Category: World Cup

Thomas Müller Will Continue to Struggle under Carlo Ancelotti, Claims Matthaus

Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus claims that striker Thomas Müller will continue to struggle for form as long as he plays under manager Carlo Ancelotti.


Thomas Müller has been one of the greats at Bayern Munich, despite being only 27. He has already won a whole host of trophies including the World Cup. However, his form has suffered an alarming dip ever since Ancelotti came to the club. Even though he continues to be a key part of the German international team, Müller has seen his opportunities at Bayern Munich reduce substantially. Manager Ancelotti only used the striker as a substitute in the latest game against Werder Bremen.

Matthaus says that Müller can return to his best when he plays under a manager who wants him. At this moment, he does not take that Ancelotti rates him highly and fits into the system employed by the Italian. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager had a difficult first season at the club. Even though Bayern Munich were able to once again win the league title, the inability to win the Champions League has been a major disappointment.Matthaus says that Müller will start performing if the 27-year-old plays for a different coach. Read More

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CHINA DRAWS WITH SYRIA, WORLD CUP DREAMS ALMOST SHATTERED

An injury time goal scored by Ahmed Al Saleh saw Syria hold the China team coached by Marcello Lippi’s team to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday evening.


As a result, China’s hope of qualifying for next year’s World Cup finals is hanging by the thinnest of threads.

China’s Gao Lin and Wu Xi scored in the second half thus putting China in the lead after Mahmoud Al Mawas had scored first for the Syrians from the penalty spot in the 12th minute.

However, it was not to be a win for China as a curling free kick from Al Saleh put the teams on the same level thus ensuring that they shared the points between themselves.

With this result, China now sits six points behindUzbekistan who are third placed. Two games are yet to be played and these two will be getting ready for a showdown sometime in August.

From each of Asia’s two groups, the top two teams will qualify automatically. Following their 2-0 win over Uzbekistan in Tehran on Monday night, Iran has now booked their place in the finals.Read More

GERMANY WIN PENALTY SHOOTOUT USING NEW SYSTEM

The German under-17 side became the first team to win a match using the new penalty shootout system. Germany defeated their counterparts Norway 3-2 to make the final of the Euro Under-17 tournament in the Czech Rep.


The new system is more of a replica of the tie breaker in tennis. Referred to as the ABBA system, it seeks to help the team that takes the kick second in the shootout. The team that kicks after the other side in the shootout usually battle a psychological disadvantage as they have to play catch up.

The new system prescribes that the shootout follows the tennis tie-break method. Germany lost their first three chances, yet they won the shootout.

Germany played the first kick. The Norway keeper Karen Sneve saved it. Norway played theirs, which they lost. According to new rule, Norway played first in the second round of kicks – the third kick of the shootout as against Germany in the popular method. Norway scored so the scoreline was 1-0.Read More

SPURS TO SELL ACADEMY PRODUCT TO SLOVENIA

Slovenian outfit Olimpija Ljubljana have acquired Tottenham academy product Nathan Oduwa on a permanent deal, according to the club’s official twitter handle.


The Premier League side agreed to sell of the player to the PrvaLiga defending champions as negotiations were mutually beneficent.

“We have reached agreement with Slovenian top-flight side Olimpija Ljubjana for the transfer of Nathan Oduwa. We wish Nathan all the best,” the tweet from @SpursOfficial read.

Before now there were reports that both sides were discussing transfers. The 20-year old made the headlines last year when he did rainbow flicks whilst on half-season loan to Rangers FC. The Scottish side were in the second division then with Mark Warburton managing them. His moves angered the player there. He spent some time there but he gradually faded into the background.Read More

Referee’s to get more assistance in making Decisions

Earlier, whatever assistance a Football match referee was to get, he had to get it from within the ground because all the linesmen or his associates would only be present in the ground, but, now the referees would be getting help from outside the ground too as a couple of the referees’ associates will be sitting away from the ground in front of computers and laptops and that’s where they would be helping him from.


So, that’s a sort of a big change in the decision making process in a Football game.

And the first big tournament to witness such kind of system will be the World Cup 2018 itself and as per Gianni Infantino, who is heading the Football administration in the world at the moment, this is pretty historical and this is helpful for everyone concerned, be it the referees himself because with this system in place, now they will not walk out of the ground thinking one of their decisions might have influenced the game. Read More

Klose joins Germany coaching staff

Former Germany international striker Miroslav Klose has confirmed that he has retired from football and that he will be joining the Germany coaching staff.


It is believed that he will be joining Joachim Low’s backroom staff as he continues to study towards his Pro coaching license.

The player who was playing for Lazio last season has announced his retirement at the start of this season and said that he is keen to embark on this new stage of his career. The player already retired from international football in 2014 after having won the World Cup with Germany. He is currently the highest goal scorer in World Cup history.

