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Dutch trio sidelined
24 April 2006, by Reuters
Dutch
international midfielder Hedwiges Maduro will be sidelined for two to four
weeks, his club Ajax Amsterdam said on Monday.
Maduro, named last week in Marco van Basten's provisional 33-man squad for the
FIFA World Cup™ finals, sustained an ankle injury during Ajax's 4-2 win over
Feyenoord on Sunday.
Fellow squad midfielders Rafael van der Vaart (ankle) and Nigel de Jong (knee)
will have surgery this week, their club SV Hamburg said.
Liverpool's Gerrard named player of the year
23 April 2006, by Reuters
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard was named the Professional Footballers'
Association (PFA) Player of the Year on Sunday.
The award capped a fine weekend for Gerrard after Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 on
Saturday to reach the FA Cup final. Last year the award went to Chelsea captain
John Terry. Arsenal's Thierry Henry won in 2003 and 2004.
Manchester United's Wayne Rooney won the Young Player of the Year award for a
second time on Sunday.
Beckham too weak to captain England, warns Robson
23 April 2006, by AFP
West
Brom manager and former England captain Bryan Robson claimed on Sunday that Real
Madrid star David Beckham is too weak to captain the national side and should be
replaced for the FIFA World Cup™.
Robson believes that 30-year-old Beckham is not a natural leader and that
Chelsea's John Terry or Liverpool's Steven Gerrard would do a better job. In his
autobiography serialised in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, Robson said: "As for
the England captaincy, David Beckham would not have been my choice.
"He hasn't done a bad job and he has matured, but he's not a natural leader on
the pitch. Steven Gerrard and John Terry are more natural leaders and have the
aggression that most managers like in a captain.
"To my mind, Terry, who is also the Chelsea skipper, has probably edged ahead of
Gerrard as the best choice. He leads by example, is an excellent organiser and
has the presence that everyone in the team will respect. He also scores goals
which is a great bonus for a defender."
Robson also believes an Englishman should be appointed to manage the national
team following the departure of Sven-Goran Eriksson. "I would have no great
objection to the appointment of a foreign manager if we had no Englishman good
enough to do the job of managing the national team, but I believe we have
coaches who are more than capable.
"You don't get too many leading football nations who employ a foreign manager
and the FA's decision (to appoint Eriksson) was a bit of a slap in the face of
our lads. As well as Sam Allardyce, we have Alan Curbishley, Steve Bruce, Steve
McClaren and Stuart Pearce. Hopefully, one of them will get a chance
eventually."
Brazil's former coach Santana dies at 74
21 April 2006, by Reuters
Tele
Santana, one of Brazil's greatest coaches, died on Friday aged 74 in a Belo
Horizonte hospital where he had been in intensive care for an intestinal
infection since 25 March, the hospital said.
Santana, who led Brazil at the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups™ and won the
Libertadores Cup twice in a row with Sao Paulo, was widely respected for his
sense of fair play and his refusal to use rough-arm tactics.
"Football is art, it's enjoyment and it's not about hoofing the ball upfield,"
he said. "I'd rather lose the game than tell my team to foul, kick the opponents
or win with an illegitimate goal."
Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva led the tributes. "Tele always
maintained that football should be played elegantly, skilfully and with respect
for the opposition," he said in a statement, adding that artistic football
practised by the "master" would inspire future generations.
Brazil captain Cafu, who played under Santana in the early days of his career at
Sao Paulo, also paid tribute to him. "He was a great man, a great friend and a
father-like figure, who kept giving us great advice," said Cafu, who become the
first player to appear in three successive FIFA World Cup finals.
Former Brazil midfielder Rai played in the same Sao Paulo team in the early
1990s and said Santana changed his career. "He represented a watershed in my
career and made me see that I could give a lot more, that I needed ambition to
bring out the best in me," said Rai, the younger brother of 1986 FIFA World Cup
midfielder Socrates.
Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira added: "Tele left a marvellous legacy. He
was an example to be followed, not just as a coach but as a person.
"He was tough when he needed to be but he also knew how to listen to what the
players had to say. He will go down in history as one of the best coaches that
Brazil has had."
Former Brazil winger Renato Portaluppi, axed by Santana for indiscipline shortly
before the squad departed for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, said: "It's a
great loss for football and for Brazil. He was one of the great coaches."
Santana's 1982 FIFA World Cup team, featuring players like Zico, Socrates,
Falcao, Junior and Eder took the game to new heights. But they were surprisingly
knocked out in the second round group stage following a 3-2 defeat by Italy in
one of the most memorable games in the sport's history.
After a brief spell in Saudi Arabia, Santana returned to lead Brazil again four
years later in Mexico where they were beaten by France in a penalty shootout in
the quarter-finals.
He went on to coach a memorable Sao Paulo team in the early 1990s, winning the
South American Libertadores Cup in successive years and the Intercontinental Cup
on each occasion.
He steered Atletico Mineiro to success in the inaugural Brazilian championship
in 1971 - the only time Belo Horizonte's most popular team have been Brazilian
champions - and coached top clubs Fluminense, Flamengo, Palmeiras and Gremio.
He was forced to retire in 1996 following a stroke. Three years ago, Santana had
his left leg amputated below the knee after developing ischemia - a decrease in
blood supply caused by blockage of the blood vessels.
