Manchester United 3 - 0 West Ham United : Rooney heads victory

Manchester United 3 - 0 West Ham United

Wayne Rooney produced another match-winning performance for Manchester United as he took his tally for the season to 27 by bagging a double against West Ham.

Michael Owen scored for the first time since that hat-trick at Wolfsburg in December as the Red Devils closed to within a point of Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea. But Owen's late effort was a mere footnote compared to Rooney's contribution.

The 24-year-old has been set a conservative target of 30 by Sir Alex Ferguson. At this rate he will eclipse the 42 that helped turn Cristiano Ronaldo into the world's best player two years ago.

''My biggest concern was how we were going to maintain the scoring level,'' reflected Ferguson in his programme notes as he considered Ronaldo's summer exit for Real Madrid. ''There you have the answer,'' he added. Not that anyone needed it.

Rooney has a maximum of 17 games to overhaul Ronaldo's 2007-08 tally. On present form it is well within range.

A week ago, United were engaged in that amazing Champions League encounter with AC Milan in the San Siro, which could have been disastrous but turned out to be one of the great European results.

Rooney grabbed all the headlines, just as he has been doing for most of the season as he has dragged United along in pursuit of glory.

Where the Red Devils would be without the striker does not bear thinking about. Little wonder Ferguson once again opted to stick with him against supposedly lesser opposition on home soil when probably, he could do with a rest, however minimal.

The wisdom of the selection was proved just before half-time when Rooney planted his diving header into the corner of Robert Green's goal.

Prior to that, Darron Gibson had been the hosts' main threat, repeatedly taking aim from distance, without really threatening to beat Green's blockade.

It would be churlish to exclude Dimitar Berbatov and Antonio Valencia from praise given the Bulgarian's excellent crossfield pass and an even better volleyed cross to the far post from the South American. But Rooney was the man who had shifted into space, Rooney who had to finish. There was never any prospect of him failing.

Unlike Milan, West Ham did not reach half-time unable to believe they were not ahead. Gianfranco Zola might have pondered how fortunate Ben Foster had been, though.

Handed his first start since November, but surely too late to earn a call-up for England's friendly against Egypt next week, Foster was in direct opposition to another member of Fabio Capello's expanded squad.

But he would have been hanging his head in shame if he had pushed a Guillermo Franco shot that looped skywards off Gary Neville into his own net rather than directly onto his line.

The loss of Anderson to a knee injury sustained when no one was near him does not auger well for a positive conclusion to the Brazilian's disappointing season.

Injury is the one thing Capello cannot countenance for Rooney. There would be no point in the Italian trying to put on a brave face. England would instantly be reduced from contenders to also-rans.

In a very similar manner to his opener, Rooney found himself in splendid isolation when Berbatov released Valencia with another excellent pass in the build up to the second.

Once again the cross was inviting. Once again Rooney sent it past Green. For a player of his class, his finishes had been routine.

Less so was the strength required to bundle Green off the ball and the eye for an opportunity as Rooney fired goalwards from the touchline. Had Julien Faubert not been stood on the line, it would have been an incredible finish to a hat-trick.

Instead, Owen grabbed the third after an inspired through ball from Paul Scholes. It was Owen's eighth of the season, only one short of Berbatov's tally. A long way behind Rooney though. And the gap is going to get wider yet.

Watch VfB Stuttgart v Barcelona Live Stream 23-2-2010

 19h45 UK  23-2-2010  VfB Stuttgart v Barcelona

 

 

 

Online Watch VfB Stuttgart v Barcelona Live Stream Uefa Champions League Soccer Highlight Review Preview Watch Free TV online JustinTV Youtube video We preview the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match between Stuttgart and Barcelona.

