..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Sweden 2-3 Argentina: First-half blitz clinches victory for Albiceleste

A blistering first 20 minutes in Stockholm was enough for Argentina to continue its winning form, as it downed Sweden 3-2 at the Friends Arena.

Gonzalo Higuain opened the scoring early on, but that was cancelled out by Jonas Olsson's header. The equalizer only served to spur on the visitors though, as Sergio Aguero struck twice to make it 3-1, before Rasmus Elm struck a stunning late consolation.


Argentina was celebrating almost instantly as it took an early lead. Barely two minutes were on the clock when Angel Di Maria burst forward and caught the home side off guard. The Real Madrid man laid the ball off to Higuain, and the striker's powerful effort took a deflection on its way into the net to hand the Albiceleste the lead.

The South Americans looked supremely comfortable, dominating possession and pressing well to retrieve on the few occasions the ball went astray, reducing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to a mere spectator in the first half. However, defensive lapses reared their head and allow Sweden a way back into the game. One of their first attacks saw a looping corner to the far post find an unmarked Jonas Olsson, who made excellent contact and powered his header past the diving Sergio Romero.

That goal failed to halt Argentina's dominance, however. Di Maria was at his brilliant best again when he ran at the Sweden defence and found Sergio Aguero, who delicately chipped over Andres Isaksson with his left boot to restore the advantage.

Lionel Messi had been playing deeper than usual in the attacking trident, but in one of his first approaches on goal the four-time Ballon d'Or winner launched a stinging shot from outside the box. Isaksson parried, only to despair as the ball fell into the path of Higuain for the easiest of finishes.

Di Maria and Aguero both had chances to add to their tally, while Sweden tried to hit back through Alexander Kacaniklic, who forced a decent save from Romero. It was Argentina, however, which went into halftime on top and in electrifying form.

Sweden as promised had withdrawn Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the first 45 minutes, and continued to play second fiddle to an Albiceleste side that dictated the rhythm of Wednesday's friendly.

Messi and co. remained on top throughout the second half, but in a game that became progressively more disjointed as both sides made full use of their substitutes, with goalmouth action increasingly sporadic.

There would however be one late cheer for Sweden; Rasmus Elm slamming home a brilliant free kick to give Sweden its second of the evening.

The Albiceleste maintain their unbeaten run established throughout 2012, and will next host Venezuela in March in their first official match of the year. Sweden, meanwhile, will face Republic of Ireland before travelling to Slovakia.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Netherlands 1-1 Italy: Late Verratti goal denies Oranje victory

Marco Verratti came off the bench to earn Italy a dramatic and undeserved 1-1 draw with Netherlands in Amsterdam on Wednesday evening.

Jeremain Lens' wonderful volley appeared certain to earn the Dutch a first-ever friendly win over the Azzurri, but the visitors leveled matters in the first minute of injury time through their Paris Saint-Germain playmaker.

Despite having started with AC Milan duo Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli in a three-man forward line alongside Antonio Candreva, Cesare Prandelli's men never looked remotely like fashioning an equalizer before the introduction of the far more lively Pablo Osvaldo and Alberto Gilardino midway through the second period.

Italy's lack of potency was surprising given that it had called upon several members of the squad that reached the final of Euro 2012, while the hosts fielded a side littered with youngsters, two of whom - Daley Blind and Ola John - were making their international debuts.

However, it was players clad in orange who looked far more familiar with one another early on. Indeed, the Netherlands dominated the opening half hour, with Adam Maher twice drawing wonderful reaction saves out of veteran Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

In the first instance, the Azzurri skipper blocked with his feet after Robin van Persie and John combined well to open the visitors up down the right-hand side. Oranje enjoyed further success down the same flank moments later, but again Maher was denied by Buffon, the Juventus legend clawing away the AZ playmaker's instinctive volley.

The goal that the Netherlands was threatening, and thoroughly deserved, finally arrived on 33 minutes - and it was worth waiting for, Lens giving Buffon no chance with a thumping volley, after brilliantly flicking the ball over Astori's outstretched right leg.

