Van der Sar set to retire at end of season

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson expects goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to retire at the end of the season.
The 40-year-old Dutchman has featured 19 times this season, helping United reach the Premier League summit and the Champions League knockout phase.

But Ferguson said Thursday that “we are planning for this being his last season.”
Van der Sar has won three Premier League titles and the Champions League since arriving in 2005 from Fulham and has a contract until the end of this season.
There could still be a coaching role for Van der Sar at United in the future.
Ferguson says that “We have not discussed it, but Edwin is a player who would be of interest in terms of his knowledge and standing in the game.”

Inter working out details to fire Benitez

Inter Milan officials are meeting with Rafa Benitez’s agent to figure out how they can dismiss the manager.
Club president Massimo Moratti has apparently already decided he wants to fire Benitez, but the club needs to work out the details of his contract, which isn’t due to expire until the end of next season.

Italian media widely report that Benitez’s agent Manuel Garcia Quillon was meeting Thursday with three top Inter officials, plus the club’s lawyer, Angelo Capellini.
Benitez guided Inter to the Club World Cup title last weekend, but the European champion is languishing in seventh place in Serie A, 13 points behind city rival AC Milan.
Moratti has reportedly already decided to hire former AC Milan manager Leonardo to lead the club beginning in January.

Ronaldo hat trick as Real Madrid routs Levante 8-0

Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema had three goals each to lead Real Madrid to an 8-0 rout of Levante on Wednesday night in the first leg of the fifth round of Spain’s Copa del Rey.
Ronaldo scored in the 45th, 72nd and 74th minutes, raising his season total to 25 goals in 24 matches in all competitions for Madrid this season.
Benzema connected in the sixth, 32nd and 70th minutes, and Mesut Oezil and Pedro Leon also scored. The second leg of the total-goals series is at Levante on Jan. 5.

Controversial Benitez shows up in Liverpool

The bizarre saga of Rafa Benitez and Inter Milan is soccer’s most-compelling current soap opera, and the most outrageous plot twist of all could be yet to come.
Benitez is on the verge of being fired by Inter after a series of disputes which came to a head when he criticized owner Massimo Moratti in a public rant last weekend. Inter sent Benitez a message on Monday to inform his actions were a breach of contract, and are currently trying to negotiate a reduced payoff figure before officially firing him.
While the storm of acrimony swirls, Benitez has taken the extraordinary step of uprooting himself from Milan and returning to his former home in Liverpool. Benitez was fired as Liverpool boss at the end of last season, and there is no coincidence about the timing or location of the place he has sought sanctuary from the controversy brewing in Italy.

 With Liverpool having endured a desperate start to the season under new head coach Roy Hodgson, Benitez would love to return to the Anfield hot-seat if the Englishman was sacked. By arriving on the doorstep, it turns up the heat on Hodgson even more.

“It would be surprising,” said Hodgson, when asked if he saw Benitez as a threat to his position. “If he was the right man, then it would have been wiser not to let him go and then bring him back six months later.
“This job will always have people linked with it. When you occupy one of the top jobs in the country, it would be very strange if other people were not linked with your job. I’m sure there are people who are very envious of my position.”
But perhaps Hodgson has more to worry about than he thinks. It didn’t take long for word to get out that Benitez was in town, and banners begging the Spaniard to return to Anfield soon sprung up both outside the club and his own home.
Polls of Liverpool fans expressed strong support for a Benitez comeback, even though he only left six months ago following a deeply disappointing campaign.
This has truly become an extraordinary situation. Benitez’s anti-Moratti rant was incredible and, according to some, utterly crazy. Turning up at Liverpool is shameless and unfair on Hodgson, who is suffering through some desperately tough times.
Make no mistake, Benitez is making a symbolic move by heading back to the north-west of England. He isn’t there for the weather (currently under a heavy blanket of snow) or for the peace and quiet. He wants his old job back.
Liverpool spent the early part of the season in crisis, and even dipped briefly into the relegation zone before rebounding slightly to sit in ninth place in the English Premier League. Hodgson has found it tough to win over the Liverpool fans, and some of his signings (especially defender Paul Konchesky) have not gone down well.
That situation doesn’t mean Benitez is going to waltz straight back through the Anfield doors, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from cranking into overdrive.
In the meantime, in Italy, there is this most unusual form of status. To all intents and purposes, Benitez is no longer Inter manager. He knows it, Moratti knows it and so does the soccer public.
But with neither side wanting to give any financial ground this thing could keep on rumbling for a while. Most twists to come? Don’t bet against it.

