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EUROROOS WRAP: Socceroo Scott McDonald put a poor week behind him to score twice off the bench as Celtic stumbled to a 3-3 draw at battling Falkirk in the SPL overnight. McDonald came into this match having scored just once in his last seven outings and after a pair of glaring misses in the midweek Europa League draw in Hamburg, the Aussie started on the bench at Falkirk.
The selection snub came just days after McDonald, who is yet to break his international duck, was overlooked by Australia boss Pim Verbeek for the upcoming clash with Oman.
After a goalless first-half, Celtic opened the scoring through Gary Caldwell on 55 minutes before Falkirk stormed back with quickfire goals from Scott Arfield and Pedro Moutinho.
But McDonald's introduction to the game on 67 minutes signalled the turning point with the Aussie in the mood for goals.
On 72 minutes, Danny Fox whipped in a cross which McDonald met brilliantly with a perfectly placed header to level terms.
Just over five minutes later, the Australian positioned himself brilliantly to meet Georgios Samaras' inviting low cross to give the Bhoys the lead.
But the headlines wouldn't be all McDonald's, when Mark Stewart grabbed a late equaliser for Falkirk although the Aussie did have the ball in the back of the net again later but he was ruled offside.
Despite the draw Celtic boss Tony Mowbray was happy for the Australian, telling BBC Scotland: "It was great for me today to see Scott McDonald come off the bench and score two.
"If that's the reaction for being left on the bench, then that's fantastic and that's what we need from the start every week. He's got a goalscorer's instinct and I'm delighted for Scott today."
Elsewhere in Europe overnight, Brett Holman produced a stunning equaliser for AZ Alkmaar as they salvaged a 1-1 home draw in their clash with Feyenoord in the Dutch Eredivisie.
The visitors had gone ahead early through Sekou Cisse and looked the better side, before Holman's sensational left-foot toe-poked strike from the left which found the corner of the net. Holman went onto play the full 90 minutes.
The result, though, leaves last season's champions way off the pace in the Eredivisie, some 16 points behind leaders FC Twente.
Elsewhere in the Eredivisie, David Carney came off the bench at half-time as Twente claimed a big 1-0 win over Ajax Amsterdam in the late kick-off in the Netherlands. Nikita Rukavytsya wasn't in the Twente squad.
In England's Premier League, Richard Garcia made his first start for Hull City since his knee injury as they claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Stoke City.
Garcia was lively in the first-half with a few chances, although he might have done better with a header, before providing a nice cross for Jozy Altidore to head just wide.
But the Aussie, who is only just returning to fitness, tired and was replaced just after the break before the Tigers heroics to grab a win which probably has saved manager Phil Brown's job.
Elsewhere in England's top flight, Lucas Neill made his return to old club West Ham United as Everton won 2-1 at Upton Park.
Neill was a 76th minute substitute for the Toffees, who had established the 2-1 lead by that point, courtesy of goals from Louis Saha and Dan Gosling, with makeshift left-midfielder Tim Cahill involved in the build-up for both.
And Mark Schwarzer played a full game for Fulham helping them claim a 1-1 draw at Wigan with the hosts dominating the majority of play and keeping the Aussie busy throughout.
In Turkey's Super Lig, Harry Kewell played another 90 minutes but wasn't on the scoresheet this time round as Galatasaray defeated Diyarbakirspor 2-1 with the Aussie providing a lovely cushioned header for the assist for Arda Turan's second-half winner.
Elsewhere, Michael Petkovic played a full game for Sivasspor as they crashed 4-2 at home to James Troisi's Kayserispor. Troisi was a belated 90th minute sub for the victors.
In Italy's Serie A, Mark Bresciano started and played 63 minutes as Palermo crashed to a 3-1 loss at Bologna.
In Russia's Premier League, Socceroo Luke Wilkshire played a full game for Dinamo Moscow, picking up a booking, as they comfortably defeated Spartak Nalchik away from home 4-2.
In Denmark's Superliga, Aussie goalkeeper Nathan Coe was overlooked again as Randers lost 2-1 at FC Midtjylland.
