MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 SPORTS19 Club limbo stunts English players - Hodgson

LONDON: England manager Roy European Championship and the Bromwich Albion-and Tom Carroll (Michael) Keane, and with (Tom) chance? Hodgson believes young English play- Under-20 World Cup without winning would have played in probably the Thorpe, Nick Powell,” he said. “They didn’t go rushing out and buy ers are being harmed by Premier a game between them. Hodgson, how- Fulham team and the West Brom team. “These are all players who I think a foreigner every time or a player every League clubs who do not play them ever, feels that the fault lies with “But he doesn’t play for Tottenham. are very, very good, talented, English time, they said: ‘He’s only 19, Scholes, but are fearful of letting them leave. English clubs stockpiling players and Now is that Tottenham’s fault? No, not players who will become very, very but he’s going to be one hell of a play- A study produced by the Guardian does not believe the statistics point to really, because maybe he’s not quite as good players, but they don’t feature in er. Let’s give him a go.’” newspaper last month revealed that a diminishing level of ability in the good as Paulinho or (Mousa) Dembele the 30 percent of English players play- Hodgson warned that a failure to only 33 percent of the players who English game. “The other thing you or Sandro or Scott Parker (now of ing every week. But that doesn’t mean arrest the current trend could have started Premier League games on the should look at is the number of players Fulham). “I’m not criticising the judge- to say we haven’t got good players. serious repercussions for both the opening weekend of the season quali- at the top clubs who the clubs rate ment of the coaches. I’m just saying, “The Premier League, because it’s players themselves and the national fied to play for England. unbelievably highly and who would be these players do exist.” such an important league, the coaches team. “We’ve got to find a way of mak- That represents the worst figure in first-team starters in probably a lot of Hodgson pointed to Manchester are under such enormous pressure ing certain that we don’t dismiss these the post-1992 Premier League era and Premiership clubs were they not play- United as an example of a club who that today, the chances of you as a players, that we don’t lose them, and leaves the English top flight trailing ing for the top four or five clubs, where are no longer prepared to take the Premiership manager giving players a as a nation, I’ve got to hope that not well behind rival championships in their way is blocked by extremely tal- risks with young players that they did chance like Ferguson did all those getting a lot of games isn’t going to Spain, Italy, Germany and France. ented players,” he told journalists dur- in the early years of former manager years ago... destroy their careers,” he said. The apparent shallowness of the ing a briefing at Wembley. Alex Ferguson’s tenure. “What would have become of the “Because it could happen. If you go English talent pool was demonstrated “I’ll give you an example-Tom “In the under-21s, I come into con- Nevilles, the Beckhams, the Scholeses, two years as a player who’s too good on two occasions during the close sea- Carroll, at Tottenham Hotspur. I’ve tact with Jesse Lingard, who I’ve never the Giggs, the Butts had it not been for to let go, but not good enough to play son, when England’s representative worked with Premiership clubs-I’ve heard of, because I don’t watch under- the fact that, at the time they were every week, you might not be a very sides went out of the Under-21 worked at Fulham, I’ve worked at West 21 Manchester United matches, with growing up, managers did take a good player at the end of it.” — AFP Isco helps Real extend dominance of Bilbao Ronaldo opens season’s account with header

MADRID: In-form playmaker Isco struck twice and Cristiano Ronaldo netted his first goal of the campaign to give Luka Modric-inspired Real Madrid a 3-1 home win over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga yesterday. The comfortable victory in an unusual midday kickoff at the Bernabeu gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side a joint share of the lead in the standings with a perfect nine points from three games. It also suggested the Real play- ers have not been distracted by the drawn-out saga over the pos- sible arrival of Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur. Real have until today to wrap up the purchase of the Wales international, which could set a transfer record of around 100 mil- WEST BROMWICH: Swansea City’s Spanish midfielder Pablo Hernandez (C) con- lion euros ($132 million), accord- trols the ball during the English Premier League football match between West ing to media reports in Britain Bromwich Albion and Swansea City at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich, central and Spain. MADRID: Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (2L) scores a goal during the Spanish England, yesterday. Swansea won the game 2-0. — AFP After a subdued start at the league football match Real Madrid vs Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid yes- giant, sun-drenched arena, Karim terday. — AP Benzema dinked a pass through sublime 