..::Football III::..

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Fellaini sets title target for Manchester United

Marouane Fellaini is targeting the Premier League title with Manchester United following his deadline day move from Everton.

The Belgium international midfielder's future had been the subject of intense speculation throughout the close-season, but it took until the final day of the transfer window on Monday before his switch to Old Trafford materialised.

The Premier League champions paid £27.5 million for the former Standard Liege man and he is confident he will not have any problems fitting into the squad as he links up once again with David Moyes.

The 25-year-old, who helped Belgium beat Scotland 2-0 on Friday in a World Cup qualifier, told reporters: "When I started the campaign with Everton, I looked forward for a transfer and in the end I am happy.

"It was a great week for me. It was nervous on Monday, but I have my transfer and I won with Belgium, so I'm happy.

"It's a big step for me. But I have played for five years in England, I know the league and I know the players, so I don't think I will have a problem with this move.

"I look forward to playing with the players. I need to work hard for my place. I want to win something with Manchester. I want to play a lot of games and win a trophy.

"It will be tough, every year it is tough for the big teams. But I think Manchester United have quality to win the championship. I look forward to this."

 

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'Who would have expected this?' - Van Persie stunned at Estonia draw

Robin van Persie was left stunned after his last-gasp penalty was only enough to earn a draw for Netherlands against Estonia on Friday.

Van Persie converted a spot-kick after being tugged back in the area in the final minute of injury time of the World Cup qualifier which saw Louis van Gaal's side lose their perfect record in Group D.

The Manchester United star admits it was a "bizarre" match to be involved in.

"Who would have expected this?" he told SBS. "This is what's so good about football. It's unfortunate that we didn't win, but that's all part of it.

"We knew that this week would be difficult. Everyone thought this would be easy, but these youngsters are very fit. The boy who scored two [Konstantin Vassiljev] is very good.

"It was a bizarre game. We must be glad that we equalised. With a little luck, we could even have made it 3-2."

Arjen Robben was far less enthusiastic about his opponents' display and was instead furious at his own side's lacklustre performance.

"When you know you're better and you owe it to your fans to win here, it can be very frustrating to experience an evening like this," said the Bayern Munich man.

"We had to score two, three or four, just in the first 20 minutes. That didn't happen, but what happened afterwards shouldn't have done either."

Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman believes Oranje would have seen out the result had they been able to maintain their strong start, with Robben handing them the lead after just two minutes.

"We gave the goals away very easily," he said to NUSport.

"After the break we went along with their game. It's a shame we could not find a sequel to out good start."

Despite Friday's disappointment a win for Netherlands against Andorra next week would guarantee their place at World Cup 2014.

 

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Colombia 1-0 Ecuador: Rodriguez clinches vital three points

Colombia have all but confirmed their place at World Cup 2014 following James Rodriguez's strike against 10-man Ecuador.

An early red card to defender Gabriel Achilier changed the match with Rodriguez scoring the only goal of the game for the hosts, finishing off Monaco team-mate Radamel Falcao's parried shot.But Ecuador missed a golden opportunity to equalise in the second half with captain Walter Ayovi firing his penalty wide of the target.

It was a free-flowing contest early with Ecuador's Jefferson Montero having the first meaningful effort on goal as he stung the palms of Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina from long range.

Falcao was gradually starting to work his way into the game and the France-based striker should have given Colombia the lead on 24 minutes when he headed Pablo Armero's chip straight at Ecuador goalkeeper Maximo Banguera from close range.
The match-defining moment came in the 28th minute when Ecuador central defender Achilier was given a straight red for dragging down Teo Gutierrez as the Colombian streamed through on goal with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Colombia made their advantage count just two minutes later as Falcao's long-range shot was parried by Banguera before Rodriguez rolled the ball into the net with the Ecuadorian shot-stopper sprawled on the ground.There was a major delay in starting the second half with floodlight issues preventing play from resuming for 20 minutes as rain poured down.

With the man advantage, the Colombians dominated possession in the second-half but the away side had a golden opportunity to level the contest just after the hour mark.

After Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia was fouled in the penalty area, Ayovi stepped up to give Ecuador a chance of stealing a result but inexplicably curled his penalty wide with Colombia's goalkeeper diving in the other direction.
Barely a minute later, Gutierrez should have doubled the hosts' lead but somehow chested the ball against the post from point-blank range, although it mattered little as the home side held on for victory.

Both Argentina and Colombia are all but assured their place at next year's showpiece but Ecuador remain in third, five points clear of the fifth-place play-off position occupied by Uruguay.

