Daily Archives: April 10, 2014

Bayern’s Mario Mandzukic celebrates after scoring the equaliser against Manchester United. Photograph: Matthias Schrader/AP

The most disappointing part for Manchester United is that, briefly, they had this game under their own control. They ought to be anguished by the speed at which everything unravelled and it will be almost 18 months, or possibly longer, before they get another chance to get it out of their system.

Bayern certainly showed their competitive courage once Patrice Evra had stunned everyone with a cannon of a shot, but there was still the unmistakable sense that United played a considerable part in their own downfall. This was not Bayern at their indomitable best, or even particularly close to it, but David Moyes’s team crumpled in that last half an hour in a way that felt completely out of synch with everything that they had shown before the opening goal.

Bayern equalised in their next attack through Mario Mandzukic’s header and United lost all their defensive poise in those moments, when Thomas Müller gave Pep Guardiola’s side the lead and Arjen Robben eluded Evra and Nemanja Vidic to soothe any lingering nerves among the home crowd. Three goals had arrived in 17 minutes and, for United, it was made even more galling bearing in mind what had happened in the first two-thirds of the match.

It was probably just inevitable there would be long spells when United had to defend in numbers. Even the mosaics here are intimidating. “Kings of the Cup” was the message held up in thousands of pieces of red, purple and white behind one of the goals.

Yet it also quickly became apparent this was not going to be a night when Bayern simply swatted aside the Premier League’s seventh-placed team. Arsène Wenger’s view is that Bayern are not quite as brilliantly accomplished now as when Jupp Heynckes was in charge and, though that was dismissed at the time as sour grapes after Arsenal had been eliminated, maybe there is actually something in that.

Bayern may have won the Bundesliga in record-quick time this season but, for all their strengths, the old sheen of invincibility is not always so obvious these days when put in context with that stunning 7-0 aggregate win over Barcelona in last season’s semi-finals.

At times, they were even bordering on the predictable, feeding the ball to Robben over and again, and relying on his ability to run at defenders, cutting in from the right.

There were plenty of occasions when Robben had his opponents on their heels but it was unusual in those moments to see Guardiola’s team looking a little short of other ideas. Franck Ribéry was strangely subdued in the early parts when Moyes was certainly entitled to be encouraged about the way his players set about the game.

Whatever their problems this season, however many times they have strayed dangerously close to full-on crisis, United have actually put together a distinguished away record.

Their basic structure was good, with two midfielders in deep-lying positions and wingers who were willing to double up as full-backs, and the players in support of Wayne Rooney were quick to join him on the occasions when they did have the ball in promising areas.

Rooney, playing at the spearhead of their attack, was an elusive and difficult opponent for the two centre-halves, Dante and Jérôme Boateng, and they also had the ball in the net in the first half, only for a linesman’s flag to deny Antonio Valencia the opening goal.

Bayern were missing Javi Martínez and Bastian Schweinsteiger among others but, then again, United had a considerable list of their own absentees. Moyes could be seen leaving his dugout at one point of the first half to remonstrate with Darren Fletcher for losing the ball in a dangerous position but that kind of carelessness was kept to a minimum. Or it was until they actually had the temerity to take the lead.

Until that point Vidic had played as though determined to remind everyone that he will be badly missed at Old Trafford next season. Chris Smalling had justified his selection ahead of Rio Ferdinand and, for the most part, Phil Jones had not allowed Ribéry to play with the usual menace.

Ribéry did, however, play a considerable part in the goal. It was his cross, from the left, that picked out Mandzukic and the Croat had a clear height advantage on Evra as he directed his header into the bottom corner.

Evra’s goal was an absolute peach, struck first-time from fully 25 yards and still rising as it flew into the top left-hand corner of Manuel Neuer’s net. Valencia’s cross from the right had eluded everyone. It was an unstoppable finish and, at that stage, the small but boisterous group of away supporters could dare to imagine an improbable victory.

Unfortunately, at this level a team will always be punished for defending with such fragility. Müller got away from Vidic for the second Bayern goal, turning in Robben’s cross from the right, and the Dutchman’s solo run and finish ensured the home side could relax through the final exchanges.

They will go into a third successive semi-final while United are left to wonder when they will renew acquaintances with this competition.

source: theguardina.com

Anthony Mundine is knocked to the ground by Joshua Clottery. Photo: Marina Neil

Anthony Mundine’s world title hopes took a potentially fatal hit and raised questions over his boxing future after he was knocked down five times in a 12 round points loss to Joshua Clottey on Wednesday.

Mundine, the No.3 ranked fighter in the WBA’s International super welterweight division, was felled twice in the sixth and once in the third, eighth and tenth rounds at Newcastle Entertainment Centre.

