Sunday, November 24, 2013

Moyes opened the door to potential January arrivals

David Moyes has revealed that Manchester United will attempt to sign players in January as he looks to build a squad capable of challenging for honours.

The former Everton boss was heavily criticised for the lack of headway made in the summer transfer window, with the club failing in their public pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, as well as missing out on the likes of Leighton Baines and Fabio Coentrao.
Moyes has, however, opened the door to potential January arrivals, providing they are the right type of player. "The thing about this club is that we always think long term," he told reporters. 

"I am thinking how we are going to have a side that is going to be competing in the Champions League and right at the top end of the Premier League for four or five years. 

"It has to be a continual building process here. We will continue to look to do that. In any one window you couldn't change it all around anyway. It takes maybe two, three or four windows to do that. 

"To talk about January and make it sound as if that would be the place where everything is cured and any problems would be resolved would be wrong.

"It is not me saying we are not going to buy anyone in January,” he continued. “We are going to try to if the opportunity is there, but they have to fit the right criteria. If not, we will have to wait until the summer and see if we can get them then."

Ronaldo forced off with the knock.

Real Madrid have been forced to withdraw Cristiano Ronaldo during their Liga encounter with Almeria after the Portugal star picked up an injury in the early stages of the second half.

The 28-year-old appeared to pull up in discomfort after he burst down the left wing before stretching to fire in a cross with his left foot.

The Portugal captain then signalled to the bench he wished to be withdrawn due to a problem with his left thigh, with Jese Rodriguez replacing him. 

Ronaldo had put his side 1-0 up in the first half prior to being forced off with the knock. 

Early reports suggest the injury is not serious, with Ronaldo able to walk from the pitch and down the touchline without assistance.

"It was just a precaution, It's nothing special. I got kicked in the first half and the muscle felt a bit sore," the attacker reassured to Carrusel Deportivo after the match.

Noting as much, los Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti played down the severity of his star's injury: "He had a problem with his ischium. I don't think it's a big problem. It doesn't hurt him. 

"Cristiano started the game with a goal but then he had a little problem. His muscle is a bit tired but I think he'll be better soon. Tomorrow he'll have some tests but we don't think it's an important problem."

The former Manchester United man joins fellow Ballon d'Or favourites Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery on the treatment table, with Messi likely to be out until the new year with a hamstring problem while Ribery suffered a minor fracture to a rib while on international duty with France.
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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Sweden 2 Portugal 3; agg 2-4

