Showing posts with label Copa América. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Copa América. Show all posts

Sunday, 6 March 2016

Suarez Set to Make Uruguay Return


Luis Suárez is set to play his first competitive international later in March since being banned for biting an opponent at the 2014 World Cup. The Barcelona player was called up on Friday for qualifiers against Brazil and Peru.

Suárez was suspended for nine games after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil.

He was among 28 players named in Óscar Tabárez’s squad to face Brazil away in Recife on 25 March and Peru in Montevideo four days later, the Uruguayan FA announced on Friday.

The uncapped Genoa midfielder Diego Laxalt and Manchester United right-back Guillermo Varela were called up for the first time.

Uruguay are second in the 10-team South American standings behind Ecuador with three wins in four games.

The top four qualify automatically for the 2018 finals in Russia, while the fifth-placed team goes into an intercontinental play-off against a team from the Oceania zone.

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Ex Guatemala Football Chief Arrested


Police in Guatemala have arrested a former head of the country's football federation as part of a major US corruption investigation into the sport's world governing body, Fifa.

The suspect, Brayan Jimenez, had been on the run since last month, when the US issued an arrest warrant for 16 Latin American football officials.

He was detained at a block of flats in the capital, Guatemala City.

His lawyer said he would not fight the extradition request.

"He will prove his innocence in the courts of the United States," said his lawyer, Francisco Garcia Gudiel.

'Six-digit bribe'

Mr Jimenez was head of the Guatemalan Football Federation (Fedefut) from 2010 until last year.

US prosecutors say he and former Fedefut Secretary-General Hector Trujillo took a "six-digit bribe" to sell the television rights to qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup.

Mr Trujillo was arrested in the US last month.

A younger-looking Brayan Jimenez served in the Fifa Fair Play Committee

The US has now charged some 40 individuals and entities as part of the Fifa investigation.

The Department of Justice said it had asked for the arrests because the alleged offences were "agreed and prepared in the United States" and payments were also processed via American banks.

The first charges, against 14 Fifa executives and associates, were brought in May. Some people have already been convicted.

Many others were indicted in the following months.

On 3 December, US prosecutors announced new charges focusing on corruption at the South American Football Confederation and Concacaf, which governs the game in North and Central America as well as the Caribbean.

The football executives were accused of receiving bribes worth millions of dollars connected to Copa America tournaments.


Saturday, 15 August 2015

Athletic Bilbao 4 - 0 Barcelona


European champions Barcelona were stunned by an Aritz Aduriz hat-trick and brilliant opener from Mikel San Jose as Athletic Bilbao took a 4-0 lead into the second-leg of the Spanish Super Cup.

Barca had picked up their fourth trophy of the year in Tbilisi on Tuesday with a 5-4 win over Sevilla in extra time in the Uefa Super Cup.

But those exertions clearly took their toll as an under-strength side was dominated from the off by the Basques who exacted revenge for defeat in the Copa del Rey final back in May.

San Jose fired in a volley from just inside the Barca half to break the deadlock before Aduriz struck three times in 15 second-half minutes to give Ernesto Valverde's side a huge advantage heading into Monday's second-leg.

"To score four against Barcelona is almost impossible. We are very satisfied with our work but the second leg is still to come and it is going to be very tough," Aduriz told Telecinco.

"We cannot think that Barca in their stadium can't score four goals. They are the best and capable of doing anything."

Barca's defensive deficiencies had been laid bare in blowing a 4-1 lead against Sevilla that forced them into an energy-sapping extra 30 minutes in the Georgian capital.

However, with Gerard Pique among four first-team regulars rested the Catalans were even more of a shambles at the back and this time couldn't be rescued by an off-colour Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

It is the first time in 14 years that the Catalans have conceded four times in two consecutive games.

"It is going to be difficult, but we have won many matches by many goals and we will try until the last minute," said a defiant Javier Mascherano.

"It is a one-off situation. They had four or five chances and scored four. Obviously that is not normal, especially given how we finished last season, but don't count us out yet.

"Now we have to correct what we did wrong, but above all prepare for the return leg."

San Jose began an unforgettable night for the hosts in fitting fashion as he pounced on Marc-Andre Ter Stegen's headed clearance to fire the ball beyond the German 'keeper from just beyond the halfway line.

Barca slowly began to get back into the game, but they didn't seriously threaten until first-half stoppage time when Pedro Rodriguez was clipped on the edge of the area.

Messi scored twice from free-kicks against Sevilla in midweek and couldn't have struck this one much better as Gorka Iraizoz flew to his right to claw the ball away from the top corner with an outstretched hand.

The visitors twice came close to an equaliser at the start of the second period as Pedro fired off the underside of the bar before Iraizoz made another brilliant save to deny Messi from Suarez's clever cut-back.

However, the game turned back in Athletic's favour when Sabin Merino beat Dani Alves for pace and his cross was powerfully headed home by Aduriz.

More poor defending from Luis Enrique's men was punished nine minutes later as the ball ricocheted around the area before Aduriz smashed home on the turn.

And the veteran striker was given the chance to complete his hat-trick when Alves was adjudged to have pulled down Borja Etxeita from a corner and Aduriz confidently sent Ter Stegen the wrong way from the spot.

Messi and Suarez tried to lift the visitors in the final quarter, but even they couldn't find a way past a resolute Athletic defence.

Barca now have a huge mountain to climb at the Camp Nou on Monday if they are to maintain their push to emulate Pep Guardiola's Barca side which won six trophies in a calendar year six years ago.