Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Argentina, Sweden and USA impress (FIFA)

Argentina, Sweden and USA impress

(PA) Wednesday 14 August 2013

Zlatan Ibrahimovic fired out a warning to Republic of Ireland with a hat-trick in Sweden's 4-2 friendly defeat of neighbours Norway in Stockholm.

The Irish host the Swedes in a vital 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifier next month, and keeping the Paris Saint-Germain striker, who famously scored four against England last year, quiet will be their prime concern.
Ibrahimovic struck twice in the first half hour at the Friends Arena, but Norway were level at the break after a Mohammed Abdellaoue penalty and a Stefan Johansen effort. Ibrahimovic soon restored the advantage, though, and Anders Svensson wrapped up the win.
Altidore, Sanchez and Suarez star
Liverpool forward Luis Suarez showed he remains in good touch despite the persistent speculation over his future with an influential display in Uruguay's 4-2 win in Japan. Suarez set up Diego Forlan's opener, won the free-kick for his strike partner's second, and then added the third. Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa cut the deficit but Alvaro Gonzalez grabbed Uruguay's fourth, before Keisuke Honda struck a Japan consolation.
Mirko Vucinic struck the equaliser as Montenegro, England's chief rivals for a Brazil 2014 spot, drew 1-1 in Belarus.
Ukraine, who host England in Kiev next month, were 2-0 winners over Israel thanks to goals from Ruslan Rotan and Yevhen Seleznyov.
Wigan Athletic's Jean Beausejour and Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez scored two goals apiece as Chile thrashed Iraq 6-0 in their friendly in Brondby, Denmark.
Portugal and the Netherlands drew 1-1 on the Algarve, with a late Cristiano Ronaldo goal earning the home side a draw after Kevin Strootman had put the Dutch in front.
Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko continued his good pre-season form with two goals forBosnia-Herzegovina, but it was not enough to prevent a 4-3 loss to USA in Sarajevo. Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic put Bosnia in command, but a hat-trick from new Sunderland signing Jozy Altidore, after Eddie Johnson pulled one back, turned the game around. Dzeko's second came in the last minute.
Germany held by Paraguay, Argentina win in Italy
Germany recovered from the shock of conceding twice in the opening 14 minutes to draw 3-3 with Paraguay at Kaiserslautern. Ariel Nunez and Wilson Pittoni were on target early for the visitors, but Ilkay Gundogan and Thomas Muller levelled. Miguel Samudio put Paraguay back ahead but Lars Bender secured a draw.
Argentina beat Italy 2-1 in Rome after goals from new Napoli signing Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega. Lorenzo Insigne replied for Italy.
Spain beat Ecuador, Belgium and France draw blank World champions Spain recovered from their 3-0 trouncing at the hands of Brazil in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup final last month with a comfortable 2-0 friendly win over Ecuador in Guayaquil.

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla was the star performer as he crossed for new Manchester City signing Alvaro Negredo to turn home his seventh international goal with an outrageous backheeled finish in the 24th minute.
France's woes in front of goal continued on Wednesday as Didier Deschamps' team drew 0-0 with neighbours Belgium in a friendly in Brussels.

Northern Ireland stun Russia

(PA) Wednesday 14 August 2013

Martin Paterson's first-half header ended Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill's long wait for a victory as his side recorded a well-earned win over Russia at Windsor Park in Belfast.

O'Neill's first nine matches in charge of the national side had yielded five draws and four defeats, but his first taste of success at the highest level was a sweet one as his men got the better of former England boss Fabio Capello and his highly-rated squad.

The tireless Paterson, only starting because of an injury to Kyle Lafferty, delivered the result by nodding home Niall McGinn's 43rd minute cross - his second goal for Northern Ireland and first in competitive action.

It was the least his energetic and passionate display deserved and he might have had another when his 58th minute header was chalked off to a tight offside flag.

The day had started inauspiciously for the hosts, with Manchester United defender Jonny Evans missing from the squad due to a stomach bug.

Craig Cathcart was drafted in at centre-half as a result, with Jamie Ward and Paterson given the attacking roles in place of Lafferty (Achilles) and Chris Brunt (suspended).

Northern Ireland started with intent as Ward, McGinn and Paterson all got shots away inside the first five minutes. None caused Igor Akinfeev serious concern, but it at least showed belief.

Russia responded with a couple of early counter attacks - one falling to Aleksandr Kerzhakov in the area and the other seeing Alan Dzagoev line up a shot from ten yards. Gareth McAuley ended both, a brave block and a sliding tackle to keep his side in the match.

McGinn produced a dynamic run from the right wing in the 13th minute, going past two men and cutting into the box only to take one touch too many before pulling the trigger.

