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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Four matches in FIFA world cup today

10:19 PM | Posted by Unknown | Edit Post

Wednesday, June 23, 2010
PORT ELIZABETH: Four matches will be played in FIFA World Cup today. Sylvania will face England whereas America will take on Algeria in group C.

In group D, Germany and Ghana will play against each other and Australia will face Serbia in group D.

In the matches played on Tuesday, Argentina and South Korea reached into knock out round. South Korea became the first Asian team reached into the knock round.
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Late Argentine goals crush Greek resistance

6:02 AM | Posted by Unknown | Edit Post

Wednesday, June 23, 2010
POLOKWANE: Martin Demichelis struck a late goal to set up Argentina for a 2-0 World Cup win over Greece Tuesday, top spot in Group B and a second-round showdown with Mexico.

The Bayern Munich defender ended the brave resistance of the Greeks with goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas to the fore by slamming the ball into the net from point-blank range on 77 minutes after a corner was not cleared.

And veteran substitute Martin Palermo added a second 60 seconds from full-time when he pounced on a rebound and hammered the ball into the corner of the net.

Veteran striker Palermo is well down the pecking order with Argentina having a surplus of strikers but he got the team out of jail in the qualifiers with a key strike against Peru and took his chance to mark his debut as a World Cup substitute at the age of 36.

"This is priceless. I will always be grateful to Diego Maradona and to the staff for their confidence in me, knowing there are others ahead of me. My teammates celebrated with me as if they had scored themselves," said Palermo.

On Argentina's chances of a third World Cup win he said simply: " I think we are on the right track."

World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi captained the two-time champions in the absence of midfielder Javier Mascherano as coach Maradona made seven changes from the side that triumphed 4-1 against South Korea.

The South Americans gave a first start at the tournament to striker Diego Milito, whose two goals against Bayern Munich last month brought Inter Milan their first Champions League title in 45 years.

Argentina thrashed Greece 4-0 in the World Cup 16 years ago with Maradona among the scorers, but he later failed a drugs test and never played in the competition again.

A Greek team coached by wily German Otto Rehhagel set out a defensive stall and after a cagey opening period they came under pressure with Tzorvas called into action twice.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Uruguay, Mexico in last 16, France crash out

10:13 PM | Posted by Unknown | Edit Post

Tuesday, June 22, 2010
JOHANNESBURG: Uruguay and Mexico reached the World Cup last 16 on Tuesday while 1998 champions and 2006 runners-up France and hosts South Africa were eliminated as Group A concluded.

Uruguay finished top after defeating Mexico 1-0 in Rustenburg, but Mexico took second spot in the group after South Africa's 2-1 win over France in Bloemfontein proved not enough for either side to advance.

South Africa became the first World Cup host nation to fail to qualify for the last 16 - even though they only lost one of their three matches.

France exited the World Cup after a disastrous tournament scarred by the exclusion of star striker Nicolas Anelka and the players' refusal to take part in a training session in protest.

Embattled France coach Raymond Domenech said he was heartened by his team's performance.

"They showed real heart, real fight, real generosity of spirit out there, it's what I was looking for," said the 58-year-old, who declined to explain why he refused to shake the hand of his opposite number Carlos Alberto Parreira at the final whistle.

In Rustenburg, Uruguay scored the winner just before half-time with a Luis Suarez header from an Edinson Cavani cross to the back post.

Mexico had chances to equalise, with Andres Guardado rattling the crossbar, but the result was rendered academic and both countries qualified because South Africa failed to beat France by a wide enough margin to finish ahead of Mexico on goal difference.

Uruguay finished top of the group with seven points with Mexico as runners-up on four points, the same total as South Africa.

"The important thing was to win and finish top of the group," said Uruguay striker Diego Forlan.

In Bloemfontein, South Africa took the lead with a 20th minute header from Bongani Khumalo.

France's day went from bad to worse when Yoann Gourcuff was sent off after half an hour when he jumped for a header and referee Oscar Ruiz adjudged he had elbowed South Africa's MacBeth Sibaya in the face.

Domenech buried his head in his hands as Gourcuff left the field.

Katlego Mphela put the host nation 2-0 ahead when he bundled the ball into the net after the French defence failed to clear.

But France pulled a goal back through substitute Florent Malouda -- remarkably, it was France's first strike of the entire tournament.
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Villa double seals Spain's win over Honduras

10:13 PM | Posted by Unknown | Edit Post

Tuesday, June 22, 2010
JOHANNESBURG: Goals either side of half-time by Barcelona's new signing David Villa saw Spain beat Honduras 2-0 in their Group H clash at Ellis Park on Monday to put their World Cup back on track.

