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Back in 1994, in the first leg of the European Cup Winners Cup semifinal in Paris, the Pet Shop Boys version of Go West played out over the speakers at the Parc des Princes. Martin Prado Authentic Jersey . It was a popular beat amongst the PSG fans, who sung Allez, Paris Saint Germain during the chorus, which prompted the visiting Arsenal fans to respond One Nil, to the Arse-a-nal reminding them of the score after 45 minutes. The lead didnt last long so the chant ended that night in Paris, but when Arsenal won the second leg and the final by 1-0 scorelines, an anthem was born amongst Arsenal fans. Arsenal, under manager George Graham, were known for keeping his team very defensive and One Nil, to the Arse-a-nal was a message to visiting players and fans that there was a very good chance the game was over. The song continues to be sung every now and then at The Emirates but with the likes of Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Nigel Winterburn all on television talking about the game, rather than playing it, Arsenal have allowed 1-0 leads to slip much more than they did two decades ago. A 1-0 lead, however, still remains close to an advantage globally as it was when Ian Wright was scoring goals for Arsenal. Football managers talk about the edge their team can get when they score the opening goal of a game. Not only does it give the side confidence, while affecting their opponents mentally, but, the longer the game goes on, it allows a team to sit deeper to protect a lead and play a counter-attacking style. Getting the opening goal in a game is similar to capturing your opponents queen in chess; the first one to do it wins a lot more often, and the earlier you get it, the easier it is to dictate your own style. Last season in the Premier League there were 33 matches that ended scoreless, and, subsequently, 347 occasions when a team took a 1-0 lead. The minute in which the goals were scored matters, of course, but of those 347 1-0 leads, only 54 times did those leads give the winning team no points. This means a team who took a 1-0 lead, had a 84.4 per cent chance of not losing the match, while the trailing team had just over a 15 per cent chance of winning the game. 15 per cent. It is no wonder many teams naturally try and defend what they have when they are winning 1-0, but what of those teams trailing? Just how hard is their task and how important is it to play at your best when you are trailing? Winning a match in 90 minutes after going down 1-0 has always been difficult. Major finals are obviously tighter and cagier than league games, but it is worth noting that no team has won a World Cup final that way since West Germany beat the Netherlands in 1974. From 1974 to now, no team has done it in 10 European Championship finals or 12 Copa America finals. In the last 40 European Cup/Champions League finals, from 1974-2013, it has happened just three times. The last victims? Ironically, Arsenal in Paris in 2006. The victors that day were Barcelona whose performance significantly improved after they equalized, leading them to score the games defining third goal soon after. That is what happened to Manchester United on Saturday at Sunderland. Down 1-0 early, United found themselves trailing in a league match for the fourth time in their last five games. The previous three had all led to defeats, something no one was used to. Those defeats to Liverpool, Manchester City and West Brom, meant United had achieved 0 points from losing positions, despite spending 186 minutes playing behind - remarkable numbers for a successful club used to winning games from losing positions. United gave up 1-0 leads in five of their first six league games last season, under Sir Alex Ferguson, yet still won three of them. Through six games they had trailed in a total of 140 minutes but gained nine points. They went on to trail in 16 matches last season, and for a total of 419 minutes, but won back a startling 29 points from losing positions (nine wins, two draws), which was the second most in Premier League history, behind the 31 won by Newcastle United in 2001-02. When Adnan Januzaj scored his and Uniteds second goal at Sunderland, not only was this significant in terms of helping the club win a match, but, as it came just six minutes after his first, gave United a look of old, something we hadnt seen so far this season. Last year they scored 17 league goals ten minutes or less after they had just scored, which played a large role in their ability to be the comeback kings of the Premier League. Not one time last season did United, trailing 1-0, draw level and then lose the match, something they did against West Brom this season. Even more impressive, when they did draw level at 1-1, they didnt even draw until April, winning these matches nine times in a row from August to March. Their nine wins from 1-0 deficits contributed to 16.6 per cent of the entire leagues wins in that category and they did it from 16 attempts, for a remarkable 56 per cent win rate, when the league average was slightly more than 15 per cent. A look at the rest of the teams in the top seven and how they struggled to win a game when down 1-0 shows just how impressive Uniteds comebacks were. Manchester United – 9 wins from 16 attempts (56 per cent)Chelsea - 4 wins from 10 attempts (40 per cent)Tottenham - 5 wins from 13 attempts (38 per cent)Everton - 5 wins from 16 attempts (31 per cent)Arsenal - 4 wins from 14 attempts (29 per cent) Manchester City - 3 wins from 11 attempts (27 per cent)Liverpool - 2 wins from 14 attempts (14 per cent) Another example of Liverpools improvement in the second half, saw both their wins come in the last two months of the season while, highlighting their regression, all of Manchester Citys came before the end of November. Uniteds 29 points gained from 1-0 deficits was the major reason for them defeating their closest rivals so easily. City, like United, lost five games when trailing 1-0, but all five of them came in their last five attempts, after they picked up 12 points (three wins, three draws) from their first six 0-1 deficits. This season, United will certainly hope not to trail in as many games as 16 (although this