الأربعاء، 25 يونيو 2014

FIFA World Cup: 25 June 2014: Live Thread

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Live thread for the World Cup matches played on the fourteenth day of the 2014 World Cup


Another two Round of 16 pairs have been set as Costa Rica will face Greece who earned a second place finish with a last minute penalty against Ivory Coast while Colombia will take on Uruguay who in a head to head match-up took a bite out if Italy's World Cup hopes.


Another four games are on the schedule today, and six teams will be fighting out for three available spots in the next round. Argentina are the only team that have already clinched a spot in the Round of 16, while Bosnia and Herzegovina can't make it out of the Group Stage anymore.


Nigeria vs Argentina, Kickoff: 6pm CET


Nigeria have fate in their own hands as all they need is a point for them to finish in second place, but the African side can still top the group if they manage to overcome the strong yet unconvincing Argentinians. Nigeria can also advance if they lose, but for that to happen Iran mustn't win by more goals than Nigeria loses by. Argentina will look to hold on to the first place as that would most certainly see them avoid France who look set to top Group E.


Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Iran, Kickoff: 6pm CET


After their unlucky and by most accounts unfair loss to Nigeria, Bosnia has nothing left to play for unless to restore some pride and finish their first World Cup appearance on a positive note. Iran on the other hand can still hope for a place in the next round, but they desperately need a win to do so and Argentina must beat Nigeria. Still, that scenario is difficult to imagine as I full expect Bosnia and Herzegovina to go out on the pitch and demolish Iran.


Honduras vs Switzerland, Kickoff: 10pm CET


Officially, nothing in Group E is set, but with the impressive goal difference of France it's highly unlikely that France wouldn't top the group. The second place though is up for grabs as Honduras, Switzerland and Ecuador all can still advance. Honduras, however, are in the worst spot, sitting fourth without any points and even a win wouldn't guarantee them a second place finish. Heck, they could still place fourth even with the three points. Switzerland also aren't guaranteed a promotion with a win as an Ecuador win would end the European side's hopes.


Ecuador vs France, Kickoff: 10 pm CET


As I said above, a miracle would have to happen for France not to top the group, Ecuador on the other hand are in the driver's seat, currently sitting in second place. Even a loss could see Ecuador finish in second place, but in that case Honduras mustn't beat Switzerland by more than three goals (if Ecuador loses by one). On the other hand, Ecuador could drop down to third even if they beat France if Switzerland wins against Honduras by more than three goals (if Ecuador wins by one).


In any way, Group E promises tons of twists and turns while Group F is a bit more straightforward. Enjoy!






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Official: Claudio Bravo Joins FC Barcelona

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Barça has officially announced the signing of former Real Sociedad and current Chile International goalkeeper, Claudio Bravo


FC Barcelona has officially signed its two new goalkeepers for the future. Marc-André ter Stegen is already a Blaugrana for more than a month, and his backup was officially annonced on Wednesday.


It's Claudio Bravo. The former Real Sociedad GK and current Chile captain in the World Cup comes in for a fee of about £12 million, and will sign a four-year contract. Bravo, 31, is a starting goalie since 2002, when he was promoted from Chile's Colo-Colo youth system. He joined the big leagues at 19 years old, an has since impressed with his skills, inside and outside of the pitch. He was Colo-Colo's captain until 2006, when he joined the Basques. At Sociedad, Bravo became a fan-favorite and the team's leader and captain, becoming the second non-national with most matches played, and the third GK in Sociedad history with most appearances between the goalposts.


Bravo is known from his leadership, how he is respected by all of his peers on the squad, and his calmness. He's been described by Colo-Colo players as the "perfect teammate", which, combined with his experience, should help a lot as Ter Stegen develops as Barça's starting goalkeeper. Bravo will also add world-class quality skills to the backup job, something the Blaugrana didn't quite have with Jose Pinto in the years before.


The goalie becomes the second Chile player in Barça history, along with his buddy Alexis Sánchez. Bravo will sign his agreement and be presented as the newest Barcelona signing immediately after the end of the World Cup .





