flashing sports: September 2015

Wednesday 30 September 2015

ISL India Football : Dynamos coach Carlos promises goals

Delhi Dynamos will adopt an ultra-offensive approach to score "lots of goals" in the impending second season of the Indian Super League (ISL), marquee coach-manager Roberto Carlos promised on Wednesday.

The legendary defender added he will employ himself in a midfield role, away from his customary left-back position, which he made his own during his heydays, but will play sparsely "according to the need of the situation", even though the 42-year-old claimed to be fighting fit and under no pressure to perform.

His team's intention will be to push forward in search of goals but he won't be bowed down by the task of showcasing "the Brazilian brand" of football.

"If they score four, we score five. If they score five, we score six. I am a Brazilian. We play to score and win. The spectators doesn't want to see a 0-0 draw. They come to see goals and be entertained. My team will play to score," Carlos said after overseeing his team's practice session here, in which he refrained from participating.

"I am under no pressure to perform. Pressure was when I played for Real Madrid or Brazil. Here there is no such pressure. The tournament also doesn't have relegation, so I can perform freely and have fun.

"I will play in the centre of midfield. I tried myself in that position during our training in Denmark and felt comfortable playing there."

He is willing to be flexible with formations and tactics in order to achieve his target of free-flowing football. But his approach will be dictated by the "demands of the situation" and expressed his happiness with the level of professionalism and eagerness to learn exhibited by the Indian players in his team.

"I have told the foreign players in my team to guide the Indian players who are good and responsive to what has been told to them. The Indian players of my team are good. The foreigners will imbibe a winning mentality in them. It is not enough to be just good. They have to contribute to the team's cause. They have been set specific goals and should also feel responsible for their actions," Carlos said.

The 125-times capped Brazilian will happily oblige to release the Indian players from his team for international duty, despite it clashing with the opening round of ISL games but refused to be comment on the controversy on whether national commitments should be compromised for the ISL, which begins on October 3.

The build-up to the tournament has been engulfed in dissention after the ISL organisers refused to release the Indian players for the two home 2018 World Cup qualifying games -- on October 8 and 13, against Turkmenistan and Oman, respectively.

Dynamos have three players -- Robin Singh, Shehnaz Singh and Francis Frenandez -- who can be called up by for those matches. Dynamos begin their campaign with a away game against FC Goa on October 4, followed by a home match against Chennaiyin FC on October 8.

"For a footballer nothing more is important than playing for your country. I have also played everytime when called up by my country. They can go. No problem," the 2002-World Cup winner said.

The Sao Paulo-born has also brought in his country cousin, left-footed midfielder Vinicius Ferreira de Souza, unveiled on Wednesday, who will be preferred on the wide left position, over the team's two other illustrious left-footed marquee players Frenchman Florent Malouda and Norwegian John Arne Riise.

"Malouda and Riise are not the pacy players they used to be. I know Vinicius. He is very fast. He is young and has a lost of quality. Let him play then you will see what I mean," Carlos reasoned.

Hero League Football : Aishwarya to dance to medley of her songs at ISL opener

Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, ready with her Bollywood comeback vehicle "Jazbaa", will add a dose of glamour to the opening ceremony of Indian Super League (ISL) in Chennai on October 3 by performing on a medley of her songs.

"She is performing at the opening of the ISL Football League on October 3. It's a medley of her songs," Aishwarya's spokesperson told IANS.

One can expect the actress dancing on some of her hit tracks like "Crazy kiya re", "Dola re dole" and "Zor ka jhatka" at the opener of the sporting event, in which Aishwarya's husband Abhishek Bachchan co-owns a franchise.

The second edition of the two-month long ISL will start with a match between Kolkata and Chennai.

Abhishek is a co-owner of the Chennai team, and Aishwarya has reportedly agreed to perform onstage as a gesture to cheer for her husband.

The opening match will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.

On the movie front, Aishwarya is excited for her forthcoming action thriller "Jazbaa", which will hit the screens on October 9.

Man U Latest News : Man Utd will be European champions by 2017 says van Gaal

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is confident that he will win the Champions League with the English Premier League (EPL) giants before his contract runs out in 2017.

The Dutchman, who won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995 and came runner-up with Bayern Munich in 2010, asserted that his experience of winning the coveted trophy in the past will help him transform the struggling Old Trafford side into serious European contenders.

But the 64-year-old, who has announced that he intends to retire from management in 2017, admitted that apart from their football skills, United will need also need their fair share of luck in order to become European champions once again.

"It is not only quality (but luck, too), and I think Manchester United knows and remembers that fantastically when they won the Champions League in 1999.

