..::Football III::..

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Switzerland 1-1 USA: Altidore sent off in friendly draw

Jozy Altidore received his first red card in international soccer as 10-man United States drew 1-1 with Switzerland in a friendly on Tuesday.

Jurgen Klinsmann's men went into the clash at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich in need of a confidence boost having lost four of their last five games - including last week's 3-2 reverse to Denmark.

And they looked to be on their way after Brek Shea opened the scoring just before halftime, with the Orlando City man bending home an excellent free kick.
But the game turned in the 66th minute when Toronto striker Altidore was dismissed.Altidore was shown a straight red card for aiming abusive language towards referee Luca Banti following an innocuous foul.

Vladimir Petkovic's Switzerland pushed on to try to capitalize on its numerical superiority, and the pressure duly told as Valentin Stocker prodded home an 80th-minute equalizer from close range.

Both sides struggled to create chances in the early going but USA would have taken the lead had Michael Bradley been more accurate when presented with a simple chance in the 27th minute.

The midfielder shot over the crossbar from point-blank range with the goal gaping following good work from Alejandro Bedoya to get to the byline and pull the ball back.

Bedoya then raced into the box to meet a left-wing cross from Shea, but could only direct his header straight at Switzerland goalkeeper Roman Burki.

And the visitors were almost punish for their profligacy in the 39th minute, with forward Admir Mehmedi unfortunate not to make turn home Xherdan Shaqiri's ball across the face of goal.Yet USA got the goal its play perhaps merited on the stroke of halftime as Shea netted a superb left-footed curling free kick that left an unsighted Burki helpless.

Gyasi Zardes went close to doubling the visitors' advantage as he headed wide after outjumping Burki to a high ball shortly after the restart.

However, the momentum shifted in favor of Switzerland when Altidore was given his marching orders for a petulant show of dissent.

Pajtim Kasami sent a free header over the bar at the far post, but Switzerland eventually made the extra man count, with Stocker leveling with a simple finish after USA failed to deal with a ball into the box.

 

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Japan 5-1 Uzbekistan: Five-star hosts maintain Halilhodzic's bright start

Japan thrashed Uzbekistan 5-1 to make it two wins from as many games for coach Vahid Halilhodzic, with Toshihiro Aoyama scoring his first international goal.
Former Algeria boss Halilhodzic took over from Javier Aguirre this month and, having got off to a winning start with a 2-0 success over Tunisia on Friday, maintained momentum at the Ajinomoto Stadium.

Aoyama's strike - the only goal of the first half - was the highlight of Tuesday's match, the 29-year-old marking his eighth cap with a superb finish past Akbar Turaev after just seven minutes in Chofu.

Halilhodzic, who named an entirely different XI to the one that beat Tunisia, saw his side up the tempo after the interval, as Shinji Okazaki headed home a second with 54 minutes gone.

Three substitutes then got in on the act amid a frantic final 11 minutes, with Gaku Shibasaki's long-range lob selflessly shepherded over the line by Okazaki, before Islom Tuhtahujaev's effort for the visitors was eclipsed by further goals for Takashi Usami and Kengo Kawamata.

In a strong start from the hosts, Aoyama made the most of a loose clearance by producing an expert strike from the edge of the area to open his international account.A corner punched clear by Turaev fell to the Sanfrecce Hiroshima midfielder, who made no mistake to fire home from all of 30 yards.

The Japan pressure continued with the lively Shinji Kagawa threatening down the left and, when his cross was only partially cleared, Yasuyuki Konno volleyed narrowly wide.

Halilhodzic will have been concerned prior to the break when Tuhtahujaev missed the target with a header from a narrow angle following a free-kickfrom Sardor Rashidov, but Japan's second-half display was commanding.

Okazaki scored a diving header to put the home side in control nine minutes after the restart - his fourth goal in five games for club and country.

Then, after Vokhid Shodiev crashed a free-kick into the Japan wall and saw it rebound down the field, Shibasaki proceeded to loft the ball over the onrushing Turaev, with the help of Okazaki's presence.Tuhtahujaev pulled a goal back, only for Usami to burst through the Uzbekistan defence and steer home.

Japan were not done there, though, as Kawamata added the gloss to a convincing home triumph.

 

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El Shaarawy will not leave AC Milan for another Serie A side, says agent

Stephan El Shaarawy's brother and agent Manuel has stressed that the Italy international will not leave AC Milan for another Serie A outfit.

