Lionel Messi breaks German great Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals

Lionel Messi breaks German great Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals

 Messi has scored 74 goals for Barcelona and 12 times for Argentina this year.

Lionel Messi broke German great Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals in a year by scoring for the 86th time in 2012 on Sunday.

The Argentina forward scored twice to lead Barcelona to a 2-1 win at Real Betis in the Spanish league match.

His first was an individual effort in the 16th minute to tie Mueller's mark, and he eclipsed the 1972 milestone with a familiar left-footed finish nine minutes later.
 "As I have said many times, the record is nice but the important thing is the victory that keeps us on the patch we want to continue on," Messi said. "As I always say, my objectives are on a team level: to win the league, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey again."

Messi has scored 74 goals for Barcelona and 12 times for Argentina this year, and he has three more games in which he can add to his tally before the end of the year. Mueller scored 85 for Bayern Munich and West Germany.

The 25-year-old Messi passed Brazil great Pele's single-season milestone of 75 goals for Brazil and Santos in 1958 with his 75th and 76th goals of the year on Nov. 11 to move into second place behind Mueller.

 After his record 50 goals in the Spanish league last season, Messi has led Barcelona to the best start in the history of the championship this season with 14 wins and a draw in the opening 15 rounds. The scoring ace has found the net 30 times already this season in all competitions for Barcelona.

"We won't see another player like (Messi)," Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said. "Not just because of his ability to score. But also for his ability to pass, play defense, and his understandings of the game. He is a global star that helps us in so many ways."

Messi, who became a father for the first time on Nov. 2 to a boy named Thiago, was announced as one of the three finalists for the FIFA world player of the year award along with teammate Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi has won the Ballon d'Or award for the past three years in helping Barcelona win three Spanish league titles and two Champions League crowns, along with various other competitions.

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 He is seeking to become the only player to win the award for a fourth time when the winner is announced in Switzerland on January 7.

Iniesta participated in both of Barcelona's goals in Seville on Sunday, and Messi said he would be happy to see his teammate win the award.

"If the Ballon d'Or is for Andres, he deserves it for everything he shows us game after game," Messi said.

Nicknamed "The Flea" for his small stature and uncanny ability to slice through defenses, Messi has shattered several records during the past year.

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 He scored 73 times in all competitions for Barcelona last season, breaking the previous European club record of 67 goals set by Mueller in 1972-73 and the prior world club mark of 70 established by Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1924-25.

Messi scored his 73rd and final goal of the 2011-12 season as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the Copa del Rey final in May to give then-coach Pep Guardiola his 14th title in his final game.

In March, Messi passed Cesar Rodriguez's 57-year-old milestone of 232 goals to become Barcelona all-time leading scorer.

He also tied the record of 14 goals in a single European Cup competition last season, scoring five times in one Champions League match to set yet another mark.

"Leo is supernatural," Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said. "He doesn't have limits. We'll always have to remember everything he gave us. We have to enjoy every minute we have with him."

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Spain tops FIFA rankings, Brazil sinks to No. 18l

Spain tops FIFA rankings, Brazil sinks to No. 18l

World Cup and European champion Spain has completed a full year atop the FIFA rankings, 2014 World Cup host Brazil has plummeted to No. 18 and the U.S. dropped one spot to No. 28.

World Cup and European champion Spain has completed a full year atop the FIFA rankings, 2014 World Cup host Brazil has plummeted to No. 18 and the U.S. dropped one spot to No. 28.

Brazil has dropped while playing only non-competitive matches, and failed to win last month.

Brazil lost against Argentina, which remains at No. 3, and drew with Colombia, which rises to No. 5.

The rankings weigh a four-year results cycle, and Brazil lost points from a 6-2 victory over Portugal in 2008.

pain leads No. 2 Germany, with European Championship finalist Italy at No. 4. England is No. 6, and Europe fills all places through Switzerland at No. 12.

Ivory Coast is Africa's best at No. 14. Mexico is No. 15, and Japan leads Asia at No. 22.