Credit to Italy, it responded well to falling behind and three times Ignazio Ibate got in behind the Dutch back four, only to fail to pick out a man in the center on each occasion.

Both sides made two changes during the interval but Netherlands continued to carry the greater attacking threat, with Arjen Robben, who had come on in place of Robin van Persie, clearly intent on proving his worth to coach Van Gaal. The winger looked lively right from the off, almost immediately creating an opening for John, who could only shoot straight at Buffon.

As is customary in such fixtures, the substitutions just kept coming and they took the edge off what had been an absorbing encounter up until the break. The Netherlands still looked the more likely scorers, in fairness, with Kevin Strootman drilling a long-range effort just wide before John and Robben both tested Buffon with well-struck drives.

However, Italy came to life in the closing stages and, after Osvaldo and Gilardino had both gone close, the latter set up fellow substitute Verratti for an equalizer in the dying seconds; the Paris Saint-Germain playmaker doing wonderfully well to hold off his man and lift the ball over Tim Krul, silencing the home fans in the process.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Spain!!!

Spain 3-1 Uruguay: Prolific Pedro nets twice for world champions in Doha

Spain came alive in the second half to dispatch Uruguay 3-1 in an engaging international friendly at the Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday.

It was a landmark day for la Roja's present and future, with veteran Carles Puyol picking up his 100th international cap, while Cesar Azpilicueta, Isco and Mario Suarez all made their senior debuts.

A horrible error from Fernando Muslera saw Cesc Fabregas give Spain the lead after 15 minutes, but Uruguay restored parity with a well taken goal by Cristian Rodriguez to enter halftime all square.

But the European champions would take control of the game in the second period, as Pedro scored six minutes after the restart, before striking his second with a quarter of an hour remaining to seal the game.

Vicente Del Bosque named a starting lineup featuring seven Barcelona players, including keeper Victor Valdes, who was handed a rare start in goal due to the absence of Iker Casillas with a hand injury.

Meanwhile, Oscar Tabarez fielded a familiar looking XI for Uruguay, featuring Napoli’s Edinson Cavani and Liverpool’s Luis Suarez up front, with both players in superb form at club level.

It was a moment of humiliation from Fernando Muslera that gifted la Roja the lead after 16 minutes. Fabregas’ shot from 30 yards out seemed like a routine catch, but somehow, the keeper allowed the ball to ricochet from his grasp into the back of the net.

Seconds before the half hour mark, Puyol stabbed home a cross to seemingly mark his occasion with a goal to put Spain in front, but the linesman’s flag chalked off the effort for offside. And the call was doubly hard for Spain to swallow because, within minutes, Uruguay was level.Martin Caceres, who looked lively at left back throughout the first half, played a low pass into the feet of Rodriguez, who turned exquisitely away from Puyol before slotting low into the corner.

La Roja started the second half on fire, and six minutes after the restart, surged back in front. Halftime substitute Gerard Pique pounced on a giveaway by the defense to release Pedro, who wasted little time sliding the ball into the far corner.

Cavani had a chance to respond instantly, but after latching onto another incisive pass from Perez, drilled his strike agonizingly wide of the far post.But Spain was always in control of the second half, and put the game beyond Uruguay’s reach with a quarter of an hour to go. A sweeping counter attack saw Villa release Fabregas, who in turn crossed for Pedro to stab home at the far post.

By this point, Del Bosque's men were out of reach, and ran out the clock in control, even spurning late chances for a fourth as la Celeste simply ran out of gas.
Both sides will be in action next for their World Cup qualifiers on March 22, as Spain hosts Finland, while Uruguay welcomes Paraguay.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Spain!!!

Congratulations Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

France 1-2 Germany: Khedira earns the spoils in Paris

France's 26-year unbeaten record over Germany was ended as the visitors came from behind to win 2-1 in an entertaining international friendly at the Stade de France.

