Japan held to goalless draw by Venezuela
February 2, 2010
Japan were held to a goalless draw by Venezuela in the first home game of the season for the Blue Samurai on Tuesday as they prepare for the World Cup in South Africa.
Japan were the first team to qualify for international football’s biggest prize while Venezuela failed to reach the finals after finishing eighth in the South American group.
Venezuela had the first chance of the match when 17-year-old debutant forward Fernando Aristiguieta missed a header from close range in the ninth minute following midfielder Giacomo Di Giorgi’s long-off effort.
But it appeared to be the best chance for either side in a game bereft of clear scoring opportunities.
Mitsuo Ogasawara, playing for Japan for the first time since the 2006 World Cup, fired a sizzling shot from outside the area, forcing goalkeeper Leonardo Morales to save in the 16th minute.
Ogasawara and Brazilian-born Marcus Tulio Tanaka missed a couple more shots, while Aristiguieta failed to catch up with Caracas defender Hose Manuel Rey’s free kick to end a goalless first half.
Venezuela piled on the pressure in the second half but managed just one shot on goal through defender Giovanny Romero.
Sota Hirayama, who scored a hat-trick in an Asian Cup qualifier against Yemen last month, was sent on with Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Hisato Sato in a fruitless attempt to lend the Japanese some rhythm.
Overall, Japan hit a total of 12 shots on goal and Venezuela four.
“I was disappointed that we couldn’t win because Venezuela put wonderful pressure on us. But as an early game of the season, it was a nice game,” said Japan coach Takeshi Okada.
“Mitsuo struggled in the first half as the combination with the others was not so good but he did very well in the second half.
“We have three more games this month (in the East Asian championship). We are going to level up our team through the championship, looking forward to the World Cup,” Okada added.
Japan will play China, South Korea and Hong Kong in the championship starting in Tokyo on Saturday.
OITA, Japan (AFP)
Related posts
Korea DPR downs Qatar, 1-0
December 31, 2009
Korea DPR made it two wins from at the Friendship Tournament on Wednesday as a solitary goal beat hosts Qatar 1-0 in Doha.
Just two days after downing Iran 1-0 in the same tournament, the Koreans put themselves in position to win the competition as Choe Chol-Man’s goal in the 59th minute downed the Qataris, who had fallen to Mali in their opener on Monday.
Choe’s goal was his seventh in seventh in international competition, but his first since a six-goal salvo back in 2005. The 24-year-old, who plays for 4.25 Sports Group in Nampho, is making a bid to return to Kim Jong-Hun’s squad for South Africa.
Korea DPR play their final game of the tournament on Saturday against Mali and open World Cup play on 15 June in Johannesburg against Brazil.
Mali beat Iran 2-1 in the day’s other match.
Related posts
Chiellini: “I didn’t hurt Van Persie”
November 19, 2009
Italian international Giorgio Chiellini denies he hurt Robin van Persie. A challenge by Chiellini led to torn ankle ligaments that will keep the Arsenal man sidelined for several months.
“Some people tried to stir up trouble to distract attention from the performance,” Chiellini said after the friendly match against Sweden (1-0 win) on Wednesday night. “I have never gone into a tackle to hurt anyone in my entire life and Van Persie said the same thing.
“If you look at the footage it’s clear it was not a nasty challenge. I was the first to be upset about Van Persie and hope he’ll recover as soon as possible. I was actually surprised he was injured from that situation,” the Juventus defender said.
Chiellini scored the winner against Sweden. It was his second goal in 27 internationals for Italy.
Paul Haring
Related posts
Kaka: “I am a huge fan of Steven Gerrard”
November 12, 2009
Ahead of Brazil and England’s friendly in Doha, Real Madrid midfielder Kaka is all hails for England and believes they have a great chance of winning the World Cup because they have a glut of quality Premier League players, with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard being his strong admiration.
Unfortunately, both Kaka and Gerrard will be denied the opportunity to pit their wits against each other in the Friendly, as the Liverpool talisman failed to recover from his groin injury and hence wouldn’t be a part of Fabio Capello’s squad.
“England have always had individually strong players and I am a huge fan of Stevie Gerrard,” Kaka told The Guardian.
“He has the heart of a lion and is the icon of the modern footballer with his ability to attack and defend so well.”
The former AC Milan star claimed England were more than capable of winning the World Cup next summer, but like any team they would require luck to do so.
“The World Cup is a competition in which everything needs to work for your advantage,” Kaka added.
“Players need to be fit, decisions have to go in your favour and details such as a red card can cost a team dearly.
“I have no doubts that England can do it.”
