US caps camp with friendly against Honduras
January 22, 2010
United States will conclude a 19-day training camp for the 2010 South Africa World Cup on Saturday with a friendly against fellow qualifier Honduras.
A largely US-based talent pool for the Americans includes forward Conor Casey, who scored two goals in a 3-2 victory last October at Honduras that clinched a World Cup berth for the US squad.
Defender Jonathan Bornstein, who also started against Honduras, and midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who replaced Casey in the American lineup, are also on hand for the latest matchup against the Central American squad.
“The match is a great way to start the year as we commence preparations for the World Cup,” US coach Bob Bradley said.
Ten players from a similar camp in 2006 made the final US World Cup roster while 13 from the January camp were on the US side that made the final eight in 2002.
The Americans, preparing for a sixth consecutive World Cup appearance, will face England on June 12 in their opener in South Africa and also face Slovenia and Algeria in first-round matches.
Honduras, which qualified for the first time since 1982, will open June 16 against Chile and also face Spain and Switzerland.
LOS ANGELES (AFP)
Tags: africa world, algeria, Benny Feilhaber, bob bradley, Chile, coach bob, England, Honduras, jonathan, jonathan bornstein, Los Angeles, match, matchup against, midfielder, slovenia, South Africa, talent pool, training camp, U.S., United States, us world cup roster, victory, world cup appearance, world cup berthRelated posts
Veron wins South American player of the year award
January 1, 2010
Estudiantes de La Plata midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron has been voted the best South American footballer of 2009 by Uruguayan newspaper El Pais. It is the second time the Argentina international received this prestigious award as he also came out on top last year after leading Estudiantes to Copa Libertadores glory.
Veron won by a big margin ahead of Chilean striker Humberto Suazo and Ecuadorian midfielder Edison Mendez.
34-year-old Veron has enjoyed a prestigious career, spending the peak of his footballing life at Lazio with whom he captured the Scudetto in 2000.
Veron did not live up to his name and accomplishments when he moved to England with Manchester United and Chelsea. Having started at the Argentinian club in 1994, Veron went back to Estudiantes in 2006.
Chile boss Marcelo Bielsa won the gong for best South American tactician after guiding Chile to World Cup qualification.
Tags: Argentina, boss, CHELSEA, Chile, Edison, England, footballer, gong, Humberto Suazo, juan sebastian veron, La Plata, lazio, Manchester, manchester united, marcelo bielsa, prestigious award, prestigious career, scudetto, second time, South American, striker, suazo, tactician, world cup qualificationRelated posts
Spain to play three friendlies before World Cup
December 24, 2009
Spain will play three international friendlies in the weeks before the World Cup in South Africa next year and will be based near Johannesburg during the tournament, the nation’s football federation said on Tuesday.
The European champions will play two friendlies at home, on May 29 and June 8, and one away on June 5. The squad’s opponents for the matches have not yet been determined.
The Spanish national team will be based in Potchefstroom, a university town about 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of Johannesburg during the June 11-July 11 World Cup. They will arrive in South Africa on June 10.
Spain, one of the favourites to win the tournament, are in Group H alongside Chile, Honduras and Switzerland.
They are ranked number one in the year-end FIFA standings for the second straight year, making them the only side to ever occupy the top spot in the rankings without winning a World Cup.
Often accused of under-performing at an international level, their best placing remains fourth in 1950.
Spain would only appear in two more World Cups until 1978, but have qualified for every tournament since then.
MADRID (AFP)
Tags: 11 july, Chile, european champions, favourites, football federation, Honduras, international friendlies, johannesburg, MADRID, opponents, play three, play two, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, World Cup, world cups, year endRelated posts
Spain sitting pretty after World Cup draw
December 5, 2009
European champions Spain, favourites for the World Cup, will have a firm eye on potential opponents in the last 16 after being drawn with Honduras, Chile and Switzerland in Group H.
