..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi tax charges to be dropped

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is to set to have tax fraud charges against him dropped, but the Spanish judicial system will continue to push for a conviction for his father.

The 26-year-old had been hit with allegations in the past year which suggested he was guilty of tax avoidance to the sum of €4.1 million between 2006 and 2009.

Messi and his father, Jorge Messi, paid just over €5m to authorities after the Argentina international insisted he had no knowledge of the allegations and denied any wrongdoing.

A letter from the prosecution involved in the case seems to agree with Lionel's stance but, although the Barca star is now out of the legal spotlight, his father remains under scrutiny.

"Lionel A. Messi was not involved in the decision-taking on the management and channelling of his income and did not really know the scope, size, purpose or effects of the corporate network," the Europa Press reports the prosecution as stating.

"[However, his father had] full knowledge of the consequences for committing fraud with the Spanish Tax Agency."

The letter also claims the four-time Ballon d'Or winner was just following orders from his father and that his signature on the documents was just "for the purpose of knowledge and ratification" regarding image rights.

It is alleged that Messi's image rights were sold by Jorge - who assumed full responsibility when the case began - using companies in the likes of Belize and Uruguay to avoid Spanish tax obligations.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Di Maria fit to face Iran

Angel Di Maria trained normally for Argentina on Wednesday and will be fit for his side's Group F clash against Iran on Saturday.

The Real Madrid winger has been struggling with a muscle strain since Argentina's 2-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday and underwent special fitness work on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old showed some signs of discomfort as Wednesday's practice got underway at Atletico Mineiro's training ground outside Belo Horizonte, but he completed the session and has been cleared to face Iran at the Estadio Mineirao on Saturday.

Inter striker Rodrigo Palacio is also fit after recovering from an ankle problem that kept him out of the squad on Sunday.

"All of the players trained normally today and Di Maria has recovered from his knock," Argentina's press officer told reporters after Wednesday's session.

And Boca Juniors goalkeeper Agustin Orion added: "You always get knocks and niggles, but luckily all of the players trained today and they are all available to the coach [Alejandro Sabella] for selection."

Argentina top Group F after beating Bosnia-Herzegovina and will seal a place in the last 16 on Saturday with victory over Iran, who drew with Nigeria on Monday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Muller will break World Cup scoring record, says Germany legend

Germany legend Gerd Muller has backed compatriot Thomas Muller to become the World Cup's greatest goalscorer on the back of his hat-trick heroics against Portugal.

‘Der Bomber’ is a former World Cup Golden Boot winner and believes his namesake is on course to become the most prolific scorer in finals history.

The current Germany forward scored five times in South Africa 2010 and already has three goals to his credit in Brazil.

Team-mate Miroslav Klose is only one strike behind Ronaldo’s all-time record of 15, the older Muller thinks it is only a matter of time before the Bayern Munich attacker surpasses both.

“I’m sure that Thomas Muller will surpass the World Cup scoring record because he still has another one or two World Cups ahead of him,” the legend told Sport Bild.

“He will defend his Golden Boot title."

Klose recently overhauled Muller's record of 68 goals for his country, but the latter did accumulate those goals in only 60 internationals, compared to the Lazio striker's 132.

Meanwhile, Thomas Muller has struck 20 times for Germany in 50 caps, with seven of those coming in the final stages of the World Cup.

He is expected to have the opportunity to add to his tally when his side meet Ghana in their second group game in Fortaleza on Saturday, having previously seen off Portugal 4-0.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Blanc: Marquinhos won't join Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc has dismissed reports linking Marquinhos with a move to Barcelona.

The 20-year-old only arrived in the French capital last year but looked set for a move to Barcelona following PSG’s capture of compatriot David Luiz.

The Spanish club were reported to have already have agreed a deal in principle for the former Corinthians man, but Blanc insists he is staying put.

“He will certainly stay,” Blanc told RMC.

“I'm interested in keeping the same group we had this year.”

Brazil international Dani Alves was rumoured to be a makeweight in the deal that will take the defender to Camp Nou, and Blanc refused to rule out a separate move for the right-back.

