Manchester City's defenders are not working well, fumes Mancini

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini expressed frustration after seeing his side twice lose the lead before going down 4-2 toAston Villa in the League Cup third round on Tuesday evening.

The hosts twice got themselves in front only to be pulled level on both occasions, before extra time goals from Gabriel Agbonlahor and Charles N'Zogbia gave the Villans a shock win.

Mancini had recently seen his side surrender a lead late on against Real Madrid in the Champions League and underlined his concern at the worrying trend.

"This [conceding goals and throwing away leads] is a problem, we need to work with our defenders because they are not working well at this moment," he told reporters. "I am disappointed for the result. I think it was a difficult match because Aston Villa are a good team, we didn’t play well. We had one unlucky moment because we had chance to score but conceded a goal.

"I think we made some mistakes with their goals, but at the end of the day they deserved to go through. We didn’t play well, and our play is not quick. We want to take a touch more every time."

The Italian also hit out at opposition manager Paul Lambert after the Scot angrily reacted to his opposite number calling for a Villa player to be booked.

"I am tired of this manager because I didn’t say nothing to him, I only asked [the fourth official] if it was a yellow card without moving my hands," he added. "And sometime after this manager goes to a big stadium and the other manager doesn’t say anything and they don’t say nothing. I am tired of it, very tired."

Lambert on the other hand was delighted with the victory, saying: "It’s a massive result for us, really huge. 

"I think we never deserved to go a goal behind but we did well to come from behind, not just once but twice and to go and win the game is a huge effort for us. I’m delighted with the way we played."

After being told what Mancini had said regarding their clash, the 43-year-old replied: "If that’s what he said [that he was just talking to the fourth official] then fine, I respect him as a manager and as an ex-player. I don’t have a problem [with him]."

Arsenal Earns a Point After 1-1 Draw with Man City: Fan's Take

It's hard to feel good or bad about the outcome of this competitive match. The Gunners came away from Etihad Stadium with a point after Laurent Koscielny hit a late equalizer against defending champions Manchester City. Arsenal struggled to find a way to goal, but with eight minutes from stoppage time, the most unlikely of heroes, Koscielny, hit a relentless goal making it a 1-1 final.

Manchester City looked out of rhythm through the entire contest. The Gunners had a much stronger first half but couldn't do anything with their dominance. Arsenal was dangerous with their quick carving through City's midfield. Arsenal might have found itself ahead if Gervinho hadn't of mishandled the ball as he ran on toAaron Ramsey's through ball. It was a huge opportunity that City gave them that they failed to score on.

A draw isn't totally unsatisfying, especially against a top team like City, except Arsenal could've really won this match if they had played as good in the second half as they did in the first. They found the back of the goal late in the second half, but there were missed chances in the first that made it frustrating to watch.

At times in the second half Arsenal looked like they were just passing the ball around efficiently without a care in the world. Joe Hart had his best save of the day when Santi Cazorla attempted a fine shot from the edge of the box.

Arsene Wenger said on Saturday, "Tomorrow will just tell you how strong we are at the moment. It is the beginning of the championship and you know that this game can have a big influence on the belief of both teams, so who will have the upper hand has a psychological advantage."

I don't know what Wenger can learn about his club from a draw, but leaving Etihad with a draw is a small victory. No manager can really complain about a squad that has only given up two goals and has zero loses this season.

After the match, Roberto Mancini was upset that his side lacked concentration to kill games off. It's something City has had trouble with all season. If they keep it up, the chance of them becoming repeatPremier League champions becomes less likely.

In a very classy move, Arsenal and City players wore black armbands to remember Greater Manchester Police officers Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, who were killed on Tuesday.

Schwarzer hails 'excellent' Fulham teammate Berbatov

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has hailed the quality of recent arrival Dimitar Berbatov, expressing delight with the speed at which the striker has settled into life at the club. 

Berbatov has enjoyed an impressive opening to his career with the Cottagers, having scored twice in two Premier League starts. Schwarzer singled out the forward, who joined from Manchester United on deadline day, as the club's star signing.

He told the club's official website: “Dimitar Berbatov is an excellent player, everyone knows what a great player he is and he’s been excellent for us since the day he arrived. He’s a top pro who is happy to help out the young boys and I think he’s a massive plus for us and we’ve seen that in the games he’s played.

