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Dec 19th 2013

VOL 20 ISSUE 22

Since 1995

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Sat 21-Dec
EPL 7:45AM Liverpool v Cardiff C 10AM Fulham v Man City 10AM Man United v West Ham U 10AM C Palace v Newcastle U 10AM WBA v Hull City 10AM Sunderland v Norwich C 10AM Stoke C v Aston Villa

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Mon 23-Dec
EPL 3PM Arsenal v Chelsea

Thu 26-Dec
EPL 7:45AM Hull C v Man United 10AM Chelsea v Swansea C 10AM West Ham U v Arsenal 10AM Everton v Sunderland 10AM Spurs v WBA 10AM Newcastle U v Stoke C 10AM Cardiff C v Southampton 10AM Aston Villa v C Palace 10AM Norwich City v Fulham 12:30PM Man City v Liverpool Scottish Premier 10AM St. Johnstone v Celtic

Sun 22-Dec
EPL 8:30AM Southampton v Spurs 11AM Swansea City v Everton La Liga 11AM Getafe v Barcelona 3PM Valencia v Real Madrid Serie A 2:45PM Inter Milan v AC Milan

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LATEST RESULTS
WEDNESDAY December 18th
League Cup quarter final Stoke City 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Adebayor 67 Spanish Cup Almeria (Agg: 3-1) 0-0 Man United 25,928 Young 62 Evra 78 West Ham United Jarvis 80 Maiga 85 Las Palmas Sant Andreu Carroza 15

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FA Trophy Forest Green Rovers 0-0 aet, pen 1-3 Nuneaton Town aet, pen 2-4 0-0

SAT 21-DEC
EPL 7:45AM LIVERpOOl V CARdIFF C 10AM FUlHAm V MAN CITY 10AM MAN UNITEd V WEsT HAm U 10AM C PAlACE V NEwCAsTlE U 10AM WBA V HUll CITY 10AM SUNdERlANd V NORwICH C 10AM STOKE C V AsTON VIllA

Scottish Division One Brechin City 4-3 Donnelly 26 Trouten 29, 90 Jackson 57 Spanish Cup Elche 0-1 (Agg: 2-3) Getafe 4-1 Sarabia 2 Colunga 5p Lafita 35 Lopez 73 (Agg: 5-2) Levante Simao 4 Garcia 18 Ivanschitz 50 Camarasa 54 (Agg: 4-1) 4-0

Airdrie United 445 Lister 61 Coult 83 Blockley 90 Villarreal 17,307 Perbet 57 Girona 2,000 Jandro 59p

Atletico Madrid 2-1 Hernandez 79 Alderweireld 90 (Agg: 6-1) Real Betis 2-2 Paulao 6 Amaya 10 (Agg: 4-3) Real Sociedad Ros 40 Seferovic 67 Griezmann 70 Vela 75 (Agg: 5-1) FA Cup replay Burton Kee 25 4-0

SUN 22-DEC
EPL 8:30AM SOUTHAmpTON V SpURs 11AM SwANsEA CITY V EVERTON LA LIGA 11AM GETAFE V BARCElONA 3PM VAlENCIA V REAl MAdRId SERIE A 2:45PM INTER MIlAN V AC MIlAN

Lleida Monforte 38 Mata 55 Algeciras

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TUESDAY December 17th

1-0 Fleetwood T 1,777 Hartlepool U 1,214 Baldwin 88 Oldham A 2,836 Philliskirk 57 Clarke-Harris 62 Lanzoni 75 Rooney 81p Man City 31,319 Kolarov 8 Dzeko 41, 53 Chelsea 20,731 aet Cattermole(og) 46

Osasuna 1-1 Weligton(og) 1 (Agg: 4-4) Barcelona Rodriguez 30 Tello 68 Neymar 88

Malaga 10,538 Eliseu 61

3-0 CD Cartagena47,280 (Agg: 7-1)

MON 23-DEC
EPL 3PM ARsENAl V CHElsEA

Coventry City 2-1 Clarke 36, 91 Mansfield Town 1-4 Dyer 12 League Cup quarter final Leicester City 1-3 Dyer 77 Sunderland 2-1 Borini 88 Sung-Yueng 118

Granada Atletico 0-2 aet, pen 4-5 (Agg: 2-2)

Alcorcon 12,536 Verdes 41 Fernandez 82

MONDAY December 16th

Italian Serie A Milan 2-2 Zapata 30 Muntari 78 Spanish Primera Liga Real Valladolid 3-0 Guerra 61, 68, 88 Roma Destro 14 Strootman 52p Celta Vigo 6,850

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leaGue cuP: sPurs & chelsea out, manchester clubs march on

Manchester City will play West Ham while neighbors United will play Sunderland in the semi finals of the League Cup.
Manchester United survived a first half rain delay at the Brittania Stadium to see off Stoke City 2-0 thanks to a stunning strike from Ashley Young and a curved effort from Patrice Evra. The conditions, especially in the first half, made it really difficult for the players, said Man Utd boss David Moyes. I think the first goal, whoever scored, was going to make a big difference. It was a tight game. I dont think Stoke created too many chances, either. Manchester United Football Club are used to winning trophies, its just business as usual, but Ive got to say were all delighted that were in the semi-final. Spurs interim manager Tim Sherwood (left) couldnt hide his disappointment after his sides 2-1 defeat against West Ham on Wednesday night. We started the game well and should have scored early but the ball didnt run for us, reflected Tim. We were forced to make the changes which meant we lost a bit of rhythm. Ade had to come off, Danny Rose had to come off otherwise you risk losing them for a long period during the season. We turned over possession a lot in the second half when we just should have kept the ball. West Ham came at us, played direct and broke us down in the end. Im absolutely gutted. Spurs winger Andros Townsend limped off with a hamstring injury and could be out for a lengthy spell. In Tuesdays quarter finals, Manchester City won 3-1 at Leicester with a goal from Kolarov and two from Dzeko. Sunderland provided the biggest upset of the round beating Chelsea 2-1 with a Ki Sung-Yuengs extra-time winner. I want to transform the mentality of this group of players, I want them to become winners, said Sunderland boss Gus Poyet after the match. When you can prove you can beat the best in the country, you should do the same against the other teams.

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Sun 22-Dec
EPL 8:30AM Southampton v Spurs 11AM Swansea City v Everton La Liga 11AM Getafe v Barcelona 3PM Valencia v Real Madrid Serie A 2:45PM Inter Milan v AC Milan

Thu 26-Dec
EPL 7:45AM Hull C v Man United 10AM Chelsea v Swansea C 10AM West Ham U v Arsenal 10AM Everton v Sunderland 10AM Spurs v WBA 10AM Newcastle U v Stoke C 10AM Cardiff C v Southampton 10AM Aston Villa v C Palace 10AM Norwich City v Fulham 12:30PM Man City v Liverpool Scottish Premier 10AM St. Johnstone v Celtic

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Dave Bowler

World Cup to a nation where you can fry an egg in your mouth in June never seemed the most sensible course of action did it? What motives can there have been behind it? Ill go out on a limb and suggest that they were not sporting but had rather more to do with mountains of money. But that isnt the only World Cup thats being distorted for reasons other than the football. Look at the 2014 Brazil bonanza. We had the draw recently, the 32 teams fitting into the various groups which, from there, churned out a prearranged fixture list. That list should be set in stone, to ensure theres no arguing later over skulduggery, of the draw being rigged to favour anyone.

ANYBODY LOST A GAME?

their beds by half time. What I particularly enjoy when it comes to football broadcasters is their breathtaking lack of self awareness. In the depths of December, in the run up to Christmas, Hull City were given the real opportunity, nay, pleasure, of heading out to Swansea City for Monday Night Football, a round trip of something like 580 miles, roughly five hours or so in each direction, allowing the Hull City supporters to get back home somewhere between three and four in the morning no wonder they feel tetchy about that name change. During the course of the game, one of Skys commentators mentioned the knot of Hull City fans, adding Its a pretty tough journey from Hull to Swansea on a Monday night. second and third place that does not impact on the other two teams in the group, and the next round is three months away, that imperative is surely far less. Yes, the draw for the next stage of the Champions League was looming, but would it truly have been a catastrophe to have the Galatasaray / Juventus option in there? Would the game have crumbled as a consequence? No. But UEFA have their rules and regulations, so stuff the football. Play it by the book. Hardly sensible, but as a consequence, the teams played a rescheduled game on a ploughed field that would have been better suited to the first round heats of One Man And His Dog. Yes, it was the same for both sides and all of that drivel, but if youre going down that road, lets just have jumpers for goalposts, isnt it? What was put on was funny, surreal, but it wasnt football. Credit to Antonio Conte of Juventus for saying that his clubs elimination was down to them not getting results prior to that game, but there are coaches we can name, in the vicinity of Stamford Bridge for example, who might have ben rather less phlegmatic. And he would have been within his rights. After all, if you set yourselves up as the globes greatest club football competition, shouldnt a football game be at the heart of it? Yes indeed, the game has gone.

