Monday, November 14, 2016

Injured Heinze sidelined for three weeks

Share Marseille’s Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze will be out for around three weeks after injuring himself in his country’s friendly with Germany, his club announced on Thursday.

An X-ray revealed “a small crack at the top of the right fibula”, according to a Marseille statement. Heinze sustained the injury in a tackle by Germany striker Lukas Podolski in the 48th minute of Argentina’s 1-0 victory in Munich on Wednesday and was unable to continue.

This latest setback comes shortly after Heinze returned from a five-week stint on the sidelines with a hamstring strain sustained in his side’s 1-1 draw at Bordeaux on January 17.

Heinze’s unavailability falls at a bad time for OM coach Didier Deschamps, whose team face a tight schedule in March when they will take on Lorient, Toulouse and Lyon in the league, Benfica home and away in the Europa League and Bordeaux in the League Cup final on March 27. Drogba hopes for improvement under new coach

Tweet Share (GSM) – Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba is hoping a new manager will improve the national side ahead of the World Cup finals. Despite having guided them to South Africa, the Elephants sacked coach Vahid Halilhodzic over the weekend.

Currently, Guus Hiddink, who trained Drogba for several months in his Chelsea stint, is the favorite to take charge of Ivory Coast during the finals before he takes over as Turkey coach in August.

“There are many stories around,” Drogba told Sky Sports when asked about Hiddink. “I hope the manager we get will help us improve and help us play better than we are at the moment.”

Drogba was speaking following Ivory Coast’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of South Korea. “The result is not good, but it was very specifically for training,” said the Chelsea star.

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Zuma promises safe World Cup in South Africa

Share South African President Jacob Zuma sought Thursday to allay concerns about security at the 2010 World Cup, saying crime had already been cut and visitors would be protected.

“The fact is we have brought down crime already. We are therefore very confident on this. And when we say we are ready now for the World Cup, we include security in that,” Zuma said during his state visit to Britain.

“We are ready to protect those who come. If there are those who are sceptical or feel concern, they must know this matter has been addressed.

“They will come to South Africa safely and leave safer,” he added. Zuma spoke after visiting Wembley Stadium, the home of English football, where he met officials involved in England’s bid to stage the 2018 World Cup.

All 10 stadiums hosting matches in South Africa have virtually been completed, with only two yet to hold games to test the facilities. Zuma brushed aside concerns about the progress of construction of stadia and training facilities and insisted his nation was on track to complete its preparations before the first World Cup held in Africa kicks off on June 11.

“At the beginning many people said it would be very difficult for South Africa to host the competition,” he said. “For the last six years we have worked very hard to ensure we are able to welcome the world to South Africa.

“We can say now without fear of contradiction that we are ready, if not more than ready, to receive those who come to South Africa. “We’ve finished some of the stadia four months ahead of schedule. At the beginning people were asking if we’d manage to finish them. “We’ve proved we are ready and we are hosting this on behalf of Africa.”

Zuma stopped short of endorsing England’s bid for the tournament in eight years’ time, saying: “We’ll leave that decision to the leadership of FIFA. Wherever the World Cup is, South Africa will be there.

“We bid twice for this. The first time we didn’t succeed, the second time we did. “I’m sure England can win. The UK is always known to be very efficient and to present things in a better way.”

Earlier Thursday, the man masterminding South Africa’s hosting of the football showpiece, Danny Jordaan, hit out at critics of the preparations and promised the most financially successful tournament in the event’s history.

“We will deliver within our budget of 423 million dollars,” he said in London, and predicted world football’s governing body FIFA would generate 3.5 billion dollars from the event.

a new look for 2016, this is the lindsey horan home jersey will be wearing as they compete for the trophy this summer. emily sonnett, stephanie mccaffrey, jaelene hinkle, samantha mewis and gina lewandowski. hope solo soccer jersey meghan klingenberg. Jordaan also dismissed reports in the South African media that FIFA were parachuting in 40 advisors to help bolster his team in the run-up to the World Cup.

Why is Peter Crouch so underrated?

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Tottenham striker Peter Crouch, but he’s starting to win me over. I don’t know what it is about the big striker that got under my skin, maybe it’s because he used to play for Liverpool or maybe it’s his gangly appearance that annoyed me. I just couldn’t take to him. Image

My dad, who’s not exactly the biggest football fan, once made an observation on the former Portsmouth striker while watching an England match. He remarked “Peter Crouch looks just like Bambi on ice”.

I believe that was a cruel observation at the time. However his appearance sometimes hides his actual ability to play football. To use a clichĂ©, Peter Crouch has very good touch for a big man. He not only scores goals with his head as expected for a tall striker, he’s also very good with the ball at his feet. He’s a good target man and can bring others into play. His technical ability sometimes belies his size.

