..::Football III::..

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De Bruyne relishing return of 'amazing' Silva

Kevin De Bruyne is relishing David Silva's return to the Manchester City side following the international break

Belgium attacking midfielder De Bruyne has started just two games with Silva since joining for a club-record fee from Wolfsburg in August due to the Spaniard's injuries.

City won both of those matches - against Newcastle United and Borussia Monchengladbach - scoring a total of eight goals, and City manager Manuel Pellegrini said last week he was hopeful of Silva making a comeback for the visit of Liverpool on November 21.

Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri are also targeting returns ahead of that game following hamstring injuries.

Asked about Silva by City's official website, De Bruyne said: "On the ball he is amazing.

"He can do everything and dictate the tempo of a game from start to finish, so he's a great player to have when you want to control the game – I'd say that's one of his best traits.

"He has great vision, can find anyone with a pass and it is great to have him as a team-mate. Obviously we are all looking forward to his, Sergio and Samir's return as soon as possible."

 

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Maradona says sorry to Napoli boss Sarri

Diego Maradona has issued a public apology to Maurizio Sarri after previously claiming that he was "not the right man for a winning Napoli".

Former Empoli boss Sarri took charge of the Partenopei during the summer and endured a difficult start to his spell at the San Paolo, picking up just two points from his first three Serie A games at the helm.

Maradona promptly stuck the boot in, claiming Napoli should have held on to previous coach Rafael Benitez, arguing that Sarri had overseen some "shocking" performances and expressing his fear that the club were set for a relegation battle.

However, Napoli now sit fourth in the table, just two points behind leaders Fiorentina and Inter after an undefeated run of seven wins and two draws from their past nine outings.

"I was wrong about Sarri," Maradona told the Corriere del Mezzogiorno. "I ask for forgiveness."

Indeed, Maradona now believes that Sarri's side are capable of bringing the glory days back to Naples, not least because of the sensational form of fellow Argentine Gonzalo Higuain, who has hit nine goals in 12 matches.

"He will make history in the Azzurri shirt," the World Cup winner added. "He is my successor and Napoli will be able to go far with him in their team."

Maradona, who joined Napoli from Barcelona in 1984, led the club to two Scudetti, a Coppa Italia and a Uefa Cup during his seven-year stay at the San Paolo.

 

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Henry can succeed Wenger at Arsenal - Pires

Thierry Henry could be the man to replace Arsene Wenger when he finally leaves his role as Arsenal manager, according to Robert Pires.

During his 19 years at the helm, the Frenchman has guided the club to nine major honours, including the Premier League title in 2003-04 when a team including Henry and Pires went the entire league season unbeaten.

Henry is now taking his coaching badges, and Pires sees no reason why his former club and international team-mate could not succeed Wenger at the Emirates.

"Can I see Thierry Henry taking over Arsene Wenger? Yes, why not?" the Grassroot Soccer ambassador told Omnisport .

"He is working on his badges. He is involved with the U19 team at Arsenal academy. He is preparing himself step by step. He wants to get his badges.

"Question is: would Arsenal want Thierry Henry? It depends on the board, the chairman. I can see Thierry Henry, as well as Patrick Vieira. It's up to the club to prepare well for the post-Arsene era. That's crucial."

Vieira was appointed as New York City head coach earlier this week, and Pires believes the former Arsenal captain could also be in line for a return to the club at some stage in the future.

"It's a new experience and a new life for him. He will learn," Pires said. "Okay, it's MLS but you have to start your career somewhere.

"I am sure - and it's only my opinion - we will see him on Arsenal's bench.

"He was disappointed to not be given a job at Arsenal at first. But now he understands and respects the choice of the people at Arsenal. He hasn't written off the opportunity of coaching Arsenal.

"He played nine years there. He was one of the emblematic captains. He is still learning. I know him very well and I am sure that he will manage a top European team."

Pires was speaking at a Grassroot Soccer charity event to mark World AIDS Day, which was also attended by former Arsenal colleague Freddie Ljungberg.

