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FIFA has given green signal to two Bangladesh Football Federation projects at its 55th Congress held at Marrakesh in Morocco, said SA Sultan, the president of Bangladesh Football Federation on Thursday.
   The BFF president along with the general secretary, Anwarul Huq Helal, attended the congress. Bangladesh was projected at the Congress through the newly-built BFF Building, constructed under FIFA goal project. ‘Films of three buildings were shown on screens out of more than 200 FIFA goal projects and one of them was the BFF Building, we felt honoured,’ said Sultan.
   But the BFF officials were more delighted to see their proposals getting the go ahead signal. ‘We proposed to FIFA for establishing a football academy and training centres in the coastal belt which could be used as shelters during natural disasters,’ said the president.
   According to Sultan, FIFA will provide US$4 lakh out of the estimated amount of 5 lakh 10 thousand dollars. The BFF will have to provide the rest of the amount. The federation has already sought six acres of land in Gazipur from the government and expects to get it next year. ‘We are planning to establish a high-standard football academy with all top quality facilities. The academy will have two grounds, a modern gymnasium, a cafeteria and a hostel for at least 50 players,’ said Sultan.
   FIFA will also donate $5 lakh 40 thousand for construction of two training centres in the coastal belt. The head of the Asian goal project, Manilal Ferdando, had visited Cox’s Bazar last month to inspect site and his report was accepted by FIFA. One of the centres will be established in Cox’s Bazar while the other will be in Barisal. ‘I was delighted to hear the name of Cox’s Bazar from Sepp Blatter who himself declared the names of the selected sites,’ said Sultan.

Bangladesh Cricket Board on Thursday named the chairmen of eight crucial sub-committees, which heavily reflected the scenarios of the recently held election.
   Khandakar Jamiluddin, a losing vice-president candidate from the pro-establishment panel, has been given the charge of Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis which is mainly responsible for organising the Dhaka premier, first division, second division, third division cricket leagues and the third division qualifying matches.
   While Jamil is being rewarded despite not being elected, rebel candidate Aziz Al Kaiser, who secured the highest number of votes among the four vice-presidents, was kept out of his familiar committee.
   Aziz had long been heading marketing committee and he was expected to retain the position. But his name was missing from the list of the chairmen of the sub-committees.
   Instead of Aziz, marketing committee was given to a newly-elected member, Ahmed Iqbal Hasan.
   ‘I was not consulted by any one before naming the sub-committees. May be my performance was not up to the mark, though nobody told me it earlier. I congratulate the new marketing chairman,’ a disillusioned Aziz told New Age last night.
   Shah Nurul Kabir Shaheen, who had withdrawn his candidature from the general secretary post, was given the charge of two committees, tournament and corporate league committee. Shaheen was made convener of an 11-member committee, formed to hold the upcoming Annual General Meeting.
   General secretary Mahabubul Anam retained cricket committee while treasurer Afzalur Rahman Sinha was given the charge of finance committee expectedly. Joint secretary Raizuddin Al Mamun also got his familiar post, the chairman of media and publicity committee.
   The chairman of few other important sub-committees such as development, grounds and facilities, logistic would be decided later.

National football coach Diego Andres Cruciani was happy to see his boys together when they came to report at the BFF Building on Thursday.
   The booters were tired after playing the long premier league and they wanted a break. Besides, there is some accommodation problem at the BKSP for which the camp has been deferred by a week.
   Cruciani, who picked 28 footballers after his month-long observation of the premier football league, will officially start his residential camp on September 22. But the booters will begin their endurance training under trainer Victor Coleman at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today. All the footballers were present at the conference room of the BFF Building and they were introduced to the coach.
   ‘I feel happy to meet the boys and finally to start my work at the BKSP where the footballers will start real training but before that they will undergo fitness training at the BNS,’ said Cruciani.
   After two and a half years the national football team reunited for the camp. Cruciani faces the first challenge in November when Bangladesh play the Asian Cup pre-qualifier against Pakistan on home and away basis.

India (491/7) lead Zimbabwe (279) by 212 runs at tea, day 2
   Sourav Ganguly reached a personal landmark of 5,000 Test runs to leave India on 491-7 at tea on the third day of the first Test against Zimbabwe at Queen’s Sports Club here Thursday.
   The Indian captain was 97 not out as his side overcame a morning wobble to resume its steady progress towards a big first innings total and what appears to be an unbeatable position.
   India began the day already leading by 46 runs over Zimbabwe’s first innings all out of 279, with plenty in hand.
   And by the lunch break they reached only 396 for the loss of six wickets.
   VVS Laxman resumed on 125 and Saurav Ganguly on 23.
   They had already put on 97 for the fourth wicket.
   Laxman’s century took him past the 4,000-run mark in Tests.
   But things did not go to plan. Laxman was run out for 140 in a mixup with his captain, Yuvraj Singh managed to score
   only 12 and Dinesh Karthik only one.
   It required a seventh wicket partnership between Ganguly and Irfan Pathan of 97 runs to put them back on track.
   Pathan’s 52 was his second half century in Tests.
   The sub-plot of the day proceeded with Ganguly working his way steadily and patiently out of his recent slump.
   He got to 97 just before the break, his 14th innings since his last century.
   Ganguly, although troubled by an arm discomfort, reached the 5,000-run landmark in Tests when he was on 51.
   The Zimbabwe bowling was much better than on Wednesday and they were able to exert some pressure on the Indians. Without that their plight might have been much worse.