VfB Stuttgart vs Barcelona - VfB Arena, Stuttgart
Tuesday February 23, 2010
When VfB Stuttgart fans saw that they had been drawn with continental giants Barcelona in the last 16 of this season's Champions League extravaganza, they must have felt like running up a white flag.
It is, after all, a clash of David versus Goliath proportions, a game that pits, in Barcelona, a team that continues to conquer all, against a Stuttgart side struggling in the Bundesliga and who only just made it out of a particularly weak qualifying group.
Click Here To Watch VfB Stuttgart v Barcelona
Nevertheless, having already been given little or no chance of progressing past Pep Guardiola's exceptional side, the Stuttgart faithful will be buoyed by last weekend's 2-1 away win at Nuremberg, a victory that means they have won five in a row domestically and remain unbeaten since Christian Gross took over in December.
Stuttgart's fine current form is in stark contrast to their somewhat stop start qualifying campaign.
A home draw with Scotland's Rangers and a demoralizing defeat in their own backyard to eventual group winners Sevilla were definite lows, whilst a spirited draw in Valencia and a convincing 3-1 home win against Romanian upstarts Unirea Urziceni, were the highlights.
Veteran goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who excelled against Unirea, is, according to Gross, back to his very best, whilst the exceptionally talented Sami Khedira and former Arsenal star Aleksandr Hleb will raid forward and look to supply Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak who will certainly test Barcelona's backline over the two legs.
Despite losing 2-1 at home against Group F minnows Rubin Kazan, Barcelona, the current Champions League holders, qualified for this season's knockout phase with relative ease.
A battling 0-0 draw away at Inter Milan, coupled with a 2-0 home win against Jose Mourinho's charges underlined their group dominance, although injuries to key players have cast a shadow over February 23 trip to Stuttgart.
Already doubtful for the VfB Stadium encounter are Eric Abidal, Dani Alves and now Dmytro Chygrynskiy, a defensive headache that will not help Guardiola's mood ahead of the test in Germany.
Whilst Barca's problems at the back may be a ray of light for Stuttgart, the Catalan team's prowess going forward - take a bow Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry and young upstart Pedro, is sure to be worrying Gross.
Barca, who last season became the first team to win six trophies in one campaign, are once again riding high in La Liga.
Thanks to their sublime football - a flowing, skill-laden version of the beautiful game that left Manchester United wondering what had hit them in last season's Champions League final - many Spanish analysts are already declaring that the title is theirs to lose.
Whilst that may be so, Guardiola and his men would do well not to underestimate Stuttgart, with the German faithful sure to provide a hostile reception, this tie may not as much of a walkover as many are predicting.

Live Football: Watch Man Utd v West Ham Live 23-2-2010

Watch Man Utd v West Ham Live 19h45 UK   23-2-2010

 

 

Online Watch Man Utd v West Ham Live Stream English Premier League Soccer Highlight Review Preview Watch Free TV online JustinTV Youtube video Ex-London mayor Ken Livingstone believes West Ham co-owner David Gold's idea to move the club to the 2012 stadium faces serious legal obstacles.
Livingstone helped London win the 2012 Olympics arguing that the stadium would be an athletics venue after the Games.
"There's a legally binding contract between the Mayor and the International Olympic Committee that the stadium will be an athletics venue," he said.
The IOC would also have to approve any change in the stadium's usage.
"If we had said we were building a football stadium, we would not have won," Livingstone told BBC Radio 5 live.
Click Here To Watch Man Utd v West Ham
However, Gold has received political support for his idea from Sir Robin Wales, the Mayor of Newham.
The Newham Mayor said he "would like West Ham to be in there", adding it was a "sensible solution".
The Newham borough is home to the Premier League team's Upton Park ground as well as the Olympic Stadium, which will host two-thirds of the events at the 2012 Games.
Wales, who sits on the boards of the Olympic Park Legacy Company and Games organiser Locog, said: "My view is to develop the stadium as a football stadium in legacy and use the money from West Ham and the developers to then build a proper athletics offer in London.
He believes there could be "a problem with the legacy" if the club did not move into the £450m stadium.
Gold maintains that a deal for West Ham to relocate there remains a "serious possibility".
"I'm sensing an easing of the stance that it should be a legacy to athletics," the West Ham co-owner told BBC Radio 5 live.
"We have to be more pragmatic. Do we want to have a stadium like we have at Crystal Palace which just deteriorated and rotted away because it wasn't sustainable?
"We believe there is a serious possibility that we could strike a deal that would take West Ham to the Olympic Stadium.
"If that can be done, we would have a super stadium that could take the club to the next level."
Gold and co-owner David Sullivan took over the cash-strapped club last month and immediately confirmed their interest in relocating to the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in Stratford as they try to improve the club finances.
Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell has insisted that keeping the stadium as a grand prix athletics venue was one of the reasons that London bid for the Games, and keeping the running track at the stadium to leave a legacy to athletics in East London remained a strong commitment.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company is to shortly invite bids from businesses that want to apply for a commercial stake in the stadium.

