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gadgetsrevv · 5 years ago

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European Qualifiers: What to watch out for this week – European Qualifiers

Germany-Netherlands IV

“Football in its purest form,” Franz Beckenbauer says of games between these great rivals. Three meetings over the past 12 months have lived up to the billing, delivering 12 goals, seesawing fortunes and thrilling finishes – all featured last-minute goals! The Netherlands had the edge in the UEFA Nations League, relegating their neighbours in the process, but it was first blood Germany in EURO 2020 qualifying. Another win in Hamburg would reassert German ascendancy and, with Northern Ireland yet to drop a point in Group C, dent Oranje hopes.

Friday: Germany v Netherlands, Estonia v Belarus Monday: Northern Ireland v Germany, Estonia v Netherlands

And the qualifying top scorer is …

Zahavi inspires Israel against Austria

Eran Zahavi’s international career looked to be over two years ago after he quit in the wake of a very public row with Israel fans. Andi Herzog made convincing the striker to change his mind top priority when he took the reins last summer and the Austrian’s endeavours have not gone unrewarded. Seven goals in four qualifiers, including back-to-back hat-tricks against Austria and Latvia, is some return even for a player who has managed almost a goal per game in four seasons in China. Israel fans have let bygones be bygones.

Thursday: Israel v North Macedonia Friday: Slovenia v Poland, Austria v Latvia Monday: Poland v Austria, Slovenia v Israel, Latvia v North Macedonia

Portugal running out of room

How Portugal won Nations League

“These matches are decisive,” reckons coach Fernando Santos. “I want to qualify directly, in first place. We’ve reached a point where we have to win the remaining games.” Bearing in mind Portugal have only played two qualifiers, this sounds a bit alarmist, but there’s no room for complacency after a pair of draws. Unbeaten Ukraine have a handsome lead in Group B and if Portugal slip up in Serbia on Saturday they could soon find themselves adrift of the top two.

Saturday: Lithuania v Ukraine, Serbia v Portugal Tuesday: Lithuania v Portugal, Luxembourg v Serbia

Can Iceland do it again?

Highlights: Iceland 2-1 Turkey

Erik Hamrén is into his second year as Iceland boss and, after initially struggling to arrest a slide that saw a run of 15 games without a win, things are beginning to fall in place. June’s victory against Turkey was an important signpost (as it was in UEFA EURO 2016 and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying) and Group H is shaping up to be a three-way battle between the pair and France. Three into two doesn’t go, though, and Iceland cannot afford any missteps this week.

Saturday: Iceland v Moldova, France v Albania, Turkey v Andorra Tuesday: France v Andorra, Albania v Iceland, Moldova v Turkey

Pukki leads Finland charge

Highlights: Finland 2-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Teemu Pukki has hit the ground running in the Premier League, five goals in four games earning him the player of the month award for August. But can he do it on a lukewarm night in Tampere? We already know the answer (just ask Bosnia and Herzegovina), and his form is raising hopes that 2020 will finally be the year Finland make their major finals bow. This week could be pivotal, and a repeat of last year’s 2-0 win against Greece could help establish a six-point cushion over third spot.

Thursday: Armenia v Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina v Liechtenstein, Finland v Greece Sunday: Armenia v Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland v Italy, Greece v Liechtenstein

England playing the long game

Highlights: Montenegro 1-5 England

“We only have eight matches before I name the squad for the European Championship,” England manager Gareth Southgate said, giving a nod to Mr Freud as he explained the infusion of youth and new faces in his squad. The approach betrays a new-found confidence for the Three Lions. England haven’t lost a major tournament qualifier for nearly a decade so can afford to take a long-term approach and boost competition for places.

Saturday: Kosovo v Czech Republic, England v Bulgaria Tuesday: England v Kosovo, Montenegro v Czech Republic

Can Slovakia steal a march?

Highlights: Slovakia 2-0 Hungary

Group E is perhaps the most competitive of all ten sections. Four of the five teams graced UEFA EURO 2016 and, not even halfway through 2020 qualifying, all have lost at least once. This week could be defining and Slovakia take centre stage, hosting Croatia before a trip to Hungary. Away form has been their Achilles heel, with a solitary win against European opposition outside of Trnava in two years.

