..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Italy 2-1 Czech Republic: Balotelli fires Azzurri to World Cup

Mario Balotelli fired home to a penalty to complete a comeback and fire Italy to World Cup 2014 in a 2-1 win over Czech Republic.

Libor Kozak had put the visitors ahead in Turin after 19 minutes, sparking fears among home fans that what had looked set to be a celebratory night could take a turn for the worse.

However, the Azzurri scored twice in the space of four minutes - first Giorgio Chiellini, then Balotelli - to secure a spot in Brazil next summer.

Gianluigi Buffon equalled Fabio Cannavaro’s all-time record of 136 caps as took his place in goal, while there were recalls for Balotelli and Riccardo Montolivo following their suspensions.

Michal Bilek made three changes to the side that suffered a shock defeat to Armenia on Friday.Marek Suchy, Vaclav Prochazka and Vladimir Darida came in for Michal Kadlec, Josef Husbauer and Michael Rabusic.

Despite the hosts having the better of the opening exchanges, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock as Kozak fired home in the 19th minute following a swift counterattack.The Aston Villa striker escaped the attentions of the Italian defence to meet Petr Jiracek’s cross and guide the ball past Buffon.Italy should have equalised six minutes later but Balotelli missed two fantastic chances from inside the penalty area.

His first struck the crossbar after a good strike from Emmanuele Giaccherini’s cross, and he blazed his second over the bar after Cech had spilled a shot from the edge of the box.

All the home side's chances were falling to the Milan striker but he could not find a way past Cech.When Andrea Pirlo floated a perfect cross towards the 23-year-old, he could only head straight at the Czech goalkeeper, who pushed the ball away.

Cesare Prandelli's side levelled six minutes into the second half through Chiellini. Cech missed his punch from a Pirlo corner and the Juventus defender rose unmarked to head into the empty goal.And on their next attack they moved ahead as Balotelli was brought down in the penalty area by Gebre Selassie.

He picked himself up to calmly fire past Cech, sending the Chelsea goalkeeper the wrong way.

Italy had their visitors firmly under control and when substitute Daniel Kolar received a second yellow card for a poor challenge on Balotelli, the party was able to start.

They saw out the closing moments of the match comfortably to secure top place and seal qualification with two games remaining.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ukraine 0-0 England: Three Lions hang on for important point

England held on to earn a goalless draw against Ukraine in Kiev, meaning they stay one point ahead of Tuesday's opponents and Montenegro in Uefa World Cup qualifying Group H with two games to play.

Ukraine made a fast start to the fixture in Kiev but failed to convert their early dominance, as England sat back to soak up their consistent pressure.



Roy Hodgson's side had chances of their own – Theo Walcott went close on two occasions while Frank Lampard nearly scored a late header – but Ukraine were the better side and could count themselves unlucky not to have scored.
The excellent Yevhen Konoplyanka was a consistent threat for the hosts, but England defended well to leave Kiev with a valuable point.England remain on top of Group H in European qualifying as a result, with just two fixtures left to play.

Ukraine may have thrashed San Marino 9-0 in their last fixture but that did not stop manager Mikhail Fomenko making four changes, with attacker Roman Zozulya and midfielder Taras Stepanenko among the inclusions.In Lampard's 100th appearance for England, the visitors made just one change to the team that cruised past Moldova 4-0, as James Milner replaced the suspended Danny Welbeck.

Zozulya could have won Ukraine a penalty in the first minute as Joe Hart lunged at him, but referee Pedro Proenca turned down their appeals, while at the other end Walcott went close.The Arsenal man showed superb pace to get in and behind Vyacheslav Shevchuk, only to be denied by the onrushing Andriy Pyatov.The early chances set the tone for a frantic first 15 minutes as both sides attacked with vigour and had numerous opportunities to score.

Gary Cahill had a goal-bound header hacked away by Artem Fedetskiy and the Chelsea defender was instrumental at the other end, making three important clearances to deny the hosts.One of those interceptions was particularly vital, with Oleg Gusev denied the chance to shoot, as Konoplyanka was proving a real threat with his pace and delivery on the left wing.

It was impossible for the match to be played at that pace for 90 minutes and a lull was inevitable, as England put extra attention on Konoplyanka and dropped back to deny their opponents space.

It led to a successful period for the visitors, who created attempts on goal through Rickie Lambert and captain Steven Gerrard, while Zozulya's touch let him down after a terrific ball from Konoplyanka on the stroke of half-time.Ukraine nearly opened the scoring in the 58th minute as a Konoplyanka cross was flicked on by Andriy Yarmolenko and then Zozulya, but Gerrard saved the day with a timely clearance.