Poles believe they can beat Germany this time
21 April 2006, by Reuters
Three
decades after defeat by West Germany in an epic FIFA World Cup™ semi-final on a
soggy Frankfurt pitch, Poland believe they have their best chance to beat the
one heavyweight side they have never overcome.
In a golden era that yielded two FIFA World Cup third places, the Poles beat
Johann Cruyff's Netherlands, Michel Platini's France, Alf Ramsey's England and
Brazil. They have never beaten Germany, however, and would love to change
history at June's finals.
"The Germans may be favourites for the group but we believe this time we have a
chance," centre-back Tomasz Klos, 33, told Reuters. "We can see they have a new,
young and inexperienced team.
"They are very strong all over the pitch and, like Germans do, they'll fight
from the first minute to the last. But we have a different team to four years
ago. We are hungry for success."
Led by Legia Warsaw hero Kazimierz Deyna, the Poles were the sensation of the
1974 finals, beating Argentina and Italy only to be denied a place in the final
by Franz Beckenbauer's West Germany on a farcically waterlogged pitch.
Many say the match should have been postponed and that Austrian referee Erich
Linemayr's decision to play gave the slower Germans more chance than they would
have had on a dry surface.
In the most famous image of the game - still often shown on Polish television -
Deyna's goal-bound strike was halted by a puddle in the penalty area.
Yet few Poles hold a grudge, preferring to remember a tournament that opened a
golden era for their domestic game. "It's true that it was closer to water polo
than football but the Germans played on the same pitch as we did," said
goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski, famed for the heroics months earlier against England
that put the Poles into the finals.
"I don't bear any grudges. In the middle of communism, that World Cup made Poles
believe we were equals to the best in the world. Before, kids would call
themselves Pele, Cruyff or Moore. After it, they were Deyna, Lato or Szarmach."
Poland's post-war generation grew up deeply suspicious of their western
neighbours, whose World War Two occupation left one-fifth of its 30 million
population dead, millions more homeless or exiled and the capital Warsaw razed
to the ground.
The animosity faded in recent years, however, as thousands went to Germany to
work or study and Berlin backed Poland's European Union (EU) membership
ambitions.
"All our studies show Poles are more and more positive about Germans," said
Stephan Raabe, head of the Warsaw branch of Germany's Konrad Adenauer
Foundation, a research body which encourages international understanding.
"Now that we are together in the EU, more Poles are meeting actual Germans and
the barriers are coming down."
Long before Poland's EU entry in 2004, Germany was the main destination for its
top footballing talent and several of the current squad play for Bundesliga or
Austrian sides.
Jacek Krzynowek drew praise on the wing for Bayer Leverkusen until a leg injury
last year, while Borussia Dortmund's Euzebiusz Smolarek is among the
Bundesliga's top scorers this season with 13 goals.
"Polish players are a known quantity in Germany," said Klos, who spent four
years in the Bundesliga. "We have been going there for years and they know what
we can do. So it is easy for us to fit in. For us the conditions in Germany are
fantastic. I felt good there."
After winning eight out of ten games to qualify behind England in European Group
6, coach Pawel Janas's side are desperate to make amends for an embarrassing
first-round exit in Korea/Japan four years ago.
Then, coach Jerzy Engel tried to pump up his players for the group games with
World War Two film of the Luftwaffe bombing Poland but his team were humiliated
4-0 by Portugal and 2-0 by Korea Republic before a consolation 3-1 win over the
United States.
The current squad have looked good in recent friendlies and were pleased to be
drawn with the Germans, Costa Rica and Ecuador, whom they beat 3-0 in a friendly
late last year.
They were also encouraged by Germany's 4-1 demolition by Italy and criticism of
Jurgen Klinsmann's team and tactics.
Janas, who was a central defender on the team that finished third in the 1982
tournament, said playing Germany would be special but advancing further was more
important.
"The games against Costa Rica and Ecuador have to be just as important," Janas
said in a recent newspaper interview. "Progressing beyond the first stage is our
minimum scenario. We definitely can't afford to concentrate exclusively on the
Germans."
This is Brazil's
summer, says Ronaldinho
19 April 2006, by AFP
Ronaldinho believes
Brazil can live up to their billing as FIFA World Cup™ favourites and defend the
Trophy at this summer's finals in Germany.
Barcelona midfielder Ronaldinho, 26, was part of the Brazil team that lifted the
Cup in 2002 in Yokohama with a 2-0 win over Germany and predicts a sixth world
crown win for the Seleção four years on.
"I think that it will be Brazil's World Cup," Ronaldinho said in an interview
with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. "I don't think about standing out or
being more or less the best. I simply want to do my best so that Brazil will be
the world champions. The most important thing is that Brazil reach the final and
win."
Brazil are the overwhelming favourites to reach the final at Berlin's Olympic
Stadium on 9 July and Ronaldinho admits their three group opponents, Croatia,
Japan and Australia, will need no firing up.
"It will be hard to advance past the first stage because everyone will be aiming
for us," Ronaldinho said. "They will all have a bit of extra motivation."
For Brazil the motivation is appeasing their demanding 174 million football fans
back home but Ronaldinho believes the mixture of new players and past winners
from 2002 could drive the team on.
"Those who won in 2002 know how good it is to win a World Cup and are
motivated," Ronaldinho added. "Those who haven't played in a World Cup have
heard the whole time how great it is to win one."