The funds raised by the players will be spent on a range of unique sports-based partnerships in 50 countries around the world, including a community project in South Africa and Voluntary HIV Counselling and Testing tournaments in>

 

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Herrera: I model my game on Scholes

Ander Herrera has revealed he models his game on Paul Scholes and regards the midfielder as the greatest in Manchester United's history.

Scholes made more than 700 appearances in all competitions for United between 1994 and 2013, winning 11 league titles as well as two Champions League winner's medals.

Herrera has expressed admiration for the playmaker's quiet, calm demeanour and hopes to become a similar all-round central midfielder.

"I remember Scholes as a player who could defend, who could attack, who could pass, who could tackle, who could do everything," Herrera told the official United website. "He was a complete player.

"I know it’s difficult as there is only one Scholes but I try to do similar things sometimes. I try to learn from him. I try to score, try to defend and try to win balls back. I am Herrera, he is Scholes, and we are different players, of course.

"When you are thinking of one midfielder in Manchester United’s history, he comes to mind. I remember the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.

"United won 1-0 and he scored a fantastic goal but it was not only the goal as he played so well. I was impressed and that is why I see him as an example.

"He was always the same: very silent and very calm but, when he was on the pitch, he was the best.

"In football, it's not so easy to make the right decision when you play in front of 70,000 people with them screaming, shouting and singing.

"You always have to take the right option and that is what Scholes did. It's unbelievable."

 

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I left Madrid at the right time - Di Maria

Angel Di Maria believes he left Real Madrid at the right time despite struggling since his exit from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Di Maria left Madrid for Manchester United in a £59.7million move in August 2014 - just three months after winning the Champions League - but experienced an unsuccessful season at Old Trafford

The Argentina winger scored four goals in 32 appearances before switching to Paris Saint-Germain in August.

His form for the Ligue 1 champions has not been overly impressive, yet Di Maria - in spite of PSG's 1-0 Champions League loss at the Bernabeu earlier this month - is adamant leaving Madrid was the correct decision.

"After winning the Champions League, my mind was set on staying at Real Madrid for many more years, but these things happen in football," Di Maria said in an interview with beIN Sports.

"Since I left Real Madrid haven't won anything. In any case, I think that I left at the right time and the right way."

Asked about the Madrid fans, Di Maria added: "They're very demanding. The club has won a lot and the fans are used to success. You get more affection from the supporters here in France".

 

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Benzema tells police of role in Valbuena case

Karim Benzema has admitted to playing the role of an intermediary between Mathieu Valbuena and his friend Karim Zenati according to exerts of the France striker's police hearing published by AFP.

Benzema was charged by a court in Versailles last week with complicity in an attempt to blackmail and participating in a criminal conspiracy as part of an investigation into a plot to extort money from Lyon midfielder Valbuena.

According to the AFP report, during a third interview in police custody on November 5, Benzema said that he spoke to Zenati about discussing the situation with Valbuena after Zenati was approached by the alleged blackmailers.

"I had a conversation with Zenati on the way to talk about this with Mathieu Valbuena," Benzema is quoted as saying.

On Wednesday, a copy of a telephone conversation between Benzema and Zenati was released in which the footballer is said to have told Valbuena "if you want the sex tape to be destroyed, come see my friend in Lyon".

At his police hearing, Benzema described himself how he supported Zenati when his friend was in prison for previous offences and described their relationship as "close".

However, he denied acting with any intention to benefit Zenati and said the situation left him feeling "like a jerk".

"I am embarrassed for my friend Karim Zenati," Benzema said. "When he was released from prison, and even when he was in jail, I took care of him. We are close."

He added: "The fact that Karim Zenati benefits [from] something wasn't my intention. I didn't think. I am shocked, frankly, I feel like a jerk when I see all this […] I didn't act with a hidden agenda."

The case is ongoing and Valbuena is yet to speak to investigators. Neither Benzema nor Valbuena were included in the latest France squad for their friendlies against Germany and England.

