..::Football III::..

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Manchester United ready to make official Kane bid

Manchester United are ready to test Tottenham's resolve by making an official bid for Harry Kane, Goal understands.


United are prepared to put together a package worth up to £50 million (€70m) and are willing to offer up Javier Hernandez, Nani and Adnan Januzaj in exchange as part of a deal that would see Kane become Britain's most expensive footballer.


Goal revealed last month that Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal made Kane his primary target to improve his strikeforce after the 21-year-old's sensational breakthrough season in which he scored 30 goals.



Meanwhile, United have called a halt, for this summer at least, to their pursuit of Gareth Bale, who is determined to remain in the Spanish capital and fight for his Real Madrid future, which will swell Van Gaal's transfer kitty still further.



Van Gaal has already determined that Januzaj, Nani and Hernandez, who spent last season on loan at Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid, are surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and could be used as bait to land Kane.


Tottenham explored the option of taking Januzaj on loan in January, while Hernandez, who is also on Southampton's radar, would represent a suitable replacement for Roberto Soldado or Emmanuel Adebayor, both of whom are expected to leave White Hart Lane this summer.

 

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Kane wa ganna try karala wadak naha​

 

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Hazard: Chelsea signing Benteke would make me the happiest man in the world

Eden Hazard has urged Chelsea to sign Christian Benteke and insists the Aston Villa striker is good enough to play for the Premier League champions.

Goal exclusively revealed in May that Chelsea are ready to enter the running for the the 24-year-old, while Liverpool are also keen on the striker who is valued at £30 million by his club.

Benteke has raised doubts over his future at Villa Park, though would only leave if he is guaranteed first-team football, and Hazard "would like nothing better" than linking up with his Belgium team-mate domestically.

"If Christian signs with us, I would be the happiest man in the world," Hazard told reporters.

"I have a great relationship with him and would like nothing better than to play with him. Christian is 25. He is at an age where he has to make a good career choice.

"Not that Aston Villa is a small club but he has already played many great games and can now play in the Champions League."

Villa boss Tim Sherwood has told Benteke to reject advances from Liverpool to favour of staying at Villa Park ahead of Euro 2016, where he could earn a move to the likes of Real Madrid.

 

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Berlusconi agrees AC Milan sale

Silvio Berlusconi has moved a step closer to selling a 48 per cent stake in AC Milan to Bee Taechaubol, with an agreement reached to enter an eight-week period of exclusivity for negotiations.

Thai businessman Taechaubol has long since been linked with acquiring a share of the Serie A giants and the Rossoneri announced a breakthrough has been made in a statement on the Italian club's official website.Under the arrangement, Berlusconi is set to remain as president while his holding company Fininvest would retain a majority 52 per cent share of the club.

"President Silvio Berlusconi has approved the agreement signed by the Fininvest managing director Pasquale Cannatelli and Mr Bee Taechaubol that plans to negotiate exclusively for a period of eight weeks over a partnership with AC Milan," the statement read.

"During this time, Silvio Berlusconi, who will continue to remain as President, and Mr Taechaubol will work together on a great and ambitious economic and sporting project to take Milan back to the highest levels of Italian and international football that are in line with the club's history, prestige and results.

"As part of this, the draft agreement, which will be examined in detail, foresees that control of the club remains in the hands of president Silvio Berlusconi and Fininvest, which will have an absolute majority share of 52 per cent. The consortium represented by Mr Taechaubol will acquire instead a minority stake of 48 per cent.

"The draft agreement has as its objective the promotion and commercialisation of the AC Milan brand, in particular in Asian countries, in order to receive a large boost in revenue and consequently the financial resources needed to take, thanks to a decisive technical and sporting project, AC Milan back to competing with the established clubs in world football."

Milan are one of the most famous clubs in world football, but have struggled to compete in the upper echelons of Serie A in recent seasons and finished 10th under Filippo Inzaghi last seaosn, after a difficult 2014-15 campaign.

Speaking on the proposed deal, which is reported to be worth €500million, Taechaubol told La Repubblica: "It is not the end of the Berlusconi era."Berlusconi is the man who made Milan great and will always remain tied to the club. It's not true that he is no longer interested in the team. The troubled negotiation process proves the exact opposite.

"Milan have a fundamentally Italian soul and are a brand of Italian excellence. This must not change. It would be absurd to have a sky box full of Asian directors, as the club would lose its identity."