Impact A lot of the games I’ve seen him play for England the big striker has had a big impact on the game. Most of those games he’s came off the bench to impress. That’s the problem for Crouch; he’s regarded as just an impact player.

It’s very rare that he gets a place in the starting line-up for the Three Lions. Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is the obvious number one striker but there’s room for a second striker in Fabio Capello’s thinking, as the Italian proved by selecting Jermain Defoe in the last game against Egypt. His Tottenham colleague had an ineffective half against Egypt and was replaced by Crouch. Scoring

The beanpole striker has a superb scoring record for his country. He now has 20 goals in 37 appearances for his country. That’s a strike rate that any international striker would be proud of, let alone a striker who spends most of his time on the substitute bench. He is a goal scorer and shouldn’t he be ahead of the non-scoring Emile Heskey as the target man in the England side? Personality

Much like Heskey, Crouch seems like an easy going guy. From his time at Liverpool, I know that nobody had a bad word to say about him. He also didn’t have a bad word to say about anybody else. Unlike some of his England colleagues he lives his life mostly out of the media spotlight, despite dating a model.

His fiancée is apparently a catwalk and lingerie model, who he started dating while at Liverpool. This would make his personal life hard to keep out of the media gaze but Crouch to his credit has kept himself to himself and just got on with doing what he does best and thats playing football. Chances

Crouch needs to get back into the Tottenham first team if he is going to book a place on the plane for South Africa. He’s currently being kept out of the Tottenham starting line-up by fellow England striker Jermain Defoe and in-form Russian hot shot Roman Pavlyuchenko.

England boss Fabio Capello only picks players who are playing for their club side and who are in form. Peter Crouch has done his chances a world of good with his goals and performance against Egypt.

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Heskey has “instinctive understanding” with Rooney

Share (GSM) – England striker Emile Heskey says he has an ‘instinctive understanding’ with Wayne Rooney. Heskey hopes the pair’s understanding will ensure he plays for England during the World Cup.

Three Lions boss Fabio Capello has in the past favored a Rooney-Heskey partnership up front. However, Capello started Rooney alongside the in-form Jermaine Defoe before bringing on Peter Crouch.

Crouch played an excellent match, scoring two goals in the process to help England beat the Pharoahs by 3 goals to 1 at Wembley. And with Crouch now having scored 20 goals in 37 games, Heskey knows his starting place in the national side is at risk.

However, 32-year-old Heskey, thinks his successful partnership with the Manchester United striker will help his case.

“Wayne is a great player and has been in terrific form recently and hopefully he can keep going with that,” he said. “He has done a lot in his career already, considering his age, and he can go on to do even more.

“Whoever plays up front can make a good partnership – but the one with Wayne and myself has been quite successful in qualifying for the World Cup and it came to us both pretty naturally really.

“We do a lot of work in training when we’re together but it is fairly instinctive when we’re on the pitch. “The manager has played his part in it, too. He lets everyone know how he wants them to play, so we all know what our jobs are and what team-mates have to do.

“That’s why things went so well and the partnership has been a success.” Heskey has made 21 appearances in the Premier League for Aston Villa but has only only scored three goals. Still, the veteran striker hopes his experience will take him to South Africa.

“I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be going to the World Cup,” he added. “I have been to a World Cup, and been through it all, so hopefully that can prove helpful.

“There is experience in the squad and we have players who have been to tournaments. “Some went to the last World Cup and had a good run there and a few others were at the one I went to in 2002 in Japan so we have that in our locker.

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Jordaan turns on South Africa´s World Cup critics

Share World Cup supremo Danny Jordaan hit out at critics of South Africa’s preparations for this year’s finals as he promised the most financially successful tournament in the event’s history.

Reports in the South African press suggested a concerned FIFA, world football’s governing body, were sending in 40 advisors to help bolster Jordaan’s team in the run-up to the World Cup, which starts in fewer than 100 days’ time.

But a confident Jordaan said here on Thursday: “There are not 40 advisors at FIFA with more experience than me. This is my fifth World Cup.” He added: “Forty advisors is too many. Jesus Christ only had 12 disciples. I don’t have a single foreign advisor working for me.

“You must understand the task and have the ability to lead.” a new look for 2016, this is the stephanie mccaffrey home jersey will be wearing as they compete for the trophy this summer. christen press, crystal dunn, meghan klingenberg, jaelene hinkle and emily sonnett. geoff cameron soccer jersey julie johnston. Jordaan, speaking at Chelsea Football Club, said this year’s World Cup would be delivered on budget and be the most financially successful yet. “We will deliver within our budget of 423 million dollars,” he told reporters after giving a Royal African Society lecture in which he predicted FIFA would generate 3.5 billion dollars from the continent’s first World Cup.

