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Tuesday Football
15 April 2008
by Jerrad Peters

Most compelling viewing
Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal

After a volcanic eruption, discharged felsic lava cools rapidly to produce a reflective mineraloid known as obsidian. As early as 6000 B.C., the ancient Anatolians had perfected a method for shaving and polishing the substance into a level surface. They were manufacturing mirrors. And as mirrors have been in common use over the 8000-years since, Arsenal have no excuse for not looking into one.

Instead, manager Arsene Wenger and his players have made every attempt to fling the blame for the club’s dismal run in every conceivable direction.

“Back in the last two months,” remarked a morose Wenger after his side’s capitulation at Old Trafford, “even with the decisions again on Sunday, we are not very happy and very unlucky.”

Those two months, it should be remembered, saw Arsenal relinquish a six-point lead in the Premier League standings, crash out of the Champions’ League, and exit the FA Cup after an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Manchester United. After setting English football alight until mid-February, the Gunners, once again, will come away with nothing to show for it. And the squad, like their manager, would be remiss if they accepted the slightest responsibility.

“You can play well,” sulked captain William Gallas, “but if the luck is not there, then you win nothing.” He continued, “The luck went from us a few months ago. People have to understand that.”

People, by and large, do not. Even the majority of Arsenal supporters are quick to cite Emmanuel Edebayor’s lack of finishing, Niklas Bendtner’s complete incompetence, and Wenger’s reluctance to open the checkbook and bolster his lineup as reasons why the club has failed in all four competitions.

Wenger, it seems, is alone on an island of distorted realities and false truths. If he were completely candid, he would probably claim that the fates, the Premier League, Alex Ferguson, whatever, plotted Arsenal’s downfall when Eduardo da Silva broke his leg against Birmingham City on February 23. Since that day, his side have won just twice over a stretch of ten matches. And, as Wenger would be quick to point out, Middlesbrough equalized on an off-side goal, Liverpool were awarded a dodgy penalty after Arsenal were denied an obvious one, Chelsea were fortunate to score twice late on, and Wigan play negative football. How, possibly, could Arsenal succeed when everything was tilted against them?

In actuality, the only thing tilted is Arsene Wenger’s version of the truth. In spinning an excuse for every poor performance, he has demonstrated a distinct disconnect between himself and the club’s supporters.

Football fans are not stupid. They are not oblivious to what transpires on the pitch. And what they have seen for the better part of two months is an Arsenal squad which lacks finishing and depth, an Arsenal squad which cannot cope with diversity, and an Arsenal squad which fails to admit defeat when they have so clearly fallen short. None of which endears the club to its support. When Cesc Fabregas wondered aloud that the entire country was rooting against them, he was bang on the money.

Notable results
Lyon 1-1 Rennes

Lyon’s march to a seventh successive Ligue 1 title was stalled by Stade Rennais, Sunday. Les Rouges et Noirs have become something of a bogey team for the champions; and Stephane M’bia’s late equalizer earned the visitors a draw and allowed Bordeaux to narrow the gap atop the table to a mere four points.

In truth, it was a heartbreaking defeat for the hosts. After Cris had put Lyon ahead in the 16th-minute from a Juninho corner, it appeared as though the match was done and dusted. Rennes replied just after the half-hour, however. And Gregory Coupet had to be sharp to save Sylvain Wiltord’s effort after Olivier Thomert’s cultured free-kick.

From there, Lyon heaped attack after attack on goalkeeper Patrice Luzi. Still, the visitors looked dangerous on the break. Thomert and Jimmy Briand were denied in turn after Karim Benzema had hit the cross-bar at the other end on 55-minutes.

Lyon’s inability to notch a second goal proved their undoing in added-time. Michael Pagis’ corner-kick was directed beyond Coupet by a diving M’Bia – ensuring a split of the points and boosting Rennes into the top-half of the table. Les Gones, meanwhile, lead the league with 68-points from 33-matches. Second-place Bordeaux, after a 2-1 win over Caen, trail by a mere four points.

