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Gunter says youth no excuse

Wales have had a large number of call offs ahead of their World Cup qualifier with Azerbaijan which is a huge blow especially when they had a very young team already, but Chris Gunter has said the team will not be looking for excuses for the match on Saturday.

“People may think this is just a squad full of raw youngsters and that we are going to lose, but we have come here to win,” said the Tottenham defender, 19.

“As players you should never look for excuses, we have to ignore who we are playing, the heat and hostile crowd.”

“It would be nice to end our season on a high, before we all go away on holiday,” said Gunter, who expects to be sent out on loan again next term by his Premier League side.

“It has been a rollercoaster season for Wales, but we know the fans want a win and we have certainly not come all this way to lose.

“We have had some good performances and some poorer ones this season, so we want to give ourselves a good feeling ahead of the summer break.

“And although we know we can’t qualify now, we are all roughly the same age and pretty young so by the time we are all about 25 or so, this will be a very good side.

“But we know we need to win now, not in five years. The home crowds have been a little disappointing, so we know that the only way to generate interest is by winning games.

“Beating Azerbaijan is not going to make everything right that was wrong when we lost recently to Finland.

“But we cannot look back, we have to focus on what is ahead.

“We know that we as players will face games in tough places like Azerbaijan during our career, so we have to learn how to handle it.”

Spurs defender Gunter doesn’t know yet if he will be in contention at Spurs next year or if he will be sent out on loan again as he was to Nottingham Forest last term.

“I have been told that the manager [Harry Redknapp] does not want to sell me and another loan move would be good for me,” he said.

“If that is what happens it would be fine by me. I have had two managers already at Spurs with different ideas and coaching methods.

“But never in my career have I had a run of 20 or more games on the spin, or even played a 50-game season.

“So I need to go out on loan to learn my trade, how to play a consistent amount of games.

“It worked well for me at Nottingham Forest and if someone said I was going back there for a season I would be happy with that.

“The set-up was impressive, Forest are a big club with crowds of 26,000 most weeks.

“The manager there [Billy Davies] was good and I really enjoyed playing there. Everyone knows they used to be a big club, but I discovered that they still are.

“In my second away game with them, they took 6,000 fans to Barnsley and that doesn’t happen in the Championship.

“It is all there for them to go as high as they want. And they gave me a good spell to progress from.

“I still have two years left at Spurs, the manager has not said I have a future or not because you have to prove that to him and I intend to do so.

“But I need to know definitely soon where I will be next season and then concentrate on giving my best to whoever I join and see where we go from there.”

Gunter revealed how disappointed his close friend Bale is to be out of action again and the bizarre way he was injured.

Gunter said: “It was a bit of a shock, particularly how it happened.

“It seems he hurt his knee playing in the garden with his five-year-old niece.”

Aguirre dreaming of the Premier League

Mexico’s national coach Javier Aguirre says his “dream” is to work in England’s Premier League after the next World Cup.

“After clarifying my future with Mexico, I want go back to the (Spanish) league, but above all, my dream is to go to the Premiership,” he said in Thursday’s edition of Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

After clarifying my future with Mexico, I want go back to the (Spanish) league, but above all, my dream is to go to the Premiership.

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre

“I had contacts this year and I think I will use them from 2010 onwards,” he said about the possibility of coaching a team in the English Premier League after next year’s world finals in South Africa.

Aguirre, 50, replaced ex-England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as Mexican coach last month. He had previously coached the Mexicans at the 2002 FIFA World Cup before moving to Spanish side Osasuna and thereafter to Atletico Madrid, who sacked him in February.

México will face El Salvador next Saturday, June 6th

Carlos Torres

Dunne thinks pressure is on Bulgaria

The Republic of Ireland face Bulgaria on Saturday in a World Cup qualifier and defender Richard Dunne believes the pressure is on the Bulgarians as they desperately need the win.

Victory for Ireland would put them back on top of group 8 but a point would still be an advantage to them.

“I think Bulgaria will come at us, we must play as we did against Italy, take our time and hopefully we can get a break and grab a goal,” said Dunne.

“The onus is on them to win. If they do not, then it is us in pole position.”

The Republic were held 1-1 by Bulgaria at Croke Park in March before securing a memorable draw in Italy a few days later.

