Monthly Archives: May 2010

Capello feeling the pressure

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England coach Fabio Capello has spoken of the pressure he feels in the job, saying he feels it more than he did at Real Madrid or AC Milan.

Capello had an outstanding qualifying campaign for the World Cup, and England go into the tournament rated as third favourites at 6/1 to win the trophy, behind Spain at 4/1 and five-time winners Brazil at 5/1.

But he said that one of the biggest frustrations he has encountered is not being able to work with his players more often.

“Obviously, it’s a very different job being a national manager rather than a club manager,” he said.

“The pressure is bigger as England manager because behind the national manager and the team you have the country. The country expects a lot and the fans believe a lot in the team.”

He added: “As a club manager you can work with your players every day, you can train to improve and study what happened and why in between each game and you can usually rectify things quickly.

“As England manager, I can do a lot of in-depth preparation and then there’s an injury and everything I have prepared is for nothing.”

The 63-year-old Italian said: “For me, the World Cup is a really big challenge. I think England are one of the best teams in the world and we can win against anyone.

“My approach to the World Cup is relaxed now. I have to study the other countries we will be playing against and hope that everything we are preparing will be ready for the tournament.”

One of his major concerns is the “quality of the pitches” in South Africa, Capello said, which is why he has been so obsessive about England’s training facilities in Rustenburg, before adding: “But my most important hope is that all of my best players will be injury-free and available to play in the World Cup.”

That hope is currently being tested, not least with first-choice midfielder Gareth Barry struggling to recover in time from an ankle injury.

Capello, in an interview with The Manager magazine, reiterated his belief that Wayne Rooney (10/1 to finish as the tournament’s top goalscorer) is “one of the best players in the world” and, once again, compared him to the Spanish striker Raúl, who he coached during his two spells in charge of Real, in terms of his influence.

“Wayne Rooney is one of the best talents I have ever coached,” the Italian added.

“He’s like Raúl, in that he’s a very important player and a big talent. Every time Rooney trains he wants to learn and he always wants to stay on that training pitch for as long as possible.

“It’s really important that the other players see that Rooney, one of the best players in the world, wants to stay on the pitch and wants to continue to learn.”

It’s a process that Capello, also, continues to undertake and he offered an insight into his own managerial philosophy.

“Instinct does play a part but you also have to be able to understand your players,” he said. “When your players are all in good form it is easy but you have to realise this is not always going to be the case.

“You have to be able to react when they lose form and make changes during a game and even during training sessions.”

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Gomez set for chance to shine

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Striker Hercules Gomez could get his chance to impress boss Bob Bradley for the USA ( 4/1 to win Group C) in two friendlies next week ahead of the World Cup, with the coach exploring his options for replacing Charlie Davies, who is recovering from car crash injuries.

Gomez has been in excellent form this year, and has been joint top scorer in the Mexican championship where he has scored 10 goals in 14 matches for Puebla and earned his selection in the initial party of 30.

“Hercules comes off the season very well,” Bradley said at the squad’s training camp.

“Certainly we take notice of that and it’s good to see how he’ll fit in and play in this stretch.”

Gomez, who has played only twice before for the national side, could feature in friendlies against Czech Republic on Tuesday and Turkey four days later.

Bradley needs to find a replacement for Davies, who was injured last October in a car accident that killed another passenger. He has resumed light training with his French club Sochaux but did not get medical clearance in time to make the squad.

The U.S. are drawn with England (1/3 favourites to top the group), Algeria (12/1) and Slovenia (9/1) in Group C at the finals starting on June 11.

Gomez’s call-up to the 30-man provisional squad came after a decade-long journey through Major League Soccer (MLS) teams and lower-level U.S. clubs, before he hit the big time in Mexico, the country of his parents, where U.S. players are rare.

“It was a huge deal. I became only the second player in my club’s history (to be top scorer),” said Gomez.

“They really took to me and treated me as one of their own. I was never treated like an outsider.”

His Puebla team mates did, though, tease him. “I was always the ’soldier boy’,” Gomez, 28, told Reuters. “They’d do the American soldier voice, or like in the movies, a robot, like (Arnold) Schwarzenegger.”

