Pahang terus teraju liga

 PENYERANG Pahang, Azammudin Akil (tengah) dihalang oleh dua pemain Johor DT pada perlawanan Liga Super di Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan malam tadi yang berkesudahan seri 1-1.

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PAHANG kekal menerajui carta Liga Super selepas mencatat keputusan seri 1-1 pada aksi menentang Johor Darul Takzim (Johor DT) di Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan malam tadi.

Skuad yang mendapat jolokan Tok Gajah itu selesa mendahului dengan 27 mata selepas mengharungi 13 perlawanan manakala Johor DT ketinggalan dua mata untuk berada di tangga kedua.

Seperti dijangka, kedua-dua pasukan tampil dengan aksi menarik dalam misi memburu kemenangan namun segala usaha yang mereka lakukan sepanjang separuh masa pertama gagal menghasilkan gol.

Gaya serangan serta pertahanan yang dipamerkan oleh kedua-dua pasukan cukup menarik namun hasrat untuk menggegar gawang dinafikan penyudah yang lemah.

Masuk babak kedua, jurulatih JDT, Mario Gomez menukar strategi pasukannya dengan memasukkan Amri Yahya menggantikan Mahali Jasuli pada minit ke-53.

Tanda-tanda untuk memecah kebuntuan mula hadir sebak perlawanan memasuki babak kedua dan seperti dijangka, Johor DT berjaya meloloskan diri menerusi jaringan pemain gantian, Mohd. Amri Yahyah pada minit ke-66.

Barisan pertahanan Pahang seperti tertidur seketika yang membenarkan Amri melepasi perangkap ofsaid sebelum mudah menewaskan penjaga gol Pahang, Khairul Azhan.

Tersentak dengan gol tersebut, Zainal Abidin Hassan melakukan dua pertukaran serentak dengan memasukkan pemain tengah, Azidan Sarudin dan Mohd. Norazam Abdul Azih menggantikan Matias Conti serta Hafiz.

Hampir 15,000 penyokong tuan rumah yang membanjiri stadium tidak perlu menunggu lama untuk menyaksikan pemain pertahanan, Damion Stewart menyamakan kedudukan pada minit ke-70 apabila dia bijak menyambar peluang ekoran situasi kelam kabut di depan pintu gol Jjhor DT.

Selepas itu, Dickson Nwakaeme hampir menambah jaringan buat Pahang tetapi percubaannya pada minit ke-76 terkena tiang gol.

Kedudukan 1-1 kekal sehingga tamat perlawanan.

BRAZIL Out! Brazil 1-1 Paraguay (3-4p)

BRAZIL 1-1 PARAGUAY (3-4 on pens) - MARTIN DOMIN: No Neymar, no flair, and no Copa America semi-final against Argentina - it was Brazil, but not as we know them. Dunga's side had failed to convince en-route to the last eight but could not to build on Robinho's opening goal against Paraguay and were eventually beaten on penalties. And the opportunity to reach a second successive final is the least Ramon Diaz's side deserved for a dominant second-half performance
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• Robinho opened the scoring for Brazil after 15 minutes at the Ester Roa Rebolledo Stadium
• Derlis Gonzalez equalised for Paraguay from the penalty spot in the 70th minute
• Paraguay won 4-3 in the penalty shoot-out with Gonzalez scoring the winning kick
• Ramon Diaz's side now have the chance to reach a second successive semi-final 

 Brazil head coach Dunga looks on in frustration from the touchline as his side are knocked out of the tournament

 Gonzalez (centre) celebrates with his Paraguay team-mates after drawing his side level

 Robinho celebrates after scoring the opening goal for Brazil in the Copa America clash against Paraguay

Brazil (4-2-3-1): Jefferson 7, Alves 7, Silva 5.5, Miranda 7, Filipe Luis 6.5, Fernandinho 6.5, Elias 6.5, Willian 6 (Costa 60, 6), Coutinho 6.5, Robinho 7.5 (Ribiero 87), Firminho 5.5 (Tardelli 69, 6)

Subs not used: Luiz, Neto, Marquinhos, Geferson, Fabinho, Fred, Casemiro, Grohe

Goal: Robinho 15

Booked: Alves, Coutinho

Paraguay (4-4-2): Villar 6.5, Aguilar 6.5, Da Silva 7.5, B Valdez 6.5, Piris 6.5, Gonzalez 7, V Caceres 7, Aranda 6.5 (Martinez 77), Benitez 6.5 (Romero 84), Santa Cruz 6, N Valdez 7 (Bobadilla 73, 6)

Subs not used: M Caceres, Samudio, Barrios, Silva, Molinas, Balbuena, Oritogoza, Oscar, Aguilar

Goal: Gonzalez 72 (pen)

Booked: P Aguilar, B Valdez, Martinez

Referee: Andres Cunha (Uruguay) 

Chile 5-0 Bolivia : Hosts finish a top Group A

Charles Aranguiz scored twice as hosts Chile capped a tumultuous week with a quarterfinal-clinching 5-0 defeat of Bolivia in their final Group A game at the Copa America on Friday.

