The 90th Minute Soccer Blog » UEFA

Why Roberto Di Matteo deserves to stay on as Chelsea manager

Jonathon Feyerherm — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:18:42 +0000

Even though Chelsea won the FA Cup and Champions League this season, there’s still some doubt whether interim manager Roberto Di Matteo will return for next season. He took over the position after Andre Villas-Boas was sacked and even though the team finished sixth in the EPL, the two trophies have made for a successful season. Below are a few reasons by Di Matteo should have his title changed from interim (or caretaker) to regular full-time Chelsea manager.

UEFA Champions League

You can’t argue with Di Matteo’s success in the world’s top club competition. He took over when the team under some turmoil but was able to lead them to lift the trophy in Munich. When Di Matteo took over, Chelsea were in danger of going out in the round of 16. They rallied to beat Napoli, edged Barcelona in the semifinals, and had a dramatic penalty kick win over Bayern Munich. While the EPL is important, the Champions League is the top priority.

The FA Cup

In a similar situation to the Champions League, Di Matteo took over during a crucial point of the FA Cup. He helped lead Chelsea to beat Birmingham City in a fifth round replay and eventually lifting the trophy at Wembley Stadium. In a cup competition, Chelsea were impressive and showed consistently they lacked for most of the EPL season.

Continuity

Making another managerial change would likely create more chaos and disruption. Di Matteo has shown he can have success with this squad and should be able to start building on that for the 2012-13 season. A new manager would almost inevitably mean several roster changes and players adjusting to new methods. It’s not clear that Di Matteo is a long term solution at Stamford Bridge, but he’s definitely earned the chance to start the 2012-13 with the job.

There’s not another Mourinho out there

While some may think Chelsea should have a higher profile or big name manager, there’s really not many great options. Jose Mourinho is unlikely to leave Real Madrid in the summer and it’s a job that some managers will shy away from. It’s one of the more high pressure jobs where managers have a very short leash and can be sacked a month or two into a season. Even thought managers have had success in other leagues, it doesn’t always translate so why take that risk? With Di Matteo, you have a manager who’s had early success and saved a season which appeared to be lost.

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Scotland 22-man squad for May 26 friendly against USA

Jonathon Feyerherm — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:28:22 +0000

Scotland manager Craig Levein has announced a 22-man squad to face the United States on May 26, 2012. The team has a few veterans like Kenny Miller, Gary Caldwell, and Craig Gordon along with several younger players. The full list is below.

Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club

GK Matt Gilks 4 July 1982 (age 29) 0 0 Blackpool

GK Craig Gordon 31 December 1982 (age 29) 40 0 Sunderland

GK Allan McGregor 31 January 1982 (age 30) 20 0 Rangers

DF Phil Bardsley 28 June 1985 (age 26) 11 0 Sunderland

DF Christophe Berra 31 January 1985 (age 27) 19 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

