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EUROPE Still a Step Too FAR for Dominant

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EUROPE Still a Step Too FAR for Dominant Sports45 FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014 PSG title celebrations dampened by Rennes defeat PARIS: Paris St Germain celebrated their second as the players’ children played football on the the 77th minute, only for Fatih Atik to level five on three minutes after being set up by Edinson consecutive Ligue 1 title with two games to pitch. “I am proud of the players. We brought minutes from time. Cavani. Kadir beat Sirigu with a low cross shot in spare despite suffering their first home league the title, it rewards the good work of all the staff The result triggered scenes of celebration at the 23rd minute and Ntep’s free kick sailed past defeat of the season in a 2-1 loss to Stade and our ability to quickly apprehend the squad,” the Parc des Princes a few minutes before the the Italian keeper. The crowd’s discontent Rennes on Wednesday. Laurent Blanc’s team Blanc, who took charge after Carlo Ancelotti left kickoff of the PSG v Rennes game. Guingamp, changed to pure joy as striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic secured the championship shortly before kickoff at the end of last season, told Canal Plus. who beat Rennes in the French Cup final last made his comeback from a five-week injury lay- after second-placed Monaco were held to a 1-1 “I did not want to watch the Monaco game Saturday, are 16th in the standings, two points off when he came on for Lavezzi in the 56th draw by En Avant Guingamp. but there is always someone to tell you the above safety. PSG, knocked out in the minute. The Swede forced Benoit Costil into a The result left PSG, on 83 points, with an result. My pre-game chat lasted 10 seconds,” he Champions League quarter-finals as they were spectacular save with a 40-metre strike but he unassailable seven-point lead at the top of the told a news conference, Blanc refused to official- last year, claimed the Ligue 1 lead in October failed to add to his 30 league goals this season. standings. “It was important to confirm what we ly confirm whether he had extended his contract after thrashing Bastia 4-0 and never surrendered PSG defender Alex had the best chance to did last season,” midfielder Blaise Matuidi told until 2016. “You will know soon,” he said. it. Monaco will finish second while Lille and St equalise in stoppage-time but his header reporters. PSG, who also won the League Cup this sea- Etienne will battle it out for third place in the last crashed against the bar. The result meant that “It’s the result of our hard work. It’s sad we son, needed Guingamp to snatch at least a point two round of matches. There were a few boos at Rennes, now 13th with a six-point lead over did not win today but all dreams are not per- at Louis II to be crowned champions without halftime at the Parc des Princes after goals by 18th-placed Sochaux, have secured their place fect,” said goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. kicking a ball. Foued Kadir and Paul-Georges Ntep gave in the top flight as bottom clubs Evian Thonon “The first 10 months were good but the last Dimitar Berbatov headed home from point- Rennes a 2-1 lead. Gaillard and Sochaux, 17th and 18th respective- month was not good,” captain Thiago Silva said blank range to open the scoring for Monaco in Ezequiel Lavezzi opened the scoring for PSG ly, must still play each other.—Reuters Forgotten front man Park seals World Cup place SEOUL: With a club career in freefall and his name all but for- gotten by South Korean fans and media, Park Chu-young’s chances of being on a plane to Brazil for the World Cup finals this summer looked slim at best, as he faded behind the scenes at Arsenal. Few would have bet that going on loan to Watford in the English second tier in January would have sparked a change in fortunes, but yesterday the willowy striker was named in South Korea’s 23-man squad for Brazil to cap a remarkable return. Park has no shortage of critics, many who say his loss of club form and inability to stay fit makes him too big a risk to take to Brazil. But with World Cup and Olympic experience under his belt, coach Hong Myung-bo said Park’s contribution could be crucial in Brazil. “At this World Cup we will have to battle some of the world’s best players, and it was hard to exclude Park given his experience,” Hong told a news conference at the National Football Centre (NFC) in Paju, north of Seoul. “In addition to that, we don’t have anyone who can replace him, and he gets on well with the rest of the squad, those are the reasons that we selected him.” With 62 caps and 24 goals, the 28-year-old is one of the most experienced players in Hong’s young squad. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s players (from left) Lucas Digne, Argentinian Javier Pastore, Italian goal keeper Italian London Games, when Hong was coach of the Olympic team, Salvatore Sirigu, Christophe Jallet and Uruguayan Edinson Cavani celebrate their League One title. —AP and at the World Cup in South Africa two years earlier found the net against Nigeria in a 2-2 draw that saw the Koreans advance to the last 16. He also scored an own goal against Europe still a step too Argentina in group play. CLUB STRUGGLES far for dominant PSG Park made just seven first team appearances for Arsenal after arriving from Monaco in August 2011. After spending a PARIS: Paris St Germain are not even mid- “We had a great season apart from the striker disappointed in the Champions season on loan at Celta Viga, he toiled again at Arsenal before way through their five-year-plan to win last month. Next year we have to be back League last eight but showed his worth at being sent on loan to Watford to get first team football. the Champions League but their second to win the Champions League,” captain the Stade de France. Hong said at the time he was relieved that Park had the consecutive French Ligue 1 title feels like Thiago Silva told Canal Plus on PSG reached new heights domestically, opportunity to make a “fresh start” and called the forward up little more than a consolation. Wednesday. arguably becoming one of the best ever to the squad for a friendly against Greece in March.—Reuters Having splashed over 200 million euros PSG were knocked out by Barca in the French league teams, even if they failed to ($278.5 million) on transfers since com- Champions League last season without match Nantes’s achievement in the 1994- pleting their takeover in 2012, Qatari losing a game, held to a 2-2 draw at the 95 season when the Canaries lost only one investors QSI expect PSG to be a force to Parc des Princes before drawing 1-1 at the game. Yet, they look set to break Lyon’s be reckoned with on the European stage. Camp Nou in the return leg. record of 84 points (2005-06), as well as Under Carlo Ancelotti and Laurent Blanc, This season, it seemed they would passing the record for most victories (25) however, the French champions were reach the next level after beating Chelsea set by Nantes (1966 and 1980), Stade eliminated in the quarter-finals of Europe’s 3-1 at home, but they paid the price for Reims (1960) and Monaco (1961). premium club competition in 2013 and Blanc’s tactical limitations and the team’s Stade Reims’s 1960 record goal differ- 2014, both times on away goals by lack of experience in a 2-0 defeat in ence of plus 63, though, seems out of Barcelona and Chelsea respectively. London without the injured Zlatan reach despite Ibrahimovic’s performances. “We’ve had a very nice season, which Ibrahimovic. Meanwhile, the capital side The Sweden striker has scored 25 goals we sealed with this title,” Blanc said after have been crushing the opposition in from 31 league appearances, leading PSG won the League Cup last month. France, winning the French title with two Cavani (16 goals in 30 games) in the scor- “But to have an outstanding season, we games to spare. ing charts. will need to shine on the European stage,” PSG’s blessing could be Monaco’s rise he added.”The club, the media, the fans CAVANI DOUBLE to the top level after Russian billionaire and the staff are obsessed by this objec- They added the League Cup, beating Dmitry Rybolovlev invested massively in tive. Yes, we will have to be ready because Olympique Lyon 2-1 in the final thanks to the principality club during the close sea- Park Chu-young everybody is obsessed.” a double by Edinson Cavani. The Uruguay son.—Reuters.
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