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FC Barcelona News: 25 June 2014; Barça Confirm Claudio Bravo Signing, Neymar Rewriting Record Books

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Agreement for Claudio Bravo to join FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona

Claudio Bravo, 31, is coming to Barça after eight seasons playing for Real Sociedad, and also captaining the Chilean national team. The new keeper came through the Colo-Colo youth system, making his first team debut in the First Division, at 19 years old, in 2002. He played for the Chilean team until 2006, when he signed for the Basque outfit.


Claudio Bravo, Chile captain offers agility and experience | FC Barcelona

Claudio Andrés Bravo Muñoz (Viluco, metropolitan region of Santiago, 1983) has been a renowned goalkeeper at both club and international level for Real Sociedad and Chile. He started out at Colo-Colo, making his first official appearance in 2002 when he was still only 19 years old. In 2006, he headed for Europe and Real Sociedad.


Neymar setting Brazilian records | FC Barcelona

Neymar has so far bagged four goals in the tournament, leading the goalscorers’ list ahead of Valencia (Ecuador), Benzema (France), Müller (Germany), Van Persie and Robben (Holland), who have all scored three.


Eight Barça players on plane home from Brazil | FC Barcelona

As the World Cup comes to the end of the group stages, eight Barça players are already on their way home after their countries failed to make the knock out rounds.


Exclusive interview with FC Barcelona legend Evaristo | FC Barcelona

The author, playwright and sports journalists, Nelso Rodriguez, once said: "The ball is a miserable, small and ridiculous detail. What we look for in football is drama, tragedy, horror and compassion." Echoing these words is the legendary FC Barcelona, Flamengo and Brazil man Evaristo de Macedo.


Zidane to coach Real B team | Football News | Sky Sports

Zinedine Zidane has taken his first steps into management, taking charge of Real Madrid Castilla as of next season. The former Madrid midfielder spent last season as one of Carlo Ancelotti's assistant coaches and proved to be a lucky charm, as the club lifted the Champions League for the first time since 2002, when the Frenchman's sensational volley against Bayer Leverkusen delivered the trophy.


Sevilla sign Daniel Carrico on a permanent basis from Reading | Sky Sports

Sevilla have taken up the option of turning Daniel Carrico's loan agreement from Reading into a permanent transfer. The Portuguese midfielder moved to England from Sporting Lisbon in January 2013, but struggled to make an impact as relegation out of the Premier League was suffered in his first season at the Madejski Stadium.






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الثلاثاء، 24 يونيو 2014

FC Barcelona News: 24 June 2014; Neymar Impressive in Brazil Victory, Ivan Rakitić's Croatia Eliminated

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Neymar shines in Brazil's rout of Cameroon (1-4) | FC Barcelona

Neymar Jr led Brazil to the Round of 16 with a brilliant performance against Cameroon this evening. The other Group A match, which featured Ivan Rakitic’s Croatia, saw Mexico secure the second spot of the group.


Chile through to the next round of the World Cup | FC Barcelona

Alexis Sánchez’s Chile were defeated by the Netherlands (2-0) in round three of the group stage of the World Cup. The men managed by Jorge Sampaoli were unable to overcome Van Gaal’s team, but they will advance to the next round as the runner up team.


Andrés Iniesta to make 100th appearance for Spain | FC Barcelona

Unless there are any late surprises, Andrés Iniesta will win his 100th cap for Spain today. National team manager Vicente del Bosque confirmed at his pre-match press conference that, although the team are only playing for honour and he is likely to give chances to the players that were left out of the first two games, the FC Barcelona midfielder will be in his starting eleven against Australia, "so that he can win his 100th cap".


Messi's infographic: Rewriting goalscoring history | FC Barcelona

At just 27 years of age, Leo Messi is already FC Barcelona’s highest goalscorer ever after topping Paulino Alcántara’s legendary tally of 369 goals and ending the 2013/14 season with a career total of 381 in 466 appearances


The next edition of the UEFA Champions League takes shape | FC Barcelona

The 2014/15 Champions League is taking shape. A total of 32 teams will feature in the tournament, 22 of which are already qualified for the group stage. FC Barcelona are one of the 22 teams that are already qualified for the group stage. The competition will start on the 16th or 17th of September.


