PUB WISDOM
Brass Turns SilverArchive for Soccer
Carlos Cuts Out
Damn.
Double Damn. Carlos Cuellar, who positively locked down the Rangers defense last season, has done what was likely inevitable — get noticed by the Premiership. Following Alan Hutton’s lead, another key member of RFC’s defense has moved on up to the Premier League with the announcement that Cuellar came to terms to play for Aston Villa this season
.
After last season’s successful run, one has to ask why Cuellar was so anxious to get outta Glasgow. It could be the early exit from the Champions League or his assessment of the Light Blues prospects this year. Pessimists might put more stock in these notions than I do. Me? I think it simply comes down to the fact that he couldn’t resist the temptation to play on the world’s biggest stage.
Damn. Carlos, you will be missed. You quickly became a favorite and enstilled supreme confidence back there. Part of me wishes you well. The other part hopes you get lost in the shuffle and forgetten amidst the mediocrity in the middle of the Premier League pack, and that you’ll secretly — or not so secretly — regret your decision.
Upstart Accies Make Early Statement
Freshly promoted Hamilton Academical have made an early statement in their SPL debut, shaming
a well-coached and favored Dundee United side with a 3-1 come-from-behind drubbing. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the DUFC clubhouse after that match for Craig Levein’s tongue-lashing. His stock rose sharply last season as he cooly, calmly fielded a side that was competitive week in, week out. This is certainly not the way he wanted to start this season’s campaign.
It was that sort of week, however, as the big Glasgow clubs also looked a wee bit sleepy, sluggish, and rusty in their openers.
You’ve got to hand it to the Accies, however. Down 0-1 after an own-goal they could have, lips quivering, thrown in the towel. Instead, they rattled off three goals to move to the top of the table. Refreshing to see them there, and they should savor it because it won’t last long as the season unfurls and begins to make some sense of the standings.
You can’t deny that early signs indicate that this Hamilton Academical side feels nothing like Gretna, though.
Fugly Football Sees Rangers Through to UEFA Cup Finals
Ciao Fiorentina, Hello Manchester…
It wasn’t pretty, but Sir Walter Smith’s (I’ve just knighted him myself, so shaddup) strategy worked flawlessly as Rangers held the Viola scoreless in Florence, then sacked up during a nervy round of penalty kicks, including the deal-sealer by Nacho Novo (above). Here’s the report.
Rangers are through to their first European final in 36 years, and will face a Zenit side that served up a 4-0 drubbing of Bayern Munich in the other bracket.
Fiorentina may have been the classier side — I’m anticipating Aloysius’s forthcoming comments on the Telegraph message boards already — and they can soothe themselves with that knowledge as they watch the final on television. Snigger snigger.
Now, if Rangers can only survive their final six domestic fixtures to claim the SPL crown, in doubt in large part due to their unexpected European success, how sweet it would be.
A Welcome Draw at Ibrox for Ragged Rangers
With his side decimated by injury and suspensions, Walter Smith’s Rangers bent but didn’t break Thursday, battling to a 0-0 draw on the home leg of the UEFA Cup Semis against a comparatively healthy Fiorentina side, occupiers of the fourth position in the Serie A table. Here’s the report.
Rangers now face with the proposition of advancing to a European final on away goals — never easy, but it seems to be the currency with which Rangers have traded during their 2008 European campaign. Just ask Sporting Lisbon.
Now it’s home to Glasgow for two days’ rest before an Old Firm clash for the ages on Sunday — with the SPL crown potentially hanging in the balance.
Battered and Banned Rangers Press On In Search of the Quad
So much has happened since my last post that I won’t even attempt to cover it. However, some highlights…
Not one but two away goals at Sporting Lisbon saw Rangers through to the UEFA Cup Semifinals as the Ibrox side continues its miraculous turnaround season, in which its still in the hunt for four trophies. Stout defense and opportunistic counters coolly executed were the difference.
That was followed three days later by a HUGE Old Firm fixture at Parkhead. Whew… what a game. Celtic earned the win — aided by Rangers playing on two days rest. The victory was seemingly snatched away when the ever-canny Carlos Cuellar punched away a sure goal by Nakamura late in the second half. It would have been Naka’s second of the game, the first being one of the most incredible strikes I’ve seen this season. But Cuellar unabashedly punched it away and stoically took the red to preserve the draw. But surely the draw would only stand for a moment as the SPL’s leading goal-scorer this season, Scott McDonald, set up for the ensuing penalty kick.
But Allan McGregor, who was positively limping around on an ankle he injured minutes prior, clutched up, smothering McDonald’s badly telegraphed spot-kick to grow his hero status this season even bigger. It looked as if Cuellar’s gamble had paid off, bringing gleeful smirks to the Blue Noses. The SPL title, it seemed, would be sealed on this day…
It was not to be, however. A Venegoor of Hesselink header deep into injury time found the mark, giving Celtic a 2-1 win and all three points, extending the Parkhead side’s tenuous 2008 title hopes for another week.
