World Cup Xpert

Guinea run out 6-1 winners at African Cup of Nations

2012-01-28T19:53:00.003-06:00

It was a record day for Guinea at the 2012 African Cup of Nations as they raced out 6-1 winners over an overmatched Botswana side. The six goals matched the record for goals in a match and was the first time in 40 years a team netted six times at the tournament.

Guinea lost their first Group D game to Mali last week, fired four opening half goals past Botswana, who narrowly lost 1-0 to Ghana in their opening match.
Guinea now has three points and play Ghana Wednesday in the final batch of Group D games in Libreville, while Mali tackle Botswana.

Guinea coach Michel Dussuyer said it was crucial they won so as to get their campaign back on course. "We needed to win because we don’t want to go back home. We were not lucky against Mali, but we very satisfied we scored many goals in this game," said the Frenchman.

Botswana coach Stanley Tshosane reflected: "We must accept that Guinea were the better team, even though, three or four of the goals we let in were our own mistakes," he said. "We are sorry to our fans because we expected what our country expected."

Mexico rallies to beat Venezuela 3-1

2012-01-26T10:04:00.004-06:00

Mexico rallied with three second half goals to defeat Venezuela 3-1 on Wednesday night in Houston, Texas. Venezuela claimed a halftime lead with a goal in the 52nd minute, when forward Edgar Greco headed in a corner by captain Micky Mea Vitali, squeezing the low shot past Mexico keeper Jesus Corona.

Mexico would rally back in the second half though in grand fashion. It was typical free flowing and attacking soccer from Mexico as they fought back. At the hour mark they finally got it ties. Defender Carlos Salcido collected a pass from the left flank and, given space, sent a blast past Venezuela goalkeeper Leonardo Morales to tie it in the 68th minute.

It looked like the game was headed to a draw until the final minutes and then Mexico exploded for two goals in rapid succession. After a nifty display of passing in the 88th minute, Marquez Lugo tapped in the game-winning goal from close range. Just a minute later Oribe Peralta picked up a poor clearance at the top of the box and curled a perfect shot into the left side netting.

Both squads were without their major European based players for the match. The friendly was used to give experience to the younger domestic players and to build depth for the upcoming World Cup qualifying. Venezuela ends their two game American trip with losses to both the USA and Mexico and will return home to continue South American qualifying for World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

Late goal sends Equitorial Guinea to win over Senegal

2012-01-25T17:48:00.004-06:00

Equitorial Guinea used a stoppage time goal from David Kily to stun Senegal Wednesday 2-1. With the win they clinch a place in the African Cup of Nations quarterfinal round as they have won both of their matches so far.

Senegal, on the other hand, have been nothing but disappointing so far. Loaded with quality players such as Demba Ba, Diawara and Dame Ndoye they were expected to make a run deep into the tournament. Instead, Senegal has no chance of even advancing from group play as they'll close out their tournament with a final group game against Libya.

In the match, Equitorial Guinea took a shock lead in the 62nd minute of play when a David Kily cross was headed home by Randy. With time running out Senegal were able to tie the game. Moussa Sow rifled home from close range and two sides looked like they were going to share the points.

That was until David Kily's unstoppable drive from 25 yards to sent his side through to the last eight in the most dramatic of circumstances. In the other Group A game, Libya and Zambia played to a 2-2 draw. Zambia will need only a draw against Equitorial Guinea in their final group match to advance while a win would allow them to win the group.

Zambia pulls huge upset beating Senegal 2-1

2012-01-22T21:50:00.003-06:00

Well it sure didn't take long for the first upset of the African Cup of Nations. On Sunday Zambia shocked Senegal behind two first half goals. Senegal were the odds on favorites to win Group A of the competition. It is going to be an uphill climb for them now.

Zambia used a blazing start and a pair of defensive mistakes to grab a 2-0 lead at the half. Senegal responded in the second half behind an attack led by Newcastle's Demba Ba. They were able to draw within 2-1 in the 74th minute when substitute Dame N’Doye scored, but they were unable to find the tying goal in the dying minutes.

In the other Group A match Equitorial Guinea grabbed a 1-0 victory over Libya. Senegal will face Equitorial Guinea on Wednesday in their next match needing a win to get back on track.

Ireland dispatches Estonia for spot at Euro 2012

2011-11-15T16:30:00.002-06:00

Ireland's work was done basically before the opening whistle even blew. Thanks to their 4-0 win last week in Estonia, Ireland just had to manage the match to be able to celebrate with home fans a berth in Euro 2012.

History was made. There was unbridled joy for a crowd of 51,151 as a 10 yr wait for a major tournament finals, and 24 for a return to the European stage, came to a joyous end. A first half goal from Stephen Ward made the celebration even greater. Even a second half goal from Konstantin Vassiljev couldn't dampen the mood.

The match ended 1-1 with Ireland advancing on a 5-1 aggregate. Ireland will discover who they will face in Euro 2012 when the draw is made in Kiev on December 2, but in the meantime, they will celebrate a job well done after securing just their second playoff success in seven attempts by extending their unbeaten run to 11 games.

Brazil takes care of Egypt in Bob Bradley's first game

2011-11-15T09:11:00.002-06:00

Brazil had no problem dispatching an overmatched Egypt side 2-0 on Monday night in Qatar. The match marked new Egypt coach Bob Bradley's first game in charge. Bradley coached the United States from late 2006 until he was fired in July following a loss to Mexico in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann.

Bradley was hired by Egypt in September to succeed Hassan Shehata, who led Egypt to three straight African Cup of Nations titles but failed to qualify the team for next year's tournament. Bradley was given the task of qualifying the Pharaohs for their first World Cup since 1990. They are in an African second-round group with Comoros, Guinea, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Jonas Oliveira scored both goals for Brazil in the 39th and 59th minutes at Al Rayyan Stadium. Egypt's Ahmed Hassan entered in the 73rd minute, tying former Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammad Al Deayea for the record with 178 international appearances.

Mexico over Argentina for Pan Am Games gold

2011-10-30T04:19:00.003-05:00

Mexico claimed the gold medal in the Pan Am games on their home soil with a 1-0 win over Argentina Friday. Jeronimo Amione scored in the 75th minute to the delight of the home crowd. Amione scored the winner with a right-footed shot from inside the area after a pass from Javier Aquino, giving Mexico its fourth gold in men's soccer at the games.

While most teams at the tournament sent squads to aimed at preparing for next year's Olympics to be held in England, Mexico sent a squad aimed at winning the Pan Am title.

Uruguay claimed the bronze medal by squeeking past Costa Rica 2-1.

Nigeria crashes out of African Cup of Nations qualifying

2011-10-14T09:25:00.004-05:00

Here's a major surprise in the soccer world. Nigeria has failed to qualify for the African Cup of Nations as they crashed out in the qualifying stages. It is a major embarrassment for the soccer proud nation. The failure marks the first time in 25 years Nigeria has failed to qualify.

Expect heads to roll both in the management positions as well as on the squad. It is clearly a time for a new direction as they strive to keep Nigeria relevant on the world soccer scene.

They crashed out being held to a 2-2 home draw to minnows Guinea. Yes Guinea held the mighty Super Eagles on their home turf. It was the same old same old. Nigeria never lacks technical ability and flare. That was on display as usual. Instead it was organization and communication.

Ahead 2-1 all they needed was to see the match out and they would slip through. Instead the bench thought they still needed another goal to improve their goal differential. The Nigerians pushed forward looking for a third goal. Holes were left in the back and Guinea punished them in the dying moments.

Yes it should never have come down to a home result against Guinea though. Nigeria has far too much talent to not qualify for the Cup of Nations.

Brazil asserts claim that 2014 World Cup will be completely safe for all

2011-10-06T16:11:00.002-05:00

Concerns have been growing for months about tourist and fan safety at the upcoming 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil. On Thursday the Brazilian government said authorities will have an efficient security plan in place for the 2014 World Cup.

Justice minister Jose Eduardo Cardoso said Thursday in an interview with Brazilian radio stations that "the 2014 World Cup will be a very safe event." He said the government "is developing a public safety plan" that will be unveiled soon.

There are reasons for concern though. A United Nations report says Brazil has the third-highest murder rate in South America with 22.7 killings per 1,000 citizens, behind only Venezuela and Colombia.

As worldwide qualifying for the 2014 World Cup gets underway in the coming months expect these safety concerns to be more and more prevalent in the press.

Bob Bradley to coach Egypt National Team

2011-09-15T10:53:00.003-05:00

Bob Bradley has been hired as the new coach of the Egypt National Team. The former coach has been hired to take over immediately, Egypt's state news agency reported. EFA spokesman Azmy Megahed said Bradley is expected to arrive in Cairo this weekend to finish the deal.

"All is good. Bob Bradley will be here on Sunday to sign the contract," Megahed told The Associated Press. Bradley will replace coach Hassan Shehata who left in June following Egypt's struggles qualifying for the 2012 African Nations Cup finals. The team has since been eliminated.

Bradley led the United States to the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He was dismissed in July after the Americans lost 4-2 to Mexico in the Gold Cup final, the regional championship for North and Central America and the Caribbean. Bob Bradley was replaced by former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

Egypt is trying to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990.

Former Spain man Camacho to coach China

2011-08-14T06:35:00.004-05:00

Former Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho will direct China's national soccer team. The former Real Madrid and Spain national team manager will be expected to lead China through the 2014 World Cup qualifying phases in the tough Asian brackets.

The state-run Xinhua News Agency says Camacho signed a three-year contract Sunday. The 56 yr old Camacho replaced Gao Hongbo who was deemed to have not been successful in his tenure as China coach. China is coming off an impressive 1-0 victory over Jamaica in a friendly last week where defender Zhao Peng headed home a corner kick for the win at Hefei Olympic Sports Centre Stadium.

Wild second half yields 5 goals as Germany beats Brazil

2011-08-10T22:36:00.003-05:00

After a scoreless opening half, few could have foreseen such a wild and entertaining final 45 minutes. Five goals were scored and Germany turned on the style to defeat Brazil 3-2 in Stuttgart tonight.

Bastian Schweinsteiger's penalty in the 61st minute gave the hosts the lead and Mario Gotze doubled their advantage six minutes later. Robinho pulled one back for Brazil in the 71st minute, but 10 minutes from time, Andre Schurrle sealed an impressive German victory in front of 54,700 delighted fans.

Neymar grabbed a second for Brazil in stoppage time, but Germany's victory was as deserved as it was impressive. Germany held the upper hand throughout the first half, albeit without creating any clear-cut chances to validate their superiority.

Gotze, making his starting debut in Joachim Low's side, shot wide in the 22nd minute before Dani Alves' powerful free-kick from 40 yards gave Manuel Neuer his first test in the 33rd minute. The Bayern Munich goalkeeper chose the safest option by pushing the ball away from his goal.

Alexandre Pato gave Brazil cause for optimism early in the second half when he broke free and lifted the ball over Neuer, but the ball went wide. Nevertheless, Germany regained immediate control of the game and Philipp Lahm tested Julio Cesar with a shot which skidded off the surface and struck the Brazil goalkeeper in his chest.

That was in the 53rd minute, and six minutes later Lahm's Bayern teammate Schweinsteiger was given the chance to score from the spot. Toni Kroos was brushed in the penalty area by his former Bayern team mate Lucio, and the Germany midfielder's tumble prompted referee Viktor Kassai to point to the spot.

Schweinsteiger sent Julio Cesar the wrong way to delight the sellout crowd Germany grew in confidence and a man whose confidence could hardly be any higher had the fans on their feet again in the 67th minute.

Miroslav Klose pulled the ball back to Kroos, who in turn threaded it through to the in-form crowd favourite Gotze. He rounded Julio Cesar before netting his first international goal. The game appeared over as a contest until Lahm lost control of the ball inside his own penalty area and caught the foot of Alves with a lunge.

Robinho gave the Selecao some hope from the spot, but Mano Menezes' side were unable to gain any momentum and Germany sealed a deserved win in the 80th minute. Schweinsteiger stole possession from Andre Santos inside the penalty area and pulled the ball back for substitute Schurrle, who shot first time into the opposite corner.

There was time for Neymar to show why he is attracting interest from many of Europe's top clubs in stoppage time when he shifted the ball onto his right foot and beat Neuer inside his near post with a shot from 20 yards, but it came too late for Brazil.

England and Argentina battle to draw at U20 World Cup

2011-08-01T23:04:00.003-05:00

It was a game that deserved goals for sure. Both teams attacked with plenty of flair. The ball never found the back of the net though as England and Argentina battled to an entertaining scoreless draw at the Under 20 World Cup in Columbia Monday.

A huge crowd gathered at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot to witness a meeting between two countries who have shared a consequentially rivalry on the football field, and whose caped in blue and white striped were pleased to see the name of Juan Iturbe on the team-sheet.

The 18 yr old quickly got into the game, tormenting his opponents with slick footwork and instant changes of speed. Itrube had his first sight of goal on 19 minutes, but dragged his shot just wide.

Jack Butler pulled off a superb diving save to deny Argentina defender Leandro Gonzalez Pires, who had strayed up from the back, on the half-hour.

Two minutes later England's Billy Knott had the ball in the back of the net, though it was ruled out for offside. The same player had a decent effort on 43 minutes, but it went just wide.

Ten minutes after the restart, substitute James Wallace produced a wonderful long ball to find Saido Berahino, who held off Hugo Nervo and forced Esteban Andrada.into an excellent save.

Argentina bossed possession over the next 20 minutes, but they struggled to carve out any meaningful chances. England did with nine minutes to play. Michael Ngoo somehow kept the ball amid two challenged and freed Adam Smith, inside the area, but the latter's shot was brilliantly tipped round the post by Andrada.

German Pezzella then missed a sitter, after a cross found him unmarked, six yards out. Argentina probed for a deadlock-breaker in the final minutes, but it proved elusive. The result left Argentina top of Group F on four points, one above Mexico, with the England on two and Korea DPR on one. England will need a win against Mexico in their final group match.

Europe World Cup qualifying draw for Brazil 2014

2011-07-31T10:29:00.002-05:00

World champion Spain was drawn on Saturday with 1998 winner France, Georgia, Belarus and Finland in a qualifying group for the 2014 tournament. England was placed with 2012 European Championship co-hosts Ukraine and Poland in Group H.

"It will be interesting, there won't be easy matches," England coach Fabio Capello said. "England will have to be very careful, especially against Montenegro, Poland and Ukraine."

Italy will meet Denmark and the Czech Republic in Group B, while Germany faces Sweden, Austria and Ireland in Group C.

"Sweden and Ireland are very strong teams and that makes the group interesting," Germany general manager Oliver Bierhoff said.

Fifty-three European nations were divided into nine groups, with the winners automatically qualifying and the eight best group runners-up advancing to a playoff. European qualifying matches begin Sept. 7 and end Oct. 15, 2013.

Spain is in a difficult Group I, the only one with five teams instead of six.

The Netherlands, last year's runner-up in South Africa, was drawn in Group D with Turkey, Hungary and Romania, while Portugal will have to face Russia and Israel in Group F.

Group A has Croatia, Serbia, Belgium and Scotland. Greece will play Slovakia in Group G, while Norway was drawn in Group E with Slovenia and Switzerland.

UEFA World Cup Qualifying Draw - Europe
Group A - Belgium, Croatia, Macedonia, Scotland, Serbia, Wales
Group B - Armenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Malta, Italy
Group C - Austria, Faroe Islands, Germany, Kazakhstan, Ireland, Sweden
Group D - Andorra, Estonia, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania, Turkey
Group E - Albania, Cyprus, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland
Group F - Azerbaijan, Israel, Luxembourg, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Russia
Group G - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Slovakia
Group H - England, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, San Marino, Ukraine
Group I - Belarus, Finland, France, Georgia, Spain

Mexico wins FIFA Under 17 World Cup in style

2011-07-11T05:42:00.003-05:00

Mexico were crowned U17 world champions with a 2-0 win over Uruguay on Sunday at the Estadio Azteca, the home of Mexican football and one of the true cathedrals of the world game. Captain Antonio Briseno and Giovani Casillas were the men of the hour, scoring the crucial goals as the Mexicans collect their second title in the space of just six years.

