..::Football III::..

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'Broken' Gerrard delays decision over international future

England captain Steven Gerrard has denied he will retire from international football after Thursday’s World Cup clash with Costa Rica, though admits he will consider his Three Lions future.

The Liverpool midfielder was criticised for his performances in successive 2-1 defeats against Italy and Uruguay, with England crashing out of the showpiece, but the 34-year-old is not resigned to hanging up his international boots just yet.

"There’s no truth that I will be making any announcement within a week," he told reporters.

"I think I need more time than that. I spoke to the manager this morning and will wait until after the summer.

"I'm hurting very badly. I'm still feeling broken from what’s happened. I need to get away on holiday and having a break before making that decision.

"I don't have a hunch. I will speak to the manager in a few weeks time and numerous other people who I respect. It’s a big decision and I will make it in due course.

"It's a difficult time to be an England player, everybody is hurting. Thanks to the fans for the support. The players take full responsibility on our shoulders. All we can do as players is stick together.

"We can't allow it to go on the manager's shoulders. We have to stand tall and be thick-skinned.

"It's very difficult to fight those opinions [of a lack of world-class English talent] but I think we have got world-class players here and potential world-class players too.

"My argument won’t be proven right until it’s been shown at this level. I understand people all over the country will have different opinions. I’m not in a position to fight negative assertions at the moment."

Gerrard has made 113 appearances for his country, ranking him behind Peter Shilton (125) and David Beckham (115) as England's all-time third most capped player, while only four players have worn the skipper's armband for England on more occasions.

 

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Pogba omission was no punishment, insists Deschamps

Didier Deschamps has revealed that his decision to overlook Paul Pogba for France’s match against Switzerland was not a consequence of the midfielder’s ill-discipline against Honduras.

The Juventus man started France’s opening game against the Central Americans, where, despite impressing with his performance, he was criticised for a spat with Wilson Palacios.

The Honduras midfielder appeared to trample on Pogba, leading to the French midfielder kicking out in frustration, for which he was fortunate only to receive a yellow card.

Pogba was used only as a second-half substitute in the 5-2 thrashing of Switzerland in France's second group game, but Deschamps insists it was a tactical decision to deploy Moussa Sissoko instead.

"That was not a sanction against the fact that he could have received a red card in the first game," he said. "It was a choice with respect to Moussa Sissoko.

"Paul has huge potential, I trust him, and he knows that.

"He is capable of doing very good things. But I cannot play all players."

Deschamps and France sealed qualification for the last 16 with their win in Salvador, and will play their last group game against Ecuador at the Maracana on June 25.

 

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Redknapp: Players tried to shirk England duty

Harry Redknapp has claimed that several of his players tried to get out of playing for England when he was manager of Tottenham.

The 67-year-old, who guided QPR back to the Premier League via the play-offs last season, offered a damning insight into the apparent lack of desire among some English players to represent their country.

"When I was at Tottenham two or three international players did not want to play for England," he told BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday.

"They would come to me and say, 'gaffer, get me out of the game'. It happened on quite a few occasions."

Redknapp, who was in charge at White Hart Lane for just short of four years, did not name any of the players in question but the revelation offers a further hint at the troubles surrounding the England national team and its future.

Roy Hodgson's side are already out of the World Cup in Brazil but the Football Association have lent their backing to the current boss.

Redknapp, though, is not optimistic about England's future, offering a grim assessment of their hopes at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar - a tournament which FA chairman Greg Dyke has earmarked as one which the Three Lions should aim to win.

"Are we going to win the World Cup in Doha? Good luck. Not a prayer. Get in the real world," he added.

"We went to South Africa with a good bunch of players. We went to Brazil and should have won the group."

Defeats to Italy and Uruguay have led to the latest inquest into the state of English football but Dyke offered his backing to Hodgson on Friday.

Hodgson's contract runs until 2016 and Dyke expects him to remain in charge at least until then.

 

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Juninho backs France to reach World Cup semis

Juninho Pernambucano says France should be looking to make the latter stages of the World Cup after their Group E performances.

Les Bleus dismantled Switzerland on Friday, earning a 5-2 victory after defeating Honduras 3-0 in their opening game, to all but seal passage to the next round of the tournament.

