Soccer Idol

Nigeria's Olubayo Adefemi dies in Greece car accident

2011-04-19T07:50:00.000+01:00

Soccer Star Olubayo Adefemi was involved in a car accident in Greece
Nigeria international defender Olubayo Adefemi has died in a car accident, Greek police said on Monday.

The 25-year-old, who played for Skoda Xanthi, lost control of his car on the Egnatia motorway before the crash.
Adefemi was driving from Xanthi to Salonika in the Kavala region of northern Greece.
The former Rapid Bucharest player was on his way to Nigeria to finalise details of his wedding when the accident happened, police said.
"The Super League and the entire Greek football family would like to express its deepest condolences and sympathy for the family of Olubayo Adefemi who died tragically in a car accident," league organisers said in a statement on Monday.
Adefemi's Zambian team-mate and friend Chris Katongo says Xanthi players were in shock when they heard news of the death of the popular player.
"It was a good day and all the players were laughing and joking when the manager came in and broke the news. Everyone is in shock," Katongo told BBC Sport.
"Even as I am speaking I am thinking it is a joke but it is true. I can't believe this.
"He was a good person, he likes to joke and likes to laugh. It is the reason why he got along with everyone and was well liked.
"He was like a brother to me because we shared the same room during team camping. It is a big loss to me and the entire Xanthi team."
Adefemi's car skidded off the highway in Kavala in bad weather conditions before crashing into a barrier, killing him instantly.
"For the past three of four days in that part of Greece the weather has been terrible and unfamiliar with the country," Greek sports journalist Christos Sotirakopoulos told BBC Sport.
"The road has been slippery with heavy rains and in some cases heavy snow which is quite unusual for Greece."
Meanwhile, Skoda Xanthi will organise a friendly match in the memory of the Nigerian defender to raise fund to support his family.
"His team have already said that they will organise a game in his memory to send some money to his family in Africa," Sotirakopoulos
Adefemi signed for Xanthi last summer and made 24 appearances for the club, scoring twice.
He has also played five times for Nigeria.
bbc sport

Photo to canvas

Arsenal Sink Sorry Blues

2010-12-27T22:17:00.000Z

Arsenal finally ended their barren run of form against Premier League champions Chelsea with an impressive 3-1 victory at the Emirates.

So often have the Blues tormented their London rivals in recent season but Carlo Ancelotti's men were pegged back for the most part in an evening where the Gunners turned their possession into goals.

Alex Song broke the deadlock just before half-time, stroking home from inside the area to give the home side the lead at the break.

Arsene Wenger sent his troops out firing as the excellent Theo Walcott picked out Cesc Fabregas to sweep home the second six minutes after the restart, and the captain returned the favour to send Walcott through to finish emphatically for the third.

Branislav Ivanovic headed a consolation and while there was a momentary period of pressure, Chelsea limped to yet another defeat to leave them with just three points from six games.

skysports

Qatar Holdings Ready To Launch £1.5bn United Bid

2010-12-27T11:56:00.000Z

Manchester United are said to be on the verge of a £1.5bn takeover by Qatar Holdings, the investment arm of the emirate’s sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority. They are the third largest shareholder in the auto conglomerate, Volkswagen Group and have also accumulated a huge range of trophy assets in England. These include the Harrods store and spectacular London properties such as One Hyde Park, the Shard of Glass and the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square.

Qatar Holdings’ chairman, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, who is also Qatar’s prime minister, is said to be keen to add to their portfolio of investments and sees United as an iconic acquisition. The arrival of the Qatar billions would pave the way for the end of the controversial Glazer family reign.

Probability
Usually, I would dismiss this story as tabloid rubbish, but there are some factors that do lend it some credibility:

1) On the 22nd of November, Red Football Joint Venture Ltd (the parent company that issued the infamous Payment In Kind loans) redeemed all £220m of the high-interest PIKs. According to andersred’s excellent blog and other financial experts this was a sign of a company getting ready to sell.

2) On the 9th of December, Two of the Glazers’ UK holding companies; Red Football Joint Venture Ltd (the company which owed the PIKs) and Red Football Shareholder Ltd (its parent) filed documents with Companies House giving the companies the authority to issue new shares either to a third party or rights to subscribe for or buy new shares (themselves).
3) The Arab state of Qatar appear to be extremely focused on becoming recognized as a major name and force in football. Having won the rights to host the World Cup in 2022 earlier this month, the Qatar Foundation (the charity wing of the ruling family) then bought the sponsorship rights to the Barcelona shirt last week.

4) Qatar Holdings’ parent company has estimated assets more than £40.5bn! This means that the rumoured bid of £1.5bn would not be a problem for them and is the same figure they paid when Qatar Holdings bought over Harrod’s.

5) Owning Manchester United would propel Qatar’s reputation and would be a major platform for them to reach a large audience all over the world.

6) Qatar’s best-selling newspaper, The Gulf Times, have quoted a source as saying: “Qatar looks like trying for United, although no one is saying anything officially.”

As fans we need to ask ourselves if this is necessarily a good thing for Manchester United. Yes, the Glazers are mercilessly bleeding the club dry and are making the fans pay for the privilege of owning this glorious club, but have left Sir Alex completely in charge of footballing matters. I can only hope that the potential new owners display the same common sense, if this takeover does take place.

The recent ridiculous events at Blackburn Rovers is a stark reminder that not all business owners understand the intricacies of football.
In addition, I have enjoyed seeing Manchester City fail to win silverware despite having spent £350bn in the blink of an eye. No matter what criticism rival fans throw at Manchester United, the success this club has attained was never achieved with the help of a big sugar daddy like Chelsea and Man City have, but rather through the club’s own hard work both on and off the pitch. The Glazers’ ownership has even shown this club’s and Fergie’s ability to succeed under difficult circumstances and it would be a bit of a shame if the club were to fall into the same trap of spending enormous amounts of money on big-name players rather than buying the right players that the team actually needs.

Finally, I let myself believe that the Red Knights would somehow be able to mount a worthy bid of the club and that they would eventually bring about some form of fan ownership, so a takeover by Qatar Holdings would definitely put an end to that dream.

www.redforcerising.net

Man Utd set to sign Portuguese striker Bebe

2010-08-12T11:45:00.000+01:00

Bebe will be Sir Alex Ferguson's third signing of the summer

Manchester United have signed striker Bebe from Vitória de Guimarães for an undisclosed fee, subject to a medical.

The 20-year-old only moved to Guimarães five weeks ago from Portuguese third division club Estrala da Amadora.

But United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is thought to have triggered a release clause in the Portuguese's contract, reported to be around £7m.
Bebe, who was linked with Real Madrid, has agreed terms with the Red Devils and will undergo a medical this week.
The 6ft 2in forward becomes United's third major capture of the summer, joining Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez in moving to Old Trafford.

Bebe signed a five-year contract with Guimarães in July but has been snapped up by United, reportedly after former Reds assistant manager Carlos Quieroz recommended the player to Ferguson.
Bebe has no senior caps but has represented Portugal in the homeless World Cup after spending part of his childhood living on the streets.