Friday: Slovakia v Croatia, Wales v Azerbaijan Monday: Azerbaijan v Croatia, Hungary v Slovakia

Romania on the rise

Highlights: Norway 3-3 Sweden

Spain are odds on for a 14th successive major finals appearance (second only to Germany in Europe) after four wins out of four, but the race to join them is anyone’s guess. Sweden and Norway have ambitions, and watch out for their rematch after March’s six-goal thriller, but what about Romania? Cosmin Contra’s side have lost just once in 14 games and this summer’s run to the U21 EURO semis showed that talent runs deep. Ianis Hagi, a star in Italy, makes the step up.

Thursday: Romania v Spain, Norway v Malta, Faroe Islands v Sweden Sunday: Romania v Malta, Sweden v Norway, Spain v Faroe Islands

Shaqiri leaves hole in Swiss squad

Highlights: Switzerland 3-3 Denmark

Xherdan Shaqiri’s decision to take a break from international football and focus on his career at Liverpool has dominated the build-up to Switzerland’s matches against the Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar. Swiss coach Vladimir Petković says the talisman has earned some leeway but suddenly his side carry less menace and Ireland sense an opportunity to firmly establish themselves at the top of Group D.

Thursday: Republic of Ireland v Switzerland, Gibraltar v Denmark Sunday: Switzerland v Gibraltar, Georgia v Denmark

No time like present for Scotland

Highlights: Belgium 3-0 Scotland

“The Russia game is a must win and a must not lose,” Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay says of Scotland’s next task. Russia are three points above Scotland after four games and, as well as they performed before going down 3-0 to Belgium in June, Steve Clarke’s side need a result to kick-start their bid to end a 22-year wait to play at a major tournament. Until they do, the spectre of their opening-day loss in Kazakhstan will haunt them.

Friday: San Marino v Belgium, Scotland v Russia, Cyprus v Kazakhstan Monday: Scotland v Belgium, Russia v Kazakhstan, San Marino v Cyprus

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years ago

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FA Cup first round: Haringey Borough eye AFC Wimbledon giant-killing

FA Cup first round: Haringey Borough v AFC Wimbledon Venue: Coles Park, Tottenham Date: Friday 9 November Kick-off: 19:55 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC Two, the BBC Sport website and app, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website

They are one of only a few clubs in the top seven tiers of English football to hand out free season tickets, they have a midfielder who has played against Luka Modric, and five years ago they attracted a crowd of just 17 (seventeen) to a league match.

On Friday, Haringey Borough will host a club record crowd of around 2,500 as the non-league team look to spring an FA Cup first-round shock by knocking out AFC Wimbledon, who play four leagues above them, in a match to be shown live on BBC Two.

Located on White Hart Lane, just over a mile from where Tottenham’s booming 62,000-seater stadium is taking shape, Borough’s Coles Park ground has a main stand with 270 seats.

The only team surviving from August’s preliminary round, Haringey have already created club history by reaching this stage for the first time.

Haringey v Wimbledon tie to be shown live on BBC[1]

FA Cup first round draw[2]

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Their run includes a 97th-minute winner at Brentwood Town in the first qualifying round and coming from behind in three of their five games. In doing so, the Isthmian League Premier Division club have earned £57,890 in prize money – a huge amount for a part-time club who cannot afford to pay a wage to all their players.

“We’ve got a few contracted players – the rest are on expenses which covers things like petrol money and buying a pair of boots,” said Tom Loizou, in his 11th season as Haringey manager.

“Even the contracted players are on a bare minimum when it comes to wages.”

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‘One of the fastest growing fanbases in the country’

On 26 February 2013, Haringey entertained Biggleswade United in the ninth-tier Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division. There were more players on the pitch than people who paid to watch.

Having spent around £1m on ground improvements, including a new 3G pitch, Borough took the bold decision to give away free season tickets in the summer of 2016 – despite requiring £140,000 a year to keep going.

“We’d spent all this money on a new stadium and had nobody to watch us,” Aki Achillea, a criminal defence solicitor and chairman of Haringey for the past 14 years, said. “I banked on the fact anyone with a free season ticket might buy food and drink.”

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The giveaway has been such a success that it remains in place today. Borough’s average league attendance has jumped from 58 in 2015-16 to 262 this season, and manager Tom Loizou said: “We have one of the fastest growing fanbases in the country.”

With little in the way of gate receipts, however, Haringey have had to be resourceful in terms of raising income.

The club receive a rent for hosting a car boot sale three times a week, while finances are also boosted by hiring out their £500,000 synthetic pitch during the week.