So Dunne and his team-mates are ready to raise themselves for one final push in an attempt to end a gruelling campaign on a high.

“It is the last game of the season for us and probably one of the biggest we have ever had,” said the Manchester City defender.

“It is a game where we can go back to the top of the group and put ourselves in a good position to qualify.”

Bulgaria came away from Dublin with a point without Dunne’s club-mates Valeri Bojinov and Martin Petrov, as well as Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, and with all three now available they will be a different proposition in Sofia.

“Valeri is a sharp player, if anything spills around the box he is usually on the end of it and he does not miss too many,” added Dunne.

“Himself, Petrov and Berbatov, if they come back into the team, can really cause us problems.”

U.S. Men Fall 3-1 to Costa Rica in World Cup Qualifying in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (June 3, 2009) - The U.S. Men’s National Team fell 3-1 to Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier this evening at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose.

The U.S. fell behind 3-0 before Landon Donovan pulled one back in extra time.

More to come…

Match: United States vs. Costa Rica
Date: June 3, 2009
Competition: FIFA World Cup Qualifying; Final Round
Venue: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa; San Jose, Costa Rica
Kickoff: 8:06 p.m. MT
Attendance: TBD
Weather: Partly cloudy, 70 degrees
 
Scoring Summary:    1    2    F
USA                               0    1    1
CRC                              2    1    3
 
CRC – Alvaro Saborio (Andy Herron)            2nd minute
CRC – Celso Borges (Esteban Sirias)        13
CRC – Pablo Herrera (Walter Centeno)      69
USA – Landon Donovan (penalty kick)         92+
 
Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Marvell Wynne, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 7-DaMarcus Beasley; 4-Pablo Mastroeni (11-Freddy Adu, 63), 12-Michael Bradley, 9-José Francisco Torres (16-Sacha Kljestan, 46); 8-Clint Dempsey (15-Charlie Davies, 80), 10-Landon Donovan, 17-Jozy Altidore
Subs not used: 18-Brad Guzan, 2-Ricardo Clark, 13-Jonathan Bornstein, 14-Jay DeMerit
Head Coach: Bob Bradley
 
CRC:  1-Keylor Navas; 15-Harold Wallace (2-Pablo Herrera, 56), 4-Michael Umana, 3-Freddy Fernandez, 17-Junior Diaz; 7-Andy Herron (6-Cristian Bolanos, 72), 5-Celso Borges, 10-Walter Centeno, 8-Esteban Sirias; 11-Bryan Ruiz, 9-Alvaro Saborio (16-Carlos Hernandez, 77)
Subs not used: 18-Ricardo Gonzalez, 12-Andy Furtado, 13-Gonzalo Segares, 14-Armando Alonso
Head Coach: Rodrigo Kenton
 
Stats Summary: USA / CRC
Shots: 11 / 8
Shots on Goal: 2 / 6
Saves: 3 / 1
Corner Kicks: 3 / 5
Fouls: 14 / 15
Offside: 0 / 3
 
Misconduct Summary:
CRC – Freddy Fernandez (caution)         30th minute
USA - Michael Bradley (caution)               54
USA – Sacha Kljestan (caution)               66
CRC – Pablo Herrera (caution)                67
CRC – Junior Diaz (caution)                     91+
 
Officials:
Referee: Neal Brizan (TRI)
Assistant Referee 1: Joseph Taylor (TRI)
Assistant Referee 2: Michael Ragoonath (TRI)
Fourth Official: Geoffrey Hospedales (TRI)

Ferdinand out of Qualifier

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has had withdraw from the England squad ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan on Saturday with Boltons Gary Cahill being called up as his replacement.

Phil Jagielka would most likelyhave replaced Ferdinand in the squad but his injury has ruled him out too. Loleon Lescott, Matthew Upson and Cahill are all the potential central defence partners for John Terry.

“I’ve had a good season and I’ve worked really hard,” said Cahill.

“I’ve been in the provisional squad twice before and then this third time I was included once again, so I’m obviously delighted to get the call.”

England are already without Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, who withdrew because of a foot injury.

Carrick’s place in the squad has gone to Aston Villa winger James Milner, with the 23-year-old being promoted from the England Under-21 squad.

