..::Football III::..

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Higuain: It would be a great pleasure to play with Messi at Barcelona

Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain has admitted it would be "a great pleasure" for him to play with Lionel Messi at Barcelona.

Reports in Spain emerged on Sunday suggesting the Argentina was wanted by the Blaugrana as part of new head coach Luis Enrique's summer rebuilding plans.

Napoli promptly issued a statement later that day to quash talk of a transfer, insisting that "rumours to the effect that Higuain could be sold to Barcelona are entirely unfounded".

However, the striker himself has now further fuelled speculation by stating he would be thrilled to play alongside his Argentina captain at club level.

Speaking after the Albiceleste's 2-1 World Cup win over Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Maracana, in which Messi scored the decisive second, Higuain, when asked if he would be interested in a club link-up, told Efe: "Yes, of course. I enjoy it here with the national team. Obviously it would be a great pleasure, but my head is now in the World Cup.

"I'm happy for the interest from Barca. Any player would be happy."

Higuain came on as a second-half substitute in the clash at the Maracana as Argentina recorded a somewhat unconvincing win in their opening World Cup encounter.

The 26-year-old only left La Liga last summer, as he joined Rafa Benitez's Napoli from Real Madrid, where he went on to score 24 goals during the 2013-14 campaign.

 

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Australia assistant: Van Persie can be Manchester United captain

Australia assistant coach Ante Milicic believes Robin van Persie could be ideal as Louis van Gaal's captain at Manchester United.

The Oranje registered the most eye-catching result of the World Cup so far by destroying holders Spain 5-1 in Salvador on Friday and they are now expected to swat aside Ange Postecoglou's underdogs, who were unfortunate not get a draw in a 3-1 loss to Chile later that day.

Last month Van Gaal was confirmed as Manchester United's new manager and a huge challenge awaits the 62-year-old as he attempts to revive the fortunes of the Old Trafford club next season.

But any suggestions the former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss could be distracted by his next assignment were quashed as the razor-sharp Dutch tore the reigning champions apart at the Arena Fonte Nova.

The strength of the Netherlands' team spirit was evident when captain Van Persie sprinted to the half-way line to high-five his coach after scoring the equaliser that sparked La Roja's unexpected demise.

HIGH FIVE | Van Persie celebrates with Van Gaal before the rout of Spain begins

And Milicic believes the former Arsenal centre-forward would make an obvious choice to wear the armband at Old Trafford following Nemanja Vidic's departure to Inter.

"You know one thing, that a man with that kind of experience and that kind of professionalism has been in similar situations in football and he's got enough experience to deal with those situations," the Socceroos assistant coach told Goal when quizzed on Van Gaal's mindset ahead of his move this summer.

"It could work both ways. Maybe he does have one eye on his Manchester United job. Or maybe now his future is sorted for after the World Cup he can spend even more time on the Dutch national team.

"Straight off the top of your head, you can think, look Van Persie's there, he's got him as the captain of his team in Holland, he could possibly be the new captain now at Man United. So there's already some kind of a link going on there. "

Milicic does not believe the Netherlands squad will be distracted by their coach's impending departure to United, who have already been linked with the likes of Feyenood centre-back Bruno Martins Indi and full-back Daley Blind as they seek to replace Rio Ferdinand and Vidic this summer.

"These are all big players that are all professional," he said of the Dutch camp.

"And also you know as one of those younger defenders, they could be someone that he's [Van Gaal] looking to bring. They've lost two high profile ones in the European summer.

"There's a lot of different ways the players could look at it but I don't think they'll be worried too much about what the manager's doing after the World Cup, they'll be focusing on his instructions for the present."

With the Dutch expected to dominate possession against the Socceroos, it remains to be seen if the Netherlands will alter the reactive formation that proved so successful against Spain.

Regardless of how their opponents line up at Estadio Beira-Rio, Milicic knows Australia must brace themselves for another massive test on world football's biggest stage.

"We know that (Van Gaal) is very experienced and quite adaptable with different formations, whether that be 3-5-2, every kid in Holland knows how to play 4-3-3, which we as Australians know well," he said.

"We all know about the class they have going forward. They're a great footballing nation with high expectations."

 

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Barcelona agree to sign Ivan Rakitic

Barcelona and Sevilla have reached an agreement for the transfer of Ivan Rakitic.

Rakitic, 26, who is currently in Brazil as part of Croatia's World Cup squad, has agreed a five-year contract at Camp Nou.As part of the transfer Denis Suarez will move in the opposite direction on loan for the next two seasons.