He becomes the eighth forward on United's books.

bbc sport

Man United Outclass Chelsea In Community Shield Curtain Raiser

2010-08-09T11:03:00.000+01:00

Drawing cast-iron conclusions from the result of the Community Shield is a foolhardy business - and Ryan Giggs suggested as much when he denied that Manchester United's 3-1 victory over Chelsea would give them any psychological advantage going into the new Premier League season.
Indeed, the rather half-hearted manner in which the United squad paraded their latest trophy around the (now partly artificial) Wembley pitch suggested that they were treating the win with an appropriate sense of perspective.
Yet there is no question that any advantage to be gained during Sunday's traditional curtain-raiser belonged to Sir Alex Ferguson's team on an afternoon when his side gained their first victory over Ancelotti's Chelsea.
The Italian ended his first season at Stamford Bridge as a Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield winner - his team inflicting home and away league defeats on United in the process.
Ferguson recently claimed Chelsea would once again be the biggest threat to his aspirations of silverware this campaign - and so an early and emphatic victory over the team he has identified as his principal rival will surely be most welcome.
Scholes still has the ability to dominate in midfield. Photo: Getty Images
Central to their victory was the performance of Paul Scholes, who won generous praise from Ferguson. The midfielder's virtuoso passing display handed United a measure of control that Chelsea could not negate and gave England manager Fabio Capello, who watched the contest from the stands, a glimpse of what might have been had the 35-year-old accepted his late invitation to join his World Cup squad.
Scholes played several particularly eye-catching cross-field passes that caught left-back Ashley Cole out of position and illuminated the match with a deft through ball that released Wayne Rooney.
It goes almost without saying that there was a rash Scholes challenge, his lunge on Florent Malouda coming within minutes of kick-off. He also skewed an early volleyed chance horribly wide. But the manner in which he found space and the consistency and accuracy of his distribution suggested he could still play a key role for United this season.
He will have to be properly managed to maximise his effectiveness in what could be his final campaign but, as a demonstration of his worth, I thought it was a vintage display. Of course, Scholes himself looked typically underwhelmed as he and his team-mates embarked on a lap of honour.
There was also much to please United supporters from the performance of Rooney, who played up front alongside Michael Owen before both were withdrawn at the break.
Much has been made of Rooney's miserable World Cup but there was little sign of any post-South Africa hangover spilling into the new campaign.
As with Scholes, he too played a sumptuous raking cross-field pass that caught Cole absent without leave. The United striker also played a key role in the creation of Antonio Valencia's goal.
Rooney collected a long-range ball from Scholes and executed a brilliant first-time square pass that ran perfectly for the unmarked Valencia as he charged into the Chelsea penalty box.
But what perhaps raised the loudest cheer from the United supporters - and showed that Rooney has lost none of his hunger - was a piece of defending, the 24-year-old racing 50 yards to win back the ball after he had been caught in possession.

Recent arrival Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov replaced Rooney and Owen at the break, with both substitutes making a positive impact on the contest.
Ferguson had already made it clear that he felt Mexican Hernandez had what is required to succeed in English football despite his relatively diminutive 5ft 9in frame - and there was evidence on Sunday to suggest the Scot might be correct.
John Terry versus Hernandez, who had the nickname Chicharito (little pea) on the back of his shirt, was a physical mismatch. But Fifa statistics suggested Hernandez was the fastest player at the World Cup. He was certainly a lively presence at Wembley, constantly seeking out space and showing the confidence to play a series of feints and flicks as he tried to play in his team-mates.
I don't think we can read anything into his goal on Sunday as it was a remarkably fortunate finish, with his shot hitting him in the face before flying into the net.
But I saw him play against Argentina in South Africa as he cruelly exposed the frailties of defender Martin Demichelis with a deft spin before firing a left-foot strike into the net from a tight angle for Mexico's consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat. He struck me as being as player with impressive finishing ability.
Berbatov showed sublime skill to score Man Utd's third. Photo: Getty Images
Finishing has not always been Berbatov's strong suit since his move to Old Trafford for a fee north of £30m on 1 September 2008.
It was the Bulgarian's sensational form for Tottenham that persuaded Ferguson to pay such a hefty sum but he has laboured under the weight of expectation, scoring 12 goals in 43 appearances last season, none of them against United's principal domestic rivals.
If Berbatov needed a goal to generate a sense of momentum going into the new season then it arrived in injury time when he finished a precise move with an effortless lob from just outside the area. It was the sort of chance that you sense would have floated agonisingly wide during the closing months of the previous campaign.
Berbatov described it as "a goal like any other" but the celebrations of his team-mates told another story. His strike clinched victory and most United players made a visible effort to mob their team-mate - none more so than skipper Nemanja Vidic.
"It was important for him," said Vidic. "He had a lot of pressure on him last year and I hope he will score more goals this season."
Of course, any analysis of United needs to be tempered by the claim of Chelsea striker Didier Drobga that many of his team-mates are lacking sharpness after joining pre-season at a late stage following their World Cup exertions.
"We saw in the match that we are not ready," said the Ivorian, who came on as a second-half substitute. "We have a lot of players who have not been training for very long."
That would explain what seemed to me to be a slightly sluggish performance. But it will undoubtedly be a much improved Chelsea that take on United when they meet in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on 18 December.

Ancelotti's side open their season with games against West Brom, Wigan and Stoke - three matches that the Blues may well regard as winnable as they move towards peak fitness. United start with a home fixture against newly-promoted Newcastle.
"We know the real business starts next week," said Giggs.
It will be a lot longer than that before we know whether United's victory over Chelsea has any real significance but the first blow of what is sure to be a long battle has been landed by United.

Man Utd Star In Lucky Escape From Car Inferno

2010-08-02T09:41:00.000+01:00

Manchester United midfielder Anderson has been pulled unconscious from the wreckage of a burning car moments before it exploded, according to reports.

The Audi was badly damaged in the smash

He escaped with only minor injuries after spending several hours in hospital following the crash on a rural road in the Geres area of Braga, Portugal.
Witnesses said the Premier League star, 22, owed his life to being pulled "lifeless" from the vehicle shortly before it went up in flames.
One witness told the Jornal de Noticias daily: "I thought he (Anderson) was dead.
"My brother dragged him out of the car, and we put out the flames before the entire car burned down."
The newspaper also quoted the Gestifute agency, Anderson's representatives, as saying: "It was an almighty fright."

Anderson signed to Manchester United for £18m three years ago

The Brazilian player had reportedly spent the night at the Sardinha Biba nightclub before leaving in a £125,000 Audi R8.
The crash is believed to have happened at 7am on Sunday morning when the car came off the road and hit the wall of a farm before flying into a field.
The vehicle had just two seats but Anderson had two companions - a friend, named Victor, and a young Brazilian woman.
It was unclear who had been behind the wheel.
All three were treated for concussion, whiplash and shock and discharged from hospital later in the morning, reports said.

Anderson and Alex Ferguson's relationship apparently became strained last season

The woman is believed to have needed the most treatment after the crash, which is being investigated by police.
It is not yet known whether the star faces charges over the accident.
Jornal de Noticias quoted Gestifute as saying the player will soon return to his Premier League club to continue his recovery from a knee injury he sustained in February.
Anderson was unable to play in the World Cup after rupturing a cruciate ligament in his left knee and was not expected to match-ready until September at the earliest.
Last season, Anderson was reported to have been docked two weeks' wages by manager Alex Ferguson for returning to Brazil without permission after they had an argument.
A spokesperson for Manchester United was unavailable for comment.

New Man United Home Kit - 2010-2011

2010-07-24T01:28:00.000+01:00

View The New United Home Kit For 2010-11 released 15th July 2010

Take a good look at Manchester United‘s new home shirt, complete with new sponsor Aon's logo.
Does it remind you of anything from the past. It has a bit of a throw back element to it. It resembles many of the kits worn by United in the late 1970s and 1980s, Rumour has it that this was the intention of the designers behind this launch. I think its a fine representation of what a United kit should look like in my honest opinion although the logo spoils it a bit. It’s a vast improvement on last season’s American style chevron design.

The Pr company behind the launch say that -
Nike tried very hard to tried very hard this season to portray the spirit of this great Manchester United Club. Red, white and black is the DNA that Man United is built on. There is a very classic touch to the appearance of the new 2010-2011 Home kit, inspired by the 1970s, and also features a collar for the first time since Nike became the team’s official kit supplier in 2002.

There are three combinations of kits for the home games: red jersey, white shorts and black socks; red jersey, black shorts and white socks; or red jersey, white shorts and white socks depending on the opponents.

The new sponsor Aon's logo is featured as always on the front of the jersey.Inside the jersey on the back of the United crest, the word believe is emblazoned. This is the United mantra which sits next to the heart, giving all United players and fan’s a sense of inner pride. The Red Devil emblem sits on the sleeve of the shirt and shorts, giving the kit an iconic finishing touch.