In Greece's Beta Ethniki, Nathan Burns put in a full shift as AO Kerkyra scored twice late to win 2-1 at Diagoras Rodos. Kerkyra are top of the second tier after 8 games.
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ASIAROOS WRAP: Socceroo Joshua Kennedy could be a doubt for next weekend's Asian Cup qualifier in Oman after missing Nagoya's 1-0 J.League win over Vissel Kobe on Sunday with a back injury. The extent of the complaint is yet to be confirmed by Nagoya, although with the club sitting midtable and out of contention for the AFC Champions League places and safe from relegation, it may have been a precautionary measure.
Nagoya claimed the victory courtesy of Igor Burzanovic's 14th minute strike after he pounced on a defensive error by Vissel. The result leaves Nagoya sitting ninth with 3 games to play in the J.League season.
Elsewhere in Japan, Eddy Bosnar's JEF United Chiba were finally officially relegated from the J.League after a 3-2 loss against title-chasing Kawasaki Frontale on Sunday.
United needed a victory to maintain any slim hope of survival but coming up against the Japanese league leaders wasn't ideal.
Bosnar played a full game for Chiba, but they never looked liked winning the game although Kawasaki needed a late goal from Brazilian striker Renatinho, who claimed a hat-trick, to secure the three points.
Those points are crucial for Kawasaki who maintain their position on top of the table one point ahead of reigning champions Kashima Antlers, who defeated Montedio Yamagata 2-0 on Sunday.
For Bosnar's United, though, there would be no repeat of last season's heroics and the loss marked a sad day for the club, although they insist they will be back.
United's ex-Japanese international striker Seiichiro Maki said, "We can do that (return to the J.League), working hard together as a team."
Although JEF boss Atsuhiko Ejiri added a sobering truth, "We must re-build the team."
Across the Sea of Japan, in Korea's FA Cup final, Sasa Ognenovski's Seongnam Ilhwa devastatingly lost 4-2 on the dreaded penalties to Suwon Bluewings after the match had ended 1-1 after 120 minutes.
Suwon's superstar goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae was the hero after he saved two spot-kicks in the shootout, enabling the 2008 K-League champions to lift some silverware in 2009 after missing the league playoffs.
The victory means Suwon now qualify for next year's AFC Champions League, while Ognenovski and Seongnam will have to reach the continental competition via the K-League playoffs which sees them face Jade North's Incheon United first up.
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Socceroo Brett Emerton was part of the Blackburn Rovers side which staged a fine comeback to claim a crucial three points against fellow battlers Portsmouth in the Premier League overnight.
Rovers won the contest 3-1 after trailing at the break as Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce made a string of changes to his side at half-time, with Emerton moving wider onto the right side of midfield where he had much more joy.
The Australian found plenty of space on the right and launched several attacks in the second stanza, as substitute Jason Roberts grabbed a brace while All-Whites defender Ryan Nelsen also scored for Rovers.
While Emerton played a full game, Socceroo Vince Grella missed the match with a thigh problem despite being on the bench last weekend after injuring himself in Australia's clash with the Dutch last month.
Elsewhere with Aussies in action in Europe's top leagues overnight, Dario Vidosic's FC Nurnberg lost 1-0 at FSV Mainz in the German Bundesliga.
Vidosic was thrown on as a 71st minute substitute with Nurnberg searching for a goal but it was to no avail. Fellow Aussie Matt Spiranovic remains on the sidelines.
In Scotland's Premier League, James Wesolowski continues to do well with Hamilton Accies, providing the assist for their second goal as they drew 2-2 with Motherwell.
Wesolowski, and fellow Aussie Trent McClenahan, both played full games, with the former producing a nice right-wing cross for Marco Paixao's 81st minute goal.
Elsewhere in the SPL, out-of-form Danny Invincibile missed Kilmarnock's 2-0 home defeat to Dundee United.
In Greece's Super League, Zeljko Kalac kept a clean sheet for eight-man Kavala as they drew 0-0 at Aris Saloniki.
Kalac wound back the clock with several decent saves as newly promoted Kavala kept up their impressive start to the season despite three players seeing red. Greek-Aussie Apostoli Giannou was an unused sub for Kavala.
