Resilient Lions pip Pies

A late snap from Jed Adcock has given the fast-finishing Brisbane Lions a thrilling two-point victory over Collingwood at the Gabba tonight.

Despite trailing by 16 points at three quarter time and looking a beaten side, the Lions persisted during the last quarter, and were rewarded for their efforts when Adcock goaled with minutes remaining, handing the Lions their first win of the season 13.18 (96) to 13.16 (94).

It was a particularly satisfying win for Brisbane, who had to contend with a six-day break after their gruelling match against West Coast last week, and their gritty last quarter performance will have greatly pleased coach Leigh Matthews.

The momentum shifted throughout the contest, with Collingwood enjoying a superb third term, booting five goals to one, setting up what looked to be a match-winning lead. But a combination of missed chances, and a gutsy last quarter from star midfielders Simon Black, Luke Power and Travis Johnstone saw Brisbane emerge victorious.

The match began in muddy conditions after a day of heavy rain in Brisbane, resulting in a physical struggle from the outset. A goal from Jamie Charman on the quarter time siren saw Brisbane edge the first term by two points. But the Magpies enjoyed much of the play, especially around the stoppages, with Dane Swan continuing his impressive early season form with another strong performance.

Early goals in the second quarter to Bradshaw and Jonathan Brown, who was matched up against second-gamer Nathan Brown, saw Brisbane reclaim the momentum, and when Josh Drummond goaled from 55 metres late in the term, Brisbane led by 14 points and were threatening to break the game open.

But as we've seen so often before, Collingwood fought back tenaciously. Didak snapped an opportunistic goal right on half-time, and the goal seemed to spark the Pies into action after the long break.

Simon Black kicked the first for the half, but goals to Rocca and Egan brought the Magpies within a goal, and when Swan sent one home from 50, the Pies were back in front and began looking comfortable. The Lions struggled to clear Collingwood's stubborn half-back line, starving the quiet Jonathan Brown from opportunities against his inexperienced opponent.

Collingwood's forward pressure during the second half was tremendous, with Didak, Dale Thomas and Paul Medhurst not allowing the Lions easy passage off half back. Medhurst in particular was solid all night, but his 1.4 return was costly in the finish.

The fourth quarter was bruising, with Simon Black in particular fighting hard for every possession. He had a terrific second half after being held to five touches in the first, and was pivotal in wresting back the impetus for Brisbane along with Luke Power and Travis Johnstone.

After the teams traded goals early, Brown won a questionable free kick against his namesake before kicking truly. Pies coach Mick Malthouse threw down the challenge to young Brown, who toiled bravely last week on Matthew Pavlich. And whilst Jonathan Brown ended the game with 2.3 from 10 possessions, his young opponent won't be too displeased with his display.

Rocca, Thomas and Medhurst all had the chance to secure more breathing space for the Pies, but they all hooked their shots, and it was to prove costly, as minutes later, a long kick to Brown fell off hands, allowing Adcock to snap home and win the game for Brisbane.

Despite the narrow loss, Collingwood can still take positives from the game. New captain Scott Burns was tremendous in his first game as captain, picking up 28 possessions, while Josh Fraser and Alan Didak were both solid in the difficult conditions.

Villa stunner gives Spain victory

A spectacular volley from David Villa has handed Spain a confidence-boosting 1-0 victory over Italy in their friendly this evening in Elche.

The evenly matched contest looked to be heading for a scoreless result, before Villa pounced on a poor headed clearance from Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro to rifle home a left-footed volley that left keeper Buffon with no chance.

Spain will be well pleased with the result, whilst Italy won't be too disappointed with their showing. They may consider themselves quite unfortunate to lose the match, having defended strongly throughout the game, and spurned a number of chances to score themselves.

The friendly was played with Euro 2008 in mind, as both teams tinkered with their formations and made full use of the substitutes bench, and with no more matches for Spain before manager Luis Aragones announces his squad, players were eager to impress.

Italy was more than happy to play on the counter attack early on, and they were unlucky not to be leading on 12 minutes. Andrea Pirlo whipped in a dangerous free kick, Luca Toni rose highest to head home, but the goal was ruled out for an infringement. The replays showed little wrong with the goal, and the Italians may well feel aggrieved.

The Azzurri were fortunate not to be caught out at the other end straight away, as Fernando Torres led a swift counter-attack that ended with David Silva wasting a decent chance as he shot wide.

Carles Puyol was forced off the pitch with an injury shortly after, with Aragones taking a safety-first approach with the experienced defender, in a move that will please his Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard.