DF Gary Caldwell 12 April 1982 (age 30) 47 2 Wigan Athletic

DF Russell Martin 4 January 1986 (age 26) 2 0 Norwich City

DF Charlie Mulgrew 6 March 1986 (age 26) 1 0 Celtic

DF Lee Wallace 1 August 1987 (age 24) 5 0 Rangers

DF Andy Webster 23 April 1982 (age 30) 22 1 Heart of Midlothian

DF Steven Whittaker 17 June 1984 (age 27) 14 0 Rangers

MF Barry Bannan 1 December 1989 (age 22) 10 0 Aston Villa

MF Scott Brown 25 June 1985 (age 26) 27 2 Celtic

MF Craig Bryson 6 November 1986 (age 25) 1 0 Derby County

MF Don Cowie 15 February 1983 (age 29) 9 0 Cardiff City

MF James McArthur 7 October 1987 (age 24) 6 1 Wigan Athletic

MF Shaun Maloney 24 January 1983 (age 29) 19 1 Wigan Athletic

MF Matt Phillips 13 March 1991 (age 21) 0 0 Blackpool

FW David Goodwillie 28 March 1989 (age 23) 3 1 Blackburn Rovers

FW Craig Mackail-Smith 25 February 1984 (age 28) 6 1 Brighton & Hove Albion

FW Kenny Miller 23 December 1979 (age 32) 59 16 Cardiff City

FW Johnny Russell 8 April 1990 (age 22) 0 0 Dundee United

Pos.	Player	Date of Birth (Age)	Caps	Goals	Club
GK	Matt Gilks	4 July 1982 (age 29)	0	0	Blackpool
GK	Craig Gordon	31 December 1982 (age 29)	40	0	Sunderland
GK	Allan McGregor	31 January 1982 (age 30)	20	0	Rangers

DF	Phil Bardsley	28 June 1985 (age 26)	11	0	Sunderland
DF	Christophe Berra	31 January 1985 (age 27)	19	2	Wolverhampton Wanderers
DF	Gary Caldwell	12 April 1982 (age 30)	47	2	Wigan Athletic
DF	Russell Martin	4 January 1986 (age 26)	2	0	Norwich City
DF	Charlie Mulgrew	6 March 1986 (age 26)	1	0	Celtic
DF	Lee Wallace	1 August 1987 (age 24)	5	0	Rangers
DF	Andy Webster	23 April 1982 (age 30)	22	1	Heart of Midlothian
DF	Steven Whittaker	17 June 1984 (age 27)	14	0	Rangers

MF	Barry Bannan	1 December 1989 (age 22)	10	0	Aston Villa
MF	Scott Brown	25 June 1985 (age 26)	27	2	Celtic
MF	Craig Bryson	6 November 1986 (age 25)	1	0	Derby County
MF	Don Cowie	15 February 1983 (age 29)	9	0	Cardiff City
MF	James McArthur	7 October 1987 (age 24)	6	1	Wigan Athletic
MF	Shaun Maloney	24 January 1983 (age 29)	19	1	Wigan Athletic
MF	Matt Phillips	13 March 1991 (age 21)	0	0	Blackpool

FW	David Goodwillie	28 March 1989 (age 23)	3	1	Blackburn Rovers
FW	Craig Mackail-Smith	25 February 1984 (age 28)	6	1	Brighton & Hove Albion
FW	Kenny Miller	23 December 1979 (age 32)	59	16	Cardiff City
FW	Johnny Russell	8 April 1990 (age 22)	0	0	Dundee United

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QPR midfielder Joey Barton suspended eight matches and fined £75,000

Jonathon Feyerherm — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:12:59 +0000

An independent commission has issued the punishment for two charges of violent conduct against Joey Barton. The QPR midfielder had incidents, after being sent off in the season finale, against Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany. Overall, Barton will be suspended for 12 matches (four additional matches because of red card along with eight match for two charges) The official ruling and statement are below courtesy of The English Football Association’s official website.

An independent Regulatory Commission has today [Wednesday 23 May 2012] dealt with two charges of violent conduct against Joey Barton, arising from the game against Manchester City, resulting in an eight-match suspension and £75,000 fine for the Queens Park Rangers midfielder.

This eight-match suspension is to run consecutively to the four-game suspension Barton was already given for his dismissal in the fixture, making a total of 12 matches.

Barton was charged by The FA with two counts of violent conduct in relation to the Queens Park Rangers game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 13 May 2012.

Following Barton’s dismissal in the 54th minute of the match, there followed two incidents involving Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany. As Barton had already been dismissed, both of these incidents fell outside the jurisdiction of the referee.

Barton accepted the charge of violent conduct against Aguero but denied the second breach of violent conduct against Kompany. The independent Regulatory Commission, however, found this second charge proved.

Barton is already serving a four-match suspension for his dismissal in the match, which consists of three matches for violent conduct plus one match as this was the player’s second dismissal of the season. The two further breaches for violent conduct ordered he be suspended for eight matches to run consecutively to the four matches, taking the total suspension to 12 matches.