"When you reach the final, it is a fantastic but in the media it is nothing. For me as a manager, when you reach the final, you have done fantastically and to win the final, of course, all the honours are going to your team and yourself but I know better," van Gaal told reporters here on Tuesday.

The former Holland manager's ambition may prove difficult to achieve given United's current form. The Red Devils struggled in their opening matches of the EPL while their Champions League campaign has also started on the worng foot with a 1-2 away defeat to PSV Eindhoven.

But van Gaal sounded confident when asked if United can improve enough to win the Champions League by 2017.

"I hope so. That is realistic. Because I did it everywhere. I think we can (win it), because I've done it," he said.

Real Madrid Latest News : Madrid derby to condition Real and Atletico sides in Europe

Both Real and Atletico Madrid will make changes to their starting lineups when they play their respective Champions League matches on Wednesday night.

The ever-feisty Madrid derby between the two teams in the Spanish BBVA Primera Liga on Sunday night is a conditioning factor at the end of a three week period which will see the two teams each play six matches.

Real Madrid face what should be a relatively straightforward trip to play Swedish side, Malmo and coach Rafael Benitez is not taking any risks with the injured quintet of Sergio Ramos, James Rodriguez, Pepe, Danilo and Gareth Bale, who should all be fit for Sunday's encounter.

Jese Rodriguez has been included after overcoming a calf injury, while Benitez could also consider giving Kiko Casilla a competitive debut in the Madrid goal, while giving a rest to midfielder Tony Kroos.

Atletico meanwhile are at home to Benfica in a game which could decide who eventually wins their qualifying group. Atletico won their opening game away to Galatasaray, but looked flat and off the pact as they slipped to a 1-0 league defeat away to Villarreal on Saturday.

Coach Diego Simeone could make some changes with Angel Correa starting in attack and Jackson Martinez, who has disappointed so far this season, dropping to the bench.

Koke is still unlikely to be fit for Atletico, but Juanfran will be back at right back, while Stefan Savic could be back in central defense.

Benfica have several former Atletico players, such as Mexican striker Raul Jimenez and he, along with Pizzi and Silvio, will be highliy motivated for the game.

Finally, Sevilla will hope that their first league win of the season will give them the morale boost as they travel to face Italian Champions, Juventus, who are suffering a poor start to the season.

Sevilla travel with nine players, including former Juve striker, Fernando Llorente out through injury.

Monday 28 September 2015

Proteas aim for winning start against India A (Preview)

South Africa will hope to kick off their tour on a winning note when they take on India A in a Twenty20 warm-up game here on Tuesday.

The visitors will field a mixture of youth and experience led by Faf du Plessis and will aim to get a feel of Indian conditions before the series kicks off with a Twenty20 International in Dharamshala on October 2.

The Proteas boast a strong batting line-up boasting of stars like J.P. Duminy, AB de Villiers, du Plessis and the elegant Hashim Amla.

Add David Miller, who is a part of Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Kings XI Punjab, and Quinton de Kock to the mix and the Indian bowlers will have a tough task task on their hands.

Albie Morkel -- one of the star performers for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL -- is also a dangerous customer lower down the order.

The South African bowling unit also sports a formidable look with Morkel, Chris Morris, Imran Tahir and Kyle Abbott all being well versed in sub-continental conditions thanks to their experience in the IPL.

Rookie pacer Kagiso Rabada and middle-order batsman Khaya Zondo will hope to stake a claim to a regular place in the South Africa side should they get a look in at the Air Force Ground in Palam.

Facing the tourists will be a relatively inexperienced India A side led by Mandeep Singh.

The Indians will bank on talented opener Mayank Agarwal to see them off to a good start. Mandeep will be one of the crucial players in the middle-order along with Manish Pandey and Sanju Samson.

Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, Pawan Negi and Kuldeep Yadav will spearhead the India A bowling along with pacers Rishi Dhawan and Anureet Singh.

Apart from a place in the regular India side for the series against South Africa, the Indian youngsters will also aim to stake a claim for a spot in the national squad for the World T20 which starts in March next year.

Squads:

India A: Mandeep Singh (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Manan Vohra, Manish Pandey, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Rishi Dhawan, Anureet Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Pawan Negi, Kuldeep Yadav.

South African XI: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Marchant de Lange, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Eddie Leie, Kyle Abbott, David Miller, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Albie Morkel, Khaya Zondo.

Wenger counters Mourinho's 'privileged' claim

English club Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger has rejected his Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho's claim that he enjoys a privileged status with English football's governing body -- the Football Association (FA).