There are many pundits who will tell you that the game has gone. They might well be right.
It will come as no surprise to many of you of a certain vintage that football itself, the thing that we love, the game that we come to watch, to experience, to support, has become secondary fare compared with the forces of mammon. Decisions are being made all the time that pay little attention to the integrity of the game, to the needs of its players or the supporters, but instead pander to television or other corporate interest. Thats the way of the modern world perhaps, theres little value in arguing about that, for without the injections of cash from Sky, Barclays, BT Sport and the rest, players would be poorer for it and, so the unconvincing tale from some goes, we would be paying more for our football without that Murdoch funded subsidy. For the purpose of today, well let that particular story go for the time being, for there are more pressing matters afoot, viz. the distortion of competitive football in order to suit television. Take the World Cup in 2022 for example. Weve banged on about this before, but taking a summer

if you set yourselves up as the globes greatest club football competition, shouldnt a football game be at the heart of it?
Yet no sooner was it made and Greg Dyke had called for a new contract with Gillette to be struck up than the fixtures were being fiddled with, Englands opener with Italy being brought forward by three hours after representations from the broadcasters in both nations. It means the game will start at 11pm in England, or 6pm in Brazil. Much easier to generate a big TV audience at that time its true, less easy to play decent football when the temperature is over 30 degrees Celsius. Still, never mind the quality, feel the audience share, thats infinitely more important than ensuring a drab, one paced game that will have that soporific audience scurrying to Yes, youre right. It is. So why the hell did Sky pick it for a Monday night game then? If it isnt Skys fault for that, whose fault is it? Denis Compton? And then we come to the grotesque farce that was Galatasaray versus Juventus in the Champions League. We all know that these games are tightly scheduled, that the fixture list is tough to manage. We know, ok? We know that, if a game is postponed or abandoned, its better to try and get it in the following day. But, and this is especially the case with this fixture, when its the last game in the group, when it is a straight battle for

Read more Dave Bowler at www.firsttouchonline.com

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To describe Suarezs form since as prolific would perhaps be an injustice; the 26-yearold has fired a chart-topping 17 times in 11 Barclays Premier League games to help the Reds secure second place. When I was a child, I had many problems, said Suarez.

When Im on the pitch I try my best because theres no pressure like that on my life. I try my best with my heart because I love to play football. Everybody knows that the summer was a difficult moment for me. But when the supporters helped me when I came back to play, it was unbelievable. It was important for my confidence, my heart and also my family, because they are together with me. It was a nice moment for me.

Responding to the suggestion that Liverpool could take top spot this season, the Uruguayan striker was more cautious. I think its too early to speak about that. If we continue this level for the next two or three weeks, we can win the league or finish in the top four. But its important that we concentrate, we have forgotten the game against Tottenham. It was very important, but we are concentrating for the next game. After Cardiff, we have two big games and we can see where Liverpool could finish.

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the story of the world cuP:

lied to the countless examples of hooliganism that disfigured the game up and down the country meant that support was haemorrhaging away and the national game itself was under threat. A month later following an unlikely campaign that went all the way to the semi-final and had seen Paul Gascoigne burst into tears en route and suddenly, English football was a hot commodity again, paving the way for the advent of the Sky funded Premier League, sowing the seeds of the global explosion of interest in the English game which has had a knock on effect right across the world ever since, for good and for bad. While England didnt win their qualifying group, it was a relatively serene path that they took to Italy, finishing second behind Sweden, cementing their place by grinding out 0-0 draws in Sweden and Poland, the youthful Gascoigne gradually making his presence felt towards the end of qualification. Yugoslavia were the class act in the group including Scotland and France, the race for second place coming down to the last games. Scotland needed to avoid defeat at home to Norway to go through and did so, Ally McCoist giving them a first half lead, injury time becoming a nervy affair after Johnsens 89th minute equaliser. Wales found themselves all but eliminated before theyd started when they were grouped with West Germany and the Netherlands, the Dutch qualifying for the first time since theyd

been runners-up in 1978, West Germany coming through with them in what would be the final tournament before reunification of the country. Group 6 was historic in all kinds of ways as Northern Ireland and the Republic lined up against each other, the Republic qualifying for their first World Cup in a nail biting final round of games, winning in Malta courtesy of two John Aldridge goals while Spain defeated Hungary to go through themselves. Belgium maintained their impressive qualification record as they and Czechoslovakia eliminated Portugal, the Soviet Union ensured a last World hurrah by qualifying with Austria and the final European qualifiers were Romania.

From Africa, Egypt and Cameroon emerged triumphant from a 26 team competition, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea prevailing from a similar number of entrants in Asian qualification. Costa Rica made it through to their first ever World Cup, coming through with the USA from the Concacaf grouping, while Brazil and Uruguay came through South American qualification, Colombia securing the last place at Italia 90 by defeating Israel in a play-off. The same unwieldy 24 team competition once again meant that only eight nations would be knocked out after the first group phase, but once more, Scotland contrived to be one of them. Grouped with Brazil and Sweden, the opening fixture was a must win game with Costa Rica. The Tartan Army has borne wit-

If you want to trace the roots of the modern game, the one in thrall to television, money and celebrity, then you need to go back to Italia 90, for those few weeks utterly transformed football, certainly as it was seen in England anyway.
Heading into it, the game was in crisis, coming apart at the seams, dragged down by the drearily functional football that the likes of Wimbledon and Watford were perpetrating, played out in dangerously decaying stadiums. The tragedies of Bradford and Hillsborough were indicative of a game that had lost its grip on reality, the fact that football grounds had literally become death traps al-

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ness to some infamous days over the years, but none worse than that one as Costa Rica came away with an improbable 1-0 win, Cayasso scoring in the 49th minute. The Scots responded in the next game by beating Sweden- already defeated by Brazil 2-1, Stuart McCall and Mo Johnston putting them clear before Strombergs 86th minute consolation, leaving it all to play for in the final round, Brazil on four points, Scotland and Cost Rica on two, Sweden with nothing. Faced with having to get something from the game with Brazil, Scotland were eight minutes away from a draw before Muller popped up to win it for the South Anericans. Not that it would have mattered, for Costa Rica showed they were maybe a bit better than wed thought, defeating Sweden 2-1 to march on through. Scotland finished third, but inevitably were one of only two third placed teams to miss qualification. Austria were the others, third in a group in which Italy came out on top, followed by Czechoslovakia, the United States propping up that particular table. If the hosts were through with a 100% record, it was altogether tougher for the holders. Argentina were sensationally defeated 1-0 in their opening game by Cameroon, this despite the fact that the African nation ended the game reduced to nine men after collecting two red cards. They maintained their form in the second game, Milla scoring twice as they beat Romania 2-1 to book their passage through, their final game equally emphatic, though in the opposite direction, as they lost 4-0 to the Soviets. Even that wasnt enough to save the crumbling empire, beaten in both their opening games, for a 1-1 draw between Argentina and Romania elevated both to three points and took them into the next round. West Germany, beaten finalists in the previous two tournaments, were quick to book their passage to the knockout stage, crushing Yugoslavia and the UAE 4-1 and 5-1 respectively before easing up in the final game with Colombia, who thus fell over the line as third place qualifiers having previously beaten the UAE. Yugoslavia came second having beaten the South Americans 1-0. For many years, Spain had been Europes great under achievers, always threatening great things but never fulfilling that promise. An unbeaten group campaign and a hattrick from Michel in the win over South Korea as did a 2-1 win over Belgium that made sure they topped the group. Uruguay came in third behind the two European countries, but only just made it through, courtesy of Fonsecas 90th minute goal which defeated South Korea in the final match of the group. Which leaves us with the Group of Bored To Death. No side managed more than a single goal in any game, the group opened by one of the most tedious matches in World Cup history, England and Ireland slugging out a 1-1 draw that came out of footballs Dark Ages. The well fancied Dutch meanwhile reigning European Champions after all were a goal to the good until a late Egyptian penalty transformed the group. The Dutch were next up for England who unveiled a new sweeper system, the idea

Read more Dave Bowler at www.firsttouchonline.com

12

Germanys Andreas Brehme (3) scores the winning goal against Argentina in the 1990 World Cup Final

coming from Bobby Robson / Don Howe / the senior players, depending upon whose story you believe. It worked from the off, England the better side against a misfiring, and, as tradition dictated, gradually imploding Dutch team, Pearce and Lineker both having goals chalked off, Bryan Robson ruled out of the rest of the competition with, as tradition dictated, injury. A 0-0 draw was matched by Ireland and Egypt, leaving all four teams on two points with a goal each going into the final game. Englands Mark

