Scott Murray's Blog, page 180
June 30, 2015
Andy Murray v Mikhail Kukushkin: Wimbledon 2015 – as it happened
5.51pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin 4-6, 6-7, 4-6 Murray*
A couple of weak serves, and a double fault, and Murray’s 15-40 down. But Murray is nothing without his ability to dig deep, and clamber his way out of a hole. A couple of harder, more precise, simply better serves, and he’s got Kukushkin chasing towards the corners. It’s deuce. Another big serve, and it’s match point. He sends his serve kicking out to the left, and Kukushkin lashes a cross-court forehand wide. Murray’s in the second round! A brave effort by Kukushkin, who made life pretty difficult for his opponent there. The home hero flings his wristbands into the crowd, and smiles more in relief than pure joy. If a straight-sets win can be a rollercoaster, that was it.
5.45pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 6-7, 4-5 Murray
A textbook grass-court point, Kukushkin battering long, then meeting Murray’s return with a delicious dink over the net. Murray doesn’t even bother taking a single stride to meet that one. Sheer brilliance. But he needs more brilliance in a minute, because Murray will be serving for the match.
5.43pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin 4-6, 6-7, 3-5 Murray*
It’s 41 degrees centigrade out there. And phew, what a scorcher, Murray fires a burner down the left sideline. He then retrieves brilliantly, Kukushkin having lashed the ball to the left-hand corner. Scooping the ball back over the net while running back at pace, he catches Kukushkin by surprise at the net; he sends his reactive volley wide right. Another easy hold. And Murray’s now one game from the second round.
5.38pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 6-7, 3-4 Murray
Kukushkin has Murray skittering hither and yon for the most part of this game, an easy hold.
5.36pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin 4-6, 6-7, 2-4 Murray*
Murray looks like winning a controlled service game, but then smacks one low into the net and chips up an easy one for Kukushkin to smash away. It’s deuce. To his credit, an agitated Murray composes himself quickly, wheechs down a couple of big serves, and finishes the job.
5.33pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 6-7, 2-3 Murray
A strange, meandering game, with little or no intensity, the players trading points almost with a yawn. It’s hot, the crowd, understandably quiet, aren’t helping. But suddenly Murray finds himself at deuce. At which point Kukushkin shovels a forehand long, and it’s break point. A vicious double-handed cross-court return seals the break, and the finishing line has suddenly snapped into focus. But the way this match has gone, it’s probably best not to make too many assumptions.
5.29pm BST
5.27pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin 4-6, 6-7, 2-2 Murray*
Kukushkin manages to work his way into a rally, but whistles a forehand long. That’s the only time a serve comes back with any interest. Murray bangs down an ace and levels things up in the set.
5.25pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 6-7, 2-1 Murray
They’re throwing first-set shapes again. Like the early stages of this match, the serve is dominant again. Murray makes no in-roads.
5.23pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin 4-6, 6-7, 1-1 Murray*
A simple enough hold here. No drama. “Kukushkin’s name is like a shorthand version of the classic Game Boy Advance puzzle game Kuru Kuru Kururin,” notices Simon McMahon, who might not have got enough daylight as a callow child. “Got to be an endorsement or sponsorship opportunity there. Or at least a tongue twister. Mikhail Kukushkin plays Kuru Kuru Kururin. Kan you?” Yes, a decent marketing expert could probably work something out. Kukushkin’s head certainly started spinning like the character in that game upon getting a sniff of the second set.
5.19pm BST
Third set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 6-7, 1-0 Murray
That set was breathlessly brilliant. Murray should have won it. Then Kukushkin - 30-0 up and serving for the set - should have levelled the match. But it was the home favourite who made it. He really did get away with that one. Anyway, on we traipse. Kukushkin goes 40-0 up in double-quick time, but Murray finds a couple of corners, then his opponent nets one. It’s deuce. Murray lets him off the hook, though: having done all the hard work, he wafts a couple of lame ones into the net.
5.14pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin* 3-7 Murray
And after that astonishing fetch, Kukushkin blooters a simple forehand long, and Murray takes the second set. He never takes the easy route, does he?
5.13pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin 3-6 Murray*
This should be over, Murray dropping delicately over the net. But Kukushkin retrieves from beside the umpire’s chair, and whips one over at an absurd angle!
5.12pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin 2-6 Murray*
Time for a double fault, then.
5.12pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin* 1-6 Murray
Another Kukushkin forehand finds the net. Murray has five set points.
5.11pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin* 1-5 Murray
Kukushkin hits a forehand long. Murray is in total control here. Then again, he was in total control of the set, and look where we are right now.
5.10pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin 1-4 Murray*
Murray blooters a big serve into Kukushkin’s body. Kukushkin can’t react.
5.09pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin 1-3 Murray*
Another Kukushkin drop volley. Murray can’t retrieve this one. A break point back,
5.09pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin* 0-3 Murray
A gorgeous drop volley by Kukushkin over the net, but Murray chases it down and whips a lovely cross-court forehand past his opponent. He’s a double break up!
5.08pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin* 0-2 Murray
A return fizzed down the left sideline, and Kukushkin hits long.
5.07pm BST
Second set tiebreak: Kukushkin 0-1 Murray*
Kukushkin nets a slow, spinning Murray second serve.
5.06pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 6-6 Murray
Kukushkin races into a 30-0 lead, but gets sloppy, and a couple of errors allow Murray to tie things up at 30-30. Then a long rally, and he nets a weak forehand! A break point for Murray - and after another long exchange, during which Murray shows supreme patience, Kukushkin nets again! It’s going to a tiebreak!
5.02pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin 4-6, 6-5 Murray*
Murray begins to capitulate at exactly the wrong time. A double fault, then a misjudged lob sailed over the umpire’s head. An ace doesn’t stop Kukushkin’s momentum; he belts another forehand into the left corner, and suddenly he’s got two break points! And he only needs one, Murray’s first serve sent back down the right-hand sideline! That’s a screamer! And he’ll be serving for the second set! This is a brilliant display by the Russian-born Kazakh!
4.58pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 5-5 Murray
Murray looks throughly livid with himself, battering away at the soles of his shoes with his racket. An unlucky net cord doesn’t help his mood. It’s 40-0. Murray then starts finding the corners, bossing the next three points in majestic style, winning the second with a whipped forehand down the right sideline, then taking the game to deuce with a delicate dink over the net. But it’s all in vain, as Kukushkin whistles two stunning winning forehands into the left-hand corner. Kukushkin was dead and buried in this set, and now he’s back on terms!
4.51pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin 4-6, 4-5 Murray*
Murray races into a 30-0 lead but is flummoxed by a gentle drop volley, then sails a backhand slice long. And then, after another miserable second serve, is rocked back by the return and can only dispatch into the net. Break point for Kukushkin. And he converts it, pushing Murray back into the left-hand corner, where another weak slice ends up billowing the net. Murray’s serve has started to misfire at the wrong time. Kukushkin’s back in the set!
4.46pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin 4-6, 3-5 Murray*
Kukushkin is serving to stay in the second set. Which he achieves with neither fuss nor drama, though Murray did contribute one fizzing forehand return that nearly knocked his opponent over. Murray will have to serve out for his two-set lead.
4.42pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin 4-6, 2-5 Murray*
Murray hits a 1mph second serve which is dispatched with borderline disgust by Kukushkin. That gets him to 0-30, then his determination in a long rally wears Murray down and brings the score to 15-40. Two break points. They’re both saved, though, the second in impressive circumstances, Murray hitting a slow but viciously spinning second serve wide left, then dealing with Kukushkin’s return by caressing a soft volley over the net. And he’s out of trouble. That’s a big hold.
4.37pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 2-4 Murray
Murray sends Kukushkin to the corners, earning the first point. Kukushkin then wangs long after approaching the net, all his neat set-up work undone in one lumpen blast. He’s in trouble at 0-30. But a couple of big serves later, he’s back in the game. Points traded, we move to deuce. At which point Kukushkin blooters another of those laughably long serves. Again, he’s upset himself. Murray pounces on the tentative second serve to set up break point. Kukushkin should save himself, but advancing the net yet again, he hoicks a clumpish forehand out of play. He’s given the break straight back in abysmal fashion.
4.31pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin 4-6, 2-3 Murray*
That forehand in the previous game really has given Kukushkin a boost. He was all over the shop before that, with Murray totally dominant. But now look. At 15-15 here he hits a glorious passing shot down the left sideline, and that’s the shot that unsettles Murray into a couple of simple errors. Kukushkin breaks back, and this second set is on again!
4.27pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 1-3 Murray
Murray sets Kukushkin scampering around hither and yon. He advances to the net and sends a little Phil Mickelson flop shot spinning off into space. Lovely. Though not as good as the screaming cross-court forehand that Kukushkin sends across Murray’s view as he chases down a ball miles out to the left. Worthy of winning any game, and it gives him the momentum to do exactly that. He’s on the board in this second set.
4.23pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin 4-6, 0-3 Murray*
Murray is looking very comfortable right now. A glorious passing shot stroked down the left sideline. Two big aces. Kukushkin looks overwhelmed by melancholy. His strong showing in the early stages of the first set seems a long time ago already.
4.21pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin* 4-6, 0-2 Murray
We’re back in the old groove again, with the servers dominating. Or at least it looks like that at 40-15. Then Kukushkin hits an absurd long first serve which almost clips Murray, standing on the baseline, on the toes! That is genuinely ludicrous. It completely upsets his equilibrium, his mechanism gone. Murray takes the opportunity to pounce on a series of weak serves, whistling them into the corners, out of reach. An early break in the second set!
4.15pm BST
Second set: Kukushkin 4-6, 0-1 Murray*
That was a breezy opening set, secured in 37 minutes. Kukushkin looked right on his game, too, until Murray did what Murray does best, and ground him down with some clever, patient play. He looks to consolidate quickly, with a solid service game to love.
4.12pm BST
First set: Kukushkin* 4-6 Murray
Kukushkin is serving to stay in the set. A loose forehand into the net isn’t the best start. This might explain his loud cry of “Shit!” as he stomps back to the baseline for the next point. Perfectly enunciated, which is apt, as this is going out live on the British Broadcasting Corporation. He goes 0-30 down, and then Murray slaps one into the net himself. A chance to turn the screw spurned. The pair trade blows, cross-court forehands flying back and forth. It’s 30-30, a fine fightback. But then a second double fault of the match bring up set point for Murray. A booming serve, which can only be returned defensively long, saves the day. A second set point after the deuce, but Kukushkin sends a kicker wide left, and dispatches Murray’s cross-court return down the line. That took balls. But he can’t save a third one, Murray waiting patiently during a long rally, Kukushkin eventually blootering long. The pressures of the business end of the set, huh.