In Turkey's Super Lig, Mile Jedinak continues to get plenty of game time, playing a full game for Antalyaspor as lost 1-0 at Istanbul BB.
In Croatia's Prva HNL, Josip Skoko was subbed off at half-time as Hajduk Split drew 1-1 at NK Medimurje. For Medimurje, Daniel Georgievski put in a full shift in defence.
Elsewhere in second tier leagues around Europe, Socceroo Carl Valeri worryingly remains in a contract dispute with his Italian Serie B club US Grosseto.
Valeri was left out of their squad for the fourth match in a row, as they drew 0-0 at Vicenza on Saturday.
In England's Championship, Adam Federici produced a number of great saves but couldn't inspire Reading to their first home triumph in 17 matches, as they drew 1-1 with battling Ipswich.
Federici was beaten early by a scuffed Jon Stead strike, but the Aussie did well to produce a diving save from Tamas Priskin's 25-yard effort and Damien Delaney's second-half header, with Simon Church equalising for the Royals.
Elsewhere in England's second tier, Shane Lowry had a first-half header from a corner go close, as Plymouth Argyle collected another important three points, defeating Doncaster Rovers 2-1.
The 20-year-old Lowry, who played a full game against Doncaster, has impressed since joining Plymouth on loan from Aston Villa in a youthful backline for the Pilgrims.
Nick Carle was an 81st minute substitute as Crystal Palace defeated Middlesbrough 1-0 at Selhurst Park. Brad Jones and Rhys Williams both played full games for Boro, who are losing ground in the promotion race.
In England's FA Cup, Neil Kilkenny and Patrick Kisnorbo both put in full shift for Leeds United as they eased through to the next round with a 2-0 win at Oldham.
Shane Cansdell-Sherriff played a full game as Shrewsbury were surprisingly bundled out by Staines Town 1-0, Gareth Edds put in a full shift as Tranmere drew 1-1 with Leyton Orient and James Meredith played most of York City's 3-2 victory over Crewe.
Elsewhere in the FA Cup, Michael Theoklitos was an unused substitute as Norwich City triumphed 7-0 at Paulton Rovers, Daniel Leach was also left on the pine as Barnet beat Darlington 3-1 and Jamie Young was the back-up stopper as Wycombe drew 4-4 with Brighton.
Finally in Scotland's First Division, Young Socceroo Ryan McGowan had a last-minute effort well saved as Ayr United slumped to a 1-0 home defeat against Queen of the South.
Simon Storey played a full game as Airdrie United lost 2-1 at Dundee and Erik Paartalu also played the full 90 as Morton lost 2-0 to Partick Thistle.Click here to read the full story on 442
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Denmark-based Aussie goalkeeper Nathan Coe insists its time for him to be a regular number one stopper after dropping down the pecking order at new Superliga club Randers.
The 25-year-old Australian joined Randers in August this year after frustrating stints as a back-up stopper at FC Kobenhavn, PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan earlier in his career.
The Brisbane-born goalkeeper, who was called up to the national team squad back in November 2007 to face Nigeria, worked his way into the Randers side in September but following the sacking of boss John Jansen in early October, Coe has fallen out of favour again.
Coe said: "It's really disappointing, of course. I thought I did well enough to play and I was happy with how I was playing apart from the mistake in Copenhagen.
"I came to play and that's what my main goal is, to play every week and, of course, it's disappointing to be back on the bench."
After a number of frustrating stints elsewhere, Coe's move to Randers was all about getting first-team football, so to miss out again multiplies his disappointment.
He added: "That's the reason for moving, to play. And it's time for me to play.
"I've been here, there and everywhere it feels like and now it is really time for me to play every week and be the number one goalkeeper."
Coe's rival for the number one shirt at Randers is former Manchester City stopper Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard and despite the Aussie's frustration, he insists they've got a healthy competitive relationship.
"I get along with Kevin. Kevin's a good goalkeeper and in a football team everyone has competition," said Coe. There's one person playing and one or two people wanting to play. It's healthy for the team that people are wanting to play and having a little competition.
"As long as it's a good competition and respectful competition then that's fine. As long as you get along and train hard and work together, then that's great.
"We're both professional enough to know that's football and in football people always have competition and there's always these little battles going on in the team.
