..::Football IV::..

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'Hell of a lot of work to do' - Southgate knows England must improve before World Cup


England may have qualified for the World Cup following Thursday's scruffy 1-0 win over Slovenia but manager Gareth Southgate admits they have a "hell of a lot of work to do" if they are to be contenders in Russia next year.

Captain Harry Kane grabbed an injury-time winner at Wembley to secure top spot in Group F but it was another unconvincing display from Southgate's players and the former Middlesbrough boss knows they must improve over the next eight months."I think this team has potential, but we've got a hell of a lot of work to do," he told ITV Sport.

"They've come here on the back of what happened in the last European Championships, they've had the change of coach, they've had a lot of difficulties to deal with through the campaign."But we're there [at the World Cup] and now we build and we look to where we can improve all the time.

"Joe Hart [made] big saves at important times and that's where his experience has come through."We know where we have to do better but that's for tomorrow. Tonight, we go to the World Cup and that's fantastic."

Late goals have underpinned England's successful qualifying campaign - Kane scored a late equaliser away to Scotland in June, while Adam Lallana struck deep in stoppage-time to earn a 1-0 win in Slovakia in September 2016, which turned out to be Sam Allardyce's sole game in charge.And Southgate believes it is no coincidence it happened again on Thursday.

"We played a team who have only conceded four goals in the competition - and you saw why," Southgate added.
"They defended resolutely, they broke the game up when they had to, they took yellow cards when they had to."We weren't quite as sharp as we hoped to be with the ball. But we stuck at it and it's not a coincidence if you keep scoring late goals."Late goals have been key and we knew they had to win. We changed formation to go two up front at the end."

 

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'Job done for us' - Kane says qualification all that matters for England


Harry Kane placed no importance in the manner in which England secured their place at the World Cup finals, insisting qualification was all that mattered.

Tottenham forward Kane captained the Three Lions on Thursday as they booked their place in Russia with a 1-0 win over Slovenia courtesy of their in-form front man.The 24-year-old left it late at Wembley - scoring in stoppage time - but he was unconcerned by the nature of England's progression.

"[Qualification] is all that matters," Kane told ITV. "It was frustrating at times and we had to be patient."In the last 10 minutes, they were getting tired and we created a few opportunities - I was happy to finally put one in the back of the net at the end.

"It's amazing to get there. It's no easy feat these days [to qualify]. There's a lot of top countries around the world struggling to qualify. We're all delighted. "That's job done for us. We have another game on Sunday [against Lithuania] and we need to keep doing what we're doing and working hard."Gareth Southgate's side will round out their qualifying cycle with a final match away to Lithuania on Sunday.

 

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Sampaoli: I'm confident Argentina will qualify for World Cup


Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli remains confident his team will qualify for the World Cup despite being held by Peru on Thursday.

Lionel Messi produced some moments of magic in Buenos Aires, but the hosts were unable to break through in the 0-0 draw.The result left Argentina in sixth – outside the qualification spots – in CONMEBOL qualifying, ahead of a trip to Ecuador on Tuesday.

But Sampaoli believes in his side's chances of reaching Russia 2018, with Colombia and Peru, fourth and fifth respectively, to meet on the final matchday."I am still confident that we will be at the World Cup," he told a news conference.

"Today was a very good game. We just missed a goal. I am very hopeful and excited about what is coming."The team never gave up, put in a huge effort and deserved another result."

Sampaoli praised Messi for his performance, with the Barcelona star unfortunate to have scored just four goals in nine qualifiers this campaign."Messi played a great game, created chances and gave good passes," he said.A win over Ecuador will be enough for Argentina to secure at least a place in a play-off.

 

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Mexico 3 Trinidad and Tobago 1: Hosts strike late to avoid shock defeat


Trinidad and Tobago almost pulled off a shock result in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying on Friday, but three late goals saw Mexico claim a 3-1 win in San Luis Potosi.

Having trailed up until the 78th minute, Javier Hernandez's 88th-minute goal put Mexico ahead before Hector Herrera sealed victory in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Mexico dominated play for the majority of the match, but Trinidad and Tobago's Shahdon Winchester opened the scoring in the 66th minute.A late blitz with goals from Hirving Lozano, Hernandez and Herrera rescued the result for the home side.

Defeating CONCACAF's bottom-placed team in the 'Hexagonal' round, Mexico remain top on 21 points after nine games, having already secured automatic qualification for Russia 2018.

