..::Football IV::..

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Kane: My corners blown out of proportion


Harry Kane has explained how he came to take corners for England at Euro 2016, revealing that he was chosen out of a “few players” within the squad.

Kane has not yet scored for England at the tournament in France, and his chances of doing so were somewhat diminished in the first game against Russia, as he repeatedly attempted to deliver the ball into the box.

The Tottenham striker, who scored 28 goals for Spurs in 2015-16, was removed from set-piece duty after the disappointing 1-1 draw in England’s opening fixture, but he insists that more has been made of Roy Hodgson’s decision than necessary.

Harry Kane has explained how he came to take corners for England at Euro 2016, revealing that he was chosen out of a “few players” within the squad.

Kane has not yet scored for England at the tournament in France, and his chances of doing so were somewhat diminished in the first game against Russia, as he repeatedly attempted to deliver the ball into the box.

The Tottenham striker, who scored 28 goals for Spurs in 2015-16, was removed from set-piece duty after the disappointing 1-1 draw in England’s opening fixture, but he insists that more has been made of Roy Hodgson’s decision than necessary.

“There were a few players taking them. We always practice set-pieces. Nothing was really said until immediately before the game when it was up on the board about who was taking what. I was happy to do it. I think it’s been blown out of proportion a bit.”

Kane’s lack of goals has led to concerns among Three Lions fans, and the striker was rested for the 0-0 draw with Slovakia, with Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge selected instead.

However, the 22-year-old insists he has not yet been presented with a clear-cut chance as England prepare to face Iceland in the last-16 on Monday.

“There’s not been a clear chance where I’d say: ‘I’m disappointed I missed that’. I’m not coming away from games saying: ‘Wish I’d scored that one — that was an easy chance’. You just have to be ready for when that chance comes. And I’m someone who will definitely be ready,” he added.

 

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Juventus on the same level as Madrid and Barcelona - Dybala

Paulo Dybala believes Juventus are on the same level as Real Madrid and Barcelona, with only bad luck preventing the Turin outfit from winning the Champions League in recent seasons.Juve have been dominant in Serie A of late, scooping the Scudetto in each of the last five campaigns.

Massimiliano Allegri's men are also two-time defending champions of the Coppa Italia, but are yet to turn their domestic purple patch into continental glory.Champions League runners-up to Barca in 2014-15, Juve were beaten by Bayern Munich in extra time in last season's round of 16.

But Dybala is confident the club can count themselves among Europe's elite."Juventus are a great team, exactly like Real, Bayern Munich and Barcelona," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Two years ago we came close to victory in the [Champions League] final. With Bayern last season we were eliminated with 30 seconds left, we lacked just a little luck."Dani Alves will shortly arrive at Juve after leaving Barca and Dybala is relishing the opportunity to play with the Brazil full-back.

"I saw him play very often because I always look to Barcelona and I remember that he often exchanged well with [Lionel] Messi," he added. "It is true, they had a great understanding."Dani is a very technical player, he will help us a lot in defence and in attack and I hope he can help me score many goals."

Dybala also welcomed the arrival of Miralem Pjanic, who joined for €32million from Roma this month, but stressed his belief that the sought-after Paul Pogba would not leave the club.

"Pogba remains safe," he commented. "I heard it and I think he will stay with us. We have not talked about football, but I can feel it."

 

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Fabregas: Conte's Italy will be tough to beat


Cesc Fabregas is looking forward to working with Italy coach Antonio Conte when he takes over at Stamford Bridge – but first he wants to dump him out of Euro 2016 with Spain.Italy and Spain meet on Monday in a last-16 match that is a repeat of the Euro 2012 final and the Chelsea midfielder is looking forward to the challenge.

"It's always tough against Italy. They are competitive and have a lot of experience. They have what it takes to win a tournament," Fabregas told Gazetta World.


"It will be tough to beat them as matches against the Azzurri are always 50-50, aside from the final in 2012 [which Spain won 4-0]."[That final] It’s the best 90 minutes we’ve put together. We enjoyed ourselves and that doesn't usually happen in a final."

It is a fixture in which Fabregas has fared well. He scored a penalty against them in at Euro 2008 to help kick off his nation's incredible run of success in international football as they won that tournament before claiming the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

But he has another reason to impress this time around with soon-to-be Chelsea head coach Conte in charge of Italy.

"He is a great coach and a winner. He told me what he wants to do at Chelsea, but that will remain private," added Fabregas."I really want to work with him, but I want him to focus on Chelsea as quickly as possible. I hope that will start on Tuesday.