Chances were scarce in the first half, with Spain's best coming in the 37th minute, as Xavi chipped it to Silva, who teed up Torres, but his shot was saved smartly by Buffon, who also stopped the follow-up from Fabregas.

The second-half saw the tempo slow as each team made an array of substitutions. But Italy nearly broke the stalemate on 51 minutes, as great play on the left from the impressive Fabio Grosso set up Camoranesi, whose first-time shot cannoned back off the crossbar and was cleared.

Neither team found their rhythm after the substitutions, and chances remained at a premium. The restless Spanish crowd chanted frozen-out striker Raul's name throughout the second half, in another obvious message to manager Aragones that they think his form merits a recall to the squad.

But Spain enjoyed much of the possession, and Fabregas forced a block from Buffon in the 66th minute. They were also unlucky not to be awarded a penalty minutes later, as Gattuso appeared to trip substitute Luis Garcia in the box without making contact with the ball. But the Austrian referee Fritz Stuchlik waved away the Spanish appeals.

The deadlock was finally broken, however, in the 78th minute. Cannavaro failed to clear a long ball effectively, and Villa, who had struggled to get into the game to this point and had even been booked for diving, struck a brilliantly-timed volley into the top corner.

The goal failed to trigger a reaction from the Italians, who failed for much of the match to supply target man Luca Toni with many opportunities. And it was Spain who nearly made it a two-goal lead, as Villa had a shot saved by Buffon after a long pass from debutant Arbeloa.

Socceroos Earn Hard-Fought Point

A late penalty save from Mark Schwarzer has preserved a much-merited 0-0 draw for undermanned Australia against China in their World Cup Qualifier in Kunming.

In a dour match of few chances, Schwarzer brought down striker Qu Bo with just minutes left on the spot, but redeemed himself as he stopped Shao Jiayi's penalty with his legs, before diving on the ball.

The Socceroos could have even won the game in stoppage time, as Marco Bresciano put David Carney through on goal, but his lack of killer instinct allowed a superb challenge from China's left back to avert the danger.

Australia, which was missing stars Tim Cahill, Scott McDonald, Josh Kennedy, Brett Emerton and Harry Kewell, will be extremely pleased with the result, as it lifts them to top spot in Group 1. China now has just two points.

The late drama contrasted with the remainder of the match, which surprisingly saw a disappointing China sit back and allow Australia to control possession in midfield.

Coach Pim Verbeek's already interrupted plans were dealt a blow just before kick-off as Kewell succumbed to a groin complaint, and his worries were compounded after just ten minutes, as lone striker Archie Thompson was forced off injured after a tackle by Feng Xiaoting.

His replacement, Brett Holman, was impressive throughout the game, as he along with the tireless Marco Bresciano and Jason Culina harassed the Chinese defence into hurried passes and mistakes.

Chances were limited in the opening half, with players struggling to produce long passes due to the thinner air in Kunming's high altitude. Many long balls, particularly those of the Chinese, drifted harmlessly out of play, allowing the Socceroos to rebuild through their shorter passing game.

Australia's best chance of the opening half resulted in the 25^th minute from Holman winning possession just outside the penalty area. He slipped a pass through to Bresciano, but his shot was saved by Chinese keeper Zong Lei's legs.

The opportunity rattled China, whose only decent chances of the first half were a blocked shot and poor volley, both from midfielder Zhu Ting.

The second half yielded more of the same from the Socceroos, who were extremely content to maintain possession and probe for gaps around the Chinese penalty area.

China showed little more enterprise during the second half, and their performance was typified when their ineffectual captain Zheng Zhi was substituted after 70 minutes.

The Chinese persisted with long passes to lone striker Han Peng and his replacement Qu Bo into the second half, but the Socceroos defence, led by captain Lucas Neill, repelled each attack with composure.

But the tactic nearly brought the Socceroos unstuck with minutes on the clock as China was awarded a dubious penalty.

Schwarzer chose to charge off his line after a long ball forward landed just inside the penalty area. Schwarzer blocked Qu's initial effort, but in attempting to dive on the ball, he marginally caught Qu's legs despite knocking the ball away, and UAE referee Al Saeedi pointed to the spot.

Al Saeedi had minutes earlier infuriated the Socceroos by failing to even caution Manchester City and China defender Sun Jihai for his horrific, two-footed lunge on Luke Wilkshire, and the spot-kick decision further incensed the Socceroos, who surrounded the referee in protest. The Chinese players, led by Qu, celebrated as if the game was won.

Schwarzer, however, was not to be denied. Zheng Zhi's replacement Shao Jiayi blasted the penalty down the middle, but the shot lacked height, and Schwarzer was able to save with his legs.

