Indonesia Coba Akhiri 'Kutukan' Gajah Putih

VIVAnews - Thailand menjadi musuh bebuyutan Indonesia di pentas SEA Games. Tim Gajah Putih acap kali merepotkan langkah Indonesia sejak multievent olahraga terakbar se-Asia Tenggara ini digelar pada 1977.

Sejauh ini, rekor pertemuan kedua tim di SEA Games masih berpihak kepada Thailand. Dari 16 kali pertemuan, Indonesia hanya mampu menang sebanyak 3 kali. Dua pertemuan berakhir dengan hasil imbang. Sedangkan sisanya dimenangkan Thailand.

Anehnya, saat berada satu grup dengan Thailand di babak penyisihan, Indonesia selalu kesulitan melaju ke semifinal. Dari enam kali kedua tim berada satu grup, Indonesia hanya mampu lolos ke semifinal sebanyak dua kali saja.

Pertama terjadi pada SEA Games 1979. Saat itu, Indonesia kalah 1-3 di babak penyisihan, namun tetap melaju hingga ke final. Di babak play-off menuju final, Indonesia menang 3-1 lewat adu penalti setelah di babak normal bemain 0-0.

Selanjutnya, Indonesia juga sukses melewati hadangan Thailand di SEA Games 1987. Saat itu, Indonesia bermain imbang 0-0 di penyisihan Grup B. Di babak final, Indonesia mengalahkan Malaysia dengan skor tipis 1-0.

Pada SEA Games 2011, Indonesia kembali satu grup dengan Thailand. Kedua tim akan bertemu di Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno (SUGBK), Senayan, Minggu malam, 13 November 2011.

Langkah Tim Merah Putih kali ini lebih mulus dari Thailand. Pasukan Rahmad Darmawan sukses merebut dua kemenangan beruntun yakni atas Kamboja 6-0 dan Singapura 2-0.

Thailand boleh dikatakan kurang beruntung. Di laga perdana, pasukan Prapol Pongpanich menyerah 1-2 dari juara bertahan Malaysia. Sedangkan di laga kedua, Thailand berhasil bangkit dan mengalahkan Kamboja dengan skor telak 4-0.

"Tidak ada yang berubah dengan kekuatan Thailand. Mereka merupakan tim yang solid dan pintar dalam memainkan ritme, baik dalam menyerang maupun bertahan. Ini yang harus dicermati anak-anak," kata RD, Sabtu 12 November 2011.

Dengan mengantongi dua kemenangan, duel dini lawan Thailand memang bukanlah partai hidup mati bagi Indonesia. Pasalnya, kegagalan masih bisa ditebus Patrich Wanggai dan kawan-kawan saat bertemu Malaysia di pertandingan terakhir grup.

Namun, Rahmad tak ingin berspekulasi. Mantan asisten pelatih timnas senior itu berharap pasukannya bisa segera mengamankan tiket menuju semifinal. Caranya, dengan memetik kemenangan dalam pertarungan melawan Tim Gajah Putih.

Tak ingin kecolongan, Rahmad pun mengumpulkan setiap informasi mengenai tim Thailand. Bahkan, mantan pelatih Persija Jakarta, Persipura Jayapura dan Sriwijaya FC itu, tidak melewatkan dua laga Gajah Putih di SEA Games 2011.

"Saya tidak lagi mengumpulkan data mengenai Thailand, tapi saya sudah menyaksikan mereka bermain di dua laga sebelumnya. Mereka masih tim bagus," beber Rahmad.

Menghadapi Thailand, Garuda Muda kembali tanpa Stevie Bonsapia. Pemain Persipura Jayapura itu masih menjalani pemulihan usai menderita penyakit lambung, Selasa lalu.

Selain Stevie, kondisi pemain Papua lainnya, Titus Bonai yang sudah mengoleksi dua gol juga masih tanda tanya. Pasalnya, Tibo menderita demam dan tidak bisa mengikuti sesi latihan Sabtu, 12 November 2011.

Beruntung, cedera yang menimpa Patrich Wanggai tidak terlalu parah. Pemain Persidafon Dafonsoro yang telah mengoleksi tiga gol itu hanya mengalami memar seusai berbenturan dengan pemain Singapura, Jumat 11 November 2011.

Sementara itu, Thailand juga sudah siap tempur. Dengan koleksi satu kemenangan dari dua laga, Gajah Putih juga mamatok target poin penuh saat bertemu Indonesia.

"Kami harus meraih kemenangan, karena hasil imbang mungkin belum cukup untuk meraih tiket ke semifinal,” kata manajer Thailand, Kasem Jariyawatwong.

Kasem juga menambahkan, timnya sudah siap tampil all out meski Indonesia akan dibantu oleh pemain ke-12. "Kami akan bermain menghadapi kerumunan suporter dalam stadion. Namun, saya rasa para pemain mampu mengontrol emosi mereka,” tuturnya.

