Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

A 24-member East Bengal football team comprising 18 players and six officials arrived in Dhaka on Monday. The Kolkata giants will face Muktijoddha in the Group ‘A’ second leg match of the Asian Football Confederation Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday.
   Although the team arrived in the afternoon, their coach Subhash Bhowmik arrived in the evening.
   The team boasts of four Indian national stars in captain Sangram Mukherjee, Climax Lawrence, Habibur Rahman Mondal and S Malswan Tluanga, a player from Mizoram.
   The team had a light stretching session at the hotel gymnasium and will have a full-fledged practice session at the BNS today. Indian star Baichung Bhutia has not come with the team as he is undergoing treatment in India. Brazilian forward Marcos Secco is also absent due to two yellow cards and Alveto is another casualty.
   Manager Swapan Kumar was quick to point out that his team has been going through a bad patch. With one point from four matches in this tournament and almost out of the title race in the Indian National League, the team is just playing to complete the formalities.
   ‘We are missing three regular players and there is little motivation left but we consider match against Muktijoddha as a battle of prestige and believe that with the all-out team effort East Bengal are capable of winning it,’ said the manager.
   Squad: Sangram Mukherjee (captain), M Suresh, Climax Lawrence, Bijen Singh, Nitin Pradhan, Gurpreet Singh, Habibur Rahman Mondal, Bhola Prasad, S Malswan Tlunaga, Subhas Chakrabarty, Syed Rahim Nabi, EC Jeremiah, Madhab Das, Rajat Ghosh Dastidar, Sandwip Das, Surya B Chakrabarty, Dipankar Roy, Chandan Das and Debjit Ghosh. Coach - Subhash Bhowmik.

In a latest development the Nationals Sports Council has asked the Bangladesh Football Federation to leave the Bangabandhu National Stadium soon for at least six months to facilitate the sports body to upgrade the ground facilities and install a synthetic turf for athletics.
   The instruction left the BFF in a hurry to complete the upcoming Dhaka Premier Division Football League, slated to begin on May 20. It also means the BFF would have to reconsider their decision to send the national team for a four-nation tournament to be held in Myanmar in July.
   The BFF would have to suspend the Dhaka Premier League for at least 20 days should the want to participate in the tournament, also involving India, Sri Lanka and the hosts.
   'I do not believe we will be able to send the team to Myanmar as it will hamper the continuity of the premier league severely. Since we are in a hurry to leave BNS, it will not be possible to postpone the league for a single day,' said Saeed Hasan Kanon, the member-secretary of the national team management committee, admitting the NSC directive.
   The NSC is currently doing the renovation works at the gallery and the surrounding road of the big bowl and is expecting to give a final touch to the playing area in July.
   'We need a massive overhaul of the ground and its drainage system which will take at least six months to complete,' an official of the NSC told New Age on Sunday.
   The official, preferring to be unnamed, also informed they are contemplating setting up a synthetic track at the stadium when they will start overhauling the ground.
   'As it will take a long time to overhaul the ground, we should set up the track simultaneously. If we do not do that and install the track later, it will make the stadium unusable for a long time' said the official.
   Although the government has yet to approve any project in this regard, but according to the official it is on card. 'We could not take up any project due to lack of fund. But surely we will take it in the next fiscal year and will complete the turf-laying by December,' he said.
   'A budget of Tk 8 crore has also been drafted for the purpose,' he informed further.
   If the decision materialises finally it will fulfil a long-cherished hope of the Bangladesh Athletics Federation, who are currently homeless and will effectively end any chance for cricket to return at the big bowl.
   'We have been assured by the state minister for the youth and sports, Fazlur Rahman that he will take necessary steps soon to set up the track at the stadium. And it is a must for us. Without having a track at the BNS, we will simply be finished,' said Shah Alam, the general secretary of the Athletics Federation.
   The BAF will hold the national junior meet on May 16-17 at the BNS for the first time in 12 years after being thrown away to the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in 1993.

Sachin Tendulkar, Andrew Flintoff and Muttiah Muralitharan were included on Monday in a select group picked for both the Test and one-day squads for the International Cricket Council's Super Series against Australia in October.
   The 39-member list includes 21 players who have been shortlisted for both the one-off six-day Test and a three-match one-day series to be hosted by the world's top-ranked team.
   Pakistan head the list with nine players among 30 probables each chosen for the Test and one-dayers followed by seven each from England, South Africa and India.
   'It was incredibly difficult to confine our selections to just 30 players for each squad but in the end, and after much agonising debate, the panel is confident that these are the best combinations of players for the challenge ahead,' said chairman of selectors Sunil Gavaskar.
   The captains and vice-captains will be announced when the squads are reduced to 20 each in July. In the following month they will be trimmed to 14 players for the one-dayers and 13 for the Test. Gavaskar said the aim had been to find a balance to the sides and to choose players who were in good form.
   'We also looked at past performances against Australia in the venues where the matches will be played. At the end of the day we were looking at a combination that can beat Australia, which has been unbeatable for quite some time.'
   The panel also included New Zealand's Richard Hadlee, England's Michael Atherton, Clive Lloyd of the West Indies, South African Jonty Rhodes and Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva.
   The one-day series will be played in Melbourne on October 5, 7 and 9 and the six-day Test will be staged at the Sydney Cricket Ground from October 14-19.
   Initial Test squad: Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Irfan Pathan, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Venkatsai Laxman, Anil Kumble (IND); Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Strauss, Steve Harmison (ENG); Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori (NZL); Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar, Naved-ul-Hasan Rana, Younis Khan, Danish Kaneria (PAK); Mark Boucher, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Graeme Smith, Andre Nel (RSA); Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas (SRI); Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan (WIS).
   Initial one-day squad: Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Irfan Pathan, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh (IND); Andrew Flintoff, Marcus Trescothick, Kevin Pietersen, Darren Gough (ENG); Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori (NZL); Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar, Naved-ul-Hasan Rana, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Yousuf Youhana (PAK); Mark Boucher, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock (RSA); Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas (SRI); Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle (WIS).

