..::Football III::..

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Guarin never asked for Inter exit - agent

Fredy Guarin's agent has claimed that the attacking midfielder did not push for an Inter exit this summer.The Colombian came extremely close to a transfer to Juventus in January when the two clubs had agreed a swap deal which would have seen Mirko Vucinic head in the other direction, but Guarin's club pulled the plug on the deal at the last minute amid Nerazzurri fan protests.

Rumours were rife heading into the new Serie A season that Guarin would instead be moving from San Siro before transfer deadline day, but a transfer failed to materialise and his agent, Marcelo Ferreyra, has insisted that the 28-year-old had no intention of leaving Walter Mazzarri's men.

"Let me make it clear that Guarin never requested a transfer out of Inter," he told Calciomercato. "Fredy is happy at Inter, always has been and will continue to be. We are absolutely not thinking about the transfer market."Fredy has everything he wants at Inter and has no desire to go elsewhere. From what I heard, offers were received by Inter though."Mazzarri will get the best out of him, just like he did last season."

Guarin - who recent reports suggest could be subject to Real Madrid interest in the winter transfer window - extended his contract with Inter until 2017 earlier this year, having been at the San Siro side since 2012.

 

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Italy have no problem with Balotelli - Buffon

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has insisted that the national side have no problem with Mario Balotelli.

New Azzurri coach Antonio Conte left the Liverpool striker out of his first squad since being named as successor to Cesare Prandelli, following a 2013-14 in which Balotelli struggled to replicate the form he had shown in his first six months at AC Milan.Buffon did not want to wade into the debate over whether Balotelli deserved to be called up, instead hinting that it is not up to Italy players to educate the 24-year-old on behaviour off the pitch.

"We are players and Mario is our team-mate," the goalkeeper told reporters. “We don’t have a problem with him."We are not so presumptuous enough to think that we can teach someone how to act or how to live, because it’s not as if we are 50 years older."I just think there is a coach and he decides what is best for the group. It is not our job to comment on who gets called up.

"I think players, as they are still young, do not have great self-discipline. It is inevitable that some coaches will push them from the start and that probably helps."
Balotelli's absence from the national side means that he will play no part in Italy's opening Euro 2016 qualifier against Norway on Tuesday.

Instead, the forward is next expected to be in action when Liverpool face Aston Villa next Saturday in the Premier League in what is set to be his home debut for the Reds.

 

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Real Madrid better than Bayern, says Kroos

European champions Real Madrid are slightly better than dethroned 2012-13 Champions League winners Bayern Munich, according to Toni Kroos.The midfielder swapped the Allianz Arena, where he has played since his first-team debut in 2007, for the Santiago Bernabeu this summer in an estimated €30 million transfer.

Kroos stressed that Carlo Ancelotti's men have the slight advantage in the size stakes, but stressed that there was no fallout between him and Bayern boss Pep Guardiola which caused him to ditch the Bundesliga for La Liga."We are talking about the two biggest teams in the world," he told Bild when asked to compare the two clubs. "However, I think that overall Real Madrid are one step ahead.

"I remember my presentation with Real Madrid where 20,000 people turned up despite me not having played a minute. In Germany that is unthinkable."Guardiola had nothing to do with my departure. I understand football just like him, he fine tuned my game and helped me improve as a player."My signing has been a 100 per cent about success and I'm happy at Real Madrid."

Xabi Alonso went in the other direction late in the window for around €10m and the 24-year-old believes the Spain international's experience will help Bayern, despite not seeing any correlation between the Spaniard's switch and his own.
"He is an extraordinary player," Kroos added. "He will help Bayern a lot, I hope. I do not see any connection between my move and Xabi's to Bayern, though."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

De Gea 'shocked' he kicked Casillas out of Spain team

David de Gea has revealed his shock that he was chosen to start ahead of veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas in Spain's friendly with France.

Vicente del Bosque fielded the Manchester United shot-stopper ahead of the Real Madrid captain as Didier Deschamps' men edged them in a 1-0 victory thanks to a Loic Remy goal.The Roja boss had revealed his intentions to usher in a new Spain era and, with only four of the starting XI from their opening World Cup 2014 clash also beginning against les Bleus, he lived up to his word despite their defeat.

