SOCCER: ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Tottenham 0 West Ham 0:ONE SCORELESS draw with Milan having taken Tottenham Hotspur to the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League, another, with West Ham United, has left them to contemplate the prospect of playing in the wasteland of next season's Europa League. Spurs' failure to break down Avram Grant's newly-resilient side, while missing the chances that did come their way, deepened the roots they are putting down in fifth place.
Luka Modric was everywhere on Saturday, setting up moves, creating space, finding angles and linking the play, but when it came to finding the net Spurs were frustrated by a combination of post, crossbar, the goalkeeping of Robert Green and their own profligacy.
“I love the way we played,” said the Spurs manager, Harry Redknapp.
“That’s how it goes. Some games you play crap and end up winning. Today we just didn’t get the break. We had so many chances it was crazy.”
A number fell to Jermain Defoe, who could have marked his 250th appearance for the club with his 100th goal but was off target, too late to get a touch or thwarted by Green’s reflexes.
Defoe’s overall scoring record is good but in the Premier League this season he has found the net only twice, both at Molineux a fortnight ago. He has become not so much a goalscorer as a player who sometimes scores goals.
Carlton Cole missed two early chances to put West Ham ahead but in the main their performance thrived on the organisation and discipline of their defence, in which Wayne Bridge was outstanding, and the excellence of Green.
* Guardian Service
Ronaldo in race against time to face Tottenham
REAL MADRID forward Cristiano Ronaldo could be sidelined for up to three weeks due to a hamstring injury, leaving him with a race against time to be fit for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Tottenham.
Ronaldo recently missed two games with a hamstring problem but returned to action in Wednesday’s Champions League game against Lyon.
He also started Saturday night’s derby against Atletico Madrid, playing around 70 minutes in both matches before being replaced.
The €80 million man complained of pain in his left thigh following the derby and he underwent medical tests, where the extent of the damage was confirmed.
According to a statement on the Madrid website, Ronaldo is now likely to be absent for “between two to three weeks, depending on his progress”.
Ronaldo is now set to miss Portugal’s upcoming friendlies against Chile and Finland, and it remains to be seen if he will be fit for Madrid’s league match against Sporting Gijon in a fortnight’s time and the Champions League clash with Tottenham on April 5th.
Madrid reached the last eight of the Champions League after knocking out Lyon in midweek.