Marseille's Mathieu Valbuena opened the scoring following Karim Benzema's free kick which cannoned off the bar, before Thomas Muller restored parity soon after the break. Despite the home side dominating, Sami Khedira turned in late to ensure a rare win for die Mannschaft.

In a bright opening from both sides, it was Germany which spurned the best opportunity. Ilkay Gundogan's break saw him pick out Khedira with a fine pass towards the edge of the area, but the Real Madrid star could only drag his shot narrowly wide.

While les Bleus opted for a more cautious approach, die Nationalelf should've broken the deadlock just six minutes from the start amid a ferocious opening. A neat ball threaded into Mesut Ozil from Thomas Muller saw the former denied by a sprawling Hugo Lloris save.

Deschamps' side settled into its rhythm following a frantic opening, dominated by Germany. Nevertheless, the hosts did create a chance of their own, as Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko miscued a shot in a promising position, and Rene Adler - back in the international fold following a two year absence - denying Karim Benzema.

Nevertheless, France was still struggling with the immense counterattacking threat the Germans pose. Lloris was again called into action, turning a Per Mertesacker header onto his own bar and out for a corner as the Germans ascended.

The relentless attacking from both sides continued in a surprisingly open first half. Ribery displayed trickery and pace to evade his marker, before Mathieu Valbuena blazed over. Seconds later, profligate finishing saw Benzema beat the trap, but not Adler who pulled off a monster stop to deny the Real Madrid man.

If the center backs enjoyed a spotless first half, then the wing backs endured a torrid period, with Ribery in particular giving the likes of Mertesacker and Lahm a headache, thought it wasn't long before the game would witness its first goal.

On the stroke of halftime, Benzema's audacious, curling free kick slammed against the crossbar, with the smallest player on the field - Valbuena - heading past Adler to hand the home side the slender of advantages in a thrilling half.

After the break, the Germany was far more conserved, and the new approach paid dividends almost immediately. Substitute Etienne Capoue was the guilty party in conceding possession as Muller struck past Lloris to restore parity after 51 minutes.

Low's side, under the watchful eye of Chancellor Angela Merkel, was once more susceptible to the width offered by Valbuena and Ribery, with the latter spurning a golden opportunity to hand the hosts the advantage following Benzema's sweet cut back.

Despite that, the tenacious Germans would seize the initiative against the run of play. Ozil threaded a sumptuous ball into Khedira, who beat the flag and Lloris to silence the raucous fans inside the stadium before the home side was denied by the flag as Germany held on to confirm victory.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

England 2-1 Brazil: Rooney and Lampard secure Wembley win

England gave an assured performance against Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Brazil, recording its first win over the five-time World Cup winner since 1990 on Wednesday night at Wembley.

Ronaldinho had a chance to open the scoring in his unofficial 100th appearance for the Selecao, but was denied from the penalty spot by Joe Hart. Eight minutes later, Wayne Rooney showed the 32-year-old how to finish, stroking a loose ball into the back of the net after a good save by Julio Cesar.

Substitute Fred equalized minutes after halftime, before one of Roy Hodgson’s own introductions, Frank Lampard, smashed the Three Lions back into the lead.

Ashley Cole became only England’s seventh centurion, picked to start for the 100th time, while Manchester United center back Chris Smalling was an unexpected selection in defense.

Ronaldinho was handed a first start for Brazil after almost a year in the international wilderness, adding experience to a young, vibrant side headlined by the dazzling talent of Neymar.

The contest began in poignant fashion, with the samba beats and brass band replaced by a minute’s silence for both the victims of the Munich air disaster and the nightclub fire in Santa Maria that claimed 238 lives last week.

Brazil started the match confidently, with Neymar threatening in behind. But it was England which came closest to opening the scoring, with Rooney’s goal-bound header producing a stunning reflex save from Julio Cesar.

In the 16th minute, veteran Ronaldinho’s cross smashed into the arm of Jack Wilshere. The 32-year-old stepped up to take the spot-kick but was denied by the strong wrists of Hart.