The game began cautiously, despite the raucous home crowd of over 100,000. A full 20 minutes feeling the other out. It was clear who the fans’ favourites were, however, with every touch of the Mexican team roared and cheered to the heavens by the huge Azteca crowd.

The supporters must have played a role in sending Mexico into the lead. The home side found their breakthrough just after the half-hour mark when a cross from the right side was flicked on by Carlos Fierro and captain Antonio Briseno slammed home on the full volley with his right foot.

Uruguay nearly hit back straight away, but Elbio Alvarez’s effort splattered off the post from distance after the Mexican defence failed to clear the danger. Fierro had one more chance up the other end as the interval approached, but he failed to steer his shot into the top corner after breaking well into the area. The Uruguayans, without the influential Rodrigo Aguirre who went down with a head injury early on, looked a rueful bunch as they walked to the changing rooms amid an almighty cacophony of appreciation aimed at the Mexican players.

Mexico came out in the second half with all guns blazing, pressing forward into attack much to the delight of the crowd. A series of middle-distance shots from Fierro and his strike-partner Marco Bueno had Uruguayan goalkeeper Jonathan Cubero, voted the best net-minder of the tournament, looking nervous early on.

But the South Americans were not dead and buried just yet, and Juan San Martin collected the ball at the corner of the goal box in the 61st minute only to see his shot come flying back off the post with Richard Sanchez beaten. It was the second time the home team had been saved by the woodwork and it spurred them to tighten things up at the back.

The traditional ‘Oles’ began to rain down from the crowd as the game, stalled at 1-0, entered into a frenzied final ten minutes. The home side had a chance to score again after an almighty scramble in front of goal in the 83rd minute, but Fierro and Bueno both failed to fire home. shortly after, Arturo Gonzalez blazed just over the bar from 20 yards out. And just seconds before the end, Giovani Casillas slotted home to put the result beyond doubt as the final whistle triggered scenes of unparalleled passion from fans and players both.

FIFA U17 World Cup - Mexico wins thriller over France

2011-07-04T23:18:00.004-05:00

It was a game to remember for Mexico soccer fans. A FIFA Under 17 World Cup semifinal berth at stake. Playing on home soil. Playing a European power France. Everything to play for and the Mexico Under 17s did just that winning a tight 2-1 contest.

The game began at a break-neck pace and both sides had chances to score from set peices within the first five minutes. But the first goal didn’t come until the 14th minute, when Mexican danger-man Carlos ‘Charley’ Fierro rounded Kurt Zouma to the byline and pulled the ball back across the face of goal. Marco Bueno missed his effort on the doorstep, but Kevin Escamilla made no mistake, blasting low and into the back of the net to a monstrous roar from the home crowd

France were in no way stressed about their early deficit and three minutes later Jordan Ikoko broke into the box up the right side and fired a shot past Mexican keeper Richard Sanchez, who seemed to misjudge the bounce of the ball on the Hidalgo turf.

The match would go to the half 1-1. A long-range shot from France’s Jordan Vercleyen marked the start of the second half, but it was Mexico who took the lead again in the 50th minute. Charley Fierro, Mexico’s top scorer at these finals, was the man of the hour, the Chivas ace rounding his man in the box and curling a perfect finish from close range with his right foot.

Mexico were pressing again and Julio Gomez very nearly added to the 2-1 lead, but his clever freekick zipped just high. Fierro also went close again in the 66th minute, but his looping header hit against the top of the crossbar. With the French still dangerous on the break with their speed and set pieces with their size, the Mexicans were in desperate need of an insurance goal. Fierro nearly supplied it in the 75th minute, but his shot with the outside of his foot trickled just the wrong side of the post.

France gave the hosts a few moments of bother near the end, but goalkeeper Sanchez was up to the task and the contest finished 2-1. The hosts now march on to meet Germany on 7 July with a place in the final on offer.

Japan crushes Mexico at Womens World Cup behind Sawa hat trick

2011-07-01T14:03:00.002-05:00

Japan crushed Mexico 4-0 at the FIFA Womens World Cup in Germany. Japan rode a hat trick from veteran Homare Sawa to reach the quarterfinals for the second time in their hitory.

Homare Sawa, playing in her fifth FIFA Womerns World Cup, opened the rout by scoring in the 13th minute before a crowd of 22,291. The 32 yr old captain added her second goal in the 39th after Shinobu Ohno had made it 2-0 in the 15th. Sawa had plenty of room in the 80th minute when she was set up by Yukari Kinga for her last score.

"I didn't dare imagine that I would score three goals," said Sawa, who became her country's top scorer -- male or female -- with 78. "I'm really, really surprised," she added. "I would like to continue to contribute as much as possible to Japanese football."

In Group B's late game in Dresden, England and New Zealand need a win to have any realistic hope of advancing. Mexico is in danger of elimination.

"Mentally and physically we will have to recover from this because this was quite painful, this defeat," Mexico coach Leonardo Cuellar said.

Japan pushed forward when it had the ball and defended with commitment without it. All of which left Mexico overrun at midfield and made for a frustrating afternoon for Mexico captain Maribel Dominguez. Early on, she was crowded off the ball, ending a promising move initiated by Stephany Mayor on the right wing.

Sawa put Japan ahead shortly afterward, getting to Aya Miyama's free kick and sending a header past Cecilia Santiago from close range. Two minutes later, with a deft touch that took the ball past two defenders, Ohno scored with a shot into the roof of the net.

Dominguez found herself alone facing three Japanese defenders in the 33rd minute. But her attempt was stopped, and although Veronica Perez was lucky to get another chance from the rebound, it was sent harmlessly wide. Perez's free kick a minute later was easily gathered by Japan keeper Ayumi Kaihori.

Another header from Sawa all but ended the game in the 39th. The 16 yr old Santiago should not have been beaten at the near post, but the youngest goalkeeper in tournament history was left exposed by her weak defense. Cuellar appeared to wave the white flag in the 62nd minute when he removed an ineffective Dominguez for Kenti Robles, a defender.

"The doctors were a little bit concerned about Maribel and we decided to take her off so she can play in the game against New Zealand," he said. "She is a strong-willed player and she did what she could, but she's not at a 100%."

Japan coach Norio Sasaki warned against the rising expectations surrounding his team.
"It's an honor to be counted among the contenders for the final winner, but we need to go step by step," he said. "We are continuously improving. It's an ongoing process and we would like to get even better."

Mexico suspends 8 from Copa America squad

2011-06-28T12:58:00.004-05:00

Fresh off their Gold Cup victory, Mexico faces another suspension situation. After having 5 players suspended from their Gold Cup team for testing positive for a banned substance, now 8 have been kicked off the Copa America team for violating team rules. The players have been suspended by Mexico for 6 months.

Mexican federation officials said at a news conference they would not disclose details. News reports in Mexico said the incidents took place in Ecuador during training and involved players having female guests in their rooms. The players named are: Israel Jimenez, Nestor Vidrio, Jonathan Dos Santos, Marco Fabian, Jorge Hernandez, Javier Cortes, David Cabrera and Nestor Calderon.

"I am not going into details of what happened,'' said Hector Gonzalez Inarritu, director of national teams selection. "The rules were broken, the code of discipline was broken and I have to act. The players confessed. They are very hurt, very sorry and they have said they are sorry to their fans. ... They are assuming the consequences."

The players were also each fined $4,100. They are expected to be replaced, with the Copa America opening on Friday in La Plata, Argentina, with host Argentina playing Bolivia.

It is yet to be seen who the replacement players will be, but stars such as Chicharito and Guardado will not be named. Mexico opens play on July 4 against Chile in Group C, which also includes Peru and Uruguay.

Germany and France open FIFA Womens World Cup with one goal wins

2011-06-26T16:29:00.000-05:00

The hosts and two time defending champions Germany opened with a 2-1 win over Canada at the FIFA Womens World Cup. Germany dominated long stretches of the match but were unable to put Canada away. Germany led 2-0 on first half goals from Kerstin Garefrekes and Celia Okoyino Da Mbabi, but squandered several other quality chances. A late Christine Sinclair freekick pulled Canada back to 2-1. Germany were able to see the match out to the delight of over 73,000 fans. The Sinclair goal broke the long German shutout streak that dated back to the 2003 World Cup.

In the other Group A fixture, France slipped past Nigeria 1-0 in an entertaining match. Marie-Laure Delie scored in the 56th minute at Rhein-Neckar-Arena for a French team that went undefeated in qualifying. The French dominated most of the game, with playmaker Louisa Necib limiting many of her moves to midfield rather than pressuring Nigeria's defense upfield. The Olympique Lyon star was honored as Player of the Match.

"She is an artist," Bini said. "She was working for the team."

Oddly, France scored on one of Necib's few errors. When Eugenie Le Sommer crossed from the right, Necib missed her shot, allowing Delie to take the ball in the center, control it and stab it home.

Nigeria faces another uphill battle now. They are the perennial African champion having reached all five women's World Cups. But all too often the team has failed to get out of the first round.

England defeat Uruguay at U17 World Cup to win Group C

2011-06-25T18:53:00.003-05:00

England defeated Uruguay at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2-0 to win Group C and advance into the knockout rounds. Uruguay had already clinched passage to the knockout rounds and Coach Fabian Coito chose to rest several starters.

England dominated the opening half creating several chances. They scored in the final minute of the first half when defender Nathaniel Chalobah headed home a corner kick from Jake Caskey.

Uruguay began the second half with a bit more energy as they tried to find the tying goal. Sergio Cortelezzi, searching for an equaliser, forced Pickford into some vital saves on 55 minutes, but it was the English who added to their tally. Forward Max Clayton received a fine pass from Hope, and tapped home from close in to give England a two-goal cushion in the 58th minute

The victory settled England on seven points and a group top seed that will see them face Argentina on 30 June in Pachuca. The result left Uruguay stagnant on six points and will thus take on Congo on 29 June in Morelia. Canada and Rwanda were unable to grab a best third place finish in the group's other match, and crashed out of the tournament at the group stage after a scoreless draw.

FIFA U17 World Cup - Mexico gets by Holland 3-2

2011-06-25T13:19:00.003-05:00

It was a wonderfully entertaining Group A match at the FIFA Under 17 World Cup on Friday as the hosts Mexico edged European champions Holland in a 3-2 thriller. This game was more about Holland than Mexico though as The Oranje missed a slew of chances in both halves. It just kept with their misfiring theme in all three Group A games. Meanwhile, Mexican goalkeeper Richard Sanchez of FC Dallas had himself a night to remember, even saving a penalty kick.

It was a must win situation for the Dutch and inside the first eight minutes they created three decent scoring chances. First Memphis Depay dribbled well into the area only to be denied by Sanchez in the Mexican goal. Kyle Ebecelio was next to try his luck just a minute later, but Sanchez again had the measure of the effort. Then in the eighth minute, it was Yassine Ayoub’s turn to be denied by the outstanding Mexican keeper.

Mexico scored on their first real attack of the game in the 29th minute. Carlos Fierro laid the ball in for stylish winger Giovani Casillas, who made no mistake poking home with his left foot from just outside the penalty area.

The Dutch finally found their way to goal shortly after the interval. Depay hit in a free-kick from 35 yards out, clearly a delivery rather than a shot. But the service was missed by everyone in the crowded penalty area and bounced directly past Sanchez and into the back of the net. The Dutch continued to pile on the pressure in search of an equaliser, and in the 58th minute they were awarded a penalty when captain Francisco Flores was judged to have handled the ball. However, Sanchez was equal to this task as well, diving right to make a fine save on Achahbar.

Shortly after, in the 63rd minute, Ebecelio picked up a fine through ball and slammed without breaking stride from 15 yards out to draw the Dutch level. The game was wide open in the dying minutes, and Mexico’s Arturo Gonzales sealed the affair 3-2 in stoppage-time while the Dutch were stretched in search of a goal.

It leaves Holland packing for home while Mexico win the group and push into the knockout rounds. Joining the European champions on their way home were the Asian champions Korea DPR as they crashed out. Japan and France advanced in Group B play sending home the disappointing side from Argentina.

FIFA U17 World Cup - US set to face Uzbekistan

2011-06-21T16:43:00.002-05:00

Following their impressive win over the Czech Republic, US Under 17s will be looking to stamp their authority on the tournament with a second consecutive victory that could well be enough to guarantee them a berth in the second round. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, will be hoping to bounce back in the wake of their big loss to New Zealand.

The Americans were quite impressive in their opening match, the boys managed to be effective while still playing an attractive game of soccer. The team is built around the impressively talented midfield line of Alejandro Guido, Marc Pelosi and Paul Arriola and if these young playmakers are allowed to dictate the tempo of the match, a USA win is likely.

American coach Wilmer Cabrera stated, “We had a great game against the Czech Republic and its up to the players to prove to everybody that they deserved that win. We won’t be taking our opponents lightly. We’ll try even harder to keep winning and earn the respect of the public.”

Uzbekistan were far less impressive in their opening match as they were humbled by New Zealand 4-1. They'll be facing an uphill battle as they must face the two power teams in the group in their last two matches.

Brazil opens FIFA U17 World Cup with comfortable win over Denmark

2011-06-20T22:54:00.004-05:00

Brazil opened their FIFA U17 World Cup campaign with comfortable win over Denmark in Group F play. Denmark opened brightly and were unlucky to not be ahead in the early going. Brazilian keeper Charles intervened on multiple occasions to keep the match scoreless until his team could gain a footing.

Eventually the Brazilian class would show through and they began to wrestle control. The South Americans would grab the lead on 32 minutes when Ademilson was given too much space at the top of area and decided to test Dane keeper Korch from range. The shot took an awkward bounce with the keeper only able to help the ball make its way into the net.

Brazil came out more inspired in the second half, assuming control of the soccer match with a flurry of chances just a few minutes after the restart. Korch was put the test as two quick successive shots were fired his way from Marlon Bica and Lucas Piazon. Denmark’s golden opportunity to level the score came just moments later in the 55th minute when Fischer blew a wide-open chance in front of the goal, after Nicolai Johannessen’s shot had taken a deflection.

Brazil were unwilling to drop their opening account of the tournament and put the match beyond doubt with a lovely finish from right-back Wallace in the 57th minute. The defender combined down the flank with Ademilson, and upon receiving the ball back, fired into the net. Capping off the night for the Brazilians was Ademilson at the double. Bica found the striker lurking at the top of the area and the forward turned his defender and hammered a low drive into the left corner.

In the other Group F match, Australia rallied from a halftime deficit to knock off Ivory Coast 2-1.

France crushes Argentina at U17 World Cup

2011-06-18T20:54:00.003-05:00

France ran roughshod over a sorry Argentina side to open the FIFA Under 17 World Cup in Mexico on Saturday. The Europeans dominated every facet of the soccer game as they outshot the South Americans 23-8 on the day.

Playing in an attacking 4-3-3 formation, France gave Argentina no chance in the opening half as they controlling the ball and turned the possession into a trio of goals in the last ten minutes of the opening period. Yassine Benzia notched a pair of goals. The Argenthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifinians had no answer to the speed, quick passing and organisation of the French.

The second half was more of the same in terms of possession. Argentina, who only arrived in Mexico yesterday due to volcanic ash over South America, were unable to get a foothold in the contest. The French, however, were unable to add to their already bloated lead in what was every inch a one-sided contest.

The win leaves France sitting pretty in Group B while Argentina will struggle to escape from being sent home in the group stages.

World Cup 2014 qualifying underway as Belize wins

2011-06-15T21:22:00.004-05:00

The long qualifying road to World Cup 2014 in Brazil had begun. Three years and 832 matches to decide the 31 teams to join host Brazil in the summer of 2014. Belize has claimed the first victory as they swept away Montserrat in the opening leg of a home and home series.

Montserrat was the home team, but since the 202nd ranked team does not have a stadium that meets international standards the match was played in Trinidad. The second leg will take place in Belmopan, Belize on Sunday.