It was Celtic’s first Old Firm win in five tries, but will likely do little to quell the pressure on Gordon Strachan, which is crazy considering Celtic won the SPL and advanced to the round of 16 in Champions League twice during his tenure. Celtic are two points ahead at the moment, but Rangers have three games in hand. The final Old Firm game of the season on Sunday – again at Parkhead — will be even bigger than the last.
But before that happens, the first leg of the UEFA Cup Semi-final at home against Fiorentina is also a huge match. And Rangers go in with a long list of key injuries and suspensions. They will have to dig deep to hold off the injury-free Viola on Thursday, only to face a well-rested Celtic three days later. Hold on to your fuggin’ kilts, folks…
In Search of… An Away Goal
The scrappy Rangers Football Club, easily one of Europe’s great turnaround stories this season, battled to a scoreless tie with Sporting in the UEFA Cup quarters on Friday. If they can win, or score an away goal in a draw, they’re through to the UEFA Cup semis. Already, this has been the club’s best performance in a European competition since 1972, but the semis would be dead brilliant.
San Clemente Outguns El Camino
The San Clemente High girls soccer team has defied the odds so many times that all that “underdog” garbage is really out the window.
After the alleged underdogs battled their way to a CIF-SS co-championship when they earned a draw against top-seed Long Beach Wilson, the Tritons laid to rest any doubt of this team’s talent and determination on Tuesday when they outscored visiting El Camino High (Woodland Hills), 3-2, in the first round of the CIF So Cal Regionals.
Barret Bestard, Kristine Atkinson, and freshman Frannie Coxe all scored. It was Coxe’s fourth post-season goal. Read full coverage and check out a slide show here.
The Tritons next face Thousand Oaks in the semis.
Rangers Squeak Through
Rangers knocked out host Greek side Panathinaikos by earning a 1-1 draw on a Nacho Novo goal in the 80th minute to advance to the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup. In ain’t the Champions League, but let’s see how Walter’s Rangers fare against the decidedly stouter competition in the final 16.
Read all about it on Eurosport here.
Tritons Stun Servite
Two goals — neither by Andy Martinez, shockingly — found the net within the first 15 minutes of play, setting up a 2-1 upset victory by San Clemente over host Servite, which spent the season in the top five in the county rankings. Scott Hadad and Steve Palacios contributed the goals. Better luck next time, Friars. John Salvino, if you’re out there — eat your heart out, baby!
Read all about it here.
Next up is either Newbury Park or St. Francis on Thursday at San Clemente High’s own Thalassa Stadium.
Tritons Serve Up Just Desserts for Wolverines
A year ago, in their final South Coast League match against Aliso Niguel, the favored and ranked Tritons, playing at home, gave away a share of the league championship by conceding a goal with less than a minute left before full time.
Fast Forward to Tuesday, with the Aliso Niguel Wolverines once again visiting San Clemente’s own Thalassa Stadium. The difference is that this time, the Wolverines came in as the No. 5 team in Orange County. The other difference is that, unlike last season, the Tritons successfully fended off the Wolverines’ rabid second-half attack to claim their second straight shut out, 1-0, and pull even with Aliso Niguel atop the SCL table.
The win, which gives both sides of this quick-developing SCL rivalry identical league records at 6-2-1, came courtesy of the game’s only goal by senior Andy Martinez — undeniably one of So Cal’s deadliest strikers — and a stout Triton defense anchored by 6-foot-3 keeper Andrew Cuchessi.
Cuchessi, the pride of the Trestles ‘hood, is quoted in the Orange County Register’s coverage. Here’s an excerpt describing the crucial closing minutes:
San Clemente held a one goal advantage in last year’s league finale and as the minutes ticked away in the second half, Tuesday’s contest developed a similar feeling. The Wolverines’ attack had picked up, forcing San Clemente and goalie Andrew Cuchessi to defend with whatever it took. Cuchessi made a leaping save early in the second half, deflecting a shot over the crossbar and saving a goal. But the test was only beginning. The Wolverines earned a throw in deep in San Clemente territory four minutes later. Cuchessi came out on the throw, but the ball came free. He fell down scrambling back to the goal, leaving Aliso a prime chance. The shot was deflected, however, and on the rebound, Cuchessi dove to deflect another try. Another shot at point blank range came off that rebound, but two Tritons slid at the goal line and deflected the shot away, where it was finally cleared. “I don’t even know what happened,” Cuchessi said. “I came out to deflect it and then got tripped going back to the goal. It came back in, but we got it out. A minute later Aliso had a corner kick, and again the Tritons thwarted a golden look. Off the kick, Aliso shot near post, but Zack Miller headed the ball out, saving the goal and preserving the lead. Aliso kept the pressure up, getting three more corner kicks and two free kicks close to the box the rest of the way. All were turned back. “We kept our heads in the game,” Cuchessi said. “We played the whole game. We just kept playing. The whole team played excellent.”Both teams have one remaining league game to either claim the league outright, share it, or give it away. Then it’s off to CIF.