The Three Lions goalkeeper palmed the ball away a second time as Ronaldinho looked to pounce on the rebound, before Tom Cleverley completed the clearance with a risky goal-mouth challenge on Neymar.

Wilshere made amends for his error minutes later, playing a delicate through-ball for Arsenal teammate Theo Walcott. The winger’s shot was saved by Cesar, but ricocheted to Rooney on the edge of the box who calmly passed the ball between a mesh of yellow and green shirts to open the scoring.

Brazil should have been level before the break though, with Oscar whipping an inch-perfect cross towards the back post which Neymar somehow conspired to prod over the bar from two yards. Paulinho then had an overhead kick cleared off the line by Glen Johnson.

Juts three minutes after the restart, England’s hard-fought leaped was wiped out. Gary Cahill overran the ball deep in his own half, with Lucas Moura’s half-block-half-tackle bouncing into the path of fellow sub Fred. The Fluminense forward took a touch and buried his left-footed shot in the top corner.

Seconds later, Hart’s heavy pass bounced off Cahill and fell to the feet of Oscar. The Chelsea star cushioned the ball to Fred, whose curling effort from the edge of the box clipped the top of the crossbar.

But then it was England’s chance to capitalize on an error. Marcos Arouca’s wayward pass found only Rooney, whose lay-off to Lampard was expertly powered past Cesar from outside the area, cannoning off the inside off the near post before nestling in the opposite corner.

The flow of the match was stifled as both sides made a number of substitutions, but England – limiting Brazil to just a handful of optimistic shots from range – hung on to claim a morale boosting victory.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lampard:Wilshere will be among the world's best

The Chelsea midfielder scored the winner over Brazil on Wednesday night but it was his younger teammate who stole the show as he pulled the strings at Wembley
England midfielder Frank Lampard believes Jack Wilshere has the ability to be a "massive" player for Three Lions and potentially one of the best in the world.

The Chelsea star was speaking after bagging the winner in the Three Lions' 2-1 friendly win over Brazil, just their fourth ever victory against the Selecao, with the Arsenal youngster starring at the heart of their midfield.

Wayne Rooney gave Roy Hodgson's side a first-half lead before Fluminense striker Fred equalized moments after coming on at halftime. But, with Wilshere pulling the strings in midfield, the hosts looked in control for much of the second half and Lampard was very impressed.

"I think [Wilshere is] a fantastic player, I've been saying that since he first broke through," the veteran told ITV.

"His quality on the ball, his technical ability, his speed at getting away from people – I think he's going to
be a massive player for England and in the world."

On the day when Ashley Cole picked up his 100th England cap, Lampard was making his 94th appearance and he enthused that the win over Brazil was one of his best nights for his country.

"[It ranks] very highly, it's obviously very fresh. The lads who played 90 minutes deserve a lot of credit because they can't half move the ball and they pop up in little holes behind you and there's a lot of work-rate today but we got a win," he continued.

"We've proved we can beat anyone on our day and the important thing now is consistency and the group matches, because that’' where points come in and we have to get to Brazil."

Although Lampard feels that the win was one of the best results that he has had in an England shirt, he was less certain about it being the team's best performance of recent years.

"I don't know," he remarked, "I think we've played some very good games but probably against lesser opposition, when you play against these teams you have to work hard and be organised and I think we did it very well.

"I know they missed some chances but I think there were times when we broke on them with our speed and we could even have scored more. "If we can continue with that attitude and get a bit more flow to our game then I think we can do very well. We can't get carried away but it's a long time since we've beaten them so it's a lovely feeling."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo to discuss Real Madrid future in summer

Cristiano Ronaldo said that he will sit down with the Real Madrid board to discuss his contract at the end of the current campaign.

The Portugal international claimed that he was “sad” at life at the club back in September, which led to reports of a big money move to Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.

However, the former Manchester United forward has said that his state of mind back in the autumn was not driven by a desire to further his bank balance and said that talks will begin on his deal at the end the current La Liga season.

