______________________Serbia battle into Davis Cup finalSerbia will face defending champions Czech Republic in the November final after defeating Canada 3-2 in the semi-finals.
Novak Djokovic began the fight back and Janko
Tipsarevic completed the job as Serbia overturned a 2-1 deficit against
Canada in the Davis Cup semi-final on Sunday.
In scenes reminiscent of their 2010 triumph in
the same arena, world number one Djokovic beat big-serving Milos Raonic
7-6(1) 6-2 6-2 before Tipsarevic kept his nerve to beat Vasek Pospisil
7-6(3) 6-2 7-6(6) in the deciding singles.
Serbia's 3-2 win means they can now look
forward to a home final against the Czech Republic but it was heartbreak
for Canada who were looking to reach the final for the first time.
Ruthless
Djokovic was ruthless as he brushed aside
11th-ranked Raonic in front of a partisan 15,000 home crowd but
Tipsarevic had some anxious moments against Pospisil who needed medical
treatment for a sore elbow in the opening set.
Thriving in the same kind of fervent home
support which helped Serbia win the title for the first time against
France three years ago, Djokovic was a class apart on the indoor clay.
"Winning the 2010 trophy was an inspiration to
all of us to excel the following season on the ATP Tour and that's why
it has a very special place in my heart," an emotional Djokovic told a
news conference ahead of Tipsarevic's clash with Pospisil.
"I've won a number of grand slams but nothing
compares to sharing the joy of victory with your team mates, who are
there for you and cheer on every shot you take on the court."
"I think I played two outstanding matches
given that I had to make a rapid change of time zones and surfaces
(after the US Open final defeat to Rafael Nadal in New York on Monday).
"The home crowd support carried me to victory."
Djokovic and Raonic traded breaks in the
opening set before Djokovic, who dominated the rallies while Raonic used
the slick red clay to good effect on his first serve, raced through the
tiebreak and delighted the home fans in the Kombank Arena.
The electrifying atmosphere reached fever
pitch when Djokovic saved a triple break point to take a 3-1 lead in the
second set, pumping his fists in delight as he took the match by the
scruff of the neck.
Having tamed Raonic's serve, the 26-year-old
Serb broke again to lead 5-2 and then wrapped up the second set with a
searing crosscourt forehand.
Although Raonic was backed by several hundred
colourful Canadian fans, he succumbed meekly in the third set as a
galvanised Djokovic broke serve straight away and raced through the
final act to seal the match in two hours and eight minutes.
Centre stage
That set the scene for Tipsarevic to take centre stage.
There were some jitters in the first set
against Pospisil, who looked in danger of retiring after ending the
fourth game grimacing in pain.
But Tipsarevic calmed the home crowd's nerves with an emphatic tiebreak, bringing the fans to their feet.
The 29-year old Tipsarevic, ranked 23rd on the
ATP Tour, raced through the second set as the effects of a gruelling
five-set win in Saturday's doubles took its toll on Pospisil.
Tipsarevic took a commanding 5-2 lead in the
third set but Pospisil produced one final salvo to force his way back
from the brink and set up a tumultuous tiebreak.
Pospisil saved four match points from 2-6, one
with a net cord, but Tipsarevic wrapped up the match in the most
dramatic fashion, sending a winner past Pospisil who had tumbled over.
"This is one of the sweetest wins of my career
and I hereby thank my team mates for their fantastic support," a
delighted Tipsarevic said in a courtside interview after being mobbed by
the rest of Serbia's squad.
"See you right here in November in the final, in another epic encounter against the Czechs," he added.
Serbia beat the Czech Republic 3-2 in the 2010 semi-final in Belgrade before losing the 2012 quarter-finals 4-1 away.
_______________________________
United win as Chelsea stunned by Everton |
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Rooney makes triumphant return for Man United as Chelsea are beaten and Manchester City draw in English Premier League.
Wayne Rooney returned to give Manchester
United manager David Moyes his maiden win at Old Trafford as the
champions beat Crystal Palace 2-0, while Jose Mourinho suffered the
first English Premier League defeat of his second spell at Chelsea.
Rooney had missed United's defeat at Liverpool
and England's World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine after
suffering a gashed head in a training ground collision with team-mate
Phil Jones.
But, wearing a black headband to protect the
damaged area, Rooney marked his return to action with his first goal of
the season in the 81st minute.
Robin van Persie had struck from the spot to
give United the lead in first-half stoppage-time after Palace's South
African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi was sent off for fouling Ashley
Young.
Moyes sent on Belgian midfielder Marouane
Fellaini for his United debut in the 61st minute following his $43.7
million move from Everton on transfer deadline day.
With Alex Ferguson watching from the stands
for the first time since his retirement, United sealed their first win
in three league games - and Moyes's first on home soil since his arrival
as Ferguson's successor - thanks to Rooney's fine free-kick.
"He tired a bit in the second half but I thought he was great in everything he did," Moyes said of Rooney.
"I wanted him to get 90 minutes under his belt, which is important with the busy week we have coming up."