4.05pm BST
First set: Kukushkin 4-5 Murray*
We’re coming towards the business end of the set, where service holds suddenly become that little bit harder to achieve. Murray mixes up his delivery here, though, and holds to love, a textbook service game. That’s priceless. And nerveless. Over to Kukushkin, then.
4.03pm BST
First set: Kukushkin* 4-4 Murray
Murray’s not quite making in-roads into Kukushkin’s serve yet. But there are signs. Another lovely defensive lob from deep flummoxes Kukushkin, who must have thought he’d won the point. Murray is then close to stealing another point with a Djokovicesque scampering return out wide left, but Kukushkin reads it well. Still, Kukushkin holds firm, and that’s another service hold.
3.59pm BST
First set: Kukushkin 3-4 Murray*
Murray lashes a couple of huge forehands towards the right-hand corner. Kukushkin retrieves them gamely, but he’s always fighting a losing battle. Murray’s 40-0 up, but Kukushkin punishes a weak second serve with a two-handed cross-court boomer, then whistles an unstoppable return straight past Murray’s ears. Murray then nets weakly after being pushed back into the corner. Deuce. Kukushkin’s got Murray panicking, so much so that he challenges the call on a serve that’s three feet long! But then Kukushkin slams an easy pass into the net, and his chance to win a precious break is gone. Murray wraps up the game with a cry of C’MON. He needs to c’mon himself, because that was nearly a very sloppy loss of serve.
3.54pm BST
First set: Kukushkin* 3-3 Murray
Kukushkin goes 30-0 up quickly, but misses a simple forehand, then is shocked by the pace of Murray’s cross-court whip. He reasserts himself with a huge ace, and another game goes by without major incident.
3.51pm BST
First set: Kukushkin 2-3 Murray*
It’s Wimbledon in a 1990s style right now. Big, booming serves, nothing much coming back. It’s almost as if the pair are trying to conserve their energy in the heat. One point that goes against the grain: Kukushkin hitting deep into the left corner, Murray’s defensive scramble looping high on the diagonal, Kukushkin ripping a blistering forehand back past Murray’s lugs. But Murray wins the game with a big ace.
3.47pm BST
First set: Kukushkin* 2-2 Murray
Kukushkin pushes Murray to the back-left corner. Murray responds with an improvised high diagonal looper. Kukushkin, at full extend, gets the rim of his racket to it, but nothing else. However, that’s the only resistance of an otherwise easy hold by Kukushkin.
3.44pm BST
First set: Kukushkin 1-2 Murray*
Kukushkin attempts a little sliced volley over the net. It drops over, but sits up and Murray lashes it down the right sideline and away. Not cute enough. Kukushkin then tries to pass Murray down the left, but Murray lashes a cross-court forehand to seal the game. Murray holds to love.
3.42pm BST
First set: Kukushkin* 1-1 Murray
Murray’s sporting a lovely all-white kit with black trim and matching peaked cap. He’d have been Under Armour’s No1 act until Jordan Spieth started racking up majors a couple of months ago. Good to see they’ve not forgotten about him and are still sending him gear. This game’s a fairly easy hold, too, though the last point was a glorious rally, won in the end by Kukushkin’s searing pass down the left sideline.
3.39pm BST
First set: Kukushkin 0-1 Murray*
OK, apologies for the lack of tok-by-tok coverage, I’ve only just wrapped up the Rafael Nadal match on No1, which finished 0.00000238746 seconds ago. But suffice to say both men have, and are, warmed up. It’s 1976 out there! And thankfully for your flustered game-by-game hack, it’s a workaday hold for the 2013 champ, and the nation’s favourite.
3.25pm BST
There’s an awful lot of pointless overthinking in sport these days. So all hail Anastasia Kukushkina, coach and wife of Mikhail Kukushkin. When asked how her husband might beat the world No3 and 2013 champion Andy Murray in this first round match, she located the chase in double-quick time and started cutting towards it with rapier precision. “Try to do something good.”
But in case this gives the impression that the Kukushkin-Kukushkinas are a pair of chancers, winging it with reckless abandon, let the record be set straight. Kukushkin is the world No59. Kukushkina is a coach of some renown, having learned her trade at the Spartak Tennis Club of Moscow, the alma mater of grand-slam champs Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Anastasia Myskina and Marat Safin. And Kukushkin took a set off Rafael Nadal here last year, before losing in four. Just as well it’s not in Andy Murray’s nature to underestimate anyone.
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Rafael Nadal v Thomaz Bellucci: Wimbledon 2015 – as it happened
3.28pm BST
Third set: Bellucci 4-6, 2-6, 4-6 Nadal*
And that’s it! The scoreboard has that down as a resounding victory for Rafa, and in many ways that’s exactly the case: he was never in any danger whatsoever of suffering another shock defeat. But he’s not quite on top of his game either, losing his serve on a couple of occasions, and making a series of uncharacteristic unforced errors. Even in this last game, he wafted a simple volley into the net, and ballooned another forehand miles out of play. So a little still to work on, then, if he wants to add a third Wimbledon title to his roll of honour. And yet there were signs, too, that the old Rafa isn’t far below the surface: should he manage to click into his groove, he will take some beating. His celebrations after securing victory suggest he’s got a monkey off his back after a series of dismal performances here. His development this week will be fascinating.
3.20pm BST
Third set: Bellucci* 4-6, 2-6, 4-5 Nadal
Bellucci is serving to stay in the match. He’s overpowered by Nadal’s double-handed smack down the right sideline. But he responds with a textbook serve-and-volley point, then administers Nadal some of his own medicine, working him this way and that before rocking him back on his heels with a blistering forehand into the right-hand corner. He’s not leaving Wimbledon quietly!
3.16pm BST
Third set: Bellucci 4-6, 2-6, 3-5 Nadal*
Nadal sends Bellucci scampering off, exit stage right, with a glorious cross-court forehand. Bellucci manages to get the ball back into play, an absurd feat, really. But Nadal simply guides a volley into the centre of the unpopulated court. Otherwise, all simple enough. Nadal’s on the verge of the second round.
3.12pm BST
Third set: Bellucci* 4-6, 2-6, 3-4 Nadal
Bellucci, who was looking strong on his serve for a wee while back there, finds himself 0-30 down pretty quickly. A Samprasian serve, followed by a doughty rally, gets him back into the game. Nadal earns himself a break point with a scorching cross-court forehand delivered while running backwards at some lick. But Bellucci isn’t up for going home quite yet, digging in to haul himself to deuce, then winning the game with a big ace. The scoreboard’s in good shape for Nadal, but he’s being made to work for it.
3.08pm BST
Third set: Bellucci 4-6, 2-6, 2-4 Nadal*
A 17-stroke rally is the one highlight of an otherwise fairly workaday service game by Nadal. A lot of 21-plus-second pauses between serves. I suppose we’re supposed to consider this a rule-breaking disgrace, and get all hot-faced about it accordingly. But really, does anybody care too much? They are doing quite a lot of running about, after all.
3.03pm BST
Third set: Bellucci* 4-6, 2-6, 2-3 Nadal
A rebellion is being crushed in double-quick time. Nadal should win this game to love, having battered some huge, deep shots into the corners, Bellucci all over the place, given no chance. He looks to have sealed it with a glorious cross-court forehand, but while playing it rather foolishly challenged the previous shot of Bellucci’s, which proved to be in. The point and game should be won, but suddenly it’s 15-40, and then 30-40. But after a long, pulverising rally, Nadal forces another error and he’s a break up, with the winning post suddenly snapping into focus ahead of him.
2.58pm BST
Third set: Bellucci 4-6, 2-6, 2-2 Nadal*
No messing from Nadal here, as he suddenly turns into Stefan Edberg. A big serve and a crashing volley, then a lovely soft-handed caress over the net. A power game. Nadal really stepped on the gas there. It’s almost as though he took going 0-2 down as a personal insult.
2.53pm BST
Third set: Bellucci* 4-6, 2-6, 2-1 Nadal
What a time, then, for Bellucci to deliver his first double fault of the match. It looks to have completely jiggered his momentum, as Nadal wins the next point with a delicious dink over the net. And sure enough, Nadal’s going to take his opportunity, wrapping it up with a blistering cross-court flash. We’re back on serve.
2.50pm BST
Third set: Bellucci 4-6, 2-6, 2-0 Nadal*
A stat’s just been flashed up by the BBC. Nadal has taken more than the allotted 20 seconds between serves on 98% of his points! It doesn’t seem to be helping his rhythm much. Another double fault, and Bellucci’s gifted a break point. Which he converts after patiently staying in a rally, Nadal attempting to find the right-hand sideline but ballooning the ball into the air. And Bellucci breaks! We could have a match on our hands after al... OK, let’s still not get ahead of ourselves. But you never know!
2.45pm BST
Third set: Bellucci* 4-6, 2-6, 1-0 Nadal
And that’s a second Bellucci service hold to love in a row! No fuss, no drama. If he keeps going like this, we could have a match on our han... OK, let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet. But he’s finding a little rhythm, and Nadal’s currently struggling to get anything back over the net.
2.41pm BST
Second set: Bellucci 4-6, 2-6 Nadal*
But here’s Nadal serving for the set. He pushes Bellucci miles behind the baseline, and sets himself up for an easy smash away. But he sends the ball a couple of feet long. A lovely second serve, kicking off to the right, bamboozles Bellucci on the next point, though, and that’s all resistance gone. Nadal sets up a couple of set points with a lovely two-handed pass. A fourth double fault. But no matter, as the set ends in faintly farcical circumstances, Bellucci attempting a simple cross-court shot and shanking it towards the umpire, his racket flying off in the other direction. Nadal’s two sets up, and cruising to victory, even if he’s not exactly in the groove.
2.34pm BST
Second set: Bellucci* 4-6, 2-5 Nadal
A pleasing long rally to start the game, Bellucci hanging on in there, Nadal eventually slapping the ball into the net. It sets the tone for an easy hold to love for Bellucci.
2.31pm BST
Second set: Bellucci 4-6, 1-5 Nadal*
A series of mistakes here. Nadal opens up with his third double fault of the match. Bellucci then zonks a backhand into the net. Then Nadal’s misfiring forehand takes centre stage on No1, as he hits one wide right, then another long. Two break points for Bellucci. But then Nadal finally remembers himself and turns on the power. A volley lashed down the left sideline. A ball pumped to the left corner, then the return put away at the net. Nadal holds his serve, but he really is making life hard for himself at times here. He’s well on top of Bellucci, and yet the scoreline doesn’t quite tell the whole story.