Overall the new 2010/2011 Home United kit is a big hit with the fans and players and truly personifies the heart and spirit of Manchester United Football Club,

Liverpool hope to tempt Joe Cole with £90,000-a-week contract offer

2010-07-19T13:33:00.000+01:00

Joe Cole is a free agent after his release from Chelsea and is expected to command a salary of around £90,000-a-week.

Liverpool hope Joe Cole will resist the lure of remaining in London and agree to become Roy Hodgson's first signing as their manager on a deal worth £90,000-a-week.The England international has held talks with Anfield officials and Tottenham Hotspur over a lucrative free transfer following his release by Chelsea. Although the early indication was that the 28-year-old wanted to stay in the capital Liverpool, who are unable to offer Cole Champions League football, believe their terms and the prospect of regular first-team football may yet entice the midfielder to Merseyside.
Hodgson, who would prefer an answer from Cole this week as he prepares a makeshift squad for Liverpool's Europa League third-round qualifier on 29 July, said: "I know we've been connected with him, and it's good to know we're connected with players of that quality, but I don't have anything to report on the subject."
Liverpool's clearout has continued with the club agreeing a £5m fee with Fiorentina for Emiliano Insua. The young Argentina defender is in Italy to discuss personal terms and would leave Liverpool without a recognised left-back should he accept the contract on offer. The club has also received a bid of around £4m from Olympiakos for Albert Riera but are holding out for closer to £5m.

Spain Take Last Quarter Final Spot

2010-06-29T23:25:00.000+01:00

With this match deemed as the clash of the tournament so far, European champions Spain survived a stern test from Portugal to claim another place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup through David Villa's goal.

Its just wo years to the day since Spain they beat Germany Euro 2008 finals to become champions. Vicente del Bosque's teamed showed class with their flowing and effective passing game to edge out their Portuguese neighbours.

Portugal will rue a succession of missed chances in the first half, as David Villa broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute with his fourth goal of the tournament, a well taken rebound from his initial shot on goal.

Ricardo Costa sent off for an off-the-ball clash with Joan Capdevila before the end but by then their fate already looked sealed.

Spain, who play Paraguay in the last eight, must have concerns over Fernando Torres lack of form, who seems to still be feeling the after-effects of the knee operation he had in April.

Torres did play his part in a bright start by Spain, cutting into the area and testing Eduardo with a curling shot, but he quickly faded and Portugal had the best openings before half-time.

Villa had also brought a fine save out of Eduardo early on, while Xavi fired a first-time shot over from a corner but, after surviving those scares, Carlos Queiroz's side not only found a way of keeping Spain at arms length, they also began to threaten at the other end.

Twice Cristiano Ronaldo tried his luck from long range with free-kicks, and on the second occasion Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas could not hold on to the ball and Gerard Pique had to mop up.

Casillas looked jittery again when he parried a pile-driver by Tiago and had to race to beat Hugo Almeida to the ball, which was dropping towards the net.

Almeida somehow missed the target after rising to meet Simao's inviting deep cross, while Tiago wasted another good opening when he nodded wide from Fabio Coentrao's driven centre.

That should have acted as a warning for Spain, but they were caught on the break again early in the second half and were lucky to escape when Almeida's cross span off Carlos Puyol and looped just beyond the far post.

Portugual failed to seriously test Casillas again after that, but it still took the introduction of striker Fernando Llorente, who came off the bench for the ineffective Torres just before the hour mark, to spark Spain into life.

Within minutes, Llorente met a Sergio Ramos cross with a diving header that went straight at Eduardo, who was relieved when Villa bent a shot round his post from the outside of the box soon afterwards.

The crowd sensed that the Spanish were in the ascendancy, and in their next attack, Xavi's clever backheel played in Villa, who had his first shot saved but lifted the rebound into the roof of the net.

Del Bosque's men grew in confidence after taking the lead and, with Ronaldo very quiet, Portugal seemed run out of ideas and just couldn't find an equaliser.

Spain should have added a second to their one goal tally with Eduardo saving from Ramos and Villa, while the ever present Llorente headed wide.

One goal decided it in the end and Spain will feel confident matched up against Paraguay in the quarter finals. Paraguay could give the Spanish a lesson in humility and are certainly not a team to be taken lightly

Released Robinho vital for Brazil

2010-06-29T17:23:00.002+01:00

Manchester City misfit Robinho might have failed to justify his £32.5m billing in the Premier League but in South Africa he is a pivotal part of Brazil's campaign to win the World Cup for the sixth time. Rested against Portugal, he returned to the Selecao in Johannesburg on Monday as Brazil defeated Chile 3-0 to book a mouth-watering quarter-final tie against the Netherlands.

Robinho was named man of the match after a performance that saw him score his first goal at the tournament - a right-footed strike of exquisite precision from the edge of the box. The 26-year-old almost added to his tally. A low, angled shot was saved by Claudio Bravo before he was later thwarted by a marginal offside decision.
Robinho started on the left but constantly switched with Kaka as the attacking duo rotated either side of central striker Luis Fabiano. We did not see a particularly high number of mesmeric stepovers from Robinho, who at times in the past has appeared to be addicted to them, but I thought it was nonetheless an adventurous performance in which he was constantly seeking out space and trying to make probing, attacking runs.
In short, a player who so often looked frustrated anchored to the left touchline at City seems to be thriving on the licence to roam that he did not have in the Premier League.

"In England, they wanted him to be a good tactical player but he is not that. He needs freedom," said 63-year-old Tostao, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1970 and scored 32 goals in 54 appearances for his country. "For Brazil, he moves freely. He starts on the left but can go to the right or the centre. He does not have a fixed position."
Robinho, who developed his skills as a young boy by dribbling around gravestones in a cemetery near his house, joined City on 1 September 2008. It was a signing that underlined the scale and ambition of the Abu Dhabi United Group that was on the verge of taking over the club.
But Robinho failed to build on a promising debut season and in January rejoined Santos, the club where he started his career, on loan.
Robinho is described in Brazil as being slightly moleque, which alludes to his cheeky and playful demeanour. But he can also be petulant.
After winning two league titles in his first spell at Santos, he refused to train in order to secure a big-money move to Real Madrid. He then threatened to strike at Madrid in order to ensure the Spanish club sanctioned a transfer to Chelsea, although he ended up in Manchester following City's late swoop.
Tostao rates Robinho highly but admits: "He is a player I hoped would become one of the best in the world but he still is lacking some maturity as a person." Tostao also points out weaknesses in Robinho's play, namely heading, tackling and, occasionally, finishing.
There are plenty of critics who argue Robinho is lucky to be in South Africa. His return to Santos helped him sharpen his game but he found himself up against rising stars Neymar and Ganso, with many in favour of them going to South Africa rather than Robinho.
But Dunga, never one to acquiesce to public opinion, left the prodigiously talented duo at home and has been heavily criticised as a result for selecting a squad heavy on defensive players and light on flair.
Tostao, such a vital component of the incredible 1970 side that triumphed in Mexico, remains unconvinced by Dunga's Brazil.
"I see a lot of imperfections," the former Selecao striker, who now works as a journalist, told me. "Brazil is a team that is a little imbalanced. The left-back Michel Bastos is very exposed because he does not have anyone to help him. Sometimes Robinho does that but if he comes back a lot he breaks the link with players like Kaka and Luis Fabiano."
I thought Brazil's defensive unit were fantastic against a Chile side that had shown an admirable willingness to attack during their previous World Cup fixtures.
Dunga selected Ramires and Dani Alves alongside Gilberto Silva in midfield because he felt their pace would help to neutralise Chile's mobile creative players - and it was a ploy that unquestionably worked. Yellow shirts swarmed all over the opposition every time a Chilean found a threatening position.
However, the defensive team Dunga has moulded in his own image means that Robinho and Kaka are of exceptional importance to Brazil. They provide the samba, maintain their nation's footballing tradition and supply Fabiano with the service he needs.
Kaka had a disappointing season spent in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid and has hardly sparkled in South Africa, although in one sublime moment against Chile he underlined his importance.

