..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

All I need at Milan is a chance - Armero

Pablo Armero has told Goal that he can still have a big impact at AC Milan so long as he is given the chance to show his worth.

The full-back has played only 13 minutes for the Rossoneri since his summer loan move from Udinese, who had themselves re-signed him after a year with Napoli.
But, after playing a part in Colombia’s 2-1 victory over USA at Fulham’s Craven Cottage, the 27-year-old said he still has faith in his ability despite his lack of opportunities at San Siro.

“Milan know that when I get on the pitch I am strong, so when I am on the pitch there is more chance for me to demonstrate what I can do and what the team can do,” Armero told Goal.“But I am calm, I have not lost belief. I believe that when I get back on the pitch I can do well for the team.”

His lack of game time under Filippo Inzaghi has not dissuaded Jose Pekerman from including him in his Cafeteros side though, and Armero is thankful for the show of support from the Colombia boss.

“I thank God, and I thank all the technical staff because they have shown lots of faith in me,” he added.

“At Milan I have played only a little, but happily when I am with the national team I have been given the opportunity. I am working hard, staying active, and I wait for my chance to play a little more at Milan because that will make things easier for me.”

Armero’s side came out on top against Jurgen Klinsmann’s USA despite trailing early on, with the large majority of a partisan crowd cheering on the South Americans.

“We thank them, we truly thank all the fans. Everywhere we go we find 20,000 or 30,000 people cheering for us. We’re very happy about this, as it’s very important for us if we are to continue doing well,” the left-back added.Colombia’s next friendly match is against Slovenia on Tuesday in Celje, with James Rodriguez likely to star again. And Armero says it is a privilege to share a pitch with the Real Madrid star.

“I think he’s a great footballer, he’s done fantastically for all his club teams and for us. He’s also a great person. It’s definitely better to play with him than against him because he’s superb, does so many great things, he’s intelligent, he’s quick, and he makes all our fans happy.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

De Gea ta finger 1ke injury 1kakluGet well soon De Gea​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benzema blames formation for draw

Karim Benzema has argued that it should have been expected that France would struggle against Albania.Didier Deschamps’ side required a late goal from Antoine Griezmann to salvage a 1-1 draw against their opponents.

The Real Madrid striker believes that a change of formation to a 4-4-2 with some unfamiliar personnel involved in the starting XI was always going to make life tricky.

“It was difficult. That’s normal,” he told RMC. “We don’t regularly play together, especially in that system.“We played too much in the centre so we were easy to defend against, but we will work to start playing together again.“We have to be able to play in all systems.”

Coach Deschamps, who abandoned his usual 4-3-3 setup for the Rennes clash, was not entirely unhappy with what he saw, though he admitted he had hoped the match might have been a little smoother.

“When it’s new, there’s no automatic understanding,” he told the media. “We can do better and I don’t want to condemn it. We have to attack with more width.”
The next challenge for the Euro 2016 hosts comes against Sweden on Tuesday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Record a special moment - Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer in European Championship history (qualifying and finals combined) after scoring a late winner in Portugal's 1-0 win over Albania and then revealed how touched he was at breaking yet another record.

The Seleccao looked to be heading for an embarrassing draw after being frustrated for much of the 90 minutes, but their captain and talisman came to the rescue yet again with a scrappy finish on 72 minutes to move his nation into second place in Group I behind Denmark.

In scoring that goal, Ronaldo moved on to 23 European Championship goals, one more than former Danish international John Dahl Tomasson (22), and he said the the occasion rather than the record itself was most satisfying.He said: "The record? It's just another one. I knew it would come sooner or later. I still have a lot of games to play. I'm happy, mainly because I broke the record in front of our fans. It's a special moment."

The 29-year-old has now scored 25 goals in all competitions for club and country and his efforts drew the praise of Portgual boss Fernando Santos, who said he took personal pleasure in seeing his main man shine.

"What is the significance of the record of Cristiano Ronaldo? It has a great significance for him, for the team, for the country, and of course for me as the manager."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Low slams four-goal Germany

Germany coach Joachim Low was highly critical of his players after their 4-0 Euro 2016 qualifier win over minnows Gibraltar.

The world champions headed into the match on the back of a stuttering start in Group D that has included a 2-0 defeat in Poland and 1-1 draw at home to the Republic of Ireland.

Nevertheless, much of the pre-match talk centred on whether Germany could beat their own record European win of 13-0 against San Marino in 2006, but in the end they never threatened to get anywhere near that mark, despite two goals in the first half hour from Thomas Muller.