Bangladesh will play their first three-day match against British University XI at Fenner’s today.
   The chief selector Faruque Ahmed informed middle-order batsman Aftab Ahmed is out of the match as he is suffering from fever. ‘All the players will get chances to play in the practice matches and we decided to pick our best players for the first match,’ Faruque told New Age.
   The match is crucial for Bangladesh as they have to cope with the typical English condition. ‘The practice matches are important for Bangladesh and I hope the three warm-up matches we will play will help our player a lot,’ said national coach Dav Whatmore before leaving the country.

Bangladesh Ansar defeated strong contenders Bangladesh Biman by 3-0 sets to clinch the women’s team title in the Meril 27th National Table Tennis at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium, Mirpur on Monday.
   Soma of Ansar beat Rumi of Biman by 4-1 sets while Saleha of Ansar defeated Ratna of Biman by straight 3-0 sets.
   In the doubles, Saleha and Soma outplayed Rumi and Ratna 3-0. Earlier, Biman beat Gaibandha by 3-0 sets in the first semifinal while in the second semifinal Ansars ousted Rajshahi by the same magin.
   Kochi of Ansar, Hamlet of Biman, Parag of Narail, Edison of Ansar, Ripon of Dhaka, Pappu of Ansar, Rochi of Biman, Mostafa of Narail, Munir of Dhaka, Munna of Ansar, and Bappi of Narail became champions of their respective groups and will now fight for the men’s title.

South Africa (124/2) beat West Indies (152/7) by 8 wickets (D/L method)
   Boeta Dippenaar struck an unbeaten 60 as South Africa eased to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over West Indies in the rain-reduced second one-day international at Sabina Park on Sunday.
   Restricted to a meagre 152 for seven in their 50 overs, West Indies were unable to prevent the tourists from coasting to a revised target of 124 in just 26.4 overs and taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
   Rain halted play with South Africa precariously placed at 26 for two after eight overs, following the early loss of captain Graeme Smith, for six, and Jacques Kallis, for seven.
   However, Dippenaar then shared in an unbroken stand of 106 for the third wicket with Herschelle Gibbs (44 not out) to guide South Africa home with 38 balls to spare.
   Dippenaar was named man of the match for his 78-ball 60 while Gibbs smashed a four and two sixes to add a touch of gloss to the triumph.

Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal clinched his third title in a row by beating Argentine ninth seed Guillermo Coria 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 in a five-hour final at the Rome Masters on Sunday.
   It was a remarkable performance by the 18-year-old fifth seed, who fought back from 3-0 down in the deciding set despite needing treatment on a badly bruised and blistered racquet hand.
   ‘I’m delighted. Today I played one of the toughest matches of my life,’ the Spaniard told reporters.
   ‘When I was 3-0 down in the fifth I was out of it, but the public supported me and kept me in the match.’
   Nadal, who triumphed in Monte Carlo and in Barcelona before arriving in the Italian capital, has won five of his seven claycourt tournaments this season.
   His 17-match winning streak makes him one of the favourites for the French Open, which starts in Paris on May 23, but he preferred to play down his chances at the grand slam event.
   ‘Every time I win a match, I seem to be the favourite for Roland Garros,’ he said. ‘I played well today, but I don’t know if I will play so well in two weeks’ time.’
   Coria, the most dangerous claycourt player in the world 12 months ago, began strongly and took advantage of mistakes by Nadal to break in the fifth game.
   A couple of misjudged attempts to serve-and-volley, however, allowed his opponent to level at 4-4.
   As Coria served to stay in the set when trailing 4-5, a double fault gave the Spaniard a break point, which he converted with a crosscourt winner.
   In the second set, the players traded early breaks before Coria conjured up a superb pass down the line to break Nadal in the seventh game.
   The Argentine broke again in the ninth to level the match at one set all but, instead of lifting his game, he then made a series of unforced errors to allow the Spaniard to race into a 5-1 lead in the third.
   Coria finally found the range on his shots in a marathon ninth game that produced 11 deuces. He then held off six set points before firing a forehand over the baseline to concede the set to Nadal.
   Having dropped serve in the opening game of the fourth set, Nadal needed attention on his injured racquet hand and appeared to be struggling as Coria took the match into a fifth set.
   The Spaniard required further treatment at the start of the decider and Coria broke twice to take a 3-0 lead.
   However, Nadal managed to lift his game and force a tiebreak, which he won on the third match point when the Argentine volleyed over the baseline.
   ‘Of course I’m not satisfied because I ran for five hours just to lose, but at least I lost to a top player,’ said a disappointed Coria.
   ‘I think I was close to beating him today, but he’s winning a lot of matches and he’s very confident. That makes him hard to beat.’
   Nadal is the first teenager to win five titles in a season since Andre Agassi claimed six in 1988.
   His triumph extended Spain’s stranglehold on the Rome title, following victories by Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2001, Felix Mantilla in 2003 and Carlos Moya 12 months ago.