2.25pm BST
Second set: Bellucci* 4-6, 1-4 Nadal
Nadal’s sixth unforced forehand error goes sailing over the baseline. And another ball is wafted apologetically into the net. It’s a real curate’s egg, this performance. But such is the gap in quality between the two players, it’s not enough to cause serious issues. Bellucci slaps a dismal one of his own into the net, setting up another break point for Nadal. Nadal sends a chip towards the left-hand corner of the baseline. Bellucci, racing back at full stretch, can only scoop it back into the middle, where Rafa’s waiting at the net to dispatch. That’s a second break for Nadal, who is cruising towards a two-set lead.
2.20pm BST
Second set: Bellucci 4-6, 1-3 Nadal*
Holding serve’s all good and well, but Bellucci needs to break back. He gives it a damn good go here, going 0-15 up and sending Nadal scooting hither and yon during the next point. But Nadal isn’t giving much away for free now, and he slowly works his way back into a long rally before pearling a gorgeous forehand down the left-hand sideline. That totally changes the momentum of the game, which Nadal closes out without too much fuss.
2.17pm BST
Second set: Bellucci* 4-6, 1-2 Nadal
That egregious miss would have broken a lesser man than Bellucci. He’s 0-15 down here, but responds well, with a huge ace, then another booming serve, and then at 30-30 waits patiently during a baseline slug, Nadal eventually getting fed up and trying to force the issue. The game then goes to a series of deuces, one point in particular highly enjoyable, as the pair force each other wider and wider by trading cross-court shots at ever more ludicrous angles. It’s only lost when Bellucci suffers an unlucky net cord. And after he saves another break point, the game’s eventually won after another long rally ends when Nadal blooters a forehand long. Superb stuff. Bellucci earned that. Nadal, more than most, would appreciate his relentless warrior spirit.
2.08pm BST
Second set: Bellucci 4-6, 0-2 Nadal*
Bellucci opens this game with a bellicose response. From a central position on the baseline, he whips a forehand to the left-hand corner. Nadalesque. And then he comes out on top in a baseline rally! That really was Nadalesque. But then at 15-30, he plays some perfect old-school serve-and-volley tennis ... until he comes to execute the volley, that is. At the net, with the court gaping, he hits it long. That would have given him two break points. That’s also another contender for amateur shot of the tournament, coming hot on the heels of that hapless smash. The chance of the break is gone, Nadal off the hook. Dear oh dear.
2.04pm BST
Second set: Bellucci* 4-6, 0-1 Nadal
Nadal’s finding his range now. His shots seem to have that little bit more power in them, finding the corners, sending Bellucci scampering around like a confused puppy. The Brazilian’s quickly 0-40 down, and responds by hoofing the ball into the stands, in the style that would have impressed erstwhile Wimbledon legend Dave Bassett. His head gone, he can’t retrieve the situation. Nadal opens the second set with a break of serve.
2.00pm BST
First set: Bellucci 4-6 Nadal*
Nadal’s serving for the set. Again. He’s down 0-15 and very fortunate that Bellucci passes up a chance to put one away down the right sideline. That sails wide, and an unlikely chance to get back on serve, from two breaks down against a 14-time major winner, is gone. That’s the first set to Nadal, who wraps it up by working Bellucci this way and that, before whipping an almost disdainful volley to the right, his opponent floundering on the other side of the court. Nadal deserved the set - just about. But by his own lofty standards he’s looking rusty. Early days in the tournament, of course. And at least he’s not lost the opening set like he did against Rosol, Darcis and Kyrgios.
1.54pm BST
First set: Bellucci* 4-5 Nadal
If this has been up and down from Nadal, what about this from Bellucci? Preparing to smash into an empty court, a couple of feet from the net, he suddenly turns into a drunk octopus, every limb going into independent business. The ball’s smashed down into the net, one of the most embarrassing shots you’ll see all fortnight. So of course he responds by banging down an ace, then winning the game with a volley at the net of such delicacy he’d make John McEnroe look like he played with ski gloves on.
1.49pm BST
First set: Bellucci 3-5 Nadal*
Nadal’s serving for the opening set. He moves Bellucci this way and that during the first point, then after getting his opponent where he wants him, lashes a wild forehand out of play on the right. The next point, a long rally, batters Bellucci into submission, the Brazilian plonking a tired forehand into the net. But another unforced error from Nadal, that misfiring forehand long again, and it’s 15-30. And suddenly he’s got two break points, skelping a forehand down the left sideline, Nadal scrambling across, his nose near the lush turf, never getting there. And then a double fault by Nadal, and Bellucci has one of the breaks back! Nadal walks to his chair to change rackets with his bottom lip protruding in a profound manner. It’s been an up-and-down performance from him so far, to say the least.
1.44pm BST
First set: Bellucci* 2-5 Nadal
Maybe he’s finding his groove already. He races into a 0-40 lead, playing the shot of the match so far as he does so, a forehand whipped down the left sideline. Bellucci was nearby, but such was the ferocity of the shot, so sweetly was it struck, that he had no time to react. A second break’s in the bag, and he suddenly looks a much calmer player.
1.42pm BST
First set: Bellucci 2-4 Nadal*
That last game was more like classic-recipe, full-flavour, full-fat Nadal. But he’s still not quite firing on all cylinders. He races to 30-0. But then another long rally ends with an unforced waft into the net. And having worked an opening, he’s sending a simple forehand miles wide of the left sideline. 30-30. He wins the next two points, or rather Bellucci loses them, with a couple of cross-court shots sent well wide. Nadal punches the air after Bellucci’s first unforced error. He’ll take what he’s given right now, and hope he can find his groove later on.
1.36pm BST
First set: Bellucci* 2-3 Nadal
Bellucci forces Nadal wide, then with the world No10 (Nadal, the world No10!) out of position, flicks into the unguarded court. Inspired, he then tries to blooter a huge forehand down the right sideline. It’s just out, but nice try. Unfortunately, that’s given Nadal a sniff of an opening. After a 20-shot rally, working Bellucci this way and that, he fires a cross-court winner, left to right. Two break points. And he only needs one, creaming a two-handed drive past an impotent Bellucci down the left sideline. Rory McIlroy would have been proud of that.
1.31pm BST
First set: Bellucci 2-2 Nadal*
A double fault by Nadal to start. Someone in the crowd tries to strike up a chorus of Let’s Go Rafa, Let’s Go ♪♬. Nobody’s heart’s in it. Perhaps too early to panic. Nadal closes out the game easily enough, the last point the first one to excite the crowd. Nadal charges the net, reacting to a net cord, and tries to pass Bellucci down the left-hand sideline. Bellucci races wide, reaches the ball and flicks it back into the centre, but Nadal’s there to gently tip into the empty court.
1.27pm BST
First set: Bellucci* 2-1 Nadal
Nadal fails to read Bellucci’s serve. Bang, bang, bang. He’s getting his racket to it, but only just. When Nadal finally gets into a rally, he wafts another forehand far too long. An easy hold for the Brazilian.
1.24pm BST
First set: Bellucci 1-1 Nadal*
A change of ends, and a couple of loose, long forehands by Nadal. He’s 15-30 down. He looks concerned. Then again, when doesn’t he look concerned? It’s his default setting. But he’s got cause this time. A lengthy rally, and then yet another weak shot wafted into the net. Bellucci’s got two break points. Nadal’s first serve at 15-40 is miles right of the right service court. But then a stunning second serve, on the left sideline and kicking out, saves the day. A wee statement from Nadal there: I’m Not Having This. And that changes the momentum of the game. Four points in a row from 15-40, and Nadal pumps the air with his fist. He needed that. Which says a lot about the state of Nadal’s confidence right now, but little acorns and all that.
1.19pm BST
First set: Bellucci* 1-0 Nadal (*denotes server)
The first point of the match, the first funky HUHHH from Nadal, the first forehand crashed deep, and Bellucci can only net weakly. But he’s soon back into the game, Nadal whistling one weak forehand into the net himself. Bellucci slips after one second serve, but Nadal hoicks the return long, a glorious missed opportunity at 30-30. Bellucci wraps up the opening game by booming a big drive through the deuce court, though he has to challenge an incorrect call to gain his reward. An eventful enough start.
1.07pm BST
Anticipatory patter pings off the walls of No1, as the ball girls and ball boys run out to take their positions. The usual conversations. It’s nice out today. Have I got time to go to the loo? Have I got time to go to purchase a large jug of Pimms and a couple of pints of French Equilibrium Shifter? In order: you can say that again, it’s like 1976 out here; nope, you should have thought about that before you sat down; yes, but go easy on the fruit. And then that patter crackles into a roar, as the two players take to the court! Poor old Bellucci has to wait in the wings as Nadal, who really should be ready, faffs around with his kitbag. But eventually they’re both in situ. Nadal wins the toss, and chooses to receive. We’ll be off soon, after a few minutes of knocking up. Tik tok tikkity tok.
12.53pm BST
2015 hasn’t been going to plan for Rafael Nadal. The winner of 14 grand slam titles - 14 grand slam titles! - has found himself struggling for form. He was knocked out of the Australian Open in the quarters by Tomáš Berdych. He lost the final of the Madrid Open to Andy Murray in straight sets. Novak Djokovic then cashiered him from his personal fiefdom, Roland Garros, at the quarter-final stage, and with some ease. And though his grass-court season started well, with victory at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, all that great prep work was ruined when Alexandr Dolgopolov sent him packing in the first round at Queen’s.
Perhaps of even greater concern to Nadal is his recent awful form at Wimbledon. Between 2006 and 2011, Nadal visited SW19 on five occasions, reaching the final every time, and emerging victorious twice. Not quite Borg-Sampras-Federer, but impressive enough all the same. Since then, though, his results here have been little short of appalling for a player of his stature. World No100 Lukáš Rosol put him out in the second round in 2012. A year later, world No135 Steve Darcis beat him in the first round. And last year he was blown off Centre Court in the fourth round by Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios, at the time 144th in the world rankings. It’s been quite the contrast.
Continue reading...June 24, 2015
England 1-3 Italy: European U21 Championship, as it happened
9.39pm BST
And yes, Italy are going home too, with the other game ending 1-1. That late Swedish equaliser was a killer blow for them. But at least they went out playing some lovely stuff. England were a ragged shambles, with only Jesse Lingard and Nathan Redmond coming out of that with any credit. Ruben Loftus-Cheek too, perhaps, simply by omission. Gareth Southgate’s typically English decision to play it safe has backfired spectacularly. He’s the second favourite, behind Gary Neville, to become the next England manager, by the way. I’ll just leave that hanging there. Nighty night!