Konoplyanka then went close with a free-kick in the 71st minute, but saw his effort deflected behind by Phil Jagielka, while Fedetskiy could only direct a free header at Hart.Walcott had a good chance for England at the other end, flicking just wide with eight minutes to play, while Lampard almost scored a late header, but both sides settled for a point in Kiev.

The Three Lions, who have only beaten Moldova and San Marino so far, host Montenegro and Poland in October as they bid to clinch their place in Brazil.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Austria 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Alaba strikes fatal blow to Irish chances

Republic of Ireland's slim hopes of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup were dashed after David Alaba once again struck late against Giovanni Trapattoni's side to earn Austria three crucial points with a 1-0 victory at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion on Tuesday evening.

The 21-year-old, who broke Irish hearts with an injury time equaliser back in March, proved to be the difference in a game largely bereft of any real quality as he struck six minutes from time in Vienna.

With their prospects of securing a place in Brazil and manager's job hanging by a thread, the Boys in Green knew nothing less than three points would be enough but failed to create any meaningful opportunities before Alaba pounced on Marc Wilson's loose clearance to clinch all three points for the hosts.

The defeat is sure to signal the end of Giovanni Trapattoni's tenure with the Italian expected to pay for a turbulent twelve months and another unsuccessful qualifying campaign while Austria's chances of qualifying for their first World Cup since 1998 have been enhanced greatly with a couple of games remaining.

With both sides needing a victory to keep their World Cup hopes alive, both managers opted to make changes from their respective defeats to Germany and Sweden. The hosts were boosted by the return of Julian Baumgartlinger, who missed Friday's loss in Berlin through suspension, while Werder Bremen defender Sebastian Prodl and Guido Burgstaller were also re-called.

Trapattoni, not surprisingly, made just the two changes with one of those enforced as Paul Green replaced the injured Glenn Whelan and Anthony Pilkington starting on the left wing in place of James McClean.

Just as they did against Sweden in Dublin, the Boys in Green saw plenty of the ball in the opening exchanges and started in the ascendancy but once again looked devoid of any real quality in the final third. After a bright opening for the visitors, a scrappy midfield battle ensued as both sets of players conceded possession at regular intervals.

It wasn't until the twenty-first minute that either side managed to put together a meaningful attack together but Shane Long couldn't get on the end of Walters' cross, albeit he had strayed offside, after the Stoke man had dispossessed Prodl on the left.

The Austrian defence, who have conceded just eight goals during the qualification campaign, looked vunerable against the long ball and David Forde's innocuous free-kick sailed over Christian Fuchs but Robbie Keane's cross come shot travelled harmlessly across goal.

As the half wore on and the rain continued to fall in Vienna, the game began to open up as both sides searched for the vital opening goal. However, it was Ireland who continued to look more likely to break the deadlock as Pilkington shot just wide of Almer's upright after determined build-up by Long.

The 50,000 home fans came alive ten minutes before the break when Fuchs set Bayern Munich speedster David Alaba free but his stinging left-footed effort was well turned around the post by Forde before the Millwall 'keeper was quickly off his line to deny Martin Harnick.

In an attempt to gain control of proceedings, Marcel Koller introduced Christoph Leitgeb for the ineffectual Kavlak but the substitution did little to alter the flow of the game as both sides continued to attack at will in search of all three points.

Long-range efforts from West Brom striker Long and then Marc Wilson hinted at the visitors' desperation but hardly threatened Almer in the Austrian goal before John O'Shea was forced off with an ankle injury. Pilkington showed glimpses of his club form during his full debut and nearly created the opening shortly after the hour mark but his low cross was cut out by Fuchs at the near post.

Despite their dominance, the Boys in Green should have found themselves behind with twenty minutes remaining but Aston Villa striker Andreas Weimann could only fire straight at Forde from the penalty area - adding to the frustration of the home fans.

The hosts began to turn the screw as the Irish defence came under increasing pressure and had Seamus Coleman to thank for keeping their inferiorily ranked opponents at bay with a superb double-block when Harnik expected the net to bulge.

However, the pressure eventually told as Wilson failed to deal with Fuch’s cross from the left, allowing Alaba time and space to compose himself before smashing past the helpless Forde into the roof.

Marcel Koller's side now sit three points behind second-placed Sweden in Group C, while Ireland are a further three points adrift and effectively out of the running.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Macedonia 1-2 Scotland: Late Maloney winner lifts visitors off foot of Group A table

Ikechi Anya starred for Scotland as they recorded an impressive 2-1 win over Macedonia in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier.