"I liked his Juventus side and I had watched them win, though I didn't tune in every week. I've watched more of them recently and he’s also done a great job with the national team."

 

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Courtois expects to leave Chelsea in future

Thibaut Courtois admits that he expects to leave Chelsea in future, but says he is unsure about his preferred destination.The 24-year-old signed for the Blues in 2011, before spending three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid.

Courtois has won La Liga and the Premier League during his career, as well as reaching a Champions League final, and he maintains that he intends to depart Stamford Bridge in the coming years.

When asked if he was going to spend the rest of his career at the club, Courtois told Sporza: "It's hard to say. I don't think I will end my career here.

"I didn't have [a favourite club growing up]. In Spain I watched a lot of Madrid and Barca. "In Germany I watched Bayern and Dortmund, in England, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, and in Italy Juventus and Milan.

"There wasn't one favourite but I always wanted to play at those clubs."I don't necessarily have a desire to play there, I'm already at a beautiful club, Chelsea which I always admired but we will see."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Spain not as aggressive as in 2012, claims Ancelotti


Spain's lack of variety and aggression could give Italy the upper hand in their Euro 2016 last-16 clash, according to incoming Bayern Munich head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Defeat to Croatia in their last Group D fixture left Spain facing a daunting knockout clash with Antonio Conte's men at the Stade de France on Monday – a repeat of the Euro 2012 final.

But Ancelotti, who compared Spain's Alvaro Morata to Poland and Bayern star Robert Lewandowski, says the reigning champions are not the team they were four years ago and that Italy have every chance of making the quarter-finals."I keep getting told that Italy have a really hard draw facing Spain in the Euro 2016 second round in the Stade de France on Monday," he wrote in The Telegraph.

"My only response is, yes, but Spain have a really tough draw, too. Italy will play to their strengths in defence and close the space between the lines. They do not have the players to dominate possession."Spain cannot change. They play just one way, which is to probe and pass and keep the ball.

"They have tried to vary it a little bit in recent games with more direct passes to Alvaro Morata. He is a good player who can do well. I did not have a lot of opportunity to play him at [Real] Madrid, but he is the kind of guy who comes alive in the box, like Robert Lewandowski.

"Spain will control the midfield, I am sure. Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets have been doing that for years.

"I have noticed, though, that as a team they are not quite so aggressive as they were four years ago when it comes to winning the ball back again. Maybe Italy can use that to their advantage."

The winner of Monday's match will face Germany or Slovakia in the last eight.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

I never saw Ronaldo look in the mirror! - Ancelotti


The perception that Cristiano Ronaldo is vain and only out for personal glory is wide of the mark, according to his former coach at Real Madrid Carlo Ancelotti.

Ronaldo's Portugal face Croatia in Euro 2016's last 16 on Saturday and Ancelotti, who is taking over from Manchester City-bound Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich for the 2016-17 season, defended the forward against accusations of self-interest.
Ancelotti, who won the 2014 Champions League with Ronaldo and Madrid, insisted the 31-year-old's public image does not match what he experienced as his coach between 2013 and 2015.

"You see a different kind of Cristiano Ronaldo when you are the manager of his team," Ancelotti wrote in The Telegraph.

"The rest of the world has become obsessed with the image and the look of the man, or how he celebrates when he scores, or how he reacts when things go wrong. I just saw a guy who always wanted to do his best."First of all, I never once saw him in front of the dressing-room mirror or worrying about how he looked. For Cristiano the priority was always to win.

"There were a lot of strong guys in that Real Madrid dressing room – it was a basic requirement of being at the club that you needed a big personality."

Ancelotti hailed the work Ronaldo has put in to become one of the finest footballers in the history of the game, noting he is particularly interested in the fitness side of the sport and "lived for the game".

"He is a pleasure to manage," said Ancelotti. "We all know about the work he puts in to be so strong and his perfectionism on the training ground when it comes to technique.

"He also understands that a lot about being a top footballer, with the demands of the modern game, is about recovery. It is what you do in between the games that counts for so much. He would talk to our medical staff all the time, he would try to figure out what he needed.

"The boy lived for the game – everything else was built to fit around it. That meant his recovery times, what he ate, when he ate, his commercial commitments, even his private life. All of it was organised so that when he stepped on the pitch he would be at the absolute peak of his performance.

