By DAN KARELL
For the first time in 21 years, Everton left Old Trafford with three valuable points.
After failing to win a game at Manchester United for more than two decades, Roberto Martinez’s men put in a terrific performance and defeated former Everton boss David Moyes, 1-0, on Wednesday evening in Manchester. Costa Rican international Bryan Oviedo, who was filling in for the injured Leighton Baines, scored the game-winning goal for the Toffees in the 86th minute to lift Everton to fifth in the English Premier League table, while Man United dropped to ninth.
Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was credited with six saves that included vital stops on Man United’s Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa, earned his seventh shutout of the season.
The last time that Everton defeated Man United in Old Trafford, back in August 1992, saw former Major League Soccer players and managers Mo Johnston and Robert Warzycha both enter the scoresheet in a 3-0 victory.
Here are some more stories to catch you up from around the world of soccer:
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN STUNNED ON THE ROAD
Evian TG weren’t at all fazed by the fact that Paris Saint-Germain hadn’t lost in 26 Ligue 1 matches.
The small club, who finished 16th in the league last season, ended PSG’s tremendous run at home on Wednesday evening with a 2-0 victory, stunning Laurent Blanc and his team of high-paid stars. While PSG was missing the likes of Alex, Thiago Motta, and Ezequiel Lavezzi for the match, they still were able to put out a starting lineup including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, and Thiago Silva.
After no goals were scored in the opening three quarters of an hour on a bitterly cold evening in Annecy, France, Evian substitute Clarck N’Sikulu and starting winger Modou Sougou each scored in the final 15 minutes of the match to take down the giants from the French capital.
ROBBEN SCORES IN BAYERN WIN BUT LEAVES INJURED
Arjen Robben’s eventful afternoon was cut short after just 16 minutes.
The Netherlands international put Bayern Munich ahead in the 4th minute from close range, but was stretchered off the field in the 16th minute following a scary collision with Augsburg goalkeeper Marwin Hitz, who was shown a yellow card. According to Bayern Munich’s website, the preliminary diagnosis of the injury was a deep laceration in Robben’s knee.
Bayern went on to win the match, 2-0, to advance in the DFB Pokal (German Cup), but more worrying is the health of Robben. The German champions are already missing Franck Ribery due to injury and with the FIFA Club World Cup set to commence later this month, Bayern could be without a few key pieces heading into the tournament.
QUICK KICKS
Nottingham Forest midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah has claimed that he was racially abused at half time of his team’s match against Millwall. (REPORT)
Brazil is preparing to set up “World Cup courts” to deal with the expected uptick in violence from protesters and demonstrators during next year’s World Cup. (REPORT)
Real Madrid is hoping to tie up injured midfielder Sami Khedira to a new contract through 2018. (REPORT)
Brazilian legend Pele has refused an invitation from Brazil President Dilma Rousseff to attend the FIFA World Cup draw on Friday, claiming that he wouldn’t be comfortable at the event. (REPORT)
Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic has admitted that it’s been difficult to play without captain Francesco Totti on the field. (REPORT)
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What do you think of these reports? Impressed with Everton’s win? Surprised that PSG lost at Evian? Think Robben could be out for the Club World Cup?
Share your thoughts below.
What a win for Everton! I always like Moyes, but Roberto Martinez really is a better coach. Not just saying that because of this win. I’m saying that because Everton has as good as chance as any to make it to Europe next year.
Is Roberto doing US TV WC coverage again?
Pretty much a coup if so.
The players for Evian TG never seem to get dehydrated.
On an interesting note, FIFA conducted a rehearsal for the World Cup draw. In the rehearsal the US was put in group B with Uruguay, Nigeria and Croatia. Not too bad of a group if it was the real thing. This was just a rehearsal though so won’t have any bearing on the group we finally end up with.
The problem is, it’s group B and Group A was Brazil, France, Nigeria, Italy. So, both qualified teams from Group B would have been in dire straits for the second round.
also, mexico got Algeri and Bosnia. Good thing it was just a rehearsal
Wait a minute how could both Group B and Group A have Nigeria?
Also rehearsels are known to be very close to what actually happens.
Group A has Australia instead of Nigeria, my bad
As a Millwall fan I can say that Chalobah’s claims are absurd. First of all he claimed that the abuse he received wasn’t worthy of mentioning to the match officials during the game, but then after the game is claiming that he received racist abuse that broke his concentration at halftime. Well which is it?
This reeks of the claims by Sordell last season, when it was found that the fan yelling abuse at him was a 13 year old Wall fan who didn’t even say anything racist.
Players and the media loves to use Millwall’s reputation against them, but if one did any investigation they’d find that those who run the club (an American chairman, btw) have done more to snub racism out in the sport than most other clubs in England.
Robben probably injured himself on that bad goal celebration over the weekend.
he collided with the goalie on an offsides play and it looked pretty bad. if the he would of been onsides by half a foot, then the play would have resulted in a penalty. The goalie did get a yellow card which tell you the magnitude of the collision. get well ajren
I have said since the start of the season that man U was going to drop out of the top four. By now, they need to worry about the top six.