“In Germany (at the 2006 World Cup), it was only 2.6 billion. This will be the highest revenue ever for a World Cup.” Jordaan, the chief executive of the 2010 World Cup organising committee, said South Africa was involved in a journey “of perception and reality”.

“The perception is South Africa will never be ready, the infrastucture won’t be complete, the stadiums won’t be complete, we will run out of money, no-one will come to South Africa, it is too dangerous, no-one will buy tickets,” Jordaan said. Jordaan, who added that 2.2 million out of a total 2.9 million tickets had already been sold, also confronted fears surrounding spectator safety at the World Cup.

“Our responsibility as an event organiser is to have a plan safeguarding everyone coming to the event,” he said. “That is why we will have 45,000 additional police recruits and 41,000 additional police.”

Jordaan, an anti-apartheid activist and a former African National Congress (South Africa’s governing party) MP added: “This world is uncertain and unstable, not just for one country.

“If you look at the track record of South Africa, it has hosted more than 150 major events since 1994, including the Rugby World Cup, the Cricket World Cup, and last year we hosted the Indian Premier League after India was deemed unsafe and (rugby union’s) British and Irish Lions and (football’s) Confederations Cup — and there was not a single incident.

“We are comfortable but we will be vigilant. “Currently we have 11 million tourists coming to South Africa, we want 15 million by 2014 but can only get there if nothing happens in this World Cup. We want to maintain our reputation for hosting safe and secure events.”

Meanwhile, Jordaan said the turf at the new Mbomela Stadium in Nelspruit was being relaid on the advice of a British specialist, who had worked at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, and would be ready by the middle of April.

Jordaan recalled telling this to British journalists on a recent stadium visit. “But they said the tour guide told them the pitch will never be ready,” he said.

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I´ve got support of England team-mates: Terry

Share John Terry says his England team-mates showed their desire to draw a line under the Wayne Bridge affair by giving the deposed captain their full support before Wednesday’s win over Egypt.

Terry has spent the last month as English football’s most vilified figure following his reported extra-marital fling with Vanessa Perroncel, the former partner of Manchester City left-back Bridge.

The fall-out from the revelations was spectacular, with Fabio Capello stripping Terry of the England captaincy and Bridge deciding he should go into international exile to avoid being in the same team as his former friend.

a new look for 2016, this is the jaelene hinkle home jersey will be wearing as they compete for the trophy this summer. alyssa naeher, meghan klingenberg, abby wambach, christen press and crystal dunn. ethan horvath soccer jersey tobin heath. After such a traumatic period, it was feared Terry’s presence in the squad could prove divisive and distracting when the players met up for the Egypt friendly.

But the 29-year-old claims he was approached by several stars who offered him their backing in the build-up to Wednesday’s 3-1 victory. “The spirit hasn’t been damaged at all,” Terry said. “Publicly and privately I’ve had a lot of support from the lads, which is really nice.

“The most important thing was making sure we put in the right performance. We still had that fight and drive, which will never go away. “The spirit among the lads is fantastic and we showed that coming back from a goal down against a good side. I certainly hope it draws a line under it.”

Being welcomed back into the fold was enough of a boost for Terry, but he also avoided the expected hostile reception from the notoriously fickle Wembley fans.

After a mix of boos and cheers greeted the announcement of his name before the match, the jeers for Terry gradually faded as the match wore on. The Chelsea captain was understandably relieved at the crowd’s mostly supportive reaction and paid tribute to them after the match. “It was important that we came away with a win in front of our own fans,” Terry said. “I showed my appreciation after the game. It means a lot the way they responded.

“As Wayne (Rooney) said in the week. It’s not just about me, lets forget about that now and concentrate on England at the World Cup.” Terry also eased concerns over his recent poor form for Chelsea with a more authoritative display against Egypt.

Capello’s defence still looked far from impregnable as Matthew Upson struggled to fill in for Rio Ferdinand, but Terry insisted he was happy enough with his own day’s work.

“We’ve had a couple of bad results at Chelsea and that seems to be seen as a couple of bad performances for me surprisingly! For me I’m pleased with my performance,” he added.

With only two more friendlies against Mexico and Japan to come before England kick off their World Cup campaign against the United States, Terry believes Capello’s team are firmly on course to enjoy a successful tournament in South Africa.

“It was a great performance from the team. In the first half I thought we were unlucky not to get a lead in the game and in the second half we did well with (Peter) Crouch helping us when he came on,” Terry said.

“We have a really good chance if we can keep playing like that and keep progressing.

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Holden facing World Cup agony after leg fracture

Share Bolton’s Stuart Holden faces a race against time to be fit for the World Cup after it was confirmed he had broken a bone in his leg during the United States’ 2-1 defeat by Holland on Wednesday.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle said the midfielder had broken the fibula in his right leg and put the recovery period at six weeks, although he admitted that could be optimistic.

