Brazil have World Cup work to finish Monday

RIO DE JANEIRO: The World Cup groups enter their sudden death phase on Monday with Brazil still having work to do against Cameroon at 1am PST (Tuesday) to qualify for the last 16 while Netherlands and Chile battle for pole position at 9pm PST.

Group A will be finished when Brazil play Cameroon in Brasilia, while simultaneously Croatia play Mexico in Recife at 1am PST (Tuesday)

Netherlands play Chile in Sao Paulo to see who wins Group B at 9pm PST -- both have already qualified. At the same time, Australia take on Spain in Curitiba in a match of honour.

Aussies make successful start to World Cup title defense

HAGUE: Title defenders Australia have started their hockey World Cup campaign in the Netherlands with a 4-0 win over Malaysia in the opening match on Saturday.

Playing in The Hague, Glenn Turner put the Kookaburras ahead in the 25th minute before three goals in a four-minute spell in the second.

Eddie Ockenden doubled the lead on 50 minutes and Jamie Dwyer put his name on the score sheet a couple of minutes later.

Turner added his second goal when converting a penalty corner to extend the lead to 4-0.

Later on Saturday, Belgium will take on India with England playing Spain in the men's competition.

Jedinak named Australia´s World Cup captain

SYDNEY: Crystal Palace midfielder Mile Jedinak was Wednesday named captain of Australia´s World Cup squad following the axing of Lucas Neill.He will be backed by vice-captains Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano.

"It is a privileged position and an accolade he richly deserves after the incredible job he has done at Crystal Palace in the toughest club competition in world football -- the English Premier League," coach Ange Postecoglou said.

"Mile Jedinak embodies everything that is great about Australian football and Australia as a nation.

"He has risen to the top of world football and done it the hard way from humble beginnings where he has battled and believed in himself to overcome the odds with an enormous work ethic and passion for what he does.

"I have no doubt he will lead the team with distinction in Brazil and we will have two of our greatest-ever football players in Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano giving the team what I believe is strong leadership."

His promotion comes after Neill, who played for Australia 96 times and captained the side on 60 occasions, was dumped from the squad with Postecoglou saying the 36-year-old did not have the form or fitness to justify going to Brazil.

Australia are taking an inexperienced group to the tournament following the recent international retirements of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, forward Harry Kewell and midfielders Brett Emerton and Brett Holman.

Their provisional 30-man squad features 10 locally based players, two uncapped, 19 with 10 caps or fewer and with an average age of just 25.5 as Australia face world champions Spain, runners-up Holland and Chile in Group B.

Jedinak, who is struggling with a groin strain he picked up in Crystal Palace´s final game of the season, said he was honoured to be made captain.

"To be handed the responsibility of captaining my country at the World Cup is humbling, yet incredibly exciting," he said. "Just pulling the Socceroo shirt on fills me with pride but to be leading out my country and these players at the World Cup on behalf of all Australians is special."

He follows Peter Wilson (1974), Mark Viduka (2006) and Neill (2010) as Australians who have captained the Socceroos at the world´s biggest football tournament. (AFP)

Real Madrid fans jam streets to celebrate Cup win

MADRID: Thousands of cheering Real Madrid fans welcomed their team back to the Spanish capital early Thursday after winning the Copa del Rey with a 2-1 victory over arch rivals Barcelona. Supporters, many wrapped in the club´s flag, cheered as the squad arrived at Madrid´s central Cibeles Square, the traditional home for raucous Real Madrid victory celebrations, in a white open-topped bus with the word "champions" written in black letters on its sides.

Fans applauded Real goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas as, following tradition, he leant over the side of the bus and wrapped a Madrid insignia and club scarf around the statue of the Roman goddess that adorns a fountain in the square.

The victory bus drove three times around the fountain as fans twirled Real scarves in the air and took photos of the players.

"Winning the cup is fantastic, winning against Barcelona is even better," said Ezequiel Munoz, a 20-year-old student who came to the square with a group of friends after the match.

"We are going to celebrate all night long," added Munoz, who wore a black and white Real jersey with the name of the club´s defender Sergio Ramos on its back.

Gareth Bale scored a stunning individual goal five minutes from time to secure Real Madrid´s 19th Copa del Rey at the Mestalla in Valencia on Wednesday.

The jubilant crowd had started gathering around the stage set up by the fountain in the middle of the square as soon as the final whistle blew on Real Madrid´s win.

The celebrating fans included large groups of teenagers, fathers with their young sons, elderly couples and a few people with dogs wearing Real scarves around their necks.

Fans chanted, set off firecrackers and danced in the streets while they waited for the players to arrive, as images of a football and a trophy along with the word "champions" were beamed onto the walls of city hall.

After failing to win the cup competition between 1993 and 2011, Real Madrid have now won it twice in the last four years.