NFL closer to a ruling on Favre investigation

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is close to announcing whether the league will punish Brett Favre(notes) for sending inappropriate photos and phone messages to a former New York Jets game hostess.
Goodell said Wednesday he received the league’s report about the case “last week and I expect that some time in the near future I will make a decision.”

Asked if that would come by the end of the season, he said, “I expect that, yes.”
The NFL is examining whether Favre sent Jenn Sterger messages and photos in 2008, while he was playing for the Jets and she also worked for the team.
Now with Minnesota, Favre, whose record consecutive starts streak ended at 297 on Monday night because of a shoulder injury, could face disciplinary action under the league’s personal conduct policy.
Sterger’s manager, Phil Reese, has said his client would like the league to “implement a program” to prevent unwanted advances—similar to those she’s alleging Favre made.
Reese said Sterger wants the league to discipline Favre before his career ends. “It’s not a money story,” Reese said, adding his client’s goal is some acknowledgment that Favre was in the wrong.
Favre has said this season will be his last.

NASCAR’s Johnson wins Driver of the Year

Five-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson beat out NHRA Funny Car champion John Force for the Driver of the Year award on Wednesday.
It’s the fourth time Johnson has received the honor, tying him with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon for most wins in the award’s 44-year history.

“It’s an honor to win the award again,” Johnson said. “Among such tough competition, with the voting panel, who it is and how well versed they are in motorsports, it’s a huge, huge honor.”
Journalists and broadcasters from across the country vote for Driver of the Year, which is eligible to any driver from any series that competes on four wheels in the United States. Past winners include Mario Andretti, Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt and Bobby Rahal.
Johnson received 10 votes to beat Force, who received seven votes. NASCAR driver Kyle Busch received one vote.
“This year’s pre-vote teleconference was one of the most spirited debates that I can recall,” said panelist president Barry Schmoyer. “As many people have said already, it will be a long time before anyone will set the bar as high as Jimmie Johnson.”

After almost being fired earlier this season, Claude Puel has reversed Lyon’s fortunes and now has a chance to lead his team to first place in the standings with a win at defending champion Marseille in the French league’s biggest match so far this season.
Seven-time champion Lyon, which dropped to 18th place after seven rounds this season, has recovered from the shaky start and sits third, two points behind leader Lille.
Lille has 31 points from 17 games, one more than second-place Paris Saint-Germain, which plays struggling Monaco. Lille hosts Nancy.

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps, who guided the team to their first French league title since 1992 last season, paid tribute to Puel’s work ahead of Sunday’s clash.
“I have a lot of respect for what he is doing,” Deschamps said. “A few months ago, there was not a single program where his future was not brought up. We do the same job, and I thought it was natural to give him my support.”
Lyon’s morale reached its low when the club lost at home to fierce rival Saint-Etienne for the first time in 16 years in September.
Puel’s future at the club then looked in danger, with fans repeatedly calling for his sacking and even hanging banners off highway bridges and in the town center calling for the coach to go.
With pressure mounting and even players criticizing him in newspapers, Puel soldiered on and convinced Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas to give him his backing until the end of the season.
And Aulas’ bet paid off: Lyon hasn’t lost a game in the league since the bitter defeat to Saint-Etienne and is enjoying a 10-game unbeaten streak.

The team also showed an unprecedented defensive cohesion this season in a 2-0 win over Toulouse last weekend, at last keeping a clean sheet after conceding 31 goals in its 23 previous games.

“We sorted out our mistakes in defense,” Puel said. “It’s normal to have an improved level of play when you’re on a good unbeaten run. The game against Marseille will be fun. They’re going well despite their draw with Auxerre.”
Marseille’s poor run of results in the league continued last weekend as Deschamps’ team was held 1-1 at Auxerre. The defending champions have failed to win their last three games and dropped to fifth place overall, four points behind Lille.
“We haven’t won in our last two games and everybody are talking about a crisis at OM. This is not true,” Argentine playmaker Lucho Gonzalez said.
But Marseille’s bid to retain the title received a big boost on Wednesday with the signing of France and Rennes defender Rod Fanni. Marseille brought in Fanni as a replacement for injured right back Cesar Azpilicueta, who tore the anterior cruciate ligaments in his knee and is out for six months.
“I am delighted and so proud to sign for Marseille,” said Fanni, who was born in the nearby town of Martigues. “There is no denying that I have come here to try and win the title, and to do well in the Champions League.”
Lyon playmaker Yoann Gourcuff and Marseille forward Brandao are both doubtful for Sunday’s clash. Gourcuff has not played since picking up an Achilles’ injury in a Champions League game at Schalke last month.
“We’ll see this week whether Yoann can get up to speed and be OK on the ball,” Puel said.
Also Saturday, it’s: Lens vs. Caen; Montpellier vs. Auxerre; Rennes vs. Valenciennes; Saint-Etienne vs. Arles and Toulouse vs. Lorient.
Sunday’s match between Sochaux and Bordeaux could feature American striker Charlie Davies’ return to action.
The 24-year-old Davies was a passenger in a car accident Oct. 13, 2009 in which another passenger died. Davies was left with two broken bones in his right leg, a broken and dislocated left elbow, a broken nose, forehead and eye socket, a ruptured bladder and bleeding on the brain.
The injuries caused him to miss this year’s World Cup.
“At the moment I really feel I’m ready,” Davies told the league’s website. “That (Bordeaux match) was my home debut for Sochaux last season and I scored twice and I really can’t think of a better way to make my comeback than against Bordeaux, in the game where it all began, and come back after over a year out of the game against one of the top teams in France. It would be astonishing to finally get my chance.”

