With the first round of group phase games now complete, it seems like an apposite time to cast an eye over the initial impressions made by the sixteen nations, and sort the contenders from the pretenders.
Group A
The tournament opener can often set a precedent for the tone of the rest of the group stage – at Germany ’06, the hosts’ spectacular winning start kicked off a goal-laden fortnight, before the knockout rounds saw an inevitable retreat into negativity which soured that tournament’s early promise. Unfortunately, this year’s summer football festival got underway in a rather subdued manner.
Though co-hosts Switzerland displayed a certain level of promise, it took only the desperately unlucky early loss through injury of captain and chief goal threat Alexander Frei to dishearten their youthful side. Beleaguered boss Kobi Kuhn will hope Frei’s slow, tearful limp from the St. Jakob Park pitch on Saturday is not to be the defining image of the Swiss challenge. The Borussia Dortmund forward’s replacement, deft playmaker Hakan Yakin, and wide-men Tranquillo Barnetta and Valon Behrami, will now hold the key to Switzerland’s chances of making an unlikely recovery and surviving the cull after game three.
As expected, bereft of Tomas Rosický and Pavel Nedvěd, and with Jan Koller visibly creaking at the joints, the Czechs were a quite pedestrian proposition in Basel. However, the physical strength throughout the team’s spine and considerable influence of Petr Čech at their base means that the Portugal ’04 semi-finalists remain a tough nut to crack. A probable quarter-final exit at the hands of Germany awaits.
The highlight of Group A to date has clearly been the thoroughly impressive performance of “Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal” – as the British media would have it – in their 2-0 defeat of Turkey in Geneva. With Luiz Felipe Scolari having the enviable luxury of holding back another twinkletoes, Ricardo Quaresma, while relentlessly rotating a plethora of absurdly-talented wingers, the Portuguese are perhaps yet to even hit their peak. Deco looks to have shaken off his Barça malaise and, on Saturday night, prompted expertly alongside his callow assistant Joao Moutinho, while goal-hero Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho are a defensive dream-team. As long as they can keep loose cannon Ricardo from cocking things up, Portugal must expect to make the semis at the very least.
Fatih Terim’s decision to omit the grand old man of Turkish football, Hakan Şükür, from his squad was a popular one in most quarters. However, Turkey’s showing in their first game back in major competition since finishing third in Japan/Korea ’02 clearly demonstrated why the 36-year-old was even considered a realistic proposition for inclusion. Nihat may have excelled in La Liga this year and - on his day - Tuncay is an enterprising, skilful forward, but together the two simply do not make an effective partnership. While Emre, loose of the shackles of the St James’ Park shambles, probed and linked play well, the Turkish defensive unit behind him proved far too cumbersome to keep the pacy Portugese at bay. Tomorrow’s encounter with the Swiss is now a must-win, which could then set up a decisive showdown with the Czechs.
Group B
In the run-up to the tournament, co-hosts Austria were widely touted as the worst side ever to ‘earn’ a place at the Euros. A narrow 0-1 reverse at the hands of everyone’s favourite dark horse Croatia far from embarrassed the Austrian masses who awaited this event with excitement and trepidation in equal measure. Werder Bremen-bound Sebastian Prödl made a fine impression at the heart of the defence. The giant 20-year-old confidently displayed the talents which earned him a spot in the U20 World Cup select XI last year. However, in the short term at least, his countrymen will struggle to overcome the concession of the fourth-minute penalty which did for them in Vienna. The next game against Poland provides their best chance of salvaging a point, before they are swept ruthlessly aside by their neighbours, the Germans.
The Croats have a lot to live up to; their Wembley masterclass last year left the purists purring. Highly-rated coach Slaven Bilić is at the helm of a gifted group, but has not fully been able to redress ‘the Eduardo problem’ up front. In conceding the majority of the possession to the Austrians, they relied too heavily on the counter-attack. Without a spearhead to finish moves off, their aesthetically-pleasing style may come to naught in the last eight.
