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- Brazil v Colombia: World Cup 2014 quarter-final live!
- Argentinas Alejandro Sabella: is he scared or just an understated winner?
- Leedss Ross McCormack fails to show up for pre-season Italy trip
- Liverpool yet to reach deal with Barcelona over Luis Suárez
- Costa Rica coach fears Arjen Robbens diving will decide quarter-final
- Jan Vertonghen hails Belgiums Thibaut Courtois as one of worlds best
- Manuel Neuers immense presence powers Germanys World Cup success
- World Cup 2014: Joachim Löws big call over Philipp Lahm was crucial
- Marc Wilmots cracks whip and urges dark horses Belgium to stay distance
- Louis van Gaal insists Holland will not take Costa Rica lightly
- World Cup 2014 diary: Boost in store for the matchday sub club
- Germany reach World Cup semi-finals as Mats Hummels header sinks France
- France v Germany: World Cup 2014 quarter-final as it happened
- Southampton reject Liverpools offer for Dejan Lovren
- British Grand Prix 2014: Susie Wolffs big day ends in disappointment
- Son of Fifa vice-president Julio Grondona caught up in ticket scandal
- Alejandro Sabella says Argentina are more than Lionel Messi
- World Cup Show 2014: day 23 previews video
- World Cup 2014: France v Germany in pictures
- World Cup 2014: day 23 as it happened
- World Cup Show 2014: is this the dawn of soccer taking hold in the USA?
- World Cup 2014: football madness hits Colombia video
- Burnley sign Marvin Sordell and Matt Taylor for Premier League campaign
- Everton begin using new club crest chosen by fans after huge backlash
- Ashley Williams signs new four-year contract at Swansea City
| Brazil v Colombia: World Cup 2014 quarter-final live! Posted: 04 Jul 2014 02:45 PM PDT
84 min: Colombia come straight back at Brazil. Armero is pinged free into acres down the left, and Colombia have men over in the middle. But the full back's mistimed his run, and is offside.
83 min: Quintero whips the corner hard to the near post. Fred heads behind for a corner. A second go. Ramires clears out for a throw. Brazil are pinned back in their own area, but Zapata stupidly crashes into Fernandinho, and Brazil can run down the clock before blootering a free kick up the other end.
82 min: Now it's a corner for Colombia, won down the right. Before it's taken, Hulk is replaced by Ramires.
81 min: Cuadrado is replaced by Quintero. And Brazil are rocking, because they give up a chance to Bacca, the striker heading a left-wing cross wide right from six yards. Turns out he was offside, but dearie me!
Rodriguez sends Julio Cesar the wrong way. The keeper goes left. Rodriguez rolls the ball to his left. He's kept up his amazing record of scoring in every game! That's his sixth goal in this World Cup! And Colombia are back in it!
79 min: A lot of fannying about before the penalty, Julio Cesar taking an age to get up.
77 min: PENALTY FOR COLOMBIA!!! Rodriguez clips a little diagonal ball from the left-hand edge of the D to release Bacca into the area down the inside right. Bacca's upended by the outrushing Julio Cesar, who should see red but only receives yellow. But that's a penalty kick! Can James Rodriguez get Colombia back into this game?
76 min: Oscar blooters a long ball down the inside-left channel. Neymar takes up possession. He's only got Yepes to beat, and he'll be free in the box. But the old man slides in brilliantly, to stop a certain goal.
75 min: Cuadrado jinks in from the left, but mishits his shot, which harmlessly bounces a few times before landing softly in Julio Cesar's arms.
73 min: Neymar, down the inside right channel, takes a touch inside and attempts to curl a left-footed shot into the top left. He so nearly manages it.
72 min: Yepes has been booked, it seems for dissent. Colombia aren't particularly happy with the free kick that led to the goal. A suggestion that Hulk went down slightly easily.
70 min: What a couple of minutes those were! Another change for a shell-shocked Colombia, who switch Gutierrez for Bacca.
We've not had many good free kicks at this World Cup. Well, here's one! Luis whips a sidefoot over the wall and into the top-right corner! Ospina had no chance whatsoever!