Shaking off the controversy surrounding midfielder Arturo Vidal's drunk-driving accident on Wednesday, Jorge Sampaoli's squad produced a dominant performance to beat the Bolivians at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago.

Alexis Sanchez and Gary Medel also netted for Chile, before Bolivia captain Ronald Raldes capped a miserable night for his team by scoring an own goal.

Both teams were assured of progress after Ecuador's defeat of Mexico earlier on Friday -- but top position in Group A was up for grabs at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos.

There was little doubt about the outcome once Aranguiz had opened the scoring in the third minute, drilling past goalkeeper Romel Quinonez after Eduardo Vargas had knocked down Medel's long ball.

Sanchez struck the post in the 20th minute and he did the same thing with another free-kick 10 minutes later.

However, shortly after Jorge Valdivia had seen penalty claims waved away, the Arsenal striker got the goal he richly deserved.

Sanchez won possession just inside the Bolivia half in the 37th minute, advanced and passed to Valdivia, who returned the ball quickly for the 26-year-old to net with a diving header.

It could have been 3-0 soon after when Mauricio Isla set up Vargas -- but he failed to find the target from 12 yards, then Jean Beausejour fired powerfully over in the 42nd minute as the hosts finished the half well on top, to the delight of a vociferous crowd.

Bolivia's only chance of note came in the 49th minute -- but Marcelo Martins' shot was weakly struck and easily saved by Claudio Bravo.

Any nerves that Chile may have had were gone in the third minute with Aranguiz mobbed by team-mates after hitting the opening goal

Chile put the game beyond their opponents in the 66th minute when Angelo Henriquez crossed for Aranguiz to net his second goal from close range.

It was 4-0 with 10 minutes remaining when Medel got on the scoresheet in style. Played in by an incisive ball from Valdivia, he controlled the ball with his chest before coolly lobbing over Quinonez.

And Chile were gifted a fifth goal in the 86th minute when Raldes turned a Henriquez cross from the right into his own net.

They will be back at the same venue on Wednesday night, when they will take on one of the best third-placed teams.

The win puts Chile atop Group A with seven points. Bolivia sit in second with four, while Ecuador finished with three and Mexico, who were eliminated on Friday, sit bottom with just two.

EURO 2016 Qualyfying Result

12 June 2015

• Kazakhstan 0-1 Turkey
• Andorra 1-3 Cyprus
• Bosnia 3-1 Israel
• Croatia 1-1 Italy

 Italy no.1 Gianluigi Buffon challenges Mario Mandzukic in his 50th Euro game for the Azzuri <Group H>

• Iceland 2-1 Chezh Republic
• Latvia 0-2 Netherlands

 Luciano Narsingh sped away to bury the decisive second Netherlands goal in the 71st minute <Group A>

• Malta 0-1 Bulgaria
• Norway 0-0 Azerbaijan
• Wales 1-0 Belgium

Gareth Bale scores as Wales beat Belgium to top group in Euro qualifying

WALES 1-0 BELGIUM


Gareth Bale scored the only goal and Wales hung on through the rain to beat Belgium 1-0 and move top of their European Championship qualifying group.

The Real Madrid star controlled on his chest a misguided back-header by Radja Nainggolan, swivelled and side-footed a shot through the legs of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the 25th minute for the winner at Cardiff City Stadium.

The victory over FIFA's No. 2-ranked team gave unbeaten Wales 14 points from six games, three ahead of Belgium atop Group B with four games to play.

With second place enough to a secure a spot at the finals in 2016, Wales are five points clear of Cyprus and Israel in third place.

Remarkably, the victory also earn Chris Coleman's men enough co-efficient points to be guaranteed top seeding for the World Cup qualifying draw later this month.

WALES: Hennessey, Gunter, Taylor, Richards, Chester, A Williams, Allen, Ramsey, Bale, Ledley, Robson-Kanu.