Miroslav Klose said that he was won different trophies during his career, but there is nothing compared to winning the World Cup. The player has played for Germany 137 times in his career and said that he would cherish the 2014 World Cup memories all his life.
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German public seems not Panicking

There is no rush in the German public to buy tickets of the coming Finland fixture which is going to be the final hurrah for one of their favourite sons, Bastian Schweinsteiger.


More than forty thousand seats are available in the stadium the match has been designated to, but, not even 50% of the total seats have been reserved up to this point and Joachim Low reckons it will really be a sorrowful situation if the seats happen to be empty on the evening of the match.

As stated by Low, what may happen to be the reason for a poor turn-out is that it’s not the best of the timings for a match like this as people have had a full dose of Football with a couple of big competitions taking place in the recent times in the form of Euro and Olympics and the domestic season has got off to a start too.

Low revealed that he got a call from Schweinsteiger earlier this month and as soon as he heard from him about his decision, he right away made the promise to the playmaker that the farewell match was surely going to be organized for him.
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Germany Player Visits Refugee Camp

Germany might be quiet on the football front recently, but its players are still remembered as one of the best players in the Premier League. One such instance is Ozil.


He is considered one of the best players in the English Premier League. Being a star and associated with Germany and Arsenal club, Mesut Ozil does wonders wherever he goes. He recently visited a Zaatari Refugee Camp. Located in Jordan, it was a courtesy gesture from his end to extend his goodwill and provide necessary donations to the refugees.

Mesut is best known for his midfielder position in Arsenal. He was on tour of the camp and was told about the conditions that the refugees were facing at the camp by UNHCR which is the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees. He was greeted by the children with much enthusiasm. This visit was part of the social development program where soccer players participate in. The Asian Football Development Project has been running several programs for Northern Jordan and the camps here since 2012. A Syrian football coach stated that an Ozil’s visit showcased the fact that stars like him did think about refugees in Syria and what is happening to them. With a player like Ozil coming to the camp it provides a lot of motivation for the children. The fact that such people care is a big thing for many.Read More

GERMANY INTERNATIONAL EMRE CAN WINS GERMAN FOOTBALL AMBASSADOR PRIZE

Liverpool player and Frankfurt-born Emre Can was one of the winners at the German Football Ambassador awards in Berlin.

The main prize went to Gernot Rohr for promoting Germany through international football. He won the public prize at the 2016 German Football Ambassador awards, following in the footsteps of three World Cup winners.


The 22-year-old has become an integral figure at the Premier League giants under the guidance of German coach Jürgen Klopp. Can, a combative and dynamic midfielder, was developed at Bayern Munich before spending a year at Bayer Leverkusen. He was soon picked up by Liverpool who activated a release clause in his contract. After taking over from Brendan Rodgers in October, former Borussia Dortmund coach Klopp has made German international Can a key player in the side.

Past winners of the award include Sami Khedira in 2013, Andre Schurrle in 2014 and Mesut Ozil last year. The German Ambassador honors players and coaches who promote a positive image of the country with their actions abroad. Emre Can won the prize after 57,000 votes were cast online, with Toni Kroos and Miroslav Klose finishing second and third respectively. The Liverpool player will be presented with a cash donation, which he will use for a social project in the United Kingdom.

Gernot Rohr received the main honor on the night in recognition of more than 40 years of service to international football. The 62-year-old has coached in France, Switzerland, Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso, his most recent job before leaving in December 2015.

He said:

“I live as a German in France, but I feel European.

“This award makes me proud and especially the handing over by my former teammates. I’m very pleased.”Read More

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SWITZERLAND HOPES FOR BETTER OUTING AGAINST BELGIUM

The Swiss men national football team hope for a better outing against Belgium prior to the regional tournament in France. The team has lost the last two friendly played as build-up to the Euro tournament starting June, this year.

The Schweizer Pati were defeated by the Irish team in Ireland in an international friendly prior to a subsequent defeat at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Republic of Ireland intensified efforts for the Euro 2016 finals campaign with the match against the Swiss. An early header from Ciaran Clark gave the Irish team the victory in Dublin. Clark who plies his trade with Premier League team, Aston villa, is struggling in the English league but got his game on in the game against the Swiss.

Within two minutes, he scored via a header to send the over 35,ooo fans into wild celebration. The international friendly which was played in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, was one in which the Irish used to extend their run to one defeat in seven games stretching since September last year.

The Swiss started their euro 2016 preparations with a friendly against Estonia which they won by a lone away goal. Next was the loss to Slovakia by three goals to two away as well. The team also traded tackles with Austria in November last year, testing new formations and players.Read More