68 min: Rodriguez, who has been kicked hither and yon, slides in on Hulk, 30 yards out, and is booked. Free kick to Brazil, in a dangerous position. From which ...
66 min: DISALLOWED GOAL! Colombia lump a free kick into the Brazilian area from the right. There are two red shirts offside, so the flag goes up. But there's a stramash on the edge of the six-yard area. A series of fresh-air kicks ends with Yepes battering the ball into the net! But it won't count. Colombia argue that they didn't meet Zuniga's initial free kick - Luiz hit it first - but the ref's not letting that stand.
64 min: Cuadrado crumps his shoulder into Neymar's breastplate after being outskilled down the left by the young Brazilian. Still no card! This is preposterous. A free kick for Brazil in a dangerous position, but Neymar's set piece is claimed by Ospina. And then, finally, the first booking, and typically it's farcical. Ospina looks to drop-kick clear, only for Thiago Silva to get in the way of boot and dropping ball as he comes from behind. The loose ball is belted into the net by Fred, but it won't count. And the Brazilian captain has picked up the booking that'll keep him out of the semi should his team get there.
61 min: Colombia pin Brazil back for a little while. Then Yepes pointlessly bundles over Fred in the middle of the park as Brazil look to edge back upfield, and the pressure's released. What a daft challenge. "Is this referee part of a plan to increase the popularity of football further by making it more appealing to the computer-game-loving youth of today?" wonders David Wall. "When we get the Brazil - Netherlands final, if the Dutch revert to 2010 tactics and the hosts keep up their current approach it'll be more like a game of Mortal Combat or Street Fighter than football." If you see Sepp Blatter wheelspinning around Rio with the steering wheel in one hand and a length of lead piping in the other, somebody call the bobbies, he'll have finally lost the plot.
60 min: The ball's shuttled in from the Colombian left wing to Rodriguez, on the edge of the Brazilian area. He attempts another world-stunning volley, but this one isn't going into the top left, miles high and wide as it is. Still, hats off for trying. Colombia need something to happen.
57 min: Thiago Silva knees Ramos in the back of his leg. A foul any day, and probably a yellow too. But nothing's awarded. This referee is losing control of this game. He's making Howard Webb look like Abraham Klein.
55 min: Ramos tugs at Luiz's arm like a child who has spotted some sweeties at the supermarket counter. Free kick. This is scrappy rubbish right at the moment. On that subject ... "Just before the match, I popped to the shop to get some nice healthy oatcakes," begins Matt Dony. "While I was there, I also found a pack of doughnuts reduced to 25p. And you're absolutely right. Whatever Apple tell me, I'm going to enjoy them. After all, if Yepes can play a World Cup quarter final at 38, I've got a few years to catch up with him. Russia 2018 here I come!"
53 min: A bit of space for Marcelo down the left. He reaches the byline and sticks a high ball into the middle, where Fred and Hulk are lurking. Ospina rises to claim, and is bundled over for his trouble. Peep! A free kick, correctly awarded!
52 min: Guarin is forced to bring down Fernandinho as the Brazilian goes on a very positive burst down the inside right, 30 yards out. A little tip-a-tap free kick is eventually flicked into the area, where Luiz lurks. Zapata heads behind for the corner, but Colombia get a goal kick. Neymar is incensed. They're not having a good game, these officials.
50 min: Hulk rather needlessly bundles over Zuniga, as the right back looks to make ground down the right. Cuadrado takes the resulting free kick, out on the wing, 30 yards from goal. It's headed clear, but Colombia are quickly coming back at Brazil. Rodriguez looks to release Cuadrado into the Brazil box with a clever little reverse sliderule pass down the right channel, and he nearly succeeds, but there's a little bit too much juice on the pass, and it rolls away from the winger.
49 min: Rodriguez looks to turn Maicon down the left, but is nicked off the ball. This half is a load of stop-start nonsense so far. "Here in these Untied States, Pele's pushing Subway sandwiches," reports Bill Jones. "He doesn't say a word, just sits there." A bit like the sandwich, I guess.
47 min: Cuadrado bombs down the inside-right channel, and is upended by the dangling leg of Luiz. The referee's not giving it, though. Then the increasingly thuggish Fernandinho shoulder-charges Ramos into the hoardings behind the Brazilian goal on the left. Totally unnecessary, as Ramos had run the ball out of play. Again nothing. This referee's a clown.