However, Juninho, who enjoyed eight successful years in France with Olympique Lyonnais, where he lifted the Ligue 1 trophy seven times, is confident that the last-16 will not be the full extent of French ambitions."Before the World Cup, I said France could go all the way to the semis," the 39-year-old told francefootball.fr.

"And I haven't change my mind since then. Since the Ukraine match [a 3-2 aggregate win in a World Cup qualifying play-off], this young team has grown in confidence. They have found a way to play with three midfielders, who are defensive... but who can play with the ball.

"Against Switzerland, they played the perfect match. No team had hurt another one as badly until then. Not with such varied plays."France sent a strong message. There are not a lot of individuals... it is very solid and very balanced. When you play at this level, you can't say that you're aiming only at a quarter-final or a semi."

Juninho also praised the impact of Benzema - who was a teammate of his at Lyon - on Didier Deschamps side and his role in the attacking set up."With Benzema, Deschamps has two options and they work," the Brazilian continued.

"I liked the triumvirate with [Antoine] Griezmann and [Mathieu] Valbuena. [Olivier] Giroud can help Karim even if we can’t expect a lot technically from the Arsenal man. Benzema has matured a lot since Lyon. He is already a small part of the history of the World Cup."

 

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Rakitic: Barcelona is a big step in my career

Croatia's Ivan Rakitic has described his move from Sevilla to Barcelona as "a big step" ahead of his country's pivotal Group A game with Mexico.The 26-year-old will join the Blaugrana following the successful negotiation of a €20-million fee and has agreed a five-year deal to join Luis Enrique's side.

Rakitic, speaking ahead of his nation's vital World Cup encounter against Mexico, insisted he was completely focused on Croatia but was also looking ahead to his future with his new club."Moving to Barcelona is a big step in my career," the midfielder told a press conference.

"I want to thank Barca for being fair in the negotiations and satisfying Sevilla."
Rakitic has spent three-and-a-half years with Sevilla, scoring 32 goals in 149 games and lifting the Europa League trophy last season, and thanked los Rojiblancos for his time at the club.

"Sevilla is my club and I am very sad to leave," he continued."I had three wonderful years there in which I got married, had a daughter and had a great time personally."

 

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Kaka: I was inspired by Ayrton Senna

Brazil legend Kaka is not only a football fan but also a keen follower of Formula One who was inspired as a child by the great Ayrton Senna.

The 32-year-old, who missed out on selection for FIFA World Cup 2014™, is enjoying the tournament as a supporter and is also backing Hyundai’s ‘Pin My Fan Park’ campaign.

"I was always a big fan of Ronaldo," he said. "But [before that] I was also a very big fan of Ayrton Senna. I very much liked those two icons for Brazil and for Brazilian sport. I liked Senna very much."

The three-time world champion lost his life following a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994 when Kaka was only 12, but his legacy in Formula One continues in the shape of Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, who has returned to top form this season.

The thrill of being a sports fan is something which Kaka had almost forgotten having been active in major tournaments since winning FIFA World Cup 2002™, at the age of only 20."I think I'll have a great opportunity now to follow Brazil's matches as a common supporter and go to the stadiums with my friends," he said.

In his absence, Kaka expects the two men chosen in his position - Chelsea duo Oscar and Willian – to have an impact on the 2014 finals.

"Those two guys who were called up are good and talented players," he said. "Oscar is a very gifted footballer. I hope they have a good World Cup.

"There is a lot of pressure [for Brazil] because it’s great to play a World Cup in your home country, close to all of the supporters. It brings a lot of responsibility, but I hope Brazil can take advantage of being the host nation."

Kaka is now inviting supporters to share their favourite FIFA World Cup™ moments with thousands of other football devotees at Hyundai's "Pin My Fan Park".

From Nigeria to Belgium, from Argentina to Germany, Hyundai’s "Pin My Fan Park" is all-embracing, giving fans the opportunity to put their support on the map through digital pins.Fans can personalise and customise Fan Parks as well as post messages, share photos and upload videos. Kaka is joining in too, by sharing his FIFA World Cup™ music playlist using the Spotify app.

Whether it is pre-match predictions, reaction to decisive moments or comments after FIFA World Cup 2014™ games are over, Hyundai’s "Pin My Fan Park" is a thriving hub of interactivity throughout the finals.

 

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Klose: I'll wait to set the new goals record in the next game

Germany striker Miroslav Klose says he intends to set a new record for goals scored in World Cups in his team's next game against the United States.