Holden, 24, joined Bolton on January on a short-term deal that, Coyle confirmed, is now to be extended until the end of next season.

“It’s disappointing for Stuart because he has come into the team and done ever so well,” said Coyle. “What we do know is he will come back bigger and stronger, but it is sad for him to miss out at this moment in time.

“He’s come in with a real hunger and desire to do well for our club, and in the two games he’s played, we’ve seen his quality.” Coyle is hopeful that Holden will be back in action in time to ensure he is fully match fit by the time the United States open their World Cup campaign against England in Rustenburg on June 12.

“We’re erring on the side of six weeks, and if that is the case then he will be capable of playing the last part of the season for us and putting himself in the frame for the World Cup,” Coyle said.

Coyle said the injury had not affected the club’s view that Holden has a lot to offer. “We’ve already spoken with him and his representative to assure him he will be here for longer because of the belief I have in him, and the quality he has shown since he came to the club,” the manager said.

“When we signed him, within the contract there was the option there to extend it further, which we will do. It augurs well for his future and that of the football club.”

Holden suffered the injury as a result of a tackle by Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong, who was booked but has defended his action.

a new look for 2016, this is the christen press home jersey will be wearing as they compete for the trophy this summer. julie johnston, abby wambach, ashlyn harris, alyssa naeher and meghan klingenberg. darlington nagbe soccer jersey megan rapinoe. “I went for the ball and got the opponent at the end,” he said. “I had no evil intent. If the ball is between me and the opponent, you have to go in full. If you do not then the opponent takes you. And if you’re scared in a game you get injured yourself.”

Alves: We have the best of the best

Share (GSM) – Dani Alves has warned the rest of the football declaring Brazil are almost invincible. As national coaches across the globe begin to fine-tune their sides ahead of this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, inevitable predictions with regards who will be victorious start to formulate.

Brazil made their case on Tuesday as they sauntered past Republic of Ireland at the Emirates with a stylish second-half display. Barcelona fullback Alves praised his side and predicts bright times ahead for the five-time world champions.

“When Brazil play like they did in the last 20 minutes against Ireland, we are almost invincible,” said Alves. “The truth is when we succeed playing the ball, which is what makes everyone of us happy, in the end we enjoy it so much. “The strength of the Brazil national team is the speed and the way we move the ball.

“We are all very happy and confident. We want to win the World Cup so much. “In the Brazil national team we have the best of the best.”

Henry: Spain and Brazil are favourites for World Cup Share (GSM) – On Wednesday, Thierry Henry witnessed Spain’s strength from nearby as France were taught a footballing lesson by the reigning European Champions.

France were defeated 2-0 at their own ground and Henry conceded that La Furia Roja were on another planet. “With Barcelona, I am not used to running after the ball,” Henry told Marca.

“Spain, along with Brazil, are the favourites for the World Cup. They remind me of the French team of some years ago. “We saw one team that can win the World Cup, and another that has a lot of work to do.” Slovenia hammer hapless Qatar

Share (GSM) – An early onslaught by Slovenia led them to a 4-1 friendly win over Qatar on Wednesday in Maribor.

Köln striker Milivoje Novakovic opened the scoring for the home side on 14 minutes, and Bostjan Cesar doubled the lead for the Group C side in the 30th minute.

It was 3-0 just four minutes later when Andraz Kirm extended the Slovenia advantage, but Fabio Montezine pulled one back for Qatar on 41 minutes to keep the game respectable. Bojan Jokic bagged the fourth for Slovenia in the 67th minute to send them to a dominant victory.

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Ivory Coast wants Hiddink for World Cup

(GSM) – Guus Hiddink could lead Ivory Coast at the World Cup before he takes over as Turkey coach.

Hiddink is still coach of the Russia national team and has already signed for Turkey, where his contract starts at August 1. He has a deal with the Russians until the end of June but Hiddink may be tempted by a chance to lead the Ivorians in South Africa.

Ivory Coast football association president Jacques Anouma told BBC Sport an approach has been made to Hiddink, and he is their main target. “Guus is one of the people we have contacted about becoming coach,” said Anouma.

“Probably in the middle of next week something will be concluded.” Ivory Coast sacked Vahid Halilhodzic after a disappointing African Nations Cup campaign and were directly linked with former Chelsea boss Hiddink who already received a phone call from Didier Drogba, the Chelsea striker who wants his former coach to lead his country at the World Cup.

However, the Dutch tactician is not the only coach who has been linked with the Elephants. Sven-Goran Eriksson was in the crowd to watch the game and has also been linked with the job, as he was with the Nigeria vacancy which was filled last week by his fellow Swede Lars Lagerback.

