Striker Nizaruddin chasing the elusive Golden Boot award

PETALING JAYA: Striker Mohd Nizaruddin Yusop is well inspired to knock in the goals for Perlis in the top-of-the-table Super League clash with leaders Selangor at the Utama Stadium in Kangar on Saturday.

The 30-year-old striker is the joint leader with Perak’s Razali Umar Kandasamy in the race for the Golden Boot award with 12 goals.

“I have won every medal there is to offer in the M-League but a Golden Boot is missing from my trophy cabinet. It has eluded me for more than 10 years. I have to continue scoring goals to get it this time,” said Nizaruddin from Kangar yesterday.

Among the other frontrunners for the award are Indra Putra Mahayuddin of Kelantan and Azlan Ismail of Terengganu with 11 goals each.

Nizaruddin added that the Northern Lions had surprised the field in the Super League competition with an average set of players compared to those in the more established sides like Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Kedah.

“I think nobody gave us the chance in the beginning of the season to be among the frontrunners for the title. It is a good sign for the team and we will surely give Selangor a run for their money,” he said.

Selangor have 47 points after 20 matches and hold a two-point advantage over Perlis. Kelantan are in third place on 37 points followed by Kedah (35).

The race for the title is likely to go down to the wire.

Selangor’s remaining fixtures are against KL Plus (home), UPB-MyTeam (away), Kuala Muda Naza (home), Police (away) and Pahang (home).

On the Perlis roster are matches against Negri (away), Johor FC (home), Perak (away), KL Plus (away) and Police (home).

Nizaruddin admitted that the Perlis FA, who have Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim as their president, were going through a financial crisis and they were receiving their salaries on a staggered payments.

“We understand the situation and will not let it distract our mission to go for the Super League title. The moral of the team is still high despite tough times,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/6/25/sports/4188770&sec=sports

Confed Cup: US upsets Spain 2-0

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP): Goalkeeper Tim Howard's standout performance helped to beat European champion Spain 2-0 on Wednesday in one of America's greatest football victories.

"It certainly can be argued that if it's not the top, it's up there," Howard said after the stunning win put the Americans into Sunday's Confederations Cup final.

"We're scratching our heads the same way you guys are, but it goes to show what hard work and commitment to each other can bring. Sometimes football is a funny thing."

Spain peppered the American goal with 29 shots and when Howard wasn't stopping eight of them, many were being blocked by his lunging defenders, who kept Spain off the scoresheet for the first time since last summer's European Championship.

"Anytime you come out with a shock win you have to take your chances in front of goal and we did. We had some guys who were defending like bandits and you need your goalkeeper to come up with some saves," the Everton keeper said. "You get lucky on certain occasions but we rode our luck today. Unbelievable."

The surprising run by the U.S. continued after enduring a 3-1 loss to Italy and 3-0 to Brazil to open the World Cup warmup event. It got through to the semifinal against FIFA's top-ranked team on goal difference after a 3-0 win over African champion Egypt.

"Three games ago I think it would have been impossible to think about a night like tonight," Howard said. "We've had our fair of critics but we stood up and took it on the chin and kept going.

"I could probably give you a 1,000 reasons but I don't think any of them would have done tonight justice."

U.S. coach Bob Bradley clogged Spain's flowing attack by shoring up the midfield and forced the Spanish to take their one-touch attack to the wings instead.

"We had to pick our poison at times because they can do whatever they want with the ball," Howard said. "We said you're not going to go through us, you're going to have to go around us."

Spain striker Fernando Torres said the U.S. played fantastic in front of Howard. "Maybe it wasn't our best performance but you can't take away from what the U.S. did.

They attacked and defended well and scored the goals they needed," Torres said. "I don't know if they deserved to win but they won and in the end that's what matters."

Although Howard wasn't overly keen on a rematch with Brazil in the final, he wasn't worried about a letdown on Sunday. Brazil plays South Africa in the other semifinal on Thursday.

"We're the first U.S. team to get to a major final so it's impossible to have a letdown," Howard said. "The spirit and fight will 100 percent be there."

Howard doubted whether the win would change anyone's perspective of American football.

"You hope things like this will help turn the corner but I'm not optimistic. (But) nights like this don't often happen," Howard said. "But the reality that the American football fan has to get used to is that not many teams beat Spain and beat Brazil. That's why they're (the best) in the world. That's why it's not doom and gloom when you lose."

http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/6/25/sports/20090625083137&sec=sports

Binh Duong 8 Kedah 2 - AFC Cup 2009

Kedah were lashed 8-2 by Vietnamese champions Binh Duong in an AFC Cup second round match in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday.

Malaysian treble winners, Kedah were no contest for the hosts. Kedah were trailing 4-0 at half-time.

Binh Duong goal scorers were Brazilian midfielder Helio da Silva Assis (17th), Nguyen Vu Phong (19th), Nguyen Duc Thien (41st) and Nguyen Anh Duc (71st). But their best performer on the field is Kesley Alves who strike four times in the 39th, 70th, 81st and in injury time to power Binh Duong into the quarter-finals.

Kedah goal come through Shahrulnizam Mustapa in the 69th minute and Azrul Ahmad's in the 89th minute from penalty spot.

It looks like end of the road for Malaysia side in the AFC Cup competition but qualifying into quarter final with 100% local players was a great achievement for Kedah.


http://www.bolatoday.com/2009/06/binh-duong-8-kedah-2-afc-cup-2009.html