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After a spirited start, Pakistan completely lost it in this crunch game. With a mostly clinically efficient display, the Aussies walked away with an 82-run victory to get their 2003 World Cup campaign off to a perfect start.In the process they amply showed any doubters how they could conquer adversity, and also why there is this huge chasm between them and the rest. Andrew Symonds held the Aussie middle and late order together (considered to be the weaker link) with a career-best unconquered 143 that took the Aussies soaring to 310 – the best total on the Wanderers in a one-day international, and the highest by the Aussies in a World Cup game.And then their bowlers stuck to the task of defending the huge total without a hint of spendthriftiness, not even by the lesser bowlers like Ian Harvey and Brad Hogg. There were no freebies, no short stuff outside the off-stump that the batsmen could cut or cream through the covers, or pull with impunity.Pakistan neither had the inventiveness nor the spunk to change the script. Wickets kept falling regularly, and by the 20th over when Inzamam tamely edged Glenn McGrath into a most delighted Adam Gilchrist’s gloves, it was all over bar the shouting.After the Symonds innings literally took the match away from Pakistan or more aptly, knocked the stuffing out, the latter needed to play out of their skins to make their chase a success. But it went horribly wrong with four top-order wickets gone – Shahid Afridi, Taufeeq Umar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saleem Elahi, in that order – without contributing much to Pakistan’s cause. Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan and Abdul Razzaq all tried to stop a complete rout, but it proved to be beyond them.There wasn’t much to write home about until later – much later. A partnership of 54 in 5.4 overs for the eighth wicket between Rashid Latif (33, 23 balls, 1 four, 3 sixes) and Wasim Akram (33, 31 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) reduced the margin of defeat. But that was all it could do.Any glimmer of hope was shattered by the manner that Rashid (clean bowled, making room for an expansive drive when 14 runs had already been plundered off the last Hogg over) and Akram (going for a big drive off a Harvey full toss, holing out to Ponting at mid-off) got out, characterized Pakistan’s innings: throwing away wickets when it counted most.After this big setback, Pakistan would need to pull up its socks to survive and progress beyond the pool.Pakistan didn’t really make itself proud with a ragged display while fielding. Their bowling was mostly too wayward, and they conceded 31 extras, 21 of them either wides or no-balls. This resulted in a slow over-rate as well, and they were docked an over for overstepping the scheduled time for the innings.The Aussies came into the match stung by the Shane Warne ouster from the match or possibly the event before a single ball was bowled. Akram and Akhtar greeted them with unalloyed aggression on a pitch which showed some lateral movement, perhaps the reason why skipper Waqar opted to bowl first after winning the toss.Akram got the breakthrough when Gilchrist tried to plonk him towards the mid-wicket fence, only top-edging to Waqar in the third over. Hayden (27, 41 balls, 3 4s) was cut into half by a couple of Akhtar thunderbolts, but was trying to break the shackles and be his free-scoring self when he played Akram onto his stumps. Damien Martyn was bowled first ball by an Akram beauty which cut in off the length and crashed into the stumps, off the inside edge. Jimmy Maher thwarted the hat-trick but became Waqar’s first victim when he played one away from the body, Latif pouching the edge to make Australia 86 for four. Pakistan could not have hoped for a better start.But from here on it was all Australia. Having already hit Waqar and a hopelessly out of form Razzaq for three boundaries apiece, Ponting now looked dangerous and after early jitters Symonds too was playing fluently. The two added 60 for the fifth wicket when Ponting (53, 67 balls, 7 fours) was finally out trying to thump a widish Akhtar delivery, guiding it into Taufeeq’s hands at second slip.At 5 for 146, Pakistan must have hoped of a reprieve. They never got one.Instead, it was Symonds who called the shots. Giving a display of immaculately clean strokeplay, he raced to his 100 off just 92 deliveries with 15 fours, the second 50 consuming just 33 deliveries. By the close he had got to 143 off just 125 deliveries, hitting 18 fours in all, and two sixes, one of them majestically straight over Wasim Akram’s head.The entire Pakistan attack was left cut to shreds by the weight of Symonds’ blade, and none looked respectable. It was an onslaught not seen for a while and the brunt was borne by Afridi, Razzaq and Younis Khan who each got some special treatment. With frustration by now running deep, Waqar bowled two beamers and was ordered out of the attack by umpire David Shepherd, with Afridi having to complete the penultimate over.Symonds’ form and Waqar’s frustration may well have set the mood for the Pakistani side already well known for their inconsistent morale when it came to their turn to bat.

