Daily Archives: June 17, 2015

Χωρίς νίκη σε ακόμη ένα παιχνίδι έμεινε η Ελλάδα, έστω φιλικό, καθώς αναδείχθηκε ισόπαλη 0-0 της Πολωνίας στο Γκντανσκ συμπληρώνοντας έτσι ακριβώς 358 ημέρες από την ημέρα που οι διεθνείς πανηγύρισαν για τελευταία φορά.

Συγκεκριμένα, ήταν στις 24 Ιουνίου 2014 όταν η Εθνική νίκησε με 2-1 την Ακτή Ελεφαντοστού και προκρίθηκε στη φάση των «16» στο Μουντιάλ της Βραζιλίας. Έκτοτε το αντιπροσωπευτικό συγκρότημα μετρά έξι ήττες (αν συνυπολογιστεί ο αποκλεισμός από την Κόστα Ρίκα στα πέναλτι) και τρεις ισοπαλίες, στις αναμετρήσεις για την προκριματική φάση του Euro 2016 και τους φιλικούς αγώνες απόψε και με τη Σερβία, στην Κρήτη.

Η ελληνική ομάδα στάθηκε αξιοπρεπώς και κόντραρε ένα συγκρότημα που έχει πολύ καλή πορεία στα προκριματικά του Ευρωπαϊκού Πρωταθλήματος, όμως για άλλο ένα παιχνίδι έμεινε μακριά από τις πολλές ευκαιρίες και το γκολ. Η Εθνική «ζωήρεψε» μετά το πρώτο δεκάλεπτο, όταν άρχισε να βρίσκει τα πατήματά της στον αγωνιστικό χώρο και στο 13΄ είχε την πρώτη καλή στιγμή της, όταν στη σέντρα του Βύντρα ο Καρέλης μόλις και δεν πρόλαβε να πιάσει την κεφαλιά από καλή θέση.

Τρία λεπτά αργότερα ο Κατσουράνης υποχρέωσε τον Μπόρουτς σε δύσκολη απόκρουση, για να απαντήσουν οι γηπεδούχοι στην επόμενη επίθεση με τον Γκροσίτσκι, το κοντινό σουτ του οποίου βρήκε σε πλήρη ετοιμότητα τον Καπίνο, με τον Έλληνα τερματοφύλακα να κάνει σπουδαία απόκρουση με το ένα χέρι στο 26΄, στο πλασέ του Μπλαστσικόφσκι.

Οι Πολωνοί είχαν αρχίσει να πιέζουν αλλά ο Μόρας κρατούσε καλά και «καθάριζε» τις ψηλές μπαλιές. Το ημίχρονο ολοκληρώθηκε με δύο καλές φάσεις, μία για κάθε ομάδα, καθώς στο 36΄ και σε γύρισμα του Φούντα το σουτ του Καρέλη κόντραρε, ενώ στο 40΄ η κεφαλιά του Μίλικ βρήκε στο δοκάρι και απομακρύνθηκε πάνω στη γραμμή.

Στο δεύτερο ημίχρονο ο ρυθμός έπεσε, λόγω και των πολλών αλλαγών. Η Εθνική κράτησε και κυκλοφόρησε σωστά την μπάλα, χωρίς πάντως να απειλήσει αλλά και να απειληθεί. Μοιραία οι φάσεις έλειψαν ως το 72ο λεπτό, όταν ένα σουτ του Φούντα έφυγε άουτ, ενώ στο 75΄ ο σταθερός Καπίνο απέκρουσε το σουτ του Μίλικ, που προήλθε από λάθος του Κατσουράνη.

Στα απρόοπτα της αναμέτρησης θα πρέπει να σημειωθεί ο τραυματισμός και η αποχώρηση του Ελβετού διαιτητή Αλάιν Μπιέρι στο 29ο λεπτό, με τον «ντόπιο» Μάρτσιν Μπόρσκι να τον αντικαθιστά και να δείχνει κίτρινη κάρτα στον Σταφυλίδη στο 89΄.

ΠΟΛΩΝΙΑ (Άνταμ Ναβάλκα): Μπόρουτς (46΄ Σέζνι),Τσιόνεκ, Γκλικ, Πάζνταν, Κομορόφσκι (60΄ Πέτσκο), Μπόρουσιουκ, Λινάτι, Ζιελίνσκι (60΄ Μίλα), Γκροσίτσκι, Μπλαστσικόφσκι (60΄ Ματσίνσκι), Μίλικ (78΄ Ρίμπους).