 

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Modric: Tough having to watch Real Madrid collapse

Luka Modric has revealed his heartache at having to sit on the sidelines as Real Madrid exited the Champions League.

The Spanish giants went down to Juventus in the semi-finals as Modric missed a huge chunk of the season, first with a hamstring injury and then with a knee problem that has ruled him out since March.And the Croatia international says it was difficult to be so powerless as Barcleona beat Madrid to the title before Juve ended their European campaign.

“It was terribly difficult not being able to help Real Madrid in the Champions League,” he told Sportske Novosti. “I missed so many key matches.“Last season was really difficult for me. I had some great spells with Madrid and with the Croatia national team but also a lot of bad luck with injuries.

"I am better now, but have not played much yet. I'll be there with Croatia, encouraging the team [against Italy in their Euro 2016 qualifier on June 12] and I think my team-mates will get a good result.”

Real Madrid finished second in the Spanish league and exited the Copa del Rey at the hands of city rivals Atletico, costing coach Carlo Ancelotti his job.

 

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Benitez knows me, he's a good coach - Hernandez

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez admits he doesn't know if he will return to Real Madrid next season but praised the appointment of coach Rafa Benitez.The 27-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements by United boss Louis van Gaal and allowed to spend the whole of last term on loan at the Bernabeu.

Hernandez initially struggled for game time at Madrid, but came to the fore at the end of the season and looked to have done enough to win a permanent move to the Spanish capital.However, the departure of coach Carlo Ancelotti has left his future in limbo and he admits he doesn't have a clue what his next step will be.

"Of couse it's in my head because it's my future," he told Reuters. "I do not know where I will go, United, Madrid or anywhere. I'm just enjoying my holiday for now."Ancelotti was my coach but now Benitez is there. He doesn't have to speak to me because I was on loan from Man United.

"But I am very calm because, thankfully, the last two months at Madrid were very good and showed a lot of things. That gave me a lot of confidence for my future.
"I think that Rafa knows me. He is a really good coach and I think he will do a great job at Madrid."

 

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Zanetti reveals Inter interest in Benatia

Inter sporting director Javier Zanetti has labelled Bayern Munich defender Medhi Benatia a "great champion" and said the club would be "happy" if he moves to San Siro.

The Moroccan left Roma for Bayern Munich last August but has been linked with a return to Italy, with Roberto Mancini reportedly a big admirer of his talents.
However, Inter finished eighth last season and failed to qualify for Europe, but Zanetti is remaining upbeat over a possible move for the centre-back.

"We speak of a great champion, a great champion, but you have to speak cautiously as negotiations are complicated," he said."If he comes we are all happy."

Zanetti acknowledged the club were looking to strengthen an Inter squad already bolstered by Mauro Icardi's recent contract renewal."We spoke with Mancini and the idea is to build a great team. We start with one [signing] then we will see," he added.

"We are working hard to return to being title challengers and we are doing everything to ensure we can be competitive, starting from next season. However, it's not been easy for Italian football right at the moment."We need to pay attention to a lot of things, but our objective is to build a squad as soon as possible that can reach the top again.

"[Sporting director] Piero Ausilio is doing everything he can to make Mancini happy. He understands the market really well and he will help us to get back among the best in Italy very soon."

 

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'Di Maria willing to change his image'

Argentina coach Gerardo Martino says Angel Di Maria is willing to "change his image" in a bid to be a success at Manchester United.

The winger has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford less than a year after joining the club, following a difficult first season in the Premier League.
The former Real Madrid man made a fine start to life in Manchester but hasn't scored a league goal since October and ended the campaign on the bench.

However, Di Maria himself has revealed he will remain at the club and Martino has backed him to adapt next season. "Speaking about Angel, these kind of decisions are personal," Martino told a news conference ahead of his side's friendly against Bolivia on Saturday.

"It's hard to give an opinion and help him. It has to be decided by him and his family."I can tell that taking into account the kind of player we're talking about, there's no doubt that he has pride and will to improve.

"It's logical, he wants to offer his best performances at Manchester United. He had a season when the ending was not good, but his beginning was really good."His form went from high to low, that's clear. He knows that and is willing to change this image. Whatever makes him happy, we will be by his side."

