16 June in Durban.

Spain, who face France in Paris on 3 March, also have two other friendlies planned just prior to leaving for the world finals, both of which have already been confirmed by the RFEF last month.

On 29 May they will play Liechtenstein in Vaduz, and on 3 June Korea Republic will be the opposition in the Austrian city of Innsbruck.

The friendly against Liechtenstein, who Spain will also meet in their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying group, is part of that nation's football federation's centenary celebrations.

Everything on track in SA

The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) tasked to oversee the South African government’s preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup has confirmed that all plans for the spectacle are running smoothly.

“The IMC is satisfied with the preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. All the bricks and mortar are in now in place,” said the chair of the IMC, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.

He said the committee was satisfied with all the reports submitted to them. These included reports on the management and training of protocol officials who will be involved in the management of guests and Heads of States attending the tournament.

“Most significantly, the meeting welcomed the report that allstadiums have been completed on time. This means no spectator will sit on wet cement come June 11 kick off,” said Motlanthe.

A book entitled “My Country “has also been published and will be distributed to communities and schools as part of an education drive to educate people about the country’s national symbols.

The IMC agreed that a mass education campaign is necessary to raise awareness among South Africans on their posture when the national anthem is sung. “Citizens as a sign of respect are expected to stand still at attention when the national anthems are sung.”

The monthly meeting also tasked the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to manage the handling of national flags and national anthems of all participating nations. This is in order to avoid confusion and to prevent the hoisting of wrong flags.

The IMC said the security cluster (which is made up of ministries that include the correctional services and defence) confirmed that the security plan for the FIFA World Cup is complete. All who will be attending the tournament will be safe.

In the transport sector all upgrades at all major airports like OR Tambo, Cape Town and Mangaung have been completed.

The Committee said it noted reports that the OR Tambo Sandton section of the Gautrain will be ready before kick-off.

“This will be a significant development given the ease with which visitors will travel between the airport and various destinations in Johannesburg,” Motlanthe said.

When coming to electricity matters, the IMC said it was encouraging to see that six stadiums have been fitted with fibre optic broadcasting infrastructure while the remaining four stadiums fittings will be completed next month.

Dunga overlooks Ronaldinho

Tuesday 9 February 2010
Ronaldinho's hopes of appearing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ received a sizeable blow today when he was overlooked for Brazil's friendly against Republic Ireland.

The match, which will take place in London on 2 March, will be the five-time world champions' last outing before they travel to the tournament, and the 29-year-old playmaker's omission suggests coach Dunga has been unmoved by his recent return to form with AC Milan.

"You (the press) always want big-name players. But for us there is no such thing as a big name or a small name," said Dunga. "We can't create problems for ourselves."
You (the press) always want big-name players. But for us there is no such thing as a big name or a small name. We can't create problems for ourselves.
Dunga explains why Ronaldinho did not make his latest Brazil squad


However, the Seleção coach refused to close the door on Ronaldinho's chances of making his squad for the 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup.

"Every player has a chance," said the USA 1994-winning captain. "We look at the best options for the squad. This time he (Ronaldinho) didn't make it."

Robinho, who joined former club Santos ona six-month loan deal from Manchester City last month, was included in the squad, while there was a recall for Cruzeiro's Gilberto.

Brazil were drawn alongside Portugal, Côte d'Ivoire and Korea DPR in Group G at South Africa 2010. They will begin their campaign against the North Koreans in Johannesburg on 15 June.


Brazil squad
Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Doni (Roma)

Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Juan (Roma), Lucio (Inter Milan), Luisao (Benfica), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Michel Bastos (Lyon)

Midfielders: Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Lucas (Liverpool), Kaka (Real Madrid), Ramires (Benfica), Elano (Galatasaray), Julio Baptista (Roma), Kleberson (Flamengo)

Forwards: Robinho (Santos), Adriano (Flamengo), Nilmar (Villarreal), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla

Persijap atasi Persiwa

09-02-2010
Jepara - Persijap Jepara tampil luar biasa saat membantai tamunya Persiwa Wamena 4-1 pada laga lanjutan Djarum Indonesia Super League (DISL) 2009/2010 di Stadion Bumi Kartini, Jepara, Selasa (9/2). Empat gol tuan rumah dicetak Noorhadi (7), Pablo Frances (41, 74), dan Doni Siregar (44), sedangkan gol Persiwa dibuat sang kapten Edison Pieter Romaropen (67). Hasil itu membawa Persijap ke peringkat kedelapan klasemen sementara dengan nilai 25.

Bertanding di depan belasan ribu pendukungnya, Persijap tampil kesetanan. Bermain dengan tiga penyerang Pablo Frances, Noorhadi, dan Johan Juansyah, yang didukung barisan pemain gelandang yang terdiri dari Junior, Doni Siregar, Nurul Huda, dan Phaitoon Thiabma, berhasil memporakporandakan barisan belakang Persiwa.

Alhasil, Persijap hanya butuh waktu tujuh menit untuk menjebol gawang Persiwa melalui kecerdikan Noorhadi. Gol itu membuatpara pemain Persiwa terhenyak. Namun upaya tim asuhan pelatih Joko Susilo ini tidak membuahkan hasil. Malah lima menit menjelang jeda, gawang Persiwa yang dikawal Timotius Mote, dua kali kebobolan oleh tendangan Pablo Frances (41) dan Doni Siregar (44). Kedudukan 3-0 bertahan sampai babak pertama berakhir.

Di awal babak kedua, Persiwa mengubah strategi dengan menarik Alan Aronggear, Jeki Yeheskiel dan Yohanes LG Kagaimu dengan memasukkan Alberto Aaron Mamgbrasar, Aulia Tri Hartanto, dan Joko Kuspito. Perubahan itu membawa hasil positif dengan gol Persiwa yang dibuat Pieter Romaropen (67). Namun tujuh menit kemudian, Persijap menambah keunggulan melalui Pablo Frances. Gol itu membuat semangat pemain Persiwa langsung turun.

Di sisi lain, Pelatih Persijap Junaidi memilih main aman. Dengan menarik tiga pemain utamanya Isdiantono, Johan Juansyah, dan Nurul Huda untuk memasukkan Danan Puspito, Achmad Taufiq, dan Yogi Alfian, di sepuluh menit menjelang laga berakhir. Strategi itu berjalan dengan baik sampai wasit Jumadi Effendi meniupkan peluit panjangnya. Pada laga ini wasit hanya mengeluarkan tiga kartu kuning untuk Isdiantono (Persijap) dan Aulia Tri Hartanto dan Christian Desire Kono (Persiwa).