Juan Carlos Osorio's side are six points ahead of second-placed Costa Rica, who will face Honduras on Saturday.Now on a six-game losing streak in qualifying, Trinidad and Tobago will likely finish the qualification cycle with a solitary win, with the United States to come on Tuesday.


Mexico started in predictably dominant fashion, but their best chances still only came from dead-ball situations. Miguel Layun almost put the hosts in front in the 15th minute, but his spectacular free-kick from distance flashed just wide of the post.

Mexico had another opportunity from a set-piece after smooth interplay between Jesus Corona and Giovani dos Santos.However, Andres Guardado was brilliantly denied by Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Adrian Foncette, diving low to his right.

Although Guardado and Herrera were highly busy, play seemed to stagnate in the first half, with Corona and Javier Aquino largely isolated on the flanks.In the 43rd minute however, Hernandez was denied by a last-ditch intervention from Curtis Gonzales, after Corona's brilliant ball into the penalty area.

Aside from early shots for Nathan Lewis and Leston Paul, Trinidad and Tobago were increasingly embedded in their own half following the interval.Herrera wasted another opportunity in the 54th minute. After a quick ball forward, the Porto midfielder had Foncette committed but with Gonzales supplying pressure, put his effort from close range wide.

Trinidad and Tobago then took a shock lead via a quick counter-attack past the hour-mark. Following a long ball, Winchester found himself one-on-one with Jose Corona and curled his right-footed shot in off the post.

Already having brought on Lozano and Carlos Vela, Osorio sent numbers forward with a third substitution, as Oribe Peralta replaced Diego Reyes.Two of Osorio's substitutes were pivotal in Mexico restoring parity in the 78th minute. Peralta released the overlapping Layun, whose cutback found Lozano.In contrast to his team-mates, the PSV midfielder did not panic and finished first-time.

Hernandez reacted quickest to make it 2-1 10 minutes later, before Herrera capped off the victory with a superb 94th-minute free-kick.

 

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United States 4 Panama 0: Pulisic stars as Americans boost World Cup hopes

Teenage sensation Christian Pulisic scored a goal and set up another as the United States moved a step closer to automatic qualification for the 2018 World Cup thanks to a crushing 4-0 win over Panama.

Pressure was on USA to claim all three points in Friday's crucial qualifier, with the Americans occupying fourth position before kick-off – only enough for an inter-confederation play-off berth.

But Pulisic and his team-mates delivered in Orlando, scoring three first-half goals, to lift the CONCACAF Gold Cup champions above Panama and into third position heading into the final matchday of 'Hexagonal' qualifying.

Borussia Dortmund starlet Pulisic opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a stunning finish from a tight angle before the 19-year-old provided the assist for Jozy Altidore 11 minutes later.


Altidore's Panenka penalty in the 43rd minute ended the match as a contest after Bobby Wood was fouled inside the area before the latter completed the scoring past the hour-mark. USA are third in the standings with 12 points after nine matches, two clear of Panama ahead of next week's trip to Trinidad and Tobago.

Bruce Arena made a host of changes following USA's 1-1 draw in Honduras last time out, six in total as Altidore, Tim Howard, Wood, Paul Arriola, DeAndre Yedlin and Jorge Villafana returned to the line-up at the expense of Clint Dempsey, Brad Guzan, Jordan Morris, Kellyn Acosta, Graham Zusi and DaMarcus Beasley.
Panama, who eased past Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 last month, replaced Jose Calderon and Fidel Escobar with Jaime Penedo and Felipe Baloy.

The past four meetings between the two nations ended 1-1 following matchups in qualifying and the CONCACAF Gold Cup but USA were in complete control from the outset as Panama were camped in their own half early in Orlando.

There was one early warning sign from Panama via Gabriel Torres but the Americans were in control and eventually broke the deadlock with less than 10 minutes played.Pulisic – deployed in a more central role – cut through Panama's defence and rounded Penedo before coolly finishing from an acute angle – his eighth international goal in 19 matches.

The golden boy of American football was in the thick of the action again, this time teeing up Toronto FC star Altidore for USA's second in the 19th minute. Pulisic broke free out wide and rolled an inch-perfect delivery across the six-yard box and straight to Altidore at the back post for a simple side-footed finish.

That threatened to open the floodgates as Wood found himself in a one-v-one situation three minutes later but he fired his shot straight at Penedo.Such was USA's dominance, Panama made a substitution in the 26th minute. Coach Hernan Gomez seeing enough as he withdrew Edgar Barcenas for Armando Cooper.

Panama enjoyed some more time on the ball but it left them exposed at the back as the Americans were presented with plenty of space, and Altidore wasted the chance to net his second after shooting straight at Penedo.

