WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 SPORTS

Naive Liverpool’s title challenge founders in defence

LONDON: Liverpool’s quest for a first goals this season but conceded 49. enough and its not acceptable,” he told astonishment at the turn of events: “I am match winning streak that propelled English league title since 1990 has Teams that concede that frequently do Sky Sports. “Liverpool are in top position lost for words, how do you sum that up? Liverpool to the top of the table just over foundered on naive football in two not win titles. for goals scored but they are in the bot- “Liverpool were in control at 3-0 but a month ago. matches where a less gung-ho approach Rodgers spoke after the Palace match tom half of the table for goals conceded. they didn’t kill it off and that’s down to But while the goals flowed at one end, might have produced four points instead about how his team should have “man- “If you are thinking about going for a the manager. They kept playing the same their porous defence had never stopped of one. The dramatic collapse from a 3-0 aged the game better” when they were title, doing it in a way that’s never been way and you can’t do that when you are conceding. They let in three goals at rele- lead with 11 minutes remaining to draw 3-0 ahead, but he must share the blame done scoring lots of goals but conceding having periods where you are not in con- gated Cardiff City in a 6-3 win, and also 3-3 at Crystal Palace on Monday came for not changing his tactics. that many, history shows you it can’t be trol of the game.” conceded three to Swansea City in a 4-3 eight days after Liverpool had dominat- Liverpool’s continued quest for goals done. “You cannot concede that many Liverpool, as they have been all sea- win. They conceded two to both Norwich ed possession against Chelsea at Anfield when they could have shut up shop was goals if you want to go and win the son, were impressive going forward as City and Fulham although they won both only to run out 2-0 losers. The squander- not irrational but an attempt to close the league.” they built what should have been an games 3-2. Rodgers was asked at ing of those precious points means they goal-difference gap with City that would impregnable lead that would keep their Selhurst Park on Monday why his team top the Premier League table with 81 decide the title if the rivals ended up PEGGED BACK title dream very much alive. defended so poorly as the end of the and one match to play, one ahead of with the same points tally. Rodgers might indeed have brought A header from Joe Allen put them 1-0 match approached. “It’s decision-making” Manchester City who have two games It started out as a plus-9 advantage on a defender instead of replacing striker up in the 18th minute before two goals he replied, “We could have done better remaining. for City, went down to plus-6, and then Daniel Sturridge with another attacking early in the second half from Sturridge on the first one. We had to make better Manager Brendan Rodgers was forced back to plus-9 as Liverpool imploded. player in Victor Moses when Liverpool and newly-crowned Footballer of the decisions in the game and that’s what to concede the title race was effectively Former Liverpool and England defender had been pegged back to 3-2. Year Luis Suarez, their 21st and 31st goals cost us. “Maybe we just got carried away over and, in his view, City would now be Jamie Carragher said Rodgers should “I think we had enough defensive of the campaign respectively. and we thought we could get more than crowned champions for the second time have shored up his sometimes fragile players on the field,” the Northern But they collapsed like a house of three goals. The important thing was to in three seasons. central defensive partnership once the Irishman said. “Hindsight is a great thing - cards as Palace hit back with three goals win and we didn’t do that.” As a result of In both games, Liverpool’s chase for lead was established. “He should proba- to have brought on Daniel Agger to in just over nine minutes, one from that decision-making, Liverpool’s long goals, allied to poor defending across the bly have gone with a back three because shore it up, yeah, but then they scored Damien Delaney and two from Dwight wait for a 19th English title will almost back, cost them dearly. They were not Mamadou Sakho and Martin Skrtl defi- again to make it 3-3.” Steve Claridge, Gayle, who hit the killer equaliser in the certainly extend to a quarter of century, isolated tactical lapses. The stats speak nitely need help because the record another former Premier League player 88th minute. That collapse and the while City will celebrate their fourth next for themselves. Liverpool have scored 99 shows their partnership is not good now a media pundit, could not hide his defeat to Chelsea came after an 11- weekend.