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Chile
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Argentina
Chile
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Argentina
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Zanetti: Riquelme is a big loss
Argentina began their 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualification campaign with a 2-0 defeat of Chile in Buenos Aires. Then, their headlines and goals - both sumptuous free-kicks - were claimed by Juan Roman Riquelme.
Such was the impact of the enigmatic attacking midfielder, who was playing his first match in three months, that Albiceleste coach Alfio Basile hailed him as "a phenomenon with magician's feet".
Riquelme's wizardry was again in evidence on Saturday, when his inch-perfect cross was headed home by Lionel Messi en route to a 2-1 victory over Uruguay. But if that was the zenith of the No10's performance in the Estadio Monumental, its nadir arrived in the form of a booking that will rule him out of Wednesday's trip to Santiago to face the team he undid one year ago yesterday.
"Of course it is a big loss for the national team," Javier Zanetti said of Riquelme's suspension. "He is a player who can make a difference at any moment. With a dead-ball situation he can make things easier for the team, that is for certain."
We have an abundance of great players and let's just say there shouldn't be too many problems covering the loss
Javier Zanetti is confident Argentina can cope with Juan Roman Riquelme's absence against Chile.
The Argentina captain, his country's most capped player, nevertheless believes they can cope with Riquelme's absence against Chile. "We possess players with the capacity to replace him. We have an abundance of great players and let's just say there shouldn't be too many problems covering the loss, because whoever plays will do their best for the team," Zanetti added.
Carlos Tevez will also sit out of Argentina's tenth South Africa 2010 qualifier after collecting a yellow card against Uruguay. "I know I will miss the next match, but the important thing was to achieve the victory," he said after the success at the Estadio Monumental.
Basile reacted to the Manchester United forward's suspension by handing Jose Sand his maiden call-up. The Lanus striker tops the Argentinian Apertura 2008 scoring chart. "I've worked very hard for this moment - arriving at the national team is a major step for me," said the 28-year-old.
Argentina are third in the South American standings, behind Brazil on goal difference and Paraguay by four points. Chile rest fourth, three points behind their forthcoming opponents.
Belgium to test Spanish resolve
Currently flying high at the top of Group 5 of European qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, UEFA EURO 2008 winners Spain could face their toughest test so far when they travel to Belgium this Wednesday. La Selección have kicked off their campaign in fine style with three wins from three games, but their Belgian hosts lie second in the group only two points behind, just ahead of Korea/Japan 2002 semi-finalists Turkey on goal difference.
On the back of comfortable 1-0, 4-0 and 3-0 wins over Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia and Estonia respectively, La Roja should face a sterner examination in Brussels against a Diables Rouges side whose only dropped points have come in a 1-1 draw with Turkey in Istanbul.
Asked about his opponents this week in a recent interview, Spain coach Vicente del Bosque told FIFA.com:"The Belgian national team has undergone a lot of changes, with just a few veterans remaining, and it has been built around the Olympic squad that had an excellent tournament in Beijing. They've got very good players and are going to be difficult opponents."
Saint Iker to the rescue
A crucial first step towards a fourth consecutive Spanish victory on the road to South Africa 2010 would be keeping another clean sheet, a feat that is becoming second nature to a Roja outfit on a run of seven games without conceding. Indeed, the last time their defence was breached was in the final group game at EURO 2008, when a second-string side with Pepe Reina between the sticks beat Greece 2-1.
First-choice shotstopper Iker Casillas has now gone 710 minutes unbeaten at national-team level. And though his defensive line deserve their share of the credit, it is San Iker (Saint Iker) who Spain look to when all appears to be lost. Taking Saturday's clash away to Estonia as an example, it took a smart one-on-one save from the captain to prevent Vladimir Voskoboinikov putting the home side into a 14th-minute lead, a goal which would have made Spain's task that much harder.
But the Real Madrid custodian will need his famed reflexes to be at their sharpest this Wednesday against on-fire Belgium front-man Wesley Sonck. The Club Brugge sharpshooter has scored in each of the Diables Rouges' South Africa 2010 qualifiers, firing a brace in the 3-2 win over Estonia, a goal in the 1-1 draw in Turkey and his side's opener in the 2-0 success over Armenia on Saturday.
However, Belgium coach Rene Vandereycken is aware that his team cannot just rely on their in-form front-man to secure victory over Del Bosque's charges: "We're taking on a team that haven't lost for a very long time, so we can expect a much tougher task than against Armenia." Indeed, Spain have not lost a FIFA World Cup qualifier since a 1-0 defeat to Denmark in Copenhagen on 31 March 1993, a run of 38 matches unbeaten.
And Belgium have not beaten Spain without the help of penalty kicks since the European Championship 1980, though Iberian fans still have painful memories of Butragueno and Co's spot-kick defeat at the quarter-final stage of Mexico 1986. Overall, the stats favour Spain, who have won nine and lost just five of the 20 matches between the two sides. The last time the pair drew was in March 1995 in Seville, the game finishing 1-1.
