THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2014 SPORTS Guardiola betters Bayern’s record in debut season BERLIN: Pep Guardiola won his first taken the European champions to a new before. last June in German and insisted he would November. Bayer Leverkusen put up a Bundesliga title on Tuesday as record- level. Guardiola has added a “new dimen- But Guardiola’s concerns proved justi- neither poach any Barcelona players, nor fight when Bayern came away from the breaking Bayern Munich were confirmed sion” with his “positive fanaticism” to his fied as Bayern suffered their only defeat make major changes. BayArena with a 1-1 draw in October. German champions with seven games to work, according to chairman Karl-Heinz this season when they lost the following He soon did both as Spain’s Under-21 Bayern claimed a record tenth consecutive spare, bettering predecessor Jupp Rummenigge. day at home to Manchester City. captain Thiago Alcantara was signed from Champions League victory when they beat Heynckes’ record of six. “He has a clear plan and I have never Guardiola showed a ruthless streak Barca and a new 4-1-4-1 system was intro- CSKA Moscow away in December before Having won 14 out of 19 titles in four seen such diligence in any other coach,” when Mario Mandzukic was briefly duced, briefly abandoning the 4-2-3-1 for- lifting the Club World Cup in Morocco. years with Barcelona, Guardiola collects his Rummenigge told German daily Die Welt. dropped at the start of 2014 for poor per- mation which won the treble. The only defeat came in the final third title in his nine months since taking Director of sport Matthias Sammer heaped formances in training. Captain Philipp Lahm was switched Champions League group stage when charge of Bayern. But he pins the success praise on the Spaniard after the final whis- It was a bold decision to drop the from right-back, where he is one of the Bayern threw away a two-goal lead to lose firmly on his players. “A coach is always tle in Berlin. “We build the foundations team’s top-scorer and the Croatia striker world’s best, to the midfield. Guardiola got 3-2 at home to Manchester City. only good because he’s at a big club with under Heynckes and now we have devel- netted in all six league games before last off to a losing start as Bayern were beaten They still managed to finish as group great players,” said Guardiola before the oped them further,” said Sammer. Saturday’s 2-0 win at Mainz 05. 4-2 at Borussia Dortmund last July in the winners. The closest Bayern have come to Hertha Berlin win. “We have selectively improved the While Bayern dropped only 11 league German Super Cup final, but have not a Bundesliga defeat was at VfB Stuttgart in “I have won many titles, because I have team and Pep Guardiola is not only a spe- points least season, Guardiola’s side have looked back since. January. They were 14 minutes away from had great players, they deserve the praise, cialist, but also an exceptional person.” dropped just four so far. Guardiola recently He got one over old Spanish league losing before Claudio Pizarro headed them they are unbelievable.” Guardiola’s mod- There is no stone left unturned in referred to the Bundesliga as “pizza and rival Jose Mourinho in Prague when level, then Thiago hit a stunning 93rd- esty hides the fact he moulded the likes of Guardiola’s relentless pursuit of perfection. burgers” and likened the Champions Chelsea were beaten on penalties in the minute winner. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta He was disgruntled in a press conference League to a “nice restaurant”. UEFA Super Cup final. Bayern’s last league defeat-at home to and Xavi into footballing superstars and last December because his players had While the Spaniard drew criticism for Bayern then picked off their Bundesliga Leverkusen in October 21012 — came seems intent on doing the same at Bayern. been subdued during the first 15 minutes his comments, Bayern’s rivals have failed to rivals one by one. Schalke were humbled with Heynckes in charge as the Bavarian The Bavarian giants sent records tum- of a training session. They had trounced serve up a decent challenge. Guardiola 4-0 in Gelsenkirchen in September, while giants currently enjoy a record 52-match bling under Heynckes, but Guardiola has Werder Bremen 7-0 away just 48 hours tackled his first Bayern press conference Dortmund they went down 3-0 at home in unbeaten run.