Anouma said he has not approached Eriksson. “Sven has not been contacted but there were a lot of coaches at Loftus Road for the match and some have contacted me,” added Anouma.

“Of the three or four in contention to become the next coach, Guus is the person we want but we are still talking to him. “Talks are ongoing but nothing has been decided.”

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Mexico beat New Zealand 2-0 in World Cup warmup

Share Javier Hernandez and Carlos Vela both scored in the space of five minutes to lift Mexico to a 2-0 victory over New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up match for both teams.

Hernandez’s goal in the 53rd minute marked the second straight match in which he has scored for Mexico, after he produced two goals in a 5-0 victory over Bolivia in San Francisco last week.

The 21-year-old, who is the leading goal-scorer in Mexico’s fist division with eight goals in seven games for Chivas Guadalajara, opened the scoring as he headed a cross from Carlos Salcido past New Zealand goalkeeper Glen Moss.

Vela, who plays for English Premiership club Arsenal, replaced Aldo De Nigris to start the second half. He doubled the score in the 57th minute, as he eluded three defenders and slotted the ball past Moss.

Vela muscled his way past defender Ben Sigmund on the edge of the penalty area, then out-maneuvered two other New Zealand players to score. The two-goal lead warmed up the largely pro-Mexico crowd of 90,526 crowd on a damp, chilly night at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl stadium.

New Zealand’s best opportunity had come in the fifth minute when Boyens, who the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer, headed a corner wide.

For Mexico the match was the second in a series of six friendlies in the United States as they prepare to open their World Cup campaign against hosts South Africa on June 11.

Their first-round group also includes France and Uruguay. The friendly offered Mexico coach Javier Aguirre a chance to see some of his Europe-based talent, including Vela, Salcido, Rafael Marquez, Andres Guardado and Giovani and Jonathan Dos Santos.

New Zealand, who will be playing in their first World Cup, had to make do without defenders Ryan Nelsen and Ivan Vicelich. Nelsen, the team captain, suffered a hyperextended knee in Blackburn Rovers’ 3-0 English premiership win over Bolton Wanderers in February, while Vicelich is suspended.

New Zealand will travel to Europe in late May for further warm-ups against Serbia and Slovenia.

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S.Korea get World Cup boost after Ivory Coast win

Share South Korea coach Huh Jong-moo believes his side’s impressive victory over the Ivory Coast leaves them perfectly positioned to make an impact at this year’s World Cup.

Goals from Lee Dong-gook and Kwak Tae-hwi secured a 2-0 win against the Elephants at Loftus Road as South Korea impressed on the counter-attack at the home of second division Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday.

The 2002 World Cup semi-finalists face Argentina, Nigeria and Greece in their Pool in South Africa, and Huh is adamant his side’s preparations are going to plan perfectly.

“This game was excellent practice for us before the World Cup,” he said. “We have to play Nigeria and while their style is not exactly the same, Ivory Coast are another African team and it was important for us to go up against a team like that before we go to South Africa.

“Of course it will be tough for us in the World Cup but we have confidence that we can perform and are looking forward to the challenge.” Huh’s optimism was bolstered after South Korea made light work of the much-fancied Ivory Coast.

They took the lead after just four minutes as Lee showed superb technical ability to hit a first-time volley past Boubacar Barry from 12 yards, before the Ivorians, led by Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, upped the pace.

But after counter-attacking with precision, South Korea added a second shortly before the final whistle as Kwak headed home from close range. Yet Huh tempered his praise with a note of caution, insisting his side can take nothing for granted as they prepare for the tournament. “We played very well and it is a good win for us but there is a lot of work to do before the World Cup.”

He added: “We are not meeting again until May now, but I will give the players homework to do on our opponents. “I want them to study videos of the teams we shall be playing as they all need to improve before we go to South Africa.”

And Huh reserved particular praise for his European-based players, with captain Park Ji-sung to the fore as South Korea exploited the gaps Ivory Coast left at the back.

The Manchester United star was inches away from scoring, and Huh believes it is the experience of players such as Park which is crucial to his team.

The players who play in Europe lead this team and you saw that out there,” he explained. “The Ivory Coast have more experience and quality but we attack and defend as a team and we deserved to win.”

But while Huh was upbeat, his Ivorian counterpart, Kouadio Georges, refused to speak to the press after this match. The caretaker coach, who is expected to be replaced by Guus Hiddink in the next few days, walked in to the press room but then did not speak to the assembled journalists.

If Hiddink is appointed he will have to work fast to transform a team lacking in confidence in time for the World Cup, where they will face Brazil, Portugal and North Korea.

But Huh expects his opponents to fare well in South Africa.