The last FC Barcelona v Napoli: Gamper 2011 | FC Barcelona

On August 6 in Geneva, FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli will meet in a friendly at the Stade de Genève. The sides last met just three years ago, at the Camp Nou for the Joan Gamper Trophy. Barça, managed by Pep Guardiola, comfortably beat the Italians 5-0 with goals from Cesc, Keita, Pedro and Messi (2) to win their own trophy.


Cordoba reach the Primera Division | FC Barcelona

Cordoba CF, managed by ex Barça player Albert ‘Chapi’ Ferrer, are back in the Primera Division. The Andalusian team join Deportivo de Corunya and’Eibar in the top division, and in 2014/15 they'll come back to the Camp Nou, in the League, after 42 years. Since 1971/72 Cordoba have not played in the top tier of Spanish football.


Report: Falcao to join Real Madrid | Football Espana

Radamel Falcao has agreed terms with Real Madrid and will officially sign after the World Cup, according to reports. BeIn Sports revealed overnight that the Colombia international has negotiated terms with the European champions, and will complete a move by mid-July.


Transfer news: Diego Costa's transfer from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea not done yet | Football News | Sky Sports

Cerezo confirmed Chelsea have made contact but have not agreed to meet the buy-out clause for the Brazilian-born striker, who was part of a dismal World Cup showing from Spain. The forward has long been linked with a big-money move to join Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, but Cerezo maintains the deal is far from complete.


Carlos Vela has signed a four-year contract with Real Sociedad | Sky Sports

The Mexican striker left the Emirates in 2011 but Arsenal retained the right to buy him back for a relatively small fee. However, the Spanish club have now agreed a deal with Arsenal which sees him become their player - with no strings.


Manchester United close in on Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera - ESPN FC

Manchester United are hoping to make their first signing of the Louis van Gaal era as they near a deal for Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera. The Spaniard almost joined United last summer before a move broke down on transfer deadline day in controversial circumstances.






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Xavi Hernández Departs: A Tribute To FC Barcelona's Greatest Ever Player

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After 784 appearances, 87 goals and 14 major honours, Xavi's FC Barcelona career has finally come to a close. There will never be another quite like him...


After a summer in which many eras have come to a close at the Camp Nou and in Spain, no departure leaves a void as gaping as that of Xavi Hernández. Nearly sixteen years after making a scoring debut away to Real Mallorca, the midfield maestro walks away from FC Barcelona not just as its all-time record appearance maker and its most decorated player but as the club’s most iconic symbol: the La Masia graduate from Terrassa whose refined style revolutionised football and left him with a strong claim to being the sport’s greatest ever player.


It is difficult to explain just how much Xavi has achieved during his career, nor how improbable it seemed at the start. He arrived at a time when football’s tactical norms were rapidly moving away from his style of football. He was small, not particularly fast and never capable of dominating opponents by sheer power alone. He was never going to be seen galloping fifty yards with the ball at his feet, muscling off defenders en route to goal. Despite this, he leaves a legacy perhaps greater than that of any other footballer.


Of course, it would be wrong to say that Xavi invented pass-and-move football. It was around for decades before him and it will not go away now he’s gone. That said, no-one else perfected the art like he did. He is probably the best passer in the game’s history and, as is often overlooked, its greatest mover.


Once Luis Aragonés and Pep Guardiola identified the latter characteristic and moved him forward into his now familiar free-roaming role, he was near unplayable for five years – five years which changed football forever. Nowadays, every young footballer is taught to play like Xavi, regardless of their position. Find space, receive the ball, give it to someone else. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat...


