Robbie control sinks Jets

Robbie Kruse made himself an irresistible Asian Cup prospect with a dazzling display in Melbourne's 2-1 win over Newcastle on Monday evening that featured a late twist.

Desperate to find a response to last week's shock 4-0 reverse in Wellington, Newcastle fought back from a goal down and looked to have a draw in the bag.

But some sensational individual skills from Kruse set up Ricardinho for the winner in the 90th minute, sending AAMI Park into raptures and giving Holger Osieck every reason to revise his Socceroos squad for Qatar.

Osieck is due to name his squad on Tuesday for the January 7-29 tournament, and Kruse must surely be a strong chance to join A-League stalwarts Jason Culina and Matt McKay on the plane to the Middle East.

The former Roar youngster wrong-footed two Jets defenders with three sets of turns and spins before squaring the ball for a tap-in to his Brazilian strike partner, keeping Melbourne's bid for finals football well and truly alive.

Kruse's creativity came just five minutes after he had missed his own golden opportunity to score after neat lead-up from Ricardinho down the right hand side - missing the target from close range.

But the 22-year-old's new-found penchant for seizing the big moment was not lost on Victory coach Ernie Merrick, especially without injured striker Archie Thompson and three other regular players plus so much at stake.

"I think a little bit of Archie's rubbed off on Robbie," Merrick said.

"He's much stronger, he's tougher, he doesn't get knocked off the ball so easily, I can't praise him enough. He's come a long way in a short period of time.

"It was a wee bit of magic at the end. I don't know how many times he beat either the same player twice or another player.

"Sometimes you think it's going to take something a bit special to break the deadlock and we produced it when we needed to."

A fighting performance from the Jets will give Branko Culina hope his side can continue to defy belief and squeeze into a play-off spot, despite now having lost twice in a row after a seven-match unbeaten run.

"It's very frustrating and disappointing, but it's a lesson for us you can't switch off for moments in the game," Culina said.

Kruse was influential not just in the lead-up to the winner but throughout the course of the match, continuing a brilliant individual season that will surely invite offers from abroad.

"The crowd... every week the Victory fans come out in their groups and it's a wonderful atmosphere here tonight," Kruse told Fox Sports.

"I think it got us over the line.

"We didn't have the best first half of the season, so we really want to start winning and I think tonight was a great example of the courage the boys show."

A thunderbolt midway through the first half from Carlos Hernandez put Melbourne on track for three points as the South American playmaker seemingly conjured something from nothing.

He turned two defenders inside out near halfway, before trying his luck from fully 35 yards and the pace and swerve of Hernandez's fierce strike had Ben Kennedy beaten on the line.

Ruben Zadkovich dragged Newcastle level on 54 minutes but Melbourne had more tricks in the bag and Kruse produced the rabbit with the move that set up Ricardinho for a simple finish.

Wayne Rooney ruled out of Manchester United’s European tie

Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of Manchester United’s Champions League game against Valencia tomorrow night through damage.

Rooney was taken off during yesterday’s 2-2 draw with Bolton in the Premier League after an hour’s play and was seen with an ice-pack over his left ankle.

The 24-year old has had a hard start to the season on the back of a wretched World Cup, where he failed to score for England. He has only scored one goal this season so far, which was a penalty in the 3-0 win over West Ham.

Allegations about his private life have also been well documented over the last few weeks.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has decided to leave his talisman out against the team who are top of La Liga at the moment. United made a poor start to their Champions League campaign, drawing 0-0 with Scottish champions Rangers in their first game.

Roberto Mancini: 'Chelsea will win Premier League title easily'

Roberto Mancini has tipped Chelsea to run away with the Premier League title this season.

Mancini's Manchester City side tackles the champions at Eastlands tomorrow with a patched-up side containing just three fully-fit senior defenders. It is hardly the background he wanted heading into one of the key games of the movement, and not one that was anticipated when City were spending in excess of £100m this summer.

The Italian feels Carlo Anclote’s men are head and shoulders above his own side and the rest. "Chelsea are the best team in the Premier League at the moment," he said. "They are most likely going to win the Premier League title easily.

"They are a strong team, who has been playing together for many years. They have a fantastic manager and they have worked to reach this situation."

Mancini has damage problems ahead of tomorrow's game, with only 11 fully fit first-teamers to choose from.

U-17 Women to Face Japan in World Cup Soccer Final

The under-17 women`s soccer team has become the first South Korean team to advance to the final of a FIFA-sanctioned tournament.

South Korea will face Japan Saturday for the championship after having beaten Spain, 2-1, Tuesday in the semifinals of the FIFA U-17 Women`s World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago. Japan rallied to beat defending champion North Korea, 2-1, in the other semifinals.