The Watford winger was the best player on the pitch in his first international start, and gave Scotland a deserved lead in the 59th minute.

The visitors had dominated the first half and were well worth their lead, but they looked like only getting a draw when Jovan Kostovski netted with seven minutes to play for Macedonia.

There was still time for the Scots to win it, though, as an 88th-minute free-kick from Shaun Maloney curled into the top corner.

Macedonia coach Chedomir Janevski made four changes to the side that beat Wales 2-1 on Friday, with Barcelona youngster David Babunski and attacker Adis Jahovic among the inclusions.

Anya made his first start for Scotland, who also brought in Barry Bannan and Steven Naismith in place of James Forrest, Leigh Griffiths and the suspended Robert Snodgrass.

Gordon Strachan's decision to include Anya looked a wise one, with Scotland dominating the first-half play in Skopje.

The pace and trickery of Anya caused Macedonia several problems, and he created the first chance of the game, crossing for Naismith, who could only head over.

The pair should have linked up again moments later, but Naismith agonisingly failed to get anything on a terrific cut-back.

The chances kept coming for Scotland, as Scott Brown was denied by a good save from Macedonia goalkeeper Tomislav Pacovski, while Anya had a late chance of his own, only to see his curling effort tipped over.

Scotland were nearly made to pay for their profligacy on the stroke of half-time, but Jahovic wasted a good chance.

Jahovic initially ignored Goran Pandev, who was waiting for a cut-back, before firing into the side netting, as the two sides went to the break on level terms.

Macedonia were improved in the second half, and saw much more of the ball, but Scotland - who were forced to substitute goalkeeper David Marshall at half-time with a hip injury - were still more threatening going forward.

Anya went close again with a curling effort, before the 25-year-old broke the deadlock in the 59th minute, racing on to a through ball from Brown.

Anya's shot had to be perfect, given the angle, and that it was, as his first-time finish nestled into the far corner.

Macedonia pressed for an equaliser, with substitute goalkeeper Matt Gilks making good saves to deny Aleksandar Trajkovski and Pandev as the hosts gathered momentum.

And they were lucky to have a penalty appeal turned down when Pandev fell under the attention of Brown.

Macedonia's pressure eventually told, as Pandev chipped a wonderful through-ball into the path of Kostovski, who finished well past Gilks.

But just as the hosts thought they had won a point, Scotland grabbed a dramatic late winner.

Maloney was the scorer, curling a brilliant free-kick into the top corner to give Scotland a deserved victory.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Luxembourg 3-2 Northern Ireland: Red Lions secure first World Cup qualifying home win in 41 years

Northern Ireland slumped to a 3-2 defeat against Luxembourg, who climbed off the bottom of Uefa World Cup qualifying Group F thanks to their first competitive home victory in 41 years.

Martin Paterson put the visitors ahead with a powerful strike after 14 minutes, but Aurelien Joachim struck via a defletion just before the break to level.

Stefano Bensi's low drive gave the hosts the lead with 12 minutes remaining, only for Gareth McCauley to convert Oliver Norwood's cross to equalise five minutes later.

Mathias Janisch snatched victory, however, when he fired home following a goalmouth scramble after 87 minutes.

Mario Mutsch returned from suspension and was drafted straight back into a Luxembourg side that shipped 17 goals in seven qualifiers prior to Northern Ireland's visit.

Northern Ireland were without the banned duo of Kyle Lafferty and Chris Brunt, both sent off in Friday's 4-2 defeat against Portugal, with Burnley defender Daniel Lafferty replacing the latter in the starting line-up.Lars Gerson stooped to head over a ninth-minute corner as the home side produced an encouraging start that was halted five minutes later by a moment of magic from Paterson.

The Huddersfield Town striker controlled Shane Ferguson's pass with a first touch that took him clear of his marker just outside the penalty area before rifling low into the bottom corner with a rasping finish.Mutsch powered wide from a free-kick routine after 25 minutes as Luxembourg looked for an equaliser, and Gerson struck the crossbar with a curling effort, although the linesman's flag was raised for offside.

Roy Carroll palmed away Bensi's strike after he cut in from the left flank, but the Olympiakos goalkeeper was powerless to prevent Luxembourg from hauling themselves level in added time at the end of the first half.

The hosts broke quickly, David Turpel eventually picking up possession in the centre circle before splitting the Northern Ireland defence with a pass that Joachim latched on to.Joachim's shot struck Daniel Lafferty and looped over Carroll with virtually the last kick of the half.