After losing their opening game 1-0 to Switerzerland, the easy victory puts Spain on course to reach the last 16, providing Vicente Del Bosque's side can beat Chile on Friday.

Honduras rarely threatened the Euro 2008 winners and after their second defeat are out of contention in the tournament, while Spain will need to produce a more convincing display if they are to progress far in the tournament.

The Central American minnows looked pedestrian while Spain attacked in waves as Villa's brilliance shone for his goals on 17 and 51 minutes, but he wasted the chance to complete his hat-trick when he missed a second-half penalty.

The 28-year-old gave a glimpse of what was to come when he rattled the crossbar on seven minutes from 30 metres out.

Honduras midfielder Danilo Turcios earned the first yellow card on eight minutes for trying to interfere with a quickly taken free-kick.

Villa finally opened the scoring when he cut in from the left wing, beat the defence and then squeezed his shot past two defenders and into the top left-hand corner of the goal on 17 minutes.

Fernando Torres, one of two changes to the side which lost to the Swiss, wasted Sergio Ramos's cross from the wing when he headed over with half an hour gone in what was a quiet performance from the Liverpool striker still edging back to form.

Emilio Izaguirre picked up the second booking for Honduras when he fouled Spanish winger Jesus Navas on 38 minutes, but Villa was later lucky not to get booked when he appeared to slap Izaguirre in the face in the penalty area.

Spain kept up the pressure after the break as the first-half finished 1-0 and Villa scored his second soon after when a Navas pass found him in space.

His shot from outside the penalty area gave Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares no chance on 52 minutes.

Villa should have completed his hat-trick on 62 minutes when Izaguirre brought down Jesus Navas on the edge of the area and referee Yuichi Nishmura awarded the penalty, but the Spaniard fired the spot-kick wide of the right post.

On a rare Honduran attack, David Suazo fired wide on 66 minutes, but the biggest cheer of the night from the 54,386-strong crowd came soon after for the introduction of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

Torres made way for Valencia's Juan Manuel Mata as the Spanish went off the boil in the final 20 minutes.

Spain must now beat Chile - who defeated Switzerland 1-0 earlier Monday - on Friday in Pretoria to be sure of making the knockout phase, while Honduras will play for pride against the Swiss in Bloemfontein.
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Chile beat 10-man Switzerland to close in on last 16

10:12 PM | Posted by Unknown | Edit Post

Monday, June 21, 2010
PORT ELIZABETH: Chile continued their dream World Cup run with a 1-0 defeat of 10-man Switzerland here on Monday to move within touching distance of the last 16.

The South Americans climbed to the top of Group H after second half substitute Mark Gonzalez finally broke down a steely Swiss defence in the 75th minute.

Chile, who had beaten Honduras 1-0 last week, will be assured qualification if Monday's late game between Spain and Honduras ends in a draw.

Switzerland, stunning 1-0 winners over favourites Spain in their first match, were up against it after going a man down on 30 minutes when Valon Behrami was sent off.

The West Ham midfielder was given his marching orders by Saudi Arabian referee Khalil Al Ghamdi for a tangle with Arturo Vidal after he appeared to elbow the Bayer Leverkusen player in the face.

Hitzfeld, who is only one of three coaches to have won the Champions League with two different clubs, was scathing about the referee.

Chile, who had impressed with their attacking passion in their opening 1-0 win over Honduras, had the first shot on target when Italy-based Carlos Carmona fired in from 20m, the ball safely scooped up by Swiss keeper Diego Benaglio.

Carmona then ensured he would miss Chile's closing Group H match with Spain on Friday by picking up a yellow card for a challenge on Behrami in the 21st minute to add to the one he received last week.

Four minutes before the interval Hitzfeld made a tactical switch, pulling off striker Alexander Frei and replacing the team captain with Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta.

After the break Chile's Argentinian coach Marcelo Bielsa replaced midfielder Vidal with Gonzalez.

Alexis Sanchez thought he had scored in the 49th minute, celebrating ecstatically only to then see out of the corner of his eye the linesman's flag raised for offside.

It was all Chile now as the ball rarely left the Swiss side of the Nelson Mandela Bay pitch.

On 55 minutes the Europeans were let off when Gonzalez jumped over the white wall only to head a corner high.

Trigger happy Al Ghamdi then dished out three yellow cards in the space of one minute to Swiss defender Reto Ziegler and Chilean duo Gary Medel and Matias Fernandez to take the tally to eight with one red and still 20 minutes on the clock.

Chile finally made the breakthrough they had been threatening for so long when Esteban Paredes, who had only entered the fray 10 minutes earlier as a replacement for Matias Fernandez, raced around Benaglio and found Gonzalez who headed into an empty goal.