Favourites Germany opened, as expected, with a performance of quality and confidence. Coach Jogi Löw’s decision to feature out-of-form striker Lukas Podolski on the left wing of his XI to face the Poles paid off handsomely – the Bayern Munich man punctured the inflated expectations of his birthland with a well-taken double. As ever, the supreme balance and composure of the Ballack/Frings midfield axis was, and will be, fundamental to the Germans’ dominant style. Though they started without a win in the Euros since their Wembley triumph of 1996, it would be a foolish man who bets against der Nationalmannschaft making a mockery of that record this time out and surging straight into the final.
Their opponents on Sunday, Poland, will not be entertaining such lofty ambitions. Though Leo Beenhakker’s re-organisation and re-motivation of the national side saw them storm through qualifying, after a shaky start, it was always going to be a tough ask for the Polish to reproduce such form on the big stage. The squad remains a limited one, and with livewire Ebi Smolarek starved of service by the misfiring Jacek Krzynówek and ineffective (and now injured) skipper Maciej Żurawski, those limitations were exposed in Klagenfurt. That said, they may fancy their chances of a positive result against the Austrians, setting up a potentially crucial game with Croatia next Monday night.
Group C
In producing the most stultifying ninety minutes of this (and perhaps any other) European Championship, France and Romania offered plenty of evidence as to why they should go no further. The Romanians stuck doggedly to a pre-conceived game-plan which achieved their goal of snatching a point. Which is all very well, but if they are to have any chance whatsoever of progressing from the group it will be necessary to beat at least one of Italy and Holland. Having nine men behind the ball and poor Adrian Mutu charged with sole creative responsibility is unlikely to get the job done.
The French, meanwhile, offered up a showing comparable with that of their recent major championship group stage form – that is to say they were abject and clueless. As ex-Bleu and BBC pundit Marcel Desailly pointed out, France have relied too heavily for too long on the incomparable talents of Zinedine Zidane (when playing half-fit in 2002 and out-of-touch in the early stages of 2006, his team-mates floundered). The mercurial Franck Ribéry may be exceptionally talented, but he is a winger and should not be expected to fill the gaping Zizou-shaped void single-handedly. That issue aside; Florent Malouda was, again, pitiful and Anelka/Benzema clearly has no potential whatsoever as a partnership. Patrick Vieira returns from injury for Friday’s clash with the Dutch, but the veteran Inter midfielder should be regarded more a liability than a source of inspiration these days. If it all continues to go pear-shaped, then Raymond Domenech may find his omissions of the energetic Mathieu Flamini and goal machine (and, yes, glorified goal-hanger) David Trezeguet indefensible. A first phase exit is on the cards.
Meanwhile, the Dutch lit up the tournament with their dismantling of World Champions, Italy; returning to a brand of sexy football that went missing at the turn of the century. Ruud van Nistelrooy gave a display of world-class centre-forward play – a dying art, Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart finally showed signs of fulfilling their enormous potential on the biggest stage, and the much-derided back four held firm under near-constant second half pressure. Sneijder’s goal was an extraordinary example of the precision and panache of the Netherlands’ counter-attacking supremacy. With Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie still to return to full fitness, they hold a very real chance of not only progressing from the ‘Group of Death’, but also making it through to the final week.
Italy, while mercilessly turned over by a rampant Dutch XI – conceding three goals in the process – will still hold out hope of progression. There was little fundamentally wrong with their play; but under-fire Roberto Donadoni (who signed a fresh 2-year contract prior to the tournament) will have to tweak his midfield line-up, ideally by bringing in Daniele De Rossi or Alberto Aquilani, and pray that their once rock-solid defence can eventually absorb the loss of Fabio Cannavaro (dropping professional disaster-zone Marco Materazzi might be a good start). Toto Di Natale gave 100 per cent as always in his support of the frustrated Luca Toni, but it was only when old master Alex Del Piero took the field that the Azzurri looked likely to breach the Dutch defence. Italy-France in Zurich next week may well prove to be the definitive clash in this ultra-tough group.
