Category Archives: SPORTS

Big blue: empty seats usually occupied by The Cove during Sydney FC’s 1-0 win over Newcastle on Friday night. Photo: Getty Images

Let’s step back for a moment.

There is one aspect of this appeal thing that’s seriously bugging me, especially when it is so easy, safe and common to play into the general fans’ loyalties with statements, platitudes even, about standing together, being the heart of the game and so on.

Yes, they are. Yes, you are. That’s obvious, and recognised. Football Federation Australia stuffed up, admitted it and an appeal process will be implemented. I get that.

But there’s a catch. Not every fan has my support. Only those that serve the game well.

And behaving like idiots at a football match makes you my enemy, not my friend.

Populism rules the day at times like these, if you ask me. Especially when we are dealing with such a wonderfully passionate fanbase that is becoming more capable of wielding influence.

It’s very easy to say you stand with them, very beneficial at times for people’s roles inside the game, whether club chief executives, chairmen, players or media personalities.

But every single one of us has one obligation, and one only. And that is to the game.

Example: I am an ex-Socceroo. This is a brotherhood we are immensely proud of and which carries certain responsibilities towards each other, but I’ll smash any ex-player who acts contrary to the game’s wellbeing and long-term benefit. That obligation supersedes any other.

Likewise, in the media, I don’t mention other networks, analysts, shows or personalities because there is a level of professional courtesy. Nevertheless, if anyone acts contrary to the game’s interest, it’s war.

That’s the rule of football. The game comes first. And that’s really the true test of whether you love football, or love more what football can do for you. What it gives you, whether a job, a profile or standing within your community.

There are a lot of people around at the moment who seem to me to be the latter.

Because the banning of anyone that sought to put themselves above the game through their actions at a match is not a simple matter. It is highly complex; any wrong move can damage the game’s image and, aside from the now infamous appeals process, I reckon FFA have done a pretty bloody good job of protecting the game’s image over the past 10 years.

Therefore, let us all acknowledge one fact. One reason the game’s image is so incredibly healthy, is the banning of idiots willing to damage it.

So, I get that David Gallop stuffed up in not standing up for our fans, but I also agree with his hard line on behaviour. If he did anything else, I’d be into him quick smart, so let us not be hypocrites.

Let us neither speak only of love or passion. It is not enough.

There must also be the intention to protect, promote and grow the game. That is a true fan. A genuine football lover. We had plenty of passion in the past, but much was destructive. All we need, and all we will tolerate as a game is constructive passion. To do good, see good and only to allow good.

An uncomfortable truth, then, in case anyone is confused. Some of the banned fans should stay banned.

Whomever among them set out to intentionally cause damage to football, or cared nothing for the outcome of their actions which would inevitably do so, stuff you. You can stay banned. I don’t want you back, nor do I care if you have an appeals process.

This is what disturbs me about banners proclaiming that everyone stands with the 198. I don’t. Nowhere near it.

I stand only with those among them unfairly charged and that have been denied the right to clear their name.

Just wanted to be clear.

Craig Foster

Football columnist
source:smh.com.au

“But Arsenal are in a group where a kid friend of mine is the manager of Olympiakos and it would be fantastic for the kid’s career to go through”.

There are no grey areas for the Gunners and nothing that happens in the other game between Bayern Munich and Zagreb will have any bearing on whether Arsenal qualify for the next phase or not.

However, following further tests, Wenger revealed last night that while the injury doesn’t need surgery, Coquelin is now likely to be out for 12 weeks meaning he won’t return until mid-February. “Both did it well and it gives us a chance”, Wenger said.

“We have providers. Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla all have quality while Mesut Ozil is not just a provider now – he likes to get on the end of things”. “I don’t know, but I believe we can do it”, he added.

“We know the task and for us this task has one big advantage – it is very clear what we have to do”.

“We definitely can do it. We played handsome football against Dinamo and scored three goals”.

And BT Sport pundit Gerrard believes that decision will continue to cost Arsenal and their chances of silverware. This time we need to qualify. “It will be tough but we have to believe we can do it and I believe we can do it”.

“You have to trust UEFA and the organisation over there to ensure it is handled well”.

Arsenal gave their campaign some hope after they defeated Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 at the Emirates and confirmed themselves a place in at least the Europa League.