A number of recent reports suggested the Rossoneri are ready to ship the 22-year-old out on loan next season in order to help him recapture his best form, with Genoa, Udinese and Torino touted as potential destinations.

However, El Shaarawy's agent has made it clear that the forward will only leave Milan for an adventure abroad.

"Stephan will not join another Italian club," Manuel told Milan News."I know [CEO] Adriano Galliani has not told Stephan to join Genoa and I have not received an offer from them, either. I can exclude a domestic transfer this summer.

"I have read rumours about Udinese, Torino and Genoa, but I can rule this out."
Manuel says the Italy international has no urgent desire to leave the struggling San Siro side but concedes a change of coach could determine his future."Stephan is feeling at home at Milan and does not feel the need to move elsewhere. We will see what happens this summer and who will be Milan coach," he said.

"If Milan feel Stephan would be better off elsewhere, we will have to sit down and hold talks."

El Shaarawy hugely impressed in 2012-13 but has since been unable to replicate the form that saw him become one of the most-coveted attackers in Europe, with the past two seasons blighted by injury problems.The forward has a contract with Milan until June 2018.

 

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Insigne: Napoli cannot afford to switch off

Lorenzo Insigne has stressed that Napoli cannot afford to switch off in their bid for more silverware after their Supercoppa Italiana win over Juventus earlier this season.

The Italy international has not played since November, having ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, but was an unused substitute in the games against Verona and Atalanta as he edges ever closer to a comeback.

A Serie A title win looks all but gone for another season for Napoli, but Rafael Benitez's men are still in the running to defend their Coppa Italia and challenge for the Europa League and Insigne is determined to keep fighting right until the end of the season."For those who play for Napoli, there is never a time where you can switch off," he told Corriere dello Sport.

"Now we enter a phase in the league full of crucial games, because there are important clashes in the league, the challenges of the Europa League and the Coppa Italia semi-final.

"We are alive and we will prove it. The next game is always the most important, therefore, we must focus primarily on Roma, then we will think to the other games."A run of four league games without a win has seen fifth-placed Napoli slip 20 points off leaders and holders Juventus, but Insigne feels they have still enjoyed a good season so far following their Supercoppa victory.

"I have seen moments of great football," said the 23-year-old."We are a team that has had predictable difficulties, because you play every three days and sometimes you are made to pay.

"But the [Supercoppa] victory in Doha is part of our history, it is a success against the reigning Italian champions who will almost certainly be the Italian champions in 10 matches."

 

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Van Gaal doesn't need to spend to make Manchester United great again - Seedorf

Former Netherlands international Clarence Seedorf believes Louis van Gaal does not need to spend to make Manchester United great again.

The Red Devils bought the likes of Angel Di Maria, Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera during the summer as they spent upwards of €180 million on new faces.

Despite that, Van Gaal's side find themselves fourth in the Premier League table and fighting for a place in next season's Champions League.

But Seedorf is backing his former coach to lead the 20-time English champions back to glory by bringing through his own players rather than signing them from elsewhere.

"For sure he is a coach who knows how to pass on his philosophy to his teams," he told MUTV. "And I think what you have seen with the Ajax spirit when I played there - that's Van Gaal.

"Instead of buying many players you can always fill your first team with your own players who know the club culture, who know the club tactics and have lived for so long that everything for them is natural.

"He is a great coach and his record speaks for itself."

United youngsters Paddy McNair, Tyler Blackett and James Wilson have all been involved under Van Gaal this season, while Brazil Under-20 international Andres Pereira came on as a substitute in the recent win over Tottenham.

 

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Nesta: Lazio can catch Roma

Former Italy defender Alessandro Nesta believes Lazio have what it takes to
overtake Roma in the Serie A table.

Stefano Pioli's men have climbed to third place in the standings after six consecutive victories, just one point behind their arch-rivals.

Roma, by contrast, have endured a dismal run of form in 2015 which has seen them fall a massive 14 points behind Juventus and dragged back into the fight for the Champions League places.

Nesta is confident Lazio can keep up their good run of form and has hailed Pioli's role in their resurgence this term."I definitely think Lazio can overtake Roma," Nesta was quoted as saying by Corriere dello Sport.

"I really hope they will catch Roma, both as a Lazio fan and as someone who appreciates Pioli's work. He deserves it."Pioli was a great choice for Lazio. He is an extraordinary coach. I like his coaching style.