Ward was showing plenty of nice touches in the No10 position, linking well with Oliver Norwood in midfield and looking to play Paterson into space.

With a fully-fit squad, he may have been confined to the bench but he was making the most of his chance.

Norwood was caught in possession on the half-hour and the alert Dzagoev responded by setting Kerzhakov free, but his deflected shot looped over.

The breakthrough almost came in the 41st minute when Ward collected Danny Lafferty's quick free-kick, carried the ball a couple of paces and then rifled a low shot against the post from 25 yards. Paterson tried to turn home the rebound but could not get any power on his touch.

McGinn was the provider, getting in behind his man and chasing the ball to the byline, where he hit a first-time cross towards Paterson. The Huddersfield forward timed his leap and directed a fine header into the far corner.

Capello made two changes at the break, replacing Kerzhakov and Dzagoev with Artem Dzyuba and Denis Cheryshev but the latter lasted just six minutes before limping off himself.

Russia were forced to use their final substitute as a result, Alexander Samedov entering the fray.

With 58 minutes on the clock Northern Ireland - and Paterson - were agonisingly close to a second.

Shane Ferguson's deep corner was steered back across goal by Cathcart and headed in by Paterson, only for a marginal offside flag to cut short the celebrations.

An injury to McAuley allowed both sides a chance to collect themselves and receive instruction from the sidelines, Capello getting the chance to earn his near £8million-a-year contract.

But it was Northern Ireland who had the first chance after the resumption, Ferguson's quick feet giving him room to cross for Paterson.

He challenged Akinfeev hard but was unlucky to be booked for his efforts.

As the game entered the last ten minutes, Roman Shirokov started to take the game to the hosts but his runs were not enough to unsettle a back line marshalled calmly by McAuley.

With nine minutes left, McGinn made way for the defensively minded Corry Evans and Brentford's Will Grigg joined him as the exiting Paterson was awarded a hero's reception.

Four tense minutes of injury-time prolonged O'Neill's wait but Russia went limp as the time ebbed away.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Azteca misery for Mexico as USA soar

(FIFA.com) Wednesday 12 June 2013

THE DAY REPLAYED - Jurgen Klinsmann’s USA shot to the top of the CONCACAF qualifying Hexagonal for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ with a spirited win over Panama in Seattle. Mexico failed to find similar home comforts as they slumped to a goalless draw against Costa Rica that leaves the two sides two points off the leading Americans. Honduras climbed into fourth with a win over Jamaica, whose Brazil 2014 dream is fading into the realm of fantasy.

The big game
Mexico 0-0 Costa Rica
Regional giants Mexico continue to misfire in Brazil 2014 qualifying, drawing once again at their spiritual home that is the Azteca. Despite boasting some of the best attacking talent in CONCACAF, like Javier Chicharito Hernandez and Andres Guardado, the Mexicans lacked a spark. Visiting Costa Rica, led by captain-playmaker Brian Ruiz and a spine of steely defenders, created the better chances, and once again Mexican goalkeeper Jesus Corona was El Tri’s only real standout. His acrobatic save on Joel Campbell in the 37th minute, and then again early in the second half, kept the hosts from suffering an even bigger humiliation on home soil. That said, the 70,000-plus fans in attendance were not pleased. The boos and jeers that greeted the final whistle will ring in the Mexican players’ ears as they board their late-night flight for Rio, where they fly the standard for CONCACAF at the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup.

In other action
Honduras got their campaign back on track with a simple 2-0 win against bottom side Jamaica. USA-based Oscar Boniek Garcia struck from close range for the home side in Tegucigalpa after ten minutes, before being stretchered off with an injury later in the half. The Jamaicans, who have scored twice in their six games, were never really in the contest, and it was no surprise when Roger Espinoza, an FA Cup winner with Wigan Athletic, made it 2-0 seconds before the end.

USA catapulted to top of the Hexagonal with a 2-0 win over Panama in Seattle. Jozy Altidore, in a rich vein of form, opened the scoring after a flowing move mid-way through the first half. Eddie Johnson, who plays for local MLS side Seattle Sounders, then doubled the dose after the break, getting on the end of a through-ball from midfield deputy Geoff Cameron to slot home to a roar from a familiar crowd. The result sees Panama, who topped the table only a few weeks ago, slump to second-bottom.

Player of the day – Joel Campbell (CRC)
While Costa Rica’s draw at Azteca was down to a stifling collective effort in defence, the lone Ticostriker was a revelation at the other end. His pace and eager running kept the Mexican defence off balance, and he brought about the best chances of the game, hitting the woodwork early and being denied on several occasions only by the heroics of net-minder Corona. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may well call the 20-year-old sensation back to London from his loan stint at Betis if he keeps up this kind of impressive form.