The Chairman of the Regulatory Commission stated after the hearing: “There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behaviour tarnishes the image of football in this country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe.”

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Bayern Munich 1-1 (3-4 on penalties) Chelsea – Match Recap – UEFA Champions League – 19 May 2012

Jonathon Feyerherm — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:53:04 +0000

Chelsea finished their improbable run to the UEFA Champions League final with a 4-3 win on penalty kicks against Bayern Munich. For most of the match, Chelsea played a defensive match and looked for their chances on the counterattack. Ultimately, they would come from behind in the second half and also during the penalty kick shootout.

1st Half

Neither team scored but Bayern Munich were the more dangerous side. Chelsea were content to play a defensive match and look for chances on set pieces and counters. It was 0-0 through 45 minutes.

2nd Half

Bayern continued to have more possession and shots but struggled to find a breakthrough. Eventually it came in the 83rd minute when Thomas Muller headed it past Cech to make it 1-0. The lead only lasted about five minutes as Didier Drogba equalized with a great header in the 88th minute.

1st Half Extra Time

Bayern would earn a penalty kick but Arjen Robben was denied by Cech in the 95th minute. The save was crucial as score remained 1-1 after 105 minutes.

2nd Half Extra Time

Both teams had chances but the match would eventually go to penalty kicks. Bayern continued to have the momentum but Chelsea were still hanging around.

Penalty Kick Shoot-out

In the shoot-out there were several momentum swings. Chelsea went down early and Bayern Munich were in the driver’s seat. As in their previous Champions League rounds, Chelsea found a way to come back from very unlikely circumstances. Cech made several key saves and Chelsea would convert their final four penalties to wins 1-1 and 4-3 on penalty kicks.

Match Stats

Bayern Munich Chelsea

43(7)	Shots (on Goal)	9(3)
14	Fouls	26
20	Corner Kicks	1
1	Offsides	2
56%	Time of Possession	44%
1	Yellow Cards	4
0	Red Cards	0
2	Saves	6

Goals

Bayern Munich	Chelsea
Thomas Müller (83′)	Didier Drogba (88′)
Arjen Robben (pen miss 95′)

Chelsea (4-2-3-1):

Cech; Bosingwa, Cahill, David Luiz, Cole; Mikel, Lampard; Kalou (Torres 83), Mata, Bertrand (Malouda 72); Drogba

Unused subs Turnbull, Ferreira, Essien, Romeu, Sturridge,.

Booked Cole 80, David Luiz 85, Drogba 93, Torres 119.

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1):

Neuer; Lahm (c), Tymoshchuk, Boateng, Contento; Schweinsteiger, Kroos; Robben, T Muller (Van Buyten 85), Ribéry (Olic 96); Gomez.

Unused subs Butt, , Rafinha, Usami, Pranjic, , Petersen.

Scorer Muller 82.

Booked Schweinsteiger 1.

Referee Pedro Proença from Portugal.

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Bayern Munich 1-1 (3-4 on penalties) Chelsea – Player Ratings – UEFA Champions League – 19 May 2012

Jonathon Feyerherm — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:32:14 +0000

Below are player ratings (on a scale of 1 to 10) for Bayern Munich 1-1 (3-4 on penalties) Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League final on May 19, 2012.