Arema Sang Juara Putaran Pertama Liga Super Indonesia

Arema Indonesia mengokohkan posisi di puncak klasemen putaran pertama kompetisi Liga Super Indonesia 2009-2010 setelah mengandaskan tim tamu PSM Makassar di Stadion Kanjuruhan, Kabupaten Malang, Rabu (27/1). Dalam pertandingan itu Arema menang 3-0 atas PSM Makassar.
Sedangkan pesaing Arema ke puncak, Persiba Balikpapan, kalah 1-2 dari tuan rumah Persema Malang.
Dengan kemenangan itu Arema membukukan poin 36 dari 17 pertandingan (11 kali memang, 3 kali seri, dan 3 kali kalah). Arema memasukan 21 gol dan kemasukan 7 gol.

Singo Edan langsung merangsek pertahanan PSM yang tidak diperkuat beberapa pemain inti. Gebrakan itu membuahkan gol pertama lewat sundulan gelandang Chmelo Roman di menit keempat, dengan memanfaatkan bola tendangan pojok yang ditembakkan Zulkifli dari sektor kiri pertahanan PSM. Unggul 1-0 membuat arek-arek Malang makin garang.

Arema mendapat sejumlah umpan manis tapi gagal menjadi gol. Beruntung terjadi kesalahan pemain belakang PSM yang gagal menghalau bola. Kesempatan ini tak disia-siakan striker Noh Alamshah. Dengan gampang Alamshah mengecoh dan mencetak gol kedua di menit ke-39. Keunggulan 2-0 bertahan sampai babak pertama usai.

Di babak kedua, Arema mengubah strategi. Pelatih Robert Albert mengganti Alamshan dengan pemain muda Dendi Santoso. Juku Eja juga sedikit mengubah pola permainan dan cukup berhasil merepotkan barisan belakang yang digalang kapten Pierre Njanka.

Namun, seperti di babak pertama, Arema tetap mendominasi permainan dengan berusaha meningkatkan tempo permainan meski gerimis turun sepanjang 45 menit babak kedua. Ada sekitar tujuh peluang matang yang gagal diselesaikan dengan baik.

Di menit ke-80 pemain muda Dendi Santoso mencetak gol lewat tendangan silang ke sudut kanan gawang PSM. Tapi wasit M. Safei menganulir gol karena Dendi dinilai dalam posisi off-side lebih dulu. Pemain-pemain Arema memprotes keputusan wasit.

Petaka bagi PSM terjadi di injury time. Muhammad Fakhruddin memperbesar keunggulan Arema menjadi 3-0 di menit ke-90 dengan menembakkan bola silang dari sektor kanan PSM dan bola berhenti di sudut kiri gawang.

Dua menit kemudian wasit meniup peluit tanda pertandingan berakhir dan buyarlah harapan PSM untuk lepas dari zona degradasi putaran pertama. Sedangkan kubu Arema melakukan selebrasi layaknya seorang juara.

Pertandingan itu diciderai buruknya kepemimpinan wasit yang acap lambat membuat keputusan dan tak tegas sehingga kedua kubu tampak sangat kecewa. Kekecewaan yang besar disampaikan Pelatih Arema Robert Alberts dalam jumpa pers.

"Saya sangat kecewa karena permainan yang begitu bagus dari kami dan mereka (PSM) jadi rusak karena kualitas wasit yang buruk," kata Robert.

Robert mencontohkan gol Dendi yang dianulir. Seharusnya wasit jeli dan bisa segera meniup peluit jika benar Dendi dalam posisi off-side, bukan malah membiarkan dan buru-buru meniup peluit setelah melihat hakim garis mengangkat bendera. Robert juga sangat kecewa terhadap beberapa insiden yang harusnya berbuah kartu kuning bagi PSM.

Lepas dari soal kepemimpinan wasit, Robert menilai anak-anak Makassar sudah bermain maksimal dan bagus. Buktinya beberapa kali para pemainnya harus berjibaku untuk berebut bola agar pertahanan aman.

Secara keseluruhan Robert mengaku puas terhadap permainan tim asuhannya dengan memberi catatan para pemainnya kurang sabar dan jelek dalam melakukan penyelesaian akhir.

"Kami puas juga karena mereka disiplin menjalankan instruksi pelatih sehingga dapat melampaui target dua gol," kata Robert.

Kubu PSM juga mengaku sangat tidak puas atas kepemimpinan wasit. "Seperti yang Anda lihat sendiri, kami tak puas dengan keputusan-keputusan wasit," kata Asisten Pelatih PSM Imran Amirullah.

Menurut Imran, salah satu penyebab utama kekalahan PSM adalah absennya beberapa pemain inti, seperti pemain belakang asal Kamerun, Hendry Nyobi, sehingga terpaksa memainkan banyak pemain lapis kedua berusia muda. Namun Imran menegaskan para pemain muda PSM sudah berusaha mati-matian mengimbangi permainan agresif Arema. Terbukti, Syamsul Chaeruddin dan kawan-kawan masih bisa merepotkan lawan dan menciptakan beberapa peluang.

Duet Moriera-Gonzalez Benamkan Persik

09-02-2010
Kediri - Hasil luar biasa diraih Persib Bandung. Bertanding di kandang lawan yang dijubeli ribuan pendukung tuan rumah, Persib berhasil mengalahkan Persik Kediri 3-1 pada laga lanjutan Djarum Indonesia Super League (DISL) 2009/2010 di Stadion Brawijaya, Kediri, Selasa (9/2). Duet striker Hilton Moriera dan Christian Gonzalez menjadi tokoh kunci kemenangan “Maung” Bandung. Hilton mencetak dua gol, sedangkan Gonzalez, yang notabene mantan striker Persik, menyumbang satu gol.

Pertemuan kedua tim yang awalnya berlangsung dibawah hujan dan sambaran petir, berlangsung cukup bagus. Dibawah dukungan ribuan Persikmania yang meluber sampai di sentel ban stadion, Persib justru tampil lebih efektif. Hasilnya, Moriera sukses menjebol gawang Persik yang dikawal Herman Batak (21), melalui sundulan kepala memanfaatkan umpan lambung Gilang Angga.

Keunggulan itu membuat Persib tampil lebih percaya diri. Di sisi lain, para pemain Persik yang bernafsu mencetak balasan, tampil terlalu terburu hingga peluang yang dihasilkan Patricio Morales dan Amarildo Souza gagal menjebol gawang Persib. Pato sebenarnya sempat mencetak gol, tetapi wasit Olehadi menganulir karena Pato offside lebih dulu.

Memasuki babak kedua, sempat terjadi insiden perselisihan antar pelatih kedua tim akibat melubernya suporter Persik. Akibat silang pendapat itu,pertandingan babak kedua sedikit tertunda. Namun, akhirnya pertandingan dilanjutkan setelah mendapatkan jaminan dari pihak kepolisian.

Pada babak kedua, Persik tidak langsung bangkit setelah tertinggal 1-0. Justru, Christian Gonzales mampu membuat unggul 2-0 di menit, setelah memenangkan duel dengan bek Persik. Tertinggal 2-0, membuat Persik tersengat. Tekanan demi tekanan terus dilakukan Saktiawan Sinaga cs.