Group D
Perennial under-achievers Spain generally impress during the early stages of a competition; garnering admiration and support along the way, before an inevitable quarter-final departure. In Portugal four years ago they suffered a group-phase exit, but this time around they need not fear such a fate. Systematically dismantling Russia (the darkest of dark horses) was no mean feat, and the Torres/Villa show was a sight to behold. With a plethora of midfield craftsmen to choose from, Luis Aragonés has a tough task in selecting a balanced XI, while featuring all of his top talent. Cesc Fàbregas was unlucky to miss out initially, but showed his worth with some fine runs and a headed goal in injury time. The centre of defence remains a concern, but with Brazilian-born Marcos Senna patrolling at the base of a midfield diamond, the Spanish retain a certain solidity. They are, of course, serious contenders.
Guus Hiddink’s Russia, meanwhile, only served to show how fortunate they were to stumble through qualification for the finals. Without creative fulcrum Andrei Arshavin, who also misses the upcoming Greece clash through suspension, the Russians were largely clueless in the final third of the pitch. Hiddink has an undeniable talent for over-achieving, even with the most unpromising of raw materials, and perhaps that trend might run aground in Austria. Their clumsy defensive four was clinically exploited by Spanish flair and ingenuity, and even if Russia are fortunate enough to escape the group – a distinct possibility given the limitations of their next opponents – they will struggle to make an impact in the last eight.
Greece once more forced upon the viewing public their ugly brand of ultra-negative anti-football in the game with Sweden. The fundamental flaw with their approach is that if the opposing side are as similarly offensively inadequate, they cannot rely on their opponents to take the initiative and open the game up. Simply put, they’re only effective as underdogs. As usual, Angelos Charisteas put himself about gamely up front, and the midfield marshalled by Giorgios Karagounis worked over-time to restrict the (already restricted) Swedes. There is little chance of Otto Rehhagel producing another ‘Miracle of Lisbon’ in this year’s Championship, and his ageing side will be lucky to garner even a point from their remaining games.
Despite selecting more or less the same squad each time around, the Swedes keep qualifying for major tournaments and then keep progressing from the group stages, without ever showing any exceptional ability. With the likes of Henrik Larsson, Niclas Alexandersson and Freddie Ljungberg back again, it was familiar side that took the field on Monday night, and a similar result followed. The thunderbolt strike of Zlatan Ibrahimović illuminated an otherwise tedious game, and the Swedes will rely on the hugely-talented frontman to provide goals and inspiration against the Russians and Spain. With Johan Elmander and Markus Rosenberg waiting on the bench, Sweden carry a greater goal threat than usual, and now have a good platform for quarter-final qualification.
Predictions:
Group A - Germany & Croatia
Group B - Portugal & Czech Republic
Group C - Netherlands & Italy
Group D - Spain & Sweden
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Ibra the star of frantic Serie A climax
“Inter, are you scared?”
That was the pointed question La Gazzetta dello Sport dared to ask of Serie A’s defending champions as they stumbled unconvincingly towards the finishing line, in pursuit of a third successive scudetto.
From eleven points clear, Inter’s lead had gradually ebbed away following a series of indifferent performances – culminating in a nightmare derby defeat at the hands of Milan and a 2-2 draw with lowly Siena during the past fortnight. The latter game featured a last-gasp penalty miss by controversial anti-hero Marco Materazzi which, if converted, would have sealed the title there and then. Materazzi took his frustrations out on his telly, which he was reported to have hurled out of the bedroom window of his home in Pisa.
Meanwhile, down in the south of the peninsula, free-wheeling Roma were making the most of the nerazurri’s jitters – reeling in the long-time leaders with an exciting brand of open, attacking football. As the final 90 minutes of the Italian season kicked-off yesterday afternoon, Roberto Mancini’s spluttering Inter juggernaut had only a single point advantage over their Roman rivals left to defend.
Luciano Spalletti’s men were faced with a simple equation – they must turn over relegation-threatened Catania in the Sicilians’ own backyard and pray that Inter failed to win at Parma; another side haunted by fears of demotion to Serie B.
