Prev: Unirea Urziceni
Next: Title run in - predicted finish
From: Bogues on 17 Feb 2010 18:18
http://tiny.cc/PortoArsenal21VIDEO

I hope Fabianski will play the second game too

 
From: Bogues on 17 Feb 2010 18:21
Arsenal claimed an away goal but should have won as bad mistakes
gifted Porto two goals in a 2-1 defeat for the Gunners in their
Champions League last-16 first leg at Estadio do Dragao.
FOOTBALL Champions League Porto celebrate Varela's goal against
Arsenal in their Champions League last 16 first leg at the Estadio do
Dragao

A goalkeeping howler from reserve keeper Lukasz Fabianski handed the
hosts an early opener and, after Sol Campbell equalised following over
three years away from the Champions League, Fabianski had his part in
the second when he picked up Campbell's back-pass and - along with his
team-mates - turned his back on a quickly-taken free-kick, allowing
Falcao to roll the ball into an empty net.

Arsenal had a penalty appeal rejected when Tomas Rosicky was brought
down in the box by Alvaro Pereira while Cesc Fabregas was denied an
injury-time equaliser by a superb Rolando challenge.

But, despite playing some good football, the North London side only
have themselves to blame for defeat after two mistakes that skipper
Fabregas called "schoolboy" afterwards.

The Gunners will take heart from claiming a vital away goal as they
should have Manuel Almunia, William Gallas, Andrei Arshavin and
Alexandre Song back from injury in time for the second leg in three
weeks.

A frantic start initially saw Porto threaten to carve Arsenal apart.

In the second minute Campbell denied Hulk a clear run on goal with a
superb slide tackle, while Thomas Vermaelen did well to block Ruben
Micael as he prepared to fire home the loose ball.

Seconds later Hulk fired just wide of the far post with his first
competitive kick of a ball since copping an indefinite domestic ban in
December for his part in a post-match brawl against Benfica that saw a
steward hospitalised with a head injury.

Arsenal quickly woke up and Porto needed a super saving challenge from
Bruno Alves to deny Fabregas as the visitors slipped into their free-
flowing passing groove.

The hosts took an 11th-minute lead though, thanks to the first
dreadful error by Fabianski.

Winger Silvestre Varela made a surging run down the right but his low
cross was poor, straight at the Polish shot-stopper. Fabianski,
standing in after Almunia was ruled out on the eve of the clash,
palmed the weak delivery into his own net.

It was a stomach-churning mistake but Arsenal responded well, Nicklas
Bendtner firing a shot inches wide via a wicked deflection.

From the resultant corner they levelled. The ball came off the side of
Vermaelen's head and fell to Rosicky on the right, who headed across
goal for Campbell to fly in and power his header into the top right
for 1-1 on 18 minutes.

The last time Campbell scored in the Champions League was the last
time he played in the competition - Arsenal's 2006 final defeat to
Barcelona.

Three minutes later Helton made a smart stop from Rosicky's fizzing
shot and down the other end Fabianski made a positive contribution by
tipping away Micael's ferocious drive.

Porto's Brazilian keeper pulled off another good save, tipping
Bendtner's flicked header over the bar, and 1-1 was fair going into
half-time.

Arsenal started the second half the better side, passing well and
keeping a frustrated Porto on the back foot.

They could have had a penalty when Rosicky was brought down by a
clumsy tackle from Alvaro but seconds later a moment of madness from
Fabianski gifted the hosts the lead once more.

This time Campbell was almost as culpable as his keeper, playing a
back-pass that could have been avoided but that Fabianski should not
have picked up.

One can only assume that he again lost concentration and failed to see
Campbell's touch: but what followed was inexcusable.

After arguing his case, Fabianski was ordered to hand the ball to
Micael by referee Martin Hansson, the official who allowed Thierry
Henry's handball against Ireland to go unpunished in France's World
Cup qualifying play-off last year.

Micael glanced at Hansson and quickly slipped the ball to Colombian
Falcao, who rolled it into a net that was totally unguarded. Fabianski
had turned his back as he walked back to the goal-line, with Campbell
and Vermaelen similarly negligent of their defensive duties and slow
to react as Porto exploited their hesitance.

Afterwards Arsene Wenger called the goal "unfortunate", saying that
the backpass was accidental and questioning the referee's decision to
allow a quickly-taken free-kick from such close range, saying his
defence would never have enough time to organise in such a situation.

At the time the Frenchman protested, even demanding an audience with
Hansson, who explained both decisions as the goal stood.

The Gunners battled gamely, dominating possession but never truly
testing Helton as they lacked a cutting edge both in terms of striking
the ball and playing the final pass.

Porto were happy to defend in numbers and break the play up with
niggly fouls, Fabregas in particular targeted by several late
challenges as he struggled to exert an influence on the game, one of
which saw Jorge Fucile booked.

Hulk forced a decent save from Fabianski after a brilliant piece of
skill to flick the ball over Campbell, while in injury-time Portugal
centre-half Rolando denied Fabregas a certain goal when he slid across
the Spaniard prepared to slam home substitute Emmanuel Ebouels low
cross from close range.

Arsenal bossed possession towards the end but Helton barely hit the
turf as Porto closed out a win that leaves it all to play for in the
second leg at the Emirates on March 9.
From: Diabolik on 18 Feb 2010 07:03

"Bogues" <basdf972(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:976f8acb-16f8-493c-891f-5222012f77c2(a)q16g2000yqq.googlegroups.com...
> http://tiny.cc/PortoArsenal21VIDEO
>
> I hope Fabianski will play the second game too

He's a great keeper. Where did they get him from?


 | 
Pages: 1
Prev: Unirea Urziceni
Next: Title run in - predicted finish