Darijo Srna scored the game-winning goal for Shakhtar Donetsk on Monday, March 2nd as the Ukrainian Premier League returned to action from a long and cold winter break. With the game tied 1-1 in the 82nd minute, Srna ripped a free kick over the Illitchivets Mariupol wall as the goalie was completely ‘frozen’. Good to see Srna start off 2009 with a bang for Shakhtar as they will need to keep winning in order to catch Ognjen Vukojević’s Dynamo Kiev side and repeat as Ukrainian champs.
Just a piece of advice for you Darijo: Try to keep those ‘knee-sliding celebrations’ to a minimum until all that ice thaws off in the springtime.
Dynamo Kiev travel to Metalist Kharkiv on Wednesday to open their 2009 campaign. Can Vukojević help keep his team in first?
Niko Kranjčar missed a golden opportunity on Tuesday as Portsmouth hosted Chelsea at a rain-soaked Fratton Park. Due to the swampy conditions, much of the match was played conservatively as neither team wanted to make a season altering mistake. With Chelsea still in contention for the Premiership title and Portsmouth just trying to fight off relegation, this game was bound to make ripples in England. I mean, if you can’t beat a very poor Pompey side late in the season with the money Chelsea’s got, then you don’t deserve the talk that comes along with Premiership title contention.
With only 20 minutes left to play and the game still stuck at zeros, Portsmouth’s Peter Crouch broke away in a counter-attack spanning almost the entire length of the field. Crouch then crossed the ball to an open Niko Kranjčar who was speeding down the opposite sideline. With plenty of time to settle the ball and to shoot from almost ‘point blank’ range, Kranjčar pushed the ball wide left.
I don’t know if Kranjčar is playing badly because he knows he will not be in Portsmouth next season or if it’s just playing for a bad football team at the moment. Maybe he knows scouts are watching him for a summer transfer and is buckling under the pressure. He better produce in this last part of the season as this ‘free tryout’ opportunity doesn’t happen to many players.
Ten minutes after Kranjčar’s miss, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba netted a goal for a 1-0 win. Poor Portsmouth. Just can’t catch a break.
ČORLUKA GETTING HIS BRAND-SPANKING NEW ‘CSR’ TATTOO…NOW THAT’S A FAN!
Tottenham Hotspur take on Middlesbrough at White Heart Lane Wednesday, March 4th at 3 PM (ET). Luka Modrić and Vedran Ćorluka should be in the starting lineup for the Spurs.
A post-game recap will be posted here shortly after the match.
In the mean time, check out what Modrić said about 2008 FIFA Footballer of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo, after their Carling Cup Final match this past Sunday. Quite hilarious I must say, because it’s true. I’m glad someone has the balls to call Ronaldo out.
Thanks to Croat for breaking this story in an English article.
i actually think West Ham (baring they don’t get fined over the Tevez) affair is a perfect club for Niko Kranjcar. West ham are playing some of the best football in the division under Zola and they have the basis of a top half Premier side. I’m sure West Ham can afford something like £4-5m for soon to be out of contract Kranjcar. If not Kranjcar, West Ham would be the perfect club for Pranjic. If West ham is good enough for Zola, Clarke to leave Chelsea and for Behrami to leave Lazio then i think it is a team on the rise. In fact if West Ham take Crouch, Johnson and Kranjcar i think that’s about all they need to become a top 8 club every season in addition to what they all got. Zola has actually kept there best players and given away there rubbish to clubs like Sunderland, Stoke and Portsmouth for Kranjcar to play with. Sadly Portsmouth are heading to the level of a bottom six premier side or top half second division side.
Marko
Corluka is trying to look like Beckham so he can have a run at Victoria…. Ashton Kutcher-Demi Moore type of gig…. Carli needs a new g-friend, her name has been all over the Croatian news getting drunk and rowdy at Zagreb ecsquisite clubs.
Ivica
I don’t think Dario will end his career in Ukraine. One more season max. The Italian league would suite him best in my opinion. His teammates will do what they do best: flop near the box, and Darijo will score all 20 goals from free kicks!
Matt
“Besides that miss, Kranjcar actually played pretty good yesterday”
Without a doubt a wasted opportunity. A player only gets so many quality chances.
Pintar
I’m with you, brother. Kranjcar choked under pressure.