9.36pm BST
And that’s that! A fairly awful performance by England, who are knocked out at the group stage of this tournament for the third time in a row. Italy were magnificent tonight, but with Portugal and Sweden drawing, it looks like they’re going home too.
9.34pm BST
Well this has been a painful couple of minutes for Italy. Lingard enters the box down the left. He pulls the ball back for Loftus-Cheek, on the left-hand corner of the D. Loftus-Cheek back-flicks it on to Redmond, who from a central position lashes home into the top right. A lovely goal, but far, far too late for England.
9.33pm BST
90 min +2: Both of these teams, then, are going out. Poor Di Biagio shakes his head and, via the medium of mime, gestures the scoreline to his supporters.
9.32pm BST
90 min +1: Sweden have equalised against Portugal! Astonishing! This is cruel on Italy. Or the Italy of tonight, anyway. The damage was done earlier in the tournament.
9.31pm BST
90 min: More clock to run down: there will be four added minutes of this.
9.31pm BST
88 min: The two teams are just running down the clock now.
9.28pm BST
86 min: Verdi has come on for Zappacosta. His first act is to blooter a shot over the bar from the left-hand corner of the D, connecting with a deep Benassi cross from the right, but not with any particular style.
9.25pm BST
84 min: Portugal are beating Sweden! As things stand, Italy are going through! It’d be some small payback for Euro 2004. On the touchline, Italy coach Luigi Di Biago leaps from the touchline and gestures the scoreline to Italy’s supporters. A chant of “Italia! Italia!” goes up.
9.24pm BST
82 min: It’s not England’s night, like that’s news. Kane busies himself down the left and reaches the byline. He enters the box and fires a low ball through the six-yard box. Ings, sliding in, nearly connects, but the timing’s not quite right. The ball sails out on the other side.
9.22pm BST
80 min: Jenkinson burst down the right and stands one up in the middle. Ings goes up for a header, but Bardi claims well. As the competing players fall together, Ings gives the keeper a sly slap on the chops. Saucy. He then has the audacity to look affronted when the free kick’s given against him. Hilarious brazen cheek.
9.19pm BST
78 min: Kane comes in from the left and lashes an angry effort towards the top right. It’s too passionate to be accurate. England know full well they’re beaten.
9.18pm BST
76 min: Italy replace Trotta with Verdi. “On the telly, Steve McManaman inadvertently said ‘I thought we were high, to have such wrong expectations’,” reports Jarrell Anthony. “Most accurate comment of BT’s coverage so far.” Ha, that is magnificent. That’ll be the pinnacle of his broadcasting career. It’s the toppermost of the poppermost. There’s nowhere to go from that but down.
9.16pm BST
75 min: Kane, coming in from the left, loops a diagonal pass into the area for Lingard, who does very well to meet it at high speed, just before it goes out, but can only send the ball into the stand behind.
9.14pm BST
A throw from the right. Trotta, on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, has time to hoick a pass over his head. Benassi, in the centre, guides a header off the left-hand post and in. Another goal that was as simple as that, with England standing around looking about as proactive as their manager.
9.12pm BST
70 min: Of course, England are going out, but Italy are too. It’s still goalless between Sweden and
Denmark
Portugal. “Surely there’s nowt wrong with Italy letting in two quick goals here to try and force a change in the other match?” wonders Adam Hirst. “Then if it happens, they can go all out for a winner against England. That wouldn’t be cheating, it would be trying to get through, to get the best outcome for themselves. Bit like declaration bowling in cricket.”
9.10pm BST
69 min: Bardi, looking to larrup a backpass upfield, miskicks and concedes a corner. From the first, Chalobah has a shot from the left-hand edge of the D. It’s deflected wide. From the second, Kane eyebrows it over the bar, not particularly accurately it should be said. A little better from England, who need something to happen very soon.
9.09pm BST
68 min: Cataldi swings a high ball in from the right. Benassi, on the penalty spot, opens his body and tries to guide a volley off his instep and into the top left. It’s all wrong, though.
9.07pm BST
66 min: Loftus-Ckeek makes an immediate impression - on Cataldi’s leg, with his studs. That’s a yellow card. Maybe Southgate had a point after all.
9.06pm BST
65 min: Twinkling toes from Lingard, who one-twos with Redmond down the middle of the park, and attempts to curl home into the top right from the edge of the box. He’s so, so close. He’s been England’s brightest player tonight. He looks a talent.
9.05pm BST
63 min: England waste the free kick, making a total balls of it. No names, no pack drill. On the touchline, Duncan-Southgate takes his hands out of his pockets, and sends on Loftus-Cheek for Forster-Caskey.
9.04pm BST
62 min: Benassi sticks out a cynical leg to stop Jenkinson’s gallop down the right. That’s a free kick level with the front of the area. And really should be a booking, too, but somehow the referee doesn’t bother. Strange. Before the set piece, Sabelli comes on for a tiring Berardi.
9.02pm BST
60 min: The crowd are entertaining themselves with a Mexican wave. Iain Duncan-Southgate stands on the touchline, with his hands in his pockets, doing nowt. The quiet man needs to turn up the volume.
9.00pm BST
57 min: Ings is hacked down by Zappacosta, who is shown the yellow. A free kick down the left. Redmond swings it into the area. Ings rises high to flick the ball on towards the far post. Gibson is diving in low, John Terry style, like someone chucking a roll of carpet out of the back of a van. He’s an eyebrow away from connecting. That was a fine set-piece routine. And very English. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Play to your strengths. We can’t all be Barcelona.
8.58pm BST
56 min: Ings cuts in from the left and has a lash from distance. It’s shanked well wide right. Then another busy run by the Burnley striker earns a corner down the left, but nothing of note happens at the set piece.
8.57pm BST
54 min: A loose ball in the Italian midfield is pounced on by Kane, who romps towards the box. He’s got Redmond free on his right, but opts to shoot instead. It’s a poor decision, as his shot is blocked, and deflected away for a corner which is easily dealt with, Italians being past masters at defence and all that. Redmond does very well to show restraint, and not launch a few toys from the pram. A salvo of abuse would have been understandable. Poor stuff from Kane.
8.54pm BST
52 min: A corner for Italy down the left. Berardi shapes to hoick a high one into the area, but pulls back low to Cataldi on the edge of the area instead. He shoots. It’s blocked. Another corner. That’s cleared. Italy are fully on the front foot again now, though.
8.52pm BST
50 min: Italy are looking highly comfortable right now. That burst from Lingard hasn’t sparked England into more action. “Sweden and Portugal are having a nice picnic in the other match,” reports Alex Roggero. “They stopped playing as soon as Italy scored knowing that they are both through. So I hope we let you draw. Here’s hoping that if the scores stay at 2-0, with 4 minutes to go Italy concedes two lovely penalties and England can draw. Bye bye Sweden. Good luck England.” Euro 2004 looming large in Alex’s thinking here, I’ll be bound.
8.49pm BST
47 min: England so nearly enjoy the perfect start to the half! Lingard cuts in from the left, a gorgeous jinking run that has the retreating Rugani looking very concerned and confused. He can’t get close, or get a block in, and Lingard, upon entering the area, looks to curl one into the top right. He’s inches away from doing so. Sheer brilliance from the Manchester United player.
8.47pm BST
And we’re off again. No changes for England, which seems very strange given they need at least two goals to save themselves. Still no Loftus-Cheek. Iain Duncan-Southgate. Don’t scare the horses.
8.34pm BST
Half-time advertisement: Another Italian work of art.
8.32pm BST
And that’s that for the half. The Italians saunter off. The English scuttle. England are in all sorts of trouble here. Italy still need Portugal to beat Sweden if they’re to get through, but they’ve done their bit so far. “England need a half-time talk along the lines of Winston Churchill, not Iain Duncan-Smith. England expects. D’you think Southgate will deliver?” Anthony Abdool with the knowing satire, ladies and gentlemen.
8.30pm BST
43 min: A chance for Kane to have a romp down the inside-left and take a shot. Blocked. Nothing’s coming off for the Spurs star tonight.
8.29pm BST
41 min: Redmond twists and turns brilliantly down the left. He zips past a static Rugani, and hammers a shot across goal towards the bottom right. Bardi’s going the wrong way, but sticks out his left leg and toes the ball away from danger at the last. Brilliant from Redmond, but that’s a save to match.
8.28pm BST
40 min: A really poor clearance by Garbutt, a very promising player who has been awful in this particular tournament. He slices it to the Italian left wing, allowing Biraghi space to cross deep. It’s a fine delivery, but Gibson heads clear. Berardi picks up possession down the right and the ball breaks to Biraghi, still hanging around. He has a lash from 30 yards. It flies 30 yards over the bar.
8.24pm BST
37 min: Forster-Caskey shakes down the inside-left channel, working a little bit of precious space in the Italian final third. Perhaps he should shoot, but it’s fair enough laying off to Kane, too. Kane hesitates a little and is closed down in double-quick time. Italy have got England exactly where they want them.
8.22pm BST
35 min: Belotti, ever busy, finds space down the left and enters the box along the byline. He fires a low cross into the six-yard box, hoping to find Trotta, but Butland smothers before the former Fulham, Wycombe, Watford, Brentford and Barnsley striker can make contact. Why don’t young English players go looking for meaningful employment abroad like this? They should probably start doing that.
8.20pm BST
33 min: Stones comes through the back of Belotti, and is fairly fortunate not to receive a yellow card. A bravura performance of brazen eye-popping incredulity at being penalised for a foul at all probably saved him there. It’s a good skill to have.
8.17pm BST
32 min: Italy are sitting back now with a cigar on. They’re happy for England to have the ball in the midfield, and close things down when they make their way into the final third.
8.15pm BST
29 min: Berardi bundles Garbutt over down the left. Free kick, and a chance for England to pile men into the box and get back in this game quickly. They need to. Redmond’s delivery is appalling, allowing Bardi to pluck from the sky with a yawn.
8.13pm BST
England’s heads are all over the shop, as Crisetig is allowed to embark on a power wander down the middle of the pitch. Upon reaching the edge of the area, he slips the ball to the left for Benassi, who guides a shot into the bottom right corner. It was that simple. England nowhere. A slight deflection on Benassi’s shot, but it was going in anyway.