Bayern Munich

Neuer – 9 – Made some saves in the shoot-out and converted one as well

Tymoschuk – 6

Boateng – 6

Contento – 6

Lahm – 6.5

Kroos – 6

Schweinsteiger – 6

Ribery – 6.5

Robben – 7

Gomez – 6

Muller – 8 – Headed a goal late in the second half

Olic – 5

van Buyten – 5

Chelsea

Cech (Man of the Match) – 9.5 – Made some crucial saves especially during the penalty kicks

Luiz – 6

Cahill – 6

Cole – 6

Bosingwa – 6

Lampard – 7

Mikel Obi – 5.5

Bertrand – 5

Kalou – 5.5

Drogba – 8.5 – Scored from header just before stoppage time and converted winning penalty kick

Mata – 6

Malouda – 5.5

Torres – 6

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West Ham United edges Blackpool 2-1 to earn promotion to EPL

Jonathon Feyerherm — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:01:13 +0000

West Ham have returned to the English Premier League with a 2-1 win over Blackpool in the English Championship promotion playoff final. Heading into this match, West Ham were the clear favorites and initially it appeared that Blackpool was no match.

The Hammers took a 1-0 lead with a 35th minute Carlton Cole goal but the lead was short-lived. Three minutes after halftime, Blackpool’s Paul Ince scored the equalizer to make it 1-1. The match remained tied at 1-1 for most of the second half and extra time seemed imminent.

Fortunately for West Ham, Ricardo Vaz Te put them back on top with an 87th minute. The goal proved to be the difference as the final whistle sounded a few moments later and West Ham would be playing in the EPL for the 2012-13 season.

West Ham had been in the EPL for many seasons before relegation in 2010. They finished the regular season with four wins in six matches to finish in third place and only two points behind second place Southampton. In the first round of the promotion playoff West Ham crushed Cardiff 5-0 (3-0 and 2-0) on aggregate.

The promotion playoffs continue in the Football League with League One and League Two to be played on the weekend of May 26-27.

Teams

Blackpool (4-2-3-1): Gilks; Eardley, Evatt, Crainey; Martinez (Dicko 90), Ferguson; Ince, Dobbie (Bednar 90), M. Phillips; K. Phillips (Sylvestre 71).

Substitutes not used: Southern, Cathcart.

West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Green; Demel (Faubert 57); Tomkins, Reid, Taylor; O’Neill (McCartney 53), Noble; Collison, Nolan, Vaz Te; Cole.

Substitutes not used: Maynard, Henderson, Lansbury.

Goals

Blackpool	West Ham
Thomas Ince (48′)	Carlton Cole (35′)
	Ricardo Vaz Te (87′)

Match Stats

Blackpool West Ham

14(7)	Shots (on Goal)	12(4)
6	Fouls	8
4	Corner Kicks	4
3	Offsides	5
52%	Time of Possession	48%
0	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
3	Saves	5

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Bayern Munich v Chelsea – TV Listings – UEFA Champions League – 19 May 2012

Jonathon Feyerherm — Sat, 19 May 2012 07:14:35 +0000

Below are television listings for the UEFA Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea on Saturday, May 19, 2012.

North/South America

FOX (USA), ESPN (Brazil), Rogers Sportsnet (Canada), Fox Sports (various South America/Central America countries)

Europe/Africa

ITV (UK), Sky Sports 1 (UK), NTV (Russia), Sky Sport 1 (Germany/Italy), RAI 1 (Italy), TF1 (France), TVE La Primera (Spain), RTE Two (Ireland), Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East/Northern Africa), TV6 (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), TV3 (Sweden), TV2 (Hungary), Viasat (Norway), SuperSport (Africa)

Asia/Pacific

TEN Sports (India), Fuji TV (Japan), ESPN Star Sports (Korea/SE Asia), ESPN (Australia/China)

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Bayern Munich v Chelsea – Match Predictions – UEFA Champions League – 19 May 2012

Jonathon Feyerherm — Sat, 19 May 2012 07:01:21 +0000

Below are predictions for the UEFA Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea on Saturday, May 19, 2012.

Score

Bayern Munich 2-1 Chelsea – Bayern have the home advantage and have been very impressive in the Champions League this season. This combined with missing several key players due to suspensions will be more than enough to give Bayern their fifth Champions League/European Cup. Some are expecting a comfortable win for Bayern but Chelsea should make it a very competitive match and possibly force extra time.