Tuan rumah sedikit bernapas lega setelah Gilang Angga melakukan hands ball di kotak terlarang. Hadiah penalti yang diberikan oleh wasit mampu dimanfaatkan oleh Amarildo Souza di menit 51.

Hilton Moriera kembali menggetarkan gawang Persik menit ke-80. 1-3 untuk Persib tidak berubah hingga peluit panjang wasit Olehadi berbunyi.

Dengan hasil ini, Persib masih berada di posisi ketiga klasemen sementara dengan mengumpulkan 30 poin dari 18 laga. Persib menyamai torehan poin Persiba Balikpapan di posisi runner up yang baru memainkan 17 laga. Posisi puncak klasemen masih dipegang Arema Indonesia dengan 36 poin dari 17 laga.

"Bayern are in a league of their own"

"It would be great if we could just sit back and relax," said Uli Hoeneß last spring as he began his search for a new manager after the dismissal of Jürgen Klinsmann.


Of course the man finally chosen to lead the Bavarian giants was Louis van Gaal and, despite a difficult opening few games in which Bayern suffered their worst start to a season in forty years, both team and manager now appear to have gelled and are recording one victory after another as the second half of the season progresses.

Sweet revenge

Germany's most successful club are now 14 matches unbeaten in the league and since ex-sporting director Hoeneß became president of the club, there have only been wins for the Munich Reds. The 53-year-old has moved into the stands from the dugout, allowing him to take on more of a supporters role at the weekends.

That was certainly the case on Saturday in Wolfsburg as FC Bayern took sweet revenge on the reigning champions with a 3-1 victory to firmly banish last season's 5-1 humiliation to the history books. Indeed, the match was the complete opposite to last year's corresponding fixture, in which the Wolves' Brazilian striker Grafite scored what was dubbed the 'Goal of the Season' with a delightful solo run and backheel finish.

"Oozing confidence"

Back then, (almost) all of Germany were celebrating the 'Wolves' historic success, but barely a year later and the tables have well and truly turned. "We really wanted to get something from the game so we're really disappointed, but Bayern are in superb form at the moment - they're oozing confidence," said Wolfsburg defender Sascha Riether.

"Bayern are in a league of their own," continued team-mate Marcel Schäfer. Wolfsburg's manager, meanwhile, encouraged his charges to learn from Bayern's example: "The energy, teamwork and coolness in frontof goal are all things we need to work into our game," said Lorenz-Günther Köstner. "We made it too easy for Bayern."

Goals from Arjen Robben (2'), Daniel van Buyten (26') and Franck Ribery (57') ensured a comfortable victory at the Volkswagen Arena, though the Wolves did manage a late consolation goal through Grafite.

Van Gaal: "That was arrogant"

With eight victories in a row, a 3-1 win over the champions, just two goals behind Leverkusen at the top of the table, surely Bayern can afford to give themselves a quick pat on the back?

Not a chance: "We didn't play well. You can't take your foot off the pedal at 2-0 up. We gave away far too many chances and they could easily have been goals. I'm a bit annoyed about that," said van Gaal to sober things up at the Allianz Arena. Harsh words from a man who constantly praised his troops when they were going through a decidedly rough patch at the start of the season: "We were arrogant out there today," added the Dutchman.

Those final words were a step too far for matchwinner Arjen Robben, however: "I think arrogance is a tad over the top, but we did give away too many chances, We're only human though. If we can score three goals in every game then we should be alright," said the 26-year-old on Bayern's recent spate of 23 goals in eight games.

"It's good that he's pointing out the team's flaws"

Upstairs, van Gaal's criticism has been far more well received: "It's good that he's pointing out the team's flaws. You can't make those kind of mistakes in the Champions League," said chairman of the board.

Indeed, van Gaal refuses to allow his charges to get carried away with their own success: "It's important for us to keep focussed. You can ruin months of hard work with one bad game," the 58-year-old tactician told bundesliga.de.

Bayern up the pace in title race

Bayern München wrapped up a 3-1 victory at VfL Wolfsburg to move level on points at the top with Leverkusen after the leaders were held at Bochum. The result also made it eight league wins in a row for the German record champions.


Bayern went on the attack straight from the kick-off and with just a minute on the clock Thomas Müller freed up Mario Gomez, whose low ball in to Ivica Olic in the middle was intercepted by Andrea Barzagli. A minute after that, the guests were in front.

Bastian Schweinsteiger chipped the ball into the path of Müller, who made headway down the left before cutting it back for Arjen Robben to clinically slot home his seventh goal of the season. It was also an uncharacteristically bright start for Bayern, being only the second time they had scored in the opening quarter-hour all season.

VfL pressure play

Wolfsburg were quick to respond, Grafite managing to send Edin Dzeko clear in the sixth minute, only for the Bosnian forward to be flagged up for offside. A minute later, a mistake by Robben forced Bayern keeper Jörg Butt into a hasty clearance with Grafite bearing down.

Two minutes after that Butt blocked an effort from the Brazilian striker when he was clean through inside the box, Dzeko miscuing the rebound altogether as the Wolves really went to work. Their next chance came in the twelfth minute, Christian Gentner playing the ball through to Dzeko, who hit the outside of the net from a tight angle.

On 20 minutes, VfL playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic pulled a good saveout of Butt at the near post from a free kick and two minutes later Dzeko set up Grafite for a backheeled effort which, in stark contrast to the same fixture last season, came to naught.

After that purple period of pressure, the visitors moved upfield themselves and won a couple of corners. The first came to nothing. The second, taken by Robben, found its way to Olic, who nodded it on to the far post, where Daniel van Buyten powered it home from close range.

Bayern take command

On the half-hour mark the guests nearly made it three, Wolfsburg keeper Andre Lenz having to rush out to clear the ball ahead of Gomez, who had been played in by Robben. With their two-goal cushion the guests were visibly more relaxed and Müller, Mark van Bommel and Olic all had long-range efforts saved or blocked before Butt was called into action again on the stroke of half time, pushing away a cross-shot from Grafite.

Olic made way for Franck Ribery in the Bayern forward department for the second half, which got off to an almost identical start to the first, Robben tricking his way past Marcel Schäfer and firing a low shot against the far post. The chances continued to pile up in the visitors' favour, and on 55 minutes Bastian Schweinsteiger let loose from well outside the box, pulling a fine save out of Lenz.

Own-goal seals it

Two minutes on from that, the record champions effectively wrapped up the contest. Robben teed up Müller, whose shot was blocked almost at point-blank range by Lenz. Ribery stabbed at the rebound and Barzagli knocked it over his own line to make it 3-0 for Bayern.