Mourinho earlier hit out at Wenger in the wake of last week's ill-tempered clash between the two clubs at Stamford Bridge ground, which hosts Chelsea won 2-0.

Wenger branded referee Mike Dean "naive" after the game but escaped punishment, while Chelsea forward Diego Costa was banned for three games after the coach urged the FA to dish out retrospective punishment following his clash with Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny.

A furious Mourinho responded by claiming that Wenger receives preferential treatment from English football's governing body - though the Arsenal boss insisted that isn't the case.

"I feel I have just done my job with the team and for our fans. That's what you want. I've been in football for 30 years now, I know what is important is to play football well," Wenger was quoted as saying by goal.com on Sunday.

Wenger also believes that his side are very much in the title hunt following their spectacular 5-2 win against Leicester City, coupled with title contenders Manchester City's surprise 1-4 defeat against Tottenham.

"Of course the City result was a boost. You want the distance to the leaders to be as minimal as possible. It's very tight and you're in danger everywhere in this Premier League," Wenger said.

Franco Baldini Spurs News: Tottenham technical director Baldini leaves club

English football club Tottenham have parted company with technical director Franco Baldini by mutual consent on Monday.

Baldini joined the English club in 2013 to take charge of the club's scouting and transfer policy.

He was assistant manager to fellow Italian Fabio Capello during his time in charge of England.

"We can confirm that Franco Baldini has left the Club by mutual consent. Franco joined us as Technical Director in June 2013 from AS Roma where he was General Director. He leaves us now to spend time outside of club football," a club statement said on Monday.

"We wish him all the best for the future.

Wednesday 23 September 2015

Mumbai bags US Open champion Pennetta, Hingis in Team Hyderabad

Reigning US Open champion Flavia Pennetta will play for Mumbai Masters while Swiss veteran Martina Hingis will represent Hyderabad Aces in this year's Champions Tennis League (CTL), following the players' draft here on Wednesday.

Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, who is the mastermind behind this league, announced that the second season of the CTL will see 13 matches played over a two-week period from November 23 to December 6.

The first match will be played in Mumbai. The league will feature a total of six teams, of which five have been finalised.

Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Raipur and Nagpur are the five franchises. The sixth team will be selected from among Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru within 10 days.

The CTL champion will receive a prize money of Rs.one crore, while the runners-up will get Rs.50 lakh.

The current men's top players who will feature in the league are Andreas Seppi of Italy (Mumbai), Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis (Punjab Marshalls, Chandigarh), and French professionals Feliciano Lopez (Team Nagpur) and Fernando Verdasco (for the undecided team).

Among the women players who will play in the six teams alongside Pennetta and Hingis are Serbian Jelena Jankovic (Nagpur), France's Alize Cornet (Raipur), Ukraine's Elina Svitolina (Chandigarh) and Heather Watson of Britain (sixth team).

Speaking on the occasion, Amritraj said, "The inaugural season of the CLT saw many international stars take their world class talent to six cities in India with great players bringing action packed and exciting tennis to all parts of the country."

"Cities like Raipur and Nagpur will get to see world class tennis and we are very delighted to have these cities join CTL in 2015. This year, we move to 14 days, from 10 last year, and CTL promises to be bigger, better and stronger!" he said.

A couple of changes in the format were made following the first edition of the CTL.

Keeping in mind the fans and the broadcasters, a match should not last more than two hours. A set can be won when it is 6-5 while a tie-breaker will be played only when it is 4-4.

There will not be a deuce so the player who gets to 40 points first wins the game. It was also announced that all the matches will be played on hard courts, but only Raipur can use an indoor stadium if needed.

Tuesday 22 September 2015

Tough away games for Barcelona, Real Madrid

Spanish football giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid both play important and difficult games in the first round of La Liga on Wednesday night.

Barcelona travel to face Celta Vigo, who are currently third in the table with three wins and a draw from their opening four matches and whose attacking trio of former Barcelona B team player Nolito, Iago Aspas and Fabian Orellana are in excellent form, reports Xinhua.

Although Nolito, who has been touted as a possible signing for Barcelona, said on Monday it was "a joke" to compare them with Barcelona's superstar attacking trio of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Suarez will return to the first team after being rested during Sunday's La Liga match, while defender Gerard Pique is also in line to make his first appearance of the campaign after completing his four-match suspension.

However, Barcelona are still without winger Rafinha, who undergoes surgery in his broken knee ligament on Tuesday, and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who is still recovering from injury.

Real Madrid travel to play Athletic Club Bilbao in the San Mames Stadium, where they have not won in the past two years.