"No footballer can be 100 per cent fit every time he plays, but Ronaldo never got badly injured because he did so much of the prevention work that can help you avoid those sort of problems."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Switzerland 1-1 Poland (4-5 pens): Xhaka miss undoes Shaqiri's wonder goal as Swiss exit

Granit Xhaka's woeful penalty proved decisive as Poland beat Switzerland 5-4 in a shooutout to render redundant Xherdan Shaqiri's sublime goal in a 1-1 draw after extra time.

With Switzerland trailing 1-0 courtesy of Jakub Blaszczykowski's 39th-minute strike, Shaqiri produced a brilliantly executed bicycle kick to stun Poland and force an additional 30 minutes.

However, if Shaqiri's strike is now the standout contender for goal of the tournament, team-mate Xhaka's missed penalty was at the opposite end of the quality spectrum, the new Arsenal signing smashing his strike well wide of the target with Switzerland's second effort to leave them playing catch-up.

Grzergorz Krychowiak made no mistake with his chance to wrap up the victory, burying his shot beyond Yann Sommer and sending Poland into the last eight for the first time.Poland dominated early on Saint-Etienne but the pressure had been building prior to the 82nd-minute equaliser – Ricardo Rodriguez drawing a fantastic save from Lukasz Fabianski with a free kick, while Haris Seferovic rattled the crossbar.

But it was Poland who were ultimately celebrating and they will now face the winner of the clash between Croatia and Portugal.The anthems had barely finished when a Swiss defensive mix-up led to a chance for Robert Lewandowski.

Sommer's throw was not dealt with well by Johan Djourou, forcing the goalkeeper to rush out and deny Lewandowski a shot at goal, before Arkadiusz Milik lifted over the crossbar of an unguarded net.

Poland continued to look most likely to break the deadlock, with Krychowiak heading over unmarked and Kamil Grosicki miscuing his shot, and Milik skied an effort from close range following a quick counter-attack.

A rare chance fell Switzerland's way in the 35th minute but Fabian Schar could only head straight at Fabianski from a corner, while Blerim Dzemaili forced the keeper to tip over his crossbar with a deflected strike soon afterwards.

With the Swiss beginning to settle, Blaszczykowski's opener was well timed. A Grosicki pass found the Borussia Dortmund midfielder in plenty of space on the right-hand side of the penalty area and he had plenty of time to pick a shot between Sommer's legs to give Poland a deserved lead.

The goal was Blaszczykowski's second in as many matches and he almost added further to his tally after cutting inside and unleashing a shot from 20 yards eight minutes into the second half, with Sommer able to push the ball out for a corner.

Schar escaped with a yellow card following a late and heavy challenge on Lewandowski as the match became fractious, but Switzerland did show signs of life in attack following the introduction of youngster Breel Embolo in place of Dzemaili.

Fabianski showed great strength to beat Embolo to a cross and cling on to the ball in the 67th minute, before launching himself across goal to superbly keep out a Rodriguez free-kick that looked destined for the top corner.

The pressure was mounting and Seferovic hit the crossbar from 12 yards as Poland failed to clear their lines, before Shaqiri made the breakthrough in truly spectacular fashion. A cross from the left bounced out to the edge of the box, where the Stoke City winger positioned himself to send an overhead kick hurtling into the bottom-right corner.

While the opening period of extra time passed without incident, the momentum was firmly behind Switzerland and Poland were forced on the back foot, with Fabianski producing another fantastic save to deny an Eren Derdiyok header after the break.
Chances to prevent penalties came and went for both sides in the closing stages of extra time but it was left to penalties to settle the tie and it was Xhaka who became the villain for Switzerland as Poland proved perfect from 12 yards.

Schar escaped with a yellow card following a late and heavy challenge on Lewandowski as the match became fractious, but Switzerland did show signs of life in attack following the introduction of youngster Breel Embolo in place of Dzemaili.

Fabianski showed great strength to beat Embolo to a cross and cling on to the ball in the 67th minute, before launching himself across goal to superbly keep out a Rodriguez free-kick that looked destined for the top corner.

The pressure was mounting and Seferovic hit the crossbar from 12 yards as Poland failed to clear their lines, before Shaqiri made the breakthrough in truly spectacular fashion. A cross from the left bounced out to the edge of the box, where the Stoke City winger positioned himself to send an overhead kick hurtling into the bottom-right corner.

While the opening period of extra time passed without incident, the momentum was firmly behind Switzerland and Poland were forced on the back foot, with Fabianski producing another fantastic save to deny an Eren Derdiyok header after the break.