The home side were thrown a lifeline in the 65th minute when Ribery felled Sascha Riether inside the box. Grafite stepped up and aimed the spot kick for the bottom right-hand corner, but Jörg Butt stooped to save and was even able to smother the ball.

To their credit, Wolves did not give up even in the face of mounting evidence that this was not to be their day. Dzeko tested Butt with a long-range effort, while further VfL attacks left them exposed on several occasions to counter-attacks that Bayern could have made more of.

In the final minute of regulation time, Wolfsburg eventually got a consolation goal for the effort they had put in, Grafite making belated amends for his penalty miss by nodding home after van Buyten made a hash of clearing a cross from Dzeko. All-in-all though, Bayern were good value for a good win.

Line-ups

Wolfsburg: Lenz – Riether, Madlung, Barzagli, Schäfer – Josue – Hasebe (Pekarik 61'), Gentner – Misimovic (Kahlenberg 72') – Grafite, Dzeko

Bayern: Butt – Lahm, van Buyten, Demichelis, Badstuber – Robben (Klose 81'), Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, Müller – Gomez, Olic (Ribery 46')

Goals: 0-1 Robben (2'), 0-2 van Buyten (26'), 0-3 (Barzagli o.g., 57'), 1-3 Grafite (90')

Mainz march on

1 .FSV Mainz 05 remained in touching distance of the sides in the European spots after a well-fought 1-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bo Svensson with the only goal just before half-time.


Both sides had been in indifferent form of late, so a win here for both teams was of upmost importance. The visitors from Gladbach started off the better side, and Bobadilla forced Heinz Müller into an excellent reflex save on four minutes after Arango's free kick.

Against the run of play

Arango in particular continued to trouble the home side, who were unable to truly settle down; the Venezuelan came close with a free kick on 34 minutes that just went wide.

On 42 minutes though, against the run of play, Mainz took the lead. From a corner, Malik Fathi had his header flicked onto the crossbar by Gladbach keeper Logan Bailly, before the rebound was snuffed up by Bo Svensson to give Mainz a 1-0 lead, the Dane's first goal of the season, and against his former club.

Reus chance

The start of the second half was a bit scrappy, as both sides seemed desperate not to produce any mistakes. Mainz were especially resolute at the back, and when Gladbach werein advanced positions, the home defence were particularly alert to any possible danger.

The best chance that Borussia had in the second half fell to Marco Reus on 79 minutes; Michael Bradley mishit his shot, the ball falling to Reus in front of Müller's goal, but he was unable to hit the target.

Mainz go on

Mainz held firm and secured another important victory, as they continue to defy all doubters. They now stand 7th in the table, just six points back from the Europa League spots. Borussia Mönchengladbach however, will be looking anxiously over their shoulders; they now find themselves down in 13th, and may have a relegation battle on their hands.

1. FSV Mainz 05: H. Müller- Zabavnik, Svensson, Noveski, Fathi, Karhan, Polanski, Soto, Hoogland (Amri 40' (Bungert 90')), Schürrle (Szalai 69'), Bance
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Bailly- Levels, Brouwers, Dante, Daems, Marx (Herrmann 69'), Bradley, Reus, Arango, Bobadilla (Bäcker 76'), Colautti (Friend 64')
Goals: 1-0 Svensson (42')

Eduardo out of Chelsea match

5 February 2010

LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal striker Eduardo has been ruled out of this weekend's Premier League match against leaders Chelsea, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said Thursday.

The Croatia forward has failed to recover from the hamstring strain he suffered during last week's goalless draw against Aston Villa.

But midfielder Abou Diaby could return from the calf problem that has kept him out of action in recent weeks for Sunday's London derby at Stamford Bridge.

"Diaby is not yet back in normal training," Wenger told ArsenalTV Online.

"He progresses very well but we will still have to wait until Saturday. He is a maybe. Eduardo is already ruled out," the Frenchman added.

"Theo Walcott is back and available so Diaby is the only question mark we have. All the others are longer term injuries."

Wenger confirmed Robin van Persie is not expected to recover from his ankle injury until April at the earliest after a report stated the Dutch striker might be available by mid March.

"For Robin, the rehabilitation is going well but anything before April would be a little bit premature," Wenger explained.

Arsenal are third in the table, six points behind Chelsea.

Rooney January's star

Wayne Rooney stormed the polls for ManUtd.com's January Player of the Month award.

The Reds' no.10 is in the form of his life, scoring seven goals last month, including a fantastic four-goal haul against Hull, a last-gasp Carling Cup semi-final winner against Manchester City, and a scintillating counter-attacking effort at Arsenal.

He's the league's leading scorer with 20 goals (22 in all competitions) and on course to break the 30-goal barrier for the first time in his career. In short, on this form he's unstoppable.

Rooney polled 77 per cent of 22,000 votes in our poll, beating the also-impressive Nani into first place - the Portuguese winger took 18 per cent of the votes.

Reds team-mate Darren Fletcher praised Rooney's recent displays, which have often seen him playing the difficult-to-master lone striker role. But Rooney has excelled in the position, and it's not just fans showing their appreciation.

"He’s been a top player for us," says Fletch. "He's played up front on his own, and it’s difficult because he maybe doesn't get the ball as often as he'd like. But I wouldn’t choose anyone else up there. He does the work of two players."

Benitez believes in Babel

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez believes Ryan Babel can shine at Anfield now the transfer window is closed.

Babel's future at Liverpool was the subject of intense speculation during the January transfer window with Birmingham City having bids rejected for the Dutchman.

Benitez believes Babel's form was affected by the speculation and he now feels the former Ajax man can show his true ability for the rest of the campaign.

"If we play without the speculation surrounding Ryan Babel then I am sure it will be easier for him to focus and for me to play him," said Benitez.

"So I think we will be better in attack and the team will be better."

Benitez also revealed that Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson are not expected to return to action until March at the earliest.

"Glen is still progressing," added Benitez. "It's looking like he will be back in another three or four weeks. When he was first ruled out, it looked like he would be out for two months and it has been a month so far.

"Fernando is progressing too. Hopefully he will be back in the same time, while Yossi [Benayoun] could return in two weeks."

Bayern Munich defender Braafheid joins Celtic on loan

Bayern Munich defender Braafheid joins Celtic on loan

BERLIN, Feb 1 - Bayern Munich defender Edson Braafheid has been loaned to Celtic until the end of the season after failing to clinch a starting spot in his first season in Germany, the Bavarian club said on Monday.

"The five-time Dutch international has been given on loan to Celtic until the end of the season," the club said on their website (www.fcbayern.de).

The 26-year-old joined from Twente Enschede before the start of the season but made only a handful of apperances and none in the league since late October.

Frosty reception for Robben's longjohns

Frosty reception for Robben's longjohns

BERLIN, Feb 4 - Bayern Munich striker Arjen Robben has been in sparkling form since the mid-season break but his longjohns, rather than his nifty footwork, could be under the spotlight for Saturday's visit to champions VfL Wolfsburg.