The miss unnerved China once again, and the contest nearly took another dramatic twist as Carney had the chance to win it for the Socceroos.

With China lamenting its penalty miss, the Socceroos attempted to exploit China on the break. Valeri chipped the ball into the box for Bresciano, who cut the ball back for Carney, but he failed to attack the ball with conviction, and an excellent tackle from left-back Sun Xiang spared China's potential blushes.

Angela Merkel: All That Meets The Eye?

On the surface, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has just completed a highly successful state visit to Israel. She enjoyed cordial relations with her Israeli counterpart Ehud Olmert, completed customary activities including a highly symbolic visit to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem, and became the first German Chancellor to address the Knesset.

Without doubt Merkel supports the existence of a Jewish state, and she has played a particularly significant role in attempting to re-ignite peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian leadership.

Indeed, Olmert describes Germany as a "strategic ally", praising Merkel's "unflinching support" for the state of Israel.

Israel and Germany already enjoy harmonious relations. Germany is Israel's largest trading partner in Europe, and this visit marked Merkel's third to Israel since taking office in 2005 (her predecessor Gerhard Schroder never visited), and in 2000, former German President Johannes Rau became the first German head of state to address the Knesset since the Holocaust.

'Strategic' is particularly apt in describing German-Israeli relations, as Iran became the hot topic of debate during Merkel's visit. Merkel has vowed before that she would support sanctions against Iran if it fails to come clean on its suspected nuclear program, and Olmert and Merkel plan to organise an international summit to properly deal with the situation.

With so much progress then, you may ask what more could have been expected from this important visit.

The concern lies not in what was discussed, but what wasn't. Not least the fact that anti-Semitism in Germany is rising once again, and has been for a number of years.

A much-publicised racial attack occurred in 2007 in Frankfurt, where an offender screaming racial expletives repeatedly stabbed a rabbi. But more disturbingly, well over 150 right-wing groups and organisations were functioning in Germany during 2006, a year after Merkel took office.

Similarly, and perhaps more ominously, in a recently published article, German Holocaust teacher Susanne Urban says that today in schools, one can hear teenagers 'cursing…'"You Jew!" or "You victim!"'

It would be grossly unmerited, however, to liken current German right-wing tendencies to those of the Nazis. But while anti-Semitism may not be as prevalent in Germany as in other parts of Europe or the world, any growth of German anti-Semitism inescapably carries the stigma of being linked to Nazism and the Holocaust.

Olmert drew on this historical aspect, as he articulated that German-Israeli relations "carry the weight of historical memory to which we are obligated. But this is why they contain power, sensitivity and substance that are unparalleled…in the international arena."

In her momentous speech to the Knesset, Merkel did pledge to clamp down on anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia in Germany, and spoke of Germany's great shame and guilt concerning the Holocaust. These sentiments, however, are not widely shared among Germans today. Many Germans try to suppress memories of the Holocaust, and some even liken Israel's current treatment of Palestinians as being tantamount to Holocaust atrocities.

Whilst the majority roundly applauded the speech, some right-wing parliamentarians boycotted it. One Likud member said: "I do not intend to forgive or forget. I do not take part in any ceremony that includes the participation of a German figure." Predictably, many Israelis will everlastingly carry antipathy towards the Germans, and they have every right to do so.

But as Olmert has rightly indicated, Germany is, and will remain, a "strategic ally" for Israel. But even as Merkel's three-day visit has certainly consolidated the already stable relations between the two states, much remains to be done in Germany to prevent further anti-Semitism from regenerating.

Pakistani Cricket in Crisis

The Australian cricket team will certainly be breathing easier today.

World cricket's worst kept secret was revealed yesterday when Cricket Australia (CA) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) resolved to postpone Australia's scheduled tour to Pakistan this month.

The decision was inevitable, particularly following a recent wave of suicide bombings, which culminated last week in the deaths of five Pakistani naval officers in the major city of Lahore.

The health and safety of the Australian team is obviously paramount, and CA was left with little alternative but to indefinitely postpone the tour. It now faces the difficult task of attempting to squeeze it in later in the calendar, provided the security situation improves.

Ultimately however, for Australia the conclusion was a no-brainer, and it has paved the way for the Australian players to reap their inflated financial rewards in the lucrative Indian Premier League.

But the consequences for their opponents are potentially devastating. As in India, cricket is Pakistan's national sport, and it invokes a parochialism often reserved for political and religious arenas. Depriving these fans of the chance to see their national heroes mix it with the world's best could have the negative effect of turning them away from cricket.

