Monday Open Thread: Relegation Nation

Adopt the squeaky bum position and join us for a tense afternoon in the EPL and Colaship.

Two games. Four teams. Three in deep doo-doo. One Highlander. Etc.

As you can see above, the lads at George Keeley’s have graciously jerry-rigged some bootleg A/V with ESPN360 piped onto a TV. Bigus is currently there, wearing a hole in the floor with his frantic pacing up and down the bar as we await kick-off from Carrow Road.

So yeah, you can watch Norwich/Reading on a computer-destroying ESPN360 should you wish.

Oh, and something about Alan Shearer.

TODAY:
Newcastle v. Portsmouth
—–
The Bland Alans: Shay Given’s Less Talented Replacement, Beye, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique, Smith, Nicky Butt, Hard-Workin’ Duff, Aussie who should retire, Martins, Crocked Midget.
Subs: The Evil Krul!, Barton the Thuggish, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Peter “Peace” Lovenkrands, Edgar, Carroll.

Pompey: Butterfingers James, Glen Johnson, Solololol Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Davis, Belhadj, Hughes, Mullins, The Nuuuug, Man Who Hopes to Have Nachos.
Subs: Begovic, Pennant, Pamarot, Utaka, Cranie, Kanu, Basinas.

With Mike Riley in charge, you can almost smell the botched penalty decision that swings the game dramatically to favour one side. Shearer has done nothing to lift the Magpies whatsoever, so I’m going with a dramatic, agonizing 1-1 draw.

Norwich v. Reading
—–
Canaries: Marshall, Otsemobor, Shackell, Doherty, Bertrand, Gow, Clingan, Russell, Carney, Lee, McDonald.
Subs: Nelson, Cureton, Lappin, Leijer, Daley

Hooped Spoilers: Hahnemann, Rosenior, Bikey, Duberry, Harding, Cisse, Karacan, Kebe, Little, Kitson, Long.
Subs: Federici, Matejovsky, Doyle, S Hunt, Pearce

No clue here. Narrow, fraught, desperate 1-0 home win via a late goal from a teenager. Or something like that.

Written by Darkvader on April 27th, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Lingering Bursitis and Newcastle United and Norwich City and Open Thread and Reading and Relegation and portsmouth.

Wednesday Open Thread

Huh. There are two matches today as well. While there is little to no hope that either of these will capture the imagination the way yesterday’s Liverarse second half did, we will still play attention.

Unless the games suck, then we can get on with everything else.

Anyway, lineups and your comments are found after this link.

Spartak London-Everton (FSC)
FA Cup final preview, more or less. At least this one won’t go into extra time
Spartak: Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, EBJT, Cole; Ballack, Essien, Lampard; Drogba, Anelka, Malouda. Subs: Hilario, Di Santo, John Obi Mikel Obi John, Kalou, Belletti, Manicienne, Mellis.
Everton: Howard; Jacobsen, Lescott, Yobo, Baines; Osman, Castillo, Neville, Pienaar; Jo, Cahill. Subs: Nash, Hibbert, Jagielka, Saha, Vaughan, Rodwell, Gosling.

Manchester United-Portsmouth (Setanta)
An easy win, right? Not much reason to even pay attention.
Man U: van der Sar; Neville, Vidic, Evans (rapist), Evra; Fletcher, Scholes, Anderson, Giggs; Ronaldo, Rooney. Subs: Kuscz…, Berbs, Carrick, Nani, Rafael, O’Shea, Tevez.
Pompey: Calamity; Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson; Davis, Mullins, Hughes, Belhadj, Nugent; Nacho Pete. Subs: Begovic, Pennant, Pemarot, Utaka, Cranie, Kanu, Basinas.

Written by Darkvader on April 22nd, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Not as good as yesterday and Open Thread and ü75.

Chelsea Hiddink Plans And International Week

National service leaves Premier League bosses with a nervy wait and deserted training pitches

There will certainly be some empty training grounds among the Barclays Premier League clubs this week.

With players on international duty in all corners of the globe, the top-flight managers have 10 days of fretting to ensure their boys come back wrapped in cotton wool.

Manchester City have the most players on international duty (18), but United, Chelsea and Arsenal are not far behind with 16 or 17 players from each club representing their countries.

Liverpool have released half of the Spain team and there’s a large French contingent leaving the Emirates, while Bolton provide the only representative from Oman and a Portsmouth player is the sole Canadian.

From Ecuador to Egypt and Switzerland to Slovakia there will be Premier League players busting a gut for their national team.

Sportsmail looks at the men who are swapping their day jobs for some international jet-setting.

