Gareth Bale and Gylfi Sigurdsson grab the goals as Spurs see of New York Red Bulls. QPR continue their winning ways with a 3-0 triumph at Wycombe, Anthony Pilkington helps Norwich to a draw against Ajax, Swansea are held by San Jose Earthquakes, while Man City hand five of their Euro 2012 contingent their first game time of pre-season at Oldham:
Wycombe 0 QPR 3
Mark Hughes’ side kept up their 100% pre-season record with a fourth straight win last night. Fabio started in midfield once again for QPR alongside fellow new boy Ji-Sung Park, while Djibril Cisse returned after a recent hamstring scare to lead the line. QPR had several early chances, with the Cisse and Shaun Wright-Phillips both having a couple of opportunities, while Armand Traore was a menace down the left flak before being subbed off with a hamstring knock. Adel Taarabt continued his recent good form and also went close before setting up the opener for Jamie Mackie just before the half-hour mark. After the break, Cisse and Wright-Phillips again came close to finding the net before the latter finally notched the strike his threat deserved, slotting home from a Hogan Ephraim pass on 71 minutes. Hughes made five changes over the space of the second-half, including the reintroduction of Kieran Dyer after long-term injury; the former West Ham man needed just 15 minutes to make an impact, with Nedum Onouha nodding home his corner with three minutes remaining on the clock.
QPR Starting XI: Green; Onuoha, Ferdinand, Hill, Traore (Ephraim 36); Fabio, Park (Derry 73), Taarabt (Dyer 73),Wright-Phillips (Doughty 90); Mackie (Johnson 62), Cisse (Zamora 62).
Oldham 2 Man City XI 1
The City Elite Development Squad made their way to Oldham last night and included several first-team players who have yet to feature in pre-season so far. While the likes of Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Nigel De Jong were all afforded just 45 minutes apiece in the 2-1 defeat, the main point of note here was that City once again lined up in the new 3-5-2 formation they have trialled in the recent tour of Asia. Roque Santa Cruz popped up to grab his side’s only goal but the game was no more than a workout for the regulars before they all departed at the break.
Man City Starting XI: Hart; Facey, McGivern, Lescott,; Wabara, Milner, Nasri, De Jong, Clichy; Santa Cruz, Jelovic.
Subs used: Kennedy, Lawlor, Leigh, Hiwula, Huws, Drury, Rusnak, Bunn, Glendon.
Norwich 1 Ajax 1
Chris Hughton rolled out a 4-4-2 for the game against the Dutch champions. James Vaughan continued up front after his recent impressive pre-season displays and was joined by Grant Holt, while Anthony Pilkington and Elliott Bennett took the wing roles, with new boy Robert Snodgrass on the bench. Pilkington handed his side the lead on just seven minutes with a superbly taken free-kick after Vaughan had been felled on the edge of the box – according to the club’s official website, the latter was a constant menace to Ajax, with his pace causing them problems time and again and drawing several fouls from the Dutch defence. Surprisingly, Vaughan was then replaced at half-time; on came Wes Hoolahan as Hughton went 4-4-1-1, with Holt the lone forward. Ajax took control after the break and limited the hosts to a couple of long-range efforts – Hughton made seven further changes as the game progressed but despite the introduction of Snodgrass with 20 minutes remaining, they were unable to test their opponents and had to display plenty of resilience to see out the game for a draw.
Norwich Starting XI: Ruddy; R. Martin (Ayala 80), Ward (Barnett 80), R. Bennett, Tierney (Lappin 86); E. Bennett (Snodgrass 69), Johnson,(Morison 78),Howson (Surman 69), Pilkington (Crofts 69); Vaughan (Hoolahan 46), Holt
New York Red Bulls 1 Tottenham 2
Gareth Bale made an immediate return to action following his recent ankle injury scare to net his second pre-season goal and help earn Spurs the victory over the Red Bulls. Andre Villas-Boas’ side were trailing at the break but Bale’s header from a Gylfi Sigurdsson corner and then a smart strike from the Icelandic midfielder put Spurs in the ascendency. Sigurdsson came out of the game with a goal and an asssit then: he is currently playing his part at set-pieces and looks assured of some role in that area going into the season kick-off. Villas-Boas began with a 4-2-3-1 formation once again, handing starts to the likes of Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone and David Bentley – all players that have, so far, dipped under the Fantasy radar following injuries. Bale not only played out 74 minutes, he also started in the unfamiliar striker role, with Spurs options limited by Jermain Defoe’s absence due to a family bereavement.
Tottenham Starting XI: Gomes; Walker (Naughton, 60), Dawson, vertonghen (Gallas, 46), Assou-Ekotto (Bassong, 83); Huddlestone (Jenas, 46), Livermore (Carroll, 61); Lennon (Smith, 83), Sigurdsson (Kaboul, 83), Bentley (Kane, 46); Bale (Townsend, 74).
San Jose Earthquakes 2 Swansea 2
Michael Laudrup started Jonathan De Guzman in a deeper central midfield role once more – with reports suggesting Joe Allen is edging closer to a move to Liverpool, it may well be that the Dutchman is pencilled in to take over that position next term. Michu continued in “the holeâ€, while Wayne Routledge was preferred to Nathan Dyer on the right yet again. Routledge impressed out wide, creating chances for Danny Graham and Michu but the pair failed to take advantage – indeed, the former blasted a couple of opportunities wide before opening the scoring on 41 minutes after a mistake by the opposition defence. The Swans almost went two ahead straight away. Ben Davies – who has turned in some strong performances in the absence of Neil Taylor – set up Luke Moore down the left and the winger played in Michu, who once again failed to trouble the keeper. Chico then put his side further ahead after the break, nodding home his first goal in Swansea colours from an Ashley Williams cross, but Laudrup’s decision to change all 10 of his outfield players disrupted Swansea’s rhythm and allowed the hosts to claw their way back and level the match with a couple of goals later on.
Swansea starting XI: Vorm, Rangel (Richards 45), Chico (Monk 75), Williams (Tate 62), Davies (Bessone 80), Britton (Agustien 62), de Guzman (Gower 75), Michu (Orlandi 80), Routledge (Dyer 45),Graham (Lita 75), Moore (Dobbie 62).