Brazil's record haul of five FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
makes them the most successful football nation with Italy and Germany the next
best with three FIFA World Cup victories to their name.
Spain arrange friendly against Egypt
18 April 2006, by AFP
Spain
have set up a friendly international against African champions Egypt as part of
their FIFA World Cup™ build-up, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said on
Tuesday.
The match will be played in the eastern city of Elche on 3 June, a week after
another warm-up match against Russia in Albacete and just six days before the
FIFA World Cup starts in Germany.
The RFEF had announced last month that Spain would play Morocco on 3 June in
Elche but they will instead play Egypt who, despite lifting the CAF African Cup
of Nations, failed to qualify for Germany 2006.
Taider's bid to play for Tunisia turned down
17 April 2006, by Reuters
Tunisia's bid to have Toulouse midfielder Nabil Taider available at the FIFA
World Cup™ finals has been turned down by FIFA, the Tunisian Football Federation
said on Monday.
Tunisia had applied for a change of footballing nationality for the French-born
striker, who won caps at junior level for the country of his birth but also
qualifies for Tunisian citizenship through his parents.
Tunisia's application to FIFA has been ruled ineligible because Taider had
already turned 21, the TFF said. The 22-year-old Taider is in his third season
of French Ligue 1 football with Toulouse.
Tunisia are drawn against Saudi Arabia, Spain and Ukraine at the FIFA World Cup
finals in Germany in June.
Rooney in good hands at United says Ferguson
15 April 2006, by Reuters
Wayne
Rooney is being given the best possible guidance for life on and off the pitch
by the coaching staff at Manchester United, says manager Alex Ferguson.
The England striker, who has been in outstanding form for United this season,
was the subject of newspapers stories last weekend alleging that he owed 700,000
pounds in gambling debts.
Ferguson refused to discuss those allegations ahead of Monday's trip to
Tottenham Hotspur but said on Saturday: "With young people you hope they are
getting the proper advice, and that applies to all young players.
"It's always been the same at our club, and I think we've done really well,
handling the young ones that have gone through different stages," Ferguson told
reporters.
"If they don't listen, you know they are going the wrong way. You need young
players with an attentive mind, (knowing) that they trust their coach or their
manager to do the best things for him and give the proper advice, and I think he
(Rooney) gets that here."
Ferguson was speaking after his team were held 0-0 at home by relegated
Sunderland on Friday and virtually lost all hopes of beating Chelsea to the
title when the champions won 2-0 at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
Ferguson also urged England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson to include United defender
Wes Brown in England's squad for the FIFA World Cup™ finals in Germany.
Brown, 26, has not played for England since he won the last of his nine caps on
a tour of the United States last year but he was in England's squad for their
friendly against Uruguay in March.
"We all have our own opinions about national selections, but I would certainly
take him. I've told Sven that," Ferguson said. "He is an outstanding defender.
"(England) have a lot of options. They have Ledley King, (John) Terry, (Jamie)
Carragher, (Rio) Ferdinand and he (Eriksson) has the choice of (Sol) Campbell
and Wes Brown.
"There are a lot of choices there, but as a true, natural defender, Wes Brown is
fantastic."
Brown, plagued by injuries in previous years, has started 26 games for United
this season, returning to the starting line-up after a five-game absence for the
Sunderland match.
Eriksson will name his 23-man squad on 15 May for the FIFA World Cup which
starts on 9 June.
Kahn will play for Germany again, says Bierhoff
15 April 2006, by AFP
Germany's general manager Oliver Bierhoff says goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has not
played his last game for his country and could be awarded a special send-off
game in recognition of his service to the national team.
"I am sure that Oliver Kahn will play another international whatever happens,"
Bierhoff told Kicker magazine. "We no longer have farewell games in
international football but we should give him something fitting."
Kahn won his 84th cap against the United States on 22 March but Germany coach
Jurgen Klinsman has since informed him that he is second choice at this summer's
FIFA World Cup™ behind Arsenal's Jens Lehmann.
Kahn will travel with the squad to provide support but unless Lehmann is
injured, the Bayern Munich man will be on the substitutes' bench and is expected
to retire after the finals.
The 36-year-old Kahn had been Germany's number one goalkeeper since 1998 and was
voted the best player at the 2002 FIFA World Cup after helping his country reach
the final.
Iran to tackle Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina
14 April 2006, by AFP
Iran
will play friendly matches against Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina next month
before heading to their FIFA World Cup™ base in the southern German city of
Friedrichshafen.
Iran's Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic said his team would take on his fellow
countrymen in Zagreb on 28 May followed by a match against Bosnia-Herzegovina at
home in Tehran on 31 May.
"By then we will have played enough warm-up matches and will be ready for the
World Cup," Ivankovich told Iranian state television.
Arranging FIFA World Cup warm-ups has been a problem for Iran, particularly on
home soil, with many international sides apparently reluctant to travel to Iran
amid mounting tensions over the country's disputed nuclear programme.
Iran begin their FIFA World Cup campaign against Mexico in Nuremberg on 11 June
with further Group D games against Portugal and Angola.
Ballack confirms talks with Chelsea
13 April 2006, by Reuters
Germany captain Michael Ballack said on Thursday he was in serious talks with
Chelsea over a move to the English champions from Bayern Munich.
Speaking at a book presentation in Munich, Ballack said he and his agent Michael
Becker had yet to agree a deal with Chelsea but added that he was impressed by
the west London club.