Arsenal (17)

Aston Villa (9)

Scroll down for more

Blackburn (10)

Bolton (8)

Chelsea (16)

Scroll down for more

Natural leaders: Ballack left) and Terry wear the armbands on international duty

Everton (11)

Fulham (9)

Hull City (8)

Liverpool (16)

Manchester City (18)

Manchester United (16)

Middlesbrough (6)

Newcastle (4)

Portsmouth (11)

Stoke (5)

Sunderland (9)

Tottenham (13)

West Brom (4)

West Ham (11)

Wigan (8)

Erik Edman (Sweden)

Mido (Egypt)

Amr Zaki (Egypt)

Chelsea face up to life without Hiddink as plans are made for next season

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck insists the club have started planning for next season without Guus Hiddink because they can’t afford to wait until November to see if he can become their permanent manager.

Hiddink, who is also coach of Russia, took over in February on the proviso he would only stay until the end of the season.

The 62-year-old has made a big impact at Stamford Bridge, but is determined to help Russia qualify for next year’s World Cup.

He revealed last week he has a clause in his Russia contract which could see him leave in November should they fail to qualify and will meet officials in Moscow tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss the situation.

But Buck said: ‘The situation is the same as it was when he came. We are planning on that basis.’

Forget Liverpool - Hiddink is already planning a last hurrah with Chelsea in Rome Euro final

Guus Hiddink has brushed off Liverpool’s Champions League challenge by insisting he expects Chelsea to overcome the Reds and reach the final in Rome.

The Dutchman admits he was heartbroken that his team lost at Tottenham and is now focusing on European glory after conceding the Barclays Premier League title appeared to be out of reach.

Hiddink reiterated the official line that he will leave Chelsea to resume full control of Russia at the end of the season, though he intends to go out on a high.

‘It’s true that many people have urged me to stay on at Chelsea,’ he told Russian newspaper Sovetksi Sport. ‘I’m tired of repeating the same thing over and over.

‘But the situation has not changed; I will leave Chelsea in May. I intend that this is very late in the month - after the match in Rome.’

With Liverpool firmly embroiled in the fight for the Premier League title following Manchester United’s back-to-back defeats, Chelsea hope the Reds will be distracted when they meet in the Champions League quarter-final over two legs next month.

The winners face Barcelona or Bayern Munich in the last four, but Hiddink will be able to give plenty of attention to the European assault after admitting that Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at White Hart Lane had left them with little hope of winning the league.

‘My heart is full of bitterness and sorrow,’ he said of defeat to Spurs. ‘Chelsea missed a great chance to catch up with Manchester United.

‘Neither Liverpool nor Chelsea can now make the slightest mistake. Liverpool can take advantage and we, unfortunately, can’t.’

He said the title race was continuing, but admitted: ‘We still need to win all our remaining matches. As you can see, this will be quite difficult.’

Hiddink, preparing his Russia squad for World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein, said he would leave the national team post in the autumn if they failed to qualify for South Africa 2010.

But he insisted this did not have a bearing on his future in England. ‘We will do everything - and even more - to qualify for the World Cup,’ he said.

‘But if not, the (Russian Football Union) will certainly want to find new strategies for the development of football in the country. And for that they need other people, not me. In that situation, I am ready to leave in November.’

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka an injury doubt for Champions League clashes with Liverpool

Nicolas Anelka is a major doubt for the first leg of Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool after aggravating his fractured big toe in the defeat against Tottenham on Saturday.

Anelka has withdrawn from the France squad for the World Cup qualification double-header against Lithuania.

A statement on the French FA website claimed Anelka would be out for three weeks, meaning Chelsea’s top scorer could also miss the second leg against Liverpool.

However, Chelsea medical staff are hopeful Anelka is set for a shorter lay-off.

Written by Jackson Ng Ghim Pheng True Blue Chelsea Fan on March 31st, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Football-Player.

Portsmouth 0-1 Chelsea –Late Drogba Goal Secures Win For Chelsea At Portsmouth

Didier Drogba struck late on to earn title-chasing Chelsea a vital win against Portsmouth in horrendous weather conditions.

The striker hit a crisp shot into the bottom corner from a Jose Bosingwa cross with 12 minutes remaining.

Drogba had earlier narrowly failed to connect with an Ashley Cole driven cross as Chelsea dominated possession.

Relegation-threatened Pompey were kept at bay by Blues keeper Petr Cech, who saved from Sean Davis and David Nugent.

Both clubs had shown their ruthless side in sacking their respective managers within 24 hours of each other back in early February.

However, neither could replicate such a merciless approach on the pitch for much of this match at a cold, rain-lashed Fratton Park.

With the more expensive, explosive arsenal at their disposal Chelsea looked the more dangerous from the start but this served only to further highlight their wastefulness.

Hiddink delighted with ‘hard-working’ win

Drogba, enjoying top-billing again up front for the visitors in the absence of top-scorer Nicolas Anelka, first narrowly failed to connect with a driven ball across the face of goal from Cole and then had a shot well saved by David James.

James, making his 100th appearance in Pompey colours, flirted between triumph and disaster throughout the half.

Such adverse conditions are tailor-made to embarrass goalkeepers, especially occasionally error-prone ones of James’s ilk.

The England keeper spilled a Florent Malouda cross and then similarly failed to hold on to a Frank Lampard shot, but on both occasions a Pompey defender was on hand to hammer clear unchallenged.