Goal of the day – Jozy Altidore (USA)
The days when Jozy Altidore had trouble finding the back of the net for USA are officially over. His strike in the 36th minute against Panama was his third goal in as many matches for the national team – and what a goal it was. AS Roma’s Michael Bradley stormed through midfield, laying the ball out wide for Fabian Johnson, who crossed low and hard through the box. Clint Dempsey drew his man to the near post and up popped the man of the hour, AZ Alkmaar top-scorer Altidore, to tap home with a flourish at the back post.

The number
0 – the number of goals and wins Mexico have earned in their three home qualifiers. The much-feared Estadio Azteca, with its noisy, steep terraces and high altitude, seems to have lost its mystical ability to propel El Tri to victory. They have only ever lost one qualifier at the ground, in 2001 to Costa Rica, but their goalless draw with those same Ticos means the Mexicans, 14-time FIFA World Cup participants, have now gone over 250 minutes without a goal at home. They have only two more games at the Azteca in the Brazil 2014 Hexagonal, and the pressure is firmly on coach José ManuelChepo de la Torre and his men in a region where wins at home are crucial.

What they said
“The crowd was unbelievable tonight, and that made a huge difference. This is the best crowd I’ve ever experienced playing in the USA. Our hat goes off to the fans tonight.” USA midfielder Bradley salutes the spirit in Seattle, Washington, where over 40,000 fans came out to see the first FIFA World Cup qualifier in the city for 37 years.

CONCACAF final round Hexagonal, matchday 5
7 JuneHonduras 2-0 Jamaica
Mexico 0-0 Costa Rica
USA 2-0 Panama

Patience, pain and record breakers

(FIFA.com) Wednesday 12 June 2013

The 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers dominate FIFA.com’s latest stats review, with achievements to remember for Robbie Keane, Asamoah Gyan and Lucas Neill, and matches to forget for Denmark and France.

126

international appearances is the impressive tally which has enabled Robbie Keane to become Republic of Ireland’s most-capped player. That record was claimed on Friday when the Los Angeles Galaxy striker – 15 years on from his first full cap at the age of 17 – surpassed the mark set by his long-time colleague, Shay Given. Keane marked the occasion in style too, grabbing a hat-trick against the Faroe Islands – the second treble of his international career – to strengthen his grip on the Republic’s all-time scoring record. The 32-year-old now has 59 international goals to his name, more than the likes of Gabriel Batistuta, Thierry Henry and Romario. Keane, in fact, sits fifth on the list of Europe’s all-time leading international marksmen, trailing only the illustrious quartet of Miroslav Klose (67), Gerd Muller (68), Sandor Kocsis (75) andFerenc Puskas (84).

goals is the tally that has established Asamoah Gyan as Ghana’s all-time record scorer. The 27-year-old struck twice in the Black Stars’ vital 3-1 win over Sudan at the weekend to overtake the legendary Abedi Pele, whose benchmark of 33 had stood for the past decade-and-a-half. Gyan has made a habit of writing history for Ghana from the very start, finding the net on his debut at the age of just 17 years and 353 days in 2003 to become the team’s youngest-ever goalscorer. Next on the forward’s list of targets is likely to the appearances record currently held by goalkeeper Richard Kingson. Gyan has 72 caps to his name and needs just 19 more to surpass his former international team-mate.

years and 245 days on from his debut on 9 October 1996, Lucas Neill finally ended his long wait for an international goal. The 35-year-old found the net six minutes from time inAustralia’s 4-0 win over Jordan to end a run of 90 successive goalless appearances and edge the Socceroos a step closer to Brazil 2014. It was the Aussies’ biggest competitive victory in over two years, since a 6-0 win over Uzbekistan at the AFC Asian Cup, and was secured in front of a crowd of 43,875 at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium. The match also saw Neill draw level alongside Paul Wade with 46 appearances as Australian captain, behind only the Socceroos’ Germany 1974 skipper Peter Wilson, who donned the armband on 60 occasions. Yet while Neill’s goalscoring raised eyebrows, the most influential player on show was undoubtedly Robbie Kruse, who emerged from the game with a goal and two assists.

defeats in 11 matches have given Didier Deschamps the worst start ever recorded by aFrance coach. Sunday’s 3-0 friendly loss to Brazil was the seventh reverse inflicted on Les Bleus in their last 13 matches – equivalent to the number of defeats suffered in their previous 43. Deschamps’ side failed to keep a clean sheet for the ninth successive match and conceded three goals in a single game for the first time in over five years. The French are also struggling at the other end, having scored just 11 times in the current coach’s 11 matches in charge – the lowest tally since Henri Guerin’s side managed just ten in 11 between 1964 and ’66. Losing to Brazil also ended an unbeaten sequence in this fixture stretching back six matches and 21 years, with A Seleção having failed to even score in the sides’ previous three meetings.