Emergency services said they treated 16 people for dizziness, anxiety attacks and minor injuries, mainly cuts and bruises due to falls.

Real Madrid´s win made the front pages of Spain´s newspapers on Thursday.

Bale stunner delivers Cup joy for Madrid

VALENCIA: Gareth Bale scored a stunning individual goal five minutes from time to win the Copa del Rey for Real Madrid as they overcame Barcelona 2-1 at the Mestalla in Valencia on Wednesday.

The Welshman had previously been wayward with a series of efforts on goal, but he finally made his mark as he galloped through on goal from inside his own half before prodding the ball past Jose Manuel Pinto.

Madrid had gone in front after just 10 minutes as Angel di Maria raced onto Karim Benzema´s through ball and fired low into the corner.

Marc Bartra levelled for Barca 22 minutes from time when he headed home Xavi´s corner, but it was the young defender who was left in Bale´s wake as he sealed his first trophy as a Madrid player. "It was definetely his most important goal for Madrid," Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said of Bale´s winner. "It was the defining moment in the game."

Bale´s teammate Xabi Alonso was even more effusive in his praise for the goal which handed Madrid the trophy for the 19th time. "It was incredible, I have never seen anything like it. It looked like the ball was going out, but he kept pushing and ran off the field to get it. It was amazing."

Barca boss Gerardo Martino, meanwhile, was left to reflect on a disastrous week as three consecutive defeats in three different competitions means they will almost certainly not win a major trophy for the first time in six years. "Obviouly it is not a happy moment. It has been a very hard week for us, but there is nothing else we can do but look ahead to what remains in the league," he said.

Without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo much was expected of Bale to fill the World Player of the Year´s shoes and he had the first two chances of the game as he dragged a shot across goal before Javier Mascherano deflected his next effort just wide.

Madrid were soon in front though as a flowing counter-attack involving Isco, Bale, Benzema and finally Di Maria set the Argentine free and his low shot just squeezed under Pinto´s outstretched hand.

Barca pressed for an equaliser for the rest of the half as Cesc Fabregas´ low cross was just too strong for Neymar to connect at the back post, whilst Jordi Alba saw a header comfortably saved by Iker Casillas.

However, Madrid still looked the more dangerous on the break and only a great challenge from Alba prevented Isco from turning home Bale´s cut-back to double his side´s advantage.

Lionel Messi was kept quiet for the majority of the game, but he had Barca´s best opening of the half when his snap shot from the edge of the area flew wide.

Bale was first to threaten again at the start of the second half as he waltzed past two weak Barca challenges and fired into the side-netting and then volleyed just over from the edge of the area.

Barca´s first effort on target didn´t come until 25 minutes from time when Bartra sauntered forward from central defence and stung the palms of Iker Casillas.

Bale had the ball in the net soon after but the goal was ruled out for a foul as he challenged with Pinto for a high ball.

Within seconds Barca were level as Bartra directed a perfectly weighted header from Xavi´s corner just inside the far post.

Both sides then had chances to win it in normal time, but it was Bale who got the winner as he escaped the attentions of Bartra down Madrid´s left and raced in on goal to slot home his 20th and most important goal of the season.

There was still late drama to come as Neymar latched onto Xavi´s through ball and smacked a shot off the inside of the post with Casillas beaten. However, there was to be no late reprieve for Barca as they slumped to a third consecutive defeat for the first time in more than 10 years. (AFP)

Hull reaches 1st FA Cup final in 110-year history

 

LONDON: Hull reached the FA Cup final for the first time in its 110-year history as the Premier League side twice came from behind to beat third-tier club Sheffield United 5-3 in a lively encounter on Sunday.

After winning world football´s oldest cup competition three times as a Manchester United player in the 1990s, Hull manager Steve Bruce will bring his team back to Wembley Stadium on May 17 for the final against 10-time winner Arsenal. "If you had said 10 years ago that Hull will play Arsenal in the FA Cup final, people would have been scratching their heads," Bruce said. "It just shows you what can be done."

Hull is now just one game away from emulating Wigan´s surprising run to the title last year, but the team will need to improve vastly on its first-half performance.

But Hull was transformed after halftime, with Matty Fryatt restoring parity at 2-2 before Tom Huddlestone and Stephen Quinn gave the northeast team what appeared to be a comfortable cushion.

Even though Jamie Murphy pulled a late goal back for United, David Meyler quickly responded to secure Hull´s first trip to a major final. "We were very sloppy in the first half and didn´t get going," Meyler said. "We got together at halftime and regrouped. It´s fantastic."

