England produces strategy to end trophy drought

WEMBLEY, England (AP) - England's Football Association unveiled a new strategy Friday to produce better players to prevent a repeat of the national team's dismal showing at the 2010 World Cup.

England, which was outclassed by Germany during its second-round loss in South Africa, has not won a major title since the 1966 World Cup.

Trevor Brooking, the FA's director of development, believes his 25-point plan of action should help end that title drought, although he has urged fans to be patient and not expect instant success.

Brooking's proposals, which were published Friday, are centered around improving the technical ability of players from the ages of 5 to 16 and putting a stronger coaching system in place throughout the country.

That starts with the hiring of a new elite development coach to work across all age groups. Gareth Southgate, the 40-year-old former Middlesbrough manager, has already been linked to the job.

"I am not saying these changes will make us world champions overnight," Brooking told a briefing at Wembley Stadium. "We need to develop more and better English players and hopefully they will eventually break into the first teams of our elite clubs and into the international team. ... These recommendations will hopefully produce better quality players."

Currently, Brooking sees youngsters struggling to string passes together and goalkeepers lacking basic skills.

"Unless they get an understanding of how to find a bit of space, pass it, and just move around and keep the ball, they'll never be able to get halfway to replicating the game they see on TV at present," Brooking said. "The skill base you do have to have ... a lot of youngsters haven't got anywhere near that."

Brooking has been analyzing how Spain produced the players that have delivered world and European titles in the last three years.

"Every year, they're right there competing," the 62-year-old former England midfielder said. "The people who won the European Championship and the World Cup, they won titles at (under) 17s, 19s and 21s, and that's what we want to look back on in five or 10 years' time."

The Young Player Development Review, which must be ratified by the Professional Game Board in April, recommends that English clubs should be forced to release players for national duty at all age levels - not just for the senior squad.

"It's about getting tournament experience against some of the best teams in Europe and the clubs will get the benefit of that experience because they will get a better player coming back to them," Brooking said.

England did win the European championship at the under-17 level last year by beating Spain.

And Brooking believes that by producing better players domestically, clubs can avoid paying large transfer fees to lure foreign stars.

"There is going to be a need in the next few years for us to develop our own homegrown talent," he said. "Obviously the clubs have been buying in overseas talent, but with the euro as it has been for the last three or four years, it is probably costing them 30 or 40 percent more to bring the same player in than it did a few years ago."

  

Chile and Uruguay advance in U20 WCup qualifying

AREQUIPA, Peru (AP) - Chile and Uruguay joined Argentina on Thursday to advance to the second round of South American qualifying for the Under-20 World Cup.

Chile defeated Venezuela 3-1 in its Group A match and finished with six points in four games. Uruguay, which finished with four points, also advanced despite losing 2-0 to Peru.

Argentina has already qualified for the next round with 10 points. Peru and Venezuela were knocked out.

In Thursday's early game, Jose Meza gave Venezuela a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute, but Chile rallied with a strike from Yashir Pinto, Felipe Gallegos and the clincher from Alejandro Marquez in the 86th. Angel Ojeda scored for Peru in the 15th and Diego Donarye added the second in the 71st.

Brazil has 10 points and leads Group B, which ends group play on Friday with Ecuador playing Bolivia and Colombia against Paraguay. Ecuador and Colombia have four points each, while Paraguay has three and Bolivia one.

The top three finishers from each group qualify for the second round, and the top four from that round qualify for the U20 World Cup later this year in Colombia. The top two teams get berths in the 2012 London Olympics.

Second-round play begins Monday.

  

Liverpool rejects bid for Torres from Chelsea

LONDON (AP) - Liverpool has rejected a bid from English Premier League rival Chelsea for striker Fernando Torres.

Chelsea is in need of a new forward to help its title defense after slipping from top to fourth in the standings, 10 points behind leader Manchester United.

But despite Liverpool languishing in seventh place, American owner John Henry is not prepared to let the team's top player leave Anfield.

Liverpool told The Associated Press late Thursday that "Chelsea have made an offer for Fernando, which has been rejected. The player is not for sale."

The bid for the Spanish striker was put at 35 million pounds ($56 million) by British media.

  

Australia keen to cap lessons with 1st Asian title

DOHA, Qatar (AP) - Australia believes it has the form and confidence to capture its first major football title and prevent Japan from winning a record fourth Asian Cup in the final on Saturday.