"Whoever plays its great for them. It's nothing personal against the other person."
Coe remains focused on winning back the number one shirt and intends to impress new Randers boss Ove Christenson.
"All I can do is train as hard as possible and show him what I can do and make it hard for him to make a decision. That's what I'm aiming to do," he added.
Randers, who are languishing in bottom spot in Denmark's top flight this season, are in action on Sunday this weekend away to ninth-placed FC Midtjylland.Click here to read the full story on 442
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The Brisbane Lions incensed their Fitzroy support base late last month when they revealed a new club logo which didn’t feature the traditional Fitzroy lion. And Brisbane seriously risk abandoning all links with the Roy boys with plans for a new guernsey.
This story has been big news up in Queensland but if you’re from another part of the country, you may have missed it.
To catch you up on the details, Brisbane officially unveiled the new logo a fortnight ago, with the brains behind the new look, Chief Executive Officer Michael Bowers, claiming it expressed the club’s “fearless and determined spirit” and represented their new era under Michael Voss.
Nevertheless, the majority of the initial responses from Brisbane fans were less than positive, with some locals amusingly labeling it ‘The Paddlepop Lion’.
But then, more seriously, emerged the angry response from Brisbane’s Fitzroy faithful, who saw the change as an abandonment of their history, tradition and heritage.
Fitzroy Football Club secretary Bill Atherton said, “There’s a lot of senior Fitzroy Brisbane Lions fans that have said to me, ‘look, if they take the Fitzroy lion away what’s there for us?’”
Atherton added, “There’s only two things that now continue on forever and one is the six games to be played in Melbourne and the other one is the logo of the merged club will be the Fitzroy Lion logo in perpetuity.”
Indeed, losing their identity is the heart of the issue, with Bowers and the Lions management appearing to view the tradition of Fitzroy as dispensable in favour of a new ‘marketable’ look.
It’s a strange about-face for a club who memorably celebrated their 2001, 2002 and 2003 premierships with their Fitzroy fans at the old Brunswick Street Oval before heading north to party with the folk of Brisbane.
But Brisbane’s sudden urge for change may have something to do with the pending arrival of their neighbours Gold Coast, with the club’s marketers in full swing.
Atherton also commented that the abandoning of the Fitzroy lion could see many of the club’s Melbourne-based fans not renew their memberships and cease following Brisbane. And he even speculated his group could push for legal action on the matter.
This is due to the fact when Brisbane and Fitzroy merged back in 1996, part of the arrangement was that ‘the logo of the merged club will be the Fitzroy lion logo in perpetuity’, so the change may not be legally legitimate.
Nevertheless, the AFL has given the Brisbane Lions’ new logo the thumbs up, so it looks a done deal.
But while the lion seems lost on the logo, there still remains the gold lion silhouette emblazoned on Brisbane’s guernseys. At least for now, that is.
Speculation has been rife that Brisbane are set for a change to the usual strip and I contacted Lions media man Stephen Buckley on the issue.
Buckley said; “The decision is tied up in highly confidential commercial operations discussions, negotiations with new major sponsors coming on board, Lions members and supporters feedback currently being wholly welcomed by the Club (all being read and tabulated by the Club to present to the Board) plus a potential legal challenge by the Fitzroy Football Club in Melbourne.
“So I have no answer or update to give as yet but the Club will announce their final decision after examining all these factors in due course – hopefully within the next fortnight.”
Indeed, Buckley mentions a lot of factors, commercial, fiscal and emotional, which will come under consideration in this decision.
But surely there’s a lot to lose by alienating Brisbane’s Fitzroy fans who deserve some respect (considering the arrangement in 1996).
Sure, Brisbane want to secure more fans in their local region with Gold Coast joining the AFL soon but being insensitive enough to alienate the Roy boys makes no sense, especially when you consider realistically how big an impact the superficial change of a new jumper would have on potential new supporters.
Indeed, removing the lion icon altogether would do irreconcilable damage to the Brisbane-Fitzroy relationship which would be a great shame.
Perhaps they’ll sell some more merchandise in the local market, but they’ll lose a big group of supporters down in Melbourne. But for Bowers, who has had trouble balancing the books in the past, before the former is a priority.