David James and Ben Foster have both been ruled out through injury which has resulted in a recall for Paul Robinson who has been in excellent form this season.

Manchester United’s veteran defender Gary Neville was a surprise inclusion in the squad, while Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe also came back into the fold after injury.

Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was thought to require knee surgery, proved his fitness for his club on 24 May and was named in the squad.

Full England squad:

Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion), Robert Green (West Ham United), Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers)

Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Joleon Lescott (Everton), Gary Neville (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham United)

Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (AC Milan loan from LA Galaxy), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Aston Villa), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Arnold Schwarzenegger Joins Team to Bring World Cup To USA in 2018

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose years of public service have been rooted in great part by his dedication to sports and fitness, today accepted an invitation to join the Board of Directors for the USA Bid Committee in its endeavor to bring the FIFA World Cup to the United States in 2018 or 2022.

As governor of California, the most populous state in the U.S. with a significant history of playing host to FIFA World Cup men’s and women’s matches, Schwarzenegger will play an influential role as a member of the Board of Directors as the USA Bid Committee prepares its application and campaign to bring the world’s largest sporting event to the United States.

“Soccer is the world’s most popular sport and California has been home to some of its most exciting games, and I am proud to be a part of bringing the World Cup back to the United States,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “The millions of fans from around the globe that will travel to the United States to cheer their teams will prove a great benefit for our state, our nation and the world of soccer.”

“Governor Schwarzenegger is a passionate and committed leader in all the projects he takes on,” said Sunil Gulati, the Chairman of the USA Bid Committee and President of U.S. Soccer. “California is a soccer state in every sense of the word, with participation and avid support at all levels, from its vast youth system to the professional ranks. We look forward to working with Governor Schwarzenegger in our effort to bring the World Cup back to the United States in 2018 or 2022.”

Globally as well as nationally, California has been central to the United States’ profile in soccer. For example:

The FIFA World Cup championship match in 1994 between Italy and champion Brazil was held in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., as was the title match for the women’s FIFA World Cup in 1999 won by the U.S. over China.

The women’s World Cup returned to the United States in 2003, where again the title was decided in California, this time with a victory by Germany over Sweden at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Numerous Men’s and Women’s FIFA World Cup matches have been played in Carson (The Home Depot Center), Pasadena (Rose Bowl), Palo Alto (Stanford Stadium) and San Jose (Spartan Stadium), including three World Cup finals: The 1994 FIFA World Cup final between Italy and champion Brazil was played at the Rose Bowl, the 1999 Women’s FIFA World Cup final won by the U.S. against China was played at the Rose Bowl, and the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup final between Germany and Sweden was played at The Home Depot Center.

In 2003, U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center at The Home Depot Center opened in Carson, Calif., and is the home for U.S. national teams at all levels from Under-14 to the full Men’s and Women’s National Teams. The NTC stands as one of the great achievements in U.S. Soccer history and has established itself as the center of the soccer world in the United States.

Los Angeles is the only city that is home to two clubs in Major League Soccer - the L.A. Galaxy and Chivas USA. Both clubs share The Home Depot Center as their home stadium.

California has also been host to international friendlies and marquee events such as Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game and MLS Cup matches, and the recent inaugural match for the new Women’s Professional Soccer league.

The first-ever U.S. Soccer Development Academy Showcase was held at the U.S. NTC in 2007, along with the 2008 Development Academy Finals Week. The 2009 Development Academy Finals Week will also be held at the U.S. NTC, from July 10-19.

Also, six stadiums in California are among 58 venues in the United States that are under consideration to play host to FIFA World Cup matches in 2018 or 2022 – the Rose Bowl, Stanford Stadium, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Memorial Stadium in Berkeley and Oakland-Alameda County Stadium in Oakland. No other state has as many as six stadiums in the running.

In 1994, the U.S. used nine stadiums – including the Rose Bowl and Stanford Stadium – to host the FIFA World Cup, which then featured a 24-team and 52-match format compared to today’s field of 32 nations competing in 64 matches. Despite the smaller field and schedule of matches in 1994, the United States set an overall attendance mark of 3,587,538, a record that broke the previous tournament mark by more than one million fans and still stands today.

