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Weekly News 31 1 11
Weekly Soccer News, January 31, 2011
Suarez in, Torres out?
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has completed his £22.8 million move from Ajax to Liverpool after passing a medical – but he looks increasingly unlikely to be partnering Fernando Torres at Anfield.
Suarez, who scored 111 goals in 159 games for Ajax, was earmarked to play alongside Torres upfront for Kenny Daglish's revamped Reds.
But reigning Premier League champions Chelsea seem to be the Spanish World Cup winner's likely destination after he placed an official transfer request, paving the way for a British transfer record £50 million deal.
Miracles do happen: Crawley boss Evans
Crawley Town have been rewarded for becoming the first non-league side in 17 years to reach the FA Cup fifth round by being handed a dream tie against Premier League leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Crawley missed two penalties in the fourth round tie against Torquay but held out for a nervy 1-0 win after a first-half goal from Matt Tubbs.
"I suppose if you are Arsene Wenger or Alec McLeish you don't want that draw - but we did," said boss Steve Evans afterwards. "The only non-league club capable of beating Manchester United is Crawley Town as we stand today. Miracles do happen."
Three League One sides face Premier League opponents with Leyton Orient hosting Arsenal, Sheffield Wednesday meeting Birmingham City and Brighton facing Stoke.
United, who have won the FA Cup a record 11 times, came from behind to beat League One Southampton on Saturday.
Lee volley seals Japan's record fourth title
Tadanari Lee volleyed an extra time winner to claim a record-breaking fourth Asian Cup finals success for Japan.
Lee volleyed home Yuto Nagatomo's left-wing cross in the second period of extra time to eliminate the Australians; the sublime strike was only the second goal Holger Osieck's impressive Socceroos side had conceded during the tournament.
Australia squandered a string of chances to take the lead, with Harry Kewell, 32, guilty of missing a gilt-edged one-on-one chance.
Barca equal 50-year-old record
Unstoppable Barcelona matched arch-rivals Real Madrid's 50-year-old Spanish league record of 15 straight wins with Saturday's 3-0 win at Hercules – and watched as Jose Mourinho's Madrid slipped to a 1-0 loss at Osasuna.
Those results opened up an eight-point gap at the summit of La Liga for the defending champions.
But it was equalling the record of the great Madrid team of the 1960/61 season, captained by Alfredo di Stefano, that had everyone talking about the current Barca vintage as one of the all-time great sides.
"It's an immense honour to share this record with a team such as Di Stefano's Madrid," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. "It's stood for half a century and that just shows what a tough thing it is to achieve."
Van Bommel debut disaster
Mark van Bommel lasted just 54 minutes of his Serie A debut for Milan before being sent off for receiving two yellow cards.
But 10-man Milan still lead the Italian league table by four points thanks to a 2-0 win over Catania. Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored second-half goals.
Napoli are second after beating Sampdoria 4-0 while Lazio, who face the league leaders on Tuesday, won 2-0 against Fiorentina.
Compiled by Marc Fox
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