“When you’ve got new players added to the squad, it’s always important to have that core of a team that have the experience and know what it’s like to play for Fulham Football Club. I think the players that have come into the club have done extremely well."

The veteran goalkeeper was also keen to deflect attention from his own solid performance during Saturday's 2-1 win at Wigan, praising his teammates' contributions.

“It was a really good away performance from us,” Schwarzer said. “We started the game very well and were a little bit disappointed that we weren’t a couple more goals up at halftime. We started a bit sluggish in the second half, but we worked really hard and then scored the second goal.

"You just do your job. You know going away from home that you’re going to be under pressure, and I just get on with it and play my game and as a team we got the result, which is the main thing.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's unhappiness may stem from a move Real Madrid didn't make

 Ronaldo's recent bizarre behavior may be caused because the Real Madrid star is jealous of the support fierce rival Lionel Messi receives from Barcelona.

Ronaldo has been in outstanding form to start the new season but his antics have become increasingly odd, first refusing to celebrate either of his goals against Grenada last weekend, then speaking of his sadness and dissatisfaction with the employer who pays him $15 million per season.

Countless reasons for his gloom have been speculated upon, with one of the most popular theories being that Ronaldo has been angered by Madrid stalling on offering him a blockbuster new contract, a suggestion that was rubbished by the player and his agent, Jorge Mendes.

Other theories included a report that the 27-year-old was suffering from depression, or that he was dissatisfied at the way his friend and teammate Kaka was being relegated to a secondary role within the club.

However, according to a source close to Ronaldo, the real factor behind his unhappiness lies with Madrid's activity during the summer transfer window, which closed at the end of last month.

While the club did bring in Luka Modric and Michael Essien just before the transfer deadline, the source claimed Ronaldo had strongly urged the Spanish side's ownership to acquire "a specific player"  the source did not name.

"There was one guy who Cristiano wanted more than anyone, someone who would give him some help and make him more productive and protected," said the source. "They did not do the deal. When you look at how Barcelona signs players, it is to support and complement Messi. Can you say the same about Madrid with a straight face? It is a problem."

[Related: Alex Ferguson wants Usain Bolt to play in charity match ]

Just as it is hard to fault Madrid's transfer policy this summer – Croatian midfielder Modric is a superb creative talent and Essien, if healthy, can add steel and poise – it is difficult to think of an available player that would fit the kind of requirements Ronaldo was apparently looking for.

Madrid had some interest in prolific striker Robin Van Persie early in the summer but did not put up too much of a fight when the Dutchman left Arsenal to sign with Manchester United. In any case, a player like Van Persie, with his high scoring rate, would surely only have taken some of the spotlight away from Ronaldo.

The rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi has intensified over the past two seasons and Ronaldo is often irked by comparisons between the men that cast him in a less than favorable light.

"I am sad," Ronaldo said after his team's 3-0 victory over Grenada on Sunday. "When I don't celebrate goals it is because I'm not happy. It is a professional thing. Real Madrid know why I am not happy."

Another factor cited for Ronaldo's unhappiness in the Spanish media was that Barcelona's Andres Iniesta won the European player of the year award ahead of him, although Ronaldo again dismissed those claims. Iniesta, the small but clever midfielder with a sharp soccer mind and quick feet, deserved the accolade for his efforts not only for Barcelona but also the victorious Spain Euro 2012 squad.

The puzzling thing about Ronaldo's much-publicized problems is that he has rarely looked better on the field. He scored a brilliant goal to beat Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup and seems to have recovered from the disappointment of Portugal's quarterfinal exit in Euro 2012.

All this leads to the burning suspicion that perhaps he just wants a bit more attention.

"Cristiano doesn't need to be loved," added the source. "He just needs to be supported."

In reality, he most likely wants both.

Pia Sundhage wasn't born in the USA, but she leaves an American legend

Such is the normalcy and humility of Pia Sundhage that at no point do you feel you are in the presence of a living legend.

But while Sundhage, who left her position atUnited States women's head coach this week to return to her native Sweden, is quirky and funny and, by her own admission, ever so slightly crazy, she also without any doubt deserves a place among her sport's all-time coaching greats.

The reality that women's soccer attracts a far smaller audience than its male counterpart is the only reason why the 52-year-old from a small Swedish town where girls weren't supposed to play a "boy's game" is not routinely mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Vicente del Bosque.

