Lesser lights may yet shine at this World Cup
November 17, 2009
Depending on the results of the second legs of the UEFA World Cup playoffs on Wednesday, next year’s tournament in South Africa could contain rather too many of football’s lesser lights for some fans out there.
Portugal, France and Russia, could all perish and the tournament, which is supposed to be the pinnacle of the game, could have a cast list including Honduras, New Zealand, North Korea, Slovakia, Bosnia and Slovenia.
Some fear the absence of world stars like Portugal’s Real Madrid playmaker Cristiano Ronaldo, Russia’s magician Andrei Arshavin and France’s mercurial Frank Ribery would de-value the tournament.
But would it be such a bad thing?
Some would suggest that Europe’s top nations should be guaranteed entry into the World Cup finals with a few token places for the also-rans.
But where would that leave the likes of Bosnia? Who could deny them their place on the biggest stage for the first time if they overturn a 1-0 deficit against Portugal in Zenica.
While that would leave Ronaldo kicking his heels on some beach next year, it would open the way for new names. Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko may not have much of a profile yet outside his home country and the Bundesliga where he plays, but after scoring 10 times in qualifying few would begrudge him his chance.
France have endured a fairly miserable few years under Raymond Domenech since finishing as runners-up in 2006. They should be there next year after winning 1-0 in Dublin last weekend but there may well be a few wry smiles from some of their rivals if they blow it in Paris.
Bar owners in South Africa’s host cities may also be hoping that Ireland’s party-loving fans are in town next year. And while Ireland have no A-list players, their supporters would certainly embellish the tournament.
PHOTO: Bosnia’s Edin Dzeko react during their World Cup playoff first leg against Portugal at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Nov 14, 2009. REUTERS/Jose Manuel Ribeiro
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El Salvador falls again at Beach World Cup after taking early lead
November 17, 2009
CONCACAF champion El Salvador surrendered an early lead for the second straight game and lost 7-3 to Spain on Tuesday, endangering its chances of reaching the quarterfinals at the Beach Soccer World Cup.
Elsewhere, Costa Rica struggled again offensively and was beaten 6-0 by Argentina to leave it in last place in its first-round group.
Agustin Ruiz twice gave El Salvador a lead, first 6:44 after the opening kickoff and again 1:43 into the second period. But Amarelle equalized two seconds after Ruiz’s first goal and Javier Torres tallied a dramatic overhead kick five seconds after the second to tie the game 2-2.
Spain took its first lead on a goal by Nico but Israel Garay equalized once more before the end of the second period, this time for El Salvador. The Spanish then scored four unanswered goals, including a second by Javier Torres to secure the victory.
In the other game, Costa Rica was able to hold Argentina without a goal through the first period but then allowed two each by Federico Hilarie and Agustin Dallera to drop its second in as many days, losing both by a combined 11-1.
The results left El Salvador last in Group B with no points, five behind group leader Japan which it faces in its final match on Wednesday. Costa Rica is last in Group C behind Russia, Argentina and Italy. The Ticos will conclude their group scheduled against Italy on Wednesday.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
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Germany clash is our cup final, says Boka
November 17, 2009
Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba is injured for Wednesday’s friendly match against Germany, but his team-mate Arthur Boka said on Tuesday the match will be the African’s World Cup final.
The Ivory Coast, ranked 19th in the world according to the sport’s global governing body FIFA, take on Germany in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday bidding to claim the European giant’s scalp.
The Africans qualified for next year’s World Cup unbeaten at the top of their group and even without injured Chelsea star Drogba, who picked up a chest injury against Manchester United recently, they will be dangerous.
“This game for us is like a World Cup final and we really want to win,” said Stuttgart’s Boka.
Five of the Ivory Coast squad – Drogba and Chelsea team-mate Salomon Kalou, Yaya Toure of Barcelona, Emmanuel Eboue from Arsenal and Manchester City’s ex-Arsenal defender Kolo Toure played in the Champions League’s semi-finals.
Ballack was the only member of the Germany squad to play in the competition’s later stages, but the Ivory Coast are still waiting for their first major title.
“Many people call us the ‘Golden Generation’,” Boka said.
“But we need an African Cup or World Cup title otherwise everything we have achieved in the last ten years will be forgotten.