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AC Milan faces Roma in final

Already guaranteed of finishing 2010 at the top of the Serie A standings, injury-ravaged AC Milan faces a tough challenge at home against Roma on Saturday.
Milan leads the league with 36 points, six more than Juventus, Napoli and Lazio.
However, Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso and defender Gianluca Zambrotta joined Thiago Silva, Filippo Inzaghi, Alexandre Pato and Mathieu Flamini on the injury list.
Milan coach Massimo Allegri is confident, though, that other players will use the opportunity to make their mark.

 Ghana midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng has scored two goals in the last two games since breaking into the team, while Sierra Leone midfielder Rodney Strasser has also played a role despite only being 20 years old.

“Boateng has had time to fit into the team and is doing well, like the rest of them,” Allegri said. “Strasser has been a pleasant surprise and showed character. His development will be far quicker than other players of his age because he is part of good squad.”
Roma coach Claudio Ranieri has injury problems of his own. He is likely to have to turn to third-choice goalkeeper Doni because of injuries to Julio Sergio and Bogdan Lobont.
Striker Mirko Vucinic is expected to miss the game, while Marco Borriello, who is on loan from Milan, will have to wear a protective mask after injuring his face against Bari.
“The victory would allow us to close the gap and make the championship interesting,” Ranieri said. “It is an important match for us because after our poor start we are starting to improve and we are in a confident mood.
“A win would tell everyone that Roma can close the gap.”
Juventus will play at Chievo Verona without suspended midfield anchor Felipe Melo. Even so, the Turin club is confident it can extend its unbeaten run of 12 games.
“For sure, we are having an excellent season and reaching second place, level with Lazio and Napoli, is an important step forward,” defender Giorgio Chiellini said. “For the moment, Milan is way out in front, but we are happy with what we are doing.”
Napoli, meanwhile, is at home to Lecce and will be in a confident mood after reaching the knockout rounds of the Europa League.
Edinson Cavani scored in injury time for Napoli to beat Steaua Bucharest 1-0, the ninth goal in Serie A for the Uruguay striker.
“We proved that with heart you can achieve anything,” Cavani said. “Going through to the knockout rounds was a very important objective.”
Lazio hosts Udinese having slipped to fourth place. Also this weekend, it is: Cesena vs. Cagliari; Bari vs. Palermo; Catania vs. Brescia; Parma vs. Bologna and Sampdoria vs. Genoa.

Exclusive: Bertrand Marchand is no longer national coach of Tunisia!

 The federal office and Bertrand Marchand agreed to an amicable separation a few minutes ago. The now ex-coach has confirmed this information by telephone, and federal office will meet from 18:00 at the headquarters of the Tunisian Football Federation.

Men’s final US Open warmup moving to NCarolina

The men’s tennis warmup before the U.S. Open is moving from New Haven, Connecticut, to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, starting in August.
The U.S. Tennis Association and ATP tour announced Monday that the 48-draw event will be played in a new tennis facility on Wake Forest University’s campus. It’ll be held Aug. 21-27 and serve as the final warmup before year’s final Grand Slam tournament.

It replaces the event that has been held in New Haven for many years and has been known as the Pilot Pen.
The Winston-Salem tournament will be held in a new facility that will include a 3,500-seat center court and two show courts with seating of at least 1,500 fans each.

Lopez promoted to River Plate coach

Juan Jose Lopez, who served as River Plate’s interim coach after Angel Cappa resigned last month, was named the club’s new coach Tuesday.
Lopez said in a radio interview that he had been given the job and told of his promotion by club president Daniel Passarella.

