Category Archives: SPORTS

The Brazilian’s magic with the dead ball was on display once more as he handed his side the three points in the dying minutes at AAMI Park.

A late Gui Finkler special secured Melbourne Victory a 1-0 win over the Newcastle Jets in the A-League at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

With only five minutes remaining, Finkler stroked a free kick into the top corner from the edge of the area as Victory finally broke down a resolute Jets unit.

It appeared if the Jets were going to earn a deserved point with their defensive formation containing Victory’s attack until the Brazilian free kick expert struck.

GOALS

1-0 Finkler (85′) – After Besart Berisha was fouled on the edge of the penalty area, Finkler stepped up to curl the free kick into the top right corner to send Victory fans delirious. Newcastle goalkeeper Ben Kennedy was standing on that side of the goal but free kick was placed with pinpoint precision.

KEY MOMENT

The late goal sparked the Jets into action with Victory goalkeeper Nathan Coe forced to make saves from Jeronimo and Scott Neville; the latter a brilliant save to his right from a stinging low shot just before referee Ben Williams blew the final whistle.

OPTA DATA KEY STATS

Victory’s win broke a run of three consecutive score draws in this fixture with the Jets last defeating the blue side of Melbourne in October 2012.

HIGHLIGHTS REEL

During Victory’s onslaught of attacks in the early stages of the second half, Fahid Ben Khalfallah cut inside from the left hand side to smash a stinging shot off the crossbar with Kennedy well beaten.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD

Jets coach Phil Stubbins deployed his side in a 3-5-2 formation with young wingers Andrew Hoole and James Virgili playing in unfamiliar wing back roles. The setup was designed to contain Victory and create attacks on the break. Ben Khalfallah gave Virgili a torrid time on Victory’s left with the young Jets wing-back conceding the foul on Berisha that led to the winning goal.

THE FINAL WORD

Victory has the chance to close the gap on league leaders Perth when they host the Glory in Geelong on Friday while the Jets host Melbourne City on Tuesday after only a three-day break.

TEAMS:
Melbourne Victory: Coe (GK), Geria, Ansell, Broxham (C), Galloway, Mahazi (Makarounas 33′), Valeri, Finkler, Khalfallah, Barbarouses (Thompson 71′), Berisha
Newcastle Jets: Kennedy (GK), Welsh, Madaschi, Neville, Hoole, Kantarovski, Virgili, Caravella, Pepper (Jeronimo 87′), Griffiths (C) (Carney 74′), Montano

Scorers: Finkler 85′
Red cards: None
Yellow cards: Madaschi 2′, Finkler 22′, Virgili 57′, Ansell 59′, Montano 71′
Conditions: 21C, Dry
Attendance: 20,801 @AAMI Park

source: goal.com

Wayne Rooney continued his fine record versus Newcastle United as Manchester United made it eight Barclays Premier League matches unbeaten with a 3-1 win.

Having been held to a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa last Saturday, Louis van Gaal’s side will have been eager to get back to winning ways in the Boxing Day clash at Old Trafford.

Man Utd had little difficulty in doing so, cruising to victory despite the absence of winger Angel Di Maria – who was left out after picking up an injury in their previous training session.

England captain Rooney was the architect of a routine triumph that solidified their position in third, with a brace taking the 29-year-old’s league tally against Newcastle to 12.

He opened the scoring in the 23rd minute via a close-range finish at the end of a wonderful Man Utd move, before adding a second in very similar fashion nine minutes before half-time.

The points were made safe eight minutes into the second period as the skipper set up Robin van Persie to head home a third, although Newcastle did net an 87th-minute consolation thanks to Papiss Cisse’s penalty.

The match sprung into life in the 12th minute following a quiet start as both teams spurned chances.

Firstly, Ayoze Perez failed to connect with a volley from Adam Armstrong’s cross after the 17-year-old – brought into the Newcastle side as one of two changes by Alan Pardew – did well to keep the ball in play.

Radamel Falcao was unable to get any purchase on a delivery from the left with the goal seemingly at his mercy, yet the hosts could have conceded a penalty when Juan Mata challenged Yoan Gouffran as the Frenchman chased a long ball over the defence.