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Capello puts Crouch in frame as England move on

Share Fabio Capello has never given the impression that he regards Peter Crouch as anything more than an impact substitute but the Italian appears to be warming to Tottenham’s beanpole striker.

Crouch’s second-half double was instrumental in England coming from behind to beat African champions Egypt 3-1 at Wembley on Wednesday evening and the 6′ 7″ (2.0m) forward may just have put himself in pole position to be Wayne Rooney’s partner in attack when Capello’s men start their World Cup campaign against the United States, in Rustenburg on June 12.

Capello has, in the past, often appeared dismissive of Crouch’s prolific scoring record for his country – Wednesday’s sharply-taken brace made it 20 goals in 37 appearances.

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England were noticeably sharper once Crouch had replaced his Tottenham club mate Jermain Defoe, although Capello said he was happy enough with a first-half display which allowed Egypt to take the lead through Borussia Dortmund striker Mohamed Zidan.

“Peter Crouch is in a good moment of form and he played very well but it was not only him, all the team played a good game.” Capello said he had wanted to see how effectively Rooney and Defoe could be as a pair and the evidence presented is unlikely to have changed his view that Rooney does better alongside a target man like Crouch, Emile Heskey or Carlton Cole.

It was also a good night for another substitute, Shaun Wright-Phillips, who scored England’s second goal, outshone Theo Walcott and had his contribution described as “really important” by Capello.

The slip by Matthew Upson that allowed Zidan to score Egypt’s opener will have underlined concerns about England’s defensive fragility, particularly if Rio Ferdinand does not recover from the back problems that prevented him captaining the side here.

But overall it was a highly positive night for England after a month dominated by lurid headlines about the private life of the injured Ashley Cole and John Terry, who had to endure some early boos in his first match for his country since being stripped of the captaincy.

The crowd generally got behind the players however and Capello admitted his relief. “They supported the team and John Terry. This was a most important game for him after what happened outside the pitch. He played a fantastic game like I know he can do at this level. When I chose him as captain I knew the value of him as a player,” said Capello.

Steven Gerrard, who took over as captain in the absence of Ferdinand, said England’s comeback augured well for the side as the finals in South Africa approach.

“You’ve got to give credit to Egypt, they played very well in the first half. We never converted chances we had. So I think we were unfortunate to come in 1-0 down. “But we showed good character and togetherness to get back in it and go on to win it.”

Egyptian coach Hassan Shehata admitted his side had tired badly after the interval, understandably given the effort involved in winning the recent African Cup of Nations.

“It was more like a competitive match than a friendly,” said Shehata, who has guided the Egyptians to three successive African titles.

“We were in front for almost an hour but we made some mistakes and let England back into it. England had chances in the first half but did not take them, after the break they did. That was the difference.

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Subs spare England´s blushes against Egypt in friendly

Share Substitutes Peter Crouch and Shaun Wright-Phillips spared England further embarrassment as Fabio Capello’s scandal-tarnished squad came from behind to register a 3-1 win over Egypt.

The recently-crowned African champions had looked on course for a landmark victory on their first appearance at Wembley when Mohamed Zidan translated their initial superiority into a first-half lead.

But Crouch’s entry at the interval proved to be the catalyst for a significant improvement with the Tottenham striker bolstering his claim to a starting role at the World Cup by claiming a couple of goals either side of a strike from Wright-Phillips.

That was enough to transform an evening that had the potential to go badly wrong for Capello, with the hangover from recent off-the-pitch issues evident in the boos received by John Terry on his first outing since being stripped of the captaincy. England were on the back foot for long spells in the opening period, but might easily have gone ahead inside five minutes, with the cocktail of Wayne Rooney’s eye for a pass and Theo Walcott’s pace causing tremors on the left side of the visitors’ defence.

Walcott’s cutback was delivered into the path of Frank Lampard but the Chelsea midfielder pushed his shot tamely at goalkeeper Essam El Hadary. a new look for 2016, this is the lori chalupny home jersey will be wearing as they compete for the trophy this summer. lauren holiday, alex morgan, ali krieger, morgan brian and megan rapinoe. carli lloyd soccer jersey amy rodriguez. Egypt were soon in the ascendancy however and England were fortunate that the unmarked Wael Gomaa was unable to connect cleanly with a volley from eight yards out.

Zidan quickly signalled his threat by getting in front of Terry to head over the bar and, then again, when driving narrowly wide after escaping Matthew Upson on the edge of the area. Egypt’s nimble passing and penetrating wing backs were unsettling England and it was no surprise when Zidan gave the visitors a 23rd-minute lead, aided by a slip from Upson which enabled him to collect Hosny Abd Rabou’s pass unchallenged.

The Borussia Dortmund striker still had plenty to do but a deft first touch denied Upson the time to recover and the shot was planted confidently beyond Robert Green’s left hand.