 In the end, there really was no contest. Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will play in the World Cup next summer after the Real Madrid forward showed Zlatan Ibrahimovic the difference between a great player and a very good one.
Greatness is defined by delivering when it truly matters and Ronaldo did just that, outscoring Sweden captain Ibrahimovic in Stockholm with a stunning hat-trick in the Friends Arena.
Ibrahimovic, perhaps second only to Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in world football’s current hierarchy, scored twice to give his team hope of a miraculous fightback.
But Ronaldo was ruthless in front of goal, with his 31-minute hat-trick securing his and Portugal’s place in Brazil next summer.
Ibrahimovic, Sweden’s much-vaunted talisman, began the day with his image imposed on Rio’s Christ The Redeemer statue in a Swedish newspaper above the headline, 'We beg you Zlatan, save us again.’
 And just as his country needed a hero, Ibrahimovic came close to answering the call.
But while Ibrahimovic was good, Ronaldo was simply on a different level and although the World Cup will miss Sweden’s egotistical captain, it would be a much poorer tournament with Ronaldo.
Even before Ronaldo had been branded as 'Judas’ by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet on the morning of the game, this fixture had descended into acrimony.
The bad blood appeared to stem from Ronaldo escaping with just a yellow card for stamping on goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson in Lisbon last Friday, moments before going unpunished for an attempted head-butt on full-back Mikael Lustig.
Perhaps the Swedes harboured a grievance that Ronaldo should have been suspended for the second leg, hence the personal attacks in the Swedish media, but the Real Madrid forward was central to the drama on and off the pitch.
Sebastian Larsson’s pre-match claim that the appointment of Howard Webb as referee would enable Sweden to tackle harder and not risk the officials being caught out by his 'tricks’ was countered by Portugal coach Paulo Bento accusing Johan Elmander of diving in the first leg.
It was all very messy and needless, but the targeting of Ronaldo was clearly a tactic aimed at distracting the highly-strung Portugal captain.
Even the Friends Arena crowd joined in, tormenting Ronaldo with chants of 'Messi, Messi’, whenever he threw his arms in the air following a stray pass by a team-mate.
On this occasion, though, it was akin to pulling a tiger’s tail, with Ronaldo energised by the negativity during a first half dominated by the Portuguese.
Aside from long-range shots from Martin Olsson and Kim Kallstrom, Sweden did not threaten Rui Patricio’s goal, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic once again struggling to live up to his lofty reputation.
In contrast, Portugal poured forward, with Ronaldo involved in everything after Isaksson saved well from an early Bruno Alves header.
Ronaldo tested Isaksson with a left-foot strike from 30 yards before clipping Joao Pereira’s cross over the bar moments later.
With the game heading towards half-time, Hugo Almeida then wasted a golden chance, heading into the side-netting at the far post, after being teed up by Ronaldo.
Despite the inconvenience of playing on a woeful surface that was recently relaid for the ninth time this year, Portugal mastered the conditions better than the hosts, who would have been exasperated by Ibrahimovic’s rash volley over the crossbar on the stroke of half-time.
It was Ibrahimovic’s first sight of goal in a game-and-a-half and his lazy finish ultimately summed up the difference between him and Ronaldo.
And the former Manchester United forward delivered the first brutal example of his class on 50 minutes when he put Portugal ahead on the night, and 2-0 up on aggregate.
Ronaldo raced clear of Olsson to collect Joao Moutinho’s sublime pass and rifled a left foot shot past Isaksson.
Sweden now needed three goals and, after Webb had booked Kallstrom for diving in an attempt to win a penalty, Ibrahimovic pulled one back with a close range header from Kallstrom’s corner.
When Ibrahimovic scored again moments later from a 20-yard free-kick following Miguel Veloso’s foul in Elmander, the stadium erupted as hope flooded back into the hosts.
It was now cometh the hour, cometh the man, but it was Ronaldo who stepped up to deliver the killer blow.
Two goals in two minutes, another left-foot strike and a right-foot shot which went in off the crossbar, proved decisive and capped Ronaldo’s incredible performance.
Even Ibrahimovic applauded the second goal, but perhaps it was a moment of realisation that, good as he is, he is not in the same bracket as Ronaldo.
Match details
Sweden (4-4-1-1): Isaksson; Lustig, Nilsson, Antonsson, M Olsson; Larsson, Elm, Kallstrom, Kacaniklic; Elmander; Ibrahimovic.
Subs: Nordfeldt (g), Wiland (g), J Olsson, Svensson, Gerndt, Granqvist, Wernbloom, Bengtsson, Johansson, Toivonen, Durmaz, Zengin.
Portugal (4-3-3): Rui Patricio; J Pereira, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Coentrao; Meireles, Veloso, Moutinho; Nani, H Almeida, Ronaldo.
Subs: Eduardo (g), Beto (g), W Carvalho, Eder, A Almeida, R Costa, Neto, Micael, Varela, Antunes, Josue.
Referee: H Webb (England). 

Monday, November 18, 2013

Kevin De Bruyne would benefit from leaving Chelsea

Eden Hazard believes fellow Belgium forward Kevin De Bruyne would benefit from leaving Chelsea in January to boost his World Cup hopes.
De Bruyne spent his first 18 months as a Chelsea player on loan, first and Genk and then at Werder Bremen, and has been linked with a return to the Bundesliga after finding opportunities tough to come by at Stamford Bridge under Jose Mourinho.
Hazard thinks De Bruyne should seek first-team football elsewhere, although was not specific over whether his team-mate should seek a permanent switch or another loan move.
"For sure, playing at a World Cup without having been in action for a year, I think that's very difficult," Hazard told Belgian broadcaster VRT. "I think for him that leaving and playing, that would be good.
"If we want to get the best out of Kevin, I think that it's best if he leaves."

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Portugal 1 Sweden 0

The compelling thing about truly great footballers is that you can never take your eyes off them. 
On Friday night Cristiano Ronaldo proved that point, toiling gallantly but fruitlessly for 80 minutes before finally intervening to almost win this two-legged tie all on his own right at the death
.
With 10 minutes left to play at an anxious Estadio da Luz, Ronaldo and his Portugal team seemed bound for the return game in Stockholm on Tuesday night with the weight of the world on their shoulders, so unconvincing had their attempts to win this game been.
But then Ronaldo appeared to head the winning goal in to the corner before crashing another effort against the crossbar. 
In two moments of simple authority, the Portuguese captain wrote his name across this tie and ensured that his nation can still hope of a place in the World Cup Finals in Brazil next summer.