Lopez, the club’s director of youth clubs, filled in for Cappa and managed to pull River out of relegation danger. He won four of six games in charge as River finished the Apertura season with 31 points. He was a surprise choice with many reports suggesting Estudiantes coach Alejandro Sabella would get the job. Estudiantes won the season title on Sunday.
Lopez is the third coach named to the job in 14 months, following Cappa and Leonardo Astrada.
“I’m the coach of River,” Lopez told radio La Red. “Passarella told me the club directors approved me to stay on the job.”
In addition to Sabella, Passarella also approached Marcelo Bielsa about taking over one of Argentina’s most popular clubs. Bielsa, who stepped down last month as Chile’s national coach, turned down the approach.

Spain ends year No. 1 in soccer’s world rankings

Spain has ended the year it won its first World Cup top of the FIFA rankings.
The Netherlands, which lost to Spain in July’s final, is second while Germany has moved ahead of Brazil into third since last month.

Argentina and England stay fifth and six. Spain has finished No. 1 for the third straight year.
Egypt leads the African nations and climbs one place to No. 9, while the United States tops the CONCACAF region, rising six places to No. 18.
Australia drops six places to No. 26 but still heads the Asian confederation.
One of the biggest movers over the last year has been Montenegro, which has soared to No. 25 from No. 74.
Russia, which won the right to host the 2018 World Cup earlier this month, stays at No. 13, while 2022 host Qatar drops a place to No. 114.

TP Mazembe makes Club WCup final

 ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—TP Mazembe became the first African team to reach the Club World Cup final Tuesday, upsetting Copa Libertadores champion Internacional of Brazil 2-0.
The side from the Democratic Republic of Congo broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute, with striker Mulota Kabangu controlling a knockdown in the area before placing a right-foot shot into the top corner past flat-footed goalkeeper Renan.
Dioko Kaluyituka sealed the victory in the 85th by beating Renan at his near post with a driven shot from just outside the area.

“This is a day of pride and we have succeeded,” Mazembe coach Lamine N’Diaye said. “I believe our players who I trained and played with every day are of high standard and achieved a great victory. This is good for the Congolese people. All Africans should be proud of this team.”
In Saturday’s final, Mazembe will face the winner of Wednesday’s second semifinal between Inter Milan and Asian champion Seongnam Ilhwa.
Internacional was the better side in the early stages on Tuesday, transfixing the opposition with slick passing and controlling the majority of the possession in the first half.
Mazembe goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba somehow saved Rafael Sobis’s shot from close range after eight minutes before midfielder Tinga headed his side’s best chance over the bar 10 minutes later.
But Internacional failed to make the breakthrough and in the second half, Mazembe began to look dangerous on the counterattack as the Brazilian side pushed forward.
Mazembe came into the tournament without star striker Tresor Mputu, who has been banned for a year for assaulting a referee, but Kabangu made up for his absence with a goal of quality to put his side ahead. A physical player with a blonde mohawk, Kabangu was by far Mazembe’s most dangerous threat, firing three other shots on target including one in the opening minutes that caught Renan by surprise.
Once the frenetic Mazembe celebrations died down, Internacional went back on the attack but shot after shot was denied by the inspirational Kidiaba and Kaluyituka took advantage of the spaces left behind in the Brazilians’ defense to wrap up the win.
Internacional coach Celso Roth, whose team has struggled domestically coming into the match, defended his team’s attacking strategy and praised Kidiaba’s performance.
“We created opportunities but unfortunately we couldn’t turn them into goals. Mazembe had the opportunities and scored,” Roth said. “Football is like this. Mazembe defended very well and I congratulate them. We played much better than them but we have this very bitter defeat.”
Mazembe, dubbed the Chelsea of Africa by the media for its big-spending ways in the impoverished country, has been a dominant force in Congolese football over the past 30 years, winning 10 championships. It demolished Esperance Sportive de Tunis 6-1 to win a second continental championship in two years and beat Pachuca of Mexico 1-0 in the Club World Cup quarterfinals.
Outside Africa, though, the club is little known and was given little chance against Internacional. Mazembe lost both its matches in last year’s tournament and was not expected to overturn a tradition that always has the European and South American champions in the final.
The team seemed to take its underdog status personally, with captain Kazembe Mihayo insisting that Tuesday’s historic victory would not only raise the profile of African football but also force other teams and the media “to give them more respect.”
Mazembe’s victory caps a big year for football on the continent, following South Africa’s successful hosting of the World Cup and the performance at the tournament of Ghana, which knocked the United States out to reach the quarterfinals.
“We are able to think creatively and it’s time to take us seriously and believe in abilities of Africans,” said N’Diaye, a former Senegal international who took over after Diego Garzitto left before the African Champions League semifinals.
“Today was an opportunity for these young players to show they can make a difference.”