 

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Jackson Martinez suffers ankle sprain

Atletico Madrid striker Jackson Martinez sustained a sprained left ankle during Colombia's 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw against Chile on Thursday, the Liga club has confirmed.

Martinez was substituted during the closing stages of the match in Santiago and an initial scan revealed a sprain.

The 29-year-old, who has three goals in 15 appearances for Atletico following his close-season move from Porto, is set to undergo a second scan to determine the full extent of his injury.

A statement on Atletico's official website read: "In a first scan, medical services... consider [the] Atletico striker sprained the medial collateral ligament (deltoid) in his left ankle.

"Jackson Martinez will undergo an MRI in Barranquilla to confirm the extent of his injury."

Colombia host Argentina in their next qualifier on Tuesday, while Atletico resume La Liga action with a trip to Real Betis a week on Sunday.

 

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Beckham advises Ronaldo about potential Manchester United return

David Beckham has advised Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Manchester United if he ever decides to leave Real Madrid.

Ronaldo won three Premier League titles as well as the Champions League during his six-year stint at United and has reiterated his love for the club on numerous occasions.

United and Paris Saint-Germain continue to monitor the 30-year-old’s situation at Madrid and Beckham believes the forward should consider a move back to Old Trafford if the opportunity was there.

“I’d never advise anyone not to come back to United. I’d have crawled back if I could,” said Beckham.

“But then obviously given the chance once I’d left United, to have played for one of the biggest clubs in the world – with Real Madrid, again it was a dream. But I’d never advise any player to not return to Manchester United.

“Cristiano is such a fans’ favourite at United, he was so successful, such a hard worker. Everyone you talk to, that has played with him, been around his world, he’s not just one of the most talented players in the game, he’s a hard worker as well.

“If he decides to leave Real Madrid then for me personally its back to United. I never had the opportunity to do so - but I’m proud of the teams I played for after United.”

 

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“Cristiano is such a fans’ favourite at United, he was so successful, such a hard worker. Everyone you talk to, that has played with him, been around his world, he’s not just one of the most talented players in the game, he’s a hard worker as well.

“If he decides to leave Real Madrid then for me personally its back to United. I never had the opportunity to do so - but I’m proud of the teams I played for after United.”

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Spain 2-0 England: Mario stunner breaks Three Lions' resistance

Mario Gaspar's stunning overhead kick set Spain on their way to a 2-0 victory over England in Alicante.

Villarreal right-back Mario headed the only goal on his debut as Spain closed their Euro 2016 qualification campaign with a win in Ukraine but his latest effort is set to live longer in the memory.

Remaining forward from one of the countless, probing attacks launched throughout the 90 minutes by Vicente del Bosque's men, Mario was picked out by a chipped pass from Cesc Fabregas and swivelled to acrobatically loop the ball past Joe Hart.

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla was set up by fellow substitute Nolito to finish into the bottom corner six minutes from time, with the full-time score a fair reflection of the home side's dominance.

England won all 10 of their qualifiers for Euro 2016 but a difficult outing concluded with Manchester United's Michael Carrick leaving the field on a stretcher with an apparent ankle problem.

Gerard Pique was persistently booed once again by a section of Spain supporters, with the Barcelona centre-back's goading of Real Madrid and support for Catalan independence lying at the heart of the discontent.

Pique, cheered ironically by the travelling supporters in response to his barracking, almost put his detractors at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez in an awkward position when his 15th minute drive was deflected narrowly wide.

Sergio Busquets flashed a volley past the post when England failed to clear a corner and fellow Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta played a typically delightful through ball into Paco Alcacer only for the forward to drag his shot wide.

The hosts had lost Thiago Alcantara to a knock by this stage but it did not affect their fluency or dominance of possession.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa was the next player to come close to opening the scoring when he curled past the top right corner after 31 minutes.

Iker Casillas – preferred to David de Gea in goal for Spain – gathered Fabian Delph's drive at the second attempt and there was further encouragement for England on the stroke of half-time when Ryan Bertrand, Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana combined well only for Harry Kane to scuff his shot.