It mattered little though as Wood earned a penalty moments later and Altidore stepped up to convert two minutes before half-time, taking his tally to 41 USA goals – third behind Dempsey and Landon Donovan.

Leading by three goals, the second half did not have the same intensity but the Americans managed to add a fourth goal in the 63rd minute.Having sprayed a shot wide earlier, Hamburg forward Wood received the ball close to goal before turning and shooting past Penedo.

 

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Spain 3 Albania 0: World Cup place wrapped up as Pique gets mixed reception

Spain secured their place in the 2018 World Cup after they eased to a 3-0 Group G win over Albania as Gerard Pique received a mixed reception.Julen Lopetegui's men approached Friday's contest in Alicante knowing they would qualify for the finals in Russia by bettering Italy's result against Macedonia.

But, given the disparity in quality between the two teams, Spain's vastly superior goal difference and head-to-head advantage over Italy, the spotlight was always likely to be on Barcelona defender Pique.

Pique, who has been vocal in his support of a referendum on Catalonia's attempts to secede from Spain, was whistled at an open training session on Monday.And the centre-back received the same treatment from his first touch at Estadio Jose Rico Perez, but was later brought off predominantly to applause in the second half.

Rodrigo opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a fine close-range effort before Isco's fourth goal in three Spain matches and Thiago Alcantara's header made the game safe in the space of 10 minutes.

Italy's 1-1 draw with Macedonia means Spain go into the final round of fixtures on Monday guaranteed a place in the tournament proper, holding a five-point lead at the top, while Albania's slim hopes of earning a play-off spot are over.


Rodrigo spurned an early chance to put Spain ahead as he stabbed wide from Jordi Alba's left-wing cross before Azdren Llullaku forced David De Gea into a routine save at the other end.

A glorious opportunity went begging with Rodrigo again at fault as he failed to convert Isco's right-wing cross, heading wide from close range, but the Valencia forward soon atoned for his profligacy.

He controlled Isco's clever pass with his head before smashing a superb stretching half-volley beyond Etrit Berisha to open the scoring.Sergio Ramos then saw a header turned over before his Real Madrid team-mate Isco doubled the lead.

Koke played Isco in at the near post and he made no mistake in lashing into the top-left corner.That seemingly put the game beyond doubt but Albania almost responded as Llullaku clattered a header against the crossbar.

But that proved only a brief interlude to Spain's dominant showing and Thiago soon made it 3-0 by nodding in after Alvaro Odriozola surged down the right culminated in a pinpoint cross.



Rodrigo was denied a second by Berisha and Alba fired wide as Spain threatened to turn the contest into a rout, though Pique was fortunate not to see a defensive error on the stroke of half-time not result in a goal for Albania.Alba stood up a cross for Koke, who saw his header parried by Berisha as Spain kept the pressure on after the restart, with Rodrigo again thwarted by the Albania goalkeeper after some haphazard defending.

Armando Sadiku headed against the left-hand post, but moments of danger were fleeting for Spain and, with their qualification confirmed, they can reflect on an extremely impressive campaign and look ahead to Russia perhaps with questions about Pique's international future put to one side after the early whistles were drowned out.

 

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Congratulations Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA​

 

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Italy 1 Macedonia 1: Azzurri fail to clinch play-off spot with disappointing draw

Italy failed to secure a World Cup play-off spot as they were held to an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Macedonia at the Stadio Olimpico.

Victory would have assured Gian Piero Ventura's side of another chance to qualify behind group winners Spain, but they were unable to see out a win in Torino.
The Azzurri barely got out of second gear against their stubborn visitors but took a first-half lead through Giorgio Chiellini.

They were made to pay for their sluggish second-half display when Palermo forward Aleksandar Trajkovski lashed home in the 77th minute to claim a memorable point for Igor Angelovski's side.Italy travel to Albania on Monday for their final Group G game and will want a significantly improved performance to try to secure a play-off spot.

The Azzurri, captained by Gianluigi Buffon wearing their traditional blue shirt on his 172nd international appearance, looked sharp in the early stages and should have been ahead inside eight minutes.


Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne combined cleverly on the edge of the Macedonia area to allow the latter to break through a static defence and force Stole Dimitrievski into a smart save.

Macedonia, clearly not content to sit back and soak up pressure, carved out an excellent opportunity of their own 10 minutes later, but Goran Pandev's crisp volley was well held by Buffon.Italy then wasted two glorious opportunities to take the lead.Insigne met Marco Parolo's clipped cross in the middle of the area but his header lacked direction and was gathered by Dimitrievski.

