Although Inter defender Marco Materazzi was included in José Mourinho's squad for the derby, he ultimately was not even allowed to take a seat on the bench, forcing him to watch the match from the stands.

This obviously did not go down well with the notoriously proud player, who has become a fan favorite over the years and has been affectionately nicknamed 'Matrix.' It was an especially hard blow because his exclusion came a week after he made his return from injury in the match against Lecce.

Following that match, he commented on how happy he was about his return into the starting XI, and that he would play his next matches for Inter as if they were his last.

However, had Materazzi accepted any of the offers that came his way during the January transfer window, he already would have played his last match for the Nerazzurri. According to Tuttosport, Tottenham Hotspur were very interested in signing the player, who nevertheless had little doubt that he wanted to continue his adventure at Inter.

Certainly joining the English club would have allowed him to get guaranteed first team football, as opposed to his situation at Inter where he is not Mourinho's first choice in central defence.

Considering that he will no doubt want to defend the World Cup title Italy won in large parts thanks to his crucial goals in South Africa next year, perhaps it would be a wise choice to consider a move to a different club

Yaya Toure's agent, Dimitry Seluk, has slammed Barcelona for their tactics regarding his client's possible contract extension.

Speaking to RAC1, Seluk spoke not only about his client, but also about Samuel Eto'o, and the fact that the Catalans could well end up losing him this summer.

In comments showing his frustration, he also took a dig at Aliaksandr Hleb, who has failed to settle since joing the Spanish side from Arsenal.

"They are waiting to extend the contracts of Eto'o and Toure, but all they do is wait," he began.

"What is going on? The players will leave, and then who will play? Hleb?

"The longer they leave it the more expensive it becomes. It is clear that Eto'o will be offered a better deal, he has followed a good path."

Certainly, if Barcelona were to lose Eto'o it would be a major blow considering the impact he is having this season up front.

Toure might not be missed quite so much, but Seluk admitted that one reason for that could be because the two players are going about their contract negotiations in different ways.

"There are two ways to act. Toure is a very calm person and he prefers to wait. Eto'o makes interviews, but not Toure. Nevertheless, neither of them have got better contracts," he declared.

Milan defender Paolo Maldini has all but confirmed his retirement this season by revealing that his body will not allow him to play beyond the final whistle come May.

Maldini, who has been a loyal servant to the Rossoneri for his entire professional career, has always maintained his stance on calling it a day at the end of this term.

The Italian international will turn 41-years-old in June and he admits that his legs will not be able to carry him through another tough season next year.

"I am still here today because I still have fun playing," Maldini told the club's official website.

"I think that you need to be lucky and avoid major injuries to enjoy a career like mine.

"However, even my body has begun to feel the strains, and this will be my last season. I don't think that my body will allow me to play beyond this [term] at the highest level."

The Italian international is set to hang up his boots in May, despite some voices suggesting that he should go on another year.

Jose Mourinho is relishing the prospect of taking on Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the Champions League when his Inter side join battle with the Red Devils for the first leg in Milan on Tuesday February 24.

With the second leg at Old Trafford the following Wednesday, the former Chelsea manager has good reason for optimism. His United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson has only once triumphed against a Mourinho-led side.

"Before the draw I said that I wanted United and some people thought I was crazy," Mourinho told MUTV.

"After all, why would I want the top team in Europe? But I wanted them because its a big challenge and because it will be difficult.

"Its a special draw for my players and I wont need to motivate them for this tie. The best matches to play in are against the best sides and the best side at the moment is Manchester United."

However, that sanguine attitude should be tempered by the fact that Inter as a club have never beaten United in a competitive fixture, a statisitic one senses Mourinho would definitely like to change.

"We know we can win," Mourinho added. "United are a special team with special players. They are very solid in defence and dangerous in attack.

"You look at the talent they have on the pitch and then at the bench too, and you know this will be difficult.

"My side has a lot of experience, we have a lot of talent and we know how to play the big games. It will be a close tie."

Italy's national team coach, Marcello Lippi, does not see any clear favourites in the upcoming games between Italian and English teams in the Champions League.

All games seem quite balanced, but in the end Lippi believes that the Italian teams will overcome their English rivals and make it through to the quarter-finals.

"You cannot talk about favourites when you arrive at this point of the Champions League," explained the former Juventus coach to RaiSport.

"However, I think that the qualification to the next round depends fundamentally on us.

"If we will be at our best psycho-physical condition, we have very good possibilities of doing well and going forward."

Inter, Roma and Juventus will respectively face next week Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, with all games open for any possible result.

It was reported last week that Michael Ballack was among the leaders of a renegade group at Chelsea that met with the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, to plead for the sacking of manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

The German denied these rumours before heading off on international duty, but he has returned to London to find that he is still being cited as one of the key contributors to Scolari's departure.

I couldn't believe this, Ballack said in The Times. I was surprised when I heard about it in Germany as I always had a lot of good words about Scolari.

The former Bayern Munich star did, however, confess that he sought discussions with with Abramovich, along with fellow rebels Petr Cech and Didier Drogba.

But Ballack stressed, Meetings are normal in a club. If people speak with each other, even if you don't have the success you want, it has happened before. It's not just this week. It happened with other coaches.

It's normal Abramovich comes in the dressing-room and speaks with players. It's not easy, not nice to sack somebody. This was in the papers, but is definitely not true.

By now, everybody knows that AC Milan's golden era has gone, that many of the squad's core members are past their best and that the Via Turati head honchos need to effect change sooner rather than later to avoid facing revolt from the fans. These are the same fans who already showed what they can do when the club dared to entertain the notion of selling Kaka to Manchester City for a world record-smashing fee in January.

With the Champions League door slammed shut in the most mortifying of circumstances at the end of last season, Rossoneri fans can at least find solace in the fact that a window of opportunity has creaked open for them to escape from this debacle with at least some remnants of their dignity. The UEFA Cup, soon to be dubiously renamed the Europa League, is a competition now devoid of any genuine prestige, but has been made meaningful at Milanello purely because, as one of the world's most successful clubs, Milan have in fact never won it before.

And now they really have to win it. In the wake of the loss to Inter on Sunday night in the derby, Milan trail their city rivals by 11 points and can all but kiss their Scudetto hopes goodbye. The club's vice-president, Adriano Galliani, had on numerous occasions underlined that the league would be the priority, but the squad remains too frail to sustain such a challenge against the likes of a robust Inter side or even Juventus, who despite still lacking in quality, have the fighting spirit to get a result against just about anyone.

What they still have though, is an abundance of class. More than Juve and yes, more than Inter. This Milan team remains one of the classiest to have graced the field of play over the last decade, but their occasional lack of goals, coupled with their more-than-occasional penchant for gifting them to opposition of all shapes and sizes, has made them a soft touch for all comers, domestically and on the continent.

Sunday's Derby della Madonnina was one of the games of the season so far - not just in Serie A, but the whole of Europe. Without going as far as to recycle the cliche that the game 'had everything' - which it didn't - it was an intense and absorbing clash of styles, with play shifting from end to end and in the end, it was steel that made the difference when the full-time whistled sounded at San Siro.

Yes, luck played a part not just in Adriano being 'handed' the opening goal as Milan were threatening to dominate, but also in Pippo Inzaghi's strong penalty claim being waved away by a nonchalant and occasionally nonsensical Roberto Rosetti. Precluding all of that, though, was Inter's steel. Steel in defence, steel in midfield and steel in attack. Milan had none of the above and it showed.

Carlo Ancelotti has already done well to get more out of this ageing squad than many thought possible, and indeed maybe the full-scale Milan makeover many thought was a necessity can in fact be discarded in favour of a less drastic and more long-term approach to transition. For the remainder of the season, Ancelotti must simply ensure at all costs the capture of the UEFA Cup, but beyond that, the fact remains that big, brave decisions need to be made in the summer for Milan to ensure they become more than just a cup team.

The acquisition of David Beckham was a minor masterstroke, and Ronaldinho, while he will never be the player he was at Barcelona, is still one of the best passers of the ball in the world and an undisputed footballing genius. The rise of these two would-be Galacticos has coincided with the decline of Andrea Pirlo. The World Cup winner remains a commodity of undisputed class, but his limitations are even greater than those of Beckham and Ronaldinho, two players universally castigated for pace and work-rate respectively.

All three of them cannot play in one team and on the evidence of the derby, the whole season's form and indeed the shape of the team, the head would rule, much to the hurt of the heart, that it is Pirlo who has to go. The conundrum will remain that Milan are a family before a football club and in that sense are more likely to stand in the way of their own success; but sacrificing Pirlo to facilitate the inclusion of a striker would restore the threat possessed in years gone by with the likes of Hernan Crespo and Andriy Shevchenko leading the line.

Not for a second is it being suggested that Sheva, back at San Siro after his soul-*u*king experience at Stamford Bridge, should be the man for the job. Marco Borriello, though having had a torrid time with injuries all season, does not offer quite enough to warrant a starting place in any top team either. In a brief, offside-frenzied cameo in the derby, Pippo Inzaghi showed what a threat a real striker can be on the end of a production line housing as much creativity as Milan's.

In truth, Milan would have done well to battle Juve for Amauri in the summer, but with that opportunity now well and truly beyond them, the likes of summer target Emmanuel Adebayor or Adriano, whose handball goal decided the ill-fated derby, could be on the end of the barrage of crosses from Beckham, Gianluca Zambrotta and Marek Jankulovski, with little Pato scurrying around waiting for every knock-down and rebound. They might have even been better off swooping for Real Madrid's January signing, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

Moving on, Carlo Ancelotti must eventually get over his infatuation with Massimo Ambrosini and give the younger, more vibrant Mathieu Flamini a fair run in the holding role, while Clarence Seedorf is another one who, while obviously in possession of vast amounts of quality, has become somewhat ponderous and lacking in a defined role within this Milan attack. With Kaka back in the team, having missed the derby through injury, there is no telling what more the Rossoneri could have got from the game. Ronaldinho is the new Pirlo, Beckham is the new Seedorf and Flamini is the new Gattuso - it will not be as simple as like-for-like replacements, but Milan must embrace this change and adopt a new style for a new era.

