Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/441179
36 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 JANUARY 2015 Sport FOOTBALL Stripes looking to start New Year with a win EDWARD FALZON ONE of the two matches to be played today at the Hibs Stadium pits two teams with different ambitions but with a similar start to the campaign. Both teams have shown a series of inconsistencies this season and both will be hoping that the New Year will offer something more. After ending their 2014 commit- ments with a 2-0 win over Qormi, the stripes will be favourites to continue where they left off and start the New Year with another win over an enigma Mosta side. On their day Mosta have proved to be a hard team to beat and B'kara need to be careful not to under- estimate them. Mosta have secured the signing of experienced central defender, Yannick Ossok, who last played in Thailand af- ter a spell in Finland. Mosta lost 1-0 to Balzan in their last outing. With both sides struggling for con- sistency, it is hard to actually predict anything out of this match, however B'kara will go into the match as favour- ites for the three points. The stripes need to be winning games if they are still aspiring to challenge Hibernians in the last rounds of the season. Mosta will again be without sus- pended duo Pedro Calcado and Ty- rone Farrugia. Birkirkara should be at full strength for this match. First rounds: 0-2 Mosta vs Birkirkara (Today at 2pm, Hibs Stadium) Sliema, Pieta after precious points With both clubs having the oppor- tunity to assess their current squads during the Christmas break, it is a certainty that both sets of teams will be looking for reinforcements during the January transfer window. With the title race looking pretty clear as to where things will be going, the focus will surely be on who will be playing in the Championship and Rel- egation Pool. Sliema Wanderers should start as favourites to collect three points but they will surely not underestimate Pi- eta who beat Birkirkara early on in the season. Currently sitting in seventh, one point behind Mosta, Sliema will be hoping for a win to increase their chances of securing a Championship pool spot. For Today's match, Pieta will be without Fortunato Dos Santos and Gabriel Da Silva, both ruled out through suspension. Pieta have also lost Under 21 international Terence Agius to Balzan. First Round: 2-0 Sliema vs Pieta (Today at 2pm, Hibs Stadium) Runaway leaders take on strugglers Zebbug Runaway leaders Hibernians should claim their 16th victory in their last 17 matches when they meet relegation candidates Zebbug. Hibernians should prove too strong for a side destined to make an early re- turn to the first division, having won just one of their 16 matches. Coach Branko Nisevic is unlikely to make any swift changes to his side which has performed brilliantly this season. The only player missing for the leaders will be Bjorn Kristensen, who is out through suspension. Zebbug on the other hand parted ways with Brazilian keeper Fabricio Rapchan, Serbians Randic and Mamic and together with Mexican defender Luis Pena. Rangers have however so far agreed deals with Italian midfield- er Paltemio Barbetti, midfielder Kurt Zammit and English forward Rashid Yussuff. First round: 0-4 Zebbug vs Hibs (Today at 4pm, Hibs Stadium) Balzan debut for Agius as reds take on Tarxien Balzan will be boosted by the re- cent acquisition of Under 21 inter- national Terence Agius who joined the club from Pieta Hotspurs. Agius is expected to make his first appear- ance for Balzan against Tarxien. Balzan will feature without Edison Zapate and Oscar Guerrero, both suspended, while new signing Bojan Kaljevic is also out after receiving a three match ban. Tarxien are seriously struggling for goals this season and go into the match without any recognised strikers after the club released all their foreign forwards. First Round: 2-3 Tarxien vs Balzan (Today at 4.15pm, Tedesco Stadium) Gerrard eyes one more trophy with Liverpool Steven Gerrard expects his final days at Liverpool to be "torture" but hopes to be packing his bags for America this summer having helped the Reds win at least one more trophy GERRARD announced on Friday he will be calling time on his 17- year Anfield career at the end of the season and he confirmed on Saturday that his next destina- tion will be the United States - al- though he has yet to finalise a deal with any club. The 34-year-old also revealed in an interview with LFCTV that being told by Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers recently that his playing time with the Reds would start to be reduced helped make up his mind to move on. Gerrard said: "There was more than one moment that has made me come to this decision, but I think the key conversation or mo- ment was with the manager when he sat me down not so long ago and said it was time to manage my games for me and for the team. "I'm bright enough to realise it is the right thing for everyone, but when you've been a starter and a mainstay in the team for such a long time, it was a very difficult conversation to have with the manager. "I accept it and I'll continue to give everything I've got." Gerrard added that he wished he could have started working with Rodgers 10 years previously. After spending his whole career at his home-town club, Gerrard admits it is going to be tough to leave but he hopes to go out on a high by leading Liverpool to cup glory. A first league winner's medal looks beyond the former England captain with Liverpool currently 17 points adrift of leaders Chel- sea and Manchester City, but the Reds are still involved in the FA Cup, Capital One Cup and Europa League. Gerrard, whose side begin their FA Cup campaign at AFC Wim- bledon on Monday night, said: "There's still a bit to go and I'd love nothing better than to walk around Wembley or a big stadium at the end of the season with a trophy for them (the fans). "We've still got a chance of fin- ishing in the top four (in the league) and that's the most impor- tant thing for the club, for obvious reasons. But from a selfish point of view, it's always a trophy and it's al- ways medals, for me." Gerrard concedes he cannot an- ticipate exactly how he will feel as the final days tick down on his time at Liverpool but, after a glittering career that has seen him become arguably the club's greatest ever player, he is sure it will not be easy. He hopes, though, that it will not be a final farewell, with the long- serving midfielder open to the pos- sibility of returning to the club in some capacity in the future. "The last couple of weeks will be probably how the last 24 hours have been - very tough. But I'm re- ally proud of what I've done and hopefully I can write a few more chapters with the team from now to the end," he said. "But the last game and the last couple of training sessions are go- ing to be torture, because it's so tough to say 'goodbye'. But hope- fully it's more of a 'see you soon' rather than a 'goodbye'." He added about the chance of re- turning: "I'll only come back and serve the club if I feel as if I can help. "If I sit down with the people who are running the club at that time and they see a role for me where I can help the team or help young kids to become players, of course I will consider it." Gerrard was immediately linked with a move to Major League Soc- cer following Friday's announce- ment that he was leaving Anfield, with the likes of LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls touted as pos- sible destinations. The midfielder has now con- firmed he will be heading across the Atlantic, but his next club re- mains as yet unknown. He said: "I can tell the supporters at the moment that it will be Amer- ica. I'll be going to play in America. But I'm not over the line with any team just yet. "I'm close and as soon as I know, I'll make the announcement, I'll do the bits and bobs that I need to do. Then we try to go and win a trophy and forget about Steven Gerrard for a bit." Steven Gerrard will leave Liverpool at the end of the season