The Macedonia goalkeeper should have been called into action again shortly after when Davide Zappacosta pulled down a deep cross inside the area. The Chelsea defender scuffed his half-volley horribly over, though.The mounting pressure paid off five minutes before the break as Chiellini scored his eighth goal for his country.

Insigne sliced open the Macedonia defence with an incisive pass into the path of Immobile, who slid in a first-time cross for the Juventus defender to coolly slot through the legs of Dimitrievski.The second half was played out at a pedestrian pace with the first attempt on goal not coming until the 64th minute. Stefan Spirovski tried his luck from distance, but Buffon was equal to his sweetly struck shot.



The Juventus stopper was in the right place again a few minutes later to keep out Ilija Nestorovski's header from a teasing cross.Macedonia's positive second-half display was rewarded 13 minutes from time when Trajkovski latched onto Pandev's throughball to fire an unstoppable shot past Buffon into the bottom-left corner.

Substitute Federico Bernardeschi drilled a long-range effort wide in the closing stages, but three points would only have served to flatter Ventura's side after a hugely disappointing performance.

 

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Georgia 0 Wales 1: Lawrence magic keeps Coleman's men on track

Tom Lawrence's superb first international goal gave Wales a crucial 1-0 away win over Georgia as their bid to qualify for the World Cup was boosted despite the absence of injured talisman Gareth Bale.After his side edged a goalless first half that lacked clear goalscoring opportunities, Lawrence struck with an impressive individual effort early in the second.

Wales looked the more likely to add a second goal before eventually settling for a one-goal victory, with Georgia offering little as an attacking force despite holding the possession advantage.Chris Coleman's men will now be interested observers as Group D leaders Serbia, who are one point ahead, travel to Austria later on Friday.Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland – now four points behind Wales in the race to finish second - host Moldova in their game in hand.

Wales, who will be without Real Madrid star Bale again, then face a huge clash at home to Ireland on Monday as they look to wrap up second spot, while also ensuring they have enough points compared to runners-up in other groups for that position to secure a play-off spot.


The visitors threatened first in Tbilisi, with Aaron Ramsey firing wide after Lawrence impressively created an early opportunity.Wales came close again when a flick from Joe Allen found Andy King, whose bouncing shot was pushed away by stretching home goalkeeper Giorgi Loria.

Sam Vokes diverted just wide when Ramsey's right-wing cross created a good opportunity, while Lawrence fired over from 20 yards, as Wales struggled to turn their attacks into attempts on target.

Georgia's first chance of note saw Otar Kakabadze whip in an impressive cross from which Giorgi Kvilitaia sent a free header wide from eight yards in a huge let-off for Wales, leaving the scores level at half-time.After a frustrating first half, a moment of brilliance from Lawrence put the visitors in front just four minutes after the restart.

Receiving a pass from Ramsey, Lawrence impressively beat Saba Kverkvelia and fired a right-footed shot into the far corner from 20 yards, with Loria unable to save despite getting a touch.

Lawrence curled wide as Wales pushed for a second, while only a brave home block denied Ben Davies from finishing off a slick passing move. Georgia had most of the second-half possession, but it was Wales who were creating more – Lawrence and Ramsey combining again before the Arsenal midfielder forced Loria into an unconvincing save.



The hosts finally threatened an equaliser late on when substitute Davit Skhirtladze found Giorgi Merebashvili, who cut inside and forced Wayne Hennessey into a pivotal stop from close range, which secured a third consecutive qualifying win for Coleman's side.

 

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Spain qualify for 11th consecutive World Cup


Spain have become the fourth European team to qualify for the World Cup, reaching football's biggest competition for an 11th consecutive tournament.

La Roja ensured qualification for next year's event in Russia by winning 3-0 at home to Albania in Alicante.Spain scored all their goals within 26 minutes, Rodrigo netting a fine close-range effort before Isco's fourth goal in three international matches and Thiago Alcantara's header made the game safe.

That victory for Spain, coupled with Italy's shock 1-1 home draw against Macedonia in Turin, assured Julen Lopetegui's men of top spot in Group G with a game to spare.
They will be looking to recover in the 2018 edition of the tournament proper after crashing out at the group stage at Brazil 2014 as they tried to defend their world title won in South Africa four years earlier.

Belgium were the first team to advance from the UEFA section of 2018 World Cup qualification prior to this international break, while Germany and England booked their ticket to the tournament on Thursday.Russia are automatically in the competition as the host nation.