Clearly energised following Joachim's fortuitous goal, Luxembourg started the second half strongly, Bensi crashing a free-kick from in the Northern Ireland area inches wide after Carroll has been penalised for a pass back from McAuley.Substitute Billy McKay squandered a gilt-edged chance to put the visitors ahead with 22 minutes remaining.

A Paterson backheel allowed McKay to scamper in on goal and his first touch took him away from the onrushing keeper, but he stumbled and blazed over from six yards.That miss proved decisive as Bensi edged Luxembourg ahead after 78 minutes.The Northern Ireland defence afforded the striker too much time and space 20 yards out and he duly dispatched an unstoppable effort across Carroll into his bottom right corner.

Four minutes later, though, Northern Ireland drew level as McAuley rose well to meet Oliver Norwood's free-kick and he powered a header that bounced past Jonathan Joubert.

But there was still time for more late drama as Janisch prodded home from close range with three minutes of normal time remaining after the Northern Ireland defenders failed to clear a corner.

That goal secured the Red Lions' first home World Cup qualifying victory since they beat Turkey 2-0 in 1972.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Nigeria 4-1 Burkina Faso: Ideye double extends hosts' unbeaten run

Brown Ideye starred for Nigeria with a first-half double to help seal a 4-1 victory over near neighbours Burkina Faso in Kaduna on Tuesday.



In a repeat of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final, the hosts dominated proceedings and could have won by a greater margin had their finishing not lacked accuracy at times.

Ideye opened the scoring early on with a good piece of opportunism following a defensive mistake, and doubled his tally just before the break with a coolly-taken finish.Shola Ameobi netted his first international goal in the second half, and Emmanuel Emenike made it 4-0 just after the hour before Saidou Simpore got a late consolation for the visitors.

With both sides having qualified for the next stage of World Cup qualifying after topping their groups, only local pride was at stake - with Nigeria looking to extend their 49-year unbeaten record against Burkina Faso while maintaining their 10-year run on home soil without defeat.

The hosts began well but saw John Ogu and Ameobi fire good openings wide, before Ideye opened the scoring in the 12th minute as he took advantage of a mix-up between defender and goalkeeper to roll the ball into the back of the net.
The visitors rarely threatened the Nigeria goal and they fell further behind just before the break as Ideye doubled his tally.The Dinamo Kiev striker beat three defenders to latch onto a through-ball from Ogu and calmly lifted the ball over Lare Diarra.

Ameobi finally got his goal early in the second half after squandering several earlier chances as he fired into the back of the net after excellent work from Ideye.Emenike added a fourth in the 63rd minute, Ogenyi Onazi creating space for the striker allowing him to fire the ball beyond Diarra.

Burkina Faso were struggling to get into the game but did manage a late consolation through Simpore, the defender meeting an Issa Gouo cross with a simple tap-in at the back post.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Japan 3-1 Ghana: Kagawa on target in comeback victory

Japan came from behind to defeat Ghana 3-1 in their international friendly in Saitama on Tuesday.

Alberto Zaccheroni's men went in a goal down at half-time after Frank Acheampong opened the scoring for the visitors midway through the first period.However, Japan responded in style after the interval and eased to victory thanks to strikes from Shinji Kagawa, Yasuhito Endo and Keisuke Honda.

Ghana went into the game at the Saitama Stadium 2002 after securing a vital World Cup qualifying win over Zambia last Friday - a result that secured their place in the final play-off round as they look to reach Brazil 2014.

And, even though only three of the side that started the fixture in Kumasi began this game, Kwesi Appiah's side looked full of confidence and went ahead after 24 minutes through Anderlecht striker Acheampong.

Japan, who have already secured their place at next year's World Cup, struggled to assert themselves in the first half, but came out with all guns blazing after the break and deservedly drew level just five minutes after the restart.Manchester United playmaker Kagawa cut inside from the left wing and hit and hit a low drive past the despairing dive of Razak Brimah from 20 yards.

And it did not take long for Zaccheroni's team to edge ahead, as Endo and Honda exchanged a neat one-two before the Gamba Osaka man curled a shot from the edge of the area that squirmed under Brimah just after the hour.

By this point, the hosts were rampant and Endo and Honda combined again to increase their advantage just four minutes later, the former swinging in a free-kick which the latter headed home from eight yards.Despite the loss, Ghana boss James Kwesi Appiah voiced his happiness with his side's performance against top-level opponents.