Wright booked their place in the last 16 with a header against Egypt, while Niall Quinns 71st minute equaliser saw Ireland and the Netherlands qualifying but tied in every possible way, Ireland coming second in the group after lots were drawn. The Dutch paid dearly for picking the short straw, because it saddled them with a knockout game against West Germany, gagging for revenge after the humiliation brought down upon them in the European Championships

when Van Bastens late goal knocked them out in the semi-finals, and on home soil to boot. Rijkaard and Voller were both dismissed in the 22nd minute after a 60 second feud boiled over in a frenzy of spit and diving, but it was the Germans who adjusted best, Klinsmann brilliantly turning in a near post cross early in the second half, Brehme curling an exquisite shot into the top corner with eight minutes left, Koemans 89th minute penalty coming as too little, too late. Ireland had drawn themselves Romania, a war of attrition that went all the way to penalty kicks, Packie Bonner saving the fifth from Tiofte to give David OLeary chance to win the shootout which he duly did. England were a minute away from the 12 yard challenge against Belgium until, David Platt swivelled onto one final long punt forward to volley in the winner. Their last eight opponents would be Cameroon who had left it similarly late to beat Colombia 2-1, all the goals coming in the second half of extra time, Milla again the match winner with both of them. The other romantic story of the competition was derailed in normal time, Costa Rica holding Czechoslovakia at 1-1 until just beyond the hour mark at which point the quality of Skuhravy in particular kicked in, the striker scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 win. Eastern Europe also prevailed when Stojkovic proved the key man for Yugoslavia as Spain disappointed once more, losing 2-1. Italy kept the home fires burning with a comfortable 2-0 win over Uruguay, leaving an all-South American tie between the two behemoths of Brazil and Argentina. As had been the case when they met in Spain in82, it was an ill tempered contest, this one decided late on by Caniggias goal in the 80th minute, Ricardo Gomes collecting a red card five minutes later. The holders carried their thoroughly underwhelming form into the quarter-finals, a 0-0 draw with Yugoslavia settled on penalties, Maradona one of five players on either side to miss as Argentina finally came through 3-2. It took a penalty to see West Germany through against Czechoslovakia, but this one came in normal time, Lothar Matthaus finding the net after 25 minutes in the games

only goal. There was only one goal in the game between Italy and Ireland, Schillaci, the home sides talisman, grabbing the winner just before half-time. Compared with those three staid affairs, England versus Cameroon was an epic. Platt gave England a 25th minute lead, but the African trailblazers werent going to let the game go easily and scored twice in five minutes just after the hour. Cameroon looked as if they would take a deserved semi-final berth until Gary Lineker knocked in an ice cool penalty with seven minutes to go, repeating the trick in extra time to win the tie and set up a meeting with West Germany. Record television audiences tuned into witness a game of operatic proportions, Brehmes free-kick giving his side the lead before, for once, it was the Germans who were pegged back late on, Lineker getting enough on his shot to defeat Illgner. Gascoigne collected his second yellow card of the tournament during extra time, ruling him out of a potential final and bursting into tears as a consequence, but at full-time, the teams prepared for penalties. The first three from each side went in, before Stuart Pearce failed from the spot. Thon made it 4-3 to West Germany, Chris Waddle responding with a penalty that went so far over the bar, its still orbiting the earth. Game over, why is it always the Germans, more years of hurt blah, blah. The game between holders and hosts went to penalties too, after Schillaci and Caniggia ensured the game ended 1-1. This time, Maradona scored and it proved to be the crucial kick, sandwiching misses from Donadoni and Serena to win the game 4-3. The less said about the 1990 World Cup final the better. It was possibly the worst theres been, two sides frightened of losing and betraying that fear with tantrums throughout. Pedro Monzon collected a straight red card for a brutal tackle on Klinsmann in the 65th minute, Argentinas dismal attempt to hold on to their crown compounded when Gustavo Dezotti was dismissed in the 87th minute. That came two minutes after Andreas Brehme slotted in the decisive winner from the penalty spot. Somehow it was a fitting end to a workmanlike tournament that the world beyond England and Ireland has little lingering fondness for.

Read more World Cup Histories at www.firsttouchonline.com

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Stokes Stephen Ireland and Oussama Assaidi (right) as players leave the pitch due to the hail during the Capital One Cup match at The Britannia Stadium, against Manchester United.

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17

Fridjonsson ready to steP uP for Celtic

HE may not be able to play until the start of 2014, but Holmbert Fridjonssons pre-contract deal has allowed him to get a head start in Scottish football.
The 20-year old striker joined up with his new Hoops team-mates at the start of the month following the end of the Icelandic season, and it has given him the chance to work hard in training. But as he learns how different the game is here, he knows patience is the key if he is to get off the ground running. Its a huge difference being here compared to Iceland, so it will take time, but hopefully not too long, he said. Im used to training in the afternoon, not the morning, and being professional is different so it will take time before the fans see me at my best, but hopefully thats just a short time. It is more intense here, the tempo is a lot quicker. You have to think fast and the physical side is better too. This is a professional league so that is the main difference. Every player is better. But having already picked up a lot from training, Fridjonsson believes the Scottish game is one that will compliment his style of football.

Im training with my new team-mates every day so I think it will come quickly, he added. I like how we play with a lot of crosses so hopefully I can get into the box a lot. I am a big, tall striker and I can hold up the ball. I am good in the air, I have good technique. The striker will be available for selection from January 1, 2014, putting him in line to possibly make his debut against Partick Thistle. The Hoops host the Glasgow derby and its one Fridjonsson hopes to be involved in. He took a bow at Paradise in front of the Celtic supporters at half-time last Saturday and playing in front of them is something hes looking forward to. The reception from the fans was great and I was really happy, he said. I will be nervous for my first game but Im excited. I will be ready to play from the first and it is my aim to get into the team. Ive seen two games so far. We beat Motherwell 5-0 and Hibs 1-0, and its been good attacking football. Its important we keep up the scoring now. www.celticfc.net

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18

LIVE FOOTBALL ALL YEAR ROUND!

Sat 21-Dec
EPL 7:45AM Liverpool v Cardiff C 10AM Fulham v Man City 10AM Man United v West Ham U 10AM C Palace v Newcastle U 10AM WBA v Hull City 10AM Sunderland v Norwich C 10AM Stoke C v Aston Villa

Sun 22-Dec
EPL 8:30AM Southampton v Spurs 11AM Swansea City v Everton La Liga 11AM Getafe v Barcelona 3PM Valencia v Real Madrid Serie A 2:45PM Inter Milan v AC Milan

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Mon 23-Dec

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EPL 3PM Arsenal v Chelsea

Former Chelsea midfielder Graham Stuart has told talkSPORT the London club have to completely back manager Jose Mourinho as he looks to steer the side through their current sticky patch.
Blues fans have become impatient with the clubs misfiring strikers, with forward trio Fernando Torres, Samuel Etoo and Demba Ba all struggling for goals in the league this season. The most recent evidence came against Sunderland in the League Cup, as Chelsea failed to finish off the Black Cats who came from behind to knock Mourinhos men out in their quarterfinal tie. Many are questioning whether the exReal Madrid coach has lost his magic touch following his return to west London, but Stuart, who spent four seasons as a player at Stamford Bridge, believes the club has to stick with the Portuguese after putting everything on the line to retain his services. Jose Mourinho was wanted by Chelsea and, if thats what the club wanted, then they have to back him 100 per cent in my opinion, the former Blues man

mourinho needs time: stuart

told TalkSport. Otherwise, whats the point in bringing him back? There was so much clamour for him to come back, now weve got him and people are still unhappy. The reality is Chelsea are two points off the top of the league, were in the Champions League last 16, with a great chance to progress further against Galatasaray, but everybody wants a bit more all the time. Stuart also said the Chelsea board must give the Portuguese boss financial support during the January transfer window to rectify their lack of cutting edge up front. And the ex-midfielder believes the Blues are only one world-class striker away from mounting a serious challenge for the Premier League title. He said: I think Chelsea fans are right to be a little disheartened because theyre dominating games but cant seem to score at the moment. Its very clear for everybody to see what the problem is and its up to Mourinho and the board to find a solution in January. Chelsea are screaming out for a worldclass forward, somebody you can rely on week-in, week-out, because at the moment the three strikers they have are not pulling their weight. Something has to happen in the transfer window if Chelsea are thinking of winning the league, and if Roman Abramovich decides to put his hand in his pocket and buy a striker theres every chance the club can walk away with the title. Any title-winning side always has a centre-forward who scores 20-plus goals a season, and if Chelsea had a Suarez, an Aguero or a Rooney, they would be out of sight this season with the amount of chances theyre creating.