The three Australian judges scored the Ghanaian the winner by margins of six, eight and nine points.

The Australian showed enormous heart to make it through to the end of probably the most punishing fight of his career.

“I got caught early and I couldn’t recover,” Mundine said.

“Full credit to Joshua, he put me on my back a few times, but I finished the fight.

“I’m not going to think about it (fighting on). Right now I’m going to take some time off.”

Former IBF welterweight champion Clottey dictated the inside exchanges, frequently forcing Mundine back and punishing him on the ropes.

Mundine did his best work when fighting in centre ring and putting some space between Clottey and himself

However the Australian didn’t use his jab as much as expected.

Both men complained to referee Anthony Shipley about the other’s tactics in the first round.

Clottey fell to the canvas near the end of round two after being hit on the back of the head, which caused Shipley to caution the Australian.

He put Mundine down late in the third with a straight right to the top of the head.

Mundine lost his right boot in the fourth when Clottey again scored well at close quarters.

Clottey put his stamp on the fight in the sixth, felling Mundine twice, tagging the Australian with a number of shots.

Mundine fought back gamely in the seventh, enjoying one of his better rounds.

Clottey continued to land blows are the fight dragged on, earning further knockdowns in the eighth and tenth rounds to remove any doubt about the outcome once the bout went the distance.

source: ninemsn.com.au

“I believe that we are potentially permitting acts that have no place in our wonderfully multicultural communities”: Liberal MP Craig Laundy. Photo: Janie Barrett

A Liberal MP has signalled his readiness to cross the floor and vote against the Abbott government if controversial changes to the Racial Discrimination Act proceed in their proposed form.

Craig Laundy, whose electorate of Reid is one of Sydney’s most ethnically diverse, has written to Attorney-General George Brandis to outline his opposition to plans to water down race hate protections.

Mr Laundy has received 3000 individual pieces of correspondence from constituents on the government’s intentions for sections 18C and 18D of the Discrimination Act.

None was in support of Senator Brandis’ ‘‘right to be a bigot’’ reforms, which he insisted were in defence of freedom of speech.

‘‘I believe we are potentially permitting acts that have no place in our wonderfully multicultural communities,’’ Mr Laundy said.

When asked whether he was prepared to become the first member of the Abbott government to cross the floor, he said he would vote with his ‘‘community and country’’ as his priorities.

‘‘I brought my integrity to Parliament and I intend to take it with me when I go,” he said. “We [as politicians] should always seek to add value for our children, not take value away.

‘‘At the right time I will make a decision [on how to vote] based on what is put in front of me.”

Mr Laundy received immediate support from fellow Liberal David Coleman, who held the nearby seat of Banks.

‘‘The Government has released an exposure draft of legislation which attempts to strike the balance between free speech and protection from racial discrimination,” he said.

“In my view, the exposure draft does not achieve this balance, and needs to be amended to provide greater protection against racial discrimination. I will be conveying this view to my colleagues.’’

John Alexander, whose seat of Bennelong had as many people who identified as ‘‘Chinese’’ as ‘‘Australian’’, was another Liberal rattled by the fierce public response to removing elements of the act that made it unlawful to “offend, insult or humiliate’’ someone based on their race or ethnicity.

The proposed law would instead offer protection for ‘‘vilification and intimidation’’, with sweeping exemptions provided in 18D.

Mr Alexander, who last week was reported as having considered pushing a petition around the backbench, met with Senator Brandis to express his opposition.

A spokesman for Victorian Liberal Jason Wood confirmed he was opposed to the changes as drafted. Veteran Liberal Philip Ruddock and Aboriginal MP Ken Wyatt had also expressed concern about the direction of the reforms.

Mr Laundy said his opposition was as personal as it was political after his 14-year-old daughter witnessed her friend being abused in public for wearing an Islamic hijab.

‘‘Over the duration of many discussions that I have had on this issue, not a single person has suggested to me that their right to free speech has been restricted by the act in its current form,” he said.

“Consequently, I do not believe that the case for such far-reaching and potentially damaging changes has yet been made.’’

The Opposition has begun to capitalise on the heat in marginal electorates. On Wednesday, shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus held a town hall meeting in Dandenong, outer Melbourne, with Hugh de Krester of the Human Rights Law Centre. More meetings are planned in Sydney and Brisbane.

Last week, Senator Matt Thistlethwaite held a press conference in Chinese for Chinese-Australian media to stoke concern.

Twenty Chinese community groups have come together to fight Senator Brandis’ proposal.

source: brisbanetimes.com.au