Certainly Portugal will have to play a little better than this in the second game. Paulo Bento's team enjoyed a great deal of possession but didn't always look as they knew what they wanted to do with it. Sweden, on the other hand, looked dangerous on the break and will certainly be capable of turning this round at home next week. 
Their own captain and talisman, the moody Zlatan Ibrahimovic, struggled to get in to the game but that will not be the case on Tuesday and that may worry a Portuguese defence that managed to concede three goals in one game to Israel during qualifying.
Nevertheless, we can wait until Tuesday for the second half of this script to be written. This, ultimately, was Ronaldo's night and his winning goal was certainly an eye-catching affair as he dived across Martin Olsson to head the ball in to the corner past Andreas Isaksson from a Miguel Veloso cross.
Just a few minutes earlier, Ronaldo had been involved in a rather ugly clash with Isaksson and was booked after leaving his foot in on the Manchester City goalkeeper. Not long after he seemed to push his forehead in to the face of full-back Mikael Lustig. A sign of growing frustration certainly.By the end, though, Ronaldo had come close to exacting his revenge not once but twice as another header - this time from a Hugo Almeida cross - came back off the frame of the goalIt may sound peculiar that the PSG forward's most memorable contribution came without him actually touching the ball but, with Sweden contained almost exclusively in their own half during the second period, it was always going to be hard for Ibrahimovic to influence the game. Anyway, that dummy alone was sumptuous enough to have hordes of young Swedish boys heading for their back yards on Friday night to try and work out how on earth he did it.
That the Swedes had no actual goals to reflect on will disappoint them. Certainly in the first half they had their moments, Johan Elmander poking a superb Lustig cross inches wide early on and Kim Kallstrom curling a good free-kick narrowly wide from 20 yards a little later on.

]Ronaldo reacted to that disappointment by clasping his hands to his head. He, after all, knew what we all knew, namely that he had been inches away from dumping Sweden on the canvas for good.
As it is, this tie is finely balanced and perhaps it will be on Tuesday that we will see the real clash between Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic. Certainly it didn't materialise here.
Ibrahimovic did contribute one sublime moment, selling the Portuguese defence a dummy on the edge of the penalty area in the 20th minute that gave Sebastian Larsson the chance to drive Sweden's best chance of the game towards the corner where Rui Patricio saved.
Had one of those efforts gone in then it would have been interesting to see what would have come of Portugal. Certainly they looked unsecure at the back - where Pepe and Bruno Alves look an unconvincing pairing - and Ibrahimovic and the rather more industrious Elmander will look to exploit that next week.
The chances are that Portugal will need to score again in Sweden to go through. Players like Raul Meireles and Joao Moutinho - both sporadically impressive on Friday - will be key to the Iberian cause but once again the Portuguese will look to one man for their real inspiration.
With Ronaldo, Portugal are a distinctly average team. Without him, they would perhaps amount to very little at all.






Friday, November 15, 2013

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the best current player on the planet

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the best current player on the planet, according to Sweden coach Erik Hamren.
On Friday night in Lisbon, Ibrahimovic will come face to face with Cristiano Ronaldo as Sweden and Portugal meet in the first leg of their much-anticipated World Cup play-off tie.
Only one of the two super stars can make it to the finals in Brazil next summer and on Thursday afternoon Hamren sought to score an early psychological blow.

'Of course, it’s a fight between these two world class players,' he added.
'Zlatan needs support but if he gets that from the team then he can be the match winner.
'He has been scoring well recently, so that’s good. But so has Ronaldo so maybe their form is pretty even.
'All I know is that Zlatan is in really good shape. He’s feeling strong and that’s good for us.'



 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Joe Hart will not start for England against Chile