The 36-year-old equalled the 15 goals scored by Brazil legend Ronaldo when he found the net in die Nationalelf's 2-2 draw with Ghana in Fortaleza on Saturday.

Klose, who also became only the third player to score in four different editions of the tournament, insists he is ready to take the record and is keen to do so as soon as possible.

"I am very happy with my 15th World Cup goal, but I will wait to set the new record in the next game," the Lazio forward told RAI Sport."Now our minds are on the USA, as we want to win and go through to the next round. Of course I’d prefer to come on with my team in the lead, but there was huge tension and Ghana played very well.

"I always accept the decisions of the coach," he added when asked about not starting the Group G clash.Upon reaching the goal-scoring milestone Klose was also congratulated by Ronaldo, who took to social media to pass on his regards to the German.

"Welcome to the club," the 37-year-old Brazilian wrote on Twitter.
"I can only imagine your happiness!!! What a great World Cup!!!"

 

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Rooney: Lack of a nasty streak is holding England back

Wayne Rooney has claimed that England need to become more ‘streetwise’ if they are to compete on the international stage in future.

Roy Hodgson’s men crashed out of the World Cup in Brazil after suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Italy and Uruguay, leaving them with nothing to play for when they meet Costa Rica on Tuesday.

Rooney had defended boss Hodgson after the team exited the tournament, saying that the Three Lions had made progress under the former Liverpool manager.

But the Manchester United striker acknowledged that there are still improvements to be made and has voiced his belief that England need to develop a nasty streak as they move forward.

“I look at the teams who have won this tournament and you can see that nastiness in them,” Rooney told reporters. “I think we need to get that in us.

“Maybe we’re too honest. Look at Uruguay the other night, they stopped the game, they committed I don’t know how many fouls; clever fouls, really, to slow the game down.

“I think we’re a bit honest in the way we play.

“It’s small margins. But those small things can amount to a big thing, in terms of staying in the competition or going out. We have to learn that quickly and adapt to that.”

The 28-year-old finally picked up his first World Cup goal during the defeat to Uruguay after failing to find the target in Germany and South Africa.
The goal saw Rooney move closer to Bobby Charlton’s all-time record for England goals and the striker admitted he would be disappointed if he failed to become the country’s all-time leading goalscorer.

“It’s within touching distance,” he added.

“I’ll be disappointed if I don’t do it. But this is about the team and I don’t really want to be talking about my chances of breaking records when we’re all hurting.

“I had a couple of chances [against Uruguay]. I feel like if I’d taken at least one of them, we’d have gone on and won the game. That’s what’s disappointing.”

Rooney currently sits joint fourth in the all-time list on 40 goals, alongside Michael Owen, and is nine goals behind Charlton.

 

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Balotelli could cost Arsenal €44m

Arsenal may have to pay up to €44 million [£35m] in order to sign Mario Balotelli if AC Milan get their way, The Insider has learned.

Goal revealed earlier this week that Arsene Wenger and the player’s agent Mino Raiola were due to meet in Brazil - where the Arsenal manager is currently working as a pundit on French television - on Saturday, with a view to thrashing out a deal for the controversial Italy striker.

Arsenal were hopeful of being able to sign the former Manchester City star for around €31m [£25m] but Milan have issued Raiola with a mandate to get an extra €12.5m [£10m] from any potential buyer.

Having missed out on Champions League qualification Milan are willing to let their star player leave, but with Manchester City due to receive a 20 per cent sell-on fee the Italian giants are hoping to drive up the asking price.

Balotelli has scored 28 goals in 51 appearances for Milan since returning to Serie A in January 2013 and was coy when questioned about his future ahead of Italy’s shock 1-0 World Cup defeat against Costa Rica on Friday.

"I'm concentrating on the national team and the World Cup," he told reporters.

"What comes later, we will see. I know nothing."

Raiola was similarly guarded earlier this week with regards to his client’s future, saying: "Arsenal are a fantastic club," when asked about the report by Sky Sports

"Only eight or 10 clubs in the world can afford Mario Balotelli - like all premium players, and he is one of the greatest.

"[Will the move happen?] Anything is possible."

 

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Atletico Madrid ready to launch €31m Negredo bid

Atletico Madrid are ready to launch a €31 million [£25m] bid for wantaway Manchester City forward Alvaro Negredo, Goal understands.