Such instances were in stark contrast to James’ later contributions when he was on hand to tip over a Michael Ballack header and then palm away a daisy-cutting free-kick from Alex.
At the other end, to the detriment of his body temperature Cech was largely inactive.

One of the hallmarks of class though is the ability to employ talent when required and Cech did so to save one-handed from a 30-yard Davis thunderbolt midway through the half.

Cech was again called upon to rescue Chelsea in the first meaningful action of the second half as a rare John Terry mistake allowed Nugent to run clear and force the Czech keeper into an excellent two-handed save.

In search of inspiration Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink introduced Ricardo Quaresma and it almost paid instant dividends as his tantalising right-wing cross found Drogba, but his header was misdirected owing to the presence of Pompey defender Herman Hreidarsson.

Chelsea’s increasing desperation resulted in a dangerously cavalier approach and Portsmouth almost took advantage when Crouch ran clear and crossed for the onrushing Nico Kranjcar but he tamely poked wide.

Pompey boss confident of survival

So often this season Drogba has had to be content with a substitute role, a position he has been visibly frustrated by.

However, in this, his 200th appearance for the club, he thrust himself back into the limelight with the game’s decisive act.

Bosingwa’s cross eluded the swinging right-foot of Ballack and ricocheted off Sol Campbell before falling at the feet of the Ivorian striker, who placed a crisp, composed, side-foot shot into the bottom left corner.

The visitors endured a nervy final 10 minutes but held on to preserve Hiddink’s 100% record as temporary boss and consign Portsmouth manager Paul Hart to the first defeat of his tenure.

Portsmouth caretaker manager Paul Hart:

“It is definitely a disappointing result but I thought it was a tremendous performance.

“We had a strategy and the boys kept to it. We created chances on the back of that but against the top teams you have to stick them away.

“I think we could have won but two saves by Cech were outstanding. I thought we deserved at least a point.

“There are a lot of disappointed players in the dressing room but they know they put in a performance that merited a little bit more.

“It is how we respond to that now. We have a difficult period of the season to come. We can take heart from the way we played.”

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant (Utaka 70), Mullins, Davis, Kranjcar, Crouch, Nugent.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Kanu, Kaboul, Pamarot, Basinas, Belhadj.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Ashley Cole, Mikel (Belletti 56), Ballack (Mancienne 90), Lampard, Kalou (Quaresma 60), Drogba, Malouda.
Subs Not Used: Hilario, Ivanovic, Di Santo, Ferreira.

Goals: Drogba 79.

Att: 20,326

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).

man of the match: Chelsea’s Petr Cech 7.48 (on 90 minutes).

Written by Darkvader on March 4th, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Results.

Portsmouth v Chelsea

PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Fratton Park Date: Tuesday, 3 March Kick-off: 1945 GMT

Portsmouth return from a 10-day break, and are likely to name an unchanged side from the draw at Stoke.

Midfielder Richard Hughes is back in training, but will not be considered for the game at Fratton Park.

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink will again be without defender Ricardo Carvalho as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Portugal midfielder Deco is again doubtful because of a hamstring injury while Michael Essien is on the brink of full fitness after a long-term injury.

Portsmouth (from): James, Johnson, Distin, Campbell, Hreidarsson, Pennant, Davis, Basinas, Kranjcar, Nugent, Crouch, Begovic, Belhadj, A Traore, Pamarot, Mvuemba, Gekas, Kanu, Little, Thomas.

Chelsea (from): Cech, Mancienne, Alex, Terry, A Cole, Ballack, Mikel, Lampard, Kalou, Anelka, Drogba, Hilario, Quaresma, Ivanovic, Di Santo, Malouda, Ferreira, Belletti.

Portsmouth caretaker manager Paul Hart:
“Chelsea are very good. They have some world class players and we have to guard against that.

Pompey boss Hart eyes Chelsea upset

“But it is not like we are going to go out there and start putting up the shutters. When we can play we will play.

“You only have to look at last weekend’s results to see some strange things can happen at this stage of the season.”

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard:
“Guus Hiddink has obviously made a positive difference to the team. He’s come in within a short space of time to try make the difference.

Players working harder for Hiddink - Lampard

“He’s done it by just saying the simple things and getting us working hard on the training ground and tactically working hard to organise us a bit better.

“I have been very impressed and enjoyed working with him. The players have reacted and we needed to do that.”

Make your Premier League predictions

BIG-MATCH FACTS

Chelsea can close the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United to four points with victory at Fratton Park over a Portsmouth side who are just two points above the drop zone. United visit Newcastle on Wednesday night.

Chelsea have won two more away games in the top division, than Pompey have managed home and away combined; nine to seven (five home, two away).

The Londoners are defending a 100% record of three wins out of three under Guus Hiddick; Portsmouth have claimed four points out of six under caretaker Paul Hart.

Portsmouth took their first Premier League point off Chelsea in last season’s 1-1 draw at Fratton Park. Pompey have lost all the other 10 meetings with the Blues in this league.