“Many of us are now 28 or 29 and the next few years will be our last to make a difference.”
Meanwhile, both Kalou and West Bromwich Albion’s centre-back Abdoulaye Meite could miss the friendly against Germany after a fight during training.
The duo missed the Elephants’ 3-0 win over Guinea in a 2010 World Cup qualifier on Saturday as a result of the fight on the eve of the match.
The pair have since made up, but the punishment could be extended to Wednesday’s game against the Germans and coach Vahid Halilhodzic – not unknown himself for his fiery temperament both as a player and as a coach – will decide whether to select the duo.
BERLIN (AFP)
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Kuyt ´disappointed´ by Italy over Van Persie tackle
November 17, 2009
Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt said he was “disappointed” by the lack of respect Italy showed during last weekend’s friendly which saw fellow Netherlands forward Robin van Persie sustain an injury.
The Arsenal striker was stretchered off the pitch after being tackled by Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini 14 minutes into Saturday’s goalless draw in Pescara and could be out of action for up to six weeks.
Van Persie absolves Chiellini of blame but Kuyt said the challenge on the striker was symptomatic of Italy’s over-physical approach to what was only a friendly international.
“I was very disappointed (by Italy),” Kuyt told Sky Sports.
“We played a friendly against a big country and if you see the way they kicked us it’s very sad, very sad for the Dutch team and also very sad for Robin because he was in great form,” the Liverpool forward added.
“I think it was a bad tackle. Sometimes you think about this when you play a friendly for your country there should be more respect for each other and hopefully it won’t happen in the future.”
Van Persie has scored eight goals this season.
LONDON (AFP)
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Real Madrid, Barcelona in race for Fabregas: report
November 17, 2009
Real Madrid and European champions Barcelona will battle to sign Arsenal’s Spanish captain Cesc Fabregas at the end of the season, sports daily AS reported on Tuesday.
“Cesc Fabregas has become one of the main targets of Madrid and Barcelona to reinforce their squads next season,” it said.
Real recently joined the list of clubs interested in signing the 22-year-old international midfielder, who rose through the ranks of Barcelona before leaving to join Arsenal in 2004, the newspaper said without naming its source.
Spanish media reported elsewhere that Sandro Rosell, a former Nike executive, wants to use the recruitment of Fabregas to boost his bid to be elected president of Barcelona at the club’s next elections in 2010.
“I’m comfortable at Arsenal. We have started strongly in the league and Champions League. We will see how it goes and hopefully injuries will be kind to us,” British paper Daily Mail quoted Fabregas as saying on Tuesday.
“My future? I’m focused on the short term and don’t look beyond that. I have a great responsibility to my club and now is not the time to think beyond that,” he added.
Fabregas is set to play for Spain in a friendly against Austria on Wednesday in Vienna, the scene of their Euro 2008 triumph.
MADRID (AFP)
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Dzeko: “Next year i’ll play for Milan”
November 17, 2009
VfL Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko expects to play for AC Milan next season. The Bosnia-Herzegovina international has already informed his German club.
“I recently spoke to Wolfsburg executives about it and they know that I would like a transfer next summer,” Dzeko told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “The story with AC Milan is not over.”
The 23-year-old, who is currently on international duty with Bosnia, was Milan’s No 1 transfer target last summer but Wolfsburg blocked the transfer claiming they didn’t need the money.
Milan eventually signed Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but the Dutchman hasn’t impressed at San Siro, making the Rossoneri consider another offer for Dzeko.
Dzeko is under contract with Wolfsburg until June 2013, but assured the Italian sports paper he has no doubts about a future move to the Serie A. “I have been a fan of Milan since I was a child, when I watched their games on TV. It’s for that reason that I really hope I can play next season there.”
Paul Haring
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European giants face nervy World Cup trials
November 17, 2009
Three years ago France beat Portugal in the World Cup semi-final – on Wednesday both could fail to even reach the 2010 finals as they take narrow leads into their play-off second leg clashes.
France, champions in 1998, hold a 1-0 lead over the Republic of Ireland while Portugal hold the same advantage over Bosnia Hercegovina though the French unlike the Portuguese have the added advantage of it being an away goal.
