Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Messi inspires Argentina, Swiss win of late drama
The day review -on the fourth day of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 ™ has been in line with three, the previous offer many destinations, incredible incidents, and major stars, the its brand.
There is nothing, the football fans love more than a comeback summoned pulled exactly that in Brasilia, defeated Ecuador in the with a last-minute goal and Switzerland stoppage time after the break.
In the other group E France meet, the perfect start for your Brazil 2014 campaign by triumphing over a physical, rugged Honduras page, courtesy of a clinical performance from Karim Benzema.
Last but not least, Argentina confirmed that the power be taken into account, at the tournament, see arise from Bosnia and Herzegovina in an exciting and vibrant, individual effort opened his account while the fine with a Lionel Messi.
Results
Switzerland 2: 1-Ecuador (Budweiser man of the match: Xherdan Shaqiri)
France 3-0 Honduras (Budweiser man of the match: Karim Benzema)
Argentina 2: 1-Bosnia and Herzegovina (Budweiser man of the match: Lionel Messi)
Unforgettable moments
Bank bonus: Xherdan Shaqiri can Budweiser have been named man of the match, but Switzerland had the decisive goals come due their deputies to their hard-won victory over Ecuador, Admir Mehmedi and Haris Seferovic from the Bank. With his team, which had the following 1-0 Enner Valencia header Ottmar Hitzfeld the foresight, Mehmedi shortly after half-time, to introduce a confidence vote, which the Freiburg striker to compensate two minutes later repaid. Salih needed more time to get on the scoreboard in the 75th minute and in injury time for a 2-1-to seal victory. Interestingly, all three Swiss hero - Shaqiri, Mehmedi and Salih - have connections in the former Yugoslavia. Shaqiri and Mehmedi were both as born, Seferovics family moved to Bosnia and Herzegovina the Switzerland of what now is in the 1980s.
Bothersome benchmark: Against Argentina Sead Kanta was a new record, which he does not necessarily want any time soon are remembered. With two minutes and 9 seconds on the clock the Bosnian defenders went the ball into his own net after a Lionel Messi free-kick to knock always the fastest own goal - scorer in World Cup history in the process. Here he takes the place of Carlos Gamarra, the previous holder in the enviable record a David Beckham free-kick his own goalkeeper in the third minute England facing Paraguay in 2006 in Germany controlled. Kanta's 'Strike' is the third own goal of Brazil 2014, starting from Marcelo in Brazil's opening match with Croatia and the Honduras ' keeper of Noel Valladares against France.
Benzema bosses the show: if its first half penalty against Honduras received France, Karim Benzema shouldered its responsibility, as should any good No10. The Real Madrid striker chose the ball firmly to right of the goalie, plants, exactly, how Zinedine Zidane once scored France's tenth World Cup penalty at his time. The similarities with the former Bleus legend to do has not been completed. Benzema doubled his tally in the second half and was the first Frenchman Zidane's double whammy since Zizou to a curly brace in a World Cup match result, after his country to victory over Brazil in 1998 helped France in the final. In his debut world finals, Benzema put the disappointment of his goalless show at UEFA EURO 2012 really behind him.
The stat
5 Honduras have now five consecutive World Cup games without a goal, an unwanted run that brings them finalists Algeria with Bolivia and colleagues Brazil 2014. Before lost four years in South Africa, La bicolor two and moved without the back of the net, their ultimate goal in the competition in a 1: 1 draw against Northern Ireland in Spain 1982 finding. The result was a 0-1-defeat in Yugoslavia, the beginning of their goalless strips.
Tweet of the day
Good luck my friends @youridjorkaeff @Benzema @HugoLlorisOffi @ LizaDoBrazil #tousensemble #CDM2014 #allezfrancepic.twitter.com/VzNQ1RHBp1
-Cris Oficial (@ZagueiroCris) June 15, 2014
Next
Germany Portugal, 13:00, arena Fonte Nova, Salvador
Iran-Nigeria, 16:00, arena de Baixada, Curitiba
Ghana United States, 19:00, Estádio das Dunas, natal
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Balotelli bouncing after victory over England
Mario Balotelli could not hide his enthusiasm, after Italy 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil ™ started with a victory over England. The former Manchester City striker his struggles at the end of the season at AC Milan behind him and scored the winning goal in Saturday's 2-1-victory in Manaus.