It’s 23 league matches and over half a century since Pompey last tasted victory over the Blues - a 3-0 top flight triumph at Fratton Park on Boxing Day 1957.

Distance between the clubs: 70 miles (113 kilometres)
This is one of Portsmouth’s shortest journeys of the entire Premier League season.

CLUB FORM

PORTSMOUTH
Club stats

16th 28 points
Highest mathematically achievable: 12th
Lowest could fall: 16th
Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League

1. Followed three successive league losses with a 2-0 home win over Manchester City, and a goalless draw away to Stoke last time out on 21 February.

2. Won one of 11 Premier League matches, losing seven of them.

3. Kept one clean sheet in 12 Premier League games.

4. 13 points down on this corresponding stage last season, when seventh in the table.

4. Lost 10 of the 13 league matches in which the opposition have scored the opening goal.

5. Won only one of 14 matches against clubs currently in the top-half; 0-3, away to Everton on 30 August.

6. Need to score one more goal to total 250 in the Premier League.

7. Lost all five matches against Big Four clubs, and not beaten a member of the quartet (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United) since a 2-1 home victory over Liverpool on 28 April 2007.

8. Picked up points from four of eight league games against London clubs this term, including one win; 2-0, home to Tottenham on 28 September.

9. Still to visit Manchester United and host Arsenal amongst their 11 remaining league fixtures after this.
Fixtures

CHELSEA
Club stats

2nd 55 points
Highest achievable: 2nd
Lowest could fall: 3rd
Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League

1. Won the last four in all competitions, but only two of the quartet was in the Premier League.

2. Three points down on their total at this identical stage last term; their lowest return for six years.

3. The only club not to have faced a penalty in this Premier League campaign.

4. Lost only one of the 16 matches in which they opened the scoring, won 14.

5. Gained their first win in five away league games with a 0-1 victory over Aston Villa in their last fixture on the road on 21 February.

6. This match precedes the Champions League clash, away to Juventus, which Chelsea lead 1-0 from the home leg.
Fixtures

KEY PLAYER NOTES

PORTSMOUTH
Squad profiles

Sylvain DISTIN and David JAMES are the only remaining players to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Portsmouth’s Premier League matches this season.

Peter CROUCH is a double shy of 50 career Premier League goals (Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool and Portsmouth).

If selected:-

JAMES will be making his 100th league appearance for Portsmouth, and extending the Premier League appearance record to 538.

Sol CAMPBELL will be making his 100th appearance in Portsmouth colours.

Glen JOHNSON will be facing former team mates. The 23 year old England international made 40 league appearances and scored three goals in four seasons for the Londoners from July 2003.

CHELSEA
Squad profiles

Frank LAMPARD is the only remaining player to have started all of Chelsea’s Premier League matches this season.

Nicolas ANELKA is the top-scoring Premier League player with 21 club goals in all competitions, and is leading the race for the Barclays Golden Boot with 15 Premier League goals.

If selected:-

Paulo FERRIERA will be making his 100th Premier League appearance - all in Chelsea colours.

Didier DROGBA will be making his 200th appearance for the Blues.

HEAD TO HEAD

Chelsea have kept clean sheets in nine of their 11 Premier League matches against Portsmouth. They won the first four games at Fratton Park 0-2, before last season’s 1-1 draw.

The Londoners thrashed Pompey 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in August to set up the possibility of a fifth Premier League double over their south coast opponents.

Portsmouth have lost more games (10) and dropped more points (32) to Chelsea than to any other club in the Premier League.

Chelsea participated in one of Pompey’s highest scoring home draws in league football, when they shared eight goals at Fratton Park on the last day of 1955.

Home and away
League (inc PL): Portsmouth 19 wins, Chelsea 30, Draws 22
Prem: Portsmouth 0 wins, Chelsea 10, Draws 1

at Portsmouth only
League (inc PL): Portsmouth 13 wins, Chelsea 12, Draws 10
Prem: Portsmouth 0 wins, Chelsea 4, Draws 1

LAST SEASON’S CORRESPONDING GAME

Portsmouth 1-1 Chelsea
2 February 2008 - Ref: Howard Webb
Portsmouth scorer: Defoe 64
Chelsea scorer: Anelka 55

THIS SEASON’S REVERSE FIXTURE

Chelsea 4-0 Portsmouth
17 August 2008 - Ref: Mike Dean
Chelsea scorers: Joe Cole 12, Anelka 26, Lampard 45 pen, Deco 89

REFEREE

Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)

Written by Darkvader on March 3rd, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Prematch review.

A Snowy End to the Silly Season

The transfer deadline open thread turned into a bit of an impromptu liveblog in the comments. So we’d like to thank everyone who participated as we waited to see primarily if Robbie Keane would go back to White Hart Lane and, given the twists and turns, if Andrei Arshavin would turn out to be Kaiser Soze.

It seems to be well enough reported now that both are done deals (with the latter only waiting to be signed off on by the Premier League).