72nd-minute strike. the competitions we are taking Villarreal, who also have nine Davies, Hernandez keep to Isco in the 26th minute and the Ibai Gomez made the scoreline part in.” Croatian Modric, who points from three matches after Spain playmaker, who joined slightly more respectable for the started alongside Germany’s their 3-0 success at Osasuna on West Brom winless from Malaga in the close season, visitors, who have now conceded Sami Khedira in central midfield, Saturday. drilled a shot past Bilbao goal- 22 goals in their last five league had an excellent game and the Barcelona coach Gerardo with record-signing Wilfried Bony mak- keeper Iago Herrerin. visits to the Bernabeu, when he crowd chanted his name midway Martino has rested Xavi and ing his first league start in place of Ronaldo powered home a clipped the ball past Diego Lopez through the second half when he Alexis Sanchez for the Spanish Bromwich 0 Jonathan de Guzman. header moments before halftime in the 79th minute after neat snuffed out a Bilbao attack. champions’ game at Valencia lat- Swansea made the early running, for his 202nd goal in 202 official work on the right from fellow Modric has not always con- er on Sunday (1900 GMT) but Jonjo Shelvey and Michu going close games for Real and his 11th substitute Oscar de Marcos. vinced the Real faithful since join- Lionel Messi is back in the squad from distance before Wayne Routledge against Bilbao, putting him on a “Things are going well for me,” ing from Spurs but former Real after missing last weekend’s 1-0 Swansea 2 saw a shot comfortably saved by West par with the club’s former strikers Isco said in an interview with forward Emilio Butragueno, now win at Malaga with a bruised Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, who Raul and Hugo Sanchez. Spanish television broadcaster a club director, said he had thigh. replaced the injured Ben Foster. West Bilbao threatened a comeback Canal Plus. turned in a “very complete per- Atletico Madrid visit fellow Brom should have taken the lead in the on a couple of occasions before “We have only just started the formance in every sense”. Champions League participants WEST BROMWICH: Swansea City won 2- 20th minute when the unmarked James Isco picked up another assist season and three wins in three is “He is an intelligent player Real Sociedad at San Sebastian 0 at West Bromwich Albion yesterday to Morrison miscued his header from a from Benzema, again whistled by the right path to follow to make it capable of adapting to different (1700). Barca, Atletico, Bilbao and record their first win of the Premier the home crowd after fluffing a a good year for us,” he added. positions and functions,” Real were the only other teams League season and leave the home side Sinclair free-kick and two minutes later, number of chances, and the 21- “We want to keep improving Butragueno told Canal Plus. apart from Villarreal to win their in the bottom three. Ben Davies made Swansea made a stylish breakthrough. year-old found the net with a little by little and aspire to win all Real are level at the top with opening two games. — Reuters the breakthrough with a brilliantly taken Hernandez hooked the ball into the 22nd-minute volley and after Swansea box from close to the byline on the right- resisted West Brom’s efforts to get back hand side and Davies steamed in from into the game, Pablo Hernandez sealed left-back to steer an emphatic side-foot victory seven minutes from time. volley into the net. Henrikh Mkhitaryan fires Michael Laudrup’s side showed no ill Anelka looked menacing for West effects from their trip to Romania to play Brom and he came close to equalising Petrolul Ploiesti in the Europa League on 10 minutes later after sprinting clear Dortmund top of Bundesliga Thursday, but Steve Clarke’s West Brom and dragging a shot fractionally wide of are still seeking a first win, and first goal, the far post. Routledge spurned an BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund coach Bruno Labbadia was sacked increased the lead. Eintracht bottom of the table-when of the nascent campaign. opportunity to double Swansea’s lead knocked Bayern Munich off top last Monday. Elsewhere, struggling Hamburg 19-year-old Turkish midfielder Nicolas Anelka was recalled to the in the early stages of the second half, spot in the Bundesliga yesterday as Stuttgart picked up their first picked up their first win of the sea- Hakan Calhanoglu came on for Van West Brom starting XI after being grant- with a heavy first touch to control new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan points of the season after three son after two consecutive defeats der Vaart on 79 minutes to claim a ed compassionate leave following the Michu’s pass enabling Myhill to block. scored both goals in their 2-1 win straight defeats led to Labbadia’s with a 4-0 thumping of promoted brace, including a stunning free- death of a close friend, while Scott Clarke threw on strikers Saido Berahino at Eintracht Frankfurt. dismissal. Caretaker coach Thomas Eintracht Braunschweig. kick. Meanwhile, Borussia Sinclair was handed a full league debut and Markus Rosenberg in an effort to The 24-year-old attacking mid- Schneider got off to an emphatic Dutch international Rafael van Moenchengladbach moved up to against his former club. Visitors Swansea salvage something, only for Hernandez fielder proved why Dortmund paid start as Stuttgart’s Romanian striker der Vaart put Hamburg ahead in seventh as they romped to a 4-1 Shakhtar Donetsk 27.5 million Alexandru Maxim did the damage the seventh minute on their first home win over Werder Bremen. made one change to the team beaten 1- to kill the game off from Michu’s pass by scoring two goals and setting up attack before Cameroon striker Wolfsburg enjoyed a 2-0 win at with seven minutes to play. —AFP euros ($36.3m) for him with his first 0 by Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, two league goals on only his third two more, while Bosnia striker Jacques Zoua doubled the lead on home to Hertha Berlin with Ivica Bundesliga appearance. Ibisevic claimed a hat-trick. 