German media have been speculating whether Robben's grey-coloured underwear -- which the Dutchman has been sporting to protect his muscles from the freezing winter -- conform to Bundesliga rules as the colour differs from the team's red kit.

"The German federation want a single colour," sporting director Christian Nerlinger told the club's website (www.bayern.t-home.de). "We'll either have to dye them or he'll have to find another pair."

Robben, wearing his trademark longjohns, scored two goals as Bayern won the first three games after the mid-winter break to lie two points adrift of leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

"I'm an explosive player who must warm up well," he said. "They are not beautiful but they are functional."

Wolfsburg, beaten 3-0 by Bayern earlier in the season, have failed to win in their last eight Bundesliga outings and occupying 11th spot are now looking more to the relegation zone than the title race.

Their miserable run has also seen them knocked out of the Champions League and cost coach Armin Veh his job.



PERFECT RECORD

Leverkusen, the league's only unbeaten team, travel to struggling VfL Bochum on Saturday and like Bayern attempt to maintain a 100 percent record since the break.

Goalkeeper Rene Adler believes the leaders, who have 44 points from 20 games, are reaping the benefits of staying at home for the break rather than following the lead of their rivals and heading off to sunnier climes.

"We worked hard during the short winter break," he told the league's website (www.bundesliga.de). "We stayed here and got used to the difficult winter conditions.

"You're never going to play attractive football on these pitches but our players have the technical skills to play a decent game even on those surfaces.

"Now we're up against Bochum and it's going to be a tough task because everyone is expecting us to destroy them," said Adler.

The keeper would not be drawn on their chances of winning a first title and finally shedding their unhappy 'Neverkusen' tag.

"I've been at the club for 10 years now and experienced quite a lot," said Adler. "We don't want to get too carried away."

Third-placed Schalke 04 (41 points) can pounce on any slip-ups by the leading pair when they visit relegation-threatened Freiburg on Saturday.

Fabiano lifts Sevilla to Cup win over Getafe

Fabiano lifts Sevilla to Cup win over Getafe

MADRID, Feb 3 - Luis Fabiano's looping header and a Mario Alvarez own goal gave Sevilla a 2-0 win over Getafe in their King's Cup semi-final first-leg on Wednesday.

Getafe, who lost to Sevilla in the 2007 final, started the match brightly at a rain-lashed Sanchez Pizjuan.

Striker Manu del Moral twice went close but was denied first by home goalkeeper Andres Palop and then by a well-timed challenge from Adriano Correia.

The visitors were finding it all too easy to control possession and Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez replaced striker Alvaro Negredo with midfielder Ndri Romaric just after the half hour.

Despite the complaints of the home fans, the change appeared to have the desired effect and Getafe keeper Oscar Ustari had to be at his best to keep out a close-range Fabiano volley in the 41st minute.

The Brazilian striker found the net in first-half added time, nodding over Ustari from Adriano's cross, and sprinted to the bench where he donned a black sombrero in homage to club president Jose Maria del Nido.

A mazy run from winger Jesus Navas led to a second for the home side with 10 minutes left. The Spain international burst into the penalty area and his low centre ricocheted into the net off the hapless Alvarez.

Atletico Madrid host Racing Santander in their last-four first-leg match on Thursday (2100 GMT).

Arsenal title bid faces knockout blow at Chelsea

Arsenal title bid faces knockout blow at Chelsea

LONDON, Feb 4- Arsene Wenger knows Arsenal's hopes of staying in this season's Premier League title race will be as good as over if they lose at leaders Chelsea on Sunday.

Much was made of his side's crushing 3-1 home defeat by Manchester United last week being the first English match screened in 3D but Wenger needs no special glasses to see the confidence draining out of his side.

Arsenal's season appeared to be coming to the boil when they went top of the table in January but a miserable 11-day period in which they lost in the FA Cup at Stoke City, drew 0-0 at Aston Villa and were then outclassed by champions United has seen it blow up in their faces.

Hull City did United and Arsenal a huge favour on Tuesday by holding Chelsea to a 1-1 draw. Chelsea are still two points ahead of United, however, and six clear of third-placed Arsenal and Carlo Ancelotti will know that victory at Stamford Bridge will virtually knock Arsenal out of the equation.

Arsenal have won plaudits for some of their football this season and have already scored 60 league goals but against United and Chelsea they have been second best.

To their credit, they responded to a 3-0 home defeat by Chelsea in November with a hot streak that propelled them back to the top, albeit briefly, but they look fragile now and ill-equipped to win the club's first silverware for five years.

Wenger normally shields his players from criticism but even he looked at a loss to explain Sunday's setback at home to United -- questioning his players mental strength.

"We were naive," Wenger said. "We never had any cohesion, offensively or defensively. We were completely not at our level. Why? I believe there are some mental reasons in there."

Wenger was inactive in the transfer market and fans will again be questioning the manager's instincts, especially with main striker Robin van Persie out for the season and Eduardo's fitness unreliable.

Easy on the eye they may be, but Arsenal cannot boast serial winners like Chelsea's Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba or the likes of Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs at United.

Chelsea scraped a win at Burnley and were disappointing at Hull in midweek, where the furore surrounding captain John Terry again overshadowed the match, but Ancelotti knows his side remain in pole position and clearly regards United as their serious rivals for the championship.

"I think we are in a good position now, we are in the top, we know very well Manchester is a fantastic opponent, it will be a long race until the end of the season," he said.

"We need all the players in good condition and involved until the end of the season. Now every game is very important and every game can decide the future of the season."

Under Ferguson United have always had a habit of hitting top form at the perfect stage of the season and their League Cup semi-final defeat of Manchester City followed by a top drawer display at Arsenal looks ominous.

United host bottom club Portsmouth on Saturday knowing victory will put them top before Chelsea face Arsenal.

"We just want to keep winning, to put Chelsea under pressure," United's South Korean midfielder Park ji-Sung, who scored against Arsenal, told the club's website (www.manutd.com).

"There's still a long time to go in the league, three months, so we just have to concentrate on our own performances. We can deal with the pressure. We'll see whether they can."

Underneath the title race, the battle for fourth spot continues with Tottenham Hotspur, who are still clinging on to it despite throwing away points with abandon, at home to one of their main rivals Aston Villa.

Manchester City, who are just a point behind Spurs with two games in hand, travel to Hull City while fifth-placed Liverpool aim to continue an encouraging league run in the Merseyside derby against rapidly improving Everton.

Milan owner Berlusconi slams club for signing Mancini

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi lambasted his own club and chief executive Adriano Galliani on Tuesday for signing Inter Milan winger Mancini on loan.

The Brazilian, who has barely played for bitter city rivals Inter in the last two seasons after a dip in form, joined Milan on Monday on the last day of the January transfer window.