number certainly highlights some flaws with that title-winning team David Moyes took over) but it is likely they will come close to that and it is at that time – more than any - when they must look like a Ferguson team. No Premier League team can go through a season never falling behind 1-0. Even Arsenals Invincibles of 2003-04 did so nine times, winning six and drawing three. Januzajs double certainly is a good start for United in this area and, ironically, came on the same day as rivals Manchester Citys first win from losing 1-0, after they won 3-1 at home to Everton. The season is still young but early indications, through 70 Premier League games, is that it is even harder to win such matches with just eight teams, having fallen behind 1-0, winning (11.8 per cent). Its a sin if managers dont say these opportunities are always on my mind if they want to perform miracles and become a winner. Just ask the Pet Shop Boys. Babe Ruth Yankees Jersey .com) - The Edmonton Oilers have been in spoiler mode for a while now, however as the season winds down they become more and more dangerous to opponents fighting for a playoff berth. Robinson Cano Jersey . There was an undeniable sense of relief after the veteran centre scored both goals in a tight 2-1 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.NEW YORK -- Following a long stretch of futility, Tampa Bays fortunes have turned. Logan Forsythe hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the 12th inning and the Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-3 Monday night despite squandering a late lead. "This is my own personal theory, is that to win on the road in extra innings really is good for a teams morale," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. Kevin Kiermaier homered in his third straight game and Matt Joyce also went deep for the resurgent Rays, who have their first three-game winning streak since taking a season-best four in a row May 22-25. Theyve won five of six overall and no longer own the worst record in the majors, a distinction that had belonged to them since June 4. "Nobody quit," Maddon said. "To lose a game like this would have been really hard to walk in here. Its very difficult, and you dont know the negative complementary impacts its going to have." The only real bad news for the Rays was that shortstop Yunel Escobar is headed to the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 25, because of a sore right shoulder. "Pretty much on target for a minimal stay," Maddon said. Brian Roberts homered off Rays reliever Joel Peralta with one out in the ninth to tie it 3-all. As the ball cleared the right-field wall, Peralta crouched near the mound and pounded his fist into his glove. But the scuffling Yankees were unable to muster any more offence and lost for the seventh time in nine games. "They were able to get the big hits at the end and we werent," manager Joe Girardi said. "Weve had two extremely tough losses on this homestand." Chris Archer nearly became the first pitcher in more than a century to win his first five outings against the Yankees, and Tampa Bay hurlers finished June with 287 strikeouts -- breaking the major league record for one month set by the Chicago Cubs, who had 286 in August 2002. "It was so special," Archer said. "Were going to be etched in stone for a while." Brandon Guyer drew a two-out walk from Jose Ramirez (0-2) in the 12th and stole second. Forsythe lined the next pitch into centre field, scoring Guyer easily. "Big boost in confidence. Thats why we keep battling every game," said Forsythe, who also played excellent defence at second base. "We never think were out of it, and its great to be that guy tonight." Brad Boxberger (1-1) pitched two perfect innings for hiss first major league win in 72 appearances. Ichiro Suzuki Authentic Jersey. "Really dominant kind of stuff," Maddon said. "He was in total command of the moment." Archer went seven innings and was in line for the victory until Roberts homered. The last pitcher to start his career 5-0 in five games against New York was Washington Senators Hall of Famer Walter Johnson from 1907-08 -- back when the club was still called the Highlanders. The 25-year-old Archer has a 1.51 ERA in 35 2-3 innings against the Yankees. Ryan Hanigan gave the Rays a 3-2 lead in the eighth with an RBI single off closer David Robertson. Hanigans clutch hit came after Dellin Betances issued consecutive two-out walks. "I couldnt make pitches with two outs," Betances said. "Thats why I was so frustrated: I couldnt end the inning." New York pitchers have walked 16 in the last two games. Despite his teams record (36-49), Maddon is optimistic the Rays have turned things around in time to make a run. Tampa Bays bats busted loose for 12 runs Sunday in Baltimore, and Joyce picked up Monday right where he left off. Joyce, who tied team records with five hits and 12 total bases the day before, connected off David Phelps in the first inning for his third home run in two games. Going into Sunday, Joyce had three homers all season -- none since May 11. Kiermaier, who had three hits, made it 2-0 with a leadoff shot in the third, but the Yankees finally broke through against Archer in the bottom half. Brett Gardner grounded an RBI triple inside first base and scored on Derek Jeters groundout. NOTES: When LHP David Price starts Tuesday night, hell try to join Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez as the only pitchers to strike out at least 10 in six consecutive games. In 22 career starts against the Yankees, Price has never fanned 10. ... RHP Jeremy Hellickson (elbow surgery) threw 38 pitches in Florida and felt good, Maddon said. Now, the Rays will determine whether Hellicksons next rehab outing will be for Class-A Charlotte or Triple-A Durham. Hellickson ended his rehab start with Durham last Friday after three innings, complaining of discomfort. ... Rays CF Desmond Jennings was hit by pitches in the ninth and 11th. ... New York LHP CC Sabathia (right knee) threw a bullpen at Yankee Stadium and is scheduled to throw about 50 pitches in a rehab start Thursday for Double-A Trenton. "Hopefully, hes on the horizon," GM Brian Cashman said. wholesale nfl jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