The Gunners ultimately get their man, but is it what they needed? Central defense and defensive midfield are still the areas of greatest need, but after a lackluster home draw to West Ham over the weekend, it’s hard to argue with adding some creative attacking to the side.

There will be a lot of ambivalence among the Gooners over Wenger finally flashing cash for this guy, but I think for simply avoiding embarrassment there is at least relief that the Russian will be suiting up at the Emirates.

As for their “rivals” at Tottenham, Harry seems busy reassembling the team that finished in 11th place last season. That’s good managing. With Jermain Defoe now out 10 weeks with a broken foot, Keane’s return certainly addresses an immediate need. It’s a bit puzzling though, not from a Spurs standpoint, but from Liverpool’s.

The Reds paid £19M for the striker in the summer. Now they ship him back for a fee reported to be around £12M (with escalators). Did they not keep the receipt? Why take a loss on a player especially when Spurs had to have been desperate to get him back (was this Rafa basically saying “Up yours” to Rick Parry?).

It actually seemed like a brilliant move when rumors started swirling that David Villa would be coming in to Anfield (click-drag the image into your browser’s address bar to get a better view of the highlighted bits of the wikipedia screengrab—and hat tip to commenter Mike Georger for the heads up). Valencia are going broke, so they need money. If Liverpool could unload Keane and get Villa to pair with Fernando Torres (even with a modest net loss), then Liverpool instantly look like an immediate threat to fight United for the league title. As it is, no Villa, and suddenly Liverpool’s chances hinge on El Niño’s tender hammy because after that it’s Babel, Ngog, and Kuyt.

All in all it was relatively quiet closing with other moves of note including:

Ricardo Quaresma in at Chelsea
Henri Camara in at Stoke
Jo in at Everton
Oliver Dacourt in at Fulham
Angelos Basinas in at Portsmouth
Charles N’Zogbia in at Wigan
Tal Ben Haim in at Sunderland
Youssouf Mulumbu in at WBA

Oh, and Norwich brought in Rangers man Alan Gow as well as Cody McDonald (Dratford) and Adrian Leijer (Fulham).

Ten bucks says that, at season’s end, everyone agrees that Moyes made the best move bringing in an out of favor Jo. Of course if you’re Jo there’s small consolation in knowing that at season’s end you’ll still be in the Premier League and Mark Hughes won’t.

Written by Darkvader on February 2nd, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Andrei Arshavin and Liverpool FC and Robbie Keane and Transfer bullshit.

Transfer Deadline Day Open Thread — Updated!

Just hours to go now (and by the time you see this, maybe moments) until the January window slams shut. As always, there remain a host of possible moves. Keane back to Spurs? Arshavin to Arsenal? Veloso to SF Bolton?? Anyone and Everyone to Citeh? We’ll keep count, with your aid and peerless commentary, right here.

Summary of the [more-or-less] confirmed Prem deals after the jump.

IN:
Everton– Jo (Man City)
Fulham– Olivier Dacourt (Inter loan), Gray (Coventry loan extended)
Newcastle– Ryan Taylor (Wigan)
Portsmouth– Angelos Basinas (AEK loan)
Stoke– Henri Camara (Wigan loan)
Tottenham– Robbie Keane (Liverpool)
West Brom– Youssouf Mulumbu (PSG loan), JC Menseguez (San Lorenzo loan)
Wigan– Charles N’Zogbia (Newcastle)
Chelsea– Ricardo Quaresma (Inter loan)

Written by Darkvader on February 2nd, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Andrei Arshavin and Manchester City and Robbie Keane and Stupid Fucking Bolton and transfer window.

Euro 2008 Liveblog: Greece v. Russia

Grecian model Aleka Kamila: May or may not be wearing panties.

Russian model Natalia Vodianova: Looks angry.

Once again, join me after the jump for the liveblog.

The Greece starting XI for coach Otto Rehhagel:

GK - Nikopolidis
DEF - Seitaridis (2); Patsatzoglou (3); Dellas (5); Torosidis (15); Kyrgiakos (16)
MID - Basinas (6)(C); Katsouranis (21)
ST - Charisteas (9); Amanatidis (20); Liberopoulos (23)

The Russian starting XI for coach Guus Hiddink:

GK - Akinfeev
DEF - Ignashevich (4); Kolodin (8); Anyukov (22)
MID - Torbinski (8); Semak (11); Bilyaletdinov (15); Zyryanov (17); Zhirkov (18); Semshov (20)
ST - Pavlyuchenko (19)

This match is being played at EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim (Bless You!) in Salzburg. The officiating crew is:

Centre official: Roberto Rosetti (ITA)
Assistant referees: Allesandro Griselli (ITA); Paolo Calcagno (ITA)
4th official: Olegario Benquerenca (POR)

Programming note: Due to the fact that the Greeks and the Russians all have crazy names, I will most likely be referring to kit numbers (rather than names) during the action. If you don't like it, kiss my arse.