ΕΛΛΑΔΑ (Σέρχιο Μαρκαριάν): Καπίνο (90΄+ Βελλίδης), Σταφυλίδης, Παπασταθόπουλος (46΄ Ταυλαρίδης), Μόρας, Βύντρα, Κατσουράνης (90΄+ Σάμαρης), Τζιόλης, Ταχτσίδης, Φούντας (77΄ Κολοβός), Νίνης (70΄ Φετφατζίδης), Καρέλης (60΄ Μήτρογλου)

Πηγή:in.gr

Grass guy: Thanasi Kokkinakis plays a backhand in his men’s singles first round match against Jeremy Chardy. Photo: Julian Finney

LONDON: Thanasi Kokkinakis has saved Australia’s blushes with a stirring win at Queen’s Club after fellow rising stars Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic suffered swift first-round defeats in a worrying Wimbledon preview.

Kokkinakis, who completed a round trip to Australia over the weekend to visit his sick grandmother and arrived in London roughly 24 hours before his match, showed no signs of jetlag as he finished the stronger to beat Jeremy Chardy 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-4 on Tuesday.

After jumping out of the blocks to take a 3-0 lead in the first set, the 19-year-old’s first-set hopes faded as his forehand began to falter and he became increasingly frustrated before losing in a tiebreak.

However, displaying the qualities that have many believing him to be the best of Australia’s next generation, Kokkinakis fought back to rip through the second set with back-to-back breaks of the experienced Frenchman.

Taking advantage of Chardy’s sloppy serving claimed an early break in the third and successfully held his nerve to serve out the victory, winning on his second match point in just over two hours.

He faces seventh seed Gilles Simon of France on Wednesday (Thursday evening AEST) for a spot in the quarter-finals.

“It’s going to be a tough match, he’s a great player, former top ten and he’s around the mark now,” Kokkinakis said.

“I’m just going to play aggressive and play my game and hopefully I can dictate and do well.”

Kyrgios displayed the best and worst of his game in going down 6-3 6-4 to world No.4 and French Open champion Stan Wawrinka at Queen’s, mixing brilliant passing shots with overly ambitious between the legs and drop shots.

The news was no better for Australia’s top-ranked male, with world No.24 Tomic losing 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to American Steve Johnson on grass at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany.

Kyrgios admitted to feeling below par both physically and mentally just less than two weeks out from Wimbledon, but maintained he would be able to lift his game for the tournament, where he rose to prominence last year with a stunning upset of Rafael Nadal.

“I feel confident still,” he said.

“I know that I could do some good things there, and I know that I don’t necessarily need too many matches before grand slams.

“I just need to chill out for a couple of days, I guess. I’m pretty tired.”

The 20-year-old has shown his willingness to attack the biggest names in tennis with wins over his childhood hero, Roger Federer, and Nadal in the past 12 months.

Against the in-form Wawrinka, he fell flat.

Wawrinka, who last week dismantled world No.1 Novak Djokovic in the final at Roland Garros, was barely required to get out of first gear.

“He hit the ball massive, (he was) free swinging out there,” Kyrgios said.

In Germany, seventh-seeded Tomic, who has risen to No.24 in the world after a consistent first half of the season, was favoured to oust the American ranked 29 spots below him.

But despite reaching the quarter-finals in Stuttgart last week, where he was beaten by eventual champion Rafael Nadal in a tight three-set match, Tomic was unable to build on his positive form.

source:smh.com

Joe Gomez

Manchester City, Aston Villa and Hoffenheim have also made approaches for 18-year-old defender, who has chosen Anfield.

Liverpool FC are closing in on the signing of Charlton youngster Joe Gomez, with a deal set to be completed early next week.

And the Reds look to have beaten off competition from a host of top clubs, both at home and abroad, to secure the 18-year-old’s signature.

The ECHO reported Liverpool’s interest in Gomez earlier this week, and can reveal that negotiations are now at an advanced stage, and that the deal is expected to be finalised in the coming days.

A fee for the England U19 defender is yet to be agreed with Charlton, but discussions are ongoing. Liverpool had hoped to get Gomez for an initial price of £3.5m, but the transfer is expected to now go through at closer to £6m. The deal will also contain a number of performance-related add-ons.

The prospect of an immediate loan back to Charlton, or another Championship club, has been mentioned but Gomez’s camp are confident he can prove himself worthy of Liverpool’s senior squad during pre-season at Anfield.