The Socceroos go into the final riding high after routing Uzbekistan 6-0 in the semifinals on Tuesday. Australia has won four and drawn one of its five games and scored 13 goals while conceding only one.

Defender Luke Wilkshire says the Asian Cup "is something that realistically we can win."

However, Japan has never lost an Asian Cup final, and it can surpass fellow three-time champions Iran and Saudi Arabia by winning a fourth title from the last six tournaments on Saturday.

  

Roma beats Juventus 2-0 to reach Italian Cup semis

TURIN, Italy (AP) - Roma set up an Italian Cup semifinal against titleholder Inter Milan after dispatching Juventus 2-0 on Thursday.

Mirko Vucinic scored midway through the second half and Rodrigo Taddei volleyed a second in injury time. AC Milan will meet Palermo in the other semifinal.

"We played well tonight even though playing Juventus is never easy," Taddei said. "I've scored goals like that in training, but I've never had the chance in a match. I have to thank Daniele De Rossi for such a great pass."

In the first half neither side managed to find any rhythm in a match littered with fouls, though Alessandro Del Piero went close for Juventus and Vucinic for Roma.

Roma came out strongly in the second half and Simone Perrotta and Fabio Simplicio both squandered chances to open the scoring. Vucinic scored in the 65th minute, cutting in from the left and whipping a curling shot past Juventus goalkeeper Marco Storari into the far corner.

Three minutes later, Storari kept Juventus in the game when he stopped Philippe Mexes' header.

With the match almost over, Taddei spectacularly volleyed De Rossi's free kick home to wrap up the victory.

  

Muscat receives 8-week A-League ban for bad tackle

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Melbourne Victory captain Manny Muscat will likely end his career in Australian football's A-League under suspension after being banned for eight weeks for a dangerous tackle.

Muscat, a Malta international, was handed the ban for a tackle on the Melbourne Heart's Adrian Zahra during a heated derby last weekend.

With three matches remaining in the regular season, the ban means the 36-year-old Muscat will not be able to play again even if the Victory reach the league's grand final.

He will be available for Melbourne's matches in the Asian Champions League because the domestic suspension does not apply to international competition.

In a statement read to the Football Federation Australia disciplinary hearing, Muscat said he "deeply regretted" the tackle and did not intend to injure Zahra.

  

Monaco agrees deal to sign Diarra from Real Madrid

MONACO (AP) - Monaco agreed to a deal to sign Mali midfielder Mahamadou Diarra from Real Madrid on Thursday.

Monaco said on its website that Diarra was arriving in Monaco late Thursday, and the move will be finalized once he passes his medical test. Monaco gave no financial details of the deal but said it would be a permanent transfer.

The 29-year-old Diarra made only three substitute appearances in the Spanish league for Jose Mourinho's title-chasing Madrid this season.

Diarra joined Madrid from Lyon four years ago and went on to make 90 league appearances, scoring three times.

Monaco was in 19th place in the French league and battling against relegation. It recently replaced sacked coach Guy Lacombe with Laurent Banide.

This week, Monaco signed Montpellier midfielder Gregory Lacombe on loan until the end of the season.

  

Inter edge Napoli on penalties, Milan also in semis

MILAN: Lucky holders Inter Milan beat Napoli on penalties in the Italian Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday after drawing 0-0 after extra time while rivals AC Milan also went through.

Ezequiel Lavezzi blasted over the only missed spot kick as Inter prevailed 5-4 on penalties and kept alive their dream of a second straight treble.

Hosts Napoli had much the better chances in the 120 minutes with Marek Hamsik going closest when his shot was saved and his subsequent header was cleared off the line.

Inter battled hard without much penetration and lost Dejan Stankovic and Ivan Cordoba to injury.

Two goals by striker Alexandre Pato earlier downed Sampdoria 2-1 to seal Milan’s place in the two-legged semi-final stage, where they will meet Palermo after the Sicilians overcame Parma on penalties on Tuesday.

The Brazilian, left out of the Serie A leaders’ win over Cesena on Sunday, struck the first after 17 minutes and converted Dutch debutant Urby Emanuelson’s assist five minutes later to make it 2-0.

Stefano Guberti headed Sampdoria back into the game after the break but Milan, who also gave new signing Mark van Bommel a first start following the uncompromising Dutchman’s move from Bayern Munich, hung on.

With 12 minutes left Milan brought on former Samporia forward Antonio Cassano, who left the Genoa-based side in January in acrimonious circumstances after being dropped for swearing at the club president.