"Nothing has been decided yet and nothing signed but I'm in serious talks with
Chelsea," Ballack told reporters. The 29-year-old said he had thought long and
hard about whether to move abroad or not.
Ballack has spoken directly with Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho. "We've talked,"
Ballack said. "You can assume that I had a good feeling during that
conversation. I have a feeling for myself and I know what I want."
The midfielder's contract at Bayern runs out at the end of the season. He has
rejected a reported offer of 36 million euros ($43.76 million) to sign a new
deal with the German champions.
Ballack's agent had said on Wednesday that they were in advanced negotiations
with Chelsea about a move to London.
Ballack added in Munich on Thursday that he hoped the transfer could be
completed before the FIFA World Cup™ begins on 9 June so that discussions or
speculation about his future would not interfere with Germany's preparations for
the tournament.
"At the age of 29 this is my last chance to make a move abroad," Ballack said.
"Chelsea is a top club that is very strong in the league in England and play
very, very good in international competition."
Ballack admitted that he was annoyed at Bayern Munich executives for recently
questioning his motives and character.
Bayern Munich commercial manager Uli Hoeness told Kicker newspaper on Monday
that he believed Ballack was interested in getting acquainted with a "new
currency" more than a new language or culture.
Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had also questioned Ballack's character
in big matches. "I was a bit irritated by the comments from Uli and Kalle in the
last few weeks," said Ballack.
"You shouldn't make a move because of the money. It's great to earn so much as a
professional football player but money doesn't mean anything when you're going
about your profession day in and day out. The only thing that counts is sport."
Paraguay star Santa Cruz on target for finals
13 April 2006, by AFP
Paraguayan international striker Roque Santa Cruz is on course to be fit for
this summer's FIFA World Cup™ after playing in Bayern Munich's last two matches.
The 24-year-old Santa Cruz sustained a cruciate ligament injury to his right
knee in October last year but has returned to action well ahead of schedule. "I
am delighted to be back playing again. Everything is going faster than I
expected," Santa Cruz told Bayern Munich's website.
"I did not expect to come back so soon. It is getting better day by day and my
confidence is growing so I am not afraid to go into tackles any more."
After five months on the sidelines Santa Cruz made his comeback playing the
final ten minutes of Bayern's 3-0 league defeat at Werder Bremen on Saturday.
The South American star came through that unscathed and played the final two
minutes of Wednesday's 3-0 semi-final cup win over FC St Pauli.
Santa Cruz, contracted at Bayern until June 2009, is aware that the German
champions have a wealth of striking talent and says he is prepared to play
reserve games to get match fitness ahead of the FIFA World Cup finals.
"I want to prove myself in the reserves and these games will help give me the
confidence I need," he said.
Bremen forward Nelson Haedo Valdez and Santa Cruz are the two main stars of a
Paraguay team that hope to upset the formbook in FIFA World Cup Group B.
Paraguay face England in their first group game in Frankfurt on 10 June and then
take on Sweden and outsiders Trindad and Tobago.
German millionaires' paradise prepares to welcome Brazil
13 April 2006, by AFP
FIFA
World Cup™ holders Brazil will plan their campaign for a record sixth title from
an exclusive hotel nestled in wooded hills near Frankfurt.
Brazilian flags have been flying over Koenigstein im Taunus ever since the most
instantly recognisable team in world sport chose the small town 20 kilometres
(13 miles) from Germany's financial capital as its base for the early stages of
this summer's FIFA World Cup.
The Brazilians have booked all 50 rooms at the Kempinski Hotel Falkenstein,
which overlooks an idyllic town of cobbled streets and wood-framed houses where
more than 100 millionaires have made their home.
From early June, there will be at least a dozen more when some of the superstars
of world football unpack their bags at the hotel, where rooms cost between 300
and 999 euros (360 to 1,290 dollars) a night.
The excitement in the pretty town of 18,000 people is palpable, although it is
tinged with concern about a possible influx of noisy football fans hoping to
catch a glimpse of their heroes.
"It's the most important event since Kaiser Wilhelm II came to visit," said
Karl-Gustav Schramm, one of the town officials responsible for the Brazilians'
visit.
Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last emperor of Germany, inaugurated a convalescent home
for high-ranking soldiers in the town in 1909. Almost a century later, the very
same neo-classical building, now converted into one of the few hotels in Europe
to be classified five star plus, will be home to Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and
their team-mates from 5-16 June.
During that time, Brazil play their first match of the tournament, against
Croatia in Berlin on 13 June.
They will then move base to Cologne for their next two matches, although they
will return to the hotel in Koenigstein if they qualify for the quarter-final to
be played in Frankfurt on 1 July.
The hotel staff have already been preparing for weeks for their very special
guests. "We are taking courses, not only in Portuguese, but also to learn about
Brazil as a country and Brazilian customs," said hotel manager Cyrus Heydarian.
One major contrast in mentality is being drummed into the staff. "It's
well-known that Brazilians are more laid-back than Germans," he said.
The town authorities meanwhile have had a new pitch laid at the local stadium,
although it is too small to host Brazil's one public training session. That is
expected to be held at a stadium in Mainz equipped with stands to welcome the
thousands of fans who will want to attend.
Pupils at the local high school would have had a bird's eye view of the
Brazilian stars training - the Koenigstein training ground is next to the school
building - but their classrooms are being commandeered to house the security
forces.