 

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Peru 1-2 Uruguay: Suarez double edges Celeste closer to play-offs


Luis Suarez will dominate the headlines after a two controversial incidents helped earn Uruguay a win in Conmebol World Cup qualifying.The Uruguayans cemented their hold on fifth place in the South American standings after a 2-1 win over 10-man Peru in Lima.

Suarez, who was a surprise inclusion in the starting XI after a lack of match practice for Liverpool following his 10-game ban for biting an opponent. scored the opening goal from the penalty spot after going down easily in the area after a challenge by his marker.

The Liverpool striker then created more controversy by falling to the ground after minimal contact from Victor Yotun's challenge that saw the Peruvian defender given a straight red card.Suarez then notched his second by smashing the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the penalty area.

The home side did ensure a nervy last few minutes for Uruguay after Jefferson Farfan's superb, curling free kick in the 84th minute but the visitors held on for victory.

Peru started the better of the two sides with Claudio Pizarro firing their best chance straight at Uruguay custodian Fernando Muslera after 12 minutes.La Celeste's captain Diego Lugano was then lucky not to be sent off a few minutes later after a flying elbow against Farfan was deemed only a free kick.

Enter Suarez, who appeared to dive in winning the penalty for his first goal on 43 minutes before he reacted theoretically to minor contact from Yotun that saw the defender sent off four minutes later.

Peru were subjected to waves of attacks in the second-half with Suarez and Edinson Cavani linking up menacingly to provide regular threats on the home side's goal.

Suarez provided the final blow to Peru, as he picked up the ball on the edge of the area and drove a brilliant shot into the roof of net in the 67th minute leaving goalkeeper Raul Fernandez a spectator.

Farfan's brilliant dead-ball strike from outside the area gave Peru hope but they couldn't find an equaliser.

The Peruvian fans showed their disgust by throwing objects from the stands at Suarez in the latter stages of the game, upset at the performance of the striker.
Three points for Uruguay saw them hold a game in hand and a three-point gap over sixth-placed Venezuela with a possible play-off for a World Cup position looming against either Jordan or Uzbekistan from Asia if they maintain fifth spot.

 

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Bale could be a striker, says Clement

Real Madrid assistant coach Paul Clement has revealed Gareth Bale could play as a striker in a bid to accommodate all of the club's attacking talent.

The 24-year-old winger became the most expensive player in history after completing his €100 million move from Tottenham last Sunday, with speculation mounting as to where the Welshman will feature in an already star-studded attack.

"Gareth has the goalscoring talent and ability to set up goals for others. He recently became more central. He's got that versatility," the Frenchman told BBC on Thursday.

"[Coach] Carlo Ancelotti has a clear idea how to use him but things can change. We have a lot of exciting players here.

"[Karim] Benzema is a great talent, while Isco plays in midfield but has chipped in with three goals already. It'll be interesting to see how players fit in together.

"We'll be trying to find their best position and what's best for the team as quickly as possible."

Bale was an unused substitute for Wales on Friday night as they were beaten 2-1 by Macedonia in their latest World Cup 2014 qualifier.

Ooooong balala mallen eliyata paninawaa... Man qwe muuwa striker kenek karawai kiala

 

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Ooooong balala mallen eliyata paninawaa... Man qwe muuwa striker kenek karawai kiala

 

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Madrid fought until the death for Neymar - Rosell

Barcelona club president Sandro Rosell has revealed that rivals Real Madrid tried to convince Neymar to move to Santiago Bernabeu this summer right until the eleventh hour.

The Brazilian forward sealed a €57 million switch to Camp Nou after making it clear he favoured a move to the Liga champions, but that did not prevent los Blancos from attempting to disrupt negotiations even when the contract was being signed, according to Rosell.

"When we reached an initial agreement with Neymar's father, the player had already passed a medical with Madrid, so we joked we would not bother with our own check-up," he told television station TV3.

"When we were signing the contract, Madrid were sending emails to Santos."

The Blaugrana president was also quashed the notion of their being any possibility of Real Madrid club captain Iker Casillas replacing the out-going Victor Valdes, despite the Spain No.1 having failed to regain his first-team place from Diego Lopez.

"Casillas will not sign because he is an icon of Real Madrid and I could not see him with the club badge on his chest, the same way I wouldn’t like to see Xavi in a Real jersey," said Rosell.

Finally, the 49-year-old revealed that tensions have dropped between La Liga's top two since Jose Mourinho's departure for Chelsea, but hinted he would miss the Portuguese's presence in Spain.

