..::Football III::..

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Ukraine 2-0 France: Zozulya and Yarmolenko leave les Bleus with a mountain to climb

Second-half goals from Roman Zozulya and Andriy Yarmolenko saw Ukraine stun France 2-0 in their World Cup play-off first leg in Kiev on Friday.

Zozulya's well-taken finish and Yarmolenko's late penalty condemned the lacklustre Bleus to defeat and left Franck Ribery and Co. with a mountain to climb to reach the finals next summer, especially after Laurent Koscielny was sent off late on.

Mikhail Fomenko's men went into the game having never beaten France before, but having secured their place in the play-offs after finishing just a point behind England in Group H.

Only world and European champions Spain prevented France from automatically qualifying for next year's showpiece in Brazil.

However, it was the supposed underdogs Ukraine who dictated play in a tight encounter, with striker Zozulya giving them the lead midway through the second half.

And the hosts wrapped up the win with a penalty from Yarmolenko seven minutes from time, before Laurent and Olexandr Kucher both saw red as the two sides ended the game with 10 men.

Newcastle United striker Loic Remy made his first start in a competitive match for France since October 2011, while captain Hugo Lloris was also included in Didier Deschamps' starting XI, having not played since being knocked unconscious in Tottenham's Premier League draw with Everton earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Ukraine made five changes from the side that beat San Marino 8-0 in their final group-stage game, Dnipro striker Zozulya leading the line in front of attacking midfielder Edmar.

Both sides created chances early on, with Olivier Giroud seeing his header comfortably saved by Andriy Pyatov, before Yarmolenko had the hosts' first effort on goal with a low shot that forced Lloris into action.

But from there, opportunities proved to be rare in what was a tense first half, although Ukraine wasted a good chance to take the lead when Edmar headed narrowly wide from close range just before the half-hour mark.

France began to exert more control in the opening forays of the second half, although Ukraine remained a threat on the counter, with defender Artem Fedetskiy shooting just over from long range.

And it was Fomenko's men who finally broke the deadlock after 61 minutes when Zozulya's effort squirmed under Lloris and over the line to delight the home crowd at the Olympic Stadium.

Deschamps' men responded well, Samir Nasri denied being by Pyatov following Giroud's throughball, before Paul Pogba saw his low effort easily handled by the Ukraine shot-stopper.

France continued to search for an equaliser and a much-needed away goal as the contest headed towards its conclusion, but Yarmolenko made their task even harder when he converted from the spot after Arsenal defender Koscielny was ruled to have bundled over Zozulya in the area.

Koscielny's miserable night was completed when he was dismissed for an off-the-ball fracas with Kucher and, although the latter was also sent off soon after for a second bookable offence, it is the 1998 world champions who have a mountain to climb ahead of the second leg at Stade de France on Tuesday.

 

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Portugal gahala but France kala2nd leg 1ken hama deyakma decide wei wage

 

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Pain in Ukraine: France and Ribery on the brink of humiliating World Cup exit

Almost exactly two decades after France spectacularly failed to qualify for World Cup 1994 due to a shock home defeat against Bulgaria, head coach Didier Deschamps, who was on the field that dark night at Parc des Princes, finds himself again in the firing line as les Bleus’ place in Brazil comes under threat.

A 2-0 defeat in Ukraine, which came about due to Roman Zozulya’s well-constructed but ultimately scrambled effort in the formative stages of the second half and then Andriy Yarmolenko’s penalty, leaves France vulnerable ahead of the second leg at Stade de France next Tuesday. If they are to overturn their deficit, they will need to perform far better than they did in Kiev.

Ukraine offered obstinate opponents for much of the first hour but dominated the final 30 minutes with an excellent display of counterattacking football.

Defensively they were extremely organised, while Zozulya spent much of the first half of the match so distant from his team-mates it seemed he was leading a lone fight to find the net. The Dnipro forward did enjoy tremendous success with his industry and was highly effective on the break with his harrying style. Otherwise only Yarmolenko down the home right looked a true threat for the duration.

But what the hosts did well was to stifle their opponents.

Franck Ribery, the man who is the Ballon d’Or winner in waiting, according to many pundits, often found himself surrounded by a cluster of hungry defenders. With France’s star man subdued, Deschamps’ side had few answers.

Samir Nasri may have enjoyed something of a domestic renaissance, yet he was remarkably sloppy in possession and will do well to keep Mathieu Valbuena out of the team in Paris. The Manchester City man lacked the nous and imagination to break down a defence that has enjoyed nearly 12 hours without conceding a goal.

Nasri was included in the France side on the basis of his current form and Loic Remy was involved on the right wing for a similar reason. The gamble to start the Newcastle forward would also backfire, however. Although he managed to produce moments of danger, his match was ultimately defined by a fresh-air swipe from a chance that could have put the visitors into the lead.