Former world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne clinched her third successive claycourt title with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over sixth seed Nadia Petrova at the German Open on Sunday.
   The 12th-seeded Belgian has notched up 17 wins in a row, triumphing in three of the four events she has played since returning from illness and injury at Key Biscayne in March.
   It was her third title in Berlin, following successes in 2002 and 2003. Only Steffi Graf has won the event more often.
   Having triumphed at Roland Garros in 2003, Henin-Hardenne’s run of form has made her one of the front-runners for the claycourt grand slam, which begins in Paris on May 23.
   ‘It was a very difficult match for everyone,’ said Henin-Hardenne, adding she had experienced a physically exhausting week with cold, damp weather and tough opponents in the first three rounds.
   ‘But I feel lucky to be back on the court. I try to play my game and to enjoy it, which is positive for the future.’
   With Henin-Hardenne just two points from victory and serving for the match, a rain shower interrupted play for the second time but the 22-year-old came back to dispatch her Russian opponent.
   The rain slowed down the red clay and allowed Henin-Hardenne, who has used wet conditions all week to her advantage, to vary her shots and force her opponent to the net.
   ‘Clay is the surface where I have most time to organise my game,’ said the Belgian.
   Both players exchanged breaks twice in the first set before Henin-Hardenne took control, winning three games in succession.
   She floundered in the second, netting too many first serves and knocking balls wide as Petrova gained a 4-0 lead.
   Henin-Hardenne took the next three games and the Muscovite slammed her racket to the ground in frustration but managed to serve out the set.
   Henin-Hardenne came into the final set stronger and more focused and managed to see off fierce challenges to her serve. She hit 39 winners, which helped to counter her frequent first service errors.
   ‘It was more about the mental side, rather than the physical or the tennis,’ said Henin-Hardenne of the two-hour match.
   ‘It is very good to have come through this. I played good tennis and I was unlucky at some moments,’ said Petrova, who was chasing her first title.
   ‘The match yesterday wore me out—not physically but mentally,’ added the Russian, referring to her three-hour battle with Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic in the last four which she won 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.
   ‘I was less focused. I couldn’t hit the lines today which is why she ended up beating me.’
   The daughter of top athletes in the Soviet Union, Petrova will return to the world’s top 10 next week from her current number 12 spot. Henin is likely to climb to 11th from her current number 15 ranking.

Sri Lanka’s government-appointed cricket board is determined to defeat India in the race for a new national coach by naming their choice by the end of this week, a top official said on Monday.
   ‘We will have a new man before the week ends,’ Jayantha Dharmadasa, the interim head of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), told AFP in an interview.
   Australians Greg Chappell and Tom Moody are short-listed by both countries to replace the outgoing coaches: John Wright from India and John Dyson from Sri Lanka.
   The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Sunday it would finalise the new coach by June 15, but Sri Lanka appears to be faster off the blocks.
   ‘We want our coach to take over as soon as possible to prepare for the Test series at home against the West Indies in mid-July,’ said Dharmadasa.
   ‘We need a man who can take us to the World Cup in 2007.’
   Dharmadasa rubbished speculation that both Chappell and Moody, who are to be interviewed by the Indian cricket board at an unspecified date, may delay accepting the Sri Lankan job.
   ‘I am not concerned about what the Indians are doing. We have been speaking to our candidates and will be able to decide this week itself,’ he said.
   ‘Where is the problem? If we take one of them, India can take the other!’ Dharmadasa joked.
   Dharmadasa declined to name the favourite, but hinted that Moody, currently director of cricket at English county Worcestershire, could be their man.
   ‘Both Chappell and Moody come highly qualified, but we have to see the economics also,’ he said referring to the percieved notion that Chappell may be too expensive.
   In 2000, India rejected Chappell and opted for Wright because the former Australian captain demanded a high fee for his services.
   Sri Lankan media reports have also zeroed in on Moody, saying some of the national players like seamer Chaminda Vaas, currently bowling for Worcestershire, were favourably inclined towards the West Australian.
   Moody, 39, figured in only eight Tests for Australia, but played key roles in his team’s World Cup triumphs in 1987 and 1999.
   As Sri Lanka move towards a quick decision, the Indian board appears to be in no rush to finalize Wright’s successor.
   Four candidates - Chappell, Moody and two Indians, Mohinder Amarnath and Sandeep Patil - were short-listed on Sunday by a high-powered committee that included former Test captains Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Srinivas Venkatraghvan.
   BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra said other candidates may also be considered with former West Indian opener Desmond Haynes and Australian John Inverarity high on the probables’ list.
   Mahendra said the final choice may not be made before June 15 after all the candidates are interviewed and discussed by the BCCI’s working committee.
   India’s next international assignment is in August when they travel to Sri Lanka for a triangular one-day tournament also featuring the West Indies.