Ahead of Spain's opening Euro 2016 qualifier against Macedonia, De Gea confessed his surprise that he was given the nod ahead of his more experienced team-mate and says it is "weird" the way so many staples of the national team have retired or been dropped.

"I heard the talk before the game that I might start," he told Cadena Sur. "It shocked me a little when it happened but I'm completely delighted with the decision."I do not think a lot about replacing Iker. He is still young for a goalkeeper and can still have plenty of years at the top level in football.

"It's getting a little weird the way the team's changed. Those players have carried Spain for many years and have been key to this team, but the young people pushing hard will do just as well."

 

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European Championship Qualifying Fixtures 2014.09.08

European Championship Qualifying Fixtures 2014.09.08

Group D

Russia Vs Liechtenstein

Group C

Luxemburg Vs Belarus

Spain Vs Macedonia

Ukraine Vs Slovakia

Group E

Estonia Vs Slovania

San Marino Vs Lithuania

Switzerland Vs England

Group G

Austria Vs Sweden

Montenegro Vs Moldova​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Good Luck Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA​

 

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International Friendly Fixtures 2014.09.08

International Friendly Fixtures 2014.09.08

South Korea Vs Uruguay

Uzbekistan Vs New Zealand

Saudi Arabia Vs Australia​

 

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[Wolverine GTR]

HI RCCTika dawasakin bro thread 1ke dakkeSeptember 13th wala idan thamai ayeth Leage games patan ganne
​

 

[unicornx]

ow ban redda

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Spain Vs Macedonia

Spain Starting Line-up

Iker Casillas
Raúl Albiol
Juanfran
Sergio Ramos
Jordi Alba
Koke
Cesc Fàbregas
Sergio Busquets
Paco Alcacer
Pedro
David Silva

Macedonia Starting Line-up

Tome Pacovski
Ardian Cuculi
Daniel Mojsov
Vance Sikov
Stefan Ristovski
Ergjan Alioski
Aleksandar Trajkovski
Agim Ibraimi
Besart Abdurahimi
Stefan Spirovski
Adis Jahovic
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Good Luck Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA
​

 

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Half Time

Spain 3 Vs 1 Macedonia

​

 

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Full Time

Spain 5 Vs 1 Macedonia

Spain Goal(s)

Sergio Ramos (PEN)16'
Paco Alcacer 17'
Sergio Busquets 45 +3'
David Silva 50'
Pedro 90' +1'

&

Macedonia Goal(s)

Agim Ibraimi (PEN)28'
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA
​

 

[rcccc]

HI RCCTika dawasakin bro thread 1ke dakkeSeptember 13th wala idan thamai ayeth Leage games patan ganne
​

Reus ayeth injured lu neda

ow ban redda

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Saudi Arabia 2-3 Australia: Socceroos Saudi Arabia 2-3 Australia: Socceroos end losing streakend losing streak

Australia edged out Saudi Arabia 3-2 in an international friendly in London on Monday.The Socceroos had lost their previous five games and were faced with setting a new record run of defeats but managed to overcome the Saudis at Craven Cottage, despite conceding twice in the second half.

Australia sprinted into a two-goal lead through Tim Cahill and captain Mile Jedinak but had to endure a nervous finale, as debutant Bailey Wright scored for the Socceroos between strikes from Hassan Muath and Taisir Al Jassim for their opponents.The display, however, raised more questions than it answered for Australia, as they struggled to consistently create chances against a woeful Saudi back four, while defensive lapses again cost the Socceroos goals.

Coach Ange Postecoglou made four changes to the starting XI that lost to Belgium in Liege on Thursday with Wright making his Socceroos debut in central defence, while Massimo Luongo earned his maiden start. Midfielder Joshua Brillante and goalkeeper Mitch Langerak were also promoted to the team.After a shaky start where they conceded two free-kicks in as many minutes, Australia hit the front with their first attack, Cahill spreading the play on the counter-attack to Tommy Oar start the move.