Martino said he felt the current Argentine era was nearing an end, with six players in his 23-man squad 30 or older."I'll say this one more time [about winning the Copa], the squad is really good and we have lots of chances and the will [to win]," he added.

"They realise that time is running out and their possibilities of winning a title with the national team are disappearing."It's a great moment, I hope we can take advantage of it."

Martino also reserved praise for Carlos Tevez as the Juventus striker prepares to play in the Champions League final against Barcelona "His form is unbeatable, his past season in Serie A and in the Champions League has been exceptional."

 

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Courtois: It's a shame Cech has to be on the bench at Chelsea

Thibaut Courtois says it is a shame that Petr Cech has had to spend so long on the bench at Chelsea and accepts it will be the veteran's choice over whether he remains at Stamford Bridge next season.

Cech has found himself forced to accept No.2 status with the Blues this season due to the rise of Courtois and is widely expected to leave this summer in search of regular first-team football.

Cech is ready to tell Chelsea that he wants to join Arsenal this summer, and Courtois feels sorry for him and has hailed the effect the Czech international has had on him.

"We work great together," the Belgian told L'Equipe. "It's tough when you have a goalkeeper at such a high level. It pushes you to never slacken off. I'm strong in my head and both of us are decisive.

"If he wants to go, that would be his choice. It's a shame that such a skilled goalkeeper must stay on the bench. When I look at his level, I'm happy for the season I've accomplished."

Cech's contract at Stamford Bridge expires in June 2016.

 

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Belgium one of the world's best teams - Deschamps

Didier Deschamps says France will need to guard against a Belgium side he feels deserve their place as second in the Fifa world rankings going into Sunday's friendly.

The European neighbours meet at the Stade de France, with Belgium having jumped ahead of Argentina into second this week - their highest position to date.
While France would ordinarily be favourites for such a clash, Deschamps says Belgium's new generation of talent warrants respect.

"The difference between Belgium and us is simple: seven places in the world," Deschamps explained. "They reached the quarter-finals at the World Cup and after that defeat against Argentina they have not lost.

"Their second place in the Fifa rankings is not accidental. They are a team with a lot of individual qualities, especially with attacking players like Eden Hazard, Christian Benteke, Kevin de Bruyne, Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku."All their players have developed well at big clubs. They belong to the best teams in Europe and the world. The only thing they lack is perhaps some experience."

Chelsea forward Hazard is arguably Belgium's biggest threat, having been named PFA Players' Player of the Year in England following an impressive campaign for the Premier League champions."Hazard is a decisive player, he is efficient, strong with the ball at his feet and in one moment can make a difference," Deschamps added.

"It's very difficult to stop such a player. We will be vigilant and try to limit his actions because he has a great influence on the team."

 

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Juventus 1-3 Barcelona: Suarez, Rakitic & Neymar deliver Champions League glory

Barcelona completed a trophy treble in Luis Enrique's debut season in charge as they beat Juventus 3-1 in the Champions League final in Berlin on Saturday.Luis Suarez produced his most crucial contribution of his short career at Camp Nou when he restored Barca's lead 22 minutes from time to effectively settle the game, after Alvaro Morata had cancelled out Ivan Rakitic's early opener.

A fifth European title looked set to be a more routine ask when Rakitic - the man to perform so capably in replacing the soon-to-depart Xavi this term - opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a trademark Barca goal, which saw nine of their 10 outfield players touch the ball.

However, while Barca enjoyed the better of the first half from there - threatening a Juve back line shorn of Giorgio Chiellini through injury - former Real Madrid man Morata struck early in the second period.

Having scored twice in the two-legged semi-final against his former club, Morata was afforded a simple finish after Marc-Andre ter Stegen had saved an initial effort from Carlos Tevez.

Suarez was the only Barca man not involved in Rakitic's opener, but the Uruguayan provided the crucial touch in his side's second, as he replicated Morata's finish when Lionel Messi's effort was spilled by Gianluigi Buffon.
Neymar had a header disallowed, via a handball, as Barca sought to put the game out of sight late on.

But it proved inconsequential in the end, as the Brazilian added a third with the last touch of the match to ensure that Luis Enrique's side repeated the treble-winning achievement of Pep Guardiola's Barca in his debut season of 2008-09.The victory also provided Xavi with a successful send-off to his career with the Catalan giants before he joins Qatari club Al Saad.