England’s best chance of an equaliser before the break fell to Lampard, after Gareth Barry’s header from a Leighton Baines corner had been blocked. The Chelsea midfielder got slightly over the top of his strike and the ball bounced off the Wembley turf and up over the bar. El Hadary did well to beat away Jermain Defoe’s fierce shot after the Tottenham striker had got clear through the inside left channel, and Egypt’s goalkeeper also had to be alert when another Baines corner ended up ricocheting goalwards off Terry.

Lampard and Defoe were withdrawn at the interval in favour of Michael Carrick and Crouch, whose first significant contribution was to register England’s equaliser with a well-taken strike ten minutes into the second period.

Gerrard’s first-time pass released Barry on the right hand side of the box and the Manchester City’s midfielder’s cross was crisply despatched into the bottom corner by Crouch.

Egypt’s pursuit of a first win over England saw Mohamed ‘Gedo’ Nagy, the hero of the African Cup of Nations triumph, introduced for the final half hour.

But it the hosts who now looked more likely winners and, after Rooney had spurned the chance to finish off Barry’s fine through ball, Wright-Phillips put them ahead with quarter of an hour left.

El Hadary did well to keep out James Milner’s powerful first-time shot from a Baines cross and the goalkeeper was unfortunate that the loose ball fell kindly for the winger, whose shot found the net with the help of a deflection.

Five minutes later Wright-Phillips got clear on the right and picked out an offside Crouch on the edge of the six-yard area, presenting the Tottenham striker with the opportunity to claim his 20th international goal in what was only his 37th England appearance.

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Friday, November 4, 2016

Yahia strike takes Algeria to World Cup

Share A superb Antar Yahia goal gave Algeria a 1-0 victory over Egypt Wednesday and a place at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The France-born defender who plays for German club VfL Bochum struck on 40 minutes to settle a play-off necessitated by the bitter North African rivals finishing level on points and goal difference in one of five African groups.

As a lofted through ball landed in the Egyptian penalty area, veteran Abdelzaher al-Saqqa allowed it to drop behind him and Yahia volleyed an unstoppable shot into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

African champions Egypt dominated the second half territorially only to come up against a watertight defence backed by brilliant stand-in goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi. The match at a packed 45,000-seat Al-Merreikh Stadium passed without incident amid tight security after the Algerian team bus was attacked in Cairo last Thursday, leaving three players injured and triggering reprisal attacks.

On Saturday, Emad Moteab scored five minutes into stoppage time to give Egypt a 2-0 win which raised hopes of a first appeanance at the World Cup in 20 years.

But it is the ‘Desert Foxes’, back at the finals for the first time since 1986, who will join hosts South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria at the first World Cup to be staged by Africa. Wed 18 Nov, 2009RSS Feed LAST 5 POSTS BY SOCCERNEWS

Otamendi eager for City to maintain form United squad behind Mourinho – Fellaini

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LIVE REPORT: France vs Republic of Ireland

Share 1959 GMT: France are in their traditional blue kit while the visiting Irish are in white shirts with green shorts.

1959 GMT: The Irish players and fans belt out Soldiers Song – the French reply with a stirring rendition of Marseillaise and we’re ready to go – 90 minutes (or more) to book a ticket for South Africa

1956 GMT: Expectant French fans wave their tricolor flags in the stadium as the players file out onto the pitch for this crucial game. 1954 GMT: French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who has a Welsh wife, has just taken up his seat – big smiles all around

1952 GMT: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who is an analyst for French broadcaster TF1 says: “All the pressure is on the Irish – they just have to score to survive and that can open up gaps for the French . 1934 GMT: France go into this World Cup play-off second leg in Paris with a 1-0 advantage from Saturday’s first leg at Croke Park in Dublin when Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka’s deflected second-half strike divided the sides.

The Republic of Ireland will have to win at the Stade de France tonight to book their place at the World Cup in South Africa next year and will need no extra motivation after the angry exchanges between rival players at the end of the first game. Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni and Tottenham forward Robbie Keane have said they are confident they can overturn the 1-0 deficit — even though Ireland have not won in Paris since 1937.

Our man in Paris says the weather is mild and playing conditions look perfect. Thousands of green-clad Irish fans heading for the Stade in hope more than expectation. Between 12,000 and 15000 of them are estimated to have tickets — not quite the invasion the French feared but enough to make themselves heard.

The French are quietly confident at least on the surface but a quick strike for Ireland could see them reaching for the panic button. Teams:

France: Lloris – Sagna, Gallas, Escude, Evra – A.Diarra, L.Diarra – Anelka, Gourcuff, Henry (cap.) – Gignac

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Serbs end South Korean streak in friendly

Share Giant Serbia striker Nikola Zigic ended South Korea’s 27-match unbeaten run with the only goal in Wednesday’s international friendly at Craven Cottage.