8.11pm BST
This came out of nowhere! A quick free kick, and Berardi sashays inside from the right to curl a glorious ball into the England box. It’s met as it drops on the penalty spot by Belotti, who sticks a telescopic leg out and guides the ball into the left-hand portion of the net! Glorious finish!
8.10pm BST
23 min: Now this is better from England, as Jenkinson rakes a glorious high crossfield pass to Kane on the left. Kane brings the ball down smoothly, then sweetly glides inside, past a flailing Zappacosta. Entering the area, he curls powerfully towards the top right. Bardi paws away at full stretch, a magnificent save. Redmond tries to launch another attack down the right but finds the side netting. Superb stuff all round.
8.07pm BST
22 min: Italy are passing it around rather a lot. England are struggling to get into this right now.
8.05pm BST
19 min: Cataldi has an ambitious skelp from 25 yards which flies well wide. Then Italy come straight back at England, the impressive Zappacosta making ground down the right and firing a low diagonal ball into the area. Belotti is a toenail away from sliding in to poke the ball into the bottom-right corner.
8.04pm BST
18 min: Another corner for Italy, the lively Zappacosta again involved down the right. Berardi takes again, Benassi flicks on at the near post again. Gibson heads clear, but England can’t keep falling for this simple gambit at the corner. Someone’s going to connect with one of these flick-ons soon enough.
8.01pm BST
15 min: That Ings chance seems to have given Italy pause, though. They were pressing hard, causing England all sorts of problems in their own half, but they’ve dropped back right now. England aren’t really going anywhere with all the possession, though.
7.59pm BST
13 min: Kane drops deep, and to great effect! In the centre circle, he slides a first-time pass down the inside-left channel to release Ings on goal. Ings really should score, but with Bardi coming out to the edge of his area to close the angle, he lashes his shot into the side netting on the left. That’s a dismal finish, well wide of the target. England should be leading. But what a pass by Kane who, fed up with living off scraps in this tournament, came back to get himself a piece of the action, England suddenly looking like a different team.
7.56pm BST
10 min: The highly fancied Berardi sashays in from the right and has a proper belt at goal. He’s looking for the top-left corner from 25 yards, but it’s high and wide. Not that high and wide, mind. No white shirts closing down there. After a lively start, England are beginning to show a slightly soft underbelly.
7.54pm BST
8 min: Not sure where Luke Garbutt has gone, but Zappacosta romps into acres down the right. He reaches the byline and pulls the ball back for Belotti, who hesitates on the penalty spot when he really should take a first-time shot. The busy Ings gets a block in, then earns a free kick for falling on his face.
7.52pm BST
6 min: Now Italy earn themselves a corner, Berardi persistent down the right. He takes the corner himself, and Benassi, at the near post, flicks on with his shoulder. Fortunately for England, no other Italian is powering in and the ball flies away from danger.
7.51pm BST
5 min: England are all over Italy here. Redmond finds more space down the right, and the result’s the same; Rugani, flustered, puts the ball out of play on the other side. Another corner, which Italy only half clear. Gibson goes up high with Romagnoli, and gets a light shove in the back. He claims a penalty, but that would have been very soft.
7.49pm BST
3 min: Ings flicks the ball wide right for Redmond, who makes good down the right and whips a tasty ball into the middle. Rugani, slightly panicked, hacks the ball out of play on the left. From the resulting corner, Lingard has a shot from the left-hand edge of the D, but he’s charged down.
7.47pm BST
2 min: Not much of an atmosphere in the Andruv Stadium, there’s no point trying to sugar-coat it. But a confident enough start for England, who spend the opening minute stroking it around, getting a feel of the ball. Ings tries to get something going down the left with Lingard and Forster Caskey, but the move breaks down.
7.45pm BST
And after two appalling renditions of the national anthems - do they really need to mic up the players? - we’re off! Italy get the ball rolling.
7.44pm BST
The teams are out! England are wearing plain white tracksuit tops with a blue stripe over the shoulder. The Azzurrini have white tracksuit tops too, only theirs have ITALIA plastered across the front in exactly the same font FIAT use. Perhaps England’s next tournament kits could riff on the old British Leyland L. Over to you, Nike. Anyway, the tracksuits soon come off. England are in their famous white, Italy their storied azure. We’ll be off in a sec.
7.36pm BST
Southgate explains his decision to leave out Loftus-Cheek, England’s one shining light in the tournament so far. Talking to Post Office Telecommunications Sport HD, he says: “We’re finding out more and more about him. He’s somebody who we can trust. Tactically he’s still learning, he’s still quite a free spirit. So he’s a great player to come off the bench for us to have an impact on the game.” There’s not a totally consistent philosophical thread running through that quote, is there. But he means well.
7.12pm BST
Gareth Southgate has decided to keep Ruben Loftus-Cheek, so impressive against Sweden, on the bench, but he has made other changes. In come John Stones, Jake Forster-Caskey, Jesse Lingard and Danny Ings, with Liam Moore, Tom Carroll, Will Hughes and the injured Alex Pritchard dropping out. A fair few attack-minded types in that line-up, so perhaps he felt another creative bod in the midfield would be asking for trouble. Good luck one and all in plotting a route through the highly regarded centre-back pairing of Daniele Rugani and Alessio Romagnoli.
6.47pm BST
England: Butland, Jenkinson, Stones, Gibson, Garbutt, Chalobah, Forster-Caskey, Redmond, Ings, Lingard, Kane.
Subs: Bond, Ward-Prowse, Carroll, Keane, Afobe, Hughes, Moore, Chambers, Targett, Loftus-Cheek, Bettinelli.
Italy: Bardi, Zappacosta, Rugani, Romagnoli, Biraghi, Benassi, Crisetig, Cataldi, Berardi, Belotti, Trotta.
Subs: Sportiello, Sabelli, VIviani, Bernardeschi, Barba, Bianchetti, Baselli, Izzo, Battocchio, Verdi, Leali.
6.45pm BST
Ah, England versus Italy! Ted Drake breaking Luis Monti’s ankle. Giacinto Facchetti swinging haymakers at Dave Clement. Kevin Keegan loosening the teeth of moustachioed nutcase Romeo Benetti. Marco Tardelli tenderising Keegan’s boat with his elbow. Benetti cleaning Keegan out. Paul Ince wandering around with a burst head. Andrea Pirlo making a jigging Joe Hart look like a clown. If the kids can put on something even half as good, we’ll be in for a treat tonight!
History is on Italy’s side. They’ve met England four times in the group stage of this tournament since 2000, winning three and drawing the other. Meanwhile the big boys haven’t lost to the English since the qualifiers for the 1978 World Cup, and even then they went through at England’s expense.
Continue reading...The Fiver | Merseyside’s major arterial routes
INTRODUCING, DEPENDING ON HOW THE SEASON PANS OUT, THE NEW LUIS SUÁREZ OR THE POOR MAN’S MEMPHIS DEPAY
Ever since Luis Suárez left for Barcelona to become one of the world’s most beloved footballers (subs please check), it’s been said that Liverpool desperately need to make a statement signing. The thundering debacle of last season has only added to that clamour. But contrary to popular belief, a statement signing isn’t what Liverpool desperately need at all. What they desperately need is a statement un-signing. Or two. Or four. Have someone prop open the front door at Anfield, then stand by it repeatedly jerking their thumb back over their shoulder, the internationally standardised mime for Do One. Get another chap, cackling maniacally, to eagerly dispatch coats, hats, kitbags, suitcases and assorted trinkets belonging to Dejan Lovren, Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini, Joe Allen and Simon Mignolet through said gaping portal and halfway down Walton Breck Road. And in one fell swoop, the entire world of football would see that Liverpool Football Club were serious about winning trophies again. Now that’s a statement.
BUTLER AND THE DEADHOUSE SESSIONS?
Continue reading...June 21, 2015
US Open 2015: final round – live! | Scott Murray
9.32pm BST
And Els pars the final hole to end on +11. Campbell, the low amateur for the tournament so far along with Ollie Schniederjans, has just moved to five over after bogeying the 17th. Meanwhile, on the fifth Rory saves par with a tough putt from about 15 feet.
9.28pm BST
On the fifth, Rory underhits his approach and ends up in the bunker. Adam Scott is one under for the day on the third but has just sent his first shot long on the par three third. He should still make par but the birdie chance has gone, I’d say.
9.18pm BST
Rory McIlroy goes for the birdie on the fourth. He puts a little too much on it, and it slides to the right of the hole. He has a little curse to himself while he’s at it. His putting hasn’t been up to his usual standards this week. He does make par though to stay +3. Morgan Hoffman finishes off on the 18th to card a round of 66, and +6 for the tournament. Simon McMahon writes in with some thoughts. “I was listening the other day to a very successful sports coach who suggested that sportspeople who can thrive whilst out of their ‘comfort zone’ are those most likely to succeed. He also mentioned a well known Scottish rugby coach who used a ‘WIN’ strategy during coaching sessions - WIN meaning What’s Important Now?, used as a way to address weaknesses and learn from mistakes. Talent these days is not enough. You can bet the best golfers know this and use it.”
9.12pm BST
Rory is playing his second shot on the fourth and plops it on to the green, around 15 feet from the flat to give himself a decent chance of a birdie. He avoids a tricky ridge in the middle of the green too. Matsuyama birdies the first for a good start to his final round.
9.01pm BST
McIlroy at the par-three 3rd. He lands his ball pin high, and he’ll have an eight footer across the green for a second birdie in a row. It doesn’t drop, though, as he dribbles it to the left, hoping in vain for it to turn back. So much for that pipe dream. Meanwhile on 10, George Coetzee hits a drive, and the head of the driver shears off and flies nearly as far as the ball. He’s allowed to replace it, as he didn’t smash it in anger. But why he bothers is a moot point, because on 12 he slices wildly into deep filth on the right. That’s the wildest drive I’ve seen all week, and I saw pretty much every shot played by Tiger Woods. Wow!
And with that, I’m off for a bucket of Hamburger Helper, the only food-flavored old-meat-masking product to be marketed by a talking golf glove. Tom Lutz, the Guardian’s big cheese in New York City - and still a good man despite attaining high office, a lesson to us all - will be your guide for the next hour! See you soon!
8.51pm BST
Birdie for Rory at 2, after an approach guided to 15 feet, the putt rolled straight into the cup. He’s +3 now, and... and... we’ll have to stop thinking that. He’s too far back. But a Greg Norman style birdie blitz would be fun to watch anyway. Can he follow Horschel’s example? The 2006 champion Geoff Ogilvy is doing his best to entertain, too. Three opening pars, then he reaches the turn without making another. Birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey, and finally back-to-back birdies at 8 and 9; he’s there in 33, and +4 overall. That 75 yesterday really hurt the 38-year-old Aussie.