European success continues to elude Juve, meanwhile, with the Serie A side coming up short in their attempt to win the continent's most prized trophy for the first time since 1996 and their own treble bid.

Barca could barely have hoped for a better start, as Rakitic opened the scoring in style in the fourth minute when he was the beneficiary of a spell of neat passing play that bore all the Spanish giants' familiar hallmarks.

Following Messi's raking pass out to Jordi Alba, Neymar slipped the ball in to Andres Iniesta. He in turn found Rakitic who finished past Buffon from inside the six-yard box to spark wild celebrations on the Barca bench.

The goal came somewhat out of the blue, with Juve having begun on the front foot. And, having fallen behind, the Italians then saw Arturo Vidal display an uncharacteristic lack of composure, as the Chilean smashed a shot over after a great run from Morata.

The Liga champions began to apply further pressure, and Buffon kept out Dani Alves' effort with a superb strong, left-handed save. Vidal was then overzealous in his tackling and narrowly escaped a second early yellow card for crashing into Neymar.

Juve had half-hearted penalty appeals turned away following claims of a foul by Alba on Paul Pogba midway through the half but Barca were largely controlled in possession, apparently content to take the pace out of the game.

The threat of Messi, Neymar and Suarez continued to prove a real menace on the break and the latter twice went close to extending the lead with long-range strikes prior to half-time.

Buffon was handed a let-off when he inexplicably gave the ball away to Neymar deep in his own half but he displayed his vast experience to keep Suarez out again early in the second half after a rapid Barca breakaway.Barca were hauled level when Morata pounced on Ter Stegen's save after 55 minutes to get Juve back into the game.

Claudio Marchisio's deft backheel helped Tevez into a shooting position and, when the Barca goalkeeper kept that effort at bay, Morata followed up to tap the ball into an empty net.

With Juve buoyed, Tevez and Pogba both went close, but their momentum was abruptly halted by Suarez's close-range finish, coming at a time when the Italian champions were enjoying their most threatening spell.A trademark dribble from Messi was followed up by a strike that Buffon could not hold, allowing Suarez to tap home his most important Barca goal.

Neymar looked to have wrapped up victory with a header soon after, but the official on the byline spotted his header had deflected off a hand.Barca legend Xavi was then introduced for his swansong at the expense of long-time midfield companion Iniesta.

It could also prove to be Andrea Pirlo's final Juve game, with the midfield maestro unable to conjure up any late moments of magic before Barca sealed victory when Neymar scored with the final touch of the match following a quick break.

It completed a season many in Catalunya would not have believed possible when Luis Enrique took over from Gerardo Martino in May 2014, and then saw his position questioned following rocky results and a public disagreement with Messi at the turn of the year.

 

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Morata: Juve may never have another shot at treble

Alvaro Morata is ruing that Juventus may have blown their once-in-a-generation chance at winning a European and domestic treble by losing Saturday's Champions League final to Barcelona.

Ivan Rakitic set the tone in the Catalans' favour with an early goal, but Morata pounced on a rebound 10 minutes into the second half to bring the score back level in Berlin.

However, Luis Suarez swiftly restored the lead for Luis Enrique's men before Neymar scored in stoppage time to trigger treble celebrations for Barca following May's Liga and Copa del Rey wins.

It left Juve having to settle for a double with their success in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, and Morata admits that his side getting another chance to win a treble in the near future is extremely unlikely.

"We had a chance to win but we didn't do it," he told Sky Sport. "I don't think that such a treble opportunity will happen again but we must work next season and we can come back fighting.

"The board are working to build an even stronger team for 2015-16, we are proud to represent this team."Morata signed up for the Turin club last summer from Real Madrid for €20 million and has scored 14 goals.

Juve have already secured the signing of Palermo sensation Paulo Dybala and are rumoured to be interested Chelsea attacker Oscar as well as out-of-contract Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira.

 

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Pogba: Juventus should have had a penalty

Paul Pogba conceded that Barcelona deserved their Champions League success on Saturday, but felt Juventus were on the wrong end of a pivotal refereeing decision in the 3-1 defeat in Berlin.

Pogba was adamant the Bianconeri should have been awarded a penalty shortly before Luis Suarez made it 2-1 to restore Barca's lead.