A year after the probe into the match-fixing allegations wasinitiated, the CBI has now begun probing the “unholy nexus” betweenbookies and the underworld mafia to find out how deep the criminalsection has penetrated into the game.The sleuths of Special Crime Branch have made some headway in theirinvestigations into the nexus and preliminary reports indicate thatsome bookies were acting at the behest of the underworld mafia infixing cricket games, highly-placed agency sources told PTI in NewDelhi.The investigations were being carried out to bring to light all themurky dealings in cricket besides the “unholy” nexus between theunderworld mafia and some of India’s leading bookies, players andadministrators.The sources said the probe into this nexus and its bearing on nationalsecurity was being conducted both within India and abroad. They saidthe accounts and other important books of bookies had been scrutinisedbut added that this was a wide area and needed a detailedinvestigation before fixing responsibilities.Even though the nexus had been unearthed during the CBI’s probe intothe match-fixing scandal, the dimensions were yet to be fullyestablished, they said.Without disclosing any names, the sources said a “few bookies” hadlinks with the underworld that had been fairly established during theearlier investigation. CBI, the sources said, would cast its net wideto get to the bottom of the nexus between the underworld, bookies,cricketers and the game’s administrators.The investigations into this area began during the tenure of formerCBI Director R K Raghavan who had held a series of meetings with theofficials of other security and intelligence agencies for data on someof the underworld people. The sources said the role of cricketers hadbeen identified and now the main thrust was being given to the role ofbookies.They said the underworld had shown more than an academic interest inthe game and had found that the game could be manipulated. They saidthe entire gamut of the unholy nexus could be unravelled with activeco-operation from police forces in other states including Mumbai andagencies like Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).It is believed that the Mumbai Police and DRI had stumbled uponconversations between some players and the underworld in 1995.However, DRI has written to CBI that it was not in possession of anytapes.The sources drew attention to the warning contained in CBI’s report onmatch-fixing that underworld mafia could be expected to take totalcontrol of the betting racket if it was not checked immediately with afirm hand.Negligence of the police and other authorities in allowing “wageringto turn into an organised racket, particularly with the involvement ofthe underworld mafia”, was cited by CBI as the reason for the warningin its 162-page report, submitted on October 31 last year.The underworld mafia’s involvement is also borne out by thetestimonies of former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin and theteam’s former physiotherapist Ali Irani in which names of mafia donsAnees Ibrahim, Abu Salem and Sharad Shetty found mention.CBI report said Azhar during his questioning had stated that “AbuSalem had rung him up on a couple of occasions to fix matches but hehad refused.”

Leeds United have now emerged as the front-runners to sign USA star Brenden Aaronson this summer.

What’s the story?

The Red Bull Salzburg sensation – who will no doubt be eagerly awaiting the World Cup draw later on Friday afternoon – has been linked with a switch to Elland Road in the upcoming summer transfer window.

According to Football Insider, Jesse Marsch’s side have now come to the head of the queue in the race to sign him. The report adds that talks are now underway to sign the 21-year-old, who is Leeds’ number one priority for the summer.

Marsch will be buzzing

The Athletic’s Phil Hay had previously indicated that the Whites were planning making a bid for Aaronson, who he had been identified by the club as someone who could add some much-needed creativity.

Hay said: “Leeds have telegraphed the fact that when the summer window opens, they intend to make a fresh bid for Red Bull Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson. US international midfielder Aaronson joined the serial Austrian champions in 2020 while countryman Marsch was head coach there, so his appointment at Elland Road was never likely to diminish Leeds’ interest.

“The dip in creativity within a squad who were so adept at creating chances for so long under Bielsa has left little doubt that Aaronson is broadly the type of footballer they should be looking at in the next window: largely within budget, and in possession of the right skill set. Leeds must wish they had found a way to address that midfield nine months ago.”

While Marsch may have since replaced Marcelo Bielsa in the dugout, the 48-year-old will also be happy to hear that Aaronson is someone who works extremely hard off the ball.

Salzburg boss Matthias Jaissle said: “The special thing is, I hardly know any other No. 10 who works so much without the ball. He always puts himself behind (on defence), he is a great team player, very hardworking and has a monster mentality.”

Furthermore, the £18m-rated star has also drawn a considerable amount of praise from Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who watched him first-hand during his time in the MLS.

The Frenchman said: “I came across him when I was a coach with Montreal, and he killed us with Philadelphia Union. His activity, the way he sees the game. I’ve always been a big fan of him and I’m not surprised to see what he’s doing right now with Salzburg.