“A few years ago we couldn’t even get a sponsor, people just laughed at us,” 58-year-old Loizou, a former Leyton Orient caretaker manager, added.

“Now we’ve got a van hire company who are in White Hart Lane. Instead of cash, they have given us a mini bus to get the team to away games. We can’t afford a coach to every away match.”

The man who faced Modric

Four years ago Georgios Aresti was rubbing shoulders with the likes of Modric, Mario Mandzukic and Dejan Lovren.

The central midfielder, born in Limassol, made his one and only start for Cyprus in a 2-0 friendly defeat in Croatia in September 2014.

Four months earlier he had come up against then-Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa when he appeared as a substitute against Japan in front of 58,000 in Saitama.

Aged 24, Aresti is a veteran of almost 100 top-flight Cypriot games – including 43 at Ethnikos Achnas where he was on a £40,000-a-year contract – and joined Haringey towards the end of last season before re-signing in July after a trial at Barnet ended without an offer.

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Desperate to earn a living playing professionally in England, the former AEK Athens player hopes his performances for Haringey, where he picks up around £100 a game, will lead to greater things.

In September, 18-year-old Haringey defender Themis Kefalas signed a one-year deal with Championship club Queens Park Rangers,[3] and Aresti hopes to follow a similar path.

“I want to progress my career and I think I can do it,” said Aresti, who scored in the 3-2 win at Brentwood Town in the first qualifying round. “Haringey is a small club in a small league but there are lots of scouts that come to our games.”

Despite only being at Haringey for a short time, Aresti has already established himself as a cult figure with fans.

“He makes goals and sees things other players at this level can’t see,” added Achillea. “Our fans love him and sing ‘George Aresti is a gift from the Gods’ at games.”

Achillea, too, is popular with Borough fans. One banner reads “The People’s Republic of Haringey Borough. Vote Aki Achillea Prime Minister!”

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Injured trying to empty a bin

Haringey’s team also includes Michael O’Donoghue, a 22-year-old defender who has played in League One for Colchester United, midfielder Rakim Richards, who works for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation[4] and Michael Ademiluyi, a former Southend United youth forward who has recently worked in security at The Oval cricket ground.

Meanwhile, Portuguese midfielder Jorge Sambu is hoping to make an impression against Wimbledon after recovering from a work injury.

The 27-year-old refuse collector for Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council missed the start of the season after damaging his knee while trying to empty a bin.

How Haringey got the FA Cup first round Preliminary round: H v Stanway Rovers 1-0 – Chinedu McKenzie First qualifying round: A v Brentwood Town 3-2 – Georgios Aresti, Chinedu McKenzie, Karl Akinwande Second qualifying round: H v Erith Town 2-0 – Joel Nouble (pen), Chinedu McKenzie Third qualifying round: H v AFC Sudbury 2-1 – Chinedu McKenzie (2) Fourth qualifying round: H v Poole Town 2-1 – Jorge Sambu, Joel Nouble

“My knee just gave way and I only started playing again last month,” said Lisbon-born Sambu, who is in his fifth season at Haringey.

“I came to London to live with my mum at the age of 14. At first I used to beg her to go back to Portugal but she said it’s a better life for us here. I love London now.

“I’ve had two promotions with Haringey and I’ve had an offer to sign for a team in a better division this year.

“I chose to stay at Haringey because I don’t think I will find another team like this. We’re a very close-knit group and we look after one another.”

‘We’re the only team in White Hart Lane’

Above the bar in Haringey’s six-year-old clubhouse is a sign that reads ‘White Hart Lane N17’.

It was paid for by Loizou, who says: “There’s only one senior club on White Hart Lane – and it’s not Spurs. Their official address is High Road, Tottenham.”

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Achillea has been a Tottenham season ticket holder for 30 years and travelled to the Netherlands in October to watch them against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

One of his ambitions is to get Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino down to watch Haringey. Another is to see Tottenham Hotspur Ladies, who currently play in Cheshunt, groundshare at Coles Park.

“Spurs Ladies playing on White Hart Lane would be fantastic,” he said.

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Borough have a women’s team of their own. Long-serving Haringey secretary John Bacon often acts as an assistant referee at their home matches in the Eastern Region Women’s Premier Division[5] – at the age of 80.