Oar then found Mathew Leckie in the box but the FC Ingolstadt forward couldn't score and neither could Luongo before Cahill bundled the ball into the net from a yard out.It was 2-0 just four minutes later with Jedinak rising unmarked to nod Brillante's free-kick home, less than a minute after Alex Wilkinson was subbed off with a strained gluteal muscle, replaced by Sainsbury.

While the scoreboard looked promising, the performance was less so, with the Socceroos struggling to hold onto the ball early and failing to find new routes to goal.Cahill's goal was his seventh in the Postecoglou era, while Jedinak was maintaining his record as the only other player to have scored in green and gold under the former Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory coach.

Otherwise it appeared that complacency had infiltrated Postecoglou's side with sloppy passes, particularly in Australia's defensive half, letting Saudi Arabia back into the match.Australia failed to test Saudi goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah after Jedinak's goal, although the Socceroos' skipper and Cahill both sent efforts wide of the mark, while Saudi Arabia tried a couple of long-range drives that did not trouble Langerak.

Postecoglou's men started the second half brightly but should have conceded in the 49th minute, only for the unmarked Yasir Al Shahrani to spray his shot wide from the edge of the six-yard box.The Socceroos looked much more poised in possession up until the hour mark, although they did not create much, with their best move seeing Leckie chip to a surging Luongo, who could not keep his header down.

Saudi Arabia got back into the contest in the 70th minute with Langerak conceding a penalty on Mukhtar Fallatah, after the ball fell fortuitously to the substitute forward.Langerak was lucky to stay on the pitch before Muath converted from the spot and suddenly the Saudis looked inspired.

The Socceroos restored their two-goal cushion just seven minutes later when Wright scored, after Saudi Arabia failed to clear an Australian set-piece, but the Gulf nation scored again soon after, with Al Shahrani teeing up Al Jassim, who took advantage of some lax marking from the Socceroos.Australia held on, however, claiming just their second victory under Postecoglou's tutelage.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Spain 5-1 Macedonia: European champions bounce back from World Cup woes

Spain strolled to a comfortable 5-1 win over Macedonia on Monday to get off their European Championship defence off to an ideal start.

In Spain's first competitive game since their group-stage exit at the World Cup and the subsequent retirements of Xavi, Xabi Alonso and David Villa, Manchester City playmaker David Silva displayed his undoubted quality on Monday in an ultimately straightforward win.

Silva had a hand in four of Spain's five goals, winning a penalty that defender Sergio Ramos converted for the opener before playing a crucial part in Valencia striker Paco Alcacer's debut goal at the home of local rivals Levante.Macedonia pulled one back through a Agim Ibraimi penalty but, although the Balkan outfit deserved a goal from a creditable performance, they were no match for the European champions.

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets made it three on the stroke of half-time with Silva getting the goal his performance merited five minutes after the interval to end the game as a contest.The gloss to a five-star performance came in the final minutes as Barca forward Pedro completed the rout by netting from another fine Silva pass.

Spain started well but it was the visitors who surprisingly had the first real sight of goal as midfielder Ibraimi forced Iker Casillas into action, the Real Madrid goalkeeper tipping over from the Maribor man's free kick.That scare seemed to jolt Spain into life, Cesc Fabregas curling narrowly wide of the far post following good build-up play from Vicente del Bosque's men.

And in the 15th minute the hosts did find a way through as Ramos executed a stylish chipped spot kick after Daniel Mojsov was ruled to have brought down Silva.Silva was at the heart of most of Spain's forays forward and was involved again in their superb second, which arrived just two minutes later.The 28-year-old curled an excellent ball to the far post for Juanfran to volley across goal and into the path of local boy Alcacer to fire into an empty net.

Many would have expected Macedonia to fold after going two behind but instead they rallied and got back into the game in the 28th minute through Ibraimi, who slotted into the bottom corner from 12 yards following Juanfran's poor challenge on Aleksandar Trajkovski.

But Macedonia continued to look fallible in defence and, after goalkeeper Tomislav Pacovski had denied both Pedro and Silva, they conceded a third through Busquets' long-range strike, which deflected off Vanche Shikov on the way in.Bosko Durovski's men almost made the dream start to the second half as striker Adis Jahovic was thwarted by a one-on-one save from Casillas.