Chelsea lose
Meanwhile, Mourinho's Chelsea, who taken seven
points in his first three matches, paid the price for failing to
convert their early chances as Steven Naismith's goal in first half
stoppage-time gave Everton a 1-0 win - their first under new boss
Roberto Martinez - at Goodison Park.
Naismith, who was celebrating his 27th
birthday, headed in after Chelsea debutant Samuel Eto'o and winger Andre
Schurrle both squandered golden opportunities.
Mourinho said: "We didn't deserve to lose
because we were the best team. But on the other hand we had 21 shots,
some of them easy shots, and we didn't score, so we can't complain."
At Sunderland, Mesut Ozil, Arsenal's club
record signing, made an instant impact during his 79-minute appearance,
while team-mate Aaron Ramsey continued his fine start to the campaign in
the Gunners' 3-1 victory.
Ozil, signed from Real Madrid on transfer
deadline day for £42 million, didn't take long to show his class as the
Germany midfielder produced a brilliant touch to control a long ball and
then squared for Olivier Giroud, who made no mistake with a cool finish
in the 11th minute.
Sunderland drew level when Laurent Koscielny
needlessly fouled Adam Johnson in the penalty area and Craig Gardner
drove home the resulting spot-kick in the 48th minute.
But Ramsey restored Arsenal's advantage in the
67th minute with a superb volley and the Wales midfielder wrapped up
his side's third league win of the season as he finished off a slick
move nine minutes later.
The win put Arsenal on top of the table on goal difference.
Ramsey was quick to hail Ozil's impact,
saying: "You've seen what he is all about, slipping those balls in, he
has one of highest assist-rates in Europe and he is going to create a
lot of opportunities for us."
Comfortable win
Tottenham started the post-Gareth Bale era with a 2-0 win against Norwich at White Hart Lane.
Bale joined Real Madrid just before the
transfer deadline earlier this month but the Welsh winger's move doesn't
seem to have unsettled Andre Villas-Boas's team, who have won three of
their four matches this term.
They were ahead when Danish winger Christian
Eriksen, signed from Ajax to fill the gap left by Bale, slid the ball
perfectly into the path of Gylfi Sigurdsson, who hammered home in the
28th minute.
Iceland midfielder Sigurdsson killed off Norwich with his second goal, from Paulinho's cross, four minutes after half-time.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes frustrated his
former club as Manchester City were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw at
the Britannia Stadium.
Yoan Gouffran was Newcastle's star as the Magpies won 2-1 at Aston Villa.
Alan Pardew's team moved in front when Hatem Ben Arfa lashed home in the 18th minute.
Christian Benteke brought Villa level in the
67th minute. But Newcastle took the points thanks to French midfielder
Gouffran six minutes later.
Hull and Cardiff shared a 1-1 draw in a clash
between the two clubs who won automatic promotion from the Championship
last season.
Steve Sidwell's 22nd minute strike gave Fulham
the lead at Craven Cottage but West Bromwich Albion rescued a 1-1 draw
when Gareth McAuley netted in the 90th minute.
|
_________________________________________
'In Guus we trust'
Is a reunion with former head coach Guus Hiddink a wise move ahead of 2014 World Cup campaign?
It is never wise, they say, to go back to an
old flame. So, is the Australian football fraternity courting disaster
by contemplating a reunion with former head coach Guus Hiddink ahead of
the 2014 FIFA World Cup?
This week, Hiddink’s agent Cees van
Nieuwenhuizen confirmed that the currently unattached Dutchman would be
open to an approach from Football Federation Australia (FFA).
Hiddink remains a much-loved figure in
Australia after guiding the Socceroos to their best-ever World Cup
finish at Germany in 2006 where they made the knockout stages before
losing 1-0 to eventual champions, Italy after a disputed, last-minute
penalty.
"In Guus We Trust" became the fans’ mantra as
the Socceroos emerged from a group of death containing Brazil, Croatia
and Japan, driven by Hiddink’s bold tactics. His face even ended up on
an Australian postage stamp.
Of course, there is no official word that FFA
will part ways with their current manager, Holger Osieck. But the German
is reportedly on shaky ground after the Socceroos were thrashed 6-0 by
World Cup hosts Brazil in last weekend’s friendly in Brasilia.
During the 2006 World Cup, Australia faced a
much stronger Brazil team in Munich. Yet they held the Selecao scoreless
in the first half before losing 2-0, the second goal coming on the
break in the 90th minute as the Socceroos pushed for an equaliser.
Osieck will argue that the team of seven years
ago was far more adept than today’s crop. At the 2006 World Cup, more
than half of the squad played in the three top leagues of Europe. The
2014 selection could have just two players from the English Premier
League and perhaps only one from the Bundesliga.
Dad's Army
But seven years after the highs of Germany,
Osieck is still clinging on to the nation’s so-called Golden Generation,
very much Dad’s Army, as the Great Southern Land marches hesitantly –
and very slowly – towards Brazil. Amazingly, as many as ten of the 2006
squad could be picked again for the 2014 tournament.