Manchester United v West Ham United : Key defenders could make United return

Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic could be back to bolster Manchester United's flagging Premier League title challenge against West Ham tomorrow.

Sir Alex Ferguson has not had his first-choice central defensive partnership available since October but with Ferdinand now clear of suspension and Vidic over the nerve problem that has prevented him making an appearance in 2010, both are expected to start against the Hammers.

With the Carling Cup final just five days away, Ferguson might have been tempted to rest Wayne Rooney but that hardly seems likely in the wake of Saturday's defeat at Everton that left the Red Devils four points adrift of Chelsea. Nani is still suspended.

As someone who has finished a champion in each of his three full seasons since his £18.6million move to Old Trafford from Tottenham, midfielder Michael Carrick is reluctant to let than run come to an end.

However, he knows extending it means inflicting some pain on West Ham, the club where he started his career and who he clearly retains a lot of affection for.

"West Ham gave me my chance,'' he said. "They took me away from home, taught me a lot of things and guided me through.

"They gave me a chance in the first team, so I have a lot to thank them for.

"I still have a lot of friends there who I like to see when I go back.

"But, obviously, when we kick off it is business as usual and I am desperate to get the win.''

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola has doubts over striker Benni McCarthy.

The South African star, who signed for the Hammers on the last day of the January transfer window, has been out with a knee problem since the 2-1 defeat at Burnley on February 10.

England midfielder Kieron Dyer and defender Danny Gabbidon (both hamstring) are not yet fully fit.

Herita Ilunga is set to miss out with a tendon injury while Luis Boa Morte (knee), Calum Davenport (leg) and Zavon Hines (knee) are all long-term absentees.

The victory over Hull on Saturday pushed West Ham into 13th place in the Premier League table and optimism has returned ahead of the trip to Old Tafford.

Midfielder Scott Parker said: "I said a few weeks ago when we were on a bit of a bad run of results that, if we could put two wins back-to-back, we could really go places.

"We've now got those two wins back-to-back and hopefully we can push on. We've had two good results against an in-form Birmingham and we came out worthy winners on Saturday.

"We've got a tough game at Manchester United and we go there with massive confidence.

"We all know how hard it is going to Old Trafford and they're coming off a little stinging at Everton but we'll go there and see what we can do.''

Puyol wary of Stuttgart threat

VfB Stuttgart  v  Barcelona

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol admits his side could be in for a bad night if they underestimate the threat posed by in-form Stuttgart in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Barca make the trip to Germany having bounced back from their first league defeat of the season eight days ago against Atletico Madrid by thumping Racing Santander 4-0 on Saturday night.

That was the Catalan giants` sixth victory in seven league games, but they will now come up against a Stuttgart who are in just as good form.

Stuttgart may still be struggling down in ninth place in the Bundesliga but they too have won six of their last seven and at the weekend thrashed Cologne 5-1 away from home with Cacau netting four of his side's goals.

When the draw was made back in December Stuttgart were in the midst of a 10-match winless run in all competitions, but it is a different story now and a wary Puyol said: "They're playing better now and they are a dangerous team.