Coach Rafael Benitez's side were disappointing in only beating Granada 1-0 on Saturday and maintain the doubt over the presence of defender Sergio Ramos, who has struggled with a shoulder injury, while forwards Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and midfielder Danilo are also out through their respective injuries.

Athletic have not had a great start to their league campaign, partly due to their own long injury list and the Basque side still have forward Iker Muniain and Inaki Williams sidelined, but after resting several players in their defeat to Villarreal on Sunday, coach Ernesto Valverde will field his strongest team.

Madrid will hope Ramos is fit to play and deal with striker Aritz Aduriz, who has been in devastating for Athletic.

Aduriz has nine goals in all competitions and will be a constant threat to Madrid.

Real Madrid's Ramos to miss Bilbao tie

Spanish giants Real Madrid's defender Sergio Ramos will miss their La Liga encounter against Athletic Bilbao after skipping training session on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old injured his shoulder during Real's 4-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League last Tuesday. Later, tests confirmed he had dislocated his shoulder.

There were reports that the Spaniard was keen to play against Bilbao on Wednesday, but coach Rafael Benitez has confirmed that he will have to sit out the clash as he is still undergoing the healing process.

Federer fan wakes up from 11-year coma, amazed by his exploits

Spanish national Jesus Aparicio woke up from coma after a gap of 11 years and was stunned to hear that his idol, tennis maestro Roger Federer is still playing and has won 17 grand slams.

Aparicio was involved in a car accident on December 12, 2004, when Federer had pocketed just four Grand Slams and was only 23 years old.

Aparicio got up from coma on August 27 this year. Curious, he asked his mother about Spain, current affairs and his favourite tennis star, Federer.

"It came like a flash to my mind and I asked about Roger. I thought he had retired. When I knew that at 34 years, he is still playing and is number two in the world, I thought they were kidding me. When I heard that he reached 17 Grand Slam titles, I put my hands on my face," Aparicio was quoted as saying by tennisworldusa.org on Monday.

The Seville native had the pleasure of watching the US Open final between the Swiss legend and Novak Djokovic, at his home, which his hero lost.

"I was really surprised to see him play well, Djokovic is good. I want to see his match before he retires, perhaps his 18th Slam," he said.

Monday 21 September 2015

Bale is ‘world class': Wales coach Coleman

Welsh national football team coach Chris Coleman said on Monday that Spanish side Real Madrid’s forward Gareth Bale is a “world class player,” stressing that “he understands his value and importance in the squad”.

In an interview with the world football’s governing body FIFA’s official website, the Welsh coach said, “We also know what he brings to the party when he puts a Wales jersey on,” reports Efe.

“What you see is his passion and his enjoyment when he plays for Wales – he’s absolutely loving every minute of it.”

“Of course the Welsh public adores him, as they should, and he now knows he has the capacity to surpass other people and get to a major tournament.”

“That’s where all great players should be performing.” Coleman added.

Commenting on Wales’s chances of qualifying for the Euro 2016 in France, he reassured, “Three points against Israel would have secured our place at France 2016, but we got the point and if before the camp we had been offered four points, we would have taken it.

“It’s four closer to where we need to get to. We have two games remaining and need to get one more, so we’re well on course.”

At present, Wales leads Group B of the Euro 2016 qualifiers with 18 points, ahead of Belgium in second place with a one-point difference.

Atletico favourite against Getafe in La Liga

The fifth round of matches in the La Liga kicks off with a Madrid derby on Tuesday when Atletico Madrid entertain Getafe.

Atletico will be clear favourites against Getaf after their 2-0 victory away to Eibar on Saturday that left them with nine points from their first four matches of the season, reports Xinhua.

Getafe meanwhile have just one win from their first four matches which came against Malaga on Friday.

Atletico will be able to field their attacking trident of Jackson Martinez, Fermando Torres and Antoine Griezmann, although coach Diego Simeone could also be tempted to rotate his squad, which could give Luciano Vietto a chance in attack.

Tuesday also sees Espanyol play at home to a Valencia side that has not hit its stride so far this season and which was only able to draw 0-0 against a 10-man Betis on Saturday.

Failure to win away to Espanyol would pile the pressure on Nuno ahead of his side's game against Granada next Saturday.

Granada are also in action on Tuesday and they can increase the pressure on Real Sociedad coach, David Moyes, whose side has yet to win this season.

Real Sociedad are without goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, who was sent off on Saturday against Espanyol.

Real Madrid face a difficult trip to play away to Athletic Club Bilbao on Wednesday, while champions Barcelona travel to play Celta Vigo, who have three wins and a draw in their opening four games of the season.