 

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Kane: I'm in the best form of my career


Harry Kane feels he is in the best form of his professional career after following up his stunning September with the winner for England against Slovenia.

Tottenham star Kane's 13 goals for club and country in September matched the best-ever calendar months produced by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo across their illustrious careers.

The 24-year-old started October on a high with a 94th-minute winner against Slovenia on Thursday, the 1-0 victory ensuring England's qualification for next year's World Cup.

Kane, who captained the Three Lions at Wembley for the first time as he bids to become permanent skipper, has not felt this confident since he was a child.

Asked when he had last felt this way in front of goal, Kane told reporters: "Maybe it was like this when I was younger, when you scored six or seven a game. But probably not in my professional career.

"I feel great, physically great, every game I expect to score and want to score. I just want to keep it going. September was fantastic for me, hopefully October can be even better."That is the great thing about it, to keep improving. We have got a busy month ahead of us again and let's see what happens."

Kane's stunning goalscoring streak has prompted huge expectations from supporters and the media, while a host of team-mates have hailed him as world-class, but the striker will not let the hype affect his game.He added: "It doesn't really bother me to be honest. We know what we want to achieve as a team, so for me it's just about doing my job.

"No matter what anyone says or what you guys [the media] talk about, it doesn't distract me from what I need to do – work hard for the team, work hard in training, work hard off the pitch and just get ready for every game that comes."Hopefully I can keep performing the way I am and keep improving."

Kane still wants to play in Sunday's final qualifier away against Lithuania, despite Gareth Southgate's men already being assured of their place in Russia. He added: "Of course I want to play every game. Every game for England is important.

"If the gaffer wants me to play, I'll be there definitely, hopefully trying to score a few more goals."

 

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Belarus 1 Netherlands 3: Fast-finishing Oranje stay alive in World Cup qualifying

Netherlands survived a huge scare as Arjen Robben and Mephis Depay scored late goals to edge Belarus 3-1 in a crucial World Cup qualifier, though they remain on the brink of elimination.Robben netted an 84th-minute penalty and Depay stroked home a stoppage time free-kick to resuscitate Oranje's slim hopes of finishing second in Group A.

However, Dick Advocaat's men remain unlikely to catch second-place Sweden following their earlier 8-0 rout of Luxembourg - they require a seven-goal victory when the two nations meet on Tuesday.

Needing a minimum of six points from their final two matches to have a chance of claiming a play-off spot, the visitors took a narrow 1-0 lead into the break courtesy of Davy Propper.

But Netherlands appeared certain to be absent from a second major international tournament in succession when Maksim Volodko stunned them midway through the second half.Just as all hope appeared lost, Robben was gifted the chance to restore the lead with a spot-kick and Depay made sure of an essential victory.


Sitting last after eight matches, Belarus looked free of expectation in the opening exchanges with Aleksey Rios and Aleksandr Karnitski both trying their luck inside 10 minutes.

In contrast, Netherlands' need for goals failed to translate into early opportunities as they waited until midway through the half for Daley Blind to slice their first shot harmlessly wide.That effort helped stir the visitors into action and Vincent Janssen first saw a deflected effort come back off the bar, before Propper broke the deadlock in the 24 minute.

Robben cushioned a Ryan Babel cross into the path of the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder, who dispatched his third goal in two appearances following last month's brace against Bulgaria.

Tonny Vilhena forced Sergei Chernik to shovel a dipping shot away from the bottom-left corner, and Babel should have done better when presented with a header from the ensuing corner.Nancy goalkeeper Chernik then denied Janssen in a one-on-one to help restrict an improving Netherlands to a 1-0 lead at half-time.

Jasper Cillessen was the busier of the two goalkeepers at the start of the second half and, after denying Sergei Balanovich at his near post, the Barcelona man's next act was to pick the ball out of his net. Volodko went untracked on an overlapping run and speared a low finish across Cillessen into the bottom-right corner to restore parity.



Tempers began to flare prior to the hour with players from both sides involved in a scuffle, but Belarus were able to regain their composure and looked to have navigated a largely untroubled final half hour.However, Advocaat's men regained the lead when Robben converted from the spot after substitute Bas Dost was adjudged to have been brought down in the box by Nikolai Signevich.

Depay put the result beyond doubt when he curled home a last-gasp free-kick, setting up a dramatic meeting with Sweden in Amsterdam.

 

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Andorra 0 Portugal 2: Rested Ronaldo the saviour for Euro 2016 champions

Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to keep Portugal's hopes of automatic World Cup qualification alive, breaking the deadlock in a hard-fought 2-0 win away to Andorra in Group B.