Nolito, the in-form Celta Vigo forward, replaced Iniesta at the interval and added some extra zest to the Spain attack, with Fabregas dropping deeper to dictate play.

Clear chances remained elusive but Costa saw a left-footed strike deflected behind by Kyle Walker in the 59th minute.
Nolito's influence made the England right a fruitful area of Spanish attacks and overlapping full-back Jordi Alba stung Hart's palms at the near post.

Kane, joined on the field by Tottenham team-mate and England debutant Eric Dier, almost put England in front against the run of play when he was allowed to clatter a 25-yard strike into the advertising hoardings.

But the opening goal came gloriously from a more unlikely source in the form of Mario and Hart needed to stand firm to stop substitute Juan Mata from doubling Spain's advantage.

England responded with a spell of pressure, with Kane losing his footing when picked out by Dier in the area, but Cazorla had the final word.

 

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Spain Vs England 2-0 - Mario Gaspar Fantastic Goal - November 13 2015

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Congratulations Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA

Mario Gaspar ge goal 1ka patta​

 

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Belgium 3-1 Italy: Batshuayi, De Bruyne complete comeback

Kevin De Bruyne and Michy Batshuayi gave Belgium their first victory as the world's top-ranked nation with a late strike to secure a 3-1 win over Italy in Brussels.

Manchester City's De Bruyne struck with 16 minutes to play on Friday before Marseille man Batshuayi sealed the win late on to extend Belgium's unbeaten record at home to 11 games, a run that stretches back two years.

Their record was in danger at times against Italy though, especially when Antonio Candreva opened the scoring after just three minutes.

Jan Vertonghen quickly restored parity with a well-placed header before both sides wasted a plethora of chances prior to De Bruyne's strike.

Substitute Batshuayi added gloss to the result in the closing 10 minutes as Belgium celebrated becoming world number one with an impressive win.

Italy settled quickly in Brussels and opened the scoring in the third minute through the alert Candreva.

Simon Mignolet made a superb one-handed save to deny Graziano Pelle's low shot, but the Liverpool goalkeeper was unable to hold onto the ball and Candreva pounced from close range.

The Lazio midfielder could have had a second in the 10th minute after skipping past Luis Cavanda, but his powerful effort from a tight angle was superbly tipped over by Mignolet.

Belgium made him pay for that miss three minutes later as they finally posed a threat, Vertonghen heading home De Bruyne's corner having escaped the attentions of Giorgio Chiellini.

A ferocious start eventually calmed down as strong challenges from both sides disrupted the flow of the game – Eder, Chiellini and Vertonghen all going into the book before the break.

And the match came to a stand-still altogether six minutes before half-time as the players and coaching staff joined applause from the stands to pay tribute to the 39 Juventus supporters who lost their lives in the Heysel disaster in 1985.

Six minutes after the restart Axel Witsel should have done better from 12 yards, the Zenit midfielder skewing his volley wide after De Bruyne's shot had been blocked.

Having survived that scare Italy went close to retaking the lead as Eder met a through-ball from substitute Roberto Soriano, his initial shot hit the crossbar but the Sampdoria ace was unable to turn in the rebound.

Substitute Batshuayi was immediately involved after coming on as his powerful shot was well saved by Gianluigi Buffon, but the ball bounced to De Bruyne who fired into the ground to send the ball looping over the Juventus goalkeeper.

Mignolet then produced a stunning save to deny Pelle before Batshuayi rounded off the win as he beat Buffon at his near post.

 

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Wales 2-3 Netherlands: Robben nets double in morale-boosting win

Arjen Robben helped Netherlands to a 3-2 win over Wales in Friday's international friendly in Cardiff.

The home side twice managed to fight back after going a goal up, but they had no reply to Robben's second goal of the evening in the 81st minute.

Bas Dost opened the scoring around the half-hour mark, yet Joe Ledley restored parity on the stroke of half-time when he tapped home the rebound from Joe Allen's saved penalty.