The match was tied 1-1 at the half before Belize exploded for four goals in the second half of play. Don McCauley notched a hat trick for Belize as they look comfortable to advance to the next round of CONCACAF play. Jay Lee Hodgson scored both goals for Montserrat one on each side of halftime.

Mexico has 5 players removed from Gold Cup due to banned substance

2011-06-09T17:09:00.003-05:00

Mexico's quest for the 2011 Gold Cup title took a major hit on Thursday as five players have tested positive for a banned substance and will be removed from the roster. Mexican Soccer Federation general secretary Decio de María confirmed the test results in a press conference on Thursday.

Starting keeper Guillermo Ochoa and starting centerback Francisco Rodríguez are two of the players who tested positive for clenbuterol. It is a substance usedhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif to treat breathing disorders and that is also used on animals to produce lean meat.

The three other players to test positive were Antonio Naelson “Sinha”, Christián Bermúdez and Édgar Dueñas, none of whom started in the 5-0 beating of El Salvador on Sunday at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

“Starting from today, these players will be unavailable to play and their sanction will be determined by the Mexican Soccer Federation,” said de María.

De María explained that the FMF received the results of 14 players tested by UCLA on May 21. They believe the positive reading is a result of the players having eaten contaminated meat, but an investigation will be made to determine the cause.

The five players will not be available to play against Cuba tonight, leaving only 17 available for selection. The Mexican Federation will ask CONCACAF to allow them to replace the suspended players with five others.

Ibrahimovic hat trick lifts Sweden past Finland

2011-06-08T01:34:00.002-05:00

Sweden rode a Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat trick to an easy win over Finland and moved to within three points of Holland at the top of Euro 2012 qualifying Group E. Finland was just no match for an in form Sweden who controlled from the opening whistle.

Kim Kallstrom opened the scoring in the 11th minute and Ibrahimovic scored two goals in three minutes after coming on as a substitute midway through the first half before adding a third eight minutes after halftime.

The win keeps Sweden within striking distance of leaders Holland and cements their spot in 2nd place. Hungary sits in 3rd by three points but have also played one more match than Sweden. Hungary hosts the Swedes in an upcoming round and must win.

Costa Rica cruises to easy win over outclassed Cuba

2011-06-06T09:39:00.004-05:00

Costa Rica ran out easy 5-0 winners against Cuba to open the 2011 Gold Cup in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium. The crowd was electric, but Cuba not so much. In truth, the left sided defense pairing of Cuba's Yenier Marquez and Yoel Colome was basically a disaster. Costa Rica went over and around them whenever they wanted and the defensive tracking was almost non-existent. It was breakaway city.

Costa Rica controlled the pace and the score line of the game, building onhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif their lead with a goal just before halftime. Alvaro Saborío, a forward for Real Salt Lake in MLS, was sprung by midfielder captain Celso Borges and ran unopposed into the Cuban penalty area before depositing past Molina for a 2-0 lead.

Two more breakaways inside the first two minutes of the second half put the game out of reach. Captitalzing on failed offside traps by Cuba, Marcos Ureña added to his goal total in the 46th minute with Mora converting a similar breakaway less than one minute later to make it 4-0 Costa Rica.

The most spectacular goal of the night may have been the last one, as second-half substitute Joel Campbell unleashed a fierce volley that from a tight angle that found the top right corner of the goal in the 71st minute.

Cuba made two substitutions to their forward line but still found themselves shut out on the night although nearly getting a goal off a header five minutes before stoppage time.

Both teams return to action on Thursday in Charlotte, NC Costa Rica play El Salvador, followed by Cuba taking on Group A favorites Mexico in the second game of the doubleheader.

Australia has little trouble beating rivals New Zealand

2011-06-05T07:19:00.005-05:00

Australia cruised to an easy victory over rivals New Zealand behind goals a goal from Joshua Kennedy and two from James Troisi. The Socceroos were without Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Mark Schwarzer, but their replacements were up to the task of dispatching a listless New Zealand squad.

The Kiwis only landed in Australia barely 24 hours before the match but they never truly arrived at a rainy and dreary Adelaide Oval, with a horror travel schedule and decimated squad in the end proving an insurmountable challenge.

Josh Kennedy scored twice to take his international tally to nine goals, but the stars of the show were up-and-comers James Troisi - who completed the scoring with a stoppage-time penalty - Michael Zullo and Matthew Spiranovic.

Troisi was handed a start in his hometown for just his fourth cap and his performance on the left side of midfield was impressive enough to suggest he will be a regular in Australia's 2014 World Cup qualifying. The young winger linked up well on the left with Zullo, while Spiranovic and his partner Jon McKain were rarely troubled in defense.

Thirty hours of travel from Denver to South Australia had clearly taken its toll on the visitors and the opener arrived in the 10th minute - in the most embarrassing of fashions for New Zealand custodian Glen Moss.

Jeremy Brockie played an ordinary backpass to the keeper, but his dreadful first touch opened the door for Kennedy to help himself to the ball and tuck it into a vacant net.

Troisi was busy in the first half and could have scored early had his 39th-minute shot had a bit more venom. The 22 yr old got off to a flying start, firing a wicked volley that just missed the right post. The Kiwis had a brief foray forward late in the first half, with Shane Smeltz feeding Kosta Barbarouses with a cross from the right, but the striker's back-heeled effort trickled harmlessly into the arms of Nathan Coe.

Coe was tested again a minute later with Brockie's cross from the left giving Smeltz half a chance in the air, but the Australia goalkeeper batted the ball away to safety.

With a 1-0 lead at the break, Socceroos boss Holger Osieck withdrew his big guns for the second half, sending on Rhys Williams, Dario Vidosic and Robbie Kruse for Emerton, Brett Holman and Luke Wilkshire. Vidosic's first touch was a pinpoint cross that found Kennedy right in front of goal just after halftime, but he inexplicably shinned the ball and sent it over the bar.

He made up for it in the 59th minute, though, as those two linked up once again from a corner, with Kennedy leaping above the New Zealand defence to nod home his second. Troisi was gifted the chance to open his international account in front of family and friends when Ben Sigmund brought down Kruse deep in stoppage time, and he made no mistake from the spot.

Maradona states "dinosaurs" are the cause of FIFA turmoil

2011-06-04T16:50:00.003-05:00

Leave it to Diego Maradona to say something controversial. This time though he might just be on to something. With FIFA embroiled in turmoil and scandal the boisterous Maradona has spoken out.

Diego Maradona says corruption and match-fixing scandals that have hit FIFA will continue as long as the sport's governing body is run by "dinosaurs" that have been a part of the system for years and years.

The Argentine was in Dubai on Saturday to sign a two-year contract to coach the local Dubai Al Wasl club. Maradona said FIFA had been badly run over the years and attacked the re-relection of president Sepp Blatter "who has never kicked a football." Maradona said an ex-soccer player should be in charge but did not suggest anyone.

Maradona has been out of a coaching position since leading Argentina to the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals. His contract was not renewed after the team crashed out of the competition in dramatic fashion. The Dubai club has not provided any details of the contract, and Maradona denied reports he is being paid $10 million.

Ghana defeats Congo in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying

2011-06-04T05:51:00.008-05:00

Ghana moved to the top of Group I in qualifying for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations thanks to their confident 3-1 defeat of Congo. Ghana looked good the entire match, but were getting increasingly frustrated as they were unable to cash in with the all important go-ahead goal.

Heading into the final 30 minutes of play the match was still scoreless and quite chippy as the Congo were putting up the good fight. Then the floodgates opened as four balls found the back of the net in the last half hour.

Issac Vorsah and Prince Tagoe scored in quick succession giving Ghana what looked like a comfortable 2-0 lead. Then some soft goalkeeping from Ghana netminder Richard Kingston allowed Congo some life as Fabrice N'Guessi pulled a goal back. Congo went searching for the tying goal with a fervor.

Ghana would have none of it though as Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu scored in the dying minutes to put the game away. The result leaves Ghana three points ahead of Sudan, who play third-placed Swaziland on Sunday. Congo trail the latter by two points at the foot of the group.

Germany slips past Austria on late Gomez goal

2011-06-03T22:19:00.003-05:00

Goals at the end of each half from Mario Gomez ensured Germany made it six wins from six matches in Euro 2012 qualifying at the expense of battling neighbours Austria in the Ernst-Happel Stadium. Germany's heavy first half possession was rewarded when Gomez poked home a loose ball off a corner.

Austria, whose qualification hopes are now all but over, picked themselves up admirably and got a deserved equalizer when Arne Friedrich turned David Alaba's cross into his own net only for Gomez to pop up again in the closing seconds to nod home Philip Lahm's fine delivery.

Sami Khedira, something of a surprise inclusion having been passed fit at the eleventh hour, soon made his presence felt when he went in on Martin Harnik but was penalised by the referee. Christian Fuchs took the freekick for Austria and located Harnik, whose header flew wide from 12 yards.

Germany settled quickly into a groove and Gomez went close after seven minutes with a shot that needed a smart save from Christian Gratzei. The resulting corner also came close to providing the opener, Mesut Ozil with the ball and Lukas Podolski drilling against the crossbar.

Having been fouled by Harnik, Toni Kroos found Gomez with a freekick but, again, the goalkeeper was up to the task. Germany were starving their opponents of the ball but mustering only half-chances of their own as the game approached the half-hour mark.

They also paid the price when Manuel Neuer misjudged a corner only to see Harnik volley over in a crowded box. Thomas Muller headed wide after finding space at a corner, but it was the hosts who almost took in a halftime lead. A fluid passing movement in the 40th minute freed Florian Klein, who cut the ball across goal for Erwin Hoffer. He did well to step clear of his man but stabbed wide.

Ekrem Dag then shot wildly from a decent position, Austria's last chance before Gomez stepped up. Kroos' corner was headed towards the six-yard box by Friedrich and Gomez was on hand to slot home, albeit untidily.

Gomez should have had his second two minutes into the second half when he collected Ozil's pass and neatly turned his man to have a clear sight of goal. He snatched at the shot to remove the danger.

Austria wasted no time in taking advantage, setting up their own attack and freeing the tricky Alaba down the left. He lined up a low cross that alarmed Friedrich enough for the defender to slide in front of Harnik and divert the ball past Neuer.

Austria were buoyed and came within inches of scoring again just moments later when Stefan Kulovits' first-time effort touched the outside of the far post, though Neuer was well placed to cover.

Harnik drove wide as Austria continued to take the initiative, with substitute Zlatko Junuzovic also missing the target for the hosts. Gomez proved more clinical for the second time when he headed the winner in the final minute, Lahm finding his far-post run with a delightfully judged deep cross.

Mexico rolls to easy win over New Zealand

2011-06-02T00:29:00.006-05:00

Mexico is heading into the 2011 Gold Cup firing on all cylinders as they made short work of an outmatched New Zealand side 3-0 Wednesday night in Denver. A pair of goals from Giovani dos Santos and another from Aldo de Nigris put the match away in the opening half. Mexico cruised in the second half after making several substitutions.

Giovani opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, when New Zealand goalkeeper Glen Moss spilled a cross from Mexico left back Carlos Salcido and right to the diminutive Mexican, who one timed it to the top of the net for the lead. He notched his second goal of the night after some nice buildup play. Right winger Pablo Barrera, who ran rampant along the flank, laid the ball off to center mid Gerardo Torrado. The captain crossed into the box, where Giovani set himself up with a tap with the outside of his foot, avoided a sliding defender and danced around Moss to pass it home from two yards out.

Finally, de Nigris capped the scoring just before the halftime whistle. A wide open Andrés Guardado received a long ball out near the left slide line and dribbled into the box, where he sent in a low cross in front of the goal to Aldo de Nigris, who tapped it past Moss for Mexico’s third goal of the night.

New Zealand looked far from the team that went unbeaten in the group stage of last year’s World Cup, committing a number of mistakes in the back and failed to mount anything threatening in the short time on offense. The All Whites' only shot of the first half came in the 35th minute, when forward Kosta Barbarouses unleashed a blast from long range that went well wide of goal.

With the match put away by halftime, Mexico head coach José Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre opted to make four changes. New Zealand head coach Ricki Herbert, meanwhile, made three swaps.
The changes seemed to take away from El Tri’s offensive drive while allowing New Zealand to gain some footing on the pitch.

The All Whites finally got some numbers forward midway through the second period, resulting in their first shot on goal of the night. After a brief scramble around the Mexico box, Chivas USA midfielder Simon Elliot volleyed towards goal, but the shot was easily handled by Tri netminder Guillermo Ochoa.

Shortly after, in the 76th minute, New Zealand got their second shot on goal via an edge-of-the-box effort from second-half sub Chris Killen. Again, though, the chance was calmly stopped by Ochoa.

Injury time goal gives Canada draw with Ecuador

2011-06-01T23:08:00.004-05:00

It looked like Ecuador was going to hold on for a victory over Canada Wednesday night in Toronto until an injury time goal from Tosaint Ricketts earned the home side a 2-2 draw. Ricketts grabbed his first international goal after receiving a quick Julian de Guzman free kick on the edge of the Ecuadorean penalty area which caught Ecuador by surprise.

The late goal capped off an exciting match in which both teams looked confident in moving the ball around. Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Terry Dunfield opened the scoring in the 24th minute after receiving a nice pass from Josh Simpson, who had beaten a pair of defenders the left wing. Dunfield found himself all alone from 25 yards out, and sent a laser into the upper right corner of Marcelo Elizaga’s goal.

The strike was Dunfield’s first for Canada at the senior level. Will Johnson nearly doubled Canada’s lead a minute later when a Canadian flurry resulted in the Real Salt Lake midfielder sent in alone on goal. Johnson mis-hit his one-timed shot across the face of goal, forcing a good save from Elizaga.

The play was fairly even for much of the first half, with Canada having more of the scoring chances. Ecuador didn’t really test Milan Borjan until the 37th minute, when the Canadian keeper was forced to make a point-blank save on Christian Benítez from in tight.

Ecuador looked lively in the second half while pressing for a goal, although the Canadian back line held steady. The South Americans’ constant pressure paid off in the 62nd minute, when Benítez nodded home a corner kick to send the large contingent of Ecuadorean fans into raptures.

The away supporters had another goal to celebrate only two minutes later, when Michael Arroyo sent in a screamer that was a carbon-copy of Dunfield’s opening strike after dribbling around de Guzman.

Ecuador were content to pass the ball around at the back after going up, tempting their hosts to attack. In the end, the strategy back-fired when Ricketts delighted the home fans and leveled the score just before the final whistle.

Jamaica looks to make a splash at 2011 Gold Cup

2011-05-25T09:16:00.003-05:00

Jamaica are looking to make a splash at the upcoming 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They enter the tournament fresh off a Caribbean Cup win, loaded with experienced talent and currently boasting the third highest FIFA ranking of any team in the region.

According to San Jose Earthquakes forward Ryan Johnson, these Reggae Boyz could be the best ever – even better than the 1998 squad that earned Jamaica’s lone World Cup appearance.

“There were some great players [on that ’98 team], but I feel like we have just as good players now,” he told MLSsoccer.com last week. “The mentality of our players now [is] all about working hard and for each other. ... Jamaica has the opportunity to go really far with this group of players that we have now."

That ’98 team, which captured hearts in becoming the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to reach a World Cup, was the Reggae Boyz’ first real experiment in fielding players of Jamaican descent born abroad thanks to the research and scouting of Brazilian manager Renê Simões.

That’s not the case anymore, the squad has improved by more domestic talent going abroad to hone their skills on big stages.

“Jamaicans are everywhere now,” he said, citing the nine players on the Gold Cup squad who play in Europe and another nine, including himself, who call MLS home. “We have a lot of players that are comfortable in any kind of situation.”

That has created an unprecedented professionalism in Jamaica camp, Johnson says, one that which has turned the Reggae Boyz into a dangerous team that can improve on previous Gold Cup performances. Jamaica reached the quarterfinals twice, in 2003 and ’05, but failed to reach the ’07 edition and couldn’t get out of the group stage two summers ago.

