ireland.com - The Irish Times

Liverpool draw on defensive strengths
SOCCER/Champions League quarter-finals, first leg/Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1: THERE WAS more madness than method and this was not the type of deadlock anticipated in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. Results show English clubs to be dominating this competition, but such mastery would not have been guessed at in an eccentric match. p

Chelsea have only themselves to blame
SOCCER/Fenerbahce 2 Chelsea1: CHELSEA HAVE only themselves to blame. Having walked tall in one of Europe's footballing cauldrons, they had the opportunity to move this quarter-final tie beyond the reach of Fenerbahce, the exciting if slightly raw champions of Turkey. p

Bree tests positive for drug used in inhaler
DRUGS IN SPORT/SWIMMING: THE PARTICIPATION of Andrew Bree at this year's Olympic Games, at this stage Ireland's only swimming qualifier, is in doubt following a positive finding from a drugs test conducted last year. p

Vibrant match throws up subtlety, drive and passion
THERE WERE many fine footballers on view in north London last night, but two men in particular seemed most likely to hold the fate of this all-English quarter-final in their hands. In their contrasting ways, Cesc Fabregas and Steven Gerrard embody the particular footballing ideals pursued by their respective teams, neatness and subtlety were opposed by drive and passion. p
Guide dogs shown several shades of Keane
MARY HANNIGAN finds the Sunderland manager in fine form and eloquent as ever on a variety of topics, from sports to politics p
Worries for Manchester United
ALEX FERGUSON and his assistant, Carlos Queiroz, are facing fines from the English Football Association after being charged yesterday with improper conduct. It follows Manchester United's defeat by Portsmouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals when both men angrily criticised the referee, accusing him of showing bias in favour of their opponents. p
Pizarro accuses 'arrogant' Ronaldo
CRISTIANO RONALDO has been repeatedly getting under the skin of Roma's players over the last year and, for one particularly chastened member of the giallorossi, it has all become too much. p
Cardiff short of striking option ahead of semi-final
SOCCER DIGEST: STRIKER PAUL Parry remains Cardiff's biggest injury concern ahead of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final clash against Barnsley. p

Ryan happy to shift the focus on to Munster
EUROPEAN CUP: THE IMPENETRABLE ceiling of dark clouds that shrouded Hartpury College was pierced by a shard of sunlight just as the Gloucester players took to the training pitch. The soundtrack of rain was replaced by shouts and exhortations of players, focused on preparing for Saturday's Heineken European Cup quarter-final against Munster. p
Prospects looking very bright for buoyant Ospreys
WILL GREENWOOD believes the smart money is on the Ospreys to win the Heineken Cup - and he wasted no time in hunting down the nearest bookies after the quarter-final draw was made. p
Ireland bring in fresh quartet
FOLLOWING THEIR 23-0 victory over Italy in their last outing, the Ireland Under-19 coaching staff has made four changes to the team to play France (Paris, Saturday, 5pm) in their second and final international of the season. p

Hoop star Donaghy puts all his eggs in league basket
IT WAS hard to miss the picture of Kieran Donaghy embracing team-mate Micheál Quirke after last Sunday's victory for Tralee Tigers in basketball's Superleague final. The emotion in their eyes made it clear how important was this win to the two Kerry footballers and how dearly they hold their experiences on the basketball court. p
New faces help spark Cork's quick recovery
THE IMPRESSIVE thing about Cork reaching the National Hurling League quarter-finals is not just how quickly they've recovered from the elongated break caused by the players' strike, but also how they've discovered some exciting new faces along the way. p
Clancy blow for Laois
LAOIS FOOTBALLERS have been dealt another major injury blow with the news that midfielder Pádraig Clancy has been ruled out for a month with ankle ligament damage. p

Ideal opportunity for Kauto Star to rediscover winning habit
AINTREE PREVIEW: IT'S A year-and-a-half since Aintree hosted the first signal that Kauto Star might be a new steeplechase superstar, and today's Totesport Bowl gives Ruby Walsh's mount the chance to reaffirm his entitlement to such a title. p

Trio of big names out to revive fortunes
PORTUGUESE OPEN: THE PORTUGUESE Open has attracted more big names than normal this week, but as David Howell admitted: "We're here because we're not playing that well." p
Harrington gears up for Masters at Houston
HOUSTON OPEN: THE BRITISH Open champion Padraig Harrington is among a strong field in the Houston Open starting today at a Redstone Golf Club set up to mimic conditions at Augusta for the US Masters next week. He is one of a large contingent of international players who will tee it up today and who are also gearing up for a run at the year's first grand slam championship. p

Flinn misses cut as Muller names squad for Canada
WOMEN'S HOCKEY: Ireland coach Gene Muller has named his 18-player squad for the Olympic Qualifier in Canada later this month; UCD's Róisín Flinn is the unlucky omission from the 19-strong panel that played three matches against Britain at Belfield last weekend, writes Mary Hannigan . p
Lundgren opts out of LTA job
TENNIS: ROGER FEDERER'S former coach Peter Lundgren resigned yesterday from his role with Britain's Davis Cup team, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) said. p
Chambers to meet anti-drugs chief
ATHLETICS: DWAIN CHAMBERS has agreed to meet Britain's anti-doping chief to provide inside knowledge on drug offences. p
Tibet ensures boycott issue will run and run
AMERICA AT LARGE: SINCE YOU can hardly pick up the paper these days without reading the "b" word, it must be an Olympic year, writes George Kimball. p

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