Goalscorers

Bayern – Mario Gomez, Arjen Robben

Chelsea – Didier Drogba

Man of the Match

Mario Gomez

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Bayern Munich v Chelsea – Match Preview – UEFA Champions League – 19 May 2012

Jonathon Feyerherm — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:53:22 +0000

The top club competition in the world comes to an end with Bayern Munich hosting Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League final. The match will take place at the Allianz Arena which is the home stadium of Bayern Munich.

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo

‘Cahill and David Luiz trained the whole week so we are very hopeful, and Malouda will join the group today. We brought two players from the B list just in case, Nathaniel Chalobah and Todd Kane.

‘I will wait until the last session tonight to see and reassess all my players. Then tonight I will make my final decisions about the team selection.’

‘I don’t know what the future will hold but we can win it and we have to have the confidence and belief to do so.

‘I think the players deserve it. The players have done tremendously well and the whole club, and the supporters, would deserve it.

‘I do believe our players have all the qualities you need to win this competition those qualities have taken us to this event here and I am very positive and very confident. ‘

‘They have the best defence in the league, you can’t just take one game to summarise Bayern. They’ve had a very good season and our approach has to be the correct one for ourselves to be able to beat them.

‘They are playing in their stadium so they know the environment, pitch, dressing room,’ he said. ‘Our players are highly motivated and will be positive. We will try to make the best of the game tomorrow and try to win it.

‘I think there are suspended players on both teams and if you make it to a final then you have two good teams. Bayern Munich has great players and strengths we are aware of, and are playing at home which could be a slight advantage for them but we have excellent players on our team and I think we have just the same chances as Bayern.’

‘Frank has been amazing. He has risen to the occasion when we needed him. In the Nou Camp he was outstanding, he led the group, and he is a natural leader. You might not always look at him like that but when you need him the man is there, he is a proper man.’

Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes

“It’s a historic chance for us.”

“We know every blade of grass here. We must try and maintain our Champions League tradition.”

“Both teams will go for the win. Of course, they’ll try and keep it tight, but they’ll definitely attack and won’t just shut up shop.”

Betting Odds

Bayern Munich win – 4/5

Draw (after 90 minutes) – 3/1

Chelsea win – 16/5

Bayern Munich Road To The Final

Round of 16

First leg 22 February 2012	Basel	1 – 0	Bayern Munich	Basel

Second leg 13 March 2012	Bayern Munich	7 – 0	Basel	Munich

Quarter-finals

First leg 28 March 2012	Marseille	0 – 2	Bayern Munich	Marseille

Second leg 3 April 2012	Bayern Munich	2 – 0	Marseille	Munich

Semi-finals

First leg 17 April 2012	Bayern Munich	2 – 1	Real Madrid	Munich

Second leg 25 April 2012

Real Madrid

2 – 1 (aet)

(1 – 3 p)

Bayern Munich

Madrid

Chelsea’s Road To The Final

Round of 16

First leg 21 February 2012	Napoli	3–1	Chelsea	Naples

Second leg 14 March 2012	Chelsea	4–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 agg.)	Napoli	London

Quarter finals

First leg 27 March 2012	Benfica	0–1	Chelsea	Lisbon

Second leg 4 April 2012	Chelsea	2–1 (3–1 agg.)	Benfica	London

Semi-finals

First leg 18 April 2012	Chelsea	1–0	Barcelona	London

Second leg 24 April 2012

Barcelona

2–2

(2–3 agg.)

Chelsea

Barcelona

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The 90th Minute Podcast – Episode 22 – David Bevan talks English Championship

Jonathon Feyerherm — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:37:42 +0000

David Bevan from The Seventy Two (http://www.theseventytwo.com) recaps the English Championship season and previews the upcoming promotion playoff final between West Ham United and Blackpool. You can follow The Seventy Two on twitter @The72Football

The 90th Minute Podcast – Episode 22 Featuring David Bevan

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