Former captain Wasim Akram is keen to serve the game in the country but said the Pakistan Cricket Board was not showing any interest in using his service.
   ‘I am keen to be associated with Pakistan cricket in any capacity. But the Pakistan Board has so far not approached me for any meaningful assignment. Which is why I am not directly involved in any role in Pakistan cricket,’ he said.
   Akram, who is currently engaged as a cricket commentator, presenter and host on television since his retirement in 2003, said he was enjoying his work.
   ‘I am also working as a brand ambassador for the sponsors of domestic cricket and also involved in my own business,’ he was quoted as saying in local daily ‘The News’ on Monday.
   Akram did not agree with former captain Javed Miandad that Twenty20 cricket would destroy the future of Pakistan cricket.
   ‘I look at Twenty20 cricket as pure entertainment and a way to involve the people in our domestic cricket. It is not about improving techniques but about enjoyment and crowd participation. But definitely Twenty20 cricket can help players prepare for One-day Internationals.’
   Akram also pointed out that when ODIs were first introduced in world cricket, the purists said it had no future but it has now become the staple diet for international cricket.
   He backed the new format of the game saying it will slowly gain a permanent place in the cricket playing nations.
   ‘I think the Pakistan Board and its sponsors deserve credit for taking the decision to launch Twenty20 cricket in the country in a bid to bring back the crowds to the stadiums.
   ‘The Twenty20 Cup held in Lahore was a massive success and I personally have never seen so many people for a domestic match. The atmosphere was also great and colorful, everyone enjoyed themselves. Something that has been lacking in our domestic cricket,’ he added.

Vijay Singh clinched his third PGA Tour victory of the year after edging out Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk in a playoff at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday.
   Six shots off the lead at the start of the final round, the Fijian world number two completed a stirring rally by getting up-and-down to save par at the fourth extra hole and edge out American Furyk, who found water from the tee.
   Spain’s Garcia had started the day six strokes clear of the field, but he was eliminated at the first extra hole when he bogeyed the par-four 18th.
   ‘In a playoff you only think of that one shot at a time,’ Singh said. ‘You’re not even worried about anything else that’s going on, just one particular shot, and probably that’s why it’s a little bit easier to go ahead and play it.
   ‘Maybe I should do that all the time.’ The victory was the 27th PGA Tour win of Singh’s career and allowed the Fijian to join Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as three time champions this season.
   ‘I just want to go out there and win golf tournaments. I’ve done away with trying to be number one,’ added Singh, who will remain behind Woods when the new rankings are published on Monday.
   ‘I mean, it seems like I’ve got to win five times to get up there. I totally forgot about that. That does not cross my mind anymore. ‘I just want to go out there and win golf tournaments.’
   The trio had completed the 72 holes on 12-under-par 276, Garcia closing with a 72 while Singh and Furyk both fired equal best-of-the-day 66s at Quail Hollow Club.
   It was a stunning final round collapse by the 25-year-old Spaniard who had been perched on top the leaderboard from the opening round, building his advantage to six strokes heading into Sunday.

Australia will not want to surrender its unbeaten run in Test and one-day cricket against the Rest of the World XI sides in the Super Series against Australia later this year, coach John Buchanan said Monday.
   Buchanan said he was excited by the quality of players announced Monday to take on the Australian one-day and Test sides in the Super Series in October.
   The ICC World XI will take on world champions Australia in three one-dayers (October 5,7 and 9) in Melbourne and a six-day Test in Sydney (October 14 to 19) which have been accorded official status.
   ‘The team will not want to surrender its unbeaten run in either form of the game so there is a lot at stake,’ he said.
   The squads, announced in Bombay, include nine players from Pakistan, while England, India and South Africa have seven players each, Sri Lanka four, the West Indies three and New Zealand two.
   ‘Many of the players selected have great records against Australia and I am very excited about the prospect of having them all in the one team,’ Buchanan said in a Cricket Australia statement.
   ‘It will be interesting to see how the players from very diverse backgrounds meld into a team, but on paper the names are impressive.
   ‘Australia is certainly going to have to play at its best but I am confident that the calibre of our guys is such that they will relish the opportunity to display their abilities against the best the world has to offer,’ he said.
   ‘I think the standard of cricket and competition that we will see in the Super Series has the potential to be better than anything we have seen in Australia.’