The pupils will be sent on field trips, and exams scheduled for June have been
re-arranged. "The younger children would have wanted to watch," said Thorsten
Becker, from the local public safety office.
Koenigstein residents will have to make do with fashion parades, beach soccer
tournaments and samba dance shows being organised by the local authorities. The
total cost to the town is about 500,000 euros, which it is trying to raise
through sponsorship, but both the hotel and the local authorities insist they
have not paid anything to secure Brazil's visit.
One of the unknowns is how many visitors will come to the town. Five thousand
Brazilian tourists have already booked hotels in Cologne, but some are expected
to spend a day or two in Koenigstein.
The town has no campsite, but is planning to erect tents on a playing field to
accommodate the crowds. "We don't want them sleeping on benches in the street,"
said Karl-Gustav Schramm.
Dutch court bans spoof ad of Kalou on German team
13 April 2006, by Reuters
Ivory
Coast-born Salomon Kalou, denied the chance to represent the Netherlands at the
FIFA World Cup™, has won a court battle to have a spoof advert showing him
playing for Germany withdrawn.
In a television spot for Dutch insurer Achmea, made without the permission of
the Feyenoord winger, Kalou is announced as part of a German team facing the
Dutch in a FIFA World Cup final.
A look-alike of German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn then thanks the Netherlands and
Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk, watching at home in her living room, for
failing to fast-track Kalou's Dutch citizenship application.
A court in The Hague ruled on Thursday the spot should be withdrawn and Achmea
must pay a 50,000 euro ($60,500) fine each time it violates the ban.
A spokesman for Achmea said the insurance company would respect the ruling but
regretted the judge had not viewed the advert as a light-hearted joke.
Although Kalou was initially in favour of taking part in the advert he was
advised against it by Feyenoord's sponsor Fortis, a competitor of Achmea, Dutch
news agency ANP reported.
Netherlands coach Marco van Basten had guaranteed Kalou a place in his FIFA
World Cup squad if he got a passport in time.
Verdonk ruled last month that Kalou did not fulfil the criteria for fast-track
citizenship and would have to retake a Dutch language and culture test, which he
has failed once. Kalou is to appeal against Verdonk's latest decision.
Renovations complete at Frankenstadion
12 April 2006, by AFP
Chiefs
for Nuremberg's Frankenstadion said on Wednesday that the venue is now ready for
this summer's FIFA World Cup™ after steel rods were installed to strengthen the
stands.
On 25 October sections of concrete cracked during Nuremberg's cup match with
Dynamo Dresden with plaster flaking off the ceiling due to the vibrations made
from the fans jumping up and down.
Nuremberg stadium chiefs were asked to improve security ahead of the FIFA World
Cup and 13 steel support rods have been installed at a cost of 168,000 euros.
"The renovations for the World Cup are now complete," said Mario Hohmann,
managing director for the Nuremberg stadium.
Nuremberg's 56 million euro Frankenstadion hosts five matches, including
England's group game against Trindidad and Tobago, at this summer's finals.
Olsen grabs his chance in US friendly draw
12 April 2006, by Reuters
The
1-1 draw with Jamaica was not the result the United States national team had
been hoping for on Tuesday, but for American midfielder Ben Olsen, it might have
been a turning point.
One of several US team members with an outside chance of grabbing a place in the
FIFA World Cup™ finals squad, Olsen, 28, scored the Americans' lone goal in the
sloppily played affair.
It was one of the few highlights for a group of 18 domestic US players who were
playing their last match before US coach Bruce Arena names his 23-man squad on 2
May.
Olsen, however, was not willing to say the goal had boosted his chances. "A goal
is a goal," he told reporters. "It's tough to assess your play right after a
game, but I thought I did OK."
His goal, his sixth in 33 appearances, came in the 25th minute after Jamaica had
taken a shock lead in the fourth minute through Teafore Bennett.
"Coaches had harped all week on playing quick on free-kicks and I think he
(Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts) was a little off guard," Olsen said.
After being sidelined by a rash of ankle and knee problems, the former
Nottingham Forest midfielder, who is now with DC United only recently returned
to the US fold, ending a two-year absence last November in a match against
Scotland.
Arena, who initially said he was going to release a 35-man preliminary roster on
Wednesday, will now hold off until his final roster is decided on, noting that
he will pay close attention to the next three Major League Soccer games US
players are involved in.
One player whose chances were diminished was Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching,
who failed to impress when he came on to start the second half.
"I think I left it (game) the same way I came in," he said. "I had a couple of
opportunities, but I think I could have done better, but I don't think I did
bad.
The oft-injured midfielder John O'Brien also saw time in the second half,
playing his first international since August and one of only a handful of games
since the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals where he played every minute during the
Americans' quarter-finals run.
"It feels good after being gone so long," said O'Brien who spent seven years
with Ajax before transferring to ADO Den Haag last year where he played only two
games before a groin injury sidelined him.
He was released by the Dutch side last month and last week signed with Chivas
USA of MLS.
Ukraine goalkeeper
Shovkovsky eyes first-team return
11 April 2006, by Reuters
Ukraine goalkeeper
Oleksander Shovkovsky may return to first-team action on Wednesday after nearly
three months out injured, boosting the national team's chances ahead of their
first FIFA World Cup™ finals appearance.