The Spanish, whose best World Cup performance was a fourth-place finish in 1950, will be making their 12th tournament appearance and have never lost to any of their three group rivals.
And the trio will likely suffer should Spain’s exemplary qualifying prowess continue.
Spain, along with the Netherlands, were one of only two teams to qualify from the European zone unbeaten, notching up 10 wins, scoring 28 goals and conceding just five in the process.
The team’s success has been based on quality and balance throughout a side dripping class.
Captain Iker Casillas is one of the world’s finest goalkeepers, while Xavi is vital to Spain’s fluid one-touch style with his inch-perfect passing and vision. Up front, Europe boasts no finer finishers than David Villa and Fernando Torres.
Rafael Callejas, head of the Honduran football federation, said much preparation lay ahead for his team, ranked 38th in the FIFA standings and set for only their second World Cup participation after their 1982 appearance when they went out in the first round.
“We face very high level teams in Spain, Switzerland and Chile,” he said. “Honduras must prepare itself very well.”
Honduras reached the finals in dramatic fashion thanks to a last-second equaliser in the USA’s clash with Costa Rica, and will look to the professionalism of Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda and evergreen striker Carlos Pavon to guide them through their pool campaign.
Fellow Hispanophones Chile, ranked 17th by FIFA and boasting the youngest average age of all the South American teams, make a return to the World Cup after a 12-year absence.
Coached by Argentinian veteran Marcelo Bielsa, Chile qualified behind Brazil in the South American zone with their steely resolve mirrored in an impressive away record.
Making up Group H are Switzerland, who reached the last 16 in 2006 before falling on penalties to Ukraine. They overcame a shocking 2-1 defeat to minnows Luxembourg to top their pool in European qualification.
The team, now coached by German Ottmar Hitzfeld, features a healthy blend of youth and experience, combining talented younger players such as Eren Derdiyok, Tranquillo Barnetta and keeper Diego Benaglio with seasoned campaigners like Alexander Frei and Blaise N’Kufo.
CAPE TOWN (AFP)
Tags: alexander frei, american zone, cape town, Carlos Pavon, Chile, class captain, Costa Rica, DAVID VILLA, diego benaglio, dramatic fashion, equaliser, Europe, european champions, european zone, Fernando Torres, fifa standings, football federation, goalkeepers, H. The, Honduras, iker casillas, luxembourg, ottmar hitzfeld, professionalism, prowess, rafael callejas, reinaldo rueda, rueda, South American, Spain, striker, Switzerland, the Netherlands, ukraine, USA, world cup performance, xaviRelated posts
Gago ‘wants out of Real Madrid’
December 4, 2009
Argentine international defender Fernando Gago wants to leave Real Madrid because he has been little used this season but the Spanish giants do not want to let him go, sports daily Marca reported Friday.
The 23-year-old, who joined Real at the end of 2006 from Argentine side Boca Juniors, needs more time on the pitch to be be considered for Argentina’s 2010 World Cup squad and has asked his agent to negotiate his move to another club in the winter transfer window, it said.
But Real is counting on the player to make up for the absence of its midfielder and Mali captain Mahamadou Diarra who is scheduled to play for his national team during the 2010 African Cup of Nations between January 10-31.
Gago started for Real during all but two of the club’s 26 Spanish league matches in the 2008-09 season but his time on the pitch has been sharply reduced since Chile’s Manuel Pellegrini took over as coach in July 2009.
Italy’s AC Milan and Fiorentina have reportedly shown interest in signing the midfielder, who joined Real for 21 million euros (31.7 million dollars).
Argentina’s national coach Diego Maradona has described Gago as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and said that “he should never be left off an Argentina squad list”.