Dwayne Bravo will not say sorry to Graeme Smith despite his request for an apology after being cleared of racial abuse in last week’s fourth Test.
   Tony Howard, the West Indies manager, said the West Indies Cricket Board backed Bravo’s stance and the matter was now closed.
   ‘We have full confidence in the processes that the ICC has put in place to deal with matters like these, and our position is quite clear,’ Howard told AFP.
   ‘It was a matter that was reported, adjudicated upon, and a decision was handed down. Like true cricketers, we abided by the decision of the match referee.’
   Smith, the captain, demanded Bravo apologise after he was found not guilty by Jeff Crowe, the ICC referee, on Wednesday.
   He then said he would take the matter further if Bravo did not say sorry. South Africa hold a 2-0 advantage in the one-day series, with Smith scoring 103 and 6 in the weekend’s matches.

Captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul says West Indies must think hard about their approach after losing the first two one-day matches against South Africa.
   ‘We batted very poorly. It was a decent wicket, maybe a bit slow and we needed to get our heads down,’ he said after Sunday’s eight wicket defeat
   ‘We need to get through the new ball and build partnerships. We have to go away and think about it.’
   West Indies were restricted to 152-7 in a rain-hit second match, losing four wickets in the first 15 overs.
   In Saturday’s opener, they stumbled to 56-3 after electing to bat first, before Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan led a recovery.

Barcelona are within touching distance of their first league title in six years after a storming 2-0 victory over last season’s champions Valencia at the Mestalla on Sunday.
   A stunning 20-metre drive from Ronaldinho and a cool finish from leading scorer Samuel Eto’o two minutes later secured the win that puts Barca six points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table with just three games left to play.
   A victory at struggling Levante next week would guarantee the Catalans a 17th league championship since they also have the advantage of a better record in head-to-head clashes with Real.
   Barca lead the standings on 81 points while Real, who crushed Racing Santander 5-0 on Saturday but look to be heading for a second successive season without a major trophy, have 75.
   Sevilla stay a distant third on 58 points despite their 1-0 defeat at city rivals Real Betis on Saturday while Villarreal are level on points in fourth after a 2-0 win at Malaga.
   Espanyol moved up to fifth on 56 points and condemned opponents Numancia to relegation with a 3-0 win at Montjuic.
   The result left the Sorians, who have only ever spent three seasons in the top flight, anchored to the bottom with 24 points, 11 adrift of safety.
   Albacete boosted their faint hopes of avoiding the drop when they ended an eight-match losing run with a 3-1 victory at home to fellow strugglers Levante, who sacked coach Bernd Schuster after last week’s 1-0 defeat by visitors Malaga.
   They are now eight points behind Levante, who occupy the last place above the drop zone with nine points to play for.
   Valencia, who needed to beat Barca to join the race for the Champions League places, looked as though they might prove to be awkward opponents for the league leaders in the opening minutes.
   Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar created early problems for the visitors’ defence with his twisting runs from midfield and Brazilian defender Fabio Aurelio shaved the post with a curling free kick.
   But Barca saw off their opponents with two devastating strikes from Ronaldinho and Eto’o in the space of two minutes.
   World Player of the Year Ronaldinho grabbed the first when he sent a 20-metre rocket-shot fizzing into the top corner after fellow Brazilian Juliano Belletti had clipped the ball across the area from the right.
   Valencia were still reeling from the blow when Eto’o hit them with a second goal.
   Racing on to a delicate through pass from Ronaldinho, the African Player of the Year cut inside Fabio Aurelio and steered the ball past goalkeeper Andres Palop into the far corner for his 23rd goal of the season.
   Frank Rijkaard’s side could have stretched their lead before the break but Palop did well to stop another Ronaldinho shot and French midfielder Ludovic Giuly wasted a chance when he sliced wide of the post after Eto’o had stormed into the area.
   Barca remained firmly in control in the second half and went close to scoring a third during a goalmouth scramble, but neither Giovanni van Bronckhorst nor Giuly could finish off after Ronaldinho had skipped his way into the area.
   Their task was made even easier 10 minutes later when Valencia defender Carlos Marchena was sent off for a wayward challenge on midfielder Deco.