David de Gea pulled off a fine diving save to his right to keep out Daryl Janmaat’s fierce drive from long range, and Newcastle were made to pay for not taking advantage of their early pressure by a clinical move from the hosts.

Mata was heavily involved again as he lifted a clever ball over the top to Falcao, who stretched to sweep a low cross into the path of Rooney to slot past a helpless Jak Alnwick.

Newcastle continued to show ambition to get forward, although Manchester United’s quality was evident throughout.

And it was defensive carelessness that led to Rooney’s second, when he latched onto Mata’s clever pass and confidently found the bottom-left corner after Gouffran had given the ball away.

Rooney turned creator eight minutes into the second half, his expertly lofted pass nodded into the bottom corner by Van Persie to effectively end the match as a contest.

With a busy period of fixtures to negotiate, Man Utd understandably took their foot off the gas in the second half. Still, Rooney went close to completing his hat-trick by curling a free-kick narrowly over the crossbar.

The third goal did not arrive for Rooney as Newcastle instead restored some pride through Cisse’s confident spot-kick into the top-right corner following Phil Jones’ foul on Jack Colback.

Yet that strike came too late for a comeback and proved to be little more than a footnote in a result that should give Man Utd plenty of hope going into a tricky trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal: “I think we have dominated the game for 90 minutes and scored fantastic goals – we should have scored much more.

“The first-half was, of course, the better half and, during the second, we were already thinking of the match against Tottenham Hotspur, which is why we did not dominate – I am very pleased with the performance today.

“Against Villa, he [Wayne Rooney] was a little bit too defensive and I asked for him to be more attacking. He then scores two goals and gets and assist, what more can you demand as a manager?”

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew: “The cutting edge was the difference between the two teams – they were really good going forward and when we over-committed they were clinical. I’m not going to criticise any of my players as individuals,. This is a tough place to come, we know that.

“I think some of the performances from our players were outstanding, particularly Perez. The more he plays the more he engrains himself into the fabric of the team. [But] I think we need to defend better today – I think that is where we came unstuck.”

source:  premierleague.com

Yaya Toure put Man City 2-0 up from the penalty spot

After the leaders had extended their advantage over City to six points with a 2-0 win over West Ham United in the early kick-off, Manuel Pellegrini’s side took advantage of a poor opening period from the hosts to score three unanswered goals.

The visitors were handed an early gift courtesy of Ben Foster, as the West Brom goalkeeper dropped a looping Jesus Navas cross after eight minutes. Midfielder Fernando took full advantage to register his first goal for the club. The former Man City defender Joleon Lescott then fouled David Silva inside the area allowing Yaya Toure to double the visitors’ advantage from the penalty spot

Silva extended the lead further with a cool strike before half-time and although an improved defensive effort from West Brom and the snow prevented City from another goal after the break, and the home side got on the scoresheet themselves through Brown Ideye’s goal after a scramble late on, City comfortably held on for a ninth consecutive win in all competitions.

Wayne Rooney continued his fine record versus Newcastle United as Manchester United made it eight matches unbeaten with a 3-1 win. Man Utd cruised to a comfortable victory despite the absence of winger Angel Di Maria, who was left out after picking up an injury in their most recent training session. Rooney was the architect of the triumph that solidified their position in third, with a double taking the 29-year-old’s league tally against Newcastle to 12.

He opened the scoring in the 23rd minute via a close-range finish at the end of a wonderful United move, before adding a second in very similar fashion nine minutes before half-time. The points were made safe eight minutes into the second half as Rooney set up Robin van Persie to head home a third, although Newcastle did net an 87th-minute consolation thanks to Papiss Cisse’s penalty.

Southampton returned to the top four with a comfortable 3-1 win at struggling Crystal Palace. Sadio Mane marked his return to the Southampton starting XI with a superb performance at Selhurst Park as he opened the scoring with an excellent early goal, before turning provider for Ryan Bertrand to double the visitors’ lead straight after half-time.

Defender Toby Alderweireld opened his Barclays Premier League account with a towering header shortly after to seal the points for Ronald Koeman’s men, despite a late Scott Dann consolation for the hosts. Southampton can take confidence into Sunday’s visit of table-topping Chelsea with confidence, while Palace have won just one of their last 12 Barclays Premier League fixtures and have slipped into the relegation zone.