Pakistan bowling great Wasim Akram says England should apologise for accusing his team of cheating in 1992 when they used the reverse swing - the same action which helped England win the Ashes.
   'England owe us an apology in a big way,' Akram told AFP.
   'When we did the reverse swing against England in 1992, they were great moaners and groaners of the world, they termed it as cheating. And now when they achieved an Ashes win through reverse swing, it's an art,' Akram said.
   Akram, Pakistan's best left-arm seamer, and his pace partner Waqar Younis shattered England by causing a reverse swing in the ball during a 1992 tour, helping Pakistan to a 2-1 win.
   England's tabloid press accused the pair, who took 41 wickets between them, of cheating and ball tampering.
   But England used the same technique to demolish the much-touted Australian batting and dethrone Australia as Ashes champions after a hard-fought 2-1 series which ended Monday.
   'Now English bowlers know it, it's the art of reverse swing. Still, I am happy that they have finally realised the importance of reverse swing,' Akram said late Wednesday. 'This art has spread only because of Pakistani bowlers,' he said.
   'Imran Khan taught me how to reverse swing the ball, I told Younis and we mastered it,' he said. He said English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff learnt a lot from him while they both played county cricket for Lancashire in the late 1990s.
   'He learnt how to hide the shine and he did that during the Ashes,' he said. 'However, had I not told him, he would have learnt it anyway, but I am glad that he has learnt well.
   'They have mastered the art of reverse swing and Australians had no clue as to how to cope with the reverse swing,' Akram said.

The final round of the Pran Cola School Football Tournament starts at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Saturday. Ten teams including last year’s champions Dolairpar High School and runners-up Residential Model School will vie for the title.
   As many as sixty school teams participated in the preliminary round of the tournament and eight teams qualified for the final round.
   The draw of the final round was held at the BFF Building on Thursday where the national footballers Alfaz, Aminul, Joy, Hasan Al Mamun, Arman and Shujon drew the number coupons.
   Dolairpar High School will play in group A with Govt Laboratory High School, Segunbagicha High School, Mirpur Bangla High School and Rayerbazar High School.
   Residential Model School has been placed in group B along with Kamarpara High School, Shahid Nabi High School, Khilgaon Model High School and Emarat Hossain High School.
   BFF President SA Sultan, vice-president Sirajul Islam Bachchu, joint secretary Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu, DMD of Pran Group
   Ahsan Kader Chowdhury were present at the draw ceremony.
   Chunnu, who is also the secretary of the tournament committee, said about 100 footballers have been picked as the potential stars and from them 30 players will be selected for long-term training.

Venkat Sai Laxman had a rare outburst at his critics after stroking a classy unbeaten 125 against Zimbabwe on the second day of the first Test on Wednesday.
   ‘There has been some negative vibes in the team and outside and I just wanted to prove myself,’ remarked Laxman after providing the team with a platform from where they could put the hosts in a corner.
   Laxman was particularly scathing at the critics who questioned his presence in the one-day squad and even doubted if he was fit to retain his position in the Test side.
   ‘It’s really unfortunate. It’s unfair to put pressure on a single guy. There are different criteria for different guys.’
   ‘But then that’s been the way with me throughout my career. Right from the start of my career where I was branded as a Test player then given the chance in one-dayers, that’s been the case with me throughout.’
   ‘However, I try to go out and do what I can control. If I take undue pressure then I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the game.’
   ‘If I feel that I have been unfairly treated, I would lose focus on the game. That’s why I am trying to be as positive as possible.’
   ‘When people talk about statistics, they don’t see that sometimes I have been stranded. Against Pakistan in Bangalore I was 79 not out.’
   ‘In Mohali also, I didn’t have any partner when I got 59. If there were partners at the other end, I would have converted them into hundreds.’
   The strokeful batsman was candid enough to admit though that the last season hadn’t been a great one for him.
   ‘Last season wasn’t great and I admit I wasn’t very consistent. I wasn’t as prolific as I would have liked to.’
   ‘But then every batsman has up and down. A season before I had a brilliant season in both Tests and one-dayers.’
   ‘This time I wanted to start on a good note. It’s a big season with a lot of tours coming up.’
   The Hyderabadi batsman believed that he still had it in him to win games for India in one-day cricket.
   ‘I still feel that I can do well in one-dayers and win matches for India. If the opportunity comes, I hope to do well,’ he said.
   ‘But then it’s totally up to the selection committee and the team management.’
   Laxman said he didn’t agree with the suggestion that he was a liability in the field.
   Laxman said he had cut out on his wristy strokes and wanted to concentrate hard since his last hundred had come early in 2004.
   ‘I was focusing to play on the V. Also, the wicket was slow and the ball was not coming on to the bat. That’s why I cut out the wristy strokes.’
   ‘I was worried if the ball stops and comes I might pop up in the air. I wanted to play close to the body and straight.’
   The genial batsman said that he was determined to get a hundred because statistics too form an important part in evaluating a batsman.
   ‘As a batsman you always look to get hundreds. At the end of the day, people will be asking how many hundreds a guy has got.’
   ‘But personally, it gives me more joy when the team requires a role and I am able to fulfill it,’ he said.