The United States is one of nine candidate nations that have formally declared their desire to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022. The others are Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Russia, with joint bids from Netherlands-Belgium and Portugal-Spain. Qatar and South Korea have applied only as candidates to play host to the tournament in 2022.

All candidates must have their bid applications to FIFA by May 14, 2010. FIFA’s 24 member Executive Committee will study the bids, conduct site visits and name the two hosts for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in December 2010, completing a 21-month bid and review process.

Gov. Schwarzenegger joins the Board of Directors of the USA Bid Committee that recently welcomed U.S. National Team icons Landon Donovan and Mia Hamm, as well as former U.S. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. In the months ahead the USA Bid Committee will add additional national leaders from the sectors of sports, entertainment, government and business.

The USA Bid Committee’s efforts also recently earned the support of President Barack Obama, who has reached out to FIFA – the world’s governing body of soccer – to endorse the efforts to bring the world’s largest sporting event back to the United States. In a letter to FIFA President Joseph “Sepp” Blatter and U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, President Obama noted the role soccer played in his life as a youth, and its ability to unite people, communities and nations from every continent.

“Hosting another successful World Cup is important for the continued growth of the sport in the United States. And it is important to me personally,” President Obama wrote in his letter. “As a child, I played soccer on a dirt road in Jakarta, and the game brought the children of my neighborhood together. As a father, I saw that same spirit of unity alive on the fields and sidelines of my own daughters’ soccer games in Chicago.”

“Soccer is truly the world’s sport, and the World Cup promotes camaraderie and friendly competition across the globe,” President Obama added. “That is why this bid is about much more than a game. It is about the United States of America inviting the world to gather all across our great country in celebration of our common hopes and dreams.”

President Obama echoed those sentiments last month in an exclusive Univision interview conducted at the White House by renowned journalist Jorge Ramos.

Carlos Torres

Croatia confident of Bilic stay

Slaven Bilic has been linked with a number of top management jobs around Europe and at time appears to be actively trying to get one. However the Croatian FA are confident they can keep their man.

“Slaven is in the base camp preparing for our World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Saturday and he is totally focused on that,” federation spokesman Davor Gavran said in the Daily Record.

“He has been connected with a number of top jobs in the past, but his intention is to stay with the national team to reach the World Cup finals.

“He won’t quit until the end of the qualifying campaign and we hope he’ll still be here for the finals and beyond.”

Team GB to compete at Olympics

The home nations have come to an agreement for a football team GB to compete at the 2012 Olympics, with the team being made up entirely of English players.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland opposed taking part as they didn’t want to threaten their independence but gave the go ahead for England to field a team and this has been approved by Fifa.

“I am happy, they are happy, the IOC is happy, the organising committee is happy and I hope football is happy,” said Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

“You have to bring a Great Britain team for the 2012 Olympics in football, and as they are four associations then take one association to be this team.”

While expressing his delight about Fifa’s approval, secretary of state for culture, media and sport Andy Burnham criticised the rigid stances of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish authorities.

“I think it’s very disappointing and actually a bit narrow-minded in some ways that we’re just saying young talent from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can’t represent that team GB,”

“I understand entirely if Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland don’t want to be in any way seen to support the principle of team GB… but I think it is very unfair that a young player in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland who would get a call-up to that team, would be threatened with sanctions about joining that team.

“I just feel let’s put aside the politics, let’s just let sports people make their own decisions and let’s put the best British team on home soil.”

Fifa also approved a trial to use two extra assistant referees behind the goallines for next season’s Europa League - formerly the UEFA Cup.

The idea has been championed by Uefa president Michel Platini and was tested last year in some European under-19 championship games.

“The International FA Board decided ‘let’s have experiments with two additional assistant referees’ and we were looking where we have can such experiments,” said Blatter. “Now we have found a solution together with Michel Platini and Uefa.”

Blatter also announced that Wada has declared Fifa compliant with its world anti-doping code in all areas, except for one area regarding injured players and when they can resume practising with their clubs.

Blatter had previously been opposed to Wada’s ‘whereabouts’ rule, where players have to provide details of their location for one hour every day of the year.

“I’m so happy that this WADA letter just came now,” said the Swiss.

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