And while stars such as Abby Wambach, Hope Solo and new pin-up Alex Morgan have grabbed the headlines, Sundhage deserves enormous credit for how she kept this program at the forefront of the international game during the most competitive era in women's soccer history.

The players knew it, too. Following her final game, a 6-2 thumping of Australia in an exhibition Wednesday night, they gave Sundhage a specially made guitar they all signed. It was appropriate for a coach who would routinely bursts into song in the locker room or team hotel, and sometimes in press conferences, too.

When Sundhage took over in late 2007, there was something of a crisis in the camp. The Women's World Cup campaign had been an unmitigated disaster, with a crushing defeat to Brazil in the semifinal, following in quick succession by Solo's unwise television rant and the dismissal of coach Greg Ryan.

And while Solo should have probably kept quiet and Ryan just didn't seem to understand the strengths (or weaknesses) of his team particularly well, the biggest problem was that the world was getting better.

Brazil, Germany, Japan and the swathe of other countries were finally giving women's soccer the attention it deserved and standards were rising dramatically. No longer could the machine of the NCAA college system be enough to guarantee a stream of talent of sufficient strength to hold off a global challenge.

Sundhage came in like a breath of fresh air and got her players motivated and hungry. Before long she had them celebrating an Olympic gold medal from Beijing, despite losing the first game of the tournament to Norway and having to cope without the injured Wambach.

"She is the ultimate professional as a coach," striker Heather O'Reilly told Yahoo! Sports this summer. "But she also makes sure it is all a lot of fun."

Sundhage's persona is immensely likable and it was reflected in a group of players who are widely loved in the United States, even if they operate under the radar at most times except for Olympics or World Cups.

The team's run to the World Cup final in 2011, courtesy of Wambach's incredible late equalizer in the quarterfinal against Brazil, was proof of how quickly and how emphatically the side could grab the national attention. Defeat to Japan in the final brought heartbreak, but also a steely determination to go one better in London.

That goal, held dear by Sundhage and her charges for a year, was duly accomplished at Wembley Stadium – a summer night in the British capital where the coach celebrated victory by leaping into the stands to rejoice with fans and loved ones.

The song that blared over the stadium sound system was a Bruce Springsteen number and Sundhage belted it out at the top of her voice while strumming away on an air guitar. Born in the USA she may not have been, but she gave her heart and soul to the national team for five years, and is worthy of her place in history.

John Terry retires from international play rather than face racism hearing

For someone with a litany of shame as long as John Terry's, it should come as no surprise that the England defender should end his international career by walking out on his country.

Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand, left, is marked by Chelsea's John Terry. (AP)Terry announced on Sunday night he would no longer make himself available for England national team duty, citing an impending disciplinary hearing related to allegations of racist abuse directed at an opposing player last season.

While a British court cleared Terry of criminal charges over his verbal clash with Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand, English soccer's governing body, The Football Association, ordered its own inquest into the events that took place during QPR's 1-0 victory over Terry's Chelsea last October.

"I am today announcing my retirement from international football," Terry said in a statement.

"I am making this statement today in advance of the hearing of the FA disciplinary charge because I feel the FA, in pursuing charges against me where I have already been cleared in a court of law, have made my position with the national team untenable."

Yet as much as Terry tries to portray himself as the victim in this matter, it is unlikely his words or actions will generate any sympathy from an English soccer public that long-since grew tired of the wayward antics of the game's millionaire superstar.

It was back in 2001 when it first became apparent that Terry might be a player with an unseemly side to him when he and three Chelsea teammates partied noisily and drunkenly at a bar near London's Heathrow Airport while distraught American tourists watched footage of the 9/11 tragedy just feet away.

The 31-year-old was embroiled in fresh controversy in early 2010 when he launched a failed attempt to prevent tabloid newspapers from revealing the details of his alleged affair with the mother of friend and colleague Wayne Bridge's child.

While Terry's behavior has become regarded as symptomatic of the problems involving today's young soccer stars and their celebrity lifestyle, supporters of the national team were prepared to lay their personal feelings aside for as long as he shined for England. Terry was stripped of the England captaincy in the wake of the Ferdinand saga, an FA decision that led to the resignation of former national team head coach Fabio Capello, but he still played a valuable role as the side progressed to the quarterfinal of this summer's Euro 2012.

Regardless of what charge or punishment the FA may have imposed, it is hard to see much justification for Terry's announcement, and aside from a few Chelsea fans who will defend his honor no matter what, this move will only further entrench his status as English soccer's most hated figure.

