Del Piero Hits Hat-Trick

...Juventus go top of Serie B



Alessandro Del Piero scored three as Juventus beat Piacenza 4-0 to go back to the top of Italy's second division Serie B on Sunday.

The striker's hat-trick - his second in two weeks after scoring three times in a 5-0 victory over Crotone last month -- gave Juventus 49 points from 24 games, two points ahead of Napoli despite their nine point-penalty for match-fixing.

David Trezeguet got the opening goal in the first minute with a shot from the edge of the area, but Del Piero came alive early in the second half, firing home his first goal from the penalty spot after being brought down by goalkeeper Ferdinando Coppola.

He curled in his second with a free kick midway through the half then jinked round two defenders to complete his hat-trick in stoppage time.

Piacenza played the final 20 minutes of the match with 10 men after defender Hugo Campagnaro was sent off for a second bookable offence.
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Gary Lineker Writes About David Beckham

Former England striker Gary Lineker has called for David Beckham to return to the international fold on a short-term basis ahead of the crunch Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel on March 24.

Lineker believes the Real Madrid midfielder's experience would be invaluable when the national team travel to Tel Aviv for the critical game with qualification for next year's tournament in Austria and Switzerland looking uncertain.

However, Lineker insists a recall for the former England captain should only be temporary with Beckham set for a summer move to Los Angeles Galaxy.

In his column in The Sunday Telegraph, Lineker wrote:

"David Beckham has made a powerful case for a return to the international fold.

"I think (manager Steve) McClaren would be wise to bring back Beckham as a short-term measure and he should be welcomed back with open arms.

"He has shown his usual determination by battling back into the Real Madrid team after being told that he would never play under (manager) Fabio Capello again.

"Now he is playing as well as anyone at the Bernabeu and, with England wobbling, he could provide invaluable experience in what is looking like a crucial match.

"Beckham is a proven international class player and, while he might have lost some of the sharpness in his legs, if you look at it objectively he remains one of the top 20 players available to McClaren.

"His passing remains first rate and his ability at set-pieces is still undiminished.

"Beckham knows how to play international football. Yes, he did not play well for England over the past couple of years, but I think he was more of a victim of the way the team played rather than a cause of it.

"Of course, bringing back Beckham, who has 94 caps, could only be considered a short-term fix because, when he moves to the United States in the summer, he is going into semi-retirement.

"That is what is happening. I know what it is like because I went through it when I moved into Japanese football.

"The standards will be lower and he will be a long way from home. That will definitely be the end for him."