Robben then found the net in the second half after a trademark run down the right, only for Emyr Huws to once more level the scoring after a clever corner. Another Robben strike eventually made the difference in Netherlands' favour, though.

The Dutch were first to threaten in the 16th minute after a cautious start from both sides. Terence Kongolo sent in a fine cross for Dost, but the Wolfsburg striker failed to get enough power on his header as Wayne Hennessey easily collected the ball.

Wales then looked dangerous via Tom Lawrence after a fine pass from Allen, but the 21-year-old’s attempt was too weak to trouble Jasper Cillessen between the posts.

Robben was next to try his luck for the visitors after some sloppy play from Allen in midfield. The attacker went past Ashley Williams before hitting a shot from 20 yards out, yet he fired too high and the chance went begging.

Netherlands did go a goal ahead after 32 minutes following a sublime team move. Quincy Promes released Daryl Janmaat, who sent in a perfect cross from the right for Dost at the far post and the towering striker found the net with a free header from six yards.

The referee awarded Wales a penalty on the stroke of half-time after Kongolo was judged to have handled the ball inside his area. Allen had his attempt saved by Cillessen, who kept out a spot-kick for the first time in his career, only for Ledley to tap home the rebound.

Robben came close to restoring Netherlands' lead immediately following the restart after being played through by Sneijder, but Hennessey once more showed class with a fine save.

There was no denying the Bayern man in the 55th minute, though. The 31-year-old cut inside from the right after a good run down the wing, before beating the Wales goalkeeper with a calm left-footed finish.

George Williams nearly levelled the scoring again at the hour mark after a good low cross from the right from Lawrence, but the substitute slid it inches wide from just yards out.

The hosts would get a second equaliser in the 72nd minute after a clever corner. Allen curled in a sublime cross for Huws and the 22-year-old beat Cillessen with a powerful header.

Robben should have doubled his personal tally in the 79th minute after a cross from the right found its way into his feet after taking a deflection, but he volleyed wide from 10 yards out.

He made amends shortly after, however, as he beat Owain Fon Williams with a cool finish after an assist from Dost to make it 3-2 with his 30th goal for Oranje.

 

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France 2-0 Germany: Giroud & Gignac on target to down world champions

Olivier Giroud and Andre-Pierre Gignac were on target but it was Anthony Martial who stole the show as France beat Germany 2-0 on Friday.

The Euro 2016 hosts welcomed Germany to Paris having won their last four games on the spin and extended the run to five thanks to Giroud and Gignac, although the match was heavily overshadowed by reports of shootings and bomb blasts elsewhere in the French capital.

The security threat prompted French president Francois Hollande to leave the stadium midway through the game.

Martial beat three defenders on a slaloming run down the left byline before teeing up Giroud for the opener in first-half injury time and Gignac - who came on for Giroud in the second half - headed home a second four minutes from the end as Didier Deschamps' men gained a measure of revenge for their 1-0 defeat to the world champions in the World Cup quarter-finals last year.

France were without Karim Benzema and Mathieu Valbuena due to the much-publicised legal case surrounding a sex tape and the pair's absence was felt as the hosts struggled to break Germany down.

Both teams found chances difficult to come by in the opening half hour and it was not until the 35th minute, shortly after Germany defender Jonas Hector had limped off to be replaced by Emre Can, that Thomas Muller spurned the game's first real opportunity by firing a half-volley narrowly over at the near post.

Mario Gomez then shot into the side-netting as Germany began to take control and the recalled Fiorentina striker should have given Joachim Low's men the lead when he lashed over from 10 yards out after being played through by Muller.

Germany were punished for Gomez's profligacy thanks to a sparkling piece of play from Martial on the stroke of half-time.

Martial picked up the ball on the left and cleverly jinked his way past the challenges of Antonio Rudiger and Matthias Ginter before sliding the ball under the legs of Jerome Boateng and into the path of Giroud to slot the ball beyond Manuel Neuer.