Last time out, Russia lost 4-1 to Spain thanks to the magic boot of David Villa, while Greece lost 2-0 to Sweden. Given the result of today's earlier match, a win for either side here ties them for second place on 3 points.

Programming note: If this game is a nil-nil snoozer at half-time, this liveblog will be handed over to Precious Roy for some interesting notes on product development and management. You've been warned.



00:01 - And we're off!

00:02 - Anyone bored yet? Assholes. Sure, I get the crappy game - I blame The Fan's Attic, Freemasons, and the Pentaverate.

00:30 - Poor touch from the Russians leads to an early chance for Greece, but Akinfeev is out quickly.

01:30 - Free kick for the Russians after Zhirkov is taken down by Dellas. The result is a ball played in and cleared by the Greeks.

02:42 - Nikolopidis stops using his Grecian Hair Formula for Men long enough to pick up a weak shot from the Russians. His hair stays gray.

03:50 - Sloppy play at the back from the Greeks, but they eventually clear the ball. This game is a volleyball match so far, with play taking place in the middle third of the pitch.

05:50 - Amanatidis gets a boot to the head, and the resulting free kick gets played wide to Torosidis, whose shot is directly at Akinfeev.

07:40 - Long ball over the top for the Greeks, and Akinfeev doesn't come out for it, forcing his defender to play it out for a throw-in. The throw comes in and Semak attempts a bicycle kick to clear. Liberopoulos is unfairly called for fouling Semak and the Russians clear it.

10:45 - Shot from Bilyaletdinov, but it goes high over the bar.

12:11 - After 30 seconds of more volleyball, the ball is sent over the touchline. This is truly ugly footy.

12:58 - Seitaridis gets beautiful through-ball to the corner, but his attempted cross falls right into the hands of Akinfeev. The Russians respond by building through the midfield, resulting in a shot from Pavlyuchenko and a good save from Nikopolidis.

14:00 - The corner kick comes in and Zhirkov gets off a nice half-volley that curls wide left.

15:45 - Liberopoulos goes down in the box after a tug on the shirt, but nothing is given. The ball comes down the other hand and the Russian shot caroms off Dellas, but the linesman had already called for offsides.

17:47 - The ball is played through to Zhirkov, who taps it back to Torbinski but Basinas plays it out for the Greeks.

19:40 - Free kick for the Greeks from 35 yards out, and the ball is played into the box. Charisteas is right there but fails to put it in the net. The second corner comes back out to near midfield and is eventually played out for a Russian throw.

22:50 - A long ball to Charisteas is played to Patsatzoglou, who turns it back to Charisteas. A poor shot results, going over the bar.

25:10 - The Greeks are definitely getting the better of the ball possession at this point, playing passes mostly through the middle with occasional forays into the box.

They just showed a Greek fan wearing a sleeveless denim jacket. This may explain much about the state of their country.

29:20 - A dangerous ball in from Zhirkov comes back out to the Russians at the 18, but the ensuing shot is directly at Nikopolidis.

30:10 - A long-range shot from Patsatzoglou is directly Akinfeev. Neither keeper has had too much work so far.

32:40 - GOAL! Russia 1 - Greece 0. A ridiculous mistake from Nikopolidis. The Russians play the ball around the left end of the pitch, eventually sending a ball over the keeper's head toward the endline. Nikopolidis comes out too far to get it and Semak keeps the ball in bounds, sending it back towards the middle to be slotted home into the open net by Zyryanov.

34:00 - Russian send forward another attack and should have a second goal, but it bounces down and then up over the bar.

36:00 - After a quick save by Akinfeev, the Russians attack again, winning a corner. The ball is played in to the 6 and flies across the middle of the pitch for a second corner.

37:25 - The ball from the second corner is played out to midfield by the Greeks, but the Russians send it right back in. After some play around 20 yards, they get off a shot that rises above the bar.

39:00 - Seitaridis off, Karagounis (#10) on for Greece.

41:00 - Free kick for Greece after Semak dispossesses Karagounis. Absolutely no foul there, but the resulting ball is played in directly to the Russian defense. Ball don't lie.

41:51 - Yellow card for Karagounis for his tackel on Semshov. That's some karma. The free kick for the Russians is played in to the middle to build, but the ball goes out for a Greek throw-in.

42:50 - Free kick for the Greeks as Torbinski slides into Charisteas. The ball is played up the side, and eventually out by the Russians for a throw-in. The ball comes in to the box and Liberopoulos attempts a bicycle, which winds up in a corner.

44:19 - The Greek corner is played in to the box and comes back out to Karagounis. The ball played back in is null and void, as there was a Greek player offside.

45:00 (+01:05) - HALF-TIME.

Despite the bulk of the possession, the Greeks find themselves down 1-0 to the Russians thanks to some shambolic goal-keeping.

45:00 - And the Greeks have 45 minutes left to defend their crown.

45:30 - Off a free kick, Karagounis plays the ball through to Charisteas. DEspite being wide open, he turns and puts it directly at Akinfeev.