Arsenal won their second game in the Champions League this year and also benefit from the loss of Olympiacos to Bayern Munich.

“The season is always very long so sometimes you have to accept being on the bench but sometimes you have the opportunity to prove you can still play in the Arsenal team”, he was quoted as saying by British media.

“And Campbell as well had a little calf problem, so I will have to assess all that on Friday, latest Saturday”.

“I would have loved to rest Sanchez tonight but I had two different options, once it was 3-0 you don’t need him to track back”.

source:journalobserver.com

Socceroo ‘keeper Mat Ryan is likely to go head-to-head with superstar Barca Lionel Messi in La Liga this weekend.

Socceroo ‘keeper Mat Ryan is set for a daunting weekend in La Liga with his Valencia side set to take on Lionel Messi’s Barcelona.
In what will be a huge thrill – and great challenge – for the Aussie gloveman, Barca come to the Mestalla on Sunday morning (AEDT) with Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar in devastating form.

Ryan has only just regained his spot in Valencia’s starting side after a lengthy injury lay-off and he’ll look to make up for lost time, especially with new boss Gary Neville in the stands.

Neville has been appointed the new Valencia boss and will be at the game, although he doesn’t officially take charge until Sunday.

Socceroo ‘keeper in Copa Del Rey win

So interim head coach Voro and Gary’s brother Phil Neville will hold the fort for the game against Luis Enrique’s side after guiding Los Che to a 3-1 Copa del Rey win over Barakaldo on Wednesday.

It will be a massive test for Valencia, who sit ninth after seeing previous coach Nuno Espirito Santo resign last week.

They face a Barca side sitting top of the pile, four points clear of Atletico Madrid and a further two ahead of rivals Real Madrid, who they defeated 4-0 last month as part of a run that has seen them win their last seven matches in all competitions.

Those games have seen last season’s treble winners score an astonishing 28 goals while conceding just two, form which does not bode well for a Valencia outfit who have only beaten their opponents once in their last 16 attempts in La Liga.

“We thought for this week it is best for me not to be on the bench against Barcelona,” Neville said.

“They [the players] needed to prepare for such an important game consistently with those who were already there. Out of respect for the players it is best for me to start against Lyon [in the UEFA Champions League on Dec 9].

“I had several meetings with players, coaches, doctors – but at this stage it is important not to give a message that can undermine their attention from the important match against Barcelona, so I will leave them to one side now.”
Barca star Suarez is the league’s second top goalscorer on 12 – behind only team-mate Neymar on 14 – and he is keen for his in-form side not to rest on their laurels despite having breathing space at the top of the table.

“There is enough quality in this squad to win new titles,” Suarez said this week.

“It would be very nice to repeat the treble, but we now have some very important games and then the Club World Cup, which we all want to win.

“It is great to get a six-point gap to Madrid, but Atletico are within four and they are very strong opponents.

“It is still too early to say who the candidates are to win the league. Last year we also had a bad time and then we went on to win the treble.”

Defender Jeremy Mathieu (thigh) is likely to be missing for the visitors after injuring his thigh in the Copa win over Villanovense.

source:footballaustralia.com.au

“Το βραβείο που κέρδισα σήμερα, είναι ευνόητο ότι δεν είναι μόνο δικό μου” δήλωσε ο ομογενής τεχνικός.

Μετά τις Ασιατικές διακρίσεις του Δυτικού Σίδνεϊ του Τόνι Πόποβιτς και του Άντε Κόβιτς, το ποδόσφαιρο της Αυστραλίας και πάλι στην κορυφή της αχανούς Ασιατικής ηπείρου.

Σε ειδική τελετή που έγινε την περασμένη Κυριακή στο Νέο Δελχί, η εθνική ομάδα της Αυστραλίας, ψηφίστηκε κορυφαία ομάδα της Ασιατικής Ποδοσφαιρικής Συνομοσπονδίας και ο τεχνικός της Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, κορυφαίος τεχνικός για το 2015, που φτάνει αισίως στο τέλος του.

Η κατάκτηση του Ασιατικού Κυπέλλου στις αρχές του χρόνου, αλλά και η σημερινή πορεία των Σοκκερούς στην προκριματική φάση για το Μουντιάλ της Ρωσίας 2018, ήταν τα συν για τις βραβεύσεις τόσο της εθνικής μας ομάδας όσο και του ελληνικής καταγωγής τεχνικού της.

