Uruguay and Germany left playing for pride

July 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Germany and Uruguay will hope to salvage some pride in their third-place playoff match on Saturday after devastating semi-final defeats earlier this week.

The two teams were largely written-off in the run-up to the finals but can hold their heads high after some stunning performances against top-ranked sides before their respective exits to Spain and Netherlands in the last four.

Germany’s high-scoring young side are determined to cap their impressive World Cup with one last win in Port Elizabeth where coach Joachim Loew promised his bitterly disappointed players will be in the right frame of mind and ready to win.

“The disappointment is there but now we need to build up the team a bit,” he said after the Germans were dumped out 1-0 by a far superior Spanish outfit in Durban on Wednesday.

“I’m certain we will go into the match with the necessary focus. No one needs to hang their heads low and we want to have a good final match,” said Loew, whose team thrashed widely fancied England and Argentina in the knockout stages.

History will not favor twice World Cup winners Uruguay in this match after fourth place finishes the last two times they reached the semi-finals, losing out in the playoff to Austria in 1954 and the Germans in 1970.

Germany have finished third on three occasions and lost the playoff only once in 1958, to France.

PLAYERS AVAILABLE

Two players central to the German and Uruguayan marches through the knockout stages will be available again after suspensions that weighed heavily on both teams in the semis.

Attacking midfielder Thomas Mueller was sorely missed by the Germans on Wednesday and will likely start, as will Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, whose handball on the goal line late in the match against Ghana helped put his team in the last four.

Uruguay, who lost 3-2 to the Dutch after a last-gasp fight back, could be without in-form marksman Diego Forlan on Saturday because of a thigh problem sustained in the semi-final.

Three players who could figure — Forlan, Mueller and Miroslav Klose — are joint second in the scoring charts after netting four times each.

They all have a chance to win the golden boot if they can score twice and Spain’s David Villa and Dutchman Wesley Sneijder — joint top scorers with five — draw blanks in Sunday’s final.

Forlan said he was eager to play in the third-place match and wanted himself and Uruguay could go out on a high.

“I hope to be fit for Saturday,” he said. “I really want to play for third place. Even that would be great for everyone.”

(Additional reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Van Bronckhorst hoping for fairytale career finale

July 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Giovanni van Bronckhorst is hoping for a fairytale ending to his playing career when he leads Netherlands out in Sunday’s World Cup final with Spain.

The 35-year-old left back will come up against several friends in the Spanish side after having his best spell during the period he spent with Barcelona from 2003 to 2007.

Captain ‘Gio’ has scored six goals in 105 internationals, although his first and last are the most memorable.

He opened the scoring in the semi-final against Uruguay with a superb 35-meter drive, arguably the goal of the tournament. His first strike for his country came at the venue of Sunday’s final, known in those days as the First National Bank Stadium.

On June 4 1997 in his fifth international, a friendly with South Africa, Van Bronckhorst scored after eight minutes.

“That goal was exactly like the goal I scored against Uruguay but more memorable about that match was the meeting with Nelson Mandela,” he told reporters.

WING BACK

Van Bronckhorst, a product of Feyenoord’s youth system, started his professional career in 1993 and moved abroad five years later having spells at Rangers and then Arsenal.

Schooled as an attacking left-sided midfielder, he played left back for the first time at Arsenal but after Frank Rijkaard signed him for Barcelona he developed into a wing back.

Together with Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho, he embroidered the left flank in the Barca side that won the 2006 Champions League with victory over his former team Arsenal.

Van Bronckhorst was the only Barcelona player to feature in all 13 Champions League matches during that campaign.

A year later Bert van Marwijk, starting his second spell at Feyenoord, persuaded him to return to Rotterdam and in the final match that season, just before the coach left to take over the national team, Van Bronckhorst lifted the Dutch cup.

Van Bronckhorst’s international debut was against Brazil in 1996 and he was a member of the 1998 World Cup squad although he did not play at the finals under coach Guus Hiddink.

He has since featured in every tournament the Dutch have qualified for and was praised for his form at Euro 2008 where he scored the third goal against Italy after setting up the second by clearing off the line before breaking down the left flank.

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Injured Ghana goal hero faces race against time

June 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Ghana goal hero Kevin-Prince Boateng faces a week of intensive therapy in a bid to get fit for the World Cup quarter-final after suffering a hamstring injury.

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Boateng scored a fifth minute goal on Saturday to set his side on the way to a 2-1 win over the United States in their second round match in Rustenburg but later limped off in the second half.