"To build a team it is important to play against top teams as Japan. I was very impressed by the performance of my players, they all did well, but at this level if you lose concentration you do face a big blow, but performance-wise it was a good game us," he told reporters after the game.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Brazil 3-1 Portugal: Neymar stars as Scolari's men triumph

Neymar was in inspired form as Brazil showed their strength of character to come from behind to defeat Portugal 3-1 at the Gillette Arena.

The former Santos man scored once and provided an assist, while also having a hand in Brazil's third goal, as the upcoming World Cup hosts recovered from a shock early concession.Raul Meireles, who had hit the woodwork six minutes earlier with a header, put Portugal in front in the 18th minute at Gillette Stadium, after making the most of a defensive howler from Maicon.

The Roma right back was attempting to send the ball back to his goalkeeper Julio Cesar via his head, but Fenerbahce midfielder Meireles was quick to realise the opportunity - with the former Chelsea man intercepting with a touch, before tucking away the opener past the helpless Brazilian gloveman.

But Neymar came to the rescue, putting in the corner that found the forehead of Thiago Silva, before dribbling into the box and tucking away into the left-hand corner of the net to put the South Americans in front at half-time.

Just four minutes after the break, Neymar put through left back Maxwell, who crossed for Jo, who scored his third goal of the week after a brace against Australia.It was very crisp passing from the Brazilians, who were putting on a clinic for the American fans, and Jo was handed another international goal on a platter after Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio was drawn off his line.

Meanwhile, all of Portugal's chances were being blown by winger Nani, who struck two free-kicks well over the crossbar, and had another two audacious shots from range that were not close to bothering Cesar.

The result saw Brazil stay unbeaten in their past three clashes with Portugal, winning the two friendlies, while the other result was a 0-0 draw at the 2010 World Cup.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Spain 2-2 Chile: Navas leaves it late to rescue world champions

Chile were denied a shock win over reigning world champions Spain on Tuesday thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Jesus Navas.

Sloppy defending in the fourth minute allowed Eduardo Vargas to give the South Americans an early lead and, following Roberto Soldado's equaliser, the Gremio forward restored his side's advantage just before half-time.

Jorge Sampioli's troops looked set to have secured an unexpected friendly triumph on neutral soil, but Manchester City winger Navas saved Vicente del Bosque's men's blushes with a close-range leveller two minutes into added time.Del Bosque made a host of changes from the side that beat Finland 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Friday.
He was without Isco (ankle) and David Silva (thigh), while Victor Valdes was given the nod in goal ahead of Iker Casillas, who earned his 150th cap in Helsinki.
Nacho Monreal, Santi Cazorla and Soldado were also brought in to the starting line-up.

Chile named all three goalscorers from their Venezuela clash last week as Vargas, Marcos Gonzalez and Arturo Vidal lined up in a strong starting XI.The visitors seized the early initiative when Vargas latched onto Mauricio Isla's flicked pass before slotting the ball past Valdes from 12 yards.Spain were exposed at the back again midway through the half, when Valdes had to scramble Alexis Sanchez's cross-cum-shot behind for a corner.

Claudio Bravo almost cost his side at the other end when the goalkeeper allowed a tame backpass to roll under his foot and out for a corner, from which Spain failed to threaten.But despite struggling to find their rhythm, Spain did manage to conjure a leveller nine minutes before the break.Tottenham striker Soldado was the beneficiary of Alvaro Arbeloa's pinpoint delivery, heading home from six yards for a barely-deserved equaliser.

But after Cesc Fabregas' cross hit the post, Spain were cut open again on the stroke of half-time.Vargas turned Raul Albiol and finished into the bottom corner to send Sampaoli's men into the break with the lead.

Andres Iniesta and Navas were brought on for Fabregas and Xavi as Spain looked to turn things around in the second period, having looked nothing like the side that had managed five clean sheets in their past six matches.

They began to grow into the game, enjoying long spells of possession as Chile seemed content to try to contain them.Cazorla fed Pedro down the down the left but his cross deflected off Gary Medel, giving Soldado no chance to capitalise.

Valdes was replaced around the hour mark, making way for Pepe Reina, who was called into action when Mauricio Isla raced through and the Napoli loanee had to sprint out to deny him.Del Bosque introduced Alvaro Negredo to the action in place of Soldado and the Spaniards pressed again, winning a free-kick on the edge of the box as Cazorla was sent tumbling, resulting in a yellow card for Vidal.But Iniesta's strike was straight at the wall and when Navas could only sting Bravo's palms with a close-range strike, Spain's frustration was evident.