Rekor Pertemuan Indonesia vs Thailand di SEA Games
1977Semifinal: Indonesia kalah setelah wasit menghentikan laga di menit 60

1979Penyisihan Grup B
Indonesia vs Thailand 1-3
Play off ke final
Indonesia vs Thailand 0-0 (3-1)

1981Semifinal: Indonesia vs Thailand 0-2

1983Penyisihan Grup B
Indonesia vs Thailand 0-5

1985Semifinal: Indonesia vs Thailand 0-7

1987 (Indonesia Juara)Penyisihan Grup B
Indonesia vs Thailand 0-0

1989Perebutan Perunggu
Indonesia vs Thailand 1-1 (9-8)

1991Final: Indonesia vs Thailand 0-0 (4-3)

1993Semifinal: Indonesia vs Thailand: 0-1

1995Penyisihan Grup A
Indonesia vs Thailand 1-2

1997Final: Indonesia vs Thailand 1-1 (2-4)

1999tidak bertemu

2001Semifinal: Indonesia vs Thailand: 0-2

2003
Penyisihan Grup A
Indonesia vs Thailand: 0-6

2005
Semifinal: Indonesia vs Thailand 1-3

2007
Penyisihan Grup A
Indonesia vs Thailand: 1-2

2009
Gagal lolos grup B, posisi paling buncit
• VIVAnews

Messi scores hat trick in 5-0 Barcelona win

MADRID (AP)—Lionel Messi ended a brief goalless run with his 13th career hat trick as Barcelona beat Mallorca 5-0 on Saturday, while Real Madrid provisionally moved top of the table after a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad.

Messi’s goal drought of three matches had raised eyebrows in Spain, but the Argentina forward left no doubts over his form by taking his season tally to 19 goals inside half an hour. Isaac Cuenca and Daniel Alves added second-half goals at the Camp Nou.
“It seems crazy to me to say that I’m in a crisis after just three games without a goal,” Messi said. “There’s no pressure as long as the team keeps winning.”

Gonzalo Higuain’s ninth-minute goal proved enough at the Anoeta Stadium for Madrid to end October with a perfect record and lead with 25 points from 10 games, one better than defending champion Barcelona and two more than Levante, which can return to the top Sunday with a victory at Osasuna.

Villarreal prepared for its must-win Champions League match against Manchester City on Wednesday with a 2-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano to end an eight-game winless run, while Valencia stayed in touch of the leaders with a 3-1 win over Getafe.
Messi left himself one goal shy of 200 by converting a 13th-minute penalty after Emilio Nsue handled from Barcelona fullback Adriano inside the area.
Cuenca’s cross took came off Adriano to fall rigth to Messi at the far post, the Argentine only having to open his right foot to redirect the ball into goal for 2-0 in the 21st.
Alves then sent a perfect long ball into the area for Messi to guide home with his left foot for his second hat trick of the season, which put him second on Barcelona’s all-time league top scorers’ list with 132.
Cuenca blasted a shot over goalkeeper Dudu Aouate into the roof of goal in the 50th for his first goal in his second senior start.
After Messi headed an Alves cross just wide and touched the crossbar from a free kick, Alves got in on the scoring act in stoppage time as the Brazil fullback unleashed a long-range drive that dipped over Aouate into goal under the right corner of the crossbar.
“We rediscovered our scoring touch,” Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said after the club had been restricted to three goals over its past three games.
Barcelona remained unbeaten in 16 games as coach Pep Guardiola relied on youth team player Cuenca and teenage forward Gerard Deulofeu later while leaving Xavi Hernandez out of the team and midfielders Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas on the bench as unused substitutes. Gerard Pique returned from injury to play while Carles Puyol was back after being rested.
Fabio Coentrao played Higuain clear into the area for the Argentina striker to use a short chip over goalkeeper Claudio Bravo for his 10th league goal.
Madrid had outscored opponents 28-3 on the run coming into the game, which also included two European victories. But it saw its chances limited by Sociedad’s defense, which was particularly effective in limiting Cristiano Ronaldo.
Sociedad went on the attack in the second half with Madrid keeper Iker Casillas making tough stops on Carlos Vela and substitute Antoine Griezmann to preserve the visitors’ victory.
“This victory shows we’re a well-balanced team, one that knows how to withstand those tougher moments also,” said striker Gonzalo Higuain, who was embraced by Jose Mourinho after the final whistle as the Madrid coach sprinted onto the field to celebrate.
Meanwhile, Villarreal picked up only its second victory in 13 games from a disjointed performance at the El Madrigal stadium, with Bruno heading home in the 20th minute to open the scoring.
Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna had a penalty saved near the close of the half, but the hosts came out after the break with more verve and Borja Valero skirted into the area to score in the 67th to secure points that moved the Yellow Submarine out of the drop zone.
“The team needed and deserved a victory like this,” under fire coach Juan Carlos Garrido said.
Valencia also prepared for a midweek Champions League match with a win that kept it fourth with 21 points.
Sofiane Feghouli scored a pair of goals, including the young Frenchman’s first for Valencia in the 12th to open the scoring with a stinging volley that came off the ground to bounce over goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya into goal.
Ruben Castro replied for Getafe in the 23rd before Feghouli struck again two minutes later, being perfectly placed to shoot home following a goalmouth scramble.
Aritz Aduritz added the third in the 76th ahead of Tuesday’s match against Bayer Leverkusen.