Sevilla captain Rakitic was a key part of the side that won the Europa League in 2014 and made 59 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals.Rakitic's arrival comes after Barcelona sold Cesc Fabregas to Chelsea in a deal reportedly worth 33 million euros.

Barcelona have already strengthened their squad this summer with the signings of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Borussia Monchengladbach and 17-year-old playmaker Alen Halilovic from Dinamo Zagreb.

 

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Congratulations & Good Luck Rakitic!​

 

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Ghana Vs USA

Starting Line-ups

 

[dilidili2]

Rupavahini & Channel Eye
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Thanks macho

 

[dilidili2]

Ghana Vs USA

Starting Line-ups

WOW! No Essien???

 

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Ghana 1-2 USA: Klinsmann's men leave it late

A late goal from defender John Brooks helped the United States to a 2-1 win over Ghana in their World Cup opener in Natal on Monday.

Supporters had barely found their seats for the Group G clash when USA captain Clint Dempsey found the back of the net after just 29 seconds at the Arena das Dunas.

But Ghana appeared to have earned a draw when Andre Ayew levelled proceedings eight minutes from time only for second-half substitute Brooks to head home the 86th-minute winner as the USA made a winning start in Group G.

The USA's win - their first against Ghana in two previous attempts at the World Cup - was just the result Jurgen Klinsmann's men needed following Portugal's drubbing at the hands of Germany.

Ghana coach James Kwesi Appiah rewarded Jordan Ayew with a place in the starting XI after the young striker came off the bench to score a hat-trick against South Korea last week, while star duo Kevin-Prince Boateng and Michael Essien were among the substitutes.

There were no surprises for the USA, with Jurgen Klinsmann naming the same team that beat Nigeria in their final pre-World Cup match almost a fortnight ago.
Fans in Brazil had been treated to a goal glut since the tournament kicked off last week and it was no different on Monday as Dempsey stunned Ghana inside the opening minute.

The Seattle Sounders forward drove inside the penalty area, gliding past Ghana defender John Boye before placing the ball in the bottom far right-hand corner - the fifth fastest goal in World Cup history.

Jozy Altidore almost doubled the USA's advantage in the 19th minute after Fabian Johnson's low cross found the towering striker inside the six-yard box, but his attempt on goal was blocked.

It proved to be Altidore's last bit of action after the Sunderland player was stretchered off the pitch two minutes later with a potential World Cup-ending hamstring injury - a blow to Klinsmann, who controversially overlooked all-time leading scorer Landon Donovan for the showpiece event.Altidore was replaced by former AZ Alkmaar team-mate Aron Johannsson.

Ghana did have chances to draw level before the break, the greatest of which came on the stroke of half-time as Christian Atsu found himself in space down the right flank and he squared the ball to Ayew but the 22-year-old completely fluffed his lines.

Asamoah Gyan - Ghana's leading scorer during qualification with six goals - was also guilty of wasting a glorious chance 10 minutes into the second half after finding himself unmarked in the area, only to fire his header over the crossbar.

Boateng was introduced on the hour-mark and his substitution was an inspired one as the Africans started to dictate possession and tempo in search of an equaliser.For all of the Black Stars' possession, they could not find a way past goalkeeper Tim Howard, with the African nation lacking composure in the final third.

They were eventually rewarded for their sustained pressure in the 82nd minute courtesy of some lovely link-up play between Gyan and Andre Ayew.A back-heel from Gyan inside the area paved the way for Andre Ayew to run in and slam the ball into the back of the net.

Ghana's joy was short-lived, however, as defender Brooks rose highest to score from a corner with just four minutes of regulation time remaining.

 

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Coentrao: My World Cup may be over

Fabio Coentrao was devastated by the news that his World Cup may already be over after sustaining an injury during Portugal’s 4-0 loss to Germany on Monday.
When chasing a ball in the second half, the Real Madrid defender pulled up clutching his adductor, and had to be stretchered from the field, holding his face in pain.

And after an assessment by the Portugal medical staff after the match that ruled him out for the rest of the group stage, Coentrao revealed that his worst fears were all but realised.

"I honestly think the World Cup is over for me," he lamented to AS."I’m sure it’s a serious injury, although I hope I’m wrong. Sadly, these things happen in this job.

"It’s a sad day, one of the saddest of my life but it’s only the first game and despite the result, we could still get through to the next round,"Forward Hugo Almeida was also forced from the pitch, and Portugal’s head of medical services Henrique Jones confirmed that both players would be unavailable for "between 10 days and three weeks".