Juventus took a big step towards a 28th Italian league title with a 1-0 victory over rivals AC Milan which moves them three points clear with three games remaining.
   A 28th minute header from French forward David Trezeguet, who glanced home an acrobatic overhead kick from Alessandro Del Piero, gave Juventus a deserved victory over the defending champions at the San Siro on Sunday.
   Juventus, coached by former Milan boss Fabio Capello, lead on 79 points with Milan on 76.
   Milan, who will face Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 25, were second best for large parts of the game but were furious that referee Pierluigi Collina turned down an appeal for a penalty in the 75th minute when Cafu appeared to be pulled down by Gianluca Zambrotta.
   Third-placed Inter Milan won 3-0 at lowly Brescia with two goals from Nigerian
   Obafemi Martins but the battle for the fourth Champions League qualification slot remains tight with Udinese and Sampdoria winning to remain level on 59 points.
   Sampdoria beat Lecce 3-0 in Genoa while a Vincenzo Iaquinta goal gave Udinese a 1-0 win away to Lazio.
   Parma’s battle against the drop was boosted with a 2-1 victory over Roma which moves them to four points clear of the relegation zone – level with crumbling Roma on 40 points.
   Roma have not won in their last ten games, picking up just two draws.
   Fiorentina also climbed out of the bottom three with a 2-1 win away to fellow strugglers Chievo – Fabrizio Miccoli and Valeri Bojinov on target for Dino Zoff’s side.
   Livorno, beaten 6-4 at Parma last week suffered another high scoring defeat with a 6-3 loss at home to Siena after having defender Fabio Galante sent off in the 18th minute.
   Milan’s defeat leaves Juventus in a strong position for the season’s run-in with Capello’s side enjoying an easier final three fixtures.
   Juve are at home to Parma next week and then face two mid-table teams, Livorno away and Cagliari at home.
   Milan are away to Lecce and then at home to a Palermo side fighting for a UEFA Cup slot before a very difficult final match away to Champions League qualification hopefuls Udinese.
   On the basis of the evidence presented at the San Siro, Juventus, with no European distractions, also look in better shape than Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
   After Trezeguet’s opener, Juve looked far sharper than their opponents, who had been in Champions League action in midweek – getting through their semi-final to PSV Eindhoven on away goals despite a 3-1 defeat in the Netherlands.
   Milan’s best chance of an equaliser came 12 minutes into the second half when Andriy Shevchenko set up Filippo Inzaghi but the substitute, returning from injury, hesitated and was crowded out by keeper Gianluigi Buffon and defender Zambrotta.
   Juve went close to a second when Del Piero headed against the crossbar and then defender Fabio Cannavaro forced Dida into action with a firm header.
   Then came Milan’s claim for a penalty but their only other opportunities came when Shevchenko headed over the bar from a promising position while Zambrotta had to clear an Inzaghi header off the line.

Empires come and Empires go.
   According to Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson, the greatest manager in English football history, last season’s below par Premiership campaign was meant to be a fluke, an illusion and a figment of our imaginations. If that was the case, I can’t wait to hear what he’s going to say about this term because for the second consecutive season, a third place finish is on the cards.
   Now I realise that third place for most clubs is a dream season but for the Old Trafford mob this has to be treated as a serious catastrophe. The faithful will hastily point to last year’s FA Cup win and the upcoming final against Arsenal as signs that they’re still a force but let’s be honest, United in their current incarnation are finished, washed up and a has-been living on past glories.
   Would the United we all know, respect and fear lose to Portsmouth? Do they get held scoreless by Crystal Palace? Would they throw away the lead at Old Trafford to West Bromwich Albion when picking up three points was an absolute must? The simple answer is no!
   If this had been any other club in the world, Sir Alex would’ve been handed his notice back in 2003. Liverpool had no hesitation in sending Gerard Houllier packing, despite picking up a pot here and there, including five in 2001. At Real Madrid they’re even more brutal. Who can forget Vicente del Bosque getting the sack despite being victorious in the Champions League? His crime – not winning the domestic league title.
   The only reason that Sir Alex has kept his job is because of what he’s achieved in the past. Yes, the records are impressive and they can’t be taken away but at the end of the day he hasn’t come close to bringing home the Premiership crown in the last two years despite splashing out vast sums of money.
   In Europe the situation is even worse because since winning the Holy Grail in 1999, nothing has gone right and early departures from the knockout stages have become the norm. With the emergence of Chelsea and the continued excellence of Arsenal on the domestic front, the pressure on United is massive.
   I’ve watched the Red Devils on at least thirty occasions this season and they are not the team of old. And they don’t look like a team of the future either. Obviously the goalkeeping situation is out of control and it’s embarrassing that Sir Alex cannot make up his mind and decide on his number one, Tim Howard or Roy Carroll. The Fergie I used to know would not have let this farce carry on for one week, let alone for sixty-odd games. A dominant number one must be top of the shopping list in the summer sales.
   Although the backline looks solid, it doesn’t seem impregnable, especially with that ingrate Rio Ferdinand flouncing around. John O’Shea isn’t quite the same player, while Wes Brown has yet to get back to his best. The fullbacks are the shining light as Gary Neville has been his usual consistent self and Gabriel Heinze has been the find of the year.
   While Roy Keane has been masterful in midfield, his legs just aren’t what they used to be and who can honestly say that David Beckham has been adequately replaced? Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most sensational talents I’ve ever seen but consistency is a major doubt with this whiz kid. Even with Wayne Rooney scoring the most devastating goals you’ll ever see there is still something missing.
   Sir Alex will be quick to point to the injuries of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as major factors in his team’s lack of goals but ultimately it comes down to leadership and the Scotsman is not the leader he once was. United don’t carry the ‘Fergie Aura’ anymore.
   Fergie has been mentioned many times before as ‘old school’. That kind of management just doesn’t work anymore. There is a new breed of manager and they deal with players a different way now. Time has passed by the Theater of Dreams legend and if he is smart and things go his way, he should bow out after the FA Cup final. If they don’t win the cup and finish the season without a trophy and Malcolm Glazer takes over, well something is going to happen. Sir Alex will be fired and that’ll be the end of the Empire.
   Until then, get the beers in...
   — Fox Sports

