The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Classy Bayern in charge after 3-1 win at Arsenal Posted: 19 Feb 2013 03:09 PM PST  Bayern Munich's Toni Kroos scores a goal past Arsenal's goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during their Champions League match at the Emirates Stadium in London February 19, 2013. – Reuters pic A clinical early strike from Kroos opened the scoring and when Mueller made it 2-0 midway through the first half the visiting fans were already in party mood. Lukas Podolski scored against his old club as Arsenal battled back after the break but Mandzukic bundled in a third Bayern goal in the 77th to seal their first ever win in London. The runaway Bundesliga leaders, trying to make amends for a heartbreaking shootout loss to Chelsea in last year's final, toyed with Arsenal for 45 minutes and, though given a real scrap after that, are overwhelming favourites to reach the last eight. Arsene Wenger's side began positively with Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott advancing deep into Bayern territory but it took the visitors seven minutes to stop the Gunners in their tracks. Mueller, a constant menace down the right flank, was allowed time to cross and his scuffed delivery wrong-footed Arsenal's defence and fell perfectly for Kroos to swivel and thump a first-time shot into the turf and past keeper Wojciech Szczesny. Oozing confidence after an 18-match unbeaten sequence dating back to October, Bayern sensed Arsenal's confidence was fragile and went about hammering home their superiority. It was no surprise when the Germans doubled their advantage after 21 minutes when Daniel Van Buyten's glancing header from a corner was blocked on the line by Szczesny but the ball popped up for Mueller to flick it into the unguarded net. ARSENAL FRUSTRATION Bayern looked capable of putting the tie to bed before halftime and almost did so moments before the break when Mandzukic rose majestically to meet Philipp Lahm's cross but placed his powerful header agonisingly wide. Arsenal's frustration resulted in first-half bookings for Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta while Bayern's Bastian Schweinsteiger was yellow-carded for kicking the ball away and will be ruled out of the return leg in Bavaria. Schweinsteiger's moment of ill-discipline looked irrelevant with his side so dominant but the hosts responded after the interval to try to make the second leg more than a formality. Ten minutes into the second half, a corner from Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere found former Bayern forward Lukas Podolski unmarked and he gratefully nodded past keeper Manuel Neuer. It was the first goal conceded by Bayern this year and rattled the visitors as the home crowd sensed that maybe all was not lost amid memories of Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Barcelona in 2010 when they also trailed 2-0. Arsenal substitute Olivier Giroud nearly equalised with his first touch after joining the fray with 20 minutes left but his sweetly-struck shot from Walcott's cross went straight at Neuer. The revival was cut short after 77 minutes when Bayern counter-attacked in devastating fashion and Lahm's skidding cross spun up and in off bayern's Croatia striker Mandzukic. Arsenal huffed and puffed looking for another reply but Bayern were better in every department and Arsenal were booed at the final whistle, just like on Saturday in their FA Cup defeat by Blackburn Rovers, as their season threatened to unravel. – Reuters |
| Bradford long for happy ending to fairytale Cup run Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:53 PM PST  BRADFORD, Feb 20 – An excited youngster stocked up on flags for his Wembley trip and the players spoke of fairytales as Bradford City prepared for the last chapter in a giant-killing run that has lifted the gloom around the club. A fourth-tier team featuring a former supermarket shelf-stacker, a cancer survivor and players released by top clubs are hoping to beat a Premier League outfit for the fourth time this season when Bradford take on Swansea City in Sunday's League Cup final. "It's going to be the biggest game we've played in our lives," right back Stephen Darby told Reuters yesterday. "Over the last few years the football club hasn't had a lot to shout about but it's going to be a massive day for everyone, it's great for Bradford City and the people of Bradford." The Bantams are the first fourth-tier side to reach a major English cup final for 51 years and will be making only their second Wembley appearance - the previous one being the 1996 third-tier playoff final. After several miserable seasons since relegation from the Premier League in 2001, including two spells in administration, the feat of a fourth-tier team beating Arsenal, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa en route to Wembley is the stuff of dreams. The club, whose only major silverware is the 1911 FA Cup, is also probably best known for tragedy rather than glory after a 1985 fire at its Valley Parade ground killed 56 fans. It is not just the football club that has lived under black clouds. The West Yorkshire city has been harder hit than many by the economic downturn, it has higher-than average crime rates and is also still remembered for race riots in 2001. "Bradford is known for bad things like riots. There are no shops, there's a lot of negative," fan Julia North said after giving her 12-year-old son Liam money to get the club's claret and amber flags. "It's great there's now something positive." Thrilled Liam added: "It means the whole world to me. When we beat Villa (in the semi-final) I just went mental." There is a buzz around the city with stalls selling anything from paper masks with the face of manager Phil Parkinson to T-shirts emblazoned 'Bradford City Giant Killers Marching on Wembley Way'. One pub near the train station was advertising being open from 0430 on Sunday for anyone wanting ale or food before heading south while the local newspaper is printing cut-out-and-keep posters of the players. FINANCIAL SECURITY The cup run will provide the club with a cash injection that would pay one of the Premier League's top earners around eight weeks' wages, but for Bradford, that should mean long-term financial security. "It's the owners' job and my job to make sure this extra revenue is used to keep improving the structure of the club and make sure our supporters have got a football club in years to come that is going to flourish," said Parkinson. "That is really important. Much as we are all going to enjoy this weekend, on the back of that it does give us revenue which we wouldn't have expected to make so we are going to have to use it very wisely." Lying mid-table in the fourth tier, with 44 points from 31 games, Bradford are punching well above their weight with a group of players who have made up for their lack of big transfer fees with a huge show of determination and a slice of luck. There are no household names, only the likes of striker James Hanson who used to work in a local supermarket and headed the goal that booked the place in the final or Reading reject Carl McHugh who almost never made it as a professional. Their most experienced player is probably goalkeeper Matt Duke, who made Premier League appearances for Hull City and who has recovered after being diagnosed with testicular cancer five years ago. Victory over Swansea would earn Bradford a place in the Europa League, their first continental appearance since the now defunct Intertoto Cup in 2000, and a concept that some players could not get their heads around. "It would be crazy, it would be mental but it would be unbelievable for the club," said McHugh who is taking 111 friends and family with him to Wembley. "We're going to be underdogs. It's going to take Swansea having an off day and us being right at the top of our game and having a little bit of luck to win it." The lack of expectation is what forward Alan Connell reckons has been the key to Bradford's successful cup run and that could help them against Swansea. "I honestly haven't even thought about winning it. It's all a bit of a fairytale," he said. "Being the underdogs has helped us, we're just very relaxed and very disciplined as a team. We've got a game against 11 players, let's go and play." – Reuters |
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