"I am far from satisfied," said Low, who saw World Cup final hero Mario Gotze complete the first-half scoring in Nurnberg before Yogan Santos' own goal proved the only blot on a superb second-half showing from Gibraltar. "The team has not lived up to expectations and requirements. If we want to play like a champions, then four goals are simply too few.

"We wanted to permanently occupy the penalty area, which was not the case - especially in the second half. "It is always important to play against such teams in the width and depth; we often played in the middle.

"I would have also thought that some more players would impose [themselves]. The level that was present before and during the World Cup has dropped."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

European Championship Qualifying Fixtures 2014.11.15

European Championship Qualifying Fixtures 2014.11.15

Group C

Luxembourg Vs Ukraine

Group E

England Vs Slovenia

San Marino Vs Estonia

Group G

Austria Vs Russia

Moldova Vs Liechtenstein

Group C

Macedonia Vs Slovakia

Spain Vs Belarus

Group E

Switzerland Vs Lithuania

Group G

Montenegro Vs Sweden​

 

[Banks PLK]

Mancini appointed as new Inter coach

Roberto Mancini has been named as the new coach of Inter, returning to the club for his second spell in charge.The Nerazzurri sacked Walter Mazzarri on Friday after a poor start to the season and have brought the former Manchester City boss in to replace him.

Mancini, who won three consecutive Serie A titles as Inter boss between 2004 and 2008, has been confirmed as the new coach of the 2010 Champions League winners.

"F.C. Internazionale is pleased to announce that Roberto Mancini is the new first-team head coach. He will begin coaching duties on Saturday," a statement read on their official website.

Club president Erick Thohir has expressed his delight in appointing the 49-year-old, who has coached Manchester City and Galatasaray since leaving San Siro.
Thohir believes he is the right man to take them back to the pinnacle of Italian and European football."Our goal is to regain our rightful position as one of the very top clubs in Europe and that's why I am so happy to welcome back Roberto Mancini," he said.

"His track record both at Inter and elsewhere speaks for itself, and his international experience and hunger for success will drive the team to the next level."Mancini won seven trophies in total in his first stint at San Siro, including two Coppe Italia.

Happy for him

 

[Banks PLK]

Harmless kiyala ayeth sarayak kawruhari hari bite karannada danne naha hadanne​

 

[unicornx]

France 1-1 Albania: Griezmann salvages late draw

Antoine Griezmann's second half strike salvaged a disappointing 1-1 draw for France against Albania on Friday night.

Didier Deschamps' side - who were knocked out of this year's World Cup by eventual winners Germany in the quarter-finals - looked to be heading for just their second defeat of 2014 with 20 minutes remaining.Albania were the better side in the first half and claimed a deserved lead when Megrim Mavraj headed home in the 40th minute.

But Albania, who beat Portugal in September and are evidently on the up, were denied another famous win by the Atletico Madrid star.Griezmann played a neat one-two with the influential Christophe Jallet and cut inside Lorik Cana before curling into the bottom corner from just inside the penalty area in the 73rd minute.

Albania can take plenty of heart from their display, though, as they moved on from the ugly scenes that marred their abandoned clash with Serbia in Belgrade last time out.

Players, coaches and fans clashed as a drone carrying a flag bearing Albanian national symbols was lowered into the stadium during the Euro 2016 qualifier.

Uefa subsequently issued a statement declaring Serbia had been handed a 3-0 walkover win, but had also been deducted three points, while both nations were fined €100,000 - a ruling that they launched an appeal against on Friday.

Football was the talking point on this occasion, though, as Albania - compact at the back and exciting on the counter-attack - caused several problems for the hosts.

Alexandre Lacazette's recall headlined France's squad and he was handed a first international start by Deschamps.

The Lyon man is in outstanding form, having netted 11 times in 13 Ligue 1 appearances this season, but he had little involvement in the early stages as Albania started brightly.Experienced midfielder Cana - who played over 200 matches for Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille - was unlucky to see his third-minute header come crashing back off the crossbar following a corner.

Raphael Varane nodded over for France at the other end but Albania kept pressing, as Sokol Cikalleshi narrowly missed the target from just inside the penalty area after a free-kick was played short.

Ansi Agolli denied Mathieu Valbuena a tap-in just after the half-hour mark with a superb block and Karim Benzema then headed into the ground - and over - from Jallet's cross.It was no surprise when Albania took the lead, though, as another well-worked set-piece proved France's undoing five minutes before the break.