International Cricket Council on Wednesday said it was not conducting a probe into allegations of match-fixing in the three-nation limited over tri-series involving India, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe and dismissed reports in this regard as ‘totally inaccurate and without foundation.’
   ‘It is important to make it clear that there is no investigation being undertaken into this series,’ ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said in a statement issued here.
   Referring to media reports about the presence of ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit officials in India recently he said, they frequently travel to all ICC Full Member countries and travel plans to visit many of these countries, including India, are already in place.
   No details of these travel plans are publicly circulated and no comment will be made on the nature of the ICC ACSU’s operations in these member countries, the statement added.
   He said that in light of the wildly inaccurate reports in certain sections of the Indian media it was necessary to take the unusual step of clarifying on the activities of the Anti-Corruption Unit.
   ‘We do not normally comment on the operational activities of the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.’
   ‘It is disappointing to see such wild and unfounded accusations circulating in the media and we have taken the unusual step of commenting on this speculation as we do not wish the reputation of the sport, the teams or the players to be tarnished by utterly inaccurate media reports,’ he said.

The recriminations of Australia’s Ashes loss to England have begun in earnest with local media already calling for heads to roll.
   Australia’s newspapers and cricket columnists were unanimous in demanding changes be made after England ended their 16-year hold on the Ashes.
   ‘Australia must remake its team,’ Patrick Smith wrote in the national broadsheet, the Australian.
   ‘It still is a combination that will beat to death any other country but England, yet it is by England’s standards that the Australian side must ultimately be judged.’
   The Daily Telegraph’s chief cricket correspondent Robert Craddock predicted at least two players would be immediately sacked and several others put on notice that their careers were in jeopardy.
   ‘The stinging reality of losing the Ashes is that the current squad is under immediate review by national selectors because Australia has just 14 months to get a new, improved side established for what shapes as a monumental return bout with England in Australia,’ Craddock wrote.
   ‘The first casualties will be fast bowlers Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz, who will not figure in the Test or one-day series against the World XI in October. Batsmen Damien Martyn and Simon Katich are also under the gun.’
   Alex Brown, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, said the Ashes defeat meant Australia could no longer afford to delay change and there was no longer any place for sentiment.
   ‘The process must begin this summer,’ he wrote.
   ‘And given that much of the team’s success in recent years can be credited to the loyalty shown to senior players, Australia’s administrators and selectors face many a sleepless night pondering the unpleasant - but necessary - task of equipping the side for the future.’
   Former Somerset captain Peter Roebuck, also writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, said Australia’s defeat and the inevitable repercussions were no cause for celebration for their rivals as it may only spur them on to greater heights.
   ‘Australia have lost series before and recovered. Rather than allowing defeat to fester, those involved must strengthen their resolve and correct their mistakes,’ Roebuck wrote.
   ‘What counts is not how far you fall but how high you bounce back.’
   Even Steve Waugh, the former Australian Test captain, admitted that it was time for changes but he urged the selectors to act cautiously.
   ‘Everyone needs to take a step back and take a breather before wielding the axe or apportioning the blame to individuals within the Australian team,’ Waugh wrote in a column in the Daily Telegraph.
   While Australia’s newspapers naturally focused most of their attention on their fallen team, there was universal praise for England and the drama of the series.
   Andrew Ramsey, writing in the Australian, said the series deserved to be remembered as the greatest of all time, although he argued the standard of play was not the best, given the appalling fielding and below-par batting from both teams with just one player averaging over 50.
   ‘It certainly won’t win the judges’ votes for the quality of pure cricket,’ Ramsay wrote.
   ‘But the purists will have to admit the other components of a compelling English summer more than compensate for the absence of any Bradmanesque strokeplay.’

Owais Shah, the leading run scorer in English county cricket this season, has hit himself into contention for the England squad that will tour his native Pakistan this winter - and it is all down to some coaching tips from former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin.
   As a precociously-talented teenager, the Karachi-born Shah was regarded as one of the brightest prospects in English cricket, notably captaining the under-19 side to a World Cup win in 1998.
   But a poor run of form after he broke into England’s senior one-day side resulted in him being cast into the international wilderness two and a half years ago.
   Now 27, Shah has just enjoyed his finest season for Middlesex, hammering a total of 1,656 runs at an average of 69, and is once more knocking on England’s door.
   ‘A real turning point came two years ago when I met Mohammad Azharuddin in India,’ Shah revealed.
   ‘He changed some things about my game, just little things, such as getting more side-on with my stance.
   ‘Since then I’ve been much more consistent. I’ve always scored hundreds, even big ones, but now I’ve got the consistency I’ve always wanted.’
   Shah’s 15 previous England appearances brought him only 283 runs at an average of 21.76 and he appears resigned to the possibility that his current form will not be enough to make the selectors forget that disappointing record.
   ‘When it comes to playing for England again I feel that I’ve done everything I possibly could to put my name in the hat,’ he told The Guardian.
   Middlesex coach John Emburey argued that the ‘much more mature’ Shah would be a significant asset for England in Pakistan.
   ‘He is a very fine player of spin-bowling but he has a good all-round game and has the shots to dominate good bowlers.
   ‘If there is no room in the Test side at the moment I’d play him in the one-day team. Freddie Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen and Owais would make up a very formidable middle order.’
   England’s squad for Pakistan is due to be announced on Monday.