Arsenal look virtually certain to finish as Premier League runners-up after beating Liverpool 3-1 in a fluctuating match at Highbury on Sunday.
   The result also means Everton have clinched fourth place to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
   Goals from Robert Pires, Jose Antonio Reyes and Francesc Fabregas put Arsenal six points ahead of Manchester United with two games left and their superior goal difference means they look certain to qualify directly for the Champions League.
   Defeat ended Liverpool’s hopes of finishing fourth and winning a place in Europe’s premier club competition for next season with their city rivals Everton now certain of playing in the Champions League third qualifying round.
   ‘Everton have had a good season and we’ve not played well away – that’s the difference,’ said Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez. ‘But to be in two finals in the same season is not easy and we have to improve next season in the Premier League.’
   Liverpool started brightly enough but as soon as Pires curled in a delightful 20-metre free-kick Liverpool started to look jaded after their dramatic Champions league semi-final victory over newly-crowned Premier League champions Chelsea on Tuesday.
   Goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek had already denied Arsenal by tipping Lauren’s bouncing far-post header on to the bar but the Pole was powerless to stop Pires’s perfectly struck shot from flying into the top corner of the net after 25 minutes.
   Arsenal doubled the lead four minutes later through Spanish forward Reyes, who surged through a static defence and struck a firm left-foot shot into the far corner.
   Liverpool improved after halftime with the introduction of striker Djibril Cisse and winger Harry Kewell and their captain Steven Gerrard pulled a goal back with a deflected free-kick from just outside the penalty area after 51 minutes.
   Gerrard then forced Jens Lehmann into a diving save with a fierce 25-metre drive and Arsenal, struggling to cope with the pace of Cisse and Kewell’s trickery down the left, failed to reproduce their fluent passing of the first half.
   Arsenal also missed the influence of their injured leading scorer Thierry Henry and endured anxious moments before Fabregas scored from close range in the dying seconds to confirm revenge for his team’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield earlier in the season.
   ‘We’re in a very strong position now, of course, and there’s a good goal difference,’ Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports referring to the battle with United for the runners-up spot. Arsenal’s goal difference is 45 and United’s is 33.
   ‘We’ll just try to win our last two games and finish well. We’d prefer to be first but it was a good fight. We have rebuilt the team with a consistent run now and it’s a good basis to improve from game to game and go into next season.’

Lyon claimed their fourth consecutive French league title on Sunday after beating 10-man Ajaccio 2-1 despite missing an early penalty.
   Paul Le Guen's men are now 11 points ahead of second-placed Lille with three matches left meaning they emulate the exploits of St Etienne and Marseille who won four straight titles from 1967 to 1970 and 1989 to 1992 respectively.
   Lyon were just six minutes from taking the title on Saturday without kicking a ball but second-placed Lille beat Paris Saint Germain 1-0 with a late goal meaning they had to put the champagne on ice.
   On Sunday, in the 35th minute, Lyon striker Sidney Govou, sporting a new shaven-headed haircut, opened the scoring but Ajaccio's Yohan Demont levelled matters seven minutes after the break with an opportunist effort from the edge of the box.
   Claudio Cacapa proved Lyon's match winner in the 65th minute when he outjumped the Ajaccio defence to head past keeper Stephane Porato and ensure France's second city welcome back a title to which they have become accustomed in recent years.

Juan Sebastian Veron has notified Inter of a call to join Boca Juniors by their new director Diego Armando Maradona.
   'It is true that Diego called me to explain this intriguing offer and to tell me about his new adventure with Boca,' the Nerazzurri midfielder told Argentine newspaper 'Ole'.
   Ex-Napoli legend Maradona was offered the position of director of sport after turning down the chance to Coach the youth team.
   'I am happy at Inter and my family is also settled here. It seems as if the political situation in Argentina is stabilising, but when the safety of my nearest and dearest is at risk then it's an easy choice to make.'
   However, the former Chelsea, Parma and Lazio man has often spoken of his desire to end his career in his homeland and left room for a rethink.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is ready to sign a new contract in the summer.
   The Sun says he will sit down with Kop bosses to thrash out a new contract worth around £85,000 a week.
   Six months ago, Gerrard said he would pledge his future to Liverpool only if he felt they were making enough progress to mount a serious challenge for honours next term.
   They have surprised even themselves by booking a Euro final date with AC Milan.
   Liverpool were told that even victory in Istanbul would not secure entry to Europe's biggest club competition.
   But UEFA have admitted they will consider pushing the Anfield club straight into the group stages as one of the top seeds, if they get a formal request from the FA.