—Reuters City primed to thrash Cerezo JEONJU: Defending champion Guangzhou equalized in the 30th, scored twice finally seal Evergrande thrashed 5-1 in a within four minutes to make it 3-1 before show of force to kick off the knockout halftime. China striker Gao made it 4-1 in rounds of the Asian Champions League the 78th and finished off with six the deal in yesterday, while three-time winner Pohang minutes remaining with a goal from close Steelers had a 2-1 comeback win at K- range. In a South Korean derby featuring hectic season League rival Jeonbuk. two former Asian champions, Jeonbuk Marcello Lippi’s Evergrande lineup has opened the scoring with Lee Jae-sung’s LONDON: The most unpredictable Premier League title an enormous advantage ahead of the header in the 53rd minute but Son Jun-ho race for years could still offer up another twist or turn return match in China next week, with pro- equalized five minutes later. before it is decided on Sunday but in a season of gression to the quarterfinals almost certain Go Moo-yul’s strike in the 74th-minute shocks, none would be as monumental as table-top- after the lopsided result in Osaka. Elkeson gave the Steelers the narrow win and a psy- ping Liverpool going on to be crowned champions. and Muriqui each scored twice for the chological edge at home next week with a Liverpool may be the league leaders with just a powerhouse and spot in the quarterfinals at stake. Pohang is home match against Newcastle to play but for once the added another, while Italy interna- aiming for its sixth quarterfinals appear- old clichÈ that “the table never lies” is wrong, as tional Alessandro Diamanti was instrumen- ance in the continental championship, and Manchester City are just a point adrift with two relative- tal in creating attack opportunities for a record fourth title. In second-round ly routine home fixtures remaining. Elkeson Evergrande. Muriqui ran onto a Diamanti matches in the western zone late yesterday, Even though City still need four points to guarantee pass to score the first goal in the 22nd Al Jazira takes on Al Ain and Al-Ittihad is a second title in three years, Liverpool manager minute and, after Ariajasuru Hasegawa against Al Shabab. —AP Brendan Rodgers conceded defeat in the race on Monday after his side blew a three-goal cushion with 11 minutes to play in a 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace. The lead at the top of the table has changed hands 24 times this season and it is likely to do so for the 25th TACK-Huawei XI jersey unveiled and final time on Wednesday when City meet Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium with the title now firmly in their grasp. At various times this season, if only for one for Desert Premier League in UAE day in Tottenham Hotspur’s case and two in Manchester United’s, City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have also topped the table, with the top spot occupied by three different teams on some weekends. Champions United led for two days in the first week but David Moyes’s troubled reign soon unravelled and they dropped out of the race early to spend the season among the also-rans. Spurs had one day on top in September but fell off the pace and jettisoned coach Andre Villas-Boas. Arsenal had three months in pole position, but flattered to deceive and could not cope with a series of injuries to key players. Two points behind Liverpool and still mathematical- ly in the title race, Chelsea have dropped 15 points since the end of January, including defeats to Aston Villa, Sunderland and Crystal Palace to leave City firmly in control.

FATAL BLOWS City were never completely out of contention but appeared to suffer near-fatal blows when they lost at home to Chelsea at the beginning of February and at Liverpool last month. However, the Premier League’s biggest spenders always had goals to spare and match- es in hand to revive their challenge as soon as their KUWAIT: rivals slipped. While Liverpool are currently top on 81 Teams Association for Cricket in Kuwait (TACK) and along with the Senior Marketing Executive, Faraz Rana. The The TACK-HUAWEI squad is going to be led by Zahid Khan points ahead of their season finale at Anfield, City also MG Cricket Club came together earlier this year to raise the director of marketing thanked all the media personnel for (Captain of Paradise XI) with Khalid Butt (Safety Plus Dashers) have the added insurance of a far superior goal differ- standard of domestic Cricket in Kuwait by providing the best turning up and supporting this grand initiative for the game named as the vice captain of the team. Mahmoud Abdullah is ence. If City beat Aston Villa on Wednesday they will facilities and maximum exposure to domestic players like of cricket in Kuwait. going to manage the side with Rishi Jayan being named as only need to take a point from their final game against never before. In order to live up to that promise, TACK is fly- The presentation party included all the TACK officials his deputy. West Ham United to clinch a fourth English title. ing their team to the neighboring UAE where it’s participat- along with the senior most management of Huawei. Mr. Melwyn has been announced as the liason officer of the It is almost inconceivable they will self-destruct as ing in the biggest domestic cricket tournament in the GCC Mahmoud Abdullah, a well known Kuwaiti businessman and squad with Jubin as the tournament co-coordinator. The Liverpool did on Monday, a capitulation which left talis- which is now famously known as the Desert Premier League the Patron-in-Chief of TACK, thanked the Huawei team (Xix composition of TACK-HUAWEI XI squad ranges from hard hit- manic striker Luis Suarez in tears and his team mates (DPL). Miao, Maoyunhua & Awais Sheikh) for their valuable support ting batsmen to composed maneuverers of the ball, from fin- slumped on the pitch, staring into the middle distance In