MADRID (AFP)
Tags: ac milan, african cup of nations, Argentina, Argentine, argentine side, boca juniors, Chile, diego maradona, fernando gago, fiorentina, giants, Italy, MADRID, mahamadou diarra, mali, manuel pellegrini, marca, midfielder, midfielders, Milan, million dollars, national coach, pitch, real madrid, spanish league, world cup squadRelated posts
World Cup win would be icing on Dunga´s cake
December 3, 2009
A World Cup win in South Africa would put the icing on the cake for coach Dunga, under whose stewardship Brazil have been looking a strong bet for a sixth title.
As a player Dunga already has a winners medal from 1994 when he lifted the trophy as skipper.
But now he is gradually homing in on the remaining ambition he harbours in the game – to win the biggest prize in sport as coach and emulate Franz Beckenbauer, who performed the feat in both roles for Germany.
Under Dunga, the side have been showing their form across the year, ticking off a slew of the goals he set for them.
“We can’t complain. We qualified in double quick time for the World Cup, we won the Confederations Cup and we beat Argentina away (in the qualifiers),” Dunga told reporters Wednesday.
Brazil cruised through the qualifying programme to book their passage with three games to spare and topped the group ahead of Chile, Paraguay and an Argentina who just limped over the line.
The 2009 record reads 14 wins, two draws and one defeat – to Bolivia when finals tickets were already assured – and Dunga says the run has bolstered his ambitions of landing further success next summer.
“This is the fruit of three-and-a-half years work and the dedication of the players. The group is very happy,” said Dunga, whose side looked hyper-confident in seeing off England in a friendly last month in Doha.
Some contradictions do show up when the side’s recent record in that the likes of Uruguay and Argentina were sent packing whereas there were some hiccups in the form of goalless draws against minnows Bolivia and Venezuela.
Four years ago the Brazilians went out in the quarters after losing to France, which spelt the end for Carlos Parreira, now in charge of hosts South Africa.
The old guard, such as Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, have since left the international stage but fresh talent has arrived in spades, including Seville striker Luis Fabiano and the likes of the experienced but still young Kaka as well as Robinho.
Even if Dunga does emulate “Kaiser” Beckenbauer, the German legend is hoping that the Brazilian will do so in more style than he fears.
Beckenbauer has yet to be converted and clearly remains a fan of the Brazil that triumphed in his own era.
“This is not the Brazil I know. It’s a team that plays very tight with only one up front. I don’t like that,” said Beckenbauer.
Brazil will try to fine-tune their game in a March 3 friendly against Ireland in Dublin.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP)
Tags: Argentina, bolivia, brazil, brazilians, Carlos, Carlos Parreira, Chile, confederations cup, contradictions, Doha, dublin, England, France, franz beckenbauer, hiccups, Ireland, kaka, luis fabiano, minnows, paraguay, parreira, quick time, rio de janeiro, Roberto, roberto carlos, ronaldo, seville, slew, South Africa, spades, stewardship, striker, three games, uruguay, venezuelaRelated posts
Germany stars request Enke memorial game
November 14, 2009
Germany’s top players including Michael Ballack and Bastian Schweinsteiger have requested the German Football Federation (DFB) hold a memorial game for tragic goalkeeper Robert Enke.
The 32-year-old shot-stopper committed suicide last Tuesday by flinging himself under a commuter train passing through his home town of Neustadt am Ruebenberge, near Hanover, having suffered from depression since 2003.
The ex-national team goalkeeper, who won the last of his eight caps in August and helped Germany qualify for the 2010 World Cup, will be buried on Sunday after a memorial service at his home club.
Up to 100,000 people are expected at Hanover 96’s stadium for a memorial service which will be attended by the entire Germany squad before Enke’s coffin is carried out of the stadium by six Hanover team-mates.
With Germany playing a friendly against the Ivory Coast on Wednesday, the national team led by Ballack will attend a service for Enke on Sunday morning and then train in Duesseldorf in the afternoon to prepare for the game.
After consultation with the players, Germany coach Joachim Loew opted to bring the squad together to prepare in the aftermath of Enke’s tragic death.