The prognosis rules the pair out of Portugal’s remaining group games against Ghana and USA, which will effectively end their participation in the World Cup should the Seleccao fail to qualify.

 

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Messi: I'd love Higuain to join Barca

Lionel Messi would love Argentina team-mate Gonzalo Higuain to join him at Barcelona.

Reports in Spain have suggested the former Real Madrid striker is a primary target for new Blaugrana boss Luis Enrique and the player himself added fuel to the rumours by admitting he was "happy about the interest from Barca".Higuain joined Napoli last summer and the Italian club were less than impressed by their star player being linked with a move already, releasing a statement insisting "rumours that Higuain could be sold to Barcelona are entirely unfounded".

That did not stop Messi being asked about the possible move on Monday, though, and he said he is completely in favour of the idea of the two linking up in La Liga

"I would love Higuain to come to Barca," Messi said. "He'd bring a lot to us. But my head is with the World Cup today."

The Albiceleste's World Cup campaign started last night with a scratchy 2-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina and it was Higuain and Messi who combined for the latter to score a brilliant winner at the Maracana.However, the four-time Ballon d’Or winner was refusing to get carried away by their winning start.

"We're going slowly, game by game," he said. "The next game [against Iran] will be against similar rivals who are going to defend deeply."The important thing is to win the two remaining games."

 

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Zabaleta: Argentina better with 4-3-3

Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta has called on coach Alejandro Sabella to continue with a three-man attack and admits his side must improve on Sunday's victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Albiceleste started their tournament with a 2-1 victory over the World Cup debutants at the Maracana but appeared to struggle with the 5-3-2 system selected to start by coach Alejandro Sabella.

Sabella changed in the second half to the 4-3-3 system used by the Albiceleste during their qualifying campaign – and defender Zabaleta believes his side were more comfortable after the switch.

“There are always things you can improve. Now we have the chance to relax until the next match and the coach can take lessons from what happened today, and work to improve it,” the Manchester City defender told reporters.

“In the second half, with the 4-3-3, we returned more to what we always do, to give more balance, to not over-expose ourselves, and up front we could make the difference.

“It is the system that gave us so much success in qualification, the one we feel most comfortable with because it gives us more players up front, giving the opposition more problems.

“I think the change gave us more attacking potential. The reality is that, playing with three forwards, you give the opposition more problems, and create more chances.”

 

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Howedes: Germany had a simple plan to stop Ronaldo

Benedikt Howedes hailed Germany's "simple" but effective plan for containing Cristiano Ronaldo in Monday's 4-0 pummeling of World Cup Group G rivals Portugal in Salvador.

The Real Madrid superstar started brightly at Arena Fonte Nova but his influence faded after the Seleccao were reduced to 10 men when Pepe was dismissed for a headbutt on Thomas Muller just before the break.

Ronaldo tried to rally his side after the interval but was restricted to pot-shots from distance as Portugal slumped to a 4-0 defeat.

Howedes was, therefore, understandably enthused by the way in which he and his fellow defenders had combined to cope with the threat posed by the Ballon d'Or holder.

"We had a simple plan," Howedes told Goal after the game.

"You have 11 players on the pitch and you have to rely on all of them to stop these kind of perfect individual players.

"But, also, the whole back four kept an eye on him and defended him well today."

While a clearly frustrated Ronaldo floundered, Thomas Muller flourished, scoring a hat-trick.

The versatile Bayern Munich attacker claimed the Golden Boot at World Cup 2010 and Howedes feels his team-mate is entirely capable of again finishing as the tournament's top scorer.

"He's awesome," the Schalke player enthused. "The way he thinks on the pitch is amazing.

"He can score goals when there doesn't seem to be any chance to do so. He's truly incredible."

Howedes was also pleased with his own performance, having been asked by coach Joachim Low to take on the unfamiliar role of left-back on his World Cup debut.

"It's not my first-choice position as I'm a natural central defender but in a tournament like this it's even more necessary than normal to be versatile," the 26-year-old mused.

"We all just wanted to defend well - this was what the coach asked of us - and I think I had a good performance that helped the team in this battle against Portugal.

"I'm proud to have made my first appearance in the World Cup and I'm happy that we had such a good result."

 

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Podolski dedicates Germany win to Schumacher

Germany forward Lukas Podolski dedicated his side’s 4-0 win over Portugal to countryman Michael Schumacher.