Crucially, the player himself is desperate to join Liverpool, and is already preparing for the move to Merseyside. He believes Anfield, under Brendan Rodgers, is the perfect place for him to develop as a player in the coming years, and is backing his ability to play his way into the Reds’ first team.

His decision is set to leave a number of high-profile clubs disappointed. A host of Premier League teams, including Manchester City, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle and newly-promoted Bournemouth, were all keen to sign Gomez, while there was also interest from Germany, with both Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim making offers.

Liverpool, though, are the Londoner’s preferred choice. The Reds have tracked Gomez extensively over the past three years, with Dave Fallows, the head of recruitment, and Barry Hunter, the chief scout, key players in the deal. Rodgers has also received glowing reports from Sean O’Driscoll, who has coached Gomez with England’s U19 side.

A tall, pacy defender who can play as a right back or centre back, Gomez enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Charlton this season, making a total of 24 appearances for the Championship outfit.

He was part of the England side which won the European U17 Championships last summer, and was named in the team of the tournament in the process. His performances in Malta earned him comparisons with former England star Rio Ferdinand, whom Gomez counts as a boyhood idol.

“I always looked up to Ferdinand when I was younger because he was an English centre-back at the top level – plus he was a ball-playing one too,” Gomez said back in December.

Catford-raised, Gomez joined Charlton as a 10-year-old, having initially been rejected following a two-week trial.

He progressed swiftly through the ranks at The Valley, playing for the Addicks’ U18 side at the age of 14, and was given his senior debut by former boss Bob Peeters in a Capital One Cup tie against Colchester United last August.

source:liverpoolecho.co.uk

Early strike: Lisa De Vanna celebrates her goal against Sweden. Photo: Todd Korol

Australia 1 Sweden 1

Edmonton: Australia have escaped from the group of death at the Women’s World Cup after sealing a hard-fought draw with Sweden to seal second spot and a date with Brazil.

It was a case of mission accomplished rather than a job well done in the Matildas’ final game as they laboured to a result that propelled them into the second round.

They were at times nervous, inconsistent, but most importantly dogged as they held on against the former World Cup finalists. An early goal by co-captain Lisa De Vanna proved enough for the Matildas to escape from the hardest group at the tournament. As a match, it was not the revenge many desperately wanted after crashing out in the quarter-finals to Sweden in 2011, but the result will feel as such for a European heavyweight now facing an anxious wait to learn if their Cup dream is over.

For Australia, they will travel to the remote and small town of Moncton on the Atlantic coast of Canada where they will face the world’s best ever female footballer, Marta, and her rampant Brazilian side.

“I’m very proud of the team,” Matildas coach Alen Stajcic said. “It was a tough game, probably wasn’t a pretty game to watch but we did enough in the end and the group has just performed so well. Certainly, it gives you so much belief and knowledge that you know you can compete against the best.”

The match started brightly for the Australians, who set course for the knock-out rounds in the fifth minute. Defender Laura Alleway will claim she let fly with a perfectly weighted through ball, Sweden will lament being caught out by a long ball but that debate will remain a moot point. What was certain was the end result. The eyes of the nation were on De Vanna but those watching would have thought otherwise as she calmly slotted a one-on-one.

That joy lasted only 10 minutes as the Matildas’ dream threatened to unravel. Using her pace to avoid any meaningful pressure from Australian defenders, Sweden striker Sofia Jakobsson showed her class to get her team back into the contest. Strolling through poor defence from Kyah Simon and Steph Catley, Jakobsson unleashed a powerful left-foot drive that beat Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams to the corner of the net.

Just as quickly as that brought Sweden level did it destroy the confidence of the Australians. If it wasn’t for a superb reaction by Williams, again tested by Jakobsson, the Swedes would have gone ahead close to half-time.

A superb Therese Sjogran curling free-kick appeared destined for the far corner and amid heavy traffic inside the box, but Williams never lost sight of the ball, clutching it dearly.

In attack, Australia relied on long-balls and there was a lack of imagination in the front line. Not even the harsh words from Alen Stajcic during the break could bring the Matildas out of thier rut and the match didn’t even hit the hour mark before the small crowd ambitiously tried to to start a Mexican wave in a stadium with three stands.

Their passes were wayward, combinations disjointed but if there was something to take solace from it was that Sweden weren’t any better.

They suffered another blow shortly after with De Vanna brought off in light of an ankle injury she has played through the last two games. Larissa Crummer came on in her place. Playing more as an out-and-out winger, she came close to scoring in an unlikely  manner when a looping cross almost caught Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl out of position.