Sports minister Richard Caborn says British footballers should conduct themselves like England’s cricket team.
   ‘Football has something to learn from cricket— respect for officials, for each other as professionals and for the opponents,’ said Caborn.
   But top football official Gordon Taylor hit back at Caborn, saying cricketers are not always perfect role models.
   ‘There has been a long
   history of sledging between England and Australia,’ insisted Taylor.
   The chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association added, ‘Sometimes football can be the whipping boy because it is so prominent.
   ‘There’s a lot of emotion in football, the game is fast and physical and takes place over 90 minutes.
   ‘A Test match takes place over five days. Even in this Ashes series the Australian captain was fined for swearing about England’s tactics of using substitute fielders.’
   Caborn highlighted the difference in attitudes towards officials as the main difference between the two sports.
   ‘In cricket, there is never a direct challenge to the umpire’s decision even though it can be more subjective than you get in football,’ he said.
   ‘The discipline of the cricket players has been remarkable. It has been a tough series, with no quarter given or taken in sporting terms.
   ‘But the respect shown between the rival teams, and the respect for their team-mates, has been exceptional.’

Simon Jones believes England should be regarded as the best team in the world after beating Australia in the Ashes.
   Australia are still the top-ranked team according to the International Cricket Council points system, with England a clear second and closing the gap.
   But paceman Jones told BBC Sport: ‘We proved how good we are. I think people should start realising we are the best team because we have beaten Australia, even though points-wise we are not.’
   Jones, who took 18 wickets in the series despite missing the final Test with an ankle injury, said England had answered every question asked of them.
   ‘The Ashes series was talked about so much. People were wondering if England could do it and Glenn McGrath said Australia would win 5-0,’ he said.
   ‘But we beat them 2-1 and could have been 3-1 up after Old Trafford. Australia are statistically the best side in the world, and rightly so.
   ‘They’ve played so much great cricket over the past 10 years and built up an advantage on the points system.
   ‘But I think that’s changing and hopefully we will have the mantle one day.’
   Jones will rest his ankle for two weeks but expects to be fully fit for England’s winter tours of Pakistan and India.
   The next Ashes series takes place in Australia next winter, and Test legend Dennis Lillee fears his countrymen could be in for another rough ride.
   ‘If you thought this England team was good, with the exception of the wicket-keeper, just wait and see how much better it will be by the time the next Ashes series comes around,’ he wrote in the West Australian newspaper.
   ‘Imagine how dangerous Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones are going to be on harder, faster and bouncier Australian wickets in 2006-2007.’

Former England bowler Alan Mullally, 36, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket after managing to play in only three one-day matches for Hampshire this season because of injuries.
   The left-arm seamer played in 19 Tests for England, taking 58 wickets. He also claimed 63 wickets in 50 one-day internationals having begun his professional career in Australia with Western Australia in 1987.

Third seed Alicia Molik of Australia on Thursday crashed out of the WTA Wismilak International tennis tournament on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.
   Unheralded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine defeated Molik 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the quarter-finals of the 225,000-dollar tournament.
   ‘I let her play to her rhythm too much,’ Molik said after the match. ‘My serve was also bad today.’
   Molik, ranked world number 14 in the WTA rankings, claimed her first victory since April with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Mariana Diaz-Oliva in the first round on Tuesday.

Australian coach John Buchanan admitted his position should be up for review Thursday as a post-mortem of the national team’s Ashes defeat in England continues.
   Arriving home in Brisbane, Buchanan said he wanted to stay on as coach after his contract expires next month, but he added that no one could be exempt from review after the 2-1 series defeat.
   ‘I think it’s pretty obvious changes are needed in a whole range of things,’ he told reporters. ‘I’m keen to continue, but I’m part of the mix as well, so it’s not really up to me to venture into that debate.
   ‘Everything has to be reviewed. There’s no doubt about that. Success or non-success, you’re always trying to work out how you can improve things.
   Buchanan shrugged off criticism of himself and captain Ricky Ponting after Australia’s first Ashes loss in 16 years.
   ‘That’s all part of the territory. If you win, as we see with England, lots of tumultuous celebrations and accolades,’ he said. ‘And then if you lose everyone looks for reasons why.’
   Fast bowler Shaun Tait said he believed he belonged at Test level after being ‘chucked into the hot seat’ to replace Jason Gillespie in the fourth and fifth Tests.
   ‘I do, definitely,’ he told reporters in Adelaide. ‘I suppose I wasn’t overly happy with my performance, but I know I can do better.’
   Tait, who took five wickets at 42.00 in his two Tests, said he would not be listening to calls for him to alter his unorthodox slinging action.
   ‘It’s a lot different to everyone else’s action. People are going to try to change things. The experts are going to come out and tell me how bad my action is—I don’t really care.’