Haringey’s Brit Award winners

Former Haringey players include Ricky Otto,[6] later a Birmingham City winger, and Leon Rolle – also known as DJ Locksmith.

Rolle, who was Borough captain, Kesi Dryden and Piers Aggett were all registered with Haringey before helping launch Rudimental, the drum and bass band who won British single of the year at the 2014 Brits.[7]

“When I first took over they were in the process of forming a band and playing football for us,” added Loizou.

“They weren’t famous at the time and I didn’t take a lot of notice of them. It’s not my kind of music. If it had been Frank Sinatra playing centre-half it would have been very different!”

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Meanwhile, British singer-songwriter Emeli Sande[8] turned up in 2015 to watch Haringey win promotion from the Essex Senior League and even wrote a message on Facebook[9] after her visit to Coles Park.

Eight years ago, Ben Corbyn, son of Labour leader Jeremy, managed Haringey Borough’s under-18 team.

References

^ Haringey v Wimbledon tie to be shown live on BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ FA Cup first round draw (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ one-year deal with Championship club Queens Park Rangers, (www.qpr.co.uk)

^ Tottenham Hotspur Foundation (www.tottenhamhotspur.com)

^ Eastern Region Women’s Premier Division (fulltime-league.thefa.com)

^ Ricky Otto, (www.bcfc.com)

^ British single of the year at the 2014 Brits. (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Emeli Sande (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ wrote a message on Facebook (www.facebook.com)

BBC Sport – Football

FA Cup first round: Haringey Borough eye AFC Wimbledon giant-killing was originally published on 365 Football

#Borough #first #giantkilling #Haringey #Round #Wimbledon

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netunleashed-blog · 6 years ago

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World Cup 2018: France beat Croatia 4-2 in World Cup final