Parma beats Fiorentina 2-1 in Italian Cup

PARMA, Italy (AP)—Hernan Crespo came off the bench to score twice in extra time as Parma beat Fiorentina 2-1 on Tuesday to reach the Italian Cup quarterfinals.
Mario Santana put Fiorentina ahead in the 114th minute, but Crespo equalized a minute later and the 35-year-old Argentine striker hit the winner in the 117th.

Both sides had chances to finish the game inside 90 minutes. In the first half, Sebastien Giovinco and Valeri Bojinov hit the post for Parma, while Fiorentina’s Khouma Babacar hit the bar.
After the break, Fiorentina’s Alessio Cerci and Marco Marchionni both went close while Parma’s Giovinco was denied by Fiorentina goalkeeper Vlada Avramov. Parma keeper Nicola Pavarini then made a double save from Adem Llajic and Babacar in the closing stages.

Bolton consider Al Habsi deal

Bolton Wanderers could be ready to sell goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi in the January transfer window.

Manager Owen Coyle has already acknowledged that he could be looking to strengthen his squad in January.

As such he may have to raise cash by offloading players and Al Habsi is very much a saleable asset.
The Omani international is currently on a season-long loan at Wigan, where he has been impressing with a string of excellent displays.
Indeed Al Habsi's presence at the DW Stadium has seen Chris Kirkland move on loan to Leicester in order to get regular first-team football.
It is understood a number of Premier League clubs are now keeping a close check on Al Habsi, which could prompt Wigan to make his move permanent in January.
"It's all hearsay at the moment," said Coyle. "But if a bid comes in we'll sit down with Ali and his advisors and look at it.
"We can't really talk about it until it happens. We know he's been playing well, but we knew he was a top goalkeeper when we loaned him out.
"He needed to play and it was a great deal business wise for the club and it allowed Ali to play Premier League matches as well as enabling us to promote Adam Bogdan, who is also an excellent keeper.
"It was a win-win situation for us. If a bid comes in January, we'll look at it, and do the right thing for the football club."

Fergie hits out at Allardyce sacking

Ferguson, who is close friends with Allardyce, joined the rest of the football world in being shocked by the announcement from the club's owners, Venky's, that Allardyce had been relieved of his duties despite Rovers sitting in 13th place in the league.
Speaking after Manchester United's 1-0 win over Arsenal, Ferguson attacked Venky's for the controversial decision.
Ferguson told Sky Sports 1: "He phoned me at 3.10pm today saying 'can I have a cup of tea tonight?' because he was coming to the game. Then he phones me at half past four and says 'I've been sacked'.
"I've never heard of such a stupid decision in all my life, it's absolutely ridiculous. I don't know what they're doing up there, but deary me. It confounds common sense to be honest with you. Absolutely ridiculous. I wouldn't like to follow him."

River end season on a high

River Plate finished in fourth place in Argentina's Apertura after a registering a convincing 4-1 victory at Lanus to end the season.
Eric Lamela gave the visitors a 28th minute lead and although Silvio Romero levelled from the penalty spot three minutes later, River Plate were too strong in the second half.
Adalberto Roman made it 2-1 six minutes after the break and Mariano Pavone converted a penalty two minutes later, before scoring again 15 minutes from time to seal a 4-1 win. A miserable day for Lanus was capped by the 83rd-minute dismissal of Santiago Hoyas.
Independiente slipped to the bottom of the table after a 1-0 defeat at Huracan, who previously held the position. Gullermo Roffes got the decisive breakthrough at the start of the second half.
Gimnasia La Plata picked up a point with a 1-1 draw at Boca Juniors - Juan Neira earning the strugglers a point with a 70th-minute effort which cancelled out Martin Palermo's fourth-minute opener for the hosts.
A third minute goal from Danilo Gerlo gave Quilmes a 1-0 win at Olimpo - their first away win of the season. The captain headed home a Gervasio Nunez free-kick and they held on to move above their opponents and into 16th place in the table, although Diego Galvon had a goal disallowed for the home side before being dismissed eight minutes from time.
In Monday's other Apertura match, Tigre and Argentinos Juniors drew 1-1, with Denis Straqualursi opening the scoring for Tigre with a penalty on the stroke of half-time - and substitute Ciro Rius equalising in the 62nd minute of a game which saw Tigre's Claudio Perez dismissed with 20 minutes remaining.
Estudiantes claimed the 2010 Apertura title on Sunday.