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“He’s contagious. The way he plays, his energy. His intensity is second to none. He supports the team. He’s a good player. I always thought he was going to be a player. He’s still learning.”

This latest transfer update is sure to have Marsch buzzing.

AND in other news – Leeds could unleash Thorp Arch’s breakout star in “fiery” 18 y/o who’s “got an edge”

Liverpool’s quest for success has led to them appointing former Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers this summer. After only a season in the top flight and with no European experience, Rodgers was a surprise choice for many so how much work does he have to do to make Liverpool a success again?

After a disappointing season where 8th place represented their worst league finish since 1994, the situation couldn’t be much worse for the Northern Irishman. The gap between Liverpool and the big boys is widening ever further and even their European qualification is tainted by having to play in the dreaded Thursday night UEFA Europa League. Their league form is bound to suffer and it’ll be a steep learning curve for the new manager. To make matters worse the squad he’s inherited is lacking quality throughout team with only Pepe Reina, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez good enough to get in any of their rivals’ first XIs. It would appear he’s got his work cut out but Rodgers has signed a three year contract and he believes that should give him enough time to introduce his methods.

“This is long-term, that was important to me, to come into a project over a number of years.

“For me, the attraction is to defend the principles of this great club — offensive football with tactical discipline and to retain the values of the club.

“That was the attraction, along with the history of the club.

Rodgers clearly understands the challenge he’s undertaken for the Anfield job is particularly sought after. With names like Pep Guardiola and Fabio Capello apparently being overlooked, placing such an inexperienced man in charge is a clear sign of faith from the Fenway Sports Group but he remains confident of working his magic.

“We might not be ready for the title but the process begins today.

“It’s a new cycle and that is something that we will work towards in the years to come.”

If Rodgers is to revamp Liverpool’s fading ambitions then the main stumbling block would appear to be the owners’ level of patience. After all Rodgers blended a group of relative unknowns into an attractive passing unit at Swansea and Liverpool’s current squad is far better on paper than the Welsh side. If Rodgers can persuade his new cohorts to follow his ideas then there’s no reason why the Reds can’t improve on last season. Merely improving on last season is perhaps the minimum requirement given how disappointed fans were with their league form but re-establishing themselves above Everton would be a good start and help convince the owners they’re on the right track.

Their chances of success will be greatly improved if Rodgers is given money to enhance his squad and time to implement his philosophy. Realistically Liverpool need a new centre back, striker and some decent wingers but as many as 7 of the current first team plus the majority of their squad needs to be replaced if they’re ever going to compete with the top 4 again. It will require large sums of money to attract the calibre of player needed and fans will also have to tolerate the time it takes for them to settle in. The Northern Irishman insists Liverpool can challenge for major honours but has warned fans it may take time before his philosophy comes to fruition.

“It is going to take time for how I want to play and the philosophy I want to introduce to happen.

“But we will make our first steps and, hopefully over the next couple of years, we will be ready to challenge and ready to compete.”

The job is evidently doable but will Rodgers be given enough money to revamp the squad and then subsequently have enough time to shape them into the decent side?

There’s a lot of work to do but three years isn’t a lot of time to do it and the increasingly competitive Premier League has seen managers like Andre Villas-Boas come and go because they’ve failed to gather momentum early on. Rodgers will have to contend with these factors if he’s to be a success but he proved himself last season with the Swans and Liverpool supporters seem willing to give him a chance.

The pressure at Anfield is a huge step up from the Liberty Stadium and Rodgers is facing a major transformation if he’s to remodel his new side into title challengers. Some clever signings and a strong start could see Liverpool return to their rightful place at the top but another year of overpriced flops and poor league form will leave Rodgers walking alone in Merseyside after another false dawn.

Do you think Rodgers will be given enough time to be a success at Anfield? Are Liverpool making a mistake appointing an inexperienced manager? How long will it be before Liverpool at challenging for the league again?

Let me know your views and opinions by following me on twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher

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Argentina manager Sergio Batista refused to call his side’s Copa America campaign a ‘failure’ on Saturday.Batista was speaking after the 5-4 penalty shootout defeat in the quarter-finals to Uruguay, which came after 120 minutes of football ended with a 1-1 scoreline.

Uruguay’s Diego Perez was sent off after just 39 minutes but Argentina could not make the most of their numerical advantage, before midfielder Javier Mascherano was sent off late in normal time.

“I wouldn’t call it a failure,” Batista said.