Raheem Sterling netted the winner as Liverpool claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Burnley to end a three-match winless sequence in the top flight. Burnley dominated the first half at Turf Moor and struck a post through Danny Ings, but were unable to make their superiority count as Liverpool reached the interval unscathed. Sterling’s crucial strike came shortly after the hour as he rounded Tom Heaton and slotted home, despite the best efforts of two defenders attempting to scramble back.

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who had been dropped “indefinitely” by manager Brendan Rodgers ahead of the match with Manchester United a fortnight ago, was called into the fray early in the first half after Brad Jones suffered an injury. Mignolet was able to keep the home side at bay as Burnley’s four-match unbeaten run at home came to an end.

Tottenham Hotspur closed to within two points of the top four with a 2-1 victory over Leicester City. Christian Eriksen’s 70th-minute free-kick secured the points for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, after they had soaked up pressure from their hosts. Harry Kane had given Spurs a superb start with his third league goal in as many matches in the first minute, but the visitors were unable to pull further clear prior to the interval.

Leicester levelled three minutes after the break through Leonardo Ulloa. Chances continued to come for Nigel Pearson’s men thereafter, but they were punished for when Eriksen caught Ben Hamer off-guard from a set-piece. Spurs have won three league matches in succession, while Leicester remain rooted to the foot of the table despite an improved display.

Swansea City beat Aston Villa 1-0 to claim their first Boxing Day victory in the Barclays Premier League. The Welsh side were dominant in the first half at the Liberty Stadium and opened the scoring with a well-struck Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick after 13 minutes. They continued to look the more likely to score after going ahead, although the introduction of Andreas Weimann at the break gave Villa more of an attacking edge.

Despite an improved second-half display from Villa, which included stoppage-time chances for Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor, Garry Monk’s men were able to hold firm for the three points that kept their pursuit of the top four.

Bojan Krkic’s first-half penalty was enough to seal a 1-0 triumph for Stoke City over Everton in a full-blooded match at Goodison Park. The former Barcelona forward gave Mark Hughes’ side the lead 38 minutes into a stop-start first half after he had been fouled by James McCarthy and although Everton created a host of gilt-edged opportunities to level before the break they could not convert one.

Stoke were content to play on the counter in the second period, with Roberto Martinez’s side unable to make the dominance count and their unbeaten run of five home matches in the competition came to an end in the rain.

Hull City climbed out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 win at Sunderland on Friday, their first success in 11 Barclays Premier League matches. Steve Bruce’s men travelled to his former club having not won since early October and scored just twice in their last nine outings, and Adam Johnson, who scored a last-gasp winner as Sunderland beat Newcastle United last time out, capitalised on a defensive error to give the hosts the lead after just 29 seconds.

But Gaston Ramirez equalised in the 32nd minute with his maiden goal for Hull and James Chester headed home shortly after half-time. Substitute Nikica Jelavic then added a third in stoppage time to wrap up a valuable win and lift Hull up to 17th.

source: premierleague.com

The England forward scored twice in the League Cup quarter-final victory over Bournemouth last week and he was on target again as the visitor ended a three-match winless sequence in the top flight.

Burnley dominated the first half  at Turf Moor and struck the post through Danny Ings, but it was unable to make the superiority count as Liverpool reached the interval unscathed.

Sterling’s crucial strike came shortly after the hour mark as he coolly rounded Tom Heaton and slotted home, despite the best efforts of two defenders attempting to scramble back.

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who had been dropped “indefinitely” by manager Brendan Rodgers ahead of the clash with Manchester United a fortnight ago, was called into the fray early in the first half after replacement Brad Jones suffered an injury.

Mignolet continued to look nervy but was able to keep the home side at bay as Burnley’s four-match unbeaten run at home came to an end.

Neither side made any changes from the previous outings, but Sam Vokes returned to the Burnley bench for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury in March.

The opening stages were most notable for a round of applause for former Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle, who was admitted to hospital earlier in the week after a serious road accident.

Ings went close with the first meaningful shot of the game in the 15th minute, striking the base of the post from 20 metres with Jones beaten before Ashley Barnes blazed the rebound over.

Having seemingly picked up an injury, Jones then departed the action and was replaced by the shaky Mignolet.

The home side continued to look the more threatening, with Barnes heading Dean Marney’s cross off target in the 22nd minute.