Balotelli, who was voted by the fans as the Budweiser man of the match, tweeted: "man of the match, I'm just happy. A big thank you to my team-mates and let us continue. "Forza Azzurri."
The 23-year-old was about to start other than a certainty, but was chosen by Italy coach Cesare Prandelli before Ciro immobile Serie A top scorer. Italy next face Costa Rica on Friday in Recife. Costa Rica stunned Uruguay 3-1 in the other match of Group D. "we are strong and everyone should fear," Balotelli said figc.it.
In the meantime, Prandelli will optimally Balotelli in Brazil. "Mario played, a great game against England", said the head of Italy. "But I told him that he given can be much more his extraordinary potential."
Modric back to training after foot scan
Croatia playmaker Luka Modric should fit back training after a foot problem after all-clear given, the Croatian Football Federation said today.
The 28-year-old Real Madrid star suffered a blow to his foot during the FIFA World Cup ™ opening match Thursday, a 3-1-defeat against Brazil on the Corinthians arena in São Paulo.
"Luka pain after receiving a shock against Brazil," said SBB. "He underwent an MRI that revealed that there was no break or damage to tapes."
Modric has returned since Joao base camp near the city of Salvador Croatia Mata de Sao and is training as a result of the curriculum vitae.
Croatia play lost next Cameroon, also its opening match 1-0 to Mexico in Manaus on Wednesday before the end of their group A campaign against El Tri in Recife on 23 June.
Senderos: We’re expecting a lot from ourselves
AppId is over the quota
Despite being a seasoned member of the Switzerland squad, Philippe Senderos does not hold down a guaranteed starting place. Nevertheless, he will do everything he can to ensure his national side can reach the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-finals for the first time in 60 years.
In many respects, the Swiss are among the high-flyers at Brazil 2014. The Helvetians qualified as group winners after their penultimate preliminary, a performance so strong that Ottmar Hitzfeld’s team surged up the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking to be included among the top seeds in December’s Final Draw for the world finals. As the tournament gets underway, Switzerland are currently ranked sixth, making them the fourth-best European side in Brazil behind Spain, Germany and Portugal.
The team’s captivating performances are largely due to a perfect harmony between talented young players such as Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schar or Xherdan Shaqiri and experienced campaigners like Tranquillo Barnetta, Gokhan Inler and Philippe Senderos. With 53 international caps to his name, Senderos knows that the expectations surrounding him and his team-mates are high at this, his third World Cup. However, as he explained in an interview with FIFA, he is keen to do everything in his power to make sure those expectations are met.
"People both at home and overseas are expecting a strong showing from us, but we’re also expecting a lot from ourselves. We’ve got to push each other on to ensure we keep improving,” he said.
The 190cm-tall centre-back and recent Aston Villa recruit knows his national side’s minimum target is to reach the Round of 16, but he is confident they can progress further still: “With the quality we have in our team, we believe we can beat anyone.”
Competition for a place in the starting line-up is fierce and Senderos must compete with Fabian Schaer, Johan Djourou and Steve von Bergen for the two starting berths in the centre of defence. This rivalry is exactly what makes Senderos so confident. “We’ve got four players who can play in central defence. That kind of competition can only make us stronger.”
Switzerland will make full use of the conditions in Porto Seguro to fine-tune their preparations ahead of their first match against Ecuador on Sunday 15 June. Their defensive stalwart is keen to ensure that he and his fellow countrymen can use the game as a springboard to reach their first quarter-finals since 1954.
Ramos: Excuses are for losers
AppId is over the quota
Spain defender Sergio Ramos claims that the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ champions will recover from the historic 5-1 rout they suffered at the hands of the Netherlands, insisting "excuses are for losers."
La Roja will almost certainly need to beat Chile and Australia in their final two group games and may even also need a favour from the Dutch team when they face Chile on 23 June.