Switzerland almost grabbed an unlikely last minute equaliser when substitute Eren Derdiyok shot just wide of Bravo's left post.

Small consolation but the Swiss set a new World Cup record of 559 minutes played without scoring a goal, to overtake Italy's mark of 550 minutes.
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Monday, June 21, 2010

Portugal rout North Korea 7-0 in 2nd round

8:26 PM | Posted by Unknown | Edit Post

Monday, June 21, 2010
CAPE TOWN: A merciless Portugal tore North Korea to shreds in a 7-0 rout on Monday, putting them within reach of the knockout rounds and eliminating the Asian nation from the World Cup.

With Brazil already qualified from Group G, Portugal now have four points to Ivory Coast's one, leaving Didier Drogba's team with only an outside chance of making the round of 16.

North Korea have lost both their games and will head home after their last match against the Africans.

A Raul Meireles strike put Portugal in front with the Porto midfielder pouncing in the 29th minute. But it wasn't all one-way traffic, with North Korea creating their own chances as they powered forward on the
counter-attack.

The game changed though with three quick second-half goals from Simao, Hugo Almeida and Tiago that left North Korea shellshocked before substitute Liedson banged in the fifth.

Captain Cristiano Ronaldo got the sixth, ending his two-year international goal drought, before Tiago made it seven.

North Korean coach Kim Jong Hun took responsibility for their collapse.

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz made four changes to the team that drew 0-0 with Ivory Coast, with Tiago replacing the injured Deco and Simao, Almeida and Miguel in for Danny, Liedson and Paulo Ferreira.

The revamped team started brightly on a slippery pitch after persistent rain.

Ronaldo signalled his intentions by unleashing a long-range strike on two minutes that goalkeeper Ri Myong-Guk did well to collect.

Ricardo Carvalho also had an early chance, rattling the post with a header, as Portugal set about their task with vigour.

The opportunities were coming thick and fast as Portugal used wingers Simao on the right and Ronaldo on the left effectively

North Korea finally got a shot at goal on 10 minutes with defender Cha Jong-Hyok whipping a 30 yard piledriver just past the upright.

As the rain returned, the Koreans were starting to look handy and far more aggressive than when they lost 2-1 to Brazil, surging forward to threaten the Portgual goal.

The Cholima were certainly not intimidated and could have taken a shock lead when captain Hong Yong-Jo's shot was parried by Eduardo, only for Mun In-Guk to head the rebound over the bar.

The Portuguese came out after the break pushing hard for the second goal which inevitably came on 53 minutes with Meireles slicing open the Korean defence with a pass to Athletic Madrid's Simao who slotted the ball past Ri.

North Korea were in disarray and let their guard down again three minutes later when Fabio Coentrao beat his man on the left and sent a lovely cross to Hugo Almeida who made no mistake with a powerful header.

Portugal were rampant and the fourth goal came soon after when Ronaldo picked out Tiago in the box and he clinically side-footed home before Liedson volleyed in the fifth with nine minutes left.

Ronaldo made the most of a lucky bobble to get the sixth in the 87th minute before Tiago rubbed salt in the Korean wounds with a late deft header.
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Three matches in FIFA world cup today

8:26 PM | Posted by Unknown | Edit Post

Monday, June 21, 2010
JOHANNESBURG: Three matches will be played in FIFA World Cup today (Monday).

In the first match, two teams of Group G Portugal and North Korea will play against each other in Johannesburg. The match will begin at 4:30 pm Pakistan Time.

In Group H, Chile to face Switzerland in Port Elizabeth at 7: 00 pm Pakistan whereas last match of the day will be played between European champion Spain and Honduras at 11:30 PST. Spain should win today’s match to stay in the tournament.
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Dhoni plays down talk of ‘payback’ win

8:26 PM | Posted by Unknown | Edit Post

Monday, June 21, 2010
DAMBULLA: M S Dhoni, the Indian captain, has played down talk of India’s nail-biting win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup being a “payback” for their defeat at the hands of the same opponents in the Champions Trophy last year.

“Payback, I don’t think too much about that. I think about the present and we put in a team performance,” Dhoni said. Tempers flared during the contest with Gambhir being involved in a heated exchange with Kamran Akmal, and Harbhajan squaring off with Shoaib Akhtar.

Dhoni, however, didn’t give the incidents too much importance. “If you ask me if it (sledging) happened or not, I would say let us leave it. India-Pakistan games are always intense with both wanting to win and so there is bound to be some spark in the middle.” Dhoni also denied sledging had anything to do with Gambhir’s dismissal, bowled by Saeed Ajmal.
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