Werder Bremen 5-1 Schalke 04

Schalke 04 became the latest side to relinquish second-place in the Bundesliga after being dealt a 5-1 drubbing by Werder Bremen, Saturday. Werder, in claiming the three points, leapfrogged the Royal Blues into the runners-up position – a slot they occupy by two points. As it happens, places two through six are separated by just five points; and each of Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg, in seventh and eighth, respectively, cannot be ruled out of top-five finishes at this point either.

That said, the battle for Germany’s second automatic berth in the Champions’ League will likely come down to the quartet of Bremen, Schalke, Bayer Leverkusen, and Hamburg. Stuttgart, currently five-points adrift of Bremen, suffered a 3-0 setback at the Bayarena, Sunday, and will require each of the aforementioned four squads to stumble mightily in order to finish second to Bayern Munich.

Of course, anything can happen with six rounds to play. Bayern are the only club which seem capable of compiling any consistent string of results together – as was evident in Schalke’s demise at the Weserstadion.

Kevin Kuranyi’s lone strike for the visitors interrupted a barrage of attacking play from Bremen. The Germany international headed beyond Tim Weise in the 42nd-minute after Frank Baumann and Boubacar Sanago had tallied for the hosts. Schalke might have leveled matters just after the restart through Fabien Ernst. But the 28-year-old midfielder was denied by Baumann; and Bremen, after breathing a sigh of relief, turned the tide back toward Manuel Neuer.

Markus Rosenberg scored Bremen’s third goal of the night just shy of the hour-mark when he headed Tim Borowski’s cross beyond the Schalke ‘keeper. And Ivan Klasnic completed the assault with a pair of goals in the space of 13-minutes – running onto a superb Diego pass in the 76th-minute and completing a lovely, solo run in the 89th.

With 50-points from 28-matches, Bremen trail leaders Bayern Munich by 10-points and currently nurse a two-point lead over Schalke. Leverkusen are fourth with 47-points; and Hamburg, on 47-points as well, trail Leverkusen on goal-differential. Stuttgart are sixth with 45-points.

Juventus 3-2 AC Milan

Daniele Bonera’s sending-off in the 66th-minute proved the difference as Juventus edged AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday. With the sides level at two-goals apiece, the 26-year-old’s ruthless challenge on Juventus midfielder Mohamed Sissoko reduced Milan to ten men. And while the hosts failed to take immediate advantage of their man-power superiority, Hasan Salihamidzic headed a Mauro Camoranesi free-kick beyond Zeljko Kalac in the 80th-minute – ensuring a full three-points for Juventus while stalling Milan at fifth-place in Serie A.

Until Bonera’s red-card, the result was very much up in the air. Alessandro Del Piero’s 12th-minute opener was answered by a pair of tallies from Filippo Inzaghi. The first, a completion of some good work by Andrea Pirlo and Kaka, was followed in the 31st-minute by a tap-in after Bonera had chested Ambrossini’s lob and passed to the well-positioned 34-year-old.

Milan’s lead lasted until just before the break. Salihamidzic, after Kalac had played himself out of position by stopping David Trezeguet’s header, had only to tap the rebound beyond the Australian to pull the hosts to level terms.

The teams traded several chances before Bonera was dismissed. Gennaro Gattuso and Zdenek Grygera each came close. But the red-card was the obvious flash-point of the match. And in defeat, Milan have an uphill battle to qualify for next season’s Champions’ League. On 52-points from 33-rounds, the Rossoneri are four-points back of fourth-place Fiorentina and level with sixth-ranked Sampdoria. Udinese are nipping at their heels as well with 51-points and six-matches remaining. Juventus, meanwhile, appear locked into third-place. With 61-points, they are 10 back of AS Roma and five ahead of Fiorentina.

