Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Welbeck: Rooney can make a difference for England

Welbeck: Rooney can make a difference for England

Welbeck: Rooney can make a difference for England

Posted: 16 Jun 2014 04:30 PM PDT

The pair formed part of Roy Hodgson's attacking trio behind Daniel Sturridge for their opening game against Italy - as England went down 2-1 in Manaus. While Rooney supplied an impressive cross for Sturridge's equaliser, he endured a mixed game overall, leading to further questions as to whether he merits a place in Hodgson's side and, if so, in what position. Rooney predominantly featured on the left for England and Welbeck, used on the opposite flank, feels the 28-year-old can help England move out of Group D. "First and foremost, Wayne Rooney is a class player. Wherever he is playing on the pitch, he can make an impact," Welbeck said on Monday. "All the England forwards have the flexibility to move around. Obviously Wayne was on the left in the first game, in the second or third game he could be in a different position. "(Wayne) is the top all-time scorer for England currently playing - he's got 93 caps and he's very experienced, so when he's on that pitch he can make a difference." With Raheem Sterling having seemingly secured the number 10 role immediately behind Sturridge, Rooney will likely be deployed on the left-hand side again for England's second game against Uruguay on Thursday. Welbeck acknowledged the frustration that often goes with playing out of position but dismissed suggestions it would hamper the side as a whole. "I think it could be quite frustrating for anyone playing out of position but that's football and you have to deal with it and it's not up to you who picks the team," he said. "At the end of the day it's the manager's decision and you have got to respect that. You have to go into it and give 100 per cent, give it your best shot."

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Spain must banish Dutch demons, says Mata

Posted: 16 Jun 2014 09:10 AM PDT

Vicente del Bosque's men take on Chile in their second FIFA World Cup Group B fixture on Wednesday, hoping to bounce back immediately from their early disappointment. The match also sees the defending champions return to the Maracana, where they lost the FIFA Confederations Cup final 3-0 to Brazil last year. But Mata insists Spain must persist with their current style of play if they are to make an impact at this year's tournament. "Only think about winning and improving," he said. "We must keep trusting in our style. It has led us to success. "The Maracana is a mythical stadium. It is a large field that can come in handy to our game. "The Maracana is special for anyone and I hope the result will be different from the end of Confederations Cup. "We need the three points." Despite opening their campaign with defeat, Mata insists all is well in the Spanish camp. "I am more proud than ever belong to this group, which is like a family."

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Kagawa determined to make up for Japan loss

Posted: 16 Jun 2014 07:52 AM PDT

Alberto Zaccheroni's men took the lead versus Ivory Coast on Saturday through a first-half goal from Keisuke Honda. However, Japan failed to build on that advantage and slipped to defeat in their Group C opener as Wilfried Bony and Gervinho found the net for Ivory Coast. The setback leaves Japan in need of a positive result against Greece in Natal on Thursday. And Kagawa feels an extra responsibility to perform well after expressing disappointment with his showing in the first game. "We have to win it (the second game) and we cannot look back on the last game because there is no time for that," Kagawa said. "After the game, I blamed myself. Now all we can do is just prepare for the next game. "The fact that we did not achieve a good result in the first game was down to my ability. All I can do is to prepare well for the next game."

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Van Persie urges calm after Dutchs great start

Posted: 16 Jun 2014 06:02 AM PDT

Van Persie scored twice in the Netherlands' shock 5-1 win against world and European champions Spain in Salvador on Friday. Spain were made to look amateurish at times against a rampant Netherlands and as a result, expectations have risen significantly for Louis van Gaal's side. But Van Persie - who acknowledged the result had changed perceptions of their hopes in Brazil - is urging his team-mates to not get carried away. "The tournament has barely started yet," Van Persie told FIFA.com. "We achieved an impressive result but we have a long way to go to win this tournament. "This is my fifth (major) tournament and I know how these things work - the euphoria vanishes just as quickly as it appears. "So we have to make sure that we hold on to it - not only for the people and fans, but also for ourselves. "Everybody is euphoric and happy in the Netherlands. We are dealing with people's expectations here, which had been low compared to other years. "I actually think this worked to our advantage because nobody expected much from us. But after such a performance, the dynamics have naturally changed. "However, as a country, we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. We have to stay realistic." Van Persie etched his name in World Cup folklore with an outstanding diving header in Friday's match that drew the Netherlands level after Xabi Alonso's penalty had given Spain the lead. His dive was mimicked by elated fans all over the world on social media platform Twitter, who posted photos of themselves trying to imitate the striker. "I've seen the spectacular footage and images from the celebrations across the world, and that makes me so proud," he added. But the forward has quickly turned his attention to Wednesday's meeting with Australia in Porto Alegre. After a poor first 15 minutes, Australia recovered well and regularly troubled Chile in their 3-1 defeat on Friday. And Van Persie knows a change in style is needed ahead of their meeting against the Socceroos. "Now the focus is on Australia, and I think that will be completely different to the game against Spain," he continued. "Australia have a very different style and I think we are going to have to adjust our own game to beat them. It's an interesting process, having to adjust your game every time. "However, we have fantastic technical staff who know exactly how to prepare us for matches, so I'm not worried."

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