import from: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-spanishroundup

Blue-sky thinking

Banned from bringing banners to the ground, Blackburn supporters are sufficiently resourceful to take to the air. Freedom of speech still exists at altitude. And yet, whatever the merits of their new vantage point, past judgments were being applied to current events. While Kean's record deteriorates - with three wins in 25 league games, he is in greater need of a bailout from the super-rich than the Greek government - Blackburn's displays have improved. The corner may have been turned, in performances if not results, but minds have been made up. For many, Kean cruised past the point of no return. He cannot win a popularity contest; his side, even when performing well, struggle to win a game.
A typically clinical Frank Lampard condemned them to defeat and, in the process, averted a third successive league loss for Chelsea. A wonderfully efficient footballer delivered the decisive touch in what used to be Chelsea's signature scoreline. No longer - this was their maiden 1-0 of the league season and a first clean sheet since the opening game at Stoke - and it represented a triumph of pragmatism, rather than the purism Andre Villas-Boas was supposed to espouse.
But as the Portuguese himself admitted: "We had to suffer a little bit." Petr Cech's suffering was physical as well as mental, the goalkeeper sustaining a suspected broken nose when he, Ashley Cole and Yakubu collided after the striker shot wide.
After seven minutes of treatment on the pitch, Cech carried on. "We asked him at half time and he wanted to continue," Villas-Boas said. "It shows the bravery and the commitment." It was required, too, as Cech denied Yakubu, Morten Gamst Pedersen and Grant Hanley before Branislav Ivanovic headed against his own bar.
"I don't think you can continue to play like that without going on a very, very strong run," Kean said but, after insisting his side played well after poor showings in the past, more reasonable assessments somehow seem less creditable. "We are confident we can climb the table." They need to and Rovers' recent run, against Tottenham, Newcastle and Norwich, has indicated an upturn may be on the horizon for a manager who insisted he did not turn his gaze skyward when the plane circled above Ewood Park.
Chelsea have a greater taste for heights and are unworried how they get there. "It was important to win, no matter what," Villas-Boas said. Of almost equal importance, after Robin van Persie's evisceration of their defence in last week's demolition derby, was to keep a clean sheet.
 The moment Blackburn's beleaguered manager had been awaiting arrived 25 minutes in. "Steve Kean," came the chorus from the Darwen End. "We want you to stay." There was only one slight problem: the ones chanting were Chelsea fans. Their cue? The plane that flew over Ewood Park proclaiming: "Steve Kean out."
It was achieved, albeit awkwardly, after a rethink and a reshuffle. Villas-Boas' back four appeared to be stationed a little nearer their goal and, if the right half of the defence still seems fragile - both Yakubu's chances came from openings fashioned there - there was an added benefit to the manager's tinkerings.
Ivanovic was shifted to full-back where he delivered some enticing crosses before one brought the breakthrough. The Serb's ball in was struck with unexpected expertise with the outside of his right foot. Lampard, plunging forwards, headed it in. "It was a good goal," Villas-Boas added. "The cross from Ivanovic is inch perfect and Frank has found his timing to arrive in the box, like the old days."
Reminders of the past extended beyond the scoreline. This was the sort of result Chelsea specialised in producing when Villas-Boas' duties were confined to scouting the opposition: hard-fought 1-0 wins away from home. It was a blast from their past.
He is expected to bring some blue-sky thinking to a familiar question: how do Chelsea move on into a new era? Kean, a manager staring at a precipitous descent into the Championship, believes things are looking up for Rovers. But pigs, rather than planes, might fly before Blackburn supporters draw up banners and pay for aircraft pronouncing "Steve Kean in".
MAN OF THE MATCH: Frank Lampard. He illustrated his continuing importance to Chelsea with another vital goal. Nothing spectacular apart from that, but he was the epitome of reliability.
BLACKBURN VERDICT: Ewood Park used to be a fortress but with five defeats in six home games - albeit after welcoming Manchester City, Tottenham and now Chelsea to Lancashire - they are in desperate need of a result on their own turf. It helps that more winnable games are coming up and that, with Mauro Formica influential, a younger side are beginning to gel. But they cannot keep a clean sheet, and their profligacy in attack bodes badly.
CHELSEA VERDICT: They remain a work in progress. Fernando Torres was left on the bench for the first half before replacing the ineffectual Florent Malouda, but his troubles continued, the striker missing a gilt-edged chance in injury time. Before then, Daniel Sturridge was granted the opportunity in the role he covets, as the main striker, but he couldn't make the most of it; that Juan Mata had perhaps his poorest Chelsea game hardly helped him. With the limited John Obi Mikel preferred to the promising Oriol Romeu as the midfield anchorman, Villas-Boas opted for conservatism in midfield. On this occasion, it paid off.