Adam Lallana had Liverpool’s first clear opening on the half-hour mark but, after receiving a wonderful first-time ball from Steven Gerrard, he shot straight at Heaton.

That was a rare attack for the visitor, which was grateful to Lucas Leiva for diverting Scott Arfield’s strike round the post, before George Boyd fizzed a shot narrowly over the crossbar.

Burnley failed to recreate their high-tempo play after the restart and fell behind through Sterling’s well-taken goal.

The 20-year-old raced onto Philippe Coutinho’s hooked ball and skipped past Heaton before finding the net.

Coutinho then tested Heaton with a shot of his own before, in a bid to find an equaliser, Sean Dyche sent on Vokes for Barnes with 10 minutes to go.

A leveller was not forthcoming, however, as Liverpool saw out victory to climb a place to ninth in the table.

Challenge: Central Coast’s Storm Roux contests the ball with James Donachie of the Roar. Photo: Getty Images

Central Coast Mariners were denied their first win since October 11 after being held to a thrilling six-goal draw with Brisbane Roar in a match that was more about context than competition points. 

There have been few games at Gosford that bore as much emotion as this. A title may not have been on the line, it was not against a local rival and in truth it had little do even with competition points. This was a match with the undertone of pure survival.

Beneath the backdrop of a campaign named “Stand up for the Mariners,” fans used their voice and their feet to show owner Mike Charlesworth where they believe the future of the club lies. They lived up to the name of the campaign and most importantly, so too did their players. Only, not for long enough.

The Mariners did not get the win they will feel they deserved but that perhaps mattered little in the greater context of this evening. The players came within minutes of sealing their first win since round one and while they fell short of that, they achieved the seemingly greater task of rekindling their love affair with a parochial supporter base. Almost 10,000 attended a night built upon sentiment and while they didn’t take that winning feeling with them through the exit gates, they left with a sense of pride.

“It’s not about one decent crowd, it’s about concsistency. We have to dleliver that on the pitch and the our fans have to deliver that off the pitch. But we are really united up here as a club, as a team and as a community but we have to work hard to make it work better,” Mariners coach Phil Moss said.

A raucous applause echoed at full-time that was just as loud as the cannon that was let off three times that night, sounds few would have expected after Jean Carlos Solorzano breathed life into the contest 45 minutes after it officially began. After a lacklustre first half, the Roar striker scored his first goal in three years with two strokes of luck that put the ball on his foot in front of goal. He applied the simple finish that deafened the home crowd who were quickly swept with dejection.

It was little surprise to see the Mariners swap wingers Matt Sim with Nick Fitzgerald given the ineffectual first half and that coincided with a resurgence from the hosts. An opportunity from the penalty spot was provided after a James Donachie back pass was handled by Young, giving Eddie Bosnar a chance from an indirect free kick.

He slammed the ball into the wall when perhaps a more delicate option would have sufficed. It mattered little as the giant defender got his reward moments later. On the receiving end of a precise cross from Anthony Caceres, Bosnar – in his first start since November 9 – powered a header low and into the far corner of the net.

The unfamiliar sound of the Mariners cannon echoed across Central Coast Stadium to signal the fightback and inject life into the strugglers. Six minutes later, it sounded again. An ugly goal mouth scramble was pounced upon by Matt Simon who, in a clumsy manner, slotted the ball into the net. It was hardly pretty, but the crowd didn’t care as a parochial home fan base erupted on a day that mattered so much to the region.

As powerful as that moment was, it wasn’t to be savoured for long. Donachie rose highest from a corner and with a fortuitous deflection off the shoulder of Roux, left Reddy flat-footed and the Mariners faithful downhearted. Instead of shutting the door on the Mariners, it created madness.

With just 10 minutes to play, Mariners substitute Kim Seung-yong issued a statement to his doubters by firing his club into the lead by pouncing on a rebound. Jubilation swept the Coast as the 9,932 fans felt justified to finally be in the lead, though they quickly learned how cruel a game football can be. While they were still celebrating, Solorzano supplied the sucker punch. After Dimitri Petratos weaved his way around Josh Rose, to fire a low cross tapped in by the unmarked Costa Rican to spoil the party.