Gomez said he was realistic about his chances of making the cut when the squad is trimmed to 23 players.

“I definitely have 29 players in front of me,” he said.

Gomez, who can score with his head and either foot, has attracted attention for his goal-scoring feats and said he had been getting offers from clubs.

“My agent handles those. I concentrate on the soccer and my only goal is this camp,” he said.

Could he say where the offers were coming from? “Yes, but I’m only here to talk about U.S. soccer.”

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Parreira hit by midfield blow

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South Africa (21/10 to qualify from Group A) midfielder Andile Jali’s place in the World Cup is under threat after he was sent to the USA for tests on his heart.

Jali, who is only 20 and made his international debut earlier this year, had a mild cardiovascular condition detected in routine tests of players in the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad, the South African Football Association (SAFA) said.

The midfielder was tested twice after a routine assessment found a possible heart problem and a second medical opinion was sought.

The second test, communicated to the association last Monday, confirmed the initial findings.

“SAFA is heeding a doctor’s recommendation that Jali travel to the University of Florida Gainsville Medical Centre in the United States as this facility has a track record of dealing with athletes in this area of medicine,” an SAFA statement said.

“It is envisaged that Jali’s tests will be performed in time for him to be available for the finalisation of the squad.”

The report into his fitness needs to be compiled quickly, as coach Carlos Alberto Parreira wants to name his 23-man squad for the tournament on Monday.

Jali, who plays for Orlando Pirates in the Premier Soccer League, has played three times for Bafana Bafana, and can be used as a defensive or attacking midfielder.

Meanwhile, South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will go into the tournament with realistic expectations of his country’s potential, drawn alongside France (1/3 favourites to qualify from the group), Mexico (4/5) and Uruguay (Evens).

“We are number 90 in the world now, so we are going to be underdogs in our group,” said Parreira.

“But I’m telling you these boys are working hard and we are going to surprise many people in the World Cup. I’m telling you we will surprise you. Don’t think we are going to be easy target for the other teams.

“It won’t happen… we have been watching our opponents and we are more concerned about is Mexico, because they have been playing so many games with different teams, but we know in their last three (friendly) games against England, Italy and Holland they will play with their main team. We will be ready for them,” declared Parreira.

The 1994 World Cup-winning coach with Brazil admitted he is losing sleep over who to drop from the provisional squad as the June 1 deadline fast approaches for the final 23-man squad submission to FIFA.

“It is going to be very hard for me to decide who to leave behind. All of them deserve to be there, but unfortunately I can only keep 23 players.

“They are doing their best and it makes it difficult for me to leave out even five players. All of them deserve to be in the squad… the way they are performing and the way they are focused. It will be difficult for me to cut the squad,” the 67-year-old admitted.

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No holding back for Fallon

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New Zealand striker Rory Fallon fears that either his side or Australia may pick up injuries when the two teams meet in Melbourne on Monday (1/4 Paraguay 4/1 draw 8/1 New Zealand – match betting).

Fallon, who scored the only goal of the game last November to book the All Whites’ place in the World Cup, is looking forward to the warm-up match.

But he says the fixture is a friendly in name only, and both sides will be going all-out for the victory.

Fallon, 28, said the traditional trans-Tasman rivalry gave the fixture at the Melbourne Cricket Ground an extra edge.

“When it comes to playing Australia, all bets are off,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few injuries. I don’t think anyone is going to hold back against them. I’m certainly not going to hold back.”

Fallon said Australia, who are also headed to the World Cup, wouldn’t want to suffer a defeat at the hands of what they might consider to be a lesser soccer nation (12/1 New Zealand – Group F To Qualify).

“They probably say they have a lot better pros and they won’t want to lose this, and we want to win it,” he said.

“It’s going to be a good game. It’s going to be one of those games where everyone is going to get stuck in.”

Fallon admits he still can’t get over how important his headed goal against Bahrain was for the country.

“I see that goal and every time I just say, ‘Thank you, God for giving me that goal’ – it’s just changed my life, especially in New Zealand,” he said.

“No-one knew who I was. That goal has changed everything. It is such a blessing to me and, every time I see it, it gives me goose pimples.”