Due to a peculiar ruling by Italian football’s powers-that-be, the Inter ticket allocation for their season-defining clash at the Tardini was heavily restricted. Such a decision was apparently taken to ensure ‘fairness’ to Roma, whose notoriously volatile tifosi had been barred from making their delightful presence felt in Sicily. Nonetheless, the Parma faithful were out in force to provide raucous backing to their team’s improbable fight for survival.
The biggest roar of a tight, tense first half came as a result of news filtering through from Catania. Mirko Vucinic’s stunning solo goal put Roma 1-0 up, giving Parma renewed hope of preserving their cherished top-flight status. At the same time, the lanky Montenegrin’s moment of genius had put the Romans in the driving seat for the scudetto. Now Inter simply had to score.
It was Parma’s Stefano Morrone who spurned the opening period’s clearest goalscoring opportunity though; the experienced midfielder firing directly at Inter ‘keeper Julio Cesar when he suddenly found himself in possession just outside the six-yard box.
Andrea Manzo’s first, and probably last, selection since the youth team coach succeeded perennial failure Hector Cuper as Parma boss just last week, incorporated Croat forward Igor Budan at the expense of proven goal-getter Cristiano Lucarelli. Budan nodded narrowly over the Inter bar from Andrea Gasbarroni’s wicked cross, as the gialloblu briefly took the upper hand against a nervous-looking Inter side.
On the half-time whistle, Inter’s 17-year-old prodigy, ‘Super’ Mario Balotelli skinned a pair of dazzled Parma defenders and delivered an excellent cross which his forward partner Julio Cruz could not convert.
Still, Roma led. Inter’s title dreams were slipping agonisingly away in the Parma rain. The nerazurri had won just once in their last 17 visits to the Tardini, but to claim a hat-trick of scudetti they had 45 minutes remaining to defy that form and find the back of Nicola Pavarini’s net.
In the early stages of the second half, Mancini’s men were quite evidently lacking the grit of injured midfield energiser Esteban Cambiasso and, most importantly, the ingenuity offered by mercurial forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Bosnian-born Swede proved willing to jeopardise his participation in Euro 2008 as he heeded Mancini’s desperate call from the bench, apparently no more than 50 per cent fit.
Within less than a minute, ‘Ibra’ had sprung clear of Parma’s defensive shackles, but skewed his low shot wide. Within ten, he had given his team a vital lead.
His powerful 51st minute strike, low and left of the despairing Pavarini, nestled neatly in the back of the net – sending Inter’s tiny travelling contingent and long-suffering club president Massimo Moratti wild with delight.
Once the Milanese giants had shattered the deadlock they flooded forward in search of a killer second, as puddles started to form on the sodden pitch. Both Ibrahimovic and Balotelli came close, before flying Brazilian full-back Maicon used all his searing pace to get to the goal-line and cut the ball back for Ibrahimovic to turn it in at the far-post. The scudetto was sealed in that moment, and so was Parma’s demotion to – in the words of their president – the ‘hell’ of Serie B.
Deflated Roma then conceded a late equaliser in Sicily, as little Catania prolonged their Serie A adventure for another year. Instead, it was Empoli that joined Parma and already relegated Livorno through the trapdoor to hell.
Milan’s 4-1 thumping of Udinese at San Siro came too late to rescue the Champions League qualification they’ve come to regard as their right. A late winner away to Torino saw Fiorentina cling onto fourth spot ahead of the rossoneri.
Carlo Ancelotti, Milan’s head coach – but for how long? – described his club’s ‘demotion’ to the UEFA Cup as “a year in purgatory”. Perhaps such a humbling experience will allow them to concentrate their energies fully on Serie A next time round, rather than continuing to cultivate an ageing squad designed merely to perform on the big occasion – much in the vein of the revitalised Bayern Munich this term. But, with Ronaldinho and Andrii Shevchenko among the rumoured summer arrivals at Milanello, perhaps not.
Fiorentina’s priority must be to hold onto their one genuine star, Adrian Mutu. Claudio Prandelli’s squad must be greatly improved if they are to compete effectively at Europe’s top table. Third-placed Juventus complete the Champions League quartet, and the Old Lady’s big-spending plans should give them a fighting chance of making a success of their return to continental competition.