The teams are back out, and we're off again! The hosts get the ball rolling. No changes for the home side. But Colombia have made a switch, and it's an attacking one: Ibarbo off, Ramos on. "This game is being played like a school ground game of First-to-Ten-Goals-Wins, and Big Phil is looking on like the genial master thinking 'boys will be boys'," writes Justin Kavanagh. "Somewhere in Portugal, the control-freak Mourinho must be in agony watching this."
Half-time advertising message, courtesy of Pelé:
And that's that for the first half. A very open and entertaining affair. Brazil just about deserve their lead, but their midfield enforcer has deserved a booking too. Colombia have been sporadically dangerous in attack, but they'll need to get their act together in the second period if they want to knock out the hosts.
45 min: How on earth has Fernandinho not gone in the book? He comes straight through the back of Rodriguez as the two contest a bouncing ball down the Colombian left, in the midfield. That's just old-fashioned clogging, pure and simple. But no yellow.
44 min: Neymar does indeed fancy it. He attempts a curler into the top right. Not a bad effort, with Ospina's feet planted to the floor. But it's never going in.
43 min: Zuniga rather clumsily clatters into Neymar as the former jinks around a bit down the inside left. Free kick to Brazil, just outside the Colombian box, to the left of goal. Neymar looks like he fancies this.
40 min: Neymar turns on the burners down the inside-left. Zapata looks surprised and, for a second, stranded. But he manages to hold his line, and Neymar runs the ball out of play for a goal kick as he tries to circumvent the defender on the outside. "My word. This is as frenetic and fierce as any derby I've seen. Though perhaps I should expect as much from the two largest coffee exporters in the world. Certainly more delicious than the earlier match, which was a bit of a grind." Grant Tennille, everyone. He's here all week. Try the Mellow Bird's.
39 min: Hulk dances down the inside-left channel and drops a shoulder to get past Zuniga. He's ten yards from goal, but shanks an awful effort wide left.
37 min: ... sees his free kick blocked by Marcelo, who is about a yard away from him now. That was always going to happen. Another chance comes soon after, as Cuadrado is blocked off down the left wing. Rodriguez sends that free kick straight into Julio Cesar's hands. Very poor.
36 min: Free kick in a very dangerous position for Colombia, as Fernandinho and Ibarbo both highkick each other while challenging a loose ball just inside the Brazilian D. Six of one, half a dozen of the other, but Colombia get the decision. The free kick is just to the right of centre. Fortaleza reverberates to tense, loud whistling. The ball's tapped sideways to Rodriguez, who ...
35 min: Another corner for Brazil down the right, Maicon winning it off Armero. Or rather, he'd have won it off Armero had the pitch been a yard longer. The ball was already out. But Brazil get the decision. Thankfully for the general health of the internet, and specifically Twitter, the resulting set piece comes to nothing, Neymar finding Fernandinho at the near post, the flicked header flying over the bar and wide left.
33 min: A relative lull in what's been a magnificently open and entertaining match, albeit a rather one-sided one so far. Brazil pass it around the middle of the park for a while, but their Liverpool c.1979 approach gets them nowhere. "By far the most troubling thought in this world cup is who has kidnapped Millings (3 min) and replaced him with someone who actually talks about the football rather than make laboured puns on footballers' names," writes Phil Sawyer. "I'm chiefly worried as if the real Millings has been disappeared I'm not sure anyone will realise I'm still locked in his basement."
30 min: Colombia showed up for a couple of minutes after the Brazilian goal, but since, there's been little from them. However, here they come again, through the lively Cuadrado, who batters a shot from 25 yards straight into Thiago Silva. The ball balloons off the Brazil captain's back and out for a throw down the left, from which Cuadrado and Rodriguez attempt a one-two that'd bust the latter into the area. But it doesn't quite come off. Cuadrado and Rodriguez look very bright, but Colombia could do with one or two others making a contribution in attack.
