#POWER9TWELVE #SPORTSUPDATE Lionel Messi scored yet another hat-trick and surpassed 400 club goals as Barcelona came from behind to win the Catalan derby 5-1 against Espanyol in La Liga on Sunday. The Argentine, who holds the La Liga and Champions League scoring records, produced a now familiar devastating performance to take his record to 402 goals for Barca in all competitions, including 28 in friendlies. Messi produced his tour de force just a day after Cristiano Ronaldo, his rival for title of worlds best player, scored a La Liga record 23rd hat-trick against Celta Vigo in a 3-0 win for leaders Real Madrid. The win left Barca in second place in La Liga, two points behind Real. ----------- DR Congo International Distel Zola believes his team are ready for the African Cup of Nations to be held in Equatorial Guinea. With his country drawn with Zambia, Tunisia and Cape Verde in Group B, he explained to supersport what task awaits. DR Congo became the 16th team to qualify for the showpiece as the third best team. They finished with nine points and the most notable result of their qualification was their 4-3 win away against Ivory Coast in Group D. ------------ Rainford Kalaba has described Zambia’s Group B draw at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations as fair. Zambia were on Wednesday night drawn to play 1974 champions DR Congo, 2004 winners Tunisia and 2013 Africa Cup debutants Cape Verde. Kalaba said Zambia is hoping to evoke the spirit of 2012 in Equatorial Guinea where they were unbeaten en route to winning the tournament across the border in Gabon who co-hosted the event that year. Zambia will kick off their Group B campaign against DR Congo on January 18 in Ebebiyin where they will play all their preliminary round games. They will face Tunisia on January 22 before wrapping up their Group B obligations with the third installment of their grudge match against Cape Verde. Cape Verde and Zambia will meet exactly three months after squaring-off in the 2015 qualifiers. ----------- Irish striker Robbie Keane grabbed an extra-time winner as LA Galaxy won a record fifth Major League Soccer title with a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution in Sunday’s championship-deciding MLS Cup. Keane, voted the leagues Most Valuable Player, gave the Galaxy the victory after New England’s Chris Tierney had canceled out Gyasi Zardes’ 52nd minute opener for LA. With the loss, the Revolutions miserable record in title games continued as they were condemned to a fifth defeat in their fifth MLS Cup appearance. LA have won three of the last four league titles but their latest was far from a classic display. ----------- The United States will travel to Germany to face coach Juergen Klinsmanns former team in a June 2015 friendly, while a game against the Netherlands has also been confirmed. U.S. Soccer said on Sunday they had lined up seven friendlies for the opening six months of next year with a trip to the Netherlands on June 5. The United States will face Germany five days later, marking the third time Klinsmann has faced his home country. Germany enjoyed a 1-0 win in the group stage of the World Cup in Brazil while a year earlier, the United States scored a 4-3 friendly win in Washington DC. The year starts with a visit to Chile on Jan. 28 before a home game against Panama on Feb. 8. -------- Radamel Falcao is only fit enough to play for 20 minutes, according to Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal. The Colombian came off the bench in Uniteds last two matches and Van Gaal said he was not interested if the striker was happy with that role. Falcao, 28, is returning from a calf injury and has been pressed into action due to other injuries to the squad. Dutchman Van Gaal said: I have selected him in spite of the fact he can only play for 20 minutes. With captain Wayne Rooney sidelined for Tuesday nights 2-1 win against Stoke, 19-year-old James Wilson started ahead of Falcao. Van Gaal said: Its match fitness [he needs]. Falcao, who joined French club Monaco for a reported £50m in 2013 and is earning approximately £265,000-a-week while on loan at Old Trafford, is expected to be on the bench once again for Monday nights game against Southampton, with Van Gaal confirming Rooney will play. Asked if the forward would be happy with a substitutes role, Van Gaal said: I am not interested in that. He has to follow my philosophy. ------------ Roger Federer says that he is unconvinced by the innovative new International Premier League. The 17-times Grand Slam winner admits the tournament doesnt sit easily with his traditionalist views on the sport. Launched in November, top male and female players feature in teams representing four cities: New Delhi, Manila, Singapore and Dubai. Federer, 33, said: My mind was scrambling trying to remember all the rules. Its crazy, but its good fun. The 33-year-old went undefeated on his debut for the Indian Aces in New Delhi as a late replacement for Rafa Nadal. Federer won his mens singles, doubles and mixed doubles against Singapore Slammers at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 09:57:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015