However, anyone who expects Terry's on-field performances to be affected by the furor surrounding him may be in for a shock. Terry has suffered disappointment as a player, missing the penalty kick that would have given Chelsea the Champion's League title in 2008, then missing out on his team's 2012 triumph through suspension after a needless red card in the semifinal. But in many cases Terry's play has been utterly unaffected even when the criticism and controversy were at their most fervent.

With Chelsea seeking to mount a serious challenge for the English Premier League title and to strongly defend its Champion's League Crown, Terry's influence will be more vital than ever even as the latest storm clouds circle around him. England, meanwhile, has lost the player who has been a stalwart member of the defense for nearly a decade. Given the baggage that comes with Terry, however, it may feel it is better off without him.

Ba double earns Newcastle draw at Everton

LONDON (Reuters) - Newcastle United striker Demba Ba struck in the last minute to salvage a 2-2 draw with Everton in a pulsatingPremier League match at Goodison Park on Monday.

Everton looked to have sealed all three points when Victor Anichebeturned neatly to crack a low shot past Tim Howard with two minutes left but Ba's clever finish earned a point for his team.

Everton dominated the first half and led thanks to a fine goal by England left back Leighton Baines before Newcastle equalised just after the interval through halftime substitute Ba.

Everton climbed to seventh in the standings on seven points from four games with Newcastle two points back in 11th.

"I never set up my team to get a draw and in the second half we showed what we are all about," Newcastle manager Alan Pardewtold Sky Sports.

"I was proud of the second half because we were terrific, but the first half we lacked belief and I was shocked at how we played.

"Fortunately we've got good players and not many teams would come back and respond in the way we did so all credit to the players for that. At halftime I put some belief in the team, sometimes that's all you need."

Everton went ahead in the 15th minute when Baines combined brilliantly with Steven Pienaar before drilling a firm left-foot cross shot past goalkeeper Steve Harper.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew responded by sending on Ba and the move paid immediate dividends when the striker ran on to a beautifully weighted pass from Yohan Cabaye and struck a firm angled left-shoot shot past Tim Howard.

Pienaar was again the creative spark as Everton almost took the lead again but Marouane Fellaini was adjudged narrowly offside after clipping in the South African midfielder's clever pass.

Everton were also denied a goal after 78 minutes when Anichebe's close-range header was tipped on to the underside of the crossbar by Harper and appeared to bounce down over the line before being cleared.

Anichebe then controlled Pienaar's pass and lashed a fierce shot into the corner of the net before Ba prodded Shola Ameobi's chested flick-on past Howard in a dramatic end to the game.

"We played well, we thought we had other goals in the game but for some reason or not they weren't given," Everton manager David Moyes said.

"I thought we deserved the win, sometimes you need decisions to go your way but they didn't go for us tonight. I felt we should have taken all three points."

Chelsea lead the Premier League standings after four matches with 10 points following their 0-0 draw at Queen's Park Rangers on Saturday.

Manchester United climbed to second with a 4-0 rout of Wigan Athletic and Arsenal are third after thrashing Southampton 6-1.

Champions Manchester City are fourth following a 1-1 draw at Stoke City.

Cameroon suspend French coach Lavagne

YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Cameroon have suspended French coach Denis Lavagne, less than a year after he took the helm of the national soccer team, following an embarrassing defeat to lowly-ranked Cape Verde, Cameroon's state television said on Thursday.

Cameroon, four-times winners of the African Nations Cup, are in danger of missing out on a place at the next finals in South Africa after losing 2-0 to the tiny Atlantic archipelago nation in Praia on Saturday, in the first leg of the final round of qualifiers.

Lavagne had been suspended with full pay until the end of his contract in October, the television said.

Jean Paul Akono, who led Cameroon's squad to Olympic gold in Sydney 2000, has been appointed as interim coach, with Martin Ntoungou Mpile as assistant.

The appointment is Akono's second stint as head coach of the team after briefly holding the position from 2000 to 2001.

Cameroon, who host the Cape Verdians on October 13 and have long been one of the dominant forces in African football, missed out on the last Nations Cup.

They were the first African country to reach the World Cup quarter-finals and won Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000.

However, instability at the helm of the team - 11 different coaches have been in charge since Akono was removed in 2001 - has been accompanied by a long stretch of poor form.