The Uruguayan's goal came shortly after Alvaro Morata had cancelled out Ivan Rakitic's fourth minute opener. It put Barca in the ascendancy and Neymar added a third late on as Luis Enrique's men completed a domestic and continental treble with a victory.

Asked if Juve should have been given a spot-kick after a tussle between himself and Dani Alves inside the area, the France international told Sky: "Yeah. I think the ref made some mistakes tonight but that's football. We cannot do anything about it, we have to learn."

It was a valiant effort from a Juve side also gunning for the treble but Barca's attacking power finally saw them through.

"We tried our best but Barca were better than us," Pogba admitted. "They had something that we didn't have tonight.
"We believed that we could win the game when we scored but after they got the second one, our heads went down. We tried again but they scored again and that killed us."

Pogba has been linked with a move to a host of top European clubs this summer but refused to discuss it in the immediate aftermath.

"I am not thinking about this," he said.

 

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Iniesta: Impossible to express how amazing treble win feels

Andres Iniesta says it is impossible to describe how incredible it feels to win the Champions League for the third time in his career, and his Barcelona team-mate Javier Mascherano said winning the trophy was like a "beautiful dream".

Iniesta, 31, has already won every major title possible with Barca, but added to his silverware tally as Luis Enrique's men charged to a 3-1 victory over Juventus in Saturday's European final.

Iniesta, who shrugged off an injury to start against the Scudetto holders at the Olympiastadion, was thrilled to be crowned a treble winner just like he was when Pep Guardiola was at the Camp Nou helm in 2009.

“I can’t ask for anything more,” he told Canal Plus. “The three titles, finishing by winning the Champions League, I don’t have words to express my happiness.

“It's all been amazing - for the players, the fans, the moments. One doesn't know when one will experience this again. We won a treble again. We want people to enjoy this Barca team."

Luis Suarez and Neymar scored in the second half to ensure a win for the Liga and Copa del Rey winners, with Juve striker Alvaro Morata having equalised from Ivan Rakitic's opener.

Mascherano, who was not part of the treble-winning Barca side of six years ago having joined the following year, was elated to lift the European crown.

“It’s amazing,” the Argentine said. “Not even in the most beautiful dream would I have imagined a season like this one.

“We have had to get through difficult moments and today we made history. We are very happy to go down in the history of this club.”

 

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Champions League final win was easy - Rakitic

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic insisted the Champions League final win over Juventus was "easy".

The former Sevilla star handed Barca a fourth-minute lead but Alvaro Morata's equaliser 10 minutes into the second half prompted a shift in momentum with Juventus looking the more likely side to go on and win it.

But, as so often this season, a moment of brilliance from Lionel Messi handed Barca an escape route. His shot after a jinking run was spilled by Gianluigi Buffon and Luis Suarez tapped in to restore their lead. Then, the Uruguayan set up Neymar to make it 3-1 with the final kick of the game.

Rakitic told Sky: "We have worked so hard all year. We were the better team but congratulations to Juventus."

Asked whether he thought the Bianconeri were getting on top following the equaliser, he added: "It's normal, it's a final, Juve were also playing in this game. But for the whole game we were the better team and we were in control. It was just a question of when we would score again. It was easy, it was clever, it was a good game."

The win completed a domestic and continental treble for Barca and the end of a hugely successful first year at Camp Nou for Rakitic, who took time to praise the club's former sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta.

"Thanks to Zubi and the club for bringing me here," he said.

 

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Luis Enrique: My Barcelona future still uncertain

Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique has claimed his future is up in the air despite completing a treble on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Juventus in the Champions League final.

Luis Enrique took over from Gerardo Martino last summer after a season without any major silverware at Camp Nou and has overseen a total turnaround by guiding them to success in La Liga, Copa del Rey and now the European crown.

Following their triumph Juventus at the Olympiastadion, the coach was surprisingly candid about being in the dark over his his future at Barca despite his achievements in his first season.

"The truth is that my future is uncertain," he told reporters after goals from Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar saw off the Scudetto holders. "For now, though, everything is happiness.

"We are very happy. I've got a unique group of players. They're winners, soldiers and they enjoy what they do and they make us all enjoy it.

"This is match number 60 of the season, with 50 wins. It has been a difficult year and I'm very thankful to the people who believed in me.

"I never thought we would win the treble, but one always tries to do their job the best that they can. These players have shown that they do not get tired of winning."