Coach Milovan Rajevac said the Germany-born midfielder would face intensive treatment in a bid to be ready for the match against Uruguay at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Friday.

Boateng was among several Ghana players limping after the exertions of the extra time triumph over the Americans at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

“Boateng was injured against Germany already. It is going to be a huge problem to get him ready for the next game,” said Rajevac following the record-equaling performance by Ghana, only the third African country to reach the last eight of the World Cup.

NIGGLING INJURIES

Rajevac said there were also other players with niggling injuries. Dede Ayew will also miss the match through suspension after picking a second caution of the tournament.

“We are going to see how the players react in the next days. For me the priority now will be to try and get them all ready for Friday. There is a lot of work ahead for the medical staff.”

The Serbian-born coach praised the efforts of his players who he said had learnt how to compete.

“We played in the African Nations Cup this year without eight important players and managed to reach the final. The team learnt how to compete. The most important thing at this level is to know how to compete,” he said.

“Each victory counts and this is very dear. Ghana is now among the best eight teams in the world. This is fantastic,” he added, keeping a stoical face at the post-match news conference but then breaking into a broad smile once it was over.

Ghana are the only African side left at the World Cup and for a second successive tournament the only team from the continent to get past the first round.

“I think we can claim to be the best team in Africa now if you consider that, plus the fact we reached the Nations Cup final,” added captain John Mensah.

(Editing by Michael Holden)

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Holders Italy make exit, Japan go through

June 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Holders Italy were dumped out of the World Cup at the group stage on Thursday, joining the humiliation of fellow European power France.

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It marked the first time the winner and runner-up from the previous World Cup had both failed to reach the second round and stunned four times winners Italy who looked shameful and shell-shocked after their miserable tournament.

Both European giants finished bottom in their groups.

Slovakia, appearing for the first time as an independent nation, stunned the aging Azzurri 3-2 to reach the second round together with Paraguay in Group F.

Japan scored a convincing 3-1 win against Denmark in the highest-scoring day of the World Cup so far, with the net bulging 12 times.

Japan, looking the best Asian team, joined Netherlands as the qualifiers from Group E. Cameroon were already out but got a consolation goal before being beaten 2-1 by the Dutch.

The Slovaks danced for joy after a thrilling end-to-end match while the Italians, many too old to play in another World Cup, fell to their knees.

Striker Robert Vittek scored in both halves for Slovakia, and Kamil Kopunek added the third in the 89th minute.

“We played with our hearts and that’s what decided the match today,” Vittek said. “We couldn’t have dreamt about this.”

A shadow of the side that lifted the trophy in 2006, Italy staged a late fight-back but lacked enough punch in front of goal.

LIPPI’S FAREWELL

The defeat brought a sad end to Marcello Lippi’s time as Italy coach and the international careers of captain Fabio Cannavaro and gritty midfielder Gennaro Gattuso. The performance of 36-year-old Cannavaro, their hero in 2006 but well off the pace here, summed up the decline of the team.

Lippi was persistently attacked by the Italian press before the World Cup for relying too much on the old guard and was quick to admit his mistakes.

“If a team turns up at such an important game like tonight with terror in their heart and their legs and is unable to express its ability, it’s because the coach didn’t train the team as he should,” the ashen-faced coach said.

Gattuso joined the self-condemnation. “When we won the World Cup we all got given national medals of honor. Now they’ll give us medals of shame, which is right,” he told reporters.

Paraguay did not show the fire and flair that has characterized Latin American teams so far but their 0-0 draw with New Zealand was enough to leave them top of the group.

The All Whites exit with heads high after three draws in a World Cup where many had forecast they would be whipping boys.

“A lot of people thought we shouldn’t be here and that we had amateurs who were not up to it,” said coach Ricki Herbert. “But I think that’s dead and buried now.”

Italy’s failure, including two draws prior to Thursday’s loss, follows the spectacular flop of 2006 runners-up France.

France’s team arrived home on Thursday with a heavy police guard to national disgust at both their miserable performance and an unseemly players’ revolt.

President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered a shake-up of French soccer and met team captain Thierry Henry as soon as he arrived back from South Africa.

Of six African nations in the continent’s first World Cup, four are out, Ivory Coast need a miracle to qualify from their group, and only Ghana have secured a second round berth.

Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou said the raised expectations of playing on home soil had hurt the Africans.

“The pressure has caused us more stress than anything else and even inhibited our talents,” he said.

To prevent the local atmosphere deflating, South Africa plans a “million flag march” next week to inspire the population to stay with the tournament.