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Watson returns as US Ryder Cup captain

By Rachel Cohen
Associated Press

Tom Watson leaves the stage after a news conference in New York, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. The Americans are bringing back Watson as their Ryder Cup captain with hopes of ending two decades of losing in Europe. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK — Weary of two decades of defeat in Europe, the Americans are breaking from precedent with a captain uniquely suited for the 2014 Ryder Cup in Scotland.
Tom Watson will be by far the oldest man to fill the role and the first repeat captain for the U.S. since 1987. But he’s also the last American to lead the team to victory on the road, and he knows how to win in the blustery Scottish weather.
“We are just really tired of losing the Ryder Cup,” PGA of America President Ted Bishop said Thursday during a news conference at the Empire State Building.
It won’t be easy.
The Americans have lost seven of the last nine Ryder Cups and have not won away from home since 1993, when Watson was the captain at The Belfry in England. They are coming off a staggering loss this year at Medinah, where Europe strung together a remarkable rally from a 10-6 deficit going into the final day to win by one point.
Watson is the first repeat U.S. captain since Jack Nicklaus in 1987, when the Ryder Cup was played on his home course of Muirfield Village in Ohio. Watson becomes the seventh American to get more than one shot.
“Tom Watson will do a fine job,” Nicklaus said. “Tom always has been a wonderful golfer and he remains one, but Tom is also a good leader.”
His selection received an immediate endorsement from Tiger Woods. The Stanford alums have never been particularly close, and Watson has criticized Woods for not showing respect for the game with his demeanor on the course.
“I think he’s a really good choice,” Woods said in a statement. “Tom knows what it takes to win, and that’s our ultimate goal. I hope I have the privilege of joining him on the 2014 United States team.”
Watson went out of his way Thursday to praise Woods as “the best player maybe in the history of the game.”
“My relationship with Tiger is fine,” he said. “Whatever has been said before is water under the bridge. No issues.”
Watson breaks the PGA of America’s prototype in a big way. The eight-time major champion will be 65 when the Ryder Cup is played at Gleneagles. Sam Snead was 57 when he was captain in 1969, and the oldest European captain was John Jacobs (56) in 1981.
Watson predicted that some would say: “Why is Watson, being the old guy, being the captain?”
“I deflect that very simply by saying: ‘We play the same game,’” he said. “I play against these kids at the Masters. I play against them at the British Open.”
He does hope to play more PGA Tour events in the next two years to spend more time around his future team.
Watson has not been back to the Ryder Cup since that ’93 victory at The Belfry. But since then, he had been pining for another chance to serve as captain.
With that familiar gap-tooth grin, Watson recalled his reaction when the PGA of America first contacted him more than a year ago: “Boy, I’ve been waiting for this call for a long time.”
As much as Watson is beloved around the world for his timeless game, epic duels with Nicklaus and graciousness in any outcome, the Scots consider him one of their own. Watson won his first major at Carnoustie in 1975 when he quickly understood how to play links golf. He won five British Open titles, the most of any American, with four of those in Scotland.
He nearly made it six claret jugs three years ago. At age 59, he came within an 8-foot par putt on the last hole from winning at Turnberry. Watson missed the putt, and then lost to Stewart Cink in a playoff.
The ovation he heard that week in Turnberry might be different at Gleneagles. His job will be to help the players handle the pressure of the hostile crowd and the enormity of the moment.
The PGA of America broke from its model of taking former major champions in their late 40s who still play on the PGA Tour and are in touch with the players. Watson last played a full schedule in 1998, though the PGA of America had to wonder if perhaps the young captains were too close to the players.
Bishop first thought of Watson while flying back from Bermuda after the 2011 PGA Grand Slam of Golf, when he read a book about that near-miss at the British. When he first called, Watson was in a field in South Dakota pheasant hunting.
A few blocks from Broadway on Thursday, Watson compared himself to a stage manager with the job of putting his actors in best position to succeed. He mentioned the importance of luck in winning the Ryder Cup.
But he acknowledged that the good karma of his victories overseas — and especially in Scotland — might be that little nudge that returns the Americans to victory.
“It may give them a sense: ‘This guy has been there before and he’s been successful before and we’re going to be a success because he’s there leading us,’” Watson said.
He expects he’ll help out in the most mundane of areas, such as advice on how to adjust to the time change. At the 1981 Ryder Cup at Walton Heath, Watson recalled, he cautioned Tom Kite not to tweak his swing just because he felt lousy the first few days there. Kite was glad he listened.
Watson dismissed talk that the Europeans were more motivated than the Americans in recent years. What he heard from Davis Love III, the captain at Medinah, was a team devastated by defeat.
“This responsibility is a challenge,” Watson said. “But I’ve been there before, and I welcome it.”