Zigic, who plays in Spain for Valencia, nodded in a cross from Nenand Milijas in the sixth minute but Serbia, despite dominating, could not add to their score.

South Korea’s best moments came from Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung and the closest they came to an equaliser was when substitute Lee Dong Gook almost got on the end of his inviting second-half cross.

Aleksander Lukovic hit the crossbar for Serbia in the first half while Park’s Manchester United team-mate, Nemanja Vidic, had a close-range effort palmed away by Korean keeper Kim Young Kwang.

Milos Krasic also went close with a late free-kick and Serbia were good value for the victory. Both Park and Vidic were substituted with 20 minutes left but United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will have been glad to see the pair on the comeback trail following recent injuries.

Wed 18 Nov, 2009RSS Feed LAST 5 POSTS BY SOCCERNEWS Otamendi eager for City to maintain form

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Ghana to test youngsters ahead of World Cup

Ghana travels to Angola for an international friendly on Wednesday. Head coach Milovan Rajevac says young members in the squad will get opportunities to show their qualities ahead of the African Cup of nations and the World Cup.

Ghana won the Under-20 World Cup in October and now five members of that squad are set to contribute to the senior team. With Agyemang Badu and Lee Addy already playing over the weekend in the World Cup qualifier against Mali (2-2), it could be time for Dominic Adiyiah and goalkeeper Daniel Agyei to make their senior debut.

“The young ones will always have opportunities. I intend to give them some playing time and see the level,” Rajevac told the official website of the Ghanaian Football Association. “They have the quality but they must be prepared to fight for places. The experience would be good for them.

“It would be good to see how they play with some of the seniors. In training, you can see that they are willing to go but we would see.” The Black Stars will be without some regular squad members for the game against Angola.

Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Asamoah Gyan and Samuel Inkoom who all featured in last Sunday’s final qualifying match in the campaign for next year’s Nations Cup and World Cup competitions were left behind.

Wed 18 Nov, 2009RSS Feed LAST 5 POSTS BY SOCCERNEWS Otamendi eager for City to maintain form United squad behind Mourinho – Fellaini

A new look for 2016, this is the Rachel Van Hollebeke White jersey will be wearing as they compete for the trophy this summer. Nicole Barnhart, Tori Huster, Kate Markgraf, Adrianna Franch and Shannon MacMillan. mallory pugh jersey replica Koeman expects continued Lukaku interest

Keshi: “They need to make Africa proud now”

Share Despite the increasing amount of African players in European top football, Stephen Keshi doubts the African chances at the World Cup, next year in South Africa.

The Nigerian is thrilled that the Super Eagles reached the World Cup at the last minute. However, Keshi is uncertain if they, alongside Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and South Africa, could make the continent proud next year.

The Mali coach, who saw his team lose the sole WC-slot to Ghana, pointed out that the teams that represent Africa, should “make Africa proud.”

But asked if they could do that he said: “I don't know but I just want them to be better organised. If you look at Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon they have quality players and all we need is that whoever is in charge concentrates and organises well because they need to make Africa proud.” Wed 18 Nov, 2009RSS Feed

LAST 5 POSTS BY SOCCERNEWS Otamendi eager for City to maintain form United squad behind Mourinho – Fellaini

Koeman expects continued Lukaku interest A new look for 2016, this is the Nicole Barnhart White jersey will be wearing as they compete for the trophy this summer. Tori Huster, Adrianna Franch, Julie Foudy, Shannon MacMillan and Kate Markgraf. christen press jersey replica Conte: Hazard becoming one of world´s best again Klopp hints at January signings

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

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Heat VS Bulls on March 9, United Center, Chicago | Sports Fan Online

Bulls game was terminated one year after the Heat 27-game winning streak, the background is sure to be constantly brought speculation ABC. Bulls do not contest that Ross and Ross Bulls and Heat have played well or it may indicate that they can go far in the playoffs. Pacers VS Miami Heat on April 11, American Airlines Arena, Miami (EST 19:30)

For Paul – George’s growth, Miami deep. In the core players have renewed after George and his team will become more dangerous. If the Pacers can lay the Eastern Conference finals opener last few seconds, it may last into the finals of the Pacers. In this stage of the season, two teams want to play “declaration” level of the game.

Spurs VS Rockets April 14, Toyota Center, Houston (EST 19:00) Throughout the season is over, to see Howard his new team’s performance will become very interesting. If all goes well, you’ll see this matchup: Howard and rockets to limit Tim Duncan and the Spurs do good? Rockets future infinite light, but look how long they can match or even exceed them the Southwest opponent, the same is not fantasy.

Heat VS Bulls on March 9, United Center, Chicago | Sports Fan Online

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