Cassano, who has throughout his career made a habit of shooting himself in the foot at whatever club he has played for, was greeted on his entrance as a substitute for Robinho in the 78th minute by jeers and boos and cries of ‘Clown!’.

Sampdoria president, Riccardo Garrone, had said before the match that he would not greet Cassano because he had no regard for him as a person anymore after the Italian playmaker had gone on television and joked “that if he had known he would finish up at Milan he would have insulted the president a long time before he actually did so.” 

  

New skipper Lahm leads Bayern into the last four

BERLIN: Holders Bayern Munich eased into the German Cup semi-finals with a 4-0 win at Second Division Alemannia Aachen on Wednesday but fellow Bundesliga clubs Kaiserslautern and Hoffen-heim went out to lower-tier clubs.

Led by new captain Philipp Lahm after Dutchman Mark van Bommel joined AC Milan on Tuesday, Bayern took the lead after 25 minutes with Mario Gomez tapping in a Luiz Gustavo low cross.

Aachen had a brief good spell in the second half but Thomas Mueller sealed Bayern’s ticket when he fired in through the legs of keeper David Hohs in the 75th minute.

The Germany international added another with a low drive from 14m four minutes later and Arjen Robben, who came on as a substitute, completed the rout in the 88th minute.

The win is expected to take some pressure off Bayern coach Louis van Gaal, at odds with club bosses over some of his decisions, including the release of captain van Bommel after four and a half years.

A goal from Chinese Shao Jiayi six minutes from time sent Division Two side Energie Cottbus through with a 1-0 win over Hoffenheim with their new signing Ryan Babel from Liverpool in the starting lineup.

Duisburg threw out another Bundesliga team when they beat Kaiserslautern 2-0.

On Tuesday, Schalke 04 needed a last minute goal in extra time from 17-year-old Julian Draxler to advance 3-2 past Nuremberg.

  

Hendrie joins breakaway league in Indonesia

SINGAPORE: Former Aston Villa and England midfielder Lee Hendrie has signed for Bandung FC in Indonesia’s breakaway league.

Hendrie, who spent a decade at the English Premier League club from the mid-1990s, has penned a two-year deal and is expected to make his debut for the Javanese club tomorrow.

“He will act as a link-man and second striker who will supply our forwards ... his presence will give us a lift,” said Bandung chief executive officer Mohamad Kusnaeni yesterday.

“He will be a role model for other players at Bandung FC given his experience playing in the best league in the world.”

Capped once by England during his Villa days, Hendrie later dropped down divisions. He became a free agent earlier this month when he was released from a short-term deal at Division Three side Bradford City.

An FA Cup runner-up and Intertoto Cup winner with Villa, 33-year-old Hendrie’s signing to play in the Indonesian Premier League (LPI) marks his first spell outside England and will be a boon to the new Asian league.

“I am proud to have the opportunity,” Hendrie said at the LPI’s offices in Jakarta.

Bandung, second bottom of the league with two defeats after two matches, aim to use Hendrie’s star appeal to boost the growth of talent at the club. 

  

Valdano seeks to mend ties with Mourinho

MADRID: Real Madrid director general Jorge Valdano sought to mend his fractured relationship with coach Jose Mourinho on Wednesday by offering the Portuguese more autonomy within the La Liga club.

Mourinho has barely concealed his contempt for Valdano, who is number two to president Florentino Perez, and pointedly told reporters last week he does not speak to the Argentine about player transfers.

“The most important thing, from my responsibility, is to avoid creating more tension,” Valdano said after Real won 1-0 at Sevilla in their King’s Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

“We have to see in what way the coach can feel more comfortable,” he added.

“We are working to create the necessary conditions for the coach to act autonomously.”

The outspoken Mourinho has complained of a lack of support from club officials over his criticism of referees and was unhappy that Real initially appeared reluctant to bring in a striker to replace the injured Gonzalo Higuain

The former Inter Milan and Chelsea manager’s request was granted this week when Real signed Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City on loan until the end of the season.

Valdano has insisted all is well between him and Mourinho, but acknowledged the coach may need to be given more space.

“If it is necessary to keep distance, distance will be kept,” he said.

“The enemies are our opponents and often they are very fierce. That’s where we have to focus our energies so we can put in great performances like the one today.” 

  

Real, Barca on track for King’s Cup final showdown

MADRID: Real Madrid and Barcelona are heading for a King’s Cup showdown after the great rivals won their semi-final first legs on Wednesday.