Ronaldo, one booking away from a suspension, was named among the substitutes on Saturday by coach Fernando Santos ahead of the crunch clash against Switzerland on Tuesday.

But, after a goalless first half, Santos was forced to turn to his star man and risk Ronaldo getting a yellow card that would see him missing that crucial concluding fixture.

The Real Madrid superstar thrived on the pressure by scoring his 15th goal of the qualifying campaign to draw level with Poland's prolific Robert Lewandowski 18 minutes after his introduction, poking in a Joao Mario cross from close range.

Ricardo Quaresma and Bernardo Silva were wasteful but an Andorra equaliser was never likely and Andre Silva scrambled in a late second to guarantee the points for his side, while Ronaldo successfully avoided a booking.

With Switzerland maintaining their perfect record by winning 5-2 at home to Hungary, Portugal - who have confirmed a play-off place at least - will have to beat the Group B leaders in Lisbon to snatch top spot.


Ronaldo scored twice in the first four minutes in the return game a year ago, but without their talisman the Euro 2016 winners toiled to break down Andorra's stubborn resistance.Defenders Pepe and Luis Neto sent early efforts off target before Quaresma missed the first clear chance after 24 minutes.

Nelson Semedo's viciously inswinging right-wing cross flicked off Ildefonso Lima's head and Quaresma, arriving at the back post, headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Quaresma almost rapidly made amends but Josep Gomes punched his cross-shot away with his first meaningful involvement, then Andre Silva lashed a volley over the crossbar after a defensive mix-up.

Portugal finally made Gomes work after 39 minutes, the Andorra goalkeeper diving to his left to keep out a swerving Pepe strike, but the deadlock remained unbroken at the interval.Santos had seen enough and introduced Ronaldo, replacing the ineffective Gelson Martins, but a Bernardo Silva mishit from a fine position summed up Portugal's wastefulness.

But it was inevitably Ronaldo - who had scored 96 goals in his 100 competitive games since the start of 2016 for club and country - who made the difference for the visitors.

An enticing Joao Mario cross reached Ronaldo at the back post via a deflection off Lima, ensuring he was onside despite Andorra's protests, and he was never going to miss from six yards out. Ronaldo and Quaresma failed to make Portugal's lead more comfortable, sending long-range efforts off target, while a Bernardo Silva strike after a goalmouth scramble deflected wide.

The second goal eventually came with five minutes to go, Andre Silva bundling in from close range after a left-wing Ronaldo cross was headed into his path by Danilo Pereira, with a straight shoot-out with Switzerland for top spot in Group B now set for Tuesday.

 

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Bulgaria 0 France 1: Matuidi goal keeps Les Bleus' World Cup bid on track

France took a huge step towards World Cup qualification with an uninspired 1-0 victory over Bulgaria at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia.

The win sends them back to the summit of Group A and secures at the very least a play-off spot, but they go into Tuesday's home game against Belarus knowing three points will confirm their place in Russia next year.

The game's only goal came in just the third minute as Blaise Matuidi thumped in from close range, with Antoine Griezmann and Corentin Tolisso missing chances to extend the lead.The only downside on a comfortable evening for Didier Deschamps was the first-half withdrawal of N'Golo Kante, who picked up a hamstring strain.

The defeat ends Bulgaria's slim hopes of grabbing a play-off berth and they will be left to rue a first-half miss from Spas Delev, which would have pulled them level.


France's rich array of attacking talent wasted little time in stamping their authority on the game, combining in sublime style to open the scoring inside just three minutes.

Lucas Digne played an incisive ball into the feet of Griezmann and the Atletico Madrid star cleverly teed up Matuidi, who powerfully slotted into the far top corner from an acute angle.

The visitors nearly scored a second after 15 minutes when Kylian Mbappe demonstrated his breathtaking speed to burst past Nikolay Bodurov, forcing Plamen Iliev into a smart save.

Tolisso then drilled a shot narrowly wide from distance before Griezmann flashed a half-volley agonisingly past Iliev's post as Deschamps' side threatened to run riot.Bulgaria had to wait until the 36th minute for their first sight of goal and only a miraculous save from Hugo Lloris denied them a leveller.



The goalkeeper's initial fumble from Todor Nedelev's long-range shot allowed Spas Delev an unmarked header from close range, but the Tottenham star redeemed himself in spectacular fashion to acrobatically claw away the striker's effort.Clearly content to settle for a 1-0 win, France offered nothing in the way of attacking intent in the second half.