"If we don't go there focused, we could really have a bad time,'' added Puyol, who scored one of his side`s goals as they beat Stuttgart 2-0 away during the group stages of the 2007/08 Champions League.

Barca have struggled badly with absentees recently and the Champions League holders will again be without Seydou Keita and Eric Abidal.

Key duo Xavi and Dani Alves have at least made the trip to Germany, but neither has yet been given the all-clear to return to action following injuries.

Full-back Alves has been absent for a month due to a calf problem while Xavi picked up a thigh injury during the defeat to Atletico that had been expected to keep the Spain international out for around 15 days.

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was a late withdrawal ahead of Saturday`s win over Racing with an ankle problem, has also been included in a 20-man travelling squad in the hope he will be fit to feature.

Stuttgart coach Christian Gross is likely to be without left-back Arthur Boka for both meetings against Barca after he suffered a dislocated shoulder in training prior to the Cologne match that could keep him sidelined for a month.

That was one of the few negatives on what was a memorable weekend for the Bundesliga outfit, which saw striker Cacau make a stunning return from his four-week injury lay-off.

"I was really looking forward to this game after my long break,'' said Cacau. "And the way the game went makes it particularly beautiful.''

Looking ahead to the clash, the Brazilian-born Germany international told Barca TV: "We've got nothing to lose. Barca are favourites and we maybe have a 20 or 30% chance of getting through, but we will be trying to make the most of our opportunities.

"We have to get a good result at home, because when Barca play at home it is very difficult to win. I hope they may be over confident and not commit themselves completely.''

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Zairi won`t under-estimate Bordeaux

Olympiakos  v  Bordeaux

Olympiacos striker Jaouad Zairi is adamant Bordeaux will put their recent struggles behind them and pose a significant threat in their Champions League encounter.

Les Girondins have not looked at their formidable best in recent games although they still lead the way in the Ligue 1 table.

And they can at least point to wins in their last two games as evidence they are back on track.

Neither the defeat of St Etienne, nor the win against a Lorient side down to 10 men for three-quarters of the game were convincing, however, results which came after losses to Monaco and Rennes.

The wobble has led to speculation in France that Laurent Blanc's men's air of invincibility has evaporated but Zairi is not convinced ahead of the first leg of their last-16 tie.

The former Sochaux and Nantes forward told RMC: "Bordeaux have no reason to worry. They have a quality squad with a great coach.

"Laurent Blanc is very influential and he can achieve a lot. We are doing a lot of video analysis on Bordeaux but first we are concentrating on our own game.

"We beat Arsenal in our own stadium and we will give the maximum to win.''

Having home advantage could be significant with the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens renowned for its atmosphere.

"It's very hot, the fans are fanatical,'' added Zairi. "The crowd is like our 12th man. They can turn the game around for us. The atmosphere is very impressive.''

Olympiacos' Serbian coach Bozidar Bantovic, who took over following the departure of Brazil legend Zico last month, is expected to be without Diogo and Luciano Galletti but fellow South American, midfielder Dudu, could return from injury.

Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud believes his team's position has changed now they are into the knockout stages.

Les Girondins were drawn alongside European giants Juventus and Bayern Munich, as well as Maccabi Haifa, in Group A and were expected to fight it out for third spot and a place in the Europa League with the Israelis.

But Blanc's men defied the odds by finishing top with five wins and a draw from their six games.

And having played the part of underdog, Triaud believes they are now favourites going into the Olympiacos tie.

He told RMC: "Olympiacos are a respectable opponent.

"Although not that much is known about them, we know they are hard to play against, especially at their home ground.

"Overall, we were happy with the draw as we avoided the larger teams.

"I would like to think we are favourites. Although that may not be the case in Athens, over the two legs, that is reasonable.''

Olympiacos drew 1-1 at Ergotelis on Saturday while Bordeaux were handed the weekend off by Ligue 1 authorities to give them more time to prepare for the trip east.

The visitors' only absentee is captain and midfielder Alou Diarra, who has a thigh injury.

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