Australian punters have given their cricket team virtually no chance of bouncing back from Ashes defeat to beat the International Cricket Council (ICC) World XI next month, according to online bookmaker Centrebet.
   Centrebet manager Gerard Daffy said in the past three weeks he had received a single 20 dollar (15.40 US) wager on Australia to win a six-day Test against the cream of the world’s cricketers in Sydney next month.
   ‘We’ve got one 20 dollar bet out of Australia but have taken around 8,000 dollars worth of bets for the World XI,’ Daffy told the national news agency AAP.
   ‘It’ll change getting closer to the event but they’re a little on the nose (unpopular) with punters at the moment.’

Top seed Rafael Nadal and number two Guillermo Coria both face two matches on Friday as the 500,000-dollar China Open catches up after rain wiped out play on Thursday.
   In early evening, officials called off four scheduled second-round contests at the Beijing tennis centre, authorising a double-up schedule for the pair of seeds on what promises to be a dry Friday.
   Nadal, who opened Wednesday with a victory in his first career contest in China, is bidding for the quarter-finals against American Justin Gimelstob.
   Argentine Coria is to play Japan’s Toshihide Matsui, who entered the hardcort tournament when Dominik Hrbaty withdrew through injury.
   Last year’s finalist Mikhail Youzhny, the seventh seed, will take on Thai Danai Udomchoke, while Dutchman Peter Wessels takes on Wang Yu Jr. of China.
   In quarter-final matches, third seed David Nalbandian plays Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero and number four Thomas Johansson goes against Spaniard Carlos Moya.

Late late goals saw three giants of European football salvage points against sides considered minnows of the Champions League in the group matches played on Wednesday.
   Arsenal were spared the embarrassment of a 1-1 draw with Swiss side Thun by an injury-time winner from Dennis Bergkamp while Benfica scraped a 1-0 win over unheralded French side Lille also in time added-on through a header from probably the smallest man on the pitch, Fabrizio Miccoli.
   There was also to be last-minute disappointment for Czech Republic outfit Sparta Prague as they were held 1-1 at home by Dutch giants Ajax – a club formerly managed by Benfica’s handler Ronald Koeman – Wesley Sneijder’s stunning effort giving them a point.
   Italian clubs had a good night as Juventus recorded a 2-1 victory away at Bruges with David Trezeguet scoring his 100th goal for the club moving ever closer to French compatriot Michel Platini’s club record of 104.
   Vincenzo Iaquinta scored a hat-trick in Udinese’s maiden Champions League match as the unglamorous Italian side recorded a 3-0 home victory over Greek giants Panathinaikos.
   The good was balanced by the ugly as fiery England striker Wayne Rooney capped a pretty disastrous last 10 days for England and Manchester United by being sent off for two bookable offences – the second for dissent at his initial booking – in United’s 0-0 away draw with Spanish side Villarreal.
   Juve’s French hardman midfielder Patrick Vieira was given his marching orders in the final minute of the Bruges match.
   There were victories too for previous winners Barcelona and Bayern Munich as they prevailed 2-0 and 1-0 against Werder Bremen and Rapid Vienna respectively.
   However, it was another sending-off that had a club manager fuming as Robin van Persie’s first-half dismissal for Arsenal had Arsene Wenger – not for the first time – ranting after yet another red card for his team.
   ‘He (Polish referee Grzegorz Gilewski) was flying high, he didn’t watch the game,’ the Frenchman raged. The sending-off was an unpleasant surprise and the wrong decision. It was not Robin’s fault. It was an accident. For me, it was never a red card.’
   Thun boss Urs Schoenenberger was upset at the way Bergkamp robbed them of a precious point at the death.
   ‘I lost a point but if you consider where we played against whom we played, then this would have been the result you expected,’ he said.
   ‘The way we lost is really disappointing, especially as we had one man more and we were holding them 1-1 right to the end. But you can’t say that inside we’re really torn apart.’
   While Lille coach Claude Puel bemoaned the lack of concentration from his young team his Benfica counterpart Koeman said that it had been the right result – as indeed he would do.
   ‘We created more and wanted victory more. This win was logical,’ said the former Dutch international great.
   While most teams especially one of Villarreal’s limited experience in European club football would dream of holding Manchester United to a draw that was not the tone set by their coach Manuel Pellegrini.
   ‘I am not satisfied but I am calm about what happened out there,’ said the home side’s Chilean coach.
   ‘Letting points escape at home complicates life. When you’re in a clear position of superiority, you have to make the most of your opportunities,’ reflected Pellegrini.
   United manager Alex Ferguson didn’t think the first booking for Rooney by Kim Milton Nielsen – the referee who sent off David Beckham in the 1998 World Cup finals match against Argentina – was merited but had no qualms about the sending-off offence.
   ‘I’ve been a bit disappointed before with Kim Nielsen. I think it’s more for applauding, clapping him and I don’t think he (Rooney) gave himself any chance there,’ said Ferguson.
   ‘It’s debatable whether it’s a booking in the context of a game like that but you can’t applaud the referee.’
   How Pellegrini would have wished for a striker like Trezeguet, as his lovely lob brought up the magical 100.
   ‘It’s 100 goals,’ said Trezeguet.
   ‘I’m very proud of myself and my team-mates. It’s part of the history of this club and it’s something exceptional.’