With their illustrious opponents failing to fire on all cylinders, Chile looked set to record their first win over Spain, but Navas had other ideas, poking Pedro's cross home from close range to ensure that the world and European champions have lost only one of their last 30 matches.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Andorra 0-2 Netherlands: Van Persie leapfrogs Bergkamp as Dutch reach World Cup

Robin Van Persie ensured Holland qualified for the World Cup finals from Group D with a 2-0 win over Andorra.The Dutch striker scored a quick-fire brace in the second half as Louis van Gaal's side claimed a win that will take them to Brazil following Romania's defeat by Turkey.

The win means Holland finished the night on 22 points - nine clear of both Romania and Turkey following the latter's 2-0 win in Bucharest and eight ahead of Hungary who are in second place with 14.Holland always dominated the game and their first chance came in the ninth minute when Jeremain Lens' 25-yard effort was saved comfortably by Andorra goalkeeper Ferran Pol. Stijn Schaars then tested the home side's defence with an inswinging corner, which forced a clearance from Emili Garcia.

The Andorra defender then made a nuisance of himself at the other end, when his header from a corner went over the bar. Wesley Sneijder then missed a chance to put Holland ahead when he shot wide from close range before he fired over the bar from distance on the half-hour mark.Van Persie saw an effort from a free-kick go wide before Andorra had some more defending to do at the set-piece, denying Schaars and Sneijder from two corners. Ildefons Lima stood firm in Andorra's defence, making several clearances to ensure the two sides met the half-time whistle locked at 0-0.

However, the scores did not remain tied for long in the second half thanks to Manchester United striker Van Persie, who linked up with Kevin Strootman for the opening goal. Strootman fired in a cross from the right wing and Van Persie delivered, scoring from 25-yards in the 50th minute.Holland goalkeeper Michel Vorm was called into action a couple of minutes later when he punched Marc Pujol Pons's corner clear, but it was Van Persie who found the back of the net again just five minutes after his first score.

Andorra goalkeeper Pol fumbled Darryl Janmaat's cross and the ball fell to Van Persie, who slotted the ball into the goal from close range. Holland continued to go for the jugular, with Sneijder seeing another attempt from 20 yards saved by Pol before Lens put a shot wide.

Lens had another strike punched to safety by Pol in the 65th minute and Van Persie saw his attempt for a hat-trick go begging when he pushed the ball wide from the middle of the area.

Pol then saved a Van Persie header before he again denied Lens from inside the six-yard box. That proved to be the last real chance on goal for the visitors, but a two-goal win proved to be enough to book their place at next year's World Cup.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wales 0-3 Serbia: Hosts humiliated as Bale returns off the bench


Gareth Bale made his first competitive appearance of the season as Wales slumped to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Serbia on Tuesday.

Goals from Filip Djordjevic, Aleksandar Kolarov and Lazar Markovic at the Cardiff City Stadium gave Serbia the win as they completed the double over their Welsh counterparts in Group A.

The home side rarely threatened the Serbia goal and a poor performance from Chris Coleman’s men saw them lose their sixth game of the campaign on Tuesday night.

Wales boss Coleman recalled Danny Gabbidon, Andy King, Andrew Crofts, and Sam Vokes to his starting XI but Bale was on the bench after coming through training on Monday in good condition.

Serbia fielded a strong line-up with Milan Bisevac, Ivan Radovanovic, Dusan Tadic and Filip Djuricic all coming into the starting line-up after Friday’s 1-1 draw with Croatia.

And after a quick start, the visitors took the lead inside eight minutes when Andrew Crofts kept Djordjevic onside and he headed home under no pressure inside the six-yard box.

Serbia continued to look dangerous from set-pieces with both Dusan Tadic and Branislav Ivanovic going close with efforts from set-pieces.

Wales did settle, with Aaron Ramsey creating a number of half-chances but a wonderful strike from Kolarov in the 38th minute doubled Serbia’s advantage when he let fly from distance to give Myhill no chance in the Wales goal.

The game was wrapped up in the 55th minute when Markovic reacted quickest following two efforts from Tadic and he side-footed the ball into the net.

Wales continued to be overrun but the home crowd did have something to cheer about when Bale was introduced into the game just before the hour mark.

The Real Madrid star went close on two occasions with testing efforts as he showed his superior skills despite a long lay-off this summer.

Bale again tested Vladimir Stojkovic in the Serbia goal with a long-range free kick, but the Partizan Belgrade man reacted well to tip the ball over.