The 28-year-old played what must be the most exquisite and delicate pass of the tournament, one that unlocked the Chilean backline with surgical precision. Just one beautifully weighted touch transformed a square ball from Robinho into a pass that bisected the approaching defenders and released Fabiano for Brazil's second goal.
That moment aside, Kaka cut a largely frustrated figure and, on his return from suspension, picked up another booking for a crude and somewhat uncharacteristic challenge. He lacked the energy and willing of Robinho, who received a generous round of applause from Dunga when he was withdrawn after 85 minutes.
In truth, it was a comfortable victory for Brazil, who are certain to face a much sterner examination of their credentials when they meet the Netherlands.
And as the road narrows, Tostao is hopeful that kaka,, who seems certain to leave City on a permanent basis this summer, will keep Brazil on course for victory.
"He has an incredible ability and I am hoping that he is going to be brilliant in these few matches that are coming," concluded the great Tostao.

World Waits on England v Germany

2010-06-27T09:53:00.000+01:00

The absence of Michael Ballack due to injury has allowed Ozil to step up and be the catalyst for Germany's largely successful campaign.
While there have been questions raised over the player's consistency, Ozil claims he is in the right frame of mind for the biggest game of his career.
Ozil said in the Sunday Mirror: "I don't feel under pressure when I play. I play with freedom and therefore enjoy my football. Besides, there is no greater pressure than the pressure you put on yourself. I have a typical German mentality and I hate losing. If we were to go out and get beaten by England, while there is no shame in that, I wouldn't be happy."
"We are only focused on victory and have given no thought to losing the game. But we are a young side that are enjoying playing without pressure and that gives us an advantage over an England side who were strongly tipped to do well in the World Cup.
"Of course, I know about the rivalry between the two sides but maybe I'm too young to fully appreciate it. Nonetheless, it doesn't make me any less determined to go out and win. On their day England are a formidable nation and so far they have had an indifferent start to their World Cup campaign.

"But some teams have a habit of starting slow and growing in confidence as the tournament unfolds. It's amazing what a win can do for your confidence. But any results that have preceded this are irrelevant. It's how we perform over 90 minutes that counts, not about the achievements of past German sides and the results they have gained against England.
"This is a very different German side to those that have gone before us. We don't play to grind out results, we are a very offensive unit and bring more entertainment to the pitch."
Ozil says victory will almost certainly eclipse the emphatic 4-0 Under-21 victory he enjoyed over England last year in the European Championship final.
"Great achievements are built over an entire career and this is the biggest stage in the world and a victory will have more significance for me," he said. "I would settle for a similar result today, but my gut feeling is that this time it will be a lot closer."

Spain Progress To Face Portugal In Titan Clash

2010-06-26T09:19:00.000+01:00

Spain's unquestionable class edged them past a gifted but ill-disciplined Chile team who deservedly joined the European champions in qualifying for the World Cup's knockout stages.

Vicente del Bosque's side have still not clicked in South Africa - the South Americans put them under considerable pressure before being controversially reduced to 10 men before half-time in Pretoria.
But flashes of individual brilliance from striker David Villa & fit-again midfielder Andres Iniesta sealed a last-16 clash against Portugal on Tuesday as they ran out Group H winners despite a shock defeat to Switzerland in their opening match.

Chile, who picked up six red cards in qualifying, must face five-time winners Brazil on Monday without their strongest team after two key players were lost to suspension. In the first half they threatened to take charge with admirable invention before losing their way a little.

After dominating possession but failing to score in that surprise 1-0 loss to the Swiss, Spain vowed they would not sacrifice their rich attacking instincts for a win-at-all costs philosophy.
Needing two points to guarantee progression, they started this match on the front foot - but Fernando Torres spurned one half-chances & the Liverpool striker clearly looked like a man still feeling his back injury.

Yet the European champions were soon being cut open as Chile, whom some observers think about to be a South American version of France, attacked them with short incisive passes & constant movement off the ball in support of their team-mates.
Coached by Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, they could have taken a 10th-minute lead after a amazing move saw Jean Beausejour - a winger who plays for Club America in the Mexico - execute a smart one-two with Jorge Valdivia, but Mark Gonzalez failed to connect properly along with his low cross.
In a rare struggle to monopolise the ball, Spain looked worried - but while Chile worked overtime to establish the upper hand they lost their discipline - both Gary Medel & Waldo Ponce were rightly booked for disagreeable tackles & will miss the match against Brazil.

Firmly against the run of play, Spain's first score came fortuitously.
Gerard Pique over-hit a long pass out of defence - which the out-of-sorts Torres was seldom likely to reach - but Chile goalkeeper & captain Claudio Bravo foolishly raced out of his penalty area to clear unsuccessfully in to the path of Villa.

Lurking near the left touchline as the ball squirmed towards him, Barcelona's new £35m signing Villa instantly guided it over Bravo in to the net - along with his weaker left foot - from all of 40 yards.
Undaunted, the ever-threatening Beausejour raced away from Spain's back-line as they created a dangerous one-on-one with keeper Iker Casillas - but Pique sped back to make a vital block.
Smart Iniesta, who has struggled for fitness historically two months, then gave the Spanish what looked like some breathing space with a usually classy second goal, executing snappy give-and-go exchanges with first Torres & then Villa before coolly guiding the ball in to Bravo's far corner with breathtaking simplicity.
The largest flashpoint moment of the match occurred in the build-up to that objective, as Torres went down following his pass after what looked like an accidental trip from behind by Marco Estrada.
Referee Marco Rodriguez obviously saw the incident differently as they gave Estrada a second yellow card.
Only when Chile were down to 10 men did Iniesta and Xavi start dictating the flow of the match with the impressive passing triangles they execute for Barcelona week-in week-out.
Recognising this, Bielsa made one change at half-time - two minutes after the interval substitute Rodrigo Millar, who had replaced Gonzalez, put the South Americans firmly back in to the match.
Finding space for himself among a posse of defenders outside the box, his snapshot took a evil deflection off Pique to loop high past a flailing Casillas.
Chile needed an early goal to put themselves back in the frame to finish top, but Spain needed to capitalize on having the additional man.
With Torres clearly struggling, on came Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas in his place as Del Bosque tweaked his side's formation to leave Villa at the spearhead of their assault.

See Highlights Of Spain v Chile

Although they prospered off the responsibility and set about terrorising the manful Chile defence with real class and wit, clear chances were at a premium as the match became more squeezed with both teams eyeing greater challenges ahead; namely a place in the quarter-finals.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today....Italia 90

2010-06-25T13:11:00.000+01:00

It was 20 years ago to day that Packie Bonner famously saved Daniel Timofte's penalty in the shoot out against Romania in the 1990 Fifa World Cup in Italy. David O'Leary went on to score the winning penalty to put Ireland through to the quarter finals against Italy.

It was a time that is now the core of Irish sporting history. Ireland at the time was in an economic slump which began to make a recovery right after Italia 90. Many people say this recovery was due to the feel good factor caused by the World Cup, and captured the imagination of an entire Irish population. Never mind where you were when JFK was shot but more to the point, where were you when Packie saved the ball, or O'Leary put the ball in the net. Wow. all the sensations are flooding back to me as I'm writing this post and they are still vivid to me, they always will be.

With France now out of the World Cup, we as Irish people must feel some sort of attonement and justice after the cheating hand of Thierry Henry scuppered our valiant attempts to proceed to South Africa 2010.
I feel if the Irish were there they would have fought for that right to be there. They wouldn't have finished bottom of the group like the French did. They would have worn the green jersey with pride, unlike some of the superstars of Les Bleus.

Anyway we still have our memories and dreams and the Euro qualifiers coming up to look forward to, we also have our new stadium and a young talented team to support, Cmon ye boys in green.

Where were you when Packie saved that penalty?......

Reigning Champions Italy Crash Out Of World Cup

2010-06-24T17:33:00.000+01:00

Holders Italy have been knocked out of this year's World Cup in the group stages after they were beaten by Slovakia 3-2.