“Now I care only about the team and we’ll talk at the end of the season,” Ronaldo told AS. “I swear on my son that my sadness with the club was never a question concerning money. It was not. The renewal is a subject that I do not want to talk about and that I do not care about now.”Ronaldo, who turned 28 on Tuesday, also reserved praise for the Madrid fans, stating that they inspire him to continually give his all.

“I want to make my mark at Madrid and I will only do that if I defend the club until the end of my tether," Ronaldo said.“The fans have seen this and come to the conclusion that I am [here] in body and soul, and I defend this shirt to my death. It leaves me very pleased that I can feel their love.”

Ronaldo current holds the title as the world’s most expensive player after Madrid paid United 93.5m euros for him in the summer of 2009

 

[Wolverine GTR]

5000 post

Congratulations!Api Digatama Thread 1ka Karagena Yamu

Footy Rocks!

 

[Banks PLK]

Congratulations!Api Digatama Thread 1ka Karagena Yamu

Footy Rocks!

congrats !

 

[Banks PLK]

Sweden 2-3 Argentina: First-half blitz clinches victory for Albiceleste

A blistering first 20 minutes in Stockholm was enough for Argentina to continue its winning form, as it downed Sweden 3-2 at the Friends Arena.

Gonzalo Higuain opened the scoring early on, but that was cancelled out by Jonas Olsson's header. The equalizer only served to spur on the visitors though, as Sergio Aguero struck twice to make it 3-1, before Rasmus Elm struck a stunning late consolation.


Argentina was celebrating almost instantly as it took an early lead. Barely two minutes were on the clock when Angel Di Maria burst forward and caught the home side off guard. The Real Madrid man laid the ball off to Higuain, and the striker's powerful effort took a deflection on its way into the net to hand the Albiceleste the lead.

The South Americans looked supremely comfortable, dominating possession and pressing well to retrieve on the few occasions the ball went astray, reducing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to a mere spectator in the first half. However, defensive lapses reared their head and allow Sweden a way back into the game. One of their first attacks saw a looping corner to the far post find an unmarked Jonas Olsson, who made excellent contact and powered his header past the diving Sergio Romero.

That goal failed to halt Argentina's dominance, however. Di Maria was at his brilliant best again when he ran at the Sweden defence and found Sergio Aguero, who delicately chipped over Andres Isaksson with his left boot to restore the advantage.

Lionel Messi had been playing deeper than usual in the attacking trident, but in one of his first approaches on goal the four-time Ballon d'Or winner launched a stinging shot from outside the box. Isaksson parried, only to despair as the ball fell into the path of Higuain for the easiest of finishes.

Di Maria and Aguero both had chances to add to their tally, while Sweden tried to hit back through Alexander Kacaniklic, who forced a decent save from Romero. It was Argentina, however, which went into halftime on top and in electrifying form.

Sweden as promised had withdrawn Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the first 45 minutes, and continued to play second fiddle to an Albiceleste side that dictated the rhythm of Wednesday's friendly.

Messi and co. remained on top throughout the second half, but in a game that became progressively more disjointed as both sides made full use of their substitutes, with goalmouth action increasingly sporadic.

There would however be one late cheer for Sweden; Rasmus Elm slamming home a brilliant free kick to give Sweden its second of the evening.

The Albiceleste maintain their unbeaten run established throughout 2012, and will next host Venezuela in March in their first official match of the year. Sweden, meanwhile, will face Republic of Ireland before travelling to Slovakia.

AGUERO

SPAIN VS ARGENTINA match ekak thibba nam patta gemak yai

 

[Banks PLK]

England 2-1 Brazil: Rooney and Lampard secure Wembley win

England gave an assured performance against Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Brazil, recording its first win over the five-time World Cup winner since 1990 on Wednesday night at Wembley.

Ronaldinho had a chance to open the scoring in his unofficial 100th appearance for the Selecao, but was denied from the penalty spot by Joe Hart. Eight minutes later, Wayne Rooney showed the 32-year-old how to finish, stroking a loose ball into the back of the net after a good save by Julio Cesar.