Import From: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/980442/jolly:-chelsea-edge-out-blackburn-rovers-at-ewood-park?cc=4716

PSV, Bilbao, Legia Warsaw advance in Europa League

ROME (AP)—Dutch clubs PSV Eindhoven and Twente each advanced to the next round of the Europa League on Thursday, along with Anderlecht, Athletic Bilbao and Legia Warsaw. Meanwhile, Lazio revived its chances and Tottenham fell from first to third in its group.

Also, 2010 winner Atletico Madrid took over top spot in Group I with a 4-0 rout of Udinese, which left home Serie A scoring leader Antonio Di Natale.

Trailing by two goals shortly after the break against Hapoel Tel Aviv, PSV— which won the tournament when it was called the UEFA Cup in 1978—fought back for a 3-3 draw that secured the point it needed to make the last 32.
Ola Toivonen pulled one back for PSV in the 59th minute and Kevin Strootman equalized three minutes from time after Roei Gordana’s 72nd-minute red card reduced Hapoel to 10 men.

PSV leads Group C with 10 points and Warsaw is next with nine after beating Rapid Bucharest 3-1 in a match in which both sides finished with 10 men. Bucharest and Hapoel trail with three and one points, respectively, and were both eliminated.

In a 3-2 win over Danish side Odense, Leroy Fer came off the bench to score the winner with a header in the 82nd for Twente, which also got an own goal from Daniel Hoegh and another score from Denny Landzaat.

Twente leads Group K with 10 points, followed by Fulham with seven and Odense and Wislow Krakow with three each.

Fulham beat Wisla 4-1 in the other group match.

With two rounds of games remaining, Anderlecht maintained the only perfect record in the group stage following a 3-0 shutout of 10-man Sturm Graz in Group L.

Bilbao edged Salzburg 1-0 with a first-half strike from Ander Herrera, stretching the Basque club’s unbeaten streak to nine games in all competitions under former Argentina and Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Bilbao, which next faces Barcelona on Sunday, leads Group F with 10 points. Paris Saint-German moved into second with seven points following a 1-0 win over Slovan Bratislava, as the French club’s ?42 million ($60 million) signing Javier Pastore proved his worth by scoring a 63rd-minute volley through the goalkeeper’s legs. Salzburg trails with four points and Bratislava was eliminated with one point.

Lazio beat FC Zurich 1-0 with midfielder Cristian Brocchi scoring from beyond the area in the 62nd after taking a backheel pass from Djibril Cisse, who replaced Miroslav Klose at halftime.

“This victory came from our hearts,” said Lazio coach Edy Reja. “In the second half we also had chances to make it 2-0 and if we had been slightly more lucid we would have closed the match out. Instead we suffered a bit.”

It was Lazio’s first win in this season’s competition.

“You’ve got to play these matches with maximum intensity,” Reja said. “In Europe no result is easy, and even with today’s victory qualifying won’t be easy. We’ve got to win at Vaslui.”

Sporting Lisbon, which had already advanced, remained atop Group D with nine points despite losing 1-0 to Romania’s Vaslui, which earned its first group stage win. Lazio and Vaslui are next with five points each and Zurich trails with two.

In Russia, Tottenham’s reserves fell 1-0 at Rubin Kazan.

Bebras Natcho scored for Kazan in the 55th with a splendid free kick to snap Tottenham’s 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions. Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki moved atop Group A with a 3-1 win over Shamrock Rovers in Ireland.

PAOK has eight points and Kazan and Tottenham have seven each but Kazan has the edge on goal difference.

Also, Birmingham was held to 2-2 at home by Club Brugge and last season’s runner-up Braga routed Maribor 5-1 to leave Brugge, Birmingham and Braga each level on seven points, while Maribor was eliminated with one point.

In Group E, Stoke moved four points clear with a 2-1 win at Maccabi Tel Aviv thanks to second-half goals from Dean Whitehead and Peter Crouch.

Atletico and Udinese are level with seven points each in Group I, although the Spanish club has the edge on head-to-head goal difference. Celtic is next with five points following a 3-1 win over Rennes, which trails with two.

Import From: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-europaleagueroundup

Manchester City-Queens Park Rangers Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Manchester City are dominating opponents in all competitions, and seem to be especially unstoppable in the Premier League.