28 min: Brazil are looking extremely lively in attack. Marcelo whips a low pass into the Colombian box from the left, finding Hulk, who takes a touch and hammers a stunning low shot towards the bottom left. Ospina parries the ball straight up into the air, a stunning save, and Yepes heads clear. Oscar returns the ball with menace, but there are several Brazilians offside by now. Hulk is enjoying himself tonight.
27 min: Hulk slips the ball to Marcelo, just to the left of the Colombian D. Marcelo takes a shot with a view to finding the top right, but the effort twangs off the back of a yellow shirt, and there goes that opportunity.
24 min: Komik kutz in the middle of the park. Rodriguez is fouled, and gets up quickly, first with the intention of starting a fight, then to nudge a quick free kick forward. Gutierrez has the ball at his feet in a dangerous position upfield, but doesn't think the game's restarted. He's robbed of the ball with farcical ease by Fernandinho, and Brazil flood upfield. Oscar is very nearly freed down the inside right. Probably just as well he's not, as you'd never hear the end of it, though neither Brazil nor the referee did anything wrong.
22 min: Brazil are pressing. But they over-commit and suddenly Colombia are breaking upfield, four on two! A shot on target is the bare minimum that must occur here, but Rodriguez rolls the ball out right to Cuadrado, and the winger is blocked as he cuts inside to shoot by Thiago Silva. Brilliant defending, but what a chance spurned. "
20 min: Brazil have their dander up. Hulk again makes good down the left channel. He one-twos with Neymar then hammers a shot goalwards that's parried by Ospina. Oscar looks to loop the rebound into the top left, but that's easily dealt with by the keeper. A corner results, and after a fashion Colombia clear that, too. But they're rocking a little here.
17 min: Brazil don't score this time, but Colombia make another meal of defending a corner. Yepes heads out of the area, but the second phase of the clearance isn't dealt with, and Hulk is given the opportunity to make it back into the box with a powerful run down the left channel. He reaches the corner of the six-yard box, but there's no shooting chance, so opts for a low cross instead. Fred can't connect from six yards out, though Zapata was giving him full-on hassle.
16 min: Maicon bothers Armero down the right wing, and earns a fairly cheap corner, the full back clanking the ball out of play in a blind panic. From which ...
13 min: Rodriguez turns briskly in the centre circle and looks to break upfield with purpose. He's clattered by Fernandinho, who is very fortunate not to go in the referee's notebook. "In your intro, you suggest that Brazil will need to play better 'to banish the ghosts of 1950, else we could have a couple of new Moacir Barbosas and Bigodes on our hands by the end of the evening'," parrots Peter Johannessen. "Ironically, bigodes (which translates to moustaches in Portuguese) might actually be the answer, not the problem. As seen in this article, Brazil only wins the World Cup when they have at least one player with a moustache. Enter Fred!"
11 min: Colombia have responded brilliantly, it must be said. Cuadrado races down the right and sees his low cross cleared. Then he takes up possession again, cuts inside from the wing, and unleashes a low fizzer that's deflected inches wide of the right-hand post, the ball billowing the side netting. That might have troubled Julio Cesar were it on target. The resulting corner is taken by Cuadrado himself - well, he earned it - but is easily dealt with by Brazil. What a start we've had here!
10min: Cuadrado is gently kneed in the back by Luiz, 35 yards from goal, in a fairly central position. Guarin decides to have a crack. It's a ludicrously ambitious, and his effort to find the top-right corner of the goal only just about stays in the top-right corner of the stand behind it.
Well this is pretty easy. A ball fizzed in from the left. It goes straight through the six-yard box, over the heads of Luiz and Zapata, and is bundled into an open net at the far post by Brazil's captain! What a start for the hosts! What inept defending by Colombia! This is the first time the Colombians have fallen behind at this World Cup. Now let's see what they've got.
6 min: Fernandinho curls a pass down the inside left to set Neymar off on a fast-paced attack. He wins a corner off Zapata, from which ...
5 min: Sanchez bundles Neymar over, 30 yards from goal, winning a free kick in a fairly central position. He looks to get the ball up and over the Colombian wall and back down into the bottom left. He manages the first bit, but not the latter, and his effort flies well wide left too. But Brazil have started in a lively fashion, and Maicon's soon coming back at Colombia. He's in space down the right, but loops his cross onto the roof of the net.
