Mrs.Faradina Harumi Rossi

MADRID, Spain - Giuseppe Rossi and Joseba Llorente scored early in the first half to help Villarreal beat Almeria 2-1 and reclaim second place in the Spanish league on Sunday.

Villarreal's win at its El Madrigal stadium maintained its record as the only unbeaten team in this season's league. Coach Manuel Pellegrini's team has won seven and drawn three of its 10 games.

Valencia rose to third place after Manuel Fernandes, Joaquin Sanchez and Vicente Rodriguez all scored in a 3-0 win at Getafe.

Barcelona leads the league with 25 points, one more than Villarreal. Valencia has 23 to be ahead of defending champion Real Madrid on goal difference.

Also Sunday, it was: Sevilla 1, Recreativo Huelva 0; Osasuna 0, Atletico Madrid 0; Mallorca 3, Athletic Bilbao 3; Deportivo La Coruna 1, Espanyol 0; Numancia 2, Real Betis 4; and Racing Santander 1, Sporting Gijon 0.

Villarreal striker Rossi unleashed a long-range shot in the opening minute, with his attacking partner Llorente meeting Robert Pires' cross at the far post to double the home team's lead 14 minutes later.

Almeria improved in the second half and midfielder Pablo Piatti scored from Albert Crusat's pass to reduce the deficit in the 62nd minute.

Almeria was the last team to beat Villarreal in the league - on April 13 toward the end of last season. Since then, Villarreal has gone 16 matches undefeated.

Valencia took a 29th-minute lead at Getafe through midfielder Fernandes' fierce, angled shot after Juanma Mata passed the ball back from close to the line.

Getafe was reduced to 10 men just before halftime when striker Roberto Soldado was sent off after a clash with Valencia captain Carlos Marchena. Soldado appeared to use his head to hit Marchena in the face.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 69th minute courtesy of a powerful volley by right winger Joaquin, with substitute Vicente culminating an incisive run with Valencia's third 12 minutes later.

Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute returned from injury to give his team a win after two straight league defeats.

Kanoute headed in Jesus Navas' cross in the 63rd minute as Sevilla moved to 20 points and kept lowly Recreativo without a win since the opening round of the season.

The Mali striker squandered the chance of a second goal when his 78th-minute penalty kick was parried by Recreativo goalkeeper Asier Riesgo.

Atletico's draw at last-place Osasuna left it with just one win in the past six league matches.

Atletico sustained an early blow with defender Luis Perea carried off the field on a stretcher with concussion following a clash of heads with Osasuna midfielder Jaroslav Plasil.

Osasuna then wasted a chance to score only its fourth goal of the season when Atletico goalkeeper Gregory Coupet stopped Javier Portillo's penalty kick in the 20th minute.

Osasuna has gone four league games without victory under new coach Jose Antonio Camacho, who was formerly in charge of the Spanish national side.

Fernando Llorente's injury-time goal earned Bilbao a 3-3 draw at Mallorca and prevented his team from dropping into last place.

Cleber Santana's 12th-minute header gave Mallorca the lead with Andoni Iraola's penalty drawing Bilbao level in the 43rd.

Mallorca's Juan Arango then scored in the 59th and 76th minutes, with Jon Velez replying for the visitors in the 77th.

Deportivo edged Espanyol on Andres Guardado's 38th-minute goal.

Javier Del Pino's 28th-minute goal gave Numancia false hope against Betis, with Achille Emana equalizing for the visitors from the penalty spot six minutes later and Juanito Gutierrez and Mehmet Aurelio adding goals on the stroke of the interval.

Jose Javier Barkero fired Numancia's second goal in the 56th, only for Mehmet Aurelio to seal Betis' win in the 85th.

Gijon's run of four straight wins came to an end, with its defender Diego Camacho handing the home side victory by deflecting Santander striker Mohammed Tchite's 59th-minute shot.

On Saturday, Samuel Eto'o scored four goals to helped Barcelona thrash Valladolid 6-0, while Gonzalo Higuain also netted four times to bring Madrid a 4-3 victory over Malaga.

yahoonews

PATERSON — Regulars at Roma Sports Club on Cianci Street had mixed feelings about how Giuseppe Rossi, the 21-year-old Clifton native who plays for the Italian national team, would perform on the field in Wednesday's World Cup qualifier match against Montenegro.

"He is a good player," said Vincenzo Martucci.

"Rossi don't have nothing," Mario LaRosa noted.

The sports ability conflict was never resolved. Though Rossi, a forward, suited up for his second game with the national team, the native son of North Jersey never got off the bench to participate in Italy's 2-1 win over Montenegro.

Inside Roma, a social club where an autographed photo of Rossi hangs next to framed portraits of youth league soccer teams, everyone is a critic and an expert in the art of soccer. Commentary and personal jabs flow like espresso. Scores by anyone but Azzurri (the Italian squad's nickname) are likely to incite such agita that half the room stands up, walks around and takes a new seat.

There's also a lot of yelling.

"I'm Italian, that's why," Oswald Vigni explained.

Rossi, who has been playing for Italian teams since he was 14, is currently on the roster of the Spanish team Villareal. Although Rossi has been plagued by injuries, an announcement by Azzuri Coach Marcello Lippi last week that the young forward would suit up for Wednesday's game gave hope to his fans.

But when the team took to the field for the first half, Rossi wasn't there.