Italy's Vincenzo Iaquinta reacts to a missed chance against Slovakia

The Slovakians and Paraguay both go through to the last 16 from Group F.
Paraguay, who drew 0-0 with New Zealand, finished top of the table.
They will play the runners-up in Group E - Netherlands, Denmark or Japan - in the second round next Tuesday.
World Cup first-timers Slovakia, who shocked Italy at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, came second in the table and will play the Group E winners on Monday in Durban.
Slovakia striker Robert Vittek scored after 25 and 73 minutes and Kamil Kopunek added a third in the 89th.
Antonio Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella scored for Italy.
Some of the Italian players were seen crying on the pitch after the defeat.

England Wakes Up To World Cup

2010-06-24T13:16:00.000+01:00

The inquests can go on hold as England's World Cup campaign finally showed belated signs of life on the edge of the Indian Ocean - and no-one was more relieved than Fabio Capello.

Capello's elation at the win against Slovenia, a result that ensured England avoided the humiliation of failing to negotiate the group stages for the first time since 1958, was so all-consuming that the Italian's guard momentarily slipped.
At the final whistle, he allowed himself a rare display of public affection as he embraced James Milner and Matthew Upson, then delivered a post-match analysis that, for Capello at least, almost bordered on the flamboyant.
It may have been a victory against the smallest nation at this World Cup, but the price of defeat was so high its cost would have been shared by Capello, his players and the Football Association.

Highlights - England v Slovenia (UK users only)

Capello's undisguised joy was understandable. The man who prides himself on being impervious to pressure showed he is as vulnerable as anyone as the valve was released when referee Wolfgang Stark concluded events at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
He had set the scene for the biggest game of his tenure by insisting he was "not crazy" to think England could still reach the World Cup final.
Hard evidence was impossible to detect before England met Slovenia, especially in the dire deadlock with Algeria. This was hardly concrete proof that England are contenders to win the tournament, but at least there were signs they might make yet make a serious impact in South Africa.
At the end of a week when Capello and England's players were rightly pilloried for their performance against Algeria and there was talk of a mini-revolt behind the iron gates of their Rustenburg training base, a World Cup exit in Port Elizabeth was unthinkable.
It would have, in all likelihood, ended Capello's reign and failure on such a scale might also have resulted in a wide-ranging investigation into the very fabric of English football.
So victory was Capello and England's only option, no matter how they achieved it. The fact that England did it with something approaching style was an added bonus.
Capello revealed he even loosened the strings by offering his players the chance of a beer the night before the game, an offer that was apparently refused. And he was in expansive mood as he looked like a man who had been reacquainted with old friends.
He claimed England's spirit had been rediscovered and they were now ready to meet all the challenges ahead. Quite a reacton - some might say over-reaction - to a win against a country with more brown bears than professional footballers.
And challenges there will be, with a last 16 meeting against Germany in Bloemfontein followed by a potential quarter-final confrontation with Diego Maradona's Argentina.
As so many negatives have surrounded England and Capello, it is a relief to report genuine signs of progress, although this all must be placed in context by the standard of opposition.
And England cannot escape the charge that their failings in draws against the United States and Algeria have presented them with a hazardous World Cup path to negotiate.
Capello's big calls against the United States were criticised here. Robert Green's selection in goal had catastrophic consequences, injury-plagued Ledley King did not last the course and James Milner was replaced after 30 minutes.
England's coach deserves credit this time. Jermain Defoe justified his selection with the winner, a lesson for Capello who finally accepted Emile Heskey's role as non-scoring striker was no longer viable, while Milner returned to create the goal and finally provide proper service from the flanks.
Capello's big players also rose to the occasion. Steven Gerrard, England's best player in South Africa so far, was the pick again as he drove forward relentlessly and reaped the benefit from playing in closer attendance to Wayne Rooney.
The pair looked more potent without Capello tampering too much with his tried and trusted 4-4-2 framework. Without getting carried away, it is the foundation for increased optimism about England.
And in defence Terry was outstanding, proving once again that he has the strength of character to park off-the-field controversies when the action starts.
England played with the high tempo that suits them, looked better on the ball with Gareth Barry having a greater influence until he tired.
Rooney's fitness still remains a worry as he nurses an ankle injury. He has also temporarily lost his touch in front of goal, but there was enough good signs to offer encouragement.
The result has wider significance in lifting a cloud that has hung over England since their arrival in Rustenburg. Capello's men finally looked like they were enjoying their work at long last.
England beating Slovenia is not a cause for national pride or rejoicing, more a sense of relief, and it would be a return to old failings if the law was suddenly laid down to teams who have shown far more since the World Cup started.
But England and Capello should be thankful for small mercies. They can now plan for the last 16 as opposed to flying out of Johannesburg and into one of the biggest storms of criticism they have ever faced.

Under Performers France Bow Out Of World Cup

2010-06-22T17:43:00.002+01:00

South Africa bowed out of the World Cup with a great 2-1 win over 10-man France at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. Bafana Bafana only lost out on advances through goal differential as they were tied on points with Mexico but became the first host nation not to advance from the group stage.

South Africa got a dream start when Khumalo rose over Abou Diaby at the back post to head in the opening goal in the 20th minute. The goal sent the crowd and the vuvuzelas into high volume as a nation celebrated.

The goal gave the host hopes of advancing. South Africa needed a win and a Mexico loss and to make up 4 goals to advance.

South Africa grabbed another advantage when Yoann Gourcuff was shown a red card in the 25th minute. The Bordeaux midfielder went up strong in the South Africa box but was seen by the referee to have lead with his elbow to the face of Sibaya.

The improbably gave a hint at becoming a reality when Mphela knocked in a ball from close range by over powering the French defender in the 37th minute.

Les Bleus settled in for the second half and had better shape with their 10-mandefense and did well to create opportunities on the other end. They finally broke through when Florent Malouda scored into an open net in the 70th minute. Franck Ribery set the goal up with his run down the right flank forcing South Africa’s stand in goalkeeper Josephs to come off his line before slotting it into the center for an unmarked Malouda.

The goal took some of the air out of South Africa but they still pushed for more goals. Opening match hero Tshabalala had several great chances to increase the lead – his best coming 3 minutes into injury time – but could not find the magic from their start of the tournament.

French dressing down leaves stars in tears

2010-06-22T13:35:00.000+01:00

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa — A French minister reduced the country's disgraced World Cup stars to tears as she gave them a dressing down over their tantrums ahead of their final group game on Tuesday.
With the whole of France outraged at the antics of the millionaire footballers in refusing to train and threatening to boycott the match against South Africa, Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot said she had told the players they are a "moral disaster"."They applauded me and they were crying," Bachelot said of the encounter at the team camp on Monday night.
A French Football Federation official, Henri Monteil, said many young players were again in tears when they went to coach Raymond Domenech's room to apologise for the strike that started after Nicolas Anelka was sent home for insulting Domenech.
"I told the players that they are perhaps no longer heros for our children," Bachelot told reporters.
"It is the dreams of your partners, your friends, your supporters that you have broken. It is the image of France that you have tarnished."
She went on: "I said to the players that French football was confronting a disaster, not because it had lost a match, but because this disaster is a moral disaster."
Bachelot said she told the stars that "nothing will be the same again" during what she called "an extremely emotional meeting" when she saw tears in the eyes of the players.
France's World Cup campaign has been in disarray since the 2-0 defeat to Mexico. Anelka was replaced at half-time after his slanging match with Domenech and was later expelled from the team camp.
The players refused to train on Sunday and Domenech said later that it was possible some might boycott Tuesday's game against South Africa which it has to win handsomely to have any hope of reaching the second round.
Bachelot said she had spoken to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon before delivering her dressing down. She said measures will be taken to reform the French football federation after the World Cup fiasco.
She vowed to continue "the combat for the financial moralisation of sport" and to improve the game's professional conduct. She said that any player who did not agree to a new charter would not be selected for France.
Amidst bitter recriminations over the player protests, federation secretary general Monteil said that the ringleaders were finished in the French squad.
"Anyway, the three or four leaders are players on the decline, who will never play again in the World Cup," Monteil was quoted as saying by the Charente Libre newspaper.
"Who are they? I don't know ... (William) Gallas, (Eric) Abidal, maybe (Thierry) Henry, who is friends with Anelka," he added.
Monteil said he saw young players in tears as they went to Domenech's room at the team hotel to apologise for the protests.
Domenech has described the team protests as "unspeakably stupid".
The French antics have led to angry protests at home with sponsors withdrawing and some towns even taking down giant screens put up to watch the national team's World Cup games.
The final group game also became a political event for South Africa, which was desperate to avoid becoming the first hosts to drop out of the World Cup in the first round.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu led attempts to rally national support behind the Bafana Bafana national team. Tutu's call was splashed across front pages, with The Star newspaper's banner proclaiming: "Storm the Bastille, Bafana".
"As South Africans, we need to pat ourselves on the back for having achieved something very special in terms of developing fantastic infrastructure, ensuring that it works, and uniting our people," he said.
Organisers have sought to divert attention away from the bitter divisions in the French squad and to a lesser extent in England other top teams.
"It's a wonderful success story so far," the tournament's top organiser Danny Jordaan told a news conference.