Suzuki Cup: Azkals poised for breakthru

Singapore duel tomorrow

By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

9:29 pm | Monday, December 10th, 2012

Photo from AFF Suzuki Cup website.

MANILA, Philippines — Coach Michael Weiss is comfortable at the thought of his Philippine Azkals soaking up the pressure and waiting for their chance against a Singapore side expected to be on attack mode right from the get-go in the second leg of their AFF Suzuki Cup semifinals tomorrow.
The counter-attacking game has suited the Azkals for much of the tournament and, although he would have loved his side to be confident in possession, Weiss sees the Azkals relying on their solidity at the backline and their ability to create scoring chances in transition.
The Azkals and Lions fought to a goalless standoff Saturday night at Rizal Memorial Stadium, with the second leg to be played at the 8,000-seater Jalan Besar Stadium, which has an artificial pitch.
A scoring draw would be enough for the Azkals to advance due to the away goals rule, and Weiss said their chances only got better with the return of midfielder Jerry Lucena for the second leg.
“We will not risk much; the pitch in Jalan Besar is pretty tight,” Weiss said before the team left for Singapore yesterday morning.
“We have to be patient because we expect to see a more active Singapore on their (home) turf, which may not be the worst thing for us. Against this defense, it will not be easy for Singapore to score even on home soil.”
One player who has stood out defensively for Weiss in the last two matches is Fil-Spanish rightback Carli de Murga, who coped well with the threat posed by Aleksandar Duric on the left wing Saturday night.
“He has been fantastic for us,” said Weiss of the 24-year-old who was only called into action when Ray Jonsson sustained a quad muscle injury in the match against Vietnam.
“The defensive approach has worked for us, but sooner or later we would have to change our style by playing more possession.”
The depth of the side remains the least of Weiss’ worries with defender Jason Sabio and midfielder Chris Greatwich, who scored the late equalizer against the Lions in their group match in Vietnam two years ago, still to play.
Striker Denis Wolf has been used sparingly because of an ankle injury.
Meanwhile, tickets to the second leg are reportedly sold out with Singapore-based Filipinos complaining of the little allotment for Azkals fans for Wednesday’s match.
The Filipinos beat the Singaporeans, 2-0, in a friendly last Sept. 7 at Jurong West Stadium.

Azkals try to seize the moment

Azkals try to seize the moment

Battle Singapore in Lions’ den today for spot in Suzuki Cup finals

By Cedelf P. Tupas

 