“Dani Alves is one of the top players at his position,” said Blanc.

“We have already acquired David Luiz and at least one or two more players will arrive this summer.”

Marquinhos made his international debut as a substitute in Brazil's 5-0 victory over Honduras in November but failed to earn a place in Luiz Felipe Scolari's World Cup squad.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Spain 0-2 Chile: Aranguiz sends holders crashing out of World Cup

World Cup holders Spain crashed out of the tournament after they were stunned 2-0 by a brilliant Chile side on Wednesday night.

After a 5-1 hammering against the Netherlands in their opening Group B clash, Vicente del Bosque's side needed an immediate response, but fell short in another lacklustre showing.

Having fallen behind to Eduardo Vargas' well-taken 20th-minute finish and been pushed to the brink by a second from Charles Aranguiz - helped by another Iker Casillas error - a comeback was never likely.Del Bosque dropped Barcelona duo Gerard Pique and Xavi following the humiliation against the Dutch, but the change in personnel made little difference as they capitulated once again.

Busquets should probably have put Spain back into the contest early in the second half, but he inexplicably missed the target from close range, and from then on Spain lacked any real invention.Victory for Chile means that their final group game against the Netherlands will determine who finishes top with both now through to the last 16, while Spain face Australia with nothing left to play for before heading home in despair.

The South Americans looked far brighter in the early exchanges and went close twice inside the first three minutes, as Vargas saw a poked effort deflected agonisingly wide, before Gonzalo Jara headed just off target.Despite that, Spain gradually appeared to grow into the contest, only to find themselves behind in the 20th minute.

After latching on to Alexis Sanchez's throughball, Aranguiz squared to Vargas, who cleverly side-stepped Casillas before prodding the ball into an empty net.

The world champions almost restored parity eight minutes later, only for Diego Costa to find the side netting after pouncing on David Silva's headed pass.

And Chile soon made the most of their opponents' incompetence again to forge a two-goal lead after 43 minutes.

Aranguiz was at the centre of things once more, but it was Casillas who was the villain yet again. The Real Madrid keeper bizarrely opted to punch a Sanchez free-kick back out into a crowded area when the ball could easily have been caught.

With the defensive wall slow to react, Aranguiz controlled with a deft touch before prodding home past the stranded goalkeeper to put Spain on the brink.

The reigning world and European champions started the second period with renewed determination and they almost pulled a goal back in the 52nd minute, only for Busquets to skew a shot wide from close range after reaching Costa's overhead kick.

Del Bosque's men exerted more control over possession than in the first half, but they still struggled to get Costa into dangerous positions, with the Atletico Madrid forward soon substituted to a chorus of jeers.

Chile should have put the match beyond all doubt in the 68th minute when Mauricio Isla met Eugenio Mena's low cross at the back post, but the Juventus man sliced over, handing Spain a lifeline.

With Fernando Torres on in place of Costa and Santi Cazorla also thrown into the fray, the Spaniards desperately poured men forward in the closing stages and a long-range Andres Iniesta effort forced Claudio Bravo into an acrobatic save.
But it was not enough, as the South Americans held on to their clean sheet and booked their place in the second round.

Spain, meanwhile, were left to reflect on a world title defence that has ended before it even begun - with Del Bosque and his men now assessing just where they go from here.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cameroon Vs Croatia

Starting Line-ups

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[rcccc]

Full Time

Spain 0 Vs 2 Chile

Chile Goal(s)

Vargas 20'
Aranhuiz 43'


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[charitha chandi]

Spain 0-2 Chile: Aranguiz sends holders crashing out of World Cup

GG..! go home now..!

 

[Michael]

SPAIN

Danma gedara giya nam iwaraia thawa chater wenna issella..

 

[Michael]

Australia 2 Vs 3 Netherlands in Pictures

Meh para WC munge thama!!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cameroon 0-4 Croatia: Mandzukic double sends 10-man Lions packing

Mario Mandzukic scored twice as Croatia dumped 10-man Cameroon out of the World Cup with a 4-0 thrashing in Manaus.