This is just the latest in a string of major setbacks to Pakistan's once-proud national side. Even before the much-publicised and still somewhat suspicious death of Bob Woolmer at the 2007 World Cup was Pakistani cricket in a state of flux.

Former world-class fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis departed without ready-made, reliable replacements, and the retirement of Inzamam-ul-Haq has left Pakistan's batting order looking particularly thin, save for the outstanding Mohammad Yousuf.

The outcome has been a series of middling results, as Pakistan has struggled to match rivals India in their Test and one-day encounters, surrendering sub-continental supremacy to their neighbours. And despite finishing a gallant runner-up to India in last year's Twenty20 World Cup, the team has been primarily unable to recapture the glory days of the 1990s.

Rather, since the departure of such players, on and off-field controversies have instead dominated Pakistani cricket.

In 2006, Pakistan was embroiled in ball-tampering accusations at The Oval whilst playing England. The fallout saw umpire Darrell Hair suspended by the International Cricket Council from officiating international matches, and a four-match ban meted out to then-captain Inzamam.

Later that year, two of Pakistan's most talented fast bowlers Mohammad Sami and Shoaib Akhtar tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone, despite winning their eventual appeals. Then on the eve of the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup, Akhtar again fell foul of Pakistan's authorities, and was sent home from the Twenty20 World Cup after allegedly striking teammate Mohammad Asif with a cricket bat.

These incidents all occurred against a backdrop of relative political stability back in Pakistan. The now-deceased Benazir Bhutto was then in exile, and President Pervez Musharraf had not yet faced the challenges he faces today.

Now however, the PCB faces its biggest challenge yet. It is highly likely that the explosive political machinations taking place at home will affect their on-field performances. The inability to even perform in front of their home fans could potentially even drive future players away from representing their country.

Some current Pakistani cricketers, along with recent retirees such as Inzamam, have already walked away from potential PCB commitments to join the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) Twenty20 competition, despite threats of life-bans from Pakistan's governing body.

The Twenty20 leagues in India are becoming evermore enticing for cricketers, perhaps even more so for Pakistanis, given the nation's close proximity to India coupled with the political and social uncertainty in their homeland.

It would, however, be a stretch to say that Pakistan could go the way of Zimbabwe and disappear into the cricketing wilderness. The infrastructure in place is too strong, and there should always be a steady stream of promising cricketers coming through the ranks, as evidenced just last week when Pakistan reached the semi-finals of the under-20 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia, thumping Australia along the way.

But should the political predicament intensify, Pakistan will be forced to shift future home fixtures to neutral venues, depriving their voracious fans of international cricket, and prospectively further sapping the desire of Pakistani youths from taking up the game.

We can only hope that stability is restored to the strife-torn nation quickly. Otherwise, the PCB may be powerless to stop future opponents from following CA's lead and cancelling tours, further damaging Pakistan's stricken national team.

Aloisi Off The Hook

John Aloisi is the luckiest player in the A-League. Not only is he now the richest player of any football code in Australia after signing a lucrative 2-year deal with Sydney FC, he is also extremely fortunate to be available for the first part of the A-League Version 4.

Weeks have passed since the A-League finale, and the inexcusable verbal abuse that Aloisi directed at one of referee Mark Shield's assistants has barely caused a ripple amongst the Australian football fraternity.

Even the most unqualified lip-reader is able to understand Aloisi's remarks, in which he accused a linesman of being a "f***ing cheat", after having a late penalty shout turned down. With the aid of replay footage, it is clear that Aloisi's appeal was more in hope, as he went down under minimal contact. Yet, despite being frustrated with the 0-1 scoreline, there should be no grounds for aiming such a torrent of invective at a match official.

Aloisi is lucky that one of his former teammates, Danny Vukovic, took his abuse a step further by striking Shield after the Mariners were denied a clearer penalty in second-half stoppage time. He consequently incurred a nine-month suspension, as well as national condemnation for his actions

The A-League Grand Final attracts a 50,000-plus crowd each year, as well as hundreds of thousands of fans watching on television, both in Australia and throughout the world. With the rapid growth of football in Australia, particularly amongst Australian youths, it is probable that many young players and supporters alike would have tuned in for the country's showpiece game. But apart from the match itself being quite tame, witnessing a seasoned, fifteen-year professional vulgarly launch into a linesman sets a terrible example for these spectators, and hardly endears our game to the international audience.

When the Central Coast Mariners announced Aloisi's shock signing in October 2007, A-League fans from across Australia rejoiced the return of a national hero. He rightfully gained a huge reputation after scoring the famous penalty that sent Australia to the World Cup in 2006, and perhaps this reputation has saved him from greater scrutiny over this incident, both from the media and match review panel.