SINGAPORE—Unfazed by the thought of playing in enemy territory in its most important match in tournament history, the Philippines aims for a maiden championship appearance against three-time winner Singapore in the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semifinals Wednesday at Jalan Besar Stadium here.
The two sides battled to a scoreless draw in Manila last Saturday, which means a goal by the Azkals here could pile up the pressure on the Lions, who are heavily favored to advance considering their wealth of experience.
The Azkals’ chances haven’t been better, though. Two years ago, in a similar stage, they were down 0-1 on aggregate to an Indonesian side backed by about 70,000 supporters in Jakarta heading into the second leg.
This time, the Azkals will have to deal with an 8,000-strong crowd, playing in a faster artificial pitch, and a squad with a winning tradition.
A scoring draw would be enough but experienced defender Rob Gier thinks it would be foolish for the Azkals to take that mindset.
“We don’t want it to end tomorrow night (Wednesday night),” said Gier, referring to their Suzuki Cup journey.
The Lions have the dual task of scoring and preventing the Azkals from doing the same. If the match stays goalless after regulation, extra time will be needed with a penalty shootout as the ultimate decider if no team finds the back of the net.
“We’ve always been saying that this is what we’ll all be waiting for,” said Azkals manager Dan Palami. “We don’t want to settle for just another semifinal appearance.”
“This is the best chance we will ever have,” said striker Phil Younghusband. “The good thing about our team is that whether we are home or away, we still feel we can win the game.”
The Azkals took time to settle on the ball in the first leg in Manila, where the Lions dominated the opening 45 minutes. With their midfielders finding their rhythm, the Azkals showed some attacking bite in the second half.
“One of the plus things about the last game is that we know we could still play better,” said Younghusband.
One thing constant for the Azkals in the tournament has been their solidity on the defensive end with Gier and Juani Guirado manning the fort.
Jerry Lucena returns to the side since the 1-0 win over Vietnam in the group stage in Bangkok and Azkals coach Michael Weiss sees the Fil-Danish standout as a stabilizing factor in the middle.
Weiss said the Azkals must produce the same kind of fighting spirit they showed in the second half of the first leg to stand a chance against the Lions.
“Singapore will have a small advantage because of their experience, but the boys are hungry and eager to show what they can do,” he said.

 

Steelers Have Only Themselves To Blame

Steelers Have Only Themselves To Blame

A famous coach once said you can’t turn the ball over and expect to win the game. And yet, the Pittsburgh Steelers had a shot to win Super Bowl XLV.

Down 6 points with two minutes to go from their own 13 yard line, Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers’ offense on the field against a Green Bay Packers defense that had come up with big plays all night. Unlike two years ago, however, Big Ben came up short this time. Pittsburgh would not win its 7th Super Bowl. Instead, Green Bay would win its 4th.

It was Roethlisberger’s first-half performance, however, that helped to undo the Steelers. He threw two key interceptions in the first half, both of which led to Packers touchdowns. One of those picks was returned for a touchdown, which led Fox to reveal the ominous stat that teams who returned interceptions for touchdowns in the Super Bowl were 10-0.

The Steelers got up off the mat, though, cutting Green Bay’s 21-3 lead to 21-17 and looking for all the world like they were going to turn the Super Bowl on its head. That’s when the Packers’ defense made its biggest play of the night. Clay Matthews forced Rashard Mendenhall to fumble the ball, which the Packers recovered. That lead to another Green Bay touchdown, giving them a 28-17 lead and all but sealing the game.

Green Bay’s 21 points of turnovers, however, would not have been possible without the ultimate failure of the Pittsburgh secondary. For most of this season, the Steelers have gotten away with having less-than-stellar cornerbacks, largely because their blitz had been so effective. That wasn’t the case in this Super Bowl. Green Bay picked up the blitz effectively all night, giving Aaron Rodgers the time he needed to tear the secondary apart with one big pass play after another. If Jordy Nelson hadn’t dropped as many key passes as he caught, this could have been a blowout.

The Packers certainly deserve credit for handling the Steelers’ blitz and forcing those turnovers. Aaron Rodgers deserved his MVP award as well. The Steelers, however, will walk away from this one thinking their mistakes, rather than Rodgers’ performance, ultimately cost them a 7th Lombardi Trophy. It’s awfully hard to argue otherwise. The offense didn’t take care of the ball, and the defense left receivers wide open. That’s not exactly a recipe for winning football.

Japan loses to Canada (again) in IFAF U-19 semi-final

Japan loses to Canada (again) in IFAF U-19 semi-final


In a game where the Japanese team bested Canada in yardage and time of possession, Canada still found a way to defeat Japan in the IFAF Under-19 championship semifinal, held this year in Austin Texxas, by a 33-24 score. A last minute touchdown won the game for Canada in the semifinal match in 2009- that game ended 38-35.