Administrative bungles have prompted players to strike over pay and led to key players being suspended. Striker Samuel Eto'o last month declined to make a comeback for the team after an eight-month suspension because of what he called "amateurish and bad management".

Angry fans demonstrated outside the offices of Cameroon's football federation after the defeat to Cape Verde, prompting authorities to deploy police and military personnel.

UK's Cameron apologizes for 1989 soccer stadium disaster

LIVERPOOL (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday he was "profoundly sorry" for failures and cover-ups in the wake of the 1989 Hillsborough soccer disaster in which 96 spectators died after a crowd crush in the stadium.

Attempts by the police to defect the blame for Britain's worst sporting disaster onto Liverpool fans to cover up their own flawed response and the dangers of an outdated stadium amounted to a "double injustice", he said.

The victims died in an overcrowded fenced-in enclosure at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, northern England, a tragedy that changed the face of English soccer and ushered in a new era of modern, all-seated venues.

Britain was shocked by harrowing images of young fans crushed against metal fences, bodies lying on the pitch and spectators using wooden advertising hoardings as makeshift stretchers on a warm spring afternoon.

The Conservative Party leader spoke after the release of an independent panel's investigation into the deaths that said police had sought to blame the Liverpool fans, portraying them as aggressive, drunk and ticketless and bent on packing into the already crowded stadium.

Speaking in parliament, Cameron called the disaster "one of the greatest peacetime tragedies of the last century" and acknowledged that the report would be harrowing for relatives of the deceased.

"It was wrong that the families have had to wait for so long - and fight so hard - just to get to the truth," he said. "And it was wrong that the police changed the records of what happened and tried to blame the fans.

"On behalf of the government, and indeed our country, I am profoundly sorry for this double injustice that has been left uncorrected for so long."

Three relatives of the victims fainted when they heard that the panel put forward evidence of a cover-up, apparently vindicating their 23-year campaign to find "Justice for the 96".

"There were two disasters at Hillsborough - one on the day and one afterwards," said Trevor Hicks, who lost two daughters in the disaster. "There was a contrived, manipulated, vengeful and spiteful attempt to divert the blame."

The independent panel, set up in 2010 by the last Labour government to examine all the public paperwork relating to the tragedy, concluded that it could have been avoided, more lives could have been saved and the police response was flawed.

"There were clear operational failures in response to the disaster and in its aftermath there were strenuous attempts to deflect the blame onto the fans," it said.

Senior police edited their officers' witness statements from the day to paint them in a less damaging light, the report said. South Yorkshire Police removed negative comments from 116 out of 164 police statements.

'CONCERTED CONSPIRACY'

Barrister Michael Mansfield, who helped the victims' families, said he believed the police's behavior was part of the biggest cover-up in British legal history and the report could lead to prosecutions within months.

"The system failed miserably," Mansfield said in a news conference at Liverpool's imposing Church of England cathedral.

Former Labour justice secretary Charles Falconer said the report showed a "concerted conspiracy to withhold the truth by public bodies", while Liverpool Football Club chairman Tom Werner said "the world has heard the real truth about what happened".

South Yorkshire Police said "grave errors had been made".

"I am shocked by it and so are my senior people. If people are shown to have acted criminally, then they should face prosecution," Chief Constable David Crompton told the BBC.

While inquiries found hooliganism played no part in the disaster, the police crowd management plan was preoccupied with preventing disorder, the report said.

Liverpool fans had been tainted by the Heysel stadium disaster in Belgium in 1985. Fighting inside that stadium led to Juventus fans being crushed against a wall that collapsed. Six Liverpool fans and 33 supporters of the Italian team died.

The real danger at Hillsborough lay in the emergency services' poor planning and a stadium that failed to meet minimum safety standards, the report said.

Its capacity was overstated and previous crushes at Hillsborough had been ignored.

The disaster is still an open wound in Liverpool, the port city of nearly half a million people that is passionate about soccer and has fielded great players like Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard.

FAMILIES INCENSED

All the victims during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, held at the neutral ground of Sheffield Wednesday, were Liverpool supporters.

The press secretary of then Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher incensed families by blaming the disaster on a "tanked-up mob".

The report found no reason for the coroner's decision to take blood alcohol samples from all of the victims, including children.

"The pattern of alcohol consumption among those who died was unremarkable," the report said. "The weight placed on alcohol levels was ... inappropriate and misleading."