46:10 - The Russians come down to the other hand and Pavlyuchenko strikes a ball on the ground that Nikopolidis gobbles up.

47:00 - While a Greek defender is on the ground, writhing in agony, Pavlyuchenko strikes a ball from a difficult angle at Nikopolidis. The corner comes in and bounces off a Greek defender. The second corner is headed over the bar.

48:53 - Free kick for Greece as Karagounis is fouled by Zyryanov. The ball is played in from 35 yards by Basinas, but Amanatidis is unable to get a foot on it.

51:00 - Long ball through to a Greek forward, but he was offside and came back for it. The ARs have done a good job on offsides calls in this game.

51:58 - Pavlyuchenko makes a nice run, but strikes a shot just wide of the Greek goal rather than passing.

52:30 - The Greeks respond with a run from Karagounis, forcing Akinfeev into a nice save. The ball comes back and results in another save for a corner. The ball comes out to Karagounis, but the Greeks get shite out of it.

54:30 - The Greeks put some pressure in the 6-yard box, but Basinas puts it over the bar.

55:40 - Free kick for the Russians as Torobinski was fouled. The ball is played short and winds up in the box, where Bilyaletdinov goes down like he'd been shot by Karagounis. Nothing doing, and the Greeks play it out.

56:40 - The Russians pressure again, and Pavlyuchenko lays it off for Bilyaletdinov, who puts it just wide.

57:20 - Yellow card for Liberopoulos for dissent after a foul was called against him.

59:50 - Liberopoulos off, Gekas (#17) on for Greece.

60:30 - Pavlyuchenko makes a nice run, but fails to pass the ball off to the right to Zyryanov, who was wide open.

61:24 - Corner kick from the Russians goes directly to the defense, and the Greeks play it out.

62:40 - The Greeks get away with one. The ball is played in by Anyukov, and is pushed out by Nikopolidis. The Greeks fail to deal with it, and Bilyatedinov takes a shot that goes off a defender. The resulting corner yields nothing.

66:17 - The whistles from the crowd are getting louder, as the Greeks spend 3 minutes moving the ball with no positive result.

67:20 - A long ball in from Patsatzoglou results in a punch out from Akinfeev, leading to a corner. The ball is played in and headed down by Charisteas, but Akinfeev takes it.

69:00 - Bilyaletdinov off, Saenko (#9) on for Russia.

70:30 - A long ball through for Charisteas is laid off for Gekas. The ball is cleared, but only to Karagounis, who strikes a shot just left of the post.

72:02 - A long ball for the Russians is played to Pavlyuchenko, who takes a shot from 40 yards out which rises above the bar.

73:30 - After a nice spell of passing, the Russians play it over the touchline as Zhirkov is down injured after Dellas gave him a bit of the business.

75:00 - Free kick for the Russians as Basinas takes down Zyryanov at 20 yards. Looked like a legitimate tackle, but the foul is awarded. The resulting ball is shot directly into the wall.

76:17 - Yellow card for Saenko after an American football tackle on Karagounis after the ball came off the Greek defenders.

78:27 - Free kick for Greece is KAragounis is victimized yet again. Before the kick is taken, it's Stelios (#8) on for Amanatidis for Greece. The ball from the free kick is played into the 6-yard box, but cleared by Pavlyuchenko. The resulting throw-in for Greece leads to another Greek corner.

80:14 - The Greek corner is taken by Basinas, but Kyrgiakos heads it directly to Akinfeev.

81:25 - Corner for Russia, and the ball is played out to the 18 and back into the corner. Russia eventually wins a free kick after Karagounis fouls a Russian midfielder.

82:30 - The free kick from 20 yards is a shot, but it curls over the bar.

83:30 - Yellow card to Torbinski for time-wasting on the Russian throw-in.

85:10 - The Russians come up on the break but Kolodin is unable to make the pass, and the ball goes out for a Russian throw-in.

86:00 - Greece gets an opportunity and the ball makes it into the goal, but Gekas is ruled offsides in a very close call.

86:46 - Zhirkov off, Berezutski (#2) on for Russia.

87:33 - Foul as Torosidis teabags a Russian. The ball eventually results in a corner, where the ball is played around the box in a bit of time-wasting.

90:00 (+01:45) - LAst big push for the Greeks, but Kyrgiakos puts the ball over the bar.

90:00 (+01:39) - The Russians counter-attack, but Pavlyuchenko takes a shot in a 5-on-2 situation and it goes way over the bar.

90:00 (+02:13) - The Greeks attack again, but Gekas is caught offsides.

90:00 (+03:01) - FULL TIME. Russia 1 - Greece 0, and the defending champions are eliminated. The Russians still have it all to play for in their match against Sweden.

Written by Darkvader on June 14th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Euro 2008 and Greece and Russia and The NY Kid.