Japan recieved the opening kickoff and scored first, but Canada cam back and tied the score on the kickoff return for a TD. A pick-6 put Japan up 14-7.

Japan trailed 23-14 at halftime, as Japan was plagued by 4 interceptions in the first half.

Strangely, Japan also recieved the 2nd half kickoff, and its initial drive ended with a 31-yad Ariwa FG to pull within a touchdown.

Ikuma Mitsuwa came up with an interception on Canada's next drive. But Japan returned the favor.

Japan was able to bring it to within 2 when Kishimura scored on a keeper. But a 97 yard drive by Canada and a TD on a QB keepers by Hugo Richard put Canada back up
33-24.

Japan was able to cross midfield in the last two minutes, but the drive stalled there, and Canada ran out the clock.

Canada moves on to the Gold medal game saturday to face the winner of the USA-Austria matchup; Japan will be in the Bronze medal game to face the loser.

RUNNING BACK POSITION

RUNNING BACK POSITION

Running backs usually lines up behind the quarterback in an offensive formation, they specialize in rushing the football to gain yards. They can also catch passes from the quarterback, and on rare occasions can receive the snap from the center or even pass the football. When a team has an offensive formation that has two backs in the backfield, the lead back iscalled the fullback the other is called the tailback. The fullback usuallyblocks for the tailback helping him to gain yardage, but the fullback is also eligible to run or catch the football. Running backs must be in great mental and physical condition. A running back should know what he is supposed to do on every play. He also has to be able to carry the football between 20 to 30 times a game, catch passes out of the backfield, and block defensive players.

KEYS TO BEING A GREAT BACK.

1. Must be able to run the football, catch passes and block defenders. Coaches love running backs that can due all three.

2. Running backs must have mental and physical toughness; they need these two things to deal with the punishment they must endure.

3. Running backs must know the playbook; he has to know where to line up in the backfield and what to do on each play. The Running back is a key element on offense.

4. Must be able to run the ball hard for the duration of the game. great running backs get stronger running with the football in the fourth quarter.

QUARTERBACK

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License

The Quarterback is the player that runs and directs the offense. He usually gets the signal for the play from the coaching staff, and then he calls the play in the huddle. He usually lines up directly behind the center who hikes him the ball to start the play. The quarterback is involved in the majority of the offensive plays a team runs. He is either throwing it to a receiver, handing the ball off to a running back, or running it himself. In some situation a quarterback can call his own plays without getting a signal from the coach, one would be if a quarterback recognizes that the defense is running a certain play and then he calls an audible. Another rear situation is when the coaching staff allows the quarterback to call his own plays.

QUARTERBACK TIPS

1. Develop leadership skills, coaches loves for their starting quarterbacks to be leaders.

2. Get a lot of practice in the offseason. You need to work on arm strengh and footwork. Work on throwing football often and far, also work on various dropbacks espiciaaly the 5 step dropback.

3. Practice looking off safety to create space for the wide reciever, do not telegraph your throws.

4. Watch and learn what good quarterbacks do in certain situations, watchthem on films or television.

5. Mentaly visualize yourself coming to the line and facing certain defenses, come up with what you will do against it.

6. A quarterback needs to study the playbook, he should know what every offensive player is doing when the ball is hiked.

Luis Suarez commits future to Liverpool amid Manchester City talk

Luis Suarez commits future to Liverpool amid Manchester City talk

The Premier League champions had been linked with a £40 million January move for the Uruguayan striker, but he has now reaffirmed his desire to stay at Anfield

Nov 15, 2012 8:31:00 PM

By David Lynch

Getty Images

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has reiterated his desire to stay at the club, amid widely rumoured interest from Manchester City.

The Uruguayan has been in fine form so far this campaign, notching 11 goals in 16 appearances, despite Brendan Rodgers' men suffering a mixed start to the season.