Πανευτυχής για τη βράβευσή του, ο Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, που παραβρέθηκε στην τελετή, μαζί με τον νέο τσαίρμαν της ομοσπονδίας, Στίβεν Λόουι, και τον γενικό διευθυντή της, Ντέιβιντ Γκάλοπ, δήλωσε μετά την παραλαβή του επάθλου:

«Η σημερινή τιμή για το ποδόσφαιρο της Αυστραλίας, δείχνει ότι έχουμε κάνει μεγάλα βήματα προόδου. Βρισκόμαστε σε καλό δρόμο και είμαι σίγουρος ότι η ανοδική μας πορεία θα συνεχιστεί.

Το βραβείο που κέρδισα σήμερα, είναι ευνόητο ότι δεν είναι μόνο δικό μου. Ανήκει σε όλους όσους δουλεύουν σκληρά. Το ίδιο ισχύει και για την διάκριση της εθνικής μας ομάδας. Ανήκει σε ολόκληρη την ποδοσφαιρική μας οικογένεια».

Ο μέσος των Σοκκερούς, Μάσιμο Λουόνγκο, ήταν υποψήφιος για τον τίτλο του καλύτερου διεθνή παίκτη της Ασίας, αλλά έχασε την πρώτη θέση από τον Νοτιοκορεάτη Son Heung-min.

Τον τίτλο του κορυφαίου ποδοσφαιριστή της Ασίας κέρδισε ο Ahmed Khalil, από τα Ηνωμένα Αραβικά Εμιράτα.

Η Γιαπωνέζα Asako Takakura ψηφίστηκε κορυφαία γυναίκα τεχνικός της Ασίας.

Πηγή:Νέος Κόσμος

Liverpool travelled south to take on Southampton in the League Cup this evening, and downed the Saints 6-1 to move into the semi-finals of the competition we’ve won more than any other side.

A brilliant Daniel Sturridge brace won us the game in the first-half, but it didn’t tell the whole story by any means. Divock Origi, who’s not shone since arriving in the summer, bagged a hat-trick – staking a claim for a weekend starting spot in the process.

Has a Liverpool manager ever made such a stunning start to life on Merseyside as Jurgen Klopp…?

Within one minute though, we were behind – with Emre Can making it painfully easy for Ryan Bertrand to cross. Sadio Mane nodded in the delivery, and the Reds looked, in truth, as if they hadn’t got off the bus yet. How wrong we were.

But then the momentum changed, and Daniel Sturridge produced two moments which will see him dominate tomorrow’s back-pages.

Firstly, the fit again 26-year-old timed a perfect run and got on the end of Joe Allen’s long ball, before skinning Steven Caulker and firing into the bottom corner. While Liverpool fans were still getting over the equaliser, Sturridge found the back of the net again – this time after magical play from Emre Can. The German, with the outside of his foot, found the striker perfectly and Sturridge finished with his right foot this time.

As if Southampton were not hurting enough, Alberto Moreno (via Divock Origi) made it much worse. The Spaniard fired a zipped volley from 20-yards out, but the Belgian will take the credit after getting a tiny touch on the shot before it went past Stekelenburg.

The second half threatened to be less frantic, but it wasn’t! Sturridge withdrew after the hour mark to a rapturous reception from the travelling Kop. Sadly, Can picked up a booking, meaning he’ll miss the Premier League game with Newcastle at the weekend. He’ll be a big loss, but Jordan Henderson can come in and take his place.

Liverpool were not done yet, of course, and Origi capped his own fantastic evening with a wonderful second and a fourth goal for the Reds. Picking up a Jordon Ibe through-ball, he slammed into the corner of the net. It’ll do his confidence a world of good.

Provider then turned scorer, with the sub slamming in from Moreno’s deft ball after Origi’s excellent work down the left.

Rubbing salt in the wound, Origi bagged himself a hat-trick late on! Brad Smith, on for Moreno, crossed beautifully from deep and the Belgian nodded in his third. You can check that final goal out here.

There were barely any Southampton fans left upon full-time.