This time around, Jamaica have been drawn into a rough Group B alongside fellow Caribbean side Grenada and Central American neighbors Guatemala and Honduras. The Reggae Boyz open their campaign against Grenada on June 6 at the Home Depot Center.

Johnson thinks the key is winning that opening match, which will relieve some of the pressure of heading into Jamaica’s second and third group game. And from there, he says, they can go further than they’ve ever gone at the Gold Cup.

Ireland cruises to easy win over Northern Ireland

2011-05-24T23:03:00.002-05:00

No trouble at all as Robbie Keane grabbed a double as the Republic of Ireland cruised to a 5-0 win over Northern Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup in Dublin. Already the nation's all-time record goalscorer, Keane claimed his 47th and 48th goals in his 106th appearance for the national team.

At the other end of the scale, Wolves utility man Stephen Ward and West Brom striker Simon Cox marked their debuts with their first international goals, while Craig Cathcart netted an own goal and Adam Thompson saw red. It proved to be a disappointing night overall for Northern Ireland, who were cheered on by a sparse band of supporters after fans staged a boycott in protest at travelling restrictions placed upon them.

Ward was not in the team that manager Giovanni Trapattoni named to the media on Monday, meaning he was a surprise inclusion in the starting XI at the Aviva Stadium. As Ward and Cox both made their maiden bows for the Republic, teenager Josh Carson was handed his first cap for Northern Ireland and Gareth McAuley was named as captain.

The visitors had the first real chance on goal but Jonny Gorman was well off-target with a shot that he sliced past the post. At the other end, Seamus Coleman's cross picked out Paul McShane in front of goal but he sent his header flashing past the upright.

The Republic were threatening again when Keith Treacy unleashed an effort from distance but the shot lacked power and it was comfortably smothered by Alan Blayney. The hosts continued to press and were only denied the opener by the woodwork when Cox cut the ball back for Keith Andrews and his swerving effort smacked off the post.

The home side's hard work paid off when they took the lead with 24 minutes gone. Treacy played a one-two with Cox from a short corner before whipping into the goal-mouth. Goalkeeper Blayney threw himself at the ball but spilled in front of Ward who rifled home the opener from close range. The Republic doubled their lead after 37 minutes when Keane pounced on a dreadful pass by Lee Hodson before lofting over the goalkeeper and seeing the shot nestle in the bottom corner.

There was further misery for Northern Ireland when Coleman's ball across the face of goal was forced into the back of his own net by Cathcart a minute before the interval. The Republic were always favourites to come out on top and added to their tally nine minutes after the restart.

Thompson was deemed to have fouled Keane in the box and was given a straight red card by Scottish referee Craig Thomson, before the Tottenham striker dusted himself off and slotted low past Blayney from the penalty spot. Keane could have claimed a hat-trick with a ferocious volley but, the goalkeeper was up to the task and produced a decent save. Keane was then replaced by Andy Keogh to rapturous applause from the crowd.

A commotion then followed in the section housing the Northern Ireland fans, however order was quickly restored by the stewards. It had been an uneventful night for Shay Given in the Republic goal and he was replaced by David Forde for the final 20 minutes. But Blayney was left picking the ball out of the back of the net again when Cox raced into the box and sent an angled drive past the goalkeeper to complete the rout, before Stephen Hunt's freekick crashed off the post late on.

The victory put the Republic at the top of the Nations Cup table ahead of Scotland's game against Wales.

FIFA targets next year for goal line technology

2011-05-04T11:04:00.002-05:00

After years of resistance it seems FIFA is finally bowing to worldwide pressures to implement goal line technology to eliminate the controversial instances where officials are forced to make judgement calls on whether or not the ball has completely crossed the goal line. FIFA has set a target date of July 2012 to approve goal line technology systems that could be introduced before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Soccer's governing organization said Tuesday that candidates must pass two more rounds of tests at a stadium of their choice. FIFA said the results will be presented to its rule making body in July 2012.

The goal line debate reignited days earlier with another major error by match officials in England on the weekend. Chelsea's Frank Lampard scored against Tottenham on Saturday, with replays showing the ball had not completely crossed the line. Chelsea won 2-1 to keep alive its Premier League title hopes.

It was Lampard's "ghost goal" against Germany at the 2010 World Cup that persuaded FIFA president Sepp Blatter to end his opposition to technology. Blatter apologized to English officials after watching Germany's 4-1 win in South Africa.

Technology companies bidding for approval must tell FIFA in the next month if they want to take part in tests scheduled from September to December. FIFA wants a system that is "accurate, is not complicated and allows making real-time decisions," Blatter said from a regional soccer meeting in Miami. Blatter said the technology could be used for the 2014 World Cup, and individual federations could adopt it earlier.

Systems achieving 90% accuracy in "simulated match scenarios" could be invited for more tests March through June 2012. Ten systems were tested at FIFA headquarters in March but their accuracy was unacceptable.

Pele joins FIFA panel on improving soccer

2011-04-14T17:11:00.001-05:00

Pele will be Franz Beckenbauer's deputy on a FIFA appointed team that will recommend ways to improve soccer before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. FIFA on Thursday announced a 22-member Task Force Football 2014, which includes World Cup winners Bobby Charlton, Cafu and Christian Karembeu. Other former players include former AC Milan teammates Demetrio Albertini and Dejan Savicevic, Fernando Hierro and Zambia's Kalusha Bwalya.

The task force is a pet project of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who said last year it would help create "a more attractive" World Cup. "This vastly experienced team will address every facet of the game, tackling any challenges related to the game and coming up with appropriate solutions," Blatter said Thursday in a statement.

FIFA also appointed Swiss referee Massimo Busacca and officials from three countries who lost in bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups: United States federation leader Sunil Gulati, England's Alex Horne and Japan's Kohzo Tashima.

FIFA says the panel will meet May 10 in Zurich.

Japan withdraws from Copa America

2011-04-04T23:47:00.002-05:00

Japan had pulled out of this year's Copa America leaving the 12 nation tournament one short only three months before it is due to start. The president of the Japanese Football Association Junji Ogura said the most important thing was for his country to rebuild after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan on March 11.

"The priority at this moment is to continue saving lives and rebuilding the country after the earthquake and tsunami," Ogura said after meeting with officials of CONMEBOL, South American soccer's governing body.

CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz said he would meet with other continental leaders to discuss inviting a replacement. CONMEBOL spokesman Nestor Benitez suggested Costa Rica or Canada as possible replacements but said nothing had been decided. "CONMEBOL will make a final decision relying on the consensus of its members," Benitez said.

US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said "it would be next to impossible for us to participate given player availability issues."

The Copa America will be played July 1-24 in Argentina. Both Japan and Mexico had planned to send teams largely made up of youth players to the tournament, with Mexico's top team competing in the Gold Cup, the championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Leoz said Japan would be invited to play in the 2015 Copa America, which is to be hosted by Brazil. Japan also played in the 1999 Copa America. "We are sorry to be pulling out because we recognize that we have advanced in football by being close to South American," Ogura added.

Mexico and Venezuela play to 1-1 draw

2011-03-30T12:41:00.002-05:00

Two headers in a very active second half sealed a 1-1 tie between Mexico and Venezuela in Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif. The draw marked the third straight undefeated game for Mexico under new head coach José Manuel de la Torre.

Second half substitue Aldo de Nigris put El Tri up in the 58th minute, while center back Oswaldo Vizcarrondo scored the equalizer for La Vinotinto in the 73rd.
Donning their new black kits, Mexico made a few changes to the starting lineup, going with a striking corps of youth and speed led by none other than golden boy Javier “Chicharito” Hernández.

The backline was anchored by New York Red Bulls defender/midfielder Rafa Márquez for the first 45, thus recording his 101st cap with El Tri. Leading Venezuela’s attack for 77 minutes was Chivas USA forward Alejandro Moreno.

The opening minutes were marked by imprecision on both ends. Neither Mexico nor Venezuela could string together more than three passes as each pressed to try to go up early on the scoreboard. Mexico’s best chance of the half would come at the feet of Hernández in the 16th minute. The Manchester United striker came up with the ball after a mistake by the defense and went unguarded into the left side of the box. Hernández tried to curl it around the goalkeeper José Morales and inside the far post, but his hard shot went high above the crossbar.

The teams then settled into a rhythm: Mexico dominated much of the possession and used their speed to trouble Venezuela, while the South Americans kept a defensive lock and tried to counter when possible. Neither, though, was unable to break the tie before halftime.

While Venezuela opted to stay with the same 11 that started, Mexico came out for the second half with a handful of changes that brought some life to El Tri. In the 49th minute, two of Mexico’s second-half subs, de Nigris and Carlos Vela, combined nicely to nearly put El Tri on top. Vela’s cross from the left side was chopped down by a defender, but de Nigris headed the ball on a high bounce above Morales’ outstretched arm and just over the bar.

It would finally be de Nigris in the 58th minute that would give Mexico the 1-0 lead. With Morales lost on the play, Aldo de Nigris beat his marker and rose to meet Giovani dos Santos’ lofted cross just a couple of yards away from the goal.

That goal ignited a spark in the Venezuelan attack and the South Americans looked for an immediate response. Giácomo Di Giorgi and Gabriel Cichero each took a turn at unleashing hard shots from distance, but each was denied by Mexico goalie Memo Ochoa.

Not to be outdone, Giovani took hold of the ball in the 68th minute and snaked his way through the Venezuela defense and fired. His shot was partially blocked by Morales, but the deflected ball made it through and hit the post.

Just moments later, Venezuela would threaten the goal again before finally breaking through. First, Yohandri Orozco rung the crossbar with a free kick. Then, in the 73th minute, Vizcarrondo lost his marker and Ochoa to headed in the equalizer with authority.

Mexico had another go in them before the final whistle. With less than seven minutes remaining, Vela again sent in a cross from the left side of the 18, but his pass nearly ended in a Venezuela own-goal as Cichero accidently poked it straight onto the post.

Ghana rallies to tie England at Wembley

2011-03-29T22:57:00.004-05:00

This was not supposed to happen. England was expected to cruise over Ghana at Wembley on Tuesday. Instead Asamoah Gyan netted the tying goal at the death as Ghana celebrated with their fans.

Both sides played attractive, attacking soccer the entire match. Sure, England were the better side, but full credit to Ghana for not sitting back at all. They were always willing to attack whenever England left the door open. Asamoah Gyan was dangerous all night.

Despite keeping the same formation that served him so well against Wales, Capello discovered stand-in skipper Gareth Barry did not have as much success in keeping Ghana at arm's length as Scott Parker had done at the Millennium Stadium.

Indeed, as the first half drew to its conclusion, the only English offensive player who had not impressed was Andy Carroll. Much is expected of the young man with the £35 million price tag even though it was only his second international appearance. But he struggled to get himself in the right place at the right time, moving towards the far post when he should have been at the near and dropping back for a pass when the requirement was to go forward.

As it has always been with strikers, though, the currency by which they are judged is the number of times they find the net. So, when Young clipped an excellent pass to the edge of the area and Downing's attempt to control succeeded in prodding it straight into his path, Carroll seized on the opening and found the bottom corner with deadly accuracy.

The entertainment continued - Young's curling shot just wide at one end, Barry's brave block to a John Pantsil effort at the other, Jonathan Mensah sending a free header from the corner disappointingly wide, a fingertip save from Richard Kingson to deny James Milner, Gyan thrashing a shot into the side-netting. England were within touching distance of victory when Gyan slalomed through their defence and equalised.

Holland defeats Hungary in 5-3 thriller

2011-03-29T17:47:00.003-05:00

This was a wild one! More accurately. A wild second half. It was only 1-0 to the Netherlands at halftime thanks to a goal from Robin van Persie in the 13th minute of play. Hungary was desparate for a result to keep their slim hopes alive in Euro 2012 qualifying. They regrouped at halftime and took the game to the Dutch in the opening minutes of the second half.

Within five minutes of play Hungary had completely flipped the match and found themselves ahead 2-1 on goals from Gergely Rudolf and Zoltan Gera. The home crowd was stunned as Holland were looking at their first loss in Euro 2012 qualifying. Rally they did.

Wesley Sneijder made it 2-2 just before the hour with a shot into the bottom right corner. The game continued to flow from end to end, but long range efforts from Sneijder and Kuyt for Holland, and Gera for Hungary, never threatened the target.

Holland regained the lead in the 72nd minute when Dirk Kuyt's cross set up Ruud Van Nistelrooy to strike a low shot into the net. Hungary were up to the challenge though and only two minutes late had the game tied at 3-3. Zoltan Gera notched his second of the night.

The goal barrage was far from over though. Dirk Kuyt took over and carried his team to victory scoring in the 78th and 81st minutes to provide the 5-3 margin of victory for the Netherland and keep the team a perfect 6-0-0 in Euro qualifying. Hungary falls to 3-3-0 and will be hard pressed to finish ahead of Sweden in Group E.

Sweden slip past feisty Moldova 2-1

2011-03-29T15:43:00.003-05:00

Sweden slipped past a feisty Moldova side winning 2-1 in a crucial Euro 2012 qualifier. Mikael Lustig gave the Swedes a lead in the 30th minute, but they their chance to take a 2-0 lead into the halftime lockeroom was lost when captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic saw his penalty kick saved by Stanislav Namasco.

Sweden were never comfortable until Sebastian Larsson scored his first international goal eight minutes from time. With time ticking down Moldova got themselves on the scoreboard when the Sweden defence only partially cleared and Alexandr Suvorov lashed home, with his unfancied right foot, from just outside the penalty area.

The win keeps Sweden in second place in Group E on 12 points and still within touch of Holland who are perfect through six matches. The main concern though is finishing no worse than second and earning a playoff spot for Euro 2012. Hungary sits three points behind in third, but have played an extra game giving Sweden a comfortable advantage.

Turkey earns important 2-0 victory over Austria

2011-03-29T15:21:00.002-05:00

Turkey had to have this game. Lose and they can kiss their Euro 2012 chances goodbye as Austria would have been 4 points clear in second place in Group A. Germany has run away with the top spot being perfect in their five qualifiers so far.

Turkey were on a mission and it showed. goal in each half from Arda Turan and Gokhan Gonul earned Turkey three points in this evening's Euro 2012 qualifier against Austria in Istanbul. Galatasaray playmaker Turan set the hosts on their way after 27 minutes and Fenerbahce full-back Gonul's first international goal 13 minutes from time made sure of the result.

Austria's disappointing evening was compounded by Stefan Maierhofer's late penalty miss as Guus Hiddink's side leapfrogged their visitors in the Group A standings. Austria must have sensed it was not to be their night and that was confirmed six minutes from time when Volkan dived to his right to save Maierhofer's penalty after Hakan Kadir Balta had fouled Erwin Hoffer.

Now Turkey sits in 2nd place on 9 points with Austria and Belgium both on 7.

Neymar dominates as Brazil rolls over Scotland

2011-03-28T09:58:00.002-05:00

Scotland hung tough for almost the entire first half against powerful Brazil, but were eventually overrun. There was a lively atmosphere in the ground before kickoff which was helped by the appearance beforehand of Brazil legend Ronaldo as guest of honour.

After missing several quality scoring chances in the opening stanza young star Neymar finally broke through in the 42nd minute of play. Neymar fired past Scotland keeper Allan McGregor just before the break after taking a nice pass from Andre Santos. Scotland looked dangerous on set pieces as Charlie Adam whipped a couple of dangerous balls, but that was about it.

It was cruise control from there as they Brazilians turned on the style in the second half of play. In the 76th minute, Neymar was fouled by Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam inside the box and the teenage star picked himself up to score from the spot and there were few complaints from the traveling Tartan Army in an impressive crowd of over 53,000.

Two minutes from the end, after Brown was fouled by substitute Elias 30 yards from goal, Commons' freekick was comfortably saved by Julio Cesar and any hope of a consolation was gone, although there was still time for Brazil substitute Jonas to miss a sitter.

Spain slips by Czech Republic 2-1 behind David Villa

2011-03-25T18:28:00.003-05:00

David Villa notched both goals as Spain won 2-1 in the Czech Republic Friday in a 2012 Euro qualifier. The Czech Republic jumped ahead in the 29th minute of play as Jaroslav Plasil scored to the delight of the home crowd.