The only other time in Barca's history that they have won the treble was six years ago at the start of Pep Guardiola's reign.

 

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Allegri: Juventus can build on great season

Massimiliano Allegri hopes Juventus' run to the Champions League final will help them establish themselves as one of the top teams in Europe over the next few years.

Juve put up a valiant fight in Berlin, only to be undone by Barcelona's attacking power as Luis Enrique's men ran out deserved 3-1 winners.

The Turin giants will have to be content with the Serie A and Coppa Italia crowns at the end of a wonderful season, and Allegri hopes there will be more to come.

He told Sky Italia: "We were naive on the Barca goals but we fought until the end. It was a fantastic season and I cannot say anything negative about my team.

"We risked a lot and had several chances. But when you play against great players, you sometimes think you're in control and when you think you have it, the opponents score.

"Maybe we can do some things better but we played the game until the end. Now we want to establish ourselves among the best eight European teams.

"The first objective is, as always, to win Serie A and the Coppa Italia. The Champions League remains a dream."

 

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Neymar: Juventus proved they are a top team

Barcelona star Neymar has praised the "great" quality of Juventus, despite beating the Italian champions 3-1 in Saturday's Champions League final.

The Bianconeri pushed the Catalans close for much of the clash in Berlin, with Alvaro Morata equalising 10 minutes into the second half after Ivan Rakitic's fourth-minute opener.

However, Luis Suarez and Neymar saw off any shock result in the Scudetto and Coppa Italia holders' favour with goals in the final third of the game, securing a treble for Barca.

Neymar, who netted the final goal with the last kick of the game deep into second-half stoppage-time, was jubilant with how the Liga and Copa del Rey champions added a third trophy to their collection in 2014-15.

"Juventus are a great team with great players," he told Sky Sport. "We played our game, though, and in the end we came out winners.

"I'd like to thank first of all the team and the coach. This triumph is also dedicated to all of our families."

After a brief breather to celebrate the Champions League triumph, Neymar will link up with Dunga's Brazil squad as they compete in this summer's Copa America in Chile.

The 23-year-old was one of the stars of the World Cup in Brazil last year until his injury ruled him out for the remainder of the tournament at the quarter-final stage.

Neymar bounced back this campaign to record 39 goals in 50 games for Barca and, in the process, become the first-ever player to score and win in Champions League and Copa Libertadores finals.

 

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Colombia 1-0 Costa Rica: Falcao fires hosts to victory

Radamel Falcao's struggles at club level continue to provide no hindrance to his international form as the striker netted yet again in Colombia’s 1-0 Copa America warm-up win over Costa Rica on Saturday.

The former Atletico Madrid star endured a difficult season with Manchester United, scoring just four goals in 26 Premier League matches, but he looked sharp in Buenos Aires and netted for the fifth time in his last five Colombia outings, going into Copa America full of confidence.

Colombia get their campaign underway against Group C rivals Venezuela on June 14, but there was little reason for optimism during the first half of their only pre-tournament contest, lacking cutting edge and appearing somewhat toothless in attack.

But a marked improvement followed Falcao’s poacher's effort at the start of the second half, while the 29-year-old's continued decisiveness on the international stage ensures Jose Pekerman an embarrassment of riches in attack for the upcoming tournament in Chile.

Despite naming an extremely strong starting XI, which also included Real Madrid star James Rodriguez, Colombia struggled to get going early on, with Costa Rica actually looking the brighter.

It took 26 minutes for the first chance to arrive, though, and Paulo Wanchope's men failed to make the most of it, as Jonathan Moya cut across his marker at the near post and directed Jonathan McDonald's low cross wide.

Colombia finally crafted their first opportunity six minutes later, but the outcome was much the same, Falcao skewing off target following Juan Cuadrado's clever cut-back.

Pekerman's side began the second period with renewed urgency, however, and the deadlock was broken in the 47th minute, Falcao steering Cuadrado's low cross under Esteban Alvarado.Rodriguez and second-half substitute Carlos Bacca could have added goals in quick-succession with an hour gone, but both were denied in separate one-on-one situations with Alvarado.

Costa Rica ended the contest the livelier of the two teams, though an equaliser never materialised as Joel Campbell fired wide from close range in the 82nd minute.

 

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Falcao International matches walanam hodata play karanawa.​