Elseid Hysaj controlled a short corner and turned Jallet before crossing for Mavraj, who nodded powerfully past France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.France were improved after the break, but were initially thwarted by some stubborn defending, while Ermir Lenjani and Hysaj forced good saves out of Lloris on the counter.

Griezmann's piece of brilliance levelled things up with 17 minutes left, and then Benzema really should have put France in front.The Real Madrid man fired over from 10 yards after Albania failed to clear their lines, while a fierce Paul Pogba effort went wide.

France's late pressure was not enough for them to grab a winner, though, as both sides shared the spoils - a result neither side could have complaints with.

Griezmann ge goal eka patta

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Half Time

Spain 2 Vs 0 Belarus

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Full Time

Spain 3 Vs 0 Belarus

Spain Goal(s)

Isco 18'
Busquets 19'
Pedro 55'
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA

Isco & Busquets goals patta

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http://www.elakiri.com/forum/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=17385761​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Spain 3-0 Belarus: Isco stunner sets up comfortable victory

A stunning strike from Isco helped Spain keep their Euro 2016 qualifying bid on track with a 3-0 win over Belarus on Saturday.A dominant first-half performance was brought to life after 18 minutes, when Isco nonchalantly curled a long-range effort into the top corner for his first ever international goal.

Sergio Busquets added a second within a minute courtesy of a powerful drive, while only the crossbar denied Paco Alcacer from getting in on the act before the interval.The win was rounded off early in the second half when Pedro smashed home after some terrific work from Juanfran.

The result leaves Spain level on nine points with Ukraine in Group C, which is topped by Slovakia on 12, while Belarus remain without a win.

Vicente del Bosque, who made six changes from the win at Luxembourg, had described this contest as a potential ''litmus paper'' for his side. And the 63-year old should have been celebrating an opening goal within the opening seven minutes.

A wonderful ball from Santi Cazorla was enough to slice open the Belarus defence and allow Pedro a clear one-on-one opportunity, only for the Barcelona forward to curl wide.Cazorla was at the centre of proceedings again just before the 15-minute mark, but failed to really test Belarusian goalkeeper Yuri Zhevnov with a weak volley.

A Spain breakthrough seemed inevitable and it came four minutes later in quite sensational circumstances. A poor defensive clearance found Isco and the Real Madrid man picked out the top-left corner with a stunning 25-yard strike.
That opener visibly gave the home side more impetus and the lead was doubled just under a minute later. A cross from the lively Juanfran could only be cleared as far as Busquets on the edge of the box and he made no mistake with a powerful low drive.

It was no less than the home side deserved in a dominant first-half display, with Sergey Balanovic's wayward 36th-minute strike representing the visitors' only threat.There was little sign of Spain easing the pressure after the break, with Alcacer heading Pedro's cross onto the bar six minutes into the second half.

However, the home faithful did not have to wait much longer for a third goal, as a terrific move down the right involving Juanfran and Cazorla allowed Pedro to burst into the box and curl a vicious strike past the goalkeeper in the 55th minute.
Napoli's Jose Callejon came off the bench to make his full international debut after 69 minutes and the home side continued to control proceedings, Perdo striking the post late on.

Belarus applied some late pressure, but Del Bosque's charges were comfortable in extending their unbeaten home run in qualifiers to 29 matches - a run that stretches back to 2003.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

England 3-1 Slovenia: Welbeck & Rooney maintain Three Lions' 100 per cent record

Danny Welbeck scored twice as England came from behind to beat Slovenia 3-1 in a Euro 2016 qualfier at Wembley.

Wayne Rooney was also on target, on his 100th international appearance, as he converted from the penalty spot, to cancel out Jordan Henderson's own goal.

The Liverpool midfielder headed past Joe Hart to give Slovenia a 57th-minute lead but just a minute later Rooney was bought down by Bostjan Cesar in the area to win the penalty and score his 44th international goal.

Two goals in six minutes from Welbeck then turned the game on its head and kept up England's 100 per cent record in qualifying.Both teams struggled to get to grips with a Wembley pitch showing the full effects of last weekend's NFL action during a forgettable first half.

But Roy Hodgson's team banished their earlier uncertainty, belatedly finding the creativity and verve required to maintain their 100 per cent record and establish a comfortable advantage at the top of the pool.Nathaniel Clyne was handed an England debut but there was an early scare when the Southampton right-back allowed Andraz Kirm to steal in behind him, but he could only wastefully loop a tame header into Joe Hart's gloves.