"Since then the tension has dropped, but his press conferences were entertaining," he added. "In the European Super Cup I was siding with Bayern Munich. Pep Guardiola is the best coach in history."

 

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Zidane: Ribery and Ronaldo should share Ballon d'Or

Zinedine Zidane says he would like to see either Cristiano Ronaldo or fellow countryman Franck Ribery pick up the Ballon d’Or award this year.

Ribery was crowned Uefa Best Player last month after inspiring Bayern Munich to the treble last season, pipping fellow nominees Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the prize.

And Zidane believes the 30-year-old deserves global football's top individual honour for 2013 along with Real Madrid star Ronaldo, instead of current holder and four-time winner Messi.

"I hope it will be one of those two, both really deserve it,” stated the Madrid sporting director to TV programme Canal Football Club.

"If there were two Ballon d’Or, I would give them one each. As it is, there is only one, but I do not decide!"

Zidane went on to voice his support for striker Karim Benzema, following the criticism levelled at the 25-year-old as a result of his 20-plus-hour goal drought for France.

"We know he has not scored for a long time for France," Zidane continued.

"What I hope is to always see Benzema performing at a good level because he is a talented player who can give a lot to France and Real Madrid."

The World Cup-winner also talked about his relationship with coach Carlo Ancelotti and insisted that his new role on the backroom team at Santiago Bernabeu has not caused any rifts within the current coaching set-up.

“I talked with the coach and he already had his backroom team. It was made clear, his assistant will take care of preparations and training sessions and I would focus more on the team and tactics," explained the 41-year-old.

"This is what interests me and I still have to learn about that.

"I had him [Ancelotti] for two years at Juventus. He has evolved professionally, but as a person, he is always the same, devoted and open-minded."

 

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Eto'o signing will 'freshen up' Chelsea attack - Emenalo

Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo is hoping Samuel Eto'o will 'freshen up' the club's attack after missing out on the signing of Wayne Rooney.

The Blues pursued Rooney during the summer transfer window before eventually admitting defeat in the chase for the Manchester United striker, signing the experienced Cameroon international instead.

Eto'o played under Stamford Bridge boss Jose Mourinho at Inter, and Emenalo is confident the former Anzhi man fits the club's short-term plans perfectly.

"In the case of Samuel Eto'o, it was an open secret that we wanted Wayne Rooney and I don't need to explain what the idea is behind wanting a player like Rooney," he told Chelsea's official website.

"But we are not desperate and we know for the future we have Romelu Lukaku and incredible hope that he will come through and lead the line.

"People keep forgetting that he is only 20, and looking at the short-term plan, we don't want to put too much pressure on a young player like him.

"So if we weren't able to get Rooney and we had Lukaku, Ba and Torres, we felt comfortable with them but we also felt comfortable to bring Eto'o to give us a little bit of competition, because we wanted to freshen up that position."

Eto'o, meanwhile, limped out of Cameroon's 1-0 victory in a World Cup qualifier over Libya after playing for an hour.

 

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Zidane: 'Incredible' Bale not worth €100m

Zinedine Zidane has slammed the world-record fee that Real Madrid forked out for Gareth Bale, stating that no player is worth such a sum.

The Real Madrid assistant coach, who held the title of most expensive footballer on the planet when he moved from Juventus to los Blancos in 2001, believes the €100 million deal for the Wales international is simply one of many "incomprehensible" fees which clubs are willing to pay in the modern game.

"Ten years ago I was bought for €75m and I said I was not worth this," the World Cup winner told Canal Plus.

"Even now I would think that a player is not worth this. It's football, unfortunately. It is incomprehensible to pay so much."

Despite holding reservations about the amount, Zidane is more than happy to have Bale at Santiago Bernabeu and the Frenchman is excited to have the opportunity to work with the former Tottenham star.

"My role will certainly be to explain that he has to play as he knows," Zidane continued.

"This is a player who has incredible potential, which he has demonstrated over the past three years and he is certainly among the top three players.

"But he can still progress a lot. I think he can bring a lot to Madrid."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Isco pulls out of Spain squad

Isco has withdrawn from the Spain squad ahead of their friendly against Chile on Tuesday after he failed to shake off an injury.

The attacking midfielder had been struggling with a knock to his left ankle which saw him pull out of training last Thursday and miss la Roja’s World Cup qualifying victory over Finland in Helsinki.

There had been hopes that the 21-year-old may be fit to face the South Americans in Switzerland but Vicente del Bosque has allowed the player to head back to Madrid for further treatment after undergoing medical tests with the Spanish team doctors on Sunday afternoon.