The disaster was also one of the low points for Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper group, currently reeling from a phone hacking scandal that has led to criminal charges against former senior executives and reporters.

Many in Liverpool still boycott Murdoch's newspapers after the top-selling Sun accused their fans of stealing from the dying, urinating on policemen and beating up an officer giving the kiss of life. On Wednesday, Kelvin Mackenzie, the editor who published those false allegations, issued an apology.

Relatives rejected his comments as "too little, too late" and began a news conference by asking any journalists from the Sun to leave the room.

World Cup in Brazil would be extra special for Spain

(Reuters) - The chance to feature at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is an extra motivation for Spain's veteran players, said coach Vicente del Bosque on the eve of their first qualifying match in Georgia.

Spain's haul of two European Championship titles and one World Cup trophy in the last four years means they have eclipsed Brazil as the team to beat but the South Americans still hold a special place in the heart of most footballers.

"It's a great incentive to be there (Brazil)," Del Bosque told a news conference on Monday.

"I have complete confidence in all the players, the new and the old. For the veterans around the 30 mark I am sure it will be a motivation to make the finals."

Barcelona playmaker Xavi, 32, was one of the footballers Del Bosque was referring to.

"The World Cup is a wonderful event and the next one is in a country with a great football tradition," said Xavi.

"This generation has never played against Brazil and this is a big motivation."

Del Bosque, who took over from Luis Aragones after Spain won Euro 2008, has a 100 percent record in qualifying for major tournaments.

"Tomorrow we start the defence of the title we won in South Africa. This is how we are approaching the game," the coach said.

"Over the last four years we have played two qualifying campaigns and we have won all 18 games. We want to continue in the same manner."

Xavi said Spain would be taking nothing for granted in Tuesday's match.

"Being world and European champions doesn't guarantee anything," he said. "We have analysed Georgia and they are a tough rival.

"They defend in numbers and have quality going forward. It is being taken for granted we will be in the finals but it is going to be difficult."

Players still confused over ball-out-of-play rule

NYON, Switzerland (Reuters) - Players are still voluntarily kicking the ball into touch when an opponent goes down injured despite directives that they should wait for the referee's whistle, UEFA said on Thursday.

There were several instances at Euro 2012 of players looking to the referee to stop the game when an opponent went down injured in line with the old fair play principle and sometimes kicking it out themselves.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger, speaking after a meeting of some of Europe's top coaches at UEFA headquarters, said his players sometimes ignored his advice to continue with the game.

"You have a conflict between the new rule, where it is left to the referee, and the old fair play attitude, which is culturally accepted in our game and which is that when a guy is really injured, you have kick the ball out," he told reporters.

"I believe it's right that the responsibility goes to the referee because you never know how genuine the injury is when a player is down.

"But still, we are not completely clear yet about how to behave. I say to my players to leave it to the referee, but sometimes they kick the ball out. They are scared of being unpopular or criticised by the media if they don't do it."

UEFA's technical director Andy Roxburgh said all 16 teams at Euro 2012 had been told to wait until the referee whistled before kicking the ball out because the old system had been abused by players feigning injury.

"Our refereeing instructors went to every one of the 16 teams in advance and told them what the interpretations would be," he said.

"It's one of the reasons why the behaviour of the players was so good at the Euro, because we told them what the referees would jump on and what the emphasis would be.

"One would be that the referee would decide when to stop the match, but old habits die hard.

"They know it should be the referee who decides and the reason that was brought in is because there was too much misuse.....sometimes a team would have a counterattack and suddenly they had to stop, that kind of thing."

"There was a lot of misuse and when you gave the ball back, they would put it down in the far corner and would press, which was totally against sporting spirit, so this is why the referee has the responsibility to stop the game when it needs to be stopped.

"But we still get it, they put it out because it's habit."

Japan made to sweat for 1-0 win over UAE

NIIGATA, Japan (Reuters) - Mike Havenaar spared Japan's blushes with a 69th-minute winner to give the Asian champions a 1-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates in a World Cup qualifying warm-up on Thursday.

The Dutch-based forward powered home a close-range header fromYuichi Komano's cross just when the Japanese appeared to be running out of ideas in front of 42,000 in Niigata.

Midfielder Keisuke Honda blazed just over with barely a minute gone, but that was close as Japan got in a disappointing performance from the Blue Samurai until Havenaar's winner.

