Jose basks in Cup triumph
FORMER local triathlon coach Jarrod Evans has used Geelong to launch USA Triathlon’s road to the Rio Olympics.
Evans, now triathlon’s national development coach in the US, says he’s one of a number of Australians working overseas in the sport. CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho said he felt “like a kid” after claiming the first trophy of his second Stamford Bridge tenure with a League Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
A deflected John Terry strike and a Kyle Walker own goal gave Chelsea a 2-0 win at a rain-soaked Wembley yesterday and earned Mourinho his third success in the competition after two triumphs during his first spell as the west London club’s manager.
It ended a 914-day wait for silverware for the 52-year-old Portuguese – the longest of his managerial career – and he expressed hope that it was a sign of things to come.
“For me it’s very important to feel that I’m a kid,” said Mourinho, whose previous trophy had been the 2012 Spanish Super Cup he won
“Because of what we do here, Australia’s been the leader in triathlon for so long. There was a job there and I applied for it, and Australians are in quite high demand internationally because of our history in this sport,” he said.
“It’s a hard job, it’s a long, hard job, but I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t like it.
“The US just introduced triathlon scholarships into the NCAA system, so it’s with Real Madrid. “Before the game I had the same feelings as my first final, I don’t know how many years ago. It’s important for me to feel the same happiness after the victory. It’s important for me to feel that I am a kid at 52 years old.”
One of Chelsea’s new generation to feature prominently at Wembley was 20-year-old French centre-back Kurt Zouma, pressed into action as an auxiliary holding midfielder in the absence of the suspended Nemanja Matic.
“It’s very difficult for a central defender to play there,” Mourinho said. “In that position, you’re surrounded by players. You have to think quick, you have to decide quick. It’s very, very difficult, but our new Marcel Desailly, he worked hard during the week and did a fantastic job.” now on the same level as college basketball, college football, track and field.
“Now that’s happened, you’ll see a really big resurgence of USA in triathlon.”
Based in Arizona, Evans brought four athletes to his home town last week as they kick-off a training camp along the Oceania rim in preparation for the Olympic trials.
The quartet took local athletes for a
Mourinho’s first League Cup success, in 2005, proved the precursor to back-to-back league titles, but though Manchester City’s 2-1 loss at Liverpool earlier yesterday left Chelsea five points clear in the Premier League with a game in hand, he said there was still a long way to go.
“We have lots of difficult matches to play,” he said. “Twelve matches to play, still difficult.”
Spurs had stunned Chelsea 5-3 when the sides last met at White Hart Lane on New Year’s Day and they started positively, with Christian Eriksen hitting the bar from a free kick and Harry Kane testing goalkeeper Petr Cech with a low shot.
But Terry’s goal arrived with cruel timing just before half-time and after Walker had inadvertently deflected a shot training session, and will be joined by a dozen more over the next few weeks.
“It’s a good opportunity for (local) beginner level athletes to see something they haven’t seen before and maybe learn something new,” he said.
“The Rio test event in August, all races between now and July are about qualifying for the Olympic trials, and the Rio test event is one of those.” from Diego Costa into his own net in the 56th minute, Tottenham’s fight faded.
However, Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino said he was proud of his team’s display and, with 21-year-olds Kane and Eric Dier and 20-year-old Nabil Bentaleb among those getting their first taste of a major final, he urged his players to build on the experience.
“We respected our style, our philosophy,” said the Argentine, who joined Spurs after leaving Southampton at the end of last season.
“For us I think we need to take a lot of positive things. I think we are a very young squad. Today, 23 and a half years the average (age) on the pitch and, for many players, the first final. I think we are in a good way. It’s sure that we will play a lot of finals in the next few years.” LIVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers believes it is “frightening” to discover how much Philippe Coutinho is worth now after the Brazilian scored the winner in a potentially decisive 2-1 victory over Manchester City.
The forward’s goal kept the Merseysiders within touching distance of the Premier League top four and diminishes City’s hopes of retaining its crown with it five points behind Chelsea having played a game more.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini refused to concede his side’s title challenge was over.
“It is not over,” Pellegrini said. “You never know in football.
“Of course it is difficult to reach the top. But we must keep going and try to return to our normal performance and see where it takes us.”
AFP