Their approach was best summed up with five minutes to go when substitute Olivier Giroud opted to run the ball into the corner instead of attempting a shot on goal from an inviting position.

 

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Bosnia-Herzegovina 3 Belgium 4: Carrasco settles thriller to dent hosts' World Cup dreams

Belgium dealt a major blow to Bosnia-Herzegovina's hopes of securing a World Cup qualifying play-off berth with a scintillating 4-3 win in a sodden Sarajevo on Saturday.

Bosnia came into this clash knowing a win coupled with a Greece defeat against Cyprus later on Saturday would assure them of second place, although that would not yet be enough to guarantee them one of the best runners-up spots.

But ahead of Tuesday's trip to Estonia, this defeat leaves Mecha Bazdarevic's side just one point clear of Greece, who host whipping boys Gibraltar on the final matchday.

It was a desperate start for the hosts, who fell behind to Thomas Meunier's fourth-minute goal but, after Marouane Fellaini departed with what appeared to be a left knee injury, Bosnia equalised almost immediately as Haris Medunjanin had the simplest of tasks to tap home.

A dreadful error from Jan Vertonghen - who equalled Jan Ceulemans' record of 96 Belgium caps - let in Edin Visca as Bosnia forged ahead before the break, but Roberto Martinez's men improved after the restart and levelled through Michy Batshuayi.Vertonghen did atone for that mistake with a simple back-post finish midway through the second half, and the drama was far from over.

Dario Dumic thumped in a header from a corner with eight minutes to play but within two minutes Belgium struck the decisive blow, Yannick Carrasco slotting home at the near post to maintain his side's unbeaten record in Group H and break Bosnia hearts.


Persistent rain made for a heavy surface but Belgium made light of the difficult conditions with intricate play around the edge of the box leading to the opening goal. The ball was worked to Eden Hazard, whose cutback enabled Meunier to sweep beyond Asmir Begovic via the knee of Ognjen Vranjes.

Bosnia's response was swift although after tricking his way past Kevin De Bruyne from a short corner, Medunjanin could only shoot straight at Thibaut Courtois.
Bosnia continued to assert themselves and their positive play paid dividends on the half-hour.

Edin Dzeko's effort from the tightest of angles flicked off Thomas Vermaelen and deceived Courtois, the ball running perfectly for Medunjanin to tap in from practically on the line.

Nine minutes later Bosnia were in front in scenes reminiscent of the playground as Vertonghen completely missed Begovic's huge punt upfield and Visca raced away to fire through the legs of Courtois.

Begovic maintained his side's lead with a fine double save from close range to deny Batshuayi and Vermaelen, but the Bournemouth goalkeeper was fortunate to see his mis-handled Hazard cross deflect onto the post on the stroke of half-time.

Batshuayi headed wide at the start of the second period and it needed a desperate goal-line block from Vranjes to keep out Toby Alderweireld as Belgium applied the pressure, which told just before the hour as Begovic spilled Carrasco's shot and Batshuayi reacted fastest to stab home.Worse was to come for the hosts as De Bruyne's corner found Carrasco on the edge of the box and his mis-hit volley skewed to Vertonghen to convert from close range.

Bosnia substitute Vedad Ibisevic nodded narrowly wide and when Dzeko's effort was deflected behind, Dumic powered in Izet Hajrovic's corner to tee up what looked set to be a grandstand finale.

Unfortunately for the hosts, however, the telling blow arrived at the other end almost immediately as Meunier's pass found Carrasco to fire home and leave Bosnia looking over their shoulders.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd can snap up Dries Mertens for €28m, says ex-Napoli director


Dries Mertens has a €28 million release in his new Napoli contract and remains the subject of interest from Manchester United, according to Napoli's former sporting director Pierpaolo Marino.United were said to be heavily interested in the attacker last season before he signed a new contract with the Serie A side in May after a sensational season.

The Belgium international is now contracted to Napoli until 2020, but president Aurelio De Laurentiis has said he has a release clause in his contract that can be activated by foreign sides.

Although Mertens is 30 years old, he has scored seven goals in as many Serie A games this season and Marino insists he can be snapped up at a reasonable fee should Jose Mourinho's side act on their interest."Manchester United are following Mertens very closely," he told Tuttosport.

"He was an underestimated player until he played as a striker, now that he is a 'real No.9' he is kept under the eye of big clubs, because the €28 million clause a a low price, even if he's 30 years old."

Napoli sit two points ahead of Juventus at the top of Serie A with a perfect record so far, and Marino believes Maurizio Sarri's side can win the league this term."This could be the year of the Blues," he said."But not because Juve are weaker, but because Napoli have improved."