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=7740 World Cup 2018: France beat Croatia 4-2 in World Cup final - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=7740 World Cup 2018: France 4-2 Croatia highlights France won the Fifa World Cup for the second time by overcoming Croatia's bold challenge in a thrilling final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.Didier Deschamps' side repeated the success on home soil at France '98 by a victory margin that hardly looked possible as Croatia stood toe-to-toe with the favourites for an hour.Croatia also felt their luck deserted them, but ultimately France ran out victorious to erase the memories of the loss to Portugal in the Euro 2016 final in Paris.In one of the most exciting World Cup finals of the modern era, played out to a soundtrack of thunder, Croatia and France delivered an enthralling spectacle that brought the highest goal tally in a final since 1966, a pitch invasion, and a controversial intervention from the video assistant referee that had a huge influence on the outcome.France took the lead after 18 minutes when Antoine Griezmann's free-kick deflected in off Mario Mandzukic's head - but Croatia were by far the better side in the first half and deservedly equalised courtesy of Ivan Perisic's left-foot finish.Croatia were left nursing a burning sense of injustice when France restored their lead seven minutes before half-time through Griezmann's penalty, awarded by referee Nestor Pitana for handball against Perisic after a lengthy delay while VAR was consulted.In a compelling second half, France looked to have wrapped it up with two strikes in six minutes from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe either side of the hour mark.Croatia, however, showed unbreakable spirit and even threatened a comeback when Mandzukic took advantage of France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris hesitating over a clearance to pull a goal back.But France closed out the win to bring redemption for Deschamps after defeat at the Euros two years ago, sparking wild celebrations and ensuring Lloris lifted the World Cup.Quality and luck - a deadly combinationFrance are the team for all seasons - possessing an all-round quality that has carried them to this World Cup triumph.When that is added to an element of good fortune, it can prove a deadly combination.Croatia will complain bitterly that Griezmann went down theatrically for the free-kick that led to Mandzukic's own goal, and they will also feel Perisic's handball was not clear-cut enough for VAR to make that decisive intervention just before half-time.What is not in doubt, however, is the sheer quality this France side possesses, a potent attack the spearhead for a strong midfield and outstanding defence.When Croatia threatened to come back once more early in the second half, Pogba and Mbappe's strikes from the edge of the area past the static Danijel Subasic - who still looked less than fully fit after injuring a hamstring in the quarter-final against Russia - proved the defining passage of this final.France celebrated joyously at the final whistle after claiming the sport's greatest trophy once more, with Deschamps - the coach whose conservative methods have often brought criticism - tossed high into the air by his players.Croatia's pride and passionCroatia return home as beaten World Cup finalists but their approach to this match will have won the hearts of neutrals and earned them a prolonged standing ovation from their fans at the final whistle.Zlatko Dalic's side were the better team for the first hour despite trailing, and were pushing France back when they were hit by those two swift hammer blows from Pogba and Mbappe.Croatia had done it the hard way to reach this final, winning on penalties in the last 16 and quarter-final against Denmark and hosts Russia respectively before requiring extra time to beat England in the semi-final.Yet they showed no signs of tiredness as they tore into France from the first whistle, and even when the game looked out of reach they never once let their heads drop, threatening an unlikely comeback when Mandzukic cashed in on Lloris' error.It was not to be but world-class midfielder Luka Modric has illuminated this World Cup, while the energy, commitment and threat of Perisic stood out here.Croatia's footballers and their coach will return home as national heroes - a status they fully deserve after their contribution to this spectacular World Cup and their all-out approach to this final.How the goals were scored World Cup 2018: Own goal from Croatia's Mario Mandzukic give France early lead World Cup 2018: Ivan Perisic fires Croatia level against France in the final World Cup 2018: Antoine Griezmann tucks away controversial VAR penalty World Cup 2018: Paul Pogba's curling shot puts France 3-1 up against Croatia World Cup 2018: Kylian Mbappe goal stretches lead World Cup 2018: Howler from France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris gives Croatia lifeline First PL player to score in final since '98 - the statsDeschamps is the third person to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager, after Brazil's Mario Zagallo and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer.France became the first team to score four goals in a World Cup final since Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in 1970.Croatia are the first team to lose in their first appearance in a World Cup final since the Netherlands in 1974 (2-1 v Germany).Mandzukic is the first player to score an own goal in a World Cup final.Mbappe (19 years 207 days) is the second youngest player to score in a World Cup final, after Pele for Brazil in 1958 (17 years 249 days).Griezmann has scored 10 goals for France in major tournaments - only three players have scored more for Les Bleus (Michel Platini - 14, Just Fontaine - 13, Thierry Henry - 12).Perisic has been directly involved in 11 goals at major tournaments (7 goals, 4 assists), more than any other Croatia player.Perisic became only the second player to both score a goal, and concede a penalty in a World Cup final, after Marco Materazzi for Italy in 2006.Pogba became the first Manchester United player to score in a World Cup final, and the first Premier League player to do so since Emmanuel Petit in 1998.Pogba's goal for France was the first scored from outside the box in a World Cup final since Marco Tardelli for Italy v Germany in 1982.Mandzukic is only the second player in World Cup history to score a goal and an own goal in the same match, after the Netherlands' Ernie Brandts against Italy in 1978.Mandzukic became the fifth player to score in both World Cup and European Cup/Champions League finals after Ferenc Puskas, Zoltan Czibor, Gerd Muller and Zinedine Zidane.More to follow. 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latestnews2018-blog · 6 years ago

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A World Cup Bandwagoner's Guide To Mexico, America's Team

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/a-world-cup-bandwagoners-guide-to-mexico-americas-team/

A World Cup Bandwagoner's Guide To Mexico, America's Team

America’s most popular soccer team kicks off its World Cup campaign on Sunday morning against defending champion Germany. Not the United States men’s national soccer team, which crapped out during qualifiers, but Mexico. El Tri, as the team is colloquially known. The choice of discerning yanqui bandwagoners everywhere.

What follows is a very quick guide for new arrivals. Learn all about the team you have just now decided to love unconditionally for the next few weeks.

Few international soccer teams have been as consistent as Mexico over the past three decades ― in ways both good and bad. El Tri has progressed past the World Cup’s initial group stage in six consecutive tournaments. But each time, Mexico has lost its first game of the tournament’s knockout stages, often in brutal fashion. In 2014, Mexico fell to The Netherlands in the round of 16 thanks to a last-minute, dubiously awarded penalty, and the repeated heartbreaks have become known as Mexico’s “curse of the fifth game.”

Mexico ended World Cup qualifying in prime position to put that curse to bed. The team topped the final qualifying group for the North and Central American region, winning six of its 10 matches and losing just once. It was a run that included El Tri’s first World Cup qualifying victory in the United States since 1972.

Mexico’s draw into Group F doesn’t leave this team much room for error if it hopes to continue its streak of success in the group stage. Germany is never a welcome sight in a World Cup group, and it’s tough to imagine Mexico taking points off the Germans on Sunday. But things should get easier next week, when El Tri faces one of the tournament’s lower-ranked teams in South Korea.