Shovkovsky broke his collarbone during a friendly in January and played his
first match since the injury for Dynamo Kiev's second team at the weekend.
"I didn't feel particularly nervous. I felt the same as I do before any game for
Dynamo or the national team," Shovkovsky told Dynamo Kiev's official website (www.fcdynamo.kiev.ua).
"It's vital for me to regain my confidence as quickly as possible. Training is
one thing, but it doesn't compare with a match," the 31-year-old goalkeeper
said.
In a game watched by Ukraine's goalkeeping coach Yuri Romensky, Dynamo II
defeated Boryspil Borysfen 2-1 in a second division game. The goal Shovkovsky
conceded was a penalty.
"Rehabilitation after such a serious break is no small matter," said Shovkovsky,
who has more than 60 caps.
Kiev coach Anatoly Demyanenko has said Shovkovsky might play a part in the first
team's Cup semi-final second leg against Karpaty Lviv on Wednesday. Dynamo won
the first leg 2-0.
Ukraine are drawn with Spain, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in the opening round of
the month-long FIFA World Cup in Germany, which begins on 9 June.
Kahn accepts back-up role with Germany
10 April 2006, by Reuters
Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has accepted the role of understudy to great
rival Jens Lehmann for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.
"I've come to the conclusion that it's important for the national team for me to
be there, despite my disappointment," the 36-year-old Kahn told a news
conference in Munich. "This can't be about personal vanity.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann settled Germany's long-standing goalkeeping question on
Friday when he revealed that Arsenal's Lehmann would be the number one for the
hosts for the tournament.
Kahn captained Germany to the final of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan.
He was named the tournament's best player, despite a mistake that led to
Brazil's first goal in the 2-0 final defeat.
The Bayern keeper said in a statement on Friday that he would consider his
international future. After three days of thought, and a 3-0 defeat by Werder
Bremen in a Bundesliga match on Saturday, he decided to carry on.
"Jurgen has made his decision and I accept it," Kahn said at Monday's news
conference, quashing speculation that he might retire. "The team, including Jens
Lehmann, will have my full support."
Kahn has played 84 times for the FIFA World Cup hosts while Lehmann, also 36,
has won 29 caps. Monday's decision means Kahn can expect to be on the bench at
his home stadium in Munich when Germany play the opening match of the finals
against Costa Rica in Group A on 9 June.
One of Klinsmann's first acts as coach after taking over in 2004 was to strip
Kahn of the captaincy and inform the Bayern keeper he faced a battle with
Lehmann.
The coach originally said he would make a decision at the start of May. That was
brought forward to Friday after Bayern complained the indecision was having an
effect on Kahn's form.
England defender Young set to miss out
10 April 2006, by Reuters
Defender Luke Young looks set to miss out on England's squad for the FIFA World
Cup™ after suffering an ankle injury with his club Charlton Athletic.
Young, who has deputised for England's first-choice right-back Gary Neville this
season and would expect to make Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad, has been sidelined
since getting injured against West Ham on 2 April.
Asked about his likely return, Young was quoted as telling the Daily Star on
Monday: "It will probably be next season. I haven't had an operation but it
doesn't look good."
Charlton manager Alan Curbishley told reporters at the weekend: "I'd love to
have Luke back before the end of the season so he can force his way into that
squad, but he's looking at three to four weeks out.
"He had a similar injury last season and was out for about six weeks but we felt
we might not have treated it properly then."
Charlton's league season finishes against Manchester United on 7 May. They have
an FA Cup quarter-final replay on Wednesday against Middlesbrough. The final at
Cardiff is on 13 May. England coach Eriksson names his FIFA World Cup squad on 8
May.
Hiddink 'insulted' by FA, out of England reckoning - agent
9 April 2006, by AFP
Guus
Hiddink's agent on Sunday ruled the PSV Eindhoven and Australia coach out of
becoming the next England manager and took a swipe at the Football Association
over their handling of the affair.
Hiddink, who has guided the Netherlands and Korea Republic to the FIFA World Cup
semi-finals, was the erstwhile favourite to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson after
the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ finals.
But in recent weeks he has slipped out of contention, instead being linked to
Real Madrid or taking over as manager of Russia. The 59-year-old Dutchman's
agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen insisted it was "sort of an insult" for Hiddink to
be asked to go on a shortlist for the England job.
"I guess that the homework has not been done very well," Van Nieuwenhuizen told
BBC Radio Five Live. "We didn't take it too seriously because you would expect,
when you are in the world of football, that you know who Guus Hiddink is, what
he has achieved on a club level and at national team level, if it's in Champions
League, national leagues or in the World Cup.
"So if you have to sit down to find out if you might be good enough to be put on
a list of candidates... I think either you go for him or you don't go for him."
Van Nieuwenhuizen added: "He is totally out of the reckoning. That doesn't
disappoint him at all. We were approached by media people initially, saying how
he's on the shortlist and we say that of course he would be flattered because
the England job is not like becoming the coach of Timbuktu.
"But nothing happened and he's got so many other options that could be
considered. If people have to find out they are in such a position in English
football that he could be maybe, yes or no, a candidate to be put on the
shortlist, then I think this is sort of an insult to Guus Hiddink and his
achievements so far.
"As far as his professional background is concerned, I don't think he has to be
humble towards members of whatever federation. He won't be the England manager."
