Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
| By Paul Fletcher |
 Keane scored his third goal of the Premier League season |
Robbie Keane struck a stunning equaliser as Liverpool remained top of the Premier League and maintained an eight-point advantage over Arsenal.
Robin van Persie put Arsenal ahead after collecting a long pass from Samir Nasri that he brilliantl
Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
y controlled before smashing home.
Keane's equaliser was equally spectacular, drilling home a long punt upfield on the half-volley.
Emmanuel Adebayor saw red in the second half after picking up a second yellow.
Liverpool had been on top at the time of Adebayor's 62nd-minute dismissal but the home team competed manfully after losing their Togo striker and were good value for their point.
The visitors could now lose top spot in the league if Chelsea defeat Everton on Monday, while Arsenal remain fifth in the table.
Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas said in the week before the game that defeat for his team would have effectively spelled the end of their title challenge.Having drawn the fixture the Gunners remain in the hunt but an injury to Fabregas on the stroke of half-time does little to improve their prospects.
Rafael Benitez, whose team have already beaten Chelsea and Manchester United this season, missed the game as he recovers from surgery to remove kidney stones but the Liverpool boss did pick the team.
Keane, an unused substitute against Hull last weekend, returned as one of four changes from the team that drew with the Tigers.
Steven Gerrard played just behind the Irishman and the two combined after 10 minutes for the opening opportunity of the game. Keane looked to be yards offside as he collected a long ball but Gael Clichy had played him on and the striker laid the ball off to Gerrard, whose shot from 20 yards was saved by Manuel Almunia.Arsenal took time to settle, struggling to play their fluent passing game. However, Adebayor forced a save from Pepe Reina with a header after he met Bacary Sagna's cross from the right.
And Van Persie put Arsenal ahead with a goal of individual brilliance.
Nasri, returning after injury, picked out the Dutch forward with a raking pass but Van Persie was closely marked by Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger as he brought the ball down on his chest.
Van Persie created a yard of space with his second touch and smashed the ball into the corner of the net with his third.
Clear-cut chances remained at a premium but it was another moment of brilliance that saw Keane equalise with his third Premier League goal of the season.
 Van Persie's goal was the product of brilliant skill and control |
Arsenal had been troubled previously by long balls upfield and failed to deal with an optimistic punt over the top from Agger that Keane smashed home spectacularly on the half-volley.
Liverpool might have led at the break but Gerrard could not quite find the target after sliding in to meet a low cross from Kuyt, who then went close himself with a low shot across goal that Almunia did well to save.
And the half ended on a sour note for Arsenal when skipper Fabregas sustained a knee injury challenging Xabi Alonso for the ball and was replaced by Vassiriki Diaby. Leiva Lucas tested stand-in captain Almunia with a strike shortly after the resumption and the home team's travails worsened when Adebayor was dismissed.
The striker had his foot raised as he competed with Alvaro Arbeloa and caught the defender with his elbow as he spun, prompting referee Howard Webb to issue a second yellow card.
But Arsenal, who had struggled since the resumption, rallied after losing Adebayor and enjoyed a spell of pressure in and around the Liverpool box.
However, it was Liverpool who came close to a late winner, with a long-range strike from Agger narrowly missing the target and Nabil El Zhar heading wide.
| Page last updated at 17:57 GMT, Sunday, 21 December 2008  |
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Printable version Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool | |||||
Robbie Keane struck a stunning equaliser as Liverpool remained top of the Premier League and maintained an eight-point advantage over Arsenal. Robin van Persie put Arsenal ahead after collecting a long pass from Samir Nasri that he brilliantly controlled before smashing home. Keane's equaliser was equally spectacular, drilling home a long punt upfield on the half-volley. Emmanuel Adebayor saw red in the second half after picking up a second yellow. Liverpool had been on top at the time of Adebayor's 62nd-minute dismissal but the home team competed manfully after losing their Togo striker and were good value for their point. The visitors could now lose top spot in the league if Chelsea defeat Everton on Monday, while Arsenal remain fifth in the table. Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas said in the week before the game that defeat for his team would have effectively spelled the end of their title challenge.