“A bit disappointing but in the end, yeah, I think it is a fair result,” Roar coach Frans Thijssen said.

source: watoday.com.au

Έχοντας ως σκόρερ του πρώτου τέρματος στο 31′ τον Τζον Τέρι, η Τσέλσι πήρε τη νίκη με 2-0 κόντρα στην Γουέστ Χαμ, στον αγώνα που άνοιξε την αυλαία της Boxing Day και συγκεκριμένα της 18ης αγωνιστικής της Premier League.

Αξίζει να σημειωθεί πως αυτό ήταν το 36ο γκολ του αρχηγού στο πρωτάθλημα, ενώ έφτασε τα 61 με τη φανέλα της Τσέλσι σε όλες τις διοργανώσεις.

Μάλιστα, ο φυσικός ηγέτης των «Μπλε» απέχει πλέον μόλις δύο ακόμη (ο Ντέιβιντ Άνσγουορθ είχε ολοκληρώσει τη θητεία του στα 38) από την κορυφή των αμυντικών με τα περισσότερα γκολ στην Ιστορία.

Ο Τέρι σκόραρε σε δεύτερο συνεχόμενο ματς, μετά από το γκολ που πέτυχε απέναντι στη Στόουκ την περασμένη Δευτέρα στο «Μπριτάνια» και η Τσέλσι ήταν πραγματικά ασταμάτητη. Παράλληλα, ο διεθνής κεντρικός αμυντικός μπήκε στο top25 των αρχισκόρερ του συλλόγου.

Πάντως, το σκορ είναι «φτωχό», αφού πέρα από τα γκολ, η ομάδα του Μουρίνιο έπαιξε ποδόσφαιρο ολοκληρωτικής κυριαρχίας. Το 2-0 ήρθε στο β’ ημίχρονο και ουσιαστικά «σφράγισε» τη νίκη των Λονδρέζων, έπειτα από ωραίο κλέψιμο και ασίστ του Αζάρ στον Ντιέγκο Κόστα, ο οποίος ταλαιπώρησε τρεις αντιπάλους του για να πετύχει από το ύψος της περιοχής το 13ο εφετινό του γκολ.

«Boxing Day» με τριάρες για Μάντσεστερ Γιουνάιτεντ, Μάντσεστερ Σίτι, Σαουθάμπτον και Χαλ.

Οι «μπέμπηδες» στο πλαίσιο της 18ης αγωνιστικής επικράτησαν 3-1 της Νιούκαστλ (δύο τέρματα σημείωσε ο Ρούνεϊ), η Σίτι νίκησε 3-1 εκτός έδρας την Γουέστ Μπρομ, η Σαουθάμπτον νίκησε με το ίδιο σκορ επίσης εκτός έδρας την Κρίσταλ Πάλας, ενώ τέλος η Χαλ έκαμψε με 3-1 εκτός έδρας την Σάντερλαντ.

Βαθμολογική ανάσα πήρε η Λίβερπουλ, η οποία με τέρμα του Στέρλινγκ στο 61ο λεπτό νίκησε 1-0 εκτός έδρας την Μπέρνλι.

Στον τελευταίο αγώνα της ημέρας η Άρσεναλ με τέρματα των Σάντσεζ (37`) και Ροζίτσκι (65`) επικράτησε 2-1 της ΚΠΡ, ενώ για τους φιλοξενούμενους μείωσε με πέναλτι στο 79ο λεπτό ο Τσάρλι Όστιν.

Αναλυτικό τα αποτελέσματα, οι σκόρερ και το υπόλοιπο πρόγραμμα της 18ης αγωνιστικής:

Παρασκευή 26/12
Τσέλσι – Γουέστ Χαμ 2-0
(31’ Τέρι, 62’ Κόστα)

Μπέρνλι-Λίβερπουλ 0-1
(61′ Στέρλινγκ)

Κρίσταλ Πάλας-Σαουθάμπτον 1-3
(86′ Νταν – 17` Μανέ, 48′ Μπερτράντ, 54′ Αντερβάιλντ)

Εβερτον-Στόουκ Σίτι 0-1
(38` Κρικτς` πεν.)

Λέστερ-Τότεναμ 1-2
(49′ Ουγιόα – 1′ Κέιν, 72′ Ερικσεν)

Μάντσεστερ Γ.-Νιούκαστλ 3-1
(23`, 36` Ρούνεϊ, 53′ Φαν Πέρσι – 87′ Σισέ-πεν.)