"I really don't understand it," the Italian prime minister told Jerusalem's Italian community, sources at the meeting said.

"He is another creative player when we need someone who can finish off moves. He's not played for two years. I don't agree with getting him and I've told Galliani."

Berlusconi rarely clashes publically with trusted lieutenant Galliani, who has run Milan on his behalf for over 20 years, but often comments on the Serie A club's formations and fortunes.

Mourinho wants improvement ahead of Chelsea tie

MILAN, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Inter Milan must improve on recent performances to have any chance of beating Chelsea in the Champions League last 16, coach Jose Mourinho said.

Argentina striker Diego Milito gave the Serie A leaders a 1-0 advantage in their Italian Cup semi-final first leg against Fiorentina at the San Siro on Wednesday.

However, the perfectionist coach said they would have to buck up their ideas with the Champions League first knockout round first leg at home to the London club looming on Feb. 24.

"Yes we can beat Chelsea. Yes we can but not like this no," Mourinho told Reuters having again clashed with temperamental forward Mario Balotelli during the Fiorentina game.

"There have been too many passes gone astray, not enough clarity in our play. It hasn't pleased me that we haven't had continuity in our performance."

Inter's league game at Parma last weekend was postponed because of snow and in their previous match at home to Juventus in the Italian Cup quarter-final, Mourinho's side had to come from behind to prevail 2-1 with a last-minute Balotelli strike.

Despite inconsistencies in their displays, Inter keep on winning and are eight points clear in Serie A as they seek a fifth straight scudetto.



BIG TARGET

The leaders entertain Cagliari on Sunday but the Champions League remains the big target and after losing to Manchester United this time last year, Mourinho comes face to face with beloved former club Chelsea.

Experiencing a first-leg encounter in the Italian Cup is good preparation for the European clash even if the second leg against Fiorentina does not take place until April 14.

"It was good enough. We could play better but 1-0 is always a positive result when you play in two legs. It's a pity we have to wait two and a half months to play the second leg," added the Portuguese coach.

"But in a semi-final I believe 1-0 is a good enough result to give us good hope and a good chance to be in the final."

Mourinho, who was close to Chelsea skipper John Terry while winning the 2005 and 2006 Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge, opted not to answer a question about recent allegations over the England captain's private life.

Fans set for up close and personal 3-D experience

LONDON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Soccer fans could soon get closer than ever to the action without even leaving their chairs as 3-D TV gets set to revolutionise sports events this year.

Sky and Disney's ESPN will both launch 3D networks in the coming months, with ESPN airing a minimum of 85 sporting events, including 25 World Cup finals matches from South Africa.

Sky will get the ball rolling on Sunday by filming the English Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United in 3-D and broadcasting it to selected pubs across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

It will be the first live 3-D TV sports event broadcast to a public audience anywhere, according to the company part-owned by News International.

Sky 3D will be launched in April before it is later made available to all Sky+HD customers for a wider range of content including documentaries and movies.

Gerry O'Sullivan, Sky's Director of Strategic Product Development, said in a statement: "2010 is the year for 3D TV.

"People have already embraced 3D cinema and because Sky's 3D service uses the same kind of technology, we're confident there will be demand for sport, movies, concerts and drama in 3D."

The move into 3-D broadcasting follows hotly on the success of James Cameron's 3-D movie Avatar, which this week became the highest-grossing movie worldwide partly due to 3-D engagements.

The sci-fi film had racked up a box office total of $1.859 billion on Tuesday.

ESPN will roll out its 3-D network in June beginning with the World Cup soccer match between hosts South Africa and Mexico in Johannesburg.

Seperately, Discovery Communications Inc. said it had joined ranks with Sony Corp and IMAX Corp to launch a dedicated 3-D network in the United States beginning in 2011.

The network will feature history, space, adventure shows and children's programmes and reflects a strong trend in the entertainment industry to harness 3-D in the home.

Seedorf and Capello are Rooney's biggest fears

ROME, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Wayne Rooney fears AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf the most among Manchester United's Champions League last 16 opponents, with the striker adding that England manager Fabio Capello also scared him.

The forward said he was well aware of the threat Seedorf posed after the Dutchman helped Milan knock United out of the competition in the 2004-05 and 2006-07 campaigns.

"Seedorf (is the Milan player I fear most). He's probably the best player I've ever played against," Rooney told Tuesday's La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Rarely have I seen a player do what he does on the field. You can't leave him out."

Rooney added that he was looking forward to taking on his England team mate David Beckham on the former United player's return to Old Trafford.

"David is a champion and he represents United's history," he said. "I hope he gets a great welcome. It'll be exciting to play against him."

He also echoed Beckham's comments that Capello's stern approach was a big part of his success, after England easily qualified for this year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

"He scares us, like a strict father," Rooney said. "He's made us more of a team. He's worked above all on the tactics. Now we change them for every match."

Champions League final tops Super Bowl in TV survey

MIAMI, Jan 31 (Reuters) - UEFA's Champions League final has for the first time replaced the NFL's Super Bowl as the most-watched annual sports event, according to a survey.

The yearly report from London-based Initiative Futures Sports and Entertainment, found that both events continue to grow but the European soccer final is growing faster.

With 2009 not including a 'mega event' -- a Summer Olympic Games or a soccer World Cup or European championship -- it offered a chance to measure the two biggest annual sporting events.

The Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United, on May 27, drew an average audience of 109 million while the Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals on February 1, attracted three million less.

In terms of 'total audience', the amount of people who watched part of the event, the difference was larger with the Champions League pulling in 206 million throughout the game while the Super Bowl managed 162 million.

While the Super Bowl's audience was overwhelmingly domestic, UEFA's product appeared to be doing better in the battle for viewers globally -- in non-World Cup and non-Olympic Games year.

"The Champions League has been better able to exploit the large burgeoning populations of the Asia-Pacific region," said Kevin Alavay, the report's director, who noted the presence of global brands such as Barcelona and Manchester United helped UEFA.

However, the good news for the NFL was that the 2009 figures were the most-watched Super Bowl.

The report also showed the Super Bowl had the lowest ratio between average and total audience figures among top events -- in other words, a much larger percentage of fans watched all of the Super Bowl than all of the Champions League programming -- a key factor behind the American event's huge appeal to advertisers.

But European soccer was clearly outpacing the NFL in the key growth markets.

"While the Super Bowl has secured free-to-air broadcasting deals in a number of important European markets such as the UK, France and Germany, it's distribution and popularity in the key Asia-Pacific region lags far behind the UEFA Champions League," said the report.

The report, in its seventh year, is based on official data from national bodies and measures 'at-home viewing'.

Alavay said the continued growth of the Super Bowl and the Champions League final was particularly impressive in a time of fragmentation in television audiences caused by digitalisation.