As for the champions, their next stop is the Coppa Italia final in which they face, for the fourth successive year...Roma.
Next year, Il presidente Moratti will prioritise European success, which is why Mancini may be forced to give way for a coach versed in the arts of knockout football. Jose Mourinho lies in wait.
In finally claiming the title, Inter defied the critics at La Gazzetta with a show of character which had plainly been lacking since February’s catastrophic Champions League exit at Anfield. They may not have had the title safely wrapped up with 22 points in hand and five weeks to spare, as last year, but they did manage to clamber over the finishing line in the final half-hour of the season. Undoubtedly, Inter had been more than a little ‘scared’ at times, but crucially held their collective nerve when it mattered most.
That was the pointed question La Gazzetta dello Sport dared to ask of Serie A’s defending champions as they stumbled unconvincingly towards the finishing line, in pursuit of a third successive scudetto.
From eleven points clear, Inter’s lead had gradually ebbed away following a series of indifferent performances – culminating in a nightmare derby defeat at the hands of Milan and a 2-2 draw with lowly Siena during the past fortnight. The latter game featured a last-gasp penalty miss by controversial anti-hero Marco Materazzi which, if converted, would have sealed the title there and then. Materazzi took his frustrations out on his telly, which he was reported to have hurled out of the bedroom window of his home in Pisa.
Meanwhile, down in the south of the peninsula, free-wheeling Roma were making the most of the nerazurri’s jitters – reeling in the long-time leaders with an exciting brand of open, attacking football. As the final 90 minutes of the Italian season kicked-off yesterday afternoon, Roberto Mancini’s spluttering Inter juggernaut had only a single point advantage over their Roman rivals left to defend.
Luciano Spalletti’s men were faced with a simple equation – they must turn over relegation-threatened Catania in the Sicilians’ own backyard and pray that Inter failed to win at Parma; another side haunted by fears of demotion to Serie B.
Due to a peculiar ruling by Italian football’s powers-that-be, the Inter ticket allocation for their season-defining clash at the Tardini was heavily restricted. Such a decision was apparently taken to ensure ‘fairness’ to Roma, whose notoriously volatile tifosi had been barred from making their delightful presence felt in Sicily. Nonetheless, the Parma faithful were out in force to provide raucous backing to their team’s improbable fight for survival.
The biggest roar of a tight, tense first half came as a result of news filtering through from Catania. Mirko Vucinic’s stunning solo goal put Roma 1-0 up, giving Parma renewed hope of preserving their cherished top-flight status. At the same time, the lanky Montenegrin’s moment of genius had put the Romans in the driving seat for the scudetto. Now Inter simply had to score.
It was Parma’s Stefano Morrone who spurned the opening period’s clearest goalscoring opportunity though; the experienced midfielder firing directly at Inter ‘keeper Julio Cesar when he suddenly found himself in possession just outside the six-yard box.
Andrea Manzo’s first, and probably last, selection since the youth team coach succeeded perennial failure Hector Cuper as Parma boss just last week, incorporated Croat forward Igor Budan at the expense of proven goal-getter Cristiano Lucarelli. Budan nodded narrowly over the Inter bar from Andrea Gasbarroni’s wicked cross, as the gialloblu briefly took the upper hand against a nervous-looking Inter side.
On the half-time whistle, Inter’s 17-year-old prodigy, ‘Super’ Mario Balotelli skinned a pair of dazzled Parma defenders and delivered an excellent cross which his forward partner Julio Cruz could not convert.
Still, Roma led. Inter’s title dreams were slipping agonisingly away in the Parma rain. The nerazurri had won just once in their last 17 visits to the Tardini, but to claim a hat-trick of scudetti they had 45 minutes remaining to defy that form and find the back of Nicola Pavarini’s net.
In the early stages of the second half, Mancini’s men were quite evidently lacking the grit of injured midfield energiser Esteban Cambiasso and, most importantly, the ingenuity offered by mercurial forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Bosnian-born Swede proved willing to jeopardise his participation in Euro 2008 as he heeded Mancini’s desperate call from the bench, apparently no more than 50 per cent fit.
