SOCCER SHORTS:A SUPERB early goal from Cristiano Ronaldo and a second-half Kaka penalty gave Real Madrid a 2-0 win at 10-man Villarreal in La Liga last night.
Ronaldo stunned the home side in the second minute when he sped down the left wing, cut inside and struck with a low shot from just outside the penalty area for his fifth league goal in four matches.
Villarreal defender Gonzalo Rodriguez was sent off 10 minutes before the break, earning a second yellow card catching Kaka in the chest with a reckless flying kick.
The Brazilian stepped up to double Real's lead in the 73rd minute when the referee ruled Angel Lopez had handled Marcelo's cross. Real's fourth win out of four puts them level on 12 points with champions Barcelona.
Celtic cruise into quarter-finals
SCOTT McDONALD led the way as Celtic showed their determination to hold onto the Scottish League Cup by beating Falkirk 4-0 in front of their own fans.
The striker helped himself to a double on a night when several fringe players also shone, with Pat McCourt netting his first goal for the club and Chris Killen completing the rout.
Falkirk did strike the woodwork late on but the outcome never appeared in doubt as the holders cruised into the quarter-finals.
Lukasz Zaluska finally made his competitive debut for Celtic following his summer move from Dundee United, while Mark Wilson also made his first start of the season.
Willo Flood, Marc Crosas, Barry Robson, McCourt, Paul Caddis and Stephen McManus were all drafted into the team as Tony Mowbray made no fewer than eight changes from the side which narrowly defeated Hearts at the weekend.
Rangers also won last night beating Queen of the South 2-1.
Mascherano may face ban
JAVIER Mascherano could face a violent conduct charge from the English FA after appearing to swing an arm and strike Jermaine Beckford on the back of his head during Liverpool’s 1-0 League Cup win at Leeds United on Tuesday night.
If referee Alan Wiley’s report of the game states he did not spot the blow, action can be taken on video evidence, which could result in a three-game suspension.
Campbell set to pay heavy price for leaving County
SOL CAMPBELL stands to pay a heavy price for walking out on his contract at Notts County as, under Fifa rules, he will now be unable to play for a new club until January, which will raise the inevitable question about his future in the game. The former England defender turned 35 last week and by January will be sorely lacking in match fitness. Campbell may have earned €177,000 from his four-week dalliance with League Two County but, in another sense, he could be infinitely poorer.
Having allowed his contract at Portsmouth to expire, on August 26th Campbell signed a four-year deal at County, with the option of a fifth year. He was guaranteed to earn €12 million over the course of the contract. The executive chairman, Peter Trembling, said the club were “disappointed that Sol felt he could not adjust to the long-term nature of the project”. He added: “Perhaps things are not happening as quickly as he thought they might but this is a five-year project, not a five-week project.”
Ireland look to bounce back
THE Irish women’s team will look to bounce back from Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Switzerland when they take on Kazakhstan in their second qualifying game of the 2011 World Cup campaign at Turner’s Cross this evening (kick-off 7.30, admission €5 for adults and free for under-16s).
“I am glad that this game has come so quickly after the Switzerland defeat,” said manager Noel King yesterday, “because I was genuinely pleased with the performance and felt they should have got something out of the game. The Kazakhstan match is vital if we are to harbor ambitions of getting to Germany in 2011.”
IRELAND WOMEN'S SQUAD (v Kazakhstan, Turner's Cross, tonight, 7.30): Byrne (Arsenal), Mary Therese McDonnell (Chicago Red Stars), De Burca (Salthill Devon), Fahey (Arsenal), Tracy (Arsenal), Connor (Birmingham City), Grant (Arsenal), O'Gorman (Stella Maris), O'Sullivan (Sacramento Storm), Curtis (Chelsea), Hughes (Unattached), Curtin (Lifford), Shannon McDonnell (Unattached), Bradley (Raheny Utd), Roche (Raheny Utd), Caldwell (Hofstra University), Parkes (Wilton Utd).
In brief . . .
ENGLANDand Brazil will meet in a friendly international in Doha, Qatar, in November, the English FA confirmed yesterday. The match at the Khalifa International Stadium on November 18th is part of a deal struck between the two associations which included Brazil playing England in the first match at the new Wembley Stadium in 2007.
CARSONYeung has moved closer to completing his takeover of Birmingham after his company, Grandtop International Holdings, increased their share capital in the midlands club to 81.7 per cent.
BRYANRobson has agreed a four-year deal to become Thailand's new manager, the head of the country's FA has announced. The 52-year-old will fill the vacancy left by former incumbent Peter Reid, who departed by mutual consent 12 months into a four-year contract to take up the post of assistant manager at Stoke