"The value of these properties is actually growing disproportionately and in an area of digitalisation they are more than bucking the trend," he said.

Formula One's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was in third place with an average of 54 million, while the men's 100 metres final from the Athletics world championships was fourth with 33 million.

Dutch leaders PSV held by Vitesse Arnhem

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Dutch leaders PSV Eindhoven were held to a 0-0 draw at Vitesse Arnhem on Sunday as Twente Enschede joined them at the top after a 2-0 home win over Roda JC Kerkrade.

PSV stay top on goal difference from Twente. Both have 52 points after 20 matches. Third-placed Ajax have 43 points after a 1-1 draw away at fierce rivals Feyenoord who are fourth on 39 points.

Kenneth Perez broke the deadlock for Twente in the 71st minute and Costa Rican Bryan Ruiz sealed victory a minute later with his 14th of the season.

Ajax went ahead against Feyenoord through Marko Pantelic after 25 minutes after good work from Demy de Zeeuw and Dennis Rommedahl.

Georginio Wijnaldum earned a deserved point for the home side midway through the second half after a defensive blunder from Urby Emanuelson.

Four-goal Suarez fires Ajax to 4-0 win over Roda

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Ajax Amsterdam striker Luis Suarez scored four second-half goals, including two penalties, in his side's 4-0 demolition of Roda JC Kerkrade in the Dutch league on Wednesday.

The Dutch championship's leading scorer took his league tally for the season to 22 as Ajax consolidated third place on 46 points.

Leaders PSV Eindhoven and Twente Enchede stayed level on 55 points after PSV beat Utrecht 2-1 and Twente overcame fifth-placed Heracles Almelo 2-0.

Ola Toivonen put PSV ahead after seven minutes when he netted from a cross from Balazs Dzsudzsak but Sander Keller replied with a header before the break.

Orlando Engelaar restored the lead for PSV on the hour with a long-range drive.

Costa Rican Bryan Ruiz opened the scoring for Twente against neighbours Heracles with a tight-angled shot minutes before the interval and Blaise Nkufo sealed victory midway through the second half.

Peringkat Indonesia Turun ke-136 FIFA

Peringkat Indonesia turun 16 tempat (minus 51 poin) dan harus puas bertengger di urutan ke-136 dalam peringkat dunia FIFA.

Situs resmi FIFA, Rabu (3/2) menyebutkan Indonesia dijepit negara Bermuda yang berada di posisi 135 dan Hong Kong yang menempati urutan 137.

Sementara Singapura lebih baik di urutan ke-120, sedang Thailand naik tujuh tempat ke urutan 98. Negara Asia lainnya Jepang di urutan ke-40 dan Korsel di posisi ke-49.

Sementara itu Mesir, yang baru saja menjadi juara Afrika, merupakan tim yang mengalami lonjakan paling besar dalam peringkat dunia FIFA, yakni melonjak 14 tempat untuk menduduki posisi ke-10 setelah meraih juara Piala Afrika tiga kali beruntun.

Liga Super Indonesia Tuntaskan Putaran Pertama

JAKARTA--MI: Kompetisi Liga Super Indonesia (LSI) 2009/2010 telah menempuh separuh jalan. Partai Persija Jakarta melawan Persela Lamongan di Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno (SUGBK), Senayan, Rabu (3/2), menjadi laga pamungkas putaran pertama.

Arema Indonesia menjadi juara paruh musim dengan nilai 36 hasil 11 kemenangan, 3 kali seri, dan 3 kali kalah. Kepastian ini diperoleh saat menaklukkan PSM Makassar 3-0 di Stadion Kanjuruhan, Malang, Rabu (27/1) lalu. Arema memimpin klasemen dengan selisih enam poin atas urutan kedua Persiba Balikpapan. Tempat ketiga dihuni Persib dengan 27 poin atau selisih sembilan poin atas 'Singo Edan'.

Adapun Persija Jakarta harus puas duduk di urutan keempat meski mengantungi nilai yang sama dengan Persib. Pasalnya, 'Macan Kemayoran' kalah dalam produktifitas gol. Satu tempat di papan atas klasemen dihuni juara bertahan Persipura Jayapura. Persipura terpaut satu poin dengan Persija atau nilai 26.

Sementara itu, Pelita Jaya Karawang menjadi juru kunci karena baru mengemas 13 poin. Pada laga terakhir, tim besutan Fandi Ahmad itu dibekuk PSPS Pekanbaru 2-1 di Stadion Rumbai, Minggu (31/1).

Saudara muda Persija, Persitara Jakarta Utara, juga menghuni zona merah karena hanya mampu mengemas nilai 15. Nasib PSM Makassar tidak jauh beda dengan Pelita Jaya dan Persitara, yakni sama-sama menempati zona degradasi. Tim berjuluk 'Juku Eka' ini membukukan 17 poin.

Satu tempat zona play off dihuni Bontang FC dengan nilai 18. Tim yang menghuni zona ini akan bertanding dengan urutan keempat Divisi Utama 2009/2010 pada akhir musim. Tujuannya adalah untuk memperebutkan tiket kembali berlaga di LSI.

Berikut adalah sembilan tim papan tengah LSI secara berturut-turut, Persema (26), Persiwa (25), PSPS (25), Sriwijaya FC (25), Persela (24), Persebaya (22), Persik (22), Persijap (22), dan Persisam (19).

Persitara Incar Mantan Gelandang Manchester City

Jakarta - Persitara Jakarta Utara tengah berupaya membangun kekuatan agar mampu tampil lebih kompetetif di putaran kedua Djarum Indonesia Super League (DISL) 2009/2010. Selain melakukan seleksi, “Laskar Si Pitung” juga tengah menunggu kedatangan mantan gelandang Manchester City, yang juga jebolan akademi sepakbola Manchester United (MU).

“Dia pemain yang berasal dari akademi MU pada 1992-2001. Dia juga pernah membela Manchester City 2002-2004. Tapi namanya masih rahasia. Tunggu saja kalau dia sudah benar-benar bergabung dengan kami,” jelas Manajer Persitara Hary “Gendhar” Ruswanto di Jakarta, Rabu (3/2).

Gendhar mengungkapkan bahwa pemain itu berusia 31 tahun dan berposisi sebagai gelandang serang. Menurut Gendar, gelandang yang dirahasiakan namanya itu sangat tertarik bermain di DISL.

“Pastinya dia sangat tertarik bermain di Indonesia. Katanya, dia ingin merasakan ketatnya atmosfer DISL,” imbuh Gendhar.
Gendhar menambahkan, untuk merekrut pemain tersebut, Persitara harus menggelontorkan uang sebesar Rp700 juta. Rencananya, mantan pemain Manchester City itu akan menjalani seleksi pada Rabu (3/2) sore.

“Kami tidak ingin beli kucing dalam karung. Kami sudah melihat videonya. Kalau tidak hujan sore ini, kami bisa lihat kemampuannya,” ungkapnya.