BELGIUM: Courtois, Alderweireld, Lombaerts, Vertonghen, Denayer, Nainggolan, Witsel, De Bruyne, Hazard, Mertens, Benteke

Dollah kecewa taktil gagal

JURULATIH Harimau Malaya, Dollah Salleh tanpa berselindung mengakui kecewa apabila pasukan kendaliannya gagal meraih tiga mata ke atas Timor Leste pada aksi kelayakan Piala Dunia 2018 dan Piala Asia 2019 di Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur malam kelmarin.

Pada aksi itu, Harimau Malaya sekadar menamatkan perlawanan dengan keputusan seri 1-1 apabila Ramon De Lima Saro meledak gol penyamaan ketika waktu kecederaan bagi mengikat jaringan Safee Sali yang menggegar gol skuad pelawat itu pada minit ke-33.

Bekas pengendali Pahang itu turut mengakui jentera serangan Harimau Malaya gagal memanfaatkan banyak peluang dan ia menjadi faktor utama skuad kebangsaan tidak berupaya meraih menewaskan Timor Leste.

"Keseluruhannya, saya kecewa terhadap (kualiti) persembahan kita yang tidak mengambil peluang ke atas pasukan yang tidak melakukan persediaan.

"Pada perlawanan kali ini, kita menguasai permainan tetapi tidak mencipta jaringan. Kita menyerang tetapi hilang (penguasaan) bola. Ada banyak peluang tetapi kita hanya mensia-siakan peluang itu.

"Kita buat kesilapan besar pada minit-minit terakhir. Saya lihat, pemain hanya mencapai 40 peratus daripada apa yang saya inginkan dan itulah yang membuatkan saya rasa kecewa," kata Dollah.

Dalam pada itu, jurulatih Timor Leste, Fabio Joaquim mengakui lega selepas pasukannya berjaya mengutip satu mata dalam aksi kelayakan tersebut.

Joaquim turut mengakui Timor Leste sepatutnya menjadi pemenang pada perlawanan itu, namun menyedari Harimau Malaya bukan sebuah pasukan yang mudah ditangani.

"Pemain kami keletihan kerana cuaca sangat panas dan tempoh latihan yang singkat turut menjadi punca keletihan. Tetapi, kami masih mempunyai peluang untuk menjaringkan gol.

"Kami hanya sempat berlatih dalam tempoh tiga hari. Selepas bertemu Mongolia baru-baru ini, para pemain sudah tahu cara untuk bermain sebagai sebuah pasukan.

"Saya berpuas hati dengan keputusan ini. Kami bermain dengan taktik yang lebih tersusun dan sama-sama mengukuhkan pertahanan," kata Joaquim semasa sidang akhbar selepas tamat perlawanan.

UCL (Final) : Juventus 1-3 BARCELONA (Treble completed)

Xavi happy, nostalgic after last Barca game
Barcelona's long-serving midfielder Xavi Hernandez has made his last appearance for the club. The 35-year-old was handed the captain's armband as he came on as a 78th minute substitute for Andres Iniesta during Barca's 3-1 Champions League final victory over Juventus, and received a standing ovation from supporters.

The unstoppable attacking trio of Luis Suarez, Messi and Neymar took their combined tally to a staggering 122 goals this season


Best possible season. Enrique did a great job.

Spanish Copa Del Rey : Athletic Bilbao 1- 3 BARCELONA

Neymar scored seven goals in the Copa del Rey this season as Barcelona won their second trophy this month.


Barcelona players pose with the King's Cup after winning the Spanish Copa del Rey final football match against Athletic Club Bilbao in Barcelona on May 30, 2015 (AFP Photo/Josep Lago)

Messi-inspired Barcelona win 27th Copa del Rey

A Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona sealed a league and Cup double as they swept aside Athletic Bilbao 3-1 to win the Copa del Rey for a 27th time on Saturday.

Messi opened the scoring in spectacular fashion by dribbling past four Athletic players and lashing home a low finish before Neymar added a second before half-time.

The Argentine grabbed his second of the game to kill the tie as a contest 17 minutes from time before Inaki Williams grabbed a consolation for the Basques.

Despite Athletic fans dominating two-thirds of the 99,000 capacity Camp Nou, there was nothing their players could do to stop a rampant Barca that is now just one game away from just the second treble in the club's history.

Luis Enrique's men face Italian champions Juventus in the Champions League final in Berlin on June 6.

"From the start we saw a great Barca with all the players at a high level," said Barcelona boss Luis Enrique.

"It is a shame for Athletic to have played these finals in the last few years against a Barca playing so well.

FA Cup Final : ARSENAL 4-0 Aston Villa