Brazil 3-1 Croatia - Hosts Lucky To Escape With Victory

The 2014 World Cup got off to a somewhat predictable start, with the plucky underdogs of Croatia being cast aside by the right-at-home juggernaut that is Brazil. Well, sort of. The first half was an even affair, with Brazil enjoying the greater possession, but Croatia providing a considerable threat on the counter attack.

The opening goal for Croatia wasn't a total shock, based on the opening proceedings. The eventually tireless Oscar was proving wasteful early on, leading to the chequered stripes finding joy down Brazil's right flank. Ivica Olic, the work-horse recently linked with Stoke, broke free down the left and sent a teasing cross where a mishit shot from Nikica Jelavic found its way to goal via a key deflection off Marcelo. David Luiz was also at fault for allowing Jelavic to even make contact, but Marcelo will go down in history as the first Brazilian ever to score an own-goal in a World Cup.

Thankfully for him, the luck evened itself out, as every Brazil goal had an element of good fortune about it, depending on which side you were rooting for. Neymar was arguably lucky to remain on the pitch after losing control of his arm, allowing it to slam into Luka Modric's face in the midst of a jostle for a header. Minutes later, he had found himself space for a shot, which he very slightly mishit yet still gave it the accuracy to beat the Croatia keeper Stipe Pletikosa, who could perhaps have done better.

The remainder of the first half played out with Brazil enjoying possession, and Croatia happy to hang on for the break. The second half continued in this vein, although as the action wore on, the Europeans were growing more and more assured. Cue of course an unexpected and undeserved penalty. Fred went down under the slightest touch from Croat defender Dejan Lovren and gave Neymar the opportunity to score his 33rd Brazil goal, still at the tender age of 22. And score he did, despite Pletikosa getting more than a decent hand to it after a stuttered run-up. Two arguably fortunate goals and Brazil were on the way to victory.

Olic's arguably soft challenge on Julio Cesar was what stopped what looked like a perfectly good equaliser, as Croatia began to up the ante. Croatia had shown flashes of potential throughout the game, with Modric and Ivan Rakitic, the new Barcelona recruit, causing the Brazil defence a number of problems. David Luiz made a number of key interceptions and tackles, and Luis Gustavo put in a warrior-like shift in front of the back four, but Ivan Perisic was a brilliant Julio Cesar save away from rescuing a deserved point for Croatia.

Instead, as stoppage time began, Brazil went straight up the other end, with Oscar making another one of his lung-bursting runs before toe-poking a hopeful yet well-placed effort inexplicably beyond Pletikosa, who should have dealt with it.

So 3-1 it ended, and with Neymar lucky to remain on the pitch, Brazil can see themselves lucky to have chalked up their first win. Other than lively substitute Bernard, an admittedly hard-working side was somewhat blunt in attack. Croatia, were it not for some strange referee decisions and some slow goalkeeping reactions, could have earnt at least a point. On this evidence they will surely progress, with Mexico and Cameroon still to play, but there is now little room for error.

Brazil on the other hand can already consider themselves with one foot in the last 16, as Neymar staked an early claim for both the player of the tournament and the golden boot.

Wenger Could Be Gone Whatever The Outcome Today.

The last great dynasty in the Premier League era is that of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. The nine years since a trophy is immaterial - the Frenchman has kept the Gunners part of the Champions League furniture, while recent winners such as Liverpool and Man United have tumbled from their top four perches. Arsenal have kept solid and stable, and let's not forget that one great 'Invincibles' season.

Wenger will go down as one of the all-time greats when he retires, so why the criticism? Those nine barren years have been marked by seemingly constant rumours of him resigning/being sacked/retiring completely, and Arsenal fans are missing that feeling of seeing their captains lifting a trophy in triumph. They look down the road and see Chelsea's revolving door policy of hiring and firing the world's best coaches. The Blues may be lacking in patience, but they are not lacking in trophies. Who could blame Arsenal fans for wanting to see if the grass is greener?

Should Arsenal see Hull off in this evening's FA Cup final, it may yet be the perfect time for Wenger to step down. His mainly happy time in London could end on a high note, and his legacy could be framed in the best possible way. Sir Alex Ferguson knew the value of bowing out a the top, and while Mesut Ozil hasn't had the 'Van Persie effect' they had hoped, the £40m spent was evidence of Wenger himself getting frustrated with the lack of quantifiable success.