Anurada Bhat
Related posts
Wes Brown determined to seize World Cup chance
November 12, 2009
Wes Brown is determined to put himself back at the centre of Fabio Capello’s World Cup plans by impressing in England’s friendly clash with Brazil here on Saturday.
The Manchester United defender has lost his position as England’s first-choice right-back to Glen Johnson but — with his Liverpool rival missing the trip to Qatar through injury — Brown has the chance to remind England’s head coach of his qualities.
“Glen has come in and done brilliantly with England and that’s why he’s playing at the moment,” Brown admitted.
“He has shown great ability and I think it was a great move for him to go to Liverpool and he has played well all season.
“He’s shown that, if you’re playing well, you’ll get picked, and I’ve got to follow that example and hopefully stay in this squad.
“For myself I need to stay 100 percent fit and, with that, I need to play well when I get a chance.
“That’s all I’m looking for this season. When I get my chance I’ve got to take it, and hopefully I can help the team as a result.”
Provided he remains clear of injury, Brown can be confident of making Capello’s final squad for South Africa because of his ability to provide cover for both Johnson and first-choice centrebacks Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.
But he insists he is not taking selection for granted.
Speaking to the Football Assocation’s website www.thefa.com, Brown added: “During World Cup year, I think it’s always in the back of your mind. If you’re playing well, then you’ll keep getting selected which is every player’s aim this season.
“It’s great that England are in another World Cup and I’m sure, if you ask all the lads, they’ll just be thinking about staying fit and hopefully getting selected for the squad next summer.”
With Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic both hampered by injuries, Brown has been playing alongside Jonny Evans in the centre of defence for United in recent games, although he insists he is just as happy to operate on the right.
“We’ve played the last few games with Rio and Vida being out, and Jonny’s a great player.
“We’ve got a good understanding but the lads will hopefully be fit very soon and they’ll come back in. But I think overall myself and Jonny have done really well.
“It’s always good in terms of your fitness to be playing games regularly. I’ve played the last few games for United and coming into England now that’s a great confidence boost.
“Hopefully against Brazil, I might play a part. At the moment I’m really enjoying my football and I’m playing games so it’s good for me right now.
“Do I prefer right-back or centre-back? I think, for me, it’s just important to be out on the pitch. As a youngster I was always a centre-back, but I’ve probably played 50 percent of my games for United at right-back.
“As long as I’m out on the pitch, it really doesn’t bother me where I’m playing.”
DOHA (AFP)
Related posts
Dunga denies Roma’s request and calls up Doni and Juan
November 10, 2009
Brazil manager Carlos Dunga has insisted the injured AS Roma-duo Doni and Juan must answer the Brazil call. Roma refuses to release goalkeeper Doni and centre-back Juan for the friendlies against England and Oman.
Doni and Juan missed Roma’s 1-1 draw with Inter Milan on Sunday due to a thigh injury and a calf strain respectively, and the club wants the players to receive treatment in Italy rather than fly to the Middle East with their country.
However, Dunga thinks it’s a clear case. “There is nothing strange in it,” he told the Corriere dello Sport. “We face these two friendlies on dates that were set up by FIFA and so we must follow the official protocol.
“No-one is denying they are injured. It’s so simple: just like it happened on other occasions, the players will be examined by our medical staff and then they will be sent home.
“It is a routine procedure. In fact, Robinho was also called up, despite having a few niggles.”
Yesterday, Roma director Gian Paolo Montali insisted the club has notified the Brazilian Football Federation and the duo will remain at the club’s training ground to continue their recovery process.
Paul Haring
Related posts
Angola coach shuns ´disrespectful´ star Manucho
November 7, 2009
Star Angola striker Manucho Goncalves will stay out of the national side until he learns respect, coach Manuel Jose told a media conference here Friday.
The 2010 African Nations Cup hosts are due to play friendlies this month against Congo and Ghana, but Manucho from Spanish club Real Valladolid was not included in the squad after arriving late for recent training.
“He thinks he is more important than the national team. I put him out because he arrived late to training with a stupid excuse,” explained Portugual-born Jose.
“He made a mistake and I am the coach. He?s not respecting the coach and the country,” Jose added, saying that when the young striker arrived late at a session in Portugal last month he did not give an explanation nor apologise.
Manucho told the Angolan media he was delayed while waiting for a new passport to help him travel more easily in Europe.
Asked when former Manchester United squad member Manucho will be back in the side, Jose replied: “It depends on him, not me.”
Jose is hosting the first training camp in Luanda for the national team since he became coach last June after a lengthy, trophy-filled spell with Egyptian club giants Al-Ahly.