Spain took over from there dominating the ball and creating chance after chance. Yet after 45 minutes of play they found themselves behind. The 2nd half was much the same as Spain racked up a monster 19-2 advantage in shots, but the Czechs held on. Petr Cech was outstanding in the nets making 11 saves on the evening.

Finally, in the 69th minute of play Iniesta teed up David Villa to fire home from the edge of the area for his landmark 45th international goal. The relief was evident as Spain was all square. The winner came just minutes later.

Iniesta was involved again as he was fouled in the penalty area winning a penalty kick. David Villa stepped up and put the spotkick home. The win gives Spain a stranglehold on Group I as they lead the Czech Republic by 6 points.

Holland crushes Hungary despite missing several stars

2011-03-25T18:19:00.002-05:00

Holland traveled to Hungary expecting a difficult Euro 2012 qualifier. The Dutch were missing several important players due to injury. Not to worry though as they ran to an easy 4-0 victory over a humbled Hungary side.

Tottenham playmaker Rafael van der Vaart gave the visitors an early lead and Ibrahim Afellay's goal shortly before the half ensured the scoreline reflected Holland's dominance. The game was one-sided from the early stages as, after Gergely Rudolf's effort tested visiting goalkeeper Michel Vorm, Holland immediately broke upfield to open the scoring. Wesley Sneijder threaded a delightful ball to Rafael Van der Vaart who finished low past goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.

Simple second half goals for Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie ensured the Oranje moved six points clear of Hungary at the top of Euro 2012 Qualifying Group E. Two pitch invaders in stoppage time got closer to Vorm's goal than Hungary had for much of the game, but they were cleared by stewards and the final whistle followed moments later.

US readies Under 20s for World Cup qualifying

2011-03-17T14:09:00.003-05:00

US Under 20 Men’s National Team head coach Thomas Rongen has finalized a 20 player roster ahead of the 2011 CONCACAF U20 Championship. The group will travel to Dallas on March 20 for a week of training before departing for Guatemala City, Guatemala, on March 25 to begin its quest to qualify for the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Colombia.

The US Under 20 Men’s National Team has been drawn into Group B of the CONCACAF tournament and will face Suriname on March 29 at 8pm ET and Panama on April 2 at 6pm ET at Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores. Both games will be televised on ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.

At the 12 team regional event, the top two teams in each group will advance to the tournament2 quarterfinals, and the four quarterfinal winners will seal a berth to the FIFA U20 World Cup, set for July 29-Aug. 20 across eight cities in Colombia. The US will be attempting to qualify for an eighth consecutive time, having qualified for 13 U20 World Cups since the tournament began in 1977.

“As a staff, we’ve done our due diligence during the last year and a half,” said Rongen. “I can’t speak enough about all the players that we’ve looked at who have put in a tremendous amount of work and energy in each and every camp. That made this selection probably tougher than any other cycle and that’s a good thing. It means we’ve gotten deeper in every position and that we’ve got a great talent pool.”

US Under 20 MNT Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Zac MacMath (Philadelphia Union; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Cody Cropper (Ipswich Town; Athens, Ga.)
DEFENDERS (8): Gale Agbossoumonde (Djurgårdens IF; Syracuse, NY), Greg Garza (GD Estoril Praia; Grapevine, Texas), Moises Hernandez (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Sacir Hot (New York Red Bulls; Fair Lawn, NJ), Sebastien Ibeagha (Duke; Missouri City, Texas), Perry Kitchen (DC United; Indianapolis, Ind.), Zarek Valentin (Chivas USA; Lancaster, Pa.), Korey Veeder (Columbus Crew; St. Petersburg, Fla.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Sebastian Lletget (West Ham United; San Francisco, Calif.), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union; Sacramento, Calif.), Moises Orozco (UANL Tigres; Oxnard, Calif.), Dillon Powers (Notre Dame; Plano, Texas), Kelyn Rowe (UCLA; Newport Beach, Calif.)
FORWARDS (5): Eder Arreola (UCLA; Chino Hills, Calif.), Conor Doyle (Derby County FC; McKinney, Texas), Joe Gyau (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim; Silver Spring, Md.), Omar Salgado (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; El Paso, Texas),
Bobby Wood (TSV 1860 München; Irvine, Calif.)

FIFA decides to leave World Cup allocations as is for 2014 Brazil

2011-03-03T09:36:00.002-06:00

FIFA has decided to leave the 2014 World Cup allocations unchanged. CONCACAF was hoping to pick up an extra slot, but did not win over support. There were thoughts that Africa could lose a spot after another poor World Cup performance. FIFA did decide to conduct a draw for the playoff round.

The playoff round features South America's fifth placed team, CONCACAF's fourth placed, Asia's fifth placed and Oceania's qualification winner. For 2010, it was prearranged for a South American team to play a CONCACAF side, while Asia pitted a team against Oceania.

FIFA executive committee members Worawi Makudi of Thailand and Michel d'Hooghe of Belgium told The Associated Press on Thursday there was consensus to open the playoff fixtures to a draw.

Africa will have five guaranteed places among the 31 qualifiers advancing to Brazil, while four South American teams will qualify in addition to the host. Europe keeps its 13 team allocation.

Chile announces Claudio Borghi as new head coach

2011-02-24T15:42:00.003-06:00

Argentinian Claudio Borghi has been named the new head coach of Chile today. He replaces the recently resigned Marcelo Bielsa who led Chile to their best World Cup performance in almost 50 years in South Africa last summer. Bielsa resigned three weeks ago after a disagreement with the leadership of Chilean soccer and still remains extremely popular in the country and with players.

Claudio Borghi left Boca Juniors three months ago and will look to match the success that Bielsa had a Chile heads towards the upcoming South American championships.

Canada Under 17s qualify for World Cup with Trinidad win

2011-02-23T15:19:00.003-06:00

The Canada Under 17s have qualified for the FIFA U17 World Cup Mexico 2011. Canada earner their spot with an impressive 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in the quarterfinals of the 2011 CONCACAF Men’s U17 Championships. Chris Nanco and Keven Aleman notched the first half goals for Canada. It marks the first time since Ecuador 1995 that Canada have qualified for a FIFA U17 World Cup.

The team has been very impressive in Jamaica with a crushing 8-0 win over Barbados and a solid 0-0 draw with Honduras before the inidad win. They have yet to allow a goal in the competition. Canada now advances to the CONCACAF semifinal stage to face cinderella Panama on Friday 25 February. Panama pulled the big upset of the tourney with a win over Costa Rica in the quarters.

Pele has concerns about pace of Brazil upgrades for 2014 World Cup

2011-02-19T10:09:00.002-06:00

Brazil's biggest star is expressing his concerns about the coming 2014 World Cup to be held in his home country. Pele spoke of delays in infrastructure upgrades in Brazil saying they could cause an embarrassment for the soccer crazed country.

Pele said at a news conference Friday that Brazil has the "obligation of staging a good World Cup but unfortunately everything is delayed." He said Brazil is facing a "big risk of being embarrassed" because of delays in the modernization and renovation of Brazil's overcrowded and saturated airports, and concerns over some venues.

He singled out the case of the capital Sao Paulo, which is scheduled to host the World Cup's opening match but where construction of a new stadium is well behind schedule after FIFA ruled that the existing Morumbi venue didn't meet standards.

Former France coach Domenech calls French players brats

2011-02-15T08:45:00.002-06:00

The World Cup silence has been broken and the former France coach Raymond Domenech is speaking out about he debacle in South Africa where players walked off the trainingground and went on strike. Players were suspended and France crashed out of the World Cup in flaming fashion.

The team shocked the nation and provoked the ire of politicians and fans by refusing to train after Nicolas Anelka had been sent home for insulting Domenech. Three players received varying bans from the French soccer federation for their role in the strike.

Domenech's bitter six year tenure as France coach ended after last year's World Cup. He had previously declined to comment on the incident. He did an interview with France's L'Express magazine in which he finally lets his feelings known to the public. In the interview Domenech calls his France players "a bunch of irresponsible, stupid brats"

The squad looks to be heading in a better direction now as they have strung several wins in a row together in Euro 2012 qualifying and last week knocked off Brazil in Paris.

Mexico rolls to 2-0 win over Bosnia

2011-02-09T22:59:00.004-06:00

It was what an international friendly should be. Both Mexico and Bosnia went searching for goals and attacking soccer was on display all evening long. Even though the first half ended scoreless there were plenty of quality attacks. Mexico goalkeeper Jesus Corona had several good saves in the half.

The second half was all Mexico though as they came out of the locker room on the front foot. Just 4 minutes into the half Mexico earned a penalty kick. Javier Hernandez stepped up but his spot kick was saved by Bosnia keeper Kenan Hasagic. The rebound came back to Chicharito and he put it back on net. Hasagic made the save, but he was over the line and the goal was given to the delight of the mostly pro Mexico crowd.

Just minutes later Mexico made it 2-0. Mexico goalkeeper Jesus Corona helped set up his team's second goal in the 55th. Corona's long goal kick past midfield took a bounce over Bosnia's defenders. Hasagic moved up in an attempt to take possession but instead Pacheco won the race to the ball and scored.

The result gave new coach Jose Manuel de la Torre a winning debut for Mexico as he replaces Javier Aguirre wo was let go after the South Africa World Cup.

Spain grabs late winner to defeat Columbia 1-0

2011-02-09T16:28:00.004-06:00

Spain left it late, but were able to grab a winner in the 86th minute as they saw off Columbia 1-0 at the Bernabau in Barcelona. Credit to the South Americans who put up a brave fight on the evening pushing Spain in all phases before finally falling.

Both sides registered 12 shots on the night. Spain held the majority of the possession, but Columbia used fouls and the counter attack quite well. Columbia committed 22 fouls in the match.

The breakthrough finally came in the 86th minute when Jesus Navas got down the wing and sent a perfect ball into the Columbia penalty area. David Silva got on the end of the cross and sent a right footed shot past Columbian keeper David Ospina for the winner.

Holland take care of Austria 3-1 as Wesley Sneijder contines comeback

2011-02-09T16:14:00.002-06:00

Holland's Wesley Sneijder continued his recovery from last year's injury with the opening goal for Holland as they rolled to their sixth consecutive win with a 3-1 win over Austria in Eindhoven.

Austria had the first chance of the match through Stefan Maierhofer before visiting goalkeeper Jurgen Macho was called into action in the 10th minute when he was forced to save Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's shot.

Holland was having more of the play and Dirk Kuyt put his header wide from the close range before Sneijder converted a simple goal in the 29th minute. Theo Janssen's pass from the left wing found the Sneijder in the six yard box where he slotted home.

Sneijder subbed off at halftime and only three minutes after the break the hosts were two goals up through Afellay, who headed home from close range following a cross from the left. Holland were in total command and Autria were yet to produce anything to really trouble the Dutch. The match was over as a contest 20 minutes from time when Klein handled in the box and Dirk Kuyt converted the resulting penalty.

Marko Arnautovic pulled one back late on from the penalty spot for Austria but it was Netherlands who completed their impressive form.

Qatar World Cup to be played in the summer according to Blatter

2011-02-07T09:36:00.003-06:00

Professional leagues around the world let out a sigh of relief today as FIFA president Sepp Blatter flip-flopped again Monday on the timing of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Rumours of a winter World Cup have been in the news for weeks but Blatter stated today that there were no plans to shift the event to the winter months to avoid the searing heat Qatar.

Contradicting his recent comments that he expected the desert nation to move the tournament to the winter, Blatter told BBC: "Everything is settled for summer. I am not in favor of one or the other. What I did say, [is] winter is not only January or February. I think for the time being the matter is on ice."

Blatter denied that the idea of a winter tournament had originated with him, saying that former Germany great Franz Beckenbauer and UEFA president Michel Platini had come up with it first.

"Who said first that we should play in winter?" Blatter said. "It was Franz Beckenbauer, second Michel Platini and the world footballers' union."

Any decision on moving the dates must first come from the local organizing committee in Qatar, which somehow beat Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States to host the tournament. Blatter also dismissed reports that the tournament could be split between Gulf nations.

"Everything is settled now for summer, and all 64 matches will be played in the territory of Qatar," Blatter said. Hopefully they can pull it off.

Ashley Williams on Being Captain

2011-02-02T20:22:00.001-06:00

Thought this was a good article. Ashley Williams, Captain of Wales and plays for Swansea in England. Talking about being team captain.

Ashley Williams says:
“I recently went through the same thing having just been made Wales captain. There are a couple of things you need to change when you become a captain.

I don't play the game any differently, but I'm very conscious of the fact that I'm leading by example. You can't be caught out not putting in full effort as a captain, the number one thing is to be leading by example.

You have to practice what you preach, otherwise the other players won't respect you when you ask them for things. The other main element is communication. You're the manager's right arm on the pitch and you need to make sure that your team are all getting the message.

I've got quite a loud voice and I've worked hard on being more vocal, it doesn't come naturally to everyone. Captains don't have to scream and shout but sometimes you need to get information across during a game.

You also have to change your attitude. It's not just you and your game that you have to concentrate on any more. You can't let leadership distract from your main job but you need to have more of an eye on what's going on around the pitch.

Make sure you're on good terms with all the other players, and let them know that they can come to you with any problems."

Tadanari Lee volley gives Japan Asia Cup title over Australia

2011-01-29T19:43:00.002-06:00

Japan won a thrilling Asia Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Australia in extra time Saturday. It was Japan's record fourth Asia Cup championship. The winning goal was scored by substitute Tadanari Lee in the 109th minute of play. Lee blasted a left-footed volley from 10 yards out and beat Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. Lee then ran to the center circle and fired a symbolic arrow into the night sky.

Japan midfielder Keisuka Honda was voted the tournament's most valuable player. Australia was playing in its first final since switching from soccer's Oceania region to Asia in 2006. Four years ago, it lost to Japan in the quarterfinals on penalty kicks.

Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup last month, and the Asian Cup was the wealthy Gulf nation's first test for the showcase tournament. FIFA President Sepp Blatter attended the final and sat on one side of Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed bin Hammam, a Qatari who may challenge Blatter for the presidency of soccer's governing body. Michael Platini, president of European soccer's ruling group, sat on the other side of Bin Hammam.

After mostly meager crowds during the three week, 32 game tournament, Khalifa Stadium was nearly full, with 37,174 fans. But in a first glitch to what had been a generally smoothly run event, there were reports of many ticket holders being locked out of the stadium, among them foreign fans.

Thousands were denied entry after police shut the gates minutes before the game. Witnesses said irate fans, some holding their tickets in the air and shouting, were forced to watch the game on TV behind a fence that encircled the stadium. The confusion is likely to raise questions about the government's security plans for large events and its crowd-control measures.

Australia storms into Asia Cup final with rout of Uzbekistan

2011-01-25T13:19:00.003-06:00

Australia left no doubt they are deserving of a spot in the finals of the 2011 Asia Cup. They routed an outclassed Uzbekistan side 6-0 in a semifinal. Australia raced in front after only 5 minutes of play as Harry Kewell notched the opener. It was all Aussies from there. Asian player of the year Sasa Ognenovski doubled their lead 11 minutes before halftime and the match went to the break 2-0.

The second went from bad to worse for Uzbekistan. Blackpool's David Carney put the game beyond doubt in the 65th and only minutes later Uzbek striker Ulugbek Bakaev was sent off. It was all one way traffic after.

Three more goals were to come after the red card. Blackburn's Brett Emerton grabbed the fourth, Carl Valeri the fifth and Robbie Kruse the sixth as the shellshocked Uzbeks crashed and burned.

"We had a brilliant game, the players put on a great show and I'm full of praise for them. It was fantastic," said Australia's German coach Holger Osieck. "The secret for victory is the way we presented ourselves on the pitch. We had great shape, we played up and tried to create chances. We were very attack-oriented."

Japan awaits in the final Saturday after they advanced past South Korea in penalty kicks.