But Coleman's side came out empty-handed and slumped to the bottom of the group, courtesy of Scotland's win over Macedonia.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hodgson: Inexperienced England not used to pressure

England manager Roy Hodgson believes his squad's lack of experience makes the goalless draw against Ukraine in Kiev a satisfying result.

The point keeps England at the top of Group H, with two home qualification matches against Montenegro and Poland remaining.

England were restricted to just two chances on target against Mykhaylo Fomenko's men, who also had few clear-cut opportunities during the fixture.

"In the first half, we had clear control of the game and we could have won it at the end as well," Hodgson told ITV.

"A lot of players have come into the squad and aren't normally used to this level of pressure. So I think we've got to be more than satisfied with the result against Moldova and here.

"If we had someone like a [Wayne] Rooney or a [Daniel] Sturridge, we might have even got the goal we needed.

"I don't think we were that adventurous but it was for them to do that not us.

"I thought in the first half in particular there were quite a few interesting situations in the final third.

"Had we thrown caution to the wind and ended with a 1-0 defeat, I don't think we would have got any thanks for that."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Balotelli: The world should fear Italy

Mario Balotelli claims teams should be scared of facing Italy at next summer's World Cup.

The Azzurri confirmed their place in the 2014 finals with a 2-1 in over Czech Republic on Tuesday, with Balotelli scoring the winner from the penalty spot, and the AC Milan star is bullish about his side's chances in Brazil.

"I think we're among the favourites." the 23-year-old told RAI Sport after the match.

"There are one or two teams above us, but they should fear us, not the other way around."

Libor Kozak had given the Czechs a surprise 19th-minute lead at Juventus Stadium, with the hosts contributing to their own downfall with some wayward finishing.

Balotelli was the prime culprit, crashing one shot against the crossbar, blazing wildly over when played through and failing to beat Petr Cech when one-on-one multiple times.

And despite finally getting on the scoresheet, the former Inter youngster admits it was not his most clinical showing.

"Missing that many chances has never happened to me before," he said.

"When Cech parried that shot I thought he would get it if I fired low, so I tried to raise the finish and went too high.

"I was unlucky, but I just kept trying until the end."

Italy now have an unassailable seven-point lead over Bulgaria at the top of Group B, and they join Netherlands as Europe's first guaranteed representatives at next summer's tournament.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Evra speech inspired us to victory - Ribery

Franck Ribery has revealed how a half-time pep-talk from Patrice Evra inspired France to a 4-2 victory over Belarus on Tuesday.

Didier Deschamps' men were trailing 1-0 to the Eastern Europeans at the interval, before a double from the Bayern Munich ace and further goals from Samir Nasri and Paul Pogba helped les Bleus to victory.

The win saw France score their first goal in more than 500 minutes of competitive play, setting a new international record in the process, but Ribery revealed it was defender Patrice Evra - an unused substitute in Tuesday's clash - who inspired the side's comeback with a half-time speech.

"It was a victory for everyone," the 30-year-old told reporters. "It was for us and it was for the fans.

"The match was a little weird, especailly after the first half. But then Pat [Evra] gave a real speech at half-time and that was good for everyone."

The praise signifies Evra's restored faith in the eyes of his compatriots, with the former captain having spend nine months frozen out of the side following his part in the in-fighting which marred France's previous World Cup campaign in South Africa under Raymond Domenech.

France moved level on points with Spain at the top of Group I following Tuesday's result, but have played one game more than Vicente del Bosque's side.

 

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Italy and Netherlands secure World Cup ticket

Italy have booked their place in next summer's World Cup finals after recovering from a goal deficit to beat Czech Republic 2-1 in Turin.

Former Lazio striker Libor Kozak opened the scoring after 20 minutes but their lead was overhauled within eight minutes of the second half.

Defender Giorgio Chiellini restored parity by nodding home from a corner, before AC Milan hitman Mario Balotelli secured his country's ticket to Brazil with a 54th-minute penalty in typically cool fashion.

Cesare Prandelli's men will be joined in South America by the Netherlands, whose progression from Group D was ensured after a 2-0 victory over Andorra.

Manchester United marksman Robin van Persie netted twice within ten minutes after the interval to seal qualification for the Dutch, taking his international tally to 38 in 79 appearances.

The 30-year-old has now leap-frogged former Arsenal team-mate Dennis Bergkamp as his country's second-most prolific goalscorer of all time, with only Patrick Kluivert now ahead of him on 40.

Both international giants have become Europe's first representation in next summer's finals, joining Japan, Australia, Iran and South Korea as the only other sides to have guaranteed their place alongside the host nation.