Sunday 20 September 2015

Paes-Bopanna loss made it tough for India in Davis Cup Playoff: Sania

Tennis star Sania Mirza believes that veteran Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna's disappointing loss in the doubles rubber made it tough for India to make a comeback in their Davis Cup World Group Playoff against Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic clinched the tie 3-1 on Sunday after Jiri Vesely defeated Yuki Bhambri 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 in almost two hours in New Delhi.

The Indian combination of veteran Paes and Bopanna disappointed, as they went down 5-7, 2-6, 2-6 in the doubles rubber on Saturday to hand the Czechs a 2-1 lead in the tie. The home team will now remain in Group 1 Asia/Oceania of the tournament.

"It was a tough loss I can say. It was a tough match yesterday for Paes and Bopanna. We expected them to win the match. But it didn't happen. But these are a part of sport. But I think Czech was always a tough team to beat. Even though we were at home and they came here and defeated us," Sania, who was conferred with honorary lifetime membership of the Cricket Club of India (CCI) on Sunday, told reporters here.

"They had Radek Stepanek. We always knew it is going to be a tough match against the visiting side. But we have to move on and look ahead what is coming," she said.

Speaking on her Swiss doubles partner Martina Hingis, the women's doubles World No. 1 said, "We really have a good chemistry between us. It all started this year the Wimbledon when we both fought hard and went on to win tough matches and finally the Championship. We understand each other pretty well now and hope to bring and win ore titles in days to come."

The duo won the women's doubles title at the Wimbledon, followed by US Open recently.

"Thank you so much for the honorary lifetime membership. I feel proud to represent India at this level. I also feel proud to deliver and bring laurels for my country and hold the tri-colour high," she said.

When asked if she had ever thought she would be ranked World No.1 , the Padma Shri and Arjuna Award winner said, "Who doesn't want to be world No.1. I wanted to change my goals as time came close and wanted to chase them up. There are some dreams which you achieve and there are some which you can't."

"I am lucky and fortunate to reach the summit and it is surely a dream come true for me indeed. I am happy that my body is helping me to go ahead. I was never No. 1 in college, now I am World No. 1. It is a dream for anyone to be in the position I am in today, so I think I am proud," she added.

The 28-year-old said that she would have surely been a cricketer if she was born as a boy.

"If I was a boy, I would have to be a cricketer. I have cricket in my blood. My dad, uncle used to play cricket and now my husband is a cricketer. I have played a few tournaments and matches in the past here. So I look forward to come to this historic club and practice sometimes both tennis and sometimes cricket as well," Sania concluded.

Friday 18 September 2015

All-round Nasir Hossein helps Bangladesh A level series against India A

All-rounder Nasir Hossain cracked an unbeaten ton and picked up a five-wicket haul to ensure a comfortable 65-run victory for Bangladesh A as the visitors levelled the three-match unofficial ODI series against India A at 1-1 in Bangalore on Friday.

The Mominul Haque-led side picked up the pieces from its opening loss against the hosts to return with a complete performance at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.

After posting 252 for eight while batting first, Bangladesh A shot India A out for 187 in 42.2 overs. Put into bat, the visitors lost early wickets, but Hossain's 96-ball 102 not out helped the side reach a respectable score in 50 overs. The 70-run sixth-wicket partnership between Nasir and Liton Das (45) turned things around for the visitors.

Soumya Sarkar (24), Anamul Haque (34) and Arafat Sunny (17) also contributed to the Bangladesh A score. Medium-pacer Rishi Dhawan bagged three wickets, while leg-spinner Karn Sharma had two scalps.

The Unmukt Chand-led side were never in the chase after the top-order batsmen not only failed to convert starts but surrendered to Nasir's off-spin and Rubel Hossian's medium pace (4-33). Unmukt top-scored with 56 runs as Nasir (5-36) rattled the top-order with Litton gloving five catches behind the stumps.

Looking for some batting practice before the South Africa series, senior batsman Suresh Raina faltered for the second time around after being caught behind for 17 off Nasir -- the left-hander had managed 16 in the first game. The middle and lower-middle order could not cut much ice this time around as they fell like a pack of cards.

If Nasir troubled the batsmen then Rubel also never allowed them to breathe easy. India A also saw two ducks in Sanju Samson and Rishi Dhawan, both of whom were major contributors for the hosts in the opening win. The third and final match will be played on September 20 at the same venue.

SC to hear BCCI's plea for clarification on Srinivasan

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear the Indian cricket board's plea seeking clarification whether its former president N. Srinivasan could attend the governing body meeting in his capacity as the president of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association.

The apex court bench headed by Justice T.S. Thakur said it would hear the plea in the near future but declined to give any date.