Japan advances over Qatar on last minute Inoha goal

2011-01-21T15:44:00.003-06:00

Qatar made a fine showing in their quarterfinal Asia Cup match against Japan falling to a last minute goal from Masahika Inoha. The hosts got the dream start as they bolted to an early lead when Sebastian Sorio Beat an offside trap before firing home. Japan tied the match minutes later though as Shinji Kagawa headed home.

The second half was terribly exciting as both sides played attacking soccer. In the 63rd minute a rash tackle from Japan's Maya Yoshida resulted in his sending off leaving the visitors to play short the final half hour. Qatar's Fabio Montezine scored the free kick and the home side looked primed to pull the upset.

Shorthanded Japan would not give in though and only minutes later the game was tied once again when Kagawa notched his second goal of the evening. The winner would come in even more dramatic fashion as in the final minute Masahiko Inoha scored the winner to take Japan into the semifinals to face Uzbekistan.

South Korea romps over India 4-1

2011-01-18T10:21:00.002-06:00

South Korea had little trouble as they romp to a 4-1 victory over India in their final Group C match at the Asia Cup. India finished last in the group losing all three of their games. South Korea jumped out to a quick lead with two goals inside the opening ten minutes of play. Dong-Won Ji and Ja-Cheol Koo were the goal scoters.

India grabbed one back almost immediately though as Sunil Chhetri was fouled in the penalty area. Chhetri calmly put home the spot kick cutting the lead to 2-1. South Korea restored the two goal advantage ten minutes later as Dong-Won Ji flicked a nice finish over the onrushing goalkeeper. The game went to halftime 3-1 and South Korea needing more goals to improve goal differential and win the group.

They were only able to manage one more in the second half through Heung-Min Son while leaving several wonderful chances begging. When it was all said and done then4-1 win left South Korea one goal short in their quest to win Group C. Australia took the group. South Korea can now look forward to a quarterfinal matchup against Iran.

Australia slips by Bahrain at Asia Cup

2011-01-18T09:14:00.003-06:00

Australia slipped by a feisty Bahrain Tuesday in Asia Cup play. A 37th minute goal from Mile Jedinak would prove to be the difference on the day. The Australians, led by Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell, bossed much of the play, but Bahrain was never out of the match. They created a number of chances but were unable to beat Mark Schwarzer in the Australian net.

The win coupled with South Korea's 4-1 triumph over a weak India squad gave Australia the top spot in the group by a single goal. South Korea and Australia finished even on 7 points from the 3 matches. Australia will wait to face a group d opponent to be determined tomorrow...most likely Iraq though. South Korea looks to a quarterfinal clash against Iran.

Japan hammers Saudi Arabia 5-0 behind Okazaki hat trick

2011-01-17T11:53:00.003-06:00

Japan showed no mercy Monday as they ran out 5-0 winners over an outclassed side from Saudi Arabia at the Asia Cup. The match was never in doubt as Japan raced out 3-0 in only 19 minutes of play. Shinji Okazaki notched the first two before Ryoichi Maeda scored the first of his two goals in the early onslaught.

The game settled from there as Japan was happy to sit on their big lead for the rest of the opening half. Unfortunately for the Saudis, the second half began just as the first did. Maeda headed home in the 51st to make it 4-0 Okazaki completed his hat trick In the 80th minute to complete the rout.

The easy win moves Japan into a quarterfinal showdown with the host Qatar side who are looking to earn respect on the heels of their winning bid for the 2022 World Cup. With Japan hitting on all cylinders, Qatar will definitely have their work cut out for them.

Italy awarded victory by UEFA after Serbia fan disturbance

2010-10-29T12:03:00.003-05:00

Italy has been awarded a 3-0 victory over Serbia by UEAF in response for last month's Euro 2012 qualifier in Genoa where Serbian fans caused the match to be stopped. Serbia will also be forced to play their next two home matches in an empty stadium. Serbia have been fined €120,000 and Italy €100,000.

The game on October 12 was delayed for 35 minutes following crowd trouble and when it finally did start, the referee called off proceedings after only seven minutes when Serbian supporters hurled flares onto the pitch and in the direction of Italian fans. Serbian supporters were also filmed attempting to smash Perspex barriers at Stadio Luigi Ferrari and cutting through protective nets separating them from the pitch.

A statement from UEFA detailed "a 3-0 victory in favour of Italy and two games behind closed doors for Serbia, of which one is conditional. Italy have been given a conditional one game behind closed doors.

"This is the decision of the disciplinary commission of UEFA which met today in Nyon, based on the abandonment of the game between Italy and Serbia on October 12 in Genoa following the crowd unrest by Serbian fans."

The news means the Azzurri will be three points clear in Group C after four matches. Serbia are second bottom, above Faroe Islands, with four points from four games.

Bulgarian coach suspended for giving players steroids

2010-10-27T12:08:00.003-05:00

A Bulgarian soccer coach, Edward Eranosian, has been given a four year ban for giving his players pills containing an anabolic steroid before matches in Cyprus. The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it upheld appeals by FIFA and the World Anti-Doping Agency that Edward Eranosian's suspension should be doubled after a Cypriot Football Association inquiry ordered a two year sanction. Eranosian is banned until April 2013.

The court said the former Bulgaria international "organized the systematic distribution" of pills containing oxymesterone to APOP Kinyras players before matches. CAS also said players Carlos Marques and Lionel Medeiros should serve just one-year bans for failing doping tests because they identified Eranosian as the supplier.

Northern Ireland hold Italy to draw

2010-10-08T22:59:00.004-05:00

Northern Ireland grabbed another solid result as they try to qualify for Euro 2012 as they held powerful Italy to a scoreless draw Friday. It was their second straight impressive result as last month they knocked off World Cup qualifiers Slovenia 1-0. Northern Ireland boss Worthington could not hide his delight at the final whistle in front of a capacity crowd.

Italy outshot the home side 16-6 on the evening, but were unable to find the goal to grab the full three points. Both sides created chances with David Healy narrowly missing in the first half that would have put Northern Ireland in front.

An Italian counter late in the first half almost led to them taking the lead, but Marco Borrellio was stopped from close range and Antonio Cassano missed wide with the rebound. Italy should have won it at the death as substitute Giampaolo Pazzini found himself with a close range header. Pazzini held his hands to his head as he watched it slide wide though.

Japan shocks Argentina 1-0 in friendly

2010-10-08T09:16:00.005-05:00

Shinji Okazaki's first half strike gave Japan a shock 1-0 victory over powers Argentina today. The win gave Alberto Zaccheroni a winning start to his tenure as Japan coach in today's friendly at Saitama Stadium.

Boasting the attacking power of Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, Argentina pressed from the outset and caused all sorts of problems for a home defence without injured defenders Marcus Tulio Tanaka and Yuji Nakazawa. However, Okazaki struck in the 19th minute and Japan defended well to hold on and secure the victory.

Lionel Messi first threatened in the 7th minute with a neat chipped effort from inside the box and the Barcelona forward was again at the forefront of the action with quarter of an hour gone as he dribbled into the area before hitting a shot from a tight angle straight at Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.

Japan who took the lead four minutes later when Makoto Hasebe received the ball from Keisuke Honda and struck an effort which was initially saved by Sergio Romero only for Okazaki to pounce and stab home the rebound.

Argentina rallied and first Tevez tried his luck in the 25th minute before Messi again threatened with a freekick two minutes later. Argentina interim coach Sergio Batista introduced Gonzalo Higuain for Diego Milito after 33 minutes to freshen up his attack, but it was Japan who looked the most dangerous before half-time as Atsuto Uchida fired over in the 43rd minute.

Argentina came out strong in the second half with Messi and Tevez looking dangerous, although Japan's defence was holding firm and doing well to repel any attacks from the South Americans. Messi should have done better just before the hour when he hit a shot high over the bar before a Tevez shot was saved by Kawashima with 15 minutes remaining.

Japan almost added a second two minutes before time when substitute Ryoichi Maeda broke into the box following a good counter, but Romero did well to block his shot.

Jose Mourinho not likely to take Portugal job

2010-09-17T10:05:00.003-05:00

Word out of the Real Madrid camp is that famed coach Jose Mourinho is unlikely to take over Portugal for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifying matches. Previous Portugal boss Carlos Queiroz was fired last week after a rocky last few months and Portugal played to a lackluster home draw with Cyprus in their opening Euro 2012 qualifier.

The Portuguese Football Federation had earmarked Mourinho as the man they want to lead the national team qualifiers against Denmark on October 8 and Iceland four days later. It would have been a temporary position while Portugal looked for a full time coach.

Jose Mourinho has admitted it is unlikely he will take temporary charge. In a press conference on Friday he said: "If it were not for Real Madrid I would do it for free. But if you ask me right now if I can go, I think not. I have a contract with Real Madrid. I do not say no, but in the natural way of things, I do not think this is the time.

"Real Madrid have every right in the world to put an obstacle in the way. And if you put the slightest obstacle there, I can't go. To say no to Portugal is impossible because of my personal pride and my passion for Portugal, but at the moment I cannot say yes."

Argentina crushes Spain 4-1

2010-09-08T03:59:00.002-05:00

Spain hardly resembled a World Cup champion against Argentina. The Spanish lost for the first time since winning the title in July, allowing their most goals in a decade in a 4-1 exhibition defeat at Argentina on Tuesday night.

"Argentina was the reason that Spain was not the Spain we are used to seeing," said Albiceleste interim coach Sergio Batista, who replaced Diego Maradona after the World Cup. "We beat a great team, and things went like we had hoped."

Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez scored first half goals, assisted by shaky goalkeeping from Spanish backup Pepe Reina. Starting instead of regular Iker Casillas, Reina played a part in each goal. Messi lobbed him in the 10th minute and Higuain beat him from a sharp angle in the 13th. Tevez scored in the 34th after Reina slipped trying to clear a ball.

Fernando Llorente scored in the 84th for Spain, and Sergio Aguero made it 4-1 for Argentina seconds into second-half injury time. Spain had not allowed four goals since a 4-1 exhibition defeat at Germany in August 2000.

"It did not surprise me that Argentina was better than us, particularly in the first half," La Furia Roja coach Vicente Del Bosque said. "We lost with dignity, and we are not looking for excuses to devalue Argentina's victory."

It was the second victory for Batista, who took over from Maradona following a 4-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals. Argentina defeated Ireland 1-0 in an exhibition last month.

Spain started just five players from its lineup against Holland in the World Cup final: defender Gerard Pique; midfielders Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso; and forward David Villa. Xavi Hernandez entered as a 57th minute sub for Cesc Fabregas.

Before a sellout crowd of 55,000 at River Plate's Monumental Stadium, the game was played under a light rain. Villa hit a post and the crossbar in the first half.

Spain came to Argentina after opening European Championship qualifying Friday with a 4-0 win at Liechtenstein. In a busy stretch, Messi and his Barcelona teammates on the Spanish national team play their La Liga home opener Saturday against Hercules, then begin the Champions League on Tuesday at home against Panathinaikos.

France continues embarassing run of play losing to Belarus

2010-09-03T21:17:00.002-05:00

Laurent Blanc's first competitive match as France coach ended in a shock defeat which deals an early blow to their Euro 2012 qualifying bid. Sergey Kisliak scored the only goal four minutes from time to punish France, who failed to capitalise after dominating possession.

Blanc retained six of the shadow side who lost to Norway in a friendly last month, including centre-halves Adil Rami and Philippe Mexes and front three Jeremy Menez, Guillaume Hoarau and Loic Remy.

Aleksandr Kulchy had the first chance for the visitors when he met Alexander Yurevich's cross but Rami stood firm to block. Belarus' Yan Tigorev collected the first booking for a foul on Yann M'Vila before France threatened through Remy, who headed Menez's corner wide.

Birmingham new boy Alexander Hleb saw an effort blocked by former Arsenal team-mate Bacary Sagna before France again pressed forward. New captain Florent Malouda was off target with an acrobatic effort before Hoarau also fired wide.

Mathieu Valbuena almost made an immediate spectacular impact but his saw volley from the D blocked by Yurevich, who had similarly thwarted Malouda moments earlier. Malouda's 25 yard drive then caused problems for keeper Yuri Zhevnov, who kept his concentration to beat away the viciously swerving Jabulani ball and ensure half-time arrived with no score.

France started the second half brightly and Menez and M'Vila forced good saves from Zhevnov either side of a glaring miss from Hoarau. The Reunion-born striker was picked out by Menez's cut-back but, leaning back and under pressure, spooned his effort high over the bar.

On a rare Belarus break, Vitaly Rodionov shot narrowly wide, but the hosts soon regained the initiative and Malouda's diving header was saved after Hoarau flicked on Sagna's long throw. A bout of head tennis ended with Hoarau nodding over the bar, and Malouda then had the ball in the net but was correctly flagged offside.

Zhevnov tipped Valbuena's drive over before Louis Saha, a substitute for Menez, was himself withdrawn due to injury after just 10 minutes on the pitch. Having failed to make their dominance pay, though, France were caught by a sting in the tail largely of their own making.

A mix-up between M'Vila and Gael Clichy allowed Vyacheslav Hleb to bundle his way through the defence and pull the ball back for Kisliak to finish powerfully into the top corner from 12 yards. France had a last-gasp chance to salvage a point as debutant substitute Kevin Gameiro lashed a volley on the turn inches over the crossbar following a corner.

France next face a difficult trip on Tuesday to Bosnia and Herzegovina, who tonight won 3-0 in Luxembourg.

Alberto Zaccheroni to lead Japan

2010-08-30T09:51:00.001-05:00

Alberto Zaccheroni has been appointed the new coach of Japan, replacing the departed Takeshi Okada. The hugely experienced boss is expected to attend Japan's training sessions from Thursday onwards but will not be in charge for the upcoming friendly matches against Paraguay on September 4 in Yokohama and Guatemala on September 7 in Osaka due to visa issues.

Zaccheroni, 57, will become the Blue Samurai's sixth foreign manager and is the first Italian to take the job. Zaccheroni has considerable experience in Italy having managed Udinese, AC Milan, Lazio, Inter Milan, Torino and Juventus, whom he guided to seventh after taking over midway through last season.

He also led AC Milan to the Serie A title in the 1998-99 season and replaces Okada, who stood down after taking Japan to the second round of this summer's World Cup in South Africa.

Spain grab tie with Mexico at Azteca

2010-08-12T04:44:00.003-05:00

Mexico nearly had a historic win and Spain found out just how tough it is to play at the famed Azteca in Mexico City. Credit to Spain though, as it is rare to find a major side willing to play in Mexico City with the altitude and poor air quality. They were there to help Mexico celebrate 200 years of independence.

"This was a party more than a game," Mexican captain Rafael Marquez said.

Mexico's young star Javier Hernandez put the home side ahead in the 12th minute and sent the home crowd into a frenzy. The match was without much contact, allowing both teams to have long spells of possession without many scoring threats. Rain fell in the second half, slowing the match and probably adding to the caution.

The game looked to be in Mexico's hands until David Silva tied the match in injury time and it finished all square at 1-1.

"We had more control than Mexico, but we lacked width and failed to get in deep," Del Bosque said. "Without much preparation, my players played like they had spent time training when, in truth, some trained for the first time yesterday."

Gerrard leads England over Hungary

2010-08-12T04:23:00.002-05:00

Two goals from Steven Gerrard led England to a 2-1 comeback victory over Hungary Wednesday at Wembley. It wasn't exactly what the players and coach Capello had been looking for as they tried to rebound and gain respect after the horrible showing in South Africa. In the end it was better than a loss that's for sure and definitely a step in the right direction with Euro 2012 qualifying on the horizon.

Even Fabio Capello’s selections highlighted the desire to turn things around. Out went the likes of David James, Ledley King and Emile Heskey and in came a younger breed, including Manchester City winger Adam Johnson and Arsenal duo Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere. The 4-4-2 formation was switched for a more expansive 4-2-2-1-1, with 72,000 supporters playing the roles of judge, jury and, if necessary, executioner.