 

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Congratulations for Italy & Netherlands​

 

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€100m Bale dazzles from the bench


Gareth Bale marked his first appearance as the world’s most expensive footballer with a brilliant display from the bench in Wales’s World Cup qualification defeat to Serbia.

The €100m man has yet to feature for Real Madrid since his deadline day transfer from Tottenham Hotspur, but was introduced for the final 30 minutes of Tuesday’s game at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The evening had been fairly bleak for the Welsh faithful up until that point with the visitors racing into a 3-0 lead by the time Bale made his entrance.

But despite not having played a competitive game for almost four months, the 24-year-old showed no signs of rustiness and immediately injected some much-needed pace and quality into the Wales performance.

Madrid’s newest recruit fizzed a couple of shots at goal from distance within five minutes of coming on, with Vladimir Stojkovic reacting smartly to repel one drive before another fierce effort flew past the keeper's post.

Bale has only played in pre-season friendlies for Spurs since the end of last season, but that lack of competitive action appeared to have little effect as the winger flew at the Serbians with typical gusto.

One rapier-like run left a couple of defenders flailing at thin air before the danger was diverted for a corner and the highlight of the night for the hosts was a deft nutmeg from Bale on hapless Manchester City full-back Aleksandar Kolarov.

His presence rallied both the crowd and his team-mates in what was largely an exhibition clash in Group A, with neither side able to qualify for the World Cup finals.

Chris Coleman’s men started and finished the night bottom of the pile after going down to goals from Filip Dordevic, Kolarov and Benfica protégé Lazar Markovic, and Bale’s chances of appearing at a major international tournament appear slim after his countrymen’s latest failure, especially given that Wales have now lost nine of their last 13 games.

Bale could be in line to make his Madrid bow when Carlo Ancelotti's side face Villarreal this weekend.

 

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Cavani targets Ligue 1 golden boot

Paris Saint-Germain star Edinson Cavani has admitted that he would love to mark his debut season in Ligue 1 by beating Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Radamel Falcao to the golden boot award.

The former Napoli hitman, who is currently on international duty with Uruguay, sealed a €63 million to the French capital from the Partenopei in July and has already managed two goals in his first four apperances for the defending champions.

The 26-year-old confesses he would love to finish the 2013-14 campaign with the highest tally in the division, but insists defending the Ligue 1 crown will always take priority over his personal goals.

"The priority is to win Ligue 1," he told reporters. "But I would also of course like to be top scorer in France and will do my best to achieve that.

"As I have always said though, my main goal in football is to help the team win."

Cavani's strike partner Ibrahimovic picked up the individual honour last term after his 30 goals for les Parisiens helped the club to their first league title since 1994.

Monaco's Emmanuel Riviere is currently leading the way to the golden boot, with five goals to his name so far this season.

 

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Anderson desperate to prove himself at Manchester United

Manchester United midfielder Anderson hopes to make the most of his improved fitness levels and establish himself under David Moyes this season.

With a history of injuries since his 2007 arrival at Old Trafford, the 25-year-old has struggled to nail down a place in the first team but, after coming off the bench in the Red Devils' opening-day win over Swansea City, is keen to get as involved as possible in 2013-14.

"I just want to play as many games as I can. I just hope I can stay clear of injuries," Anderson told Inside United.

"I've been training hard on the training pitch and in the gym and working on my conditioning. I am pleased with how things are going and, whenever the manager needs me, I will be ready.

"I have been doing more running, which has helped my fitness. The physios in Portugal have helped me a lot, as have all the coaches at United. I have also been working hard myself. I have built up the strength in my knee, worked hard in training.

"I have been eating well and sleeping well, while I have also been coming into training on my days off to do more work. It has really helped me and I feel great.

"I think it's a big season for me," he added, "for everyone. However, I don't want to say that and then pick up another injury. I have often started seasons well, played six or seven games and then got injured.

"I'll tell you at the end of the season if it's been a big season for me!"

 

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Milan not my only option - Honda

Keisuke Honda has confirmed that he will leave CSKA Moscow when his contract expires at the end of December, but has hinted that he might not move on to AC Milan.

The Rossoneri have long been linked with a move for the Japan international but ultimately failed to lure him to Serie A this summer.

They have been vocal in their intentions to sign the 27-year-old when he becomes a free agent in January, but Honda has hinted that he could go elsewhere.

"I have many choices, but I want to compare as much as possible," he said.

"I don't think there's a chance I will stay in Russia. I just need to focus on the Russian league and the Champions League, so I don't want to talk about this right now."

Honda moved to the Russian capital from VVV in 2010.