Real won a controversial game 1-0 at holders Sevilla thanks to a goal from Karim Benzema while Lionel Messi struck twice as 2009 winners Barca thumped Almeria 5-0 at the Nou Camp.

The wealthy pair have carried their domination of La Liga into the King’s Cup and if they advance after next Wednesday’s second legs will meet in the final on April 20, a few days after they play each other in the league at Real’s Bernabeu stadium.

Sevilla had a goal disallowed in a match littered with yellow cards at a rowdy Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in the Andalucian capital.

Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas was also hit on the back of the head by a missile thrown from the crowd after the final whistle but was not seriously hurt.

Benzema, who scored his second league goal of the season on Sunday, put Real ahead in the 17th minute.

The France striker exchanged passes with Mesut Ozil, drove into the penalty area and beat two defenders before firing a low shot past goalkeeper Andres Palop.

Sevilla thought they were level moments before halftime when Luis Fabiano rounded Casillas and sent the ball towards the empty net.

Raul Albiol slid in with a last-ditch block but television replays seemed to show the ball had crossed the line before the Spain defender kicked it away.

The passion of Sevilla’s players was not matched by their ability to create scoring chances and it was Real who almost snatched a second with just over 10 minutes left.

Ozil broke clear and fed Cristiano Ronaldo who rounded Palop but was unable to get in a shot and Ozil’s eventual effort was blocked by Alexis Ruano.

Substitute and former Real player Alvaro Negredo volleyed narrowly wide for Sevilla late on but Jose Mourinho’s side held on and will be confident of progressing to the final as they bid for a first King’s Cup since 1993.

“Some vandal chucked a bottle of water,” Casillas said in a television interview. “It’s a shame as the fans were splendid helping their team and then some idiot caused a problem.”

At the Nou Camp, Barca were out of sight by the 30th minute when Pedro netted their fourth of the night.

World Player of the Year Messi had opened the scoring in the ninth minute, Spain striker David Villa added a second two minutes later and Messi a third in the 16th.

Barca won 8-0 at Almeria earlier in the season and a repeat of that drubbing looked on the cards.

However the Andalucian club, in the last four for the first time, held the league leaders at bay until the 88th minute when substitute Seydou Keita ran on to Messi’s pass and stroked the ball past Esteban. 

  

Singapore’s Young Lions get name change

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s plan to inject both cash and professionalism into its domestic league took a fresh twist yesterday when the city-state sold the naming rights of its own Under-23 national team.

The Young Lions, set up by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) in 2003, are the world’s only age-restricted soccer team competing in a professional league.

In what was described as a major milestone for ‘Project Tribe’, officials announced the team would, with immediate effect, be known as the Courts Young Lions to reflect a sponsorship deal with electronics retailer Courts.

The project aims to establish stronger links between fans and local clubs.

The S.League has been struggling with dwindling attendances and a lack of interest and officials have been coming up with ways to give the game a boost such as scheduling fixtures in the afternoon to avoid clashing with televised matches of the more popular English Premier League.

“I think there is probably more money expended in marketing the (Premier League) in one minute than in the S.League in 12 months,” said Project Tribe’s Ian Mullane, adding that they were not trying to compete with English football.

Courts will commit S$1mil (US$781,402) over a period of two years. 

  

The pain reliever Cup win can ease Australia’s 2022 despair

DOHA: Australia can soften the blow of failing in their bid to host the 2022 World Cup by beating three-times champions Japan to claim their first Asian Cup title tomorrow, according to midfielder Matt McKay.

Football lags behind Australian rules and rugby in the country and last month’s decision, which saw Qatar emerge victorious in the contest to host the sports’s showcase event, was a setback for the game, especially as Australia mustered only one vote.

However, McKay believes the team’s displays can help lift the gloom especially if they can beat Japan, who are aiming for a record fourth Asian title, at the Khalifa Stadium.

“It was such a disappointment not to get the 2022 World Cup and maybe a few people’s heads dropped after that decision,” the Brisbane Roar wideman said after the emphatic win over Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

“But making a final of the Asian Cup and possible winning it is just going to lift football in Australia again.”

They have demonstrated a more professional approach than four years ago when, on their Asian Cup debut after leaving the Oceania Federation, they were accused of over confidence.

After a draw with Oman and loss to Iraq, they exited in the last eight at the hands of Japan.

Their German coach Holger Osieck can be credited with the improvement and he also brings an extensive knowledge of Japanese football having previously worked with Urawa Red Diamonds, winning the Asian Champions League in 2007.