And speaking of old and new eras, in light of the once-great Kakha Kaladze's strong bid to rival Simone Loria as one of the most embarra**ingly poor performers of the season, change is needed at the back for Milan as well. Philippe Senderos is not the answer; he's not fit to wax Jaap Stam's head, never mind lace his boots or take his shirt number.

Thiago Silva will prove to be a good signing, but one more is needed to be first-choice as partner alongside him next season. Alessandro Nesta is almost as finished as Paolo Maldini, which will see the Rossoneri all-but lose two of the greatest defenders of all time in one summer. Nesta will be back, but for how long? And will he ever be the same?

Daniel Agger seems the most likely defensive recruit of this coming summer, and indeed Milan could do a lot worse than an athletic Dane with a lethal left foot. Philippe Mexes would prove to be a signing of valuable experience and proven class, though Roma may make his sale a lot more difficult than the Rossoneri would be willing to tolerate. Fabiano Santacroce, a highly touted prospect at Napoli, is an option probably too unproven (and young) for Milan, while Sergio Ramos is something of a pipedream for Rossoneri fans that does not look like coming to fruition, and they have even been linked with Nemanja Vidic today. Now there's a Stam if there ever was one - but he, too, will be beyond the reach of Milan as long as Sir Alex Ferguson rules the roost at Old Trafford.

It's true that there are players all over the park in this Milan side that aren't as good as they were. There are better goalkeepers out there than Christian Abbiati and better full-backs now than Gianluca Zambrotta and suffices to say the alternatives on the bench aren't good enough. Change across the board can come over time, but fantasy football rebuilding would be taking things too far. Just two major signings and some reshuffling - even if at the expense of fan favourites such as Pirlo and Seedorf - can give back to Milanello the one thing they want more than anything else: to be the undisputed Kings of Calcio.

David Beckham's permanent transfer to Milan from La Galaxy is looking more and more likely after SkySport24 claimed that the two clubs have reached an agreement to complete the move.

The 33-year-old is currently on loan from the Galaxy, and is due to return by March 9 for the start of the MLS (Major League Soccer) season.

However, 'Golden Balls' has been a huge success in Italy, quickly establishing himself as a key figure in the Rossoneri midfield. This has led Milan to try and make the move permanent, a desire shared by Beckham himself.

It appeared at the weekend that a deal could be dead when the Italian club failed to meet Major League Soccer's Friday deadline with an acceptable offer.

However, Milan have always remained confident, and with a deal with LA Galaxy now seemingly finalised, all that is required to complete the transfer is for Beckham to agree terms with the Rossoneri.

In more good news, the injury suffered by the England international in last night's derby defeat to Inter is not serious, and he is expected to play against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup in midweek.

According to The Daily Mail, Juventus are the latest Serie A club to express their interest in Liverpools 24-year-old defender, Daniel Agger. The future of the Danish player continues to be shrouded in confusion, as now Milan, Inter and Juve are all lining up for his services.

The battle for Aggers signature has been between the two Milan clubs over the past few days, but the recent inclusion of the Bianconeri in this race is sure to heat things up.

Delays over a new contract, as well as a lack of first-team action this season due to the good form of Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel, has led to the defender declaring he wants out of Anfield.

Nothing came of his desire to leave in January, though, but it is highly likely that Agger could be leaving Liverpool at seasons end.

There have been no suggestions as to how much Juventus are willing to offer the Reds for the centre-half, although Milan reportedly were unsuccessful with an 8.5 million bid back in January.

 FC Copenhagen coach Ståle Solbakken has stirred things up ahead of his team's UEFA Cup clash with Manchester City by claiming the Premier League club are "destroying football" with their unrealistic ambitions.

 

 

City travel to the Danish capital for a third round knock-out tie on Thursday night which promises to be a very hot encounter at a sold-out Parken Stadium. And Solbakken has further raised the temperature by suggesting City's Abu-Dhabi investors, who were willing to pay over £100million to sign Kaka from AC Milan, are ruining football with absurdly large transfer bids.

"The amounts of money that has been mentioned are incredible," Solbakken to Danish paper Ekstra-Bladet. "I think that such incredible sums will take part in destroying football."

"They are creating too big a mental distance between what we call reality and then Manchester City.

"The hardest part for City is that they, by tradition, are not a big football club and therefore all the money in the world does not make a difference for them," Solbakken said.

"They brought in Wayne Bridge even though he is only marginally better than what they had already and that says how hard it is to get the best players even though you have lots of money."

Real Madrid stand-in president, Vicente Boluda has remained defiantly adamant that Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Manchester United to play for the Santiago Bernabeu outfit in the very near future.

Boluda further exhibited the typical doggedness required to lead the club when he commented on the future of several key personnel as well as the teams chances of silverware this term.

There are socios (club members) who say to me that they do not like [Predrag] Mijatovic, but he is a player who has given a lot to Real Madrid and at the moment, he is doing a good job for us. He knows a lot about football, the president said in his interview on Cadena SER program, El Larguero.

Mijatovic, the clubs sporting director, has come under enormous pressure this season due to a number of transfer bungles and he has now been put under heavy scrutiny after being accused of receiving commissions for player purchases.

I am going to put myself on the line now and say that if someone has evidence that he has been receiving commissions, I will personally accompany him to the courts, Boluda boomed.

The focus then shifted to the future of current coach, Juande Ramos, and eternal transfer target, Cristiano Ronaldo.

I would like to extend Juandes stay at the club, but I cant do it if none of the [presidential] candidates request it.

And as for Cristiano, I see him playing at the Bernabeu in the future, he added.

Los Blancos successfully cut Barcelonas lead at the top of the Primera Division standings to 10 points at the weekend and Boludas confidence of silverware success has doubled.

I am convinced that we are going to win La Liga and we will also be in the final of the Champions League on May 27, he said.

The presi concluded by hinting that the elections will be held on the first week of July.

According to a report in British tabloid newspaper The Daily Mirror, Manchester United wonder-kid John Cofie has chosen to represent England at international level.

The 15-year-old had the opportunity to play for Germany, where he was born, or Ghana, through family connections, however, he eventually decided that the Three Lions are where his future lies.

The highly-rated striker was coveted by Liverpool and Chelsea before the Red Devils completed his signing from Burnley for an undisclosed fee in 2007.

Having been called up to the squad, Cofie could make his England Under-16 debut this week in a match against Germany.

Ryan Giggs put on yet another man-of-the-match display as Manchester United romped past Derby County and into the sixth round of the FA Cup.

The 35-year-old has been a revelation this season, moving away from the left-hand touchline - his home for the best part of 18 years - to take up a unique role in the centre of midfield.

And Robbie Savage reckons his fellow Welshman should be odds on to snare what would, quite remarkably, be his first PFA Player of the Year award.

The Derby midfielder said in The Sun, Ryan was unbelievable [on Saturday]. Hes so hard to pick up.

Hes redefined his role. He plays in the middle of the park, he plays out wide, he plays up front. Hes a credit to himself and to the game and, for me, hes the Player of the Year.

Ryans 35 and every time he plays he seems to get man of the match. When he was a winger, he was incredible. Now hes changed his role and hes still incredible.

He sits in behind the midfield and you dont know whether to drop in to pick him up.

Giggs is also expected to add to his trophy haul this season, as United remain alive on all fronts and are on target to claim a third consecutive Premier League crown.

Savage, a product of the Old Trafford youth system, believes Sir Alex Ferguson's current crop are the best of the best.

He said, I go and watch them on my days off Ive had quite a few of them this season and they can win the lot.

Theyre top of the Premier League, theyre in the Carling Cup final and theyve got a tough game against Inter Milan in the Champions League next week.

This is their best squad ever. They had no recognised striker against us and still had fantastic players up there.

When we saw the team sheet, we thought we might be in with half a chance. But we were beaten by the better team. No complaints.

Having endured a goalless draw 22 days ago, Arsenal and Cardiff City met again at the Emirates Stadium aiming to book themselves a spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup and a date with Burnley.

Yet there was no doubt what the main talking point of the night was always going to be; the return of Arsenal striker Eduardo, back in the side after a year out with injury.

Certainly the Croatian began the game brightly, as did the home side, and they might have been ahead as early as the fifth minute.

Bacary Sagna found space down the right and crossed for Nicolas Bendtner, who had pulled off the back of Roger Johnson to find space, but could only direct his header wide.

Moments later and Bendtner had another opportunity, Eduardo set up Carlos Vela for the shot which Tom Heaton parried. However, the Dane collected the loose ball but could only fire straight at the Cardiff stopper.

Even so, Arsenal were rampant in the opening exchanges and mid-way through the first half they finally had their reward, and fittingly it was Eduardo who found the back of the net.

The striker began the move, bearing down on goal on the left flank before slipping a ball to the overlapping Vela.

The Mexican advanced before clipping an inviting return ball back to Eduardo to head past the despairing dive of Heaton and send the home crowd into raptures.

The Gunners continued to press and just after the half hour mark they doubled their lead. A corner in from the right by Samir Nasri found Bendtner running off the back post, unnoticed, to head home.

Yet Bendtner really ought to have put the game beyond the Bluebirds right on half-time. Another superb delivery from the right by Sagna found Vela, taking a touch before swiveling and shooting at Heaton.

The Cardiff keeper parried the shot but only into the Danes path yet with the goal gaping he conspired to hit the post before collecting the rebound and shooting straight at Heaton who saved again and the chance went begging.

The second half continued in much the same vein and on the hour mark Arsenal finally put the game out of sight.

A scramble in the Cardiff area saw Alex Rae eventually foul Eduardo and referee Mark Halsey pointed straight to the spot.

There was no doubt over who would take the kick and up stepped the Croatian to send Heaton the wrong way for his second goal of the night.

It was to be his last telling contribution of the match as with a little over 20 minutes to go he was substituted to wild applause, with Robin van Persie the man coming on in his place.

The Dutchman had the best chances of the closing stages and finally got his goal with minutes to go with a clinical finish after good work by Bendtner.

The striker then almost grabbed his second of the night but he headed against the post in stoppage time. Yet the night belonged to Eduardo and Arsenal as Cardiff departed North London well beaten.