World Cup 2010: France stars 'may boycott match'

2010-06-22T13:30:00.000+01:00

France in turmoil after training row

France coach Raymond Domenech has said some of his players may refuse to face South Africa because of Nicolas Anelka's expulsion from the squad.

The Chelsea striker was sent home for verbally abusing Domenech during last week's 2-0 defeat by Mexico.
When asked whether some of his squad might not play on Tuesday, the coach said: "It is a possibility."
Domenech also labelled the players' decision to boycott Sunday's training session as "an aberration".
They refused to take part in protest at Anelka's expulsion, in a situation that has escalated to such an extent the French government have felt the necessity to intervene.

The forward was said to have abused Domenech at half-time during France's second group game, which led to the 31-year-old being substituted.
Anelka later refused to apologise when asked to do so by French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes.
As a consequence, a statement was issued by the FFF stating that Anelka had been excluded from the squad, a measure supported by Domenech.

"Nobody can behave in such a way in the dressing room or elsewhere and high-level sportsmen and women have to lead by example through football," he added.
The boycott of training led to FFF's managing director Jean-Louis Valentin quitting his post.
France captain Evra was also involved in a heated argument with fitness coach Robert Duverne prior to the scheduled session, which required the intervention of Domenech.

Sports minister Roselyne Bachelot revealed an official investigation would be conducted into the incident after the tournament.
Acting on the instructions of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Bachelot confronted the players and then held an impromptu media briefing at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
"The government has had to intervene as the reputation at France is at stake in this case," said Bachelot.
"I told the players they had tarnished the image of France," she commented. "It is a morale disaster for French football.
"I told them they could no longer be heroes for our children. They have destroyed the dreams of their countrymen, their friends and supporters."
According to a senior FFF official, the squad's training boycott was prompted by several players.
"The three or four leaders are players past their prime who will never play a World Cup again," FFF general secretary Henri Monteil told French daily newspaper La Charente Libre.

Later on Sunday, the French coach read out a statement on behalf of the players but was keen to add that he had not supported the boycott.
"We had to do something - the French people had a right to know," added Domenech.
"What I should have said at the end of the message was that I did not support this action.
"With the FFF president and staff members, we tried to convince them it was stupid. I disagreed with the document. What they were doing was unthinkable.
"We've wasted a lot of energy. There are no words to explain what has happened. I'm hoping we will now have action on the pitch rather than off it."
France are on the verge of making an early World Cup exit, having picked up only one point from two games.
They need to beat South Africa on Tuesday by a large score and hope that Uruguay and Mexico do not draw their match.

Players 'like seven-year-olds who don't respect the teacher', says French fan

Meanwhile, in France, the national media have largely condemned the players' actions.
French sports paper L'Equipe wrote: "A rebellion? No, a caprice. A strike? No, cowardliness. Don't deceive yourself. The republican solidarity that our players showed the world yesterday is an illusion.
"Evra has once and for all shown that he has muddled up the role of captain with that of a gang leader.
"Domenech, by lending a hand to this masquerade and reading out himself the players' statement, has missed his final opportunity to show some style and courage."
Newspaper Le Figaro added: "It is collective suicide... the French team has heaped ridicule on itself in front of the whole world at Knysna.
"It was almost hallucinatory. This is a psychodrama that will go down in the history of the World Cup. The French team has been reduced to ashes."

Brazil Progress As Kaka Sees Red

2010-06-21T08:19:00.000+01:00

Brazil progressed to the knockout stages of the World Cup with an efficient rather than effervescent performance against a subdued Ivory Coast.

The scoreline may suggest otherwise but the South Americans lacked the vintage Brazilian sparkle - although they produced moments of brilliance during an incident-packed second-half.

Luis Fabiano scored twice - a fine first-half strike, then a second goal with a dubious hint of handball - and Elano slotted in ahead of Didier Drogba's headed consolation.

But it was a mixed evening for Brazil's playmaker Kaka, who was harshly sent off late in the game after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession.

Kaka saw yellow in the 85th minute for pushing Yaya Toure and a minute later was sent from the field when Abdelkader Keita collapsed holding his face after an innocuous collision between the players which did not warrant a booking.

Prior to that, Kaka - who in the build-up had been the focus of much speculation regarding his lack of form - showed glimpses of the player who was named World Footballer of the Year back in 2007.

He put Luis Fabiano through for the striker's beautifully-taken opening goal and played a role in Elano's second-half strike which sealed Brazil's victory.

Drogba, a mere 16 days after breaking his elbow, started for the Ivory Coast to spearhead an attacking 4-3-3 formation, but the Africans added little oomph to the proceedings.

The Elephants manager Sven-Goran Eriksson had predicted his team would "create a surprise", yet there was little hope of that as they defended deep and allowed Brazil to play at their own pace.

There had been signs over the last few days that the World Cup had moved up a gear, but this game started with the tentativeness which had marred previous matches.

Luis Fabiano's goal thankfully lit up the first half. The Sevilla striker's back-heel to Kaka sparked a nice one-two which finished with a venomous shot into the roof of the net from an acute angle.

Ivory Coast changed their formation after the break with Drogba playing on his own in front of a five-man midfield, but they soon had a mountain to climb as Luis Fabiano struck again.

The striker flicked the ball over one defender, jinked beyond another to clinically finish with a left-footed shot from close range. There was suspicion of handball in his final movement but there were little complaints from Ivory Coast.

Brazil upped the tempo on the hour and Kaka should have finished the best move of the match with a goal but instead he shot straight at Boubacar Copa.

He made amends moments later as he shimmied past a couple of defenders and passed across goal for Elano to side-foot home for his second goal of the tournament.

Ten minutes before the end, Yaya Toure's ball over the top found Drogba who headed home into the corner for a goal which could prove to be significant to Ivory Coast's hopes of qualifying.

England Fail To Deliver Against Gutsy Algerians

2010-06-19T01:09:00.004+01:00

England's World Cup hopes hang in the balance as they were held to a disappointing draw by Algeria after a wretched display in Cape Town.

Fabio Capello's side now need to beat Slovenia on Wednesday to ensure qualification to the knockout stages.

England felt the full force of the fury of the thousands of fans who flooded Cape Town in the vain hope of seeing a performance that improved on their first draw against the United States in Rustenburg.

Instead, they were rewarded with a performance that was the worst of Capello's reign, with Algeria fully deserving the point they celebrated with such elation at the final whistle.

England looked jaded and lacking inspiration, with Algeria goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi barely troubled apart from one sharp first-half save from Frank Lampard.

And another major worry for Capello was the desperately poor showing from the player who carries so much of England's World Cup hopes, Wayne Rooney. The Manchester United star has rarely looked so out of sorts for club or country, even struggling to keep the ball under control and wasting possession on a consistent basis.

Rooney also appeared to be struggling with a knock in the closing stages, inflicting more anxiety on Capello as he endured a nightmare on his 64th birthday.

The 24-year-old Rooney was also captured on camera responding angrily to the reaction of the England supporters as he left the field, saying "Nice to see your own fans booing you."