"Lazio's start was unimpressive, but the team has been very consistent in recent weeks."It will not be easy, though. There are still many games to go and Roma and Napoli will be tough rivals."

Lazio travel to Cagliari on Saturday as they aim to make it seven wins in a row.

 

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Coentrao: Playing for Manchester United would be an honour

Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao has admitted it would be an honour to play for Manchester United amid reported interest from the Red Devils.

The left-back has been linked with the Old Trafford outfit for a number of years, with the 20-time English champions enquiring about his services in January 2014.

And the 27-year-old, a close friend of Cristiano Ronaldo at Madrid, has revealed he has admired the club for some time and would be keen to join them should United look to sign him.

"It's [Manchester United] one of the best clubs in the world, a club I admire greatly. It would be an honour to play there," he told O Jogo.

The Portugal international also commented on the prospect of a return to Benfica, though he was keen to stress he still has four years left on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu and has urged coach Carlo Ancelotti to show more faith in his abilities.

"Everyone knows that Benfica is my home and I love Benfica. I have a special affection for the club but I still have four years left on my contract with Real Madrid.

"I hope to have more minutes at Real Madrid, though the coach needs to trust me more, something that has not happened so far."

Coentrao, who scored Portugal's winning goal in the Euro 2016 qualifier with Serbia at the weekend, has made 14 appearances in all competitions for Madrid this season.

 

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Depay agent: No contact with Manchester United

Memphis Depay's agent insists he has had no contact with any club, despite the PSV star being expected to leave this summer.

Manchester United are confident they can bring the Netherlands international to Old Trafford despite interest from Liverpool and Tottenham thanks to strong links between the hierarchy and the player's management group.

PSV boss Phillip Cocu has also stated on numerous occasions this season that the 21-year-old will move on this summer, but, according to Kees Ploegsma, he has so far not spoken to any suitors.

"No, there has been a lot of rumours, but he still has a contract with PSV, so for now he is in Eindhoven. We have not been in contact with any clubs," he is quoted as saying by PLBOLD.

It is understood that United boss Louis van Gaal had told Depay, to whom he handed his international debut and took to the 2014 World Cup, to wait for a move to the Red Devils ahead of the 2015-16 season.

But while Ploegsma admits the two spoke in Brazil, he insists there has been nothing since.

"They had good contact during the World Cup, but since then there has been no contact."

 

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Depay agent: No contact with Manchester United

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Lucas Silva open to temporary Real Madrid exit

Real Madrid midfielder Lucas Silva admits he could be tempted by a loan move following reports linking him with Porto.

The 22-year-old joined Madrid from Cruzeiro in the January transfer window, but has so far been unable to secure regular first-team action at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A number of reports suggested that Madrid are ready to farm the Brazilian out on loan next term, with Porto allegedly sitting in pole position to secure Lucas Silva's services.

The youngster has made it clear that he has not held talks with the Portuguese side as of yet, but added that a loan spell would not necessarily be a bad thing."I was astonished with the news about a potential loan move to Porto. I have not heard anything about it," Lucas Silva told Globo Esporte.

"I have a contract with Real Madrid and I want to fulfil it. I have already had opportunities and I think I have the ability to be in the team and to play.
"But a loan move could be a good option."Lucas Silva would follow in the footsteps of compatriot Casemiro if he were to leave Madrid for a temporary spell with Porto.

The latter joined Julen Lopetegui's side ahead of the 2014-15 campaign and has been in sublime form at Estadio do Dragao this term.

 

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Kane is better than Di Maria and worth £100m, claims Rodney Marsh

Harry Kane is better than Angel Di Maria and worth £100 million (€147m), according to former England striker Rodney Marsh.

Tottenham forward Kane has scored 29 goals in all competitions this season and netted less than a minute after coming off the bench to make his international debut against Lithuania on Friday.

Roy Hodgson has revealed the 21-year-old will make his full debut against Italy in Turin and Marsh is tipping him to become a more potent goalscorer than former England captain Alan Shearer.

The ex-Manchester City man also feels Kane is worth a world-record fee given some of the sums Premier League clubs have paid in recent years.

"I reckon he is worth £100m, I honestly do," he told talkSport. "If I was a chairman of a football club, that is what I would pay for Harry Kane.

"I think he is going to go on and be a bigger and better player than Alan Shearer.