3 min: A fairly open start, mind you. First Paulinho and Neymar attempt to combine down the right. Then Rodriguez breaks down the other end, along the right wing. Neither attack comes to much, but they get the crowd going. Meanwhile even Mac Millings is betraying a shiver of nerves, because for once he's playing it straight. "I love this Colombian side," he judders, "but I don't like the dropping of Jackson Martinez. Brazil are vulnerable to teams who have the nerve to go at them, as I thought Mexico showed, and I'm convinced that, had Chile showed more of their attacking side, they would be the ones facing Colombia today. It's precisely the wrong time for caution. I'm worried, Scotty. Worried." Yep, Pekerman will take a while to live this selection down if Colombia don't at least have a good go tonight.
And we're off! Colombia get the ball rolling, and lose possession rather quickly. Brazil gift it back in turn. It may take a wee while for nerves to settle.
I forgot to mention the pre-match Fifa platitudes. Don't be beastly to each other, kids. A well-meaning litany of no-nos: don't be racist, don't be sexist, don't be homophobic,
The teams are out! Brazil are in their famous yellow shirts with green trim, but white instead of traditional blue shorts. NOT OK. Colombia are in second-choice red. The players line up, and it's time for a bit of the old . Brazil! Of the sons of this ground / Thou art gentle mother / Beloved homeland Brazil! Colombia! Oh, unfading glory! / Oh, inmortal joy! / In furrows of pain the good now germinates! But we know all this by now. Our time is better spent listening to a spot of cumbia ...
Should neither Neymar nor James Rodriguez turn up for this match, tonight's most influential player could potentially be Mario Yepes. Colombia's 38-year-old veteran is a fine defender who has tasted success at Deportivo Cali, River Plate, Paris Saint-Germain and Milan, as well as winning the 2001 Copa America with his country. But never mind all that! Just before the 2006/07 season, the authorities in France decided to launch a campaign to clean up the penalty area, with particular determination to stop shirt pulling. A DVD featuring examples of this heinous crime was sent round to referees and clubs for the purposes of information and education. Eight out of ten of the tugs featured turned out to have been executed by Yepes, then at PSG. He was also the cover star of the disc. Sure enough, in his first two matches of the season, Yepes gave away three penalties, all for the crime of shirt pulling. Meanwhile, two of the three mentions of Yepes in the MBM of last weekend's Colombia-Uruguay match see our hero nearly starting a brawl with Diego Forlan, then getting involved in a shoving match with Diego Godin. Let's hope referee Carlos Velasco Carballo isn't looking for any old excuse to give the rickety old hosts a helping hand!
The big team news sees Maicon make his first appearance of the World Cup, replacing Dani Alves at right back in Brazil's starting XI. Luiz Felipe Scolari also brings Paulinho, so sleepy against Cameroon, back into the midfield to replace the suspended Luiz Gustavo. Brazil fans will be hoping he can find a team-mate or two this time with his passes. Colombia meanwhile make two changes to the team that started against Uruguay in the second round. Midfielders Victor Ibarbo and Fredy Guarin are named in place of midfielder Abel Aguilar and striker Jackson Martinez, who both drop to the bench. It's a slightly more conservative selection by coach José Pékerman, who, if it all goes wrong for los Cafeteros, will get reminded yet again of what happened in 2006 between Argentina and Germany after he took Juan Román Riquelme off.
Brazil: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Thiago Silva, Luiz, Marcelo, Fernandinho, Paulinho, Oscar, Neymar, Hulk, Fred. Colombia: Ospina, Zuniga, Zapata, Yepes, Armero, Guarin, Sanchez Moreno, Cuadrado, Rodriguez, Ibarbo, Gutierrez.