It looks just like any ordinary football but the Adidas 'smartball' that makes its official debut in the FIFA Under-17 world championship in Peru today could change the face of soccer forever.
   The smartball is fitted with a tiny microchip designed to help a referee decide whether the ball has crossed the line completely for a goal to be scored - and will also be used to determine whether the ball has gone out of play.
   FIFA president Sepp Blatter, traditionally a staunch opponent of technology, has given his blessing to the experiment in Peru and has said that if it is successful, it can be used in the World Cup finals in Germany next summer.
   The ball was unveiled in Lima before the tournament starts on Friday and FIFA Secretary General Urs Linsi told Reuters the 'smartball' and so-called goal-line technology, developed by Adidas with German company Cairos AG and the German Fraunhofer Institute - was in no way a substitute for the eyes and experience of the referee.
   'The referee is in charge, he's the boss on the pitch and that won't change. This is an aid to the referee,' he said.
   The microchip - less than half an inch (15 millimeters) in size - sends out a radio signal when the ball crosses the touchline, as if it had touched an electric fence.
   That signal is relayed by up to 12 antennae positioned in the corners of the pitch to a computer which then sends a message to a watch worn on the referee's wrist in less than one second, Guenter Pfau, Adidas' manager for relations with FIFA, told Reuters.
   The message makes a virtually inaudible signal and the referee need never even use the technology, unless he is in doubt, Pfau said.
   If so, a quick glance at the watch will reveal the word 'goal' or no message, indicating no goal. Any goal messages are stored in the watch's memory with the time logged.
   Linsi said the referee would always have the final say and could ignore even a goal message from the smartball.
   The 16-nation Under-17 championship kicks off on Friday with Uruguay playing Mexico in Lima and ends on Oct 2.
   Matches will be played in five venues equipped with the latest artificial turf. The smartball will be used in all games except those played in the northern jungle city of Iquitos because the stadium was not ready in time, Pfau said.
   The smartball's signal cannot be disturbed by radios or cell-phones. 'It's encrypted, it can't be hacked into,' he added.
   The smartball has been tested once, in February, at an unofficial friendly in Nuremberg, but Friday will be its first official outing.
   Members of the International Football Association Board - soccer's ultimate law-making body - will travel to Peru to see the experiment in some of this month's games.
   A report will then be submitted to the next meeting of the Board in the spring and if the experiment has been deemed a success a decision will be taken on whether it will be used in the World Cup finals in Germany next summer.
   Blatter told journalists in London earlier this month that there might be no need for the technology to determine a goal at all in Peru.
   'There might not be one incident where there is a doubt,' he said. 'It could happen, but if it does, we can arrange a match outside the tournament using the technology and set up a situation to test it.'
   Along with hosts Peru, the 15 other competing countries are China, Qatar, North Korea, Ghana, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Italy, Turkey, Netherlands, United States, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Australia and Costa Rica.

Wayne Rooney crazily got himself sent off on a night of Champions League shame.
   The fiery Manchester United striker saw red for taunting referee Kim Milton Nielsen.
   United boss Alex Ferguson rapped, 'He did not give himself any chance with the red card.'
   Roon was booked for a second-half challenge on Villarreal's Quique Alvarez as United began their Group D campaign in Spain.
   But the England star, 19, clapped his hands sarcastically right in the face of Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen - and was dismissed.
   England coach Sven Goran Eriksson was at the game to see Rooney's latest outburst. And the teenager was blanked by fuming Fergie as he left the field.
   The United chief added, 'He's 19. He's a fiery character, he's competitive and when he sees an injustice against him, he reacts like that. There was some reason to think it was an unfair booking.
   'At the time I thought the sending off was for touching the referee's arm but I think it was more for clapping him.
   'I think in the context of a game like that the referee picked his prey with the booking. That's disappointing but you cannot applaud the referee.
   'The young man didn't give himself a chance. But we've had disappointments with Kim Nielsen before.'
   Rooney's flare-up has cost him a place in United's next Euro game at home to Benfica on September 27.
   Fergie said, 'He is a young lad and you hope through maturity these things will evaporate.
   'The important thing is to retain his strength and good points and eradicate the bad points.'
   TV pundit and ex-United and England midfielder Ray Wilkins said, 'He is not going to be a great player if he doesn't learn to control his temper.'
   Fergie added, 'We were getting control of the game at that point.
   'But with 25 minutes to go and down to 10 men we did the job properly in terms of an efficient, sensible performance.'
   Full-back Gabriel Heinze looks set to be out for at least six weeks after hobbling off in the first half with medial ligament damage to a knee.