Having drawn the fixture the Gunners remain in the hunt but an injury to Fabregas on the stroke of half-time does little to improve their prospects. Rafael Benitez, whose team have already beaten Chelsea and Manchester United this season, missed the game as he recovers from surgery to remove kidney stones but the Liverpool boss did pick the team. Keane, an unused substitute against Hull last weekend, returned as one of four changes from the team that drew with the Tigers. Steven Gerrard played just behind the Irishman and the two combined after 10 minutes for the opening opportunity of the game. Keane looked to be yards offside as he collected a long ball but Gael Clichy had played him on and the striker laid the ball off to Gerrard, whose shot from 20 yards was saved by Manuel Almunia. We would have won with 11 men - Wenger Arsenal took time to settle, struggling to play their fluent passing game. However, Adebayor forced a save from Pepe Reina with a header after he met Bacary Sagna's cross from the right. And Van Persie put Arsenal ahead with a goal of individual brilliance. Nasri, returning after injury, picked out the Dutch forward with a raking pass but Van Persie was closely marked by Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger as he brought the ball down on his chest. Van Persie created a yard of space with his second touch and smashed the ball into the corner of the net with his third. Clear-cut chances remained at a premium but it was another moment of brilliance that saw Keane equalise with his third Premier League goal of the season.
Arsenal had been troubled previously by long balls upfield and failed to deal with an optimistic punt over the top from Agger that Keane smashed home spectacularly on the half-volley. Liverpool might have led at the break but Gerrard could not quite find the target after sliding in to meet a low cross from Kuyt, who then went close himself with a low shot across goal that Almunia did well to save. And the half ended on a sour note for Arsenal when skipper Fabregas sustained a knee injury challenging Xabi Alonso for the ball and was replaced by Vassiriki Diaby.
Keane enjoys Liverpool strike The striker had his foot raised as he competed with Alvaro Arbeloa and caught the defender with his elbow as he spun, prompting referee Howard Webb to issue a second yellow card. But Arsenal, who had struggled since the resumption, rallied after losing Adebayor and enjoyed a spell of pressure in and around the Liverpool box. However, it was Liverpool who came close to a late winner, with a long-range strike from Agger narrowly missing the target and Nabil El Zhar heading wide. Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Djourou, Gallas, Clichy, Denilson, Fabregas (Diaby 46), Song Billong, Nasri (Eboue 90), Adebayor, Van Persie. Sent Off: Adebayor (62). Booked: Adebayor, Van Persie, Sagna. Goals: Van Persie 24. Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Kuyt, Leiva Lucas (Ngog 88), Alonso, Riera (Babel 71), Gerrard, Keane (El Zhar 81). Booked: Keane, Carragher, Leiva Lucas. Goals: Keane 42. Att: 60,094 Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire). | |||||
Farc 'will release six hostages'
Farc 'will release six hostages' | |
Colombia's Farc rebels have said they are going to release six people being held as hostages in jungle camps in the next few days, local media say. The two politicians and four security officers have been held by the leftist group for several years. A Farc statement said the captives would be handed over to a left-wing Colombian senator, reported Reuters. The Farc is still holding hundreds of hostages, either for ransom or to exchange for government-held rebels. The statement gave no date for the release but said it would be "soon", the Associated Press news agency reported. The text said the release was a gesture aimed at initiating a prisoner exchange with the government. Three police officers and a soldier would be freed first, followed by an ex-governor and a former congressman, the statement said. Protests In October, ex-Congressman Oscar Tulio Lizcano managed to escape after eight years in captivity. And in July, 15 hostages, including former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, were freed in a military operation. Ten of thousands of Colombians have taken part in protests demanding the release of those still held by the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). The group has fought to overthrow the Colombian government and install a Marxist government since the 1960s. In the 1990s it turned to the drug trade to raise money for its struggle and has suffered a series of defeats in recent years, including a number of defections and the Betancourt rescue. | |
1863 - Cambodia becomes a protectorate of France. French colonial rule lasts for 90 years.
 | |
1941 - Prince Norodom Sihanouk becomes king. Cambodia is
occupied by Japan during World War II.
1945 - The Japanese occupation ends.
1946 - France re-imposes its protectorate. A new constitution permits Cambodians to form political parties. Communist guerrillas begin an armed campaign against the French.
Independence
1953 - Cambodia wins its independence from France. Under King Sihanouk, it becomes the Kingdom of Cambodia.
1955 - Sihanouk abdicates to pursue a political career. His father becomes king and Sihanouk becomes prime minister.
1960 - Sihanouk's father dies. Sihanouk becomes head of state.
1965 - Sihanouk breaks off relations with the US and allows North Vietnamese guerrillas to set up bases in Cambodia in pursuance of their campaign against the US-backed government in South Vietnam.
1969 - The US begins a secret bombing campaign against North Vietnamese forces on Cambodian soil.
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1970 - Sihanouk is deposed in a coup while abroad. The prime minister, General Lon Nol, assumes power. He proclaims the Khmer Republic and sends the army to fight the North Vietnamese in Cambodia. Sihanouk - in exile in China - forms a guerrilla movement.
Early 1970s - Cambodian army faces two enemies: the North Vietnamese and communist Khmer Rouge guerriillas. Gradually, the army loses territory.
