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SPORTSTuesday 5 January 2016
‘Stokelona’ eyes another upset in League Cup semifinals
STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer
MANCHESTER, England (AP)
— Think of Stoke City over
the last past decade, and
what immediately springs
Stoke City’s Bojan Krkic , right, and Everton’s Gareth Barry vie for the ball, during the English Pre-
mier League match between Everton and Stoke City, at Goodison Park, in Liverpool, England,
Monday Dec. 28, 2015.
to mind is a physical, pow-
erful team, route-one foot-
ball and Rory Delap’s long
throw.
That’s all been consigned
to the past during a sea-
son in which the transfor-
mation of Stoke’s playing
approach rivals Leicester’s
rise and Chelsea’s decline
as the story of the 2015-16
campaign in English soc-
cer.
Benitez fired as Real Madrid coach, replaced by Zidane Roberto Martinez.
HAROLD HECKLE
Associated Press
MADRID (AP) — Real Ma-
drid fired coach Rafa
Benitez after only seven
months on Monday and re-
placed him with its former
star player Zinedine Zidane. of Benitez, whose Liverpool a player,” said Zidane, who
Club president Florentino
Perez announced the deci-
sion at the Santiago Berna-
beu stadium on Monday, a
day after Madrid’s 2-2 draw
at Valencia deepened a
crisis that started with an
embarrassing 4-0 home loss
to rival Barcelona in No-
vember.
“We have to do our best so
that the team is able to win when Real Madrid won the
something,” said Zidane.

After dismantling the two ine contender when the too, from a long-ball game loss at West Ham that
Manchester giants at League Cup semifinals to an emphasis on passing came on the back of solid
home and Everton away in begin this week with the and possession. victories over Leicester
impressive Premier League first-leg matches: Stoke vs. Then there’s the creation and Sunderland.
victories in December, Liverpool on Tuesday, and and blossoming of a lively Klopp’s biggest concern is
Stoke was tagged with a Everton vs. Manchester front three comprising Bo- getting the best out of ex-
jan, another diminutive at- pensive offseason signing
tacker in record-signing Christian Benteke, a big
Xherdan Shaqiri and one- striker with limited move-
time enfant terrible Marko ment who struggles at
Arnautovic — Stoke’s an- times to fit into the high-
(Peter Byrne/PA via AP) swer to the Lionel Messi- energy style favored by
Neymar-Luis Suarez triumvi- Klopp.
nickname few can ever City on Wednesday. rate. Injuries to Divock Origi
have imagined the team The reshaping of once- The change has been star- and Daniel Sturridge have
getting — “Stokelona,” in unfashionable Stoke under tling. Man City and Man allowed Benteke an ex-
reference to Spain’s Barce- manager Mark Hughes, United were blown away tended run in the team,
lona. who had a spell at Barce- when they visited Stoke last although Sturridge could
Stoke has a long way to go lona during his playing ca- month, with their 2-0 losses be available against
to match the level of the reer, has seen former Barca potentially being much Stoke.
current European champi- players Bojan Krkic, Ibrahim heavier. Stoke then went Sturridge scored twice in
ons but, in relative terms, Afellay and Marc Muniesa to Everton and won 4-3 in Liverpool’s 6-1 demolition
there’s a comparison to be join the club since 2014, a devastating display of at- of Southampton in the
made. bringing a new mentality to tacking football. quarterfinals.
And it makes the cen- the Britannia Stadium. The “Compliments are fine and Stoke’s American de-
tral English team a genu- style of play has changed, we take them,” Hughes has fender, Geoff Cameron,
said of the “Stokelona” tag, is available for the match
“but probably doesn’t sit after a successful appeal
too comfortably with us at against his sending off in
the moment because we a Premier League game
usually slip under the radar against West Bromwich
and others get the plaudits. Albion on Saturday.
“If the profile of what we
are doing is raised, it’s what EVERTON VS. MANCHES-
we have to deal with.” TER CITY
Stoke, which won the City is still involved in four
League Cup in 1972, is up competitions this season,
against a Liverpool team with manager Manuel
that has won the competi- Pellegrini seemingly mak-
tion a record eight times. ing the League Cup one
Here’s a look at both semifi- of his priorities judging by
nal match-ups: the strong teams he has
fielded in earlier rounds.
STOKE VS. LIVERPOOL After a busy festive sched-
Liverpool’s form continues ule of Premier League
to oscillate under recently matches, Pellegrini may
hired manager Juergen rotate and has more op-
Klopp, as shown by a 2-0 tions to do so compared
to his Everton counterpart,
The likes of Jesus Navas,
“I’m going to put all my been coaching Madrid’s the word impossible.” Wilfried Bony and Fabian
heart into Real Madrid.” “B’’ team in the third divi- Zidane leaves Real Madrid Delph could therefore get
Madrid has won seven of sion. Castilla in second place in starts for City, which won
nine matches since the de- Zidane was at the Berna- the third division, with 37 the League Cup for the
moralizing defeat to Bar- beu with his wife and four points from 19 games. third time in 2014.
celona but fans continued kids. “I’m more emotional Perez had supported Everton picked up only
to demand the departure now than when I signed as Benitez since the Barcelo- one point from its last
na loss, saying the Spaniard three games in the Pre-
side won the Champions ended his career at Madrid “was the solution, not the mier League and relies on
League in 2005. in 2006. problem,” to Madrid’s crisis. the goals of striker Romelu
Real Madrid is third in the It will be the first major But fans kept showing their Lukaku, the league’s top
Spanish league, four points coaching job for the former discontent even in an 8-0 scorer with 15.
behind leader Atletico Ma- playmaker, whose career win over Malmo in the City won 2-0 at Goodison
drid and two behind Barce- was marked by greatness Champions League and a Park in August. The teams
lona, which has a game in on the field but also by his 10-2 rout of Rayo Valleca- also play in the league this
hand. head-butting of an Italian no in the Spanish league. month, meaning they’ll
France soccer great Zi- defender in the 2006 World They also were not happy be facing each other
dane, who was Carlo An- Cup final. with the team’s embar- three times over the next
celotti’s assistant in 2014 “He is clearly conscious of rassing elimination from the three weeks.q
how tough this job is,” Perez Copa del Rey for using an
Champions League, has said. “Zidane doesn’t know ineligible player.q