Marseille held 0-0 at Monaco in French league

PARIS (AP): Defending champion Marseille was held to a 0-0 draw at next-to-last Monaco in the French league on Sunday, falling eight points behind leader Lille in the title race.

The mediocrity of Marseille's performance casts serious doubt on its ability to bridge the gap.

"We played poorly tonight," Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda told Canal Plus television. "We were completely sleepy. We had trouble getting into the match. In fact, we didn't get into the match. We didn't manage to create chances. We won't go far if we keep playing like this.

"Things are becoming a bit complicated. At the top, teams are moving ahead fast, especially Lille, while we are trailing.

Let's focus on winning matches first before thinking about the title."

Montpellier rallied to win 2-1 at Nancy and rise to sixth spot, only two behind a Europa League berth, while Bordeaux beat Nice 2-0 to climb to eighth place.

Lille edged Lens 1-0 Saturday to improve to 41 points, four clear of second-place Paris Saint-Germain.

Mahamadou Diarra, who joined Monaco after Real Madrid had released him, had a rough start in Sunday's match.

In the opening minute, the Mali midfielder hit a weak backpass that was intercepted by Marseille forward Loic Remy, but goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier quickly rushed outside the area to clear the danger. Diarra also received a yellow card in the 29th.

Marseille has the first chance of the match in the 34th, when Remy headed just wide of the far post from a cross by Jordan Ayew.

Monaco almost took the lead on the stroke of halftime. Mathieu Coutadeur collected a long pass from Diarra to be clean through on goal, but was denied from 14 yards by Mandanda.

In the 60th, Remy beat the offside trap to fire an angled shot from 10 yards that was parried by Ruffier.

Marseille remained in fifth place with 33 points while Monaco stayed in the relegation zone with 21 points.

"I really didn't expect that," Marseille coach Didier Deschamps said. "Both our legs and our minds were slow. We had too many technical deficiencies and we lacked aggressiveness and determination."

In Nancy, Youssouf Hadji tapped in a pass from Joel Sami to put the hosts ahead after two minutes.

But Montpellier striker Souleymane Camara headed home a cross from winger Karim Ait-Fana to level six minutes later.

Garry Bocaly scored the winning goal from a long-range strike in the 59th minute as Montpellier went level on points with Marseille in the standings.

"We didn't panic," Montpellier midfielder Joris Marveaux told RTL radio. "We reacted well. We tried to play our game and we scored twice."

Bordeaux center back Ludovic Sane headed in a corner from Jaroslav Plasil in the 37th minute.

Teammate Anthony Modeste then shot past goalkeeper David Ospina in the 57th to notch his eighth league goal and double the lead.

"It was important to not get caught by teams behind us," Bordeaux coach Jean Tigana said. "We needed that reaction to regain confidence."

Bordeaux had been eliminated from the French Cup last weekend after losing 1-0 to second-division club Angers.

In Saturday's other games, it was: Arles-Avignon 1, Paris Saint-Germain 2; Sochaux 5, Rennes 1; Valenciennes 2, Lyon 1; Saint-Etienne 2, Toulouse 1; Lorient 2, Brest 0 and Caen 2, Auxerre 0.

  

Park Ji-sung retires from international football

SEOUL, South Korea (AP): Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung of South Korea formally announced Monday his retirement from international football.

The South Korea captain, who won his 100th cap in last week's Asian Cup semifinal loss to Japan at Doha, said that chronic knee injuries have forced him to retire and make way for younger teammates.

Park, 29, says he expects to play club football for another three to four years. "It was a great honor and point of pride to play for the national football team," Park told a packed news conference in Seoul.

"Above all, I would like to make way for teammates who have been making remarkable progress," he said. "If there were no injuries, I could have continued my national team career as physically difficult as it is. However, I have no choice but to retire under the current situation.

Park singled out Son Heung-min of Hamburg SV and Kim Bo-kyung of Cerezo Osaka as promising players who can fill the gap.

Park, one of Asia's most successful football players, became the first South Korean to play in a Champions League final when Manchester United lost to Barcelona.

He has also won three Premier League titles and three League Cups with the English club.