At the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, South Korea gave up the opening goal and trailed 1-0 in the 23rd minute, but scores by Yeo Min-ji and Joo Soo-jin propelled the team over Spain.

The semifinals had been South Korea`s best finish in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament. South Korea reached the final four of the 1983 U-20 World Cup in Mexico, the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, and this year`s U-20 Women`s World Cup in Germany.

Yeo is the tournament`s leading scorer with eight goals in five games, and could finish as both top scorer and Most Valuable Player.

Before the final, North Korea will play Spain for third place.

Liverpool Start Fast in Europa League

London: Former European champions Liverpool and Juventus will put their domestic problems to one side when they begin their Europa League campaigns on Thursday.

In unfamiliar surroundings after having failed to qualify for this season's Champions League, the two teams head into Europe's second-tier competition struggling for form in their domestic championships.

Defending champion Atletico Madrid opens the defense of its title with a trip to Greek side Aris and big-spending English club Manchester City visits Red Bull Salzburg.

Hodgson was named manager of the year in England last season after his exploits in Europe with Fulham, which beat Juventus, Hamburg, Wolfsburg and then-defending champion Shakhtar Donetsk in its fairy tale run to the final.

He left Fulham for Liverpool at the start of July but has had a difficult start at Anfield. The five-time European champions have had a tough run of fixtures in the league, winning just one of their four matches, and were poor in the 0-0 draw at Birmingham on Sunday.

Offseason signing Joe Cole is available after suspension and Hodgson will have to decide whether to start Fernando Torres, who is still feeling his way back to full fitness after injury problems.

Torres has come in for some criticism by sections of the British media for his display against Birmingham, but Hodgson defended the Spain striker.

"Criticism is something we have to live with," Hodgson said. "We bear strong expectations at this club and everyone is interested in us.

"Everything that happens at the club is put under the microscope and that includes players' performances. Fernando Torres has no problem with that. He is an excellent player."

Hodgson said he could rest key players ahead of Sunday's Premier League match against fierce rival Manchester United.

Netherlands forward Dirk Kuyt is missing with a shoulder problem and left back Fabio Aurelio is struggling with an Achilles' tendon injury.


Juventus, which like Liverpool is usually a Champions League challenger, followed up a 1-0 loss at Bari in its Serie A opener with a 3-3 draw at home to Sampdoria, leaving the Turin club in 15th place.

"At this stage of the season, making mistakes helps the team develop but unfortunately we've conceded too many goals," Del Neri said. "I want a nastier team and one able to read the game better."

City, which is in the same group as Juventus, has spent a lot of money on players since the club was taken over by the Abu Dhabi royal family two years ago.

"Because of our profile, each time we play in Europe it will be a kind of cup final for the home team," City captain Kolo Toure said. "Everyone wants to beat us, but we need to begin the group stages with a good result, so we'll be ready."

City is without striker Emmanuel Adebayor due to a dead leg, but left back Wayne Bridge is available to start his first match of the season after recovering from an ankle injury.

Salzburg has also spent heavily since being bought and re-branded in 2005 but has still failed to make the Champions League. The Austrian side lost to Hapoel Tel Aviv in the qualifiers this season.

Atletico ended a 14-year wait for silverware and claimed its first European trophy since 1962 when it beat Fulham 2-1 in last season's final in Hamburg.

Buoyed by that success, it has started the Spanish league in great form this season and is only one of two teams to have a perfect record after two matches. Diego Forlan, who scored both goals in last season's Europa League final, has already found the net three times in wins over Sporting Gijon and Athletic Bilbao to lead Atletico to the top of the table.

Other standout matches see Sevilla, winner of the UEFA Cup in 2006 and '07, host Paris Saint-Germain in Group J while former European champions FC Porto and PSV Eindhoven take on Rapid Vienna and Sampdoria, respectively.

I am no bad boy, says Balotelli

Manchester: Manchester City signing Mario Balotelli says he is "not a bad boy."

The Italy soccer player had a tempestuous relationship with Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, but is ready for a new start after being reunited with Mourinho's ancestor, Roberto Mancini.



The 20-year-old Balotelli said on Wednesday that he is "happy to be here at Manchester City because of the manager and the environment."

Mancini added that "all of us are said to be bad boys when we are young."

City's offseason spending is now beyond 100 million pounds (7 million) — and midfielder James Milner is immobile to sign from Aston Villa.

Mancini hopes to confirm the deal for Milner by Wednesday, with City midfielder Stephen Ireland leaving for Villa.
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