It is particularly strange that Aloisi escaped punishment when an identical incident occurred barely twelve months ago. After Adelaide United booked its place in last season's grand final courtesy of a penalty shootout win over Newcastle, its then-coach John Kosmina (now Aloisi's new coach at Sydney FC), made an identical comment toward referee Matthew Breeze. Kosmina's antics were not tolerated, and he subsequently received a five-match touchline ban, which included the humiliation of watching his side's 6-0 defeat in the Grand Final from an AFL coaches box.

Aloisi received no such penalty. In fact, he didn’t even cop a slap on the wrist, let alone a fine or, like Kosmina, a suspension. The Federation has thus condoned the actions of Aloisi, which in turn establishes a troubling precedent for the future of the Australian game. There is absolutely no reason for players to receive more favourable treatment than managers. Player dissent is rampant throughout the world of football, and we have just seen a prime example of it in Australia, and we have failed to impose any sort of sanction.

Officials have the toughest job on the pitch, knowing that any time they blow their whistle for a foul, they're certain to incur the wrath of at least a few thousand irate supporters. But it’s the players who should be setting quality examples for our young players, and conducting themselves in an appropriate manner.

Aloisi may now enjoy the tag of being the highest-paid footballer in Australia, but with that surely comes an element of responsibility to his fans, sponsors and his club. Right now, however, he should just be counting his lucky stars that he will be able to start next season's A-League with his new teammates.

Saints Prevail on Hot Autumn Night

Unlike his predecessor, Saints coach Ross Lyon appeared to enjoy his side's NAB Cup success. Along with his players, he even cracked a smile.

St Kilda won the controversial 2008 NAB Cup after a hard-fought 5-point victory over Adelaide in trying conditions at AAMI Stadium last night in front of a paltry crowd of 26,283.

Despite a sluggish first half, the Saints' experienced midfield took control early in the second half, and coupled with blistering drive off half-back from Michael Tuck medallist Jason Gram, it was enough to see off a spirited Crows challenge.

The temperature didn't drop below 30 degrees for the duration of the contest, and the heat took its toll on the players from the outset. Regular rotations were the norm, stifling the chance to gain momentum early on.

Both teams will be pleased to have emerged from the game relatively injury-free, particularly the Saints, which gambled on Justin Koschitzke's fitness. For Adelaide, Nathan Bassett and Chris Knights didn't complete the game after suffering minor complaints, but precaution was paramount on a night of oppressive weather.

The game began with both teams trading behinds as they grappled with the conditions. The Crows frequently sent the ball long inside 50 to exploit the Saints' lack of height in defence, as in the absence of Max Hudghton and Matt Maguire, St Kilda was reliant on Sam Gilbert and Jason Blake filling key defensive posts.

But nobody in the Saints backline would have been expecting a near match-winning performance from emerging youngster Kurt Tippett.

Originally a basketballer, Tippett hauled in strong marks throughout the night, seeing off Sam Gilbert and youngster Jarryd Allen to boot four goals and be the dominant forward on the ground. He now looks certain to make his AFL debut in Round 1 against the Bulldogs.

With Ben Rutten keeping Koschitzke quiet, the Saints only kicked their first major early in the second term, with Nick Riewoldt finishing after a strong lead. Riewoldt looked dangerous, and his contest with Nathan Bock was intriguing throughout the night.

Jason Gram was left alone across half-back for most of the night, allowing him to rack up possessions at will, and together with the impressive Adam Schneider, they started gaining the ascendancy for their side. When Schneider supergoaled after a 50-metre penalty, the Saints took a 3-point into half time, despite being out-played by the Crows for much of the scrappy half.

The second half produced superior football to the first, with the tempo lifting as both sides grew weary. The Saints midfield of Hayes, Harvey and Montagna dominated the clearances in the third term, and when Gram kicked a wobbly supergoal, the Crows were suddenly on the back foot.

The Saints ruck duo of Michael Gardiner and Stephen King, who has now amazingly won three premiership medallions in five matches, both performed well despite regular rotations, and their combination was also pivotal in handing the Saints the upper hand.

Despite the Saints' lead hitting 20 points midway through the third quarter, the Crows refused to lie down, and they even hit the lead early in the last quarter after a superb goal from Nathan Van Berlo. But after trading goals in a tense term, it was the evergreen Robert Harvey, maligned through the week, who set up Milne late in the game to settle the match.

For the Crows, new recruit Brad Symes looks to be a handy inclusion to their already strong back half. Johncock, Bock and Rutten all performed robustly, and the improving Jason Porplyzia should see more midfield time this season after another impressive display.