Giroud was presented with an excellent chance to double his tally in the 57th minute from Antoine Griezmann's wonderful right-wing cross but could only direct his diving header well wide of the target.

Paul Pogba then stung the palms of Neuer, who was forced to turn over from the Juventus midfielder's vicious long-range effort.

Muller beat France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with a drive from distance only to see his shot rebound off the left-hand post, with Gignac then settling matters as he powered Blaise Matuidi's left-wing delivery into the net.

 

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Casillas reaches 100 clean sheets for Spain

Spain skipper Iker Casillas made it 100 clean sheets at international level as he shut out England in his side's 2-0 win in Alicante on Friday night.

Casillas drew level with Spain's all-time record appearance holder Andoni Zubizarreta on 126 caps in a game against England back in November 2011 and started this one to feature for the 165th time for La Roja.

That mark sees him draw level with former Latvia midfielder Vitalijs Astafjevs on the most caps won by a European player, with the Porto goalkeeper now set to move clear of that tally in the coming months.

And against England again on Friday he made it 100 clean sheets for Spain (a feat never before achieved at international level) in what was a largely quiet evening for the experienced shot-stopper.

Apart from one smart save from Harry Kane right at the end, it was comfortable enough for Casillas, who captained Spain to back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012 as well as the World Cup in 2010.

The 34-year-old is still being backed by coach Vicente del Bosque and will now hope to lead Spain to glory again at Euro 2016 in France next year.

And if he remains in favour, the three-time Champions League winner will almost certainly become the all-time leading appearance holder in international footballer - a record currently held by former Egypt midfielder Ahmed Hassan (who won 184 caps between 1995 and 2012).

"Iker should be proud, extremely proud, of what he has achieved,” Del Bosque said before the match against England. "If it wasn’t for us, he may have already beaten Hassan's record, but it has been healthy to give games to [Pepe] Reina, [Victor] Valdes and now to [David] De Gea.

"Great players have to be more generous with the ones who play less and Iker is generous."

 

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Three dead at the Stade France: How a tragedy unfolded

It was 21:17 CET when the spectators and television viewers heard a first and then a second explosion close to Stade de France. It sounded like it might be the start of a fireworks display but was revealed to be something far graver. Asked by Infosport+, the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, presented the facts he was aware of them: “A bomb exploded at the entrance of Gate J. There are three dead and several injured.”

This attack in front of Stade de France is only one of numerous dramatic episodes that have rocked Paris this Friday evening. At least three other shooters have been in the vicinity of the 10th and 11th arrondissements of the capital, and hostages have been taken at the Bataclan Theatre.

A rush occurred at Stade de France at the final whistle as the spectators were leaving the stadium. Our correspondent, Loic Tanzi, was present during this panic, forcing the security personnel to let dozens of new fans into the stadium. Several hundred of them took refuge on the pitch. An uneasy calm soon returned, and the PA was able to announce, at around 23:15, that the area around stadium was secure and that people could again leave through a single exit.

No press conference was to be given at Stade de France due to the serious nature of the incidents in Paris, which come 10 months after the city was rocked by the attacks centred on the office of the Charlie Hebdo magazine.

The initial information given by police is that there are at least 39 dead around the city. There are many police operations still running their course as authorities try to gain a handle on the situation. The president of the Republic, the prime minister and the minister of the interior are meeting at Place Beauvau to discuss the tragedy. The mayor of Paris and the chief of police have asked locals to stay at home and await instructions from authorities.

On social media, there has been an outpouring of solidarity from citizens, with the hashtag #PorteOuverte (open door) offering people on the streets of Paris somewhere to take refuge.

One France supporter, speaking to Loic Tanzi at Stade de France, recounted the moment of the explosion: “I was at Gate X and heard two huge explosions. At the time we thought it was a bomb and around the ground there was a sort of outcry. Then I received many text messages and it was then I understood. The atmosphere became cold around us.”

 

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Hodgson fears Carrick ligament damage

England manager Roy Hodgson fears Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick suffered ankle ligament damage during the closing stages of the 2-0 friendly defeat to Spain.