Klopp selected a mixed lineup, with Adam Bogdan replacing Simon Mignolet in goal, Connor Randall allowing Nathaniel Clyne a rest at right-back, and fit again Jordan Henderson starting from the bench.

Ronald Koeman went maximum strength for the Saints, and on paper – the sides were even at kick off. But Liverpool absolutely destroyed one of the Premier League’s better sides on their own patch.

Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren were ruthlessly booed by the home supporters due to our players’ former allegiances, but both impressed in what was Jurgen Klopp’s seventh win in eight matches.

Due to the opposition and the competition, this result won’t go down in history like the Chelsea and Manchester City ones, but in reality, Klopp’s outfit were just as impressive.

source:empireofthekop.com

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was named La Liga’s best player and striker for the 2014/15 season at the LFP Gala Awards Ceremony in Barcelona on Monday.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was named La Liga’s best player and striker for the 2014/15 season at the LFP Gala Awards Ceremony in Barcelona on Monday.

It was sweet revenge for Messi as Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo won both awards last year. However, even though Ronaldo scored 48 goals and Messi 43, it was the Barcelona talisman who emerged on top this time around as his contributions led his side to La Liga and Copa del Rey glory.

“I’m proud to receive this award ahead of so many important players in La Liga,” Messi, who clinched the awards for the sixth time, told reporters.

“This award in particular I want to dedicate to my son Thiago [aged 3] even if he still doesn’t understand very well. Every time I leave the house he gets angry and asks me: ‘Papa, are you going again to score goals?’ This award is for him.”

However, while Messi was delighted to have been crowned La Liga’s best player and striker, he lauded Ronaldo for his stellar season, in which the Portugal international helped Madrid claim the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

“I am happy to be once more among the three best, and to go to another gala,” Messi said. “Happy to be with Neymar. Luis Suarez also deserved to be among the three best, but that is to take nothing away from Cristiano Ronaldo, who also deserved it.”

Ronaldo did not walk away empty-handed as he won the Fans’ Five-Star Player award after he received the most votes by supporters on mahou.es after each matchday.

Meanwhile, Messi’s team-mates, Claudio Bravo and Neymar, were named best goalkeeper and best player from the Americas respectively.

Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez claimed the best defender and midfielder prize respectively, while Valencia midfielder Sofiane Feghouli was named the best African player of the 2014/15 season.

source:foxsportsasia.com

Panathinaikos was on Monday deducted three points by the Greek Super League for fan violence before the recent Athens derby with Olympiakos which had to be called off before kick-off.

Panathinaikos was also fined 190,000 euros and instructed to play four home matches behind closed doors, while the league handed Olympiakos a 3-0 victory for the disrupted match.

The deduction means that Panathinaikos, who has the right to appeal, now sits in fifth place with 19 points, 17 points behind league leaders Olympiakos.

Referee Andreas Pappas made the decision to call off the match on November 21 after taking into account the violence both inside and outside the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium.

Immediately after the decision was announced to the spectators, dozens of fans rushed onto the pitch and fought with riot police.

Police said 14 arrests were made and that three police officers were injured, one seriously.
Tear gas was used by police to bring order and the stadium suffered serious damage at the hands of the unruly crowd.

Two hours before the scheduled kick-off unruly Panathinaikos fans fought with police outside the stadium.

Fans threw rocks and other debris at police who in turn responded with tear gas to put a halt to the violence after 10 minutes.

Police also clashed briefly with fans inside the stadium near the players’ entrance tunnel.

The appearance of the visiting Olympiakos players on the pitch then prompted four flares to be thrown towards them by fans.

Olympiakos vice-president Savvas Theodoridis told the Greek TV network Nova, which was broadcasting the match live, that “the new law is clear, the match should not be played. We do not play in a jungle”.

Theodoridis said flares thrown by the fans during the warm-up struck Olympiakos forward Alfred Finnbogason, “burning” the Iceland international’s hand, and Serbian midfielder Luka Milivojevic.

source:ekathimerini.com

With Claudio Ranieri’s men only kept off top spot on goal difference, Leicester City supporters find themselves dreaming of an improbable title.

Most recall Newcastle’s near-miss with Kevin Keegan in 1995/96 and Brendan Rodgers’ brush with glory as Liverpool manager in 2013/14, but theirs aren’t the only stories.