(Writing by Andrew Cawthorne and Barry Moody; Editing by Ossian Shine)

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I’ve left no better players at home, riles Lippi

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Italy coach Marcello Lippi refused to accept he had omitted more talented players from his squad after the uninventive world champions were held to a surprise 1-1 draw with New Zealand on Sunday.

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Their second World Cup Group F draw in a row means the Azzurri meet Slovakia on Thursday needing to win to secure their passage to the last 16 or face possible humiliation.

Lippi has ignored Sampdoria’s creative forward Antonio Cassano ever since returning to the job in 2008 while the likes of Alessandro Del Piero and Giuseppe Rossi were excluded despite their ability to do something different.

“I am absolutely convinced there are no phenomenons that I left at home,” Lippi, who will be replaced by Cesare Prandelli after the tournament, told a news conference.

“We have players who have personality, players who have proved it in the championship. We have the Serie A top scorer of 29 goals (Antonio Di Natale).

“I don’t think it’s a question of personality, it’s just fluidity. There is no one else I could have brought. They would have had the same problems as the lads who were out there today. It’s premature to talk about that.”

Lippi said he had no idea if Shane Smeltz’s seventh minute opener for New Zealand should have been flagged offside but reckoned it was a clear penalty when Daniele De Rossi was tugged back to allow Vincenzo Iaquinta to equalize on 29 minutes.

A vastly improved performance is required against Slovakia in Johannesburg on Thursday if the Azzurri are to go through but even a draw might suffice for the traditional slow starters.

Asked if the possible return to fitness of creative midfielder Andrea Pirlo could make the difference, Lippi said: “If he is available but I don’t have certainty.”

(Editing by Michael Holden)

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Italy stick by forwards, but system may change

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – World champions Italy made an enforced change in goal for Sunday’s World Cup Group F clash with New Zealand but otherwise kept the same team that drew 1-1 with Paraguay in their opener.

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Goalkeeper Federico Marchetti replaced Gianluigi Buffon, who could miss the rest of the tournament with a back problem, but coach Marcello Lippi resisted the temptation to bring in winger Mauro Camoranesi in place of Claudio Marchisio.

Forwards Alberto Gilardino and Vincenzo Iaquinta were retained despite unconvincing recent showings.

A change in formation from the 4-2-3-1 which started against Paraguay is likely though, with wideman Simone Pepe playing on the right and Marchisio on the left of a 4-4-2.

As already announced, New Zealand named the same team which drew 1-1 with Slovakia in their first match with midfielder Tim Brown fit enough for a place on the bench after a shoulder problem.

(Editing by Jon Bramley)

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Yellow cards give Serbia coach Antic a headache

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Serbia coach Radomir Antic is considering resting some of his booked first-choice players for the World Cup Group D match against Australia on Wednesday.

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The entire back four, plus midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic and striker Nikola Zigic, are on one yellow card and could miss the second round match if they progress from a tight group.

“That is a lot of players with one booking and we still haven’t decided what to do, it could be a last-minute decision,” Antic told a news conference on Sunday.

“On the one hand, we have to go for a win and cross the next bridge when we come to it but, on the other, we also have to look ahead because we can’t afford to lose too many starters if we reach the second stage.

“Australia are a fiercely competitive team so it’s good to have central defender Aleksandar Lukovic back from suspension and he is likely to be picked again.”

Lukovic missed the 1-0 win over Germany after being sent off in Serbia’s opening loss to Ghana by the same scoreline.

He is set to take his place back from Neven Subotic, one of the four defenders on a yellow card.

The other three are Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Vidic and Aleksandar Kolarov but, given the lack of depth at the back in Serbia’s squad, all three should start against Australia.

FITTEST TEAM

Serbia will qualify for the last 16 if they win and a draw could also be enough depending on the outcome of the Germany-Ghana match at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

Antic was impressed by 10-man Australia’s performance in a 1-1 draw with Ghana on Saturday and acknowledged Serbia had to improve on their fortuitous win over Germany to progress.

“Australia come across as the fittest team in the tournament,” he said. “They had more chances than Ghana to win the game after losing Harry Kewell to a red card and we’ll have to be at our best to beat them.

“Tim Cahill will return from suspension and that will be a massive boost for them while the fans could also be a factor…

“But we will be at full strength and raring to go after beating Germany for the first time in 37 years,” he added.

“That win was more than just three points as it has inspired us to aim for greater heights.”

Winger Milan Jovanovic, who scored the winner against Germany, said the victory against the triple World Cup winners would amount to nothing if Serbia don’t advance from the group.