We've proven the doubters wrong: Culina

Newcastle coach Branko Culina feels his Jets have proven to the "doubters" they are bona fide A-League finals contenders.
The Jets have turned their season around after a shaky start and financial woes that at one stage put the future of the club in doubt.
They're now eying a finals berth sitting in sixth spot with two games in hand and a win against Gold Coast on Wednesday night will take them to fifth.
"Everyone doubted us early on in the season when we had a slow start and during all the problems with the ownership and everything," Culina told AAP on Wednesday.
"But we've done well but those people just don't take notice unless you're winning all the time.
"There are some clubs that win one match and everyone just jumps on the bandwagon and there are some clubs that have to do a bit more to get noticed.
"We're one of those clubs that needs to continuously do more before people start giving us a little bit of credit.
"But I'm not really worried what other people think. I never have been."
The Jets have posted a six-game unbeaten streak with a win over the second-placed Adelaide and a draw against top dogs Brisbane among the results.
Their run continued last weekend with a 10-man side stunning Melbourne Heart 2-0 after Jobe Wheelhouse was sent off in the seventh minute.
So Culina sees their match against the third-placed Gold Coast at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Wednesday night as a welcome challenge.
"Playing teams that are in form is the best measure of where you're at so we're looking forward to it.
"They're a good side, they've got a lot of great players so they're a solid unit and they've become very hard to beat.
"So it will be a good test for us tomorrow."
The Jets will be without Ruben Zadkovich and Ben Kantarovski, both out with injuries, while Wheelhouse is serving a two-match suspension.

Ligue 1: Lyon up to third after victory

First-half goals from Lisandro Lopez and Bafetimbi Gomis handed Lyon  a -2-o wen against Toulouse this afternoon which moved Les Gones up to third in the Ligue 1 table.

•European Gallery 

Lisandro grabbed the opener after five minutes and Gomis added a second 10 minutes before half-time as Claude Puel's men extended their unbeaten league run to 10 games to sit just two points behind leaders Lille.

St Etienne brought an end to their seven-match winless run to pile more pressure on Ligue 1 strugglers Monaco by beating them 2-0.

Goals from Laurent Batlles and Bakary Sako secured three welcome points for the visitors, who moved back into the top half of the standings as a result.

Monaco, however, remain one place above the drop zone with only goal difference keeping them ahead of Caen and Lens below them.

The evening game, between Bordeaux and Rennes, was adrab goalless draw

Utd stars on Arsenal threat

Manchester United players Chris Smalling and Nani talk about the threat of Arsenal before the two teams meet on Monday.

Juve chief defends Buffon criticism

Juventus director general Beppe Moratta has moved to explain coach Luigi Del Neri's recent criticism of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, after the player's agent expressed his unhappiness at the comments.

Del Neri recently told reporters that Buffon, who has been with the Bianconeri for nine years, is no longer indispensible to the club.
The Italy No. 1 has not yet played under Del Neri as he has been injured, and his relationship with his manager is reportedly strained because of Buffon's lack of regular visits to the club's training round and his non-attendance at a club photo-call in Switzerland earlier this year.
Buffon has regularly rejected reports that he is planning to leave Juve for the Premier League, but his agent Silvana Martina admitted that Del Neri's recent criticism left him disappointed.
"It was a wretched interview," Martina told Controcampo. "I didn't expect it was from a decent person like Del Neri. There was a lack of respect towards Buffon. If I were Juventus' president, I would have fined Del Neri."


Keen to appease one of the club's star players, Juve chief Marotta moved swiftly to explain Del Neri's comments and reject reports that an unhappy Buffon is looking for a transfer.
"Buffon is our player," Marotta said. "There is the utmost respect for him. What Del Neri wanted to say is that the coach is the manager of the group and that it's up to him to make the decisions."

Capello backs Allardyce and Redknapp

Fabio Capello believes Sam Allardyce and Harry Redknapp are currently best placed to succeed him as England manager.

 • Redknapp in frame for England

Redknapp has been widely tipped to take charge of the national side when Capello steps down in 2012 after leading Tottenham to fourth place last season and now into the Champions League knockout rounds.

Football Association general secretary Alex Horne recently indicated Redknapp would be a strong contender, although his candidacy could be harmed if he fails to clear his name during his upcoming tax evasion case.