"I want us to be a compact side, to be more disciplined in a collective sense and to be confident in the knowledge that anything's possible in football," says Vandereycken. "If we've already beaten them in the past, why won't it happen again?"
Villa blazing a trail
Lining up opposite Sonck and Co will be another striker in red-hot form, Valencia's lethal front-runner David Villa. El Guaje has hit four goals so far, level with Sonck at the top of the Group 5 scorers' charts, and has already racked up 22 goals in 39 games for the senior side. His average of 0.56 goals per game is one of the best in the recent history of the Spanish national team - only Fernando Morientes' 0.57 is better.
Top scorer at EURO 2008, Villa should have another opportunity to add to his impressive stats against the Belgians on Wednesday. A brace from the Asturias-born goalgetter would make him the fifth-highest scorer of all time for La Selección, overtaking Alfredo Di Stefano and Julio Salinas - both on 23.
Can he continue his purple patch in the Belgian capital? Or will it be Sonck who has the last laugh?
There's no pressure on us
Gareth Bale thinks underdogs Wales have nothing to lose as they look to topple Group 4 leaders Germany in their 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifier. John Toshack's team struggled to a 2-0 win over Liechtenstein in Cardiff on Saturday, a result which lifted them second in the section behind the UEFA EURO 2008 finalists, who beat Russia 2-1 in Dortmund.
But Bale insists Wales can afford to throw caution to the wind and attack hosts Germany in Moenchengladbach. "We're going there looking for a result," said the teenage left-wingback. And there's no reason why we can't do that. There's no pressure on us, we're the underdogs and we just need to go out there and play our own football."
Gerrard: I'm desperate to play well
England flew to Minsk for a 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifier against Belarus today without half their first-choice defence, and with doubt hanging over Steven Gerrard's place in the team. With John Terry and Ashley Cole sidelined by back and hamstring injuries respectively, Fabio Capello must reshape his back four.
The England coach must also find a solution to the below-par performances of his midfield. Gerrard and Frank Lampard's apparent inability to form an effective partnership in central midfield was again in evidence during Saturday's 5-1 win over Kazakhstan, and the former appears certain to be shunted out to the left on Wednesday evening.
In the longer term, there is a growing body of opinion that says Capello must choose between his top two attacking midfielders, and, on current form, Lampard would be the more popular candidate. Gerrard admits he has not reproduced his Liverpool form on a regular basis for his country, but has appealed to Capello to keep faith in him.
"He (Capello) has spoken to me before each game and told me what he wants me to do," revealed Gerrard. "He's said he wants me to emulate my form for Liverpool for England and he is prepared to help me. That's what I want. I don't want a manager to give up on me for club or country. I want them to keep trying to make me better.
Metsu warns Aussies
atar's new coach Bruno Metsu believes that complacency might be Australia's undoing in their Asian Zone 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier tomorrow.
Coach Pim Verbeek's main task will be to keep his Australian players from under-estimating tiny Qatar after beating them 3-0 and 3-1 in a previous stage of FIFA World Cup qualifying earlier this year. Frenchman Metsu has a proven record for upsetting fancied rivals, having steered Senegal to a 1-0 win over defending champions France to open the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals in Korea and Japan on the way to an unlikely quarter-final appearance.
The Socceroos, ranked 34 to Qatar's 78, are bolstered by the return of goal-poaching Everton midfielder Tim Cahill from a long-term foot injury and the likely recall of seasoned defender Craig Moore. Metsu, who has only been in charge of the Qataris since late last month, warned Australia that his team are poised for a major surprise.
"Sometimes it's important in football (to have) respect. Maybe in their mind, it is an easy game for Australia tomorrow," Metsu told reporters. "Maybe this is good for us. But we have worked very well for this game in the last eight days. Maybe we try to prepare a surprise. It's very difficult, very tough. But I believe in my players."
Senegal sack Ndiaye
Senegal's football authorities have sacked coach Lamine Ndiaye after the national team failed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.The Teranga Lions drew 1-1 with West African neighbours Gambia at home on Saturday, a result which eliminated Senegal from the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the CAF Africa Cup of Nations earlier the same year.
"The Committee for the Normalisation of Soccer (CNF) has decided to end our relations with Lamine Ndiaye," committee member Baidy Agne told state television late on Monday.
The committee named the team's technical director Amsata Fall as caretaker coach. The CNF was set up earlier this year as the interim national managing authority of the sport after Senegal's poor performance in the 2008 Africa Nations Cup in Ghana, in which the team failed to reach the last eight.
Senegal reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Asia but failed to qualify for the 2006 finals in Germany, a disappointment which triggered intense criticism of the players and the federation.
After the latest failure, Senegalese soccer commentators and fans are calling for a national conference on the state of the sport in the country.
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