Wenger will also be wary of the future. Even in the glow of victory, the pressure would be on Arsenal to kick on next season. To prove that the cup win wasn't a fluke. To prove that they can properly challenge for the Premier League, in a way that Liverpool did this season. He may yet put his feet up and reflect on a job at least partially well done.

Should the Tigers spring the season's latest shock and snatch the trophy themselves, it is difficult to see Wenger staying on. He is right to delay the signing of a proposed new deal. Options will be kept open on both sides.

Why Tim Sherwood Is The Main Winner Of Spurs' Season.

As Tim Sherwood gave his thoughts over ITV's coverage of last night's Europa League final, you heard the satisfied tone of someone who wouldn't change a thing about the last six months. A man who knew what he was getting himself into, knew he would be sacked before the year was out, and knew he would actually be more employable at the end of the line.

How many managers at Championship level, which is where Sherwood will inevitably end up, can say they have managed in European competition? Very few. He is already right at the top of many wish-lists I'm sure. Before Spurs handed him a permanent contract, many chairmen would be a bit wary of the unknown if considering Sherwood for their club. Whether this is accurate or not, he now gives the impression of carefree attacking throwback football, which always attempts to outscore the opposition. Remember that opening bout against Southampton where he selected four attacking midfielders, two strikers, and came back with three points? That's what most top brass will think of when Tim's CV drops onto their desk.

Spurs fans will tell you that Sherwood lacked a real style of play, that he basically put his best players on the field and prayed for a bit of inspiration or magic. Fortunately for him, Emmanuel Adebayor and Christian Eriksen provided that magic. But even that supposed reliance on Adebayor makes Sherwood look good, as he was the one who brought the Togo man out from the cold, after Andre Villas-Boas' ill-fated tenure. AVB also got much less out of Eriksen than Sherwood did. There is a place for Sherwood in the managerial jungle, and his time as 'supply teacher' at White Hart Lane has done more for him than six months at a lower league side.

Sherwood is a man who thrives on attention, and in Spurs' car-crash of a season, he walks away unscathed, with an un-bettered win percentage, and a lot of sympathy. He was never going to get them into the top four, and to be honest, given time, Villas-Boas would have proved a better long-term bet. Both are now history though, and arguably better off.

Giggs Will Learn From The Best In Van Gaal

It is perhaps fortunate for Manchester United as a club that Ryan Giggs did not sweep all before him in his four games in charge. Three home games against relegation strugglers, in addition to an away trip to an admittedly fine Southampton side with nothing to play for, are not the criteria by which to judge a potential United boss, in the same way that David Moyes' winless away record against the top four should have been used to judge his own suitability.

After the 4-0 win against Norwich in his debut game, the calls for Giggs to be given the top job were growing. The big bad Scotch grump had been chased out of town and now was the time for a real (Welsh) Manc to show the true spirit and winning mentality of Old Trafford's Theatre Of Dreams. The subsequent home slip-up to Sunderland was as close to a blessing in disguise as a defeat can possibly be. It confirmed, to those who needed reminding, that Man United remained a football club, like any other, who simply needed a proven manager with a track record of winning that the supporters could get behind; not the flimsy fairytale of an unproven legend.

The aformentioned proven manager looks like being Louis van Gaal. Unlike David Moyes, a man who threw a fit of insecurity in completely re-shaping the club's backroom staff (as if he needed to prove to everyone that the Everton 'way' could really be replicated at the very top level), the Dutchman is attempting to harness what remains of the Fergie legacy by holding discussions with Giggs regarding the assistant manager's job. It is Darwin's Theory Of Evolution, not Revolution, and van Gaal will treat what Sir Alex left behind with care.

His appointment of Giggs will also be a shrewd political manouvere, as it will neutralise any threat (small as it is) that the Welshman will pose for the managerial position in the future. Not only that, but to be assistant manager at a club like Man United is a more prestigous position than most top jobs elsewhere. Just ask Carlos Queiroz, who walked straight into the Real Madrid job via Sir Alex's right hand. Giggs' time spent learning from such a decorated man as the former Barcelona coach van Gaal, will prove vital to his future managerial career, wherever that may be.