Suarez's recent performances had led to suggestions that Roberto Mancini was set to test the Reds' resolve with £40-million January bid, but the forward has now underlined his commitment to the Anfield side.

He told the club's official website: "I have a very long contract here and it's a dream come true to be playing at a club like Liverpool because, as I've said, as a boy I dreamt of playing for a team like this.

"Now I'm here, it's all about enjoying myself and trying to be here for as many years as I can, because I'm at a club where I'm very happy, my family is happy, I've got fantastic teammates and a manager from whom I'm learning so much.

"As a player, it's vital to have the backing of your manager and so I think that the confidence Brendan is showing in myself and the team as a whole is very important and it's down to us to repay that trust out there on the pitch.

"Let's hope we can keep improving. I'm working well and I'm very happy at a club where I've always wanted to be. At a club to whom I'm very grateful for the trust everyone is showing in me - a club with amazing supporters and teammates who are all great people.

"The other important thing is that the squad is very united. In spite of not getting the results we would have liked, we have a great spirit of togetherness and let's hope we can continue to pick up points."

The 25-year-old has regularly been subjected to booing from opposition supporters, largely due to his eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra last season.

But he insists that such things do not affect him and went on to hail the support he has received from Liverpool fans since joining the club.

"I think you need to really know a person before you criticise them or speak out about them," he continued.

"I think sometimes the opposition fans are more interested in booing Luis Suarez for the problems he had or because he's gone down for something than they are in their own team!

"I think that each set of supporters should just worry about their own team and leave their opponents well alone, just like the Liverpool fans do.

"I think our fans are the perfect example and always show how to help the team by wanting to get behind the side. It doesn't matter who the opposition are, the only thing they want is for their team to win by giving a lift to the players with their support.

"That's what the other clubs' fans need to do - get behind their own side and not just think about Suarez, because all that does is motivate me even more to do well."

The Salto-born forward scored the equaliser in the Reds' 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday, but insists nothing but three points will do when Liverpool take on Wigan at Anfield next time round.

"Chelsea was a result that was neither good nor bad," he added. "I guess we really need to be picking up as many points as we can, given that we haven't got as many points on the board that a club like Liverpool would expect to have at this stage.

"Wigan is an absolute must-win fixture. It's a very important game for us to gain in confidence for the matches ahead and to get stronger here at Anfield, which is where we need to make the difference."

Sartori denies Andreolli to Inter rumours

Sartori denies Andreolli to Inter rumours

Chievo's sporting director has rejected speculation the centre-back will return to San Siro as his side look to kickstart their ailing Serie A season

Nov 8, 2012 12:22:00 AM

 

By Barney Cullum

Getty Images

Giovanni Sartori has denied claims that Marco Andreolli has been targeted by former clubInter.

The 26-year-old began his career at San Siro before moving first to Roma and then on loan to Vicenza and Sassuolo.

Having established himself at Chievo, rumours have circulated that the player could be set to depart for the Nerazzurri, with the defender set to become a free agent when his contract expires in June. 

“I’m continuing to hear the rumours and the whispers, but I have never heard from Inter,”Sartori told TMW.

“It is true that the two presidents of Chievo and Inter know each other well, they have an excellent relationship and speak often, but they have never discussed Andreolli."

The former Italy Under-21 international helped the Gialloblu to a top-10 finish last season, but the club are down in 16th place after 11 league games so far this season.

Chiellini: Conte's return will be a boost for Juventus

Chiellini: Conte's return will be a boost for Juventus

The defender has hailed the influence of the 43-year-old coach ahead his return next month, and also had his say on Antonio Cassano's recent comments about the Bianconeri

Nov 16, 2012 10:20:00 AM

 

By Stefan Coerts

AFP

Giorgio Chiellini believes that Antonio Conte's return to the Juventus bench next month will provide a huge boost to the reigning Serie A champions.

The 43-year-old is currently serving a touchline ban for failing to report an instance of match-fixing during his spell in charge of Siena, but will take charge of the Bianconeri again ahead of the match against Palermo on December 9.