Chances to prevent penalties came and went for both sides in the closing stages of extra time but it was left to penalties to settle the tie and it was Xhaka who became the villain for Switzerland as Poland proved perfect from 12 yards.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Shaqiri ge goal 1ka pattaBicycle Kick​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Zero chance of Neymar joining Real Madrid, claims Barcelona star's father

Neymar’s father insists there is no chance of his son joining Real Madrid.The Brazil international has been linked with a move away from Barcelona this summer, although Goal understands that the Spanish champions have offered the forward a new deal that will run until 2022.

Brazilian agent Wagner Ribeiro has claimed Neymar has three offers from “massive clubs” but when asked if a switch to Real Madrid is possible, Neymar Sr. told Fox Sports Brasil: “The possibility of him ending up there is zero.

“Neymar’s owners are Barcelona. Any proposals, any notifications, or any formality that comes in respect to Neymar, without question passes through Barcelona and Barcelona alone.

“He’s still under contract with the club and they know everything that’s going on.
“There’s lots of speculation and it’s clear he’s become mixed up in all that. People know that there are various clubs interested in him for his football, but they don’t want to say that he’s talking to them or having any dealings.

“People have said 10,000 different things about my son. Neymar has a contract at Barcelona, and he has two years left. That’s the only certainty. He has to obey that contract - besides, he’s happy at the club. “The speculation will go on, like it has been for a while, but everyone’s used it by now.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wales 1-0 Northern Ireland: McAuley own goal sends Bale & Co. through

Gareth McAuley's own goal proved costly as Wales battled past Northern Ireland 1-0 to book their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 on Saturday.

Wales star Gareth Bale had, unsurprisingly, been highlighted as the dangerman before the last-16 tie at the Parc des Princes but was largely stifled in a tense all-British affair.

However, the Real Madrid man showed his quality with a teasing left-wing cross that the unfortunate McAuley diverted into his own net when sliding to make a clearance with 15 minutes remaining.


In truth the expected blood-and-thunder derby-type contest never materialised, but Wales will feel they did enough to justify their place in the last eight with Sam Vokes missing a great second-half opportunity and Bale testing Michael McGovern - so impressive in the 1-0 loss to Germany - with a free-kick.
Wales, who topped Group B ahead of England, can now continue what has been a superb tournament in France and will face either Belgium or Hungary in the quarters.

Northern Ireland were hard working off the ball and tactically shrewd, but a lack of penetration in the final third ultimately meant Michael O'Neill's men and the boisterous Northern Irish fans were consigned to the plane home.There was little to split the teams in a tetchy opening phase with Northern Ireland doing well to close down Wales' full-backs and limit the space for Bale.

And it was Northern Ireland who mustered the first chance of note in the 10th minute when a swift counter-attack led to Stuart Dallas testing Wayne Hennessey with a left-footed drive from the edge of the box.

Wales slowly gained a foothold in the game and Aaron Ramsey did poke home from Vokes' powerful headed knockdown only to be rightly flagged for offside.Hennessey was then alert to tip Jamie Ward's long-distance drive over the crossbar, but by-and-large the half proved a war of attrition with few chances created and it was goalless by the break.

The tight nature of the match continued after the restart, but Wales had a great opportunity in the 53rd minute when Aaron Ramsey's deep cross was wastefully headed wide of the right post by the unmarked Vokes.

Wales began to up the tempo and Bale forced McGovern into his first proper save with a well-struck dipping free-kick from 25 yards, before the Real Madrid forward saw claims for handball against Jonny Evans in the area fall on death ears.

Bale, who had scored three in three in the group stages, did make a telling contribution in the 75th-minute, though. He found space wide left and McAuley poked the ball past McGovern when trying to prevent Robson-Kanu tapping in.
There was a moment of worry for Wales when namesakes Ashley and Jonny Williams collided heavily - the former continuing despite apparent damage to his left arm.

That led to four minutes of additional time, but Northern Ireland were unable to muster a reply and it was the red shirts in the stadium that were left to celebrate a quarter-final berth.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Half Time

Croatia 0 Vs 0 Portugal

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[Alucard_SxE]

tactical game ekak yanne. kauruth open wenna bayai counter attack eken wadiwi kiyala.
second half habai intense wei.
renato sanchez & quarresma awama

 

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Full Time

Croatia 0 Vs 0 Portugal

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[Wolverine GTR]

Full Time ET

Croatia 0 Vs 1 Portugal

Portugal Goal(s)

Quaresma 117'

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Last 15 minutes wala hoda fight 1kak giya
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[Alucard_SxE]

Last 15 minutes wala hoda fight 1kak giya
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Intense match ekak Only one shot on target by in the whole game and by ronaldo except for the goal by quaresma that built up to that..