Olic made the breakthrough 10 minutes into the first half, before team-mate Perisic sealed all three points following a brilliant solo run shortly after the break.Mandzukic added some gloss to the score line in the 60th and 73rd minutes as Croatia won their first World Cup match since 2002, having lost three and drawn two.

Niko Kovac's men have now collected three points from two games and are one point adrift of Mexico, who are level on points with host nation Brazil heading into their final group game, while Cameroon remain winless and out of contention.

Attempting to respond to their defeat to Mexico, Cameroon coach Volker Finke was forced into a change up front, with captain Samuel Eto'o ruled out with a knee injury. Defender Cedric Djeugoue also made way for Joel Matip.

Croatia made three changes to the team that lost to Brazil last week. Mandzukic returned from suspension and he was joined in the line up by Danijel Pranjic and Sammir as Nikica Jelavic, Sime Vrsaljko and Mateo Kovacic dropped out.

The African side settled the quickest out of the two teams, though Croatia eventually found their groove to open the scoring in the 11th minute.

Perisic slipped the ball across the six-yard box for Wolfsburg team-mate Olic to fire home from close range - his 19th international goal since making his debut in 2002.Cameroon's task was made a lot tougher just five minutes before the half-time interval, when midfielder Alex Song saw red for an off-the-ball incident.

The Barcelona player lashed out at Mandzukic, striking the forward on the back as Croatia pressed ahead on the counter attack.It went from bad to worse for the Indomitable Lions three minutes after the break as Croatia doubled their advantage through Perisic.

The midfielder went from provider to goalscorer, driving into the area before placing the ball beyond goalkeeper Charles Itandje.Cameroon's numerical disadvantage was evident and they almost went three goals behind following a swift counter-attacking move, however Mandzukic saw his effort go wide of the post.

The Bayern star finally got his goal on the hour-mark, rising highest to nod home Croatia's third from a corner and his 14th on the international stage.The striker put the African nation to the sword again in the 73rd minute, tapping home an easy rebound after goalkeeper Charles Itandje's attempted save fell straight to the feet of the 28-year-old.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Del Bosque on future: 'We will take the best decision for Spanish football'

Vicente del Bosque refused to rule out the possibility of resigning after Spain were dumped out of the World Cup following a shock 2-0 defeat to Chile.

Goals from Eduardo Vargas and Charles Aranguiz condemned La Roja to a second successive defeat in Group B after last Friday's 5-1 mauling at the hands of a rampant Netherlands side last Friday.

The result ended Spain's bid to become the first nation to win four consecutive major international tournaments and saw them become the first side - along with Group B opponents Australia - to be eliminated from this year's competition.

After the match Del Bosque was quick to praise Chile's "courageous" performance but was less forthcoming when asked about his own future or that of his team.

"I’d like to think about what happened and have some time to think things over," he told reporters. "The truth is we’ve been together for 24 or 25 days and we were training quite well.

"We had difficulties choosing the starting team because everyone was fit. But the second half against Netherlands and the first half against Chile were a problem.

"We started with a sluggish rhythm, we were too shy, not brave enough maybe and that’s a pity because I didn’t expect that.

"Chile played as expected. They stuck to their style, their physical style and they are very, very courageous.

"I think this team is good and fit but we’ll have to take the best decision for Spanish football, and that applies to my position as well."

But despite his disappointment, Del Bosque saw no need to apologise for his team's lacklustre display.

"I think we have shown character despite our fairly straightforward elimination," he added. "We have gone forward, but have been unsuccessful in front of goal.

"For that we have no apology. We have all made a big effort. We had good intentions but we lacked something. We lacked a spark in the game. For the first time we have been very meek."

Spain will face Australia in their final group game on Monday, with kick-off at 18:00CET.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Van Persie: Netherlands were awful in first half

Robin van Persie admitted the Netherlands were "awful" in the first half against Australia but lauded the strength they displayed in fighting back to win 3-2.

The Manchester United striker scored the second goal in Wednesday's clash in Porto Alegre, equalising for Louis van Gaal's men before Memphis Depay's eventual winner.

Van Persie, who picked up a suspension with a second yellow card of the World Cup which rules him out of the final group game with Chile, was also swift to praise the Socceroos' underdog performance.