Substitute Fred equalized minutes after halftime, before one of Roy Hodgson’s own introductions, Frank Lampard, smashed the Three Lions back into the lead.

Ashley Cole became only England’s seventh centurion, picked to start for the 100th time, while Manchester United center back Chris Smalling was an unexpected selection in defense.

Ronaldinho was handed a first start for Brazil after almost a year in the international wilderness, adding experience to a young, vibrant side headlined by the dazzling talent of Neymar.

The contest began in poignant fashion, with the samba beats and brass band replaced by a minute’s silence for both the victims of the Munich air disaster and the nightclub fire in Santa Maria that claimed 238 lives last week.

Brazil started the match confidently, with Neymar threatening in behind. But it was England which came closest to opening the scoring, with Rooney’s goal-bound header producing a stunning reflex save from Julio Cesar.

In the 16th minute, veteran Ronaldinho’s cross smashed into the arm of Jack Wilshere. The 32-year-old stepped up to take the spot-kick but was denied by the strong wrists of Hart.

The Three Lions goalkeeper palmed the ball away a second time as Ronaldinho looked to pounce on the rebound, before Tom Cleverley completed the clearance with a risky goal-mouth challenge on Neymar.

Wilshere made amends for his error minutes later, playing a delicate through-ball for Arsenal teammate Theo Walcott. The winger’s shot was saved by Cesar, but ricocheted to Rooney on the edge of the box who calmly passed the ball between a mesh of yellow and green shirts to open the scoring.

Brazil should have been level before the break though, with Oscar whipping an inch-perfect cross towards the back post which Neymar somehow conspired to prod over the bar from two yards. Paulinho then had an overhead kick cleared off the line by Glen Johnson.

Juts three minutes after the restart, England’s hard-fought leaped was wiped out. Gary Cahill overran the ball deep in his own half, with Lucas Moura’s half-block-half-tackle bouncing into the path of fellow sub Fred. The Fluminense forward took a touch and buried his left-footed shot in the top corner.

Seconds later, Hart’s heavy pass bounced off Cahill and fell to the feet of Oscar. The Chelsea star cushioned the ball to Fred, whose curling effort from the edge of the box clipped the top of the crossbar.

But then it was England’s chance to capitalize on an error. Marcos Arouca’s wayward pass found only Rooney, whose lay-off to Lampard was expertly powered past Cesar from outside the area, cannoning off the inside off the near post before nestling in the opposite corner.

The flow of the match was stifled as both sides made a number of substitutions, but England – limiting Brazil to just a handful of optimistic shots from range – hung on to claim a morale boosting victory.

CONGRATS ENGLAND!

 

[Banks PLK]

Sweden - Argentina 2-3

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wilshere unfazed by England 'expectations'

The 21-year-old put in a dominant performance for the Three Lions as he earned his seventh international cap durin Wednesday evening's 2-1 victory against Brazil
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has insisted he can handle the "high expectations" associated with playing for England.

The 21-year-old has been lavished with praise following his impressive performance in Wednesday evening's 2-1 friendly win over Brazil at Wembley.

But the playmaker is unfazed by such plaudits and is simply keen to make a long-term impact at international level.

"When you are playing well and you are in the national team, there are always going to be high expectations," Wilshere told reporters. "But I think you have to deal with that. I used to come to Wembley to watch them play, so to play with them is a dream come true.

"Ten years at the top is something I want to do so, looking at (England veterans Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard), is something I look up to. I think they will carry on to the World Cup next year."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Santos president refuses idea of Neymar sale to Manchester City

The Brazilian is one of the world's most sought-after talents and Roberto Mancini is reportedly hoping to strike a deal to give his side a much-needed attacking boost
Santos president Luis Álvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro has rejected the idea of selling his prized asset Neymar to Manchester City.

Following reports appearing in Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo on Thursday that City will offer a blank check for the Brazilian superstar, Ribeiro has rubbished suggestions he may seek to cash in.