It was hoping the Ghana and Congo fixtures would be played in a new 50,000-seater Luanda stadium built for the Nations Cup, but Jose said construction delays meant the games would probably be staged at another ground in the capital.
“It’s very important that we play in Angola because until now we’ve been playing in Portugal with very small crowds,” he told AFP. “We need the warmth of the supporters and I need to evaluate how the team responds to that.”
Admitting he had been worried about the central defence when he took over, Jose said he had strengthened this area and would play a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 system in the friendlies.
“We have a solid and united team which is growing game by game,” he said. “The team has improved so much since June … it?s a completely different team.”
After the November friendlies, Palancas Negras (Black Antelopes) will face Estonia on December 30 and Tunisia on January 3 in Portugal before returning to Angola ahead of the January 10 Nations Cup kick-off.
LUANDA (AFP)
Related posts
Loew calls up Hunt and Mueller for friendlies
November 6, 2009
Coach Joachim Loew has named promising Werder Bremen midfielder Aaron Hunt and Bayern Munich’s rising star Thomas Mueller in the Germany squad for friendlies against Chile and the Ivory Coast.
Loew’s squad will play Chile in Cologne on Saturday November 14 and the Ivory Coast in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday November 18.
Having already secured their World Cup berth for South Africa 2010 with a 1-0 win over Russia in Moscow last month, Loew is keeping one eye on the future by calling up 20-year-old Bayern midfielder Mueller.
And 23-year-old Hunt, who can play for Germany or England because of his English mother, has caught the eye with a series of strong performances for Bremen including two goals in a 2-2 draw at Nuremberg last weekend.
Both Mueller and Hunt are capable of playing as strikers and offer Loew plenty of flexibility as he looks at options for his World Cup squad.
Mueller is involved in Germany Under-21s European Championships qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast on Friday November 13, but will join the senior squad immediately after.
“Thomas will be with us for three or four days, simply to get to know the atmosphere around the national team,” said Loew.
But while Mueller is unlikely to get much game time for the national team, Loew said he has been impressed with Hunt and expects to give him a start.
“We now have the possibility of giving him a chance,” said Loew.
“Aaron has taken a step up this season and been very consistent with his performances.”
There is also a place for Leverkusen’s Steffan Kiessling who last played for Germany in the 1-0 defeat to Norway last February, but has helped his side to the top of the Bundesliga with seven goals in 11 games.
Both Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes and Stuttgart striker Cacau are missing with injuries, but there is a place for 21-year-old Hamburg defender Jerome Boateng despite being sent off in Moscow on his full debut last month.
There is no place in Loew’s squad for Hanover goalkeeper Robert Enke, who has lost his number one place to Leverkusen’s Rene Adler, while Werder Bremen’s Tim Wiese and Schalke’s Manuel Neuer have been called up.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen)
Defenders: Andreas Beck (1899 Hoffenheim), Jerome Boateng (Hamburg), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Marcel Schaefer (VfL Wolfsburg), Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04)
Midfield: Michael Ballack (Chelsea/ENG), Christian Gentner (VfL Wolfsburg), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Aaron Hunt (Werder Bremen), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Oezil (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg)
Forwards: Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Lukas Podolski (Cologne)
BERLIN (AFP)
Related posts
Germany-Argentina friendly slated for March 3
October 23, 2009
Germany and Argentina will prepare their bids for the 2010 World Cup with a friendly match on March 3 in Munich, the German Football Federation announced on Friday.
The match will be the Germans’ third friendly ahead of the tournament, coming after their fixtures against Chile on November 14 in Cologne and the Ivory Coast on November 18 in Gelsenkirchen.
Germany coach Joachim Loew had specifically requested to play Argentina, world champions in 1978 and 1986, as part of their preparations.
“I’m really delighted that Argentina have accepted,” said Loew.
“Even though they had some problems during qualifying in the LatAm zone they are still among the top teams in the world.”
Diego Maradona’s side grabbed the final South American qualifying berth for the South Africa tournament with a last-gasp 1-0 win over Uruguay earlier this month.
Three-time world champions Germany qualified from European Group Four with a four-point lead over their only serious rivals Russia, who will go into a play-off with Slovenia on November 14 and 18.
“We have to give everything we have against them. This match in Munich will be a real test before the announcement of the World Cup team,” said Loew.
The two countries have already slated another friendly for August 15, 2012 in Germany, the federation added.
The last time they met was in the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup in Berlin, with Germany winning a penalty shootout 5-3.
BERLIN (AFP)
Related posts
Wales ease with a 2-0 win over Liechtenstein
October 15, 2009
Pressure was lifted from boss John Toshack as his Wales youngsters grabbed the victory they needed to end their disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign on a high.