The court said this as senior counsel K.K. Venugopal appearing for the the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) mentioned for an early hearing the application filed by it last week.

The BCCI on September 12 urged the apex court to clarify whether its former president and current International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Srinivasan should be allowed to attend the meetings as the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) president.

The apex cricketing body sought the clarification as court by its January 22, 2015, order had said that Srinivasan cannot contest elections for BCCI presidency as long as he is involved in "conflict of interest" as an owner of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

The question posed for clarification is whether having been barred from contesting election on account of his being in conflict of interest situation also excluded Srinivasan from attending the cricket board's meetings.

Recently on August 28, the BCCI Working Committee meeting was adjourned in Kolkata after it was decided to seek the apex Court's opinion on whether Srinivasan could attend the deliberations as TNCA representative.

Srinivasan was earlier in the year asked by the Supreme Court to step aside as the BCCI president to facilitate investigation of the 2013 IPL scandal. His son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan has been convicted of betting in the IPL and banned from any cricketing activity for life.

Wednesday 16 September 2015

ManUtd fans must accept van Gaal's style: ex-defender Ferdinand

Manchester United fans may be missing the aggressive style of Alex Ferguson, but former defender Rio Ferdinand believes that they must get used to the different methods employed by current manager Louis van Gaal.

Once perennial contenders for the English Premier League (EPL) under the guidance of former manager Ferguson, United are struggling to stay in the title hunt during the current season under van Gaal.

The Dutchman has not endeared himself to United's players and fans with his coaching methods with reports emerging during the week -- confirmed by van Gaal -- that skipper Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick had approached the manager earlier in the season with concerns over squad morale.

Ferdinand, however, believes that United are now a completely different team from the days of Ferguson and fans should adjust to a safer, more methodical brand of football.

"The philosophy is completely different. Manchester United supporters now have to go away and re-educate themselves on how to watch Manchester United. Don't go there expecting to see free-flowing, attacking, gung-ho football," the former England captain was quoted as saying by the Daily Star on Tuesday.

"It's methodical, side-to-side, wait for an opportunity to come. It's a different type of football, very methodical, clear-cut pattern of the way he wants the team to play and it's totally different," he added.

United are currently third in the EPL table after Saturday's 3-1 win over Liverpool, but they have struggled with their rhythm in the early part of the season.

They are on 10 points, five behind league leaders Manchester City with the cross-town rivals looking like strong contenders for the title.

But Ferdinand, who believes than van Gaal's methods will eventually bring success, urged United fans to be patient and not hark back to the heady days of Ferguson and legendary manager Matt Busby.

"I'm not saying that is the wrong way -- it is the way he chooses to play and it is not the way Manchester United are used to playing. If it brings success, Manchester United fans will be delighted, I will be delighted. It is just a different way of playing football," the 36-year-old former central, who represented United from 2002-2014, said.

"People who are old enough to remember those times (Busby, etc), they want fairytale and they're going to reminisce about old times and want to see what they're used to," he added. "The younger generation, they're not so attached to that and they can move on, but they're going to want to move on to a style that they like."

India clubbed with Pakistan in SAFF Cup

" India lost to Afghanistan in the final of the 2013 edition. The defending champions will make its final appearance in the tournament after deciding to be part of another regional football organisation -- the Central Asia Football Association -- from the next year."

Six-time winners India will face Pakistan on the opening day of the 2015 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) tournament.

The ninth edition of the tournament will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, from December 23 to January 3.

The tournament draw, held here on Wednesday, clubbed India with Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka in Group A while Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives and Bangladesh will constitute Group B.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals to be held on December 31, followed by the final on January 3, next year.

All India Football Federation (AIFF) secretary Kushal Das said he was hopeful that India, the most successful team in the regional tournament, will produce a creditable display.

India lost to Afghanistan in the final of the 2013 edition. The defending champions will make its final appearance in the tournament after deciding to be part of another regional football organisation -- the Central Asia Football Association -- from the next year.

He also hoped that the current diplomatic logjam between India and Pakistan, a major obstacle in conducting sporting and cultural ties between the two nations, will not prove to be a hindrance to host the neighbouring country.

Latest Man Utd News : United defender Shaw out for six months after horrific injury

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has revealed that defender Luke Shaw was in tears after suffering a broken leg against Dutch football club PSV Eindhoven that will keep him out for at least six months.

PSV Eindhoven beat United 2-1 in the first match of the Champions League group stages here on Tuesday.

A tackle by PSV defender Hector Moreno left the 20-year-old England international with a double fracture in his right leg, the Dailymail reported on Tuesday.