Twenty long years ago, Colombia went into the World Cup as one of the favourites, alongside usual suspects Brazil, Argentina and Germany. They had been tipped to win the whole damn thing by industry experts such as Terry Venables and Trevor Brooking. (Poor much-maligned Pelé hadn't gone rogue; plenty of people were saying it.) But Francisco Maturana's team couldn't live up to the promise generated by an unbeaten qualification campaign which had climaxed in an astonishing 5-0 demolition of Argentina in Buenos Aires. Los Cafeteros became the first team to be knocked out of USA '94, a painful experience for the country's golden generation of Carlos Valderrama, Faustino Asprilla et al, and one which descended into tragedy when defender Andrés Escobar was murdered back home in Medellin, ten days after scoring an own goal against the hosts. This ill-fated campaign is the first thing that springs to most minds whenever Colombia is mentioned in the context of World Cups. Well, that or overly ostentatious goalkeeper Rene Higuita fannying around on the halfway line to Cameroon striker Roger Milla's gleeful benefit at Italia '90. Either way, it's about time a truly positive chapter was added to Colombia's World Cup story. Continue reading... |
| Argentinas Alejandro Sabella: is he scared or just an understated winner? Posted: 04 Jul 2014 02:30 PM PDT The Argentina coach, in comparison to many of his World Cup peers and predecessors, has been underwhelming, with seemingly little in the way of a plan. But could it work for him? If the mind was a muscle, it would be the most important one, the Argentina manager, Alejandro Sabella, said. And a philosopher once said that a gram of neurone weighs more than a kilo of muscle. There was not a hint of irony in his voice. Instead he was scolding journalists who insisted on asking questions about formations, lineups and marks out of 10 for the performance of the national team. You lot love to talk about marks, dont you? he snapped at the gathered press, its not all just maths, you know? A teams character is crucial. Strength of spirit and emotional balance are vital factors. Continue reading... |
| Leedss Ross McCormack fails to show up for pre-season Italy trip Posted: 04 Jul 2014 02:30 PM PDT Leeds captain McCormack was booked on flight Striker wants away but Fulham have had £5m bid rejected Leeds United intend to take strong disciplinary action against their captain, Ross McCormack, after he failed to show up for the clubs pre-season trip to Italy. McCormack, who has asked for a transfer, was booked on the flight but did not turn up and the Championship club are still waiting for an explanation. They are regarding it as a breach of his contract and intend to fine him up to a months wages. Continue reading... |
| Liverpool yet to reach deal with Barcelona over Luis Suárez Posted: 04 Jul 2014 01:49 PM PDT Talks hinge on persuading Alexis Sánchez to move Liverpool keen to sign Chile forward as replacement Liverpools attempts to persuade the Barcelona forward Alexis Sánchez to move to Anfield mean Luis Suárezs transfer to the Camp Nou will not be concluded until next week at the earliest. Reports emerging from Spain claimed a straight cash fee had been agreed which is lower than the buyout clause, believed to be between £70m and £80m, in the Uruguay internationals contract. Continue reading... |
| Costa Rica coach fears Arjen Robbens diving will decide quarter-final Posted: 04 Jul 2014 01:07 PM PDT Jorge Luis Pinto really worried about Robbens diving I would ask Fifa and the referees to monitor him closely The Costa Rica coach, Jorge Luis Pinto, has called on Fifa and the match officials to watch Hollands Arjen Robben closely in their quarter-final, claiming he was really worried after the forward admitted diving to try and win a free-kick in his last game, against Mexico. Robben has consistently been Hollands most potent weapon during this World Cup but after he won a last-minute penalty against Mexico, which Klaas-Jan Huntelaar converted to win the match, there was a furore over his alleged diving. Continue reading... |
| Jan Vertonghen hails Belgiums Thibaut Courtois as one of worlds best Posted: 04 Jul 2014 12:16 PM PDT Belgium keeper boasts fine record against Argentinas Messi Wilmots: We wont depend on Eden Hazard in the quarter-final Continue reading...  |
| Manuel Neuers immense presence powers Germanys World Cup success Posted: 04 Jul 2014 12:08 PM PDT For all the great goals this has also been a World Cup of wonderful goalkeepers, with Germanys the very finest Continue reading...  |
| World Cup 2014: Joachim Löws big call over Philipp Lahm was crucial Posted: 04 Jul 2014 11:43 AM PDT Germanys coach had previously resisted pressure to move Lahm from midfield to his customary position at full-back but he did against France in the quarter-final and it worked a treat Continue reading...  |