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19

REAL MADRID ADVANCE IN COPA

Real Madrid reached the last 16 of the Copa del Rey after defeating minnows Olimpic Xativa 2-0 at the Bernabeu.
Real drew the opening leg 0-0 at the Segunda Division B club, but secured progression through Asier Illarramendi and Angel Di Marias first-half goals. Atletico Madrid made harder work of beating lower league side Sant Andreu. Diego Simeones men held a 4-0 lead from the first leg, but were a goal down until two late goals secured a 2-1 win at the Vicente Calderon. Atletico will face either Gimnastic or Valencia in the next round of the Spanish cup. Sevilla were eliminated from the competition after losing 2-1 on aggregate to third-tier Racing Santander, but fellow La Liga sides Real Betis, Real Sociedad and Almeria all progressed.

messi makinG ProGress on injury

Barcelona say Lionel Messi is on track in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
The Argentina forward is in Buenos Aires as he continues his rehabilitation from the injury which has kept him out for more than a month. Club doctor Richard Pruna said the 26-year-old was making good progress. The injury is set to keep him out for between six and eight weeks in total, meaning he is in line for a January return. Messi injured his hamstring away to Real Betis on 10 November. Barca lead the La Liga table, though are level on points with Atletico Madrid. The Catalans travel to Manchester City for their Champions League last 16, firstleg tie on 18 February, with the return leg on 12 March. Messi is expected to be fit for both of those ties.

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20

LIVE GAMES THIS WEEK!

Sat 21-Dec
EPL 7:45AM Liverpool v Cardiff C 10AM Fulham v Man City 10AM Man United v West Ham U 10AM C Palace v Newcastle U 10AM WBA v Hull City 10AM Sunderland v Norwich C 10AM Stoke C v Aston Villa

Sun 22-Dec
EPL 8:30AM Southampton v Spurs 11AM Swansea City v Everton La Liga 11AM Getafe v Barcelona 3PM Valencia v Real Madrid Serie A 2:45PM Inter Milan v AC Milan

Thu 26-Dec
EPL 7:45AM Hull C v Man United 10AM Chelsea v Swansea C 10AM West Ham U v Arsenal 10AM Everton v Sunderland 10AM Spurs v WBA 10AM Newcastle U v Stoke C 10AM Cardiff C v Southampton 10AM Aston Villa v C Palace 10AM Norwich City v Fulham 12:30PM Man City v Liverpool Scottish Premier 10AM St. Johnstone v Celtic

Mon 23-Dec
EPL 3PM Arsenal v Chelsea

w w w. b a k e r s t r e e t n y c . c o m
the view from 101
With Tim Hall

The US Womens National Team is largely the rock of stability on which American fans can hang their hats
present while keeping one eye towards the future. Crystal Dunn, Erika Tymrak, and Christen Press all made their debuts with the full national team in 2013 after stints at various youth levels. Press specifically may be the breakout star of the bunch, with eight goals and two assists in twelve appearances, only five of which were starts, further complicating the already crowded pool at forward. Meanwhile in the back, first choice goalkeeper Hope Solo has continued her scorched earth campaign against players from the 1999 World Cup winning side, this time taking to Twitter to blast Julie Fowdy over Fowdys decision to not name Solo as the keeper in her own All-Time Best XI. Solos battle with Fowdy, and previously with Brandi Chastain have revealed as much about the current American keeper as they have about those that would write about her. Solos belief that she is the best of all time is the sort of thing generally applauded in male athletes, but to loudly proclaim that belief is not, and how those two points are reconciled with Solos gender makes for an interesting case study in linguistics there simply isnt space for here. But for all the successes of the national team, the domestic league does not inspire such confidence. This particular alphabet soup iteration of a womens league in America, the NWSL, had its inaugural season in 2013 with the Portland Thorns taking the championship in the eight team league. Despite being subsidized by national federations, problems are already visible on the horizon. Attendances around the league arent exactly blowing anyone away, and the lack of a television deal not only led to many games being streamed on Youtube (a good use of technology, but not ideal), but also deprives the league of much needed revenue. This presents a chicken-or-egg problem for the league, as quality of play

No summation of the year in American soccer can be complete without a look at the state of the womens game in the US.
Generally speaking, whatever problems may be occurring with the mens game both at a league and national team level, the US Womens National Team is largely the rock of stability on which American fans can hang their hats, even when many of the things around it are in a state of flux. 2013 started (to be accurate, 2012 ended, but its the holidays, lets not nitpick) with the departure of the talismanic and beloved head coach of the US Women Pia Sundhage, who took her two Olympic gold medals won leading the Nats back to her native Sweden. The US Soccer Federation, realizing that the market for football coaches who were just as likely to serenade her charges with a guitar as they were to run a cone drill was in short supply, wisely decided to not try to replace like for like, and instead hired Tom Sermanni to the job. Sermanni, a journeyman player and then coach for teams across the UK and Oceania, brought a far more level hand to the USWNT. But then again, who wouldnt when compared to Sundhage? Under Sermanni, the US Women played a number of friendlies still in the afterglow of the 2012 gold in the London Olympics and as part of the overall US Soccer centennial celebrations. As is the state of things in the have and have nots world of international womens play, many of these games were not close and were effectively training sessions for the Americans, who close out 2013 with a record of 13-0-3 and a win in the minor Algarve Cup. Thats not to say that a year devoid of significant tournaments was similarly lacking in important moments, none the least of

which was striker Abby Wambach scoring four times on a warm June night in Harrison, NJ to supplant fellow American Mia Hamm as the world record holder for international goals. The night was a massive celebration of both players enjoyed by all, except the South Korean opposition on the night who were apparently unaware the record was in jeopardy. The occasion was, in fact, enjoyed too much by a young lady who jumped the wall on one end of the stadium during the postgame speeches and got all the way to midfield before being tackled by arena security in a scene to make the late Benny Hill smile. With Wambach secure in her heaven as the all-time goal scorer, some of the attention, rightly or wrongly, switched to the player most likely to replace Abby in her firmament, namely Alex Morgan. Morgan is, for better or worse, the poster child for the USWNT in present and future, with a long flowing ponytail, aw shucks California smile and undeniable goalscorers touch. Despite Wambachs record setting year and despite being only the fourth highest goalscorer on the USWNT, Morgan was quizzically named CONCACAF Womens Player of the Year. To review that scoresheet, not surprisingly Abby Wambach led the way in 2013 with eleven goals, followed closely at ten by Sydney Leroux, the Canadian-American who has largely been used in super sub roles by Sundhage and now Sermanni. It feels just the slightest bit unfair to bring on a player of Lerouxs caliber late on in matches when teams have already spent an hour trying to stop arguably the two best attackers in the game in Morgan and Wambach. What needs to be seen regarding Leroux is how she transitions into a full time starting role when, or perhaps if, Wambach starts to decline. In the rest of the team, head coach Tom Sermanni has kept both feet planted in the

will bring the needed exposure of a television deal, but the money from television rights can be used to sign quality players. Not all bad news, however, for the NWSL, as the Houston Major League Soccer franchise announced their backing of an expansion team in the womens game, the Houston Dash. This was met well by interested watchers for two reasons. First, it shows that the NWSL is attempting to follow the slow and steady expansion model that worked for MLS in its formative years. Secondly, there has been a consensus, if not unanimous, opinion in many circles that the easiest path to success for a womens league in this country is by tying the teams directly to their local MLS counterparts. Ahead in 2014 is, of course, the NWSLs sophomore season, as well as World Cup qualifiers for the US National Team. Lest you think this will be a cakewalk for the Americans, remember that is was just four years ago when the US underperformed in the qualification tournament and had to face Italy in an international playoff just to get to the World Cup. To the benefit of the Americans this time around, however, is that Canada, the reigning continental champions and the USWNTs biggest emerging rival, have already qualified for the World Cup as the host nation. So there you have it, the 2013 soccer year in review for the American women. No billion dollar contracts or racist chanting, just that game you like played at a really high level.

Follow Tim Hall on Twitter @timtheredmenace

23

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English Premier League
Team 1 Arsenal 2 Liverpool 3 Chelsea 4 Manchester City 5 Everton 6 Newcastle United 7 Tottenham Hotspur 8 Manchester United 9 Southampton 10 Swansea City 11 Aston Villa 12 Hull City 13 Stoke City 14 Norwich City 15 Cardiff City 16 West Bromwich Albion 17 West Ham United 18 Crystal Palace 19 Fulham 20 Sunderland Pl 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 W 11 10 10 10 8 8 8 7 6 5 5 5 4 5 4 3 3 4 4 2 D 2 3 3 2 7 3 3 4 6 5 4 4 6 3 5 6 5 1 1 3 L 3 3 3 4 1 5 5 5 4 6 7 7 6 8 7 7 8 11 11 11 F 33 39 32 47 27 21 15 25 20 22 16 13 15 15 12 17 13 11 15 12 A 17 18 18 18 15 22 21 19 15 21 21 19 20 29 22 22 19 24 30 30 A 10 14 22 26 22 23 22 18 23 24 24 24 28 22 26 26 38 40 31 34 25 29 27 38 Pts 35 33 33 32 31 27 27 25 24 20 19 19 18 18 17 15 14 13 13 9 Pts 42 40 39 37 34 33 32 31 31 30 27 26 25 25 23 22 22 21 20 20 18 17 17 15 +/16 21 14 29 12 -1 -6 6 5 1 -5 -6 -5 -14 -10 -5 -6 -13 -15 -18 +/14 17 10 16 7 9 7 7 0 6 1 1 2 0 0 -4 -14 -15 -1 -17 -9 -8 -10 -19