"The first half was very bad from our side," he told NOS. "But it says a lot if you strike back like we did. Australia just kept running and running.

"They played very well. At a World Cup you can't play every match perfect from the beginning until the end. Games like this you must win. In the second half we played our more familiar [4-3-3] system, which we are more used to.

"I'm very happy with this result, especially because I can't play against Chile. That's a real shame."

Australia had a golden chance to take a 3-2 lead before the Dutch capitalised with a winner of their own and Van Persie said such fine margins are decisive at the top level.

"Welcome to the World Cup," the Man Utd man said, regarding the topsy turvy nature of the match. "This is the biggest tournament in the world, so you know it's going to be hard. Even against Australia.

"We must enjoy this. We're almost in to the next round, nobody expected this."

Van Persie now sits joint-top of the goalscoring charts, alongside team-mate Arjen Robben and Germany attacker Thomas Muller, with three strikes.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Casillas: Age not an excuse for Spain

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas refused to blame age as a factor after the World Cup holders became the first side to be dumped out of the competition at the group stage.

After losing their opening match 5-1 to Netherlands last week, Spain were beaten 2-0 by Chile on matchday two on Wednesday, meaning they can finish third in Group B at best behind their two conquerors.

"The reality is that we have several players who are in their 30s, but that should not be an excuse," Casillas told Telecinco.

"I don't know if these are my last games for Spain. I don't know. We'll see. It's up to the coach to make a decision and we will respect it. But this group of players cannot end like this.

"Does this signal the end of an era? Now is not the time to talk about this. Our opponents also play a role in what happened. We have to go through the difficult times as well.

"We are responsible for this. This hurts us more than anyone else. We can only congratulate Chile. They were the better team. There's nothing to say when you don't have luck and lose twice.

"We must look toward the future now and try to end the tournament with a win over Australia."

Spain meet Australia in their final group game on June 23.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rooney keen to lead England, says Hodgson

Roy Hodgson is confident that his England team can continue to be fearless in their approach when they take on Uruguay in a crucial World Cup Group D clash.

The two teams face off in Sao Paulo on Thursday knowing that defeat could end hopes of progressing to the knockout stage, but Hodgson insists his side will be geared up to attack once more following their 2-1 defeat to Italy in Manuas.

Asked on Wednesday if he is confident his team can maintain a fearless gameplan, the 66-year-old insisted he has faith in his players to do so.

"The simple answer is I am confident. It's like anything else, in that you have three important games and each game stands alone," said Hodgson.

"Now we're just focused on Thursday night. I think it will be a very exciting match between two good teams. We always knew that in this group one team at least would find it difficult to qualify because there were more than two contenders for the qualification places.

"But we need to do everything within our power to make sure it is us that go through and not Uruguay."

One attacker who could be key to England's bid for progression is Wayne Rooney and Hodgson was more than happy to stand up for his No.10, claiming the player himself is happy to shoulder the burden of being one of the country's footballing pillars.

"I was more than satisfied with Rooney against Italy and it was interesting to get the statistics back and find out that he ran more than any other England player and had more sprints than any other England player, which maybe wasn't evident to everybody watching," stated Hodgson.

"But I'm afraid that Wayne alongside Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are the three players with World Cup and European experience. They are the players with 100 caps, or in Wayne's case 80-plus, and they have to accept that the focus is on them because everyone understands you can't expect young players to shoulder the heavy part of the burden.

"The good thing is, Wayne is more than happy to do that. And if he plays tomorrow night I'm sure you will see that in his performance."

The vital Group D fixture kicks off at 21:00CET on Thursday, with both sides seeking their first points of the tournament.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi's mate Rojo wants Barcelona move

Marcos Rojo has admitted that he would love the chance to join Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi at Barcelona.

The 24-year-old defender has been linked with a switch from Portuguese giants Sporting after his impressive performance as the Albiceleste beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1 at the weekend in the opening match of their World Cup campaign.

With the likes of Messi and Javier Mascherano in Alejandro Sabella's ranks who currently play at Camp Nou, Rojo has admitted that the allure of the Spanish side is impossible to ignore but wants to leave transfer talk for after the tournament in Brazil.