"Manchester City paid £32m (€47m) for a relatively untried young player called Eliaquim Mangala. If Mangala is worth £32m, Harry Kane is worth £100m all day long.

"Angel Di Maria cost Manchester United £62m (€75m). I think Harry Kane is a much better player than Di Maria, in the Premier League."

 

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Hummels: I didn't promise to join Man Utd

Mats Hummels has dismissed claims that he made a promise to Sir Alex Ferguson to join Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund.

The centre-back has been heavily linked to a move to the English side over the past few years, having been a key player for Dortmund as they won two consecutive Bundesliga titles then reached the Champions League final in 2013.
Speculation intensified this week when the Germany international admitted he is considering his future at the Bundesliga side.British media outlets have claimed Hummels promised Ferguson back in 2012 - when the former coach attended the DFB-Pokal final against Bayern Munich - that he would join the Old Trafford club.

The defender, though, denies any such commitment to leaving Dortmund for Old Trafford and dismissed it as completely made up."To clarify: this supposed "promise" is simply fictitious... And that's the polite way of putting it," Hummels tweeted.

The World Cup winner, who has been at Dortmund since joining from Bayern Munich on an initial loan deal in 2008, is contracted to the club until 2017.

 

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Basket-Bale! Real Madrid star shows off shooting skills

As well as showing off his excellent free kick skills in the international break, Gareth Bale has been showing off his brilliant basketball ability too.

The Real Madrid star attempted the NBA half-court challenge, attempting five shots from the halfway mark on the basketball court.

Bale performed remarkably well in the challenge, making three of the five attempts before challenging Madrid team-mate Luka Modric and Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton to try their hand at it next.

 

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Cazorla: Atletico links are just rumours

Arsenal star Santi Cazorla has played down reports linking him with Atletico Madrid, declaring his happiness to stay in north London for as long as he remains valued.

The Spain international midfielder has plenty of competition for his place at the Emirates Stadium, with the likes of Mesut Ozil sharing his position, but is enjoying his time at the club.

He told El Mundo: "Right now I haven't heard from anybody, it's just rumours and, to tell the truth, it doesn't concern me too much. What I'm concerned about is Arsenal, where I'm doing well.

"In the future, we'll see. I like it at Arsenal very much and, as long as the club value me as they have done until now, then I'll continue.

"In London I live in Hampstead, 15 minutes from the centre and 15 from the training ground, and I'm very comfortable. It's calm, an ideal place to send your children to school. They're speaking the language so quickly it's hard to keep up. It is important for them, for my girlfriend and me, of course."

Though Cazorla distanced himself from talk of a move, he did offer his enthusiasm for Diego Simeone's new contract as Atleti coach.

"I took the opportunity to congratulate him because his renewal is great news for him and for every Atletico fan," the former Villarreal star remarked.

 

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I won't risk injured Messi - Martino

Argentina coach Gerardo Martino has said he will not risk playing Lionel Messi against Ecuador unless he is fully fit.

The Barcelona star missed his country's 2-0 win over El Salvador on Friday after sitting out training the day before because of a foot injury.And the coach insists he will wait until the very last minute before deciding on whether his talisman should play in Tuesday's encounter.

"We’re not going to risk Messi," the coach told reporters in a press conference. "If the injury stays the same, he won't play because we want to look after him."But while we don't have any expectation that it will get better, we will wait until the last minute to decide if he will play.”

"In the first training session, Messi was fine, but in the second he felt some discomfort. We waited up until the last minute but he didn’t improve, so we decided he should not play."The doctors showed us the images of his scans and there was nothing there. But later on, his foot began to swell."

 

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Diaby & Wilshere step up Arsenal comeback

Arsenal midfielders Abou Diaby, Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta stepped up their comebacks from injury in a behind-closed-doors game against Brentford on Tuesday.

Played at the Gunners' London Colney training base, an Arsenal XI also including Mathieu Debuchy saw off their visitors 4-0 ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Liverpool.

Wilshere opened the scoring and went on to tee up Dan Crowley for the second before Alex Iwobi netted twice in a dominant first half.

January signing Krystian Bielik was also selected to start and completed 66 minutes alongside Mathieu Flamini. Diaby, Wilshere and Arteta were all replaced at half-time, while Debuchy completed an hour of football.

 

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Roma hit by Gervinho hamstring blow

Gervinho faces a three-week spell on the sidelines after the Roma forward injured his hamstring during Sunday's 1-1 draw between the Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea.