Park was a key member of the South Korean national squad that advanced to the World Cup semifinals in 2002 on home soil - the best performance by an Asian team in football's premier event. He went on to play in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

"The happiest moment in my life was when I heard I was selected as a member of the national team," he recalled. "The 2002 World Cup was also really a happy moment."

Asked about when he expected to quit football entirely, Park said: "I haven't decided what year I'll quit. I think I can play at least three to four more years."

  

Osasuna upsets Real Madrid 1-0 in Spanish league

BARCELONA, Spain (AP): Real Madrid fell seven points behind leader Barcelona in the Spanish league on Sunday after a 1-0 loss at Osasuna.

Javier Camunas scored in the 62nd minute at Reyno de Navarra stadium. Osasuna striker Carlos Aranda slipped the ball through two Madrid defenders, and the forward's shot hit the post and bounced into Iker Casillas' goal.

Barcelona had put extra pressure on its fierce rivals through its record-equaling 15th straight league win on Saturday, and Madrid failed to respond, losing its second league match this season.

"It is difficult, but we have to remain positive," said Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo. "We fought against a team that knows its role: physical play and long balls up the pitch."

Madrid's new striker, Emmanuel Adebayor, made his debut in coming off the bench in the 65th, along with Xabi Alonso and Kaka. But none of the trio could help stop Madrid having now dropped five of its past nine possible points.

Barcelona has 58 points after equaling Madrid's consecutive win record that had stood since 1960-61 on Saturday. Madrid is in second place with 51.

"With the loss, the distance to Barcelona is larger," Alonso said. "But there is a long way to go and we have to keep fighting."

Elsewhere, Gaizka Toquero scored twice to give Athletic Bilbao a 2-0 win over 10-man Atletico Madrid to strengthen the Basques' claim on a Europa League spot.

Early on, Osasuna showed why it had lost only once at home this season. Jose Camacho's team kept the better share of the action on Madrid's side of the pitch, and winter reinforcement Ferran "Coro" Corominas shot just past the left post four minutes in.

Madrid had trouble withstanding Osasuna's pressure without Alonso to direct the flow of possession and tempo. Osasuna's Walter Pandiani saw his header float over Iker Casillas' crossbar in the 33rd in the hosts' most clear-cut chance of the first half.

Madrid almost went ahead two minutes later when striker Karim Benzema, who had scored winners in the last two games, grazed the right post with a low strike.

The visitors pressed for the breakthrough as Osasuna's legs tired, and goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez denied Cristiano Ronaldo from close range two minutes from halftime.

Madrid continued to control possession in the second half, but the hosts' defense held firm before Camunas put them in front.

"We had chances but we did not score due to the merit of a team that closes well in defense," said Madrid coach Jose Mourinho. "I prefer to lose that way, when the opponent has done a lot (to win) as opposed to my team giving the game away."

The Portuguese manager sent on reinforcements to look for the equalizer.

Benzema's header hit the top of the netting in the 73rd, but Osasuna came closer to scoring its second goal when Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa barely cleared Krisztian Vadocz's shot off the line in the 85th.

With its first win in nine weeks, Osasuna moved into 16th place on 21 points.

At Vicente Calderon stadium, Toquero raced unmarked into the area to volley home Andoni Iraola's cross right on halftime. He stabbed in another cross by Iraola to double Bilbao's lead in the 64th.

Toquero's goals were his first of the season.

Bilbao could have gone in front in the 40th from the penalty spot after Atletico defender Luis Perea had been shown a red card for bringing Fernando Llorente down with only the 'keeper to beat. But Llorente sent his spot kick wide.

"This type of result gives you confidence in your possibilities," Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros said. "It helps both your individual and collective self-esteem."

Sixth-place Bilbao's third straight victory marked its longest winning streak of the season and lifts it within five points of fourth-place Valencia and five points clear of struggling seventh-place Atletico.

Atletico continued its poor start to 2011. Quique Sanchez Flores' team has won only one of seven games in all competitions.

Later, third-place Villarreal was at fifth-place Espanyol.

  

Freiburg wins 1-0 win at Stuttgart in Bundesliga

BERLIN (AP): Johannes Flum's first-half goal earned Freiburg a 1-0 win at Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Sunday, ending the home side's unbeaten start to 2011.