The Spanish champions, who have already lost David Villa to MLS franchise New York City, have identified Negredo as a potential replacement for Chelsea-bound Diego Costa.

City paid Sevilla €20m [£16m] last summer to acquire the striker's services, as well as an extra €5m [£4m] in add-ons, and are hopeful of making a small profit on a player who earns €95,000 [£75,000] per week at Etihad Stadium.

Negredo hit the ground running last season and formed a fearsome partnership with Sergio Aguero, scoring 23 goals by the end of January before a shoulder injury prevented him from making a telling impact during the run-in.

Indeed, the 28-year-old failed to score in his final 16 appearances of the season and was omitted from Vicente Del Bosque’s 23-man World Cup squad as a result.

Negredo has struggled to acclimatise in Manchester despite the presence of Spain international colleagues David Silva and Javi Garcia and would favour a move back to his homeland, especially with first team opportunities likely to be even harder to come by next season.

City are adamant that Sergio Aguero will not be allowed to leave in the wake of reported interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, while Edin Dzeko is firmly back in favour under Manuel Pellegrini and is expected to sign a new contract after the World Cup.

The Premier League champions are also expecting an improved return from Stevan Jovetic after the Montenegrin forward spent much of last season out injured, while Yaya Toure is likely to feature in a more advanced role next term.

 

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Robben should have played for Manchester United - Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand has revealed his regret at Manchester United missing out on the signing of Arjen Robben and believes he would have "fitted in" at the club.

The Dutchman, who was just 20 when he moved to Stamford Bridge, proved a big hit in the Premier League and now boasts title-winning medals in England, Spain and Germany, as well as his home country.

With a Champions League crown and 77 international caps also under his belt, Robben - currently enjoying a productive World Cup with the Netherlands - is among the world's best players and Ferdinand wishes United had made a greater effort to bring sign him prior to Chelsea.

"Arjen Robben has been the outstanding player of the tournament for me so far, and not for the first time I've being thinking 'if only' about the missed opportunity Manchester United had to sign him when he was young," he wrote in the Mail on Sunday.

"He should have been a United player. He would have fitted in.

"He had a brilliant breakthrough season with PSV in 2002-03, a campaign in which he turned 19, and Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to sign him.

"United made a bid of something around £5 million (€6.25m) and Sir Alex was always determined he wouldn't over-pay for any player.

"When that was rejected, Chelsea paid something like £12m (€15m)."

 

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Robben ganna puluwan unoth nam pattaath sure karanna amaruiBayern lage main player kenek neh!.​

 

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Belgium 1-0 Russia in Pictures

 

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USA Vs Portugal

Starting line-ups

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USA Vs Portugal

Starting line-ups

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Waiting!

 

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USA 2-2 Portugal: Varela denies America with 95th minute equaliser

A 95th minute equaliser from Silvestre Varela saw Portugal salvage a 2-2 draw with USA and deny Jurgen Klinsmann's men immediate qualification to the last-16.

The USA had come from behind to lead 2-1 on Sunday and looked to have ended Portugal's World Cup campaign in Manaus, before Cristiano Ronalo got free on the right in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time and picked out Varela, who powered a header past Tim Howard.

An early Nani goal saw Portugal respond well to their devastating 4-0 loss to Germany last week, but second-half strikes from Jermaine Jones and captain Clint Dempsey put the USA in front and on the verge of the last-16.But Varela's late header ensured the top two positions in Group G remain up for grabs with Germany (four points) on top, level with the USA, while Ghana and Portugal both have slim chances of advancing with one point each.

Despite speculation that a knee injury would keep him out of Portugal's line-up, Ronaldo started, while Helder Postiga, Ricardo Costa, Andre Almeida and Beto replaced the unavailable quartet of Hugo Almeida (thigh), Pepe (suspension), Fabio Coentrao (groin) and Rui Patricio (thigh).

Klinsmann picked Graham Zusi to replace the injured Jozy Altidore (hamstring), with the Sporting Kansas City midfielder lining up on the left and Dempsey moving into a lone striker's role.

The match started horribly for USA with Nani opening the scoring in just the fifth minute.Miguel Veloso's poor cross bounced in front of Geoff Cameron and the central defender sliced his clearance to the back post, where Nani took a touch and then smashed his shot high into the net with Howard stranded.