8.46pm BST
Eagle for Billy Horschel on 12! He pearls his drive into the heart of the green, his ball resting six feet behind the hole, and guides the right-to-left slider home to move to +2. He’s in no position to worry the leaders, but he’s five under for his round, and this proves that someone could spring from the pack, posting a score and posing a question, just before this course hardens and becomes the ultimate puzzle.
8.40pm BST
A fantastic final-round 68 by the 19-year-old amateur Nick Hardy! Four birdies in the last seven holes, and he’s ending his first US Open at +10, three shots better off than the five-time major winner Mickelson, and five better than the 2007 Masters champ Zach Johnson. He also survived the cut, unlike Tiger, Rickie, Bubba, G-Mac and the defending champion Martin Kaymer. What memories to take away, and upon which to build. The beauty of golf, right there.
8.37pm BST
Exit stage Lefty. Mickelson leaves himself a 20-footer for bogey at the last. He can’t make it, and that’s a miserable end to a miserable week for the all-American hero. Still no US Open for one of the greatest players to ever pick up a club. And you’d think time really is running out on that grand-slam dream now. He signs for a 73, and he’s +13 overall. To think, he was leading this tournament for a while on Thursday, but it all went wrong after that glorious front nine of 32.
8.33pm BST
Rory’s out. If only he’d holed a few of those birdie chances he set up for himself yesterday afternoon. As it is, he’s teeing off at +4, with no chance of winning. His post-round interview was instructive. Yes, he compared the greens to cauliflowers. But he also critiqued his own putting stroke, and pointed out that if he’d trusted in it a bit more, putting with the sort of confidence and aggression displayed by the likes of Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, things might have worked out a little better for him. It was far from a whine. An honest analysis, and another example of why he’s already got four majors to his name (and counting). Anyway, he blooters his drive down the opening hole, to great cheers, only to overhit his wedge in. Nearly, not quite. Story of his week. Not too much to tweak ahead of his Open defence at St Andrews, though. “On the subject of the course, you mentioned that ‘the normal PGA Tour grind starts up again next week, anyway, for those all flushed with righteous anger’ (7.55pm),” writes Thomas Wahl. “I might add it’ll be won with 20-under scores by golfers we’ll most likely never see with a major trophy.”
8.25pm BST
The young amateur Brian Campbell was leading this US Open, briefly, on Friday. It couldn’t last, of course, and he plummeted to a 78 yesterday, but it’s lovely to see him putting something together again today. Back-to-back birdies at 8 and 9 saw him reach the turn in credit, and though he dropped a shot at 11, he’s just eagled 12 to move up to +5, two under for his round today. Meanwhile, birdie for Zach Johnson at 18. No quintuple bogey. Kirk’s wooden spoon is safe.
8.18pm BST
This next bit relies on Zach Johnson avoiding a quintuple bogey at the 18th, but the battle to avoid the wooden spoon has been won by Camilo Villegas. He ends the 2015 US Open in second-last place, at +20, a shot ahead of poor old Chris Kirk, who never recovered from that 10 at the opening hole. Six over for his round after 1, he played the other 17 holes in two over par. A 78 to finish, and he props up the entire field at +21. His playing partner Ben Martin went round in 70, which he can file alongside a 67, another 70 - and yesterday’s 86. Nineteen shots between his best and worst rounds! Shades of Rory at St Andrews in 2010, when he followed up 63 with an 80.
8.05pm BST
Here’s a way to bounce back from despair. Mark Silvers, out in 38, a double bogey at 11, and +13. He batters his drive at 12 high on the bank to the right of the green, sending his ball rolling all the way down to the hole. It’s the width of a ball and a half from dropping into the cup for an outrageous hole-in-one albatross. But an eagle will have to do. Not quite as close as Rickie Fowler’s stunning effort on Thursday, but we really are nitpicking now. Up to +11 he wheechs!
8.00pm BST
Sergio birdies the opening hole. A record-breaking 62 is ON!!! Also at +4, Billy Horschel, who bounces back from that missed tiddler at 6 with his fourth birdie of the day at 8. He’s out in 32 strokes, and along with Aiken, the hottest property out on the course right now. His birdie putt at 9 slid by on the left, causing him to launch into ostentatious mime, waving his arm around like a swimming fish. The ball’s oscillating this way and that, seems to be the subtext. He’s not happy with those greens!
7.55pm BST
Serious signs that a low score is out there for one of the earlier starters. Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen are hoping to land South Africa’s sixth US Open title today. Their compatriot Thomas Aiken is showing them the way. He started out with bogey at the par-four 1st, but since then has been today’s hot ticket: birdies at 2, 3, 8 and now 9, and he’s reached the turn in 32. He’s +5. Meanwhile on the subject of all this whining about the greens, here’s John McEnerney with a most entertaining blast: “Are the hissy fits about the greens still going on? Right lads, we get it, you’re not happy with the putting surfaces, that was the word long before they teed it up on Thursday. They’re used to playing on manicured courses week in week out, and for the one week they’re taken out of their comfort zone, the toys are launched from almost all the prams. Guess they don’t like playing like mortals. Well, who does? Some golf ahead of us. Enjoy it!”
Preach on, brother. Chambers Bay has been great fun, in my book. So some of the bounces aren’t fair, and the greens aren’t totally true? Well, so what? Golf, as a wise man once said, is not a game of perfect. And it’s the same for everyone. This US Open has been marvellous entertainment, watching players visualise strange routes to the flag, then manufacture shots they never usually play. And when things do go wrong, it’s great to see players fashion their escapes, fighting back from adversity, refusing to kow-tow to unlucky blows. It’s just different kind of golf, that’s all. Another part of the game. The normal PGA Tour grind starts up again next week, anyway, for those all flushed with righteous anger.
7.35pm BST
Readers of yesterday’s hole-by-hole report may remember mention of plumes of thick black smoke billowing into the air above Chambers Bay. Some of that was coming out of the ears of Patrick Reed, as he fumed and simmered his way to a 76, but most of it was caused by a fire at a nearby marina. Just to tie up the smouldering loose end, we’re pleased to report that nobody was hurt in the blaze, though it did destroy a boathouse and $4m worth of boats within. Ah, hold on, another black smoke alert: Monty’s just bogeyed 4. Quick! Throw a blanket over those lugs!
7.25pm BST
Perhaps Horschel won’t be changing his mind about these greens. He birdied 5 as well, but he’s just missed a par putt at 6 from 18 inches or so. He’s still +5, then. But let’s look at the wider picture: proof that there appears to be birdies out there for the earlier starters, with the water in the ground yet to evaporate. Meanwhile at 2, Monty curls one in from 15 feet for a birdie that moves him to +6.
7.17pm BST
Mike Davis, the head honcho of the USGA, has been explaining the decision to stick with the 18th as a par five. The wind direction’s changed, causing two problems if the hole plays as a par four. The shorter hitters (your Jordan Spieths) wouldn’t be able to clear the big bunker on the left of the fairway. The longer ones (your Dustin Johnsons) would get over it no bother, but almost certainly see their ball scamper into the big bunker further on down the right. Either way, it wouldn’t be very fair. As a par five, with the tee set back, the bunker on the right isn’t an issue for anyone, while the one on the left simply has to be avoided by the longer hitters. So there you have it. Or is Davis simply responding to Spieth’s capsule review? “He could be,” suggests Sky pundit Butch Harmon, “but he’s not going to tell us that.” So there you have it!
7.10pm BST
Plenty of water has been pumped onto the greens, in the hope of keeping
things sane
them as receptive as possible. They’re still hosing the 18th. Great news for Chris Kirk and Camilo Villegas, but probably not so relevant for Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson or Branden Grace. All of this does give those a few shots behind, going out an hour or two earlier, a chance to put a little bit of pressure on the leaders, who will be getting the worst of it.
7.00pm BST
The current FedEx Cup champion, Billy Horschel, has been scathing about the state of the greens at Chambers Bay. He’s been on some social networking site or other, calling the putting surfaces “the worst rolling greens I’ve ever putted on”. Well, that’s as maybe. But he has just sent an average approach into the 1st, then rolled a gorgeous straight putt up the green and into the cup from 25 feet for birdie. Maybe he’s growing to love them. At least like them. Another birdie at 4, and he’s two under for his round, the best shape of the early starters. He’s +5. Speaking of putting woes, here’s Raymond Reardon, arguing that today’s sunny weather might not be good news for one of the co-leaders: “The 21-year-old genius Jordan Spieth has a problem putting through his shadow. Happened again yesterday and was masked by cloud cover on the last day of the Masters.”
6.50pm BST
Camilo Villegas, who suffered the first meltdown of the week in a native sandy area by the side of 12 on Thursday, has symmetry on his mind. He’s making a late, late charge for bottom spot with a Sunday collapse. The hapless Chris Kirk had been cut well adrift at +19, but three bogeys in a row for the Colombian, on 11, 12 and 13, have seen him plummet to that lowly mark too. It looks like a toss-up between Kirk and Villegas for the wooden spoon, then; they’re five shots worse off than 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, and six worse than erstwhile US Open and Masters winner Angel Cabrera. Some big names have suffered this week, that’s for sure. It’s not just Tiger.
Meanwhile Kevin Mannerings was on this blog yesterday arguing that Europe was almost certain to continue its recent domination of the US Open. Well, with the top 15 dominated by Americans, Australians, South Africans and Argentinians, he’s back! “I’d just like to withdraw my silly waffle about the challenging diversity of the European Tour. What I forgot was the greens. With that unique grass mixture of fescue, poa and wild poppy, the Stateside greenkeepers have created a challenge which only players like Jordan Speith, Dustin Johnson and JB Holmes can deal with. I expect one of them to win this and put down a marker for the next Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. Phew, that should do it.”
6.40pm BST
The big news this morning is the USGA’s decision to retain the 18th as a par five for the final round. The initial plan had been for 1 and 18 to alternate between pars four and five over the course of the event. Which would mean it would play as a par four today. But they’ve changed their mind at the death. It’s possible they didn’t want their tournament to be decided by a widescreen meltdown on the last hole: the 18th as a par five has been one of the easiest holes this week (ranked 16th hardest), while played as a par four it’s caused no little bother (ranked 5th).