From Norwich’s run in the inaugural Premier League to Newcastle’s oft-forgotten run under Sir Bobby Robson, there have been numerous surprise sojourns at the top of the table.

Here, we remember five unlikely challenges that excited the neutrals…

Norwich – 1992/93

Norwich had a fine side in the late 1980s and famously beat Bayern Munich over two legs with the help of Jeremy Goss’s stunning volley. But the closest they came to a league title during this period was in the first ever Premier League season under new boss Mike Walker.

By that stage, having sold star striker Robert Fleck in the summer, some were even tipping the Canaries for relegation. However, they defied those odds in emphatic fashion, beginning with a come-from-behind 4-2 win over Arsenal at Highbury.

It was the start of a strange sequence of results that saw improbable victories interspersed with heavy defeats. There was a 7-1 loss at Blackburn and a 4-1 reverse at Liverpool. Incredibly though, Norwich were eight points clear at the top of the table by the start of December.

They were still top on Christmas Day despite having a negative goal difference and a good run in March ensured they went into the crunch clash with Manchester United in early April as the form team with a slight advantage at the top of the table.

United were on a four-game winless run, while Norwich had won four of the last five. It counted for little. The visitors scored three times at Carrow Road before the midway point of the first half in a 3-1 win and the momentum was lost. Four days later, Norwich were thrashed 5-1 at Tottenham.

Any disappointment was masked by the thrill of the chase. After all, Norwich rallied sufficiently to edge out Blackburn and hold on to third spot – enough to bring European football back to the club. Walker got the Everton job the following year but neither he nor Norwich had it quite so good again.

Aston Villa – 1998/99

Few clubs have made better starts to a Premier League season than Aston Villa in 1998/99. John Gregory’s side finished October with 22 points from 10 games and remained unbeaten. They even bolstered the squad at that stage too, signing Dion Dublin from Coventry at the start of November.

Dublin’s impact was immediate. There was a brace in a debut win over Tottenham and a hat-trick as Southampton were seen off at The Dell. The striker made it seven in three with another two against Liverpool but the 13th game proved unlucky as the Reds won 4-2 to end the unbeaten run.

Not that it was the end of Villa’s challenge. In fact, a win over Sheffield Wednesday meant that they saw in the New Year as the Premier League leaders, albeit with a host of clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds and West Ham all close on their tails.

The collapse was remarkable. Stan Collymore had scored in Dublin’s debut game in November but that was to be his last league goal of the campaign. The entire team managed only five goals in nine games between January and April, winning none of them.

Ultimately, Gregory’s first full season in charge ended with Villa in sixth spot. They’ve matched that finish five times in the years since but never bettered it – and certainly never been closer to mounting an unlikely tilt at the Premier League title.

Ipswich – 2000/01

Having been promoted after finishing third in the second-tier the previous season, Ipswich were expected to return from whence they came soon after. As it turned out, they were relegated in their second season in the top flight. But only after an extraordinary year under George Burley.

Playing a 3-5-2 formation that seemed to trouble much of the division, Ipswich thrived. Only Chelsea’s Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored more Premier League goals than Marcus Stewart, while the likes of Richard Wright and Matt Holland made names for themselves too.

Burley’s team actually took time to adjust, losing three of their first five, but went on to win nine out of 13 games in a run that took them into the top three. They proved particularly tricky opponents away from home during this period, winning at Leeds, Everton, Manchester City and Liverpool.

While few regarded it as a title challenge, Ipswich travelled to Old Trafford two days before Christmas knowing that a win would move them to within four of the league leaders as their nearest rivals. As it was, United had too much for the visitors and ran out 2-0 winners.

Much as their rivals Norwich had found to their cost eight years earlier, Ferguson’s team were far too strong in the run in. But there was no dramatic collapse from Ipswich. They were still third with three games to go only to lose at Charlton and draw at Derby.

In the end, a fifth-place finish was enough to secure a UEFA Cup adventure the following season that would take in a trip to the San Siro. Unfortunately, changes of formation and personnel meant the magic could not be repeated in the league and the relegation many predicted came one year on.

Newcastle – 2001/02

Newcastle had been bottom of the Premier League when Sir Bobby Robson took over in 1999 and finished outside the top 10 in his first full season in charge. But it all came together in the 2001/02 season as Newcastle qualified for the Champions League.