Portugal pinned the Americans back in the opening stages with Klinsmann's side creating their first decent opportunity when Fabian Johnson, who was a regular outlet pushing up from right-back, got free in the 10th minute but his shot was deflected for a corner.

Six minutes later, Portugal's injury curse seemingly struck again with Postiga getting subbed off for Eder with an apparent hamstring strain.The substitution seemed to halt Portugal's momentum, with Michael Bradley and Dempsey each failing to convert a pair of half chances for the USA before the half-hour mark.

Portugal reminded the USA of their counter-attacking threat three minutes before half-time with Nani unleashing a scorching drive that was parried by Howard, while in the 45th minute, the American keeper made a double save to ensure his team were just 1-0 behind at the break.

Although Howard was unimpressed by his initial save onto the post from a strike from Nani, the 35-year-old did brilliantly to keep his balance and tip Eder's follow-up over the bar.Almeida came off at half-time with another injury, with Veloso moving to left-back and William Carvalho promoted to defensive midfield.

The second half almost started exactly as the first had, with Eder acrobatically volleying over the bar after another poor clearance from Cameron, before Johnson got forward to force Beto into a save.

In the 55th minute, Bradley should have equalised when Johnson again got free on the right and cut it back, but the Toronto FC midfielder's shot was blocked on the line by Costa.The USA notched a deserved equaliser in the 63rd minute when a corner was cleared to Jones and the Schalke midfielder smashed his shot inside the far post, while Howard made another sharp save soon after to deny Raul Meireles.

Although Portugal had a few chances to lead again, the USA took the lead with nine minutes remaining when Zusi collected a loose ball in box and crossed for Dempsey to score with his stomach, although Klinsmann's men were denied victory thanks to Varela's late heroics.

 

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South Korea 2-4 Algeria: Fennecs on brink of last-16 after six-goal thriller

Algeria moved to within touching distance of reaching the last-16 of the World Cup for the first time after beating South Korea 4-2 in a six-goal thriller in Porto Alegre.

Vahid Halilhodzic's men ran riot in the opening 45 minutes as the South Korea defence was found wanting time and again.Islam Slimani opened the scoring midway through the opening period by lifting the ball over goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong from a long-range pass, before Rafik Halliche doubled the advantage and Abdelmoumene Djabou made it three.

Son Heung-min stopped the rot by slotting the ball between the legs of Rais M'Bolhi to reduce the deficit just after the interval, but it proved to be brief respite for the 2002 World Cup co-hosts.Yacine Brahimi appeared to put the result beyond doubt in the 62nd minute, but a Koo Ja-cheol strike 10 minutes later kept the match alive as a contest.

However, Korea were unable to set up a nervy end to the game as Algeria went two points clear of Russia in second place in Group H with one game left to play.
Algeria - a team who failed to score a single goal in South Africa in 2010 - become the first African nation to score four goals in a World Cup fixture.

While South Korea were unchanged from their 1-1 opening draw with Russia, Halilhodzic made five changes to the Algeria side that started the 2-1 defeat to Belgium.

Sofiane Feghouli, who scored from the spot in Algeria's curtain-raiser, blasted over on the turn in the opening two minutes before Brahimi joined him in clearing the crossbar following a goalmouth scramble moments later.

Algeria had appeals for a penalty turned down in the build-up to Brahimi's effort, after Feghouli appeared to be felled by Kim Young-gwon, but the men from north Africa continued to look the more threatening.

Slimani – one of those brought into the starting XI - headed narrowly wide of the left-hand post from a corner 10 minutes in, and the Sporting forward should have done better when he failed to direct the ball goalwards from a delightful Aissa Mandi cross.

But the 26-year-old justified his selection in the 26th minute when he latched onto a Carl Medjani punt from the back to clip the ball over Jung, who was in no man's land as Algeria doubled their advantage less than two minutes later.Halliche was given too much space by the Korean defence and rose highest to power home a thunderous header from a Djabou corner and punish the flapping Jung.

South Korea's vulnerable backline was exposed once more, seven minutes before the break, as Djabou had the time to slot into the bottom right-hand corner as puzzled defenders stared at each other blankly.

Half-time will have been welcomed by the Asian nation, for whom the match was turning into a horror show, but Hong Myung-bo's men emerged for the second 45 minutes with renewed energy.