While he admitted it was "not a lack of funds" that would prevent a sale to Manchester City, Ribeiro insists there is no amount of money he would accept from the Premier League champions.

"I anticipate my answer to any bids that might come: the answer is no," he said. "Neymar will stay at Santos until 2014, and I hope that he'll continue here for even longer."

With Roberto Mancini's men trailing Manchester United in the title race, the Italian is keen to learn from the lessons of last summer - when his side was pipped to the signings of Robin Van Persie, Eden Hazard and Javi Martinez - by making an early move for the 21-year-old.

Ribeiro, however, is adamant Neymar is going nowhere.

He added: "I have a very clear basis for Neymar staying here, resisting offers from the Spanish clubs [Barcelona and Real Madrid, in 2011], for one basic reason: he's happy.

"He costs us a relatively modest amount of money, given his talent. His presence translates into intangible gains, like our fan base growing 20% in the last two years."

Ribeiro even admitted he has taken inspiration from a former Santos president, who dug in to ensure Pele did not leave the club during his pomp.

He added: "It's the repetition of the phenomenon experienced in the the 50s and 60s, when Pele attracted a legion of new fans, that went beyond the limits of the city.

"Repeating history is not very creative, but what Athie [Jorge Coury, former Santos president] did with Pele has inspired me."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi: I could end my career in Argentina

The four-time Ballon d'Or winner has extended his contract until 2018 with Barcelona, but says he has not ruled out ending his career back in his home country Barcelona's Lionel Messi has said he could end his career back in his native Argentina.

Messi recently signed a new deal with the Liga side until 2018, by which time he will be 31, and revealed that while Barcelona will be the only European club he will play for, he could return to his homeland to finish his career.

“I have said it before, in Europe I’d like to end my career at Barca," he told the FCBarcelona.com.

"I wouldn’t consider moving to another European club. With that said, I’m not ruling out the possibility of ending my playing career in Argentina."

But Messi also said that he was delighted with his new deal, adding: “I’m very happy at Barcelona, I’ve always said that.

"It’s a fantastic day."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Beckham looking for Giggs- and Scholes-like effect in helping PSG to titles

Despite coming into his twilight years, the new January signing for PSG insists he is still as hungry as ever to be successful and sees his former teammates as prime examples.

David Beckham said that he still has the desire and motivation to win silverware after joining new club Paris Saint-Germain.

The 37-year-old Beckham believes that his influence off the field could be important than his play on it, but he still remains confident about his ability and wants to have a similar impact like his former teammates Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have had at Manchester United.

"I might be able to create good things that happen off the field, but on the field is where I want to be successful. I want to be a champion and I want to win trophies," he told talkSPORT. "That's been my mentality all the way through my career. Your motivation never changes, once you have that motivation in you it continues throughout your whole life.

"[Look at] players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes at Manchester United, they don't play every game but when they do play they are big influences in the game. So I am looking to do that to continue to be successful."

Giggs and Scholes were in the same youth team as Beckham and all played a role in the UEFA Champions League-winning side in 1999. Beckham, who trained with Arsenal before sealing his move to Paris, stated on his physical condition that he felt "pretty good" despite not playing a competitive match since winning his second straight MLS Cup title with the LA Galaxy on Dec. 1.

"It will take me a couple of weeks at least to get up to speed with the rest of the team, but I think I have always kept myself pretty fit," Beckham said. "I don't think it will take me long to get up to speed. But I want to get playing as soon as possible."

PSG manager Carlo Ancelotti said earlier on Thursday that it would be highly likely that Beckham would be available by mid-February.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo: Issue with Mourinho has been resolved

The Real Madrid attacker has denied any knowledge of whether his Portuguese coach will step down at the end of the season, and refused to discuss what goes on in the dressing room

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed there was an issue between him and head coach Jose Mourinho, but it has now been resolved.