Flum scored in the 24th minute, when he latched onto a through ball from Maximilian Nicu to shoot with his right foot under Sven Ulreich.

Freiburg climbs to sixth in the standings on 33 points, 17 behind leader Borussia Dortmund.

Stuttgart remains second from bottom on goal difference after last-place Borussia Moenchengladbach won 1-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt to move level on 16 points. In Frankfurt, Igor de Camargo scored late on for Moenchengladbach.

Stuttgart substitute Martin Harnik wasted a great chance in the 89th, missing an open goal to hit the post after Freiburg goalkeeper Oliver Baumann had spilled the ball.

Papiss Demba Cisse made an earlier than expected return from injury for Freiburg, and the league's joint top-scorer almost doubled the visitors' advantage before the interval. Serdar Tasci made a crucial block to deny the striker from five meters (yards).

Stuttgart was denied a penalty in the 81st, when Heiko Butscher appeared to handle the ball in the area, but referee Jochen Drees waved play on.

Moenchengladbach's goal came in the 84th, when de Camargo got ahead of Frankfurt defender Marco Russ to deflect Karim Matmour's cross between the legs of Oka Nikolov.

Caio started in place of Fanis Gekas for Frankfurt, and the Brazilian showed why was the subject of reported interest from Dynamo Moscow.

His first chance came in the ninth minute when his powerful shot rose just over the bar.

The 30-year-old Caio continued causing problems for the Moenchengladbach defense, and he crashed the ball off the right post with a shot in the 33rd.

De Camargo should have done better for the visitors in the 41st, when Mohamadou Idrissou headed on a corner, but the Belgian was unable to control the ball and it bounced harmlessly wide.

Borussia coach Michael Frontzeck brought Matmour on for Mike Hanke at halftime, and the Algerian forced Nikolov into action straight away when the goalkeeper had to react smartly to block his shot.

Martin Fanin thought he had scored for Frankfurt in the 62nd, but the effort was ruled out as he strayed marginally offside.

Idrissou forced a fine save from Nikolov in the 69th, and de Camargo thought he scored a minute later when the goalkeeper saved from behind the line before the ball was scooped away. Despite the visitors' appeals, the linesman ruled it did not fully cross the line.

De Camargo could have added a second a minute after scoring, but placed his shot to the right with only Nikolov to beat.

Nikolov produced a one-handed save to prevent midfielder Marco Reus from making the game safe for Moenchengladbach. Moenchengladbach traveled to Frankfurt without American midfielder Michael Bradley, linked with a switch to English side Aston Villa.

  

Arsenal slog to beat Huddersfield, Man City held by Notts County

LONDON: Edin Dzeko opened his goalscoring account for Manchester City as the Premier League side scrambled a late equaliser to snatch a 1-1 draw with lowly Notts County in the FA Cup fourth round yesterday.

Bosnian striker Dzeko netted in the 80th minute to rescue City, who were left chasing the game after Neal Bishop headed the Magpies into a shock lead on 59 minutes at Meadow Lane.

City - who have spent more than £300mil on players since their takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008 - are currently 58 places above Notts County, languishing in 18th spot of League One.

But the gulf between Roberto Mancini’s expensively assembled squad and Paul Ince’s side was rarely obvious as a quagmire of a pitch acted as a leveller.

In other fourth round matches, 10-man Arsenal needed a late Cesc Fabregas penalty to overcome Huddersfield 2-1 while Stoke downed Wolves 1-0 to advance to the last 16 of the FA Cup.

In a thrilling encounter at Upton Park, West Ham striker Victor Obinna scored a hat-trick as the Premier League side overcame Nottingham Forest 3-2 to advance to the last 16.

Stoke meanwhile ended Wolves’ FA Cup campaign after defender Robert Huth struck on 81 minutes at Molineux.

At the Emirates, second-half substitute Fabregas scored from the spot on 86 minutes after League One side Huddersfield had fought back bravely from 1-0 down to level in an open encounter.

Fabregas’ winner came after Terriers defender Jamie McCombe flattened Nicklas Bendtner in the area.

The Gunners, who had Sebastien Squillaci sent off just before half-time, had earlier taken the lead through a Peter Clarke own goal on 22 minutes.