Inter Milan 2-0 Fiorentina

After Roma’s 3-1 win at Udinese had cut Inter Milan’s lead atop Serie A to a single point, the Nerazzurri responded to the pressure-cooker by delivering a decisive 2-0 defeat to visiting Fiorentina, Sunday. Esteban Cambiasso and Mario Balotelli scored within seven minutes of one another on either side of the hour-mark after an edgy opening period. Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastian Frey was outstanding throughout the initial 45-minutes – denying Patrick Vieira, Javier Zanetti, and Julio Cruz in succession. Adrian Mutu and Giampaolo Pazzini, meanwhile, made life difficult for the Inter defense by conducting quick, effective counter-attacks.

Finally, after another ten, cagey minutes to open the second-half, Patrick Vieira placed a well-worked pass to the feet of Cambiasso; and the Argentine had only to redirect the ball past a helpless Frey. In the 62nd-minute, Balotelli’s well-timed run was rewarded with a cultured through-ball from Cruz; and the 17-year-old made no mistake in beating Frey from 16-yards.

Their four-point lead restored, Inter have a relatively light schedule over the remaining six league matches. Other than the Milan derby on May 4 and a Copa Italia tie with Lazio on April 16 and May 7, they will face Torino, Cagliari, Siena, and Parma before the season concludes on May 18.

Recreativo Huelva 2-2 Barcelona

Even Lionel Messi’s return to the fold could not lift Barcelona to a win over 17th-ranked Recreativo Huelva, Saturday. The 20-year-old Argentine replaced Giovanni Dos Santos after 65-minutes at El Nuevo Columbino. The young Mexico international, having started the match in a formation which featured each of Samuel Eto’o, Santi Ezquerro, and Eidur Gudjohnsen, booed upon leaving the pitch. Both Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic, meanwhile, were left out of the squad entirely by manager Frank Rijkaard.

Nevertheless, Eto’o opened the scoring in just the 2nd-minute after Dos Santos had scampered down the left and delivered a pass across the area for the Cameroonian to tap in. Former Liverpool attacker Florent Sinama-Pongolle responded immediately but missed the target after receiving Aitor Tornavaca’s cross.

Sinama-Pongolle came close again in the 39th-minute. Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes did well to stop the Frenchman; but it was a sign of things to come. Just two minutes later, Marco Ruben’s header was adjudged a goal – although replays quite clearly showed that Valdes had made a timely, goal-line save.

Inspired by what they perceived to be a harsh decision, the guests completed the first-half with an attacking frenzy. The positive play continued on the other side of the interval when Eto’o notched his second on the night – smashing a powerful effort beyond Stefano Sorrentino from 20-yards.

Recre continued to create opportunities on the break; and Ruben was denied a second goal by Valdes just shy of the hour-mark. The 21-year-old Villarreal loan player was spot-on in the 71st-minute, however, when he nodded Javier Camuna’s cross past Valdes.

The draw leaves Recre hovering above the drop with 37-points from 32-matches. They are three-points clear of 18th-place Real Zaragoza and two behind 15th-place Valencia. Barcelona, meanwhile, are second in La Liga with 60-points – nine-points adrift of champions-elect, Real Madrid.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2-3 Toronto FC

Toronto FC won their first match of the 2008 Major League Soccer campaign, Sunday, toppling a very average-looking Los Angeles Galaxy side at Home Depot Centre in Carson, California. Enigmatic striker Jeff Cunningham scored his 97th career MLS goal in the 88th-minute to claim all three points for the visitors. The 31-year-old Jamaican-born forward dinked goalkeeper Steve Cronin after winning a battle for the ball with Greg Vanney.

Bolstered by the addition of 2004 MLS Most Valuable Player Amado Guevara, Toronto’s five-man midfield, which also consisted of Carl Robinson, Maurice Edu, Jarrod Smith, and Laurent Robert, froze the creativity of David Beckham and Landon Donivan and created several opportunities for lone striker Danny Dichio.