The other two play-offs see Euro 2008 semi-finalists Russia also looking a bit shaky as they take a 2-1 lead to Slovenia while Ukraine – who made the 2006 finals – have everything to play for when they host Euro 2004 champions Greece in Donetsk as they are tied at 0-0. Related article: No room for panic, says Russia’s Hiddink
The French-Irish clash looks likely to be a high octane affair after the angry exchanges between rival players at the end of the match in Dublin on Saturday provoked by derogatory remarks by Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra. Related article: France eye World Cup slot
“They were disrespectful and anti-Irish,” commented Irish midfielder Keith Andrews.
“Everyone knows what he (Diarra) said but we don’t need those to get ourselves motivated for the match.”
The Irish, though, face a mountain of a task to overcome the deficit as they have not beaten a top-ranked side away from home since beating Turkey 3-1 in the Euro ‘92 qualifiers – which they didn’t reach and to be fair the Turks really became a top side from 2000 onwards.
However, their veteran Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni used another statistic to add evidence to his belief that the men in green can turn it around.
“I have reminded my players that we scored in every one of our away matches in the qualifiers save against Montenegro (including world champions Italy) – a group that was of a better quality than that of France,” said the former Italy national coach. Related article: Italians playing for World Cup places
“Winning 1-0 may be enough as then it goes to extra-time and then penalties,” he added.
His France counterpart Raymond Domenech was frank about where he saw the situation lying.
“We have to play, because for me the match begins at 0-0,” said the sphinx-like coach, who guided France to the 2006 final but has rarely won over either the fans or the press.
“Our strong point is our ability to score goals. There is no point thinking they are coming here to pose us problems. We have to take the match by the scruff of the neck. Playing to win is the best fashion of doing it.”
Bosnia and Portugal’s match should be an interesting encounter given that Bosnian coach Miroslav Blazevic ever the eccentric handler – though it worked wonders with Croatia in the 1998 finals when he took them to the semi-finals where they led France before losing 2-1 – has promised some savage entertainment.
“In the next few days I will have to create such an atmosphere among the players so they attack the Portuguese like hungry wolves,” said the 74-year-old in an interview with the Dnevni Avaz daily. Related article: Bosnia coach says squad will be ‘hungry wolves’
The Bosnians can take great heart that not only will there be no Cristiano Ronaldo as in the first leg but that they hit the woodwork three times in the first leg.
With this in mind the Portuguese are convinced they should go all out in attack to get what could be a crucial away goal. Related article: Shevchenko warns Ukraine of tough battle
“When it is necessary to defend, we have to do it well, but we will attack when the possibility arises,” said Chelsea’s veteran defender Ricardo Carvalho, who was a member of the side that reached the 2006 World Cup semi-finals.
“We are not going to play defensively, because if we score, that will complicate things for them.”
Coach Guus Hiddink is optimistic Russia will make it to the 2010 World Cup despite play-off rivals Slovenia grabbing an away goal.
Ahead of Wednesday’s second leg in Maribor Hiddink said there was no cause for panic.
“Of course, I was dissappointed with the result,” the Dutchman said.
“We were leading 2-0 and had plenty of chances to increase our advantage.
“But I thing there’s no need to go from one extreme to another. We did not lose the first match we won it! And there’s no room for panic.”
Ukraine star Andrei Shevchenko has warned his teammates to be prepared for a tough battle against Greece.
“We and Greece have a 50-50 chance to reach next year’s finals,” Shevchenko said.
“In Athens we played very good in defence and, I believe, we could repeat such a performance in Donetsk.”
PARIS (AFP)
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Spain have Brazil in their sights
November 17, 2009
Spain’s 2-1 friendly victory over Argentina on Saturday was further evidence that the European champions are going to take some stopping if they are to be denied their first ever World Cup triumph.
Vicente del Bosque’s men will have the bruises to show that ‘friendly’ was perhaps not the best word to describe an exciting and competitive match that was lucky to finish with 22 men still on the pitch.
“You are likely to see games like this in the World Cup finals,” Argentina coach Diego Maradona, before receiving his two-month ban from FIFA, said after the game. “Argentina didn’t come to kick their opponents. Argentina played to the limits.”