Clyne soon settled into the contest, skipping impressively down the right flank and cutting back for Rooney to set up Raheem Sterling but the Liverpool forward dragged his 17th-minute shot wide.

Centurion Rooney had his first sight of goal four minutes later, only to blaze a half-volley over when Welbeck chested into his path 25 yards from goal - the Arsenal man unable to find power or direction on the end of Sterling's deflected cross soon after.

Slovenia captain Bostjan Cesar was fortunate to escape punishment when he appeared to elbow Adam Lallana in the 36th minute before Welbeck fired wide from the edge of the area with Rooney well-placed.

Neither team managed an attempt on target during the first period and, although England played with greater purpose following the resumption, they fell behind in sloppy fashion.Lallana needlessly bundled Kirm to ground and Henderson headed the midfielder's dangerous delivery into his own goal under pressure.

The hosts' response to their first goal conceded in the qualifying campaign was instant, with Rooney drawing a foul from Cesar in the area and blasting home from the spot despite penalty specialist Samir Handanovic getting a firm touch on the ball.

Hodgson's men pressed relentlessly to build on Rooney's equaliser and they were rewarded in the 66th minute when a combination of Handanovic and Miso Brecko could not clear Lallana's low, angled effort and Welbeck was on hand to volley into the ground and into the net.England's earlier lethargy was a thing of the past by the time Welbeck slickly exchanged passes with Sterling to coolly slot home his second, 18 minutes from time and wrap up the points.

Hodgson's side can now turn their attentions to Tuesday's friendly clash with Scotland, enjoying the safety and comfort of top spot in their group.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rooney ge 100th International Cap 1ka

Congratzzzzzzz Rooney & Congratzzzz England​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

South Africa 2-1 Sudan: Bafana Bafana book Afcon place

South Africa booked their place in the African Cup of Nations finals with a 2-1 win over Sudan on Saturday.

South Africa coach Eprahim Mashaba had urged his team to secure the three points they needed on Saturday to ensure they would feature in next year's tournament in memory of murdered captain Senzo Meyiwa.Goalkeeper Meyiwa was tragically shot dead last month in an altercation involving two attackers on the outskirts of Johannesburg last month.

There was a minute's silence before kick-off at Moses Mabhida Stadium in the first game Bafana Bafana have played since Meyiwa's passing and goals from Serero and Tokelo Rantie ensured Mashaba's side will feature in the showpiece which will now be held in Equatorial Guinea next year.

Salah Ibrahim pulled a goal back for Sudan to set up a tense final, but South Africa, who were captained by Dean Furman, held on to stay top of Group A with one game against Nigeria remaining and are guaranteed a top-two finish.

Sudan, on the other hand, have no chance of qualifying for the tournament having secured only three points from their five matches but will feel they should have been awarded a penalty in time added on.Backed by a partisan crowd in a game which was moved from Nelspruit to Meyiwa's home city at the request of Mashaba, the hosts showed positive intent in the opening stages but were indebted to a superb last-ditch challenge from Sibusiso Khumalo to thwart Mudather El Tahir as he raced clear.

Ajax midfielder Serero eased the tension seven minutes before the break, putting the hosts in front with a right-footed finish to round off a lovely passing move.

Sudan striker Bakri Al Madina was fortunate to get away with catching South Africa goalkeeper Darren Keet with a late high boot, then Bongani Ndulula was guilty of a glaring miss for the hosts with the goal gaping.

Visiting keeper Moez Mahjoub was quickly off his line to make a brave save to deny Rantie just after the break as Mashaba's men attempted to give themselves some breathing space.Rantie was not to be denied after 53 minutes, though, as he picked up a pass and skipped pass two players before applying a clinical right-footed finish.

Ibrahim sent home nerves jangling when he volleyed home from inside the penalty area, and Sudan were denied a late penalty as Khumalo felled his man inside the area but South Africa held on to spark celebrations on and off the pitch.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congo 0-2 Nigeria: Uche and Samuel keeps Afcon hopes alive

Ikechukwu Uche and Aaron Samuel both scored to keep Nigeria's hopes of Africa Cup of Nations qualification alive in a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Congo on Saturday.

A tight first half yielded few clear-cut chances, but the visitors made the breakthrough just before the hour mark when Emmanuel Emenike was brought down inside the box and Uche kept his cool from the spot.

