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 Verfasst am: 23.04.2018, 04:46 Titel:
We got taught a real good lesson |
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| The city of Belgrade is used to hosting electric games of football. After all, the Eternal derby between Serbias two most popular clubs, Red Star and Partizan, is one of the most intense rivalries in the sport. However, Fridays visit of Croatia in a pivotal World Cup qualifier took the citys footballing history to a new level. Twenty years ago, these two nations were fighting off the field in a brutal civil war, and for the first time since then, Serbia hosted their hated rivals in a heated matchup from Group A of UEFAs qualifying process for Brazil 2014. Much of the talk coming in was about reconciliation between the two teams, despite the plot lines unearthing deep, thick wounds. Serbian boss Sinisa Mihajlovic and his Croatian counterpart, Igor Stimac, played together for Yugoslavia, winning the 1987 World Youth Cup, but were then both famously sent off in the brutal final of the 1991 Yugoslavia Cup playing for their respective clubs, Red Star and Hajduk Split. In the first meeting between the two countries back in March, Croatia beat Serbia 2-0 and at the end of the match, the two coaches hugged each other in a sign fences were being mended between the two men, and, perhaps, between the countries. However, shortly before kick off on Friday when the two captains, Branislav Ivanovic and Darijo Srna, tried to address the crowd with some words of peace, the locals made it known that they had no interest in their plan. This game was all that was left now for the home team and their fans. Mihajlovics side have had a disastrous qualifying campaign and needed to win their remaining three games, and have Croatia lose their last three, to get second place in the group. It was a dream for every Serbian football fan but never a reality. In a chaotic and feisty game, Serbia were by far the better side. A back four consisting of three Premier League players - Ivanovic, Matija Nastasic and Aleksandar Kolarov, plus Borussia Dortmunds Neven Subotic (Nemanja Vidic is one of a few players who isnt playing for his country due to the atmosphere the manager has created with some strong rules and principles) were rarely threatened in the first half as their young forwards caused Croatia many problems. Lazar Markovic, now of Benfica, was the brightest of their young trio up front and showcased some outstanding movement and strength on the ball. Jose Mourinho was in attendance and it was no surprise that rumours suggested he was there to watch the 19-year-old, who scored a fantastic goal for his side against Sporting Lisbon last week. Croatia looked a very nervous, timid outfit, confused with their identity and what exactly Stimac wants his team to look like. With Luka Modric and the defensive-minded Ognjen Vukojevic in midfield, they got outrun by a more energetic home side through the middle. Sensing that, the impressive Ivan Rakitic, on the left, often needed to come inside to make up the numbers, but this exposed his flank and Zoran Tosic and right back Ivanovic often got the better of Southamptons Dejan Lovren, playing left back. Serbias best chances came from the right wing, highlighted by Tosics shot saved by Stipe Pletikosa in the first half, and it was no surprise when Serbia scored in the second half from a free kick won by Ivanovic after more poor discipline from Lovren. By then, though, Croatia had the lead and it had taken all of seven seconds to silence the electrifying atmosphere. In control of possession, once again, the home sides attack down the left was quickly intercepted by Srna, who immediately drove forward and slotted a perfect ball, splitting the stranded duo of Subotic and Nastasic. Through the middle ran Mario Mandzukic and like all great finishers, the Bayern Munich made no mistake on a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, slotting home his first and only chance of the match. Croatia barely deserved the lead and less than 15 minutes later, lost it for good when the impressive young forward Aleksandar Mitrovic rose high to send the home fans wild. The fans never sat down after that as the final quarter of the match reached the crescendo many expected, with both teams getting a man sent off. Referee Felix Brych did an outstanding job of keeping his cool while others around him were losing theirs and when he blew the whistle for full time, he didnt just finish a match. Gone now are Serbias chances to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil and despite that being a formality for a month, that shouldnt make it less of a story than it is. You have likely never heard of the football team Ludogorets. Yet, when the Bulgarian side knocked out Serbian league champions Partizan Belgrade from the third qualifying round of the Champions League back in July, it represented a real low for Serbian football. Days later, Red Star Belgrade lost their Europa League third round qualifying tie and to rub salt into the wound even more, Partizan, given one last chance at European football, lost to FC Thun in the final qualifying stage of that competition. Belgrade, once home to giants sitting at the top table of European football, has been left out of the party completely. Now the national team, less than four years after defeating Germany at the World Cup in South Africa, will miss out on the party in Brazil. For a country that produces many talented players, including some of the finest defenders in the game today, that is simply not good enough and changes will be made, starting with a new manager for the 2016 European Championship qualifiers. The