But Rooney could hardly have expected them to deliver resounding applause after being subjected to such torture from their team for 90 minutes.

England will be grateful to at least still have the opportunity to progress into the knockout stage, but after the thrilling meeting between Slovenia and the United States illuminated Group C only hours earlier, Capello's players succeeded only in throwing a wet blanket over this encounter.

If they do not improve against Slovenia, and there is ample room on this grim evidence, then England will be making a premature departure from the World Cup.

And as if life was not difficult enough Capello will also be forced into yet another change at the back with centre-back Jamie Carragher - in the side after injuries ruled out Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King - picking up a booking which will keep him out of Wednesday's crucial game.

As expected, Capello recalled David James in goal and dropped Robert Green, excluded after his error against the United States in England's opening game and a nervous performance in training on the eve of this meeting with Algeria.

The return of Gareth Barry was designed to give England shape and a midfield foundation - but the first half ranked with the worst served up during Capello's tenure.

Algeria, for long periods, were more comfortable in possession than England, who looked heavy-legged and lacking any spark or inspiration.

It took 29 minutes for England to test Algeria keeper Bolhi, when he fell low to clutch Steven Gerrard's shot, and he was to distinguish himself further three minutes later when he denied Frank Lampard from close range.

Capello was reduced to a frustrated, gesticulating figure in his technical area and his businesslike march to the dressing room at the interval was surely a signal that some brutal truths were about to aimed in the direction of his players.

England's efforts after the break showed no marked improvement, and Capello waited until just after the hour before he could no longer resist the temptation to make a change, sending on Shaun Wright-Phillips for the disappointing Aaron Lennon.

And with 16 minutes left and England lacking ideas, Capello removed Emile Heskey - by no means England's worst performer in this dismal show - and giving Jermain Defoe the opportunity to make an impact.

It was to no avail, and the angry reaction of England's fans at the final whistle delivered the telling verdict on this shambolic showing.

World Cup 2010: David James set to play against Algeria

2010-06-18T16:22:00.001+01:00

Green Looks Out Of Capello's Plan

Green slip gifts USA equaliser

England coach Fabio Capello is likely to drop Robert Green and play the experienced David James in Friday's World Cup match against Algeria in Cape Town, BBC Sport understands.
Green's error gifted the United States a 1-1 draw in the group opener in Rustenburg, and the West Ham keeper was unconvincing in a final training session at the Green Point Stadium on Thursday.
"Green was unimpressive in training in Cape Town on Thursday night," said BBC Sport's Phil McNulty. "He fumbled a couple of pretty routine shots from England goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence, which did not inspire confidence.

"England coach Fabio Capello had made it clear he was watching Green closely for any vital signs that his confidence had been dented by the mistake against the United States - and it may just be that the goalkeeper's jittery display has convinced him of the need for change."
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar believes Capello would be right to make a change.
"Even before the game against the United States, I felt there was only one keeper who Capello could play - and that was David James because he is so experienced and is used to playing at the highest level," Grobbelaar told BBC Sport.
"There can be no excuses for the mistake Green made. It was nothing to do with the ball - it didn't move through the air.
"The fact is that Fabio Capello should not have put Robert Green in goal. He has never played in a match of such magnitude and neither has Joe Hart. They should just be there as back-up keepers; David James should be in the England goal.
"Capello has got two choices but nobody knows what those choices are going to be because he is Capello. In my opinion, I would start with James because if he stays loyal and gives Green another chance just to keep his confidence up, then what happens if he makes another mistake and England go out?
"He should play David James, put Green on the bench and if James was to get injured then he could bring Green back in."
Grobbelaar made 33 international appearances for Rhodesia and Zimbabwe and more than 400 for Liverpool.
The 52-year-old, working for a South African broadcaster at the World Cup, believes West Ham keeper Green needs to show great determination to bounce back after his costly error.

Capello tight-lipped on keeper choice

"I made many mistakes in my career, including a few soft goals like the one conceded by Green. What you have to do is just get over it - and the sooner the better. Some keepers never recover from mistakes like that but you have to get yourself together and come back as a better player."
Despite their stuttering start to the tournament, Grobbelaar still fancies England to go from strength-to-strength at the World Cup.
"Capello has got the squad that can go all the way to the final, he really has. He's got a team with a lot of passion and what they have to do is to stick together and make sure they do themselves justice," he added.
Gareth Barry has already been confirmed as a starter against Algeria with Capello yet to reveal who will play in goal or whether Emile Heskey or Jermain Defoe will partner Wayne Rooney in attack.

France In Turmoil As Mexico Show Class

2010-06-17T23:30:00.000+01:00

Two second-half goals gave Mexico their first ever victory over France to leave El Tri well-placed to make the last 16 and the 2006 runners-up on the verge of elimination.

Mexico were the brighter of the two throughout but were unable to take any of their chances until just after the hour, when substitute and new Man United player Javier Hernandez broke the offside trap and rounded keeper Hugo Lloris before slotting home.

Another Mexican substitute, the 37-year-old Cuauhtemoc Blanco, sealed the victory from the penalty spot after a third replacement, Pablo Barrera, had been felled in the box.

It leaves Mexico level at the top of Group A with Uruguay and a draw between those two sides in their final game in Rustenburg would send France out of the tournament.

Mexico and France met in the first ever World Cup finals match in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930, with Les Bleus cruising to a 4-1 victory, but this keenly contested encounter was never likely to reproduce such a scoreline.

Both teams showed greater endeavour than in their drawn opening games, with France in particular looking more lively, but for long periods neither possessed the cutting edge to truly punish their opponents.

The French squad is reportedly in disarray, with suggestions of a training ground bust-up between coach Raymond Domenech and midfielder Florent Malouda, who was not selected for their uninspired 0-0 draw with Uruguay, and they have been criticised by former midfielder Zinedine Zidane.

However, Malouda was recalled in place of Yoann Gourcuff in a line-up that kept faith with a world class strike-force, spearheaded by Nicolas Anelka, that has failed to register an international goal since last November.

Malouda showed rare glimpses of the form he showed throughout last season for Chelsea, forcing Mexico keeper Oscar Perez to palm over early in the second half, having earlier begun a free-kick routine straight off the training ground that saw Frank Ribery flash a drive across goal.

This was the closest Ribery would come to affecting the game from his central playmaker role and, as against Uruguay, Anelka was largely anonymous and was replaced at half-time by Andre-Pierre Gignac, who also offered little in his 45 minutes on the pitch.

Mexico's attack is exciting but too often lightweight. Their forwards missed numerous chances in their opening 1-1 draw with hosts South Africa but all three players retained their place in the side - although Arsenal striker Carlos Vela was forced off with an injury on the half hour with only one skied shot to his name.

Another member of their attacking triumvirate, Tottenham's Giovani Dos Santos, produced another lively display to match the one he produced against South Africa and, but for Patrice Evra's presence, would have been able to get greater purchase on a shot that bobbled wide just before half-time.

Mexico's chief offensive weapon in the first half was left-back Oscar Salcido, who regularly found himself in advanced positions, but his execution could not match his intent.

He had two good shooting opportunities in the first half but from the first he shot wide of the far post from 25 yards, and then saw a close-range effort blocked by France keeper Lloris after William Gallas had inexplicably backed away from Salcido's run.

The opening of the second half had seen a clear dip in quality from what had been a decent first 45 minutes, but two positive Mexican substitutes - Hernandez and Blanco - altered that, with a third, Vela's replacement Barrera, also playing a part.

In the 64th minute, Marquez chipped a ball forward from midfield, Eric Abidal played the Manchester United-bound striker onside and with the French defence static and begging for offside, Hernandez was able to advance onwards, skip round Lloris and slot into the vacated goal.

France's response was meek at best but the Mexicans, by now full of confidence, continued to press and were rewarded when Barrera was tripped and Blanco charged in from outside the box to dispatch his penalty into the right-hand corner of the net.