One dilemma for Bruce in the final will be whether to play son Alex Bruce, who remained on the bench throughout the semifinal. At the 1991 final, Nigel Clough played up front in father Brian´s Nottingham Forest team, which lost to Tottenham. Nigel Clough was back at Wembley managing Sheffield United on Sunday for an emotional occasion as English football marks the 25-year anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.Clough was in the Forest team on April 15, 1989, for the FA Cup semifinal at Sheffield Wednesday´s ground that became the scene of Britain´s worst sporting disaster as 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death. "With the tributes it´s been a very, very emotional weekend for everybody in football," Clough said. "Twenty-five years on the feelings are the same." The Hillsborough game lasted just six minutes before the full magnitude of the deadly crush became clear. On this weekend of tributes to the victims, and education for a new generation of fans, every game kicked off seven minutes later than usual.

Fittingly, United´s opening goal came from Jose Baxter, a boyhood Liverpool fan who went on to play for Everton. After bundling the ball in from close range, the 22-year-old Baxter removed his black armband and held it up while looking up to the sky.

Baxter´s side was in the ascendancy for much of the first half, making Hull look ordinary, until Sagbo slid in to equalize in the 42nd. But United´s lead was restored inside 100 seconds as Stefan Scougall completed a speedy break.

The game swung in Hull´s favor, however, within 10 minutes of the second half as Fryatt forced the ball over the line from close range after United failed to fully clear a corner, and Huddlestone weaved his way through the defense before cooling chipping into the net.

Then came what proved to Hull´s match-winner, with Quinn heading in against his former club in the 67th.

Even though Murphy gave United hope of a dramatic comeback by slicing in his team´s third in the 90th, Meyler´s goal settled the match. If Hull does manage to etch its name onto the FA Cup, it won´t be the one Hull owner Assem Allam wants to see.

The Egyptian businessman was rebuffed by the FA earlier this week in his attempt to change Hull City to Hull Tigers, a name he believes would help the team earn more international fans and exposure. Winning the Cup — and qualifying for the Europa League — could have the same effect. (AP)

 

500-year-old rare Chinese cup to fetch 38.6 million at auction

The 'chicken cup', one of the just four left in the world, is expected to set a new record for Chinese porcelain at auction, with estimates of between USD 25.7–38.6 million.

A 500-year-old extremely rare Chinese ‘chicken cup’ belonging to the Ming Dynasty is set to fetch a record-breaking 38.6 million at an auction.
The ‘chicken cup’, one of the just four left in the world, is expected to set a new record for Chinese porcelain at auction, with estimates of between USD 25.7–38.6 million.
The cup produced during the Chenghua reign (1465-87), will feature in Sotheby’s spring sale in Hong Kong next month, a news agency reported.
The Chenghua ‘chicken cups’ were produced in small numbers and now there are just four left in the hands of private owners around the world.
Only a handful of museums worldwide have the cups in their collection including the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum.
“Ever since the Ming Dynasty when they were produced, Chenghua period ‘chicken cups’ have been praised and treasured by emperors and connoisseurs alike,” said Nicolas Chow, international head of Sotheby’s Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art.
“Given their extreme rarity, they are by definition the crowning glory of any collection of Chinese porcelain,” Chow said.
The creation of ‘chicken cups’ reached its peak during the Chenghua period, and they were celebrated for their tactile material, elegance of colour arrangement and distinctive painting style, the report said.

Pakistan beat Bangladesh to reach Asia Cup final

DHAKA: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by three wickets on Tuesday to reach the Asia Cup final.
Bangladesh's highest-ever one-day international score of 326-3 was built around a brilliant 132-ball 100 by opener Anamul Haque before Pakistan chased down the target in 49.5 overs with a fighting 103 by Ahmed Shehzad and a firey 25-ball 59 by Shahid Afridi. Fawad Alam made 74.

Pakistan will meet Sri Lanka in Saturday's final.