On Monday, the retired seven-time Formula One champion awoke from a six-month coma following a serious head injury sustained in a skiing accident last December, and was subsequently discharged from a Grenoble hospital.

And according to The Guardian, Podolski revealed that the news of his friend’s improvement and release immediately lifted the mood of the Germany camp.

"[Schumacher] is a good friend of mine and it is important to all of us to hear the news that he’s come out of hospital. He’s doing well and he’s getting better and it’s really good news," enthused the Arsenal forward.

"Of course it helped us. When you hear the news about a good friend it always helps and you get a little bit of a boost and I was very happy when I heard about the news.

"In the end, it was for him. If we win the [World Cup] title of course it would also be for a good friend."

Podolski, who wore a special pair of boots to commemorate Schumacher during this year's FA Cup final, also revealed that the driver was a huge fan of football, and hoped that he was able to hear the news about Germany’s emphatic start to their World Cup campaign."He’s a good friend, a good guy and he’s also crazy about football," he continued."Maybe he watched the game or he knew about the result."

The 45-year-old driver will now be transferred to Lausanne university hospital in Switzerland to continue the long term phase of his rehabilitation.

 

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Aguero: I'm not joining Barcelona or Madrid

Sergio Aguero has dismissed reports linking him to a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona, insisting he is "very happy" at Manchester City.

The former Atletico Madrid man has been regularly linked with a return to Spain since moving to the Etihad Stadium in 2011, with his goals helping City to two Premier League titles and the Capital One Cup since.

However, Aguero, who is currently at the World Cup with Agentina, insists he is not interested in a move to either of the Spanish giants as he is settled with the Premier League champions.

"There's lots of talk about Real Madrid and Barcelona. It's always the same every year," he told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

"But the truth is that I'm going to stay at City. I'm very happy and I'm going to continue there."

 

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Hazard can be one of the five best players in the world - Wilmots

Chelsea forward Eden Hazard can be one of the five best players in the world, according to Belgium coach Marc Wilmots.

Hazard and Belgium kick-off their World Cup campaign against Algeria in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday and Wilmots believes the stage is set for Hazard to shine.

"Hazard is one of the players who can be one of the five best in the world," the Belgium boss said at the team's pre-match press conference at the Estadio Mineirao on Monday. "Now it’s up to him to release the handbrake and go. He’s 23 years old and playing his first World Cup. It depends on him, but he has everything he needs."

However, Wilmots stressed that Hazard will only shine as part of a strong collective effort in Belgium's first World Cup since 2002.

"It’s not a tournament for Eden, but for the entire team," he said. "He can’t do anything alone, so we need a good collective. We need to play with sacrifice and we want him to show his talent, but only the team [as a whole] will be able to make the difference.

"For Hazard and for the Red Devils, back on the world stage after far too long, it's time to deliver."

Meanwhile, Belgium captain Vincent Kompany claims he will only be satisfied if his side go a long way in the competition.

"It's the first World Cup game for us and I'm really excited," he said. "Is it a dream? Algeria? No. If I really want to fulfill my dreams then I have to go a long way, but the important thing is to give everything I have right now."

 

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Germany 4-0 Portugal: Muller hat-trick downs 10-man Seleccao

 

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FIFA World Cup 2014 Fixtures 2014.06.17

FIFA World Cup 2014 Fixtures 2014.06.17

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Group H

Belgium Vs Algeria

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Group A

Brazil Vs Mexico

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Group H

Russia Vs Korea Republic

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Ghana 1-2 USA: Klinsmann's men leave it late

Ghana kala neda

 

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Barcelona agree to sign Ivan Rakitic

Barcelona and Sevilla have reached an agreement for the transfer of Ivan Rakitic.

Rakitic, 26, who is currently in Brazil as part of Croatia's World Cup squad, has agreed a five-year contract at Camp Nou.As part of the transfer Denis Suarez will move in the opposite direction on loan for the next two seasons.

Sevilla captain Rakitic was a key part of the side that won the Europa League in 2014 and made 59 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals.Rakitic's arrival comes after Barcelona sold Cesc Fabregas to Chelsea in a deal reportedly worth 33 million euros.

Barcelona have already strengthened their squad this summer with the signings of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Borussia Monchengladbach and 17-year-old playmaker Alen Halilovic from Dinamo Zagreb.

congratz Rakitic

 

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Ghana kala neda

Mamanam kalin hithuwe bro Ghana gahai kiyala.hoda set 1kak innawane
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