After Australia, the All Whites have further friendlies against Serbia in the Austrian city of Klagenfurt on May 29 and Slovenia in Maribor on June 5.

While his immediate focus is the World Cup, Fallon’s future beyond that remains up in the air.

His English club, Plymouth Argyle, lost its battle with relegation and will be in the third-tier League One next season.

Fallon, who has an ambition to play in the English Premier League, hoped that some strong performances in South Africa might put him in the shop window.

“If I have a great World Cup, who knows, I could be going anywhere,” he said.

“I’m going to work so hard. This is my chance to do something really worthy, so I’m not going to let it slip through my fingers.”

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Henry keen on US switch?

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Barcelona star Thierry Henry could be set to join MLS side New York Red Bulls after the World Cup, according to compatriot David Trezeguet. (France 16/1 to win World Cup)

Henry has been tipped to leave the Nou Camp this summer after falling down the striking pecking order and with David Villa now on board with the Catalans.

Former club Juventus have been linked with the Arsenal legend, while Premiership side West Ham United have also shown an interest in the 32-year-old, with club co-owner David Sullivan saying he has made the player an offer which would make him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

But rumours of a switch stateside will not go away and Trezeguet, who is currently with Juve to play against the Red Bulls in an exhibition match, revealed that his former France team-mate has always been keen to play in the USA at some stage of his career.

“I actually don’t know very much about it. I know that he wanted very much to have an experience here in the United States,” he said. “I don’t know if it will be next year, but in any event, I definitely wish him all the best.”

France kick off their 2010 World Cup campaign against Uruguay on June 11 and are the even money favourites to win that clash with the South Americans on offer at 13/5 and the draw priced at 9/4.

Henry is by no means a certainty to start for the French in South Africa as he has failed to recapture his Arsenal form at Barcelona, and it may be that he is used as an impact player from the bench towards the end of matches.

Another star who has been tipped to move to America is Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero, but the 35-year-old made it clear that he has no intention of leaving Juventus just yet.

When asked if he could return to New York as a player in the near future, Del Piero made it clear that he will still play in Turin next season.

“I have no idea; perhaps I will come one more time here on holiday,” he said. “For sure I know that next year I will be wearing the Juventus jersey. But, who knows. Anything can happen.”

Italy are priced at 12/1 to defend their World Cup title this year but will be without Del Piero, whose international days are now behind him, and he can bask in the glory of scoring a penalty in the shoot-out that won the Italians the sport’s most prestigious prize four years ago.

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Gerrard over Liverpool woes

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Steven Gerrard has insisted he is happy with his form as England prepare for next month’s World Cup (6/1 to lift the trophy) and believes he is back to something like his best.

The midfield lynchpin has endured a disappointing season with Liverpool, who only finished seventh in the league after pushing Manchester United all the way the previous year and crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages only to get knocked out of the Europa League in the semi-finals.

The Anfield giants were also sent packing from the FA Cup after losing at home to Reading and were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Arsenal’s young guns.

Gerrard did not have the best season on a personal level as he was hampered by injury and struggled for consistency, and has been linked with a move away in the summer following claims he has fallen out with boss Rafael Benitez.

However, the 29-year-old has insisted he has put his Liverpool troubles behind him and believes he is rediscovering his best form with the summer showpiece only days away.

“It has been a difficult season – personally and for the Liverpool group as a whole – because we’ve under-achieved,” Gerrard said.

“It has been really tough dealing with those setbacks.

“But now we are here for England, it is important club issues are put to one side.
“The good thing is my form has come back closer to where I want it to be.

“At the moment I am feeling good. I finished the season quite strongly personally.”

England begin their campaign on June 12 and are 1/3 favourites to win Group C, with USA available at 4/1, Slovenia at 9/1 and Algeria the outsiders at 12/1.

Fabio Capello’s men kick off against USA on June 12 and are strongly fancied at 8/15 to take the three points, with the Americans priced at 5/1 and the draw at 11/4.

Gerrard has also emphasised how important Wayne Rooney (10/1 to finish as the tournament’s top goalscorer) is to England’s chances of going far in the competition.

“Wayne’s form this season has been up there as one of the best players in the world,” he said.