“It was a great feeling but it will soon be forgotten if we don’t finish the job against the Australians. We must keep that in mind and stay fully focused on the task ahead.”

(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Injured Deco out of Portugal match with North Korea

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Portugal midfielder Deco has been ruled out of their Group G match against North Korea on Monday due to a thigh injury he picked up during Friday’s training session, the player’s spokesman said.

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“Deco has been ruled of the second match by Portugal’s medical department. He injured his upper right thigh in the Friday’s training in Magaliesburg, and underwent treatment during the following two days but with no improvement,” Acaz Felleger, the player’s spokesman, said in a statement on Sunday.

“He is with the Portuguese delegation in Cape Town and hopes to play against Brazil in Portugal’s third match on Thursday,” Felleger added.

Deco played 62 minutes in Portugal’s 0-0 draw against the Ivory Coast on Tuesday, before being substituted by Tiago.

(editing by Michael Holden)

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Portugal plan all-out attack versus North Korea

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Portugal need to switch to attack mode against North Korea on Monday to get the big win they may need to open the door to the World Cup second round.

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With Portugal having drawn their Group G opener against Ivory Coast, and with Brazil still to come, second place in the group was always likely to be decided on goal difference.

But North Korea’s battling, well-organized display in their 2-1 loss to the five-times champions has merely made the 2006 runners-up focus even more on finding a way to goal.

“The first game is one in which the team takes fewer risks because naturally they play with an eye on what comes ahead,” said Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz.

“In the second game everything will be much more clear as there is no room to wait. We have to start making things happen and not waiting for them to happen. We have to put our cards on the table and attack.”

Portugal fans and many neutrals will hope a more attacking approach provides the stage for Cristiano Ronaldo to thrive.

The world’s most expensive player has not scored a competitive international goal for almost two years, although he went close against Ivory Coast when he smacked a long-range shot against a post.

APPEAL REJECTED

FIFA rejected Portugal’s appeal against the yellow card he got in the first game so he will have to keep his cool in what is likely to be 90 minutes of close attention to avoid another booking and a ban that would rule him out of the Brazil game.

Queiroz is likely to recall Simao Sabrosa after wide man Danny failed to reproduce his lively in recent friendlies.

However, there is concern that Deco may not be fit to start after injuring his hip in training.

It has been an eventful week for the midfielder who was replaced by Tiago after 62 minutes of the opener, criticized the manager for his tactics and then had to apologize.

North Korea earned widespread praise for their work ethic, discipline and technical ability against Brazil and Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles said he expected more of the same.

“I think they are likely to go in as they did against Brazil, with many men behind the ball and we have to be ready and work to break that defensive barrier.”

For North Korea, the prospect of playing Portugal inevitably brings up discussion of the 1966 World Cup.

Rank outsiders, the Asians had already stunned Italy in the group phase when they raced into a 3-0 lead over Eusebio’s talented Portugal team in the quarter-finals.

The Portuguese stormed back to win 5-3 and, until last week, that was the last the World Cup saw of North Korea.

In truth, other than their 90 minutes at Ellis Park, there has not been much more seen of them since they returned.

Withdrawn and secretive, little is know of how the team or management reacted to an encouraging opening performance.

Coach Kim Jong-hun was hardly dropping any hints when he said: “We will review our tactics and decide whether we need to be a bit more attacking or a bit more defensive.”

(Additional reporting by Shrikesh Laxmidas, editing by Ken Ferris)

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Denmark should progress: Molby

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Denmark’s experience was the key factor in their 2-1 win over Cameroon, former midfielder Jan Molby said, tipping his country to maintain their record of always reaching the knockout stage at the World Cup.

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The Danes delivered a stylish performance on Saturday when they came back from a goal down to secure victory after losing their opening Group E match to Netherlands.

“It was a highly entertaining game and possibly a performance that many of us thought they didn’t have in them,” Molby told Reuters.

“Going 1-0 behind, I think that helped us in many ways because then we had to come out and what we have is a bit of pace and we are good on the counter-attack. I thought it was a great game,” said the ex-Liverpool player.

Denmark’s win has kept their destiny in their own hands but they must beat Japan, who also have three points and a better goal difference, in their final group game on Thursday to reach the second round and maintain their World Cup record.

Critics have suggested Denmark’s team lacks youth and is too reliant on players who are over 30 but Molby said the maturity of the squad had helped against Cameroon.

“We say it as well — sometimes you think, ‘Well their time is up’, but if they keep delivering performances like this then they probably have a few years left in them,” he said.

MORE EXPERIENCED

“They have good international experience which counts for a lot. Some of them have been to three or four major tournaments and I think that showed.

