Sports FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014

Perfect Juve, Roma primed for Serie A showdown

MILAN: Serie A favourites Juventus and AS Roma, both since Cagliari at the end of the 2012-13 season. “I think games are won with organisation and excellent enjoying a 100 percent record after five league matches of Juventus won all 19 home matches last season, includ- players, otherwise it becomes like playing on a computer the season, clash on Sunday in a match which, even at such ing a surprisingly easy 3-0 win over Roma, on their way to a and that’s not possible.” an early stage, could be hugely significant in the title race. third successive Serie A title, and their first two this term. Pirlo, 35, has yet to play for Juventus this season after The possible presence of veteran Juventus playmaker New coach Massimiliano Allegri has shied away from suffering a hip injury but Italian media reports said he Andrea Pirlo on one side and his Roma counterpart making sweeping changes to the line-up since he took could be fit for Sunday. Totti, on the other hand, has Francesco Totti on the other could add even greater spice over from Antonio Conte amid an air of scepticism been outstanding for Roma and became the oldest play- to the meeting of last season’s champions and runners-up amongst the supporters. He has even kept Conte’s three- er to score a Champions League goal when he was on (Sunday 1600 GMT). Titleholders Juventus have yet to con- man defence, although he has begun to change the team’s target against Manchester City on Tuesday, three days cede a league goal this season while Roma’s rearguard has intense, physical style to one based more on possession after his 38th birthday. The weekend’s most intriguing been breached only once as the pair once again threaten which allows a hint of freedom not seen under his fiery other game features goal shy Fiorentina at home to Inter to turn the championship into a two-horse race. predecessor. “At times you need to raise the tempo, at oth- Milan, whose promising start to the season was rudely Roma will be attempting to become the first team to ers lower it, and some players don’t need to be completely interrupted with a 4-1 home defeat by Cagliari on take a point at the Juventus stadium in a Serie A match caged by tactics,” he said after a recent win over Cesena. Sunday.—Reuters

FC Basel offer hope for Europe forgotten leagues

BERNE: FC Basel’s shock Champions League win over Liverpool has once again shown that there is life outside Europe’s big five leagues, even if it requires a constant balancing act to remain competitive. The Swiss champions invariably lose two or three top players every season but have become masters at finding affordable replacements, often in places that bigger clubs do not seem to look. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer, sold to Bayer Leverkusen for 8 million euros ($10 million), and attacking midfielder Valentin Stocker, who joined Hertha Berlin for 3.5 million, became the latest to pass through the exit door after they left at the end of last season. Coach Murat Yakin also departed, somewhat sur- prisingly, shortly after leading his side to a fifth successive Swiss league title and the Europa League quarter-finals. Yet, the gaps have been quickly filled for what is little more than small change in the context of the modern transfer market. Ahmed Hamoudi, 24, was plucked from Egyptian club Smouha for less than one million euros, while 20- year-old Paraguayan Derlis Gonzalez cost a princely 3 million BAHIA: Brazil’s Bahia’s player Titi celebrates a goal scored against Peru’s Cesar Vallejo during their Sudamericana Cup euros. He was signed from Benfica although he never played first leg football match at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, on Wednesday. — AFP for the Portuguese side, who instead loaned him to Guarani in his homeland. Seventeen-year-old Cameroon-born Breel Embolo, who gave a lively performance on Wednesday after a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up, is a product of Basel’s Clyne, Shelvey get youth academy. Basel’s 1-0 win over Liverpool was only the second time this season that a team from one of the so-called Big Five leagues of England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France has been beaten England call-ups by an outsider in the tournament. Remarkably, the Swiss have won their last four Champions League matches against English Premier League sides and reached the Europa League semi- LONDON: Uncapped Southampton right back and time, but he hasn’t,” he said. finals in 2013, eliminating Tottenham Hotspur on the way. Swansea City midfielder Jonjo Shelvey were yesterday called up for “It’s a great blow for us, a blow for Liverpool and a blow for the England’s 2016 European Championship qualifiers against San player, who was anxious to be a part of these two games. But there’s Dream Marino and Estonia. Clyne, who scored a stunning goal against not a problem or a conflict there at all. Yet club president Bernhard Heusler has refused to get car- Arsenal in the League Cup recently, has never previously been “He’s not played for Liverpool at all since picking up the injury ried away, limiting the club’s ambitions to a place in the called up, while Shelvey has made one previous appearance, coinci- with us. As I understand it, he’s still got some work to do before he’s Champions League round of 16. dentally against San Marino, in October 2012. fully fit. There was no question of him being selected.” And even while Basel are doing well themselves, there are “He’s impressed us for quite a while,” England manager Roy Manchester United left back and Arsenal defender growing concerns that their domestic dominance, helped by Hodgson said of 23-year-old Clyne. “Even before the World Cup, he Calum Chambers were included in England’s Under-21 squad for bonus payments from their European participation, is having a was a name we were constantly considering, but of course there their forthcoming 2015 European Championship play-off against negative effect on the . were other people we considered to be in front of him. Croatia. Having won 2-0 away to Switzerland in their opening Group Despite an annual revenue of around 35 million Swiss “Now we’ve lost and Kyle Walker (to injury) — E game last month, England host minnows San Marino at Wembley francs($36.6 million), the club have resisted the temptation to John Stones played there the other day-and we were looking for Stadium next Thursday before tackling Estonia in Tallinn the follow- splurge on big-name signings and instead use a three-tier poli- someone else who we thought could be a very interesting candi- ing Sunday. cy with the squad to try and remain sustainable and successful- date for the right back post. “This time he was not only considered, a difficult balancing act. but asked to come.” On Shelvey, who Hodgson previously coached England squad One third of the squad consists of experienced Swiss or for- at Liverpool, the manager said: “The way we’re looking to play could Goalkeepers: (Southampton), (West eign players, another third consists of young players raised at suit him. “He’s had an excellent start to the season with Swansea Bromwich Albion), (Manchester City). the club and the remainder of foreign players, who use Basel as and he’s there on merit, because of his form and because of his Defenders: (Everton), (Chelsea), a springboard to a career in one of the bigger leagues. qualities.” Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs returned to the squad, but Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), The same goes for their Portuguese coach , Liverpool striker missed out due to a thigh injury. In (Everton), John Stones (Everton). who, having previously managed in Hungary, Israel and the Sturridge’s absence, Hodgson named only three strikers in Rickie Midfielders: (Aston Villa), English second tier, may well have his eyes set on bigger Lambert, and captain . (Liverpool), (Liverpool), (Manchester things. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers revealed on Wednesday City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Jonjo Shelvey (Swansea “It’s in my mind to win the Champions League as a coach,” that he had asked for Sturridge not to be selected as he pursues his City), (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham he said on his official presentation. recovery from injury, and Hodgson said it was an amicable decision Hotspur), (Arsenal). “It’s not only my dream, it’s my mind and I have full convic- to leave him out. “There was no question of manoeuvring, either on Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney tion it will happen one day.” Whether he expected to do it with Liverpool’s part or our part. We were both hoping he’d recover in (Manchester United), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal). — AFP FC Basel was left open to interpretation. — Reuters