FA director of communications Adrian Bevington would not be drawn on the claims
from Hiddink's agent. Bevington said: "The FA's position is we don't discuss any
individuals who may or may not have been approached for the England job."
The FA this week whittled down their choice of candidates to just a handful of
men, a group widely thought to comprise Martin O'Neill, Sam Allardyce, Steve
McLaren, Alan Curbishley and Luiz Felipe Scolari. A decision is expected before
the FIFA World Cup begins on 9 June.
Ice-cool Klinsmann dashes Kahn's hopes
8 April 2006, by Reuters
The
best player from the last FIFA World Cup™ is set to miss this year's tournament
after Germany's Jurgen Klinsmann proved he could be as ruthless a coach as he
was a finisher.
Oliver Kahn, the bellowing Bayern Munich keeper who touched greatness in
Korea/Japan in 2002, learned on Friday he had lost his status as Germany's
number one to Jens Lehmann.
Bayern had been urging Klinsmann to make a decision between the two 36-year-olds
and they were clearly expecting the coach to ratify their man as the country's
number one.
Klinsmann has had to deal with fierce criticism from the German soccer
establishment as the national team's form has dipped this year but the
41-year-old coaching novice showed he could not be intimidated as he opted
instead for Lehmann.
"Bayern wanted the decision brought forward, and so we reacted," said the
ice-cool Klinsmann, a World Cup-winning striker in 1990.
It cannot have been easy to look Kahn in the eye and inform him of the decision.
Kahn was the captain of the Germany team that reached the FIFA World Cup final
in 2002 and, along with midfielder Michael Ballack, its inspiration.
He conceded just one goal before the final and became the first goalkeeper to
win FIFA's Golden Ball award for best player, despite a mistake that led to
Brazil's first goal in the decisive game.
Kahn became Germany's number one in 1998 following the retirement of Andreas
Koepke. Always an intimidating presence, he proved he had reflexes and agility
to match in what was his first experience of playing in a FIFA World Cup.
"He is making himself immortal at this tournament," said Sepp Maier, who was
Germany's goalkeeping coach and a member of the 1974 World Cup-winning side.
Unfortunately for Kahn, the blunder in the final was followed by a series of
mistakes for club and country.
The situation was not helped by a daily diet of press reports into his messy
personal life, as he got involved with a much younger woman while his wife was
pregnant.
Lehmann went public with his criticism of Kahn in 2004, claiming he was the
better player and deserved to be the number one for the UEFA European
Championship in Portugal.
"I didn't know we were supposed to talk," Lehmann said when asked if the two men
did not get on. "I have a different life. I don't have a 24-year-old
girlfriend."
Kahn accused Lehmann of sinking as low as he could with such comments. The
senior man kept his place for EURO 2004 but it proved to be just the start of a
feud that has carried on for two years, and ended in victory for Lehmann on
Friday.
One of Klinsmann's first acts on taking over as coach in 2004 was to strip Kahn
of the captaincy and warn him to expect a concerted challenge from Lehmann.
Kahn's form picked up from the start of 2005 on but recently the mistakes have
crept back into his game and an error of judgment gave the United States their
consolation goal in last month's 4-1 win in Dortmund.
With Lehmann performing faultlessly for Arsenal in their run to the semi-finals
of the UEFA Champions League, that mistake was the final straw.
"We talked about both goalkeepers in great detail and a lot of aspects and it
was always a very close race," Klinsmann explained.
"A year ago, in August, Oliver was slightly ahead. Then we continued our
discussion and we realised that Jens had gained a lot of ground over the past
months in that last season and is now that little bit ahead of Oliver."
German Football Association co-president Theo Zwanziger made a public appeal to
Kahn not to call time on his international career just yet, and instead make
himself available for the FIFA World Cup.
"I'll think over my international future in the coming weeks," was all Kahn
would say on Friday.
Germany's young team could certainly do with such an experienced figure in their
midst and such a loud voice cheering them on. It is just hard to see Kahn
accepting a secondary role after his heroics four years ago.
Lehmann beats Kahn to German No1 shirt
7 April 2006, by Reuters
Coach
Jurgen Klinsmann has named Jens Lehmann as Germany's first-choice goalkeeper for
the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ ahead of former captain Oliver Kahn.
Kahn, who was extremely disappointed by the decision, says he will now chew over
whether to retire. Klinsmann decided to pick Arsenal's Lehmann ahead of Bayern
Munich's more experienced Kahn after a meeting with his coaching team on Friday.
"It was the hardest decision of my time as coach," Klinsmann said in a statement
released by the German Football Association. Both Germany's senior goalkeepers
are 36. Kahn has played 84 times for the World Cup hosts while Lehmann has won
29 caps.
Kahn captained Germany to the final of the last FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan,
and was named player of the 2002 tournament.
"I'm very surprised and extremely disappointed," Kahn said in a statement on the
website of champions Bayern. "In the coming weeks I'll concentrate on my work
with Bayern in the Bundesliga and German Cup.
"As to my future in the national team, I'll think it over in the coming weeks
and comment in due course."
Klinsmann's decision follows days of heightened speculation, fuelled by a couple
of bad mistakes by Kahn and Lehmann's faultless performances for Arsenal in the
UEFA Champions League.
In four games against Real Madrid and Juventus, Arsenal did not concede a goal
on the way to the semi-finals.