“As a team-mate, you are hoping and keeping your fingers crossed that he stays fit and carries that form on into the World Cup.

“He is our key man, he is great to have around the place, off the field as well.

“He is a big player for us, and hopefully he can stay away from injury.”

David Villa is currently the favourite at 9/1 to top the scoring charts with Spain outright favourites at 4/1 to lift the World Cup, while Brazil’s Luis Fabiano and Argentina’s Lionel Messi are both available at 10/1 to win the Golden Boot.

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Dutch duo in final shootout

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Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder make a triumphant return to the Bernabeu Stadium tonight less than ten months after being sold off by Real Madrid to make way for Ronaldo and Kaka.

The Dutch duo were flogged to Bayern Munich and Inter respectively within a day of each other as Real sought to recover some cash after the outrageous expenditure to sign the Portuguese and Brazilian ex-World Players of the Year.

Both players have excelled in their new surroundings this season and arrive in Madrid to contest a Champions League final which will see one of their clubs win a treble.

Robben (5/1 joint favourite in Totesport’s Sky Man of the Match market) inspired Bayern’s two incredible knockout victories over Fiorentina and Manchester United, both on the away goals rule.

He scored a penalty and induced a red-card for an Italian opponent in the first-leg of Bayern’s second round clash at home to the Serie A club, but saved a greater impact for the second leg in Florence when he danced around would-be tacklers to fire in an unstoppable 25-yard drive to ensure qualification.

It remains arguably the goal of the competition and could colour the thoughts of Sky’s studio panel when they come to name the Man of the Match tonight if no outstanding candidate emerges from the clash.

Robben’s knockout blow against Manchester United and his instantly-recognisable face from years spent at Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea could also lead the likes of Jamie Redknapp and compatriot Ruud Gullit to nominate him if Bayern take the spoils.

Wesley Sneijder’s Real Madrid career mirrored that of Robben’s almost exactly, they were signed within a fortnight of each other  and disposed of in similar circumstances,  albeit having built different reputations at the club.

While Robben remained the consummate professional, Sneijder was known to have liked the Madrid nightlife.

He was disciplined by Real over his conduct at a time when off the field, his marriage was collapsing.

The former Ajax starlet (5/1 joint favourite in Totesport’s Sky Man of the Match market) has flourished under Mourinho at Inter and been almost equally important to his team’s Champions League fate as Robben – although he probably has had a slightly better supporting cast to work alongside with Diego Milito, Lucio and Samuel Eto’o also contributing to big wins over Chelsea and FC Barcelona.

But Sneijder’s ability to knit the midfield together and provide cunning balls to the frontmen has caught the eye of Sky commentator Andy Gray during Inter’s incredible run and he may cast his vote for the Dutchman if Mourinho’s tactics win out.

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Play Off Final Prediction: Can Blackpool Pull Off Cardiff Shock?

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play off final 300x203 Play Off Final Prediction: Can Blackpool Pull Off Cardiff Shock?The clubs contesting this season’s Championship play-off final reached this stage by contrasting routes; one was in the hunt for promotion all season and nearly always in the top six, while the other slipped in on the final day of the campaign.

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Ian Holloway’s Blackpool are the team that sneaked into the play-off picture at the death. Late momentum counts for a great deal and the Tangerines were able to eliminate Nottingham Forest- generally considered to be the third-best team in the division- in the semi-finals.

Like Forest, Cardiff City have always been near the top after just missing out on the play-offs last season. Dave Jones’ side were able to prevail over Leicester City in the semi-finals which meant the final will be contested by two clubs who have never been in the Premiership.

Cardiff haven’t been in the top flight since way back in 1962; Blackpool had their last tilt at the big boys in 1970/71 but finished rock bottom, winning just four league games.

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Though Blackpool have a more recent history of top division football it is the Welsh club who have been considered the team more ready for the Premier League. Blackpool are one of the smallest clubs in the Championship in terms of resources and Ian Holloway has got them this far on a relative shoestring.

While the Tangerines have stayed within modest means, Cardiff desperately need the financial boost that reaching the Premier League would provide. The Bluebirds have faced winding-up orders in the High Court on several occasions this season.