Avoid disaster there, and Mexico’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage will almost certainly come down to its match on June 27 against Sweden, which sits behind Mexico in FIFA’s rankings but is considered a slight favorite to finish second in the group, according to FiveThirtyEight’s projections.

5 Players To Watch

USA Today Sports/Reuters

Hirving “Chucky” Lozano scored 19 goals for his club team this season, and enters the World Cup as a candidate to become one of its breakout stars.

Hirving Lozano: It’s almost impossible to predict how coach Juan Carlos Osorio will line Mexico up on any given day ― he ran out a different lineup in each of the first 46 games he managed ― but it seems a safe bet that 22-year-old Lozano will be on the pitch. The winger El Tri fans know affectionately as “Chucky” was probably Mexico’s best player of any age over the past year, when he bagged 19 goals in 34 appearances for his Dutch club, PSV Eindhoven. Lozano has seven goals for El Tri since Osorio handed him his national team debut in 2016; now, he’s a candidate to become one of this World Cup’s breakout stars.

Javier “Chicharito” Hernández: Chicharito is Mexico’s all-time leading scorer, with 49 tallies in 102 career appearances for El Tri. This is his third World Cup, and he’s spent Mexico’s tune-up matches fighting to gain Osorio’s trust as the starting striker. The 30-year-old had a fair but not earth-shattering year in the English Premier League, notching eight goals in 28 appearances for West Ham United. Look for him in his favorite spot: heading home a goal from the back post.

Carlos Vela and Jesús Corona: Osorio will have a choice to make on the wing opposite Lozano, but he’ll likely rely on both Vela and Corona during the group stage. Vela, 29, is back with El Tri after missing the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. And the former Arsenal prospect is back in form, too: Vela scored seven goals in 12 matches for Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club before reporting for national team duty.

Corona struggled a bit this season at FC Porto in Portugal, though it’s hard to hold that against him ― the entire club is in disarray. Still, the 25-year-old winger known as “Tecatito” is looking to replicate the breakout he had on the international stage two summers ago, when he turned in a series of sparkling performances at the Gold Cup and Copa America.

Andrés Guardado: Guardado has 147 appearances for El Tri, more than all but three players in Mexico’s history. At 31, this is probably the last World Cup for the man who plays his club soccer for Spain’s Real Betis. How he pairs with Héctor Herrera, Miguel Layún or whomever else Osorio puts in the midfield with him could determine Mexico’s fate, especially against a German squad laden with superstars that like to dominate the middle of the park.

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Hernández has scored three career World Cup goals and would become Mexico’s all-time leading World Cup scorer if he finds the net twice in Russia.

Hernández knows all about Mexico’s World Cup curse: His father, Chícharo, was a member of the 1986 team that made the quarterfinals. Hernández has had an odd World Cup career. He’s one of Mexico’s biggest stars, yet has started just one match for El Tri across two World Cups. He has made eight total appearances and scored three times at those tournaments, though, and has a knack for big goals.

He scored Mexico’s opening goal in a 2-0 defeat of France in South Africa in 2010, then sealed El Tri’s crucial group stage victory over Croatia with a late goal in Brazil. If Chicharito scores twice in Russia, he’d become Mexico’s all-time leading World Cup scorer ― and he might have to if El Tri hopes to advance.

Paul Hanna/Reuters

Rafael Márquez is back for his fifth World Cup appearance.

At age 39, Rafael Márquez could become just the third player ever to appear in five separate World Cups, should he make it onto the field during the tournament. Márquez, who’s played twice as many World Cup matches as any other Mexican player, would also become the oldest player to ever appear for El Tri at the tournament.

On the flip side, 20-year-old Edson Álvarez gives Osorio an option on the other end of the age spectrum. Álvarez is capable of playing in both the midfield and defense, and that versatility could make him an appealing option in the wake of an injury that will force defender Diego Alves to sit out the World Cup.

The Schedule

Sunday, June 17: vs. Germany, in Moscow

Saturday, June 23: vs. South Korea, in Rostov

Wednesday, June 27: vs. Sweden, in Ekaterinburg

The Outlook

Reuters

Andrés Guardado and Mexico lost a last-minute heartbreaker to The Nethlerlands at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, extending their streak of knockout round losses to six.