A mistake by Kahn in Germany's 4-1 win over the United States in a friendly last
month may have sealed his fate. "After the game against the US we made an
intense analysis of developments over the previous 22 months and then made a
decision," Klinsmann said in the statement.
"Of course Oliver was disappointed but he took the decision like a true
sportsman."
One of Klinsmann's first acts as coach after taking over in 2004 was to strip
Kahn of the captaincy and inform the Bayern keeper he faced a battle with
Lehmann for the first choice position. The coach has since alternated the two
players, saying he would make a final decision at the start of May.
His earlier than expected decision may have been due to pressure from Bayern.
The club's sporting director Uli Hoeness this week accused Klinsmann of waging a
campaign of "psychological terror" on Kahn by not announcing his decision
sooner.
The uncertainty was to blame for Kahn's two errors in a 2-2 draw with Cologne in
the Bundesliga last weekend, the club said.
Germany get the FIFA World Cup under way with a Group A game against Costa Rica
on 9 June at Bayern Munich's stadium.
Korea Republic line up friendlies against Norway, Ghana
7 April 2006, by Reuters
Korea
Republic will play Norway and Ghana in friendlies before the FIFA World Cup™
finals in June, coach Dick Advocaat announced on Friday.
The Koreans, who lost to Germany in the semi-finals of the 2002 finals on home
soil, will travel to Norway for a friendly on 1 June and then take on Ghana on 4
June, probably in Edinburgh, Advocaat told a news conference.
Two more friendlies against as-yet unnamed opponents would be played in the
Seoul area in May, he added.
The Dutchman also said he would announce the final FIFA World Cup squad on 11
May and left the door open for three players struggling to make an impact at
club level in Europe.
Cha Du-Ri (Eintracht Frankfurt), Seol Ki-Hyeon (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Ahn
Jung-Hwan (MSV Duisburg) had been key players during South Korea's run to the
2002 semi-finals, he added. "We can't forget what they did in the past."
Japan's Yanagisawa faces fitness race after surgery
5 April 2006, by Reuters
Japan
striker Atsushi Yanagisawa left hospital on Wednesday after surgery on his right
foot and faces a battle to be fit for the FIFA World Cup™.
The 28-year-old suffered a broken metatarsal during a J-League match on 25
March, just a month after returning to his former club Kashima Antlers from
Italy's Messina.
"It feels pretty good," Yanagisawa told reporters. "Obviously the aim now is to
recover quickly enough to play at the World Cup."
Yanagisawa rejoined Kashima in February after failing to establish himself in
spells at Sampdoria and Messina.
Japan are drawn alongside holders Brazil, Australia and Croatia at the FIFA
World Cup in Germany. The Asian champions play their Group F opener against
Australia in Kaiserslautern on 12 June.
Underdogs aim to triumph over mighty Milan
Tuesday April 4, by Reuters
LONDON (Reuters) - Underdogs Olympique Lyon and Villarreal will attempt to
overturn Milanese might on Tuesday and reach the semi-finals of the Champions
League.
Lyon travel to face AC Milan at the San Siro after a 0-0 draw in last week's
quarter-final first leg, while Villarreal play host to Inter after losing 2-1 in
the Lombard capital.
Lyon, set fair for a record fifth French title, know an away goal could be
decisive. That goal could come from talismanic Brazil midfielder Juninho who
missed the first leg at home through suspension.
"Our opponents will be well aware of him. In tight games, he is capable of
breaking the deadlock. He is certainly an additional weapon," team mate Florent
Malouda said.
Milan, six-times champions and aiming for their third final in four years, will
be spurred by the memory of their heart-breaking defeat on penalties by
Liverpool last season and the fact they are all but out of the race for Italian
honours.
Up front, Ukraine's Andriy Shevchenko and Italy striker Filippo Inzaghi will be
fresh for action after being spared in Milan's 1-0 weekend defeat by Lecce.
Inter take their lead and winger Luis Figo to Villarreal.
The Portuguese midfielder has been training separately after injury but Inter
said on Monday he would travel to Spain where his wealth of experience at
Barcelona and Real Madrid will be invaluable to Roberto Mancini's side.
With an away goal already in the bank, Villarreal can go through with a 1-0
scoreline.
They have a fine record at home, having lost only one of 17 European home games
and with clean sheets in 13. This is their first Champions League campaign,
however, and Inter's experience could tell.
The Spaniards, who beat Zaragoza 1-0 at the weekend, will be relying on
Uruguay's Diego Forlan and former AC Milan forward Jose Mari or Mexico's
Guillermo Franco to lead the attack.
Togo finalise warm-up programme
3 April 2006, by Reuters
Togo
will play friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Liechtenstein to warm up for the
FIFA World Cup™ finals in Germany.
Coach Otto Pfister said Togo would play Saudi Arabia in Amsterdam on 14 May and
Liechtenstein in Vaduz on a date still to be determined.
Togo, who are to hold a five-week training camp at Wangen in Germany, will also
play matches against third division FC Augsburg on May 28 and against Bayern
Munich's reserve side and a Wangen team on dates still to be arranged.
Pfister named Dutchman Pitt Hamberg his assistant coach for the tournament with
former Togo national coach Kodjovi Mawuena also part of his technical team.
Hamberg is on the staff of Grasshoppers Zurich in Switzerland.
Togo play their opening FIFA World Cup group match against Korea Republic in
Frankfurt on 13 June. They also play Switzerland and France in Group G.
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