Joe Hart will not start for England in their international friendly against Chile on Friday, manager Roy Hodgson has said.
Hart, who has been England's unanimous choice between the sticks over recent years, was recently dropped by Manchester City after a series of mistakes.
Hodgson has now followed suit by admitting that Hart will not line up against Chile, although there is a chance the Three Lions boss could be experimenting with either Fraser Forster or John Ruddy owing to the fact that World Cup qualification is sewn up.
"Joe Hart won't be starting, you will have to work out for yourself which of the others won't," he said.On whether or not Celtic's Forster or Norwich's Ruddy will share time against the South Americans, he said: "John was with us from the beginning and I have had time with him and have had Fraser with us for over a year. I will make that decision on whether I choose both or one tomorrow."
Hodgson is without captain Steven Gerrard and defender Kyle Walker through injury, while he has also lost Southampton's Rickie Lambert at the last minute.
He has conceded that Frank Lampard will captain the side to commemorate recently passing 100 caps, while he said Southampton duo Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriquez would play a part.
"I don't want to get drawn into it (naming his team). I haven't spoken to the players about the team," he added.
"Frank knows and I have spoken to the Southampton boys and told them they will feature. That's all I'm going to say."
On striker Lambert, Hodgson said: "It happened yesterday in training. It's not a massive injury but a muscle injury that will keep him out on Friday."
Gerrard and Walker are expected to be back for Tuesday's meeting with Germany, while Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is also likely to duck out until then as he manages a problem.
"Gerrard and Kyle Walker won't be taking any part and that has always been on my agenda," Hodgson said.
"They will recover from minor injury problems that have plagued them and will concentrate on the second game and not the first one.
"Daniel has been doing some work and the chances are he will be spared for the second game."
Hodgson said he would put giving players a chance to prove themselves ahead of ensuring England's unbeaten run at home continued.
England's next match after this week is not until March, meaning there is little time for experimentation before he names his World Cup squad.
"I've got to put the performances in front of protecting an unbeaten run," he said.
"I do need in these two games to have a look at one or two players, as who Frank [Lampard] rightly said are heavily knocking on the door.
"There's only these two matches plus the one in March to do that. I can't dismiss the need to give some playing time to people we need to know more about.
"I'm not trying to play down the importance of winning games, but I'm not going to do it if it will be at the detriment to have a look at some players. I need to be wiser in March with regards to some players than I am now.
Lampard admits friday night's game will be a specuial occasion as his 100th cap is marked.
The Chelsea midfielder will walk onto the pitch with his daughters while, at his own behest, his father Frank senior will also be involved alongside Sir Geoff Hurst.
"It will be very special obviously," he said.
"The cap has been a long time coming. The idea of Sir Geoff was an FA idea that I was very happy with considering I've had links to all my life, my dad knowing him and what an England hero he is.
"I requested my dad be involved because there is not many international fathers and sons. It's the sort of thing he'd normally shy away from but with a bit of pressing he's managed to get out there. I think he will be a proud dad."

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Fifa unveils shortlist for Puskás Award

There are few things more enjoyable than debating whether one goal is better than another. So get your teeth stuck into this selection.
Fifa have revealed their shortlist of the 10 goals in with a chance of winning the Puskás Award for the “best goal of the year”.
Taking in men and women's football from all around the world, the list has its fair share of volleys, bicycle kicks, team moves and long-range screamers.


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Think Pajtim Kasami for Fulham against Crystal Palace, add in an even tighter angle and then you've got this screamer from the Danish top flight.
Lisa De Vanna
1 June 2013 – Sky Blue FC v Boston Breakers – NWSL (USA)


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We've all seen spectacular bicycle kicks but when combined with a sublime dinked throughball, this strike gets even better.
Antonio Di Natale
7 April 2013 – Udinese Calcio v AC Chievo Verona – Serie A (Italy)
Robin van Persie eat your heart out, Di Natale's technique and timing is as good as anything the Dutchman has ever produced.
Zlatan Ibrahimović
13 November 2012 – Sweden v England – international friendly
It doesn't need any introduction really. Ibrahimović is the only player in the world who would even attempt a 35-yard overhead kick, let alone score it.
Panagiotis Kone
16 December 2012 – SSC Napoli v Bologna FC 1909 – Serie A (Italy)
The Greek international has to adjust his body in mid-air before crashing this thunderous shot home to leave the keeper for dead.
Daniel Ludueña
27 July 2013 – Pachuca CF v Tigres UANL – Apertura (Mexico)
Not only does Ludueña embarrass his opposite man with a lovely piece of skill, he then shoots from a frankly ridiculous distance out and scores a blinder.
Nemanja Matić
13 January 2013 – SL Benfica v FC Porto – Liga ZON Sagres (Portugal)
The build up is unreal, five players are involved and Matić's strike is as good as you could ever wish to see.
Louisa Nécib
17 March 2013 РOlympique Lyonnais v AS Saint-Etienne РD1 F̩minine (France)
There are some occasions when a goalkeeper should just stand and admire. This unstoppable shot from Nécib is one of those.
Neymar
15 June 2013 – Brazil v Japan – Fifa Confederations Cup
Not sure Neymar was worth Barcelona shelling out £50m? Watch this and think again.
Juan Manuel Olivera
28 August 2013 – Nautico v Sport Recife – Copa Sudamericana
Jack Wilshere finished off one of the best team goals seen in England for Arsenal against Norwich a couple of weeks ago. This goal from Olivera is similar... with a long-range volley.

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