The Ivorian was withdrawn 39 minutes into the stalemate in Abidjan, meaning he could now be absent for his club's next three games.Gervinho will miss around three weeks of Roma's Serie A run-in, including Saturday's clash with fellow high-flyers Napoli.

Trailing leaders Juventus by 14 points, Rudi Garcia's men are in danger of surrendering second place to rivals Lazio after managing just one win in their last six league outings.

Gervinho, who is also set to be absent for the league clashes with Torino and Atalanta, will begin a recovery programme on Wednesday.

 

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Smalling injured during England's clash with Italy

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling had to be substituted after feeling unwell during the first half of England's international friendly with Italy in Turin.

The centre-back was named in Roy Hodgson's starting line-up for the game, partnering Phil Jagielka at the heart of the England defence.

However, Smalling lasted just 41 minutes before being forced out of the game with Michael Carrick coming on and taking up a midfield role with Phil Jones moving back into defence.

Graziano Pelle had given Italy the lead in the game, heading the hosts in front after 29 minutes while Wayne Rooney was unlucky not to add to his tally after hitting the woodwork in the first half.

 

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Townsend blasts Merson on Twitter after England strike

Andros Townsend has hit out at Paul Merson after the Tottenham winger's stunning equaliser secured a 1-1 draw for England against Italy.

Former Arsenal forward Merson was highly critical of the winger in the build-up to the latest international break and questioned why the ex-QPR man had been selected by Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson.

In his column for Sky Sports, he wrote: "If Andros Townsend can get in [the England squad] then it opens it up for anybody. We are not picking players who are playing well for their clubs – he got taken off after 30 minutes the other week against [Manchester] United.

"It frustrates me, I am not having a go at Townsend because he has done well for England, but if you’re not playing well for your club then, in my day, you had no chance of playing for your country, absolutely zilch."

But after his 20-yard strike helped stretch the Three Lions' unbeaten run to eight matches in Turin, Townsend hit out at Merson for his comments regarding his inclusion.

"Not bad for a player that should be 'nowhere near the squad' ay @PaulMerse?" he wrote on his Twitter following the encounter at the Juventus Stadium.

The goal was Townsend's third in an England shirt as he came off the bench and cancelled out Graziano Pelle's first-half header.

 

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Booing Iniesta's a disgrace - Hiddink

Netherlands boss Guus Hiddink said it was a "disgrace" that Spain star Andres Iniesta was booed by Holland supporters in Tuesday night's friendly.The Oranje ran out 2-0 winners thanks to two first half goals from Stefan de Vriij and Davy Klaassen, which eased the pressure on the veteran coach.

Iniesta started on the bench as Spain boss Vicente del Bosque opted for an experimental starting XI but was introduced in the 76th minute to a chorus of boos from fans at the Amsterdam ArenA.

The midfielder scored the winning goal in la Roja's 1-0 win over Netherlands in the final of the 2010 World Cup but Hiddink said that was no excuse to heckle him from the stands.

"It's a disgrace," he told reporters. "He's a world class player and a wonderful person. At first I didn't notice it was about him. Was it because of his goal vs Netherlands in 2010?"It's unbelievable, this is about sport. What was he supposed to do? I can't understand this."Regarding the importance of the result in relieving pressure surrounding his position, the 68-year-old added: "I don't have the feeling that there is pressure on my shoulders.

"I don't want to fight against the media any more, I just want to stay focused on football. There are always stories in the press.

"I saw a Netherlands squad that had the guts to play football. Although we made some mistakes, I thought we were pretty good.

"These mistakes are a good lessons for our players because you can't make these against Spain. Luckily they didn't punish us. Kenneth Vermeer saved us a few times and I thought Daley Blind and Klaassen played very well."

Wesley Sneijder - who delivered the cross for De Vrij's opener - refused to be drawn into a discussion over Hiddink.

"I don't want to talk about the coach," he added. "We're in this together and that's what I said on Saturday. He didn't walk away from his responsibilities and we have beaten a top squad and now we need to look ahead.

"If you look at the way we started the match, it's not surprising that we won. We knew it would be a hard match. In front of a full stadium we wanted to make up for the match versus Turkey and we did.

"Fear is a too big of a word, but we were a bit frightened. After the match versus Turkey, Spain are a very strong opponent, of course, but we had a great night."