unanswered Armenia goals handed Denmark their heaviest defeat in 26 years last night. The stunning home reverse was the Danes’ worst since being beaten 5-1 by Spain in the Round of 16 at Mexico 1986, although coach Morten Olsen – who played in that loss against La Roja – had no hesitation in describing Armenia’s unlikely triumph as “the worst night of my football life”. For the visitors, it was a record-equalling victory, and one made all the more remarkable as it came just four days after they went down 1-0 against a Malta side that, previously, had only ever won four competitive matches in their entire history. The Armenians’ hero was Yura Movsisyan, who opened the scoring after just 24 seconds and went on to complete a brace. The Spartak Moscow striker used to play his club football in Denmark for Randers, and the home fans generously applauded him off the pitch when he was substituted seven minutes from time.

Uruguay rebound, Colombia on the verge

(FIFA.com) Wednesday 12 June 2013

THE DAY REPLAYED – Uruguay moved right back into contention for a place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ thanks to a narrow win in Venezuela, one that took them back into fifth and the play-off spot at the expense of La Vinotinto, who drop to sixth. Top-four occupants Colombia and Chile both won to move another step closer to the world finals, which is where Argentina are almost certainly bound after their draw in Ecuador.

FIFA.com rounds up all the action from Matchday 14 in South America.

Match of the day
Venezuela 0-1 Uruguay

A hard-working Uruguay side produced a highly disciplined performance to grind out a narrow and much-needed win in Venezuela, secured by Cavani’s exquisite finish. In doing so, Oscar Tabarez’s men ended a six-game winless run and moved past La Vinotinto on goal difference into fifth and the coveted play-off berth. Cavani’s strike was his first in four qualifying games, ending a barren run stretching back over seven months.

Venezuela’s second home defeat of the campaign proved a costly one and saw them drop out of the top five for the first time since Matchday 9. Uruguay’s win was their first on Venezuelan soil since 1996.

Elsewhere
Leaders Argentina failed in their first attempt to make sure of a place at Brazil 2014, though they achieved something no other side has managed in the current qualifying competition: to escape from Quito with a point. La Albiceleste’s 1-1 draw with Ecuador extended their unbeaten run to 11 matches, five of those games coming away from home. The Argentinians opened the scoring after their first real foray forward, Sergio Aguero slotting home from the penalty spot, with Segundo Castillo nodding in the equaliser from close range just minutes later. Just as he did in Argentina’s previous game, Lionel Messi came on for the final 30 minutes but had little impact.

Colombia tightened their grip on second place thanks to a convincing 2-0 win over Peru in Barranquilla, their fourth consecutive victory at home, where they have gone 367 minutes without conceding. Los Cafeteros are now a step away from their first world finals since France 1998. “We played a patient game,” said Radamel Falcao, who struck first for the home side and is now the third-highest scorer in the qualifiers. Teofilo Gutierrez added a second to seal Peru’s fifth defeat in their last six away games. Sergio Markarian’s men have dropped back to seventh, though they are just two points behind Uruguay and Venezuela and still in the hunt for the play-off spot.

Chile are also well on course for Brazil 2014 following a hard-fought 3-1 defeat of Bolivia in Santiago.La Roja’s third straight win under coach Jorge Sampaoli consolidated their position in fourth and took them five points clear of the chasing pack with just four rounds of games remaining in the group. Eduardo Vargas set Chile on the road to victory when he struck for the fourth game running, with Alexis Sanchez scoring his first of the campaign moments later and Arturo Vidal adding a third in stoppage time. The game was also notable for the return of David Pizarro after an eight-year absence from the national side. Marcelo Martins scored the visitors’ only goal, their first in 347 minutes on the road. Defeat ended the Bolivians’ slim hopes of landing one of the direct qualification slots, thought they still have an outside chance of making the play-off.

Player of the day
Segundo Castillo (ECU)

A veteran of Germany 2006, the 31-year-old Puebla midfielder has become an important contributor for La Tricolor up front. His strike against Argentina was his third in his last five outings, making himEcuador’s third-highest scorer in the competition.

The stat
14 - A lucky number in South America: in every single qualifying competition since the current format was adopted, the countries occupying the top four positions at the end of Matchday 14 have all progressed directly to the FIFA World Cup. The leading quartet at the moment areArgentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile. Will they keep the sequence intact?

What they said
“We leave Colombia with our hopes intact because we still have a chance of making the World Cup. We knew that no matter what happened in Barranquilla, we would have two finals coming up in the next two matchdays against Uruguay and Venezuela. Let me say it again: our hopes are intact,” Perucoach Sergio Markarian looks on the bright side after his side’s defeat in Colombia.

SPORTS

Wednesday, August 14, 2013