English League One

# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Team Pl Leyton Orient 20 Wolverhampton Wanderers 20 Brentford 20 Preston North End 20 Peterborough United 20 Rotherham United 20 Bradford City 20 Swindon Town 20 Walsall 20 Port Vale 20 Coventry City * 20 Milton Keynes Dons 19 Carlisle United 20 Crawley Town 20 Shrewsbury Town 20 Oldham Athletic 19 Gillingham 21 Colchester United 20 Sheffield United 20 Tranmere Rovers 20 Stevenage 20 Notts County 21 Crewe Alexandra 20 Bristol City 20 W 13 13 12 10 11 9 7 9 8 9 10 7 6 5 5 6 6 4 5 5 5 5 4 2 D 5 4 4 8 3 7 9 3 6 3 5 4 6 8 7 4 4 9 5 5 3 2 5 9 L 2 3 4 2 6 4 4 8 6 8 5 8 8 7 8 9 11 7 10 10 12 14 11 9 F 43 32 30 30 30 33 33 35 21 30 43 30 23 21 21 23 27 21 18 24 21 25 17 27 A 18 13 19 19 20 24 22 26 18 30 36 29 33 26 23 26 37 30 27 38 34 34 42 34 Pts 44 43 40 38 36 34 30 30 30 30 25 25 24 23 22 22 22 21 20 20 18 17 17 15 +/25 19 11 11 10 9 11 9 3 0 7 1 -10 -5 -2 -3 -10 -9 -9 -14 -13 -9 -25 -7

English Championship
# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Team Pl Queens Park Rangers 20 Burnley 20 Leicester City 20 Derby County 20 Reading 20 Leeds United 20 Nottingham Forest 20 Brighton and Hove Albion 20 Blackpool 20 Ipswich Town 20 Blackburn Rovers 20 Huddersfield Town 20 Watford 20 Wigan Athletic 19 Birmingham City 20 Bolton Wanderers 20 Bournemouth 20 Millwall 20 Middlesbrough 20 Doncaster Rovers 20 Charlton Athletic 20 Sheffield Wednesday 19 Yeovil Town 20 Barnsley 20 W 12 11 12 11 9 10 8 8 8 8 7 7 6 7 6 5 6 5 4 5 4 3 4 3 D 6 7 3 4 7 3 8 7 7 6 6 5 7 4 5 7 4 6 8 5 6 8 5 6 L 2 2 5 5 4 7 4 5 5 6 7 8 7 8 9 8 10 9 8 10 10 8 11 11

F 24 31 32 42 29 32 29 25 23 30 25 25 30 22 26 22 24 25 30 17 16 21 17 19

English League Two

# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Team Oxford United Chesterfield Fleetwood Town Newport County AFC Scunthorpe United Burton Albion Southend United Rochdale Morecambe Dagenham & Redbridge Exeter City AFC Wimbledon Cheltenham Town Hartlepool United Wycombe Wanderers Plymouth Argyle Mansfield Town Portsmouth Bury York City Accrington Stanley Bristol Rovers Northampton Town Torquay United Pl 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 21 20 20 20 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 W 10 10 11 9 9 10 10 10 9 8 8 7 6 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 D 7 6 2 7 7 4 3 3 5 6 5 6 9 5 6 5 7 7 8 8 5 7 6 6 L 3 4 7 4 4 6 7 7 7 6 7 7 6 8 8 9 8 8 8 8 10 9 10 10 F 32 29 34 29 27 24 25 29 27 29 27 23 27 23 25 14 21 27 22 24 20 17 16 21 A 16 17 25 21 22 21 18 27 28 25 27 24 31 22 27 21 26 34 25 28 27 22 25 33 Pts 37 36 35 34 34 34 33 33 32 30 29 27 27 26 24 23 22 22 20 20 20 19 18 18 +/16 12 9 8 5 3 7 2 -1 4 0 -1 -4 1 -2 -7 -5 -7 -3 -4 -7 -5 -9 -12

Showing all EPL games live

La Liga
# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Team Barcelona Atletico Madrid Real Madrid Athletic Bilbao Villarreal Real Sociedad Sevilla Getafe Valencia Granada Levante Espanyol Malaga Elche Celta Vigo Real Valladolid Osasuna Almeria Rayo Vallecano Real Betis Pl 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 W 14 14 12 9 8 7 6 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 2 D 1 1 2 3 4 5 5 2 2 2 5 4 5 5 3 6 2 4 1 4 L 1 1 2 4 4 4 5 7 8 8 6 7 7 7 9 7 10 9 11 10 F 44 43 46 24 26 30 30 18 21 14 15 18 18 16 20 19 13 16 15 15 A 10 9 19 20 16 22 28 22 26 19 22 21 22 22 26 25 27 32 38 35 Pts 43 43 38 30 28 26 23 23 20 20 20 19 17 17 15 15 14 13 13 10 +/34 34 27 4 10 8 2 -4 -5 -5 -7 -3 -4 -6 -6 -6 -14 -16 -23 -20

Scottish Premier
# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Team Celtic Inverness CT Dundee United Aberdeen Motherwell St Johnstone Hibernian St Mirren Partick Thistle Kilmarnock Ross County Hearts * Pl 15 15 16 16 16 15 16 15 15 16 15 16 W 12 10 8 9 9 6 4 4 3 3 3 3 D 3 2 5 2 1 3 5 4 5 3 2 3 L 0 3 3 5 6 6 7 7 7 10 10 10 F 36 23 33 24 18 22 10 14 13 17 17 13 A 12 11 12 14 24 17 16 23 25 28 31 27 Pts 39 32 29 29 28 21 17 16 14 12 11 -3 +/24 12 21 10 -6 5 -6 -9 -12 -11 -14 -14

Skrill Premier
# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Team Cambridge United Luton Town Kidderminster Harriers Nuneaton Grimsby Town Alfreton Town Barnet Braintree Town Gateshead FC Halifax Salisbury City Forest Green Rovers Welling United Macclesfield Town Wrexham Lincoln City Woking Hereford United Southport Tamworth Aldershot Town * Chester FC Dartford Hyde Pl 21 22 22 22 20 23 22 22 21 23 21 21 21 22 21 21 22 22 21 20 21 22 24 21 W 14 12 12 11 11 12 9 10 11 10 10 9 8 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 8 4 5 0 D 6 8 3 6 4 1 9 5 2 4 3 3 6 5 4 5 5 7 3 5 5 7 3 3 L 1 2 7 5 5 10 4 7 8 9 8 9 7 9 9 9 10 9 12 10 8 11 16 18 F 36 43 38 32 30 37 32 30 32 43 30 39 30 29 34 20 28 25 18 20 28 17 21 18 A 9 19 27 27 19 39 22 22 26 37 28 33 27 31 32 23 34 28 34 32 29 32 45 55 Pts 48 44 39 39 37 37 36 35 35 34 33 30 30 29 28 26 26 25 21 20 19 19 18 3 +/27 24 11 5 11 -2 10 8 6 6 2 6 3 -2 2 -3 -6 -3 -16 -12 -1 -15 -24 -37

Scottish Championship
# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Team Hamilton Academical Dundee Raith Rovers Alloa Athletic Falkirk Livingston Queen Of The South Dumbarton Cowdenbeath Morton Pl 16 16 16 16 15 16 15 16 16 16 W 9 9 8 8 7 6 5 5 4 2 D 4 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 2 3 L 3 4 4 5 4 7 7 8 10 11 F 21 29 24 19 27 27 20 22 21 15

A 11 16 20 15 15 30 19 29 35 35

Pts 31 30 28 27 25 21 18 18 14 9

+/10 13 4 4 12 -3 1 -7 -14 -20

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22

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a week is a lonG time in serie a by Michael Ottolenghi

It is a clash between the team in 5th place and the one in 10th. Neither has a realistic chance of contending for the title, and Champions League football for next season also seems doubtful. But none of that matters. The last game of Serie A in 2013 is the Milan derby, the first one played this late in the calendar year, and the Milan derby will always have a special place in Italian football, no matter how low the teams have fallen. It is nonetheless hard to remember a Milan derby with so little at stake and such weak teams. Inter come into the game following their 4-2 defeat against Napoli, while Milan drew 2-2 against second place Roma, failing yet again to win at San Siro. In addition to the (many) footballing problems that both teams face, there are also a series of off the field issues that will contribute to the special atmosphere of this particular derby. The most obvious issue in the stadium on Sunday night will be that the curva nord, where the Inter ultras sit, will be empty because of yet another ban due to racist chanting during the Napoli game last Sunday. San Siro has rarely been full this season it was embarrassing to see the number of empty seats for the so-called big games between Milan and Roma or Inter and Fiorentina recently. But a derby without the curva will be a first, and will contribute to the muted atmosphere surrounding the occasion. It would be too much to hope that this will cause the ultras to stop racist chanting (and the club are appealing, proving that they side with the racists), but missing the derby will hopefully make them think twice about their actions. For Inter, this will also be the first derby in 18 years without Massimo Moratti as the club owner. Moratti sold the club in November to a group headed by Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir (who part owns DC United, among others). Mr Thohirs intentions are unclear. He has not promised to splash the cash to rebuild a squad that badly needs new players. The first transfer rumours of the Thohir era have been about selling key players (Fredy Guarin above all) to finance the arrival of others so not that much different than what has happened in the past three years at Inter.

club. And that is precisely their problem, for while Berlusconi bankrolled Milan in the good times, he has long since stopped doing so and the teams results this season are a direct result of that. Berlusconi has also contributed to the ongoing uncertainty over the future of both manager Massimiliano Allegri and club director Adriano Galliani. This season Berlusconis daughter, Barbara, whose previous footballing credentials were a romantic fling with Alexandre Pato, has become involved in running the club and has allegedly requested that Galliani step down. Added to Silvio Berlusconis belief that the team performs better if he visits them in training the week before a game, it would be an understatement to say that Milan are a shambles this season.