The Gunners, meanwhile, head onwards and upwards and now face Burnley in the fifth round and with it, a chance to gain revenge for their League Cup exit at the hands of Owen Coyles men.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Gibbs, Nasri (Ramsey, 68), Song, Denilson, Vela (Bischoff, 74), Eduardo (van Persie, 67), Bendtner.

Cardiff City: Heaton, McNaughton, Rae (Scimeca, 74), Purse (Blake, 68, Johnson, Parry (Whittingham, 68), Ledley, Kennedy, Burke, Bothroyd, McCormack.

GOALS

4-0 Arsenal (van Persie, 89)

3-0 Arsenal (Eduardo, 60 pen)

2-0 Arsenal (Bendtner, 33)

1-0 Arsenal (Eduardo, 20)

Real Madrid will host Liverpool on February 25 in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, and Rafael van der Vaart believes the visitors are afraid - and rightly so.

The Dutch midfielder said in The Sun, Were Real Madrid, which is why I think Liverpool are frightened of us. We have great players and its going to be a great tie.

Both teams come into the clash sitting second on their respective domestic fronts, although the Merseysiders' situation (two points behind Manchester United) is rosier than the Merengues' (10 points behind Barcelona).

And so van der Vaart, who has slumped alarmingly after an impressive start to his career in Spain, is determined to steer los Blancos to a tenth European Cup.

He said, Were anxious to do well in Europe and, if we end up as champions, I will be capable of anything. I will do anything to win the Champions League.

Suns dismiss Porter four months into season

Posted Feb 16 2009 12:09PM

Shawn Marion's most memorable play with the Miami Heat was his last. Hours after Marion's last-second dunk lifted the Heat past the Chicago Bulls, he was traded Friday to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal, ending a weekslong saga involving the expected deal. NBA officials approved the swap Friday afternoon by conference call, the Heat said.

                    NBA 2009 DUNK OFF

Newly appointed Chelsea gaffer, Guus Hiddink, would have to view the game from the stands tonight, sitting alongside the side's owner, Roman Abramovich. The Blues fronted a side that saw Didier Drogba make his first appearance since the 3-0 drubbing by Manchester United, as well as a debut appearance from youngster Michael Mancienne.

Watford would look to recreate history, looking back to their clash with the Stamford Bridge side 22 years ago, in which they enjoyed a victory over Chelsea by one goal to nil.

First Half

Chelsea started quickly, pumping the ball forward fast enough for Drogba to provide Salomon Kalou with a cross that would have put the visitors in the lead all in under 20 seconds. Kalou was not lucky enough to have his outstretched right peg connect with the cross, and failed to capitalise on the early opportunity.

The first ten minutes of the game saw Chelsea enjoy complete control of the match, the home side looking increasingly out of their depth as they struggled to keep the ball.

Lovely interplay between Frank Lampard and Drogba presented the visitors with another early opportunity. The Ivorian hitman fired a shot at goal, only to see Watford's shot-stopper, Scott Loach, produce a wonderful save to tip the strike over the bar.

For all their possession, the Blues seemed to be lacking a certain sharpness at the front of attack, despite starting an offence that would be the envy of most other teams the world over.

Drogba's somewhat dramatic stumble outside of Watford's box won the visitors a free kick. Lampard stepped up to what would be his second free kick of the match, and was able to lift it over the wall, but only into the arms of Loach.

The nerves of the homeside seemed to calm down a little as the half progressed. The Hornets enjoyed some possession in the Chelsea half, posing a threat in the form of Jobi McAnuff. The Jamacian surged past two defenders only to be hacked down by Alex just outside of the area.

The free kick that followed was not of a high standard, striking the first man in the wall, wasting what could arguably have been Watford's most promising chance of the half.

The intensity of Chelsea's advanced play would not end yet, as Anelka c****ined beautifully with Drogba. The Frenchman drilled a shot across the goal line, only to have it ricochet off of the back post and back out to safety.

As the half drew to a close, Watford had another chance to test Petr Cech. A corner by the home side found it's way to the back post and onto the head of Grzegorz Rasiak, who forced the Czech 'keeper to parry.

Second Half

Watford started the second half brightly, pressing forward with their chests out, letting Chelsea know that they would not yeild easily. The visitors, aware of Watfords defensive prowess, rattled a succession of shots at Loach from range, forcing the 20-year-old goalie to earn his wages.

It was more of the same from Chelsea well into the second half, until a scrap in the box saw a loose ball fall to an unmarked Michael Ballack at the back post. The German international swiped but only caught air as he completely failed to bury the golden opportunity, and Watford were safe still.

Watford boss, Brendan Rodgers opted to shuffle the ranks slightly as the second half unfolded, replacing Grzegorz Rasiak with Tamas Priskin, and Don Cowie taking Lee Williamson's place.

Priskin had been on the park for mere minutes when he stunned the crowd. The Hungarian striker drove forward, from an arguably offside position, to connect with a lovely through ball and head straight for goal. Cech came out low to clean up the mess, but was audaciously chipped by the Watford hitman, who put the home side in the lead.

The Hornets were allowed to revel in their glory for all of five minutes, as Anelka worked to make his presence known, not once, but twice in the space of 80 seconds. The lanky Frenchman popped up first to produce an acrobatic overhead kick that levelled the sides, then again, literally seconds later, as he headed home from Ashley Cole's left wing cross.

An exceptionally intense couple of minutes had seen Chelsea turn the tables on Watford, in an admittedly deserved comeback - the visitors finally capitalising on their dominance throughout the game.

The game sped into the final minutes, but the pace would not decrease as the end beckoned. Salomon Kalou teed up Anelka once more, who turned and shot low, claiming his hat-trick. The enigmatic Frenchman showcased his importance once more to the team, as he secured their position in the sixth round of the FA cup.

Watford 1 - 3 Chelsea.

Real Madrid will have to pay 95 million if they are to sign Cristiano Ronaldo next summer, according to reports in Spain.

AS claims that meetings have taken place between the player's agent, Jorge Mendes, and Manchester United officials, which resulted in that price being agreed on.

Even though the player himself and his club have declared that he will not move, it is thought that there is an agreement in place between Ronaldo and Real Madrid.

The deal was believed to have been made by Ramon Calderon when he was president at the Bernabeu, but the option of purchase will now fall to whoever takes over in the summer.

Reports this week claimed that Madrid have even taken out a loan to buy the player, although Vicente Boluda denied those claims in an interview yesterday.

Nevertheless, it is no secret that Ronaldo has been, and still is, a Real Madrid target, and apparently he has a deal with Sir Alex Ferguson too, that will allow him to leave.

The agreement with Ferguson is reported to be that if he played with the English side this season then he would leave next season, but Real Madrid will still have to stump up 95 million to buy him.

As far as presidential candidates go, it seems unlikely that any would not want to bring Ronaldo in, and the favourite for the position, Florentino Perez, is thought to have him as his main target.

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani is not fazed by all the hype coming from Los Angeles regarding David Beckham. The chief has spoken, and he is confident of keeping the Englishman by doing the deal his way.

The latest reports from the USA claim that the deadline for the deal has expired, and both Galaxy chief Tim Leiweke and coach Bruce Arena insist that there will be no further negotiations early on Saturday morning.

However, bullish Galliani has reacted to the voices, stating that he has other ideas as he tries to force Becks' stay.

"They do things with great generosity in America," Galliani told Sky Sport Italia.

"Let me remind everyone that Beckham is still here at Milan and we will see what happens in around a month's time.

"The Americans? I don't think there are using tactics. Lets think about the derby first tomorrow and then we will see."

Sky Sport Italia report that a deal for Beckham has already been reached and that it will be officially announced before the showdown match with Inter on Sunday night.

The defeat left the Green Falcons with four points from four games in Group Two and in serious danger of missing out on the World Cup for the first time since 1990.

The Saudi Football Federation (SAFF) announced the news on Saturday, saying in a statement that it was Al Johar, who has been national team coach three times, who made the decision without any pressure from above.

The 65 year-old will continue working for the team in a role as technical advisor.

In his nine months in the job since replacing Helio Cesar dos Anjos, Al Johar led the team to the Gulf Cup final and defeat at the hands of Oman.

The new mans task will be to take the team to Tehran to face Iran on March 28.

Defeat in that match would almost certainly spell the end of Saudi hopes of automatic qualification.

Barcelona's title challenge took the tiniest of dents as a below-strength line-up dropped two points away to a spirited Real Betis outfit.

The Blaugrana had to field Martin Caceres and Gerard Pique at centre-back, while Aliaksandr Hleb also joined the fray in what was an unorthodox line-up. Betis, meanwhile, pinned their attacking hopes on Sergio Garcia and Cirardo Oliveira.

Within seconds of the start Caceres was involved as he rose to meet an inswinging cross with Ricardo, but although the defender led with his arm there was no sanction. In any case the 'keeper caught the ball with relative ease.

Straight down the other end Dani Alves found himself beaten to the punch by the roving Juanito, whose eventual ball across goal was somehow missed by the usually predatory Ricardo Oliveira: that the forward was offside, indeed, is little excuse.

Betis' task was made all the tougher by an injury to Juanito that necessitated his removal. On came Willian Lima, who has barely played a competitive match for Betis at all, and has managed a mere quarter-hour this season in the Copa del Rey.

Still, Barcelona were holding the ball well enough, and as long as Betis didn't do anything drastic they would find a way through soon. Surely?

Not so. 17 minutes in, it was Betis who drew first *lo**. Melli opened the scoring with his first goal of the season. It was a well-executed strike, to be sure; Achille Emana's outswinging corner was vicious, and so too was the defender's header. Sergi Busquets' marking left something to be desired, and Victor Valdes barely moved, but it was a textbook set-piece nonetheless.

Barcelona, in fact, were looking uncharacteristically uninventive by this time, their possession counting for very little not just in the final third but also in midfield. End product was lacking around the 20 minute mark in particular as both Eric Abidal and Dani Alves spurned fine opportunities to whip in a killer cross to a loaded box.