It threatened to be even better than that. Robson freshened up his forward options in the summer with the additions of Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert, and both were quick to make an impact – Bellamy in the Tyne-Wear derby and Robert with the opener in a 4-3 win over Manchester United.

Once again, Newcastle’s tag as ‘the entertainers’ rang true. They put four past Middlesbrough, Bolton and Leeds – all away from home – while proving their unpredictability by also losing convincingly against West Ham and Fulham.

But five wins on the bounce in December, including a 3-1 win at Arsenal thanks to late goals from Alan Shearer and the mercurial Robert, suggested the consistency had been found. At Christmas, they boasted a three-point lead over Liverpool and the Gunners at the top of the Premier League.

Back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and United might have ended Newcastle’s hopes but by the time that Nikos Dabizas headed in the only goal of the game at Sunderland in late February, Robson’s side were back in second spot. In fact, they were two points behind United with a game in hand.

However, it was Arsenal that they needed to worry about. Arsene Wenger’s team won at St James’ Park in the very next game as part of an incredible run of 13 straight Premier League victories. By then, the table looked emphatic. In truth, Newcastle had been in the hunt well into the spring.

Tottenham 2011/12

Tottenham had two points from eight games when Harry Redknapp took over in 2008. He soon turned it around. But his Spurs side were bottom again in 2011 having been thrashed 3-0 by Manchester United and 5-1 at home to Manchester City in their opening two games.

This time the turnaround was arguably even more impressive. Having signed Rafael van der Vaart on transfer deadline day, Redknapp’s men went on to win nine of the next 10 games, including a 2-1 victory in the North London derby courtesy of Kyle Walker’s second-half strike.

Spurs continued the momentum through the winter and a 2-0 home win over Everton in January lifted them level on points with second-placed United and just three points behind leaders City – some achievement given the apparent gulf in the opening weeks of the campaign.

A 3-2 defeat to City later that month dented any hopes of an unlikely title bid but the high point of the season was yet to come. Cleared of tax evasion charges earlier in the week, Redknapp celebrated by overseeing a scintillating 5-0 win over Newcastle in February.

With Luka Modric and Gareth Bale to the fore, it was emblematic of the sort of fast-paced and exciting football that Redknapp had restored at White Hart Lane. It also appeared to be a send-off with Fabio Capello having resigned as England boss just days earlier.

Instead, Roy Hodgson got the job and Tottenham’s season fizzled out. They won only one of the next nine and though there was an upturn in form to fend off Newcastle’s bid for fourth, even that proved to be in vain – Chelsea’s Champions League win denying them a return to that competition.

source:skysports.com

NEYMAR netted twice while Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi also scored as Barcelona earned another lopsided win by beating Real Sociedad 4-0 Saturday to protect its lead of the Spanish league.

Neymar opened the scoring midway through the first half from a pass by Dani Alves, who also set up Suarez for the defending champions’ second just before halftime.

Neymar took his competition-high tally to 14 goals soon after the interval as he extended his scoring streak to four straight league matches.

With the result beyond doubt, Neymar and Suarez went to pains to try and set up their strike partner Messi, who went close three times and struck the upright before he got his goal to round off the rout in stoppage time. He has scored three times in three appearances since returning from a two-month injury layoff.

“It comes naturally for them. They look out for one another and aren’t happy unless all three score,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said.

Suarez, meanwhile, has scored in six consecutive rounds, and remained second in the league with 12 goals.

Second-place Atletico Madrid remained four points behind Barcelona after edging Espanyol 1-0 in the capital.

Antoine Griezmann scored his third goal in his last two games early in the match, and Espanyol never threatened to rally.

Atletico lost midfielder Tiago Mendes in the first half when he was carried off and taken to hospital for tests on his right leg after he injured it kicking Espanyol’s Marco Asensio in the back.

Barcelona was unstoppable for the third time in eight days after humbling Real Madrid 4-0 in last weekend’s clasico and obliterating Roma 6-1 in the Champions League.

Luis Enrique’s team has won nine of its last 10 games to go with one draw in the Copa del Rey that it played with reserve players.

When asked if his team provoked fear among its opponents, Luis Enrique said: “That’s a question for our rivals.”