Del Bosque has decided against calling up a replacement for the Real Madrid man and the 62-year-old may even be prepared to let a few other stars miss the trip to Stade de Geneve, with Barcelona keen to see the trio of Jordi Alba, Xavi, and Iniesta rested as they prepare for the Champions League group stages.

The news comes as another blow for Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti during a disruptive international break, having already received confirmation that Marcelo has withdrawn from the Brazil squad.

The full-back pulled up with a thigh injury during the Selecao’s 6-0 demolition of Australia and will miss the friendly with Portugal.

 

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Ballack confident Ozil will succeed at Arsenal


Michael Ballack believes Mesut Ozil will be a big success at Arsenal after his compatriot moved from Real Madrid.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger made Ozil his second close-season signing for a club-record fee from Madrid on transfer deadline day, and Ballack thinks he has all the attributes to do well in the Premier League.

The former Germany international - who spent four years in England with Chelsea - sees Ozil as the kind of player who can change games for Arsenal, helping to end their eight-year wait for silverware.

"Mesut is a young player and at his peak," he said. "He is an outstanding player, who joined a new club, I don't think it's a problem [being nervous about playing in England].

"Arsenal is a great club and paid a lot of money for him. That proves his exceptional standing on international level, this amount is not common.

"I really hope everything works well for him, he will be an addition to the league especially with his technical skills and pace with the ball.

Ozil joins fellow Germany internationals Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski at Arsenal, and could make his debut on September 14 against Sunderland.

 

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Buffon: Italy can win World Cup

Gianluigi Buffon believes Italy have what it takes to lift a second World Cup inside eight years.

The Azzurri lifted the trophy back in 2006 and also reached the final of Euro 2012, with the Juventus goalkeeper hungry for a second taste of World Cup glory.
"It would be nice to win another World Cup," he told Sky Sport Italia. "We do have the potential to do it, although clearly other nations have an even better chance.

"I would never give up on the Nazionale. I don't see why I should, unless it is a decision by the coach that I would accept without problems. I haven't the courage to give up and it'd be a shame to do so if I was still competitive."

The Juventus man is just one cap behind current record holder Fabio Cannavaro and will go level with him when Italy meet Czech Republic in Turin on Tuesday.
And Buffon, 35, admitted that emulating the achievement of his former team-mate would be a high point in his career.

He added: "Catching Cannavaro’s record means a lot of time has passed, as I've been in the national team for 16 years, or 20 if you count the youth levels."I always tried to raise our tricolore flag as high as possible and I still want to win something."

Victory on Tuesday would secure Italy's place in Brazil next year.

 

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Isco pulls out of Spain squad

Isco has withdrawn from the Spain squad ahead of their friendly against Chile on Tuesday after he failed to shake off an injury.

The attacking midfielder had been struggling with a knock to his left ankle which saw him pull out of training last Thursday and miss la Roja’s World Cup qualifying victory over Finland in Helsinki.

There had been hopes that the 21-year-old may be fit to face the South Americans in Switzerland but Vicente del Bosque has allowed the player to head back to Madrid for further treatment after undergoing medical tests with the Spanish team doctors on Sunday afternoon.

Del Bosque has decided against calling up a replacement for the Real Madrid man and the 62-year-old may even be prepared to let a few other stars miss the trip to Stade de Geneve, with Barcelona keen to see the trio of Jordi Alba, Xavi, and Iniesta rested as they prepare for the Champions League group stages.

The news comes as another blow for Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti during a disruptive international break, having already received confirmation that Marcelo has withdrawn from the Brazil squad.

The full-back pulled up with a thigh injury during the Selecao’s 6-0 demolition of Australia and will miss the friendly with Portugal.

No ozil no Isco no ronaldo... WTF

 

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Parlour 'worried' about Arsenal's forward options

Former Arsenal star Ray Parlour is concerned about the lack of attacking options available to manager Arsene Wenger and fears for the club should injury beset Olivier Giroud.

Parlour, who made over 400 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, joined the list of pundits praising the club for signing Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil on transfer deadline day.

Ozil, who cost a reported €47 million, will strengthen Arsenal significantly according to Parlour, but he still has doubts over whether Wenger has enough top-class strikers at his disposal.

"I'm worried about the forward line," Parlour told The Daily Star. "Giroud was excellent against Spurs.

"But if he does get a niggle or gets injured, then the next player that can play there is Theo Walcott because Lukas Podolski is out injured.

"It's the only position I am worried about. If Giroud does get hurt, they are going to be light.

