jose - soccer

It looks like another match fixing scandal could rock Italian football again after Inter Milan have been accused of drawing or losing matches to change betting odds. According to a report which was published by Italian Public Ministry in Friday's edition of Il Giornale has said that Inter Milan threw their lead in the title race towards the end of last season to increase gambling odds.

This enquiry that was carried out by Italian Police at the request of the Public Ministry who are investigating allegations regarding phone calls between former Inter coach Roberto Mancini (who was incharge of Inter Milan last season) and a man who is associated with the Mafia, he is called Domenico Brescia.

It is known that Brescia is an Inter Milan supporter who has been in trouble before with drug related allegations. During last season, from week 24 onwards, some betting agencies wouldn't take anymore bets on Inter Milan winning the Scudetto.

The report also says that Zlatan Ibrahimovic's return from injury was postponed on purpose and that on the penultimate match of the season (the day that Inter Milan won the Scudetto) Julio Cruz was told not to take the penalty and Marco Materazzi missed it. The last thing that Italian football needs right now is another match fixing scandal whether it is true or not. Hopefully it isn't true because the last thing that we want in football is this.

It has not been long since the Calciopoli was unearthed from the depths of the Serie A wherein some of the biggest clubs in Italy were put to shame as their dirty linen was washed in public. This was not only a defamation of the clubs involved, but also a black mark in the history of the top flight that has only in recent times begun to regain the respect that it once lost.

Presently, another scandal has rocked the country as the Milan based daily Il Giornale published a report from the Italian Public Ministry that accuses Inter of throwing away matches in order to facilitate better odds towards their winning the Scudetto last season.

It is believed that the report released by the Public Ministry picks up pace sometime in the second half of the season, and centres around a string of phone conversations between Roberto Mancini and Domenico Brescia, a convicted murderer who is said to have had links with the mafia.

While the club distanced themselves when it became known that they were dealing with someone with a criminal record, it remains a fact that Brescia was the emergency tailor for the Nerazzuri at some point, since that is where the problems are supposed to have begun.

The report is apparently alleging the club of delaying the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic after an injury, only to unveil him in the last match of the season against Parma in which the striker scored twice, to lead the path to the Serie A title.

This will be a damaging time for Inter as well as the Serie A, which has come under severe criticism in recent times due to the shocking incidents that have come to light in the past. This revelation will do no good to the league that boasts so many big names and stars. That apart, this may derail the hopes that la Beneamata can bring home the Scudetto this season.

(source: footballitaliano, bleacherreport.com)

LIVERPOOL have maintained their grip on first place in the Barclays Premier League table with a stunning 5-1 win against a toothless Newcastle United at St James' Park. Reds captain Steven Gerrard scored twice and had had it not been for Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given, the hosts could have been on the wrong end of a double-figure disaster after being completely outclassed. The Republic of Ireland international made five world-class saves in 10 minutes to prevent Newcastle from total capitulation before the midway point of the first-half.

Liverpool assistant manager Sammy Lee said: ``I think we are improving with every game we play and that is all we can look for. You haven't seen the best of Liverpool yet. "You win nothing in December but you can certainly lose a lot. We're very pleased to be going into the New Year at the top."

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear - whose 62nd birthday celebrations on Sunday have been distinctly muted having been beaten by Wigan on Friday and now Liverpool - said that his depleted side had not been able to hold off the attacking hordes from Liverpool. "We were short of six or seven players and everything that could go against us did go against us. "We had to play one of the best teams I've seen for a long while. You have to take your hat off to Liverpool. They were in command for a long time and could have put the game to bed in the first half."

Arsenal target Given began his run of jaw-dropping stops in the 10th minute as he pushed away a fierce near post strike from lone Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt. Within a minute England midfielder Gerrard weaved his way around three United defenders only to see his left foot shot palmed away by Given.

However, the onslaught had only just begun and in the 14th minute the Magpies 'keeper denied Gerrard again as he sprung to his right to claw away a rising left footed shot. But that stunning save was eclipsed by an even better show of agility five minutes later as Given denied the Brazilian midfielder Lucas from point-blank range. When the former Gremio player saw his header, from a Gerrard corner, beaten away by the Newcastle goalkeeper moments later, the visitors must have begun to fear this would be no easy win on Tyneside.

United, for their part, had barely managed to break beyond halfway and the Magpies' owner, Mike Ashley, must have been wondering whether he had been premature in announcing his decision to take the club off the market for the foreseeable future. If his aim had been to usher in a period of calm at St James' Park, the effect had not extended to the pitch. Liverpool continued to press forward at will and two goals before half-time appeared to end the game as a contest. Inevitably, given his sensational start to the match, it was Gerrard who broke the deadlock in the 31st minute when he drilled Yossi Benayoun's pass in off the post. Poor Given had no opportunity to reprise his heroics and the Irishman was stranded again five minutes later when defender Sami Hyypia was given the freedom of the Newcastle penalty area to head home Gerrard's corner.

The experienced Finn could have grabbed a second three minutes before the break only for a diving Given to push the ball into the path of Newcastle's Charles N'Zogbia, who cleared. These were torrid times for United but, incredibly, Canada international defender David Edgar reduced the arrears on the stroke of half-time by heading in Danny Guthrie's corner.

Liverpool's third, five minutes after the restart, had an element of luck about it, with referee Mark Halsey failing to spot Lucas's hand ball, but Dutch international Ryan Babel tapped-in from five yards despite being surrounded by several Newcastle players. Gerrard grabbed his second from Lucas's astute through ball in the 66th minute. And when substitute Xabi Alonso wrapped things up with a well taken penalty 13 minutes from time with Gerrard off the field, after his fellow replacement David Ngog had been brought down by Edgar, Liverpool could celebrate heading into 2009 on top of the Premier League pile.