Cambodia Year Zero
1975 - Lon Nol is overthrown as the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot occupy Phnom Penh. Sihanouk briefly becomes head of state, the country is re-named Kampuchea.
All urban dwellers are forcibly evacuated to the countryside to become agricultural workers. Money becomes worthless, basic freedoms are curtailed and religion is banned. The Khmer Rouge coin the phrase "Year Zero".
Hundreds of thousands of the educated middle-classes are tortured and executed in special centres. Others starve, or die from disease or exhaustion. The total death toll during the next three years is estimated to be at least 1.7 million.
1976 - The country is re-named Democratic Kampuchea. Sihanouk resigns, Khieu Samphan becomes head of state, Pol Pot is prime minister.
1977 - Fighting breaks out with Vietnam.
1978 - Vietnamese forces invade in a lightning assault.
|  |
1979 January - The Vietnamese take Phnom Penh. Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge forces flee to the border region with Thailand. The People's Republic of Kampuchea is established. Many elements of life before the Khmer Rouge take-over are re-established.
1981 - The pro-Vietnamese Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party wins the elections to the National Assembly. The international community refuses to recognise the new government. The government-in-exile, which includes the Khmer Rouge and Sihanouk, retains its seat at the United Nations.
1985 - Hun Sen becomes prime minister. Cambodia is plagued by guerrilla warfare. Hundreds of thousands become refugees.
1989 - Vietnamese troops withdraw. Hun Sen tries to attract foreign investment by abandoning socialism. The country is re-named the State of Cambodia. Buddhism is re-established as the state religion.
An uneasy peace
1991 - A peace agreement is signed in Paris. A UN transitional authority shares power temporarily with representatives of the various factions in Cambodia. Sihanouk becomes head of state.
|  Norodom Sihanouk campaigned for independence |
1993 - General election sees the royalist Funcinpec party win the most seats followed by Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP). A three-party coalition is formed with Funcinpec's Prince Norodom Ranariddh as prime minister and Hun Sen as deputy prime minister. The monarchy is restored, Sihanouk becomes king again. The country is re-named the Kingdom of Cambodia. The government-in-exile loses its seat at the UN.
1994 - Thousands of Khmer Rouge guerrillas surrender in government amnesty.
1996 - Deputy leader of Khmer Rouge Ieng Sary forms a new party and is granted amnesty by Sihanouk.
Coup
1997 - Hun Sen stages a coup against the prime minister, Prince Ranariddh, and replaces him with Ung Huot. The coup attracts international condemnation and Cambodia's membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is delayed. The Khmer Rouge put Pol Pot on trial and sentence him to life imprisonment. Pol Pot is filmed and interviewed by a western journalist.
 Royal palace, Phnom Penh: Monarch's position is largely symbolic |
1998 - Ranariddh is tried in his absence and found guilty of arms smuggling, but is then pardoned by the king. Pol Pot dies in his jungle hideout. Elections in July are won by Hun Sen's CPP, amid allegations of harassment. A coalition is formed between the CPP and Funcinpec. Hun Sen becomes prime minister, Ranariddh is president of the National Assembly.
2001 - Senate approves a law to create a tribunal to bring genocide charges against Khmer Rouge leaders.
2001 June - International donors, encouraged by Cambodia's reform efforts, pledge $560 million in aid at a donor conference in Tokyo.
2001 June - Five Cambodians, three of them US citizens, are sentenced to life for involvement in armed attack by US-based Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) on government buildings in Phnom Penh in 2000. CFF says it will continue campaign to overthrow Prime Minister Hun Sen.
2001 December - First bridge across the Mekong River opens, linking the east and west of the country. The 1.36km bridge cost $56 million.
2002 February - First multi-party local elections; ruling Cambodian People's Party wins in all but 23 out of 1,620 communes.
2002 May - Prince Norodom Chakrapong sets up his own Norodom Chakrapong Khmer Soul Party; his half-brother Prince Norodom Ranariddh heads the Funcinpec party, part of the ruling coalition.
2003 January - Serious diplomatic upset with Thailand over comments attributed to a Thai TV star that the Angkor Wat temple complex was stolen from Thailand. Angry crowds attack the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. More than 500 Thai nationals are evacuated by military aircraft.
2003 July - Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party wins general elections but fails to secure sufficient majority to govern alone.
Hun Sen re-elected
2004 July - After nearly a year of political deadlock, Prime Minister Hun Sen is re-elected after his ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) strikes a deal with the royalist Funcinpec party.
2004 August - Parliament ratifies kingdom's entry into World Trade Organisation (WTO).
2004 October - King Sihanouk abdicates and is succeeded by his son Norodom Sihamoni.
|  Sam Rainsy - outspoken opposition leader |
2005 February - Opposition leader Sam Rainsy leaves Cambodia after parliament strips him of his immunity from prosecution, leaving him open to defamation charges brought by the ruling coalition.