| Marc Wilmots cracks whip and urges dark horses Belgium to stay distance Posted: 04 Jul 2014 11:39 AM PDT Wilmots wants Belgium to show courage of convictions Jan Vertonghen calls for team effort against Lionel Messi Continue reading...  |
| Louis van Gaal insists Holland will not take Costa Rica lightly Posted: 04 Jul 2014 11:33 AM PDT Dutch coach confident his team can reach semi-finals Our goal has always been to become world champions Louis van Gaal has insisted Holland will not underestimate World Cup surprise package Costa Rica, despite a growing confidence that the Dutch can win the tournament. Van Gaal said that since Holland demolished Spain 5-1 in the stadium in Salvador where they will face Costa Rica on Saturday, belief had coursed through the squad. Continue reading... |
| World Cup 2014 diary: Boost in store for the matchday sub club Posted: 04 Jul 2014 11:28 AM PDT Tim Howards airport; Colombias popular president; exciting number-crunching and an entirely innocent ticketing mix-up Continue reading...  |
| Germany reach World Cup semi-finals as Mats Hummels header sinks France Posted: 04 Jul 2014 11:20 AM PDT Germany did not need any miracles on this occasion. Sixty years to the day since the old West Germany fashioned the Wonder of Berne to beat Hungary in the final of the 1954 World Cup, Joachim Löws current crop produced a performance of cool authority to edge one step closer to another title. This was a long way from being another wild ride at this tournament of thrillers and the narrative was shaped instead by more traditional German virtues such as control and discipline. There was always the sense that they had the upper hand and they were unlikely to relinquish it, despite Frances best efforts to hit them on quick counters or from the wings. Continue reading... |
| France v Germany: World Cup 2014 quarter-final as it happened Posted: 04 Jul 2014 10:58 AM PDT
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| Southampton reject Liverpools offer for Dejan Lovren Posted: 04 Jul 2014 10:57 AM PDT Brendan Rodgers keen on signing Croatian defender Initial bid thought to be less than reported £20m Liverpool have seen a bid rejected for Southampton centre-back Dejan Lovren, albeit for a fee Press Association Sport understands to be much lower than the reported £20m. Having already acquired Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana, the Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is now keen to bring yet another Saints player to Anfield, but the club have so far seen interest in the Croatia international Lovren rebuffed. Continue reading... |
| British Grand Prix 2014: Susie Wolffs big day ends in disappointment Posted: 04 Jul 2014 10:33 AM PDT Williams driver is first woman to take part in a grand prix weekend for 22 years but lasts only four laps in practice Formula One has development and innovation at its heart, pushing boundaries is its lifeblood and yet at the sharp end, behind the wheel, change has been an awfully long time coming: 22 years to be precise. But at Silverstone on Friday the boys club finally opened its doors again, when Susie Wolff took to the track in her Williams for the first practice session of the British Grand Prix. Perhaps it is fitting that it was at Silverstone, a real drivers circuit, that for the first time in a generation there was a woman among them. Giovanna Amati was the last female driver to take part in an F1 race weekend, entering three qualifying sessions for Brabham in 1992 but failing to make the start for any race. Indeed, it was the Italian Lella Lombardi who was the last woman to compete in an actual race, back at the Austrian GP in 1976, and she remains the only one to have scored world championship points half of one at the Spanish GP, which ended prematurely under red flags in 1975. Continue reading... |
| Son of Fifa vice-president Julio Grondona caught up in ticket scandal Posted: 04 Jul 2014 10:16 AM PDT Humberto Grondona is a technical adviser to Fifa Grondona admitted selling on tickets for World Cup final The son of Julio Grondona, the second most senior man in world football and a senior Fifa vice-president, has become embroiled in a World Cup ticket scandal. Humberto Grondona, who has a post as a technical adviser to world footballs governing body, admitted selling on tickets to a friend. The batch included two tickets to the final. Continue reading... |