“We had the same objective, to win the tournament. We worked to win it. We just have to continue working to get to the most important thing, and that is the World Cup.”

“We have to continue working to get better.”

Batista also felt Mascherano should not have been sent off, while praising Lionel Messi who scored one of Argentina’s four penalties in the shootout but was not able to find the back of the net in normal time.

“It wasn’t worth a red card,” he said about his captain.

“Lionel had a very good game. I always like how he plays. In the second half, he was down as was the entire team.”

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was delighted, comparing the win to another famous triumph on July 16.

That was the date that Uruguay won the 1950 FIFA World Cup Final against Brazil 2-1, beating the host nation, and they repeated the dose in Santa Fe by stunning the Argentine support.

Suarez also praised the fans from Uruguay to watch the crucial match.

“July 16 was a historic date, and we talked about it, and we also wanted to make history,” Suarez said.

“It’s an incredible moment. I believe we deserved it because in the first half ‘the Russian’ (Diego Perez) was sent off, and justice was served.”

“We knew playing against the hosts was going to be difficult because we had all of the stadium against us, but we have to thank all of the fans and family who came to support us.”

Uruguay not meet Peru in the first semi-final on Tuesday in La Plata.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is ready to make to make a £15 million bid for Bolton defender Gary Cahill.

Bolton are reluctant to let the England international leave, but with debts of around £40 million they could find it difficult to turn down such a large offer.

Chelsea have been struggling defensively of late and with Brazilian defender Alex still out of action with a knee injury, Ancelotti could be tempted to add defensive reinforcements to his squad in January.

Speaking of possible January moves, Ancelotti said: “By January 31, if we are sure that Alex will have resolved his problem, we won’t need another defender. We have to wait and see his condition.

“But we can think about things, a new defender, towards the end of January. That would be the only position.”

Gary Cahill’s nationality would also be attractive for Ancelotti who has recently spoken of the advantage of signing English players:

“And obviously, if you take an English player, you don’t have a problem to adapt to things here.

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“They know the culture, the language and don’t have problems. Maybe English players have advantages for this reason.”

Cahill moved from Aston Villa to Bolton in 2008 and he quickly became a favorite amongst fans at the Reebok Stadium. He has scored eight goals in around 100 games for the Trotters but has recently hinted that he may be interested in a move to a bigger club.

Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Become part of Arsenal v Chelsea and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!

Tottenham are officially back in business. Two wins in as many games has reignited their hopes of securing a Champions League place. The catalyst? Roy Hodgson’s appointment as England boss. It’s fair to say Harry Redknapp was distracted by the media hype surrounding the role with the entire country (apparently) pinning him as the national teams saviour. So when it was announced that Hodgson was the FA’s first choice to succeed Fabio Capello it must have felt like a camel had removed from Redknapp’s back. Whilst the 64-year-old will admit his disappointment at missing out on what he described as ‘the ultimate job’ he can now concentrate on his original task. Spurs responded with two storming performances against Blackburn and Bolton that were throwbacks to their early season form and are on course to bag a seat on Europe’s top table. The big question now is whether ‘Arry will remain at White Hart Lane beyond the current campaign.

This week on FFC we have seen a variety of blogs that include Harry Redknapp buying into his own hype, while brutal honesty could prove the inspiration for Tottenham.

Best of FFC

The Top 15 Players Who Only Look ‘Good On MOTD’

Is Redknapp a victim of his own hype?

The Rise And Fall Of Harry Redknapp

Players should be more respectful to the clubs that moulded them

Brutal Honesty Could actually Prove Inspirational for Tottenham

Spurs set to be offered players to tempt them to sell

‘A Lack of Respect’ – The Football Coffee Break

Tottenham and Arsenal set for £7m transfer battle

Tottenham set to return with renewed bid

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Best of WEB

Harry might not be staying long. – Spurs musings from Jimmy G2

At Four O’Clock The Dream Is Over – Harry Hotspur

Paradox – Dear Mr Levy

Two Down, Two To Go – Tottenham on my Mind

Will Harry stay after England snub? – Spurs musings from Jimmy G2

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PSG Are The Latest Side Linked With A Move For Luka Modric – Transfer Tavern

I know we all must make sacrifices for success — Kyle – Sun

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Quote of the Week

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“I don’t think it will ever happen now. Roy has four years, and I hope he sees it out and has great success at the Euros. I didn’t wake up on Monday morning and think: ‘What’s happened to my life, I’m not the England manager’.“It’s saved me making a decision, because I’m very happy at Tottenham. I’m fed up of hearing my name mentioned. I’m history with that job. It’s Roy Hodgson’s job now, and I wish him the best.” Harry Redknapp acknowledges he’ll never manage England after Roy Hodgson’s appointment this week.