With that, Australia went into survival mode. They sat deeper, they fought harder for the ball and they frustrated Sweden into submission. On a slick synthetic pitch that promoted the speed of the ball, Sweden’s technical ability vanished and the Matildas soared.

With the final whistle, there was only rejoice as the Matildas.

source:smh.com

Bishkek: When the Socceroos collectively spoke about the importance of a fast start to start their 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, they couldn’t have imagined it would involve taking the lead in the opening minute.

But that’s exactly what happened when captain Mile Jedinak stood over a free kick 20 yards out from goal, won from a forward thrust straight from kick-off. His low effort took an outrageous bounce on the bumpy pitch and gave Kyrgyzstan goalkeeper Valerii Kashuba no chance.

For that fleeting moment, the road to Russia, still some three years away, appeared little more than a formality.

Yet the same surface which conspired to give the visitors the lead would ensure the Socceroos were in for a seriously difficult evening against the former Soviet republic.

Bad bounce … Kyrgyzstan goalie Valerii Kashuba fails to stop a free kick by Australian captain Mile Jedinak. Photo: Getty Images

Perhaps it is a sign of things to come in this group of unknowns. The Kyrgyz, ranked 177th in the world, looked every bit as capable as the Socceroos, ranked 114 places above.

While the sold-out 18,000-strong crowd at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium let out a collective groan after Jedinak’s strike, their players wasted no time lamenting their misfortune.

After all, this was arguably the most significant match they’ve ever played at home. Even the prime minister, Temir Sariyev, was on hand to welcome the players. Fuelled by that patriotism, and with the stadium’s new lights beaming for the very first time, their players sensed the weight of history.

2-0 … Socceroos celebrate after Tom Oar, centre, finished a penetrating run superbly. Photo: Getty Images

They happily let the Socceroos try to navigate the long grass and uneven surface, preferring a counter-attacking strategy that was vastly more effective.

With Musabekov Farkhat and Edgar Bernhardt working feverishly in midfield, they were able to push forward and feed the front three for a series of half-chances.

The best of them came in a wonderfully-crafted move which ended with German-based strike Vitalij Lux, who thrashed his shot into the side-netting – temporarily sending the stadium wild.

Impact player … Tom Oar scores against Kyrgyzstan. Photo: Getty Images

While Australia dominated possession, the pitch made it near-impossible to string together any meaningful passes. Tim Cahill had one wild flail at goal, but little else.

Kyrgyzstan were playing a high-energy, instinctive game that relied on the Socceroos’ making errors – which, perhaps unsurprisingly given the turf, they often did.

Both Matt Ryan and Mile Jedinak were caught out, with the conditions proving the home side’s 12th man. Jedinak’s mishap saw another chance go begging for the hosts as Lux fired another shot into the side netting.

In particular, Mirlan Murzaev was causing Ivan Franjic all sorts of trouble down the left, frequently getting behind the new Melbourne City right-back, much to the delight of the mass of flag-waving home fans in his corner.

Matthew Spiranovic had a chance to double Australia’s advantage on the half-hour mark but his header, from a corner, drifted wide. Moments later, his sliced defensive clearance led to a corner. Nothing was going right.

Ange Postecoglou sported quite the scowl as he made his way to the dressing room at half-time, and rightly so. He would struggle to find a player who’d won his position.

The coach made his first change 11 minutes into the second half, bringing on Tommy Oar for Nathan Burns in an effort to charge an ineffective front third. It was a decision that ultimately paid dividends.

Kyrgyzstan continued to attack the Socceroos at tremendous pace, their transition continually causing headaches. Wing-backs Ivan Franjic and Aziz Behich were caught up the park too often, while Jedinak and Mark Milligan had trouble breaking up the play.

Conversely, Bernhardt and Murzaev – who brilliantly burned the Australian skipper for pace in one play – looked sparkling. If only their teammates boasted a fraction more composure.

However, on 67 minutes, with the game firmly in the balance, Milligan had the wherewithal to spy Oar racing into space and the winger showed composure to finish impressively.

With the final minutes ticking away, substitute Ildan Amirov squandered a major chance – one they would live to regret when Azamat Baymatov managed to pull one back with only seconds to play.

Despite the final score line flattering Australia, they at least return home with the points. More usefully, Postecoglou will be sure to quietly remind his players that nothing on this road to Russia can be taken for granted.

source:smh.com