Sad to see the croatians crying ​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Intense match ekak Only one shot on target by in the whole game and by ronaldo except for the goal by quaresma that built up to that..



Sad to see the croatians crying
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Ow bro 90 minutes wenakam Shot on target 1kakwath naha sides 2kenma.​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Croatia 0-1 Portugal (AET): Quaresma wins it in extra-time for Santos' men

Ricardo Quaresma struck a dramatic winner late in the second half of extra time as Portugal scraped past Croatia 1-0 in a dour Euro 2016 last-16 encounter in Lens.Portugal advanced to the knockout stages following an electric 3-3 draw with Hungary in Lyon, but Saturday's game could not have contrasted more starkly.

Although Marcelo Brozovic and Domagoj Vida had decent opportunities in the second half, the regulation 90 minutes finished without a shot on target for the first time at a major tournament since 1980.Ivan Perisic rattled the upright in the second additional period, but Portugal struck the decisive blow following a swift break emanating from that near miss.

Nani, who became the fourth player to reach 100 caps for his country, scuffed a shot across the box to Cristiano Ronaldo.The Portugal captain's effort was kept out by Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, but Quaresma was on hand to head home in the 117th minute.


There was one more agonising miss for Croatia as Vida hooked wide, but Portugal survived to set up a quarter-final clash against Poland in Marseille on Thursday.The dramatic final five minutes were a far cry from a turgid opening, the first attempt on goal not coming until the 25th minute when Pepe connected with Raphael Guerreiro's free-kick from the left, powering a header over.

A swift break saw Perisic – sporting the pattern and colours of the Croatia shirt in his hair – move inside Guerreiro and drill an effort into the side netting, with neither side going closer before the interval brought an end to a half low on quality.Croatia had an opportunity to take the lead seven minutes after the restart when a short corner led to Ivan Rakitic teeing up Brozovic, who lifted a wild strike from 12 yards off target.

Renato Sanches, on as a replacement for Andre Gomes, supplied more drive in the midfield and skewed wide from the edge of the box after working an opening through a one-two with Joao Mario.Croatia quickly responded through Vida, the centre-back flashing a header wide following Darijo Srna's free-kick delivery from the right wing.

Portugal felt they should have had a penalty with 64 minutes on the clock when Nani was caught by a high boot from Ivan Strinic, but referee Carlos Velasco Carballo was unmoved.Neither goalkeeper was forced into a save before the end of 90 minutes, and Perisic and Nikola Kalinic both spurned chances to do so in the first half of extra time.

Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio failed to get anywhere near a corner from Brozovic on the left in the second additional period, but Vida could not get over the ball enough to steer a header on target.Perisic hit the post with a header from a Srna cross with four minutes of extra time left to play, but Croatia were hit on the counter-attack.

Subasic did well to deny Ronaldo a record-equalling ninth goal at European Championships only for Quaresma to pounce on the rebound.Vida hooked a last-gasp effort wide as Croatia pushed desperately for an equaliser, but it is Portugal whose campaign in France continues.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Portugal & Croatia set record at Euro 2016 - but it's not one to be proud of


Portugal and Croatia gave everyone an early bedtime on Saturday evening as their football sent pretty much everyone to sleep.

Cristiano Ronaldo was hardly given a sniff, while Croatia’s attack was uncharacteristically quiet.The two countries' combined impotence has set a new - albeit unwanted - record at Euro 2016.

It was the first game in any major international tournament since 1980 that didn’t have a shot on target in 90 minutes.

Thankfully for Portugal, extra time was right around the corner and Ricardo Quaresma was on hand to head his side into the quarter-final stage.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo & Pepe console Modric after Portugal dump Croatia out


Cristiano Ronaldo was criticised for his post-match reaction after Portugal’s draw with Iceland at the start of Euro 2016 but he showed his class with Luka Modric on Saturday evening.Portugal edged past Croatia and into the quarter-finals thanks to Ricardo Quaresma’s goal from close range in extra time.

The result left Modric in tears at the full-time whistle, but the midfielder was consoled by his Real Madrid team-mates Ronaldo and Pepe.