Σάντερλαντ-Χαλ 1-3
(1` Τζόνσον – 32` Ραμίρες, 51′ Τσέστερ, 90` Γέλαβιτς)

Σουόνσι-Αστον Βίλα 1-0
(13′ Σίγκουρντσον)

Γουέστ Μπρομ-Μάντσεστερ Σίτι 1-3
(86′ Ιντιέ – 8` Φερνάντο, 13` Τουρέ-πεν., 34` Σίλβα)

Αρσεναλ-ΚΠΡ 2-1
(37` Σάντσεζ, 65` Ροζίτσκι – 79` Όστιν)

ΒΑΘΜΟΛΟΓΙΑ (σε 17 αγώνες)
Τσέλσι 45
Μάντσεστερ Σίτι 42
Μάντσεστερ Γ. 35
Σαουθάμπτον 32
Γουέστ Χαμ 31
Τότεναμ 30
Άρσεναλ 30
Σουόνσι 28
Λίβερπουλ 25
Νιούκαστλ 23
Στόουκ Σίτι 22
Έβερτον 21
Άστον Βίλα 20
Σάντερλαντ 19
ΚΠΡ 17
Γουέστ Μπρομ 17
Χαλ 16
Κρίσταλ Πάλας 15
Μπέρνλι 15
Λέστερ 10

Πηγή: in.gr

Στην Ελλάδα και το πρωτάθλημα της Σούπερ Λιγκ επιστρέφει ο Κώστας Κατσουράνης, καθώς έπειτα από το αρκετά επιτυχημένο πέρασμά του από την Ινδία, από τον Ιανουάριο θα φοράει τη φανέλα του Ατρομήτου! Ο Πατρινός άσος μετά το «ναυάγιο» των προσπαθειών επανόδου του στην ΑΕΚ, ήρθε σε επαφή με τους Περιστεριώτες και μέσα σε λίγες ώρες οι δύο πλευρές συμφώνησαν σε όλα για συμβόλαιο έξι μηνών με οψιόν ανανέωσης για έναν ακόμη χρόνο.

Ο διεθνής μέσος πραγματοποίησε εντυπωσιακές εμφανίσεις με τη φανέλα της Πούνε, τους προηγούμενους μήνες και έδειξε πως βρίσκεται σε αρκετά καλή αγωνιστική κατάσταση.

Ετσι, ο 35χρονος άσος που επιθυμούσε την επιστροφή στην Ελλάδα και έτσι ο Ατρόμητος θα αποτελέσει την έβδομη ομάδα στην καριέρα του, μέσα από την οποία φιλοδοξεί και στην επιστροφή του στην Εθνική.

Ο Κατσουράνης ξεκίνησε την καριέρα του από την Παναχαϊκή, ακολούθησε η ΑΕΚ το 2002, η Μπενφίκα το 2006, ο Παναθηναϊκός το 2009, ο ΠΑΟΚ το 2012 και η Πούνε Σίτι της Ινδίας τους τελευταίους 3 μήνες, όπου σε 14 συμμετοχές σημείωσε 4 γκολ και αναδείχθηκε εκ των MVP του πρωταθλήματος με την 4η μεγαλύτερη προσέλευση παγκοσμίως.

Η καριέρα του Κατσουράνη:

1996-2002 Παναχαϊκή 123 (14)

2002-2006 Α.Ε.Κ. 110 (29)

2006-2009 Μπενφίκα 80 (10)

2009-2012 Παναθηναϊκός 88 (18)

2013-2014 Π.Α.Ο.Κ. 48 (6)

2014-2014 Πούνε Σίτι 14 (4)

Πηγή:in.gr

Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou talks to Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak. Source: Getty Images

CRYSTAL Palace manager Neil Warnock made an unsuccessful 11th-hour bid to keep Mile Jedinak for the club’s New Year’s Day clash at Aston Villa.

Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou revealed that Warnock called him to ask if Jedinak’s Asian Cup mission could be delayed as the Premier League relegation battler faced a busy festive fixture list without their captain.

Jedinak headlines a handful of players who will join the Socceroos’ training camp in Melbourne late. The squad starts its camp on Sunday.