Truly Barca paid for this midway through the first half as Mark Gonzalez punished the Barcelona defence yet again with a second. It came from another dead-ball situation: Sergio Garcia whipped in the free-kick from the right, and with Mark Gonzalez 100% unmarked at the far post it was the simplest of simple finishes. Dani Alves was on another man and Aliaksandr Hleb, perhaps anticipating the counter, stood tapping his foot on the edge of the area, and thus the ex-Liverpool man's task was beyond easy.

Barcelona attempted to fight back through some Andres Iniesta dribbling soon afterwards, but Betis were still closing down with apl**** and thus they were having trouble breaking the hosts down.

Indeed, Willian Lima showed his worth just after the half hour mark with a superb saving tackle on Samuel Eto'o after good build-up play from Iniesta and Xavi.

At the other end Achilee Emana, on a personal mission to cover every single blade of gra**, fired a half-volley over the bar, and for a while it seemed that the Verdiblancos were in the ascendancy.

But Barcelona, in fact, were to pull one back. Juande clipped the heels of Andres Iniesta in the box, giving a penalty to Barcelona that Emana picked up a booking for protesting. Samuel Eto'o stepped up in an attempt to net his 100th Liga goal for the Blaugrana (and his 154th top-flight strike overall.) In fact Ricardo saved his weak spot-kick, but the Cameroonian did steer home the rebound.

The half ended with Lima, incredibly unlucky with injuries, coming off for Monzon, but the drama was not over.

Indeed, just after the restart it was so nearly 3-1. After Emana freed Mark Gonzalez down the left, Ricardo Oliveira this time made no mistake in converting the cross, but he was, as last time, offside. Right down at the other end Eto'o rolled a shot wide on the break when through on goal, and the fans were well and truly out of their seats.

Inevitably Pep Guardiola made his changes, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry being wheeled out as big guns to replace Keita and the disappointing Hleb in a very attacking change.

Bayern Munich manager Juergen Klinsmann rued his sides missed golden opportunity to go first in the Bundesliga on Saturday as they crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Hertha Berlin, who have now gone top instead.

With both sides aware of Hoffenheim's loss on Friday, the Old Lady took a first-half lead through Andriy Voronin, with a Miroslav Klose effort restoring parity on the hour-mark. The final 20 minutes were hard fought, but Voronin completed his brace in the 77th minute to give Hertha a well-deserved win.

"Were very disappointed, and angry about missing out on first place," lamented Klinsmann in his post-match comments, as reported by fcbayern.de

"The lads are sitting in the dressing room and saying to themselves: thats unbelievable. But thats football.

"I still think well take first place sooner or later. Well sit down now and analyse the match," he added, before offering some early insight on what caused things to go wrong.

"I think the team recognises we lacked the necessary spark to score the decisive goal ourselves and avoid inviting our opponents to hit us on the break," he explained.

Bayern will be desperate to bounce back against 1. FC Koeln next weekend.

Juventus failed to make up ground on Serie A leaders Inter, as a gutsy Sampdoria side escaped the Stadio Olimpico with a precious point.

When you fail to convert so many scoring opportunities, you often risk losing the game, Claudio Ranieri stated after the match.

Its been a long time since we created so many chances, but in the end we managed to pick up one point and I have nothing to reproach my side for.

Sampdoria took the lead through Giampaolo Pazzini, but the Doriani then rode their luck, as Juve incredibly hit the framework four times.

Did we make a mistake on Pazzinis goal? We need to give credit to our opponents, but we certainly contributed to it, mused the tactician.

We always try to improve ourselves and will watch the game again to spot our flaws.

Sebastian Giovinco was thrown into the fray in the second half and provided the assist for Amauris equalizer.

Giovinco did very well and opened up their defence when he came on, said the ex-Chelsea trainer.

But the entire team had a good game, we had lots of chances and I really cannot blame the lads today.

Inter host Milan in the Derby della Madonnina tonight and could extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points.

This draw could inevitably cost us, but we must stay positive and keep our fingers crossed, insisted Ranieri.

We have to do our best and keep down this road, hoping that our rivals will drop something along the way.

Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni has stated that he feels the Champions League will show Serie A's superiority over the Premier League as he tips Juventus, Inter Milan and Roma to knock out Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.

The teams meet on February 23 and 24 in the first knockout round of the Champions League, and all three ties should prove to be close encounters.

The 69-year-old has managed all three Italian sides left in the competition and expects them to triumph over their English opposition.

Speaking to The Daily Mirror, Trapattoni said, "Juventus have a 51 per cent chance of beating Chelsea. They are going very well.

"Alessandro Del Piero is always dangerous from set pieces. He'll be a key factor.

"As for Arsenal against Roma, I would bet on Roma to win. Arsenal are another club that is an open building site right now. Arsenal have the freshness of their young players, but Roma have come through similar games before."

The former Milan great suggested that United have the best chance of the three English teams of progressing to the next round, but also warned them against the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"Inter and Manchester United are the two strongest teams in Europe and whoever wins will go on to become European champions," continued Trapattoni.

"Alex Ferguson has managed to blend the physical strength of English football with the talents of superstars with Latin American spirit.

"But Inter have their weapons like Zlatan Ibrahimovic."

Former Los Angeles Galaxy manager Ruud Gullit has admitted that should David Beckham return to the club from AC Milan, it could be of little benefit to either party.

The England international has admitted he would like to remain in Milan when his loan deal ends next month, but negotiations between the clubs over a potential transfer appear to have stalled.

Speaking to BBC Five Lives 'Sportsweek' programme, the Dutchman warned that forcing Beckham to return, against his will, could cause problems.

"From a player's point of view, everyone can understand why he wants to stay at Milan," said Gullit.

"Every player wants to stay at the highest level, every player wants that.

"But knowing that you [Galaxy] as a club would have a player who would be very disappointed that he was not allowed to stay at Milan, how do they think he will react?

"How would his colleagues react to him if he did come back?"

Gullit also added that he felt Beckham had failed to produce his top form during his spell in America and wondered if he would be able to replicate his recent good displays for Milan should he be forced back to the States.

"In the US he has not played really, really well. Certainly not the level he has played at Milan," he added.

"So therefore we have to see if he is going to play with the same strength and determination that he showed at Milan. That will be interesting to see."

Roma had been in fine form recently, and were hoping for another win in their push for the fourth and final Champions League place. However, the Giallorossi had to do without a large number of players, as Cassetti, Riise, Menez, Cicinho, Panucci, and Aquilani were injured, while Rodrigo Taddei was suspended. Francesco Totti led the line alongside Mirko Vucinic.

Atalanta had an excellent home record, and were hoping for another high profile scalp in 2009, having already beaten Inter in Bergamo. Coach Gigi Del Neri was minus the services of Vieri, De Ascentis, Talamonti, and Cigarini though. Cristiano Doni partnerred Sergio Floccari in attack.

First Half

Both sides were fired up from the start, with tackles flying in, and both Totti and Doni unsuccessfully tried their luck from long range.

Atalanta looked menacing when they came forward, and Thomas Manfredini saw his header from a corner cleared off the line, while Doni and Ferreira Pinto fizzed 20-yard shots just past the post.

Jaime Valdes was excelling down the left hand side, and on 23 minutes he twisted and turned past his man and lashed a deflected shot wide. Manfredini then again threatened from the ensuing corner.

Atalanta were having most of the play, but Totti was striking the ball beautifully for Roma, and he fired a 25-yard effort a couple of yards wide.

On 35 minutes, Vucinic wasted a fine opportunity, as he found himself all alone at the far post but, by taking a touch of the ball, he allowed Ferreira Pinto to recover and make the tackle.

Totti was having almost all of Roma's attempts, and just before half time he connected with a first-time volley at the back post, but he scuffed the shot across the six yard box.

Second Half

Atalanta started the second half strongly, and Doni was forced into a flying save to his right to push away a Ferreira Pinto header from Doni's knockdown.

A goal was coming, and on 52 minutes Atalanta broke the deadlock. The ball pinballed around the area, and eventually found it way to the fee of Daniele Capelli, who thundered an unstoppable half-volley into the bottom corner.

Atalanta continued to attack after finding the goal, and a few minutes later they doubled their lead. Simone Padoin crossed from the left, and Doni surged to the near post to flick the ball into the far bottom corner.

Roma had to change things, and coach Luciano Spalletti opted to replace David Pizarro with Julio Baptista.

It made little difference though, as moments later Atalanta made it 3-0. Doni ran unchallenged down the left, cut inside, put Juan on his backside, before slipping the ball past the goalkeeper.

Roma were having a torrid time, but they would have been pleased to see Doni leave the field on 65 minutes, as he made way for substitute Gianvito Plasmati.

Fabio Consigli was forced into his first real save of the game on 69 minutes, as he brilliantly finger-tipped over the bar a vicious drive from Marco Motta. Five minutes later, Consigli smothered a Baptista free kick.

Floccari had been leading the line superby, and he burst into life on 79 minutes, turning, running and then firing wide from 25 yards. Down the other end, Vucinic sliced the ball off target from a narrow angle.

If things couldn't get any worse, Simone Perrotta was red carded with 90 seconds remaining, following a dangerous tackle on Francesco Parravicini.

With Genoa and Fiorentina drawing elsewhere, Roma are now in sixth place in the race for the final Champions League slot.

Teams

Atalanta: Consigli, Garics, Capelli, Manfredini, Bellini, Ferreira Pinto, Guarente, Padoin, Valdes (Parravicini 70), Doni (Plasmati 65), Floccari (Defendi 86)

Roma: Doni, Motta, Mexes, Juan, Tonetto, De Rossi, Perrotta, Brighi, Pizarro, (Baptista 57) Totti, Vucinic

Goals

Capelli 52 (A)
Doni 55 (A)
Doni 59 (A)

Everton 3-1 Aston Villa

FA Cup success has eluded both managers, David Moyes has only won six ties in his seven years as manager of Everton while Martin ONeil has collected two League Cups as a player and a manager as well as multiple honours with Celtic in Scotland, but he is yet to taste FA Cup success. Both teams have shown impressed Premier League form and seem to be due a FA Cup run.