With Roy Hodgson still yet to make an impact at Liverpool, there currently appear to be few obvious English candidates for the role, and Blackburn boss Allardyce, who was interviewed for the post in 2006, appears now to be back in the running.

Asked which English managers were best placed, Capello said: "In this moment, Allardyce and Redknapp are doing very well because they have different players, they have good style and get results with them.

"It is important for a coach to understand which type of players they manage and find the best style."

Capello and Allardyce were both at Wembley to support the launch of the FA's new football coaching manual. Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's Director Of Football Development, revealed Allardyce had been invited to speak at the conference on the basis on his attention to detail as a coach.

"Sam has always had a big team of support staff so Sam is very much into performance, video analysis, a lot of detailed back-up, which is really important as a coach," he said. "That's the way the world is going. He has got some really good characteristics in what you look for in coaches."

Allardyce has made no secret of his desire to take the England job in the past, and in September reiterated his view that "an Englishman is better than a foreigner" for the position.

However, speaking at Wembley, he recognised that the job may be more difficult than club management.

"I haven't been an international manager so I don't know if I'm capable of doing it," Allardyce said. "All I do know is that from all the international managers I have spoken to it's a complete change from what I'm doing now.

"Fabio has talked about how he had to go from dealing with players on a day to day basis to having, all of a sudden, to deal with working with them now and again.

"Being an international manager is all about getting the best footballers available to you who are as fit as possible and putting those players in the best formation to get a result.

"You'd have to work out the best positions for all the players and that would be very difficult I would think. I have not been there but the pressure that they experience is immense, far bigger than they experience at their own clubs."

Messi shines as Barca dazzle again

Lionel Messi was again to the fore with another masterclass as Barcelona brushed Real Sociedad aside at the Nou Camp on Sunday.

Are Barcelona the greatest?

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Messi scored twice as Pep Guardiola's men won 5-0 with David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Bojan also on target as Barca produced the kind of free-flowing football which saw them sweep past Real Madrid by the same scoreline last month.

That defeat saw Madrid relinquish top spot but they have responded impressively and their fine run continued with a 3-1 win at Real Zaragoza as they remained two points behind their arch rivals.

Mesut Ozil put them ahead after 15 minutes and a trademark Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick made it 2-0 just before the break. Angel Di Maria put Madrid out of sight after 47 minutes with Gabi's penalty seven minutes later nothing more than a consolation.

Espanyol failed to move up to third after going down 2-1 at Athletic Bilbao.

With Villarreal losing to Getafe on Saturday night, the chance was there for the Catalonian side to become the closest challengers to Barca and Madrid, and it started well for the visitors when Dani Osvaldo put them ahead after 33 minutes.

But Spain striker Fernando Llorente equalised with 17 minutes to go before David Lopez struck the winner five minutes later.

Oscar Serrano made a dream comeback after seven months on the sidelines by netting a last-gasp winner as travel-shy Racing Santander won 1-0 at Real Mallorca.

Serrano, who has been absent since May having undergoing surgery on a cruciate knee ligament injury, struck the only goal of the game two minutes after appearing as an 88th-minute replacement.

Hercules produced a second-half performance of style and substance to come from behind and beat Malaga 4-1. The Alicante outfit had trailed to Sebastian Fernandez's early opener after a poor first-half showing. However, David Trezeguet, Royston Drenthe, Abraham Paz and Kiko Femenia spearheaded a sublime second-half fightback in which Hercules turned it around to claim three vital points.

Sporting Gijon hit back to take a point off fellow strugglers Levante in a 1-1 draw. A predictably tight game appeared to be heading for a dour stalemate until Felipe Caicedo gave Levante the lead midway through the second half.

But Sporting would not be denied and hit back through Sebastian Eguren to take a share of the spoils

NFL to investigate illegal trip by Jets coach Sal Alosi

The NFL will launch an investigation into the behavior of New York Jets assistant coach Sal Alosi, who apologized on Sunday for tripping Miami's Nolan Carroll from the sidelines during a 10-6 loss.
League spokesman Greg Aiello told ESPN the league would review the incident. The Jets had already begun a probe into Alosi's behavior, and there is potential for discipline.

Alosi acknowledged he could be punished when he apologized for a "total lapse in judgment." Alosi interfered with Carroll when he appeared to stick his leg out and trip Carroll as the Miami player ran along the Jets' sideline.
The incident prompted Dolphins LB Channing Crowder to call the Jets "cheaters." Added Dolphins RB Ricky Williams to ESPN: "It's the Jets right? We're not surprised."