"You have to understand, he is young," said Raffaele Monte of Wayne.

West Paterson resident Frank Straface offered a possible playing scenario for Rossi.

"You don't know if he's good or bad," he said. "You put him in in the last 10 minutes."

In the second half: still no Rossi, but a couple of slip-ups by Italy. LaRosa stomped his feet over the miscues.

"They have no one!" LaRosa shouted. "They can't score! They can't play!"

Straface leaned in, accomplishing the impossible task of making his voice louder than LaRosa's.

"Make sure you put in he's not Italian," Straface said. "He's Sicilian."

As the argument dissolved into Italian, an Italian player on television fell to the turf, clutching his face. "They make so much money, they don't want to get hurt!" said LaRosa. "You put Rossi in now, you gonna lose."

In the last nine minutes of the match, Monte declared that Rossi was not destined to play this day.

"They made their three substitutions," Monte said to the semi-rapt audience of eight. "See you guys later."

Monte walked out the door of the club.

Then he walked back in with a loaf of Italian bread and gazed at the Sony television mounted on the wall.

Then he walked out again.

Then he returned, eating some of the bread, gave one last mournful glance at the screen, and left for good.

Northjersey

MILAN, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi could make his first start for Italy at home to Montenegro in Wednesday's World Cup qualifier after shaking off an injury, coach Marcello Lippi said.


Rossi made his international debut on Saturday when he came on as a substitute in the 0-0 draw in Bulgaria in Group Eight.

The American-born forward has recovered from a slight knock along with midfielders Daniele De Rossi and Gennaro Gattuso.

"They have all recovered. De Rossi can play. We already saw Rossi on Saturday and tomorrow from the start or in the second half, it is very probable you will see him again," Lippi told a news conference on Tuesday.

Training sessions suggest Rossi could replace Antonio Di Natale on the left of a three-pronged attack in the match in Lecce with the only other doubt surrounding Riccardo Montolivo.

The midfielder was ineffective after being given a rare start for the world champions in Bulgaria and Alberto Aquilani looks favourite to take his place.

Security is being tightened for Wednesday's match after a group of Italy fans threw bottles, made fascist salutes and burnt Bulgarian flags in Sofia on Saturday.

Italy top the group with seven points from three games.

Striker Giuseppe Rossi is excited about the prospect of making his Italy debut in Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria in Sofia.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi called up Rossi for the first time, in preference of Juventus veteran forward Alessandro del Piero, ahead of the games against Bulgaria and Montenegro.

"My only aim is to adapt to this group in the best possible way," said Rossi.

"I should have joined the national team back in September but I was unable to do so because of injury.

"Finally, my chance has come and it's an honour to be here."

The 21-year-old feels ready for the challenge that awaits him in this new adventure with the senior side.

"I know what I have to do, that is to play as I know how," he said.

"Although I am aware that Bulgaria and Montenegro are difficult rivals."

Rossi will have an added incentive to do well this weekend after the disappointment of Italy's exit from this summer's Beijing Olympics.

The former Manchester United forward, who had enjoyed an impressive campaign with Primera Liga side Villarreal, scored four goals in China to finish as the top scorer of the tournament but it was not enough to prevent elimination by Belgium in the quarter-finals.

And Rossi is now trying to use that setback as a spring board.

"I would really like to bounce back from the disappointment of the Olympics," said the American-born striker.

"Although this summer's disappointment is a pain that will burn forever.

"But this is a great opportunity for me and I will try to learn as much as possible from playing alongside the world champions."

Rossi joins the national team in buoyant mood with his club Villarreal flying high in the Primera Liga - they lead the standings alongside Valencia after six games played.

"We are first in the league standings and we are also top of our group alongside Manchester United in the Champions league," said Rossi.

"Unlike at Manchester United, where I was very young and had limited playing time, at Villarreal I have been able to shine and I and the rest of my teammates hope that we can help our club be the surprising team in the league for many months to come."

Oleh Alexander Tangidy

Striker muda Italia Giuseppe Rossi yang baru saja terpilih dalam pasukan Marcello Lippi untuk menghadapi Bulgaria dan Montenegro menyatakan keinginannya untuk bermain di Serie A.

Rossi yang masih bermain di klub La Liga Villarreal memilih Juventus sebagai tim yang ia incar untuk meneruskan karirnya di negeri asal kedua orang tuanya.

Kedua orang tua pemain berusia 21 tahun tersebut merupakan imigran Italia di Amerika Serikat, dan Rossi pun lahir di kota New Jersey. Hal itu membuatnya memegang paspor Amerika Serikat dan juga Italia.

"Claudio Ranieri mengetahui diriku, dan bila Juventus memanggil maka saya tentu saja akan berpikir untuk pindah ke sana."

"Namun, saya masih menikmati bermain di Spanyol dan buat saya akan sulit bila pindah klub," kata Rossi.

Rossi yang merupakan hasil binaan tim remaja Parma dibeli oleh Manchester United dan menunjukkan kemampuannya di tim Reserve United. Kurangnya kesempatan bermain di tim inti membuat United menjual Rossi ke Yellow Submarine.

Walaupun telah dijual, ada klausul dalam kontrak Rossi yang menyatakan kalau United akan mendapatkan opsi pertama bila mereka ingin membeli Rossi kembali di kemudian hari.

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