Huddersfield hit back through an Alan Lee header on 66 minutes to leave Arsenal facing the unwelcome prospect of a fourth round replay before Fabregas’ late spot-kick saved the day.

Victory came at a cost for Arsenal however, with in-form midfielder Samir Nasri suffering a serious hamstring injury which could rule him out of his team’s Champions League clash with Barcelona on Feb 16.

“It looks a serious hamstring injury and that’s usually three weeks. We have to see whether it’s a grade one or two tear,” Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said.

“It’s big blow for us at the moment. It’s two weeks to that (Barcelona) game and you will soon know if he’s out.

“But he is doubtful. At this important stage of the season to lose bodies is disappointing for us.”

Arsenal, who are challenging on four fronts, have a heavy fixture schedule and face Everton in the Premier League tomorrow.

Wenger admitted that his gamble in playing Nasri yesterday had backfired.

“I have regrets at playing him as the plan was to first to play (Tomas) Rosicky, but we was still too weak and was sick,” Wenger said.

“I took a gamble and it backfired.

“It’s difficult to predict something like that happening. I could have brought him on with 25 minutes left and the same thing could have happened.” 

  

Lennon warns his rampant Hoops will be hard to stop

GLASGOW: Celtic manager Neil Lennon says his side will be hard to stop after watching the Hoops demolish Aberdeen 4-1 at Hampden to clinch a spot in the League Cup final.

The Hoops followed on from their 4-0 thrashing of third-placed Hearts in midweek with a dominant first-half performance that saw them net four times in the opening 33 minutes of Saturday’s tie.

And Lennon, who will lead his team out for the first time as a manager in a national final in March, believes the momentum behind his side will take some stopping.

“We followed on from where we left off on Wednesday night and if they can maintain that sort of form we are going to be hard to stop,” the Celtic boss said.

But despite a first-half performance that the Celtic manager described as the best he had seen from his side at Hampden Lennon admitted he still had a go at his players for taking their foot off the pedal in the second-half.

“We were disappointed with the goal but you can’t have everything and it’s been a good day,” the Hoops boss said.

“I told them at half-time to maintain their standards but that’s pretty difficult when you are 4-0 up. I just wanted them to win the second-half and that would have been a brilliant performance.

“I had a bit of a go at them after the game but that’s just me. You have to remember what you were like as a player.

“When you’re so comfortable and so far ahead in the game psychologically at times it’s difficult to maintain that sort of intensity in your play.” 

  

Ancelotti mum on Torres after Blues escape

LIVERPOOL: Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti refused to be drawn on questions regarding the club’s pursuit of Fernando Torres after his side suffered an FA Cup scare against Everton on Saturday.

Liverpool striker Torres has handed in a transfer request, which the Merseyside club has refused, after Chelsea had two previous offers for the Spaniard turned down.

However Liverpool’s stance is unlikely to deter the Premier League champions, who are understood to be preparing a third attempt of around 38 million pounds before the transfer window closes on Monday evening.

“No change,” said Ancelotti when asked to give an update about Torres following Chelsea’s 1-1 fourth round draw at Goodison Park.

“Will I be disappointed if I don’t get new players in? No, I’m always happy. There is sunshine so I am happy.”

Chelsea’s travelling supporters made it clear how excited they were at the prospect of landing Torres, chanting “Torres, Torres give us a wave” and “Fernando Torres Chelsea’s No 9” during the tie.

Chelsea could certainly have done with Torres’s cutting edge at Goodison.

It required a late equaliser from Salomon Kalou to earn them a replay at Stamford Bridge next month after Louis Saha had threatened to send Chelsea spiralling to their first FA Cup defeat in almost three years.

Ancelotti blamed the weather, the sun to be precise, for his team’s disappointing performance.

“Because of the sun we were not able to play from the back as we did in the first half so we lost control of the game in the second half,” Ancelotti said.

“But the draw was the right result because in the first half we played better and in the second half they played.

“It’s a good result for us because we were 1-0 down and it was not easy to come back into the game. We showed good attitude and good spirit.” 

  

Fergie hails Hernandez for keeping Red Devils’ hopes alive

SOUTHAMPTON: Alex Ferguson admitted he tinkered too much with his Manchester United line-up before hailing Mexican hotshot Javier Hernandez for another face-saving strike.