“As much as they (Cameroon) had lots of enthusiasm and raw talent we just looked a little bit more experienced,” he added..

“They play at a different pace but we’re very good at taking the sting out of things. We took our chances when we created them — both teams could have scored more than they did.”

Winger Dennis Rommedahl, 31, was the key man for Denmark, delivering a pinpoint cross for Nicklas Bendtner’s first half equaliser and then producing a fine solo finish for the winner.

“He had a particularly good night,” said Molby, “We know what he is capable of. He did ever so well for the first goal and the second goal, you thought if he could get inside his man the goal was on but he still had to get it right and he did.”

Denmark have reached the World Cup finals on three previous occasions and have made it out of the group stage every time — including their run to the quarter-finals in 1998.

Molby expects Morten Olsen’s side to reach the last 16.

“We’ve got Japan now and hopefully that should be OK and then it’s knockout stages again,” he said.

(Writing by Simon Evans; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Tearful Cahill laments “harsh” red card

June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Australian hard man Tim Cahill was reduced to tears by his dismissal in the 4-0 loss to Germany in their World Cup opener on Sunday and said Bastian Schweinsteiger had made too much of the challenge.

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Cahill clattered into the Germany midfielder in the 56th minute of the Group D encounter, staring in disbelief as Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez brandished the red card.

“It was a devastating blow to me and my career,” he told reporters, choking back the tears.

“I think I merited a yellow card, the referee’s decision was too harsh.

“Schweinsteiger made a meal of the incident. That’s why the referee issued a red card. I can understand him. It was to their advantage. That’s football.”

Australia were already 2-0 down by the time Cahill received his marching orders but the Everton midfielder said Australia being reduced to 10 men had distorted the final scoreline.

“I think all the credit goes to Germany,” he added. “They played well, they dominated us throughout the encounter and they deserved to win. But the score was too hard on us.”

Socceroo captain Lucas Neill refused to blame his team mate for the defeat.

“They were the better side,” he said. “Yes, Tim had a red card but he cannot be held responsible for us losing the game. It was a collective responsibility.

“Now we are left with no choice but to win the remaining two games in this round, it’s not going to be easy but we’ll have a try.”

Ghana beat Serbia 1-0 in the other Group D match on Sunday.

(Writing by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Ossian Shine)

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Pitch, ball under scrutiny as Slovenia win

June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

South Africa (Reuters) – Slovenia chalked up their first ever World Cup win when a dreadful mistake by Algeria goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi handed them a 1-0 victory in their opening Group C match on Sunday.

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Both coaches said afterwards that their sides had struggled to adapt to the new high bouncing World Cup ball and the semi-synthetic pitch in Polokwane, and that that might have been a factor in Chaouchi’s blunder.

Time and again throughout the game, players overhit their passes or failed to tame the ball as it sprang off the surface.

A largely lackluster encounter took a twist in the 73rd minute when Abdelkader Ghezzal was sent off for handball having already been booked within seconds of coming on. The attacking midfielder was only on the pitch for 15 minutes.

Six minutes later Chaouchi fumbled Robert Koren’s harmless looking shot, allowing the ball to squirt through his arms into the bottom left hand corner of his net.

Asked about the playing surface, Koren said: “The turf itself is very fast and it resulted in some mistakes.”

Slovenia’s only previous appearance at a World Cup finals, in 2002, ended in three defeats but Sunday’s win has put them top of the group with three points, two ahead of England and the United States, who drew 1-1 in Rustenburg on Saturday.

“It’s going to be more difficult for us now,” said Algeria coach Rabah Saadane. “Our great opportunity was today against Slovenia and we missed that opportunity.”

Until the goal, the Algerians had been marginally the better side with the bleach-blonde Hassan Yebda bossing their midfield.

But they created few chances with their best opening coming as early as the third minute through a Nadir Belhadj free kick which Samir Handanovic tipped over the bar.

BOUNCING BALL

At the other end, Slovenia created little of note until just before the break when a rasping left foot strike from midfielder Valter Birsa forced an acrobatic save from Chaouchi.

Saadane defended Chaouchi and Ghezzal when asked about the mistakes that had cost his team a share of the points.

“Football is full of mistakes and I don’t want to blame the two players. I think it was perhaps the state of the turf. Both the ball and the turf were difficult for both goalies.”

“The speed and the impact, especially on crosses, was very difficult. The players had to place the balls very carefully.”

Asked if he would drop Chaouchi for the next match against the United States on Friday, Saadane replied: “He is the best goalkeeper we have at the moment. It’s out of the question.”

