Sport
7 points in 7 days
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This week saw a blend of the global and the domestic. The last throes of the international break produced some talking points, but much of the biggest news of the last seven days has come from the newly-returned league action.
Rock on a Roll
It is almost unbelievable that Gibraltar have made this column two weeks running, but the side which had never picked up a competitive point a fortnight ago has once again earned an inclusion. The British Overseas Territory is not exactly known for its footballing prowess, but it took the plaudits last week after an unlikely win over Armenia. Clearly this gave them the taste for victory: at the start of this week, they followed it up with a second win on the bounce. This time it was Liechtenstein who fell to defeat – Gibraltar had to come from behind to secure a 2-1 win, a truly gritty performance from a team who have been the whipping boys of Europe for most of their time in competitive football. It was once again Joseph Chipolina who scored the winner; the 30-year-old plies his trade with the Lincoln Red Imps.
Galaxy Out of This World
A victory for one of LA Galaxy’s youth teams may not have grabbed so many headlines, but it was no less impressive. The 2003 category side, designed for players born in that year, took on their Barcelona counterparts in Croatia and won 2-1. US football was roundly criticised following the nation’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia, with some suggesting that there were deep systemic issues; the successes of Galaxy’s youth system may give some cause for Americans to be optimistic for the future. The scholars of La Masia were undone by goals from Jonathan Perez and Mauricio Cuevas, both of whom have been involved with the USA national youth sides.
Skip to the Good Bit
These youngsters still have some way to go to make it to the big time, although life in the professional game isn’t always as showbiz as it might seem: just ask Gary Johnson. The former Latvia and Bristol City manager is currently in charge of Torquay United, and agreed to be interviewed about his start to life at the club for local radio. He was non-plussed, therefore, when the host asked him about the struggles of owning a skip company. A helpless Johnson pointed out that he did not run a side-line in waste disposal – he wondered aloud whether this was a mistimed April Fool. As it transpired, it was a simple mistake on the behalf of the producer; his apologetic voice appeared on air admitting that he had phoned the wrong number. Johnson eventually got to talk about football, where thankfully things are far from rubbish: Torquay have started steadily in the National League South, and sit 9th .
Take a Luka That
Luka Jovic earned himself a spot in the weekly round-up with his first goal against Fortuna Dusseldorf, coming up with an amazing scissor-kick to put Eintracht Frankfurt two goals up. The ball looked to have come in at too awkward a height for Jovic to convert, but he defied the odds to acrobatically direct it goalward. Not content with just taking the plaudits forquality, however, the Serb also plumped for quantity: the on-loan Benfica man hit a remarkable four more goals, securing the match ball and then some on the way to a resounding 7-1 victory. This major blow to Dusseldorf’s goal difference sent them sliding all the way to the bottom of the Bundesliga. Frankfurt, meanwhile, sit 7th after a run of three straight wins.
Pick That Out
A similarly impressive strike this week came from Russian youth futsal player Danil Karpuik: unfortunately, it was in the wrong goal. Futsal is making its debut at the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, and the final was contested between Russia and Brazil. The Brazilians, a traditional futsal nation, were heavy favourites – it was still all square, however, when the young Russian suffered a calamity. An attack had broken down for the South Americans, and the ball fell to the defence in a seemingly harmless fashion. Karpuik struck across the ball in what would have been a textbook fashion at the other end of the pitch; sure enough, the ball flew into the top corner before the bemused goalkeeper had realised what was happening. Only the youngster will know what he was trying to do, but the results were disastrous. Brazil went on to win 4-1, with the win sealed by a goal from goalkeeper Francoar after his opposition counterpart had pushed up to try and score.
Alavés Defy the Odds
This season’s La Liga is proving less kind to the favourites. Real Madrid’s woes continued this week: they found themselves 2-0 down against Levante on Saturday, and this marked the club’s longest ever run without a goal. Marcelo did at least break this most unwanted of streaks with a consolation strike, but Los Blancos could not avoid yet another defeat. Julen Lopetegui is now at real risk of losing both the Spain and Real Madrid jobs in the space of a few short months: Real are not known for their patience, and results will need to improve soon and drastically if the manager is to redeem himself. Alavés, meanwhile, have eagerly seized upon the opportunity handed to them by the struggles of the usual suspects. They played on Friday, and their win over Celta Vigo meant that they temporarily occupied the top of La Liga. Even once everyone had played, they remained in third place. One of the two teams above them is Espanyol, another side not used to such dizzy heights: perhaps things will eventually revert to type, but at the moment it is looking like a truly intriguing season in Spain.
Ross to the Rescue
Former Real boss Jose Mourinho probably has little time for sympathising with the latest man to take up that particular poisoned chalice; he has enough struggles of his own as he attempts to beat off the array of critics at Manchester United. He looked to be on the way to a vital victory against high-flying Chelsea at the weekend, but Ross Barkley had other ideas. Deep into stoppage time, Azpilicueta slung a hopeful high ball into the box. It was met emphatically by David Luiz, but the header struck the post. David De Gea saved well from Rudiger’s follow-up, but even the Spaniard was helpless to stop Barkley from turning the ball home. This prompted elation on the Chelsea bench – indeed, the celebrations of coach Marco Ianni were somewhat overzealous. His sprint up and down the touchline prompted an angry reaction from Mourinho, who had to be restrained by stewards. The game barely had time to restart after order was eventually restored, and it ended all square; Mauricio Sarri thus retains his unbeaten record, although the two dropped points means that his side are no longer matching Manchester City and Liverpool. Both sides won this weekend, beating Burnley and Huddersfield respectively.
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