Italian soccer great Roberto Baggio says Brazil will be the team to beat at the 2006 World Cup, but Italy and the United States can mount a strong challenge.
   'Brazil is the favourite,' said Baggio, who was in Tokyo on Thursday for a speaking tour. 'They showed at the Confederations Cup that they have great strength. They have good young players and can change players with no problem.'
   Brazil's 5-0 rout of Chile on September 5 left the five-time Cup champions in second place in the South American qualifying group, one point behind Argentina, but mathematically assured of a berth in the 2006 Cup in Germany.
   Brazil won the Confederations Cup in June, beating Argentina 4-1.
   Baggio also had praise for the United States, which clinched its fifth straight World Cup berth with a 2-0 win over Mexico on September 3 and is currently seventh in the FIFA world rankings.
   'The United States has evolved into a very good team,' said Baggio. 'They have been getting better for years.'
   As for his own country, Baggio says the Italian team is showing promise. 'We have some good young players in Italy,' said Baggio. 'I think we'll play well at the World Cup.'
   Baggio, who retired from competitive soccer in May 2004, said he has no plans to return as a player but wouldn't rule out a coaching position in the future.
   'I'm out of the soccer world by my own choice,' said the former Juventus striker. 'But I wouldn't rule out returning to soccer in some other capacity.'
   Baggio played in a charity match for tsunami relief in February and said he devotes much of his time to charitable causes like wiping out world hunger.
   A devout Buddhist, Baggio is a member of the Soka Gakkai, Japan's largest Buddhist group.
   'Through Buddhism, I found the strength to get out of difficult moments in my life,' said Baggio. 'I was able to find new faith in myself.'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is thinking of asking Dennis Bergkamp to take the ferry to Amsterdam for their Champions League match with Ajax in two weeks.
   The Holland striker, who hit a last-minute winner in Arsenal's 2-1 Champions League victory over FC Thun on Wednesday, misses most European away games due to his fear of flying.
   But he could be needed against Ajax in two weeks after Robin Van Persie's red card in the first half at Highbury left Wenger with only Jose-Antonio Reyes as Arsenal's experienced striker.
   'I will make the decision as late as possible. When you make a player travel that far you have to be sure that you will play him,' said Wenger.
   'Seven hours' travel is sometimes tricky if you want to make changes to your plans at the last second.'
   Bergkamp came off the bench to score a last-gasp winner against Swiss side Thun.
   'The determination of Dennis was fantastic and a good example for our youngsters,' said Wenger.

Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard heaped praise on teenaged striker Lionel Messi after he came off the bench to win a crucial penalty in the 2-0 Champions League Group C win over Werder Bremen on Wednesday.
   Messi raced past German international defender Christian Schulz and the Bremen man hauled him down for a spot-kick.
   Brazilian international Ronaldinho rifled home from the spot to ease Barcelona's nerves after Bremen had threatened to cancel out Deco's 13th minute opener.
   'He (Messi) played well, he got us the penalty and that was key to the win,' said Rijkaard. 'I think he withstood all the media pressure around him during the game.'
   For Messi it was nice to make the headlines on the pitch, especially given the question marks surrounding his eligibility as a European Union player doing the rounds in the Spanish media.
   Barcelona believed Messi would qualify as a European as he had been nurtured in the club's youth system, but new regulations for so-called 'assimilated players' have not yet been ratified by the Spanish sports council.
   The contribution from Messi, top scorer for Argentina in their World Youth Cup success in June, was a real plus for Rijkaard but the Dutch handler recognised that his charges rode their luck against Bremen.
   Meanwhile, Europe's biggest clubs are monitoring the latest episode in Lionel Messi's on-off senior career at Barcelona.
   The Argentine whizkid has been cleared by UEFA to play in the Champions League this season, but a contract cock-up by Barca chiefs has left him on the outer for the club's domestic campaign.
   Arsenal, Manchester United, Juventus and AC Milan are all keeping tabs on the situation as Messi can be signed for a paltry £250,000 as his former contract holds while he remains without a Spanish passport.
   Messi's Dad, Jorge, blew up at Barca sports director Txiki Begiristain on Tuesday during a tense half-hour meeting. It's understood Messi Snr is most upset in the way he can get more information on his son's situation from the press than Begiristain.
   Sources close to the player's camp have told AS that two offers from Serie A clubs have already arrived ahead of a shock move away from the Nou Camp in December when the Spanish winter market opens.

Graeme Souness, who spent 38.5 million pounds on new players in the summer, has 21.5 million pounds of talent either in the sick bay or suspended as Newcastle try to climb off the foot of the table.
   Spanish striker Albert Luque, a 9.5 million pound signing from La Coruna, could be out for 10 weeks after tearing a hamstring in last week's 1-1 draw with Fulham.
   Turkey midfielder Emre, a 3.8 million pound signing from Inter Milan, is also battling to shake off a hamstring problem, Nolberto Solano struggling with a thigh strain and 6.5-million-pound Scott Parker is banned after being sent off against Fulham.
   With Kieron Dyer still to recover from the hamstring strain he suffered against Manchester United, Souness will barely be able to muster a midfield quartet, and certainly not one to provide an adequate service for Alan Shearer and 16 million-pound Michael Owen.
   And he must be hoping former Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy, whoe left St James' Park in a storm, will not embarrass him when Newcastle travel to Blackburn on Sunday.

Juventus coach Fabio Capello led the applause for striker David Trezeguet after the striker struck his 100th goal for the club to secure a 2-1 victory over Bruges in their Champions League opener.
   Trezeguet's delicate lob over Bruges keeper Stijn Stijnen in the 75th minute shortly, after a Pavel Nedved free kick had broken the deadlock, ensured the Italian champions took all three points from a scrappy game.
   'I'm delighted he has taken his total to 100. He has always been a great finisher,' Capello told La Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday.
   The 28-year-old has been among Serie A's most reliable scorers since arriving in Turin at the start of the 2000-01 season.