Spain then punished Macedonia for Jahovic's profligacy, with Silva rewarded for an inventive display by finding the net with a low drive into the bottom corner.
Fabregas cannoned a shot off the crossbar before the hour mark and Spain got their fifth in the first minute of injury time with a delightful lofted finish from Pedro to cap a win that extended an unbeaten run in qualifiers that stretches back to 2006.

 

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Switzerland 0-2 England: Welbeck double lifts pressure on Hodgson

Danny Welbeck's second-half brace gave England a vital 2-0 win over Switzerland on Monday night as the Three Lions began their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a victory.

Roy Hodgson's men were worth the three points in their toughest qualifying fixture in Group E - which also contains Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania and San Marino - with Welbeck's close-range finish just before the hour and injury-time strike proving enough to inflict defeat on Vladimir Petkovic in his first game in charge of Switzerland.

Hodgson - who led Switzerland to 1994 World Cup - asked for England to up their performance level after an underwhelming friendly win over Norway last week.

And the visitors responded by edging a tight game, although Switzerland had chances to snatch at least a point.

England's breakthrough came in the 58th minute when Welbeck capped a superb team move, and the new Arsenal striker - who came in for the injured Daniel Sturridge - added a second in stoppage time as he latched onto a Rickie Lambert pass and dispatched past Yann Sommer.

England created promising openings in the early stages with Raheem Sterling particularly lively.

The Liverpool teenager orchestrated a four-on-two counter-attack after 15 minutes by showing the Switzerland midfield a clean pair of heels, but his pass to Wayne Rooney was mishit and the captain’s tame shot went straight at Sommer.

The visitors wasted another great chance to take the lead just before the half-hour mark.

Welbeck nipped in front of Steve von Bergen before bursting into the area with Sterling and Rooney in support, but his pass failed to pick out the former and Switzerland cleared their lines.

And that wastefulness was almost punished when poor England defending handed Switzerland the best chance of the half.

Jones sloppily gifted possession to Xherdan Shaqiri, whose through ball found Seferovic in the area, but the striker’s shot was well saved by the foot of Joe Hart.

Jones then came agonisingly close to making the breakthrough himself, the centre-back meeting Rooney's corner with a firm header and forcing a superb save low to his left from Sommer.

England started well after the break too, Jack Wilshere combining well with debutant Fabian Delph before dragging a left-foot shot narrowly wide of the right post.

Switzerland remained dangerous, though, and Seferovic completed a flowing move with a ferocious half-volley that drew a terrific athletic stop from Hart.

Hart's save proved crucial soon after as Welbeck broke the deadlock.

Rooney collected the ball in the centre circle and sent Sterling free down the left, with Welbeck finishing the 19-year-old's inch-perfect delivery from just outside the six-yard box.

Switzerland sought a response and one almost arrived from substitute Josip Drmic.

The forward appeared offside as he collected Shaqiri's throughball before he rounded Hart and shot towards goal, but Cahill recovered to make a superb goalline block.

And Welbeck was on hand late on to seal an important win, as Lambert slid him in and he shot coolly beyond Sommer in the dying stages.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rooney: Counterattack key to England victory

Wayne Rooney believes England’s ability to counterattack with pace was key to their 2-0 victory over Switzerland.

Roy Hodgson’s side secured three points in their opening Euro 2016 qualifying fixture following Danny Welbeck’s second-half double.

“We played some great stuff today,” Rooney told ITV. “We defended well as a team which was important. We caught them well on the break with the speed we’ve been talking about. Danny got two great goals, I’m delighted for him.”

England were criticised for their display in Wednesday’s 1-0 friendly win over Norway at Wembley but Rooney admits his team-mates were always prioritising the match against Switzerland.

“I think we all knew the game of Wednesday night was going to be difficult coming off the back of a world cup. We got the victory, it wasn’t the best of performances, but tonight was more important, we was focusing more or this than Wednesday night,” said Rooney.

“We’ve put the work in. Worked on our defensive shape when we haven’t got the ball and then springing from defence to attack, which you saw with the two goals tonight.

“We’re pleased. The things we’ve worked on the training ground have paid off, so it’s a happy performance for us.”