Captain Lucas Neill turns 36 three months
before the tournament begins next June and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer
will be almost 42. Harry Kewell will be 35 while Tim Cahill and Mark
Bresciano will be 34. Even Mark Milligan, who was the baby of the 2006
squad, turns 32 just three weeks after the 2014 final.
Part of the problem is that the new crop of players hasn’t blossomed in the way that many people hoped they would.
Midfielder Brett Holman, touted as the next
Aussie star of the English Premier League, jumped ship at Aston Villa
after one unfulfilled season and headed for the riches of Al Nasr in the
UAE Arabian Gulf League.
 |
| Rising star of the Australian squad, Robbie Kruse [GETTY] |
Striker Scott McDonald, the 2007-2008
top-scorer in the Scottish Premier League and regular for Celtic in the
UEFA Champions League, is now languishing in England’s second tier with
struggling Millwall and has never found the net at senior national
level. Winger Nathan Burns, once dubbed the new Harry Kewell, is back in
the A-League after frustrating spells in Greece and Korea.
The brightest hopes are Bayer Leverkusen
striker Robbie Kruse, Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic and FC Utrecht winger
Tommy Oar, yet Kruse and Rogic are often warming the benches of their
respective clubs.
Initially, Osieck made an impressive
improvement, taking Australia to the final of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He
freshened up the Socceroos’ 2010 World Cup squad by injecting newcomers
like Sasa Ognenovski, Matt McKay and Mile Jedinak. The passing and
movement were crisp and a 6-0 semi-final demolition of Uzbekistan proved
what was possible when the team clicked.
But the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign was
often turgid, with defeats to Oman and Jordan and some unconvincing
victories. Passage to Brazil was only secured on their final matchday
when Josh Kennedy’s late header gave Australia a 1-0 home victory over an Iraq side, packed with inexperienced teenagers tuning up for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Quick fix
Some might argue that Hiddink’s appointment
would be only a short-term solution. But that is exactly what the
Socceroos’ need, with the 2014 World Cup followed by the 2015 AFC Asian
Cup on Aussie soil from January 9th.
Worryingly, Lucas Neill has already been
appointed Captain Ambassador for the Asian Cup, which hints at the
central defender’s continuing on-field involvement. A fine servant of
the game, Neill has played just a handful of club matches over the past
two years and recently signed a short-term deal with Omiya Ardija in the
J-League as he scrambles for game-time.
At the 2010 World Cup where Australia gave a
respectable performance despite conceding two red cards (1 win, 1 draw, 1
loss), Neill was already approaching the twilight of his career. If you
remove his leadership credentials, there is no way that a struggling
Neill should be trying to contain the likes of Neymar, Mario Balotelli
and Lionel Messi.
But it is highly unlikely that Osieck would
dare contemplate leaving out the 82-cap veteran, who is aiming for his
third straight appearance at the FIFA showcase.
The beauty of Hiddink’s management style is
its brutal honesty. This is the man who walked into the Australian
set-up in 2005 after the chaos of the Frank Farina reign and made some
very harsh decisions.
He dumped 2004 Olympics' captain Ljobo
Milicevic from the squad. He refused to play veterans Stan Lazaridis and
Josip Skoko at Germany '06, even though both were with English Premier
League clubs. He got phenomenal performances out of Brett Emerton, Scott
Chipperfield and Vince Grella after a boot camp-like pre-tournament
training camp. And he unearthed unlikely gems like Luke Wilshire whom he
plucked from third-tier Bristol City.
During a famous interview with Dutch TV during
the tournament, Hiddink compared the Socceroos to a lower league team
in the Netherlands in terms of their technical ability – but with an
unbelievably big heart. One might argue that the heart remains, but
without the self-belief and structure.
Since parting ways with the Socceroos in July
2006, Hiddink has had mixed success as national coach of both Turkey and
Russia and as club manager for Chelsea (caretaker) and Anzhi
Makhachkala.
He’s egotistical, eccentric and very expensive
– but he could be just the tonic that the Socceroos need. Given his
reputation Down Under, you would immediately sense a different vibe in
the dressing room. And he’d be tough enough to tap a few oldies on the
shoulder and quickly show them the door.
As former Socceroo Jason Culina, who played
for Hiddink at PSV Eindhoven so eloquently put it: "What would be
better: going to the World Cup with a young experimental team, building
for the future and losing every game 3-0 – or going with the older
established team and losing by the same margins?"
Former Argentina and Chile coach Marcelo
Bielsa has been touted as another possible replacement for Osieck, but
his lack of English speaking skills might limit his impact in a
short-term role.
Given their current predicament, there is not
much downside if Australia put Guus the Great in charge. If nothing
else, he will refuse to play favourites and put on-field performances
above everything else.
Jason Dasey (www.jasondasey.com) is an
Asia-based football broadcaster. He covered the Socceroos at the 2006
World Cup and 2007 Asian Cup. Twitter: @JasonDasey: news" aljazeera"
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