"He is the person who has changed the team over the past year and a half. I initially thought his absence would be less problematic," Chiellini stated at a press conference.

"We work with him throughout the entire week and prepare for the games in the best possible way. But there are things that you cannot plan for and the coach is important in certain situations.

"His return to the bench will give the team a boost."

The defender also had his say about the war of words between Conte and Antonio Cassano, and is not impressed with the Inter forward's comments about his club.

"The coach’s morality cannot be called into question. Their paths have never crossed and we will try and beat him on the pitch.

"I think Cassano has missed the boat as far as Juventus are concerned. I don’t know if it is his choice or not, but at his age there aren't any more chances to play for Juventus."

The Turin giants are currently preparing for Saturday's Serie A match at home against Lazio.

Fernandinho: Shakhtar will bounce back

Fernandinho: Shakhtar will bounce back

The Brazilian midfielder believes the Miners have more mental toughness than in previous European campaigns and claims their dream of winning the competition remains alive

Nov 14, 2012 10:10:00 PM

 

By Barney Cullum

Getty Images

Fernandinho is bullish that Shakhtar can progress to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, even though the Ukrainian title-holders sit third in Group E with just two games to go.

A last-gasp Victor Moses goal denied Mircea Lucescu's side a valuable point against defending champions Chelsea in their last outing, leaving the Miners with ground to make up to reach the round of 16.

While he agreed that Shakhtar have reacted badly to defeat in Europe's elite competition in the past, Fernandinho stated that the team has grown and has the right mentality to overcome the obstacle.

"In 2007 we played Milan, who were champions at the time, and we lost in Italy and here. From there on the team lost their balance, our confidence vaporised," he said. 

"Today we're more mature as a team. I have always said that it is the strongest competition in the world, so we have to take it step by step if we are to achieve our objective.

"Our dream is to win the Champions League," admitted the player who left his home country for Ukraine seven years ago."

Shakhtar's next Champions League game sees them travel to Nordsjaelland on November 20.

Premier League round-up

Premier League round-up

Pressure mounts on Hughes; McDermott secures vital win

Last Updated: November 18, 2012 8:53am

Queens Park Rangers are still without a win after losing at home to Southampton, Reading secured a first Premier League victory of the season and Arsenal won the North London derby.

Manchester City were in rampant mood at home to Aston Villa to reclaim top spot in the table after rivals Manchester United suffered a surprise defeat at Norwich City, while Chelsea's domestic wobble continued after defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

Liverpool enjoyed an ultimately convincing home win over Wigan Athletic as Newcastle United lost at home for the second time in a week after being beaten by Swansea City.

Southampton won the battle of the Premier League's bottom two after beating Queens Park Rangers 3-1 at Loftus Road to pile the pressure on Mark Hughes.

Woeful defending allowed Southampton to take the lead midway through the first half when Rickie Lambert headed home from about a yard out after QPR had wasted numerous chances to clear a corner.


PR were architects of their own downfall again on the stroke of half-time when failing to deal with the threat of Nathaniel Clyne, who fed Jason Puncheon to curl home left footed from the edge of the area.

The hosts needed a fast start to the second half and got what they wanted when Junior Hoilett glanced home Adel Taarabt's cross on 49 minutes.

QPR's defensive woe was summed up with seven minutes left when Adam Lallana fired in a low cross and Anton Ferdinand diverted the ball past goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

Adam Le Fondre scored twice in the second half as Reading came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 at the Madejski Stadium to pick up a first three points of the season.

A comedy of errors saw Everton go in front on 10 minutes when Steven Naismith tucked the ball home from inside the six-yard box after Reading had fluffed several opportunities to clear a long ball forward.

Reading drew level six minutes into the second half when Nicky Shorey whipped in a cross which Adam Le Fondre headed into the top corner.

Le Fondre then decisively put Reading ahead with 11 minutes to go when he drilled home from the penalty spot after the striker had been barged over by Everton full-back Seamus Coleman.