This has been dressed up in some quarters as a victory for Jordan Spieth. He parred it in five on Thursday and Saturday, but double-bogeyed it in six as a par-four on Friday, calling it “the dumbest hole I’ve ever played in my life” and “unbelievably stupid”. So it’s a mental two-shot swing for him before he’s even teed up his ball, they say. But to be fair, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Branden Grace all bogeyed the hole as a par-four on Friday, too. Meanwhile Day and Grace, unlike Spieth, have had birdie joy on it as a par-five. So nobody’s getting the better of this deal. And it’s almost certainly the correct decision; the hole was just too much of a lottery as a par four, players firing long irons into a rock-hard, punitive green.
6.20pm BST
Kirk’s playing partner today is Ben Martin, who suffered the biggest fall from grace yesterday. After birdie at the opening hole, he moved to within a shot of the lead. But double bogeys at 2 and 4 quickly changed the mood music, and much worse was to come: bogey at 7, a third double of the day at 7, and a quadruple bogey at 8. Out in 45 strokes, it got a little better coming back, but not much: a triple bogey at 18 set the seal on a 16-over-par 86. When it unravels around Chambers Bay, it really unravels. Ask Rickie and Tiger. He’s recovered his early-tournament poise today, though, level par for his round through 10, at +13 overall.
6.10pm BST
There’ll be plenty of time to concentrate on the top of the leaderboard, so let’s begin our journey at the other end. The entire field’s being propped up by Chris Kirk. The 30-year-old from Tennessee isn’t one of golf’s superstars, but he’s no mug either, with two wins on the PGA Tour in the last year. He was good enough to see off Jordan Spieth and Brandt Snedeker to win the Crown Plaza Invitational at Colonial last month. However, he’s six over par at the turn today. He was also six over par after the 1st, running up a humiliating 10. He took five shots to get his ball up from the huge swale to the left of the green. When he finally managed to keep it up on the playing surface, he took three putts. Ooyah. Oof. To have played par golf over the rest of the front nine after that blow is some feat. But there he is, bottom of the pile at +19. Putting Spieth to the sword one month, running up double figures on a hole during your national championship the next. What a pastime is golf.
6.01pm BST
Here we go, go, go, then! There’s nothing like the final day of a major championship. Especially when it’s all up in the air. Three of the last four majors were done and dusted, pretty much, by the 54-hole stage. Martin Kaymer was five clear going into the final round at Pinehurst last year. Rory McIlroy had six shots on the field after three rounds of the Open at Hoylake. Jordan Spieth was four clear with one round remaining at Augusta in April. Only the PGA was tight going into the final day, and even then McIlroy enjoyed a lead that was good enough in the end. Today, however ... well, good luck guessing what’s going to happen. Spieth to calmly close it out with a 68? Dustin to blitz the field with a 66? All the leaders to falter, allowing Sergio to burst through with a 62, the lowest round in major championship history (only to miss out by one stroke)? Your guess is as good as mine. Almost certainly better, in fact. But the sun’s out, and the weather’s expected to hold. Perhaps a bit of wind picking up later. In which case, someone coming out of the pack may not be beyond the realms, as the greens harden later on, making conditions even tougher. That dynamic didn’t do Louis Oosthuizen any harm yesterday. So let’s see ...
5.00pm BST
There’s going to be some noise if the 21-year-old genius Jordan Spieth becomes the 2015 US Open champion. If he triumphs at Chambers Bay today - or tomorrow, should an 18-hole play-off be required* - he’ll become the youngest champion of the modern era, erasing a 22-year-old Rory McIlroy from the record books**. He’ll become the first player since Gene Sarazen in 1922 to have won more than one major before turning 22. And he’ll be only the sixth man in history - after Craig Wood, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods - to win the Masters and US Open in the same year. He’d be halfway to golf’s elusive holy grail: the modern Grand Slam. Yes, there’s going to be some noise.
It says something for the sheer brilliance of this year’s championship, then, that a Spieth win might not even be the most amazing story on offer. The narrative surrounding Jason Day is arguably even more compelling. At the still-tender age of 27, he’s finished second twice at the US Open already, and fourth in another. A perennial bridesmaid at the majors, he’s also got a second and third place at the Masters under his belt, plus two top-ten finishes at the PGA. His ascension to major winner would be some story anyway. But having suffered that distressing vertigo attack on Friday, bravely finishing his round with his legs barely supporting him, then embarking on a storming back nine of 31 yesterday despite still being a bit shaky on his feet, a Day victory would be a story for the ages. Right up there with Ken Venturi’s death-defying battle against heatstroke at Congressional in 1964. Setting aside how the golf’s going to pan out, God speed Jason Day. Safe home.
Continue reading...June 18, 2015
US Open 2015: first round – live!
2.22pm BST
A new generation has taken over at the top of professional golf. This isn’t exactly breaking news, a super-soaraway Guardian world exclusive, but let’s have a think about it anyway. The world number one, Rory McIlroy, has only recently turned 26 years old. He’s got four majors to his name, and is the current Open and PGA champion. He’s one hell of a competitor, battle-hardened by many successes and the occasional widescreen failure. He’s experienced just about everything in golf already. A force of nature, a prodigy, a genius.
And oh look! Here comes another in Jordan Spieth! The young Texan won’t be 22 for another month, but already he’s got a green jacket hanging in his locker at Augusta National. Meanwhile the defending champion this week, the reigning US Open champion and former PGA and Players winner Martin Kaymer, has only just turned 30. Factor in the new Players champion and links disciple Rickie Fowler (26), perennial major bridesmaid Jason Day (27), glorious hothead Patrick Reed (24), glorious hothead Dustin Johnson (30), rising star Hideki Matsuyama (23) and breakthrough waiting to happen Brooks Koepka (25) ... well, that’s quite a few potential winners of the 2015 US Open right there. It’s a young scene.
Continue reading...US Open 2015 quiz: test your knowledge of the tournament
Put your US Open trivia knowledge to the test with our bumper quiz
June 17, 2015
A brief history of … the Copa América, the tournament with a special kind of beauty
It’s the world’s oldest continental soccer competition – and Brazil aren’t even its most successful team. Scott Murray looks back on almost 100 years of drama
With the Guardian’s unstoppable rise to global dominance (NOTE: actual dominance may not be global. Or dominant) we at Guardian US thought we’d run a series of articles for newer football fans wishing to improve their knowledge of the game’s history and storylines, hopefully in a way that doesn’t patronise you to within an inch of your life. A warning: If you’re the kind of person that finds The Blizzard too populist this may not be the series for you.
The Copa América is … the international soccer competition to determine the continental champions of South America. It started life in 1910 as the one-off Copa Centenario Revolución de Mayo, turned into the Campeonato Sudamericano de Football (the South American Championship) in 1916, then finally in 1975 became the tournament we know and love today as the Copa América.
Related: 12 players to watch at the Copa América
Continue reading...June 12, 2015
Euro 2016 qualifiers clockwatch – as it happened
How a great night for Iceland and Wales unfolded.
9.48pm BST
A magnificent evening for Wales, of course, who can start to dream about the Euro 2016 finals in France. Plenty of time for things to go wrong, of course, but to hell with that, what’s the point in sport if you can’t get excited? Similar feelings of giddy anticipation may be kicking in around Reykjavik: Iceland’s amazing win over the Czech Republic fires them to the top of Group A, and while the Czechs and the Dutch are breathing down their neck, a first-ever Icelandic trip to a finals could be on. Meanwhile it’s as you were in Group H, which will pleasure Croatia and Italy more than it will Norway. Thanks for joining us. Nighty night, and sweet dreams!
9.41pm BST
And so here are your full-time scores:
GROUP A
Kazakhstan 0-1 Turkey
Iceland 2-1 Czech Republic
Latvia 0-2 Netherlands
9.40pm BST
But never mind that! Wales have beaten Belgium 1-0 to move three points clear at the top of Group B! Jacob Steinberg has the details of that! The ghosts of 1958 are slowly fading away; surely Chris Coleman’s team will make it to a major finals for the first time since the days of John Charles and Ivor Allchurch. Ah, any old excuse to post this ...
9.38pm BST
And it’s all over in Oslo. A fantastic defensive performance by Azerbaijan, who follow up their 2-0 win over Malta with a 0-0 draw against Norway. A blow to Norway’s hopes of automatic qualification.
9.30pm BST
Noway are pressing hard for the winner they so desire. And they should have had it, but Even Hovland has just flashed a header wide of the left-hand post from six yards. Under no pressure whatsoever. He has the good grace to hold his head in both hands.
9.29pm BST
Edin Visca walks his second goal of the evening into the net, and the game in Zenica looks all over. Israel’s poor run continues.
9.26pm BST
The hosts have turned this one around. Should Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s goal - a lovely flick into the bottom-right corner - turn out to be the winner, Iceland will top Group A, a couple of points clear of the Czechs, and still five clear of third-placed Holland. Reykjavik is rocking! Legendary director and football fanatic Friðrik Þór Friðriksson will be a content man tonight.
9.19pm BST
Norway are doing what they can, though the frustration in the Oslo crowd is growing. Magnus Eikrem has come on, causing a bit of bother down both channels. Havard Nordtveit, in space on the edge of the D, dragged a shot wide left of the goal. Omar Elabdellaoui scores three rugby points from distance. But Azerbaijan are holding on, and a precious draw is very much within their reach now.
9.16pm BST
Indeed it might. Luciano Narsingh has just skittered clear down the right and whipped a low shot into the bottom-right corner, a supremely confident finish, the Dutch suddenly clicking again. Wijnaldum had come on for Robin van Persie, by the way, scoring with an opportunistic turn amid a penalty-box melee and scuffing one into the bottom-right corner.
9.13pm BST
The Dutch campaign has been a glorious shambles so far, but could this be the goal that changes everything? Georginio Wijnaldum here, with his first goal for the Oranje since scoring against Brazil in the World Cup third-place play-off.
9.11pm BST
Pal Andre Helland has just missed a golden chance for Norway, bursting clean through down the middle but leaning back and hoicking a dreadful shot over the bar with only the keeper to beat. Azerbaijan are giving as good as they’re getting, too: Afran Ismayilov embarked on a speed-sashay down the right, and his low fizzer towards the near post was gathered by Nyland.
9.09pm BST
But Iceland like the idea of their first major finals, and are quick to get back on terms! Aron Gunnarsson meets a looping pass down the inside-right channel and guides a header home. A magnificent response in Reykjavik.
9.06pm BST
And this one is even better, a pearler whistled into the top-left corner from 25 yards by Borek Dockal. If things stay as they are, that’ll put the Czechs four points clear at the top of Group A, and allow the Netherlands to close the gap on second-placed Iceland to four points. If the Dutch get their act together in Riga against Latvia, of course, this group will have had something of a shakedown. Or is it a shake-up?