final whistle also cemented Croatias place in Group A. Leaders Belgium beat Scotland 2-0 to move five points clear with two matches to go, meaning Croatias 1-1 draw on Friday leaves them in second place and a likely two-legged playoff game against another group runner-up to attempt to make it to Brazil. Despite not being able to realistically win the group, their next game against Belgium, who finish with a home match against Wales, will provide them with another acid test to see whether they are good enough to be amongst the best 13 in Europe. Junes loss to Scotland coupled with this underwhelming showing in Belgrade means the jury remains out on Croatias qualifying hopes. They used the play-off system two years ago to make it Euro 2012 but Stimacs side still have a lot of question marks before anyone can say they are a team that deserves to be playing at next summers World Cup. They are not underachieving like Serbia, but they are not far off it. Domantas Sabonis Jersey . 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Kessel, Lamoureux and Kendall Coyne all scored twice for the Americans, and Molly Schaus made 10 saves in her Sochi debut. Paul George Jersey . - The Denver Broncos kept rookie wide receiver Tavarres King from joining the Green Bay Packers by promoting him to their active roster Tuesday.LOS ANGELES -- Even after three games and a cross-country flight in the previous five days, the Los Angeles Kings came out roaring at home with a three-goal first period against Winnipeg. Coach Darryl Sutters team knows all about peaking for the post-season after its Stanley Cup title run two years ago, and the Kings are counting down the games until they can try it again. Anze Kopitar scored two goals in the first period, Jonathan Quick made 24 saves, and the Kings beat the Jets 4-2 Saturday night for their sixth straight victory. Trevor Lewis and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Kings, who havent lost since March 17. Marian Gaborik and Willie Mitchell had two assists apiece as Los Angeles took a big early lead and cruised to its 14th win in 17 games. "I dont think there is any coasting goes on, period," Sutter said. "Youre just trying to refine parts of your game, very simple. You are trying to take care of your own business first. Youre not a playoff team until you clinch the playoff spot." The Kings are just a couple of wins away from clinching their fifth straight playoff trip and a first-round matchup with San Jose or Anaheim. After 4 1/2 weeks of outstanding play out of the Olympic break, theyre all but locked into third place in the Pacific Division. Los Angeles has won 13 of 16 since Sochi, with three one-goal losses between two lengthy winning streaks. Kopitars third multigoal game of the season was set up by another strong offensive game from Kings newcomer Gaborik, who had his second multipoint performance on Los Angeles top line. "We have a chance to finish very strong and prepare for the playoffs," said Gaborik, who has eight points in his past nine games with Los Angeles. "This team works well in a system. Everybody is on the same page. Everybody is trusting each other. Its like one big machine." And that machine steamrolled the Jets in the opening 20 minutes. Matt Halischuk and Blake Wheeler scored in the third period for the Jets, who hadnt visited Los Angeles since Jan. 3, 1996. Ondrej Pavelec gave up three goals in the first period before getting pulled, and Al Montoya stopped 12 shots iin the final 40 minutes.dddddddddddd Winnipeg has lost four of six and 10 of 13, its playoff hopes dwindling to a faint prayer. The Jets trail eighth-place Phoenix in the Western Conference standings by nine points with seven games to go and three teams between them. The erstwhile Atlanta Thrashers finally have appeared in every NHL road arena since their move to Manitoba in 2011, but they couldnt keep up in the first period against their surging hosts. "We got taught a real good lesson in the first period about being ready to play a hard game," Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said. "We were just giving up so much ice and backing up. The last two periods, we were ready to play. Theres a learning lesson for some." The Kings went ahead just 2:42 in when a sharp-angled shot somehow got past Pavelec for Lewis career-best sixth goal of the season. Lewis didnt score in his first 38 games of the season, but the grinding forward has four goals in March. Kopitar then scored when a rebound of Gaboriks shot banked off his skate and in for the Slovenian centres 23rd goal. Gaboriks shot sent Winnipeg defenceman Mark Stuarts stick flying into Pavelecs chest. Kopitar scored again late in the period, muscling past the Winnipeg defence for a rebound backhand. "There is no explanation," Wheeler said of the Jets early effort. "They came out with the kind of energy you need to start a hockey game. We didnt. Thats what happens. After the opening period, we figured it out a little bit." After a scoreless second period, Halischuk scored his first goal since Dec. 14 from right in front of Quick, banging home Evander Kanes pass from below the goal line in the corner. Quick made an amazing facedown save with 1 minute to play, sticking his right leg into midair to block a long Winnipeg shot. NOTES: The Kings have outscored their opponents 19-11 during their winning streak. ... Los Angeles has 44 victories, two shy of the regular-season club record with seven games to go. ... Mitchell had his first multipoint game since April 5, 2012. The stay-at-home defenceman missed all of last season with injuries, and he had seven points in his first 69 games this season. 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