Tevez Watches Pirates Sink City

New signing Carlos Tevez watched from the sideline as Manchester City lost 2-0 to Orlando Pirates Saturday in the opening Vodacom Challenge tournament match.
City manager Mark Hughes said was "too dangerous" to field Argentine Tevez and another close-season striking purchase Paraguayan Roque Santa Cruz in this northern city as they lacked match fitness.
Former Manchester United striker Hughes, under pressure to break into the English Premiership "big four" after a close season spending spree that also netted England midfielder Gareth Barry, offered no excuses for the loss.
"It was a good workout against a Pirates team that played very well. I was pleased with the day, but not the result," he admitted after a goal in each half gave the "Buccaneers" a deserved victory before 20,000 spectators.
"We are in the conditioning phase of pre-season preparations and today you could see that the players are at different levels. A few more games and they will all be up to speed.
"Carlos (Tevez) and Roque (Santa Cruz) were not considered for this match as it would have been too dangerous given their level of pre-season fitness," stressed Hughes.
Pirates coach and former Netherlands World Cup star Ruud Krol had sympathy for City: "They have just travelled from Dubai and this does not make it easy. Believe me, City are a good team."
The English Premiership outfit lacked at least half its likely first choice line-up and were under pressure from the kick-off with goalkeeper Stuart Taylor forced into a low save just 14 seconds after the kick-off.
Lucas Thwala put Pirates ahead on 36 minutes from the penalty spot after Ben Mee was guilty of shirt tugging and City had Craig Bellamy and Martin Petrov booked during an opening half in which they wasted several scoring chances.
Botswana midfielder Phenyo Mongala added a second goal on 56 minutes as his cross flew over Taylor into the far corner of the net and although City made a number of substitutions they never threatened to wrest the initiative.
City face Kaizer Chiefs Tuesday in the Indian Ocean city of Durban before meeting the winners of a play-off between the South African clubs in the Pretoria final next Saturday.

Do you think that face is because City lost or that they signed Adebayor, leaving him to fight again for playing time? City looks like a club looking for goal scorers, how many more forwards should they buy?

Red to Blue.

Manchester City's new signing Carlos Tevez denied on Tuesday that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson did his best to keep him at Old Trafford.
The 25-year-old Argentinian international striker has signed for United's city rivals in a 25.5million pounds five-year contract after his two-year deal at United ran out at the end of last season.
As United headed towards their 18th league title at the end of last term, speculation about whether United would extend Tevez's contract grew ever more debated before Ferguson decided not to keep the Argentinian.
However, Ferguson suggested on Monday that he had in fact wanted to retain Tevez's services and said that he had tried to contact him in January regarding his future - only to be ignored by his player.
Those claims were comprehensively refuted by Tevez at his unveiling at the City of Manchester Stadium on Tuesday as he insisted that Ferguson had never once been in touch.
"The fact I didn't stay at United was not about the fans it was because David Gill (chief executive) and Ferguson did not do enough to keep me there," Tevez said.
"I was there for two years and Sir Alex never called or sent any text messages in that time.
"The only time he talked to me was after a match against Roma to discuss a situation about going to play for Argentina." "It doesn't seem that this is the way to treat a player in two years at the club."
Manchester City have not won English football's top- flight title since 1968 - in stark contrast to United's seemingly endless run of trophies over the last 15 years - but Tevez insists he is not concerned about the past and will use City's lack of silverware as a major motivation.
"The ambition I have here is to help Manchester City recover the status that the club once had as one of the best clubs in England," Tevez added.
"I am here to try and win titles and trophies - that is my main ambition."
City manager Mark Hughes has the biggest available funds of any boss in the Premier League and the club continues to be linked with Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Chelsea captain John Terry.
Officials from City and Arsenal have been locked in discussions for the last 24 hours regarding Adebayor's future and a deal is looking increasingly more likely.
Although the same cannot be said of Terry as Hughes admitted that it will be difficult to draw the England captain away from Stamford Bridge, despite offering weekly wages in excess of 250,000 pounds a week.
"There have been discussions between us and Arsenal (regarding Adebayor) but it is my usual response to players we haven't signed - it is not the right time or place to be discussing that," Hughes added.
"There's been contact and there is a deal to be done possibly but it's not been concluded as we speak here.
"I also have fantastic respect for John Terry ever since I saw him when I was at Chelsea as a player myself.
"I think any manager would covet a player like John Terry but at this moment in time he is a Chelsea player and we have to respect that."