In fact, Guevara’s impact was felt immediately when he played Dichio in clear for the game’s first goal in the 43rd-minute. Galaxy hit back within second, however – Donovan notching his second of the season after running onto a pass from Chris Klein.

Eight minutes after the break, Toronto went in front again. Smith, having run just inside the 18-yard-box, beat a shaky Cronin for his first goal with the Reds. Again, Donovan restored level terms only moments later when he successfully converted a penalty beyond Greg Sutton in the 58th-minute.

The Toronto midfield continued to stifle Beckham throughout the second period. The 32-year-old England international was limited to set-pieces and missed the target altogether from 29-yards in the 83rd-minute. Shortly thereafter, Cunningham tallied the match-winner and earned Toronto their first points of the season.

Key contributors
Simon Rolfes

Simon Rolfes scored on either side of Stefan Kiesling’s 45th-minute tally to help Bayer Leverkusen to a 3-0 win over Stuttgart, Sunday. The 26-year-old midfielder opened the scoring after 41-minutes at the Bayarena and completed it with 20-minutes remaining.

The first, Rolfes’ sixth of the domestic campaign, was a 25-yard cannon which beat Sven Ulrich after the goalkeeper had cleared Hans Sarpei’s initial shot out of the area. As an encore, the Germany international lobbed Ulrich after defender Mathieu Delpierre’s botched clearing attempt.

With the win, Leverkusen are fourth in the Bundesliga with 47-points – level with fifth-place Hamburg and a single point adrift of third-seeded Schalke.

Bakari Kone

Nice retained a slim chance at UEFA Cup football, Sunday, and drove another nail into Paris Saint-Germain’s coffin at the same time. Currently sixth in Ligue 1, Les Aiglons are level with fifth-place Saint-Etienne and eight-points back of fourth-place Nancy and a European berth. PSG, meanwhile, are 18th in the standings – level with 19th-place Strasbourgh and 17th-place Lens.

Bakari Kone’s 11th and 12th-goals of the season proved the poison on this night. The 26-year-old Ivory Coast international opened the scoring with the goal of the weekend. After accepting a lovely pass from Lillian Laslandes, he turned Zoumana Kamara inside-out before beating goalkeeper Mickael Landreau from just outside the area.

After Peggy Luyindula and Pauleta had given the hosts the lead with 14-minutes to play, Kone completed his brace with a tiny finish from ten yards in the 83rd-minute. Ederson popped the match-winner just three-minutes later to complete the victory.

Man of the weekend
Fernando Cavenaghi

While Lyon stuttered at home to Rennes, Bordeaux picked up a full three points against Caen on Sunday. Leading the way, as has so often been the case this season, was Fernando Cavenaghi. More than any other player, the Argentine has been at the fulcrum of Laurent Blanc’s renaissance at Parc Lescure. And with 14-goals in Ligue 1, he has played himself into Alfio Basile’s setup with the Argentina national side.

Cavenaghi’s 13th-goal of the domestic season came shortly after the interval. Following a nervious, scoreless opening period, the striker latched onto Wendel’s 40-yard free-kick and guided the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead. He was presented a chance for the brace on 77-minutes when Nicolas Seube handled the ball in the area and sent Cavenaghi to the spot. The former Spartak Moscow forward made no mistake in slotting the ball past goalkeeper Vincent Plante. As it happened, had Plante not made a pair of spectacular saves on Cavenaghi in the opening 10-minutes, the 24-year-old might have had a quad instead of a double.


Have a question about football? Email your query to jerradpeters@gmail.com.

Jerrad Peters is a football journalist based in Winnipeg, Canada. His weekly column for the Winnipeg Free Press is the largest of its kind in the country. A regular contributor to ESPN Soccernet, his work has also appeared on TheMirror.co.uk, Canadian-soccer.com, Footy247.co.uk, Foot2ball.com, and Squadinfo.com.