San Siro, home of AC Milan and Inter.

It was embarrassing to see the number of empty seats for the so-called big games between Milan and Roma or Inter and Fiorentina recently.
The Inter fans have so far given Thohir a warm enough welcome, and he will be in attendance for his first derby on Sunday evening. But there is much uncertainty about the future of the club, including whether plans for a new stadium will be pursued, and Thohir will no doubt learn that the trust of the fans is earned mainly through cash and victories, with no better game to prove that than the derby. Milan do not have ownership issues, as there is no indication that Silvio Berlusconi, now convicted of tax fraud and barred from politics, wants to sell the On the pitch, neither team plays particularly exciting football. Inter have been more aggressive this season, even dominating at times against Napoli, but have lacked a creative midfielder and a foil for lone striker Rodrigo Palacio. Milans main asset is former Inter striker Mario Balotelli, who has been in patchy form so far this season. At least the porous defences should guarantee goals, but while whoever wins the derby will enjoy a sweet panettone over Chtistmas, both Milan teams will enter 2014 with little to look forward to.

Serie A standings
# Team 1 Juventus 2 Roma 3 Napoli 4 Fiorentina 5 Inter Milan 6 Verona 7 Torino 8 Lazio 9 Genoa 10 AC Milan 11 Parma 12 Cagliari 13 Atalanta 14 Sampdoria 15 Udinese 16 Chievo 17 Sassuolo 18 Livorno 19 Bologna 20 Catania Pl 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 W 14 11 11 9 7 8 5 5 5 4 4 4 5 4 5 4 3 3 2 2 D 1 5 2 3 7 2 7 5 5 7 7 7 3 5 2 3 5 4 6 4 L 1 0 3 4 2 6 4 6 6 5 5 5 8 7 9 9 8 9 8 10 F 35 31 35 32 36 27 26 21 17 25 22 17 17 18 15 12 17 15 16 10 A 10 7 19 20 21 25 23 22 19 25 24 23 21 24 21 20 35 27 31 28 Pts 43 38 35 30 28 26 22 20 20 19 19 19 18 17 17 15 14 13 12 10 +/25 24 16 12 15 2 3 -1 -2 0 -2 -6 -4 -6 -6 -8 -18 -12 -15 -18

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23

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WEDNESDAY IS LADIES NIGHT!

FIXTURES THIS WEEK
Friday 20th December 2013
Sky League 1 Tranmere Rovers v Gillingham Sky League 2 Exeter City v Chesterfield Southend United v Rochdale Skrill Premier Grimsby Town v Kidderminster H 14.45 14.45 14.45 14.45

FEATURING: $5 mojitos, cosmos and margaritas

French Ligue 1 St Etienne v Nantes 11.00 Bastia v Montpellier 14.00 Nice v Evian Thonon Gaillar 14.00 Reims v AC Ajaccio 14.00 Sochaux v Rennes 14.00 Toulouse v Guingamp 14.00 22nd December 2013 Barnsley Blackburn Rovers Bournemouth Doncaster Rovers Huddersfield Town Leicester City Middlesbrough Wigan Athletic Blackpool Nottingham Forest v v v v v v v v v v Bolton Wanderers 10.00 Sheffield Wednesday 10.00 Yeovil Town 10.00 Ipswich Town 10.00 Derby County 10.00 Reading 10.00 Burnley 10.00 Birmingham City 10.00 Leeds United 12.15 Queens Park Rangers 14.30

all times eastern

Sky League 2 Bristol Rovers v Portsmouth 10.00 Dagenham & Red v Torquay United 10.00 Fleetwood Town v Cheltenham Town 10.00 Hartlepool United v Burton Albion 10.00 Mansfield Town v Accrington Stanley 10.00 Newport County v AFC Wimbledon 10.00 Northampton Town v Wycombe Wanderers 10.00 Plymouth Argyle v Bury 10.00 Scunthorpe United v Morecambe 10.00 York City v Oxford United 10.00 Scots Prem Celtic v Hearts Dundee United v Ross County Hibernian v St Johnstone Kilmarnock v Partick Thistle Motherwell v St Mirren Inverness CT v Aberdeen 7.15 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 12.30

Sunday

Spanish Primera BBVA Elche v Malaga 16.00 German Bundesliga Eintracht Frankfurt v FC Augsburg French Ligue 1 Monaco v Valenciennes 14.30 14.30 7.45 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 7.15 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 12.30 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00

Barclays Prem Southampton v Tottenham Hotspur 8.30 Swansea City v Everton 11.00 Spanish Primera BBVA Espanyol v Real Valladolid 6.00 Getafe v Barcelona 11.00 Celta Vigo v Osasuna 15.00 Valencia v Real Madrid 15.00 German Bundesliga B Monchengladbach v Wolfsburg Serie A Bologna v Genoa Atalanta v Juventus Roma v Catania Sampdoria v Parma Sassuolo v Fiorentina Torino v Chievo Verona v Lazio Inter Milan v AC Milan French Ligue 1 Marseille v Bordeaux Lorient v Lyon Paris St Germain v Lille 23rd December 2013 14.3 6.30 9.00 9.00 9.00 9.00 9.00 9.00 14.45 8.00 11.00 15.00 15.00 7.45 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 12.30

Saturday 21st December 2013

Barclays Prem Liverpool v Cardiff City Crystal Palace v Newcastle United Fulham v Manchester City Manchester United v West Ham United Stoke City v Aston Villa Sunderland v Norwich City WBA v Hull City Sky Chship QPR v Leicester City Birmingham City v Nottingham Forest Bolton Wanderers v Charlton Athletic Brighton and HA v Huddersfield Town Burnley v Blackpool Derby County v Doncaster Rovers Ipswich Town v Watford Leeds United v Barnsley Reading v Wigan Athletic Sheffield Wed v Bournemouth Yeovil Town v Blackburn Rovers Millwall v Middlesbrough Sky League 1 Crewe Alexandra v Shrewsbury Town Leyton Orient v Crawley Town MK Dons v Port Vale Notts County v Bristol City Oldham Athletic v Colchester United Peterborough U v Bradford City Preston North End v Brentford Rotherham United v Wolverhampton W Stevenage v Sheffield United Swindon Town v Coventry City Walsall v Carlisle United

Scots Champ Alloa Athletic v Dundee 10.00 Dumbarton v Hamilton Academical 10.00 Morton v Falkirk 10.00 Queen O South v Livingston 10.00 Raith Rovers v Cowdenbeath 10.00 Skrill Premier Aldershot Town v Tamworth Alfreton Town v Dartford Braintree Town v Macclesfield Town Chester FC v Lincoln City FC Halifax v Forest Green Rovers Hereford United v Cambridge United Hyde v Barnet Luton Town v Gateshead Nuneaton v Woking Salisbury City v Southport Welling United v Wrexham 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00

