Yesterday, Flamengo played their first match since the fire that tragically killed 10 academy players at their training ground. Here is an Associated Press report:
“Brazilian club Flamengo played its first match since the fire that killed 10 of its academy players at its training ground 8 Feb, losing 1-0 to rival Fluminense on Thursday night. Nearly 30,000 fans, many with white balloons, banners and flags, attended the state championship match. The game was initially scheduled for Saturday, only hours after the deadly incident.
“Flamengo supporters sang a song to honor the dead at 10 minutes of play. Luciano scored for Fluminense. Survivor Cauan Emanuel, who was released from hospital this week, was filmed crying in the tribunes of the Maracana, sided by family members and Flamengo fans. The victims were between 14 and 16 years old. Police are still investigating what caused the fire.”
Slightly damning from Petr Cech – he says Arsenal could have played for another couple of hours without scoring last night:
Yesterday it was one of those games where if we played for another couple of hours probably we wouldn’t have scored. But there are games in football like that. You try, you play, the goal does not arrive and you have to go home with the result you don’t want but you have to pick yourself up and be ready for the second leg. This is the advantage of playing two-legged ties – when one game goes wrong you can always make up for it. We didn’t take our chances. In the first-half in particular we played well and created enough chances to go ahead in the game but unfortunately we didn’t take our chances and then we conceded in the last minute of the first half which obviously gave them a lot of confidence and belief. We wanted to score goals and win to put ourselves in a good position. We’ve left it more tricky for ourselves and we need to win at home.”
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JM
(@JM_Magick)@NickAmes82 Watford v Wolves in the final. As irritating as the ‘whole weekend’ set-up is, away game straight from work today – can’t beat it!
Yes, should be lively in Shepherd’s Bush tonight. And you really wouldn’t rule out at least one of Watford and Wolves going all the way on present evidence, to be fair.
Can you – or your team of choice – beat that for a post-victory recovery feed? I’m not talking jagerbombs at 4am down Vodka Revs, but strictly food-based.
Charles Watts
(@charles_watts)Nothing rubs salt into the wounds more than sitting next to Alex Hleb and the BATE team while they celebrate beating Arsenal by wolfing down a Double Whopper meal at 8am pic.twitter.com/7DOW4XYsXE
No cryogenic chamber or isotonic drip-feed? I’m appalled.
Good news for Charlton fans: the League One club’s faithful have succeeded in having The Valley re-listed as an “asset of community value”, meaning their supporters’ trust must be notified if it is put up for sale and have the right to make their own bid. Might not seem earth-shattering but, given the trials and tribulations there in recent years, all measures of stability at Charlton are very welcome.
We can wallow – or lavish, depending on who you support – in some Europa League reaction too, if you like. What *on earth* was that from Arsenal in Belarus? And has Maurizio Sarri bought himself valuable time with Chelsea’s win over Malmo? Maybe we should all be Sarri for doubting him!
Stuart James has been in Newport with Padraig Amond, the striker who hopes to embarrass Pep Guardiola tomorrow. This is a cracking interview, and Amond’s thought process when scoring in the last round against Middlesbrough is described particularly nicely:
Valverde signs new Barcelona deal
News from Spain: Barcelona’s manager, Ernesto Valverde, has inked – which isn’t a verb – a contract extension until 2020, with the option of additional year. Excited, culés?
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Here’s a nice interview to kick things off with. It’s Harry Wilson, the Derby youngster on loan from Liverpool, talking to our very own Ben Fisher:
Morning all
It is Friday – a very crisp and bright Friday, here at least. And there’s lots to snap into today: FA Cup fifth round weekend is upon us and the matches we’ll be looking ahead to are thus:
Friday: QPR v Watford
Saturday: Brighton v Derby; AFC Wimbledon v Millwall; Newport v Manchester City
Sunday: Bristol City v Wolves; Doncaster v Crystal Palace; Swansea v Brentford
Monday: Chelsea v Manchester United
I swear that when we get to the semis they’ll still find a way of dragging this all out over four days. Anyway, two or three genuinely belting ties there, so if you’re a veteran of Rodney Parade or heading down to Kingsmeadow for the first time, I’d like to hear from you.
There’s also Championship promotion race action, Norwich visiting Bolton tomorrow. And plenty going on in that there Europe, too. While we get our little heads round all that, send your emails and tweets in to the addresses above. What’s rocking your weekend?