Within less than a minute, ‘Ibra’ had sprung clear of Parma’s defensive shackles, but skewed his low shot wide. Within ten, he had given his team a vital lead.
His powerful 51st minute strike, low and left of the despairing Pavarini, nestled neatly in the back of the net – sending Inter’s tiny travelling contingent and long-suffering club president Massimo Moratti wild with delight.
Once the Milanese giants had shattered the deadlock they flooded forward in search of a killer second, as puddles started to form on the sodden pitch. Both Ibrahimovic and Balotelli came close, before flying Brazilian full-back Maicon used all his searing pace to get to the goal-line and cut the ball back for Ibrahimovic to turn it in at the far-post. The scudetto was sealed in that moment, and so was Parma’s demotion to – in the words of their president – the ‘hell’ of Serie B.
Deflated Roma then conceded a late equaliser in Sicily, as little Catania prolonged their Serie A adventure for another year. Instead, it was Empoli that joined Parma and already relegated Livorno through the trapdoor to hell.
Milan’s 4-1 thumping of Udinese at San Siro came too late to rescue the Champions League qualification they’ve come to regard as their right. A late winner away to Torino saw Fiorentina cling onto fourth spot ahead of the rossoneri.
Carlo Ancelotti, Milan’s head coach – but for how long? – described his club’s ‘demotion’ to the UEFA Cup as “a year in purgatory”. Perhaps such a humbling experience will allow them to concentrate their energies fully on Serie A next time round, rather than continuing to cultivate an ageing squad designed merely to perform on the big occasion – much in the vein of the revitalised Bayern Munich this term. But, with Ronaldinho and Andrii Shevchenko among the rumoured summer arrivals at Milanello, perhaps not.
Fiorentina’s priority must be to hold onto their one genuine star, Adrian Mutu. Claudio Prandelli’s squad must be greatly improved if they are to compete effectively at Europe’s top table. Third-placed Juventus complete the Champions League quartet, and the Old Lady’s big-spending plans should give them a fighting chance of making a success of their return to continental competition.
As for the champions, their next stop is the Coppa Italia final in which they face, for the fourth successive year...Roma.
Next year, Il presidente Moratti will prioritise European success, which is why Mancini may be forced to give way for a coach versed in the arts of knockout football. Jose Mourinho lies in wait.
In finally claiming the title, Inter defied the critics at La Gazzetta with a show of character which had plainly been lacking since February’s catastrophic Champions League exit at Anfield. They may not have had the title safely wrapped up with 22 points in hand and five weeks to spare, as last year, but they did manage to clamber over the finishing line in the final half-hour of the season. Undoubtedly, Inter had been more than a little ‘scared’ at times, but crucially held their collective nerve when it mattered most.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Sparkling Valencia fires Wigan to safety
Aston Villa 0-2 Wigan Athletic
3pm, Saturday May 3, 2008 (Attendance: 42,640)
Antonio Valencia’s stunning second-half brace accounted for an off-colour Aston Villa at Villa Park yesterday.
Wigan’s shock victory ensures their Premier League survival – a feat boss Steve Bruce heralded as “the best achievement” of his managerial career to date. Their opponents, meanwhile, now look set to fall agonisingly short of fifth place and subsequent qualification for next season’s UEFA Cup.
The match was prefixed by a minute’s silence in memory of Villa fan Christopher Priest, who died in an incident outside the ground following last month’s Second City derby with Birmingham City. Nonetheless, the opening exchanges of the game were far from sombre or reflective; and a scrappy, physical first half ensued.
Early on, Olof Mellberg – in his valedictory home appearance – crunched into Marcus Bent out on the touchline and the resultant free kick initiated a game of pinball in the Villa area, from which the home side were lucky to escape with their goal intact.
Another potential Villa Park departee, Gareth Barry, skewed a decent opportunity high and wide on 24 minutes, having been played in by one of many John Carew nod-downs throughout the course of the afternoon. And within minutes, Barry had spurned another half-chance; a measured Ashley Young back-flick wide on the left found the supporting Wilfred Bouma, but the Villa captain headed Bouma's whipped cross safely within the impressive reach of Wigan ‘keeper Chris Kirkland. Kirkland then saved smartly from a Zat Knight header soon after.