Everton started the game flying, forcing a corner in the first minute. Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel managed to scramble away the delivery from Leighton Baines. Minutes later Everton had taken the lead, Mikel Arteta floated in a beautifully weighted corner that Tim Cahill powered goalwards. Stillyan Petrov played goalkeeper saving with his arm and the ball fell to Jack Rodwell who rifled it home from a tight angle. It was the 17 year olds first senior goal for Everton.

Petrov, lucky to still be on the field, then played a key part in Villas equaliser in the eighth minute. The midfielder launched a ball forward that Gabriel Agbonlahor latched onto, a clumsy challenge on the edge of the box by Tony Hibbert saw the referee point to the spot. James Milner stepped up and another slice of good fortune saw him slot the ball home via the palm and hip of Tim Howard. It was Villas first real attack of the game.
 
More penalty box action saw Cahill rise above Craig Gardener, the Australian raised his arm to direct the ball goalwards. Friedel was fuming and Cahill was duly booked for the infringement. The yellow card means he will serve a suspension and Moyes will surely not be pleased.

Villa were struggling to get out of their half with Everton passing it around neatly in midfield. The visitors seem happy to absorb Everton pressure and were punished as Victor Anichebe powered his way into the box, scything his way through two Villa defenders before Steve Sidwell slid in from behind bringing the Nigerian down, penalty! Arteta stepped up and made no mistake, sending Friedel the wrong way to put Everton ahead for a second time.

Everton continued to press forward but it was Villa to spring on the counter and create the next meaningful chance. Ashley Young was involved, sending a beautiful cross into the box for Agbonlahor who did well to pull off his man. The forward had a free header from 5 yards and wasted the chance, allowing the ball to bounce off his shoulder to go wide. It was a great opportunity.

The second half saw Everton become more conservative in their play, opting to retain possession rather than looking to attack as expansively as they did in the first 45 minutes. Arteta continued to pull the strings in midfield and he released Dan Gosling whose cross was well blocked by Craig Gardener. The resulting corner was broken up by a foul on the goalkeeper.

Villa managed to engineer a chance on the hour mark. John Carew, who had been quiet up to this point, ran across his defender to meet the ball and his flick header produced a sublime save from Howard. The American keeper dived low to his right and pushed the ball out for a corner. 

The game began to open up again with Villa venturing forward in search of an equaliser. In the 72nd minute Sidwell had a good chance to equalise with a header he sent over the bar supplied by a cross from Milner. In truth Aston Villas finishing had been poor all afternoon and they were largely feeding from uncharacteristic defensive mistakes from Everton.

The winning goal was scored by Cahill following goal work by Anichebe on the right flank. The Nigerian powered into the channel and sent the ball across the box with the outside of his right boot. Cahill met the cross and scuffed the ball into the net.

In the closing ten minutes Everton became ultra-conservative, replacing Anichebe in the closing minutes with Joseph Yobo. Moyes perhaps understandably worried considering the events in the league fixture between these sides in December where Villa dramatically stole three points in the dying moments of the game.

Everton were good value for their win, only conceding five goals in their last twelve games. The win ends a streak of 11 unbeaten games for Aston Villa and ONeils side looked very ordinary. The Villa boss will be hoping his side can recover from this disappointment and continue their Premier League and UEFA Cup run. Everton reach their first quarter-final since 2002.

Juventus 1-1 Sampdoria

Pre-Match News

The Bianconeri as usual, were suffering from a whole host of injuries. Momo Sissoko and David Trezeguet were ruled out and Giorgio Chiellini started from the bench. Meanwhile, Vincenzo Iaquinta was suspended after picking up a red car last weekend in the victory over Catania.

Sampdora coach Walter Mazzarri stuck with Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini upfront as Claudio Bellucci had been ruled out due to a knock.

First Half

The home side started more brightly on five minutes, as veteran war horse Pavel Nedved dribbled through the centre and struck from long range, but Luca Castellazzi saved well with his fingertips and Olof Mellberg could not direct his header on the following cross.

Seconds later, Alessandro Del Piero nearly completed a cheeky backheel, but the ball bobbled wide across the face of goal.

However, Sampdoria scored against the run of play on ten minutes! Antonio Cassano played an incisive through-ball and re-born Giampaolo Pazzini slotted the ball past Gianluigi Buffon at the near post.

Claudio Ranieri's men nearly leveled things when Del Piero hit a smart pass with the outside of his foot, but Andrea Raggi just nicked the ball away from Amauri, who would have had a tap-in. The match has become much more even following the Blucerchiati goal, as both sides were finding it difficult to break through and create real chances.

Mauro Camoranesi and Amauri shared some good build-up play, before the midfielder's low cross-shot was deflected out for a corner. Nedved tried another try from long distance, but the ex-Lazio's players volley swerved wide of the diving Sampdora goalkeeper.

Thirty-eight minutes in, Camoranesi's high-cross was beautifully chested down by Amauri, but his shot was smothered by Castellazzi as Claudio Ranieri's men were starting to control the proceedings.

Juventus had their best chance five minutes from half, Del Piero's played a fine one-time pass for Nedved, but the former Czech international prodded the ball off the post.

Incredibly, just before the half-time whistle, Nedved hit the post again! His header cannoning back off the cross-bar as the score remained 1-0 for the visitors going into the half.

Second Half

The 'Tinkerman' added some extra offence by replacing Christian Poulsen with Italian Under-21 international Sebastian Giovinco.

The second period started in exciting fashion, Cassano nearly doubled Sampdoria's lead when his deflected cross from the right left Buffon stranded and hit the far post!

The Genoa-based side were much improved in holding the ball in possession at the outset of the second half and Cassano found himself in space on the left, dribbled into the area, but shanked the ball wide! On the other end, Giovinco's cutback was blocked right in front of an open goal.

Finally, Juventus managed to equalize after being frustrated for large portions of the match. The gamble paid off as Giovinco played in a dangerous cross and Amauri's diving header left Castellazzi with no chance on 62 minutes!

La Vecchia Signora hit the post for the third time on the evening! Del Piero's long-range freekick cracking against the cross-bar, and then the post, as Sampdoria were being pinned back.

Sampdoria eventually created a chance of their own, but Pal****o's effort from the edge of the area was weak and central, an easy save for Buffon. With 15 minutes left, Mazzarri surprisingly took off the talismanic Cassano, perhaps in anticipation of the UEFA Cup match in midweek.

On 82' Giovinco passed two defenders with a mazy run, but Castellazzi got down well to parry the young player's daisy cutter, as time was running out. Pazzini hit back on the counter, finding himself in loads of space, but his shot was blocked and Buffon caught the floating ball.

Del Piero's reverse ball was too far ahead of Amauri and Marchisio tried his luck from long range, but the match ended in a draw as Juventus could not break through despite all their pressure.

Juventus 1-1 Sampdoria

Goals: 10' Pazzini, 62' Amauri

Booked: 47' Nedved, 64' Gastaldello, 65' Legrottaglie

Juventus: Buffon - Grygera, Mellberg, Legrottaglie, Molinaro - Camoranesi (68' Marchionni), Poulsen (46' Giovinco), Tiago (89' Marchisio), Nedved - Del Piero, Amauri

Sampdoria: Castellazzi - Gastaldello (71' Ferri), Raggi (57' Da Costa), Stankevicius - Padalino, Pal****o, Sammarco, Francheschini, Pieri - Pazzini, Cassano (75' Ziegler)

Real Madrid have already begun negotiations to sign Carlos Tevez in the summer, despite the fact that the current board will not be in power.

According to the Corriere Dello Sport, Madrid have contacted Kia Joorabchian, the player's representative, and are prepared to offer a four-year contract at 3.5 million per season.

Tevez has not been a regular starter at Manchester United since the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov, and Vicente Boluda, the interim president at Real, is keen to secure his services for next season.

The business group MSI own the Argentine's rights, and the Red Devils failed to exercise an option to buy him outright for 37 million before January 1.

Interestingly, Tevez has been touted as a potential signing by many of the potential presidential candidates, and Boluda would be stealing some of their limelight were he to conclude a deal.

Reports indicate that the transfer would cost in the region of 35m, although the possibility of Man United re-signing him cannot be discounted. Although they did not exercise the purchase option, the Premier League giants would be willing to offer Tevez 4.5m per season to keep him at Old Trafford.

After all, Sir Alex Ferguson will be loath to sell any of his players to Real Madrid, with whom he has a more than frosty relationship.

Palmeiras striker Keirrison has revealed that he harbours dreams of playing for Barcelona.

Speaking to Terra, Keirrison said, "Ever since I was young, I have identified with the country and the club."

He continued, "I do not have anything against the other clubs, but I like Barcelona, because I saw a lot of Romario and Ronaldo when I was young, so it is a very large dream to play for Barca.

"Another dream is to play with a great player like Messi."

Keirrison has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the past, but he moved to Palmeiras on loan from Coritiba only last month.

However, Barca aren't the only European club after the 20-year-old's signature, as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Manchester United and Liverpool have all been tracking the prodigious forward.

Valencia lined up in familiar fashion, with Vicente being preferred to Juan Mata on the left.

Malaga, meanwhile, fielded a fearsome attacking foursome of Eliseu, Duda, Nabil Baha and Alvaro Luque.

First Half

Valencia may have been the home side, but it was Malaga who looked at ease early on, as a Duda free-kick hit the post barely minutes into the game. There was certainly no love lost between the teams, and Luque was perhaps a little lucky not to get sent off for a wild challenge on Emiliano Moretti's knee after seven minutes, with the referee producing a yellow card. It proved to be too much for the Italian, who had to come off after 14 minutes.

Both keepers were kept busy, as Goitia and Cesar pulled off spectacular saves from long distance efforts by Joaquin and Luque respectively. The game then suddenly settled down for a while, as both sides sought some relief after a frantic beginning. Chances were at a premium until 34 minutes, when Eliseu's wonderful cross was headed just wide by a diving Luque.

With ten minutes to go, Nabil Baha wasted two golden chances to provide the lead. A sublime through ball from Duda released Luque, who duly slotted into Baha's path, but he could only shoot straight at Cesar. The rebound fell back to Baha, but this time it was Raul Albiol on the bench who was in the way.