"Obviously I'd like to play for Barcelona, but I have not yet spoken with Leo Messi about it," the left-back, who can also play in the centre of defence, told Sport. "I only know what is said in the media.

"I want to keep my head down and do well at the World Cup. I have clearly impressed in the last year in Europe, so afterwards I will see what will become of my future."

Victory over Iran on Saturday would ensure that they qualify for the last 16 and Rojo is keen to bag all three points so that they can enjoy their last group clash with Nigeria the following Wednesday.

"It will be important to beat Iran," he added. "That way we can enjoy a pressure-free final game."

Rojo joined Sporting for around €4 million two years ago from Spartak Moscow, where he had failed to impress during his short stint at the Russian club.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Honda will deliver for Japan, says Zaccheroni

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni is confident Keisuke Honda will prove his worth in the upcoming World Cup game against Greece.

The AC Milan star netted Japan's only goal in their 2-1 Group C defeat against Cote d'Ivoire at the weekend and Zaccheroni expects the attacking midfielder to once more deliver the goods on Thursday.

"My expectations regarding Honda are that he will deliver as has delivered so far. He is a very important player and point of reference of this team," Zaccheroni said at a press conference.

“I think I rely on a player who performed very well in the past four years. This shouldn’t be surprising, Honda is an important player. I consider him to be an excellent player."

The Japan boss then went on to stress that they cannot afford to underestimate Greece in their second group stage game.

"Greece have always stood out for their tenacity. My colleague from Greece has a very compact team he has been working with.

"They have had success in the compact nature of the team. It’s important to really exploit the good opportunities that come up. Greece are a difficult opponent.

"Japan have significant potential and we are all just waiting to show this in the next two matches. We know the next match is fundamental if we want to proceed."

Japan meet Colombia in their final group stage game on June 24.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gerrard: I won't speak to 'genius' Suarez before England face Uruguay

Steven Gerrard insists he will not speak to Luis Suarez in the hours before England face Uruguay in their crunch Group D encounter.

After suffering a 2-1 defeat in their World Cup opener against Italy in Manaus, Roy Hodgson’s side are in need of a win to boost their hopes of progressing out of the group.

Uruguay, meanwhile, are also without a point in Group D having lost 3-1 to Costa Rica.

Doubts remain over the fitness of Suarez, who underwent knee surgery less than four weeks ago, but Gerrard maintains the forward’s potential return will boost Uruguay.

"I won't speak to him tomorrow two hours before the game, it would be disrespectful to my team-mates,” said Gerrard.

“I have spoken to Luis and had some banter with him, but I won't speak to him tomorrow.

"Luis Suarez is a genius, I've said it many times. It will be a boost for Uruguay and their supporters to have him back, but they are more than just Suarez. We have a game plan in place to try to win this football match."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Spain 0 Vs 2 Chile in Pictures

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[Wolverine GTR]

Injury rules Lugano out of England game

Uruguay will be without captain Diego Lugano for their vital World Cup clash against England in Sao Paulo due to a knee injury.Lugano completed 90 minutes as Oscar Tabarez's team went down to a shock 3-1 defeat at the hands of Costa Rica in their Group D opener last Saturday.But the 33-year-old defender, who was released by West Brom at the end of last season, will not face Roy Hodgson's men due to soreness in the joint.

A statement on the Uruguay FA's official website confirmed Lugano's absence, but went on to explain the player is not expected to require treatment following the results of an MRI scan.

Lugano has been considered a lynchpin of his side's defence for over a decade and has accumulated close to 100 caps' worth of experience at international level, as well as a career spent playing for the likes of Fenerbahce, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.

Young Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Gimenez and Liverpool centre-back Sebastian Coates are amongst the options that Tabarez has at his disposal to replace Lugano, assuming he maintains the three-man defensive line utilised in the shock Costa Rica loss.

Uruguay face England, who also lost their first game to Italy, on Thursday at the Arena Corinthians and expect to be boosted by the return of Luis Suarez following the star forward's recovery from knee surgery.