Only Oleksandr Kucher's late red card, which came after France's Laurent Koscielny was dismissed, offered a real blot on the evening for the home side. He will, of course, be banned for the second leg, along with Artem Fedetskiy, so a re-jig in the seemingly impregnable rearguard is required.

Regardless, Ukraine can start dreaming of a place in Brazil. Their defensive record is formidable, and with a two-goal cushion to protect – plus the potential bonus of an away goal – there can be little doubt that Mykhaylo Fomenko’s side are strong favourites to become the Bulgaria of this generation.

Deschamps is the common factor, and while he was able to bounce back from that blow in Paris 20 years ago to ultimately win the World Cup as a player in 1998, it would be remarkable if he was now able to do likewise as France’s coach.

 

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France lata 2nd leg 1ke pattama gemak denna wenawa.1kama Advantage 1ka thamai home

 

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England boo boys right not to accept defeat, admits Hodgson

England manager Roy Hodgson admitted he was not surprised that the home supporters booed his team off following Friday night’s 2-0 defeat to Chile at Wembley.

Alexis Sanchez struck twice for the South American visitors as the Three Lions laboured in their first friendly since qualifying for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

And the England fans who remained at the final whistle voiced their disappointment with the performance on a night when Hodgson made a number of changes to the side and handed debuts to Fraser Forster, Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez.

“I think that [booing] is part of the game today,” Hodgson said. “Fans don’t accept defeats, they don’t want defeats, but who does?

“There aren’t many games today I see where there isn’t some sort of booing when the home team has lost.

“We learnt a lot tonight. I did say before the game I thought Chile were a very good team. They certainly proved that tonight - they were excellent.

“It’s important sometimes not to beat yourself up too much. Our players were very unhappy and disappointed that our good run came to an end at home.

“Taking positives from defeats is always a difficult thing to do. We have to play better to beat top teams but I don’t want them to beat themselves up too much.”

Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli was delighted with his side’s display and backed Sanchez to shine at the World Cup following an “historic” victory in London.

“It’s one of those events that go down in history,” Sampaoli said. “It was in the cathedral of football and it will make the people of Chile very happy.

“It was an outstanding performance from Alexis. A performance like that here at Wembley stands him in really good stead for the World Cup.

“He has got everything it takes to be a real star of the World Cup. He’s in great form and he showed his class tonight.”

 

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'The referee didn't know what he was doing' - Lagerback slams Iceland red card

Iceland coach Lars Lagerback has hit out at referee Alberto Undiano, claiming the official "did not know what he was doing" in the 0-0 draw with Croatia on Friday.

The home side were reduced to 10 men just five minutes into the second half when Olafur Skulason was shown a straight red for appearing to pull back Ivan Peresic, but a spirited defensive display ensured they travel east next week with a firm chance of making it to Brazil next summer.

The Swede applauded the resilience of his team in holding on for a draw, but was disappointed in the referee’s decision which tilted the game in the visitors' favour early in the second half.

"Tonight the referee was not at his best," Lagerback told reporters. "I am pleased with the way the players stood up but we were unlucky.

"I did not see a red card from my position, but there were many situations where he [Undiano] did not know what he was doing.

"There were a lot of 50-50 decisions that were not in our favour.

"I've seen him a few times and I felt he had a bad day. I also have bad days. That's life."

Lagerback's men travel to Croatia on Tuesday having lost just one game on their travels in qualifying - a 1-0 defeat to Cyprus in September 2012.

 

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'My goal was important' - Ronaldo relieved to head to Sweden with a win

Cristiano Ronaldo admits his goal for Portugal over Sweden is of massive importance but concedes he would have preferred a greater winning margin.

The Real Madrid forward scored the only strike of the World Cup play-off first leg at the Estadio da Luz with eight minutes left on the clock, though was unfortunate not to double his tally when he hit the woodwork afterwards.

"It was an important goal and enough to give us the victory," he told reporters after the match. "We could have done with one or two more goals, but did not happen.

"We have to be happy with the result and, on Tuesday, we have another battle. We may take to the field with just a minimal advantage, but it's better than a draw.

"It would have been better to have scored another goal, and now we may have to score in Sweden. We will give it our best and nobody wants to miss being in Brazil. "

Seleccao coach Paulo Bento insists that having the slender advantage will not force the nation to play defensively in the away leg and was delighted with how his charges responded in the second half.

"This is a play-off with two teams that are very balanced," he said. "We knew it was going to be balanced. Now the team is preparing to win in Sweden. We will not go there to defend the result.

"We had a great chance early in the game. Then Sweden responded with a cross, which was virtually their only chance in 90 minutes.

"Overall, in the second half we were much, much better. We were dominating the whole game, but it was more evident in the second half.

"We created more scoring opportunities to achieve a better result. The players are to be congratulated for what they did, and for the attitude demonstrated."