Despite being unbeaten and atop the league, manager Roberto Mancini would like to lower some of the expectations.

City look to win an eighth game in a row Saturday when they visit Queens Park Rangers in the first Premier League match.

Manchester City (9-1-0) lead the standings by five points from second-place Manchester United, and hold an astounding 36-8 scoring advantage in league play. They’re also finding success elsewhere, reaching the quarterfinals of the Carling Cup while sitting on the brink of the knockout stage of Champions League.

City’s combined record in those competitions is 13-2-1, and they’ve won seven straight by outscoring opponents 27-6. That includes a 6-1 thumping of neighbours Manchester United in the high profile derby Oct 23.

“It is impossible to score four or five goals every game,” Mancini told the team’s official website. “We cannot do that every week. After the Man United win I don’t want us to think that games will be easy because that kind of game doesn’t exist especially in the Barclays Premier League.

“In every moment a game can change … there has to be total concentration.”

Concentration and goals don’t appear to be an issue for City, who followed last week’s 3-1 win over Wolverhampton in the league with a dominant 3-0 thumping of Spanish side Villarreal in the Champions League.

“We want to play as well as possible, but every game is hard,” Mancini said. “We’ll change some players, but if you want to play at this level that’s what happens.”

Mancini has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, especially at forward as Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero lead the team with 12 and 10 goals, respectively.

Dzeko was rested midweek, while Aguero was used to replace Yaya Toure in the second half after he recorded a brace.

Dzeko has five goals in three games, while Mario Balotelli has scored all of his seven goals in his last seven games.

The mercurial Italian forward scored from the spot against Villarreal, giving him four goals in three road matches.

QPR (3-3-4) have won once in five matches (1-2-2), but that was a stunning 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Loftus Road on Oct. 23. They failed to turn in another upset last weekend, falling 3-1 at Tottenham.

“Manchester City will be a very difficult game, and we have to be realistic,” midfielder Alejandro Faurlin told the team’s official website. “Maybe from these three games, no one expected us to get anything, but we’ve already got three points.

“It’s 11 against 11 and anything can happen on the day.”

Scoring continues to be a problem for Rangers, as they’ve found the net eight times on the season with three coming in five home matches.

They’ve scored more than one goal in just one of 11 total matches, beating Wolves 3-0 on Sept. 17.

Jay Bothroyd got his first goal of the season against Spurs after scoring a career-high 18 with Cardiff City in the Championship last season.

Import From: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=txeplmanchestercityque

Morales and Johnson on US soccer roster

CHICAGO (AP)—German-born defender Alfredo Morales and midfielder Fabian Johnson were among 22 players selected Thursday for the U.S. roster for upcoming games at France and Slovenia and could make their national team debuts.

Morales, a 21-year-old with Hertha Berlin, also is eligible to play for Peru, where his father was born. His father became a U.S. citizen, and Morales holds an American passport. He made his debut for Hertha Berlin last December and can play right back or defensive midfield.

“We are excited to introduce Alfredo Morales to the U.S. team,” coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “I have spoken with his coach at Hertha Berlin and he is full of compliments. He is on the way to being a starter there.”

Johnson, a 23-year-old with Hoffenheim, started for Germany in the final of the Under-21 European Championship two years ago and switched allegiance to the United States in August. He didn’t play in September while awaiting FIFA clearance and missed October exhibitions because of a neck and back injury.

“He’s been getting back into a flow of playing games,” Klinsmann said.

They join fellow German-Americans Timmy Chandler, Jermaine Jones and Danny Williams on the roster, the fourth announced by Klinsmann since he replaced Bob Bradley as coach in July.

The Americans play France at Saint-Denis outside Paris on Nov. 11, then face Slovenia at Ljubljana four days later in a rematch of their meeting in the first round of last year’s World Cup.

Players involved in the MLS Cup final will be allowed to return to their clubs after the game against France.

Forwards Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury were bypassed and will train with the Under-23 team as it prepares for Olympic qualifying.

“Both right now are in a challenging position with the full team because of players ahead of them,” Klinsmann said. “Our thought is that if they are not in the starting lineup for us, this is a great opportunity to get an introduction with the Under-23 team. … It’s a good message to Juan and Teal that this is your age group, and they can now be challenged in different ways.”

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Tim Howard (Everton, England)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg, Germany), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Clarence Goodson (Brondby, Denmark), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis, Mexico), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona, Italy), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim, Germany), Jermaine Jones (Schalke, Germany), Robbie Rogers (Columbus), Brek Shea (Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim, Germany)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (AZ Aklmaar, Netherlands), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla, Mexico), Edson Buddle (Ingolstadt, Germany), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles)

import from: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-usroster

Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Slovan Bratislava: Solitary Pastore strike hands Ligue 1 leaders vital Group F victory

Paris Saint-Germain took a step closer to the knockout stages of the Europa League thanks to Javier Pastore’s 63rd minute strike that settled its Group F encounter versus Slovan Bratislava at Parc des Princes.

Despite the French side enjoying the lion’s share of opportunities, Bratislava failed to convert several chances in what was an open contest. Mathieu Bodmer was guilty of squandering a guilt-edged opening to make the scoreline more respectable for the Ligue 1 leaders, but Pastore's goal proved enough to edge PSG closer to progression.

Keepers Nicolas Douchez and Lukas Hrosso were kept relatively busy by both teams in the opening half hour with mostly long-range shots peppering their respective goals.

PSG winger Nene spent much of the night tormenting the visitors, with several powerful left-footed shots from open play and set pieces. At the other end, Marko Milinkovic nearly saw his team get on the scoresheet first, but instead forced a good save from Douchez just before the hour mark.

Not to be outdone, Douchez's opposite number Hroso also showed his athletic ability by parrying a fierce right-footed piledriver from Jeremy Menez.

A few minutes later, though, PSG made the breakthrough. Pastore struck a beautiful left cross from Nene through the legs of Hrosso to lift the Parisian crowd.

Hrosso and co tried to hang on and the Slovakian was forced into action more than once to keep the score down, and in the end the French hosts had to settle for a solitary goal victory.

Antoine Kombouare’s side are now unbeaten at home in 18 European matches (11 wins, seven draws) and trail Group F leaders Athletic Bilbao, who defeated Salzburg in the section's other fixture.

import from: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=goal-parissaintgermainslovanbrat

Golf-McIlroy within touching distance of $2 mln first prize

Oct 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy hit a
blemish-free round of seven-under 65 to open a three-shot lead
at the top in the $5 million Shanghai Masters on Saturday.

The Northern Irishman did exactly what he wanted on the Lake
Malaren course in Shanghai, designed by Jack Nicklaus, to get
within touching distance of the $2 million first prize in the
event.

"I knew I had to play good golf today if I want to win the
golf tournament. No bogeys and seven birdies, that's what you
want to do when you are leading," the mop-haired McIlroy told
reporters after his round.

"I set myself a target to get to 18 under today and that's
what I did so I'm very happy with the outcome."

American Anthony Kim hit eight birdies but a bogey on the
last hole meant a three-shot gap between him and McIlroy.

Thirty players are fighting for the first prize of $2
million in the inaugural event, which is not sanctioned by a
major tour and does not have world-ranking points.

(Writing by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Dave
Thompson; to query or comment on this story, email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

import from: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=reu-asiashanghai

Dutch Football Results

AMSTERDAM (AP) -- Results from the 11th round of the Dutch first division (home
teams listed first):
Friday's Game
NAC Breda 3, VVV-Venlo 1
Saturday's Games
Roda JC 0, Ajax 4
Excelsior Rotterdam 1, RKC Waalwijk 0
SC Heerenveen 4, ADO The Hague 0
FC Twente 2, PSV Eindhoven 2
Sunday's Games
De Graafschap vs. Vitesse Arnhem
FC Groningen vs. Feyenoord
NEC Nijmegen vs. FC Utrecht
Heracles Almelo vs. AZ Alkmaar
Friday, Nov. 4
VVV Venlo vs. Excelsior Rotterdam
Saturday, Nov. 5
NAC Breda vs. Vitesse Arnhem
RKC Waalkwijk vs. FC Groningen
Roda JC vs. SC Heerenveen
Feyenoord vs. NEC Nijmegen
Sunday, Nov. 6=
FC Utrecht vs. Ajax
FC Twente vs. De Graafschap
AZ Alkmaar vs. ADO The Hague
PSV Eindhoven vs. Heracles Almelo

import from: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-dutchresults

PSG beats Caen 4-2 to stay top in French league

PARIS (AP)—Paris Saint-Germain beat 10-man Caen 4-2 Saturday to keep a three-point lead over Montpellier in the French league.

Defender Thomas Heurtaux headed in a corner in the 12th minute to give Caen the lead, but PSG midfielder Nene leveled in the 20th by converting a penalty after Benjamin Nivet had fouled him and was sent off.

PSG striker Kevin Gameiro cut the ball back for Jeremy Menez who tucked home for a 2-1 lead in the 55th. Nene made it 3-1 with another penalty in the 76th following a foul by Nicolas Seube on Gameiro.

Jerry Vandam cut PSG’s lead to 3-2 by heading in a corner in the 82nd before Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore sealed the win with a diagonal shot in the 88th.

“The most important thing tonight was to earn a sixth straight win (in the league) and keep the lead with a three-point margin,” Nene told the club’s website. “After a disappointing first half, we managed to stay focused and finish strong.”

Montpellier kept pace with the leader by beating Nancy 2-0 with second-half goals from Olivier Giroud and Souleymane Camara.

Also Saturday, it was: Lyon 2, Saint-Etienne 0; Brest 3, Lorient 1; Evian 3, Auxerre 1; Dijon 2, Marseille 3; Ajaccio 0, Bordeaux 2.

In Montpellier, Giroud notched his eighth goal this season from a tight angle to put the hosts ahead in the 61st and tie Gameiro as the top scorer in the league. Camara converted a cross from Benjamin Stambouli to add a second goal in the 74th.

It was a heated Rhone derby in Lyon where the hosts were down to 10 men when fullback Mouhamadou Dabo, who replaced Aly Cissokho at halftime, was red-carded in the 52nd for a violent tackle on Romania midfielder Banel Nicolita.

But Lyon winger Jimmy Briand scored in the 81st with a header after the Saint-Etienne defense failed to clear a corner. Playmaker Yoann Gourcuff put the game out of reach with a chip in the first minute of stoppage time.

“The red card was maybe logical but we remained united,” Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris said. “We gave our everything and managed to open the scoring on a set piece. That was perfect.”

In Brest, Guinea striker Larsen Toure headed home a cross from Eden Ben Basat to put the hosts ahead in the 4th before midfielder Bruno Grougi played a one-two with Mario Licka and fired home a low drive from the edge of the box in the 35th.

Grougi then converted a spot kick to make it 3-0 in the 43rd following a foul on Nolan Roux. Lorient defender Bruno Ecuele Manga scored a consolation goal in the 54th from close range.

Yannick Sagbo opened the scoring for Evian in the 15th with an assist from Cedric Barbosa. Sagbo was again set up by Barbosa to find the net in the 42nd. Barbosa then beat goalkeeper Olivier Sorin in the 69th for a 3-0 lead.

Poland international Dariusz Dudka scored Auxerre’s lone goal in the 71st with a penalty.

Marseille earned a second straight win in the league for the first time this season to climb to the middle of the table, 14 points behind PSG.

Dijon rallied from a two-goal deficit but could not prevent Marseille substitute Alou Diarra from scoring the winner by heading home a free kick from Mathieu Valbuena in the 82nd.

Marseille midfielder Charles Kabore fed Loic Remy who slipped the ball past goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet after 19 seconds for the fastest goal this season. Benoit Cheyrou curled home a free kick to make it 2-0 in the 11th.

Dijon came back with a spectacular volley from striker Brice Jovial in the 46th and a header from Benjamin Corgnet in the 63rd.

“We must really avoid to have such a big scare,” Remy told the club’s website. “We managed to react but we must put the result beyond doubt more quickly and not repeat that kind of mistake.

“It’s our first victory on the road, that’s good for our confidence. We’ve started a small streak. Let’s hope it will continue because we need it to narrow the gap with the top teams.”

Bordeaux moved out of the relegation zone, five points clear of last-place Ajaccio. Forward Yoan Gouffran gave Bordeaux the victory by sliding in a pass from Nicolas Maurice-Belay in the 25th and volleying home in the 29th.

On Sunday, defending champion Lille travels to Valenciennes, Toulouse hosts Rennes and Nice faces Sochaux.

import from: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-frenchroundup

Barca hat-trick for Messi, Real go top

* Higuain earns Real 1-0 win at Real Sociedad

* Messi treble helps Barca swamp Mallorca 5-0 (Recasts after Real win)

MADRID, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi rattled in a 17-minute hat-trick as Barcelona swept aside Real Mallorca 5-0 on Saturday while Real Madrid went top of La Liga with a 1-0 win at Real Sociedad.

World Player of the Year Messi has not been at his best in recent games, failing to score in three outings, but made up for lost time with a first-half treble at the Nou Camp that took his league tally this season to 13.

Barca youngster Isaac Cuenca and Dani Alves wrapped up the scoring in the second half to leave the champions second with 24 points from 10 games, one behind leaders Real.

Gonzalo Higuain broke the offside trap to give Jose Mourinho’s in-form Real Madrid a ninth-minute lead in San Sebastian but the team that netted 28 times in their previous seven matches were denied another hefty win by the battling Basques.

Levante, who have dropped to third with 23 points, can reclaim top spot with an eighth consecutive victory at Osasuna on Sunday. (Reporting by Mark Elkington, editing by Tony Jimenez; To query or comment on this story email: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

