|
KITZBUEHEL, Austria -- Didier Defago of Switzerland edged Bode Miller by 0. Alfonzo Dennard Jersey .05 seconds to win a World Cup super-G on Sunday, and Alexis Pinturault of France won the super-combined event for his sixth career victory. With snow falling on a shortened Streifalm course, Defago was the next racer after Miller and timed 1 minute, 10.38 seconds for his first victory since a downhill in Bormio, Italy, in December 2011. "The course suits me," said Defago, the 2010 Olympic champion who won the classic Hahnenkamm downhill five years ago. "I was disappointed we had only one training run this week. I love this course. I fully used my chances today." Overall World Cup leader Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway and Max Franz of Austria shared third, 0.15 off the lead. The race also counted as the first portion of the super-combined, which added the results of the super-G and a slalom run. Pinturault posted the fastest time in the floodlit slalom to finish in an aggregate time of 2 minutes, 2.79 seconds. Ted Ligety of the United States was 0.44 back in second, and defending overall champion Marcel Hirscher of Austria was third, 1.47 behind. "Its a great result," Pinturault said. "My confidence is building and my skiing gets better and better. Thats very positive for the Olympics." Miller, who led the competition after the super-G as speed specialist Defago skipped the slalom, posted the third-fastest time in slalom but was disqualified for straddling a gate. Svindal of Norway also failed to finish the slalom, leaving Hirscher the chance to close the gap in the overall standings to 102 points. The next event is the night slalom in Schladming, where Svindal wont compete. Hirscher was 1.53 off the lead after the super-G but attacked his slalom throughout to make the podium. "I couldnt risk more than Ive done," said Hirscher, who failed the finish the regular slalom event Friday. "These 60 points are now very important for me." Ligety was 0.94 back in 31st after the super-G, but put in an aggressive slalom run that was unmatched until Pinturault came down. "My slalom run was ok, it was sure better than in the classic slalom race," Ligety said. "Alexis is a great slalom skier so its not too bad to be after him." Earlier Sunday, organizers delayed the super-G for three hours due to snowfall and lowered the start because of strong winds. Defago missed the season following his Olympic title after tearing ligaments in his left knee. He hadnt been on a World Cup podium since his win in Bormio. However, getting top-10s in three downhills this season, including last week in Wengen and Saturday in Kitzbuehel, were signs of a return to form with the Sochi Olympics looming. "Its yet unclear if I am really going to retire," said the 36-year-old Defago, who had earlier hinted this Olympic season might be his last. "When I see I can still race this good then it becomes a difficult decision." Miller missed out on a possible win for a second straight day after mistakes he called "heartbreaking" and "painful" saw him come third in the downhill. He had targeted that race to earn his first World Cup win since taking the downhill in Beaver Creek in 2011. Miller said the anger from the day before helped him in the super-G. Starting 23rd, he was clean throughout and beat the times from the seasons leading super-G racers. "You use the emotions if you can, if you think thats beneficial," Miller said. "I know that on a short course, skiing really aggressive, really angry, can be helpful because its so really close. When it comes down to five-hundreds ... a little bit of extra aggression can make the difference. I definitely brought that in there and thats just a usable emotion." Miller added that he "skied really well. I didnt leave a whole lot out there. Second place is also fine. Both results are fine, I am just much happier with my skiing today." Miller considered himself unlucky having to start right after a scheduled TV commercial interruption of the race. "It doesnt help to have the TV break right before you," Miller said. "Three minutes of nobody skiing the actual track. And the snow, its not very much but its enough to slow things down a little bit." American teammate Travis Ganong trailed by 0.30 in joint sixth for his career-best result in super-G. "My skiing is in a really good spot right now," said Ganong, a day after finishing seventh in the downhill. "You get to the point where youve done so many races, you turn your brain off and you just ski and have fun. Most races Ive done in the past, Ive been over-thinking things. This run I just forgot about everything just relaxed and skied and had fun." Ganong later missed a gate in the slalom and didnt finish the super-combined event. This weekends World Cup races were the last before nations have to name their squads for the Sochi Olympics. 14:41ET 26-01-14 Brandon LaFell Jersey . Midfielder Michael Bradley, one of the teams new designated players, will make his debut, while striker Gilberto could see his first action for TFC in the contest. Joe Vellano Jersey . David Griffin was promoted from interim GM on Monday by owner Dan Gilbert. He says Irving was not consulted on Browns future and any insinuation that he pushed to have him fired is "patently false.And then there was one. After five rounds of matches in the Premier League, 19 clubs have lost at least once. Only Everton remain unbeaten. Yet, typically for a team that plays all of their games in the shadows of their mighty neighbours across Stanley Park, it is quite fitting that they are far from the leagues major storyline coming off another action-packed weekend. Want to read or talk about another Jose Mourinho press conference? You cant miss it. Reflections on the thumping Manchester United took in the derby? On the lips of everyone on Monday morning in England. Paolo Di Canios sacking? On all the back pages of Mondays newspapers. Everton? As usual, only on the minds of the blue side of Merseyside. Saturdays 3-2 win at West Ham is certainly a performance that will stick in the memories of many Evertonians for some time. It was, of course, highlighted by two fantastic pieces of individual skill from Leighton Baines, scorer of two direct free kicks from the same spot, passed a bamboozled Jussi Jaaskelainen, but the performance away from the result showed many encouraging signs of development. One of the early themes from this seasons Premier League has been new managers bringing new ideas to their new teams and this is certainly the case with Roberto Martinez at Everton. Although David Moyes did a great job during his time on Merseyside there was some frustration growing, certainly among regular visitors to Goodison Park, about his style of play last season. The hiring of Martinez certainly didnt come on the back of needing to please those fans, but it certainly wont hurt. The Spaniard wants Everton