Coached by former Barcelona player and assistant manager Eusebio Sacristan, Sociedad tried to disrupt Barcelona’s possession by pressuring far up the pitch.

The strategy, however, only left Neymar, Suarez and Messi with more room to romp.

Andres Iniesta headed Suarez’s pass off the post early on.

Barcelona kept arriving with ease on both flanks and Dani Alves was played through by Messi to square the ball for Neymar, who beat his marker and stabbed Barcelona’s first goal into the top of the net.

Dani Alves was again the assist-giver for Suarez when Iniesta sent him clear on the right side with a long ball. Suarez made a tough strike look easy as he drove in the cross with an acrobatic kick.

Barcelona’s third came from an incursion by left back Jeremy Mathieu, who ran onto Iniesta’s pass and crossed for the unmarked Neymar to tap in.

Messi’s goal was just as easy when Neymar spotted him in injury time.

Sociedad, in its second match since Sacristan replaced David Moyes, remained two points above the relegation zone.

Later, bottom side Malaga played Granada, Deportivo La Coruna visited Las Palmas, and Celta Vigo faced Sporting Gijon.

source:foxsports.com.au

Melbourne Victory has leapt to the top of the A-League table with a comfortable 2-1 win over bottom of the table Adelaide United at Etihad Stadium.

First half goals to Besart Berisha, from the penalty spot early on, and Oliver Bozanic, from a terrific free kick just before the half-hour mark, effectively sealed this match with an hour to go. Marcelo Carrusca’s 86th minute consolation from the penalty spot was as good as it got for Adelaide.

The game might, however, be remembered more for the actions of Victory’s North Terrace group of supporters, who staged a dramatic walkout just seconds after Bozanic’s shot had hit the back of the net.

Several hundred of the fans in the area behind Victory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic’s goal stood, saluted their heroes and then turned their backs on the action on the pitch and marched out of the stand, many waving their scarves as they went.

Most of the remaining fans applauded their demonstration as the players carried on, trying to ignore the distraction.

The supporters are incensed at what they believe is a lack of backing from the FFA to the criticisms of the sport over the past week following the “name and shame” file of 198 banned supporters published in News Corporations Sunday Telegraph last week.

They are even more angry at the lack of an appeals process whereby supporters who have been banned from grounds for years for sometimes minor infractions have had no avenue to argue that their “conviction” was wrong.

The supporters’ core argument is that the FFA is hypocritical – happy to use footage of active supporters creating a loud and passionate environment in marketing the game – but sometimes passing draconian judgement on those same supporters without any right to redress. There was also plenty of comment about the heavy police presence around the ground given the paltry numbers of travelling Adelaide fans.

Victory boss Kevin Muscat has always said that he will reward players regardless of name or status if they perform, and he was true to his word in his selection.

Even though club captain Carl Valeri was fit and available, Muscat left him on the bench and retained Rashid Mahazi in midfield, although Berisha, who had missed the game against Central Coast, did come back into the side at the expense of George Howard.

The Reds, marooned at the foot of the A-League table and still to win a game this year, began in lively enough fashion. Winger Sergio Cirio forced Victory full back Daniel Georgievski into an early error but could not capitalise on the opening as his shot flashed across the face of goal.

But they fell behind in the 14th minute when defender Jordan Elsey felled Victory’s overlapping full back Jason Geria in the area after Kosta Barbarouses had found him with a pass.

Berisha stepped forward and beat Eugene Galekovic in regulation style for his sixth goal of the season, putting him level with Melbourne City’s Uruguayan striker Bruno Fornaroli.

Bozanic headed wide from a free kick after the dynamic Barbarouses was fouled by Adelaide youngster George Mells, and it was the Kiwi international’s marauding run that led to the second goal.

Barbarouses sped past a couple of challenges and bore down on the Adelaide goal when his run was ended by a Jimmy Jeggo foul. Up stepped Bozanic, who directed the set piece up, over, round and then down beyond the Reds wall.

Galekovic got a hand to the ball but could not stop it going in.

The Reds have now played eight games and taken just three points out of a possible 24.

Pressure has been building on their Spanish coach Guillermo Amor.

Victory, however, marches on and would have been glad with a straightforward win as their workload over the next three weeks is tough, with three away games – in Wellington, Western Sydney and Perth.

source:smh.com.au