“He said sorry. He said sorry to the team. But that’s only normal and I don’t want to go back over the incident.”

Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek was also critical of the pitch, which is a mixture of grass and synthetic fibre. This was the first World Cup match ever to be played on it.

“I don’t agree with this turf,” Kek said. “We only got adjusted to it yesterday with 60 minutes of training. I’m not saying this as an excuse because it was the same for us and Algeria. But there are lots of artificial bits and that means it’s a different game.”

England’s draw with the U.S. in the group’s opening match also contained a goalkeeping error, with England’s Robert Green producing a howler to gift the Americans their equalizer.

That match was played on grass.

(Writing by Gideon Long; Additional reporting by Opheera McDoom, Editing by Nigel Hunt)

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Argentina goal move down to Maradona, says Veron

June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Argentina coach Diego Maradona was the mastermind behind the goal that gave them a 1-0 World Cup win over Nigeria, midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron said.

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Veron landed a corner close to the penalty area from where unmarked defender Gabriel Heinze powered a diving header into the roof of the net in the sixth minute.

“Diego prepared (the move) and we practiced (with Heinze) for a couple of hours,” the 35-year-old, who also played in the 2002 finals, told reporters after Saturday’s Group B win at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

“(Nigeria) mark in zone but bunched inside (the box) leaving a very big hole (near the edge). And it came off at the first attempt.

“El Gringo (Heinze) did very well,” said Veron, who must get over a minor leg muscle injury if he is to line up against South Korea in Argentina’s second match at Soccer City Thursday.

“We’ll do everything we can so I can be there (against South Korea). I think I’ll make it,” said Veron, who came off 16 minutes from time Saturday.

He added: “This is not a time to take risks but anyone can (take my place) and do it well.”

The inexperienced Javier Pastore, with one cap to Veron’s 71, would be his likely replacement although Maxi Rodriguez was his substitute Saturday.

Veron, who did not have one of his better games for Argentina, said the 1,600 meters altitude of Johannesburg had a bearing.

“For me, the altitude has a big effect, above all on long balls,” said Veron, who specializes in long range passes.

“You have to be very precise and that’s why we played few long balls. We played (short) to feet because it’s a lot easier and above because of the type of players (Argentina have).”

(Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Torres unlikely to play in Spain opener, says coach

June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Spain striker Fernando Torres is unlikely to feature in the European champions’ opening World Cup Group H match against Switzerland on Wednesday, said coach Vicente del Bosque.

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The striker looked to be near full fitness in training at Spain’s base in Potchefstroom on Sunday as he continued his recovery from the knee surgery he had in April but caution seems to be the priority for the coach.

“I don’t think he’ll play the first match, although he is not ruled out either,” Del Bosque said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Telecinco late on Saturday.

The former Real Madrid coach was more upbeat about Andres Iniesta, who tweaked a thigh muscle in Tuesday’s crushing 6-0 win over Poland in a friendly in Murcia.

Creative midfielder Iniesta, a key member of the side, spent about half of Sunday’s training session playing one-touch with his team mates before continuing his recuperation apart from the group as they practiced attacking on one half of the pitch.

“I think he (Iniesta) could be available for the Switzerland match,” Del Bosque told Telecinco.

Another Spain injury concern, midfielder Cesc Fabregas, told a post-training news conference on Sunday his recovery from a cracked bone in his leg was proceeding well.

“Every day I’m getting better and stronger,” said the Arsenal captain, who missed the end of the Premier League season.

“I am feeling really confident and I can almost say that I am 100 percent,” he added. “The good thing is that I am training with the team, I have not lost anything due to the physical problems and that’s the best thing that can happen.”

(Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Cossu to go as 24th man with Italy in disarray

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has injury and formation headaches to ponder during his two days off before the world champions fly out to South Africa with 24th man Andrea Cossu in tow.

World Cup winner Lippi is too experienced to let any anxiety or frustration show but he can be forgiven for tossing and turning in his sleep following Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Switzerland in their final friendly.

He fielded largely a second string and although they were still lacklustre, the display was a clear improvement on his first team’s 2-1 loss to Mexico in a friendly on Thursday.

“Italy mark 2 does not exist. We are one and the same thing,” he told reporters in Geneva when asked if the performance might alter his selections for their World Cup Group F opener against Paraguay on June 14.

One man definitely out of the Cape Town game is midfielder Andrea Pirlo, whose calf injury is so serious that Lippi is taking Cossu to South Africa despite the midfielder not being in his official squad.

