Down but not out
The 100 degree Fahrenheit climate was described as ‘brutally hot’ in Kansas as Newcastle lined up to take on Sporting Kansas City in the first of three matches as part of a pre-season tour of the United States.
The weather, combined with an in-form opposition who are unbeaten in 11 games, transpired to create a 0-0 draw.
Newcastle started with:
Tim Krul.
Ryan Taylor, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Jonas Gutierrez.
Peter Lovenkrands, Dan Gosling, Cheik Tiote, Sylvain Marveaux.
Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba.
Jonas played at left-back, Lovenkrands was on the right wing and Ben Arfa was up front with Demba Ba.
Sporting Kansas tried to take advantage of our unfamiliarity with such hot weather by keeping the tempo of the game high but we were up to the task, at least defensively.
After just 4 minutes we got our first injury when Dan Gosling had to leave the pitch to get a head injury dealt with, although he was okay to continue after 10 minutes of treatment.
Ben Arfa and Silvain Marveaux showed some excellent form when it comes to taking on players and Dan Gosling looked lively too but, despite that, Newcastle couldn’t find a shot on goal in the first half. Kansas were no better in that respect with Kamara, Bravo and – most dangerously – Jeferson all getting chances but failing to find the target with them.
Worry on 30 minutes though when Ben Arfa is stretchered off holding his leg after a tackle by Espinaza. Shola Ameobi is brought on for the injured player.
Plenty of chances for both teams in the first half although neither managed a shot on target and each team picked up a yellow card with Tiote being the rather predictable recipient for Newcastle.
For the second half, Tavernier replaced Marveaux and goes to left-back while Jonas is pushed forward; Tiote is replaced by Mehdi Abeid and Lovenkrands is replaced by Alan Smith.
The second half began at a slower tempo than the first but the first shot on goal came in the 65th minute when Kansas substitute Soony Saad spun around and cracked one at the goal. Fortunately it was an easy save for Tim Krul.
After 62 minutes Danny Simpson is brought on for Dan Gosling and on 71 minutes Leon Best replaces Demba Ba.
Newcastle lift their game a bit for the last 10 minutes and Danny Simpson gets our first shot on goal after Jonas makes an excellent run and plays him in, although the shot is straight at the keeper. And with 3 minutes to go Shola sees his shot deflected out for a corner.
Kansas nearly sneaked the win on 89 minutes but Krul saved the curling shot from Kansas’ Sapong.
After the game, Alan Pardew said:
“This was a great exercise for us in terms of the opposition. I’m pleased with our clean sheet. We lacked sharpness, but I’m very, very pleased.”
And his counterpart at Kansas – Peter Vermes – said:
“With an exhibition like this, you get an opportunity to play such a storied club as Newcastle, it’s great for your team. I thought it was good for us.“
Hmm, ‘storied’ eh?
As to the Ben Arfa injury, NUFC have today released an update which reads:
Hatem Ben Arfa sustained an injury to his left ankle in a tackle during the club’s friendly against Sporting Kansas on Wednesday evening and went to a local hospital for a precautionary x-ray.
Consequently he will be leaving the club’s US tour tomorrow and the injury will be reassessed over the next 48 hours.
FFS – I do hope this turns out to be merely precautionary.
Anyway, one down and two to go in the US. HWTL!
NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen
I’m a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion with a wife, two cats, a dog, no hair and an obsession with hats. I’m currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life, where locals keep trying to poison me with something called ‘scrumpy’. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he’s not worth 10).
Hugh de Payen has written 625 articles on this blog.
RSS Feed.
NUFC News 24/7
I think it’s a real shame...
Loading ...
..Why not get a 
latest on benny here http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20110721/ben-arfa-injury-update_2281670_2397940
but it goes to show we go 1 player down and we look piss poor again, looks like the whole team is based around ben arfa and if he’s missing the players seems lost, they had no shape after Arfa was taken off the field and no depth MA needs to get that £35 million out and actually buy some players that can cover if needed.
Here we go again. it never rains it always pours.
Last night club said that it was nothing serious, even now they are saying it was a precautionary X-ray.
i guess if need be he can train in England
or in France at clairefontaine, would not be lost there
cant help but thinking nufc should really take precautions on ben arfa give him 30 minutes of playing time instead of a full 90 take him easy instead of rushing players back.
So there was no Enrique eh?? Interesting…
well – comical alan – got the player he wanted to get the fans bums off seats.
unfortunatley they only got up to applaud benny boy being strechered off! again.
joking apart – i hope we aint got another woodgate/dyer/sicknote type player – on the books.
Oh the injuries have started already have they? That’s Ben Arfa, Guthrie and Ferguson in two games.
We.Need.More.Players.Mike.com@sportsdirect.org
Actually thinking about it, at least when Ben Arfa, Guthrie and Ferguson return, it will be like three new signings…
should that not be “if” they return, not “when” ?
Benny missed most of last season, now in his first game back he gets carried off – not a good sign when we are apparently building a team around the bloke!
Seems a fragile player BA….just hope he aint going to spend most of the season on the treatment table.
A big worry especially if the team is built around him like people are insinuating.
@5
Ben Arfa was only on the pitch 30 mins before he got injured so I don’t see what difference it would have made if we eased him back by only bringing him on for 30 mins… He could just as easily have been injured in the final 30 mins as the first 30 mins. I expect he would only have been on the pitch till half time if he hadn’t got injured anyway.
Hopefully this injury isn’t actually linked to the leg break and the long time he was sidelined. Hopefully this latest injury is in no way linked to broken leg and the long time he was sidelined. I just hope Ben Arfa doesn’t become an Alan Smith and is never able to return to his old self.
I wouldn’t know what BA’s old self is apart from videos on youtube….hardly played for us…when he did though he is a special player….fingers crossed for you Hatem cos if your fooked this season so are we…..get plenty Greggs pasties down your neck that will tuffen you up
Could be the next Micky Quinn if he sticks to the Greggs Diet.
By the Way I don’t work for Greggs,neither does any of my family.
I don’t want you to think I was in their advertising department paid to plug shamelessly on blogs.
well i’ve had a nice lie in,and woke up to this s**t,stroll on we must be cursed.
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew, speaking to nufc.co.uk after the game said:
“It was really, really hot out there and for the public back in Newcastle, that’s maybe hard to understand”.
Yeah nobody in Newcastle has ever been to a hot country Partridge……patronising twat.
sirjasontoon says:
July 21, 2011 at 11:48 am
“Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew, speaking to nufc.co.uk after the game said:
“It was really, really hot out there and for the public back in Newcastle, that’s maybe hard to understand”.”
Yes because I am a stupid, and didn’t realise that the U.S.A would be crazy hot during the summer months.
I don’t understand this trip at all. Why not go to Europe? He used Asia as an example of pre-season tours, when you could easily tour somewhere closer to home.
SJT, was he blaming the heat?
Better Casino’s in the USA Jimbob
Stupid I don’t see why we played teams in England with the odd euro game at least fans could go and watch more easily.
Can’t see the point in Jose being there either he sounds like a right NAUSE.
I dunno JB it was to hard for me to understand
They could watch the games more easily closer to home, if they are willing to fork out for a membership
“As a result we looked a bit lethargic and heavy legged.”
Obviously Alan, that kind of what happens when you go to a country with a much hotter climate.