Over the 46-game Championship marathon, Cardiff accumulated six more points than Blackpool. Jones’s team were better on the road but Blackpool scored goals for fun at Bloomfield Road.

Cardiff had two double figure scorers (Whittingham and Chopra) to Blackpool’s one (Adam). They also had two players (Whittingham and Bothroyd) on double figures for assists. Adam again was Blackpool’s top man in this area on eight.

Jones has the bigger names to call on but Holloway can point to a formidable team ethos with Charlie Adam proving to be an absolute steal from Rangers for only £500,000.

Blackpool have less to lose from this game as the seaside club were never expected to get this far. If they triumph, it would be an even greater feat than Burnley’s promotion a year ago.

But Cardiff have more players who have experienced big games at a higher level, including six who played in the 2008 FA Cup Final. This should make the difference and see the Welsh club become the 41st side to appear in the Premier League.

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Ribery set for new Bayern deal

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Bayern Munich are set to receive a major boost ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final against Inter Milan (Bayern 23/10, Inter 6/5, draw 9/4 – 90 Minutes) with the news Franck Ribery is to sign a new five-year contract.

The 27-year-old Frenchman’s current deal is due to expire in 12 months and that has resulted in reported interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea. However, with Bayern now proving they are capable of reaching the final of a major tournament under Louis van Gaal this term, it appears that has been sufficient for Ribery to pledge himself to the Bavarian giants until 2015.

Ribery will miss Bayern’s bid to lift the Champions League trophy (7/5 Bayern – Outright Winner) due to suspension, but he was given permission to take a break from training with the France national side ahead of next month’s World Cup (France 16/1 – Outright), and he will fly to Madrid to watch the final.

German newspaper Bild claims that, following talks between his agents Alain Migliaccio and Jean-Pierre Bernes and Bayern bosses in the club’s Madrid hotel on Thursday, Ribery will put pen-to-paper on a new club-record salary on his arrival on Saturday.

If everything goes to plan Sport1 television understands Ribery will make a formal announcement from the balcony of Munich town hall on Sunday when the team parades its German Bundelisga title and possibly the Champions League trophy after a procession from the Allianz Arena.

Meanwhile, former Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who won the tournament with them in 2001, feels the German side will come out on top against Jose Mourinho’s Inter on Saturday, while he feels they ‘will dominate European football in the coming years’.

Comparing his victorious side of nine years ago and Van Gaal’s current crop, 61-year-old Switzerland coach, Hitzfeld, told the Welt newspaper: “We had a great team spirit back then and that is the case today also.

“Nevertheless, the current team has a bit more substance to it and has players like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, who are two extraordinary players, among their ranks.

“They are world-class players who can create a lot of pressure down the wings.

“But also (Mark) van Bommel and (Bastian) Schweinsteiger are world class. For me, there is no better midfield in Europe at present than Bayern’s.”

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‘Messi’ Barcelona approach for Fabregas: Arsenal to fight it?

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Cesc Fabregas 300x199 Messi Barcelona approach for Fabregas: Arsenal to fight it? Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has publically expressed his desire to fend off Barcelona and keep Cesc Fabregas at the Emirates Stadium, saying that the club will fight tooth and nail to keep their captain.

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Hill-Wood has said that the club are so adamant that Fabregas’ future lies at the North London club that the board have refused to even discuss a fee that would be needed to tempt them to sell.

La Liga champions Barcelona have made no secret of the fact that they want to sign the 23-year-old and they believe that the midfielder’s desire to play for the Catalan outfit will be the deciding factor in any move.

Speculation about Fabregas has been the talk of the back pages in both England and Spain in recent weeks and Hill-Wood has described Barcelona’s tactics of trying to tempt the player via the Spanish media as “a funny way of doing business.”

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The Spanish sports media is renowned for creating high-profile transfer speculation among Europe’s elite players, but this is one occasion when they may be justified.

Fabregas has publically acknowledged his desire to return the club he supports and progressed through the youth system as a boy.

Barcelona’s well documented interest in the Spain international could be made official today if they make their predicted initial bid of £30m – a figure that will do little to prise Fabregas away as Arsenal are thought to value their captain at around £50m.

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