Five minutes before the break, Joaquin wasted another chance after being set up by David Villa, when he shot straight at the keeper. Moments later, Villa almost scored one of the goals of the season as he executed an absolutely sublime chip from the edge of the box, but it bounced agonisingly off the crossbar. He then nearly squeezed a shot in just before the break, but Goitia got down well to save.

Just as both sides were preparing for the break, Eliseu was released through on goal, but he ran into the oncoming Cesar, leaving both parties in a painful state. That proved to be the last action of the half, as both sides somehow went into the break without a goal, despite a barrage of shots.

Second Half

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, with Raul Albiol firing a shot in after two minutes. It only took seven minutes for the deadlock to be broken as Villa scored another classic. Receiving the ball on the right, he cut inside before placing a shot expertly into the top right hand corner. It was a sublime strike, that set the platform for the home side to build on for the second half.

Antonio Tapia wasted no time in making changes, replacing Nabil Baha with Salva. It did not take them long to equalise, as Eliseu scored with the aid of a somewhat fortuitous deflection. While Raul Albiol was unlucky to see the ball fall into the net off his knee, it was made possible thanks to a mazy run by Eliseu, who smashed the ball into the defender. It was the score-line an even match deserved, and the onus now lay on both sides to seize the advantage.

With twenty minutes to go, there was a controversial moment as Cesar and Eliseu clashed on the edge of the box. Despite Malaga's protestations, there was certainly no foul, although the tricky winger was certainly worse off for the challenge. Unai Emery, meanwhile, brought Juan Mata on for Vicente. He almost had an immediate impact, as his free-kick led to two chances for David Silva, both of which were well saved at close range by Goitia.

With 15 minutes to go, Tapia brought Luque off, replacing him with Nacho. Minutes later, Eliseu nearly provided Salva with the winner, but he was inches away from the threatening cross. He repeated the trick again, but this time Salva volleyed over the bar.

On 80 minutes, Villa was brought down inches outside of the box by Cuadrado. He picked himself up and fired in a low free kick, that was eventually saved by Goitia, at the second attempt. Malaga immediately went up the other end and almost scored from a Salva header, but it was cleared by Albiol. He had yet another golden opportunity three minutes from the end, but was centimetres away from meeting Jesus Gamez's cross, with the goal gaping.

That proved to be the final chance of an excellent match which somehow only produced two goals. Malaga will be the happier of the sides after coming from behind to claim an away point, while the pressure will increase on Unai Emery after another disappointing result.

Valencia 1-1 Malaga
Villa 52          Raul Albiol (O.G.) 58

Valencia: Cesar - Maduro, Albiol, Marchena, Moretti (Carleto 15) - Albelda, Baraja (Manuel Fernandes 63), Joaquin, Silva, Vicente (Mata 69) - Villa

Malaga: Goitia - Jesus Gamez, Cuadrado, Weligton, Calleja - Apono, Lolo, Eliseu, Baha (Salva 55), Duda (Pablo Barros 85) - Luque (Nacho 75)

Yellow Cards: Luque 7, Albelda 35, Baraja 57, Raul Albiol 76, Cuadrado 80, Eliseu 91

History was created last evening as two women, 200m gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown, who repeated her Athens 200m success, and winner of the 400m hurdles gold at the Beijing Olympic games, Melaine Walker, copped the 48th RJR Foundation Sports-woman of the Year award for 2008.

Walker, a past student of St Jago High School, won the 400m hurdles gold in a new Olympic record time of 52.64 seconds.

"I am feeling happy and I am grateful. I went to the Olympics and I gave it my best and I came out being the Sportswoman of the Year, tying with Veronica Campbell-Brown, who is also a superb athlete, so I cant complain," Walker said after receiving her award.

A five-time Olympic medallist, Campbell-Brown is the reigning Olympic 200m and World 100m champion. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she ran the 200 metres in 21.74 seconds, the seventh-fastest time ever, and became the second woman in history to win the Olympic 200 metres twice, successfully defending her title. Barbel Wockel of Germany also did so at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.

"We all knew that the award would be very close. So I just appreciate being recognised. It is an honour and it's very good when you are recognised for the hard work that you put in," Campbell-Brown said.

brilliant and riveting

As expected, triple Olympic gold medallist, Usain Bolt, was rewarded for his brilliant and riveting performance in Beijing, taking home the Sportsman of the Year award. Cricketer Jerome Taylor, who took 24 wickets in six Test matches at an average of 29.79 and scored a century - 106 off 107 balls against New Zealand - took the runner-up position as the Sportsman of the Year.

Bolt, winner of the 100m (9.69), 200m (19.30) and member of Jamaica's 4x100m gold-medal team (37.10), won ahead of rivals, cricketer Jerome Taylor, footballer Luton Shelton, former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell and West Indies captain Chris Gayle.

"The award feels good. It is always good to know that your country recognises you for your great performance. I had it in my mind that I would have been the winner," Bolt said.

Shelly-Ann Fraser won the People's Choice Performance award for her 10.78 Olympic effort, ahead of Jerome Taylor, Ricardo Fuller and Damion Benjamin

New chairman of the RJR Sports Foundation, Chris Dehring, presented the Chairman's Award to former West Indies captain, Jimmy Adams, for his stellar performance and contribution to the game of cricket.

Certificates of merit were given to Wilbert Parkes and Branford Gayle for their contribution to sports; to Sylvester Campbell for his contribution to netball; to Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore for football, and to Junior Bennett, cricket.

Special awards were received by the 4x100 metre gold relay team of Nesta Carter, Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Dwight Thomas. The 4x400 metre relay women bronze team of Novlene Williams, Rosemarie Whyte, Shericka Williams, Shereefa Lloyd and Bobby Gaye Wilkins also received special awards.

The 100m final women who placed first, second and third respectively, Shelly Ann Fraser, Kerron Stewart, Sherone Simpson, were also winners.

Lionel Messi has shown himself to be less than happy with some of the tackling from some of the France contingent at the Stade Veledrome yesterday evening.

Messi, who scored a brilliant goal as Argentina won 2-0 on the night, was the subject of a few tough tackles and he singled out Lassana Diarra for some of his challenges.

Speaking to Sport, he also acknowledged that whilst he was pleased with his performance, there was some uncharacteristically tough play for a friendly.

"They played very strong, not just with me, but with all my team-mates," he declared.

"It was a good and special win against a big team."

Messi was the heartbeat of the Argentina side, just like he has been for Barcelona this season, and his performance was capped off by the late goal.

The youngster received the ball from Carlos Tevez and then in a fashion that drew inevitable comparisons to Diego Maradona, who was on the sideline, beat his man with ease and drilled across goal.

Despite the praise though, he commented after the game that he was not yet at the same level with the national team as he is with Barcelona.

The Antigua Recreation Ground will host a replacement Test between West Indies and England on Sunday, as an unsuitable outfield forced the abandonment of play on the opening day of the second Test yesterday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

The Antigua Recreation Ground hosted the last of its 21 Tests three years ago before the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground replaced it ahead of the World Cup in the Caribbean.

sandy run-up

Only 10 balls were possible before Fidel Edwards complained to West Indies captain Chris Gayle and the umpires about his inability to properly negotiate the soft, excessively sandy run-up at the northern end.

Jerome Taylor had already protested at the southern end and changed his line of attack from over to around the wicket after three balls of the first over of the match.

The situation was not helped when a squall of rain swept across the ground about 10 minutes after the start and prompted a delay lasting about 20 minutes.

On resumption, Edwards managed just two deliveries, aborting his run-up no less than three times, before he gave up. This prompted a lengthy discussion between match referee Hurst, West Indies captain Gayle and England captain Andrew Strauss who was batting at the time, and the umpires, Daryl Harper and Tony Hill. The decision was taken to finish early, with England seven without loss.

"The decision to call off play for the day was taken by the on-field umpires Tony Hill and Daryl Harper in consultation with both captains because it was clear the ground conditions, especially the state of the bowlers' run-ups, were unfit and potentially dangerous," Hurst said.

Management officials on both sides disclosed that they had made official protests to officials on the eve of the match. Both teams raised an alarm about the excessively sandy nature of the outfield at the ground, which was constructed three years ago at a cost of US$20 million with assistance from the Chinese Government ahead of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

significant injuries

Omar Khan, manager of the West Indies team, said team physiotherapist C. J. Clark emailed West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) officials and complained that the outfield might lead to players suffering significant injuries.

Hugh Morris, England's director of cricket, said he wrote Hurst overnight and expressed grave concerns about the outfield, so he was not totally surprised by what unfolded.

For a venue that bears the name of a man that personified the greatness of the game, the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground outfield has been a source of major disappointment for the Antigua and Barbuda authorities, and major embarra**ment for the West Indies officials in the three years of its existence.

Each year, the government of Antigua and Barbuda has promised to rectify the turf, and each year, WICB officials have turned up, holding their breath, wondering what they should expect.

The four cities vying for the 2016 Olympics released their detailed bid plans yesterday, touting compact venue layouts, lasting sporting legacies and financial security at a time of global economic turmoil.

More than ever, financial issues will be closely scrutinised, with each of the candidates trying to portray their multibillion-dollar projects as best placed to cope with the recession.

Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro unveiled their hefty bid documents after having submitted them earlier this week to the International Olympic Committee.

The documents, running up to 600 pages, provide details on 15 different criteria requested by the IOC, including plans for competition venues, infrastructure, environmental protection, accommodations, transportation, security and financing.

The IOC evaluation commission will study the bid files and visit the four cities, Chicago from April 4-7, Tokyo from April 16-19, Rio from April 29-May 2 and Madrid from May 5-8.

The outstanding filly, ALSAFRA, capped the 2008 'Horse of the Year' award at the 20th None Such/Horse of the Year awards dinner on Thursday night at the Hilton hotel, New Kingston.

In addition to the top award, ALSAFRA was named champion three-year-old and champion local-bred horse.

Her proud owners, Sherman Clachar and Norman Gordon, were on hand to receive the awards, as ALSFARA became the 13th filly/mare to win the award since it was first presented in 1964.