Turkish club Bursaspor and England’s Swindon Town also asked if Aziz Behich and Massimo Luongo’s respective returns could be delayed.

Postecoglou politely declined the requests, but said there was no animosity between him and club counterparts.

“Palace were really keen. Neil Warnock made the call and he was very respectful of us,’’ Postecoglou said.

“He wanted to see whether we could be flexible, but this is too big a tournament for us and he (Jedinak) is the captain of our country.

“It wasn’t just him. Swindon were keen to hang on to Luongo.

“Bursaspor tried really hard with Behich. They’ve got a big game on New Year’s Day.

“He (Warnock) was great. All the managers, whether it was him or the Swindon manager Mark Cooper, they’ve all been very understanding. They tried, which is their right.

Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock tried to keep his skipper Jedinak for the New Year. Source: AFP

“Even the A-League clubs could have jumped up and down because they’ve all got games during, yet we pull them out this weekend.’’

Several of the 23-man squad will miss games now. If the Socceroos reach the semi-finals or final, many more are likely to miss matches when their seasons restart after the European winter breaks.

But Postecoglou was confident players’ status at their clubs would not be affected.

“I don’t think so. Most leagues shut down anyway, so it won’t really affect them,’’ he said.

“If you look at the experience of the World Cup, every player went back to their clubs and, if anything, developed further as a player.

Manchester City’s James Milner, bottom, fights for the ball against Mile Jedinak. Source: AP

“It didn’t hamper their career; it helped their careers in many respects.

“Being successful internationally won’t hamper them at club level. If anything, it might help a few of them further entrench their position at their club or get them moves to clubs where they’ll be able to make more of an impact.’’

Jedinak’s Palace hosted Southampton overnight and makes the short trip across London to fellow relegation battler Queens Park Rangers on Monday morning, before he leaves for Melbourne.

Former Melbourne Heart left back Behich has played every game for Bursaspor this season. The club has the second leg of a Turkish Cup game on January 1 that they were hoping to keep him for.

Swindon Town also tried to delay Massimo Luongo’s departure to Australia. Source: Getty Images

Jedinak said Palace understood his predicament.

“No time is good, but you’re going away to a big tournament to represent your country, so they understand,’’ he said.

“It’s a FIFA tournament and there’s not much they can do. It’s part and parcel of being a footballer.

“They’re not necessarily pleased, but they wish me all the best and they just have to accept it.

“The most disappointing aspect of (Palace’s) season has been inconsistency and that’s something we’ve got to rectify.

“We’ve got to go on these mini-runs and not drop points.”

source: heraldsun.com.au

Kevin Muscat will be head coach of Melbourne Victory for another three years. Photo: Getty Images

Club legend Kevin Muscat will be the boss at Melbourne Victory for at least another three years after the club on Boxing Day announced it had extended his tenure in the coaching hot seat until the end of the 2017/18 season.

Assuming there is no parting of the ways in the course of the contract the new deal means that, by the end of the agreement, Muscat will have spent 13 years at the club.

It is a tremendous achievement at any A-League club, which tend to be revolving doors for both players and coaches.

Melbourne Victory Chairman, Anthony Di Pietro said in a statement: “It really is fantastic news for our football club and gives us clear direction for the foreseeable future.

“While Kevin is a club legend and a unique part of the Melbourne Victory family, the driving motivation behind his contract extension is that he is the best person for this job. He has demonstrated his drive and commitment to succeed; he has been meticulous in his off-season and in-season preparation, he has built a squad that we believe can take us back to the top of the A-League and overseen the further development of a culture that we are all proud of.”

Muscat served as an assistant to both Ernie Merrick (while he was still playing) and also to Mehmet Durakovic and Jim Magilton during their short-lived tenures with Victory. He also was number two to current Socceroos manager Ange Postecoglou during the latter’s only completed season in charge of the navy blues.

Muscat took over when Postecoglou quit to take control of the national team early in the 2013-14 season, and led Victory to a semi final, where they were narrowly beaten by eventual premiers Brisbane Roar.

The two-time championship winning captain and three-time Victory medallist has been in charge for 37 matches since, racking up some impressive statistics.