| Alejandro Sabella says Argentina are more than Lionel Messi Posted: 04 Jul 2014 09:58 AM PDT Manager praises Rodrigo Palacio and Gonzalo Higuaín Theres a group of players who make Messi stronger The Argentina manager, Alejandro Sabella, has denied suggestions his team are overly reliant on Lionel Messi and insisted his sides collective efforts have granted the Barcelona forward his opportunities to thrive in the tournament. The South Americans will attempt to force passage into a first World Cup semi-final in 24 years when they confront Belgium on Saturday, with Messi hopeful of maintaining his own eye-catching form. The forward has claimed the man of the match award in each of Argentinas games, scoring four goals and setting up Ángel di Marías winner against Switzerland in their last-16 tie, though Diego Maradona felt moved this week to claim the coach risked a catastrophe if the team continue to rely so heavily on their talismanic captain. Continue reading... |
| World Cup Show 2014: day 23 previews video Posted: 04 Jul 2014 09:19 AM PDT Nat Coombs is joined by Guardian journalist Gregg Bakowski to preview Argentina v Belgium and Holland v Costa Rica. Gregg picks out some key battles including Marouane Fellaini versus Lionel Messi, plus a special look at Kevin De Bruyne's progress in the tournament. As well as how the Dutch full-backs will cope with Costa Rica's attacking intent. Plus a quick look at the Predictions League, and Barry Glendenning's predictions. Don't forget to check out all our World Cup content at www.youtube.com/GuardianFootball Continue reading...  |
| World Cup 2014: France v Germany in pictures Posted: 04 Jul 2014 09:14 AM PDT The best images from the Estádio Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, where France take on Germany for a place in the World Cup semi-finals Continue reading...  |
| World Cup 2014: day 23 as it happened Posted: 04 Jul 2014 08:30 AM PDT |
| World Cup Show 2014: is this the dawn of soccer taking hold in the USA? Posted: 04 Jul 2014 07:53 AM PDT Nat Coombs turns his attention to the USA as the rise in popularity of soccer/football has been unprecedented this tournament, with huge a increase in interest since World Cup 2010, and now competing with all major sports including NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. With a surge in interest in the USMNT, along with a rising interest in MLS, is this finally the dawn of soccer taking hold in the US? Continue reading...  |
| World Cup 2014: football madness hits Colombia video Posted: 04 Jul 2014 07:19 AM PDT The streets of Bogotá are decorated in yellow, red and blue ahead of Colombia's quarter-final match against Brazil on Friday. It's the first time the South-American country has made it this far in the World Cup, and supporters are rallying around their team in hopes of a victory over the host nation Continue reading...  |
| Burnley sign Marvin Sordell and Matt Taylor for Premier League campaign Posted: 04 Jul 2014 06:47 AM PDT Striker Sordell signs from Bolton for undisclosed fee Taylor joins after West Ham contract ran out this summer Burnley have announced the double signing of the striker Marvin Sordell from Bolton Wanderers and the former West Ham midfielder Matt Taylor. Sordell has made his switch for an undisclosed fee, the 23-year-old agreeing a deal that could keep him at Turf Moor until 2017. He spent last season on loan from Bolton at Charlton Athletic, for whom he scored eight goals, and has been capped 14 times for England Under-21s. Sordell previously worked under Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager, at Watford, the club with whom he made his Football League debut. Continue reading... |
| Everton begin using new club crest chosen by fans after huge backlash Posted: 04 Jul 2014 06:22 AM PDT More than 22,500 signed petition against last years badge New design features tower, nil satis nisi optimum and shield Everton have begun using their new crest, which was chosen by supporters after a huge backlash over the badge the club used last season. The crest will start to appear around Goodison Park this week after it was chosen from three options presented to fans in October 2013. The new design received an overwhelming 78% of the online fan votes. Around 20,000 Evertonians were involved in the selection process. Continue reading... |
| Ashley Williams signs new four-year contract at Swansea City Posted: 04 Jul 2014 05:40 AM PDT Captain had been linked with Sunderland and Arsenal This is home for me I hope to finish my career here The Swansea City captain, Ashley Williams, has signed a new four-year contract that will keep him with the Welsh side until 2018, the Premier League club said on Friday. The 29-year-old defender, who also captains Wales, had been linked with a move away from the Liberty Stadium, with Sunderland and Arsenal touted as potential destinations over the past 12 months. But he will remain at the club he joined in 2008, helping them gain promotion to the top flight three seasons later. Continue reading... |
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