Norwich stretched their unbeaten run to five games in the league after posting a shock 1-0 home success over previous leaders Manchester United.

A resolute defensive performance from the Canaries was rewarded on the hour mark when Anthony Pilkington's looping header helped to knock United off their perch.

Though United spent large parts of the game in Norwich's half, they rarely looked likely to conjure up an equaliser, with Sebastien Bassong's inadvertent header coming closest to beating John Ruddy.

Arsenal ruthlessly took advantage of former striker Emmanuel Adebayor's red card to beat North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 5-2 at Emirates Stadium.

Adebayor had given Spurs a dream start by scoring from close range on 10 minutes after Wojciech Szczesny had pushed out a shot, but the Arsenal old boy was sent off eight minutes later for a lunging challenge on Santi Cazorla.

The Gunners equalised on 24 minutes through Per Mertesacker's header and took the lead three minutes before half-time when Lukas Podolski's shot ricocheted off ex-Arsenal defender William Gallas.

There was still time for the home side to score again before the interval as Olivier Giroud finished low at the near post from Cazorla's cross.

Cazorla got the goal his performance deserved on the hour mark when slotting home at the far post, but Spurs gave themselves hope of an unlikely comeback when Gareth Bale scored with 20 minutes to go.

However, Arsenal put the seal on an emphatic victory in stoppage time when Theo Walcott scored to ensure Arsene Wenger's side jumped above their neighbours in the table.

Manchester City extended their unbeaten start to the season with a dominant second-half display securing a 5-0 victory over struggling Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium.

The champions had produced a scrappy first-half performance before making the breakthrough two minutes before half-time when David Silva lifted the ball home from close range after Villa had failed to clear a corner.

City were then given a helping hand to forge clear as Andreas Weimann appeared to be harshly penalised for handball on 54 minutes and Aguero dispatched the spot-kick.

Just 11 minutes later, another handball decision went City's way as Barry Bannan was penalised and this time Carlos Tevez made no mistake from the spot.

Aguero helped himself to his second of the afternoon on 67 minutes as his low shot took a slight nick off a Villa defender and beat Brad Guzan at his near post.

Tevez then emulated his fellow Argentine on 74 minutes when he tapped home at the far post following an excellent low cross from Samir Nasri.

West Brom continued their excellent run of form at home after Steve Clarke masterminded a 2-1 victory over his former club Chelsea at The Hawthorns.

West Brom were quickly out of the blocks and took a 10th minute lead when Shane Long headed home at the far post from James Morrison's pinpoint cross.

Chelsea levelled on 39 minutes in similar circumstances as Cesar Azpilicueta's cross to the far post was met by Eden Hazard and the Belgian's header deflected in off Billy Jones.

The Baggies were back in front five minutes after half-time when Long turned provider to cross for Peter Odemwingie to glance home a header at the near post.

Luis Suarez helped himself to a brace as Liverpool perked up in the second half to overcome Wigan 3-0 at Anfield.

After a poor first half, Liverpool hit the front two minutes into the second period when Raheem Sterling burst down the right and pulled the ball back for Suarez to finish emphatically.

Suarez was similarly clinical on 58 minutes when he was played in by Jose Enrique before flicking the ball beyond the onrushing Ali Al Habsi.

Sterling then had a hand in Liverpool's third goal on 65 minutes as his low shot was palmed out by Al Habsi and Enrique reacted quickest to turn home the loose ball.

Swansea City climbed into the top half of the Premier League after holding on for a 2-1 triumph at Newcastle United.

Swansea took the lead on 58 minutes when Pablo Hernandez seized on Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul's poor clearance before crossing for his fellow Spaniard, Michu, to powerfully head home.

The points were made safe three minutes from time when Danny Graham's shot was parried by Krul into the path of Jonathan de Guzman, who fired high into the net.

Demba Ba gave Newcastle late hope when nodding home after Sylvain Marveaux had struck the crossbar, but there was no time to force an equaliser.