NATIONAL TEAM - BELGIUM - 2014 WORLD CUP - Belgium welcome attack-minded foes

“The United States came out to win the match rather than avoid defeat. We were then able to take advantage of the extra space,” confirmed Kevin De Bruyne, who opened the scoring in the third minute of extra time and put in a fine all-round performance, linking well with Eden Hazard in particular. “It was a real pleasure to play such free-flowing football,” he added.

2 Jul 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - SWITZERLAND - 2014 WORLD CUP - Goodbye, Ottmar Hitzfeld. All the best and take care.

Hitzfeld has made a positive impression wherever he has been stationed and his name is still regularly chanted in the stands at Bayern Munich.

“He put together a really good team that will last for many years to come,” Granit Xhaka told FIFA.com, before Josip Drmic added: “He’s done a great job.” 

2 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - ARGENTINA VS SWITZERLAND 1:0

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Argentina vs Switzerland 1:0

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - BELGIUM VS USA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Belgium vs USA 2:1

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - ARGENTINA - KEY PLAYER - ‪LIONEL MESSI - PROFILE

Lionel Andrés Messi; born 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. 

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - USA - KEY PLAYER - ‪JERMAINE JONES - PROFILE

Jermaine Junior Jones, born 3 November 1981, is a German-American footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Turkish club Beşiktaş. He has previously played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Blackburn Rovers and Schalke 04. He was born in Germany and represented them at U21 and senior level.

1 Jul 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH - STEPHEN KESHI RESIGNS AFTER EXIT

He becomes the sixth manager to leave his job during the World Cup, following the departures of Honduras's Luis Suarez, Iran's Carlos Queiroz, Japan's Alberto Zaccheroni, Italy's Cesare Prandelli and Ivory Coast's Sabri Lamouchi.

Keshi, who captained Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup finals, was previously in charge of Mali and Togo.

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - FRANCE vs NIGERIA 2:0

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

France vs Nigeria 2:0

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - GERMANY vs ALGERIA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

Germany vs Algeria 2:1

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - GERMANY - KEY PLAYER - THOMAS MUELLER‬ - PROFILE

Müller's role can be described as an attacking all-rounder, a player able to play in a variety of forward positions. He can play in any of the attacking midfield roles but usually plays in the center for Bayern Munich, and on the right for Germany.

He has been used as an out-and-out striker on occasion. Müller has been praised for his maturity, pace, technique, awareness and positioning.

30 Jun 2014

African Champions League 2014 - group stage - 2nd matches - fixtures

Democratic Republic of Congo rivals AS Vita Club and TP Mazembe will meet this weekend in a Champions League tie only two weeks after their last match ended in tragedy. Fifteen people were killed and dozens more injured in a stampede at the sides' league match at the Tata Raphael Stadium in Kinshasa. The Confederation of African Football has expressed its deepest sympathy to the families of the deceased but the governing body has put no specific security measures in place for Sunday's game in Lubumbashi.

While Mazembe were 1:0 winners in that fateful league match, clinching the league title in the process, the club are bottom of their Champions League group and AS Vita are top after the first matchday. Vita beat Egyptians Zamalek 1:0, while Mazembe fell 1-0 to Al Hilal of Sudan. It means there is a lot at stake on and off the pitch for the teams, who will each be keen for a victory and a peaceful event.

Those opening results also mean the pressure is on Zamalek as they face Al Hilal in the weekend's other Group A tie. But Zamalek coach Mido remains confident, telling reporters: ""We will not drop any points during the coming games." He also wrote on Twitter: "I am betting on us qualifying from this group and reaching the final after a lengthy absence."

The last of Zamalek's five African triumphs came 12 years ago when they edged Moroccans Raja Casablanca 1:0 over two legs. Hilal will be wary of Moemen Zakariya, the leading Zamalek scorer in Africa this season with three goals. No Sudanese has scored more than once, but Mido must have noted the aerial strength of Salah Al-Jazouli, which brought him the winner against Mazembe.

Tunisians Esperance , favourites to win Group B and go on to secure a third title, suffered a shock 2:1 home defeat against Algerians Entente Setif last weekend. They travel to Sudanese city Omdurman for the match against Al Ahli Benghazi, who cannot play at home because of civil unrest. Haythem Jouini of Esperance and Zimbabwe-born Edward Sadomba of Benghazi have scored 10 Champions League goals between them this season.

The other fixture pits Setif against Tunisians CS Sfaxien in a top-of-the-table.

 

23 May 2014
(BBC Sport UK)

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