9.02pm BST
Ivelin Popov smacks in a stunning volley, cutting in from the right to meet a ball dropping just inside the Maltese area.
9.00pm BST
That early Andorran lead looks like an awfully long time ago now. A whole 51 minutes of play, to be precise. It looks like the same old story, a 46th defeat in a row. And that’s a hat-trick for Nestoras Mitidis!
8.58pm BST
Gurbanov looks to lash one into the top-right corner from 25 yards. Again, it’s not the worst effort in the world, even if it flies over. And again, Prosinecki jigs around on the touchline like a silent movie character who has just had both feet run over by a runaway Ford Model T.
8.55pm BST
Norway are struggling to click, though. Odegaard combines well with Soderlund down the inside-left channel and nearly releases Skjelbred into space, but Azerbaijan are well-organised and the door is slammed shut.
8.51pm BST
They’re underway in Oslo again. Norway are strong favourites to at least make the play-offs by finishing third in Group H - they’re four points clear of Bulgaria, who are being held in Malta - but they really need to win this if they’re to make it to France in the automatic fashion. Joshua King, newly of Bournemouth, has looked lively all night and he goes on a power jog down the left, but can’t find anyone in the middle. An early sign that Per-Mathias Høgmo has sent his side out with a flea in the collective lug.
8.43pm BST
And so here are the half-time scores.
GROUP A
Kazakhstan 0-1 Turkey (FT)
Iceland 0-0 Czech Republic
Latvia 0-0 Netherlands
8.41pm BST
The Cypriots have no truck with becoming the first team to fail to beat Andorra in 46 games. Nestoras Mitidis restores order on the stroke of half-time.
8.39pm BST
That escalated rather quickly, then. A penalty awarded for handball, and Edin Dzeko lashes it into the bottom right. Cyprus will remain in fourth position in Group B should the score remain the same, but they’ll draw level on points with Israel in third place. A couple more goals, though, and the big switcheroo is on!
8.37pm BST
So much for that, then. Edin Visca levels it up at the Stadion Bilino Polje in double-quick time.
8.35pm BST
Israel hadn’t scored a goal since beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 back in November. But they’re decent on the road - they’ve won both of their Euro 2016 away fixtures so far, and have lost just one of their last eight while travelling. That record looks set to continue right now, with Tal Ben Haim II breaking the deadlock just before the break. As things stand, with Wales winning in Cardiff, they’ll leapfrog Belgium into second place.
8.31pm BST
That Panenka was Pirlotastic. Nobody in that stadium in Split, of course, as a result of racist chanting during Croatia’s 5-1 win over Norway. I wonder if the silence is sending everyone doolally. Italy are on a 45-game unbeaten run in Euros and World Cup qualifying, by the way. The big 46 is on!
8.28pm BST
So the game in Split sounds like a cracker. Before Croatia scored, they’d missed a penalty, Buffon saving well from Mandzukic. Then El Shaarawy had a good goal ruled offside for Italy. After which Mandzukic made up for his miss with Croatia’s opener ... but now Mandzukic has given away a spot kick himself with a handball from a Pelle header, allowing Antonio Candreva to Panenka one past Subasic!
8.22pm BST
Now Dmitri Nazarov takes a free kick 35 yards out, and attempts to guide a rising swerver into the top-right corner! Not much respect being afforded Orjan Nyland here. The keeper gathers. As, seconds later, does his Azerbaijan counterpart Kamran Agayev, who gathers well as the busy Soderlund swivels, ten yards out and level with the right-hand post. That was going into the bottom right, so there’s a pair of safe hands. Meanwhile Simon McMahon would like to play the How Many Matches Can Po’ Scotty See game. “Is it none?” I suppose I asked for that.
8.18pm BST
Azerbaijan’s Rahid Amirguliyev tries to score from the best part of 50 yards. It’s actually not a bad effort, sailing just over the bar, though Orjan Nyland had it covered. That’s not stopping Robert Prosinecki hopping around from foot to foot on the touchline, in the throes of a nuclear funk. Haven’t seen Prosinecki for a few years. He’s put on a few pounds, like we all have, nothing wrong with that. And lost a little hair. Slightly red in the face, though that could be the funk. He’s like a sexier, sassier version of Steve McClaren. You can picture that, right?
8.14pm BST
I’ll not tread on Jacob Steinberg’s toes. You can read about it here. But I will say, it’s quite the event.
8.10pm BST
A magnificent chance for Norway’s captain Per Ciljan Skjelbred, as King burns down the right-hand touchline, reaches the byline, and pulls a wonderful ball back to the penalty spot. Skjelbred’s got time to lash home, with the away side all over the shop, but an acrobatic Zidane-style effort flies wide left. Still goalless in Oslo.
8.07pm BST
The Andorrans allowed themselves to dream for a dozen minutes, but Cyprus - who beat Andorra 5-0 in Nicosia in November - are back in it, Nestoras Mitidis with the equaliser. Andorra are yet to avoid defeat in 45 European Championship games; just another 76 minutes plus stoppages to go, then.
8.05pm BST
Here’s some encouragement for Norway! The Croats have taken the lead in Split, Mario Mandzukic with the opener there. A win for the hosts in Oslo, and they’ll leapfrog the Azzurri into second spot in Group H. As things stand, though, Croatia are sitting on a five-point lead at the top of the group. A trip next summer to France a very distinct possibility right now.
8.00pm BST
Soderland scampers after a long hoof down the inside-right channel and squares for King, who sidefoots into the bottom-left corner of the net. However Azerbaijan had, to a man, stopped, the flag having gone up for offside. Then, a couple of minutes later, Soderland tries to lash a dropping ball into the net from 40 yards. Well that would have been spectacular. but Norway are beginning to crank up the pressure a little. They’re certainly seeing a lot more of the ball.
7.58pm BST
Azerbaijan looked to have settled a little in Oslo, after a frenetic Norwegian start. But suddenly King bursts down the inside-left channel, chasing a cushioned header by Soderlund, and earns a second corner. Johansen’s delivery isn’t quite as good this time round, and the visitors clear easily.
7.54pm BST
Not a great start to Cyprus’s 100th European Championship game. And something of a shock, seeing Andorra have lost all five of their games in Group B so far. Cyprus have also won all four of their previous meetings with Andorra, not conceding in the last three, so they’ll not be happy with this at all. Plenty of time left, of course.
7.51pm BST
Norway get the ball rolling! They’re on the front foot immediately. A couple of long balls. Ah the spirit of Egil Olsen. A corner for Norway after a couple of minutes. Johansen takes, and whistles it straight through the six-yard area. Azerbaijan were all over the shop, but nobody in a red shirt took a gamble. Very tentative.
7.46pm BST
We’ll be off in a minute. Let’s hope the goals start flying in. But if they don’t, why don’t you amuse yourself, dear reader, by trying to work out how many of the seven matches I can actually see. The teams are out in sunny Oslo, Azerbaijan in their second-choice blue shirts, hosts Norway in vivid red. The Norwegians are strong favourites here, Azerbaijan having lost four of their five matches, their sole win coming against Group H bottom side Malta. But Norway could only manage a 1-0 win in Baku back in November, so there is hope for Robert Prosinečki’s side. A rare old atmosphere at the Ullevaal Stadion, all eyes on Real Madrid’s 16-year-old star Martin Ødegaard.
7.25pm BST
GROUP A
Iceland: Halldorsson, Saevarsson, Ragnar Sigurdsson, Arnason, Skulason, Birkir Bjarnason, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Gunnarsson, Hallfredsson, Gudmundsson, Sigthorsson.
Subs: Kristinsson, Jonasson, Jonsson, Ottesen, Finnbogason, Bodvarsson, Sigurjonsson, Theodor Elmar Bjarnason, Gislason, Kjartansson, Gudjohnsen, Gunnleifsson.
Czech Republic: Cech, Kaderabek, Prochazka, Sivok, Limbersky, Dockal, Rosicky, Pilar, Plasil, Vacha, Necid.
Subs: Vaclik, Gebre Selassie, Michal Kadlec, Kopic, Vaclav Kadlec, Suchy, Kolar, Krejci, Kovarik, Skoda, Darida, Hruska.
Referee: William Collum (Scotland)
7.02pm BST
The first result of the evening is in already. Turkey have beaten Kazakhstan 1-0 in the early kick-off, though it took a while, Arda Turan with the decisive blow in the 83rd minute. That victory takes Fatih Terim’s side into third position in Group A, a point ahead of the Dutch, who are in Latvia this evening. For the completist, here’s how the teams lined up at the Almaty Ortalyk Stadion in Almaty:
Kazakhstan: Pokatilov, Maliy, Gorman, Abdulin, Logvinenko, Shomko, Smakov, Konysbayev, Islamkhan, Schmidtgal, Khizhnichenko.
Subs: Boichenko, Miroshnichenko, Akhmetov, Tagybergen, Shchetkin, Nurgaliev, Darabayev, Suyumbayev, Kukeev, Dosmagambetov, Beisebekov, Tsirin.
6.45pm BST
We’re halfway through the qualification process for Euro 2016, give or take a play-off here and a play-off there. So there’s not much that’ll be decided tonight. But a few countries will be hoping to consolidate some very promising positions. Think of it like the third or fourth day of a Test, or Saturday at the golf. No money shots as such, but plenty of robust manoeuvring to entertain the connoisseur.
Two games stand out tonight. Well, three, but Jacob Steinberg is on the case with a blow-by-blow account of the Group B clash between Wales and Belgium: you can read the latest attempt to cast off the demons of 1958 by clicking here. The other two? Croatia play host to Italy in Group H, a local derby which could see the Croats extend their two-point advantage over the Euro 2012 finalists, while Iceland welcome the Czech Republic, looking to avenge November’s 2-1 defeat in Pilsen and take over at the top of Group A.
Continue reading...Moving around with all the zip of Chuck Blazer on his Fifa mobility scooter
The season’s over, and nothing of any interest whatsoever is happening. Don’t let these upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers fool you; everyone’s going to qualify for Euro 2016. So bored minds naturally turn to the world of transfers. And there’s been a reasonably big one today, with Adel Taarabt joining the world-famous Benfica, winners of two European Cups and 34-time champions of Portugal. Given that he’s spent most of his career not playing for Spurs, being unable to get a game at QPR, and failing to establish himself at Milan, it’s fair to say he’s risen without trace.
Continue reading...Scott Murray's Blog
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