But it was a nervy performance, with everyone labouring under the knowledge that defeat in this Group Four clash would be the worst result in Wales history.
Toshack was more than aware of the fans’ dissatisfaction over his management and recent results and he will also realise that this scrappy victory does not represent an answer to the problem. But he saw both David Vaughan and Aaron Ramsey score maiden goals for their country to end a run of three successive defeats.
Striker Jermaine Easter, a late call-up to bolster Wales’s heavily depleted squad, was in the starting line-up in the Rheinpark Stadion for his first cap since February 2008.
Easter was one of four players flown out to join Wales’ injury and suspension hit party for this final qualifier, with Toshack also calling on goalkeeper Boaz Myhill and defender Craig Morgan in place of suspended pair Wayne Hennessey and Craig Bellamy. Lewin Nyatanga dropped to the bench but Arsenal’s Ramsey played after recovering from a back injury.
Liechtenstein brought back top scored Mario Frick following suspension and also included under-21 midfielder Lucas Eberle, the only changes from the side that lost 2-0 at home to Azerbaijan on Saturday.
Considering Wales’ current predicament, it was remarkable to see 400 hardy fans – many bare chested – belting out the anthem, no doubt somewhat annoyed to have had to listen to England’s Three Lions song played before the game by their hosts.
They were almost rewarded with a third-minute goal when Gareth Bale got to the byline on the first of many occasions, and fired in a cross that both Easter and David Edwards missed from close range. Another Bale chip somehow evaded Edwards’ near-post leap before Easter set-up Vaughan, but another close-range chance went begging.
The casual approach in defence that blighted Wales in the defeat by Finland in Helsinki on Saturday allowed David Hasler a free strike from the edge of the box that Myhill did well to beat away. But Wales got themselves ahead after 16 minutes when Bale was again played in on the left to produce a low cross that Vaughan hammered in from close range for his first goal for Wales on his 16th appearance.
Wales kept plugging away, with Ashley Williams having an effective influence in midfield. Bale and Chris Gunter worked to get down the flanks and Easter maintained possession up front. But the hosts, defending very deep and in numbers, were always capable of breaking quickly and there were plenty of nervy moments in the Wales defence.
Easter should have added a second when he ran onto a Bale long ball, but he delayed his shot enough to allow goalkeeper Peter Jehle to block the effort with his legs.
The dangers of complacency were evident when Hasler should have equalised after Buchel’s pass played him in behind the Wales defence, but the low shot flashed wide of the far post.
Buchel was booked two minutes into the second-half after a bizarre attempt to deceive Wales and referee Kaldma Sten at a twice-taken corner. James Collins, captain for the first time, headed wide from a Gunter free-kick with Wales needing the security of another goal. But Liechtenstein passed the ball well and Wales were increasingly nervous. Morgan was booked for hauling down Beck to underline the point.
Ramsey’s clever chip almost set-up Simon Church, while Easter was penalised for hand-ball when he bustled home a Bale cross. Ten minutes from time, Wales got their second and there was instant relief in the Welsh ranks.
Bale was tripped just outside the box by Yves Oehri, and Ramsey curled home the free-kick for his first senior goal for Wales. Wales then sent on Andy King for Edwards, with Nyatanga taking over from Bale.
Martin Rechsteiner and Eberle were both booked as the hosts tired, with Neal Eardley taking over from Gunter. Easter was through again in the final minute, and another chance went begging, but Wales were just grateful for small mercies.
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
Calendar
Related Sites
- AFP
- e-soccertips
- Free Themes All - Blogger, Wordpress, Joomla themes
- Soccer Results
- soccerway
- WAGS
- WAGS Blog
Categories
- 1 League
- A PFG
- A-League
- African
- Argentina
- Belgium
- Brasil
- Bundesliga
- CAF Champions League
- Club Friendlies
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup
- Cup
- English Championship
- English Premier League
- Eredivisie
- European Championships
- FA Cup
- FIFA
- Franch
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Jupiler League
- LA Liga
- LigaBwin
- Ligue 1
- MLS
- netherlands
- Olympics
- Olympics Women
- Photo
- portugal
- premier league
- Primera Division
- Rusia Premier League
- scotland
- Scottish Premier League
- Serie A
- Super Copa
- Super League
- Sweden
- Turkcell Süper Lig
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA Cup
- Umaglesi Liga
- Uncategorized
- United States
- Video
- Vietnam
- Wag Watch
- WAGS
- WC Qualifying Asia
- WC Qualifying Concacaf
- WC Qualifying Europe
- WC Qualifying South-Africa
- WC Qualifying South-America
- World Cup