United came back from a goal down to defeat third-tier Southampton 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday with Hernandez grabbing the winner for his second goal in two games.

The 22-year-old Mexican steered in the crucial goal, despite losing his footing in the execution, as he again proved his worth having scored in the 3-2 win at Blackpool in midweek.

“He’s only had one chance and he’s scored – one chance, one goal is a tremendous ratio,” said Ferguson.

“He has great feet in and around the box and gets his shots away quickly with hardly any backlift.

“His workrate is fantastic and he’s always on the move. We probably didn’t find enough space for him at times, but you also have to give Southampton a bit of credit too. Their defenders read things well.”

After making wholesale changes to his side for the tie, Ferguson is expected to have his first choice back-four available for tomorrow’s Premier League meeting with Aston Villa.

A number of fringe players were given a start against Southampton while there was also a debut for keeper Anders Lindegaard.

Ferguson made it clear it will be a more familiar line-up when his Premier League leaders tackle Villa as he expects Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Rafael da Silva all to have recovered from minor knocks.

“‘Vida’ should be all right,” said Ferguson. “Rio started running on Thursday. Hopefully, he’ll be okay by Tuesday.

“Rafael should be okay. He got the all clear (after suffering concussion) on Friday. So we should have our back-four back.” 

  

Warnock frustrated by QPR’s sloppy finishing

LONDON: QPR manager Neil Warnock blasted his side’s sloppy finishing after the Championship leaders had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Hull.

Warnock’s side remain five points clear at the top of the table but they could have extended that advantage with better finishing at the KC Stadium on Saturday.

QPR’s Ishmael Miller, on loan from West Brom, also had a goal ruled out for offside in the first half to leave Warnock to rue those wasted opportunities.

“I’m disappointed and frustrated,” Warnock said. “I was surprised how Hull set the stall out - put the bus in front of the goal.

“I felt we dominated the game for 80 minutes. I just thought the last 10 minutes they had a little bit. We could have done a lot better in the last third. We didn’t test the keeper enough.”

Rangers had a golden chance in the 12th minute as Brad Guzan’s flap at a corner presented defender Matt Connolly with an empty net, however he could only clear the crossbar.

Miller shot straight at Guzan when he shrugged off Anthony Gerrard in a race to a long ball, then the striker poked home on the half hour only to see the effort ruled out by the linesman’s offside flag.

Norwich boss Paul Lambert saluted his players as they moved above Cardiff into second place after a 0-0 draw at struggling Crystal Palace.

Lambert’s team have lost just once in their last 14 games, but they were unable to find a way through the Palace defence at Selhurst Park.

Palace have not let in a goal at Selhurst Park in nearly 10 hours and rarely looked like conceding, although they had a let-off when City skipper Grant Holt produced a woeful late miss.

“A draw was a fair result. We knew it would be tough, Palace are fighting for their lives and I’m delighted we’ve gone up to second,” Lambert said. 

  

Pep’s squad set to eclipse 50-year-old win record held by Real

MADRID: Barcelona’s 3-0 victory away to Hercules on Saturday was their 15th on the trot and assured them of another entry in the history books as they equalled the La Liga record set by Real Madrid in the 1960-61 season.

Pep Guardiola’s side rub shoulders with the famous Real Madrid team which included Alfredo di Stefano, who had helped them to win the first five European Cups between 1956 and 1960.

“It’s an immense honour to have 15 consecutive victories and to equal the record achieved by the Real Madrid of Di Stefano,” Barca coach Pep Guardiola told reporters.

“I am sure some team will equal it or pass it one day but it is something no one has managed for 50 years.”

Barca started their run with a 2-1 victory at home to Valencia on Oct. 16.

And they have gone on to rattle in 57 goals while conceding only six in their 15 matches.

Their closest rivals in the league, arch-rivals Real, were hammered 5-0 at the Nou Camp in November, and third-placed Villarreal fell 3-1.

They pass the club record of 14 wins set by Frank Rijkaard’s team in the 2005-6 season.

That team went on to win a La Liga and Champions League double.