As a three-year-old in 2008, ALSAFRA, who is trained by Fitznahum Williams and bred by Henry W. Jaghai, won four classic races (including the Triple Crown) to emerge the season's leading stakes winner with just over $9 million. In all, the chestnut filly by Legal Princess - Tee Gee Vee won six races from eight starts.

prestigious

While ALSAFRA's owners figured prominently in the proceedings, the night belonged to Barbados-based owner Elias Haloute, who walked away with the prestigious None Such award. This is presented annually to a person or organisation whose lifetime endeavours in the field of thoroughbred racing embody excellence, innovation and leadership.

The award was presented to Haloute and his wife by Randall Soth, general manager and acting CEO of Caymanas Track Limited.

In addition to the None Such award, Haloute received the Champion Owner award, along with other awards won by AD INFINITUM - champion stayer, champion four-year-old and up, not to mention the award as first runner-up to the Horse of the Year.

If that wasn't enough, his ill-fated 2000 Guineas hero, ROYAL IMAGE, was named champion three-year-old stayer and middle-distance performer.

Other voting awards went to Fitznahum Williams of Alsafra fame (most improved trainer), Dane Nelson (most improved jockey), the Percy Hussey-trained MISS RUTH (champion two-year-old), AHWHOFAH (champion sprinter), CHADMAN (champion foreign-bred horse, champion middle-distance performer and second runner-up to the Horse of the Year), OUTSTANDING (champion four-year-old sprinter), as well as AGUILA (claimer of the year).

Other awards based on statistics went to Wayne DaCosta (champion trainer), Omar Walker (champion jockey and top apprentice), Henry W. Jaghai (champion breeder), Purcell Keith (champion groom), Royal Minister (Matchem award as champion sire), Tee Gee Vee (champion broodmare) and Clock Tower in Halfway Tree (top OTB sales award), surprisingly, there was no guest speaker this time around, but the function was very well attended. Masters of ceremonies were well-known racing personality Keith Binns and noted radio personality, Paul-Ann Porter Jones.

Manchester United's march to 13 clean sheets on the spin was done with nine different rearguards.

One of the defenders who was a mainstay throughout the feat though was lion-hearted defender and candidate for the club's player of the season thus far - Nemanja Vidic.

The Serbian international though has today made the startling admission that he'd swap it all if it meant the club would be lifting silverware aloft at the season's death.

"I am very proud and happy to be part of a team that created the record," Vidic is quoted by the Times Online as saying.

"I have been there all the time and it is a nice feeling to know you have not lost a goal for so many games. As defenders we can take a lot of credit because our job is to keep clean sheets.

"It is obvious we have done well over the last few months and I have really enjoyed it, but we will try to keep going and doing the same things we have done in the past because the most important thing is to win games."

Manchester United have kept the opposition at bay for a total of 1,212 minutes - a British record.

Should Van der Sar and the fearsome foursome in front of him manage to frustrate Fulham for 64 minutes, then they will break the world record set by Atletico Madrid's Abel Renso at 1275 minutes without conceding.

Christopher Jackson's controversial extra-time goal gave Tivoli Gardens a win 1-0 win over 10-man Meadhaven United and their third hold on the Western Union/KSAFA Jackie Bell Knockout trophy at the Tony Spaulding Complex last evening.

The victory was also the third in succession for coach Lenworth Hyde, who won the last two versions with Harbour View before migrating to west Kingston this season.

Western Union's marketing manager Sandra Forbes (left); Lorna Bell (right), widow of the late 'Jackie' Bell, and KSAFA president Rudolph Speid (2nd right), present the Bell KO Trophy to the victorious Tivoli Gardens team which defeated Meadhaven 1-0 in the final at the Tony Spaulding Sport Complex last night. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

"It was a disiplined game from us and we played how we wanted," Hyde told reporters afterwards.

"The game could have gone either way, but we kept our cool as the game threatened to get out of hand and that's what got us the victory," he added.

A minute before the end of regulation time, Meadhaven's star player, Keammar Daley, was shown the red card for what seemed an innocuous challenge on defender Victor Thompson.

Then seven minutes into extra time, Tivoli got the all-important goal, but not without a moment of controversy.

Oraine Simpson took a short corner to captain Jackson, however, another ball came over the fence and onto the field of play, at which time referee Tariq Parchment halted play.

But when the extra ball was removed, Parchment decided to drop the ball where the game had stopped, instead of restarting from the corner kick, which most of the players were anticipating.

The ball was dropped between Jackson and Meadhaven's Parchment. The former won possession and delivered an inswinging cross into the area which beat a stranded Kevin Graham at his far post.

Earlier, Tivoli had the better of the first half but had very little to show, although they did come close with a few attempts.
But Meadhaven came into their own in the second period and Daley rattled the crossbar with a superb volley from the edge of the area after 62 minutes.

Weston Forrest then had a shot blocked by a defender with goalkeeper Leon Gordon at his mercy.

And substitute Leighton also had a good chance,

LONDON, England - Head coach John Barnes says he's pleased with the way the Reggae Boyz applied themselves in a 0-0 draw in their friendly international against Nigeria on Wednesday at the home ground of Millwall FC.

BARNES... the players showed commitment, heart and spirit

Barnes, in his third month at the helm of the senior team, said the core values he demanded from the players at the outset were on display in what many termed a "highly entertaining" game of football in frigid London weather.

"Overall the players showed commitment, heart and spirit and... I was very pleased with the attitude," said Barnes in a post-match press conference after the midweek humdinger.

Barnes, a former Liverpool and England favourite, conceded that the Jamaicans were second best in the first half, but applauded their dominance in the second, even as they failed to press home and win the game before some 3,000-5,000 spectators.

"In the first half we didn't create that many chances, but in the second half we controlled and moved the ball better. I'm disappointed that we didn't win the match as we had three or four clear-cut chances," he said, referring in part to Luton Shelton's two breakaways against Nigerian goalkeeper Ejide Austine.

Barnes hailed the Nigerian custodian. "The goalkeeper did his job well in one-on-one situations," he said.

Jamaica's second-string 'keeper Shawn Sawyers - promoted after a finger injury to Donovan Ricketts - was not to be outdone in that game, denying Odemwingie Osaze and Uche Ikechukwu from close range to keep his team in the game.

After both teams had a man sent off - Jermaine Johnson of Jamaica and Taiye Taiwo of Nigeria - the downsizing appeared to favour Jamaica as they had to adjust from three central defenders playing with a sweeper to a flat back four.

"It would have been a more worthwhile exercise as you would want to play with 11 men, what it did is to force us to change our shape from a back three to a flat back four, so for them (Jamaica) to be forced into this provided me to see how far they have come. It helped us to play better, not with 10 men, but with a different shape," said Barnes, who emigrated to England as a teenager.

Though it's not his style to single out players after a game, Barnes lauded Rudolph Austin of SK Brann of Norway and Jason Morrison of Hungary's Frencvaros.

Meanwhile, Nigeria coach Shauaibu Amodu defended his strategy for the game after needling from the Nigerian media.

". As much as you understand football, I didn't warm more players because I don't think they could go into the game and keep up the rhythm and that's why I didn't make more changes, and of course, we were already playing well," he said.

LONDON, England (AFP) - Middlesbrough striker Marlon King has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a nightclub, police said yesterday.

KING... allegedly assaulted 20-year-old woman in London bar

King is alleged to have assaulted and punched a 20-year-old woman in London's Soho Revue Bar in December and the Jamaica international will appear before magistrates later this month.

He was released on bail to appear at City of Westminster magistrates court on February 25 on charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and sexual assault by touching, according to the Metropolitan police.

A woman received hospital treatment for a broken nose and split lip following the incident on December 7 and King was arrested three days later.

"He categorically denies the allegations," King's solicitor Henri Brandman said in a statement.

The 28-year-old is on loan to Middlesbrough from fellow Premier League club, Wigan. He is yet to score for his new club in three appearances.

King has endured a stormy season, having already left his season-long loan at Hull.

During his time at the KC Stadium, he was banned from driving after being caught speeding at 106mph in a 60mph zone, had a fall-out with Tigers boss Phil Brown and rowed with Dean Windass during an outing designed to foster team spirit.

LONDON, England - Jamaican midfielder Wolry Wolfe's dream of playing professional football in Europe could be near reality. The Portmore United player, who has had loan stints with Trinidad & Tobago's Joe Public, was scheduled to leave here yesterday or today for two weeks of trials at Hungary's Division Two club, Ferencvaros. Wolfe, 27, will join two other Portmore players - brother Rafe Wolfe and Jason Morrison - at the eastern European club. "It always helps when you have a friend or even better, a family member with you in a foreign club because it will help you to settle down quickly," he said. Wolfe, a member of Jamaica's historical Under-20 team to the 2001 Youth World Cup in Argentina, is delighted with the opportunity to further his professional career. "This means a lot to me. I appreciate everything that I was able to do and learn at Joe Public, but in one's football life, every stop on your journey is a stepping stone to the thing you aspire to," said Wolfe on Wednesday night after his cameo performance in Jamaica's hard-fought 0-0 draw with Nigeria's Super Eagles at the New Den stadium, the home of Millwall FC. The left-sided midfielder, who missed out on last year's Digicel Championship Finals in Kingston due to a hamstring injury, said he is intent on going to Hungary and working hard. "I've been on a trial before with Joe Public, so I know what to expect. I am focused and ready," said a bubbly Wolfe, who hails from a 'Wolfe' pack of athletes. His sibling Kemeel plays for Harbour View FC and his sister Tiffany, before injury, played netball for Jamaica. Apart from his brother Kemeel, Wolry says his five-year-old son Kadiff is his inspiration.

LONDON, England - Twenty-one-year-old Jamaica and Portmore United right-winger, Eric Vernan, will depart the island in a week's time for the United States where he will commence a three-week trial stint with US Major League outfit, DC United.

VERNAN... when opportunities like this come you have to take them

Vernan, who came on as a late substitute for the Reggae Boyz in their 0-0 draw against Nigeria in a friendly international here on Wednesday, was on cloud nine when he got the news.

""I feel good knowing that I will get the opportunity to play in a more professional environment. when opportunities like this come along you will have to take them seriously," said Vernan, who was adjudged MVP at last year's Digicel Caribbean Championship.