Thievy Bifouma missed a penalty for the hosts five minutes later and Samuel wrapped up the points with a tidy finish in the last minute, with angry home fans causing a slight delay when they threw missiles onto the pitch.The result moves Nigeria into second place, with goal difference pushing them ahead of Congo heading into the final round of games in Group A.

Congo started brightly and saw Bifouma spurn two presentable chances inside the opening 10 minutes, while Fode Dore also skewed wide when well placed seven minutes before half-time.

The visitors suffered an early blow after the interval when Hope Akpan went off injured, but they broke the deadlock soon after.Chancel Massa fouled Emenike in the box and Uche beat the goalkeeper with a low finish into the bottom-left corner from 12 yards.

Congo were given a chance to level the scores with a penalty of their own after Godfrey Oboabona was adjudged to have handled a Prince Oniangue shot.Bifouma stepped up to take the kick, but Vincent Enyeama guessed correctly and pushed the striker's effort away to ensure Nigeria's lead remained intact.

After Uche had wasted two chances to double Nigeria's lead, the hosts saw efforts from Francis N'Ganga and Delvin Ndinga go close, the latter denied by a great save from Enyeama A swift counter-attack following that save saw Nigeria secure their victory, substitute Samuel curling a left-footed effort beyond Massa to give Keshi a winning return.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

De Rossi: Euro 2016 won't be easy but I crave it

Ahead of his 100th cap for Italy, Daniele De Rossi said he is desperate to add a Euro 2016 medal to his silverware collection.

The Roma veteran will complete a century of appearances if he features in the European Championship qualifier against Croatia on Sunday.And the central midfielder hopes the clash with the fellow World Cup 2014 finalists can be another step on the path to lifting the trophy in the finals in France.

"It would be an incredible thing to get 100 caps," De Rossi told Tuttosport. "It was unimaginable when I started. It is an achievement I will carry in my heart when I stop playing.

"I would like to be overtaken by someone young, but I will always be someone who made 100 appearances for the national team."The high point of my experience is, and remains, the World Cup final win in Berlin in 2006: it was the highest point of my career.

"But it will not stop me. Now I want to try to win the European Championship. It will not be easy, but I want to try."The Azzurri - now coached by Antonio Conte - have not won the Euros since its third iteration in 1968, although they have reached the final in two of the last four tournaments.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Scholes: Pique would struggle in Premier League

Paul Scholes insists Gerard Pique is more suited to La Liga than the Premier League amid speculation linking the Barcelona star with a return to Manchester United.

Pique is reported to be considering his future at Camp Nou after being left out of the Blaugrana's last three matches by Luis Enrique, and will seek a move away in January unless the situation improves.

The Spaniard's situation - combined with United's chronic lack of quality options in defence - has prompted several reports suggesting he could be set to return to the club he departed in the summer of 2008.

But Scholes believes his former team-mate's fondness for having the ball means he is always more likely to shine in Spain than England.

"I have always thought that Spanish football, and Barcelona in particular, suits him best," the former playmaker revealed in his column in The Independent.

"He likes being in a side that keeps possession. He is great at home but playing away at the big teams in England is a completely different prospect for a defender.

"His success at Barcelona and with Spain has been incredible. But I think Gerard would find it harder back in the Premier League."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mancini: I'll prove Inter aren't mediocre

Roberto Mancini has insisted that he can take Inter back to the upper echelons of Serie A from their current mediocre ninth place.The former Galatasaray boss replaced Walter Mazzarri at the Nerazzurri helm on Friday, after the outgoing coach had overseen an inconsistent start to 2014-15.

Mancini, returning to the club he coached to Scudetto glory between 2004 and 2008, wants a quick turnaround in form to see his team move back towards European qualification places."We must get to work without wasting time," Mancini said to Corriere dello Sport.

"I am sure the team is competitive, but superior to that which it shows in the league today. We can do it."Although the Italian expects the job at San Siro to be tough, Mancini is delighted to have returned to the club where he forged a successful career before taking on the Premier League as Manchester City coach.

"I am happy to be back in a club I consider my home," he added. "Inter and their fans have always remained in my heart."I'm ready for a challenging and rewarding adventure. First up, we have the derby against AC Milan and then the match against Roma, one of the favourites for the title."

Mancini's first game back is officially an away game, but, as AC Milan share a stadium with Inter, it means that he will be thrust back into San Siro on Sunday November 23 before his first continental tie at home to Dnipro four days later.