Manchester United coach Carlos Quieroz believes his time as coach at Real Madrid should be judged a success.
   Quieroz coached the Meringues in the 2003-2004 season when the club fell apart in the last two months to finish a disappointing fourth in the Primera Liga table. However, no one since Quieroz has been able to win anything with Madrid, either.
   ‘Seeing what has happened since I left the club, it is fair to say that I performed a miracle there with what I was given,’ he said.
   ‘Remember I had a very limited squad. Madrid have had four coaches since I left and none of them have done anything.’
   Quieroz believes his way of working and his independent spirit, which annoyed people inside Madrid, were key factors for his departure at the end of his single season at the club.
   ‘I think that was why I left, I was free, I took my decisions in total freedom and someone didn’t like me working independently and that was what took me away from the club,’ he said.

England's shock 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat by Northern Ireland and their 4-1 friendly reverse in Denmark have seen them slip four places and out of the top 10 in FIFA's world rankings.
   England were seventh last month but in the latest edition, issued by FIFA on Wednesday, they are down to 11th.
   Northern Ireland's Belfast victory lifted them 15 places to 101st and into the top half of FIFA's list of 205.
   World champions Brazil, who qualified for the 2006 World Cup earlier this month, remain comfortably top but the Netherlands are up to second, their highest position for more than 10 years.
   Argentina are third, ahead of the Czech Republic and Mexico.
   France have moved to sixth from joint ninth but Sweden are the highest climbers at the top end as their impressive World Cup qualifying form has seen them climb five places to 10th.

Newaz- Murad win doubles tennis title
Shah Newaz and Murad pair of BKSP won the Uttara Club National Tennis doubles championship beating Amal Roy and Laxman Lal pair at the club premises on Thursday. The winners faced a tough contest from their opponats as Amal is the top seeded national player. However Neaz and Murad won by 6-4, 6-4 to confirm the top spots. Meanwhile Ishrat and Hogo pair of BKSP beat Kuni Kotaki and Ia Ukia pair of Japan club easily by 6-0, 6-0 to win the women doubles. Earlier Omar Faruqe of BKSP won the under-14 singles title beating Arif Hossain of Naraingang Club.
— New Age

Nitol Tata Nat’l Football League begins
Mohammedan Sporting Club of Rangamati moved into the zonal semifinal of the Nitol Tata 5th National Football League with a 4-0 victory over Laxmipur Sadar Upazilla at Rangamati Stadium on Thursday. The Mohammedans of Mymensingh booked the zonal quarterfinal seat beating Nabo Udayam KC of Sherpur 4-3 in the tiebreaker at Jamalpur Stadium. At Nator Adhunik Stadium, Diganta Prosai of Rajshahi also advanced into the zonal quarterfinal with a 4-2 victory over Nilfamari Zilla Khelewar Kallayan Samiti while Unmachan Club of Bagherhat outplayed Dariapur Jubo KC of Meherpur 4-2 in the tie-breaker to advance to the zonal quarterfinal at Khulna Stadium.
— BD News

Dhanmondi crush Gulshan
Dhanmondi crushed Gulshan by 6-0 goals in the Sheikh Russell U-14 Football tournament at the Abahani ground on Thursday. In the second match of the day Hazaribagh thrashed Kamrangirchar by 10-0 goals. Jalal, Nazrul and Masum scored twice for Dhanmondi while Rubel of Hazaribagh slammed a double hat-trick and Jummon scored a treble. Former BFF general secretary Harunur Rashid, distributed the prizes and DSA Tutul, Moazzem Hossain, ASA Bobby, Riazul Kabir Kawsar and Khurshid Babul were also
present.
— New Age

49 referees promoted to grade-B
A total of 49 grade-C referees have been promoted to grade-B recently after attending in an examination arranged by Bangladesh Football Federation referees committee. The promoted referees will enjoy their status on September 10. They are Selim Miah, Rafiqul Islam, Shamim Babu, Pronab Debdas, Shah Alam, Ferdous Ahmed, Mizanur Rahman, S Riazul Karim, Aminul Islam Manik, Mostafizur Rahman, Jinnatul Islam, Mahbubur Rahman, Wazed Ali, Moazzem Ali, SM Saud Hossain, Shahadat Hossain, Ahsan Habib Jewel, Alfaz Uddin, Abul Fazal, Ajit Kumar Das, M Shah Alam, Mokshed Ali, Selim Sarker, Gopinath Day, Sarwar Hossain, Farhad Hossain, Liton Miah, Paresh Dewan, Mir Ashrafur Haq, Anwar Hossain, Hannan Khandaker, Badruzzaman, Inamul Haq, S Islam Shobahan, Khairul Islam Safi, Faizul Haq Milon, Gazi A Salam, Mahmud Hasan, Jatindranath Biswash, SA Alam, Abdur Rahim, Ashraful Alam, Sameh Mallik, Bimal Mallik, Nasir Uddin, Abu Wahed, Atiar Rahman, Habibur Rahman and Flight Lt Harunoor Rashid.
— BD News