Findcate

Panathinaikos produced an away display to remember as they struck three times after half-time to clinch a Champions League Group B victory against Werder Bremen.

Henk ten Cate’s side were irresistible after the break to breathe new life into their own campaign after they had managed just a single point before Tuesday night’s match.

Vangelis Mantzios, who scored twice when the two teams drew 2-2 a fortnight ago, got the ball rolling with a goal after 58 minutes.

Pana captain Giorgos Karagounis then put the visitors two goals ahead after 70 minutes with a thunderous first-time strike from the edge of the area and Bremen’s humiliation was complete seven minutes from time when Alexis Tziolis netted.

Pana now find themselves just a point behind second-place Anorthosis Famagusta, while Bremen, who are without a win in four games, are languishing at the foot of the table with three points.

The away side started the better with Karagounis at the heart of their best forward moves.

The free-kick expert quickly found his range from a dead-ball situation, forcing Tim Wiese into action with a save after three minutes.

At the other end Diego also gave warning of his threat with a quick turn a shot from the edge of the area that slid past the right-hand post.

From there the visitors settled the better with Karagounis pulling the strings from midfield.

The Greece midfielder almost gave his side the lead with an audacious 35-yard free-kick that hit the underside of the crossbar after catching Wiese too far off his line.

The Bremen goalkeeper was forced into a hasty retreat to try and get a hand to the lofted shot, but unable to do so he was relieved when the ball bounced down of the crossbar. The danger was not, however, completely over as the rebound fell to Mantzios, but his weak header allowed Wiese time to get to his feet and collect.

Bremen’s best chance of the opening period also came from a free-kick when Claudio Pizarro’s deflected header, from Diego’s arrowed shot, produced a fine diving save from Mario Galinovic.

Pana had deserved to go into half-time on level terms and they upped their game further after the break with Karagounis shooting narrowly wide.

The away side got the goal they deserved after 58 minutes following a neat piece of skill from Mantzios.

The 25-year-old striker received a pass from Tziolis at the top of the area before some deft footwork enabled him to completely lose his marker and slide the ball in at the right-hand post.

Bremen showed little sign after going behind that they could find an equaliser and their hopes completely evaporated when Karagounis smashed in a stunning first-time shot from the edge of the area.

The veteran midfielder made space for himself from a throw before unleashing an unstoppable strike that flew across Wiese and into the far post.

Bremen now looked a deflated outfit and they suffered further misery with seven minutes remaining when Tziolis’s shot from just inside the area was helped in with the aid of a defender.

Pana could have even had a fourth when Gilberto Silva rounded Wiese, but he took too long to shoot allowing Per Mertesacker time to clear.

Tags: alexis, champions league group, claudio pizarro, crossbar, famagusta, fortnight, four games, free kick, goalkeeper, hasty retreat, henk ten cate, humiliation, midfielder, pulling the strings, single point, three minutes, tim wiese, time strike, vangelis, werder bremen

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Let’s pause for a minute amidst the scatty cacophony to John Edwards’ affair with his flighty “videographer,” who no reasonable person would pay to film paint dry.

No, it’s the fact that the down-home son of a millworker with his lazy Carolinian drawl (and lily-white skin) was supposed to be the safe bet for the Democrats. Jaded liberals squawked that America would never go for the ballsy chick or the black dude, so you’ll vote for Edwards and you’ll like it.

That’s the best we can hope for. America’s just not ready and all that.

Of course, folks in Iowa didn’t listen to the conventional wisdom and the rest is history. But even after Barack Obama secured the nomination, a pundit here or there would sourly mumble that he was floundering because of that black thing, needling that John Edwards would be blowing John McCain out of the water.

Which amounts to a nice theory for political science students to contemplate in between Jager bombs at the bar. Those of us in the real world rejected the Plastic One because we didn’t know who he was (even after being a few thousand votes in Ohio away from the vice presidency in ‘04) and didn’t trust him.

After observing and interviewing Edwards at political events since 2003, I can say that he was heavy on sheen and light on substance. He said all the right things, repeating Democratic talking points in his artful, aw-shucks way. The father of three was great at kissing babies.

But there was no way His Contrivance seemed ready to take that 3 a.m. phone call. (Although I would vote for him to play the president on tee-vee. His coif is killer).

So maybe that’s why few of us were shocked at his revelations that yes, he actually did dally with Rielle Hunter, who still sports ’80s Madonna hair as a nod to her days as a coked-out New York clubhopper.

To think that Elizabeth Edwards (who Rielle sniffed “didn’t give off good energy”) will have to spend her last years shuddering from this humiliation is just vile. Monsieur Edwards claims he told his family, which presumably includes his eldest daughter, Cate, a Harvard law student. Maybe his other two kids, 8 and 10, can find out as a Christmas present later after Mommy’s passed away.

Edwards, who nailed himself in an ABC interview as a narcissist, has cringingly insisted there’s nothing more for anyone to say as “I’ve stripped myself bare.” Well, there are questions of the paternity of Hunter’s daughter and if this was the first time the senator strayed.

But that’s just a measure on the hypocrisy scale. It’s the political implications that I’m interested in.

Just think for a moment if he were the nominee. This would be game-over for the Dems. You can argue that McCain dumping his disfigured wife for an Anheuser heiress 18 years his junior would become an issue. Perhaps. But that was almost 30 years ago and all we see now is silver-maned Cindy, doting mother of seven.

We can have a robust debate whether extramarital affairs should have any place in political discourse. I vote no, but I’m a journalistic curmudgeon, in spite of my Gen X birthday and the fact that I’m paid to blog. But Edwards’ tryst is out there (and how). Given the appalling scenario with his wife’s metastatic cancer, I don’t really feel like doing him any favors by ignoring the political fallout.

The reality is that this kind of salacious scandal is ruinous for politicians, especially when it reinforces the very doubts people had about the candidate in the first place. Edwards knows this, having watched Bill Clinton implode (and castigating him for it).

Which is another crisis likely averted by not picking Hillary as the nominee, besides the fact that she could unite the right in a way McCain never will. Who knows when Bill’s next bimbo eruption would strike, not to mention his less sexy, but far more troubling dealings in Dubai. That’s the real reason Clinton’s not on Obama’s veep short list, not bad blood after a bruising primary.

When it comes to arrogant politicians’ penchant for extracurricular activities, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

And so a skinny black guy with big ears, a funny name (and the magazine-cover perfect family) is not only the voters’ choice, but has turned out to be the Dems’ safest bet for presidency.

Tags: barack obama, cacophony, cate, contrivance, conventional wisdom, drawl, elizabeth edwards, film paint, humiliation, indy, jager bombs, john edwards, john mccain, journalist, political science students, pundit, reasonable person, safe bet, vice presidency

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