Just before the half hour mark, a long, high ball found Gabriel Agbonlahor totally unmarked and – to the surprise of the Wigan back-line – onside, right on the edge of the area. Though his first-time control was impressive, the Erdington-born speed-merchant then scuffed a left-footed effort lamely wide of the target.
Shortly after, Marcus Bent hooked a close range attempt just wide and then went on to fire a 25-yard rocket narrowly over Scott Carson’s goal.
With Villa pressure mounting on the Latics’ goal as half-time approached, Young’s precise corner found the head of Agbonlahor, who had a header tipped onto and over the bar by Kirkland at full-stretch.
But soon after the interval, Valencia struck Wigan’s first. A Villa corner was cleared upfield and, with the home side’s defence left exposed, Jason Koumas found time and space to play a sharp pass into the path of the advancing Valencia. His 20-yard shot took a wicked deflection off Wilfred Bouma and looped into the net over the despairing dive of stranded Carson.
In response to this setback, Villa boss Martin O’Neill rang the changes – Patrik Berger replaced Zat Knight, with Mellberg switched to his favoured centre-back position and Nigel Reo-Coker to right full-back. But this radical re-shaping only served to further destabilise his shaken team.
In the 63rd minute, a long punt from Kirkland was flicked on by Wigan battering ram Emile Heskey, and Valencia once more eluded the retreating Villa defence with a powerful run and clinical near-post finish.
O’Neill, animated as ever, called super-sub Marlon Harewood from the bench in vain hope of sparking a late revival. However, within seconds of the big forward’s arrival, Wigan mounted yet another penetrating counter-attack. A three-on-one raid against an abandoned Reo-Coker narrowly failed to culminate in what would have been an astonishing 20-minute hat-trick for Valencia; Kevin Kilbane’s through-ball found the Ecuadorian starlet in acres of space once more, but on this occasion the speedy winger struck his low shot straight at Carson.
Despite dominating possession and territory from thereon in, the home side rarely suggested they could muster even a consolation goal. In the final throes, John Carew headed weakly wide of Kirkland’s near post and Martin Laursen frustratedly hammered a 30-yarder over the bar and into the Holte End masses, now resigned to defeat.
Post-match, Martin O’Neill lamented his side’s inability to perform at a crucial stage of the season. He said: “Both the result and the performance were very, very disappointing. We won’t be giving up on the UEFA Cup yet, but this was our opportunity to do it (put pressure on Everton).”
On whether persistent speculation surrounding skipper Barry’s future had an effect on the game’s outcome, he said: “I’m sure that it didn’t help. But we can’t use that as an excuse. We should have been better than that.”
Steve Bruce, meanwhile, hailed Wigan’s fine achievement in turning round what looked a lost cause before the turn of the year: “After going into the Blackburn game in December with nine points, to get 31 points this (calendar) year is fantastic for the players.”
Bruce, who claimed to “take no pleasure” in hearing of former employers Birmingham City’s demise at the hands of Fulham, continued: “It’s our home form that has kept us in the league (yesterday’s win was only Wigan’s second on the road this season). But I'm delighted we've managed to get a result in that manner against a very good Villa side who have been playing well.”
“I’m just delighted for the Chairman, and I'm sure the fans are delighted seeing a little town like Wigan staying year after year in the Premier League."
3pm, Saturday May 3, 2008 (Attendance: 42,640)
Antonio Valencia’s stunning second-half brace accounted for an off-colour Aston Villa at Villa Park yesterday.
Wigan’s shock victory ensures their Premier League survival – a feat boss Steve Bruce heralded as “the best achievement” of his managerial career to date. Their opponents, meanwhile, now look set to fall agonisingly short of fifth place and subsequent qualification for next season’s UEFA Cup.
The match was prefixed by a minute’s silence in memory of Villa fan Christopher Priest, who died in an incident outside the ground following last month’s Second City derby with Birmingham City. Nonetheless, the opening exchanges of the game were far from sombre or reflective; and a scrappy, physical first half ensued.