The champions have a King’s Cup semi-final second leg away to Almeria on Wednesday when they defend a 5-0 advantage.

And then have the chance to set a new La Liga win record at home to Atletico Madrid next w

  

Messi’s double powers La Liga leaders to 15th consecutive victory

MADRID: Lionel Messi scored two late goals on Saturday as leaders Barcelona won 3-0 away to Hercules, their 15th consecutive victory matching the La Liga record set by Real Madrid in the 1960-61 season.

Promoted Hercules stunned the champions with a 2-0 win at the Nou Camp back in September, the only defeat Barca have suffered in the league this season, and they made life tough for the visitors until Pedro struck just before the break.

World player of the year Messi scored twice in as many minutes at the end after the hosts were reduced to 10 men following a second yellow card for Francisco Farinos in the 85th.

Barca moved on to 58 points from 21 games, pulling seven clear of second-placed Real Madrid.

“Scoring just before the break helped us a lot but 1-0 is always a dangerous scoreline, any lost ball can put you in danger. The red card for Farinos helped us a lot,” Barca coach Pep Guardiola told reporters.

It could have been a different story at the Rico Perez if David Trezeguet had been able to put away a good chance in the 20th minute, as Hercules unsettled the visiting defence.

Barca were knocked out of their stride until Xavi picked out Pedro in the area and the Spain forward thumped a shot inside the near post, scoring for a sixth consecutive league game.

They took the sting out of the encounter after the break but were unable to score until Farinos was sent off and Messi, who had had a poor game by his standards, skipped through to score in the 87th.

Two minutes later, Dani Alves crossed for the Argentine to tap in Barca’s third goal, taking his league tally for the season to 21 behind Real’s Cristiano Ronaldo on 22.

In the late game, Deportivo Coruna’s Laure grabbed a hotly-disputed late equaliser in a 3-3 draw at home to 10-man Sevilla.

Earlier, struggling Sporting Gijon and Real Zaragoza notched their first wins on the road this season to climb away from the foot of the standings.

Sporting’s steady improvement was confirmed with a 4-0 win over Real Mallorca. Levante won 2-0 at home to Getafe while Real Sociedad sank Almeria 2-0. Levante now have 18 points with Almeria and Malaga on 17. 

  

Japan reinforce their heavyweight status

DOHA: Japan reaffirmed their status as a heavyweight football nation with victory at the Asian Cup and coach Alberto Zaccheroni believes there are bigger and better things to come.

Substitute Tadanari Lee scored an extra-time winner as his side edged Australia 1-0 to win a pulsating final on Saturday and become the most successful team in the history of the competition.

Lee sent a stunning left-foot volley past the diving Mark Schwarzer in the 109th minute to hand his country their fourth title at the continental showcase, a feat no-one else has achieved.

The win, following their successes in 1992, 2000 and 2004, carried the added bonus of an automatic place at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil – the traditional World Cup warm-up tournament.

“It is a great victory. We have a really great team. They were united and won the title against such strong opponents,” said Zaccheroni, who singled out Lee for praise.

“I knew he would do it. What is great about this team is that players who started on the bench could produce results on the pitch.”

Zaccheroni, who was recruited after last year’s World Cup and tasked with bettering their last-16 performance in Brazil in 2014, said it was a tribute to his players that they won after a gruelling semi-final.

“We improved throughout the tournament. Our attack played with great speed and accuracy. That’s a great feature of this team at the moment. To get into the final, physically we were very exhausted,” he said.

“So to play against a tactically and physically very good Australian team and win is a great achievement.

“This is an excellent team with fantastic players and I’m really proud of myself to be managing them.”

In an indication of Japan’s quality, CSKA Moscow star Keisuke Honda was voted the tournament’s most valuable player.

“It hasn’t really sunk in,” said the midfielder, who has reportedly attracted the interest of several English clubs.

“I am not personally satisfied with my performance and I want to improve myself more and more and want to show an improved Honda to the people of Japan.”

Asked what winning the tournament meant for Japanese football, he replied: “I have seen Japan win this title a number of times since I was a child.

“But I personally think this victory is more valuable than previous ones. We beat Qatar, we beat South Korea and we beat Australia to win the title.

“The value of this victory is something unseen in our previous Asian Cups.”