Argentina may have struggled in qualifying for South Africa but they have lost none of their abrasive edge (committing 23 fouls to Spain’s 7) and gave Spain, who won all 10 of their qualifiers, a run for their money.
But Del Bosque’s side are not easily thrown off their stride. They played the better football and crafted a wonderful opening goal with a slick passing move that Xabi Alonso netted, after David Silva’s shot was parried.
Lionel Messi equalised from the penalty spot before Xabi Alonso sealed the victory with a late penalty for the hosts.
“It was a friendly but we knew it would be tough,” Spain captain Iker Casillas, who won his 100th cap, said. “It’s important to beat the major sides, more so if they are a former world champion.
“Now all we need to do is beat Brazil, because we have already beaten England, Germany, Italy and France. After this result the rest of the world will have more respect for us.”
Spain have recovered well from their shock 2-0 defeat to the United States in the Confederations Cup in June – a result that denied them a shot at Brazil in the final – but it served as a useful reminder that they cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
Before the Argentina game, Del Bosque admitted his greatest concern was preventing any over-confidence, but he appears to have successfully nurtured the competitiveness in the side to keep it fresh.
Since Euro 2008, outstanding new talents have debuted in an already impressive squad, including Barcelona’s Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets, Valencia’s Juan Mata and Pablo Hernandez, and Sevilla’s Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo.
A World Cup showdown between Brazil and Spain next year would be a fascinating encounter, and it is difficult to bet against one of them being the likely winner.
PHOTO: Spain’s Joan Capdevilla (L) battles for the ball against Argentina’s Fabrizio Coloccini during their friendly soccer match at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, November 14, 2009. REUTERS/Nacho Doce
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El Salvador falls on late goal at Beach Soccer World Cup
November 17, 2009
El Salvador allowed a goal with 48 seconds remaining, wasting a four-goal lead and enabling Ivory Coast to beat the CONCACAF champion 7-6 in the opening game for both Monday at the Beach Soccer World Cup.
Ludovic Ehounou scored three of his five goals in the final 11 minutes — including the winner, for Ivory Coast, after El Salvador jumped ahead 5-1 in the first 10½ minutes.
In another game, Russia scored twice in the first 10 minutes and coasted to a 5-1 victory over Costa Rica.
Ehounou put Ivory Coast ahead after only eight seconds, but Tomas Hernandez equalized less than six minutes later, Agustin Ruiz gave El Salvador the lead by 6:30 of the first period. Walter Torres scored less than a minute later and Frank Velasquez added a pair to put “los Catrachos” ahead 5-1.
After Kouassitchi Daniel scored to get Ivory Coast within 5-2 by the end of the first, Ehounou scored his second midway through the second and Frederic Aka added another to pull Ivory Coast within one. Ehounou then tacked on a pair less than a minute apart to give the Ivorians their first lead by 6:38 of the third.
Torres scored his second to equalize, but Ehounou completed his effort with less than a minute to play to disappoint El Salvador.
“I think we played well but we lost confidence after going four goals clear,” Torres said.
Russia used goals by five different players to take a 5-0 lead over Costa Rica 5:55 into the second period.
Delbert Cameron converted a penalty with 7:37 remaining leaving the Ticos to look toward their next game Tuesday against Argentina.
“The next thing we have to do is go into our next match with the conviction that we can win,” Costa Rica coach Jose Calvo said. “This is our first time in a World Cup, so nerves were a factor at times.”
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
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Beckham left off MLS all-star team
November 17, 2009
David Beckham may have led the Los Angeles Galaxy to the MLS championship game but he has been left off the league’s all-star squad.
While Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan and Swedish star Freddie Ljunberg made the squad there was no room for Beckham.
Beckham’s Galaxy will face Real Salt Lake in the 2009 MLS Cup game in Seattle on Sunday.
Donovan and Ljunberg were two of the five midfielders on the 11-man all-star team which also comprised one goalkeeper, three defenders and two forwards.
Chivas USA’s Zach Thornton was picked as a goalkeeper while the defence featured Columbus Crew centre back Chad Marshall, Houston Dynamo’s Geoff Cameron and the Chicago Fire’s Wilman Conde.
The league’s top two goal-scorers from the regular season, FC Dallas striker Jeff Cunningham and Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey earned the forward honours.
LOS ANGELES (AFP)
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