Overall the French never entered this race. They seemed to have no passion or leadership on the pitch unlike the Mexicans who exuded passion and belief and great technical ability. Domenech must now reflect on his decision to omit Karim Benzema from this team of contradiction. The flare players who put on a show week in week out for their domestic clubs never showed up, they didn't gel. France have it all to do against a disappointing South Africa and also hope that Mexico and Uraguay dont draw. Maybe the French shouldn't have been at the final after all, maybe karma has come around on the french cancelling out the infamous handball against the Irish in Paris.

As Gary Linekar said tonight on MOTD, "they'll be dancing on the streets of Mexico City tonight and Dublin..."

World Cup 2010: North Korea Make Brazil Work For Points

2010-06-16T11:24:00.000+01:00

Highlights - Brazil 2-1 North Korea

North Korea coach Kim Jong-Hun is confident his team will do well in their remaining Group G games despite losing 2-1 to Brazil in Johannesburg.

The Koreans proved more than capable opponents for a Brazilian side who secured victory courtesy of second-half strikes from Maicon and Elano.
Ji Yun-nam scored a consolation goal to boost the side ahead of difficult games against Portugal and Ivory Coast.
Kim Jong-Hun said: "My players fought well. We'll do well in the next games."
Brazil were expected to comfortably beat North Korea, a team 105th in the Fifa world rankings.
But the five-time World Cup winners endured a difficult first half as the Asian side - making their first World Cup appearance in 44 years - proved resilient in defence and skilful on the counter-attack.

North Korea were making their first appearance at a World Cup since 1966

A magical strike from Maicon in the 55th minute gave Brazil the lead and Elano soon doubled the score thanks to a defence-splitting pass from the lively Robinho.
But with two minutes remaining, Ji Yun-nam scored a deserved goal as a team of previously unknown players announced themselves to the world.
"The Brazilian team is very strong," added Kim Jong Hun. "For the first half our players really carried out our plan for the Brazilian team.
"When they were attacking from the sides or the wings, or at individual players, we managed to fend them off.
"We were very well prepared to fight against any of their tactics and when we intercepted the ball we passed very quickly.
"In the second half Brazil were more on the attack but we tried to find a goal opportunity. I thought we fought quite bravely."

bbc sport

Italy fight back to hold Paraguay

2010-06-14T23:00:00.000+01:00

World champions Italy had to fight back from a goal down to earn a point against Paraguay as they began the defence of their crown with an unconvincing draw.

Marcello Lippi's side looked like they would be on the wrong end of the first major shock of the 2010 World Cup when they fell behind to Antolin Alcaraz's first-half header but an error from the South American side's goalkeeper Justo Villa gifted Daniele de Rossi an equaliser.

The ageing Azzurri, who featured five of their 2006 winning team in their starting line-up, looked short of ideas going forward and also have a concern over the fitness of legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who was forced off at half-time with an apparent back injury.

Italy did avoid their first defeat in their opening game of a World Cup since losing to the Republic of Ireland in New York in 1994 but this was not a performance to reassure their army of travelling fans that they are in any sort of shape to defend their title.

In the absence of the injured Andrea Pirlo, who is expected to return later in the group stage, it fell on Simone Pepe to try to open up the Paraguayan defence, but it was only in the closing stages of the game that he and his side managed any sustained spells of pressure.

Lippi's men dominated possession but their opponents' disciplined and regimented approach, in some ways reminiscent of many cautious Azzurri sides in the past, held firm.

Italy's best opening of the first half hour actually came on the break when Riccardo Montolivo dispossessed Salvatore Bocchetti on the half-way line but, after running to the edge of the area, his low shot barely tested Villar.

At the other end, Paraguay were growing in confidence and they had already wasted a couple of decent shooting chances when they stunned the world champions by taking the lead after 39 minutes.

Aureliano Torres curled in a wicked free-kick and Alcaraz leapt to beat Fabio Cannavaro and De Rossi and power home his header into the corner of the net.

Things got even worse for Italy at half-time when goalkeeper Buffon, another survivor of 2006 and still the anchor of their side, had to be replaced by Federico Marchetti.

Paraguay continued to look comfortable after the break and Enrique Vera came close to adding a second when he drove a fierce shot over the bar when the ball broke to him in the area.

But Italy were gifted an equaliser by the sort of goalkeeping howler that we have become used to in the opening days of this World Cup.

Villar flapped horribly at Pepe's corner and missed his attempted punch, allowing the onrushing De Rossi to force the ball the home from close range.

Italy looked a lot sharper after equalising and ended the stronger side but they were still finding things frustrating in the final third and had to settle for shots from distance.

Pepe fired wide after cutting in from the right and Montolivo had a low effort turned round the post before the end but the Paraguayans held on for the draw that their performance merited.

Germans tear Aussies apart

2010-06-13T23:54:00.000+01:00

Klose: Slides with joy after scoring his 11th World Cup goal

The new-look Germany made light work of 10-man Australia to kick-off their World Cup campaign with an impressive 4-0 win in Durban.

Joachim Low's youthful outfit dismantled their ageing Group D opponents to top the table alongside Ghana, who beat Serbia 1-0 earlier in the day, after becoming the first side in the South Africa finals to score more than two goals.
Lukas Podolski put the Germans in front within eight minutes with an unstoppable drive after latching onto Thomas Muller's centre.

Miroslav Klose extended his World Cup scoring spree as he took advantage of some lax Australia defending to head home his 11th finals goal from Philipp Lahm's searching cross.

Tim Cahill became the fourth player to see red in this year's tournament after the Socceroos midfielder's clumsy challenge on Bastian Schweinsteiger before Muller scored his first goal in national colours in the 68th minute.

And there was time for Cacau to come off the bench and add a fourth two minutes later, as Low's side rubber-stamped their World Cup credentials with an emphatic win at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Wise move

Low, whose side had not lost a group game since 1994, handed out-of-form Klose the lone striker's role and it proved a wise move.

The men from Down Under had the better of the opening stages and came close to taking the lead in the third minute.

During a scramble in the area, Richard Garcia's close-range shot was blocked by Lahm.

The Germans responded shortly after, with an unmarked Klose surging inside the area and hitting a right-footed strike towards the centre of goal which Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer parried away.

Podolski made no mistake seconds later. He got behind Muller's pull back from the right and drove the ball in from 15 yards. Schwarzer managed to get a fist on the ball but it was too hot for the Fulham shot-stopper to handle.

Jason Culina could have restored parity in the 17th minute but he nodded high from Brett Emerton's cross.

Midway through the first half, Klose missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0. The veteran got behind Podolski's cross and struck the ball wide from the heart of the area.
Sloppy defending

Klose made amends shortly after as he extended his team's lead in the 26th minute after sloppy defending by Australia.

Schwarzer came off his line and got to Klose just as the striker headed home from Lahm's cross from the right.

On the half-hour mark, captain Lucas Neill managed to clear Mesut Ozil's goalbound shot with Schwarzer already beaten.

Germany's Sami Khedira headed high over the crossbar as Germany went into the break after a near-perfect first half.

Australia coach Pim Verbeek brought on Brett Holman at half-time in the hope of sparking his team into life.

Holman tried to make an immediate impact but his diagonal shot went wide of Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's far post.

Australia's hopes then nose-dived when Cahill was shown a straight red card for a tackle from behind on Schweinsteiger.

With one man short, Australia struggled to stop Germany's advances and conceded shortly after the hour mark.

Muller got away from his marker before lashing home a shot in off the post.

Australia had little time to react as Germany struck again two minutes later - Ozil surged down the left and cut it back for Brazilian-born striker Cacau to slot past Schwarzer.

Man of the match: Thomas Muller. Always a danger and deserved his well-taken goal. Narrowly gets the nod over the outstanding Mesut Ozil and Phillip Lahm.

Moment of the match: Ozil, Muller and Lukas Podolski combining to wonderful effect to score the first goal.

Attempt of the match: Ozil's chip over Mark Schwarzer that was cleared off the line by Lucas Neill.

Save of the match: Schwarzer denying Miroslav Klose well from close range.

Talking point: Germany have been by far the most impressive side on show. Can they win this World Cup for a fourth time? Australia need to pick themselves up now, can they do it without Cahill who was sent off?