Shaw was given oxygen and treated by nine medical staff during the nine-minute stoppage here before he was taken off on a stretcher carefully placed on a trolley and taken to hospital.

He will return to Manchester on Wednesday or Thursday for an operation.

A clearly-shaken van Gaal had tried to comfort Shaw as he left the pitch and the United boss said, "It is awful. A boy who came to Manchester United at 18, had a difficult time and then plays fantastic in his second season. Then, it happens like this."

"When he came into the dressing room, I couldn't say anything to him because he had on an oxygen mask, and he was crying," the coach added.

"I am not a doctor so I cannot say how long he will be out but when you have a double fracture I think it is six months, it depends how it develops. He won't play in the (Champions League) group phase any more. I hope he can play this season," van Gaal said.

Pellegrini defends wasteful Sterling after Champions League loss

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has refused to blame Raheem Sterling, although the striker missed several scoring chances during a 1-2 defeat to Italian giants Juventus in a Champions League clash on Tuesday evening.

Sterling wasted a chance as early as the second minute and was off target in the second half as well when he only had Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to beat as City went down 1-2 in the Group B game at home despite producing a good performance.

It did not help City's cause that skipper Vincent Kompany had to be substituted after picking up a calf injury.

Pellegrini was disappointed with Sterling's inability to score, but was quick to point aout that other factors were responsible as well.

"I expect that when we have chances we must score," the Chilean was quoted as saying by the Daily Express.

"The differences are very slight, especially against a strong team like Juventus. But I don't think this result is just because of Raheem."

Pellegrini defended his team's performance, insisting that the English Premier League (EPL) giants gave a good account of themselves at the City of Manchester Stadium here.

"We controlled the game and didn't have many problems but football is like that. It's disappointing, I don't think we deserved to lose," the manager said. "We had the possession. We had better chances and played better than Juventus."

"It was not a tactical problem, Juventus just scored two beautiful goals," he added. "We faced a team that knows how to defend and has plenty of Champions League experience.

"I thought we were the better side."

Tuesday 15 September 2015

‘Di Maria capable of scoring more goals’

French football champions Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc wants new signing Angel Di Maria to score more goals after the midfielder grabbed his first in their 2-0 win over Swedish football club Malmo FF in the Champions League.

The former Manchester United forward marked his Champions League debut for his new employers by breaking the deadlock in the fourth minute of the Group A fixture, goal.com reported on Tuesday.

Teammate Edinson Cavani followed that up with the second after the break but Di Maria was the main attraction in the French capital, and coach Blanc wants the Argentine to continue contributing decisively as he nears his physical peak.

“Di Maria is rising to the top. He arrived late to the preparation and he was injured too. I think we were right to put him to work physically and rest him. He will need it. He needs competition right now,” Blanc said.

“He didn’t play 90 minutes but you can see his abilities in front of the goal already. This boy can bring us quality and assists but also a certain number of goals,” the coach said.

Di Maria received a huge ovation from the PSG supporters when he was replaced by Ezequiel Lavezzi with six minutes remaining, but the 27-year-old Argentine insisted he was putting the performance of the team above his own’s.

“I’m very happy with how the match went. We delivered the game we had to. The first game is always very important,” Di Maria said.

'Messi does things Ronaldo could never match'

Spanish football giants Barcelona defender Jordi Alba heaped praise on teammate Lionel Messi, stating that nobody else in the world comes close to the Argentine, including Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo scored five goals in a stunning performance as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 6-0 on Saturday in La Liga, and followed it up with a hat-trick in the club's 4-0 Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk but Alba is certain he is playing with the best player around.

"If we are realistic and forget team loyalties, you cannot compare Messi with any other player. The best in the world is Leo Messi," Alba was quoted as saying by goal.com on Tuesday.

"Ronaldo is a fantastic player, he scores a lot of goals and is really complete, but what Messi does nobody else can or ever will do. When Leo is on the field, everything turns in favour of Barca. He is five steps above the rest,a he said.

Speaking ahead of Barcelona's Champions League clash against AS Roma, the 26-year-old was reluctant to draw any conclusions from Barca's 3-0 pre-season win over Roma or the Serie A side's humbling 7-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in last season's competition ahead of the clash.

"That was a presentation friendly and has nothing to do with this match. Roma will have different motivation, are playing in front of their fans and we must try to impose our style of football on the game," he said.

"I doubt the Bayern Munich match will affect them, as it is in the past now. Barcelona also suffered painful defeats only to get back on our feet, that is football. The past is in the past," Alba said.

Jack Wilshere News : Arsenal midfielder Wilshere is to undergo surgery to his left fibula

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere needs surgery on a hairline break in his left leg and is set to be out for around three months.