"It was a relief to score," Havenaar told reporters. "I haven't been putting them away of late so it felt good to stick one in. The next game is the big one and we have to win it."

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni made no bones about the fact there was plenty to work on before his side face Iraq in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

"The result was important but equally important was to measure where we are before the Iraq game," said the Italian.

"There was positives and negatives to take from tonight but we can go away and analyse the performance now. It was important to check the condition of the team and individual players."

Shinji Kagawa was hauled off at halftime after annoying Zaccheroni with one too many stepovers, the last of which left him in a heap as he tripped over his own feet.

Japan's big-name midfielders were overshadowed by frizzy-haired playmaker Omar Abdulrahman, the 20-year-old at the heart of the away side's best moves.

Captain Makoto Hasegawa and Honda were also substituted early ahead of next week's clash with Iraq, currently under the stewardship of former Japan coach Zico.

Japan overpowered Oman 3-0 and Jordan 6-0 at home before being held 1-1 in Australia in June in their first three games in the final round of Asian 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

The Blue Samurai lead World Cup qualifying Group B by five points from Iraq, Australia and Jordan.

Soccer-Del Piero deal most lucrative in Australian sport - club

SYDNEY, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The contract which lured

Alessandro Del Piero to Sydney FC is the most lucrative signed

in Australian sport and an investment in the future of soccer in

the country, club chairman Scott Barlow said on Thursday.

The Italian World Cup winner, who was released in May after

19 years at Juventus, said in Turin on Wednesday that he was

joining the A-League club in a two-year contract that Australian

media reported was worth A$2 million ($2.04 million) a year.

"Last night's signing of Alessandro Del Piero is a big

moment for this club and, we believe, a historic moment for

football in Australia," Barlow told reporters on the pitch at

the Sydney Football Stadium.

"I wouldn't like to go into the details of the contract," he

added. "But this does represent the largest professional

sporting contract in Australian history and the numbers that

have been discussed aren't too far off the mark."

Del Piero, 37, is undoubtedly the biggest name to join an

Australian club and his signing was warmly welcomed in the local

media.

"He's ours!", screamed the back page of the tabloid Daily

Telegraph, while inside a column penned by Socceroo and Del

Piero's new team mate Brett Emerton was headlined "Our greatest

day".

"It's hard to express how big this deal is for the city, the

club and the league," the former Blackburn Rovers midfielder

wrote.

"Alessandro is one of the all time greats of world football

and his signing will really put us on the map in an even bigger

way than Dwight Yorke and Robbie Fowler did before him."

Thursday's newspapers also illustrated the challenge that

faces soccer in Australia's crowded sports market with stories

about rugby league and Australian Rules still dominating the

back pages.

Soccer, once riven by ethnic rivalries, has progressed since

the formation of the A-League in 2005 but still trails the rival

codes in popularity.

NEW TV DEAL

Football Federation Australia (FFA), whose task it is to

close that gap and who are in the process of negotiating a new

television deal, also welcomed the arrival of the 91-cap

international.

"Undoubtedly, this signing will have an immediate impact on

attendances, membership, TV ratings and corporate support for

the club and the A-League," said FFA chief executive Ben

Buckley.

"The A-League's image and reputation will grow across Europe

and Asia, in particular.

"While this impact is not as immediate as the other

commercial measures, the benefits will ultimately flow to the

brand value of the A-League, its clubs and our corporate

partners.

Barlow said he hoped Del Piero's arrival would inspire a new

generation of supporters for Sydney FC, who averaged 11,861 fans

per match at the SFS last season.

"Alessandro had many, many outstanding offers from big clubs

around the world but in weighing up those opportunities, he felt

Sydney FC was the right one for him," he said.

"I think that he chose us says a lot about this club and a

lot about football in this country and how it has moved on in

recent years.

"He's 37 but he's a world class football player and still

able to play at the very highest level and that's evidenced by

the fact that there was so much interest in him from clubs in

the English Premier League, Serie A and others.

"Beyond the footballing perspective, clearly he is a major

icon of the game and he can have an impact on us as a club both

on and off the pitch."

Del Piero is expected to arrive in Sydney in eight or nine

days, Barlow said.

The new A-League season begins in early October with twice

champions Sydney FC opening their campaign in New Zealand

against Wellington Phoenix on Oct. 6.