—AFP Hosts Australia draw S Korea in Asian Cup SYDNEY: Hosts Australia were handed a tricky opening round at the 2015 Asian Cup finals when they were grouped with twice former champions South Korea, Oman and Kuwait in the draw at Sydney Opera House yesterday. The Socceroos open the tournament against Kuwait in Melbourne on Jan. 9 and will hope to be still in the reckoning when the final takes place 23 days later at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium. Manchester United’s Scottish manager David Moyes. Although two teams will qualify from Group A for the quarter-finals, the hosts could have After brief respite, dark hoped for easier first round opposition than South Korea, who they will play in their final group match in Brisbane on Jan. 17. clouds loom over Moyes “You want to avoid them but are you going to avoid them the whole tournament? At some LONDON: After a brief ray of sunshine in a against the current top four is equally dire point you have to play a team,” Australia coach stormy season, the dark clouds were hovering with one win, two draws and five defeats the Ange Postecoglou told reporters. over Old Trafford again yesterday in the wake sum total of their efforts against Chelsea, “That first game against Kuwait in Melbourne of another humiliation for the champions. Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal. becomes a real critical one. We need to get off to A 3-0 home defeat by local rivals Moyes had a similarly poor record against a really strong start and if we can get those three Manchester City, their third in a row against the top-four when he was Everton manager points that will put pressure on the other teams.” them at Old Trafford, drained away any opti- but things were supposed to be different Champions Japan were drawn in Group D mism born out of victories against once he was given the controls at United. with Jordan, who they lost against for the first Olympiakos and West Ham United the previ- time in World Cup qualifying last year, 2007 ous week and illustrated once again just how SQUAD DECLINE Asian Cup winners Iraq and the champions of far United have fallen in such a short space of The reality is, however, that he has inherit- this year’s Asian Challenge Cup, which will be SYDNEY: AFC General Secretary Alex Soosay displays Saudi Arabia’s draw in Group B during time. ed a squad in decline, with too many players decided in May. the draw of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 in Sydney yesterday. Hosts Australia will play United manager David Moyes wore a who would struggle to get a place on the “We played against both teams in the World Kuwait in the opening game of the 2015 Asian Cup in the draw. —AFP glazed look as City’s gloating fans mocked bench at the Etihad, Stamford Bridge or Cup qualifiers and both matches were tough, so him with chants of “five more years” while Anfield. I can expect it is going to be tough again,” Japan open,” he said. thousands of the home faithful voted with England squad player Tom Cleverley, who Football Association general secretary Hara “It’s important to have a good start and to Draw for the 2015 Asian Cup their feet, heading for the exits long before has become the whipping boy of the fans, Hiromi said. create a good spirit because the quality of the Yaya Toure put a realistic gloss to the score- was hauled off at halftime on Tuesday but to “We will do our best to play Australia in the teams are very close and maybe the spirit of the SYDNEY: Draw for the group stage of 2015 Asian line with City’s 90th minute third. single him for United’s malaise would be final.” Iran, the top ranked Asian team in the FIFA team can make the difference.” Cup finals, which will take place in Australia from Jan. 9-31 next year: “I am the one who picks the team,” Moyes, unfair. rankings, will play a United Arab Emirates, Qatar Australia progressing is the key to the success portrayed on one Old Trafford banner as the Moyes’ two big signings since taking the and Bahrain in Group C with the talented young of the tournament and Oman coach Paul Le GROUP A “Chosen One”, said after the latest in a series job, Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata, were Emirati side looking likely to be their biggest Guen, whose team embarrassed the Socceroos Australia of debilitating setbacks. outclassed by City’s midfield slickers while rivals. in a 2-2 draw in Sydney in World Cup qualifying South Korea “I take responsibility and always will do. It Michael Carrick laboured in United’s misfiring “Group C is quite balanced with three Arabic last year, said he thought the hosts were Oman is disappointing. I thought it would be a engine room. countries, neighbours, the rivals, a lot of tension favourites.