Wilshere, 23, has battled with a series of wounds and missed five months of last season with lower leg ligament harm.

Arsène Wenger a week ago said Wilshere had endured a "little difficulty" in his scheduled recovery from the harm supported in pre-season. Taking after further medical examinations, the choice has now been taken that an operation is expected to legitimately revise the issue.

On the other hand, authorities are presently considering whether to work.

It would be another huge blow for Wenger, who is as of now without striker Danny Welbeck until Christmas because of a knee issue.

Arsenal go to Croatia for Wednesday's Champions League opener against Dinamo Zagreb on the back of a 2-0 triumph over Stoke, which supported their recovery in the Premier League.

Theo Walcott, who once netted a cap trap playing for England at the Maksimir Stadium, is squeezing for another begin in the wake of scoring the opening objective against the Potters on Saturday.

Per Mertesacker is not anticipated that would join in, having recently recuperated from an infection furthermore being included in a minor street auto collision on Monday.

Hero ISL Schedule : Delhi Dynamos to play against Danish side Vikings on Wednesday

Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Delhi Dynamos will play their last pre-tournament game in Denmark against local side FCV Vikings on Wednesday.

ISL begins on October 3. Dynamos began their training preparations in Sweden before continuing it in Denmark.

Dynamos' Norwegian international John Arne Riise said: "Football is all about getting people who love the game together. It's been incredible this opportunity in Scandinavian. We had such a great time in Sweden. Now here in Denmark i'm sure it's gonna be great."

Dynamos marquee player-cum-manager Roberto Carlos may play on Wednesday, a Dynamos release said.

Indian defender Robert Lalthlamuana said: "I'm looking forward to play against this team. I have watched a few Danish games, they have good players so it's another challenge for us".

The Dynamos team consists of stars such as Riise and Frenchman Florent Malouda.

Monday 14 September 2015

Djokovic wins US Open 2015 singles crown, takes third Major of year

Serbian star Novak Djokovic vanquished Roger Federer in a four-set battle to clinch the men's singles title at the US Open here.

The top seeded Djokovic survived a strong fightback from the Swiss veteran to carve out a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory in three hours and 20 minutes at Flushing Meadows on Sunday evening.

Djokovic thus claimed the 10th Glam Slam title of his career. The 28-year-old from Serbia took home his second US Open crown. He had won his first US Open title in 2011.

This was the third Glam Slam title of the season for Djokovic. The Serbian ace had clinched the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.

This was the second consecutive time this year that Federer has been denied an 18th Grand Slam title by Djokovic. He had been ousted by the Serb in the Wimbledon final in July as well.

In a battle of the top two seeds at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the spirited Federer was egged on by the crowd as the 34-year-old went for his 18th major title.

The match was delayed by three hours due to rain. When the contest finally started, both Federer and Djokovic took time to find their rhythm and footing due to the slippery conditions.

Djokovic suffered a fall during the opening set, badly scraping his arm and leg. But when the world number one regained his composure, he quickly asserted his dominance, breaking Federer's serve six times and saving 19 of 23 break points to battle his way to his 27th win in 28 Grand Slam matches this year.

Federer, who was broken just twice during his run to the final, was in fine form, not having lost a set since his loos in the Wimbledon final.

But he was made made to struggle right from the start as Djokovic forced three break points in the opening game.

Federer managed to hold serve on that occasion, but could not fight off another three break chances on his next service game as Djokovic made the breakthrough to take a 2-1 lead.

The second seed broke back immediately, but Djokovic broke Federer's serve in the seventh game as well and then held serve to clinch the set after 41 minutes.

With the 23,000-strong crowd firmly behind him, Federer fought back in the second set. The highlight of the set was a hard-fought 15-minute battle for the 10th game which Djokovic held to draw level at 5-5.

But Federer eventually broke Djokovic with a powerful crosscourt winner to take the set and draw level at 2-2.

The Swiss star deployed the net-rushing return that he has developed this season, which has been called SABR or Sneak Attack By Roger. But it had very little effect on Djokovic who kept finding a way past, or over, Federer.

Djokovic seemed to be struggling in the early stages of the third set, but he saved two break points at 4-4 before forcing a break in the next game to take control of the set thanks to a backhand error by Federer.

The top seed kept up the momentum, opening the fourth set by breaking his opponent's serve. He claimed another break in the seventh game as well to force a commanding 5-2 lead.

But Federer was determined not to go down without a fight. The 17-time Grand Slam winner brought the crowd to their feet by winning two consecutive games.

But Djokovic managed to stand firm, seeing off the break points as Federer floated the ball long on championship point.