In September 2012, Ronaldo had explained to the press he was "sad" at Santiago Bernabeu, which caused speculation to mount about his future with the Liga club.
However, the Portugal international insists his troublesome period with the former Chelsea coach is in the past, and admitted he is unsure how long Mourinho will remain in charge at Madrid.

He told AS: "I don't know, I think he'll stay on at least until the end of the season, because he is a coach who always wants to win and we still have some challenges left.

"After that he will decide what is best for him, for the players and the club. But I don't know what he or the club thinks.

"It's a very personal issue [what happened with Mourinho], but it's been resolved now and everything is fine. What happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room."Iker Casillas’ girlfriend Sara Carbonero has claimed the Madrid dressing room had a difficult relationship with Mourinho, but Ronaldo refused to go into detail about what might be going on behind the scenes at Los Blancos.

"There are some things I am not fit to talk about but it's a delicate situation and I don't think it was the right thing to do," he said.

"However, people are free to say what they want even though I think that it was not good, because the business of the dressing room should stay in the dressing room and if you know something you shouldn't report it."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Neymar: I can imagine playing for Bayern

The Brazil star, who was in Europe this week due to the Selecao’s clash with England on Wednesday, revealed his ambition to play on the continent someday
Santos striker Neymar has claimed he can imagine playing for Bayern Munich in the future.

The Bundesliga club became the center of attention in January after it confirmed that former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola would be taking over in the summer from Jupp Heynckes.And now Neymar is the latest famous football figure to associate himself with the Bavarians.

"All leagues are interesting in the end, including the Bundesliga," he told German news outlet SID,"Bayern are a big club with extraordinary players. Playing for Bayern is something I could imagine doing. There is nothing that speaks against this."[Bastian] Schweinsteiger is one of the best players I have ever seen. It is the basics that make him strong: his positioning, his passing and his presence on the field.

The 21-year-old defended his decision to remain at Santos for the short-term but reiterated his intention to move to Europe.And though Barcelona and Real Madrid are the main candidates, he insisted a transfer to La Liga might not be forthcoming.

"I dreamed to play in Europe since I was a child, but it is important I feel good and adapt with the rest of the team," he continued."[The transfer] doesn't have to be Spain necessarily."

Neymar was on the Ballon d’Or long-list this year but Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta and (eventual winner) Lionel Messi were the trio which competed for the top prize.

And the Brazilian believes those three players are examples for other footballers to follow."Messi, Iniesta or Ronaldo are on another level," he said. "They are role models for us, on the field and as persons."

The Santos talent also revealed that he is still trying to work on the weaker aspects of his game, as well as accepting that there is a lot of pressure on the Selecao leading up to the World Cup in the summer of 2014.

"As host country we are under pressure, of course," he said. "But maybe our fans will help lead us to success at the World Cup in our own country."[To win it] we have to improve our link-up play, but I believe it will soon be better. Personally, I have to improve my heading, shooting and possession-play."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi extends Barcelona contract until 2018

The Argentine attacker, who has been a Camp Nou player since 2000, signed a new deal on Thursday that ties him to the Liga giants for another five years.
Lionel Messi has signed a new Barcelona contract, extending his stay at the club until 2018.

The Argentine attacker - who joined the Blaugrana in 2000 - originally had a deal that ended in 2016, though an agreement had been struck in December for the 25-year-old to remain at the Liga giants until 2018, and he put pen to paper on that deal on Thursday..

The Camp Nou star will reportedly earn an annual salary of 11 million euros after taxes, and he has a buy-out clause of 250 million euros in his new contract.

Messi has become the third Barca star to extend his stay after Carles Puyol and Xavi, although goalkeeper Victor Valdes had turned down talks in January and revealed he wants his current contract to run its course.

Messi has helped his side to three UEFA Champions League trophies, five La Liga titles and many more pieces of silverware during his time at the Catalan club.

Messi, whose latest extension is his sixth renewal with the Liga leaders, was awarded the Ballon d'Or in January for the fourth consecutive year, beating Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo and teammate Andres Iniesta.