Under Muscat, Victory has won 17 of those games, drawn 10 and lost 10. The team lies second on the A-League ladder going into the current round of fixtures and was beaten for the first time in 11 matches last Saturday in the local derby by Melbourne City.

“To be given the opportunity to continue as head coach of this great club for another three years is a great privilege and honour,” Muscat said.

“Melbourne Victory has been a part of my life for the past 10 years and while I have been able to achieve the ultimate success as a player, it is now my responsibility to ensure I can do it as head coach and deliver a third A-League Championship to the club.

“I’d like to thank the Board of Directors for showing faith in me and for the opportunity to lead the on-field pursuits of the club that means so much to me, and so many others,” Muscat added in a statement issued Boxing Day morning.

source: smh.com.au

Comanche leads the fleet out of the Heads. Picture: Mark Evans

 crewman with a hernia was being dropped off a yacht as sailors suffered a bruising and in some cases, bloody, start to the Sydney to Hobart.

The unnamed sailor was due to be dropped off the yacht Last Tango, skippered by Wendy Tuck, one of four female skippers, late today just hours after four yachts were forced out of the race with major damage,

It has been a torrid start to the 70th race with numerous yachts reporting seasickness and battered crew as the four supermaxis – Comanche, Perpetual Loyal, Ragamuffin and Wild Oats – vied for the lead at the front of the fleet.

A sailor aboard Southern Excellence was injured while climbing the mast with other crews suffering severe nausea in the lumpy conditions.

Tina of Melbourne is already out of the Sydney to Hobart. Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Corp Australia

For skipper Andy Doolan two years of preparation of work ended just off Botany Bay when his yacht, Tina of Melbourne, fell off a wave.

“We heard a bit of rattling down there, we noticed a bit of water ingress, so at that point I notified the crew. They were all okay, there was no imminent danger,”” he said of he incident which ended his dream of racing he 70th race.

“ I switched the pumps on’ noticed that we couldn’t fix the problem there and then, so I made the decision to retire in the end.

“Our number one priority was the safety of the crew, there was no point continuing on.”

The yacht did its last race in 1975 and was considered a major contender to win the overall handicap honours this year.

“It’s been a two-year process to get to the starting line so a lot of work has gone into preparing the boat,” he said.

“I can’t thank the crew enough they actually delivered the boat up to Sydney to me they have put a lot of time and effort in to getting to the start,so disappointed for the crew more than anything else.

“But we’re here and we’re all safe so thats the main thing.”

Brad Kellett, sailing master on the former Sydney to Hobart line honours winner Brindabella said the conditions at sea were becoming quite uncomfortable.

“The waves are really starting to build now so it’s getting pretty bouncy out here,’’ Kellett said.

Meanwhile, the newest supermaxi in the world and the queen of Australian ocean racing are engaged in a thrilling battle off the NSW coast this afternoon after one of the most spectacular and fastest starts to a Sydney to Hobart in memory.

Wild Oats XI sails out of the Heads in hot pursuit. Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Corp Australia

A howling southerly pushed the 117 strong fleet up the harbour in record time with even the little 30-footer Maluka, just 30-foot long, out in open water in less than half an hour.

But it was the American yacht Comanche, owned by Netscape founder Jim Clark and model wife Kristy Hinze-Clark, who stole the limelight on a packed Sydney Harbour as she took just over 10 minutes to round the sea mark and turn right at the start of the famous ocean race.

“She’s smoking. Look at the thing go, woo, ’’ said a crewman aboard Wild Oats as they watched Comanche roar up Sydney Harbour and out the Heads.

The view fro onboard Southern Excellence II as the big boats race for the open sea. Picture: Craig Greenhill Source: News Corp Australia

The Australian supermaxi Wild Oats was hot on her heels with Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin and Anthony Bell’s Perpetual Loyal also in pursuit.

The harbour was a sea of colour as many of the smaller yachts in the fleet carried spinnakers for the opening stanza of the race.

But as soon as they started the trek south things became less comfortable for the fleet as they bashed their way into strong headwinds and a building sea.

It will be an uncomfortable night for the fleet who face hours of upwind sailing as they race down the NSW south coast and into Bass Strait.

Comanche, Wild Oats XI, Ragamuffin and Perpetual Loyal head south. Picture: Mark Evans

source: dailytelegraph.com.au