 

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Thiago 'thrilled' with World Cup qualification after 2014 heartache


Thiago Alcantara was delighted to secure Spain's progress to the World Cup after missing out on the finals in Brazil three years ago due to injury.

The Bayern Munich midfielder suffered a serious knee problem which ruled him out of the 2014 tournament, where the defending champions were stunningly eliminated in the group stages.

La Furia Roja sealed their spot as Group G winners with Friday's 3-0 win over Albania, Thiago netting the third to cap a devastating opening 26 minutes in Alicante."I'm thrilled about the World Cup because I'd already missed out on one due to injury, but a lot of work still needs to be done," Thiago said.

"It's special because of the work carried out by this national team for the past year and a half, and through sacrifice and hard work, we've qualified earlier than planned."

Despite Thiago's optimism about his fitness after playing the full game against Albania, an MRI scan on Saturday revealed he suffered an ankle sprain. The 26-year-old has been left out of the squad for the final qualifying clash with Israel on Monday and was given permission to leave the Spain camp.

Coach Julen Lopetegui is also without the suspended David Silva and Gerard Pique, who will be spared many of the boos from his own fans following his outspoken support of a referendum for Catalonia's independence."It's what Pique runs the risk of. We know that he’s very important for us on the pitch," said national team-mate Isco, scorer of Spain's second against Albania.

"He's been in the Spanish national team for 15 years and shown his commitment, but people are free to whistle and think whatever they want. He took it naturally.

"We've succeeded and now we have another objective. It's difficult to mix politics with football and what Spain's experiencing is a shame."

 

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Man Utd's injury concerns mount as Fellaini suffers possible ligament damage


Marouane Fellaini is an injury doubt for Manchester United's Premier League match at Liverpool after limping out of Belgium's World Cup qualifier away to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday.

A resurgent Fellaini has scored three Premier League goals this season, as well as netting in the Champions League defeat of Basel at Old Trafford, after stepping up in the absence of the injured Paul Pogba.

But the midfielder was replaced in the 29th minute of Belgium's match in Sarajevo after going down with an injury sustained to his left knee.Belgium manager Roberto Martínez said after the match that he was fearful that the midfielder has suffered a knee ligament injury.

"We are all worried about Fellaini," Martinez was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
"We fear that there is ligament damage."An official from the Royal Belgian Football Association added: "It is something to be worried about on first sight. Ligaments, left knee. More news [on Sunday]."

And with Michael Carrick struggling to shake off a knock that has kept him out of Premier League action all season, Jose Mourinho's midfield options are likely to be severely restricted for the trip to Anfield on October 14.

Ander Herrera looks set to partner Nemanja Matic in midfield, with Daley Blind and Juan Mata among the other alternatives to play in the middle of the park.
Romelu Lukaku also missed Belgium's match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, with the on-form striker unavailable for Roberto Martinez's side due to an ankle problem.

United are only behind rivals Manchester City on goal difference at the top of the Premier League, both sides having taken 19 points from their first seven fixtures.
Belgium were 1-0 up at the time of the 29-year-old's substitution, with a thrilling match eventually ending 4-3 in the favour of Martinez's men, who had already booked their place at the tournament in Russia.

 

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Carrick / Pogba th injured!dan Fellainishik

Gell well soon all!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

De Bruyne: Worst pitch since I was seven years old


Belgium star Kevin De Bruyne slammed the pitch in Sarajevo as "unacceptable" after his side edged Bosnia-Herzegovina in World Cup qualifying.

A late winner from Yannick Carrasco saw Belgium to a 4-3 victory at the Stadion Grbavica on Saturday.De Bruyne, who played 90 minutes, hit out at the state of the surface, which was bumpy and troubled both teams.

"I was worried I'd get injured," the Manchester City attacker said."This was unacceptable. I don't understand how we could play on such a pitch."Last time I played on such a bad pitch was when I was a seven-year-old kid."The 26-year-old was not the only one complaining about the field conditions after the match.

Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, who saw Marouane Fellaini suffer a knee injury during the match, was also less than pleased with the playing surface. "The pitch in Sarajevo was below any acceptable level! It was impossible to play any tactics," Martinez said.

"Our team spirit won the game, not any tactics. Fellaini injury changed our play, we lost focus, but after that showed amazing character and never gave up. We scored 4 goals and could have scored 4 more."Belgium had already qualified for Russia 2018, but they moved nine points clear atop Group H.

The result was a blow to Bosnia-Herzegovina, who fell to third – behind Greece – with one match remaining.