We can only breathe a sigh of relief that United didn't go down the Sherwood route, as no matter how amusing last season's fall from grace was, it is a shame to see a good legacy be ripped up. Careful rebuilding is required, and after Holland's Euro campaign, van Gaal will get to work on his toughest job yet.

Local Author Remembers Racing Legend Senna.

Belfast-born writer Richard Craig, author of ‘Ayrton Senna – The Messiah Of Motor Racing’, has offered his tributes to the late Brazilian Formula One driver. This month marks twenty years since Senna and Roland Ratzenberger lost their lives at Imola in separate tragic accidents.

While Craig acknowledged Senna is always going to be talked about more than Ratzenberger, he called the equal respect shown to both drivers “heart-warming.”

Craig said, “At the end of the day, status should not come into it. They were both men of the same age killed doing the same job.”

Craig, 30, attended Sullivan Upper School in Holywood, before studying Law at Queens University Belfast and then a Creative Writing Masters in London. Here he began work on his Senna book.

“I was very lucky in that I didn’t decide to do it, as such. What happened was that I went to see the ‘Senna’ film with my girlfriend but, instead of being enraptured by it, found myself being slightly irked at the way Senna was portrayed.

“I decided, like all good keyboard warriors, to let the world know of my opinions via my blog. Incredibly, Darton Longman and Todd (the publisher) found what I’d written and offered me a book deal. I didn’t need asked twice!”

Craig’s impressive amount of research – he was only 11 at the time of Senna’s death – allowed him to shed light on the racer’s off-track character. Senna’s ruthless pursuit of championship points was balanced by the spiritual and loving persona that his family knew:

“He loved his family. He was a loyal friend to the few that were allowed into his circle of trust. He gave a lot to charity and he actually had a pretty keen sense of humour under all those layers of self-imposed reserve.”

Craig’s most memorable Senna moment actually came in August 1983, a couple of months after his own birth, from Senna’s days in Formula Three, at Oulton Park.

“He was in second place right behind Martin Brundle when he decided to try and overtake, from miles back, when there was simply no room. His car ended up on top of Brundle’s - but the first thing Senna did was to peer over the side of his car to see if his rival was still in one piece!”

Sadly for Senna, his sudden demise will always be remembered most, and Imola 1994 will always lead to solemn reflection, both for his own friends and family, and those of Ratsenberger.

Moyes Departure Leaves United At A Crossroads.

The David Moyes era (does ten months count as an era?) came to a sticky end at the hands of his former Toffees. In the most cruel of ways, the return to his old comfort zone coincided with the arrival at boiling point of the pressures he had been under since taking on the formidable task of replacing Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United boss.

The display he presided over was all the more hard to swallow, given that he was just beginning to show signs of adapting to the Man United way (at least in his team selection, maybe not in tactics). Juan Mata and Shinji Kagawa were starting to strike up an understanding, and the recent 4-0 romp over Newcastle also saw Adnan Januzaj deployed to complete an exciting attacking midfield trio.

Yet at Goodison Park, United were lethargic, lacking in movement, and worst of all, utterly beaten once going a goal down. Moyes' side had a good record after taking the lead, but have been hopeless at rescuing lost causes, Olympiakos over two legs aside.

Most significantly of all, the Everton defeat left Champions League football out of reach, and even a Europa League slot looking unlikely. The final confirmation of United's downfall proved to be the same for Moyes, as he paid the price for a slump of alarming speed. Truthfully, the damage was done in the most harrowing of winters. Cup defeats to Swansea, Sunderland, both at home, plus the Stamford Bridge hammering, were signs that Moyes was losing support fast.

With Moyes now consigned to history, perhaps this is now the time to finally move on from the past. In the cack-handed way that United handled his departure, they suddenly resembled almost every other Premier League club in recent memory. Chelsea, Spurs, and Man City all have managerial fiascos to be ashamed of, yet the 26-year reign of Fergie was held up almost as a beacon to be learnt from. The moral high-ground lay resolutely at Old Trafford, but it is easy to act high and mighty when you have someone like Fergie in charge. Had he retired in 2002, as he threatened to, United may yet have turned out as unstable and as volatile a proposition as Chelsea and City have proved to be.

