Newz Forum: SOCCER: Carling Cup Final

The Carling Cup Final kicks off on sunday as Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough meet for the 44th staging of the Final, and the fourth to be staged at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. It's Middlesbrough's third appearance in the showpiece and Bolton's second,both clubs are aiming to win the competition for the first time and qualify for their first ever European campaigns.Bolton boss Sam Allardyce and Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren have one thing in common ahead of Sunday's Carling Cup final.Neither has yet won a major domestic trophy as player or manager in the English game.The game is the first showpiece of the 2003/04 season and promises to be one of the most closely fought finals in recent years.

Sam Allardyce and Steve McClaren go head-to-head at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday in a bid to become the first Englishman to lift a domestic trophy since Brian Little won the League Cup with Aston Villa in 1996.The Bolton and Middlesbrough bosses are two of the rising stars of the game and their names are regularly thrown into the hat whenever a big job comes along.


Such has been Allardyce's success in recent months that he has been tipped as a possible Manager of the Year candidate and was this week touted as a potential replacement for under-pressure Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier.Sam would love nothing better than to be lacing up his boots on Sunday.Instead the Bolton manager will be fixing his tie and brushing his suit in the bowels of Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.Old habits die hard when you are a former player and Allardyce was a good enough centre-half to earn a living for 21 years.This is the first time in his career he has reached a cup final and Allardyce will feel a touch jealous in the minutes leading up to the Carling Cup final with Middlesbrough.Allardyce is more concerned about getting a victory and the place in the UEFA Cup which follows.Bolton have maintained their status against the odds and winning the Carling Cup would be a signal of their rapid progress.

Likewise, McClaren, who has previously been suggested as a future England manager, has found himself talked of in connection with big jobs, the latest being Chelsea should Claudio Ranieri make way at the end of the season.McClaren may be a mild-mannered man off the touchline, but on it, his animation has become a feature of his reign. More than once, a water bottle has been sent skidding across the technical area after being dispatched by the boot of a man who is not afraid to let his feelings show.McClaren served his time under the likes of Jim Smith and Sir Alex Ferguson he gleaned all he could from two hugely experienced men before launching his management career at Boro.Steve McClaren watched his men brush aside Arsenal to reach the Carling Cup final and then insisted there is no point in going to Cardiff and returning without the trophy.

Bolton have the upper hand over Middlesbrough in terms of head-to-heads between the two - with 47 wins to 33, with 25 draws - but Boro have won their one and only previous meeting in this competition with victory in 1997 - the year the North East club lost in the final to Leicester City.Boro have a very good record in domestic cup competitions over the last decade, this is their fourth major final in seven years - although have failed to win the previous three - meaning they are still looking for their very first trophy.


Bolton will be at full strength for the final - aside from long-term injury victims Ricardo Gardner and Florent Laville.





Likely starting line-up:
1) Jussi Jaaskelainen
2) Nicky Hunt
3) Simon Charlton
4) Emerson Thome
5) Bruno N'Gotty
6) Ivan Campo
7) Kevin Nolan
8) Jay-Jay Okocha (captain)
9) Youri Djorkaeff
10) Kevin Davies
11) Stelios Giannakopoulos

Subs from: Henrik Pedersen, Per Frandsen, Anthony Barness, Kevin Poole, Donovan Ricketts, Javi Moreno, Ibrahim Ba, Dwight Pezarrossi and Ricardo Vaz Te.


Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren has few worries over his team selection going into the game at Cardiff on Sunday.
Boro are almost certain to stick with 10 of the team that lost the Tyne-Tees derby to Newcastle at the weekend.




Likely starting line-up:
1) Mark Schwarzer
2) Danny Mills
3) Franck Queudrue
4) Ugo Ehiogu
5) Gareth Southgate (captain)
6) George Boateng
7) Doriva
8) Gaizka Mendieta
9) Joseph Desire-Job
10) Juninho
11) Boudewijn Zenden

Subs from: Michael Ricketts, Massimo Maccarone, Szilard Nemeth, Stuart Parnaby, Colin Cooper, Chris Riggott, Andrew Davies and Brad Jones.




[Edited on 26/2/04 by TRD]

This will be a tough game on sunday it will be real hard to call the winner.

Personally i think Bolton have a treal chance they will really be motivated and Okocha is back.Both managers will have their teams ready and as you say they are two of the best managerial prospects in the premier league.

always enjoy reading the soccer reports but i am a bit mystified....what are these cups? are they tournements during the season? how about a post explaining how the various leagues are organized for us novices.....

Toejam ok i can do that! I'll make a new thread.

The Carling Cup is the first cup to be contested in the season.

With 15 mins to go its Middlesborough 2 Bolton 1

It's been a pretty even game so far and i think another goal may go in.

Just under 10 mins to go,Bolton have brought on Kevin Nolan in a tactical switch and its still 2-1.

The tackles are flying in as Bolton put pressure on Middlesborugh resulting in three quick free kicks.

Ricketts for middlesborough just caught offside when he was in the clear.


Shot drilled in by Osvaldo Juninho Paulista (Middlesbrough) right-footed from right side of penalty area (18 yards) missed and resulting in a goal kick.

thanks, would appreciate that....:bounce:

The tackles are still flying in as Middlesbourgh are trying to hang on.

Big hoof upfield and Ricketts is offside again.

Just under 4 mins left.

Bolton with one last push as a shot by Stelios Giannakopoulos (Bolton) was volleyed left-footed from centre of penalty area (18 yards), it was blocked by Ugo Ehiogu (Middlesbrough). Outswinging corner from right by-line taken right-footed by Youri Djorkaeff (Bolton) to centre, resulting in open play.

Middlesbourough hit back with a shot by Michael Ricketts (Middlesbrough) right-footed from centre of penalty area (18 yards), save (caught) by Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton).

Last few seconds of the game and Ricketts caught offside again,he is booked by the ref for time wasting (yellow card)

Ohhh Shot by Jay-Jay Okocha (Bolton) drilled right-footed from left channel (35 yards), save (caught) by Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough).

The final whistle goes and Middlesbrough celebrate - it's the first major silverware in their 128-year history.

sounds like it was a good game with plenty of action, thanks for the updates

It was a good game as Middlesbrough won the first trophy in their 128-year history after a dramatic Carling Cup final win over Bolton.The Teessiders went in front inside two minutes from a tap-in by Joseph-Desire Job after a Boudewijn Zenden cross. Five minutes later Middlesbrough were 2-0 ahead through a Zenden penalty after Emerson Thome brought down Job. A Mark Schwarzer howler gifted a goal back for Kevin Davies but the keeper made amends by twice denying Youri Djorkaeff and Boro held on.The second half struggled to live up to the furious pace of the first half and chances were at a premium.Boro were happy to try and sneak further in front on the counter and Juninho went close, while Thome made a desperate challenge to deny Gaizka Mendieta in the closing minutes. Substitute Stelios Giannakopoulos almost stole the headlines for Bolton but his close-range effort was brilliantly blocked by Ugo Ehiogu. Middlesbrough's defence held firm to make it third time lucky after two previous League Cup final defeats.