Saturday’s planned friendly international between Germany and Chile, which had been due to be held in Cologne, was called off as a mark of respect, but the national team’s stars on Friday asked the DFB to consider holding a memorial match.
“The players have asked if there can be some sort of game next year to allow them to say goodbye to Robert,” the DFB’s secretary general Wolfgang Niersbach told German tabloid Bild.
Enke was set to travel with the Germany squad to South Africa for next June’s World Cup before his tragic death and one possibility is the full national side could play Enke’s club Hanover 96 in a warm-up match.
Meanwhile, DFB president Theo Zwanziger says more must be done in the sport to break the taboos around depression.
“After this tragedy, we must think about the issues in football and look at ways of breaking some of the existing taboos,” Zwanziger told German tabloid Bild.
Enke leaves behind his wife Teresa, 33, and eight-month-old daughter Leila, whom the couple adopted in May — three years after their two-year-old daughter Lara died from a heart infection.
The Germany goalkeeper will be buried on Sunday next to the grave of his daughter.
BERLIN (AFP)
Tags: Bastian Schweinsteiger, berlin, Chile, coffin, cologne, commuter train, DFB, german football federation, Germany, germany squad, Goalkeeper, Hanover, hanover 96, Ivory Coast, joachim loew, Lara, last tuesday, Leila, Michael Ballack, neustadt, Robert, robert enke, secretary general, South Africa, taboos, team mates, Teresa, theo zwanziger, tragic death, wolfgang niersbach, World CupRelated posts
Germany cancels friendly against Chile
November 11, 2009
Germany have called off their friendly with Chile on Saturday following the suicide of goalkeeper Robert Enke.
Theo Zwanziger, president of the German Football Association, announced on Wednesday that the friendly match with Chile was cancelled. This was an unanimous decision made by Germany coach Joachim Loew and the entire squad.
The German FA also announced Loew and the German internationals won’t be available for interviews the next days.
Paul Haring
Tags: Chile, coach, friendly match, german football association, Germany, internationals, joachim loew, next days, Paul Haring, robert enke, theo zwanziger, unanimous decisionRelated posts
Bayern buoyant, Leverkusen´s Heynckes splutters
October 31, 2009
League leaders Bayer Leverkusen may have to do without coach Jupp Heynckes for Saturday’s trip to Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga with buoyant Bayern Munich in the chasing pack behind them.
Leverkusen are at Schalke’s Veltins Arena on Saturday night, but flu-victim Heynckes has been unable to train the team this week and his doctor will tell the 64-year-old on Friday whether he can sit on the bench at Schalke.
Both midfielder Renato Augusto (calf strain) and Germany star Simon Rolfes (knee) are definitely out with injury.
“The knee still needs a little time,” said Rolfes, who is set to miss Germany’s friendlies against Chile on November 14 and Ivory Coast on November 18.
“Giving a date when I will play again will help nobody, I am not overly concerned.
“I regained my fitness very quickly in the summer.”
Reports broke here last Sunday that Schalke on on the verge of bankruptcy with substantial debts in excess of 100 million euros, but the club replied on Thursday saying they have sliced 25.5 million euros off their debt.
They have sold part of their Veltins Arena’s stadium for 15 million euros, while they have secured a loan for 10.5 million euros in a bid to balance their books.
The Royal Blies are fourth in the table and only two points behind Leverkusen with Hamburg and Werder Bremen also capable of taking over the lead this weekend should results go their way.
Fifth-placed Bayern are four points off the pace and they have a chance to close the gap at Stuttgart on Saturday having been buoyed by the 4-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup on Wednesday.
Strikers Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni both scored their first goals of the season with Klose in superb form having scored the first two himself before setting up the third.
Stuttgart are facing their sixth consecutive defeat after crashing out of the German Cup at Greuther Fuerth on Tuesday which led to a crisis meeting where it was decided coach Markus Babbel would keep his job.
But Babbel can ill afford more defeats with his side hovering above the relegation zone.