Pirlo will be given until June 13, Italy’s deadline for replacing injured players in the squad, to prove he can be fit for some of the tournament with even the second match against New Zealand on June 20 looking an unlikely target.

“Yes, Andrea will come with us. We will try to get him fit for the third game, maybe the fourth,” Lippi said, adding that further injury doubts over midfielders Mauro Camoranesi, Claudio Marchisio and Angelo Palombo would not lead to extra callups.

“Only Cossu will be with us as the 24th man.”

Riccardo Montolivo, whose long, curvy hair is not unlike Pirlo’s, looks best placed to fill in for the midfielder against Paraguay after a tidy if unspectacular showing on Saturday.

Italy have been switching between 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 formations in friendlies and have tried more in training but with just over a week to go before they start the defence of their title, Lippi is not revealing which one he will use.

“In recent days we’ve tried six or seven formations. We will pick the right one,” he said.

The Azzurri, seen as real outside bets by pundits and fans to repeat their 2006 success given recent poor performances, set off for South Africa late on Tuesday.

(Editing by Jon Bramley; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Italy reserve Cossu starts in Swiss draw

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Switzerland and Italy warmed up for the World Cup with a run-of-the-mill 1-1 friendly draw on Saturday when the holders played Andrea Cossu from the start despite the midfielder not being in their official squad.

The hosts were roared on by a noisy Geneva crowd and took the lead in the 10th minute when Udinese midfielder Gokhan Inler fired the ball in at the near post from 20 metres with goalkeeper Federico Marchetti exposed.

Italy hit back five minutes later as striker Fabio Quagliarella, who surprised pundits by being named in the World Cup squad, looped in a header off the far post.

Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami, substituted with a suspected groin problem, had arguably the best chance to win the game when his shot was deflected over while Giampaolo Pazzini almost scrambled Italy ahead in the second period.

“Behrami was playing very direct and looked threatening. I hope it’s not serious. We go to South Africa well-prepared,” Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld told a news conference.

Italy’s Marcello Lippi, whose strongest side lost 2-1 to Mexico on Thursday, played mostly a second string team and included Cossu for the first half given Andrea Pirlo and Mauro Camoranesi could be forced to miss the tournament through injury.

SHAKY DEFENCE

Cossu is set to fly with the squad to South Africa as a 24th man and can be drafted into the squad before June 13 if either of the World Cup-winning pair withdraw.

Pirlo will definitely miss Italy’s Group F opener against Paraguay in Cape Town on June 14 and and could struggle to make any group games but Camoranesi’s knee injury is improving.

Hitzfeld, whose team open their Group H campaign against Spain on June 16, started a strong side and they were a threat down the flanks with Italy’s shaky defence forced into some last-gasp tackles.

Cossu played wide right in a 4-2-3-1 formation but was overshadowed by midfielder Riccardo Montolivo, who showed some neat touches as he pushes to be Pirlo’s replacement.

“It was an encouraging performance, we are getting better,” Lippi said.

“In South Africa we will continue our programme to try to recapture our shine and speed. You will see, on the 14th we will be ready.”

The Azzurri still looked nothing like world champions in their final warm-up but their customary slow starter tag will console them somewhat, even if injuries are threatening to ruin their preparations.

Angelo Palombo went off clutching his knee and will undergo checks while fellow midfielder Claudio Marchisio also has a minor calf problem. However, first choice centre back Giorgio Chiellini played the full game after recovering from a niggle.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Newcomer Valbuena wants more than warm-up win

May 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Scoring the winner on his France debut is not good enough for Mathieu Valbuena, who dreams of seeing the once-great side heal their wounded pride with a sucessful World Cup run.

The pocket-sized winger, who helped Olympique Marseille win the Ligue 1 title with some dazzling displays, struck late from the edge of the box to secure a 2-1 warm up win over Costa Rica for the former world and European champions on Wednesday.

France, who disappointed their fans with an early exit from Euro 2008 and a have produced a string of uninspiring performances since, looked promising in a new 4-3-3 formation, more exciting than their usual, cautious 4-2-3-1 system.

They did not do quite enough to suggest they would make an impact at the June 11-July 11 finals in South Africa but that did not stop the 25-year-old Valbuena from making ambitious predictions.

“I couldn’t dream of more than a first goal for my first cap but this is just a start,” he told reporters. “I can feel a great human adventure starting. We all want to go all the way.”

Coach Raymond Domenech, who has faced heavy criticism for years and will be replaced by Laurent Blanc after the World Cup, made a few bold moves.