"In football you are obliged to move on," said Ramos. "The dressing room is more united than ever. We are full of desire, passion and pride and would like to play today against Chile. We will not forget what happened [on Friday], but we are very motivated. We have to lift ourselves, we can't go crazy after one bad game against a very good team."
A key player in Spain's three consecutive major tournament victories in the past six years, Ramos was one of the main culprits as the Spanish defence was torn apart by the Louis Van Gaal's Dutch side in the second-half in Salvador.
We are a group of champions and we can't blame individuals.Sergio Ramos, Spain
Captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas was also in the firing line due to his string of errors, but Ramos believes the huge amount of tournament experience within the squad will help them recover.
"I'll live with the critics. I don't go mad with the praise, nor will I be drowned by the criticism. Now we all have to do our bit. The veterans and the young players. We have to accept what happened, but we are a group of champions and we can't blame individuals. Much is expected of us, but now more than ever we are united. We have not been sent home yet."
A lack of hunger, a long season at club level and the difficult conditions in Brazil have all been offered as excuses for Spain's collapse. Ramos, though, refused to make excuses for a side that has shown remarkable consistency in recent years.
"Excuses are for losers and Spain have a winning mentality. That is not going to change. We can't live in the past because it is not the badge that wins championships, but the ambition that has always motivated us."
Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba echoed Ramos' words on the need for unity. "It was an accident, we conceded stupid goals but we need to keep going," he said. "In the first-half we were superior and in the second-half our level dropped. We are the ones that win or lose and we need to be stronger than ever now. We need to believe we can still qualify for the last 16."
Garay prepared for Dzeko duel
AppId is over the quota
When you play for Argentina, the spotlight will always fall on you sooner or later. Yet at this particular FIFA World Cup™, the men who form the Albiceleste rearguard are going to find themselves under more scrutiny than would usually be the case.
knows that only too well. Now 27, the central defender is playing some of the best football of his career, excelling with Benfica last season and cementing his place in the national side under Alejandro Sabella. Buoyed by his excellent form, he is unEzequiel Garay concerned about having his every move analysed and receiving the occasional piece of criticism.
“Obviously we’re aware of all that,” the serene Garay told FIFA on the eve of his side’s Brazil 2014 debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We know that in midfield and up front we’ve got some great players who can change the course of games at any given time. That makes it a tremendous challenge for us defenders, but that’s not because we’re not good enough but because our team-mates further forward are so good.”
Garay is entitled to regard some of the criticism that has come the defence’s way as unjustified, especially with Argentina having conceded only 15 goals in their 16 Brazil 2014 qualifying matches, the second-best defensive record in the CONMEBOL Zone.
Discussing the subject with the same elegance he displays on the pitch, Garay said: “We defenders need to keep calm. We improved an awful lot during the course of the qualifiers and we ended it as a pretty solid unit. And obviously if we’re going to win games then we need to do our job pretty well.”
A very special debut
Argentina’s first test comes against a Bosnia and Herzegovina side that look sure to provide stern opposition, despite this being their FIFA World Cup™ debut.
“We know they’ve got some fine players, not least the centre-forward (Edin) Dzeko, but the main thing for us is to avoid being complacent and not make the mistake of thinking it’s going to be easy,” said the centre-half, contemplating Sunday’s meeting with the Bosnians in Rio de Janeiro.
All the same, he accepts Argentina are favourites for this game and are expected to go far in the competition: “With the history and the players we’ve got, some of whom are among the best in the world, we’re seen as one of the contenders for the title, though all our thoughts right now should be on beating Bosnia.”
A FIFA U-20 World Cup winner in 2005 and an Olympic champion in 2008, Garay is preparing to make his debut on the biggest stage of all, a debut that will come, in of all places, the legendary Maracana.
Relishing that prospect, the assured stopper commented: “I’ve never played there before and I want to enjoy it. It’s going to be very special. I’d love to play one more game there, though, and that’s the Final itself, which is what we’re all aspiring to. That’s still a long way away, though. It’s our obligation to show all our rivals the same respect and to take this one step at a time.”