Thankfully for the Three Lions redemption came thanks to a stellar performance from stand-in captain Steven Gerrard, deputising for the injured Rio Ferdinand. “Stevie scored two fantastic goals tonight, he’s such a big player for us and he just made difference,” Theo Walcott said after the game.

Kolo Toure lifts Ivory Coast over Italy

2010-08-11T09:20:00.002-05:00

Cesare Prandelli's reign as Italy head coach got off to a disappointing start as he watched his side fall to a narrow defeat thanks to Kolo Toure's winner on a miserable night at Upton Park. Prandelli, appointed as Marcello Lippi's successor in June, signalled his intent to draw a line under Italy's World Cup debacle by handing four players their first cap but they were unable to overcome an Ivory Coast side that looked a far more accomplished side than the 2006 world champions.

Goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and defender Cristian Molinaro started their first internationals, while Manchester City target Mario Balotelli lined up alongside Brazil-born Amauri up front.

Ivory Coast, without a manager since the departure of Sven-Goran Eriksson, started with only five of the team that beat North Korea 3-0 in their final World Cup game. Balotelli's fiery temperament off the pitch and his inconsistent performances on it had caused Lippi to exclude the 19 yr old from his squad for South Africa.

Without him, an old Italian side floundered spectacularly at the tournament, ending up bottom of a group that contained Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. The volatile Inter Milan striker has been at the centre of speculation linking him with a £24 million move to Eastlands. He made his presence felt from the opening whistle, with potential City teammate Kolo Toure finding his muscular frame hard to handle.

Balotelli hammered a 22 yd freekick just over Daniel Yeboah's bar with four minutes on the clock as the Italians dominated the opening exchanges on a surface soaked by a day-long downpour in East London.

Emmanuel Eboue then drove straight at Sirigu from 18 yards on 18 minutes before Gervinho failed to hit the target after being played through by a cheeky backheel from Seydou Doumbia. Amauri headed over from six yards just before the break after a clever combination between Simone Pepe and Angelo Palombo prised open the Elephants' otherwise solid defence.

Italy almost took the lead straight after the interval when Marco Motta broke into the box before seeing his shot rebound off the post straight into the arms of the Ivorian goalkeeper. That served as a wake up call for the Elephants, who kept the ball well, much to the frustration of Prandelli's team.

They then took a deserved lead in the 56th minute when Toure nodded home Guy Demel's cross from the touchline. Balotelli departed to a good reception from the Italian fans when he departed on the hour as their African opponents showed skill and class to keep the ball with some tidy passing.

Italy were restricted to long shots for most of the second half with substitute Fabio Quagliarella and Marco Borriello the main protagonists. The 11,000 plus crowd were treated to some show-boating by the Elephants as they continued to frustrate the opposition until the final whistle.

North Korea mistreatment of World Cup team to be investigated

2010-08-11T09:16:00.002-05:00

After many reports surfaced this month claiming North Korea coach Kim Jong-Hun was sentenced to hard labour and his squad were subjected to a six hour interrogation by government officials FIFA is commenting on the situation. North Korea's World Cup campaign that ended with three straight defeats.

Sepp Blatter has confirmed FIFA will look into claims of mistreatment of North Korea's players and coach. He told a press conference in Singapore that FIFA had contacted the new president of the North Korean football association and was looking into the matter.

"(We contacted them) to tell us about the election of a new president and, if it is true, the allegations made by the media that the coach and some players have been condemned or punished," he said. "The first step is the federation and we'll see what the answer will be, and then we can elaborate on that."

FIFA takes a dim view of government interference in footballing matters and has often in the past suspended affected federations. It is believed athletes in the secretive Communist country have previously been jailed for poor performances. Blatter also confirmed the matter of goal-line technology would be on the agenda at the International Football Association Board meeting in October.

Germany women win Under 20 World Cup

2010-08-03T03:53:00.003-05:00

The 2010 FIFA Under 20 Women’s World Cup reached its conclusion on Sunday, with the hosts overcoming a strong Nigeria side 2-0 to win the trophy for the second time. The opening goal began as Alexandra Popp played to Dzsenifer Marozman who advanced on goal before playing the unmarked Popp in on the right. The tournament’s leading scorer did the rest, outpacing her marker before artfully clipping the ball over Alaba Jonathan in the Nigeria goal, giving the Germans an early lead they would not relinquish. The 1-0 lead would hold until late in injury time when Kim Kulig added the 2nd goal.

Champions at Thailand 2004, the Germans have not put a foot wrong on home soil, winning all six of their games. They were completely dominant in scoring 20 goals while allowing only five. A whopping ten of their goals coming from the prolific Alexandra Popp.

Fittingly it was the Duisburg goal machine who put Maren Meinert’s team on the road to victory, tilting the match against the Falconets, who were hoping to win the title for the first time after quarterfinal exits in their previous three appearances. Through their courageous display was not quite enough to land them the trophy, the Nigerians had the considerable consolation of becoming the first African side to claim a medal at a FIFA women’s tournament.

Earlier in the day, Korea Republic claimed the spoils in the match for third place against Colombia, the only goal of the game coming from adidas Silver Ball and Silver Shoe winner Ji So Yun. While the South Koreans could take satisfaction from a podium finish in their second FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, Las Cafeteras can be equally happy at reaching the last four in their maiden appearance.

Maradona turns down Argentina extension

2010-07-27T16:25:00.005-05:00

Diego Maradona has decided to decline the four year extension he was offered by the Argentine Football Association leaving the post of head coach of the national team. Maradona was adamant that he be able to keep his staff in tact and after a meeting with AFA the two sides could not resolve their differences.

After the meeting AFA president Julio Grondona confirmed Maradona's contract will not be renewed. Maradona faced a roller coaster ride in charge of Argentina. He mostly faced criticism during his time through qualification slipups, but earned praise with the team's play in the early round of the World Cup. He was questioned once again when his side were crushed 4-0 to Germany.

2010-07-27T16:25:00.001-05:00

Mano Menezes set to coach Brazil

2010-07-24T10:00:00.003-05:00

It has been a few weeks since Brazil fired Dunga after their loss to Holland at the World Cup. Brazil first offered the coveted job to Muricy Ramalho, who turned them down to honor his contract with club team Fluminense.

Brazil set their sights on Mano Menezes, the coach of Sao Paulo club team Corinthians, who is said to announce his decision to accept the position today. Menezes will have the difficult task of leading the team in the tournament which will take place in Brazil for the first time since 1950 and will add unprecedented expectations among fans in the soccer-crazy nation.

"What determined the choice was the understanding that an immediate renovation is needed in the Brazilian national team," Teixeira said in a statement on the federation's website.

France suspend entire World Cup squad

2010-07-23T12:17:00.002-05:00

Following the debacle that was the French performance at last month's World Cup, coach Laurent Blanc and the French Football Federation have decided to suspend the entire 23 man roster for the upcoming friendly match against Norway.

A statement on the FFF website read: "Laurent Blanc met this Friday, July 23, with the federal council, to whom he presented his staff and his sporting project. He also proposed to the federal council, who accepted, not to retain for the friendly against Norway, on Wednesday August 11 in Oslo, any of the 23 players officially selected by the French Football Federation for the World Cup in South Africa. Laurent Blanc will release the list of players retained for this match against Norway on Thursday August 5 at 11.30."

Speaking to L'Equipe goalkeeper Hugo Lloris stated: "We acted as a team. To strike was the decision of a squad who felt lonely, who believed that no-one had stood up for them and who had a message to convey. We went too far. It was a very awkward decision, a big mistake. It was completely stupid. But there were so many problems."

Lloris has now vowed to work with his team-mates to help repair the damage.

"We all want to improve the image of Les Bleus,'' he said. ''We must make all possible effort, give everything. It's important for us. We must go back to basics, respect for the jersey, of course, the team and the institution of France."

Germany extends coach Joachim Low for two years

2010-07-20T08:52:00.003-05:00

Ultra successful Germany National Team coach Joachim Low has signed an extension that will see him lead Germany for two more years through the upcoming European Championships cycle. Low's previous deal expired after the World Cup, but the team's impressive display in South Africa led to a public clamour for it to be extended.

Low led Germany to an impressive run in last month's World Cup where Germany played attractice attacking soccer before losing to eventual champions Spain in the semifinal. Germany took third after knocking off Uruguay in the consolation match.

"We are all pleased that we can continue our work with the national team," he said. "Our team has excellent sporting prospects and it is a big challenge for us to be able to get stuck into the preparations for Euro 2012 after the successful World Cup in South Africa."

Argentina offer Maradona extension

2010-07-15T14:07:00.002-05:00

The controversial Diego Maradona has been offered a four year extension to remain on as Argentina National Team coach. The AFA executive committee determined Maradona remains the right man to command the national team after a respectable showing at the World Cup in South Africa.

Grondona intends to meet with Maradona no later than next Wednesday to discuss the contract extension. Maradona said after his side's exit that he would consult his family and the Argentina players before deciding whether he intended to stay on.

Maradona had little coaching experience before taking Argentina on a roller-coaster ride to World Cup qualification before falling in the quarterfinals of the competetition.

FIFA hand out 2010 World Cup awards

2010-07-11T18:28:00.003-05:00

Golden Ball
Diego Forlan or Uruguay claimed the Golden Ball awarded to the most outstanding player at the World Cup. The striker notched five goals in leading the surprising South Americans all the way to the semifinals.
Silver Ball - Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands
Bronze Ball - David Villa, Spain

Golden Boot
The fight for the Golden Boot ended in a three way tie with Diego Forlan, Thomas Muller and David Villa all tied on five goals. Thomas Muller won the award as the tie breaker were most assists and Muller notched 3 assists during the World Cup.
Silver Boot - David Villa
Bronze Boot - Wesley Sneijder

Golden Glove
Iker Casillas of Spain claimed the Golden Glove as he only allowed two goals in Spain's seven matches. He made several class saves during the tournament, none bigger than his second half penalty save against Paraguay.

Best Young Player
Thomas Muller grabbed the award as he was far and away the top youngster at the 2010 World Cup. After just one season in the Bayern first team, the 20 yr old has become the darling of the German football scene.

Spain take 2010 World Cup

2010-07-11T18:24:00.003-05:00

On Sunday all eyes were on South Africa. Spain were making their first ever final appearance while Holland had lost twice previously on the big stage. The whole world was watching to see who would claim their first World Cup title.

The Netherlands served notice in the opening minute that it was to be a rough and tumble match as Robin van Persie smacked Busquets. Five Spanish players hit the turf in the opening couple of minutes and all hopes of a free flowing and attacking game were out the window. Spain soldiered on despite the rough tactics and Sergio Ramos forced Stekelenburg into a good save off a header. We were 7 minutes in and Holland had not crossed midfield yet alone string together three passes.

Spain kept up the pressure as David Villa volleyed a cross into the side netting after a short corner. As the match hit the twenty minute mark the Dutch were settling in a bit. They were getting more of the ball and had weathered the early Spanish storm. If anything the opening half was marked by crunching tackles rather than great soccer. There were five yellow cards handed out, a couple of which could have been reds instead.

The last attack of the opening half came from Holland when Arjen Robben forced Iker Casillas into a smart save and the match went to halftime scoreless. Everything would be there for the taking in the final 45 minutes of play.

The second half opened with the Netherlands a bit brighter. The first big chance came in the 62nd minute when Arjen Robben broke in 1v1. Iker Casillas came out to close him down. Robben send Casillas the wrong way, but Casillas drug his back foot and deflected the shot wide of goal.

Spain became stronger as the half progressed and looked to take the lead in the 70th when Navas put in a low cross that was deflected and fell perfectly for David Villa, but somehow Heitinga blocked the shot from the turf. Spain were beginning to tighten the screws a bit searching for the winner. Shots were starting to come now and in the 77th Sergio Ramos found himself unmarked on a corner where he fired his header over the bar. Spain had missed their best chance of the match.

Arjen Robben almost stole the match for Holland six minutes from time as he outraced the Spain defense beating Puyol and Pique, but Casillas was once again up to the task taking the ball off his foot. The game was heading to extra time scoreless.

Spain came out buzzing in the extra period and five minutes in Fabregas was alone in on goal, but once again a goalkeeper stood tall as Stekelenburg went down to save. Soon after Navas got in only to see his shot deflected off the side netting. Spain clearly had intentions of winning through the run of play rather than penalties. In the 109th a nifty combination between Iniesta and Xavi sent Iniesta in. Heitinga sensed the danger and dragged Iniesta down earning his second yellow and a trip to the showers. The Netherlands were forced to finish with 10 men.

Spain would find their deserved winner in the 116th minute. Navas started a counterattack as Holland scrambled back. Fabregas found the ball at the top of the box where he slid a pass to the wide open Iniesta who touched and fired past Stekelenburg for the Spain glory. They had their winner and it was deserved. The best team in the world over the last two years were World Cup champions.

Germans third, beating Uruguay 3-2

2010-07-10T17:32:00.003-05:00

Germany defeated Uruguay in an entertaining third place match at the 2010 World Cup Saturday in the rain. It was a match we all expected as both teams were committed to the attack despite a poor playing field and bad conditions. The young Germans took the field with several changes from the squad that fell to Spain in the semifinals last week. No Podolski, Klose or Lahm, but young rising star Thomas Muller returned from suspension.

Uruguay, meanwhile, fielded a full strength squad intent on taking third place. Yet it was Germany who would strike first on the day when Thomas Muller notched his fifth goal of the World Cup when he slotted home the rebound from a long range shot off the foot of Schweinsteiger. Uruguay would answer though and send the match to halftime all level at one apiece. Edinson Cavani got behind the German defense after a Schweinsteiger turnover and poked the ball past keeper Hans Butt for the goal.

The second half was even more wide open than the first as conditions worsened on the field. Uruguay snatched the lead just minutes after the restart on a wonderful volley from the class Diego Forlan. Definitely one of the top players of the 2010 World Cup, Forlan prefectly timed a cross and sidevolleyed off the wet turf, past Butt and into the net.

The Europeans would not allow the South Americans the lead for long though as they struck right back. Defender Marcell Jansen headed home to make it 2-2 only five minutes after the Forlan sidevolley. The match would flow back and forth as both teams searched for the winner, but it was Germany that would find it only minutes from the end.

It was a corner kick that would lead to the winning goal. The kick was whipped into the six yard box where it deflected around before coming to the head of Sami Khedira whose header was perfectly placed into the side netting. It would mark the second straight World Cup where Germany has finished third and with such a young squad look out for Germany in 2014 when the Cup is staged in Brazil.

2010 World Cup Final - Spain v Holland

2010-07-09T18:16:00.001-05:00

It's an all European World Cup Final as Spain will meet Holland on Sunday in South Africa. It will mark the first time a team from Europe has won a World Cup outside of Europe and it will also be the first World Cup title for either nation. Holland has lost the final twice while Spain will be making their first ever final appearance.

Holland rode two second half goals to a 3-2 victory over Uruguay on Tuesday. The Dutch have been scoring plenty of goals of late as Wesley Sneijder, Dirk Kuyt and Arjen Robben have been hitting on all cylinders. They'll have their hands full with a Spain defense that has only allowed two goals the entire tournament.

Spain has bossed the possession every single match they have played. They are just wearing opponents down until the other team breaks. You don't have to play much defense if you have the ball most of the game and that has been how the tournament has been going. David Villa is leading the team with 5 goals in the World Cup.

The two sides have played nine times over their history with each side winning four and tying one. Spain will try to become the first team ever to lose their opening game at a World Cup and then go on to win the title. Holland is on a 25 match unbeaten streak.

Holland 3 Uruguay 2, Dutch to the Final

2010-07-06T16:03:00.001-05:00

Widely considered to be the best nation to have never won a World Cup, Holland have earned another shot. It will be an all European final on Sunday as Holland knocked off valiant Uruguay 3-2 in South Africa.

It was a very even match for 60 minutes as Uruguay stood right up to the Europeans. The first half was marked by two longrange strikes. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst put Holland in front in the 18th minute with a masterful shot from the left. He ripped a ball that found the very top backpost corner leaving Muslera no chance at all. Diego Forlan would answer just before halftime as his shot took a slight deflection and whipped past Stekelenburg who might should have done better.