2005 April - Tribunal to try surviving Khmer Rouge leaders gets green light from UN after years of debate about funding.
2005 October - Prime minister signs a controversial border agreement with Vietnam. Legal action is taken against some critics of the deal, prompting international concern.
2005 December - Opposition leader Sam Rainsy, in exile in France, is convicted by a Cambodian court of defaming PM Hun Sen and is sentenced to nine months in prison.
2006 February - Sam Rainsy receives a royal pardon and comes home after a year in exile.
2006 May - Parliament votes to abolish prison terms for defamation. The legislation had been used to jail some government critics.
2006 July - Ta Mok, one of the top leaders of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, dies aged 80.
2006 October - Royalist Funcinpec party, a junior partner in the ruling coalition, drops Prince Norodom Ranariddh as its leader.
2007 March - Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who now lives abroad, is sentenced in absentia to 18 months in prison for selling the headquarters of the Funcinpec party. He was accused of earning $3.6m on the deal but denies the charge.
|  The Preah Vihear temple sparked a border standoff with Thailand |
2007 September - Most senior surviving member of Khmer Rouge, Nuon Chea - "Brother Number Two" - is arrested and charged with crimes against humanity.
2007 November - Genocide tribunal holds first public hearing - a bail plea from a former prison chief, Khang Khek Ieu, who was better known as Comrade Duch.
2008 February - Cambodian court sentences 20 member of small Cambodian Freedom Fighters group to prison for attack on prime minister's office in November 2000.
2008 March - Genocide tribunal refuses bail plea of Nuon Chea.
2008 April - US court convicts Cambodian-born Cambodian Freedom Fighters leader Chhun Yasith of masterminding 2000 attack.
2008 July - PM Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) claims victory in parliamentary elections. EU monitors say the vote fell short of international standards.
2008 July - Cambodia and Thailand move troops to disputed land near ancient Preah Vihear temple after decision to list it as UN World Heritage Site fans nationalist emotions on both sides. Officials from both states start talks to resolve standoff.
2008 October - Two Cambodian soldiers are killed in an exchange of fire with Thai troops in the disputed border zone.
ក្រុងប៉ៃលិន នឹងជួបជាមួយ កុមារ ព្រះខាន់រាជ្យ អេហ្វស៊ី
ក្រុងប៉ៃលិន នឹងជួបជាមួយ កុមារ ព្រះខាន់រាជ្យ អេហ្វស៊ី
ក្នុងវគ្គផ្តាច់ព្រាត់នៅឆ្នាំនេះ សំរាប់ការប្រកួត ដណ្តើមពានរង្វាន់ជើងឯងសហពន្ធបាល់ទាត់កម្ពុជា (FFC) អាយុក្រោម 15 ឆ្នាំ នៅឯពហុកីឡាដ្ឋានជាតិ អូឡាំពិក ។ ក្រុង ប៉ៃលិន បានការង់ទីខ្លួនឯងក្នុងការចូលទៅកាន់វគ្គផ្តាច់ព្រាត់រួចជា ស្រេចបន្ទាប់បានយកឈ្នះ េខត្តតាកែវ អេហ្វស៊ី 2-0 ក្នុងជុំ 4 ក្រុមចុងក្រោយ ដោយ Kay Nak ស៊ុទបញ្ចូលទីនាទីទី 64 និង Heung Met ក្នុងនាទីទី 70 ។
ចំនែក កុមារ បានយកឈ្នះ Prek Pra-Komar Rik Reay FC 1- 0 ដោយមានតែមួយគ្រាប់គត់ ពីការស៊ុទរបស់ សុខ សំណាង ក្នុងនាទីទី 34 ។
FIFA backs Cambodia's football boss
Football's world governing body has endorsed the election of a military police chief to head the Cambodia Football Federation, despite concerns of political interference.
FIFA's chief Sepp Blatter extended his "deepest congratulations" to newly elected Sao Sokha in a letter dated December 18.
Blatter urged Sao Sokha to work to help Cambodian football to "reach new heights and to gain the international recognition it deserves."
"In this task, you can rely on my support and on FIFA assistance," Blatter wrote Friday.
Sao Sokha, a military police chief and a close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen, was re-elected as the chief of the federation earlier this month after FIFA complained that his first election in April was politically influenced.
FIFA had threatened to suspend its 250,000 dollars in annual funding to Cambodia's national football program, which has struggled to gain international respect after numerous scandals and a dismal record of losses.
Cambodia is currently ranked 184 out of 205 countries by FIFA.
- AFP