Ciganski Bosanac
sportske Novosti confirmed today a NK Sarajevo offer for Kranjcar. However, it was quickly rejected as the Arabs in Man City have put up a “much more interesting” offer for the Croat.
croatiafan:)
“He just needs to flee a sinking ship as Gaydamak is not putting the money in and Kranjcar, Crouch, Johnson are their only assets. “
Hopefully, something gets done by the time the summer transfer window closes. Germany would not be a bad destination. Besides Bayern, Kranjcar would start on just about every team.
Yeah but you need to understand how far Portsmouth have dropped. Wolfsburg swept aside Portsmouth with ease earlier in the season, so even team like Wolfsburg is promotion from Pompey. I look at the Premier sides and i don’t think there is room for Kranjcar considering the way teams play and the attacking playmakers or left midfielder players they already give priority to on their books. The only top Premier coach i thought would sign him was Wenger, but he already signed Arshavin and has Nasri and Rosicky on the books. He’s not a player for Rafa, Hughes, O’Neil, Hiddink, Ferguson, Moyes. I think he’ll go abroad or to someone like West Ham or Newcastle. Chelsea or Liverpool may consider him as second playmaker, but i imagine Chelsea would want Malouda and Deco off the wage bill first and may be planning something more extravagant like Benzema or Aguero in the summer. I think though considering where Portsmouth might be heading Kranjcar would be happy to join any stable top flight club in a major league.
kranjcar to those bad teams?? he should come to NK SARAJEVO!! now theres world class for you
Kranjcar hasn’t been poor this season. For a start he has barely played and been injured and when he has played he’s been the best player in a side in decline. It is also a side that changed its style of play and has no pacy forward for Niko to play neat balls to. They play Crouch on his own who is 6ft 7 or something, so cannot beat a man and can only give the ball back or meet crosses. Portsmouth created their downfall i believe by sales and change of style which is also due to the transfer window situation as they weren’t that successful bringing in decent players and can’t add anything now.
Portsmouth’s team has really dropped in standard. From having players like Defoe, Benjani, O’Neil, Muntari, Diarra, Boupa Diop, Mendes they are now left with mediocre replacements like Mullins, unfit Gekas, Nugent and the totally over rated Pennant. In addition Campbell is in the team yet he is not having his contract renewed at the end of season and Distin seems like he would rather be elsewhere too.
Niko it seems wanted to stay at this club, but since he saw the side falling apart around him then he probably is more interested in leaving this summer. I don’t think he is bothered whether he moves to a big club or not so i don’t understand why he would feel the pressure. Niko is available at cut price as he only has a year on his contract so he would be wanted by many teams who can’t afford 10million for every player. He said earlier in the season that HSV would interest him. I think Kranjcar is still on decent form and in Davis, Bassinas, Johnson still have some half decent players left the get out of trouble. Its obvious Kranjcar will leave in the summer. I think to be honest he’ll go to any half decent club whether it be Schalke, HSV, Bremen, PSG, West Ham. I don’t think he is bothered about a big club. He just needs to flee a sinking ship as Gaydamak is not putting the money in and Kranjcar, Crouch, Johnson are their only assets. They’ll all go in the summer so they can raise funds.
Not to be a Kranjcar apologist, but those conditions were terrible. I saw several miss kicks in that game, not just his poor shot. Having said that, he should’ve at least challenged Cech from that range. It was Portsmouth’s game to win (or at least draw), even late.
Besides that miss, Kranjcar actually played pretty good yesterday, even the “game reporters” were saying what a class player everytime he touched the ball.
Yea I agree and about the Kranjcar thing; the team fell apart after Redknapp left, he liked sucked the soul out of the team, including what was left of their young front if I’m not mistaken. Adams was really inexperienced and fumbled the job. Unfortunately for Niko hes the only real young “talent” left on that team. He’ll be shipped out soon since you can tell he doesn’t want to be there.
Niko is leaving portsmouth. they need the $$ and he needs some new surroundings. Regardless of how he finishes up this season, he will be sold.
Not to hijack the post, but I am dieing to watch Darijio Srna play club football every weekend as opposed to just the champions league games every few months. Based on his style, which of the top European leagues would really suit his game??
I seriously think he is gonna end his career at Shahtar and will be considered one of the greatest talents the world never really knew about.
Yeh….me and Denis had a good 2008 so we put together all the money we had and bought some ad space on Vedran Corluka’s back.
Now all we need him to do is score the game winning goal in the World Cup Final and celebrate by taking off his shirt!
I hope that Corluka caption isn’t true because if it is that fucking awesome and hilarious at the same time!