to pass more and improve their overall technical quality, while not compromising some of their old traits and at Upton Park on Saturday all of that shone through. Character Five games in and it is already very clear that Evertons ability to outwork teams has remained. During last weekends victory against Chelsea they had to spend long stretches of the match without the ball and that is what Martinez recognized, saying: "Technically we can improve but we showed attributes of a winning team, desire, work ethic, keeping to our responsibilities." Moyes worked very hard to instill that into Everton and with many of his core players still there it is clear none of these strengths have disappeared. They relied on them against Chelsea and during some difficult spells against West Ham on Saturday. Distribution from the back West Ham are not a side who are comfortable in pressing too high up the field. They like to maintain their shape, let opponents play it out and then use their midfield to press to close down and block outlets. This style suits Everton and it allowed Tim Howard time to play the ball out to his centre backs in their own third, much more than the corresponding game last season: (photo: fourfourtwo.com - Click For Larger Image) In Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin, Everton have two centre-backs that are strong in the air, have decent pace and, importantly, can feel comfortable receiving the ball while positioning far apart to cover wide areas when their full backs go forward (as the graph below shows). (photo: fourfourtwo.com - Click For Larger Image) In last seasons match at Upton Park, between the two sides, Jagielka played right back with John Heitinga playing centre back. On Saturday, Evertons two centre backs attempted more than 50 passes (59 to 113) than a year ago and completed enough passes to make a difference to their overall style (97 to 51). (photo: fourfourtwo.com - Click For Larger Image) Masters of Midfield "He is very clever with his positioning, he is quite unique with his role in the British market, you always get the role played really well by foreign players, but he is unique in the way he plays. He will be a perfect influence for the likes of Ross Barkley, James McCarthy. It was an impressive master class of the position." Martinez certainly didnt hold back in his praise of Gareth Barry following his debut for Everton last week against Chelsea. Barry clearly has his limitations but what he gives Martinez is tactical discipline. No other player available to him can do what Barry does (Darron Gibson needs to improve his passing and discipline). The Englishmman is better deeper where he can read the game, without needing any pace, and cause vital turnovers. Andre Tippett Authentic Jersey. He is also comfortable coming deep in between the centre backs to begin attacks, giving his fellow central midfielders, Leon Osman and Ross Barkley in this case, opportunities to join the attack and create triangles in wide areas with the full backs and wingers. (photo: fourfourtwo.com - Click For Larger Image) Barry has often shown good vision against teams that play down to his tempo, such as West Ham. On Saturday, Barkley benefited from Barrys calmness on the ball, as the two linked up more than any other players on the pitch. (photo: fourfourtwo.com - Click For Larger Image) At half-time, with his team down 1-0 and struggling to keep the ball to his liking, Martinez made two changes inserting Romelu Lukaku in a straight swap for Nikica Jelavic up top and James McCarthy in midfield for Steven Naismith, who had played out wide. This gave us our first glimpse of the midfield trident of Barry-Osman-McCarthy but it lasted just five minutes before Osman limped off injured. For those five minutes all three worked well, treasuring the ball and feeding the lively, energetic duo of Mirallas and Barkley who played as wide forwards just deeper than Lukaku in a 4-3-2-1 shape. Osman was replaced by Bryan Oviedo, a left sided winger, and the impressive Barkley was moved centrally again, playing just ahead of McCarthy and Barry. It proved to be a pivotal move. The Premier League was already into its second season the day Ross Barkley was born. On Sunday Dec. 5 1993, Everton sat in 11th place following a 1-0 win over Southampton the day before their newest fan came into the world less than five miles from Goodison Park. Less than 20 years on, Barkley turned a Premier League game on its head on Saturday. Baines got the headlines for two brilliant free kicks but both were won by Barkleys penetration, intelligence and skill, getting in between the lines and forcing James Collins, and then Mark Noble, to retreat behind him and chop him down while dribbling towards goal. (photo: fourfourtwo.com - Click For Larger Image) Many young English players have been touted to be stars of the future but many come up full of energy, pace and skill but with little understanding of the game. Barkley is different. He is a rare young English player who desires space and can keep the ball in small confines while waiting to find an outlet. It was little wonder English manager Roy Hodgson was in the stands at this game. Barkley is still very young and raw but he is the closest thing to Steven Gerrard that English football has produced in a decade. Barkley, who spent time with Gerrard while on England duty earlier this month, received some great advice from the Liverpool skipper: "He [Gerrard] told me Im from Liverpool, a local lad playing for the team I support, and there is nothing better. Hes done that throughout his career. He said playing is the main thing, going to another team and not playing would be no good for my development." If Barkley stays fit and in Evertons team he will be with England in Brazil next summer. On the opening day of the season at Norwich he scored Evertons first goal of the season, playing as most attacking member of a midfield three. Marouane Fellaini played deeper that day almost like Martinez was preparing for his exit. Barkley stepped into the big Belgians position from last season with ease and instantly became the face of Martinezs evolution. He no longer needed a big target man to win long balls and play off a central striker, instead choosing a better technical player who will benefit playing alongside a pair of midfielders he used with the money received from the Fellaini sale to Manchester United. Martinez found his own big Belgian on deadline day when Lukaku joined on loan. The style the manager is preaching is easy on the eyes for football fans but in order for it to be successful he needs a goal-scorer. Patience with Jelavic seems to be running out and now he has a replacement who offers much more of a threat to opponents it is clear the jigsaw pieces are coming together for the Spaniard. The Ever-lution is on. Just dont expect to hear about it from too many people. ' ' ' |