“Knowledge is one thing, to transfer the knowledge is the other one,” Osieck warned.

Japan will also be full of confidence after they overcame their rivals South Korea 3-0 on penalties after a high-quality 2-2 draw on Tuesday.

Their Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni has yet to taste defeat since taking charge of the Blue Samurai in August and the future looks bright with former Asian Player of the Year Yasuhito Endo the only one of the 23-man squad over 30.

Led by their attacking trio of Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki and Keisuke Honda, the Japanese have played some of the best football of the tournament in sweeping past hosts Qatar and traditional regional powerhouses South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

“The great thing about this team is that we leave everything we have out on the pitch, every time,” Zaccheroni said.

“We’ve come this far, I want to win it. We will need to recover as much as we can. That will be the key for us.” 

  

Young-ryo calls it quits

DOHA: South Korean veteran Lee Young-ryo has confirmed his retirement from international football after his side went out of the Asian Cup in the semi-finals.

Bidding to reach their first final since 1988, South Korea fell 3-0 on penalties to arch-rivals Japan in Doha on Tuesday, after a pulsating game finished 2-2 following extra-time.

“I have decided to retire from the national team,” said the 33-year-old left-back, who has enjoyed a long career with PSV Eindhoven, Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Dortmund and Al Hilal.

Despite his age he played every minute of South Korea’s campaign in Qatar, including consecutive extra-time contests.

But after 126 appearances, he said the time had come to step aside.

“I had planned to discuss my retirement with the coach after the Asian Cup, but I made up my mind today that I was going to retire,” Young-ryo was quoted as saying by the Asian Cup website.

  

Kagawa fears the worst

DOHA: Japan starlet Shinji Kagawa said he feared the worst yesterday, as he headed back to Germany after sustaining a foot injury that has ruled him out of the Asian Cup final against Australia.

The 21-year-old Borussia Dort-mund forward was substituted in the 87th minute of Japan’s penalty shoot-out victory over South Korea in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

He missed training on Wednes-day and subsequent scans revealed that he had broken a metatarsal bone in his right foot, which will potentially keep him out of action for the rest of the German league season.

“I’m really worried that I’m facing the worst case,” Kagawa told reporters at Doha airport, after arriving on crutches.

Kagawa revealed that he felt an “awful impact” after embarking on a dribble in the second half of the game against South Korea, which Japan won 3-0 on penalties after the game finished 2-2 following extra-time.

He played on until near the end of normal time but said: “I was feeling it was a bit risky.”

Kagawa will now consult the medical staff at Dortmund before a decision is made on whether or not he will require surgery. 

  

Gardner fires Birmingham into League Cup final

LONDON: Craig Gardner fulfilled a boyhood dream when he struck the winner to send Birmingham City into the League Cup final against Arsenal after coming from behind to beat West Ham United 4-3 on aggregate on Wednesday.       

With West Ham leading 2-1 after the first leg, the Londoners went further ahead thanks to a curling long-range strike from Carlton Cole in the first half before Birmingham turned things on their head after the break.

Midfielder Lee Bowyer struck against his former club and Roger Johnson levelled the tie on aggregate to send it into extra time as Birmingham woke up from their lethargy following the introduction of lively Serbia striker Nikola Zigic.

Gardner, who hit the post twice in normal time, finally found the net with a right-footed shot low into the left corner in the 94th minute to give Birmingham the lead for the first time in the tie and they held on to win 3-1 on the night.       

“It’s unbelievable ... you only dream of these things,” Gardner, a boyhood Birmingham fan, told Sky Sports. “I was saying to my mates before the game I’m going to get the winner and take us to the final. To actually do it is unbelievable.”

What had started as a poor first half erupted into a thrilling match after Birmingham manager Alex McLeish sent on Zigic, whose huge physical presence proved the undoing of West Ham.       

“It was his most effective game for us, when he plays like that he can be very very difficult to handle,” McLeish said of the Serb. “We huffed and puffed a wee bit without troubling them (in the first half) ... Zigic made the difference.”       

With both sides stuck in a Premier League relegation battle, the Cup run has provided light relief from their day to day misery but for West Ham boss Avram Grant the spotlight will once again focus on his future at the league’s basement club.       

He had been on the verge of taking a relegation-threatened club to a Cup final for the second successive year after beating the odds with Portsmouth in leading them to last year’s FA Cup final where they lost to Chelsea. But he let it slip away.