Bremen are on a run of good form having been beaten just once all season and they should have few problems against struggling Nuremberg, who were beaten 3-0 by Hoffenheim last weekend.
Defending champions Wolfsburg are up to seventh in the league and are beginning to find the way back to home strength with two successful recent wins on their own turf against Hannover 96 and Borussia Monchengladbach.
They are looking for a third over Mainz who are holding their own in midtable after being promoted last season, but are erratic in the league.
Having been robbed of the chance to go top by Kevin Kuranyi’s last minute header for Schalke, second-placed Hamburg are hosting Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday with Bruno Laddadia expecting to have key players David Jarolim, Jerome Boateng and Ze Roberto fit from minor injuries.
Saturday
VfL Wolfsburg v Mainz 05
VfB Stuttgart v Bayern Munich
Hamburg v Borussia M’gladbach
Cologne v Hanover 96
Nuremberg v Werder Bremen
Schalke 04 v Bayer Leverkusen
Sunday
Freiburg v Hoffenheim
Eintracht Frankfurt v VfL Bochum
BERLIN (AFP)
Tags: Bayern, bayern munich, berlin, Chile, cologne, consecutive defeat, David Jarolim, eintracht frankfurt, four points, friendlies, german cup, Ivory Coast, Jerome Boateng, jupp heynckes, klose, league leaders, luca toni, markus babbel, miss germany, nuremberg, Renato Augusto, schalke 04, simon rolfes, strikers, stuttgart, Toni, veltins arena, Werder, werder bremenRelated posts
Argentina to go all out for glory – Palermo
October 13, 2009
Diego Maradona’s two-time world champions Argentina will go all out for glory and seek to stun their hosts Uruguay on the counter attack to ensure a berth in next summer’s World Cup finals, striker Martin Palermo said Tuesday.
Under Diego Maradona’s stewardship Argentina have endured a wobbly campaign in the extreme, suffering six defeats in 17 games.
Failure to win in Montevideo will mean either a playoff against an opponent from Central America – or potentially total elimination.
Uruguay are a point behind them while Ecuador, two points adrift, could also still bag the final automatic qualifying place, which Argentina currently occupy, with a win in Chile.
But Palermo says the albiceleste will strain every last sinew to ensure they get the three points they need.
“We have to think simply of ensuring we win, not turning on the style. We have to give it our all and give Argentines the happiness of getting to the World Cup,” said Palermo, whose last-gasp goal saw off Peru on Saturday.
“I am dreaming of us going through – no matter if I start on the bench,” added the Boca Juniors forward.
Cesar Luis Menotti, the coach of the 1978 side which lifted the trophy on home soil, said he believed that “we could see an historic match – it’s going to be a thriller.”
Maradona, who has run the rule over more than 70 players since taking over a year ago from Alfio Basile, will try to stun the Uruguayans on the counter attack with the 4-4-2 formation which served him well in last year’s friendly win over France although it misfired in the qualifying loss in Ecuador.
Goal scoring responsibilities will fall on the shoulders of Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain, who at club level are bitter rivals with Barcelona and Real Madrid but who must now determine if the Argentines are to reach South Africa or else miss out for the first time since 1970.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez meanwhile promised that “we will go for the win while totally respecting our opponents”, in a match highlighting a rivalry spanning 108 years.
“Our expectations are solely for the win. That is all that counts,” noted Tabarez.
BUENOS AIRES (AFP)
Tags: albiceleste, Argentina, Barcelona, basile, berth, bitter rivals, boca juniors, BUENOS AIRES, Cesar Luis Menotti, Chile, diego maradona, Ecuador, France, gasp goal, gonzalo higuain, last gasp, lionel messi, MADRID, martin palermo, menotti, Montevideo, Oscar Tabarez, Real, real madrid, rivalry, sinew, time world champions, uruguay, uruguayans, world cup finalsRelated posts
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