Shahzad, Afridi take Pakistan to Asia Cup final

DHAKA: Shahid Afridi smashed the second fastest one-day half-century and Ahmed Shehzad hit a hundred to give Pakistan a three wicket win over Bangladesh on Tuesday and a place in the Asia Cup final.
The 34-year-old, who hit two consecutive sixes to give Pakistan a one-wicket win over India on Sunday, was once again Pakistan's saviour as they chased down their highest-ever target of 327 in 49.5 overs in Dhaka.
Afridi overshadowed a brilliant 123-ball 103 by opener Ahmed Shehzad and a sedate 74 by Fawad Alam who both set the tone for the chase, but it was the aggression of Afridi which helped Pakistan overcame a tough resistance from the hosts.
Pakistan will meet Sri Lanka in Saturday's final.
Afridi, who went into bat with Pakistan needing 101 off 52 balls, smashed paceman Shafiul Islam for a four to reach fifty off just 18 balls, one short of one-day cricket's fastest-ever half-century record held by Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya, made against Pakistan in Singapore in 1996.
He equalled his own record of second fastest one-day fifty, set twice by him. He scored an 18-ball fifty during his 37-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996 and another 18-ball fifty against the Netherlands at Colombo in 2002. In all, Afridi took seven sixes and two boundaries off just 25 balls.
Pakistan's previous best run chase in a one-day was 322-6 against India at Mohali in 2007.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq praised Afridi as "hero."
"He's really playing well and he's cashing into his form which is really good for us," said Misbah.
"Everybody knows the kind of player he (Afridi) is when he is in full swing and nobody can stop him." Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim admitted Afridi snatched the game.
"When Afridi plays like that there was very little we can do. He took away the game," said Rahim.
Before Afridi's blitz, it was a remarkable turnaround for the hosts who suffered a shock upset defeat against new-comers Afghanistan in their second match on Saturday. Bangladesh made several changes after their 32-run loss, the most prominent being all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's return after he was suspended for three matches over indiscipline.
That paid off as a revamped batting line-up led by Anamul bettered Bangladesh's previous highest-ever total of 320-8, made against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2009.
Pakistan too got a solid 97-runs by the 21st over with Mohammad Hafeez (52) and Shehzad in a punishing mood.
But they were derailed by left-arm spinner Mominul Haque (2-37) who dismissed Hafeez and Sohaib Maqsood (two), while Shakib had captain Misbah-ul Haq for four.
Shehzad completed his fifth one-day hundred but was bowled by Abdur Razzak, after hitting 12 fours and six. Shehzad added 105 runs for the fourth wicket with Alam.
But Alam and Afridi broke the hearts of a capacity home crowd after Bangladesh had been given a chance by their batsmen.
Anamul and Imrul Kayes (59) put on 150 for the opening stand and cashed onto some sloppy fielding and bowling by Pakistan.
Afridi went for 64 runs in his ten overs while paceman Mohammad Talha conceded 68 in seven and Umar Gul 76 in his 10.
But it was the left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, brought in as one of two changes in Pakistan's squad, who suffered the worst fate as he was suspended from the attack over dangerous bowling.
He became the first bowler in international cricket to concede eight runs without bowling a legal delivery.
Kayes hit five boundaries and two sixes off 75 balls.
Anamul hit six boundaries and four well-timed sixes before he was caught off Saeed Ajmal who took 2-61.
Mominul (51), Rahim (51 not out) and Shakib with a 16-ball 44 comprising six fours and two sixes, made the final touches as Bangladesh scored 121 in the last 10 overs.

4 Apr 2014 : Ban vs Pak 8th match : Afridi powers Pakistan into Asia Cup final

Mirpur : Pakistan clinched a cliff-hanger by chasing down Bangladesh’s total of 326/3 in their highest successful One-Day International (ODI) run-chase to qualify for the final of the Asia Cup at the Shere Bangla National Stadium here Tuesday.

Full Scorecards
After his match-winning knock of an unbeaten 34 against India Sunday, Shahid Afridi (59) once again produced a special innings to take Pakistan home with three wickets and a ball to spare.
Coming in to bat with Pakistan in trouble at 225/5 in the 42nd over pursuing a monumental target, Afridi scored the joint second-fastest ODI half-century in just 18 balls. This was also his third 50 off 18 balls.
In the last over Pakistan needed three runs. The first two balls were dot deliveries with Umar Akmal (14 not out) taking a run off the third. Next ball, set-batsman Fawad Alam (74) was run-out in a mix up to make it two from two. But Akmal made sure he took the defending champions into the final by hitting a boundary on the penultimate delivery.
Earlier, Bangladesh began brilliantly with a 150-run opening wicket partnership between wicketkeeper-batsman Anamul Haque (100), who scored his second century, and Imrul Kayes (59).
Monimul Haque (51) and captain Mushfiqur Rahim (51 not out) also struck important half-centuries while all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan hit an incredible 44 off 16 balls, which included six boundaries and two sixes, to take the home side to their highest ever ODI score.
Pakistan bowling was not impressive, giving away 21 extras including 15 wides. Only off spinner Mohammad Hafeez contained the hosts with brilliant figures of 10-0-27-0.
In reply, Pakistan took off well with a 97-run first-wicket partnership. Opener Ahmed Shehzad (103) scored the second century of the match, and Hazeez also struck with the bat, scoring 52. But from 97 for no loss, the visitors went to 105/3 in a couple of overs.
Then Shehzad and Alam, who scored his highest ODI score, recorded an important 105-run fourth-wicket partnership before Shehzad perished. Abdur Rehman (8) also did not last long when man of the match Afridi came into the picture with the score at 225/5 in 41.2 overs.
What he did next was history as he completely took the match away from Bangladesh making 59 off 25 balls which included two boundaries and seven spectacular sixes. There were a couple hiccups thereon but Akmal guided home his side.
Mominul was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers taking 2/37 in nine overs.
Last edition’s runners-up Bangladesh lie fifth and last with no points, losing all three matches, while Pakistan qualified in second position for the final with 13 points.