17 minutes as the hosts counter- Olic and Diego on target, while It means Dortmund go into the The result lifts Stuttgart out of attacked at pace. Augsburg picked up their second international break for the forth- the bottom three and into 14th and Hamburg made sure of the straight win with a 1-0 success at Ljajic scores on debut coming World Cup qualifiers two leaves Hoffenheim 11th after their three points-and Braunschweig’s Nuremberg thanks to a late goal points clear of European champi- first defeat of the season. On fourth straight defeat to leave from substitute Kevin Vogt. — AFP as Roma punish Verona ons Bayern. Saturday, Leverkusen blew the Armenian international chance to go top with a 2-0 defeat MILAN: Serbian striker Adem Ljajic space on the edge of the area and after Mkhitaryan started off by finishing at resurgent Schalke 04. scored on his debut for AS Roma as the spotting Rafael off his line the Bosnian a defence-splitting pass from Both Germany left-back Dennis Poland winger Jakub Aogo, who has joined Schalke on Giallorossi turned on the style in a lively sent a sublime lob goalwards which the Blaszczykowski after ten minutes. loan from Hamburg, and Ghana second half to punish Serie A new boys Brazilian could only watch sail over his Frankfurt equalised when Stefan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, Verona 3-0 yesterday. head as he backtracked in vain. Aigner’s bullet-header slammed off who signed a four-year deal after Promoted Verona began the new The goals gave Roma extra momen- the post and Czech striker Vaclav arriving from AC Milan on Friday, season last week with a shock 2-1 home tum and minutes after replacing Kadlec rifled home the rebound on started as the Royal Blues picked win over AC Milan with both goals com- Alessandro Florenzi new arrival Ljajic, 36 minutes for his first Bundesliga up their first league win of the sea- ing courtesy of former Fiorentina striker who signed in midweek from goal, having joined from Sparta son. Luca Toni. But despite keeping Rudi Fiorentina, hit a superb strike from 20 Prague last month. Schalke went ahead with half an Garcia’s men at bay in a first half marked metres out which beat Rafael at his But Mkhitaryan restored hour gone when a free-kick went in notably by a Francesco Totti free-kick right-hand post. Dortmund’s lead with the winner off midfielder Marco Hoeger’s right which tested Rafael in the visitors’ net, Roma should have had at least one when he dribbled along the edge shoulder before Peru forward Andrea Mandorlini’s men were pun- more goal as Verona struggled to deal of the area and unleashed a fear- Jefferson Farfan made sure of the ished for slack defending in the space of with the pace and movement of the some shot past Frankfurt goalkeep- win when he drilled home an 83rd- 10 second-half minutes. Giallorossi. Gervinho was in space on er Kevin Trapp. minute penalty after being hauled Brazilian defender Maicon, formerly the left when he collected Totti’s pass The result means Dortmund fin- down in the area. of Inter Milan but signed from but the former Arsenal forward spurned ish the weekend as the league’s Mainz 05 also wasted their Manchester City in the close season, a great chance when he sent his angled only team with a 100 percent opportunity to go top as they gave Roma the lead when his 56th shot straight at Rafael. Mandorlini record as Bayern, who drew 1-1 crashed to a 4-1 defeat at Hanover strike came off the foot of Fabrizio replaced Toni with fellow striker Daniele with Freiburg on Tuesday, Mainz 96. Mainz took a 12th-minute lead Cacciatore to leave Rafael scrambling in Cacia but it was Emil Halfredsson who and Bayer Leverkusen all dropped through striker Nicolai Mueller, but points. Senegal striker Mame Diouf and vain. Cacciatore was credited with the came close to reducing arrears late on Earlier, VfB Stuttgart romped to Poland forward Artur Sobiech put FRANKFURT: Frankfurt’s Marco Russ, right, and Dortmund’s Marco own goal and the ‘Gialloblu’ were to with a left-foot strike which shaved the a 6-2 Bundesliga win over the hosts 2-1 up at the break before Reus challenge for the ball during the German first league suffer more woe only three minutes lat- crossbar of Roma ‘keeper Morgan De Hoffenheim with striker Vedad Ivory Coast forward Didier Ya Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and er. Miralem Pjanic was given time and Sanctis. —AFP Ibisevic netting a hat-trick after Konan and midfielder Edgar Prib Borussia Dortmund in Frankfurt, Germany, yesterday. — AP