this pioneering endeavor TACK is being backed by the that is going to change the way the game of cricket is per- ger spinners to wristy turners of the ball, from pace men who after the final whistle. Chinese Telecommunication Global Giant Huawei. Huawei’s ceived in Kuwait. hit the deck real hard to bowlers who can swing the ball in Neither the players, nor most of the 25,000 fans at relationship with TACK goes back to the historic 4 Nations TACK marketing team had come out all guns blazing as far and out in most conditions. Selhurst Park could believe what they had witnessed - a Festival (15th Nov 2013) where Huawei was one of the key as the branding for TACK-Huawei team was concerned. The Adnan Idrees (Petrofac), Adnan Mehmood (Paradise), Ali kind of mirror image of Liverpool’s famous comeback Corporate sponsors and believed in TACK’s vision. TACK- biggest highlight of the evening i.e. introducing TACK- Shahzad (Safety Plus), Faizal Bhai (Amec), Imran Ali (Aroma) against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final in HUAWEI’s solid rapport was on display once again on HUAWEI XI squad to the media, was not a mundane and dull Farooq Shareef (Safety Plus), Mohammad Asghar (Petrofac), Istanbul. Then they trailed 3-0 at half-time but inspired Saturday 3rd May 2014, at a unique press conference con- reading out names of the players kind of introduction Mohammad Hassan Arif (Aroma), Muhammad Kashif by skipper Steven Gerrard, scored three goals “in six ducted in TACK Entertainment City Cricket Ground - Doha to instead, the brilliance and creativity of TACK was on display (Aroma), Raheel Khan Khalil (Napesco), Rizwan Ali Syed minutes of madness” as then-Milan coach Carlo unveil the official team jersey of TACK-HUAWEI XI for DPL-2, once again as the introduction turned into ramp modelling (Aroma), Sasi Kumarpandiyan (Safety Plus), Usman Gani (wk - Ancelotti famously described it, to level the game at 3-3 and to present the final squad of TACK-HUAWEI XI to various with each player being called onto the stage individually, Amec) and Yasir Idrees Butt (Safety Plus) form the 16 men before winning the penalty shootout to become leading media channels of Kuwait. shaking hands with the eminent guests, doing a catwalk and squad along with the captain and vice captain. Usman European champions for the fifth time. The press conference was a flashy event with the leading ending it with a signature cricketing gesture to the media. DJ Waheed from Aroma and Rizwan from Al Sahil have been television, print and online media channels present to cap- flames, a renowned name in the music fraternity of Kuwait named the reserves / standby for this highly competitive SOARING EAGLE ture unforgettable moments for cricket lovers in Kuwait. For belted out his tunes in the background while players were squad. On Monday, they led Palace 3-0 with 11 minutes to Huawei, it was another feather in their already decorated hat walking the ramp. TACK-IIK Children’s Cricket Academy proteges were also play following goals from Joe Allen, Daniel Sturridge as they have a long history of backing and supporting vari- While each individual player was on the stage, loud among the attendees and their excitement was clearly visible and Suarez. Selhurst Park is no place for the faint-heart- ous sporting activities, brands and events. From the big foot- cheers by the rest of the team members to pump their team as they too would be hoping to represent TACK XI or their ed, though, where the club’s trained eagle mascot flies ball clubs like Atheletico Madrid and PSG to recently debut- mate clearly showed the perfect harmony created within the home country in an international tournament like DPL. from one end of the pitch to the other before kick-off. ing in cricket as Royal Challengers Bangalore’s principal spon- squad by Coach Ghayour Ahmed who was also present to TACK has taken some giant leaps already in 2014 with Palace fans have forged a great reputation as the sors for IPL 2014, Huawei has never shied away from putting witness these unforgettable moments. TACK-MG merger, successful completion of their grand noisiest, most boisterous and among the most passion- its corporate muscle behind innovative and exciting projects. TACK- HUAWEI squad is scheduled to depart on the 12th domestic finals last month and now bringing Huawei aboard ate in any of England’s top four divisions, and even The press conference was kick started by the Marketing of May with their first official game in Emirates to be played for DPL; TACK has been getting bigger and better with each when their team was trailing 3-0 they never stopped Director of TACK, Sajid Ashraf who conducted the ceremony on the 13th of May at The Sevens Cricket ground in Dubai. passing year since its inception in 2009. cheering them on. Suddenly Palace responded with a deflected strike from Damien Delaney and two more from substitute Dwight Gayle as the shaky Liverpool defence caved in. Palace have rained on Liverpool’s parade once before, in an FA Cup semi-final in 1990, when after los- ing twice to the Reds in the league campaign, one of them 9-0, they secured a famous 4-3 win after extra- time with Alan Pardew scoring the winner.—Reuters

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Man City v Aston Villa 21:45 BeIN SPORTS 9 HD Spanish League Valladolid v Real Madrid 22:00 BeIN SPORTS 2 BeIN SPORTS 2 HD