Real Madrid full-back Roberto Carlos has been shown presenting his shirt to the former leader of the club's radical group of Ultra Sur fans following his side's 5-0 victory over Racing Santander on Saturday.
   Spanish daily El Pais published photographs on Monday of the Brazilian international giving Jose Luis Ochaita his shirt and said that it was to be used in a raffle to raise funds to subsidise trips made by the group's members to away matches.
   Ochaita was banned from stadiums for three years in 1998 for trying to attack the referee in a Real Madrid-Barcelona basketball game and was among eight Ultras Sur arrested in Germany in the same year for displaying Nazi flags and swastikas prior to a Champions League match.
   Members of the Ultra Sur have been involved in incidents of racist abuse at the Bernabeu on several occasions this
   season.
   The club was fined 9,780 euros ($12,550) after television pictures showed members of the group insulting visiting black players and making Nazi salutes in a Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen in November.
   The group unfurled a large banner criticising immigration during the match, although El Pais said it was later removed
   by a security official from the club.

Jose Mourinho has his eyes on trophies for Chelsea next season.
   The Blues boss wants to win the Premiership, Champions League, FA Cup, Carling Cup and even the Community Shield.
   After Saturday's championship party, Mourinho said, 'I'm not happy.
   'The only thing that would make me really happy would be to win absolutely everything.
   'I have no priorities for next season between the Premiership or Europe.
   ‘We have to fight to defend the two trophies we got and we have to fight to get the other three.
   'I am like this and I don't change. This is the motivation.
   'The day I don't have the same passion and motivation, I will quit.'

Nenem scored three goals as Brazil routed Thailand 9-2 Sunday, highlighting the opening day of FIFA's inaugural beach soccer World Cup.
   France, Uruguay and Portugal also won openers in the group stage of the weeklong tournament at famed Copacabana beach.
   Brazil is the defending world champion of beach soccer and has won nine titles in 10 championships. Portugal is the only other champion.
   Nenem had one goal in the first period and two in the second.
   Bruno added two goals for Brazil while Junior Negao, Betinho, Benjamin and Juninho had one each.
   Khongkweaw Pongsak and Langkeaw Sanae scored for Thailand.
   The 12 nations are divided into four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.
   Also Sunday, Portugal topped Japan 4-0 in Group B, Uruguay defeated South Africa 7-3 in Group C and France beat Australia 5-1 in Group D.
   The United States, Argentina and European champion Ukraine open play Monday.
   Beach soccer is played on a sand field about 40 yards long and 30 yards wide.
   Each game is divided into three 12-minute periods, with unlimited substitution.
   The competition previously was played under the auspices of Beach Soccer Worldwide, not FIFA.
   The governing body has endorsed the sport since 1994, but had never staged an event.

Rajshahi clinch Age group title
Rajshahi Division emerged as the champions in the phase-II of the Age Group Cricket Development Tournament defeating Dhaka Division by 14 runs at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium on Monday. Dhaka chasing a target of 228 runs lost all the wickets for 213 in 68.5 overs. Prangon Ghosh with 68 and Ziauddin Ahmed with 52 raised the hope for Dhaka but four wickets from Muktar Ali for 60 runs made Rajshahi the champs. Rajshahi scored 191 and 218 runs while Dhaka scored 182 runs in the first innings. Muktar Ali was adjudged the man of the match for grabbing eight wickets for Rajshahi.
— New Age

Sheikh Russell seal final place
Sheikh Russell Krira Chakra reached the final of the Independence Cup Football Tournament beating Arambagh Krira Sangha 3-0 in the first semi-final at the Rajshahi stadium on Monday. The winners led the first half 2-0. Sheikh Russell dominated the proceedings of play from the very beginning, but they had to wait for 25 minutes to open the account. Egir Muhammad, Russell’s recruit from Morocco, was the striker to break the deadlock. Rashid Bishai, another Moroccan, doubled the margin in the 44th minute. They sealed the tally in the 55th minute when Adel beat the Arambagh custodian easily. Sheikh Russell will face the winners of the second semi-final between Abahani Limited and Muktijoddha Sangsad on May 12. The second semi-final will take place today.
— BD News

BWLA Symbolic football match today
Bangladesh Woman Lawyers’ Association will organise a symbolic football match on ‘Human Security Campaign’ at the Dhanmondi Club ground today. Renowned personalities from Government sectors, NGO sectors, print and electronic media will attend the programme. The objective of the match is to strengthen the cooperation, communication and interaction between the different segments of the society.
— New Age

Maradona begins Madrid visit
Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, whose career has been blighted by drug addiction, arrived in the Spanish capital from Cuba on Monday ‘to see some old friends’ whom he has not seen for many years. The 44-year-old World Cup winner told AFP, ‘I just want to say hi to a few old friends after so many years, including Arrigo Sacchi, a life-long friend.’He also hopes to see Real’s Brazilian stars Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo.
— AFP

DPRK get FIFA notice
FIFA confirmed Monday that North Korea had received a notice from the world football body to move their home World Cup qualifier against Japan to a third country following crowd trouble in Pyongyang, Japanese officials said. FIFA told the Japan Football Association that North Korea on Monday acknowledged receipt of the letter on the punishment, a spokesman for the association said. This meant North Korea could still try to take back the June 8 match as they are given three days from receipt of the formal notice to appeal the sanction. ‘We don’t know when the North Korean football association actually received the letter,’ the spokesman, Futoshi Nagamatsu, told AFP.
— AFP