Sky League 1 Coventry City v Peterborough United 7.00 Brentford v Swindon Town 7.30 Carlisle United v Preston North End 8.00 Gillingham v Leyton Orient 8.30 Bradford City v Rotherham United 10.00 Bristol City v Walsall 10.00 Colchester United v Stevenage 10.00 Crawley Town v Milton Keynes Dons 10.00 Port Vale v Notts County 10.00 Sheffield United v Oldham Athletic 10.00 Shrewsbury Town v Tranmere Rovers 10.00 Wolverhampton W v Crewe Alexandra 10.00 Sky League 2 Wycombe W v Newport County AFC 7.30 Portsmouth v Dagenham & Red 8.00 Torquay United v Bristol Rovers 8.00 AFC Wimbledon v Southend United 10.00 Accrington Stanley v York City 10.00 Burton Albion v Northampton Town 10.00 Bury v Scunthorpe United 10.00 Cheltenham Town v Exeter City 10.00 Chesterfield v Hartlepool United 10.00 Morecambe v Fleetwood Town 10.00 Oxford United v Plymouth Argyle 10.00 Rochdale v Mansfield Town 10.00 Scots Prem Aberdeen v Motherwell Hearts v Kilmarnock Partick Thistle v Inverness CT Ross County v Hibernian St Johnstone v Celtic St Mirren v Dundee United Skrill Premier Cambridge United v Braintree Town Dartford v Welling United Tamworth v Nuneaton Lincoln City v Grimsby Town Barnet v Luton Town Forest Green R v Aldershot Town Gateshead v FC Halifax Kidderminster H v Hereford United Macclesfield Town v Hyde Southport v Chester FC Woking v Salisbury City Wrexham v Alfreton Town 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 7.00 7.30 7.30 8.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00

Monday

Spanish Primera BBVA Villarreal v Sevilla 10.00 Real is v Almeria 12.00 Atletico Madrid v Levante 14.00 Granada v Real Sociedad 16.00 German Bundesliga Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin E Braunschweig v Hoffenheim Hamburg v Mainz SC Freiburg v Hannover 96 Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen FC Nurnberg v Schalke Serie A Livorno v Udinese Cagliari v Napoli 9.30 9.30 9.30 9.30 9.30 12.30 12.00 14.45

Barclays Prem Arsenal v Chelsea

Thursday 26th December 2013

Barclays Prem Hull City v Manchester United Aston Villa v Crystal Palace Cardiff City v Southampton Chelsea v Swansea City Everton v Sunderland Newcastle United v Stoke City Norwich City v Fulham Tottenham Hotspur v WBA West Ham United v Arsenal Manchester City v Liverpool

Sky Chship Charlton Athletic v Brighton and Hove A 7.30 Watford v Millwall 8.00

www.firsttouchonline.com

24

by Jay Mwamba

CSL winter break: standinGs

GP 10 10 10 10 10 9 W 9 6 6 5 3 0 L 1 3 3 3 3 9 T 0 1 1 2 4 0 GF 31 19 26 13 16 7 GA 7 9 23 7 15 34 GD 24 10 3 6 1 -27 Pts 27 19 19 17 13 0

Division 1 East 1. Lansdowne Bhoys 2. NY Athletic Club 3. Pancyprian Freedoms 4. Central Park Rangers Whites 5. Barnstonworth Rovers FC 6. Stal Mielec NY West 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

United FC NY Greek Americans Clarkstown SC Eagles NY Croatia Manhattan Celtic Manhattan Kickers

10 10 10 9 10 10

6 5 4 4 3 1

3 3 4 4 7 9

1 2 2 1 0 0

26 25 16 9 6 7

14 16 15 13 19 29

12 9 1 -4 -13 -22

19 17 14 13 9 3

LICENSED COACHES WANTED!

We are searching for College Head Coaching candidates...
We are searching for College Head Coaching candidates who would fit the below parameters and who would be interested in being considered for a full time college coaching position locally. Should you have any candidates please have them forward their CV with recent coaching and past employment history to us at athleticcoachrecruiter@gmail.com Responses will only be made to qualified candidates.

Division 2 1. Shamrock SC 2. CD Iberia 3. Polonia NY 4. Hoboken FC 1912 5. NY Ukrainians 6. NYPD FC 7. Doxa FC 8. FC Japan 9. Flank United 10. New Amsterdam United FC Metro 1 East 1. FC Gwardia PLNY 2. Grenadier Zenith 3. Mr Denneheys FC 4. Central Park Rangers Reds 5. Missile FC 6. FC NY Bravehearts West 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 GP 10 10 10 10 10 9

8 7 6 6 6 3 3 3 2 0 W 7 6 5 4 3 3

0 2 2 2 3 6 6 6 7 10 L 2 3 4 3 3 3

2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 T 1 1 1 3 4 3

37 26 24 23 36 11 22 15 14 3 GF 45 28 23 20 17 23

7 9 7 9 17 18 31 30 29 54 GA 17 21 21 15 21 20

30 17 17 14 19 -7 -9 -15 -15 -51 GD 28 7 2 5 -4 3

26 22 20 20 19 10 10 10 7 0 Pts 22 19 16 15 13 12

Head Coach requirements: - Licensing : USSF D minimum (Preference given to candidates with USSF C or higher) - Passport holder : Must be US Citizen or Green Card Holder - Experience: Prior College Coaching experience - Minimum 10 years coaching with increasing responsibility (including senior youth or competitive adult coaching which can be documented) with at least 3 years of prior college Head Coach experience or 5 years college Assistant Head Coach experience - Ability to travel domestically and abroad for off season recruiting - Prior recruiting experience highly desirable - Must be CPR certified - History of administrative experience, ability to create budgets and manage Assistant Coaching Staff, Trainers, Equipment Managers and Interact with College Administrators and Athletic Director - Must be well spoken to represent school at relevant functions

Lansdowne Bhoys Metro Sporting Astoria SC Dynamo SC Queens United Gotham Argo Central Park Rangers Blacks

10 10 9 10 10 10

7 6 3 2 2 1

1 3 5 6 8 8

2 1 1 2 0 1

42 29 21 11 13 23

19 25 38 23 32 43

23 4 -17 -12 -19 -20

23 19 10 8 6 4

Metro 2 1. Brishna 2. Ridgewood Romac SC 3. NY Ittihad FC 4. Barnstonworth Rovers Metro 5. Mola SC 6. Metro City Fury Athletic FC 7. NYC Metro Stars 8. SC Eintracht 9. AO Brooklyn 10. Doyles Corner FC 11. FC Partizani NY 12. Homenetmen of NY 13. NY Galicia

GP 10 9 10 9 9 8 8 9 9 9 10 9 9

W 8 8 7 6 5 5 3 3 2 2 2 1 0

L 1 1 2 2 1 3 4 5 4 5 7 8 9

T 1 0 1 1 3 0 1 1 3 2 1 0 0

GF 42 35 28 31 29 25 14 17 20 24 14 9 8

GA 15 17 9 12 15 18 12 25 23 37 34 36 43

GD 27 18 19 19 14 7 2 -8 -3 -13 -20 -27 -35

Pts 25 24 22 19 18 15 10 10 9 8 7 3 0

Over 30 - Division 1 East 1. Barnstonworth PREMIER 2. Manhattan Celtic Legends 3. Shamrock SC Over-30 4. NY Greek Americans Over-30 5. Hoboken FC 1912 Over-30 6. Barnstonworth Rovers Over-30 West 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

GP 10 10 10 10 10 10

W 7 6 4 4 2 1

L 2 1 4 4 7 9

T 1 3 2 2 1 0

GF 29 40 30 13 15 5

GA 15 20 30 16 25 42

GD 14 20 0 -3 -10 -37

Pts 22 21 14 14 7 3

Clarkstown SC Eagles Over-30 Manhattan Kickers PREMIER NY Dinamo Manhattan Kickers Over-30 Barnstonworth Old Boys Central Park Rangers Grays

10 10 10 10 10 10

7 6 5 4 4 1

1 1 3 5 6 8

2 3 2 1 0 1

39 24 22 18 23 6

13 12 23 20 28 20

26 12 -1 -2 -5 -14

23 21 17 13 12 4

Check out the new web site at www.cosmosoccerleague.com

25

L I V E F O O T B A L L AT I O N A
OUR BEER GARDEN IS OPEN! WATCH ALL THE GAMES LIVE ON OUR OUTDOOR BIG SCREEN!

We accept reservations for parties and groups in the garden and/or the bar

18 0 Grand Stre e t , B r o o k lyn ( 7 1 8 ) 3 8 4- 5 0 0 8 ww w . io na br o o k lyn.c o m

LIVE GAMES ON us TELLY this week..