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Aston Villa Preview

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Juventus have offered 45 million pounds for Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez, according to Corinthians president Andres Sanchez.Brazilian Serie A club Corinthians have already seen a bid in the region of 35 million for their former player rejected by City, who are believed to be looking for a fee around the 50 million-mark.

And Sanchez has claimed that Juventus have joined the race to sign the Argentine, although there has been no confirmation from the Italians that this is the case.

“Nothing has changed. They have to decide whether to sell or not,” Sanchez told reporters in Brazil.

“They have a proposal for 52 million euros (45 million pounds) from Juventus, but Tevez does not want to stay in Europe.”

“I keep dreaming. I made the offer in the end, even I was surprised. But it now depends on City. If I am president of a club that has Tevez then I would not want to sell. But the word of the player has a lot of weight.”

Juventus’ Serie A rivals Inter Milan have confirmed their latest signing, swooping for Brazilian defender Jonathan from Santos for an undisclosed amount.

The defender had been training with the Milan club since Wednesday, with the final details have now been ironed out to officially make the 25-year-old an Inter player.

“I’m delighted to have this chance to ply my trade here and show what I’m capable of,” he said.

Returning to the English Premier League, Aston Villa have reportedly lodged a bid of 10 million pounds for Wigan Athletic midfielder Charles N’Zogbia.

Villa are looking to fill the void left by the impending departure of Stewart Downing to Liverpool and see N’Zogbia as the perfect replacement.

The Midlands side currently have money to spend given the fees received for both Downing and Manchester United new boy Ashley Young.

The Frenchman scored nine goals in 34 appearances last year for Wigan, and Alex McLeish will hope he can replicate that form for the Midlands club.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Blackburn appear set to land Argentine forward Mariano Pavone on a three-year deal.

The 29-year-old spent the 2010/11 season on-loan at River Plate from La Liga club Real Betis, but now is destined for a move to England: “He is now looking forward to the next chapter with an ambitious club like Blackburn,” Pavone’s representative Barry McIntosh told Sky Sports.

Having spent time in Spain, England and Turkey over the past three seasons, USA international Jozy Altidore is move again this season after revealing via Twitter he has signed for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.

“To all my amazing fans, I have indeed agreed to terms to join AZ In holland!” the 21-year-old wrote on Friday.

In Germany, Rosenborg midfielder Per Skjelbred will join Hamburg in August after the two clubs finally came to an agreement on what date he would link up with the Bundesliga club.

It was this fixture last season that first alerted football fans that all was not well for Liverpool’s future attempts to end their years without a title. Villa have hardly hit the heights either over the last 18 months, and from being outside bets for the title themselves the season before last, Gerard Houllier may have to re-adjust his aims this season to merely keeping inside the top ten, such is the high number of well matched sides in the division.

The one hope for silverware this year evaporated with a very disappointing defeat at St Andrews on Wednesday night. Villa had a large chunk of the possession and will be angry that they were unable to convert this into goals.

Defeats such as the late one experienced by Roy Hodgson and his men last weekend at Tottenham are inevitably disheartening; however throughout this poor start to the season, performances at Anfield this season have been strong.

Jamie Carragher will be missing from the heart of the Liverpool defence, as he begins a three-month rehabilitation from shoulder surgery. Whilst Carragher is not the player he was, his absence will be felt and I fancy it may stop the Reds capturing all three points this weekend.

Prediction: 1-1

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***Click HERE for a FREE £20 Bet – 3/1 for penalty to be scored***

Liverpool owner Tom Werner has hinted that the club would be interested in signing Fulham star Clint Dempsey this summer.

The United States international has had his best season in England to date this term, and has taken the goalscoring responsibilities at Craven Cottage on his shoulders this campaign.

With the north American’s contract expiring in the summer of 2013, rumours have it that Martin Jol’s men may well have to part with Dempsey when the transfer window reopens, with Arsenal a potential suitor.

However, with Liverpool expected to strengthen in the summer also, Werner has praised his countryman.

“We never talk publicly about our transfer targets, however, any team would be lucky to have Clint Dempsey playing on their squad,” he told Mirror Football.

Liverpool’s lack of clinical finishing has been on of the reasons for their poor league form this term, and Dempsey would certainly add a threat on goal if acquired.

By Gareth McKnight

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