"They got Ozil in – great. But could they have signed a striker as well?"

Giroud has started the 2013-14 season in excellent form, scoring in all three Premier League matches Arsenal have played.

After an opening day loss to Aston Villa, Arsenal rebounded with wins over Fulham and rivals Tottenham as they climbed to fourth in the table.

 

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Kaka has already improved Milan, says Allegri

Massimiliano Allegri believes Kaka has already improved AC Milan by raising the level of self-confidence throughout the squad.

The Brazil midfielder - who played for the Rossoneri between 2003 to 2009 - returned to San Siro on a free transfer last week after four years with Real Madrid.
He played 45 minutes in a 4-0 friendly win against Chiasso of Switzerland on Saturday, wearing the captain's armband, and showed enough to suggest he could be a key player for Allegri this season.

"Kaka has great quality, is a champion and his presence raises the level of self-confidence throughout the squad," Allegri told Milan Channel."I must do well to get the best out of him and help him reach peak fitness. You cannot expect a player, even one of his level, to be ready straight away.

"Kaka is a lovely guy who is eager to work hard, which he proved already in training."

Kaka's arrival could prompt a change in formation, with Allegri likely to be tempted to opt for a system that allows the Brazilian freedom to play behind the strikers."We have to work, as we changed our tactical system with forwards who allow me to vary my options," he added.

"I am happy because we have almost everyone available."

 

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Draxler buoyed by Boateng arrival

Julian Draxler says Schalke's signing of Kevin-Prince Boateng has justified his decision to stay at the club.The Ghana midfielder, 26, arrived in Gelsenkirchen on a four-year-deal for €12 million, with SO4 looking to build on last season's fourth place league finish.

And Draxler, who was the subject of interest from Borussia Dortmund during the summer, believes the capture of Boateng shows the club are heading in the right direction.

"You always need time to get used to a new team," he told FIFA. "I'm convinced I'm at the right club with Schalke.

"We haven't had a great start to the campaign and I was a bit disappointed after the first few games, but I think we took another important step forward after signing Kevin-Prince Boateng."We've got a strong team."

Schalke have picked up just four points from their first four league games of the season, but goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand is hoping they have turned the corner following their 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen last time out.

He told Bild: "It annoys me to concede so many goals. You can hardly shine as a goalkeeper if you concede three. But I think that I have held up well despite the poor start to the season."We cannot yet assess how stable we are, that was just a good game (against Leverkusen) nothing more."

 

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January wala ganna try karanawanam menna player

 

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Zidane: I'm glad Casillas is still Spain No.1

Zinedine Zidane is delighted that goalkeeper Iker Casillas is still No.1 for Spain despite being dropped in favour of Diego Lopez at Real Madrid.

Casillas, who recorded his 150th cap against Finland on Friday, has found the going difficult at the Santiago Bernabeu since he broke his hand earlier this year and lost his place to Lopez in goal while under former coach Jose Mourinho.

New coach Carlo Ancelotti has continued the precedent set by Mourinho, with Lopez starting all Liga games in goal for los Blancos, but, Zidane is pleased that Casillas' place as Spain No.1 has not been affected.

"I am glad that Iker will be holder. He is a great goalkeeper," Madrid's assistant coach told reporters.

However, the former World Cup winner was giving nothing away on whether Casillas would be able to reclaim his spot in Ancelotti's side.

He added: "We will see what happens at Madrid."

Casillas is in line to play against Chile for Spain on Tuesday before returning to club duties where Real's next match is against high-flying Villarreal on Saturday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pato happy he left AC Milan

Alexandre Pato says he is glad he left AC Milan for Corinthians in January after making a goalscoring return for Brazil on Saturday night.

The 24-year-old came off the bench to score in the Selecao’s 6-0 rout of Australia and now has his sights firmly set on turning out for his country when they host the World Cup next summer – something he believes is a real possibility thanks to his move back home.

"I believe I owe that call-up to how I've been playing at Corinthians lately,” he explained. “I wanted to have a longer sequence of games and I got it. Now I'm here and my new goal is to be at the World Cup."

Pato, who has seven goals in 16 Brasileiro Serie A matches this season, revealed that the news of his recall was particularly special for him.

"I was at home when I received the news that I had been called up, it was my birthday,” the forward said. “I'm even happier to have been called totally by surprise and to have scored on my first match back. The important thing is to keep on working to improve and do my best.”

Brazil meet Portugal in a friendly on Tuesday and the ex-Internacional attacker will hope to further enhance his claims for a World Cup berth with another strong performance.