Fri 20-Dec
France 2:30 PM Monaco v Valenciennes beIN Sport La Liga 2:30 PM Elche v Malaga beIN Sport 2

Sun 22-Dec
Bundesliga 9:30 AM B MGladbach v Wolfsburg GolTV EPL 8:30 AM Southampton v Spurs NBCSN 11:00 AM Swansea City v Everton NBCSN France 8:00 AM Marseille v Bordeaux beIN Sport La Liga 11:00 AM Getafe v Barcelona beIN Sport 1:00 PM Atl. Bilbao v Rayo Vallecano beIN Sport 2 3:00 PM Valencia v Real Madrid beIN Sport Serie A 9:00 AM Atalanta v Juventus beIN Sport 9:00 AM Roma v Catania beIN Sport 2 2:45 PM Inter Milan v AC Milan beIN Sport

Thursday, Dec 19th 6:30pm Shut DoWn EVent 10pm FuLL CircLe 1am John Schmitt Band Friday, Dec 20th 7pm Sean EVent 10pm Daddy No BuX 1am Late NiGht ALibi Saturday, Dec 21st 4pm Aaron Short 7pm ALeX MiLLer 10pm MiKe Tait 1am Super Heros Sunday, Dec 22nd NFL Sunday 7:30pm SteVe ReiLLy 11pm DuGGer Brothers

Monday, Dec 23rd 8pm BiG Eds BLues Jam 11pm Linard many Moods

Tuesday, Dec 24th 7pm Andy CLayburn Trio 11pm Jason Mo SouL

Sat 21-Dec
Bundesliga 9:30 AM B Dortmund v Hertha Berlin GolTV 12:30 PM Nuremberg v Schalke GolTV Championship 10:00 AM Birmingham C v N Forest beIN Sport 5:00 PM QPR v Leicester C beIN Sport (delayed) EPL 7:45 AM Liverpool v Cardiff City NBCSN 10:00 AM Fulham v Manchester City NBCSN 10:00 AM Man Utd v West Ham U NBCextratime 10:00 AM C Palace v Newcastle U NBCextratime 10:00 AM WBA v Hull City NBCextratime 10:00 AM Sunderland v Norwich C NBCextratime 10:00 AM Stoke City v Aston Villa NBCextratime France 11:00 AM St. Etienne v Nantes TV5Monde La Liga 10:00 AM Villarreal v Seville beIN Sport 2 11:00 AM Getafe v Barcelona beIN Sport 12:00 PM Real Betis v UD Almeria beIN Sport 2 2:00 PM Atl. Madrid v Levante beIN Sport 2 4:00 PM Granada v Real Sociedad beIN Sport 2 Scottish Premier 7:00 AM Celtic v Hearts FoxSoccerPlus 12:30 PM Inverness v Aberdeen FoxSoccerPlus Serie A 12:00 PM Livorno v Udinese beIN Sport 2:45 PM Cagliari v Napoli beIN Sport

Mon 23-Dec
EPL 3:00 PM Arsenal v Chelsea NBCSN

Wednesday, Dec 25th 7pm Andy Duo 10pm Linard Many Moods 12am Jason Mo SouL

Thu 26-Dec
EPL 7:45 AM Hull City v Manchester United NBCSN 10:00 AM Chelsea v Swansea City NBCSN 10:00 AM West Ham Utd v Arsenal NBCextratime 10:00 AM Everton v Sunderland NBCextratime 10:00 AM Spurs v WBA NBCextratime 10:00 AM Newcastle Utd v Stoke C NBCextratime 10:00 AM Cardiff C v Sthampton NBCextratime 10:00 AM A Villa v Crystal Palace NBCextratime 10:00 AM Norwich City v Fulham NBCextratime 12:30 PM Man City v Liverpool NBCSN Scottish Premier 10:00 AM St. Johnstone v Celtic FoxSoccerPlus

LIVE MUSIC EVERY NIGHT!

151 Bleecker Street 212 - 260 - 9797 redlionnyc.com

QUIZ ANSWERS
from page 19

1 - Salvatore Schillaci 2 - Cameroon 3 - Andreas Brehme 4 - Cagliari (Sardinia) and Palermo (Sicily) 5 - Bob Gansler

26

FIRST TOUCH MUSIC

The Mick Balds Live4ever Music Page

The RollinG Stones, Johnny Marr: SPotify entirely hamPers new bands Paul McCartney Johnny Marr has joined in the I cant think of anydebate on Spotify, saying it en- thing more opposite to punk rock than SpoamonG hiGhest tirely hampers new bands and tify. GrossinG tours of that he cant think of anything I have no answer to more opposite to punk rock. 2013 the economic side of the modern music inMarr positioned himself firmly on the opposition benches along side the likes of Thom Yorke and David Byrne during a chat with NME. Its been a strange time for music in general, he said. Especially with the debate about Spotify. Im not a supporter. I think it entirely hampers new bands, and the situation that Thom Yorke and Beck have been criticizing makes the old record companies of the 70s look like cottage industries. dustry, but I do think we certainly shouldnt stop valuing what bands do. I dont like great things being throwaway. Pop culture isnt just about the music, man. Its a way of life, an aesthetic, and its not just about pressing a button and getting something entirely for convenience.

As Spotify looks all set to expand its influence still further next year, the debate surrounding its impact on new bands has been raging, especially since Thom Yorke and Atoms For Peace decided to withdraw their music from the service back in July.

Veterans The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen have all enjoyed some of the highest grossing tours of 2013, reports Billboard.
Bruce Springsteens 53 live shows this year have brought in $147,608,938 the fourth highest grossing tour of the past twelve months while The Rolling Stones 50th anniversary concerts have raked in $126,182,391. Paul McCartney collected the 16th biggest total gross of the year, with $69,584,403 coming in from 21 shows. Bon Jovi have the biggest tour of 2013, making $205,158,370 from 90 live gigs. The Cirque Du Soleils Michael Jackson production The Immortal World Tour is second on the list with a figure of $157,299,100 from no less than 205 shows. Top 20 highest grossing tours of 2013: 1/ Bon Jovi 2/ Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour 3/ Pink 4/ Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band 5/ Rihanna 6/ The Rolling Stones 7/ Taylor Swift 8/ Beyonc 9/ Depeche Mode 10/ Kenny Chesney 11/ Rogers Waters 12/ One Direction 13/ Justin Bieber 14/ Madonna 15/ Jay Z & Justin Timberlake 16/ Paul McCartney 17/ Fleetwood Mac 18/ Maroon 5 19/ Dave Matthews Band 20/ Andr Rieu

Primal Scream ready 2014 headline tour of North America

For the first time in a good few years, Primal Scream will embark on a full headline tour of North America next spring, including dates at Irving Plaza and Warsaw, Brooklyn. After the release of their tenth studio effort More Light earlier this year, the band begin a trip across the US and Canada on April 30th 2014 with a show at Fitzgeralds in Houston, Texas. The dates also take in a visit to Memphis Beale Street Music Festival on May 4th and end with Canadian shows in Montreal and Toronto on May 15th and 16th.
2014 tour dates: APRIL Houston, TX @ Fitzgeralds (30) MAY Austin, TX @ Austin Psych Fest (2) Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre (3) Memphis, TN @ Beale St Music Festival (4) Atlanta, GA @ Centre Stage Theater (6) Washington, DC @ Sixth & I (8) Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer (9) Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (11) New York, NY @ Irving Plaza (12) Boston, MA @ Royale (13) Montreal, QC @ Corona Theater (15) Toronto, ON @ Danforth (16)

Bruce SPrinGsteen Praises Tom Morellos imPact on his music

Bruce Springsteen has been praising the impact of Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello on his songwriting and forthcoming new album High Hopes. Morello has gradually evolved into an important confidant for Springsteen since the pair first hooked up in 2008, and it seems his influence peppers the High Hopes LP, which is out next month. He became a filter that I ran my music through, The Boss told Rolling Stone of Morello. He would send the songs back to me with a very current slant on them. He jolted those songs into the now. Hes one of the few guitarists that creates a world by himself. Its like the Edge or Pete Townshend or Johnny Marr. The E Street Band is a big house, but when Tom is onstage he builds another room.

High Hopes consists of original material, covers and reworked tracks and is slated for release on January 14th 2014.

Music, Beer & Football. The very stuff of life itself John Peel

www.live4ever.uk.com

PUB[

Legends 6 West 33rd Street footballfactoryny.com Josie Woods 11 Waverly Place josiewoods.com Baker Street 1152 1st Avenue (@63rd St.) bakerstreetnyc.com Dempseys 61 2nd Avenue (3rd & 4th St.) dempseysnyc.com Mulligans 159 1st St. Hoboken mulligansonfirst.com The Mad Hatter 360 3rd Avenue (26th St.) madhattersaloonnyc.com Fitzgeralds 336 3rd Ave. (25th St.) fitzgeraldspubnyc.com Black Horse Pub 16th St (5th Ave) Brooklyn blackhorsebrooklyn.com Banter 132 Havemeyer St. Bklyn banterbrooklyn.com

Jack Demseys 36 W33rd. St. jackdemseys.com Tir Na Nog 315 W39th St. tirnanognyc.com Lily OBriens 67 Murray St. lillyobriensbar.com 11th St. Bar 510 E11th St. 11thstbar.com Kellys Sports bar 12 Ave A (1st&2nd) kellysnyc.com Manchester Pub 920 2nd Ave (49th St.) manchesterpubnyc.com The Churchill Tavern 45 E28th St. thechurchillny.com Bar 43 43-06 43rd St. Queens bar43.com Van Diemens 383 3rd Avenue@27th St. vandiemensnyc.com

CARLSBERG FIRST TOUCH

UPCOMING PUB EVENTS
Sat Dec 21st Manchester Pub

Full English Breakfast!

NOW SERVING!

Featuring discounted pints of Carlsberg during the games and great prizes provided by thisisfootballshop.com

The kind you wish your mother used to make

l gam l a g n i r u d g pints r e b s l r a C $4 es