Sports FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013
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Barca have La Liga crown in sight MADRID: Real Madrid have stubbornly refused to capitulate in recent weeks but La Liga leaders Barcelona finally have their fate in their own hands and can secure a 22nd La Liga crown with victory at Atletico Madrid (1700 GMT) on Sunday. Barca need two points from their remaining four matches to wrest the title back from their arch rivals, who have played a game more and need to win at Espanyol on Saturday (2000) to keep the title race alive. It would be the Catalan club’s fourth domestic league title in five years, an achievement that comes close to matching the “Dream Team’s” four consecutive triumphs in the 1990s, and their first under new coach Tito Vilanova, who took over from Pep Guardiola at the end of last season. Atletico have already made sure of third place and a berth in the Champions League group stage. They will also be looking ahead to their King’s Cup final clash against Real in just over a week’s time but coach Diego Simeone said he and his players would not be distracted by the chance to ensure their city neighbours end the season without major silverware. “We cannot allow ourselves to be lose sight of the next game because we’ve never approached things differently, we need to focus on Barcelona,” Simeone told a news conference On Wednesday. “We know it will be a difficult game on Sunday but the fans can get together and celebrate making it into the Champions League,” added the Argentine, who has transformed the team since taking over midway through last season. “It will be a challenge and we’ll see tomorrow how the lads are feeling ahead of the game.” Real’s 6-2 win at home to Malaga on Wednesday trimmed the gap to Barca to eight points and although a win at Espanyol would cut the deficit to five, a Barca victory at the Calderon would give them an unassailable lead as Real will only have two games left and six points available. Atletico’s 3-1 win at Celta Vigo on Wednesday put them 14 points clear of fourth-placed Real Sociedad, who are well placed to secure a place in Champions League qualifying ahead of their game at home to Granada on Monday. Another league title for Barca would help ease the pain of this month’s reverse to Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals, when they crashed to a 7-0 aggregate defeat, their worst result in European competition. —Reuters
Mineiro crush Sao Paulo 6-2 BUENOS AIRES: Ronaldinho set the tone and Jo scored the goals as Atletico Mineiro lived up to their billing as Libertadores Cup favorites with a crushing 6-2 aggregate win over fellow Brazilians Sao Paulo on Wednesday. Atletico won 4-1 on the night to advance to a quarter-finals along with Brazilian champions Fluminense, who won 2-0 to edge their duel with Ecuador’s Emelec 3-2. An exciting last-16, second leg contest in Belo Horizonte was decided by Atletico’s brilliant finishing with Jo bagging a hat-trick and Diego Tardelli also scoring. Atletico, looking for their first Libertadores Cup triumph, will meet either fellow Brazilians Palmeiras or Mexico’s Tijuana in the last eight. It was Sao Paulo’s worst defeat in South America’s elite club competition, which they have won three times. “It was a team effort because from the first minute we showed that at the Independencia we are strong,” said Jo, who opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a low shot from the edge of the box. “Once again we managed to win with these marvellous fans, it’s not any team that puts four past Sao Paulo,” the former Everton and Manchester City striker told reporters. Jo’s second came in the 63rd minute when he beat the offside trap to take Donizete’s headed pass and steer the ball between goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni’s legs. Atletico scored again almost from the restart with Tardelli chasing a poor headed back pass from Rafael Toloi meant for Ceni and lobbing the goalkeeper. Ronaldinho laid on Jo’s hattrick in the 69th when he pulled the ball back close to the goalline for the striker to steer it home. —Reuters
David Lama climbs a mountain at Chamonix. www.redbullcontentpool.com
Moyes in United hotseat LONDON: David Moyes faces the daunting task of following in the footsteps of Alex Ferguson after being officially confirmed as the manager of Manchester United on a six-year contract yesterday. Ferguson’s shock retirement announcement the day before left United looking for a new manager for the first time since the legendary Scot succeeded Ron Atkinson in November 1986, but the Premier League champions moved quickly to appoint Moyes. The 50-year-old, who has been at Everton since 2002, will take over from Ferguson on July 1. Ferguson, who has won 38 trophies during a recordbreaking 26-year spell at Old Trafford, revealed that he had personally recommended his fellow Glaswegian as his successor. “When we discussed the candidates that we felt had the right attributes, we unanimously agreed on David Moyes,” said Ferguson in a statement. “David is a man of great integrity with a strong work ethic. I’ve admired his work for a long time and approached him as far back as 1998 to discuss the position of assistant manager here. “He was a young man then at the start of his career and has since gone on to do a magnificent job at Everton. There is no question he has all the qualities we expect of a manager at this club.” Moyes has only presided over two matches in the Champions League and has failed to win a trophy in his 11-year tenure at Goodison Park, but he is widely admired for having led Everton to six consecutive top-eight finishes in the Premier League despite operating on a shoestring budget. “It’s a great honour to be asked to be the next manager of Manchester United,” he said in a statement released by his new employers. “I am delighted that Sir Alex saw fit to recommend me for the job. I have great respect for everything he has done for the football club. “I know how hard it will be to follow the best manager ever, but the opportunity to manage Manchester United isn’t something that comes around very often and I’m really looking forward to
taking up the post next season.” United director Bobby Charlton, captain of the club’s 1968 European Cup-winning team, hailed Moyes as “a genuine Manchester United man”. “In David Moyes, we have someone who understands the things that make this such a special club,” he added. “We have secured a man who is committed to the long-term and will build teams for the future as well as now.” Earlier, Everton confirmed that Moyes would leave the club at the end of the season, after he quickly emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Ferguson. “The manager met chairman Bill Kenwright early yesterday evening (Wednesday) and confirmed his desire to join Manchester United,” read an Everton statement. “The chairman, on behalf of the club, would like to place on record his thanks to David for the massive contribution he has made to Everton since his arrival in March 2002. He has been an outstanding manager.” Kenwright has confirmed that Moyes will take charge of Everton’s two remaining matches of the Premier League season, at home to West Ham United on Sunday and away to Chelsea on May 19. Moyes thanked his former club, saying: “I have had a terrific job at Everton, with a tremendous chairman and board of directors and a great set of players. Between now and the end of the season, I will do everything in my power to make sure we finish as high as possible in the table.” Moyes will lead United for the first time on their pre-season tour of Thailand, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong in July, with his first official game set to be the Community Shield against the FA Cup winners at Wembley Stadium on August 11. United co-chairman Avram Glazer, son of American owner Malcolm Glazer, said incoming chief executive Ed Woodward would meet with Moyes as quickly as possible to draw up a blueprint for his time at the club. “Alex was very clear with his recommendation and we are delighted that David has agreed to accept the job,” Glazer said. —AFP