Eagles beat Dallas, seek Cowboys Stadium encore

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)—Michael Vick(notes) and the Philadelphia Eagles could be on track for an encore appearance at Cowboys Stadium in eight weeks.

The Cowboys long ago blew their opportunity to be the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. And now, after Vick and the NFC East-leading Eagles turned plenty of big plays into a 30-27 victory Sunday night, Dallas is assured its first losing record in six seasons.

“That’s the way it is. That’s not good. It doesn’t feel good,” owner Jerry Jones said outside the Cowboys locker room in his $1.2 billion showplace. “It makes it very hard to think of the good things that can happen.”

 For the Cowboys (4-9), not Vick and the Eagles.

Philadelphia (9-4) has won five of its last six games and is a half-game ahead of the New York Giants (8-4) in the NFC East. New York plays its postponed and relocated game against Minnesota in Detroit on Monday night before hosting the Eagles next weekend.

The clincher against the Cowboys was Vick’s short pass to DeSean Jackson(notes)with less than 12 minutes left that turned into a 91-yard touchdown—the longest career play for both players—with a splashy ending that drew a penalty.

“I knew he was going to have an opportunity to get some yards. I knew I put the ball in the perfect location,” Vick said. “I just didn’t know he was going to take it 91 yards. … Basically won the game.”

Vick also threw a 60-yard pass to Jackson on the first play of the game. That was the longest this season against Dallas until Jackson later caught a ball near the sideline, sped past one safety, made another one fall and outran a diving cornerback. He stopped at the edge of the goal line, turned to face the defense and tipped over backward into the end zone for the tiebreaking score.

Jackson, who sprained his ankle on the 91-yarder, had four catches for 210 yards, third-most in franchise history. LeSean McCoy(notes) ran 16 times for a career-high 149 yards, including a 56-yarder that is the longest run against the Cowboys this season.

“Once we started rolling, we were rolling. We finished it. We put the foot on the gas and kept pushing away,” McCoy said. “We’ve got so many playmakers that can make plays when it’s time to.”

Philadelphia, which lost three times against Dallas last season, plays its division rival again in the regular season finale Jan. 2.

If they keep winning, the Eagles could be back Feb. 6 for the Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium, where last January they lost on consecutive weekends—the 2009 regular season finale, then the first round of the playoffs when Vick was rarely on the field behind the since-departed Donovan McNabb(notes).

Dallas fell behind in the opening minutes, yet kept it close and even led 20-14. But Philadelphia was relentless, dropping the Cowboys to 3-2 under interim coach Jason Garrett.

“We fought hard throughout this ballgame, it just wasn’t good enough at the end,” Garrett said.

Jackson’s performance helped mask an otherwise rocky outing by Vick, whose interceptions matched his season total and led to 10 points for Dallas. The Cowboys sacked him twice and blasted him with hard hits all night, including one that drew a penalty for a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Vick ran for a touchdown and was 16 of 26 for 270 yards. But take out Jackson’s numbers, and Vick’s other 12 completions produced 60 yards.

Jon Kitna(notes)was 24 of 35 for 242 yards for Dallas, with two TDs and two interceptions.

“You’re proud of how you fight. It doesn’t make me feel better about losing,” Kitna said. “We gave that team too many plays on the offensive side of the ball that you can’t recover from.”

Dallas got to 30-27 on a touchdown pass to Jason Witten(notes) with 4:22 left, but Philadelphia never gave the ball back. McCoy caught a 6-yard pass before runs of 12, 19 and 13 yards on consecutive carries. Then on third-and-1 after the 2-minute warning, he picked up 6 yards and Vick then knee led twice to end it.

Eagles middle linebacker Stewart Bradley(notes) is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after he dislocated his right elbow in the second quarter.

Despite his disappointment with the season as a whole, Jones is encouraged by some things that have happened since Wade Phillips was fired when the Cowboys were 1-7 and already virtually out of the playoff chase at the season’s midpoint.

“I am pleased with how we are. I don’t know how I could stand here and say that after losing, as well as the overall record we’ve got,” Jones said. “But I was very pleased with how our team came back. … I was really impressed with how our team stayed in there and fought back right until the end. We’ll do some good if we keep that kind of focus and realize that we can win it at anytime.”

Though the best the Cowboys can finish now is 7-9, Jones said there are no plans to focus on younger players when they play their home finale next week against Washington before going to Arizona and Philadelphia.

“We want to go win those games and give us everybody we can to give us the best chance to win,” Jones said. “With what we’ve got ahead of us next year and the off season, I think all of this is important to try to make every score and every down we can. It’s all important to me".