 

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Muller slams 'unfair' Italy tactics after Motta-Kroos clash

Germany forward Thomas Muller has slammed the "unfair" tactics deployed by Italy on Friday and hit out at Thiago Motta following his clash with Toni Kroos.

Mats Hummels opened the scoring for the visitors in the eighth minute before Ignazio Abate levelled the score 20 minutes later to prolong the Azzurri's unbeaten run against the Germans.

The match boiled over in the closing minutes as Toni Kroos remonstrated with Motta for what he perceived to be over-aggressive challenges, only for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder to square up to the Bayern Munich man, with both handed bookings.

Muller was left far from impressed with the antics of Cesare Prandelli's men, but claimed he was not surprised to see their physical approach.

"The Italians played like we knew they would – lots of little unfair things," he told reporters.

"I don't know if these belong in a match.

"The referee joined in their play. It is okay to be hard in the duels, but Motta behaved like we know he does and grabs Toni [Kroos'] face."

Kroos echoed the statements of his Bayern team-mate, branding Motta's actions as "assault."

"Both teams wanted to win. It was not too hard. We know the way Italy plays and we were up for it," he said.

"These tests are very good. You can learn where your room for improvement is.

"The first half was very good, we made the ball run. The second half was not so good. It was a good test."

On Motta, he added: "I guess that's what you call an assault."

Germany coach Joachim Low admitted he was not expecting a "friendly" encounter in Milan but insisted he was pleased with how his side performed against a tactically-astute side.

"I am satisfied with how the match went. We showed a good defensive performance and great fighting performance," he said.

"It was clear that we would not get a 'friendly' in Italy. We knew that.

"Months ago we decided to play Italy and England. We wanted to test how good we are. Italy are very good tactically.

"They switch numerous systems during a match and for an opponent it can be difficult to cope with that. And for that, these matches are good."

Germany will travel to London to take on England at Wembley on Tuesday in their next encounter.

 

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Navas: I joined Manchester City to win titles

Manchester City winger Jesus Navas has revealed his primary motivation for leaving Sevilla to join the Etihad Stadium outfit was to win titles.

The 27-year-old, who won the Uefa Cup in consecutive seasons with los Rojiblancos and enjoyed World Cup and European Championship success with Spain, felt his opportunities for glory had dried up in Sevilla.

As a result, Navas jumped at the chance to tackle "a new challenge" with Manuel Pellegrini's side, saying that City provide him with the opportunity to add to his medal collection.

"I am a player who demands a lot of myself," he told the Manchester Evening News. "I always want to get more. In the last few years at Sevilla we could not get titles and I wanted to grow as a player.

"I was used to winning titles with Sevilla and Spain, I wanted to keep doing it and I had that option with City. They bet everything for me.

"I wanted to experience something new. What I got in Seville was unique, but I wanted a new challenge."

Navas has not always been awarded a starting berth under Pellegrini, but the Spaniard was keen to heap praise on the former Real Madrid coach for his tactics, admitting he feels like an important player.

He continued: "Pellegrini has welcomed me very well. He is a hard-worker, humble and simple. He likes his teams to have the ball and he has had success everywhere.

"I am very impressed with the Premier League rhythm. The games are very direct and the league is very competitive.

"Manchester City does not intimidate me and neither does the squad. In Sevilla I also played big games. I feel an important player for City and I am happy."

 

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Guardiola: Heynckes gave me a perfect team

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola has thanked Jupp Heynckes for leaving him with a perfect team when he left the club in the summer.

The Bavarian giants won an historic treble last term during Heynckes' last season as coach, and have made a flying start to the current campaign.

The 68-year-old has been rewarded with the prestigious Bambi Award, presented by his successor, who was in awe of his achievements over the last year.

“Bayern have you to thank for many trophies - but this trophy is for you alone,” Guardiola said.

“You're a magnificent colleague. You’re a legend in Germany, but every kid in Catalunya and Spain knows who you are as well. You are a huge role model to me, as an expert but also as a person.

“You picked the team up again, with your experience, courage and big heart. You were rewarded with the treble – and it’s your treble! You handed me a perfect team, and I can’t top your achievement.”

Heynckes said he was honoured to have won the award, which is given to those who have inspired people in Germany with their achievements.

"I’m extremely pleased Pep is here today. Receiving the Bambi award is a great honour for me and I’m delighted. If my mother could be here to see it, she would be very proud.

"Coaching Bayern is a privilege. And it was a privilege to take charge of this team.”

Other Bayern Munich figures who have won the award include Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Oliver Kahn and Michael Ballack.

 

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Del Bosque agrees Spain extension until 2016

Vicente del Bosque has confirmed that he has reached an agreement with the Spanish football federation (RFEF) over a new contract until the summer of 2016.