This week, a Brisbane fan pointed out to me, ‘why change something which ain’t broke?’ Indeed, the Lions home uniform is one of the most popular and impressive guernseys in the AFL.
And on that note, over 2,500 Lions supporters are pleading with the club not to change their jumper, with an internet petition set up to at SaveOurJumper.com.au and if you’re in agreement, then you should sign up.
Because when the Lions publicly announce that decision in roughly a fortnight’s time, as symbolic as it is, it could be the last straw for some Fitzroy fans and what a shame that would be.
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Nevermind Rafa Benitez’s much publicized woes at Liverpool, German giants FC Bayern are on the verge of elimination from the UEFA Champions League adding misery to boss Louis van Gaal’s fledgling reign in Munich.
Bayern lost 2-0 at home on Matchday Four to French champions Bordeaux, leaving the Bavarians with a mountain to climb to get through the group phase.
And for van Gaal, who took over at the Allianz Arena in the European summer, its another headache after the club’s sluggish start to the Bundesliga season where they currently sit sixth on the table.
The situation for Bayern in the Champions League, is they currently are third in their group with just four points, trailing leaders Bordeaux (10 points) and Juventus (8 points).
Bayern face group cellar-dwellers Maccabi Haifa (who are pointless at this stage) in Munich, where 3 points will be essential, before meeting Juve on Matchday Six in Turin.
The odds are stacked against the Bavarians qualifying through the group and club president Franz Beckenbauer knows it, although he squarely lays the blame on the players, not the new boss.
“FC Bayern no longer have their destiny in their own hands and the consolation of coming third and playing in the Europa League is hardly comforting,'' Beckenbauer wrote in the Bild newspaper.
He added, in reference to the Bordeaux home loss; “Only when Arjen Robben came on in the second half did we start looking for a goal. He is quick and dares to go into challenges.
“Bastian Schweinsteiger is capable of doing that too, as he has shown more often when he has played for the national team.
"You have 90 minutes to score the winner, but you cannot afford to make blunders like Mark van Bommel did for 1-0.''
Beckenbauer’s scathing assessment of his players’ performance leaves little to the imagination.
And the great admitted the team is missing star man Franck Ribery who has been absent recently with a knee injury."It is like the theatre production 'waiting for Godot', only we are waiting for Ribery,'' he continued. "We have got to hope that Ribery returns. He makes the difference. He gives unpredictability to our game and carries the team with him.''
But Beckenbauer’s comments don’t tell the whole story, with van Gaal surely not immune from blame.
The Dutchman has struggled to win over the German media since heading east, with van Gaal seen as aloof, arrogant and over-confident.
Beyond his media perception, van Gaal’s tactics haven’t been brilliant either with Bayern clearly lacking width. Perhaps that can be blamed on the club’s recruitment policy in the off-season or even some unfortunate injuries, but the fact is Bayern aren’t getting the results.
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EUROROO WRAP: Socceroo Harry Kewell won the battle of the Aussies against Michael Petkovic’s Sivasspor, firing in a goal as Galatasaray won 2-0.The Australian forward scored just prior to the break, with Shabani Nonda netting the opener earlier in the half with a cool finish over Petkovic.Kewell's goal came from an indirect free-kick inside the box, which came about after Petkovic took too long to dispose of the ball after collecting it following a Cimbom attack.From the resulting free-kick, Arda Turan tapped the ball gently into Kewell's path with the Aussie rifling in an unstoppable shot past Petkovic.The goal set off massive protests from the Sivasspor players with Petkovic leading the fruitless charge directed at the referees.Galatasaray could've added to their tally in the second-half with Petkovic saving well from Arda Turan's effort, while Kewell tried to cushion a cross in but put his effort over the bar, but the win keeps the pressure on league leaders Fenerbahce.Elsewhere in Turkey's Super Lig over the weekend, fringe Socceroo Bruce Djite played for Genclerbirligi for the first time since August, making an appearance as a 66th minute substitute as they lost 2-0 at home to Manisaspor.
James Troisi did not play as Kayserispor drew 1-1 with Fenerbahce on Sunday, while Mile Jedinak put in a full shift for Antalyaspor who saw former Perth Glory man Ivan Ergic equalise late for Bursaspor in a 1-1 result on Saturday.
In Italy's Serie A, Mark Bresciano had a few early chances for Palermo as they drew 0-0 with fellow top four aspirants Genoa on Sunday.
The Socceroo was almost presented with a glorious opportunity inside the first 10 minutes, when Fabrizio Miccoli lifted a ball into his path but Genoa stopper Alessio Scarpi pounced at the crucial moment.
But just past the half hour mark, Bresciano unleashed a swerving effort which tested Scarpi low, although the Genoa keeper was up to the task.
As the game wore on Bresciano appeared to struggle with the pace and looked tired although he did play out the 90 minutes.
In Italy's Serie B, Carl Valeri was left out of the Grosseto squad again as they beat Ascoli 2-1, while Christian Esposito wasn't involved in AlbinoLeffe's 2-0 triumph over Gallipoli.
In Germany's Bundesliga, Dario Vidosic was a 55th minute substitute as FC Nurnberg let a two-goal half-time lead slip to draw 2-2 with Werder Bremen. Fellow Aussie Matt Spiranovic wasn't involved for Nurnberg.
Down in the Germany's 3rd Liga, former Adelaide United defender Milan Susak returned after a few months out with an injury to play a full game in SpVgg Unterhaching's 2-0 win at Dynamo Dresden.
In Holland's Eredivisie, Brett Holman had a first-half effort crash into the crossbar as AZ Alkmaar managed a late winner to stay in the race with a 1-0 win at FC Groningen. Holman started and played 87 minutes before being replaced.
Elsewhere in the Netherlands, David Carney was an 86th minute substitute as FC Twente won 2-1 at Roda JC to stay top of the table. Nikita Rukavytsya wasn't in the Twente squad despite scoring midweek in the cup.
In Russia's Premier League, Luke Wilkshire played 90 minutes for Dinamo Moscow as they drew 0-0 with Amkar Perm, while in Switzerland's Super League, Scott Chipperfield also put in a full shift as FC Basel beat Grasshoppers 3-1.
In Scotland's Premier League, Scott McDonald started but wasn't among the scorers as Celtic cruised to a 3-0 win over Danny Invincibile's Kilmarnock at Parkhead on Saturday.
McDonald had an early chance saved at the near post by Kilmarnock keeper Cammy Bell, before seeing the Killie stopper produce another fine intervention on 26 minutes when the Aussie got on the end of Georgios Samaras' cross.
Invincibile had a less fruitful day with Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies taking him off at the break, while McDonald played 66 minutes before being replaced.
Elsewhere in Scotland, James Wesolowski and Trent McClenahan helped struggling Hamilton Academical to just their second league win of the season with a 2-0 triumph at St Mirren.
It was Wesolowski's blocked shot which fell for Marco Paixao to net the opener for Accies.
Martin Canning doubled Hamilton's lead before the break, with Wesolowski lashing a late chance over the bar. Wesolowski played the full game, while the steady McClenahan was replaced on 72 minutes.
In Scotland's First Division, Aussie midfielder Erik Paartalu scored a nice goal after beating several challenges but his side Morton crashed 4-1 at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Elsewhere in the Scottish second tier, Simon Storey played a full game helping Airdrie United break their duck with a 3-1 win over Ayr United, who had young Aussie Ryan McGowan play the full 90 minutes.
In Greece's Super League, Zeljko Kalac put in a full shift in between the sticks as Kavala thumped Panthrakikos 3-0, with former Australia under-17 youth international Apostoli Giannou was on the bench.
In the Greek second tier, Nathan Burns played another full game for AO Kerkyra as they cruised to a 3-0 home win over OFI.
In Romania's Liga I, Spase Dilevski, Josh Mitchell and Joshua Rose all started for Universitatea Craiova as they conceded late to lose to champions Unirea Urziceni 3-2.
In Denmark's Superliga, Nathan Coe was second choice again as Randers lost 2-0 at home to Silkeborg.
In Sweden's Allsvenskan, Ante Covic was given a rest on the final day of the Swedish season as IF Elfsborg defeated Henrik Larsson's Helsingborgs IF 1-0 to claim third spot on the table and a place in the Europa League.