Now the soon-to-be-deposed champions must adapt to life in the wilderness. They must no longer crave stability for the sake of it. They must find a manager worthy of sticking with. Admirable as Moyes' achievements at Everton were, they were in a completely different environment, and he quickly proved unable to match the expectations of the board and fans. He may have been working with a weaker squad than last season suggested, but there are many managers out there who would have made a better fist of it. It is hard to imagine Mourinho, Guardiola, or Klopp, spending £70m on a Chelsea misfit and Fellani.

Moyes may have got it right, given time. Yet the same could be said of any failed manager at any level. Roy Hodgson may yet have turned around his fortunes at Liverpool, but what further damage could have been done before then? In today's short-term and media-driven football world, a point of no return is sadly reached much quicker than it used to be. The only thing to save a manager is results, and as long as there are league tables, we will continue to see half the managers get sacked each season. Eventually, only the table-topping coaches will survive, and even then there will be discontent if they don't score 100 goals in the process.

Who would be a football manager? The pay-offs may be lucrative, but is it worth the endless bashing? One thing is for sure, only Van Gaal, Guardiola, Mourinho, or Klopp will satisfy an Old Trafford crowd crying out for some strong leadership. The ship is off course, but as Liverpool have demonstrated this year, any drifting vessel can be turned around through one inspirational captain. One can only hope Moyes finds one small enough for him to handle. There are a number of bottom-half clubs who are probably rubbing their hands in glee at the Scot's availability.

It was an opportunity he couldn't turn down, but the past must be laid to rest. So too must Fergie's involvement in club affairs at Old Trafford. There is a place for him in an ambassadorial level, for sure, but any new manager can have nothing to do with the old legend. Moyes is no shrinking violet, but as the image of Giggs, Scholes, Butt, and Phil Neville taking today's training session shows, there is just too much baggage as it is.

The next move remains fascinating. Who will United turn to next?

Manchester United 1-1 Bayern Munich

Manchester United's European hopes remain alive going into the away leg against Bayern Munich after a gutsy 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

 Nemanja Vidic raised hopes of an unlikely victory with a 58th minute header, but that lead only lasted nine minutes, with Bastian Schweinsteiger sweeping home on the half-volley.The German then harshly saw red in the final minute of normal time, receiving a second yellow for a challenge that Wayne Rooney made more than a meal of. He will join Javi Martinez on the sidelines for the return leg, after the makeshift defender saw a yellow card that triggers suspension.

The first half played out how many predicted it would, minus the expected boat-load of Bayern Munich goals. The away side, like many at the home of the soon-to-be-unseated Premier League champions, enjoyed the bulk of possession, with their share reaching an eye-watering 79% for the first half. Despite that, David De Gea only had one strenuous save to make, with a fine diving stop from an Arjen Robben effort keeping the score at 0-0.

As the half wore on, while Bayern remained camped in the United half, the home side were occasionally dangerous on the counter attack. Danny Welbeck had already seen a third-minute goal disallowed, somewhat harshly for a high foot, but he had another chance to open the scoring. Clean through on goal, he tried an optimistic chip over Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer when he should have merely slotted it past the on-rushing keeper.

In reality, the away side never got out of second gear, happy to patiently probe at a timid United side, but beleagured boss David Moyes smelt blood, sending Shinji Kagawa on for the aged Ryan Giggs. While Kagawa had little influence on the game as a whole, there was a greater intensity about the home side, and Vidic's guided header from a Rooney corner was on balance deserved.

Any side that is already Bundesliga champions for the season, not to mention the Champions League holders, always has something in their locker however, and Schweinsteiger's equaliser from Mario Mandzukic's knock-down should not be begrudged. Man United would have been lucky to see out the game without conceding, but Moyes will be thrilled to have avoided defeat in this toughest of European tests.

For United to operate on the counter was entirely understandable, and some would argue that this was Moyes in his comfort zone, as the home side were expected to play in their shell, but there can be few complaints with the overall display.

Bayern Munich undoubtedly had complaints about the refereeing display, as they felt Antonio Valencia should have been sent off for an admittedly dicey challenge. The referee Carlos Velasco Carballo saw it as a 50/50 coming-together, but for Schweinsteiger to then be sent off for a challenge that had the strong whiff of a Rooney dive would have stuck in the German craws a bit.

Man United must play with more adventure in Munich, as the away goal they conceded will prove their un-doing if things remain the same, but the more resigned and pessimistic among the Old Trafford support will be grateful to still be competitive. This Man United season isn't over just yet.