The former Glenmuir student, who was a member of Jamaica's Under-20 silver medal-winning team at the Pan Am Games in Brazil in 2007, said his hard work in training is beginning to pay off and he is determined to take advantage.

"It's a lot of hard work and sacrifice that got me to this stage and it's my intention to go to the USA and do my best," said Vernan, who hails from Clarendon.

He said although Jamaica are out of World Cup contention, there is still much to look forward to, starting with the Gold Cup in the USA in the summer.

"Yes, we're out of the World Cup, but the programme continues with the Gold Cup which is right around the corner and that is indeed something I'm looking forward to," said the diminutive, but speedy player.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AFP) - Michael Bradley's brace of goals lifted the United States to a 2-0 victory over Mexico, while Andy Furtado struck twice for Costa Rica in a 2-0 World Cup 2010 qualifying win over Honduras on Wednesday.

El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago played to a 2-2 draw in the remaining match on the slate as the six-nation final phase of qualifying for the North and Central America and Caribbean region got underway.

San Salvador, El Salvador - Trinidad and Tobago's Kenwyne Jones (left) battles El Salvador's Alexander Escobar for possession during their CONCACAF World Cup qualifier on Wednesday. The game ended 2-2. (Photo: AP)

In Columbus, Bradley opened the scoring in the 43rd minute and added another goal in the 90th - after Mexico had been reduced to 10 men with the sending off of Rafael Marquez in the 65th minute.

Bradley gave the hosts the lead late in the first half after a corner kick by DaMarcus Beasley found Landon Donovan at the far post.

Donovan headed the ball back across the goal mouth, and while Oguchi Onyewu's header was denied by Oswaldo Sanchez the rebound fell at the feet of Bradley.

Pushing for an equaliser, Mexico's aggressive play resulted in a red card in the 65th when Marquez was sent off after kicking US goalkeeper Tim Howard in the right thigh during a rough challenge.

The expulsion came in the aftermath of Mexico's best scoring chance of the match.

Pavel Pardo sent a free-kick from the centre of the field into the penalty area where a touch from Giovani Dos Santos set up Fausto Pinto on the left side of the box.

Pinto slid a dangerous shot past an open goal that was somehow missed at the far post for an easy tap-in by Dos Santos, and as the ball was played back into the area Howard jumped to collect it before he was spiked by Marquez.

With the extra man and the lead, the US played conservatively the rest of the way.

Bradley punctuated the victory with a goal in injury time, collecting a pass from Donovan and firing a low shot from the top of the area past Sanchez.

In San Jose, Furtado scored twice in the space of 11 minutes - in the 48th and 59th - to lift Costa Rica to a 2-0 victory.

In San Salvador, two goals from Osael Romero in the 79th and 90th earned the draw for the hosts after T&T took a 2-0 lead in the first half.

Carlos Edwards opened the scoring for the visitors in the seventh minute, firing a shot from outside the area that eluded goalkeeper Juan Jose Gomez.

Veteran Dwight Yorke doubled the margin in the 27th, converting a penalty resulting from Luis Hernandez's foul on Stern John.

The next matches are on March 28, when T&T host Honduras, Mexico host Costa Rica and El Salvador host the United States

"We have good momentum going into the game, but we're not going into the match too relaxed or over-confident," he said.

"We still have three matches left in this series, so this game is very important, and we can expect the England team to rebound strongly and try to make some sort of statement.

"So it's up to us to keep them behind in the series in the same position which they now occupy."

Gayle is well aware that consistency is still a bug for his side and recalled that in South Africa two years ago, West Indies similarly won the opening Test, but lost the Test series 1-2. He wants to avoid a repeat.

"Everyone is aware of what's happening and what they have to do," he said. "I don't think it is my responsibility to walk around and keep reminding players what their responsibilities are.

"Everyone has got to know their own game, and should know how they need to adapt, so it should be easy for me to go out there and get the job done."

England too, understood how crucial it is for them to win the second Test. Another defeat would give West Indies an unassailable lead in the series, and end their nine-year dominance of the Caribbean side.

West Indies have brought left-handed all-rounder Ryan Hinds and utility player Lendl Simmons into their 14-member squad, and will have to decide how to accommodate them, since only one place has opened up in the batting, following the omission of Xavier Marshall.

Squads:

WEST INDIES (from) - Chris Gayle (captain), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ryan Hinds, Brendan Nash, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.

ENGLAND (from) - Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook (vice captain), Tim Ambrose, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua (CMC) - Rather than being b****arded with a plethora of questions about what approach they will take over the next five days, West Indies and England were confronted with concerns about the state of the outfield at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on the eve of the second Test, starting today.

For a venue that bears the name of a man that personified all that was great and glorious about cricket, the VRCG outfield has been a source of major disappointment for the Antigua & Barbuda authorities and major embarra**ment for the West Indies Cricket Board in the three years of its existence.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua - West Indies players (from left) Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor and Dwayne Bravo relax at the end of a training session at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium yesterday ahead of the second Test match against England which starts today. (Photo: AP)

Each year, the Government of Antigua & Barbuda has promised to rectify the turf, and each year, the WICB has turned up, holding its breath, wondering what they can expect when they arrive for an international match at the venue built at a cost of US$20 million with assistance from the Chinese Government ahead of the 2007 World Cup.

Yesterday, they found an outfield that was patchy and excessively sandy - more fitting for the scores of British visitors that have descended on the island to support their national team than for the intensity of a crucial Test match.

The situation at the VRCG has not been helped by the Antigua & Barbuda Cricket Association's refusal to host regional first-class matches which would have allowed the WICB to give the ground a workout prior to the series.

Both captains put on a brave face for the media with Chris Gayle more prepared to focus on the 1-0 lead his side secured in Kingston on the back of an innings and 23-run victory.

"We're going into the game with a lot of things on our minds, so we're going to focus on what we actually have to do, and what we can control out there in the middle," Gayle told reporters.

"It could be a bit dangerous out there, and I remember in the World Cup someone got injured sliding, so the players would have to take it carefully out there."

Andrew Strauss was more concerned about trying to recover from the setback of 51 all out in the second innings which led to that result.

"I'm not concerned about the outfield. it's not in an ideal condition, but there are plenty more important things for us to be worried about than the state of the outfield, as long as we are sensible about the way we field," he said.

"It will be the same for both sides, so we're not losing a lot of sleep about it."

Gayle admitted that though his side won handsomely at Sabina Park, they have no intention of playing slack cricket or easing their foot off the throttle.

Olympic hurdles champion Dayron Robles will miss the rest of the indoor track season because of a left hamstring injury.

The Cuban aggravated the injury during a 60-metre hurdles heat in France on Tuesday in Lievin. That came after a strained hamstring had already kept him out of recent events in Goteborg, Sweden, and Stuttgart, Germany.

"It was decided by Robles' coach, Santiago Antuner, that Robles will not compete any further in the indoor season," the organisers of an indoor meet in Birmingham, England, said yesterday in a statement. "The injury is not severe but enough to cause concern."

Robles, who won the 110-metre hurdles at the Beijing Olympics and holds the world record in the event, is expected to be back in time for the World Athletics Championships in August in Berlin.

"Dayron's injury is not serious," former high jump great and current Cuban track federation official Javier Sotomayor said in a telephone interview from Spain. "For now he has cancelled his next two events ... (and is) contemplating returning to Cuba to continue his medical treatment."

"It's just one of those things that happens during an athlete's career," Sotomayor said. "The most important thing for Dayron is recovering fully to be in perfect condition for the next World Championships."

Manchester United face Derby County for the third time this year as they contest the fifth round of the FA Cup at Pride Park on Sunday; the sides locked horns during the semi-final stages in the Carling Cup in January.

The Red Devils - who are still on course for an unprecedented clean sweep of all domestic silverware this season - have been given a boost by the news that key defenders Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Jonny Evans will all be fit and available for selection.

England understudy Phil Jagielka was called into action midweek for the Three Lions' Spain test as Ferdinand fell ill prior to kick-off. As a safety measure, Britain's most expensive defender was allowed to miss training at the club's Carrington ground on Thursday, but assistant boss Mike Phelan has confirmed he is fresh ahead of the weekend.

Patrice Evra has shaken off the foot injury incurred during the club's 3-0 trouncing of Chelsea in January, while Jonny Evans has recovered from an ankle knock sustained against Derby in the Carling Cup.

"There are a couple of days to go before the game yet, but Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra are training and theyre okay," assistant manager Mike Phelan told journalists at a press conference and is quoted by the club's website as saying.

"Rio came in on Thursday. He felt a bit better even though he didnt train, but we hope hell get some training today [Friday]."

Regarding Wayne Rooney's hamstring problems, Phelan added: "Were still assessing Wayne. Hes done a little bit of work but were not going to rush him. We have some big games coming up, so well ease him back in, but do it as quickly as we can.

"If hes available on Sunday, terrific. If not, well look at it for the next game against Fulham. We have numerous players in the squad that we can use if [he isnt ready for Sunday]. Well assess that on Saturday or Sunday."

Manchester United have already been beaten by Derby County once this year - in a 1-0 reverse in the League Cup in January - but they progressed to the final due to a 4-2 second leg win.

Promising young English manager Nigel Clough took the reins of the Rams at the start of the year, and his first game in charge was the loss against Queen's Park Rangers.

Clough, 42, has begun to ease himself into life in the east midlands though and has guided his side to three successive Championship wins.

The son of Nottingham Forest legend Brian has FA Cup pedigree against United; his Burton side held the Red Devils to a scoreless draw in 2006, before succumbing in the third round replay.

Phelan is aware of the threat the fixture can bring, and wants to avoid a further upset.

"We went into that game with a few players whod had a small break, and we didnt perform to our capabilities on the day. I think the result showed that they deserved the victory.

"But it was one of those cup competitions where you get two bites of the cherry. In a one-off FA Cup tie we cant afford to play like that.

"All being well, well have a full squad available this weekend. I expect it to be as passionate and hard a game as it was in January, but I think well be in a better frame of mind to play in this one," he concluded.