Not only did he field just one holding midfielder instead of the usual two, he also made captain Thierry Henry, who has had a difficult season with Barcelona, start on the bench and only brought him on for the second half.

GOOD NEWS

One piece of good news for Domenech during the game in the northern French mining town of Lens was that centre back William Gallas, doubtful for the World Cup because of a sore calf, played the first half without any problems.

“He (Gallas) played 45 minutes, he will play 60 minutes against Tunisia and 90 against China,” Domenech told reporters, looking forward to France’s next two warm-up matches.

“This is encouraging,” added Domenech, whose side had just returned from a week-long training camp in the French Alps, where the players sounded surprisingly confident and cheerful.

Midfielder Jeremy Toulalan, who played in front of the defence against Costa Rica, shared his coach’s opinion.

“This is rather positive, coming after the camp in Tignes, where we worked hard and well,” he said. “We’re very determined and we have a really balanced team. Everything was not perfect but it will come. We’re all hungry and want to shine at the World Cup.”

France now cross the Mediterranean sea to play Tunisia on Sunday before meeting China in the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion on June 4.

They then head for South Africa, where they face the hosts, Mexico and Uruguay in Group A.

(Writing by Patrick Vignal, editing by Justin Palmer; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Australia beats New Zealand 2-1 on late goal, SOC

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Brett Holman scored the winner deep into injury time to give Australia a 2-1 victory over New Zealand in a friendly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday. The AZ Alkmaar midfielder’s goal came after Dario Vidosic equalized for Australia in the 57th minute.

New Zealand striker Chris Killen scored the only goal of the first half to give the visitor the lead in the 16th minute. The All Whites, ranked 78th in the world 58 places below Australia, outplayed the Socceroos in the first half of a match played in front of 55,600 spectators.

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France players vow to fight for Lassana

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The France training camp was in a state of shock on Sunday after Lassana Diarra was ruled out of the World Cup and promised to fight for him on the pitches of South Africa.

Holding midfielder Diarra left the squad on Saturday after missing training for three days because of persistent stomach pains.

The 25-year-old, who has won 27 caps and was regarded as a likely starter, suffers from a genetic blood disorder affecting red blood cells and causing chronic fatigue, his Real Madrid club said in a statement.

“It’s hard to swallow because we know the importance of Lass (Lassana) on and off the pitch,” defender Sebastien Squillaci told reporters on another gorgeous day in this scenic French Alps resort surrounded by rugged snow-capped peaks.

“Blows like this often bring the players more closely together,” Squillaci added. “We will think about him, he will be in our heads.”

Diarra, who started feeling unwell on a hike up a glacier overlooking the ski village where France are in a week-long training camp, will have to rest for an indeterminate period, a France team spokesman said.

“I saw him wake up and get dressed at six in the morning (on Thursday) and tell us he was not feeling well and was going to hospital,” defender Gael Clichy told reporters.

“WILL RECOVER”

Later that day, Diarra, whose illness might have been aggravated by altitude, could not train and was seen talking to Raymond Domenech for 45 minutes.

“He’s suffering but he will recover, that’s for sure, and this will have no effect on the rest of his career,” the France coach told French television channel TF1.

The mood at the France camp was sad but combative.

“It’s always tough to see a mate go,” Clichy said. “We’re thinking about him and we hope this will make us stronger. It could have happened to any of us and it’s even tougher because he’s a good guy. We promised ourselves we would fight for him.”

Domenech, who had taken a provisional 24-man squad to Tignes, has not yet decided whether Diarra will be replaced.

“It’s difficult to tell, when you lose a player, if you are going to take another one,” the coach said. “We have a few days to make a decision, we will see.”

Domenech, who has until June 1 to name his final 23-man squad, had picked 24 players because of a question mark over the fitness of William Gallas.

Centre back Gallas, who suffered a recurrence of a calf muscle injury in late March and has not played since, completed Sunday’s two-hour session, raising hopes he would be fit for the World Cup which starts on June 11.

France face hosts South Africa, Mexico and Uruguay in Group A.

(Editing by Ed Osmond; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Ribery likely snub Premier League giants’ overtures to stay with Bayern Munich

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 21(ANI): Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery is likely to turn his back on the English Premier League and sign a four-year contract extension with the German club.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have all been linked with Ribery, with talk of bids in excess of 50 million pounds, The Sun reports.

However, Ribery may snub the clubs and sign the new contract until 2015, with a new club-record salary after Munich’s Champions League final against Inter Milan on Saturday.

The 27-year-old is expected to formally announce his decision before flying out to South Africa for the World Cup. (ANI)

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