"That's what I do: look for spaces," he told Sid Lowe during an interview for the Guardian in 2011. "All day. I'm always looking. All day, all day. [Xavi starts gesturing as if he is looking around, swinging his head]. Here? No. There? No. People who haven't played don't always realise how hard that is. Space, space, space. It's like being on the PlayStation. I think shit, the defender's here, play it there. I see the space and pass. That's what I do."


His ability to glide across the pitch for ninety minutes, covering a considerably greater distance than everyone else on it, was the foundation of his skillset. It allowed him the chance to take possession of the ball more often than any other player and to play more intelligent, inventive and incisive passes than they could ever dream of trying.


The simplicity and persistence of his passing game made it unstoppable. All manner of complicated tactical plans were hatched to try and stop him but, until age finally caught up with him, no-one ever could. There would always be space somewhere on the pitch and Xavi would always find it. The best anyone could do was tacitly concede defeat and put a wall of ten men between Xavi and the goal, hoping that by doing so they could at least keep the score respectable.


In a globalised age in which every tiny mistake is not just seen all over the world but magnified, every top-level footballer must be near perfect. They are obliged to maintain Herculean levels of fitness and technique and are subjected to constant and rigorous statistical analysis. Xavi’s individual figures – number of passes attempted, passes completed, distance covered, assists/key passes provided – have consistently ranked him above everyone else. As ever, though, the stats only ever told half the story.


As anyone who saw him play can attest, Xavi’s style of play was as beautiful as it was productive. YouTube is full of ‘Xavi’s Best Passes’ compilations. One could debate which was his best assist all day. The first time I saw him play in person in 2010, he combined with Andrés Iniesta for a double-backheel one-two in the middle of the pitch that received a roar as loud as any of the five goals scored that night. I couldn’t join in with the cheers, though – my breath had been taken away.


It would be a mistake for Barcelona’s new manager, Luis Enrique – as well as whoever takes over from Vicente Del Bosque with the Spanish national team – to try and find someone to replace Xavi. Such a talent comes along once in a lifetime. They must move on and maximise the abilities of the players they now have.


Having said that, it would also be wrong for them to stray too far away from the basic principles of tiki-taka, the style with which his name will always be synonymous. The problem is not that tiki-taka has become outmoded – it is more that Xavi’s advancing age meant that he could not do the pressing required to make it work. While both teams will miss his presence more than words can say, the mouth-watering reserves of talent they possess means that neither is finished now that he is.


Xavi may never have been as gloriously spectacular as the likes of Diego Maradona, Pelé or Lionel Messi, but he leaves Barcelona and Spain every bit as great. He was the most important player in the greatest club side ever assembled; the heartbeat of the most successful international team of all-time; a World Cup winner; a two-time European Championship Winner; a three-time Champions League winner; the standard-bearer for a style of play that re-shaped the global game.


The unprecedented success he enjoyed means that his influence will be felt on almost every game at football’s top-level for as long as the sport is played. No other player can say that.


Adéu, Xavi. Gràcies per tot.






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الاثنين، 23 يونيو 2014

World Cup: Cameroon vs Brazil Match Review

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After a hard-fought tie with Mexico, Brazil confirmed their favorite status and cruised through Cameroon in a dominant 4-1 win, that saw Neymar at his best


FIRST HALF


The first 45 minutes were loaded of action from both teams. Even being eliminated and full of lineup changes, Cameroon came to play and gave Brazil a hard time for a while, with dangerous crosses and shots from outside the box. The Indomitable Lions were also a little violent, commiting hard fouls and trying to break Brazil's balance. Neymar, especially, was the target of Cameroon's tackles. Not just tackles, but unnecessary cheap shots after the play ended just to make Neymar angry.


And they got Neymar angry. Not a good idea, though. Just a couple of minutes after being shoved, he put Brazil ahead. Luis Gustavo (player of the match BY FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR) pulled off a beautiful cross that came right into Neymar's right foot. Boom. 1-0.


A little bit later, Cameroon scared Brazil. Taking advantage of the Dani Alves 'Alvenue', Nyom crossed from the left, no Brazilian defender got to the ball, and Matip scored the equalizer.