Mexico isn’t necessarily riding high into this tournament, and the team faces a tough group draw, to boot. But that’s been the case before: Four years ago, El Tri needed a last-minute qualifying goal from the United States just to get into the World Cup, then found itself drawn into a similarly daunting group with a pre-tournament favorite. Still, the team found a way to advance.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Mexico do that again, but El Tri is going to need some good fortune to break the quarterfinal curse. If it finishes second to Germany in Group F, Mexico would almost certainly face Brazil ― the odds-on favorite to win the World Cup ― in the round of 16. That feels like too tough of a task for this squad.

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years ago

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No Ronaldo but Scotland still face a formidable Portugal force

International friendly: Scotland v Portugal Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Sunday, 14 October Kick-off: 17:00 Coverage: Live coverage on BBC Radio Scotland & online

It had been a long time coming.

While Scotland daydream about a place at a major finals, Portugal’s ambition was on a different stratosphere.

A nation that doesn’t just want to participate in World Cups and European Championships, it wants to win them.

10 July 2016: the date they finally achieved greatness.

The critics of the expanded Euro 2016 felt it was a bloated tournament with too many teams and a lack of excitement.

Quartet withdraw from Scotland squad[1]

Pick your Scotland team to face Portugal[2]

Was Haifa defeat worst for Scotland fans?[3]

Therefore, those same critics callously called the Portuguese fitting winners due to the style that head coach Fernando Santos employed to guide them to the Henri Delaunay trophy.

Words such as “dour “and “boring” were used by some to describe the defensive tactics that saw off Croatia, Poland and Wales before they broke French hearts in their own backyard in the Stade de France final.

They didn’t win a group match and only once was an opponent dispatched in 90 minutes.

But you couldn’t blame the Portuguese for pointing to some poetic justice given Greece did to them 12 years previously in Lisbon what they did to Didier Deschamps’ recently crowned World Cup winners in Paris.

And it would not be a surprise if Santos’ side give themselves the opportunity to defend their title when the Euro 2020 final at Wembley comes around.

What is Portugal’s form like?

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Portugal’s hopes of repeating Iberian neighbours Spain’s European Championship and World Cup double were extinguished by an Edinson Cavani-inspired Uruguay at this year’s tournament in Russia at the first knock-out hurdle.

However, they have reacted in perfect fashion to that by beginning their Nations League campaign with victories over Italy and Poland.

They have only tasted defeat five times since they won Euro 2016 and one of those was on penalties in the Confederations Cup semi-final against Chile last summer.

They also tend to score, with only Belgium and the Netherlands shutting them out in their last 19 games.

Their 100% start to the Nations League has been achieved despite the high-profile absence of their talismanic captain, Cristiano Ronaldoamid allegations of rape.[4]

Ronaldo’s unavailability, as well as Joao Moutinho and fellow midfielder Ricardo Queresma’s exclusion from the squad, has in-part allowed youngsters to break through.

Santos took a fresh-looking squad to the World Cup with Euro 2016 winners such as Nani, Barcelona’s on loan Everton midfielder, Andre Gomes, and young player of the tournament Renato Sanches, of Bayern Munich, all left out, although the latter is back in the mix.

Defender Pepe and Manchester City winger Bernardo Silva, who both started against the Poles, have been excused duty at Hampden.

Who are the players to watch?

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Joao Cancelo

Ronaldo’s headline move to Juventus in the summer allowed Cancelo to make a lower-profile switch to the Italian champions from Valencia. The 24-year-old right wing-back was signed for around ��40m and has a big future in the national team.

Ruben Neves

One of eight Portuguese to star at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League, Neves’ outstanding pass set up an own goal against the Poles and the 21-year-old midfielder is undoubtedly one of the first names on the team-sheet for his club.

Andre Silva

The Sevilla striker has a superb strike rate for his country with 14 goals in his 29 appearances. The 22-year-old has scored nine for club and country this season and is looking to find the net in his third successive international if he lines up at Hampden.

My Scotland team to face Portugal

Select formationConfirm team

References

^ Quartet withdraw from Scotland squad (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Pick your Scotland team to face Portugal (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Was Haifa defeat worst for Scotland fans? (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ amid allegations of rape. (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Scottish

No Ronaldo but Scotland still face a formidable Portugal force was originally published on 365 Football

#face #force #Formidable #Portugal #Ronaldo #Scotland #still

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