Early on, Olof Mellberg – in his valedictory home appearance – crunched into Marcus Bent out on the touchline and the resultant free kick initiated a game of pinball in the Villa area, from which the home side were lucky to escape with their goal intact.
Another potential Villa Park departee, Gareth Barry, skewed a decent opportunity high and wide on 24 minutes, having been played in by one of many John Carew nod-downs throughout the course of the afternoon. And within minutes, Barry had spurned another half-chance; a measured Ashley Young back-flick wide on the left found the supporting Wilfred Bouma, but the Villa captain headed Bouma's whipped cross safely within the impressive reach of Wigan ‘keeper Chris Kirkland. Kirkland then saved smartly from a Zat Knight header soon after.
Just before the half hour mark, a long, high ball found Gabriel Agbonlahor totally unmarked and – to the surprise of the Wigan back-line – onside, right on the edge of the area. Though his first-time control was impressive, the Erdington-born speed-merchant then scuffed a left-footed effort lamely wide of the target.
Shortly after, Marcus Bent hooked a close range attempt just wide and then went on to fire a 25-yard rocket narrowly over Scott Carson’s goal.
With Villa pressure mounting on the Latics’ goal as half-time approached, Young’s precise corner found the head of Agbonlahor, who had a header tipped onto and over the bar by Kirkland at full-stretch.
But soon after the interval, Valencia struck Wigan’s first. A Villa corner was cleared upfield and, with the home side’s defence left exposed, Jason Koumas found time and space to play a sharp pass into the path of the advancing Valencia. His 20-yard shot took a wicked deflection off Wilfred Bouma and looped into the net over the despairing dive of stranded Carson.
In response to this setback, Villa boss Martin O’Neill rang the changes – Patrik Berger replaced Zat Knight, with Mellberg switched to his favoured centre-back position and Nigel Reo-Coker to right full-back. But this radical re-shaping only served to further destabilise his shaken team.
In the 63rd minute, a long punt from Kirkland was flicked on by Wigan battering ram Emile Heskey, and Valencia once more eluded the retreating Villa defence with a powerful run and clinical near-post finish.
O’Neill, animated as ever, called super-sub Marlon Harewood from the bench in vain hope of sparking a late revival. However, within seconds of the big forward’s arrival, Wigan mounted yet another penetrating counter-attack. A three-on-one raid against an abandoned Reo-Coker narrowly failed to culminate in what would have been an astonishing 20-minute hat-trick for Valencia; Kevin Kilbane’s through-ball found the Ecuadorian starlet in acres of space once more, but on this occasion the speedy winger struck his low shot straight at Carson.
Despite dominating possession and territory from thereon in, the home side rarely suggested they could muster even a consolation goal. In the final throes, John Carew headed weakly wide of Kirkland’s near post and Martin Laursen frustratedly hammered a 30-yarder over the bar and into the Holte End masses, now resigned to defeat.
Post-match, Martin O’Neill lamented his side’s inability to perform at a crucial stage of the season. He said: “Both the result and the performance were very, very disappointing. We won’t be giving up on the UEFA Cup yet, but this was our opportunity to do it (put pressure on Everton).”
On whether persistent speculation surrounding skipper Barry’s future had an effect on the game’s outcome, he said: “I’m sure that it didn’t help. But we can’t use that as an excuse. We should have been better than that.”
Steve Bruce, meanwhile, hailed Wigan’s fine achievement in turning round what looked a lost cause before the turn of the year: “After going into the Blackburn game in December with nine points, to get 31 points this (calendar) year is fantastic for the players.”
Bruce, who claimed to “take no pleasure” in hearing of former employers Birmingham City’s demise at the hands of Fulham, continued: “It’s our home form that has kept us in the league (yesterday’s win was only Wigan’s second on the road this season). But I'm delighted we've managed to get a result in that manner against a very good Villa side who have been playing well.”
“I’m just delighted for the Chairman, and I'm sure the fans are delighted seeing a little town like Wigan staying year after year in the Premier League."
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