The drama didn't last long, though. Eight minutes later, Neymar scored his second goal of the match, in good old Neymar fashion, facing the defender, doing a quick cut to the right foot and striking from close range. 2-1 and Brazil regained full control of the match.


SECOND HALF


Big Phil Scolari decided to make a change in Brazil during halftime. Paulinho, who had a terrible performance in the first 45 minutes, came off for Fernandinho. And the Manchester City's midfielder took over and probably solidified himself as the starter for the rest of the tournament. He gave Brazil something they didn't have in neither of their first two games: midfield control. The Seleção finally had somebody to run the show, move the ball from side to side and orchestrate the offense. The Brazuca got stuck in the CBs feet too much in the first half, but Fernandinho changed that and created huge opportunities for himself and others.


With more ball possession and better pass accuracy, Brazil dominated the rest of the game, and quickly scored the third goal. Fred, the invisible Brazilian center-forward, finally appeared to complete a cross from Marcelo and make the score 3-1 for the Seleção.


Cameroon spent too much energy defending, and had no gas to do any harm on the offensive end. Brazil continued to control the game and tried to score another goal. And they did it, when Fernandinho saw himself alone at the box to score the fourth.


In the end, a dominant, important victory to guarantee the first place in Group A for the hosts. Brazil will now face Chile at the Round of 16, next Saturday. We will see Neymar vs Alexis, and this should be fun.


Interesting Neymar Facts:



  • With the two goals scored against Cameroon, Neymar is the scoring leader of the World Cup so far, with four total. He is also the first Brazilian to score four goals in a single World Cup since Ronaldo did it in 2002.

  • Neymar surpassed former Barça legends Rivaldo and Ronaldinho and became the sixth best scorer in Brazil international history, with 35 goals in 52 games.

  • Neymar became the second youngest Brazilian ever to reach 35 goals. First on the list? The best player ever, Pelé, who scored 38 at age 22.


Brazil: Júlio César; Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo; Luis Gustavo, Paulinho (Fernandinho), Hulk (Ramires), Oscar, Neymar (Willian); Fred.


Goals: Neymar (17', 34'), Fred (49'), Fernandinho (84')


Cameroon: Itandje; Nyom, N'Koulou, Matip, Bedimo; Mbia, Moukandjo (Salli), Enoh, N'Guemó, Choupo-Moting (Makoun), Aboubakar (Webó)


Goals: Matip (26')





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Report: Jeremy Mathieu meets with Valencia, asks for FC Barcelona Transfer

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Reports from Spain claim that center-back Jeremy Mathieu met with Valencia general manager to ask for a transfer to Barça


The search for a new center-back has turned into a soap opera for Barcelona. It has become difficult since Barça decided to distract themselves with signings that don't really fit the team needs, like old fullbacks and incredibly expensive strikers.


Now, there is hope that an actual good and reliable CB will be a Blaugrana next season. That's what he wants, at least.


Jeremy Mathieu, a 30-year-old defender that always did a great job at Valencia, has been linked to Barcelona for a long time now, and with Carles Puyol retirement, combined with new manager Luis Enrique's desire to use Javier Mascherano as a defensive midfielder, is almost a no-brainer for a replacement.


And he wants to do it, according to a report from Spanish newspaper SuperDeporte. Mathieu has reportedley met with Valencia's general manager, Rufete, to ask for a Barcelona transfer. Jeremy insisted that he wants to be a Blaugrana, and asked Rufete to consider their offer. Valencia refused to sell Mathieu after a meeting with Barça officials last week.


Barça reportedly offered less than Mathieu's buyout fee, and Valencia doesn't want to sell because there are a lot of years left in Mathieu's contract and they will not negotiate if the Blaugrana do not completely buy him out. Barcelona's hope is that Jeremy's desire to leave Valencia can finally convince the club.


So, let me understand this. Barça doesn't want to pay £8 million for Mathieu, but they're willing to spend 80M on Luis Suárez, a guy they don't really need?


Ok, Zubi probably knows what he is doing...





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