My Euro08 Group D Day 4 Analysis

Group D Analysis

Final Score : Spain 4 - 1 Russia

1st Half

Torres outwits Kolodin on the left-hand corner of the penalty area before toeing the ball past the advancing Akinfeev to Villa, who sidefoots the ball into the empty net ! 1-0 to Spain.
Unlucky Russia HIT THE POST! A low cross from the right reaches Konstantin Zyrianov at the back post, and he turns the ball against the left-hand upright from 15 yards! Spain counter-attack, and Torres gets in behind the Russia defence before flicking a shot over Akinfeev but wide of the near post! They break at pace from the corner, Iniesta slips a cute ball behind the Russia defence to Villa and he slots the ball between Akinfeev's legs to double Spain's lead! Lovely football.Double joy for Spain @ half-time Game Over.

2nd Half

Chance for Russia ! Bystrov gets his head to Zyrianov's cross from the left but puts his header straight at Casillas ! Spain go close twice! First, Senna's header from Xavi's corner is pushed out by Akinfeev, and then Silva follows up with a beautifully struck volley from outside the box that's straight at the Russia keeper ! HAT TRICK FOR DAVID VILLA ! He latches onto Fabregas's pass to the left-hand side of the area, cuts inside Shirokov and tucks the ball inside the near post ! Well Deserve man of the match performance and he e become the 1st hat trick hero in the Euro08 tournament.Russia's corner is flicked on at the near post by Shirokov before being powerfully headed home at the back post by Pavlyuchenko! And, for the first time in this tournament, both sides have scored in a game.Too little too late they should have pounce on Spain with free kicks and corners as most Spainish players are not even 1.8m tall and clearly look weak @ set piece suitations.David Villa scoops the ball into Xavi's path, Xavi's volley is parried by Akinfeev and Fabregas dives in to head home ! Icing on the cake and that is total disaster for Russia while joy all round for Spain.

Conclusion : Guus Hiddink got it all wrong as his makeshift backline totally didn't work and the Russia players except for hard working positive attitude striker Pavlyuchenko gave up the match after the 2 goals went in during the first half.Pavlyuchenko could have score more goals and deserve the goal for his effort one to look out for.Spain have it all too easy against Russia as their defence look disorganised and totally incapable for dealing with Villa and Torres.

Final Score : Greece 0 - 2 Sweden

1st Half

Charisteas weaves his way past a couple of defenders on the right-hand edge of the penalty area before driving in a low left-footer that's straight at Andreas Isaksson.Anders Svensson thumps a left-footed volley @ the edge of the box over the crossbar ! just inches away! Ljungberg curls a cross into the box from deep on the left and Ibrahimovic heads it inches over the bar with to produce a good save from Isaksson.Basinas ram the ball from distance and Isaksson drops to his left to push the ball around the post ! Boring 1st half.......

2nd Half

Wilhelmsson is picked out in acres of space on the Swedish right-hand side but with Nikopolidis racing from his line he sidefoots the ball over the crossbar ! yet other chance wasted by Sweden ! Dellas's right-wing cross is headed backwards by Hansson and goes wide of the left-hand post by inches with Isaksson beaten! Almost a superb own goal.An absolute belter from Ibrahimovic! He exchanges passes with Larsson on the right-hand corner of the penalty area before rifling an unstoppable drive into the top-left corner! Screamer that is just what the game needed.Ljungberg's shot is saved, Elmander pokes the ball up into the air and Hansson somehow scrambles the ball home off his left knee at the back post ! Greece with 18 minutes left to chase back 2 goals an impossible task thus it is game over for them.

Conclusion : Sweden look strong and compact with Star Striker Ibrahimovic On Fire but need to convert the chances created against Russia and Spain or else they are likely to be make to pay.Greece legendary Euro2004 Champaign are not set to repeat itself as they look to be down and out just like Russia.

Group D Winners Predictions : Spain
Group D Runner-up Prediction : Sweden

Jackson Ng Ghim Pheng True Blue Chelsea And Italy Fan cfcghimpheng.blogspot.com

Written by Jackson Ng Ghim Pheng True Blue Chelsea Fan on June 11th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Football-Player.

Euro 2008 Open Thread: Sweden v. Greece

Greece opens the defense of its 2004 Euro Championship against Sweden. Unfortunately, Greece will not have the element of surprise in its favor. Teams will not underestimate them. Fortunately, they face Sweden, a team lacking in offensive creativity. For sure, the Swedes are well organized and industrious, but verve fails them. That is not to say they aren't quality, they just aren't Spain, Germany or Holland.

Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic leads the Swedes and is a world-class striker but may suffer without support. I don't know a damn thing about Greece, other than they play a stifling, defensive game. So, this could be a snoozer of a match. I say 1-0 Sweden.

Lineups after the jump.



Greece

Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Kyrgiakos, Antzas, Dellas, Torosidis, Basinas, Katsouranis, Karagounis, Charisteas, Gekas.

Sweden

Isaksson; Alexandersson, Mellberg, Hansson, Nilsson, Wilhelmsson, Svensson, Andersson, Ljungberg, Ibrahimovic, H Larsson.

Written by Darkvader on June 10th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Euro 2008 and Greece and Open Thread and Sweden and The Fan's Attic.