And they pulled one back in the 50th minute. Son controlled the ball somewhat fortuitously in the penalty area after it bounced off his back before firing between the legs of Algeria keeper M'Bolhi, who then had to be alert to tip over a long-range effort from Ki Sung-yueng.

Brahimi exchanged passes brilliantly with Slimani and buried Algeria's historic fourth just after the hour mark, but captain Koo bundled home from a Lee Keun-ho cross to keep South Korea's hopes alive.

The two-goal advantage was untroubled for the remainder of the encounter,though, as Algeria clung on for their first World Cup win since 1982.

 

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Thiago Silva: Fred doesn't need goals to prove his worth

Thiago Silva insists that Fred remains an important part of the Brazil team despite his lack of goals so far in the World Cup.

The scoreless draw against Mexico in Group A on Wednesday provoked many to ask whether the Corinthians striker might find his place under threat following a goalless display in the 3-1 opening win against Croatia.

But the Selecao captain says there are more positives to be drawn from Fred’s game than just goals.“Fred continues to be an important player for us. He doesn’t have to score goals to prove his worth,” Thiago Silva told reporters on Sunday ahead of Brazil’s final group fixture against Cameroon.

“He is here to support the team and it’s great if he creates space for other players. He is really focused. There was a lot of pressure on him during the Confederations Cup as well.“As a striker, he always wants to score. If he does score tomorrow, it will be great for him, but he can also be important without scoring.”

A draw against Cameroon would send Brazil through to the knockout stages, with a win needed to ensure they progress as group winners. And Thiago Silva says that the style of their play is not important, the result is all that matters.

“We’re going out there to win. It’s not really important whether we play beautiful football. It will be good if we play attacking football and score a lot of goals. But the main objective is to win,” he insisted.

“We want to show that we’re a cohesive squad and are united team. We have had some difficulties, but that’s normal. We want to show that we’re committed. We have all the respect for Cameroon, but we need a great game in order to reach the next round.”The clash with the Indomitable Lions takes place at the Estadio Mane Garrincha in Brasilia, and the Paris Saint-Germain defender is sure his side will get a great reaction from the local crowd despite their setback against Mexico.

“We’re always warmly welcomed wherever we go. This affection is a wonderful thing. It brings the players and the fans together. The atmosphere will be the same in Brasilia.“Sometimes the fans are not happy, but the players are also disappointed. I wasn’t happy after the first game, but we did evolve in the second game, even though we didn’t score.

“So for the fans, it seemed like a negative result, but we were pleased because we improved on our first game. Plus Mexico put in a strong performance as well.
“We want to reach the next stage and progress, but sometimes people don’t understand how hard it can be.

Kick-off between Brazil and Cameroon is at 22:00CET, at the same time as Mexico and Croatia face off in Recife in the other Group A fixture.

 

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Klinsmann: No time for friendship in Germany clash

USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann insists there will be no friendship when he takes on former assistant and current Germany coach Joachim Low in Thursday's Group G crunch clash.

Both sides know a draw will be enough to progress to the World Cup's round of 16 after USA were denied a famous win over Portugal by Silvestre Varela's later header on Sunday.

The match will also be the first time Klinsmann faces his home nation - and the team he managed from 2004 to 2006 - but the 49-year-old is adamant there will be no time for sentiment.

"Jogi [Low] is doing his job, I’ll do mine," he said. "My job is to do everything to get us in the round of 16. There is no time for friendship calls, it's business.

"The USA is known to give everything in every game. We have that fighting spirit and energy and determination. We will go to Recife with ambition to beat Germany, that’s our goal. I’m pretty confident."

USA were moments away from heading clear at the top of Group G when Varela equalised, but Klinsmann remained philosophical about the moment of brilliance which denied them victory.

"People who were here will talk about this game for a long time," he added. "We would have been happy to get four points from the first two games, so to concede a goal in the last second is a bummer we have to swallow.

"It was an outstanding game, we discussed it at half-time and said 'It's all good fellas'. We could have added a third or fourth goal with the chances we had and it ended in a tie. Overall it has been an amazing day.

"We are not made for draws unless it happens like this. Both [Germany and USA] want to win the group, so we want to go into this game, recover fast and get three points, and that would put us in the driving seat for the round of 16.

"Our goal is to go in the next round so we will do everything in our capabilities to do that. We are going to take our game to Germany and give them a real fight. We are capable of surprising even more teams in this tournament."