Untuk pemain lokal, Gendhar mengatakan telah mendapatkan mantan bek Persijap Jepara, Eko Prasetyo. “Kami telah mendapatkan Eko dan kami mengontraknya selama setengah musim,” tandasnya.

World Cup 2010: Luca Toni Is Against Amauri Playing For Italy

The Roma strike is against Amauri's possible Italy inclusion...

Luca Toni has opposed the idea of Amauri playing for Italy, saying the Brazilian doesn't deserve a call for the World Cup from Marcello Lippi.

Toni said the Juventus striker is treating La Nazionale like a spare wheel in case his chances with Brazil deflate.

"If Amauri chooses Italy then it's because Brazil will not have called him up," Toni told Il Messaggero.

"It's not right that he will be the centre forward for the national team."

He hopes to get there ahead of others as a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Toni had a chance of inclusion as an alternative to Alberto Gilardino.

"I will give it my all to be there even though I know that there are very good strikers playing in other teams around Italy who will be challenging," he added.

There have been calls for Amauri to play for Italy, but that is unlikely to happen unless he resolves questions linked to his full Italian citizenship.

World Cup 2010: Italy Coach Marcello Lippi Picks 16 Certainties For South Africa - Report

Lippi has picked the first 16 of his eventual 23-man Azzurri World Cup squad...

Marcello Lippi has chosen the first 16 of his final 23-man squad for the World Cup.

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims 16 to 17 players who will be certainties for Italy have been chosen, with the rest having just four months to make it into the squad.

The three goalkeepers are Gianluigi Buffon, Federico Marchetti and Morgan De Sanctis.

In defence, the certainties are believed to be Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Grosso, Fabio Cannavaro, Giorgio Chiellini, Nicola Legrottaglie and Domenico Criscito. Salvatore Bocchetti, Alessandro Gamberini and Leonardo Bonucci will also be fighting for a call-up. Davide Santon is an outsider, while there are no guarantees of an Alessandro Nesta return.

The midfielders who will go to South Africa are Daniele De Rossi, Mauro Camoranesi, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio and Gennaro Gattuso, so long as the Milan man can prove his fitness. Riccardo Montolivo and Simone Perrotta will face a tough test to earn the final midfield place.

Vincenzo Iaquinta and Alberto Gilardino pick themselves in the forward line, with Luca Toni being an alternative to the Fiorentina man over Giampaolo Pazzini and Marco Borriello. Francesco Totti is also expected to play, but this has not been confirmed.

Giuseppe Rossi, Fabio Quagliarella, Antonio Di Natale and Simone Pepe will all fight each other for the final shirt.

As for Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano, they will be waiting for a future call-up in hope more than expectation.

Uruguay’s goalkeeping quandary

Uruguay’s progress to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ was far from smooth. One of the biggest problems coach Oscar Tabarez faced along the way was finding a goalkeeper he could rely on, with four men appearing between the Celeste sticks during the campaign. FIFA.com looks at the contribution each of them made to the side's qualification, and assesses their chances of being first-choice at the world finals.

Castillo usurps Carini
It was no surprise that Tabarez entrusted Fabian Carini with goalkeeping duties at the start of qualifying in October 2007. After all, the 28-year-old was the owner of over 60 caps in total, and had appeared at Korea/Japan 2002, in the Germany 2006 preliminaries and in two Copa Americas.

The only problem was that Carini was not a starter for Inter Milan, a situation he tried to remedy by moving to Spanish side Murcia, where he also failed to hold down a first-team place. His lack of match action perhaps impacted on his performances for his country, with Uruguay winning only one of their first five games, the opener against Bolivia, before drawing two and losing two, conceding six goals in the process.

Following the 1-1 draw against Brazil in June 2008, Carini lost his place to his understudy Juan Castillo. Occupying a place on the bench for the next five matches, all the indications were that he would be restored to the starting XI after Castillo picked up an injury that October. Yet, although Tabarez included him for the November friendly against France, he was out of the picture for the March 2009 game against Paraguay.

“He hasn’t played enough,” explained the coach at the time. “I think you can put it down to his circumstances.” Tabarez has never selected him since.

Having decided to make a change between the posts, it was entirely logical that Tabarez should turn to Castillo first of all, especially as he had given the Botafogo shot-stopper his international debut two years earlier. Known in the game as Muralla (The Wall), Castillo played in the next five matches, keeping a clean sheet in three of them and conceding four goals in all. Of those five outings, Uruguay won two, drew two and lost one, against Argentina in Buenos Aires.

After helping his side defeat Colombia in Bogota, Castillo drew praise from none other than Ubaldo Fillol, who kept goal for Argentina when they won the FIFA World Cup on home soil in 1978. “He has an unconventional style,” said Fillol. “He’s not your typical steady keeper. He likes to take risks and get involved and he’s not afraid to do things differently.”

Yet, just as Castillo was cementing his place in the side, and only a fortnight after the match with Bolivia in October 2008, he tore cruciate ligaments in his right knee while on club duty.

Chelsea Membuang Peluang

Chelsea membuang kesempatan untuk melebarkan jarak dengan Manchester United di dua besar Liga Premier setelah hanya bermain 1-1 dengan Hull City di laga tunda, Selasa (2/2).

Donasi satu poin membuat Chelsea hanya mengoleksi 55 poin di puncak klasemen dan unggul dua angka dari MU di posisi kedua. Alhasil, persaingan menuju juara akan semakin sengit karena Chelsea akan menghadapi Arsenal akhir pekan ini dengan perbedaan enam poin.

Tampil di KC Stadium, Chelsea sudah mendapat "teror" sejak menit awal. Suporter Hull dengan kompak mencerca kapten tim tamu John Terry lantaran skandal perselingkuhan.

The Blues pun tertinggal lebih dulu setelah Terry diperdaya oleh Steven Mouyokolo pada menit ke-30 dengan tandukan kepalanya menyambut sepak pojok Stephen Hunt.

Ketinggalan satu gol, pasukan Carlo Ancelotti seperti tersengat. Serangan frontal dilakukan tanpa henti dengan mengandalkan ujung tombak Didier Drogba yang memainkan partai pertamanya sejak absen sebulan untuk mengikuti Piala Afrika 2010 bersama Pantai Gading.

Drogba pula yang akhirnya mencetak gol balasan 1-1 sekaligus gol ke-20 di musim ini sesaat menjelang jeda dengan tendangan bebas.

Chelsea sepatutnya bisa mencetak gol kemenangan di akhir laga apabila sontekan Daniel Sturridge tidak diselamatkan kiper Boaz Myhill.

Bagi Hull, hasil imbang juga merugikan karena mereka masih berada di zona degradasi. Namun skuad Phil Brown memiliki nilai 21 seperti halnya tiga tim di atasnya.