In Norway's Tippeligaen, Kasey Wehrman wasn't involved in an awkward one with his parent club Fredrikstad FK (who will face a relegation playoff) defeating the club he's on loan at, FC Lyn Oslo, 5-0 on the final day of the Norwegian season. Wehrman's future in Norway in unclear.
In Croatia's Prva HNL, potential Melbourne Heart signing Josip Skoko played a full game in midfield for Hajduk Split as they recorded a famous 2-1 win over rivals and league leaders Dinamo Zagreb.
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Socceroo Tim Cahill was at the heart of the move for Everton's goal in their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa overnight which ended a three-match losing streak for the Toffees.
Cahill started the game in midfield for Everton, while fellow Australian Lucas Neill was at right-back for the hosts who hadn't won in the Premier League since September.
Just prior to the interval, Cahill did well to win the ball on the right side for Everton before looping in a cross which fell kindly to Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov who calmly shot in for the opener.
But barely a minute into the second-half, John Carew equalised for Villa with a cool finish from close-range although Everton will wonder where their defence was with the Norwegian unpressured inside the box.
Everton seemed to be shocked by Carew's early second-half response and a rash tackle by Cahill on Ashley Young, which resulted in a yellow card for the Socceroo, was a sure sign of their lack of composure.
But the hosts got back on track and Cahill might have won it with 6 minutes to go, when Leighton Baines whipped in an inviting cross which the Australian was narrowly beaten to by Villa's Stephen Warnock.
Elsewhere in the Premier League on Saturday, Mark Schwarzer helped Fulham compound the misery on Rafa Benitez's Liverpool with a 3-1 victory at Craven Cottage.
Schwarzer was beaten by an unstoppable Fernando Torres drive, but the Aussie didn't do alot wrong all day.
Brett Emerton played a full game for Blackburn at Old Trafford, as swine-flu hit Rovers lost 2-0 at Manchester United.
Like last weekend at Stamford Bridge, Emerton was unspectacular and toiled hard, without much end result. Vince Grella was back in the Rovers squad, but an unused sub.
Richard Garcia was also an unused substitute as Hull City lost 2-0 at Burnley in what is rumoured to be Tigers boss Phil Brown's last game in charge.
In the Championship, new Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan continued the departed Gareth Southgate's policy of playing Aussie youngster Rhys Williams in midfield to good effect, but Boro lost 1-0 at home to Shane Lowry's struggling Plymouth.
Despite the defeat, Williams was named man of the match by the Middlesbrough website, while fellow Aussie Brad Jones had a decent game in goals with several saves although he was beaten by a nice finish from Jamie Mackie for the winner.
Strachan said about Jones after the match, "Brad dealt with the ball well." It seems the new boss will prefer Jones to Boro's other stopper Danny Coyne which is pleasing for his World Cup hopes.
Elsewhere in the English second tier, Adam Federici made a number good saves helping Reading end a four-match losing streak to defeat Coventry City 3-1 on the road.
Federici was beaten by an unstoppable 20-yard shot from Coventry's Freddy Eastwood.
Elsewhere, Nick Carle was an unused sub as Crystal Palace drew 1-1 at Preston.
In League One, Socceroo Patrick Kisnorbo played a full game in defence, while Neil Kilkenny was a 59th minute substitute as Leeds romped to a 4-0 win over Yeovil. The Whites are now seven points clear on top of the table.
Elsewhere in the third tier, Gareth Edds put in a full shift as Tranmere lost 4-1 at home to Swindon, while Michael Theoklitos remains out of the picture at Norwich who won 3-1 at Stockport.
In League Two, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff played the 90 minutes helping Shrewsbury claim a 1-1 draw at ambitious Notts County.
In the Blue Square Premier League, James Meredith was a 71st minute substitute in York City's 3-1 loss at Crawley, while Kyle Nix was missing as Mansfield drew 1-1 with Histon.
EUROROOS WRAP: Socceroo Scott McDonald put a poor week behind him to score twice off the bench as Celtic stumbled to a 3-3 draw at battling Falkirk in the SPL overnight. 
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