Agence France-Presse, source: foxsport)

Wayne Rooney scored late in the second half Sunday to lead 10-man Manchester United to a 1-0 win over Ecuador’s Liga de Quito in the final of the Club World Cup. Rooney took a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 73rd minute and fired an angled right-footed blast into the bottom corner past diving Liga goalkeeper Jose Cevallos. “It was a very difficult game especially after going down to 10 men,” said Rooney. “I’m very happy to have scored and for us to become the best club in the world is something we can be very proud of.” United was reduced to 10 men when defender Nemanja Vidic was given a red card in the 49th minute for elbowing Claudio Bieler in the face.

United becomes the first English club to win the cup in its current format. The Red Devils participated in the first Club World Cup in 2000 without making the final, while Liverpool lost the 2005 decider. In 1999, United did win the predecessor to the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup which matched the European and South American champions.

Liga didn’t have a shot on target until Manso rifled a left-foot blast from the top of the area in the 63rd minute only to see United keeper Edwin Van Der Sar make a spectacular diving save. Liga’s Alejandro Manso came dangerously close to equalizing in the 89th minute with a long-range shot that Van Der Sar tipped over the bar.

Looking to add to their Premier League and Champions League titles, United controlled the flow of play from the outset. Rooney had a superb chance 10 minutes in when he played a long ball from Vidic off his chest and unleashed a powerful volley from the top of the area that Cevallos stopped with a diving save. Ronaldo set up Carlos Tevez 10 minutes later with a cross but the Argentine’s low header was saved by Cevallos, who kept his team in the match in the first half. Rooney set up Park Ji-sung after a nifty one-two with Tevez but the South Korean fired into the hands of Cevallos late in the first half. Jairo Campos had Liga’s best scoring chance in the opening minutes when he redirected a Manso free kick inches wide of the post.

Alex Ferguson’s squad qualified for the Club World Cup in May after beating fellow English side Chelsea in a penalty shootout in the Champions League final at Moscow. Liga qualified for the competition by becoming the first Ecuadorean club to win South America’s Copa Libertadores. Liga defeated Mexico’s Pachuca 2-0 on Wednesday to reach Sunday’s final, while United advanced after a 5-3 win over Japan’s Gamba Osaka.

Gamba secured a third-place finish earlier Sunday with a 1-0 win over Pachuca. Striker Masato Yamazaki scored the winner in the 30th minute when he volleyed a superb pass from fellow forward Ryuji Bando past goalkeeper Miguel Calero.

(source: http://www.japantoday.com)

Aston Villa stumbled into the knockout stages of the Uefa Cup after a defeat at Hamburg but Pompey end their campaign with a win. Having already booked their safe passage out of Group F the 3-1 loss to Hambur mattered little to Martin O'Neill's men.

Two goals from Peter Crouch ensured Portsmouth ended their UEFA Cup campaign with a win as they beat Heerenveen 3-0 at Fratton Park. The England striker scored a quick-fire double just before the interval and Portsmouth not only successfully held on to their 2-0 lead but added to it in stoppage time with a header from Hermann Hreidarsson. Pompey's chances of qualifying from the group stages were ended by a 3-2 defeat by Wolfsburg, rendering this match a dead rubber between the bottom two sides in the group.

Wolfsburg joined Hamburg in securing top spots in their respective groups on a fine night for German teams in the UEFA Cup. The Wolves twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at AC Milan while Hamburg were impressive 3-1 winners over a weakened Aston Villa side. Wolfsburg entered the game at the San Siro with a 100% record in the pool phase but went behind to a Massimo Ambrosini header. Cristian Zaccardo pulled the German outfit level after the break but Wolfsburg's joy was shortlived as Alexandre Pato scored seconds later to put the hosts back in front. Wolfsburg's efforts were rewarded as Jacek Krzynowek's strike took a crucial deflection off Mahir Saglik to level the score with nine minutes remaining and consign Milan to second in Group E.

Ajax finished second to Hamburg in their pool after a 2-2 draw at home to Slavia Prague. Ajax went ahead through Jan Vertonghen but Jaroslav Cerny and Marek Jarolim hit back before Luis Suarez converted a penalty in the 90th minute to deny Slavia a first UEFA Cup win.

Rodolfo Bodipo scored the winner 16 minutes from time to secure Deportivo La Coruna a place in the last 32 and dump Nancy out of the competition. The former Alaves striker came off the bench to rescue the Galicians with a sidefoot finish from just outside the six-yard box, breaking the hearts of the French visitors who would have gone through from Group H with a draw.

Ivan Djurdjevic scored the only goal of the game to enable Lech Poznan to squeeze into the last 32 with victory at Feyenoord. Djurdjevic's placed strike after 25 minutes ensured the Poles a place in the knockout stages at Nancy's expense by just a point. Defeat for Feyenoord completed a miserable campaign during which they lost all four games - the club's worst ever run in European competition.

FC Copenhagen pulled off a smash-and-grab job to beat Club Brugge 1-0 and claim Group G's final place in the knockout stages thanks to Cesar Santin's goal just before the hour. Club Brugge had started the night in third place, needing only to avoid defeat to go through. St Etienne held on to top spot in the group after playing out an exciting 2-2 draw against second-placed Valencia at a snow-covered Stade Geoffrey-Guichard. Brazilian forward Ilan twice put St Etienne ahead with contrasting first-half goals, but Valencia battled back both times thanks to strikes from forwards Fernando Morientes and Nikola Zigic.