Carrick went down during the final minute of the match in Alicante and left the field on a stretcher, with Hodgson conceding that the prognosis is worrying.

"It doesn't look good," Hodgson said.

"He's got a severely twisted ankle, which normally means ligament damage. But we won't know until the X-ray or scan tomorrow."

Carrick will now be considered a major doubt for United's next Premier League at Watford a week on Sunday and their forthcoming Champions League meeting with PSV, while Hodgson confirmed that his club team-mate Chris Smalling was also nursing a knock.

The England boss was ultimately disappointed by the manner of defeat to Spain after his team held firm in the face of sustained possession until Mario Gaspar beat Joe Hart with a sensational acrobatic volley in the 72nd minute.

Substitute Santi Cazorla rounded off the scoring six minutes from time.
Hodgson told ITV: "I was a bit disappointed because I thought for 70 minutes we defended very well.

"It was a poor goal to concede on a counter-attack, for us. Things were looking good going forward but gave the ball away and got punished by a fantastic goal.

"We're losing players in midfield around that time – we'd had to take [Fabian] Delph and [Adam] Lallana off already and then Michael Carrick gets injured.

"We conceded the second goal with Smalling limping, so we didn't have the best of luck in those areas.

"We played against a very good team – we knew that. The game was pretty much as well expected and for 70 minutes I felt we held our own pretty well and, in fact, we were getting back into the game possession-wise when they scored.

"I can't say we deserved to win the game – they were the better team and deserved to win it."

 

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Carrick injured!

Get well soon Carrick!​

 

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Argentina 1-1 Brazil: Honours shared in hard-fought derby

Argentina enjoyed the best of the opening exchanges but could not sustain their early form, and were pegged back by Brazil after the break to tie 1-1 in the World Cup qualifying clash.

The home side went straight on the attack, and after several near-misses took the lead when Ezequiel Lavezzi turned in following an excellent team move.

But Brazil were galvanised by the entry of Douglas Costa, and Lucas Lima turned in the equaliser after the Bayern Munich winger struck the bar with a header.

David Luiz was shown a red card for two bookable offences within the space of two minutes late in the second half, the second for a dangerous two-footed challenge.

In their first competitive meeting in six years, it was Argentina – without star Lionel Messi due to injury – who started the brighter of the sides with two decent opportunities within the opening five minutes.

Facundo Roncaglia was the first to test the palms of Alisson with his mishit cross almost catching the Brazil goalkeeper unaware.

The shot-stopper parried the effort back down into the box but Gonzalo Higuain failed to convert.Angel di Maria then skipped past David Luiz down the right of the area before darting a low strike across goal.

Argentina remained in control midway through the first half in Buenos Aires, with Ever Banega striking over from long range and the impressive Roncaglia testing Alisson's handling.

With 33 minutes played, Lavezzi deservedly put the hosts in front.

Di Maria displayed fine technique on the halfway line to find space before feeding Higuain on the edge of the box with an accurate through ball.

The Napoli striker immediately played a low central pass into the area to the incoming Lavezzi to side-foot past Alisson.

Brazil's only chance of note came soon after from a set-piece, as David Luiz headed just over the crossbar following a deep free-kick into the box.

Argentina's dominance continued after the break as Banega had his shot blocked before hitting the foot of the post at a second attempt.

Neymar – who had been kept quiet throughout the first 45 minutes – was struggling to replicate his sensational domestic form.

However, with an hour played, Brazil somehow drew level.

Dani Alves' floated pass to the back post was met by substitute Douglas Costa, who crashed his header against the crossbar.

But Lucas Lima was on hand to thump the rebounded ball on the half-volley past Sergio Romero.

Brazil's equaliser opened up the game and Higuain and Neymar went close to finding the decisive goal of the game late on but both were denied.

With seconds remaining in normal time, David Luiz was given his marching orders after picking up his second yellow card in two minutes for a late lunge.

Argentina are now winless in three games and remain in eighth place in the table, while Brazil move up to fifth.