The game was even until the 60th minute when a long period of Dutch attack seemed to signal what was to come. Ten minutes later Holland would have their lead as Wesley Sneijder shot from just inside the penalty area trickled through bodies and into the net. There were questions of offside as Robin van Persie was involved. Only a couple of minutes later the lead was 3-1 as Arjen Robben scored a perfect header.

Holland were on their way to the final. Credit to Uruguay who pulled one back in injury time through Maxi Pereira, but the rally was not to be. Holland can win their first World Cup on Sunday and await the winner of tomorrow's Spain-Germany clash.

Brazil fire Dunga for World Cup failure

2010-07-04T22:38:00.004-05:00

Dunga and his staff were fired Sunday, two days after Brazil collapsed in the second half and was beaten by Holland in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals. The Brazilian Football Federation made the annoucement of the widely expected decision. Brazil led 1-0 on a Robinho first half strike, but allowed two goals and had a player sent off in a dismal second half performance.

"With the closing of the work cycle that started in August 2006 and ended with the elimination of Brazil from the World Cup in South Africa, the CBF announces the dismissal of the Technical Commission of the Brazilian team," the federation said in a statement.

A new coach will be appointed before the end of the month, CBF said. Former Brazil player Mano Menezes, AC Milan coach Leonardo and Wanderley Luxemburgo are being mentioned as potential successors to Dunga. Luiz Felipe Scolari, who coached Brazil to its fifth World Cup title in 2002 has been mentioned as a potential successor.

The new coach and his staff are likely to face several exhibition matches in the next few months and then the 2011 Copa America in Argentina. Brazil will host the World Cup in 2014 for the first time since 1950.

Dunga returned to Brazil with the team early Sunday and was met with applause and cheering by fans in his native Porto Alegre in southern Brazil.

Germany easily over Argentina 4-0 behind Klose pair

2010-07-03T11:59:00.001-05:00

Germany continued their impressive run at the 2010 World Cup by smashing an overmatched Argentina 4-0 Saturday to advance to the semifinals. If anyone knows anything about the Germans is you better defend the set pieces. It took Germany less than 3 minutes to cash in on a freekick. A perfect swerving freekick found Thomas Muller on the near post where is deft flick of a header sent the ball into the net.

Germany had their lead and the mood of the day was set early on. The German defense was organized and resolute. Players filled every crack and Argentina looked at a loss as to how to break them down. It was a wonderful defensive effort all afternoon long and as Argentina became more desparate the Germans went the other way and picked apart the weakened defense.

The second half was a work of art as Germany notched three goals against Maradona's shellshocked troops. In the 68th minute, Lukas Podolski crossed the ball from just beyond the box, and Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero and defender Nicolas Burdisso were powerless to stop it as it sliced between them. Miroslav Klose got control of the ball in front of the goal and effortlessly tapped it into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead.

It was just the beginning as Germany would add two more before the referee ended the carnage. Friedrich would roll one in from close range in the 74th and then Klose would score again just before the end. It was Klose's 14th career World Cup goal tying him with German great Gerd Mueller for second place on the all-time list. Brazil's Ronaldo holds the World Cup record with 15 goals.

Germany now awaits the winner of the Spain-Paraguay game this afternoon as Europe looks to take all three of the quarterfinal clashes with South American opponents.

Wesley Sneijder leads Holland rally past Brazil

2010-07-02T12:51:00.002-05:00

Brazil is out. The giants have fallen and boy did they crash hard. Brazil will be heading home. It was a tale of two halves. Brazil dominated the opening half and led 1-0 at the break. Holland rallied for two goals in the second half and walked away triumphant winners advancing to the 2010 World Cup semifinals.

Robinho came out leading Brazil in the opening minutes. He was everywhere and it was no surprise when the opening goal came through him in the 10th minute. A terribly unorganized Dutch defense left a huge gape. Robinho recognized the gap and made a wonderful run right through the heart. A perfect pass from Felipe Melo found Robinho in stride who fired it past Stekelenburg into the net. The lead would hold until halftime where the Dutch regrouped.

Just eight minutes into the second half and Holland had the match tied. A quick freekick led to Wesley Sneijder whipping a dangerous ball into the Brazil penalty area. Goalkeeper Julio Cesar came for it going for a punch out. Instead he found nothing but air, completely missing the ball which glanced of Felipe Melo's head and into the net. The match was tied and Brazil began to unravel from there.

In the 68th minute Holland had their winner. A corner was flicked on to the backpost where Wesley Sneijder was waiting to head it home. The shortest man on the field had the winning header. Holland were in control and they knew it. Brazil was totally lost. In the 73rd minute Felipe Melo stomped on Robben and Brazil were down to 10 men as Melo was sent off. Brazil chased the game from there as Holland closed it out.

A historic win from Holland and the favorites are out with heads hung. Holland has a real fancy to go on and win the World Cup now. They'll be full of confidence for the semifinals and will face the winner of the Uruguay-Ghana.

Thank Goodness - FIFA to revisit goalline video technology

2010-06-29T08:27:00.002-05:00

Thank goodness. FIFA has finally given in an stated it will revisit the idea of introducing goalline technology. Unfortunately, it took an incident such as the obvious goal that was missed in the England-Germany game over the weekend.

Blatter said Tuesday that FIFA deplores "when you see the evidence of refereeing mistakes." It would be "a nonsense" not to consider changes, he said.

Blatter, who attended both matches, said he had apologized to English and Mexican soccer officials. "After having witnessed such a situation," Blatter said, referring to England's non-goal against Germany, "we have to open again this file, definitely."

But after England and Mexico were wronged, the group which represents pro players worldwide, FIFPro, said referees should get access to hightech assistance. "The entire football world once again reacted with disbelief to FIFA's stubborn insistence that technology does not belong in football," FIFPro said. "The credibility of the sport is at stake."

Blatter said FIFA has set a deadline of October or November to create a new concept for improving communication and decision making between the match officials at top tournaments.

Holland skips past Slovakia, faces Brazil next

2010-06-28T15:56:00.001-05:00

from Soccermogul

For Holland it was business as usual as they rolled to their 4th straight victory at the 2010 World Cup. This one was important though as star Arjen Robben made his debut after missing the group stages recovering from injury. Waht a debut it was as he rang out his World Cup arrival in the 18th minute cutting inside on his strong left foot and firing a low shot past Jan Mucha into the Slovakian goal.

"It's fantastic," coach Bert van Marwijk said. "After such an injury that he has the touch to score a goal like that."

With a sharp breeze blowing in from the nearby Indian Ocean, Robben nearly doubled the lead in the 50th minute, but Mucha deflected his shot just wide of the goal. A minute later, Robben sent a dangerous cross inside the area and Mucha blocked a close-range shot from Joris Mathijsen.

Wesley Sneijder sealed the victory when some good work from Dirk Kuyt drew Mucha out of his net. Kuyt slid a perfect ball to Sneijder who slid the ball into the vacant net. Slovakia would pull one back through a penalty at the death, but Holland left deserved winners.

Next up could be a huge matchup with Brazil in the quarterfinals.

Mexico falls to Argentina 3-1

2010-06-27T16:29:00.002-05:00

The tough day for the officials at the 2010 World Cup continued on Sunday as a clear offside was missed on the opening goal in the 26th minute. Carlos Tevez was well offside as he headed home the first goal of there evening off a flick from Lionel Messi. The Mexico players saw the replay on the bigscreen and immediately lost control swarming the linesman.

The center official and the linesman conferred and the goal was allowed to stand. Unfortunately, Mexico were so put off by the play that they lsot focus and composure. Just minutes later a blunder in the back by Rocardo Osorio gifted Higuain the second goal and Argentina were on their way.

"Two mistakes ... drastically changed the course of the game," Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said.

Shortly after halftime Carlos Tevez put the final nail in the coffin as he blasted home a wonderful strike from just outside the penalty area. Mexico keeper Oscar Perez went at full stretch but had not chance.

Mexico were able to pull a consolation goal back on a roofed shot from Manchester United bound Javier Hernandez, but the result was set. Argentina cruise on to the quarterfinals and a monster showdown with an in form Germany that crushed England 4-1 earlier in the day.

Suarez sends Uruguay through

2010-06-26T17:57:00.002-05:00

Luis Suarez lifted Uruguay to their first World Cup quarterfinal since 1970 as he notched two goals as Uruguay defeated Korea Republic 2-1. Suarez got the South Americans off to a dream start when he got on the end of a cross in the 8th minute, firing it into the backside netting for the lead.

Uruguay then went into a defensive shell sitting back and inviting Korea to attack. And attack they did coming forward for nearly an hour straight. Finally Korea was rewarded for their pressure as Lee Chung-Yong headed home in the 68th minute. The match was tied.

Uruguay came out and started searching for the winner and it was a bit of magic from Suarez. He picked up a ball on the left side taking a deft touch to his right and curling a perfect shot into the net. Uruguay had their precious win.

In these moments, the only thing I want to do is enjoy," said Suarez, who jumped over a row of photographers to celebrate his second goal with his teammates.

Uruguay will now face Ghana on Friday in a quarterfinal match and should be favorites to make a semifinal appearance.

Spain and Chile come out of Group H

2010-06-25T23:26:00.001-05:00

With Spain staring at an early exit from the World Cup, David Villa and Andres Iniesta each scored and the Spanish beat Chile 2-1 on Friday. The result sends both teams on to the round of 16. In a tournament that has already sent 2006 finalists Italy and France home, Spain was another upset victim, losing to Switzerland in the opener. That set up a critical final group match.

Villa got his goal on a shot from 45 yards out in the 24th minute, when goalkeeper Claudio Bravo came out of his area and cleared a ball straight to the Spain striker.

"David's goal was very important because it occurred at a time when it was very uncomfortable for us," Iniesta said. "After the goal, we felt more comfortable on the pitch."

Iniesta then doubled the advantage by beating Bravo with a shot from the edge of the area in the 37th, with Marco Estrada ejected after collecting his second yellow card on the play.

"It was even until the ejection," Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa said. "We never thought we were better than Spain though we could compete with Spain on equal footing. But from the 40th minute, the match changed its complexion entirely."

Chile didn't back down, though, pressing and scoring on substitute Rodrigo Millar's deflected shot in the 47th. Spain finished at the top of Group H with six points and will play Portugal in the next round. Chile was second and will play Brazil. Switzerland was third and Honduras was last.

"We have a unique opportunity," Iniesta said. "The team has demonstrated a good attitude. The draw with Portugal is difficult."

Villa scored when he ran on to the loose ball and curled a high, left-footed shot from just inside the Chile half into an open goal. Bravo had rushed out of the area to clear Alonso's long ball as Fernando Torres chased it down. Later, Villa and Iniesta -- returning from a right leg injury, worked the ball down the field together with Iniesta slipping it past Bravo into the far corner.

"We have reacted a very difficult situation and have done well," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. "There's a lot of pressure in Spain" for us to go further and "we want to do well."

Estrada, who was replacing the suspended Carlos Carmona, was already yellow-carded in the 21st minute and was shown a red card for tripping up Torres during the buildup to the second goal. Chile was the first South American team to lose a match at the 2010 World Cup, but all five of the continent's teams have qualified for the second round.

"I think that we deserved to advance because of the two previous matches," said Chile midfielder Rodrigo Millar. Chile beat Switzerland and Honduras, and only lost to Spain in the group standings on tiebreakers. "We now have a difficult match against Brazil in the next round. We know we're going to face one of the biggest teams in the world."

Paraguay takes Group F

2010-06-24T23:44:00.001-05:00

Despite being held to a 0-0 draw Thursday by the All Whites, Paraguay still won its World Cup group and moved into the round of 16. Neither team created much in the way of scoring chances, the Kiwis had exactly zero shots on goal, though they displayed more urgency in the final minutes than in a turgid first half at Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Paraguay finished with five points in Group F. Slovakia, which upset defending champion Italy on Thursday, also advanced with four points. New Zealand finished third in the group with three points off as many draws, while the Italians finished last.

"It was a very hard match, but in the end it was the most important thing to qualify," Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino said. "We had many problems in our attack today, to get through their defense. But the result is in our favor."

Probably the best chance of the match came when Paraguay substitute Edgar Benitez struck a low shot that was saved by New Zealand goalkeeper Mark Paston in the 76th minute. The other notable moment came 12 minutes earlier, when Cristian Riveros headed straight at Paston from a short corner.

"Obviously, the first goal was to advance," said Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz. "Our job goes further than scoring goals. We have the job of making it difficult for the [opposing] defense to generate offense."

The Paraguayans, who also reached the second round at the World Cup in 1986, 1998 and 2002, continued South America's dominance of this tournament. The continent's teams have 10 wins, no losses and three draws. Four of the five South American squads have qualified for the next round and the fifth, Chile, can do so Friday night.

A few of the Paraguayan players pulled their socks off at the end of the match and threw them into the midfield section of the stands where their fans stood and cheered. Paraguay will play Japan on Tuesday in Pretoria in the second round.

Ghana and Germany advance from Group D

2010-06-23T15:51:00.002-05:00

Mesut Oezil scored on a blast from outside the penalty area Wednesday to give Germany a 1-0 win over Ghana and first place in Group D at the World Cup. Despite the defeat, Ghana also advanced to the round of 16, taking second place in the group with four points. Australia also finished with four points but Ghana was ahead on goal difference.

Ghana is the first of the six African teams in the tournament to make it to the knockout phase and it could be the last. Only Ivory Coast still has a chance to join them.

Once the scoreboard had flashed the result of the Australia's match with Serbia, a 2-1 Aussie win, Ghana players hugged each other, waved their country's flag and ran to the corner where their supporters were cheering and dancing.

Germany had been in danger of failing to advance from the group stage for the first time, but the three time champions kept the upper hand throughout the match and got the victory they needed. They'll play England on Sunday, another European power that won to stay alive Wednesday.

Ghana will face the United States on Saturday. The Black Stars pushed the US out of the tournament in 2006. Oezil had a chance to score in the 25th minute but Ghana goalie Richard Kingson blocked his shot. Ghana also had some chances and Kwadwo Asamoah broke through in the 51st minute but shot weakly at goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Quotes from the dramatic USA win over Algeria

2010-06-23T15:14:00.002-05:00

"The second half wasn't a soccer game — it was more like ... a track meet. Back and forth, back and forth, both teams are so desperate," Howard said.

On the final goal:
"The moment kind of slowed down for me. It was as much a reaction as anything,' Donovan said. "I kind of hesitated. I didn't know if he was going to play it across the goal or try to cut it back to me. Once he played it in front of the goal, I didn't sprint, but I kept my run going and once it popped off then goalie, then I picked up a little to get there."

On the final pass from Altidore: "I couldn't chip it over the keeper, so I just tried to hit it under him — hit it hard," Dempsey said.

When the game ended, Donovan kicked the final ball into the stands. "Someone got a nice souvenir," he said.

"This team embodies what the American spirit is about," Donovan said. "We had a goal disallowed the other night, We had another good goal disallowed tonight. But we just keep going. And I think that's what people admire so much about Americans. And I'm damn proud."

"We're not done yet," Donovan said. "We believe, man. We're alive, baby."

England advances with 1-0 win over Slovenia

2010-06-23T12:54:00.004-05:00

England knew they had to get a win over Slovenia to get out of Group C and into the knockout phase of the 2010 World Cup. Embattled coach Fabio Capello introduced Jermain Defoe into the starting lineup and the move paid off in a big way as Defoe notched the winning goal in the 23rd minute of play.

Playing far more aggressively than they did in draws with the Americans and Algerians, the English went ahead when Defoe put in James Milner's cross from five yards out with a right-footed shot.

The victory gave England second place in Group C behind the United States, which beat Algeria 1-0. Slovenia entered the day the surprise leader in the group but finished with four points to five for the US and England.

"This team, this spirit, played together and tried together," England coach Fabio Capello said. "I am really happy because I found the team I know. We now go forward. We can play against all the teams because the mind is now free."

England now awaits the winner from Group D which could be Germany. What a round of 16 match that would be!