import from: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=reu-spain_pix

Fer’s 1st goal earns Twente 2-2 draw against PSV

AMSTERDAM (AP) -- Leroy Fer's first goal for FC Twente salvaged his side a 2-2
draw against PSV Eindhoven Saturday.
Douglas put Twente in front in the 10th, sliding in Ola John's corner. PSV
hit back with a goal a minute later when Zakaria Labyad converted Georginio
Wijnaldrum's cross.
Marcelo made it 2-1 for PSV in the 64th before John played in Fer to level
for PSV in the 78th.
PSV and Twente are tied in the second place with 22 points, three behind
leader AZ Alkmaar, which travels to Heracles Almelo Sunday.
Also Saturday, Theo Janssen inspired Ajax to a 4-0 win over Roda JC. Janssen
set up Christian Eriksen for the opening goal after six minutes before netting
the second in the 50th.
Jody Lukoki then scored his first goal of the season in the 57th off a
header before Lorenzo Ebecilio added a fourth five minutes from time.
Bas Dost hit a hat trick as SC Heerenveen hammered ADO The Hague 4-0.
Luciano Narsingh opened scoring in the 43rd before Dost's second half hat trick.
Ard van Peppen scored in the 17th as Excelsior Rotterdam earned its first
win of the season with a 1-0 win over RKC Waalwijk.

import from:http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-dutchroundup

Juventus heap more misery on Inter

(Adds quotes)

* Marchisio scores winner for unbeaten Juve

* Struggling Inter suffer fifth defeat of the season

* Ibrahimovic brace sees off fading Roma


ROME, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Leaders Juventus piled more misery
on Serie A rivals Inter Milan after winning a frantic "Derby of
Italy" 2-1 on Saturday.

With all the goals coming in the first half, Claudio
Marchisio got the winner after Maicon's 28th-minute piledriver
had cancelled out Mirko Vucinic's early strike.

The result leaves unbeaten Juventus two points clear of AC
Milan ahead of Sunday's programme with a fifth defeat in nine
games leaving struggling Inter fifth from bottom.

Champions AC Milan went second after Zlatan Ibrahimovic
struck twice in a 3-2 win at Roma, while Catania moved to sixth
with a 2-1 defeat of 10-man Napoli.

Juventus coach Antonio Conte said he was relieved his club
still topped the standings.

"We are making big steps and it's very satisfying to come to
the San Siro and win against a team who started the season as
favourites," he told Sky Sports channel.

"It was a very intense game, our third game in a week, but
we still need to improve and be a bit more clinical to finish
off matches."

Inter coach Claudio Ranieri, who has now suffered three
Serie A defeats since taking over from Gian Piero Gasperini in
September, said he would not pay any attention to the table
before adding: "We are not in the best shape physically while
they are very fit... they scored with their only two chances."

Juventus struck first on 12 minutes as Vucinic slammed the
ball high into the net after Luca Castellazzi had saved
Alessandro Matri's close-range effort from Stephan
Lichtsteiner's cross.

The dangerous Matri came close to doubling the lead twice in
the next three minutes, flashing a cross-shot just wide of
target before Castellazzi blocked another break from the Italian
as Inter's defence was run ragged.

The home side weathered the storm and Maicon equalised on 28
minutes, surprising Buffon at the near post with an angled
strike that took a slight deflection before flying into the top
corner.

Galvanised by the goal, Pazzini thundered a header against
the bar from Maicon's cross but it was Juventus who regained the
lead on 33 minutes when the talented Marchisio hit a low shot
into the corner after playing a delightful one-two with Matri on
the edge of the box.

Inter pressed for an equaliser but with Dutch playmaker
Wesley Sneijder strangely out of range, it was Juventus who
created more openings.

Alessandro Del Piero, thrown on for the last few minutes,
shot weakly wide after being sent clean through with four
minutes to go but the 27-times champions kept the hosts at bay.

At the Stadio Olimpico, Ibrahimovic headed home Alberto
Aquilani crosses in the 17th and 78th minutes as the Rossonero
claimed their fourth successive win.

In an action packed opening period, Nicolas Burdisso had
equalised for Roma on 28 minutes before Alessandro Nesta
restored Milan's lead with a copycat header at a corner two
minutes later. Bojan Krkic scored a 87th-minute consolation for
the home side.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri, who was dismissed for
using abusive language in the latter stages of the match along
with Kevin-Prince Boateng, praised striker Ibrahimovic's
contribution.

"Ibra was huge - he played a wonderful game as did
[Christian] Abbiati," Allegri told Italy's Sky Sport channel.
"It's an important win against one of the title challengers, and
nice to savour victory at the place where we won the scudetto
last season."

In Sicily, Napoli were beaten 2-1 at Catania with goals from
Giovanni Marchese and Gonzalo Bergessio helping the hosts to a
comeback win after Edinson Cavani's first-minute strike.

import from: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=reu-italy_pix

Portuguese Football Results

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Results from the ninth round of Portugal's
first-division football league (home teams listed first):
Friday's Game
    FC Porto 3, Pacos Ferreira 0
Saturday's Games
    Benfica 2, Olhanense 1
    Academica 0, Braga 0
Sunday's Games
    Feirense vs. Sporting
    Leiria vs. Setubal
    Nacional vs. Beira-Mar
    Guimaraes vs. Rio Ave
Monday's Game
    Gil Vicente vs. Maritimo

import from: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-portugueseresults