The 62-year-old's previous deal was due to expire after the 2014 World Cup and initial reports suggested that he could leave the post after next year's tournament.

However, he recently stated that he was ready to stay on as national team coach and has now signed an extension until after Euro 2016.

"I can confirm that I have signed with the Spanish team until 2016," Del Bosque said at a press conference.Del Bosque replaced Luis Aragones as Spain coach after their successful Euro 2008 campaign and has since guided them to World Cup glory in 2010 and another European title in Poland and Ukraine last year.

Spain qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil by beating France to top spot in Group I.

They are currently preparing for the international friendly against Equatorial Guinea.

 

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Congratulations Del Bosque!

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Messi: I will never forget Barcelona debut

Lionel Messi has nothing but fond memories of his Barcelona debut as he is set to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his first appearance for the Catalans.

The prolific attacker made his first-team debut in the friendly game against Porto on November 16, 2003, and he has stressed that it was a dream come true for him to join up with the senior side at the tender age of 16.

"November 16 2003 is a very important date for me, because that’s when I was able to make my childhood dream come true," Messi told Barca TV.

"It was a very happy day for me. I’d fought hard to make that moment happen and it was really special.

"I remember that we were training with the Juvenil A team and, when it finished, [academy co-ordinator] Josep Colomer talked to me about a few things and then told me that I would be travelling with the first team.

"He told me that I should just go and enjoy the game and the experience, but when I came back I should concentrate on the Juvenil A team."

Messi has since gone on to develop into Barcelona's undisputed star player, yet he has stressed that his success has not changed him.

"I think that I continue to be the same person. I see things in the same way, though I have grown and learnt how to value things."

The Argentina international, 26, is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and is set to be out of action for the remainder of 2013.

 

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Sanchez patta

Sanchez dan form 1ke inne

 

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World Cup Qualifying Fixtures 2013.11.16

World Cup Qualifying Fixtures 2013.11.16

Nigeria Vs Ethiopia

Senegal Vs Ivory Coast

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International Friendly Fixtures 2013.11.16

International Friendly Fixtures 2013.11.16

Japan Vs Netherlands

Wales Vs Finland

Guinea Vs Spain

Brazil Vs Honduras​

 

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France lata 2nd leg 1ke pattama gemak denna wenawa.1kama Advantage 1ka thamai home

france lata qualify wenna bariweyida manda

 

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Messi: I will never forget Barcelona debut

 

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Equatorial Guinea 1-2 Spain: Juanfran edges la Roja to victory

Spain recorded a 2-1 friendly success over Equatorial Guinea on Saturday night in an encounter in which the home side did not hold back.

First-half goals from Santi Cazorla and Juanfran sandwiched a strike from Jimmy Bermudez to give Vicente del Bosque's side victory, though there was brief concern for Xabi Alonso, who limped off in the first half with an ankle problem.

The world champions dominated the majority of the game in Malabo on Saturday but were wasteful in front of goal, with substitute Fernando Llorente particularly guilty.

Spain produced the best openings of the first half and Jesus Navas' lob almost put the visitors ahead before Cazorla capitalised on a mistake from Danilo.

Equatorial Guinea equalised through Bermudez's header, but the sides were level for just seven minutes as Juanfran thrashed home from close range.

Spain had several opportunities to increase the lead and Llorente thought he had added a third, only for Andres Iniesta to be ruled offside in the build-up.

Vicente del Bosque took the opportunity to rest several of his star players and handed a debut to Marc Bartra, while Ivan Bolado was given the role as Equatorial Guinea's lone striker.

The visitors dominated first-half possession and were nearly ahead as early as the seventh minute when Navas' inventive chip almost dipped over Danilo.

Spain were duly rewarded for their pressure six minutes later, when Danilo dropped a straight-forward cross from Juan Mata and Cazorla profited from the gaffe as he tapped into the empty net.

Equatorial Guinea had their first sight of goal after 35 minutes when Rodolfo Bodipo met Javier Balboa's centre, but his strike was deflected over the crossbar.

And from the resulting corner the home fans were sent into delirium when Bermudez levelled by rising highest to head home Juvenal Edjogo's delivery.

However, their joy was short-lived as three minutes before the break Cazorla's cross deflected into the path of Juanfran and he rifled home from close range.

Llorente was introduced as a second-half substitute and will feel he could have done better after 54 minutes when he shot tamely at Danilo from Navas' cushioned header.

The Juventus striker did have the ball in the back of the net on the hour-mark when he tapped home Iniesta's centre, but the Barcelona midfielder was harshly adjudged to be offside in the build-up.

Spain's dominance continued and Llorente missed another clear opportunity with a weak back-post header from Navas' deft cross with 20 minutes remaining.

Several substitutions in the close stages stemmed the flow of the match, as Spain comfortably saw out the victory.

 

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Congratulations Spain!

Congratulations Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA​