Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
October 2017
SPECIAL FEATURE
BARCELONA
Will Messi stay or will he go?
CLUB FOCUS
PLAYER
BIOGRAPHY
PAULO
DYBALA
The jewel in
Juve’s crown
THE NEW DORTMUND
Young, gifted & back on top
HEADLINER
EDINSON
CAVANI
The battle with Neymar
20
FEATURES THE WORLD THIS MONTH
People in the news...on and off the pitch
4 In pictures
10 From the Editor
14 On the radar
16 Paul Gardner the diving witch-hunt goes on
18 Keir Radnedge Europe’s real powerbrokers
20 Edinson Cavani PSG star’s spat with Neymar
22 Ins & outs people on the move
24 Brian Glanville FA and the “hush money” 32
EYEWITNESS
32 Liechtenstein
6 OF THE BEST
SPECIAL REPORT 36 Deadline-day signings
26 Barcelona’s boardroom problems
TALENT SCOUT
44 Seventeen-year olds 36
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
54 Juventus start team
ROAD TO RUSSIA
56 Asia
58 Italy
56
59 Russia
60 Mexico
61 Ecuador
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46 Borussia Dortmund Follow worldsoccermag Like World Soccer Magazine
70 67 Sint Maarten
Hurricane Irma devastation
68 Australia
A-League season preview
70 India
ISL grows as merger moves closer
Exclusive reports from our worldwide 72 Libertadores Cup
network of correspondents Barcelona cause a big upset
4 WORLD SOCCER
EGYPT…Al Ahly fans before
their team’s CAF Champions
League quarter-final first leg
against Esperance of Tunisia
at the Borg El Arab Stadium
near Alexandria
WORLD SOCCER 5
THE WORLD THIS MONTH
ITALY…Federico Viviani
of SPAL scores with a
free-kick against Napoli
ARGENTINA…Frank
Fabra celebrates scoring
Boca Juniors’ fourth goal
against Velez Sarsfield
6 WORLD SOCCER
IN PICTURES
WORLD SOCCER 7
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SPAIN
Bayern Munich’s sacking of Carlo Ancelotti (page 13)
took many by surprise, though it was the style of his
team’s performances rather than the substance of their
results that ultimately cost him his job after 15 months.
Ironically, Ancelotti has a reputation as a coach who is
comfortable managing the egos of highly paid modern-
day superstars. Yet elsewhere in
Europe, player power seems on the
wane. Arsenal and Liverpool were Ancelotti has a
able to resist the transfer desires reputation as
of Alexis Sanchez and Philippe a coach who is
Coutinho respectively, while comfortable
Borussia Dortmund (page 46) managing the
were prepared to sideline Ousmane egos of highly
Dembele until an irresistible, over- paid modern-
the-odds offer from Barcelona. Stunning...Atletico
At the continent’s top clubs things day superstars Madrid’s new home
10 WORLD SOCCER
GLOBAL FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE
HEROES VILLAINS
Return... CELTA VIGO
Alan Ruschel The Spanish club were fined by La Liga for
not having enough fans at home matches
and breaking the league rule that states
70 per cent of their stadium should be full.
AUSTRIAN LEAGUE
ADMINISTRATORS
Ghanaian striker Bernard Tekpetey was given
a two-match ban after being sent off for his
reaction to
alleged racist
insults from
Union Gurten
fans while
playing for
Altach.
ALAN RUSCHEL
One of only three survivors of the Chapecoense HATEM
plane crash last year, the 28-year-old defender BEN ARFA
federation’s Disciplinary Court, which had made his first competitive appearance since the The striker
prepared a case against Agnelli and three other disaster in a 0-0 draw with fellow Brazilian side threatened Paris
club officials on the basis of evidence gathered Flamengo in the Sudamericana Cup. Ruschel Saint-Germain
by Turin-based public prosecutors investigating played for 73 minutes before he was replaced, with legal action
mafia infiltration in the Piedmont region. having been an unused sub in Chapecoense’s after being
Juventus said that it would appeal the ruling league loss to Cruzeiro the previous week. demoted to
“in the firm belief that the club is in the right”. the club’s
Agnelli denies any wrongdoing, arguing that the OMAR AL SOMA reserve team. Unhappy...Hatem Ben Arfa
fans with whom he had met were not involved Marked his return to Syria’s national team after
in criminal activity and there had been nothing a five-year absence with a late equaliser to Noise annoys...
clandestine about his meeting with them. clinch the 2-2 draw with Iran that sealed a Timo Werner (left)
The ruling came less than a month after place in the World Cup play-offs.
Agnelli was appointed chairman of the
European Club Association (ECA), succeeding SAMI KHEDIRA
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. It remains unclear how, The Germany midfielder bought 1,200 tickets
if at all, Agnelli’s role at the ECA will be affected for his country’s World Cup qualifier against
by his suspension, which essentially applies to Norway and gave them to children fighting
Juventus-related duties. cancer and socially disadvantaged youngsters in
Paddy Agnew his native Stuttgart, where the game was played.
PATRICK MULLINS
Scored the fastest four goals in MLS history,
taking just 31 minutes of DC United’s win against
San Jose Earthquakes.
TIMO WERNER
RB Leipzig’s striker asked to be substituted in
a Champions League game because the noise
Banned... Quick four...DC United’s Patrick Mullins (right) from Besiktas fans in Istanbul was too loud.
Andrea Agnelli
WORLD SOCCER 11
THE WORLD THIS MONTH
ZAMBIA
Ended a 35-
year run of not
scoring against
Algeria with
back-to-back
World Cup
qualifying
victories.
PERU
Won three
World Cup
qualifiers in
a row for the
first time in
20 years, with
victories over
Ecuador and
Bolivia adding
to March’s win
v Uruguay.
ADRIEN SILVA
The midfielder’s
move from
Sporting to
Leicester City for
£22m missed the
transfer deadline
1
IVAN PERISIC
Internazionale v SPAL 5 by 14 seconds.
Left-footed volley from just
inside the penalty area following
CAMEROON
a cross by Danilo D’Ambrosio.
The African
champions
2
MUNAS DABOUR failed to qualify
Red Bull Salzburg for the World
v Rapid Vienna Cup finals after
A well-worked team goal finished dropping five
off with an acrobatic volley following points to Nigeria.
a teasing cross by Stefan Lainer.
GUANGZHOU
4 EVERGRANDE
Scored five
3 5
IBSON MELO ENZO PEREZ goals against
Maritimo v Rio Ave River Plate v Jorge Shanghai SIPG
Controls Rodrigo Pinho’s flick Wilstermann in the AFC
over a defender on his chest before Beats three defenders before Champions
neatly finishing. dinking the ball over the keeper. League but then
lost on penalties.
4 6
STEVEN BERGWIJN CHEMA
PSV v Utrecht Levante v Real Sociedad
Dribbles past four defenders Meets a cross from Jose
before rounding the goalkeeper Morales with a stunning volley
and slotting home. from outside the penalty area.
12 WORLD SOCCER
GLOBAL FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE
The day after Bayern Munich suffered teams who defended deep and in sufficiently bold; wide man Ribery
their worst-ever Champions League numbers. Throughout their recent 2-0 furiously throwing his shirt to the ground
defeat, 3-0 away to Paris Saint-Germain, Bundesliga defeat at Hoffenheim they after being substituted against
Carlo Ancelotti was sacked, dispatched were inexplicably reticent to flood the Anderlecht; players openly remonstrating
before the end of September by a club opposition box, and in the 3-0 home with one another on the pitch.
hierarchy alarmed at the team’s below- win over 10-man Anderlecht in the Too many personal agendas emerged
par performances. Champions League they struggled to as “Me, myself and I” replaced the
Ex-Bayern players turned pundits had make their numerical advantage count. famous Bayern motto of “Mia san mia”
been having a field day selling doom and In particular, a lot of flak was aimed at (“we are who we are”).
gloom about Ancelotti’s team. Paul Ancelotti for his 4-3-3 starting line-up. Ancelotti was unable to get anything
Breitner claimed the Bayern class of No Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Mats right. He was pilloried for his rotation
2017-18 had taken a “backwards step”. Hummels or Jerome Boateng. In midfield, policy, his disciplinary shortcomings and
Lothar Matthaus believed the Bavarians Arturo Vidal, Corentin Tolisso and Thiago for failing to stamp his mark on the side.
may not win a single piece of silverware were overwhelmed, while out wide,
this season. Mario Basler predicted that James Rodriguez and Thomas Muller
Ancelotti would be packing his bags for showed they are not really wingers. “We’re neither in tip-top shape or
China in January. Winning is not enough in the rarified the lowest of the low. We’re not yet
No one was surprised that the critics air at Bayern. They also must do so with in absolute top form but we soon
were stalking the German champions like a certain style.
a lion in pursuit of a gazelle. Bayern have Running parallel to these poor
will be”
yet to move out of second-gear this performances was the constant Unfortunately for Ancelotti, he wasn’t given
the time to make his prediction come true
season, too often lacking in cohesion, murmurings of discontent: attacking-third
fluidity and precision. Lacklustre both “space finder” Muller lamenting that
with and without the ball. Ancelotti did not appreciate him; ace He may have won the title in his first
Over...Carlo
Especially worrying for Ancelotti’s striker Robert Lewandowski describing Ancelotti’s last game season in charge, but some 14 months
Bayern was their inability to break down the club’s recruitment policy as not in charge of Bayern into his reign the team still did not have a
recognisable pattern of play.
Assistant coach Willy Sagnol assumed
temporary control of first-team affairs
while rumours abound that Hoffenheim
coach Julian Nagelsmann will be at the
Allianz-Arena controls next season.
Usually so affable and zen-like,
Ancelotti had become increasingly tetchy.
At a press conference prior to a 4-0
home win over Mainz, he sarcastically
took on his detractors: “I’m not going
to individually answer all those who
have been criticising our tactics and
philosophy. I just want to take this
opportunity to thank them for the
suggestions and tips.
“At the end of the season I’m going
to invite them all to a big party and there
we can discuss it all, including tactics.
“We’re neither in tip-top shape or
the lowest of the low. We’re not yet in
absolute top form but we soon will be.”
Unfortunately for Ancelotti, the Bayern
hierarchy did not share his optimism.
Nick Bidwell
WORLD SOCCER 13
THE WORLD THIS MONTH
“It shouldn’t be
forgotten that it has
saved European football”
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino defends
the concept of financial fairplay
es
w av
g hes m akin
On the
RADAR
oac
dc
an
Sp
otl rs
igh t pl aye
on th e
Bruno
FERNANDES
(Sporting)
Sporting fans rightly
questioned the
credentials of the
23-year-old when
he was signed
from Sampdoria
this summer for
€8.5million.
The former
Boavista trainee
was raised in Italian
football with Novara
and Udinese, before
impressing last
season at Samp. But
any doubts about the
midfielder were wiped
out as he scored five goals in his first six
league games in Sporting’s unbeaten
start to the season. Federico VALVERDE (Uruguay) Josh SARGENT (USA)
Called into the Portugal squad for the The 19-year-old scored on his A member of the USA squad for the
first time in August, he has been international debut to end Uruguay’s Under-17 World Cup in India, the striker
compared to ex-Sporting playmaker Joao six-match winless streak as they will join Bundesliga side Werder Bremen
Mario, who is now at Internazionale, and stunned hosts Paraguay 2-1 in World when he turns 18 in February.
his impressive start at the Estadio Jose Cup qualifying.
Alvalade has meant Adrien Silva – the Timo WERNER (Germany)
subject of a botched transfer to Leicester Simone ZAZA (Valencia) His two goals against Norway meant he
City – has not been missed. The Italian striker, who was a goalless has scored six in his first eight games for
flop in the Premier League last season, Germany – equalling the achievement of
Pietro PELLEGRI & scored five goals in the first six Liga Pierre Littbarski, who also scored a brace
Eddy SALCEDO (Genoa) games this term. against Norway, in 1982.
These two highly promising teenagers
have made their debuts for Genoa this Claudio RANIEIRI (Nantes) Clinton N’JIE (Marseille)
season, with 16-year-old, 6ft 4in forward The former Leicester City manager The Cameroon forward scored five Ligue
Pellegri scoring three goals in his first saw his French side enjoy an unbeaten 1 goals for Marseille in the space of 208
four games, and 15-year-old attacking five-game run, taking 13 points from minutes – at an average of one every 42
midfielder Salcedo already being courted 15 games as they climbed up the minutes – which is more than he
by Juventus, Internazionale and Milan. Ligue 1 table. managed in all of last season.
14 WORLD SOCCER
THE WORLD THIS MONTH
Paul
GARDNER
THE WORLDWIDE VIEW
We’re all pretty accustomed to Fall guy...Chelsea’s rules, the action is always delayed every 10 games? We don’t know as
football clampdowns by now. As a Willian (in blue) is and the clampdowns arrive a year the necessary statistics don’t exist.
clipped by Hector
new season starts, or a World Cup Bellerin of Arsenal or two later than they should do. Nonetheless, a full-scale campaign
rolls around, the league authorities or However, my generally benign is underway without any solid proof
FIFA tell us that referees have been acceptance of this ramshackle that it is needed.
instructed to keep an eye out for, clampdown procedure has its limits. Looking at the offence itself,
and to sternly punish, some specific Those limits are left way behind it is not a physical offence. No
offence. These have ranged from by the Premier League’s persistent opponent is going to be injured,
important things like tackling from
behind and surrounding referees, to
more trivial matters such as making
This ramshackle clampdown procedure has its limits.
sure players tuck their shirts in. Those limits are left way behind by the Premier League’s
At the start of a new season the
clampdown is applied vigorously. persistent campaign against “simulation” or diving
Halfway through, the initial zeal
of the referees slackens – possibly campaign against “simulation” or it involves only deception. This
because the clampdown is working diving. The latest version of this is condemned as cheating, which
– and by the end of the season it campaign entails the post-game immediately moves the offence into
has been forgotten. study of videos and the unearthing a different category. It is now seen
My feeling is that most of dives that the referee missed and as morally wrong. Enter the moralists,
clampdowns are justified, that they the suspension of the culprits. with their puritanical intolerance.
respond to a general feeling that As this zero-tolerance campaign Now the clampdown turns ugly
some particular aspect of the sport goes on, it would be useful to know and becomes a witch-hunt.
is getting out of hand and needs just how prevalent diving is in the Witch-hunts are unpleasant
to be reined in. But as is usual with Premier League. Is this an every- procedures. The blind fervour with
anything involving refereeing or the game occurrence? Or maybe once which they are conducted leads
16 WORLD SOCCER
GLOBAL FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE
1
MAY THE WOLVES
BE WITH YOU
American actor Mark Hamill,
who played Luke Skywalker in Star
Wars, has become a fan of English
second-tier side Wolverhampton
Wanderers...by accident.
After the 66-year-old “liked”
a suggestion from a fan on Twitter
Goal...Youssoufa
that he could support Wolves, he Moukoko celebrates
admitted that he “thought they scoring against Austria
inevitably to gross errors and the meant the animal”. However, he
condemnation of innocents. At its then realised that “everyone got his debut against Austria and then
worst, a witch-hunt becomes less so excited – I had to be a fan”. scored twice more against the
interested in stamping out the After being made aware of the same side two days later.
supposed crime than in punishing the social media chat, the club said: According to his official birth
sinners alleged to have committed it. “The force is certainly strong at certificate, Moukoko was born
For the traditional, early-August Molineux at the moment, with the on November 20, 2004 in
curtain-raiser to the English season, team making an excellent start to Cameroon, and his father, Joseph,
Bobby Madley was put in charge of the season, and it was perhaps says: “Straight after the birth,
the Community Shield game between fitting that the game against Wolves fan... I registered him at the German
Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley. He Millwall finished Obi Wan-Nil.” Mark Hamill embassy in Yaounde. We have
is one of England’s top refs, so his a German birth certificate.”
duty was to set the refereeing model According to the German
for the upcoming season. Football Association, there have
Pity about that, for Madley made been “a number of intensive
a right royal mess of things. discussions with Borussia
Given the witch-hunt, it was always Dortmund at various levels,”
likely that Madley would be looking and “there is no doubt about
for dives – and he found one in the the correctness of the age
38th minute, duly yellow-carding of the player”.
Chelsea’s Willian. But the call was
3
horrendously wrong. xxxx A SPOT OF BOTHER
Replays showed that Willian was Marco Asensio had to
tripped by Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin, miss Real Madrid’s opening
a slight contact that knocked Willian’s Champions League group game
moving leg against the back of his after he shaved his legs and a
standing leg. spot became infected.
Chelsea should have had a “He has a pimple on his leg
penalty, but the main concern is not which means he cannot lift his
the scoreline but the sheer arrogance sock,” said coach Zinedine Zidane
of Madley’s call – a potentially of the 21-year-old.
game-changing call that flew in the With Asensio cut from their
face of what actually happened. squad, defending champions
2
So the innocent Willian was tarred AGE A CONCERN Close shave... Madrid were still able to slice
as a sinner. And Madley, who wrongly FOR YOUNG STAR Marco Asensio through APOEL of Cyprus,
condemned him? Nothing has The father of a 12-year- winning 3-0 at the Bernabeu.
happened to him. Barely a word old boy who scored three times
5
of criticism has been heard. in two games for Germany’s TWO-GOAL JOZY
Yes, of course, diving must be under-16 side has had to answer MISSES PARTNER’S
punished – but it must not be viewed doubts about his son’s age. OPEN WIN
as a uniquely heinous moral crime Cameroon-born Youssoufa USA international footballer Jozy
that has to be eliminated at all costs. Moukoko, who had scored 13 Altidore scored twice for his club
That way lies the odious witch- goals in five games for Borussia side Toronto in their 4-0 win
hunt, and football should not be Dortmund’s under-17s, scored on against San Jose Earthquakes in
stooping that low. the MLS at the same time as his
partner, tennis player Sloane
Stephens, was winning her first
Grand Slam title, the US Open.
Altidore was at Flushing
Meadow to see Stephens win her
semi-final against Estonia’s Kaia
Kanepi in straight sets but was
then on football duty with his
team and therefore missed her
Slam...Sloane Final win, when she beat Madison
In the spotlight...referee Bobby Madley Stephens Keys 6-3, 6-0.
Tattoo...Varela
WORLD SOCCER 17
THE WORLD THIS MONTH
Keir
RADNEDGE
THE INSIDER
18 WORLD SOCCER
GLOBAL FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE
WORLD SOCCER 19
THE WORLD THIS MONTH
20 WORLD SOCCER
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22 WORLD SOCCER
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Brian
GLANVILLE
THE VOICE OF FOOTBALL
24 WORLD SOCCER
Wembley Stadium with a complaisant
Glenn, the latest FA. In the event he did nothing about it
in a long line of or a number of other relevant things.
Graham Kelly, whom I nicknamed
inadequates “Kelly the Jelly”, made the surprising
transition from chief executive of the
Football League to top man at the FA.
There have been calls for Martin Glenn Kelly, of course, was a leading figure in
to be replaced, which seems logical the dubious birth of what I will always
enough, but looking historically at the call the “Greed Is Good League”, thereby
long succession of inadequate chief ignoring the historic remit of the FA to
executives at the FA, Glenn’s inadequacy look after football at every level. He
merely seems par for the course. would eventually be forced to resign
Arguably, there hasn’t been a decent after a controversial deal with the
incumbent since Stanley Rous gave up job because that conniving old rascal Under fire... Welsh association.
the secretaryship, as it was then known, Harold Thompson bullied the selection Martin Glenn Mark Palios was driven out after his
to become president of FIFA in 1962. committee to give the job to the feeble affair with a femme fatale working at
The obvious successor then appeared Denis Follows, who he proceeded to bully the FA, who alas bestowed her favours
to be Walter Winterbottom, very much into a heart attack. on then-England manager Sven Goran
Rous’ protege, and controversially the After Follows it is hard to think of any Eriksson, who somewhat surprisingly
England team manager since 1946 who subsequent FA secretary, by whatever retained his job.
was protected by Rous against any harm title, who amounted to much. Rous may have been a snob and an
following even the most catastrophic of Ted Croker came in full of good authoritarian but at least he was a good
England results – notably the humiliating intentions. I remember lunching with enough referee to officiate at the 1934
defeats, 6-3 at Wembley and 7-1 in him soon after his appointment when FA Cup Final just before being appointed
Budapest, by a rampant Hungarian team. he expressed his horror at what he by the FA, and he himself re-wrote the
Winterbottom didn’t get the secretary’s had discovered about the relations of laws of the game.
Jose Mourinho, forever putting the cat as if his ambitions had scant chance of Unloved...Manchester
among the pigeons, recently declared success. But Hardaker, who bullied United’s Jesse Lingard
scores against Burton
that he thought the League Cup, which Chelsea out of competing in the first- Albion in this season’s
has had more names in its time than a ever European Cup, never succumbed League Cup
Europa clash...Marseille (white) and Konyaspor
confidence trickster, should be abolished. easily. In due course he produced his
This though his Manchester United side masterstroke, locating the Final at
won it last season. Wembley. That done, he managed to Bad but not
For this he was severely taken to task
by a prominent football journalist who
contrive a deal which gave its winners
an automatic place in European football
England’s worst
felt the League Cup was a source of – at the expense of whatever team would
valid competition and importance. have finished high enough in the league Will people ever get it right? A Daily
I must say that however ambiguous to qualify. Telegraph columnist has called England’s
Mourinho’s attitude may seem, it is a valid The crowds for the first stages of the defeat by Iceland the worst in their
view, but one that has again raised the current League Cup have, with very rare history. Worse than losing 1-0 in the 1950
ghost of that implacable xenophobe, exceptions, been painfully small, with World Cup to a USA team of unknowns?
Alan Hardaker. For the League Cup only just over 20,000 bothering to turn
was conceived by him as essentially a up at Wembley for Spurs.
potential rival to the hallowed FA Cup. For all Mourinho’s inconsistency, I do
ORead Brian Glanville’s
Originally a midweek, home-and-away feel he is right. This is a cup too many, weekly online column
aggregate affair, for some years it looked whatever its name. at worldsoccer.com
WORLD SOCCER 25
Barcelona SPECIAL
FEATURE
Summer of
WORDS: Sid Lowe
discontent
Neymar’s departure, Messi’s unsigned contract, unhappy
fans: the problems are mounting for Barcelona
26 WORLD SOCCER
WORLD SOCCER 27
SPECIAL FEATURE
Santi Gimenez recently said that they Ousame Dembele, they opened the
should hand out shovels with Barcelona Barca only found out Neymar’s doors to the fans at Camp Nou. Up
membership cards, so supporters could intentions during a pre-season tour in the stands, they waited. And waited,
dig themselves a trench to occupy. He and waited, and waited.
had a point too, This is a club partly
of the USA...the players had known It later emerged that there had been a
defined by what came to be known as since Lionel Messi’s wedding problem with the paperwork that delayed
the “entorno” – hidden and not-so- Dembele’s unveiling. As the minutes
hidden interests, that swirl of pressure, Gone...Neymar joined ticked by, the supporters grew more and
power and politics that surrounds the Paris Saint-Germain more irritated – and they were irritated
club, an almost permanent civil war. enough as it was.
Some tension is inevitable, crisis Soon the chants began and they
almost permanently latent, and there were familiar ones: “Bartomeu, dimisión!”
has certainly been cause for complaint (Bartomeu, resign!) It was supposed to
– even more so than usual. Calling be a happy occasion, but it ended up like
it a crisis is not such an exaggeration. this. Another day, another mess.
Every day things seemed to be going There have been plenty of them over
wrong for Bartomeu. Every time he tried a disastrous summer and the list doesn’t
to make things better, they got even make for pretty reading. They chased
worse. Never mind the supporters, Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and didn’t get
someone seemed to have handed him him. They chased Marco Verratti from
Anticipation...fans
a shovel and he just kept on digging. await the arrival of Paris Saint-Germain and didn’t just not
The day that Barcelona presented Ousmane Dembele get him – they, of course, soon found
28 WORLD SOCCER
Barcelona
PSG coming back for Neymar. perhaps the worst part of all. Twice
When the stories broke, vice-president Bartomeu announced that Lionel Messi
Jordi Mestre said that he was “200 per had renewed his contract with the club.
cent sure” Neymar would stay at the But he hadn’t.
club. He didn’t. Instead, he left, having He claimed that it was just a case of
paid the €222million buy-out clause. finding the time, the right moment, to
In an attempt to defend and protect announce it formally and take some
Barcelona, La Liga refused to accept the photos. After the tour, he said. Before the
payment...which Barcelona themselves season, he said. But it never happened.
accepted just a few hours later. Bartomeu insisted the deal was
Barcelona said they had only found agreed, but the fact that it was not
out about Neymar’s intentions during the publicly signed was a concerning one. If
club’s pre-season tour of the USA. The the photo hadn’t been taken, there must
players, on the other hand, admitted be a reason for it. Some feared the worst.
that they had known since Lionel Messi’s Even if Messi does want to stay – and
wedding. No one had thought to tell most assume he does – the failure to
the directors. Or if they had, they didn’t sign it all off is telling. At the very least,
want to. From the US, Gerard Pique had Pressure...club due an additional “loyalty” payment – no he does not want to be used politically.
announced: “Se queda” (he’s staying). president Josep laughing at the back there – reputedly Maybe he wants to see what happens
Maria Bartomeu
But Neymar didn’t stay, although his worth €26m. Barcelona refused to pay with the vote of no confidence first?
move had been delayed long enough and a battle began. Maybe he wants Bartomeu out? Maybe
that when it finally went through, he was Not long after, Neymar said Barcelona he doesn’t want this president boasting
deserved better directors than the “joke” that he closed this deal? Whatever he
directors they had. And, here’s the thing. says now will be huge politically – and
However annoyed supporters were with that may well be a political responsibility
him, many agreed. Bizarrely, they were he does not want.
actually on his side on this one. Others Whatever the outcome, there is
suggested that while he was the last a simple, scary bottom line: in three
person in the world allowed to say so, months Messi can negotiate with
that didn’t make him wrong. whoever he wants. At the end of the
A few days later, Barca announced season he could walk away for free. So
they were going to take legal action can Andres Iniesta. Bartomeu claimed
against Neymar. That very afternoon, he that Iniesta had agreed to a contract
was back in the city at a birthday party renewal. Asked if he could confirm it
with other Barcelona players. Pictures the next day, Iniesta replied “no”. In its
of them, friends together, flooded social simplicity it said much.
media. Messages that made reference to There was more in a summer marked
“se queda” made light of his departure, by Neymar’s departure and the sense of
and the very public display of affection weakness and uncertainty that it created
brought the division between players around the Catalans. This was only
Injured...Ousmane
Dembele is hurt and board sharply into focus. deepened by the nagging feeling, put
against Getafe That seemed to be reflected in bluntly, of incompetence and repeated
WORLD SOCCER 29
Barcelona
failure. Barcelona informed Real Soon, the critics were changing Frustration...fans appearing on the scene – they tried,
Sociedad of their intention to pay the their mind on that one, at least, after are getting angry and failed, to get Angel Di Maria from
buy-out clause for Inigo Martinez and he scored two games running, but with PSG – they made one last try.
then, at the last minute, pulled out. the €222m from Neymar burning a hole Predictably, they failed.
They chased Nice’s Jean Seri, having in their pocket, prices everywhere were The next day Barcelona held a press
ruled him out earlier in the summer heading skywards and Barcelona never conference to explain their activities over
when they were still pursuing Verratti seemed to be fully in control of the the summer. At one point the sporting
and thus missed the deadline on a clause market, even if, after he effectively went director accidentally referred to “Leo’s
that would have made signing him easy. on strike, they finally got Dembele from departure” instead of Neymar’s.
But then they pulled out of that too, A Freudian slip over Messi perhaps,
leaving the player publicly admitting but one that didn’t go unnoticed.
that he was devastated, having been
With the €222m burning a hole in
convinced that he was off to Camp Nou. their pocket, prices were heading
So last minute was the decision that El skywards and Barca never seemed
Mundo Deportivo, a newspaper extremely fully in control of the market
close to the president, had two different
covers within half an hour: “Seri signs”,
then “Seri doesn’t sign”. Barca alleged Borussia Dortmund – for an initial
that this was a technical decision and he €105m. As if to sum it all up, he then
just wasn’t the right player. It didn’t wash. suffered a tendon injury in just his third
It’s not normal to be on the verge of game for the club which will keep him
signing a player that you don’t think is out for at least three months.
the right target anyway. So there’s no Dembele and there’s
By then they had signed Paulinho. The no Philippe Coutinho either, of course.
poor Brazilian had not done anything All summer Liverpool insisted that
wrong, but he was attacked mercilessly they would not sell the Brazilian, no
as if his signing symbolised everything matter what, but Barcelona kept briefing
that was wrong: a 29-year-old arriving that they would try. On the final day,
from China at a cost of €40m. with countless other names suddenly Next move...Lionel Messi is out of contract at Barcelona next year
30 WORLD SOCCER
SPECIAL FEATURE
Europe’s top
spenders
ED
MISSSFER
TRA N Summer 2017
IN BARCELONA OUT
OUSMANE DEMBELE NEYMAR (Paris Saint-Germain) €222m
(Borussia Dortmund) €105m CRISTIAN TELLO (Betis) €4m
TR MIS PAULINHO (Guangzhou E’grande) €40m
AN SE NELSON SEMEDO (Benfica) €30.5m Total: €226m
SF D GERARD DEULOFEU (Everton) €12m
ER
MARLON (Fluminense) €5m
NET SPEND
Total: €192.5m Minus €33.5m
WORLD SOCCER 31
eye
witness Steve Menary reports
LIECHTENSTEIN
After a three-year stay in the Swiss Super than 1,000 fans in an atmosphere that felt
League, Vaduz were relegated to the more village fete than UEFA qualification.
second-tier Challenge League – and Cow bells chimed and the aroma of silage
the absence of the Liechtensteiner club from the nearby fields smothered the
this season is not being mourned. smell of sizzling bratwurst and beer.
The presence of a foreign team in their The LFV’s new youth coach, Mario
top flight, while big-name local sides such Frick, did not help the attendance by
as Zurich, Servette and Neuchatel Xamax holding a coaching session at the same
have laboured in the division below irked time. And the scheduling of that session
some in Switzerland. says a great deal about both the role of
“We have quite a good relationship with Vaduz and also the Liechtenstein Cup.
clubs like Basle, FC Zurich and Sion, but Football in Liechtenstein began in 1932
quite a lot of clubs, especially in the west, with the formation
do not like Vaduz and would rather have of three clubs:
another French-speaking club in the Balzers, Triesen “Quite a lot of clubs do not like
Super League,” claims Hans Thony, a and Vaduz. The
former Vaduz director who is now head LFV was formed
Vaduz and would rather have
of one of their three fan clubs. two years later and another French-speaking club
Zurich went up at the end of last term in 1945-46 a cup in the Super League”
and replaced Vaduz, whose demotion was competition was Hans Thony, a former Vaduz director
at least eased by yet another stint in the staged, with Triesen
Europa League after beating USV Eschen/ beating Vaduz in
Mauren in the Liechtenstein Cup Final. the Final.
A decision by the Liechtensteiner Today, Liechtenstein still only has seven
Fussballverband (LFV) to alternate the clubs and a national league is not viable,
Final between the national stadium in so the cup competition is the only route
Vaduz and the only other UEFA-rated into Europe and some UEFA prize money.
ground in Eschen failed to help the hosts Vaduz are the country’s only full-time the last 20 Finals. USV broke that run in Going down...Vaduz
as Vaduz romped home in front of less club and, unsurprisingly, have won 19 of 2012, with a famous win on penalties, but defender Simone
Grippo (centre) fails
the current USV team is a shadow of that to stop Gabriel Torres
Cup Final...Vaduz (in red) side. After Vaduz trounced Triesen 18-0 scoring for Lausanne-
take on USV Eschen/Mauren in this year’s semi-finals, few anticipated Sport last season
another Final shock. And after USV went
behind after a minute, Vaduz won 5-1.
With national-team stalwarts Peter
Jehle and Franz Burgmeier missing the
Final through injury, highly rated defender
Max Goppel was the only player from
Liechtenstein to start the game for Vaduz.
In the second-half of last season’s Swiss
Super League, Lausanne-Sport fielded
club-trained players for 30.8 per cent of
the squad’s total playing time. Vaduz had
the lowest figure at just 3.3 per cent.
“We have the most players from within
Switzerland,” argues Thony. “Players who
32 WORLD SOCCER
cannot get into the first XI at St Gallen or
Basle, we are picking up these players.”
However, that is not helping the
connection between Liechtensteiners and
their most successful club.
Backed by local conglomerate MBPI,
Vaduz reached the Super League for the
first time in 2008 but the locals did not
respond and crowds averaged 2,200 as
the team finished bottom of the table.
The appointment of Swiss coach Giorgio
Contini in 2012 proved a turning point and
Vaduz returned to the Super League in
2014, with Contini managing to keep them
up for two seasons despite a budget of
around SFr5.5million that was easily the
smallest in the league.
Liechtenstein has a total population Atmosphere...a USV
of 35,000 – of which 5,000 are in fan at the Final
WORLD SOCCER 33
cemented by a deal struck by the LFV and
their Swiss counterparts before the club’s
first promotion that means Vaduz must
pay SFr1m to play in the Super League
even though they can never win it.
“Vaduz can never be Swiss champions
even if we have the most points,” says
Thony. “If we finish top on 70 points and
Basle finished second on 68 points, the
table would show us top but Basle would
Rheinpark Stadion...the go into the Champions League.”
national team’s home LFV president Hugo Quaderer defends
the deal and the dominance of Vaduz,
Vaduz – but the club’s hegemony makes explaining: “I think it’s best for Vaduz and
KEY PEOPLE the club unpopular outside the capital. best for Liechtenstein football.
USV Eschen/Mauren vice-president “It’s important that we have a
Markus Kaiser says: “Sometimes it’s hard professional club structure in place for
to be a USV fan and back Vaduz, but young players from Liechtenstein.”
we appreciate what they are doing. European competiton is only available
Sometimes a player can move up from via the country’s domestic cup, and last
USV to Vaduz and that is good.” season Vaduz made the third qualifying International...Marcel
Hans Thony is more direct and argues: round of the Europa League, only to Buchel of Verona
“Support from other clubs is very small, stumble against Swiss league rivals Thun.
almost non-existent. Someone from This season they beat Welsh side Bala
Balzers would rather not go to a football Town in the first round but were then
RENE PAURITSCH match than watch Vaduz.” knocked out 2-0 on aggregate by
Former Grazer AK player took charge Gates at Vaduz improved last season Norwegian side Odd.
of the national team in 2013. to an average of 3,800 as the club found The Swiss second-tier Challenge
support across the border in St Gallen League is professional but wages are low,
HUGO QUADERER and Grisons, with Swiss fans taking up and after relegation a swathe of
Elected LFV president in 2015 and
the cause of the unlikely interlopers. experienced players left Vaduz.
previously a member of Liechtenstein’s
government. Still works full-time, as Vaduz’s role as the underdog was Albanian striker Albion Avdijaj joined
a fund manager.
Thrashing...Spain’s Iago Aspas
turns away after scoring in an
8-0 victory over Liechtenstein
ROLAND VRABEC
Landed the Vaduz job two weeks after
being sacked by FSV Frankfurt but could
not prevent relegation. Has carried out
a massive overhaul of his playing
staff this summer.
MARIO FRICK
Liechtenstein’s greatest player scored 16
goals in 125 internationals and played in
the Swiss Super League for Basle and
Zurich, then in Serie A for Verona. He
returned to Liechtenstein in 2011 to join
boyhood club Balzers and after retiring he
took over as coach before joining the LFV
youth set-up in the summer of 2017.
FRANZ BURGMEIER
Along with veteran keeper Peter Jehle, he
is the backbone of the national team. A
winger with Vaduz, where his brother
Patrick is chief executive.
34 WORLD SOCCER
LIECHTENSTEIN
Grasshoppers, while Swiss international of a club in the higher echelons of the Verona in Italy and Cengiz Bicer, who
Moreno Costanzo went to Thun and his English non-league pyramid and a few of plays for Kastamonuspor in Turkey.
midfield partner Simone Grippo signed his fellow countrymen have trod a similar Pauritsch kept Liechtenstein off the
for Spain’s Real Zaragoza. Experienced path overseas. Yanick Frick, a teenage bottom of their Euro 2016 qualifying group
Liechtenstein international Nicolas Hasler striker who is son of Mario Frick, is by taking four points from Moldova but his
moved to Toronto. currently in the reserves at Austrian side fared less well in the 2018 World Cup
Vaduz coach Roland Vrabec brought in top-flight side Altach, while midfielder qualifiers, being thrashed 8-0 both home
a dozen new players, including Senegalese Sandro Wieser is on loan at Roeselare in and away by Spain.
forward Mohamed Coulibaly from Belgium from Reading. With veterans Martin Stocklasa retiring
Logrones, Ukrainian international Marko Like many national coaches of smaller in 2014 after winning 113 caps and Mario
Devic from Rostov and German midfielder countries, Rene Pauritsch has to contend Frick hanging up his boots the following
Nicolas Jullich from Sonnenhof, as well as with a lack of game-time for players who year, Pauritsch has had a difficult task on
Liechtenstein under-21 keeper Armando go looking for a contract overseas, so to the international stage. But at least the
Majer from German side Mannschaft. Rheinpark Stadion... bolster his squad the Austrian looked continuing domestic cup route into Europe
ahead of the World
The country’s second-biggest club are Cup qualifier against abroad and unearthed Austria-born will give some local players an early taste
Balzers, who play in the Swiss fourth-tier Spain in September midfielder Marcel Buchel, who is with of continental competition.
Liga Classic along with USV.
“For players at a club like Balzers, they
will train three or four times a week and
also be working from nine to five,” says
Daniel Brandle, a national team midfielder
who played for St Andrews in Malta last
season. “They use their annual holidays to
play for the national team.
“That’s no good if you have a girlfriend
or a family. The work ethic is so high here
that it’s difficult to find a flexible employer.
That’s why so many players focus on their
jobs when they get to 25. It’s one of our
biggest problems.”
After leaving St Andrews this summer,
Brandle headed to Manchester in search
SCHAAN
From Liechtenstein’s second
most populous town, they play
in the Swiss fifth tier, Liga 2.
Three times cup winners but not since
1994 – after which they made their solitary
European appearance, losing to Bulgaria’s
Pirin Blagoevgrad in the Cup-winners Cup
first round.
WORLD SOCCER 35
Deadline-
day signings
Nick Bidwell looks at some of the summer’s
more impressive late transfer deals
Serge
1 AURIER
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Pedro
2 ROCHA
SPARTAK MOSCOW
36 WORLD SOCCER
6 OF THE BEST
Bjorn
3 ENGELS
OLYMPIAKOS
Those in the know in Belgium were club and the opportunity to face
more than a little surprised when Barcelona, Juventus and Sporting
they heard the news that Club in the Champions League. “In the
Brugge’s accomplished centre- end I had to put myself first,” he
back had signed for Olympiakos. explained. “[In England] I would
The 23-year-old has never made have been battling for a place with
a secret of his fascination for the experienced defenders. At best, I
Premier League and, with Stoke might only have been the fourth
City and Leicester City apparently choice.” A first-teamer with Club
keen, England was his expected Brugge since the age of 18, he was
destination. Instead, he signed a a key figure in their Belgian title
four-season deal with the Greek success last year.
NANI
4 LAZIO
Roberto Kevin
5 INGLESE
CHIEVO 6 KAMPL
RB LEIPZIG
WORLD SOCCER 37
PLAYER
BIOGRAPHY
THE
JEWEL IN
JUVE’S
CROWN
The Argentina international is not ready to emulate his
fellow countryman Lionel Messi…yet WORDS: Paddy Agnew
T
he day after he missed the entrusted to take the game-winning shot has a very good PR team.
decisive penalty in the Italian ...and I missed. Those who know Dybala would
Super Cup in December, “I have failed over and over and over suggest a bit of both. He is indeed wise
Juventus striker Paulo Dybala again in my life. And that’s precisely why beyond his years, while he is fiercely
posted the following statement on his I succeed.” protected and carefully managed by his
Instagram account. The words are those of basketball star Argentinian family clan. His mother, Alicia,
“I have missed more than 9,000 shots Michael Jordan, but there are two things lives two floors below him in a central
in my career. I have lost almost 300 that immediately come to mind. Either Turin condominium and, as of September,
games. On 26 occasions I have been Dybala is absurdly wise at just 23 or he his financial affairs are being looked after
38 WORLD SOCCER
Paulo Dybala
Timeline
J U L 2 0 , 2 012 N OV 11, 2 012 M AY 3 , 2 014 J U N 4 , 2 015 AU G 8 , 2 015
Joins Palermo Scores his first goals Part of the Palermo Signs a five-year deal Appears as a 61st
from Instituto on in Italian football as side that gains with Juventus and is minute substitute
a four-year deal. Palermo win 2-0 at promotion with a handed the number against Lazio in
home to Sampdoria. 1-0 victory over 21 shirt, which was the Italian Super
Novara and then previously worn by Cup and scores
goes on to win Andrea Pirlo who left the second goal
the Serie B title. in the summer. in a 2-0 victory.
WORLD SOCCER 39
Paulo Dybala
by his brother, Gustavo. I would have said that Dybala was one of the Palermo season, but he was there
The point about Dybala is that the five best players in the world; indeed, long enough to make the following
many see him as the latest in a long at times he was in the top three. observation about a 20-year-old who
line of foreign stars in Italian football, “And I still think that, even if he did had arrived in Italian football with
with the former Instituto de Cordoba so-so in one single game, you have got Palermo the previous summer: “He’s
player following in the footsteps of such to remember that, against Barcelona, it a player who is two pages ahead of
great names as Diego Maradona, Michel was the entire Juventus team that did not all the others in the football manual.
Platini, Zbigniew Boniek, Zico, Ronaldo play well and that made it very difficult “He is pure class, there is no way that
and Gabriel Batistuta. for Dybala. he will not become a great player. Just
As Dybala prepared for his third “I would say that, given the consistent look at his technique and the football he
season with champions Juventus, the quality of his game in the last 18 months, can play. He is the real thing, the guy with
Italian media’s sense of the numbers.”
expectation about him If Dybala disappointed
and his likely impact on fans and critics alike in
both domestic and that 3-0 drubbing by
European football Barcelona, he has, to
became just a trifle some extent, only himself
overstated. For a start, to blame.
when Juve opened their When the two teams
Champions League met in the first leg of
campaign in Barcelona last season’s Champions
this September, many League quarter-final in
commentators opted Turin, Dybala had one
for an almost heretical of his best games of the
comparison between season for Juve, scoring
Dybala and his illustrious twice in an emphatic 3-0
compatriot Lionel Messi. victory – a result which
On the night, that rash did much to propel his
comparison melted like side down the road and
butter in the Cordoba into the Final.
midday sun as Messi His performance that
served up yet another night prompted more
example of just why unfortunate comparisons
many believe he is the Comparisons...with with Messi, with some
finest footballer of the compatriot Lionel Messi suggesting that the “King”
modern age. Dybala is a had just been forced to
wonderfully talented player, but he is not abdicate his Argentinian “throne” in
yet Messi, nor could anyone reasonably “Last season I would favour of the “Young Pretender”.
expect him to be. have said that Dybala Such conclusions were clearly
What is true, however, is that by the premature, but it was not for nothing On the up...
time Messi is ready to hang up his boots,
was one of the five best that Juventus agreed a new €7million- celebrated by his
the player that Argentinians call “La Joya” players in the world; a-year contract through to 2022 with
Palermo team-mates
(the jewel) could be ready to more than indeed, at times he Dybala just days after that result.
adequately fill those famous boots. was in the top three” Dybala had set the bar very high for
On the morning after Barca’s 3-0 himself. When it came to the Cardiff Final,
Gigi Buffon
defeat of Juventus, Italian football yet and again at Camp Nou this autumn, he
again scratched its collective head as it was not able to live up to expectations.
attempted to absorb its third consecutive he is worthy of all the fuss and There is, however, plenty of time for both
drubbing by Spanish football in the last attention. You know, I have played with Dybala and Juventus to recover ground
five months. Real Madrid’s 4-1 defeat of and against a lot of great players and in the Champions League this season.
Juventus in the Champions League Final that’s why I can tell you that Paulo is a For the Argentinian, that is important
in May and Spain’s 3-0 thrashing of the member of an elite club of class players.” because the Cardiff defeat hurt.
national team in a World Cup qualifier in Buffon is not the only 2006 World Speaking to The New York Times on
early September were the antipasti to Cup-winner to have praised Dybala. the eve of season, Dybala confirmed this
this most recent debacle. Back in 2013, Rino Gattuso had a brief, when saying: “In football, you always have
Inevitably, critics and fans alike pointed three-month sojourn as coach of Serie the chance for revancha (revenge). There
a disappointed finger at Dybala, arguing B side Palermo. is a phrase in Argentina: it is an espina
that he had failed to deliver. Gattuso might not have lasted long clavada, a thorn in your side, something
Within hours, however, his club captain, enough to make much of an impact on that hurts you.
Gigi Buffon, had jumped to his defence, “The pain of losing that Final will be
telling Media Premium TV: “Last season with me until I lift that trophy. I will be
40 WORLD SOCCER
a lot calmer then.” lightweight consideration in the collective
Big time...with
You could argue that for both Dybala Juventus mind. Real Madrid’s
and a domestically all-dominant Juve, Juve did this against the background Luka Modric
who have won the last six successive of consistent speculation – not just from
Serie A titles, the Champions League the media but also from the powerful
remains the only Alpine peak worth agent Mino Raiola – that, sooner or later,
climbing. It may have begun badly but Dybala will leave Italy, with rumours of
the climb still has a long way to go. interest from first Barcelona and then
Likewise, the fact that Dybala’s New shirt...wearing Real Madrid.
international partnership with Messi has the Juventus number On the field, the Argentinian’s class is
10 shirt this season
yet to kick-start into life does not mean there for all to see. Very much someone
that the two together will not gel and who likes to play behind a powerful front
deliver match-winning performances man such as compatriot Gonzalo Higuain
in the future. or Croat marksman Mario Mandzukic, his
In the meantime, Juventus are doing game is based on a mix of mobility and
their best to hold on to Dybala. This razor-sharp technique which sees him
summer they consigned the coveted both create and score goals.
number 10 shirt to him. The fact that A left-footed player, he likes nothing
this shirt has been worn in the past by better than to drift in from the right flank,
such as Omar Sivori, Platini, Roberto putting himself into the perfect position
Baggio and Alex to shoot. If his partnership with Messi
Del Piero is no has yet to explode into life, the all-
WORLD SOCCER 41
Paulo Dybala
Tough...in action
against Fiorentina
Argentinian entente with Higuain has long sees him put his hand over his mouth
since established itself in Serie A. with his fingers and thumb stretched
Off the field, Dybala has thus far been
“He’s a player who is two pages across his face to create the effect of a
the model professional. He generates ahead of all the others in the football warrior’s mask. As for the meaning of his
none of the unsavoury gossip that has manual. He is pure class” mask, a gesture that inevitably went viral
tripped other stars of his age: no pictures Rino Gattuso when he first used it, Dybala explains:
at nightclubs, no incidents with fans, no “Every day all of us have to confront
car crashes, no tantrums. problems and disappointments, but we
When he first arrived at Juventus his is normal enough that I do not have to fight them like a warrior, even if
initial impact with the team saw him immediately command a team place” behind the mask we are smiling.”
somewhat underused, but he told one Deadly duo...with But while Dybala almost looks too soft Five days after that Champions League
Argentina and
reporter: “Eighteen months ago I was Juventus partner to be a hard-edged, top-class, aggressive loss to Barca, Dybala’s eyes were smiling
playing in Serie B with Palermo, so it Gonzalo Higuain (left) athlete, his life has had its own dark as he delivered his own response with a
sorrows, namely the death of his father, hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Sassuolo on
Adolfo, who died of pancreatic cancer the following Sunday.
when his son was 15 years old. With 10 goals in his first six Serie A
“I still cry for my dad,” he has admitted. games this term, the Dybala bandwagon
“Sometimes I dream of him at night and is clearly rolling. This is most definitely a
I wake up with tears in my eyes. But now, story that will run and run.
I think that he is
looking down on
me and he is
happy for me.”
Perhaps Adolfo
would approve
too of his now
trademark goal
celebration which
42 WORLD SOCCER
BIOGRAPHY
Paulo Dybala the numbers game
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€ Ju RY
€
8.64 m 32 m ARGENTINA s
Dy t lik NG
I
on bal e L S
Ar
ge his a wa one A
i H
10
n fi s l M
pit tina rst s sen Mes E
ch an ta t o si,
r
in d l t f ff
te eft or
ar
s. t he
CAPS
1 Cristiano Ronaldo
2 Lionel Messi
Dybala could have played for Poland (through his
grandfather), Argentina (where he was born) or
3 Gianluigi Buffon Italy (who granted him citizenship in August 2012).
SKILLS
4 Luka Modric
GOALS
0
5 Toni Kroos
6 Paulo Dybala
Dybala’s former team-mate
Paul Pogba used to call him
“Square R2”. According to the
HONOURS
Manchester United midfielder:
Serie B 2014 “That’s the combination you
Serie A 2016 2017 press on PlayStation to do a
Italian Cup 2016 2017 turn and shot. He always
Italian Super Cup 2015 2016 scores like that.”
60 60
55 55
50 50
45
48 45
46
40 40
35
38 35
35
30 30
30
25
28 25
20
23 20
19
15 17 15
10 13 12
10
5 8 5
5
3
INSTITUTO PALERMO JUVENTUS
GAMES GOALS (all info correct as of 26.09.17)
WORLD SOCCER 43
SE V E N
YEAR- TEEN-
OLDS
WORDS: Nick Bidwell
3
coach Luc
Holtz: “Our
THINGS YOU
team has to be DIDN’T KNOW
built around ABOUT THILL
this kid.”
Former O On making his professional debut, he
became the first player born this millennium
Luxembourg
to appear in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
striker Robby O He has a “45” tattoo in honour of the Italian
Langers: “With striker Mario Balotelli, who is one of his
this lad on favourite players.
board, the O His elder brother Sebastien is also a full
Luxembourg international.
Luxembourg
team can
move on to another dimension. In a few
years, he will be at a top continental club.”
44 WORLD SOCCER
TALENT SCOUT
WORLD SOCCER 45
Borussia Dortmund
46 WORLD SOCCER
CLUB
FOCUS
YOUTH ON
THEIR SIDE WORDS: Nick Bidwell
T
his summer, the Borussia
Dortmund corridors of power
were no place for the faint-
hearted, the semi-detached
or the amateurish.
From the moment the Schwarz-
Gelben lifted the German Cup in late May
until the end of the transfer window on
August 31, CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke
and director of sport Michael Zorc never
had a moment’s peace as they were
forced to come up with answers to a host
of thorny personnel issues. In short, they
were multi-tasking firefighters.
So many big decisions for the pair
to resolve in such a short space of time.
Who to appoint as coach after sacking
Thomas Tuchel? What tactics to employ
to keep star striker Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang out of the clutches of
his many suitors? How best to clean up
the mess caused by Barcelona’s bid for
attacking whizz-kid Ousmane Dembele
WORLD SOCCER 47
Borussia Dortmund
Selfie...Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang celebrates last
season’s German Cup success
48 WORLD SOCCER
Dortmund also appreciate a veteran as
much as anybody. Long-serving full-
backs Lukasz Piszczek and Marcel
Schmelzer still have much to offer, while
Turkish playmaker Nuri Sahin, on the
club’s books for a decade-and-a-half
over three spells, is back to his best after
a couple of seasons in the shadows.
The quest for established international
know-how was evident in their end-of-
August swoop for Dynamo Kiev winger
Andriy Yarmolenko. Dortmund had him in
their sights for more than two years and
are convinced that his €25m transfer fee
represents value for money. He might not
have Dembele’s mazy dribbling skills or
free-spirited ways, yet he could deliver
just as much with his forceful physique,
educated left foot and flair on the
counter. Yarmolenko has a fine all-round
game and, provided he quickly finds his
bearings in Germany, he could be exactly
what Dortmund need: a powerful and
incisive front-line complement to
marksman-in chief Aubameyang.
One would-be sticking point is
Yarmolenko’s preference for cutting in
from the right, while the Dembele-
inspired vacancy is on the other side.
Someone will have to compromise.
What Dortmund desperately need at
the moment is a period of stability. Last
season was essentially a catalogue of one
emergency segueing into another: ultras
shamefully targeting RB Leipzig fans; a
bomb attack on the team bus before a
Champions League quarter-final against
Monaco; Watzke receiving death threats
from a hard-right
hooligan group;
the simmering,
sulphurous
atmosphere
in the camp;
the crumbling of
Thomas Tuchel’s
relationship with
board, technical
staff and squad.
Even Watzke, a
fighter if ever there
was one, admits
outstanding skill, speed and instincts on a box-to-box he was close to
the right flank. marvel at Borussia reaching the end of
Of their seven signings in the latest Monchengladbach; his tether. “For the
transfer window, five were aged 23 or while France first time in my life,
younger. All were wanted elsewhere, under-18 skipper my batteries were
but all were desperate to sign up for the Dan-Axel Zagadou can play anywhere New trio...(from left) completely flat,” he revealed in
Dortmund elite development programme. in defence and joined on a free from Dan-Axel Zagadou, a interview with Bild am Sonntag. “If
Maximilian Philipp
Zorc and chief scout Sven Mislintat can Paris Saint-Germain. and Mahmoud we’d have lost the German Cup Final,
only be commended for the excellent That’s not to say that this reliance on Dahoud I definitely would have resigned.”
crop of new arrivals this summer. youth is a panacea. Some would argue If Watzke’s enthusiasm is flowing once
Freiburg’s Maximilian Philipp has that Dortmund are stockpiling young again, he largely attributes his upbeat
settled in extremely well on the wing; guns and, inevitably, a number will fall by mood to the relaxed personality of new
turbo-charged former Hoffenheim the wayside. Last season, for example, coach Bosz. Whereas his predecessor
right-back Jeremy Toljan was arguably Turkish winger Emre Mor and Spanish Tuchel could be prickly and aloof,
Germany’s best player as they won the defensive midfielder Mikel Merino got the Dutchman is much more of a
European Under-21 title this summer; little game time and had to move on, communicator, prioritising dialogue
teen wide-man Jadon Sancho, prised recently joining Celta Vigo and Newcastle and collaboration.
away from Manchester City, is a genuine United respectively. In stark contrast to the front-office
rough diamond; Mahmoud Dahoud was For all the “Boystown” quips, theatre, Bosz radiated calm and
WORLD SOCCER 49
Borussia Dortmund
REINHARD RAUBALL HANS-JOACHIM WATZKE MICHAEL ZORC GERD PIEPER HENDRIE KRUZEN
Locally based lawyer who, On his appointment as chief A BVB midfielder for Chairman of the Peter Bosz’s assistant,
since 1979, has had seven executive in 2005, “Aki” had to two decades, he became supervisory board the pair have worked
mandates as club president. wrestle with the very real threat director of sport in since 2004 and club side-by-side for over
He is also chief of the German of bankruptcy. Along with Rauball 1998 and still holds that vice-president for the 17 years. A left-sided
Football League and a vice- and chief financial officer Thomas position to this day. An past nine years. Runs midfielder as a player, he
president at Germany’s Tress, he did a fine job of pulling astute talent spotter and a thriving perfume was in the Dutch squad
federation, the DFB. the club back from the brink. hard-nosed negotiator. business in the Ruhr. that won Euro 88.
50 WORLD SOCCER
8 3
Bundesliga 2.Bundesliga
LOCAL RIVALS
1 Bayer Leverkusen
2 Bochum
3 Borussia Dortmund
4 Borussia Monchengladbach
5 Cologne
6 Duisburg
7 Fortuna Dusseldorf
8 Schalke
CAPACITY
Signal Iduna Park
More commonly known as the old-school municipal track- 81,360 (Bundesliga fixtures),
Westfalenstadion, Dortmund’s home and-field ground which is now 65,829 (international fixtures)
stadium is a cauldron of noise, colour used by the club’s reserves.
and full-on passion, a place that never When Dortmund was preferred
fails to send the senses into overdrive. to Cologne as a host city for the
Germany’s biggest ground, it features 1974 World Cup, long-term plans
the largest standing terrace in the for a home fit for a thriving Bundesliga
European game: the 24,454-capacity side could finally be drawn up. The new
Sudtribune, aka “The Yellow Wall”. stadium opened in the spring of 1974
At 79,653, Dortmund had the highest with a match against local rivals Schalke.
average league attendance of any club in Taking its name from its locality –
Europe last season, although the capacity the region of North-Rhine Westphalia
is reduced when the Sudtribune is made – the Westfalenstadion’s original capacity
all-seating for international games. of 54,000 has been gradually increased,
A long-term naming-rights deal with mainly thanks to the upper tiers added
insurers Signal Iduna has helped to bring to the two sideline stands. The hosting
financial stability to the club after a brush of the 2006 World Cup led to further Naming rights... industrial Ruhr Valley region, which
with near bankruptcy on the eve of the improvements, including five video Signal Iduna have a is host to one the world’s deepest
long-term deal with
2006 World Cup, when the stadium screens and undersoil heating. the club concentration of club sides.
hosted six games – including the semi- The geographical proximity of In addition to Schalke, there are
final in which Italy beat Germany 2-0. Schalke’s AufSchalke Arena in local derbies with Bundesliga sides
The stadium actually dates back to Gelsenkirchen ensures that the Cologne, Bayer Leverkusen and
the previous World Cup held in Germany, local rivalry remains the fiercest Borussia Monchengladbach, while
in 1974. Before then, Dortmund played in the Bundesliga. 2.Bundesliga features Bochum,
at the nearby Stadion Rote Erde, an Dortmund is at the heart of the Duisburg and Fortuna Dusseldorf.
BUNDESLIGA
14 14
15
16
15
16
1966
17 17
18 18
GERMAN CUP:
1 1
1965, 1989, 2012, 2017
BUNDESLIGA 2
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5 GERMAN SUPER CUP:
6 6
1989, 1995, 1996, 2013, 2014
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
WORLD SOCCER 51
Good start...Nuri Sahin
(out of picture) scores
against Hertha Berlin
full measure of the job. Beginning the as the central midfield hub, and the
new Bundesliga campaign with two creative industry of Mario Gotze, who
impressive wins – 3-0 at Wolfsburg and after his wasted years at Bayern and
2-0 at home to Hertha Berlin – his side a lengthy absence last season with a
looked organised and solid at the back, metabolic condition appears to be in
full of ideas going forward and generally renaissance mode.
played with remarkable collective control. And then there is Aubameyang, the
Despite time being tight, the contours top scorer in the Bundesliga last season
of the team’s new identity are already with 31 goals. Rumoured to be on the
crystallising: the compact shape, the verge of a move to China, the Premier Renaissance...Mario replaced. Not him.
high defensive line, the pressing of League, PSG or Milan, the Gabonese Gotze (left) takes an “He is omnipresent. He can make
ice bath after training
the opposition deep in their own half, sharpshooter was probably not expecting chances out of impossible situations and
the superfast transitions, the care in to still be with BVB. But one thing he doesn’t necessarily rely on team-mates
possession. Their pressing game still does enjoy is putting the ball in the for service. When Watzke insists that
needs some fine tuning, and their build- back of the net, and whether it be at Aubameyang is going to stay until the
up play can lack tempo at times, but on Dortmund or elsewhere he will always end of this season, that’s a clear signal.
the whole Bosz is making a difference. go flat out for goals. Such is his nature, “Dortmund are sending out a
With their eyes on the prize of at least that of the smiling assassin. challenge to Bayern Munich. They are
a top-two finish in the Bundesliga, “Aubameyang gives Dortmund 20 saying: ‘We are holding onto Aubameyang
Dortmund will be especially dependent per cent extra,” says former club coach and will be German champions.’”
on major contributions from luminaries Ottmar Hitzfeld. “He is Peter Bosz’s Will Hitzfeld be proved right about
such as ball-playing Catalan central life insurance. He’s Dortmund’s most Dortmund’s title chances? Next spring,
defender Marc Bartra, Sahin or Weigl important player. Other guys can be we’ll have the answer.
52 WORLD SOCCER
Borussia Dortmund
THE SQUAD
Roman BURKI (Swi) Dominik REIMANN Roman WEIDENFELLER Marc BARTRA (Spa) Erik DURM
GOALKEEPERS
DEFENDERS
Age 26 (14.11.90) Age 20 (18.06.97) Age 37 (06.08.80) Age 26 (15.01.91) Age 25 (12.05.92)
Arrived from Freiburg On the club’s books since BVB’s number one for Centre-back recruited Full-back or defensive
in the summer of 2015, the age of seven. Played 11 seasons, playing a from Barcelona last year midfielder, a summer
replacing Weidenfeller for Germany in this year’s key role in two titles and in an €8m deal. Suffered move to Stuttgart fell
as first choice. under-20 World Cup in the path to the 2013 a broken wrist in last through over doubts about
South Korea. Champions League Final. season’s bomb blast. the state of his knees.
Raphael GUERREIRO (Por) Sokratis PAPASTATHOPOULOS (Gre) Lukasz PISZCZEK (Pol) Marcel SCHMELZER Jeremy TOLJAN
Age 23 (22.12.93) Age 29 (09.06.88) Age 32 (03.06.85) Age 29 (22.01.88) Age 23 (08.08.94)
Left-back or midfielder in Centre-back renowned for Striker who was converted Feisty, dynamic left-back Full-back capable of
his second season with his tenacity. Infamous for a into a right-back at Hertha and loyal club servant for building up an attacking
BVB. Suffered a broken training ground brawl with Berlin and is in line to rack the last dozen years. Was head of steam on either
leg in June but due to Marko Arnautovic while at up his 300th appearance a favourite of former coach flanks. Bought from
return soon. Werder Bremen in 2013. for Dortmund this season. Jurgen Klopp. Hoffenheim for €5m.
Omer TOPRAK (Tur) Dan-Axel ZAGADOU (Fra) Gonzalo CASTRO Mahmoud DAHOUD Mario GOTZE
MIDFIELDERS
Age 28 (21.07.89) Age 18 (03.06.99) Age 30 (11.06.87) Age 21 (01.01.96) Age 25 (03.06.92)
Centre-half signed from Can play anywhere at Former right-back, now a Engine room all-rounder Attacking midfielder or
Bayer Leverkusen this the back. Chose to join central midfield link-man. signed from Borussia “false nine” who scored
summer for €12m. A Dortmund this summer Born to Spanish parents, Monchengladbach. Born in Germany’s winning goal
leader and a stabiliser rather than turn pro at he has five full caps for Syria but lived in Germany in the 2014 World Cup
but prone to injury. Paris Saint-Germain. Germany. for all bar 10 months. Final against Argentina.
Shinji KAGAWA (Jap) Nuri SAHIN (Tur) Julian WEIGL Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG (Gab) Alexander ISAK (Swe)
Age 28 (17.03.89) Age 29 (05.09.88) Age 22 (08.09.85) Age 28 (18.06.89) Age 18 (21.09.99)
FORWARDS
In his second spell at the Deep-lying playmaker Since pitching up from In the course of his four Exciting centre-forward
club, a fans favourite with whose career has been 1860 Munich in 2015, years at Dortmund, he has recruited from AIK earlier
energy, thrust and ideas. blighted by injury. Bosz he has impressed with his gone from uncoordinated this year, allegedly turning
Struggled in two seasons was his technical director defence-screening duties speedster to free-scoring down Real Madrid in the
at Manchester United. at Feyenoord. and impeccable distribution. leader of the line. process.
Maximilian PHILIPP Christian PULISIC (USA) Marco REUS Andre SCHURRLE Andriy YARMOLENKO (Ukr)
Age 23 (01.03.94) Age 19 (18.09.98) Age 28 (31.05.89) Age 26 (06.11.90) Age 27 (23.10.89)
Signed from Freiburg for Right-winger who became The wide-man dribbling A €30m purchase from Powerful yet adroit winger
€20m. Has been lining up the second youngest non- machine has so much Wolfsburg a year ago, the who has been capped
on the left flank, although German to score in the natural talent but also has German international left- more than 70 times for his
he is equally at home on Bundesliga, aged 17 years, a fragile physique and is winger has struggled to country and scored over
the other wing. six months and 30 days. out of action until 2018. make an impact. 30 international goals.
(ages as of 06.10.17)
WORLD SOCCER 53
Women’s Football
Glenn Moore
54 WORLD SOCCER
Round-up
SAMPSON SACKED BY FA
Hours after overseeing a 6-0 defeat of
Russia to kick-off the 2019 World Cup
qualifying campaign, England’s Mark
Sampson was fired after the Football
Association had looked more closely at
historic allegations of “inappropriate
behaviour” in his previous role at WSL
club Bristol Academy (now Bristol City).
Deal...Australian sides
Hew was said to have “crossed the Northern Tigers (in stripes)
boundaries” in relationships with players and Blacktown Spartans
and the FA determined that, while he
recruitment by bringing in Swedish Derby...Katie Rood had done nothing illegal and was free A temporary deal ensured they did play
defender Magdalena Eriksson and of Juventus (left) in to work in football, his conduct a subsequent World Cup qualifier in
action against Torino
Norway’s Maria Thorisdottir. unbecoming of an England manager. Hungary a few days later, winning 6-1.
The most spectacular signing was Sampson was already embroiled Australian players, meanwhile, have
made by Arsenal, who are seeking a first in allegations of bullying and racist secured a new deal for their domestic
title since 2012. Vivianne Miedema joined behaviour made by 102-capped league which features a significant
from Bayern before Euro 2017, but two Eniola Aluko, a furore that rumbled on salary increase, minimum medical
goals in the Final have added to her despite two investigations clearing him. standards and a maternity policy
lustre. The Gunners also recruited
Sweden’s Jessica Samuelsson from DIACRE TAKES CHARGE STEPPING DOWN
Linkopings and Lisa Evans of Scotland Olivier Echouafni failed to survive Several cap centurions quit international
from Bayern, while Josephine Henning France’s premature Euro 2017 football after Euro 2017, including
returned from Lyon. exit and was fired 10 days before Germany’s Anja Mittag (158 caps),
Manchester City, winners of last completing a year as coach. He England’s Alex Scott (140), Elodie
summer’s WSL, have trimmed their Thomis (141) of France, and Scotland’s
squad but that should give more space to National job... Gemma Fay (203), Ifeoma Dieke (122)
young talent such as Georgia Stanway Corinne Diacre and Leanne Ross (133).
and Kiera Walsh.
Everton, who were Arsenal’s main NEW-LOOK HOLDERS BOOK
challengers a decade ago, are back in HOME GAME IN PLAY-OFFS
the top flight and have marked their Carolina Courage – defending the title
return by moving towards full-time status. they won last year in the guise of New
Tottenham Hotspur, promoted into WSL 2 York Western Flash – and Portland
are also showing signs of taking the Thorns earned home games in the
women’s game seriously. NWSL play-off semi-finals, with
That will please the FA as yet another was replaced by Corinne Diacre, a Chicago Red Stars and Orlando
re-vamp is on the way, with proposals to former international who came to Pride making up the quartet.
make inclusion in WSL dependent on prominence when appointed coach
being full-time and running an academy. of Clermont Foot, a men’s Ligue 2
This could be brought in as early as next club in 2014, a position she held
season, which risks making relegation successfully until joining Les Bleues.
and promotion this season irrelevant.
Current WSL 1 clubs such as DISPUTES AND RESOLUTIONS
Sunderland, who have downgraded their Denmark cancelled a friendly against
women’s team by moving them out of the Holland in what would have been a
men’s club’s training complex, are likely repeat of the Euro 2017 Final after
to struggle to fulfil such requirements, the players refused to appear due
as are Yeovil Town. to a financial dispute with their FA. Cross...Courage midfielder Makenzy Doniak
WORLD SOCCER 55
ROAD TO
RUSSIA
SAUDI ARABIA HEAD TO
FINALS WITH A NEW BOSS
If the destination is more important than
the journey, nobody told Asia as the final
stage of World Cup qualification provided
excitement, drama and recrimination.
The continent has now filled its four
automatic allocations for Russia 2018,
with continental champions Australia
missing out after failing to finish in the
top two of the six-team Group B.
Away to Japan in the penultimate
round of games, either team could
secure a top-two spot with a victory,
but in the end it was the hosts who were
celebrating, winning 2-0 despite leaving
Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Shinji
Okazaki on the bench.
That left one automatic spot left for
the Socceroos and Saudi Arabia to fight
over five days later.
With the two sides level on points,
the Middle Easterners had a better goal
difference but Australia were confident
they could make up the deficit by
thrashing Thailand in Melbourne. But
even though they had more than 40
Through...Yosuke Ideguchi
scores Japan’s second goal
against Australia
56 WORLD SOCCER
WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN
ASIA
WORLD SOCCER 57
ROAD TO RUSSIA
ITALY
PLAY-OFFS BECKON
FOR ITALY
H
aving been run over by
a high-speed train at the
Bernabeu in their Group
G qualifier against Spain,
Italy will have to settle for second spot in
their group and a place in the play-offs.
Defeat in Madrid was always possible,
but the comprehensive manner of Italy’s
capitulation in a 3-0 rout prompted a
great deal of nationwide dismay and
soul-searching. The defeat ended the
Azzurri’s 56-match unbeaten run in
World Cup and European Championship
qualifiers – a record stretching back to a
loss to France 11 years ago.
A little over 12 months ago, Italy saw
off Spain with an emphatic 2-0 second-
round win at Euro 2016. A year on, how
could they be so tactically, technically
and mentally overwhelmed by the same
opponents? For the second time in five
months, following Juventus’ defeat by
Real Madrid in the Champions League
Final, Spanish football delivered a
devastating lesson to its Italian rivals.
In the aftermath of the Bernabeu
debacle there was a deluge of criticism,
aimed alternatively at coach Giampiero
Ventura, keeper Gianluigi Buffon, Napoli
winger Lorenzo Insigne, Milan defender
Leonardo Bonucci and others.
When Italy drew 1-1 with Spain in
Turin a year earlier, many critics felt that Unfortunately for Ventura, the gamble Opener...Isco scores One of the most difficult questions to
Ventura had been too conservative in his failed totally. Out-manned in midfield, for Spain emerge from that defeat concerns
tactics. This time, in a do-or-die situation Italy found themselves under relentless Buffon and whether the years have finally
in which his side had to win, Ventura did pressure in defence, while the front four caught up with a player who, for much
not lack courage. simply did not see enough of the ball. of the past 20 years, has been one of
Adopting a daring 4-2-4 set-up, he In the past, Italian sides have stuck the best keepers in the world. It is not
threw every attacking ace at his disposal at it and managed to ride out seemingly a question that many were asking after
into the game, fielding a front four that impossible situations. But this time they Euro 2016 in France last summer, nor
consisted of Antonio Candreva and shot themselves in the foot after just 13 indeed after Juve’s run to the Champions
Insigne flanking Ciro Immobile and minutes, with Isco’s not-so-fiercely struck
Andrea Belotti. All in all, they were four free-kick beating a 39-year-old Buffon If Italy do qualify for the 2018 finals,
of the best and most in-form attackers who looked ponderous in his failed
currently in Italian football. attempt at a save.
are they better going to Russia with an
ageing Buffon or has the time come to
promote Milan’s Gigio Donnarumma?
League Final this year. However, painful as
it is, the question now presents itself.
One imagines that, for the time being,
Buffon and Ventura will both hope for a
return to normal service. Yet, the almost
heretical question must still be asked: if
Italy do qualify for the 2018 finals, are
they better going to Russia with an
ageing Buffon or has the time come to
promote Milan’s Gigio Donnarumma?
Other shortcomings concerned iconic
defender Bonucci and in-form schemer
Insigne. Deprived of service, the latter
At risk...have had little or no impact, while Bonucci
the years finally
caught up with may still be absorbing the effects of his
Gianluigi Buffon? surprise move from Juventus to Milan.
58 WORLD SOCCER
ROAD TO RUSSIA
RUSSIA
T
icket sales are under way for take-up was mostly from home fans as
the World Cup finals next foreign supporters had already paid for
year. As before, FIFA and the their own travel far in advance.
hosts are selling individual Foreign fans attending the finals
match tickets, venue-specific and team- need to know about trains when they
specific series. book their flights and hotels. Otherwise
However, several questions remain
for Russian organisers.
Firstly, will they arrange new flight Fans need to know
paths so fans can fly directly between about trains when they
regional venues rather than having book flights and hotels
Gamble...Leonardo to connect through Moscow? And will
Spinazzola (left) was the promised system of free trains for
picked at full-back
ticket holders be ready in time to save the Russians will incur some critical
Furthermore, the choice of Atalanta’s fans costs on internal travel? headlines. And as organising CEO
Leonardo Spinazzola at left-back During the Confederations Cup Alexey Sorokin knows only too well,
represented a gamble, given that this was earlier this year, the Russia 2018 local there are plenty of critics out there
the player’s first competitive game of the organising committee was proud to looking to put the boot in.
season. His defensive difficulties meant hand out free train tickets. But the Keir Radnedge
he had little chance to offer attacking
support to Insigne down the left, while he
finished an exhausting game with cramp.
In the end, it has to be remembered
that Italy went down to a sublime Spain
in which two-goal Isco had the game of
a lifetime, and a lot of teams would have
gone into meltdown when faced with the
quality of Julen Lopetegui’s side.
A lot of teams, yes, but in the past
Italian teams have done better.
Clearly, all is not lost. A place in the
play-offs beckons. But while potential
opponents such as Sweden, Bosnia,
Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
are not Brazil, Argentina, Germany or
Spain, November’s two-legged affair
will still represent a huge test. Nearly there...the World Cup countdown clock in front of Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow
Paddy Agnew
WORLD SOCCER 59
ROAD TO RUSSIA
MEXICO
SEVEN IN A ROW
FOR EL TRI
M
exico qualified for their
seventh successive World
Cup with three games
to spare after beating
Panama 1-0 in the Estadio Azteca
while the USA crashed to a 2-0
defeat by Costa Rica in New Jersey.
The comfortable qualification for El Tri
was in stark contrast to four years ago,
when everything went down to the wire
and a play-off against New Zealand
after Mexico finished fourth in the final
CONCACAF “hexagonal” qualifying group.
Early qualification this time gave
Mexico’s Colombian coach Juan Carlos
Osorio the chance to experiment with
home-based players in October’s final
qualifying games against Trinidad &
Tobago and Honduras.
In contrast, the United States, reeling
from their loss to Costa Rica, needed a
late equaliser from substitute Bobby
Wood to take a point from their visit to
Honduras four days later. Those poor
results left Bruce Arena’s side in fourth
place and needing to beat third-place
Panama in their penultimate Hexagonal
game to avoid a play-off against Australia
or Syria.
It has not been
all plain sailing for
Mexico under
Osorio. They were Through...Hirving the luxury of having time to spare while
thrashed 7-0 by Lozano celebrates preparing for next summer’s finals.
scoring for Mexico
Chile at the 2016 against Panama He has plenty of options in attack,
Copa America where Hirving Lozano, who scored
Centenario and the goal against Panama that clinched
failed to sparkle at qualification and who is thriving at
the Confederations PSV in Holland, competes with Javier
Cup in Russia, Hernandez, Carlos Vela, Jesus Corona
where Osorio and Raul Jimenez. They are the main
collected a six Promising... contenders to form the front three in an
Edson Alvarez
game-ban
for aggressive Confusion surrounds the status of
behaviour on the touchline. At this played in a majority of games.
summer’s Gold Cup, a Mexican B team The 56-year-old claims he learned
veteran defender Rafael Marquez,
crashed out to Jamaica in the semi-finals. the importance of player rotation when 38, who has denied alleged links to
Osorio has been backed by the spying on Gerard Houllier’s training a drugs-trafficking organisation
Mexican federation on his insistence sessions at Liverpool while a student
that World Cup qualification was the at the city’s John Moores University. energetic, high-pressing 4-3-3 formation.
team’s priority. But he has faced criticism A former fitness coach for Kevin The coach has more concerns about
in the press – with Hugo Sanchez and Keegan’s Manchester City, Osorio has midfield and defence, where a number of
former national coach Ricardo La Volpe worked his way up the hard way. Atletico his players are not getting game time at
sniping from the sidelines – and from Nacional’s 2015 Sudamericana Cup their clubs in Europe. Hector Herrera and
fans in the stands. is his greatest success to date and he Diego Reyes at Porto, and Hector Moreno
Much of the hostility towards Osorio has struggled to win over the Mexican at Roma, are struggling to hold down
has centred on his passion for squad football establishment in what is the first-team places, while goalkeeper
rotation. He has used 63 players since biggest job of his career so far. Guillermo Ochoa’s career has stalled
he took charge of the national side in Yet despite the snipers, Osorio has the at Standard Liege in Belgium.
October 2015 and only a small, core highest win percentage among Mexican Versatile 19-year-old defender
group of European-based players have coaches of recent times and he now has Edson Alvarez looks promising but
60 WORLD SOCCER
ROAD TO RUSSIA
ECUADOR
E
cuador acrimoniously replaced Going...Gustavo Quinteros sought to bring the defensive
coach Gustavo Quinteros after Quinteros line higher, thereby making the team
losing to Brazil and Peru in more compact. But then he lost another
September’s qualifiers. centre-back, Fricson Erazo, who featured
Quinteros had come under pressure in the first six games before running into
to resign following those defeats but prolonged injury problems.
he would not budge, so the FA took to It was a similar story in attack. Left-
Twitter to announce that, in the light of winger Jefferson Montero was in fine form
his “indifference” when “appeals were at the start of the campaign. But, bar a
made to his sensitivity”, Quinteros was five-minute substitute appearance in
no longer in charge of the national team. March, he only played in the first eight
Another Argentinian, Jorge Celico, who games before he too was injured.
had recently been appointed the Another big loss has been Miller
Time to experiment...Juan Carlos Osorio country’s youth supremo, was put in
charge for the final two qualifiers. In protest at the replacement
There are, however, financial
implications to Quinteros’ removal. By
of Quinteros, Felipe Caicedo
the terms of his contract, a sacking announced his retirement
would bring him a pay-off of a reported from international football
$500,000, so it appears that, as a
cheaper option, he might be kept on the Bolanos. Used as a support striker,
payroll until his contract runs out at the playing off the centre- forward in a
end of the year. 4-2-3-1 set-up and floating between
Although Ecuador were early leaders the front and the midfield lines, he played
of the South American qualification table, in those first four wins, but then struggled
having won all four of their opening after moving to Gremio in Brazil, with
fixtures, their recent decline under both form and fitness being a problem.
Quinteros had been alarming, with the In Bolanos’ absence there has
next 12 games bringing just two more been a tendency to play Felipe Caicedo
wins, a pair of draws and eight defeats. and Enner Valencia together – and,
While oscillations are inevitable in a apart from Valencia’s loss of form and
marathon campaign that is played over confidence while he was playing his club
confusion surrounds the status of veteran the course of three seasons, this is football in England, having both in the
defender Rafael Marquez, 38, who especially true of a country like Ecuador, same starting XI tended to leave the
has denied alleged links to a drugs- which has a limited pool of talent to call team top heavy.
trafficking organisation. upon. The big fear for a coach of such a That, however, is not a problem that
Plenty of challenges lie ahead as team is that too many key players lose new boss Celico will have to deal with. In
Osorio’s Mexico seek to break the glass form and fitness at the same time. protest at the replacement of Quinteros,
ceiling that has seen them dominate This was true for Quinteros with regard Caicedo, who had been Ecuador’s top
qualifying campaigns, only to fail to make to the centre-back positions, where scorer in this campaign with seven goals,
an impact in the later stages of the finals. Ecuador have little strength in depth. announced his retirement from
John Holmesdale With the retirement of Ivan Hurtado, who international football.
held the defence together for so long, Tim Vickery
WORLD SOCCER 61
16
October
2001
Holland miss out on
another big finals tournament
H
ernan Crespo, top scorer in Out...Holland fail
Argentina’s successful World to make the 2002
World Cup
Cup qualifying campaign,
was the cover star. However,
one team who would not be going to
Japan and South Korea was Holland.
Simon Kuper grew up in Holland in an
era when they failed to qualify for the World
Cup in 1981 (losing
to France) and
1985 (losing to
Belgium), and he
tried to explain
why the Dutch had
now failed to reach
the 2002 finals.
“Those defeats
weren’t half as
shameful as the
1-0 loss to the
Republic of Ireland
which put Holland
out,” wrote Kuper.
“In 1981 Holland
lost because the
great generation three points in Dublin,” explained Kuper. “In replaced wingers Marc Overmars and
of the 1970s had the first half they were brilliant, creating a Boudewijn Zenden with centre-forwards
grown old. In 1985 cavalcade of chances, reminding us that Pierre Van Hooijdonk and Jimmy Floyd
it was because much the same players had got within a Hasselbaink. Fielding four centre-forwards
[Ruud] Gullit and co weren’t ready yet.” couple of penalty kicks of the Final of the and no wingers was a tactic last tried by
According to Kuper, there was no last European Championship and World Germany against Croatia in the World Cup
excuse for defeat at Lansdowne Road. Cup. Then Arthur Numan was carried off quarter-final of 1998. It didn’t work then.”
“You don’t lose a World Cup in just one with a head injury. For several minutes Kuper revealed that after the match,
match,” he acknowledged. “That the Oranje Holland played with 10 men and they “Van Gaal half-realised what had gone
went to Dublin needing to win in the first chose to waste time. The battered Irish wrong. ‘We used the long ball too much,’
place was due to arrogance. were delighted to let this happen. he told reporters. It’s a shame there wasn’t
“Arrogance, because after Euro 2000 “When Numan returned, Holland’s an eight-year-old on hand to tell him that
Holland had taken to assuming that turning rhythm had gone. They hadn’t yet scored with four centre-forwards and no wingers
up would generally ensure victory. The and they began to worry. On the bench, the long ball is what you get.”
Dutch tend to view football as a sort of dry coach Louis Van Gaal panicked and Concluding, Kuper argued that there
synchronised swimming, a sport in which was no obvious alternative to take over
points are awarded on aesthetic grounds. from Van Gaal, who should therefore stay
That wasn’t going to work against Portugal.” “The Dutch tend to view football in the job. Van Gaal himself had said his
Portugal had won 2-0 in Rotterdam as a sort of dry synchronised intention was “to win the World Cup”.
and Ireland had drawn in Amsterdam. A “This will not happen,” stated Kuper.
year later, the Irish hammered the final nail
swimming, a sport in which points “To any Dutch football fan just entering
into the Dutch coffin. are awarded on aesthetic grounds” adolescence, my advice is to seek your
“Holland could still easily have got the thrills elsewhere.”
62 WORLD SOCCER
FROM THE ARCHIVES
p20-21
Paddy Agnew felt
Hernan Crespo
should lead
Argentina’s attack
at the World Cup,
writing: “Crespo
is one of the few
strikers on the
world scene today
who can stand
comparison
with [Gabriel]
Batistuta, one of the few
whom one might reasonably
pick before Batistuta.”
p51
Agnew also reported on promoted
Chievo, a club from a Verona suburb
of just 4,000 residents who had won
their first two Serie A games and were
preparing for a clash with Juventus. He
wrote: “Their splendid start to their first
season in the top flight provided one
of those delightful reminders that,
if only for a few weeks, even the
minnows can come out to play.”
p66
Victor Gusev and Oleg Zadernovsky
reported on the tragedy of CSKA
Moscow’s Ukrainian keeper Serhiy
Perkhunwho who “died in hospital
10 days after lapsing into a coma
following a clash of heads with
Anzhi Makhachkala striker Budun
Budunov during a league game”.
40
20
30
50
10
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ye
ye
ye
ye
ar
ar
ar
ar
goals from and bandaged dirtiest old-firm after helping Division One
s
s
ag
ag
ag
ag
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WORLD SOCCER 63
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ULTIMATE NEWS & RESULTS SECTION
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Exclusive
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reports from
y
our worldwide
network of
correspondents
72 70 68
STEVE
MENARY
Sint Maarten
67
68
P L U S 72
DIARY
66 Comprehensive global news
WORLD SOCCER 65
August 31-September 25, 2017
Global diary
A comprehensive record of recent events around the world
World Cup finals. play and hosts Saprissa leading
Thursday August 31 Grecia 6-1, the Estadio Ricardo
BELGIUM: Playing at right-back,
Friday September 1 Saprissa Ayma is evacuated and
Thomas Meunier scores a hat-trick FRANCE: UEFA opens a formal the game abandoned following
and sets up three more as Belgium investigation into Paris Saint- a bomb threat – which is later
beat Gibraltar 9-0 to equal their Germain as part of its “ongoing confirmed as a hoax.
biggest-ever margin of victory. monitoring” of clubs and Financial LUXEMBOURG: Despite facing 34
ENGLAND: Premier League clubs’ Fairplay rules. shots, goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert
transfer deadline-day spending MEXICO: Hirving Lozano scores as keeps a clean sheet as Luxembourg
reaches a new high of £210m, Mexico beat Panama 1-0 to book earn a shock 0-0 draw in France. Feat...Syria celebrate
taking their total summer outlay their place at Russia 2018. making the play-off
to a record £1.4billion.
Monday September 4
FRANCE: Paris Saint-Germain sign
Saturday September 2 ENGLAND: Chelsea omit striker win over Japan and a 0-0 draw in
Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe on loan, ITALY: A 3-0 loss in Spain is Italy’s Diego Costa from their squad for Uzbekistan respectively, and Syria’s
with an option to buy the 18-year- first defeat in a World Cup or Euro the Champions League group stage. 2-2 draw in Iran takes them into a
old for €180m next summer. In the qualifier for almost 11 years – a run play-off game against Australia.
evening, he becomes Les Bleus’ of 56 games.
Tuesday September 5
youngest goalscorer for almost 54 WALES: Seventeen-year-old Ben MEXICO: Giovani Dos Santos plays
Wednesday September 6
years as France beat Holland 4-0. Woodburn comes off the bench his 100th game for Mexico and SOUTH AFRICA: The World Cup
IRAN: A 0-0 draw away to South and scores the only goal of the scores in a 1-1 draw with Costa Rica. qualifier on November 12 last year,
Korea sees Iran set a World Cup game against Austria on his debut. SPAIN: La Liga’s longest-serving in which South Africa beat Senegal
qualifying record with a 12th clean coach Diego Simeone signs a 2-1, will be replayed in November
sheet in a row.
Sunday September 3 two-year contract extension with following referee Joseph Lamptey’s
JAPAN: Goals from Takuma Asano BELGIUM: A 2-1 victory away to Atletico Madrid. ban for match manipulation.
and Yosuke Ideguchi secure a 2-0 Greece seals Belgium’s place at WORLD CUP: Saudi Arabia and
win over Australia that seals Japan’s next year’s World Cup. South Korea book their places at
Thursday September 7
sixth successive qualification for the COSTA RICA: With five minutes to the 2018 World Cup, with a 1-0 ENGLAND: Premier League
clubs vote to close next summer’s
Going through...Belgium’s Kevin transfer window before the season
De Bruyne takes on Greece starts. Clubs will still be able to sell
players until the end of the window
in Europe.
NIGERIA: Ifeanyi Ubah have nine
players banned for 12 games each
after they attacked match officials
during their top-flight game against
Niger Tornadoes in August.
Friday September 8
FRANCE: Kylian Mbappe scores on
his debut for Paris Saint-Germain
as they thrash Metz 5-1.
PORTUGAL: Bas Dost’s 97th-minute
penalty gives Sporting a 3-2 win at
Feirense to maintain their 100 per
cent league record this season.
Saturday September 9
ENGLAND: Manchester City beat
Liverpool 5-0 to equal the heaviest
defeat of Jurgen Klopp’s career as
a manager.
GERMANY: Thomas Muller
makes his 400th appearance for
Bayern Munich but they lose in the
Bundesliga for the first time since
66 WORLD SOCCER
WORLD SERVICE
Sint Maarten
STEVE MENARY
Hurricane Irma
devastates island
Hopes of a footballing re-birth are put on hold
ith Dutch troops on the lawless Sudesh “Johnny” Singh – a former player, coach and
streets of Sint Maarten’s capital referee – joined up with RISC Takers coach Sandro
Treble...Ciro
Immobile
WORLD SOCCER 67
with a 3-0 victory over Dallas in
front of a sell-out crowd of 45,314. Australia
Monday September 11
CHINA: Uruguayan coach Gus SIMON HILL
Poyet quits Shanghai Shenhua with
the team sitting 12th in the 16-team
Chinese Super League.
A-League’s maturity
ENGLAND: Crystal Palace sack
manager Frank De Boer the day
after a 1-0 defeat at Burnley sees
them become the first English top-
flight team since 1924 to lose their
opening four league games without
scoring a goal.
SAUDI ARABIA: After a goalless
first leg, Carlos Eduardo scores a
brings problems
hat-trick in the return as Al Hilal Season kick-off clashes with vital World Cup play-off
beat Al Ain of the UAE 3-0 to
reach the AFC Champions League aining traction in a crowded – and FIFA and the AFC having arrived and left without
semi-finals. occasionally hostile – sporting being able to broker a compromise between the
Tuesday September 12
CHINA: Leading 4-0 from the
home leg of their AFC Champions
G market is not easy for Australia’s
A-League. And as the young
competition hits its teenage years,
the landscape has been further
warring factions. A-League club owners and the FFA
are at loggerheads over how many seats the former
should have in a newly expanded assembly, along
with conflicting views on the distribution of money
League quarter-final, Shanghai complicated by some self-inflicted wounds. from a recently signed TV deal that is worth
SIPG lose 4-0 at Guangzhou The ongoing row over the make-up of the Football $346million over six years.
Evergrande, have two players sent Federation Australia (FFA) congress is threatening to In addition, the national team, which has so often
off in extra-time and then draw 5-5 drag on until late November, with representatives from been a unifying force, somehow stumbled out of the
on aggregate before winning on
penalties.
ENGLAND: Roy Hodgson is named
Crystal Palace’s new manager on a
two-year deal and, at 70, becomes
the Premier League’s oldest boss.
SCOTLAND: Celtic suffer their
biggest home defeat in Europe,
losing 5-0 to Paris Saint-Germain
in the Champions League.
UKRAINE: Mariupol are awarded
the points after Dynamo Kiev
refused to travel to the eastern port
city to fulfil their away fixture on
August 25 due to safety fears.
Wednesday September 13
JAPAN: Urawa Red Diamonds
come back from a 3-1 first-leg
defeat to beat Kawasaki Frontale
5-4 on aggregate in the AFC
Champions League.
PORTUGAL: Porto goalkeeper Iker
Casillas equals former Manchester
United winger Ryan Giggs’ record of
playing in 19 different Champions
League campaigns as his side lose
3-1 at home to Besiktas.
SPAIN: Real Madrid set a new
record for a home win in the UEFA
Youth League with a 10-0 victory
over APOEL of Cyprus.
USA: Atlanta United equal the MLS
record for the largest margin of
victory with a 7-0 thrashing of New
England Revolution.
Thursday September 14
SAUDI ARABIA: Nine days after
sealing qualification for next
summer’s World Cup in Russia,
68 WORLD SOCCER
WORLD SERVICE
Team-mates...
new Sydney A-LEAGUE: 2017-18
recruit Luke
Wilkshire (left)
and Bobo
1 Adelaide United 5 Newcastle Jets
2 Brisbane Roar 6 Perth Glory
3 Central Coast Mariners (Gosford) 7 Sydney
4 Melbourne City Western Sydney Wanderers
Melbourne Victory 8 Wellington Phoenix (NZ)
6 35
1 7
automatic World Cup qualifying spots and has to 4
go through the play-offs in a bid to make the finals in duo Oriol Riera and 8
Russia. Unfortunately for the domestic game, the Alvaro Cejudo are good
hugely important two-legged game against Syria signings, and when you add
begins on the A-League’s opening weekend. experienced A-League
However, leaving aside all those distractions, the players such as Josh Risdon,
10-team competition should be as competitive as ever, Roly Bonevacia and Michael Thwaite, the
even if the big city clubs are once again expected to be returning Mark Bridge and fringe Socceroo midfielder
the front runners. Chris Herd, coach Tony Popovic has everything in place
Potential...Victory Reigning champions Sydney have done well to avoid to challenge for a fourth Grand Final.
boss Kevin Muscat
(left) with new the annual cherry-picking of successful teams by richer Melbourne City have a new boss in former Wigan
boy Mark Milligan overseas clubs. Only goalkeeper Danny Vukovic has Athletic manager Warren Joyce and last year’s FFA Cup
departed by choice, joining Belgian winners have added experience
side Genk, but coach Graham Arnold in Eugene Galekovic, Marcelo
has a handy replacement in former Carrusca, Iacopo La Rocca and
Leyton Orient stopper Alex Cisak. Stefan Mauk, who were all part of
Arnold has also added former Adelaide United’s championship-
Socceroo full-back Luke Wilkshire winning outfit in 2016.
and Polish international midfielder Adelaide themselves are also
Adrian Mierzejewski, while retaining under new management in the
Brazilian striker Bobo and Milos shape of German coach Marco
Ninkovic, who won the Johnny Warren Kurz, who replaces the outgoing
Medal last season as the league’s Gui Amor. Kurz has been quiet
best player. in the transfer market, but the
Beaten in the Grand Final, addition of midfielders Johan
Melbourne Victory will be expected Absalonsen and Karim Matmour,
to push Sydney all the way. Kevin plus defender Ersan Gulum,
Muscat has brought home current should freshen things up. Much
Socceroo midfielder Mark Milligan will depend, however, on the
and re-signed winger Kosta goals of Baba Diawara, who
Barbarouses to replace Marco Rojas, showed promise after arriving last
who left for Heerenveen in Holland. Recognisable... season and will benefit from a full pre-season.
After plenty of wrangling, Victory Massimo Brisbane Roar have attracted criticism for a squad
Maccarone
also held onto current international that includes a number of older stars, leading to the
midfielder James Troisi, and with inevitable “Dad’s Army” nickname, but in ex-
promising 20-year-old defender Middlesbrough and Empoli striker Massimo Maccarone
Thomas Deng back from a loan spell they recruited the most recognisable foreign name
at PSV and Rhys Williams arriving during the close season.
from Perth Glory, Muscat’s team have Perth Glory remain the only Australian club yet to
the potential to go one better this win a trophy in the A-League era and whether that will
time around. change this term depends upon their ability to tighten
Western Sydney Wanderers had up a very leaky defence. With that in mind, Jacob
their annual mass turnover, with 14 Poscoliero and Scott Neville have been brought in, and
players departing and 10 coming the the acquisition of Spanish midfielders Andreu and Xavi
other way at the last count. Spanish Torres should help to provide a more solid base.
Of the rest, Wellington Phoenix and Newcastle Jets
KEY DATES both have new coaches, Darije Kalezic and two-time
title winner Ernie Merrick respectively, and both will
look to rebuild, while Central Coast Mariners are hoping
Regular season starts October 6, 2017
Regular season ends April 15, 2018 to continue their incremental progress under Paul
Finals series starts April 20, 2018 Okon, who has signed one-time Perth golden boy
Grand Final May 5, 2018 Daniel De Silva, and Dutchmen Tom Hiariej from
Groningen and Wout Brama from Utrecht.
WORLD SOCCER 69
Saudi Arabia replace coach Bert
Van Marwijk with Edgardo Bauza. India
Friday September 15
GERMANY: Hanover top the table JOHN DUERDEN
for the first time in 48 years with
a 2-0 victory over Hamburg.
Saturday September 16
CHINA: Shanghai SIPG thrash city
rivals Shanghai Shenhua 6-1.
GERMANY: Robert Lewandowski
ISL grows
as merger
scores twice in his 100th league
game for Bayern Munich, in a 4-0
victory over Mainz, which takes him
to a total of 82 top-flight goals for
gets closer
the team – a Bundesliga record for
a player reaching a century of
league appearances for one club.
SPAIN: Record signing Ousmane
Dembele suffers a hamstring injury
on his Liga debut as Barcelona beat AFC and FIFA push for
Getafe 2-1 and is expected to be
sidelined for four months. Antoine
single national league
Griezmann scores as Atletico
Madrid beat Malaga 1-0 in their first hen the fourth season of the
game at the Wanda Metropolitano. Indian Super League (ISL) kicks
USA: A new MLS record crowd of
70,425 watches Atlanta United
draw 3-3 with Orlando City.
Sunday September 17
W off in November it will herald the
start of a transition from glitzy
showpiece to traditional league
set-up. Having expanded from
eight to 10 teams, the ISL will now run for a full five
CZECH REPUBLIC: Slavia Prague months, rather than the previous 10 weeks, and it is
beat Sparta Prague 2-0 to win the no longer viewed as just an exciting sideshow to the
288th derby. country’s traditional top tier I-League.
ENGLAND: Wayne Rooney suffers With the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA
a 4-0 loss on his return to wanting to see just one national league, a merger
Manchester United with Everton. between the two has been talked about for some
GERMANY: Beaten 5-0 at time and a new proposal will be put forward in
Borussia Dortmund, Cologne have November that could see an 18-team league
now lost their first four league set up in the near future.
games, scoring just one goal and But whatever the make-up of any future Indian
conceding 12, which is the worst top-flight league, it will most definitely be run along
start to a Bundesliga campaign the lines of the ISL.
since the 1962-63 season. The fledgling competition has already developed
HOLLAND: Feyenoord’s 100 per a glamorous brand image based on high-profile
cent start to the Eredivisie season owners, big-name signings and famous coaches.
ends with a 1-0 defeat at PSV. While the I-League struggles with crowds under
ITALY: Playing his 100th game for 5,000, attendances for ISL games have averaged
Juventus, Paulo Dybala gets a hat- over 20,000, with games televised nationally and first managerial job since he left English fourth-tier side
trick in a 3-1 win at Sassuolo. Dries the media taking a keen interest. The organisers will Stevenage last year. But perhaps ATK’s smartest move
Mertens also scores three as Napoli watch with interest over the coming months to see if was to bring in former United trainee Ashley Westwood
beat Benevento 6-0. Genoa’s 16- the extended campaign has any detrimental effect as his assistant. Westwood was in charge of Bengaluru
year-old striker Pietro Pellegri on crowds and viewing figures. when they won the I-League in 2014 and 2016, and his
becomes the youngest player to With the longer season in mind, and the knowledge of local players and the domestic scene will
score twice in a Serie A game as increased costs that go with it, many teams have serve the club well. Leading the way on the pitch will be
his side lose 3-2 to Lazio. opted not to sign a marquee player for the new former Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane and
PARAGUAY: Club Atletico 3 de season. They are also limited to signing eight foreign ex-Bolton Wanderers keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.
February and Deportivo Santani are players and must field six locals. In addition to Sheringham, there are two other
promoted to the Primera Division. There has been a distinct Spanish flavour to the English coaches in the ISL this term, with former Aston
competition in the past, with Atletico De Kolkata Villa boss John Gregory starting a new challenge with
Monday September 18 winning two of the three tournaments so far. Chennaiyin while Steve Coppell swaps Kerala Blasters
BELGIUM: Anderlecht sack coach However, with the club’s part-owners Atletico for newcomers Jamshedpur.
Rene Weiler after just two wins in Madrid selling their 25 per cent share during the In terms of players, the most eye-catching arrival
seven league games leaves the summer, the defending champions have been re- comes in the deep south. Kerala are the only team to
defending Belgian champions ninth named ATK and gone for a more English approach. win the title who are not from Kolkata and they often
in the table. In what was the most intriguing appointment of attract crowds of over 50,000. Now that Dimitar
GERMANY: Wolfsburg dismiss the close season, Teddy Sheringham was brought in Berbatov is in their ranks there may even be a few
Andries Jonker after Saturday’s 1-0 as coach of ATK. A Champions League winner with more turning up. The Bulgarian is joined by former
Bundesliga defeat to Stuttgart and Manchester United in 1999, this is the 51-year-old’s team-mate Wes Brown, and just to reinforce the
70 WORLD SOCCER
WORLD SERVICE
Support...Kerala
Blasters have
attracted crowds
of over 50,000
WORLD SOCCER 71
appoint Martin Schmidt as coach.
TAJIKISTAN: Istiklol beat Panjshir Libertadores Cup
5-0 to claim a fourth successive
Tajik league title.
TIM VICKERY
Tuesday September 19
JORDAN: Al Wehdat win the
Jordan FA Shield for a record-
Barcelona
extending ninth time with a 2-0
victory over Al Jazeera in the Final.
SPAIN: Lionel Messi scores four
times as Barcelona thrash Eibar 6-1,
make the
while Simone Zaza grabs a nine-
minute hat-trick as Valencia beat
Malaga 5-0.
Wednesday September 20
ITALY: Napoli come from behind
to win 4-1 at Lazio, while Juventus
beat Fiorentina 1-0. Roma’s 4-0
victory at Benevento is their ninth
last four
in a row on the road in Serie A. Ecuadorian side end Santos’ dream
RUSSIA: Without a representative
on the FIFA Council since Vitaly
Mutko was barred from standing for he newly extended, year-long Impressive...
re-election in May, Russia’s Alexei Libertadores Cup opened up Matias Oyola
T
of Barcelona
Sorokin is elected as one of the more space for teams from
panel’s European members at Brazil and Argentina, and –
an extraordinary UEFA Congress. purely by coincidence of course
SAN MARINO: Tre Penne beat – the 2017 competition ended
La Fiorita 4-0 in the Super Cup. up placing the last three representatives of each
SPAIN: Real Madrid lose 1-0 at in separate halves of the knockout draw.
home to Real Betis and fail to One half contained three Argentinian sides plus
break the record for scoring in Jorge Wilstermann of Bolivia, while the other had
consecutive games, a mark of 73 three Brazilians and Barcelona of Ecuador – and
which they now share with Santos. the story of the two quarter-final outsiders ended
USA: Sporting Kansas City win their very differently.
third US Open Cup in six years, Wilstermann were this year’s big surprise and had
beating New York Red Bulls 2-1. progressed by following a set pattern: winning their
home games, where the altitude of Cochabamba,
Thursday September 21 though not extreme, gives them an advantage, and
SPAIN: Atletico Madrid announce then defending doggedly in their away ties.
they have agreed a deal for Chelsea The first part of that script worked to perfection
striker Diego Costa, even though he against a River Plate side that had previously won
is not eligible to play until January. all of their away fixtures. With several
key players sold, the visitors lacked SUDAMERICANA
Friday September 22 cohesion and were soundly beaten CUP
FRANCE: Radamel Falcao scores 3-0 in Bolivia. Wilstermann hit them
Declared winners of last year’s Out...
twice to make it 11 goals in seven quickly, with early pressure forcing Sudamericana Cup after that tragic Chapecoense (in
Ligue 1 games for the Colombian a goal from a corner, and then sat air crash on their way to the Final, white) lost to
as Monaco win 4-0 away to Lille. back, breaking when it suited them. Chapecoense’s defence of their title Flamengo
GERMANY: Bayern Munich blow a In the previous round the Bolivians ended meekly.
They failed to reach the quarter-
two-goal lead and are held 2-2 at had successfully defended a single-
finals after an emphatic 4-0 loss to
home by Wolfsburg. goal lead against Brazil’s Atletico fellow Brazilian side Flamengo, who
Mineiro, so surely three goals now meet local rivals Fluminense,
Saturday September 23 would be enough this time? who needed a late away goal to
ENGLAND: Premier League The answer, emphatically, creep past LDU of Ecuador and There was Paraguayan success
gain revenge after losing the Final over Colombia elsewhere as
leaders Manchester City beat was no. It was not even close.
of the 2008 Libertadores and Libertad saw off Santa Fe 2-1
Crystal Palace 5-0 to stay ahead of River coach Marcelo Gallardo the 2009 Sudamericana to the on aggregate, while compatriots
arch-rivals Manchester United, 1-0 cleverly switched to a bold 3-4-2-1 same opposition. Nacional did wonderfully well to
winners at Southampton, on goal set-up, and centre-forward Ignacio Their half of the draw is beat Estudiantes of Argentina both
difference. Third-placed Chelsea Scocco, who had been wasteful in completed by another Brazilian home and away.
team, Sport of Recife, who Both Paraguayan sides now face
win 4-0 at Stoke. the first leg, could now do no wrong.
produced the latest in a string of Argentinian opposition. Nacional will
FRANCE: Without the injured He scored a hat-trick in the first 20 backs-to-the-wall performances play Independiente, who put an end
Neymar, Paris Saint-Germain minutes as River went on to win to see off compatriots Ponte Preta. to a lively first year’s international
drop league points for the first 8-0, with Scocco getting five, newly Their next opponents are Junior competition for compatriots Atletico
time this season in a goalless acquired midfielder Enzo Perez of Colombia, who showed their Tucuman, while Libertad are up
extensive attacking resources in against Racing, who produced two
draw at Montpellier. scoring twice and the excellent
a 3-1 second-leg win over Cerro disciplined displays to eliminate
GERMANY: Pierre-Emerick Ignacio Fernandez grabbing the other. Porteno of Paraguay. Brazilian league leaders Corinthians.
Aubameyang grabs a hat-trick In the semi-finals, River now meet
72 WORLD SOCCER
WORLD SERVICE
On fire...River’s Ignacio Scocco gets the first of his five goals as Borussia Dortmund crush
Borussia Monchengladbach 6-1 to
stay top of the Bundesliga.
ITALY: Juventus thrash Torino 4-0
in the Turin derby and remain joint-
top in Serie A with Napoli, who win
3-2 at SPAL.
SCOTLAND: Celtic win 2-0 at
Rangers in the Old Firm derby to
take their run of unbeaten domestic
games to 57.
SPAIN: Real Madrid win 2-1 at
Alaves to equal the Spanish top-
flight record of 12 consecutive
wins on the road. Barcelona’s 3-0
victory away to Catalan neighbours
Girona makes it six wins out of six
for them in La Liga as they remain
top of the table.
TURKEY: Five players are sent off
other semi – Barcelona made sure of that. as Fenerbahce beat Besiktas 2-1
The club from Guayaquil have made a habit of in an Istanbul derby that features
achieving excellent results on Brazilian soil this year two goals and three red cards in
and they did so once more, ending the unbeaten the final five minutes.
home record of Santos.
After a 1-1 draw at home, Barcelona defended
Sunday September 24
stoutly in the return, with keeper Maximo Banguero BELGIUM: Club Brugge win 2-1
in fine form, and centre-backs Dario Aimar and at Sporting Charleroi and go four
Xavier Arreaga showing grit and class. Matias Oyola points clear as the top two meet.
distributes well from midfield, they have a variety of EGYPT: Two people are jailed for
quick players down the flanks, and Uruguayan livewire life over the violence that led to a
Jonathan Alvez is a dangerous centre-forward. stampede before a game between
Their style is probably best suited to away games, Zamalek and ENPPI in Cairo, in
and so it proved against Santos, who badly missed the 2015, in which 19 people died.
creativity of midfielder Lucas Lima in the second leg. GREECE: League leaders AEK
Over anxious, Santos were always second best and come from two goals down to win
Barcelona won when Alvez headed home Erick 3-2 at home to Olympiakos.
Castillo’s cross. Santos supporters rioted afterwards, HOLLAND: PSV win 7-1 at Utrecht
and return to the top of the league.
Ajax lose 2-1 at home to Vitesse.
Barcelona have made a ITALY: Genoa have two players
habit of achieving excellent sent off in injury time as they lose
results on Brazilian soil 1-0 at Internazionale to Danilo
this year D’Ambrosio’s 87th-minute goal.
KENYA: CAF strips Kenya of the
right to host next year’s African
enraged that their quest to become the first Nations Championship after an
Brazilian club with four titles had been interrupted. inspection team reports that only
Barcelona go on to face more Brazilian opposition, one of the four venues is ready.
although in the first leg they will miss Alvez and SOUTH AFRICA: African
Brazilian defensive midfielder Gabriel Marques, both Champions League holders
of whom were sent off against Santos. Mamelodi Sundowns go out in
Their opponents, Gremio, came through two tight this year’s quarter-finals, losing to
Lanus, who beat San Lorenzo on penalties. games against compatriots Botafogo, who enjoyed Wydad of Morocco on penalties.
Twice in the group phase San Lorenzo had been a fine campaign under impressive coach Jair Ventura. URUGUAY: All the day’s fixtures are
minutes, or even seconds, away from elimination, and It was a clash of styles, with pragmatic and direct called off as the country’s referees
then they needed a shoot-out to get past Emelec of Botafogo operating happily within their limitations, go on strike following attacks on
Ecuador. As a result, some thought that perhaps their against an eye-pleasing possession based Gremio. two officials during an under-19
name was on the trophy. And it seemed like that in In a goalless draw in Rio, Gremio midfielder Arthur, game between Platense and
the first leg against Lanus, where they won 2-0 with reminiscent of a young Andres Iniesta, took the wind Basanez the previous day.
the aid of a fortunate penalty. out of Botafogo’s sails. In front of their own fans in
But, like Wilstermann, San Lorenzo saw their lead Porto Alegre, Gremio started badly but found more
Monday September 25
evaporate quickly in the return as Jorge Almiron’s side fluency after the break and were rewarded with the ENGLAND: West Bromwich Albion
hit their stride to level on aggregate. Both sides hit only goal of the 180 minutes when Paraguayan lose 2-0 at Arsenal.
the woodwork but while the action remained intense centre-forward Lucas Barrios headed in a free-kick ITALY: Juventus say they will lodge
the chances dwindled all the way to the final whistle at the far post. an appeal after president Andrea
and the shoot-out, where Lanus keeper Esteban Gremio ended nervously, a shadow of the side that Agnelli is banned for one year for
Andrada excelled, sending his team through to their were so enchanting in June and July. However, coach his role in the club selling tickets
first Libertadores semi-final. Renato Portaluppi will relish having over a month until to supporters allegedly linked with
But there will be no all-Brazilian showdown in the the semi-finals to whip his team back in shape. organised crime.
WORLD SOCCER 73
RESULTS, TABLES, FIXTURES
Internationals
Mali 0 Aug 31 - Kampala
Morocco 0 Uganda 1 (Okwi 51)
Ref: Nampiandraza (Mad) Egypt 0
Mali: D Diarra - H Traore, Wague, Mahamadou HT: 0-0. Att: 25,000. Ref: Lemghaifry (Mra)
N’Diaye, Kone, Y Sylla, Bissouma, L Coulibaly Uganda: Onyango - Wadada, Juuko, Isinde,
(Niane 86), T Doumbia, M Doumbia (A Traore Walusimbi, Wasswa, Aucho, Okwi (Sserunkuma
2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Sep 2 - Lusaka 68), Marega (K Coulibaly 60). 88), Miya (Luwagga 75), Ochaya (Muleme
Zambia 3 (Mwila 6, 33, Mwepu 89) Morocco: El Kajoui - Dirar, Benatia, Saiss, 90+7), Nsibambi.
AFRICA section Algeria 1 (Brahimi 54) Hakimi, El Ahmadi, Boussoufa, Amrabat Egypt: El Hadary - A Fathy, Rabia, Hegazy,
O 5 finals places available HT: 2-0. Att: 60,000. (Carcela 82), Fajr (Ait Bennasser 65), Ziyech Abdel-Shafy, Elneny, Hamed (S Gomaa 73),
Ref: Martins de Carvalho (Ang) (Tannane 73), Boutaib. M Salah, El Said, Trezeguet (Sobhi 46),
3rd round Zambia: Mweene - Silwimba, Sunzu, Z Tembo, Kahraba (Gamal 67).
Group A Kapumbu, A Mulenga (Ngonga 80), Mtonga, WC QUALS – AFRICA – 3RD ROUND: GROUP C
Aug 31 - Conakry Lungu (Mwepu 58), Sakala, Mwila (Kabwe 70), P W D L F A Pts Sep1 - Kumasi
Guinea 3 (N Keita 7, D Camara 23, Daka. Sent off: Sakala 56. Ivory Coast 4 2 1 1 7 3 7 Ghana 1 (Partey 86)
Alkhali Bangoura 90+3) Algeria: M’Bolhi - Mandi, Hassani (Attal 46), Morocco 4 1 3 0 6 0 6 Congo 1 (Bifouma 18)
Libya 2 (Sabbou 87, Zuway 88) Bensebaini (Saadi 81), Ghoulam, Soudani Gabon 4 1 2 1 2 4 5 HT: 0-1. Ref: Essrayri (Tun)
HT: 2-0. Att: 12,000. Ref: Ahmed Djama (Dji) (Ghezzal 58), Bentaleb, Taider, Brahimi, Mali 4 0 2 2 1 9 2 Ghana: R Ofori - Attamah (Afful 46), J Mensah,
Guinea: N Yattara - Alseny Bangoura, S Conde, Hanni, Slimani. Amartey, Schlupp, A Ayew (Poku 68), Partey,
F Camara, Issiaga Sylla, O Balde (Sankhon 74), Remaining games E Ofori, Atsu, Gyan (Agyepong 62), J Ayew.
N Keita, S Diallo (Landel 74), Alkhali Bangoura, Sep 4 - Yaounde Oct 6: Mali v Ivory Coast Congo: Mouko - Baudry, Mayembo, Itoua,
D Camara (S Camara 81), Kamano. Cameroon 1 (Aboubakar pen 75) Oct 7: Morocco v Gabon. Badila, Ondama (N’Dinga 56), Gandze,
Libya: Nashnoush - Fetori, Abboud, Nigeria 1 (Simon 30) Nov 6: Gabon v Mali; Ivory Coast v Morocco. Avounou, Bahamboula (Pambou 82), Bifouma,
S Al Warfali, Sabbou, Ahmed, Almoatasembellah HT: 0-1. Ref: Gassama (Gam) Dore (Tsoumou 71).
(Al Gadi 64), Al Tarhouni, Al Lafi (Ghanudi 81), Cameroon: Ondoa - Fai, Banana, Teikeu, Group D
Al Tubal, Saltou (Zuway 68). Leuko, Siani, Zambo Anguissa, Olinga Sep1 - Praia Sep 5 - Brazzaville
(Ngamaleu 81), Djoum, Moukandjo Cape Verde Islands 2 (Nuno Rocha 33, Congo 1 (Illoy-Ayyet 43)
Sep1 - Rades (Bassogog 61), Nsame (Aboubakar 61). pen 38) Ghana 5 (Boakye 23, 85, Partey 26, 45+2, 69)
Tunisia 2 (Meriah pen 18, Chaalali 47) Nigeria: Ezenwa - Shehu, Troost-Ekong, South Africa 1 (Rantie 14) HT: 1-3. Ref: Jiyed (Mor)
DR Congo 1 (Bakambu 43) Balogun, Echiejile, Ndidi, Onazi (Etebo 87), HT: 2-1. Att: 3,000. Ref: Abid Charef (Alg) Congo: Mouko - Dikamona (Kifoueti 34),
HT: 1-1. Att: 25,000. Ref: Otogo-Castane (Gab) Moses, Mikel (Agu 65), Simon, Ighalo Cape Verde Islands: Vozinha - Tiago Almeida, Mayembo, Illoy-Ayyet (Oniangue 46), Badila,
Tunisia: A Mathlouthi - Bedoui, S Ben Youssef, (Iheanacho 80). Ponck, Vally (Steven Pereira 17), Stopira, Nuno Ondama (Tchibota 59), Gandze, Avounou,
Meriah, Maaloul, F Ben Youssef (Badri 68), Rocha (Danilson 78), Marco Soares, Babanco, Bahamboula, Bifouma, Dore.
Ben Amor, Chaalali, Sliti (Aouadhi 85), Msakni, Sep 5 - Constantine Totti (Platini 66), Julio Tavares, Ryan Mendes. Ghana: R Ofori - Afful, J Mensah, Amartey,
Khenissi (Touzghar 90). Algeria 0 South Africa: Williams - Mphahlele, Mathoho, Agbenyenu (Schlupp 68), Acquah, Atsu,
DR Congo: Matampi - Ikoko (Ngonda 69), Zambia 1 (Daka 67) Hlatshwayo, Langerman, Zwane, Furman, Partey (Gyasi 77), E Ofori (Duncan 56),
Zakuani, Bompunga, Mpeko, Mubele (Afobe HT: 0-0. Ref: Keita (Mli) Zungu (Mokotjo 61), Dolly, Manyama (Grobler Agyepong, Boakye.
61), Mbemba, Bokadi, Kabananga, Kakuta Algeria: M’Bolhi (Salhi 24) - Attal (Ounas 50), 54), Rantie (Tau 79). Sent off: Mathoho 68.
(Maghoma 83), Bakambu. Mandi, Bensebaini, Ghoulam, Taider, Mahrez, Sep 5 - Alexandria
Benguit, Bentaleb, Brahimi (Slimani 73), Sep 2 - Dakar Egypt 1 (M Salah 6)
Sep 4 - Monastir, Tunisia Soudani. Senegal 0 Uganda 0
Libya 1 (Elhouni 36) Zambia: Mweene - Silwimba, Z Tembo, Sunzu, Burkina Faso 0 HT: 1-0. Ref: Gomes (SAf)
Guinea 0 Kapumbu, Mbewe (Banda 90+6), Mwepu, Att: 40,000. Ref: Bondo (Bot) Egypt: El Hadary - A Fathy, Rabia, Hegazy,
HT: 1-0. Ref: Coulibaly (IvC) Mtonga, A Mulenga, Daka (Malama 90), Senegal: K N’Diaye - Wague, Mbodj, Abdel-Shafy, Elneny, Hamed, M Salah, El Said
Libya: Nashnoush - Fetori, S Al Warfali, Shonga (Ngonga 60). K Koulibaly, Ciss, S Sane, Gueye, Sankhare (S Gomaa 88), Sobhi (Trezeguet 71), Gamal
Abboud, Al Tarhouni, Ahmed, Al Gadi, Al Lafi (P A N’Diaye 74), S Mane, Sow (Kouyate 89), (Koka 77).
(Almoatasembellah 70), Elhouni, Sabbou, WC QUALS – AFRICA – 3RD ROUND: GROUP B I Sarr (Keita 66). Sent off: K Koulibaly 84. Uganda: Onyango - Wadada, Juuko, Isinde,
Zuway (Ghanudi 90). Sent off: Al Gadi 63. P W D L F A Pts Burkina Faso: Koffi - Paro (Malo 35), Dayo, Walusimbi, Wasswa, Aucho, Okwi (Sserunkuma
Guinea: N Yattara - Alseny Bangoura, Nigeria 4 3 1 0 10 3 10 B Kone, Coulibaly, Toure, C Kabore, B Traore, 68), Miya, Ochaya (Luwagga 46), Nsibambi
F Camara, Conte, Issiaga Sylla, O Balde Zambia 4 2 1 1 6 4 7 Alain Traore, Bayala (Banhoro 79), Nakoulma (Karisa 89).
(Sankhon 71), N Keita, S Diallo, Alkhali Cameroon 4 0 3 1 3 7 3 (Bance 87).
Bangoura (S Soumah 54), D Camara Algeria 4 0 1 3 3 8 1 WC QUALS – AFRICA – 3RD ROUND: GROUP E
(S Camara 83), Kamano. Sep 5 - Ouagadougou P W D L F A Pts
Remaining games Burkina Faso 2 (B Traore 9, Egypt 4 3 0 1 5 2 9
Sep 5 - Kinshasa Oct 7: Cameroon v Algeria; Nigeria v Zambia. P S N’Diaye og 89) Uganda 4 2 1 1 2 1 7
DR Congo 2 (Mbemba 9, M’Poku 47) Nov 6: Algeria v Nigeria; Zambia v Cameroon. Senegal 2 (I Sarr 27, S Mane 75) Ghana 4 1 2 1 6 4 5
Tunisia 2 (Moke Abro og 77, Badri 79) HT: 1-1. Ref: Sikazwe (Zam) Congo 4 0 1 3 3 9 1
HT: 1-0. Ref: Bennett (SAf) Group C Burkina Faso: Koffi - Malo (Diawara 87), Dayo,
DR Congo: Matampi - Mpeko, Bokadi, Moke Sep1 - Rabat B Kone, Coulibaly, Toure, Sylla (Ouattara 46), Remaining games
Abro, Ngonda, Kakuta (Bolingi 82), Mbemba Morocco 6 (Ziyech pen 19, 61, Boutaib 27, B Traore, Alain Traore, Nakoulma, Bance Oct 7: Uganda v Ghana.
(Mulumba 59), Maghoma, Mubele (Akolo 67), Hakimi 72, Fajr 86, Mahi 88) (Bayala 73). Sent off: Dayo 41. Oct 8: Egypt v Congo.
M’Poku, Bakambu. Mali 0 Senegal: K N’Diaye (P S N’Diaye 69) - Nov 6: Congo v Uganda; Ghana v Egypt.
Tunisia: A Mathlouthi - Nagguez (Badri 46), HT: 2-0. Att: 55,000. Ref: Alioum (Cam) Gassama (Wague 64), Mbodj, S Sane, Ciss,
Bedoui, S Ben Youssef, Maaloul, Meriah, Morocco: El Kajoui - Dirar, Benatia, Saiss, I Sarr, Kouyate, Gueye, S Mane, P A N’Diaye, O The 5 group winners will qualify for the finals
Chaalali (Sliti 69), Sassi, Ben Amor, Msakni, Hakimi, El Ahmadi (Fajr 85), Boussoufa, Sow (Keita 77).
Touzghar (F Ben Youssef 78). Amrabat (Tannane 74), Belhanda, Ziyech, ASIA section
Boutaib (Mahi 81). Sep 5 - Durban O 4.5 finals places available
WC QUALS – AFRICA – 3RD ROUND: GROUP A Mali: O Sissoko - H Traore, Konate, Wague, South Africa 1 (Jali 89)
P W D L F A Pts Dibassy, Bissouma (L Coulibaly 78), Y Sylla, Cape Verde Islands 2 (Garry Rodrigues 52, 67) 3rd round
Tunisia 4 3 1 0 7 3 10 Mamoutou N’Diaye, Kouame (Kone 64), HT: 0-0. Att: 16,822. Ref: Udoh (Nga) Group A
DR Congo 4 2 1 1 9 5 7 Diaby (T Doumbia 66), Marega. South Africa: Sandilands - Mphahlele, Gould, Aug 31 - Wuhan
Guinea 4 1 0 3 4 7 3 Sent off: Dibassy 57, Konate 67. Hlatshwayo, Hlanti, Dolly, Furman, Kekana China 1 (Gao Lin pen 85)
Libya 4 1 0 3 3 8 3 (Tau 78), Zwane (Manyama 57), Grobler Uzbekistan 0
Sep 2 - Libreville (Jali 65), Rantie. HT: 0-0. Att: 51,666. Ref: Perera (Sri)
Remaining games Gabon 0 Cape Verde Islands: Vozinha - Tiago Almeida, China: Zeng Cheng - Deng Hanwen, Zhang
Oct 7: Guinea v Tunisia; Libya v DR Congo. Ivory Coast 3 (Gradel 53, Doumbia 77, 83) Ponck, Steven Pereira, Stopira, Danilson, Linpeng (Ren Hang 69), Feng Xiaoting,
Nov 6: DR Congo v Guinea; Tunisia v Libya. HT: 0-0. Att: 20,000. Marco Soares, Nuno Rocha, Ryan Mendes Li Xuepeng, Hao Junmin, Zheng Zhi, Zhang
Ref: Tessema Weyesa (Eth) (Totti 85), Garry Rodrigues (Admar 90+4), Xizhe (Xiao Zhi 46), Yu Hanchao (Zhao Xuri
Group B Gabon: Bitseki Moto - Palun, Appindangoye, Julio Tavares (Platini 78). 46), Gao Lin, Wu Lei.
Sep1 - Uyo Ecuele Manga, Obiang, Bouanga, Tandjigora, Uzbekistan: Nesterov - Tukhtakhodjaev,
Nigeria 4 (Ighalo 29, Mikel 42, Moses 55, Lemina, Ameka Autchanga (Evouna 59), WC QUALS – AFRICA – 3RD ROUND: GROUP D Krimets, Ismailov, Denisov, Bikmaev
Iheanacho 76) Boupendza (Assoumou Akue 86), Kanga P W D L F A Pts (Mirzaev 79), Shukurov, Akhmedov,
Cameroon 0 (Mbingui 70). Burkina Faso 4 1 3 0 5 3 6 Shomurodov, Sergeev (Haydarov 67),
HT: 2-0. Att: 31,500. Ref: Grisha (Egy) Ivory Coast: Gbohouo - Aurier, Bailly, Kanon, Cape Verde Is 4 2 0 2 4 6 6 Djeparov (Geynrikh 86).
Nigeria: Ezenwa - Shehu, Troost-Ekong, Kessie, Gervinho, Traore, Seri (Sanogo 79), Senegal 3 1 2 0 4 2 5
Balogun, Echiejile, Ndidi, Onazi, Moses Gradel, Doumbia (Boli 89), Kalou (Assale 74). South Africa 3 0 1 2 3 5 1 Aug 31 - Seoul
(Musa 83), Mikel (Agu 68), Simon, Ighalo The tie between South Africa and Senegal – a South Korea 0
(Iheanacho 61). Sep 5 - Bouake 2-1 win for South Africa on Nov12, 2016 – will Iran 0
Cameroon: Ondoa - Fai, Ngadeu, Teikeu, Ivory Coast 1 (Cornet 58) be replayed this November because the referee, Att: 60,000. Ref: Green (Aus)
Leuko, Siani, Zambo Anguissa, Ngamaleu Gabon 2 (Meye 19, Lemina 29) Joseph Lamptey of Ghana, was judged to have South Korea: Kim Seung-gyu - Choi
(Choupo-Moting 46; Djoum 59), Moukandjo, HT: 0-2. Ref: Diedhiou (Sen) ‘manipulated’ the match. The decision to Chul-soon, Kim Min-jae (Kim Joo-young 84),
Bassogog (Olinga 85), Aboubakar. Ivory Coast: Gbohouo - Aurier, Bailly, Kanon, restage the game is subject to appeal Kim Young-gwon, Kim Jin-su, Jang Hyun-soo,
Kessie, Gervinho, Traore (Assale 72), Seri, Koo Ja-cheol, Lee Jae-sung (Kim Shin-wook
Gradel (Boli 83), Doumbia, Kalou (Cornet 53). Remaining games 73), Kwon Chang-hoon, Son Heung-min,
Gabon: Bitseki Moto - Palun, Appindangoye, Oct 7: Cape Verde Islands v Senegal; Hwang Hee-chan (Lee Dong-gook 89).
Ecuele Manga, Nzambe, Tandjigora, Lemina South Africa v Burkina Faso. Iran: Beiranvand - Rezaeian, Pouraliganji,
(Oto’o Zue 76), Bouanga (Wachter 46), Nov 6: Burkina Faso v Cape Verde Islands; Ansari, Mohammadi, Hajsafi, Dejagah
Assoumou Akue, Ameka Autchanga, Meye Senegal v South Africa. (Taremi 64), Ezatolahi, Jahanbakhsh,
(Evouna 87). Sent off: Palun 45+3. TBC: South Africa v Senegal. Ghoochannejhad (Karimi 54), Amiri
(Cheshmi 77). Sent off: Ezatolahi 52.
74 WORLD SOCCER
RESULTS, TABLES, FIXTURES
Aug 31 - Krubong, Malaysia Iraq: Gassid - Salem, Attwan, Ibrahim, Adnan, Costa Rica: Navas - Gamboa (Salvatierra 72), Aug 31 - Luxembourg
Syria 3 (Khribin 7, 54, Al Mawas 90+5) Abdul-Amir, Abdul-Zahra (Fayyadh 59), Waston, Acosta, Calvo, Oviedo (Venegas 78), Luxembourg 1 (Da Mota 60)
Qatar 1 (Assadalla 35) Ali (Abdul-Raheem 75), Kamel, Meram, Bolanos (Umana 72), Guzman, Borges, B Ruiz, Belarus 0
HT: 1-1. Att: 300. Ref: Al Qaysi (Irq) A Hussein (Natiq 87). Urena. HT: 0-0. Att: 2,752. Ref: Pisani (Mlt)
Syria: Alma - Al Shbli, O Midani (Mido 45), Luxembourg: Joubert - M Martins (Ostrowski
Hadi Al Masri, Ajan, Al Mawas, Haj Mohamad, Sep 5 - Melbourne Sep 5 - San Jose 78), Jans, Philipps, Janisch, Rodrigues (Turpel
Z Midani, Khribin (Mardikian 89), Al Khatib Australia 2 (Juric 69, Leckie 86) Costa Rica 1 (Urena 83) 55), Skenderovic, Holter (V Thill 67), O Thill,
(Jenyat 72), Al Somah. Thailand 1 (Pokklaw 82) Mexico 1 (Gamboa og 42) Joachim, Da Mota.
Qatar: Al Sheeb - Pedro Miguel (Kheder 27; HT: 0-0. Att: 26,393. Ref: Liu (HK) HT: 0-1. Att: 34,420. Ref: Geiger (USA) Belarus: Chernik - Politevich (Savitskiy 46),
Almahdi Ali 68), Khoukhi, Yasser, Hassan, Australia: Ryan - Wright (Maclaren 71), Costa Rica: Navas - Gamboa, Waston, Acosta, Sivakov, Filipenko, Aliseiko, Dragun, Maevski
Assadalla, El Sayed, Boudiaf, Al Haidos, Sainsbury, Degenek, Mooy, Milligan, Calvo, Oviedo (Wallace 59), B Ruiz, Guzman (Saroka 77), Balanovich, Matveichyk,
Akram Afif, Almoez Ali (Alaaeldin 72). Leckie, Rogic, Cahill (Kruse 57), Gersbach (Colindres 75), Borges, Bolanos (Venegas 58), Gordeichuk (Polyakov 61), Laptev.
(Troisi 67), Juric. Urena.
Sep 5 - Tehran Thailand: Sinthaweechai - Tristan (Mongkol Mexico: Ochoa - Alvarez, D Reyes, Pereira, Sep 3 - Borisov
Iran 2 (Azmoun 45, 64) 90+1), Adison, Chalermpong, Pansa, Peerapat, Moreno, Gallardo, Guardado (J M Corona 63), Belarus 0
Syria 2 (Haj Mohamad 13, Al Somah 90+3) Sanrawat (Siroch 75), Pokklaw, Theerathon, J Dos Santos, G Dos Santos (Vela 72), Lozano, Sweden 4 (Forsberg 18, Nyman 24, Berg 37,
HT: 1-1. Att: 62,165. Ref: Sato (Jap) Chanathip (Nurul 79), Teerasil. R Jimenez (Montes 79). Granqvist pen 84)
Iran: Beiranvand - Rezaeian, Pouraliganji, HT: 0-3. Att: 6,431. Ref: Stieler (Ger)
Ansari (Pourghaz 57), Mohammadi, Karimi Sep 5 - Amman, Jordan Sep 5 - San Pedro Sula Belarus: Chernik - Filipenko, Sivakov, Sachivko,
(Cheshmi 46), Hajsafi, Jahanbakhsh (Amiri 76), Iraq 1 (A Hussein 29) Honduras 1 (Quioto 27) Burko, Korzun, Nekhaychik (Dragun 46),
Dejagah, Taremi, Azmoun. United Arab Emirates 0 United States 1 (Wood 85) Balanovich (Savitskiy 61), Rios, Saroka,
Syria: Alma - Al Shbli, Al Salih, Hadi Al Masri, HT: 1-0. Att: 2,185. Ref: Makhadmeh (Jor) HT: 1-0. Att: 37,325. Ref: Aguilar (ESv) Signevich (Bykov 78).
Ajan, Haj Mohamad, Z Midani (Mardikian 67), Iraq: Gassid - Salem, Ibrahim, Sulaka, Adnan, Honduras: L Lopez - Beckeles, M Figueroa, Sweden: Olsen - Lustig, Lindelof, Granqvist,
Al Khatib (Mido 60), Al Mawas (Kalfa 81), Abdul-Amir, Resan (Attwan 61), Ali, Kamel, H Figueroa, Alvarado, A Lopez (Costly 64), Augustinsson, Durmaz (Claesson 67), Sebastian
Khribin, Al Somah. Meram (Abdul-Zahra 71), A Hussein (Fayyadh 81). Claros, Mejia, Quioto (O Garcia 66), Elis, Larsson, J Johansson (G Svensson 69),
UAE: Eisa - Fawzi (Hussain 13), M Ahmed, Lozano (Johnny Palacios 82). Forsberg, Nyman, Berg (Kiese Thelin 85).
Sep 5 - Doha Salem, Abbas, T Ahmed, Barman (Al Attas 71), Sent off: H Figueroa 90+3.
Qatar 1 (Akram Afif 47) M Abdulrahman, Matar, Khalil, S Saleh United States: Guzan - Zusi (Cameron 63), Sep 3 - Toulouse
China 2 (Xiao Zhi 74, Wu Lei 83) (Al Khaddeim 63). O Gonzalez, Besler, Beasley (Arriola 62), France 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 5,686. Ref: Al Kaf (Oma) Bradley, Acosta, Pulisic, Dempsey, Nagbe Luxembourg 0
Qatar: Al Sheeb - Almahdi Ali (I Mohammad Sep 5 - Jeddah (Wood 73), Morris. Att: 31,177. Ref: Stavrev (Mac)
86), Khoukhi, Yasser, Al Enezi (Hassan 90), Saudi Arabia 1 (Al Muwallad 63) France: Lloris - Sidibe, Koscielny, Umtiti,
El Sayed, Al Haidos, Assadalla (Abdulsalam 78), Japan 0 Sep 5 - Panama City Kurzawa, Mbappe (Coman 59), Pogba, Kante,
Boudiaf, Akram Afif, Almoez Ali. HT: 0-0. Att: 62,165. Ref: Kovalenko (Uzb) Panama 3 (G Torres 39, C Mitchell og 57, Lemar, Giroud (Lacazette 59), Griezmann
China: Zeng Cheng - Zhang Linpeng, Feng Saudi Arabia: Al Maiouf - Al Shahrani, Osama Arroyo 85) (Fekir 81).
Xiaoting, Ren Hang (Jiang Zhipeng 46), Hawsawi (M Hawsawi 76), Omar Hawsawi, Trinidad & Tobago 0 Luxembourg: Joubert - Jans, Malget, Philipps,
Li Xuepeng (Hao Junmin 65), Yu Hanchao, Al Harbi (Al Zori 86), Otayf, Al Shehri, Al Abed, HT: 1-0. Att: 17,500. Ref: Bejarano (CR) Janisch, O Thill, C Martins, Skenderovic, V Thill
Zhao Xuri, Zheng Zhi, Zhang Xizhe (Wu Lei 56), Al Faraj, Al Jassim, Al Sahlawi (Al Muwallad 46). Panama: Calderon - M A Murillo, Escobar, (Rodrigues 59), Da Mota (Sinani 59), Turpel
Xiao Zhi, Gao Lin. Sent off: Zheng Zhi 80. Japan: Kawashima - H Sakai, Yoshida, Shoji, R Torres (Baloy 80), Ovalle, Quintero (Arroyo (Holter 87).
Nagatomo, Yamaguchi, Honda (Asano 46), 71), Godoy, G Gomez (Cooper 82), Barcenas,
Sep 5 - Tashkent Shibasaki (Kubo 80), Ideguchi, Haraguchi, G Torres, B Perez. Sep 3 - Amsterdam
Uzbekistan 0 Okazaki (Sugimoto 67). Trinidad & Tobago: Phillip - C Mitchell, Holland 3 (Propper 7, 80, Robben 67)
South Korea 0 Bateau, Abu Bakr, M Williams, N Lewis, Bulgaria 1 (Kostadinov 69)
Att: 34,000. Ref: Bin Jahari (Sin) WC QUALS – ASIA – 3RD RND: GP B – FINAL Gonzales, K George (Hyland 51), Molino, HT: 1-0. Att: 47,079. Ref: Sidiropoulos (Gre)
Uzbekistan: Nesterov - Khashimov, Krimets, P W D L F A Pts J Jones (Cato 53), Plaza (Charles 77). Holland: Cillessen - Tete, De Vrij, Hoedt, Blind,
Ismailov, Denisov, Haydarov, Shukurov, Djeparov Japan (QF) 10 6 2 2 17 7 20 Wijnaldum, Propper (Van Ginkel 86), Vilhena,
(Rashidov 52), Akhmedov, Shomurodov S Arabia (QF) 10 6 1 3 17 10 19 WC QUALS – CONCACAF – 5TH ROUND Robben, Janssen, Promes.
(Masharipov 86), Sergeev (Geynrikh 58). Australia (QPO) 10 5 4 1 16 11 19 P W D L F A Pts Bulgaria: P Iliev - S Popov, Bozhikov, Terziev,
South Korea: Kim Seung-gyu - Go Yo-han, UAE 10 4 1 5 10 13 13 Mexico (QF) 8 5 3 0 11 3 18 Zanev, Zehirov (G Milanov 46), Chochev,
Kim Min-jae, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Min-woo, Iraq 10 3 2 5 11 12 11 Costa Rica 8 4 3 1 12 5 15 Tsvetkov (Slavchev 24), Manolev (Galabinov
Jang Hyun-soo (Koo Ja-cheol 44), Jung Thailand 10 0 2 8 6 24 2 Panama 8 2 4 2 7 5 10 60), Kostadinov, I Popov.
Woo-young, Lee Keun-ho (Lee Dong-gook 78), United States 8 2 3 3 12 11 9
Kwon Chang-hoon (Yeom Ki-hun 64), O The top 2 in both groups have qualified for Honduras 8 2 3 3 9 16 9 WC QUALS – EUROPE – GROUP A
Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan. the finals; the 2 3rd-placed countries will meet Trinidad & Tob 8 1 0 7 4 15 3 P W D L F A Pts
in the Asia section play-off France 8 5 2 1 15 5 17
WC QUALS – ASIA – 3RD RND: GP A – FINAL Remaining games Sweden 8 5 1 2 18 7 16
P W D L F A Pts Asia section play-off Oct 6: Costa Rica v Honduras; Mexico v Holland 8 4 1 3 16 11 13
Iran (QF) 10 6 4 0 10 2 22 1st leg - Oct 5: Syria v Australia. Trinidad & Tobago; United States v Panama. Bulgaria 8 4 0 4 13 17 12
Sth Korea (QF) 10 4 3 3 11 10 15 2nd leg - Oct 10: Australia v Syria. Oct 10: Honduras v Mexico; Panama v Costa Luxembourg 8 1 2 5 7 17 5
Syria (QPO) 10 3 4 3 9 8 13 O The Asia section play-off winner will meet the Rica; Trinidad & Tobago v United States. Belarus 8 1 2 5 4 16 5
Uzbekistan 10 4 1 5 6 7 13 4th-placed CONCACAF country in a play-off for
China 10 3 3 4 8 10 12 a place in the finals O The top 3 will qualify for the finals; the Remaining games
Qatar 10 2 1 7 8 15 7 4th-placed country will meet the winner of the Oct 7: Belarus v Holland; Bulgaria v France;
CONCACAF section Asia section play-off in a play-off for a place in Sweden v Luxembourg.
Group B O 3.5 finals places available the finals Oct 10: France v Belarus; Holland v Sweden;
Aug 29 - Al Ain Luxembourg v Bulgaria.
United Arab Emirates 2 (Mabkhout 21, 5th round EUROPE section
Khalil 60) Sep1 - Mexico City O 13 finals places available (excluding the place Group B
Saudi Arabia 1 (Al Abed pen 20) Mexico 1 (Lozano 53) for hosts Russia, who qualify automatically) Aug 31 - Budapest
HT: 1-1. Att: 10,221. Ref: Kim Jong-hyeok (SKo) Panama 0 Hungary 3 (Kadar 6, Szalai 26, Dzsudzsak 68)
UAE: Eisa - Fawsi, M Ahmed, Salem, Khamis, HT: 0-0. Att: 37,845. Ref: Lopez (Gtm) Group A Latvia 1 (Freimanis 40)
T Ahmed, Esmaeel, Mabkhout (S Saleh 63), Mexico: Ochoa - Damm (Lozano 51), D Reyes, Aug 31 - Sofia HT: 2-1. Att: 16,500. Ref: Aranovskyi (Ukr)
Matar (Al Fardan 77), Barman (M Abdulrahman Ayala, Araujo, H Herrera, Guardado, J M Corona Bulgaria 3 (Manolev 12, Kostadinov 33, Hungary: Gulacsi - Bese, Guzmics, Kadar,
71), Khalil. Sent off: Khamis 90+2. (Aquino 65), Gallardo, Vela (Montes 83), Chochev 79) Korhut, Patkai, A Nagy, R Varga (Lovrencsics
Saudi Arabia: Al Maiouf - Al Shahrani, Osama J Hernandez. Sweden 2 (Lustig 29, Berg 44) 86), Stieber (Elek 74), Dzsudzsak, Szalai
Hawsawi, Omar Hawsawi, Al Harbi, Al Faraj, Panama: Calderon - Machado, Chen (Escobar HT: 2-2. Att: 12,121. Ref: Tagliavento (Ita) (Bode 66).
Al Khaibri (Al Shamrani 81), Al Shehri 57), Baloy, Ovalle, Godoy, G Gomez, Cooper, Bulgaria: P Iliev - S Popov, Chorbadzhiyski, Latvia: Vanins - Kolesovs, Gorkss, Maksimenko,
(Al Dawsari 71), Al Jassim, Al Abed Buitrago (G Torres 64), Davis (Quintero 29), Bozhikov, Zanev, Manolev (Kraev 75), Slavchev, Freimanis, Indrans, Vardanjans, Kazacoks
(Al Muwallad 64), Al Sahlawi. Tejada. Kostadinov, Chochev, G Milanov (Nedelev 61), (A Visnakovs 72), Solovjovs, D Ikaunieks
I Popov (Dimitrov 83). (Rakels 72), Sabala (Gutkovskis 86).
Aug 31 - Saitama Sep1 - Couva Sweden: Olsen - Lustig, Lindelof, Granqvist,
Japan 2 (Asano 41, Ideguchi 82) Trinidad & Tobago 1 (J Jones pen 67) Augustinsson, Durmaz (Claesson 82), Aug 31 - Porto
Australia 0 Honduras 2 (A Lopez 7, Elis 16) J Johansson (Armenteros 85), Ekdal (Sebastian Portugal 5 (Cristiano Ronaldo 3, pen 29, 65,
HT: 1-0. Att: 59,492. Ref: Faghani (Irn) HT: 0-2. Att: 5,002. Ref: Guerrero (Mex) Larsson 70), Forsberg, Berg, Toivonen. William Carvalho 58, Nelson Oliveira 84)
Japan: Kawashima - H Sakai, Yoshida, Shoji, Trinidad & Tobago: Jan-Michael Williams Faroe Islands 1 (Baldvinsson 38)
Nagatomo, Yamaguchi, Hasebe, Ideguchi, - David (A Jones 46), Bateau, Cyrus, Villaroel, Aug 31 - Paris HT: 2-1. Att: 25,087. Ref: Jovanovic (Ser)
Asano (Kubo 89), Osako (Okazaki 87), Inui J Jones, Hyland, K George, Cato (N Lewis 78), France 4 (Griezmann 14, Lemar 73, 88, Portugal: Rui Patricio - Cedric, Pepe, Jose
(Haraguchi 75). Molino, Boatswain (Plaza 57). Sent off: AJones 57. Mbappe 90+1) Fonte, Eliseu, Joao Mario (Quaresma 59),
Australia: Ryan - Milligan, Sainsbury, Honduras: L Lopez - Crisanto, H Figueroa, Holland 0 Joao Moutinho (Andre Gomes 72), William
Spiranovic, Irvine (Amini 86), Luongo, Leckie, M Figueroa, Izaguirre, Elis (Johnny Palacios 69), HT: 1-0. Att: 79,551. Ref: Rocchi (Ita) Carvalho, Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo,
Rogic (Cahill 70), Troisi (Juric 61), Smith, Kruse. Mejia, A Lopez (O Garcia 79), Claros, Quioto, France: Lloris - Sidibe, Koscielny, Umtiti, Andre Silva (Nelson Oliveira 81).
Lozano (Costly 46). Sent off: Izaguirre 65. Kurzawa, Kante, Pogba, Coman (Lacazette 80), Faroe Islands: G Nielsen - Naes, Gregersen,
Aug 31 - Bangkok Griezmann (Fekir 89), Lemar, Giroud Faero, V Davidsen, Vatnhamar (Bartalsstovu
Thailand 1 (Ibrahim og 63) Sep1 - Harrison (Mbappe 75). 66), Jakobsen, Baldvinsson, Sorensen,
Iraq 2 (Meram 34, Abdul-Amir pen 85) United States 0 Holland: Cillessen - Fosu-Mensah, De Vrij, R Joensen (Lokin 81), Edmundsson
HT: 0-1. Att: 22,604. Ref: Shukralla (Bhn) Costa Rica 2 (Urena 30, 82) Hoedt, Blind, Wijnaldum, Strootman, Robben, (P Johannesen 73).
Thailand: Sinthaweechai - Adison, HT: 0-1. Att: 26,500. Ref: Pitti (Pan) Sneijder (Vilhena 46), Promes, Janssen
Chalermpong, Pansa, Peerapat (Siroch 67), United States: Howard - Zusi (Morris 85), (Van Persie 64). Sent off: Strootman 62.
Mongkol (Tristan 55), Wattana, Thitipan, Cameron, Ream, Villafana (Dempsey 65),
Theerathon, Teerasil, Chanathip (Supachok 84). Pulisic (Arriola 87), Nagbe, Bradley, F Johnson,
Sent off: Thitipan 72. Wood, Altidore.
WORLD SOCCER 75
RESULTS, TABLES, FIXTURES
76 WORLD SOCCER
RESULTS, TABLES, FIXTURES
WORLD SOCCER 77
RESULTS, TABLES, FIXTURES
SOUTH AMERICA section Brazil: Alisson - Daniel Alves, Marquinhos, Sep 5 - Amman Thursday, August 31
O 4.5 finals places available Thiago Silva (Rodrigo Caio 90+4), Filipe Luis, Jordan 4 (Murjan 24, Al Saify 33, Aug 31 - Singapore
Fernandinho, Willian, Paulinho, Renato Augusto Al Bakhit pen 45, Al Dardour 89) Singapore 1 (Safuwan pen 76)
Aug 31 - Porto Alegre (Philippe Coutinho 75), Neymar, Roberto Afghanistan 1 (Zubayr Amiri pen 72) Hong Kong 1 (Chan Siu Ki 1)
Brazil 2 (Paulinho 69, Philippe Coutinho 76) Firmino (Gabriel Jesus 63). HT: 3-0. Att: 1,036. Ref: Rowan (Ind) HT: 0-1. Att: 2,837
Ecuador 0 Sent off: Ong (Singapore) 86
HT: 0-0. Att: 38,000. Ref: Diaz de Vivar (Par) Sep 5 - Quito ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS – GROUP C
Brazil: Alisson - Daniel Alves, Marquinhos, Ecuador 1 (E Valencia pen 80) P W D L F A Pts Aug 31 - Agadir, Morocco
Miranda (Thiago Silva 46), Marcelo, Casemiro, Peru 2 (Flores 73, Hurtado 76) Jordan 3 2 1 0 11 1 7 Togo 2 (Dove 26, Dossevi 49)
Willian (Luan 84), Paulinho, Renato Augusto HT: 0-0. Att: 30,000. Ref: Caceres (Par) Vietnam 3 1 2 0 3 2 5 Niger 0
(Philippe Coutinho 59), Neymar, Gabriel Jesus. Ecuador: Banguera - Velasco, Achilier, Cambodia 3 1 0 2 2 9 3 HT: 1-0
Ecuador: Banguera - Velasco, Achilier, Arboleda, Ramirez, A Valencia, Orejuela Afghanistan 3 0 1 2 2 6 1
Arboleda, Ramirez, Quinonez, A Valencia, (Gaibor 81), Noboa, Cazares (Estrada 81), Saturday, September 2
Noboa, Gaibor (Cazares 73), Martinez F Caicedo (M Caicedo 71), E Valencia. Group D Sep 2 - Toronto
(M Caicedo 79), E Valencia (F Caicedo 73). Peru: Caceda - Corzo, Ramos, Rodriguez, Sep 5 - Thimphu Canada 2 (Jackson-Hamel 16, Osorio 30)
Trauco, Tapia (Cartagena 63), Yotun, Carrillo Bhutan 0 Jamaica 0
Aug 31 - Santiago (Hurtado 74), Cueva (Santamaria 81), Flores, Palestine 2 (Pinto 51, Bahdari 90+5) HT: 2-0. Att: 21,724. Ref: Montero (CR)
Chile 0 Guerrero. Sent off: Ramos 79. HT: 0-0. Att: 7,800. Ref: Ho (HK) Canada: Leutwiler - Petrasso, James, Jakovic,
Paraguay 3 (Vidal og 25, V Caceres 55, De Jong (Adekugbe 46; Kaye 54), Piette,
R Ortiz 90+3) Sep 5 - Asuncion Sep 5 - Muscat Hutchinson (Chapman 64), Osorio (Ricketts
HT: 0-1. Att: 40,671. Ref: Pitana (Arg) Paraguay 1 (A Romero 88) Oman 5 (Al Khaldi 5, Al Hajri 58, Al Yahyaei 90+1), Hoilett, Edwards (Davies 70),
Chile: Bravo - Isla, G Medel, G Jara (Orellana Uruguay 2 (Valverde 76, Gomez og 80) 68, Al Yahmadi 86, Al Hasani 88) Jackson-Hamel (Larin 46). Sent off: Davies 76.
79), Beausejour, Aranguiz, M Diaz (Paredes 57), HT: 0-0. Att: 30,000. Ref: Ricci (Bra) Maldives 0 Jamaica: Blake (Miller 74) - Lawrence (Francis
Vidal, Vargas, Castillo (Valdivia 57), Sanchez. Paraguay: A Silva - Moreira, Gomez, Da Silva, HT: 1-0. Att: 1,136. Ref: Vo (Vie) 61), Lowe, J Taylor, Powell, Fisher, Binns
Paraguay: A Silva - Moreira, Gomez, Da Silva, Alonso, A Romero, V Caceres (R Ortiz 41), (Grandison 56), Watson (D Williams 56), Morris
Alonso, O Romero, V Caceres (R Ortiz 70), C Riveros (Dominguez 79), O Romero, Almiron, ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS – GROUP D (Hardware 58), R Williams (Harris 58), Kelly.
C Riveros, Samudio (Bareiro 51), Almiron Barrios (Salcedo 66). P W D L F A Pts
(Rolon 79), Barrios. Uruguay: Muslera - M Pereira, Gimenez, Godin, Palestine 3 3 0 0 7 1 9 Sep 2 - Bekasi
Caceres, Nandez (Sanchez 71), Valverde, Oman 3 2 0 1 20 2 6 Indonesia 0
Aug 31 - Lima Vecino, C Rodriguez (Stuani 63), Suarez Maldives 3 1 0 2 2 8 3 Fiji 0
Peru 2 (Flores 55, Cueva 59) (Arevalo 90), Cavani. Bhutan 3 0 0 3 0 18 0
Bolivia 1 (Alvarez 72) Sep 2 - Maputo
HT: 0-0. Att: 50,501. Ref: Cunha (Uru) WC QUALS – SOUTH AMERICA Group E Mozambique 1 (Domingues 59)
Peru: Caceda - Advincula, Ramos, Rodriguez, P W D L F A Pts Sep 5 - Riffa Kenya 1 (Johanna 85)
Trauco, Aquino, Carrillo (Polo 88), Cueva Brazil (QF) 16 11 4 1 38 11 37 Bahrain 5 (Al Aswad 11, Madan 45+4, HT: 0-0
(Hurtado 79), Flores, Farfan, Ruidiaz (Pena 72). Uruguay 16 8 3 5 28 18 27 Abduljabbar 56, 89, Helal 74)
Bolivia: Lampe - Valverde, Raldes, Zenteno, Colombia 16 7 5 4 19 16 26 Taiwan 0 Sunday, September 3
Diego Bejarano, Wayar, Castro (Justiniano 65), Peru 16 7 3 6 26 25 24 HT: 2-0. Att: 362. Ref: Noor (Mly) Sep 3 - Malabo
Sagredo (J Flores 65), Alvarez, Martins Moreno, Argentina 16 6 6 4 16 15 24 Equatorial Guinea 1 (Jordan 75)
Campos. Chile 16 7 2 7 24 23 23 Sep 5 - Singapore Benin 2 (Pote 42, Dossou 61)
Paraguay 16 6 3 7 17 23 21 Singapore 1 (Shakir 63) HT: 0-1
Aug 31 - Montevideo Ecuador 16 6 2 8 24 24 20 Turkmenistan 1 (Annadurdyyev 82)
Uruguay 0 Bolivia 16 4 1 11 14 34 13 HT: 0-0. Att: 3,712. Ref: Yamamoto (Jap) Monday, September 4
Argentina 0 Venezuela 16 1 5 10 18 35 8 Sep 4 - Agadir, Morocco
Att: 52,614. Ref: Carrillo (Per) ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS – GROUP E Niger 2 (Sidibe 46, Adebayor pen 87)
Uruguay: Muslera - Caceres, Gimenez, Remaining games P W D L F A Pts Mauritania 0
Godin, G Silva, Nandez, A Gonzalez Oct 5: Argentina v Peru; Bolivia v Brazil; Bahrain 3 2 1 0 7 1 7 HT: 0-0
(Corujo 68), Vecino, C Rodriguez, Cavani, Chile v Ecuador; Colombia v Paraguay; Turkmenistan 3 1 1 1 5 4 4
Suarez (Stuani 83). Venezuela v Uruguay. Taiwan 3 1 0 2 3 9 3 Sep 4 - Agadir, Morocco
Argentina: Romero - Mercado, Fazio, Oct 10: Brazil v Chile; Ecuador v Argentina; Singapore 3 0 2 1 2 3 2 Togo 0
Otamendi, Acuna (Acosta 61), Pizarro, Biglia, Paraguay v Venezuela; Peru v Colombia; Malawi 1 (Mbulu 14)
Di Maria (Correa 90+2), Messi, Icardi, Dybala Uruguay v Bolivia. Group F HT: 0-1
(Pastore 71). Sep 5 - Kathmandu
O The top 4 will qualify for the finals; the Nepal 1 (Magar 61) UNDER-17 WORLD CUP
Aug 31 - San Cristobal 5th-placed country will meet New Zealand, the Tajikistan 2 (M Dzhalilov 25, Vasiev 30)
Venezuela 0 winner of the Oceania section play-off, in a HT: 0-2. Att: 1,200. Ref: Al Hoaish (Sau) To be played in India
Colombia 0 play-off for a place in the finals
Att: 38,479. Ref: Sampaio (Bra) Sep 5 - Bacolod Group stage schedule
Venezuela: Farinez - Garcia, Chancellor, 2019 ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS Philippines 2 (P Younghusband 30, Group A
Villanueva, R Feltscher, Cordova (Figuera 84), J Younghusband 71) Oct 6: Colombia v Ghana; India v USA.
Herrera, Rincon, Machis (Murillo 55), Martinez 3rd round Yemen 2 (Al Radaei 28, Al Matari 56) Oct 9: Ghana v USA; India v Colombia.
(Otero 55), S Rondon. Group A HT: 1-1. Att: 2,911. Ref: Kim Dong-jin (SKo) Oct 12: Ghana v India; USA v Colombia.
Colombia: Ospina - Arias, C Zapata, O Murillo, Sep 5 - Taipa
Fabra, C Sanchez (Aguilar 75), Barrios, Macau 0 ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS – GROUP F Group B
Cuadrado, Chara (Muriel 80), Cardona India 2 (B Singh 57, 82) P W D L F A Pts Oct 6: New Zealand v Turkey; Paraguay v Mali.
(G Moreno 63), Falcao. HT: 0-0. Att: 600. Ref: Al Ali (Jor) Philippines 3 2 1 0 10 6 7 Oct 9: Turkey v Mali; Paraguay v New Zealand.
Yemen 3 1 2 0 4 3 5 Oct 12: Mali v New Zealand; Turkey v Paraguay.
Sep 5 - Buenos Aires ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS – GROUP A Tajikistan 3 1 0 2 6 7 3
Argentina 1 (R Feltscher og 54) P W D L F A Pts Nepal 3 0 1 2 2 6 1 Group C
Venezuela 1 (Murillo 51) India 3 3 0 0 4 0 9 Oct 7: Germany v Costa Rica: Iran v Guinea.
HT: 0-0. Att: 44,776. Ref: Tobar (Chl) Myanmar 2 1 0 1 4 1 3 O A total of 6 rounds of games will be played Oct 10: Costa Rica v Guinea; Iran v Germany.
Argentina: Romero - Mascherano, Fazio, Kyrgyzstan 2 1 0 1 1 1 3 Oct 13: Costa Rica v Iran; Guinea v Germany.
Otamendi, Acosta, Pizarro, Banega, Di Maria Macau 3 0 0 3 0 7 0 O The top 2 in each group will qualify for the
(Acuna 25), Messi, Icardi (Pastore 75), 24-team finals (12 other countries have Group D
Dybala (Benedetto 63). Group B already qualified) Oct 7: Brazil v Spain; North Korea v Niger.
Venezuela: Farinez - Garcia, Chancellor, Sep 5 - Malacca City Oct 10: Spain v Niger; North Korea v Brazil.
Villanueva, R Feltscher, Moreno, Figuera, Malaysia 1 (Syazwan 56) FRIENDLIES Oct 13: Niger v Brazil; Spain v North Korea.
Murillo, Herrera (Colina 77), Cordova Hong Kong 1 (Sandro 53)
(Velazquez 89), S Rondon (Martinez 82). HT: 0-0. Att: 3,646. Ref: Beath (Aus) Saturday, August 26 Group E
Sent off: Rizal 90, Aidil 90+2 (both Malaysia) Aug 26 - Malacca City, Malaysia Oct 8: New Caledonia v France;
Sep 5 - La Paz Iraq 1 (Fayyadh 70) Honduras v Japan.
Bolivia 1 (Arce pen 59) Sep 5 - Pyongyang Syria 1 (Al Khatib 15) Oct 11: France v Japan; Honduras v
Chile 0 North Korea 2 (Kim Su-yong 23, HT: 0-1 New Caledonia.
HT: 0-0. Att: 31,555. Ref: Roldan (Col) Ri Yong-jik 87) Oct 14: France v Honduras; Japan v
Bolivia: Lampe - Valverde (Candia 73), Lebanon 2 (Mansour 47, Maatouk 90+4) Tuesday, August 29 New Caledonia.
Raldes, Zenteno, Diego Bejarano, Campos HT: 1-0. Att: 31,000. Ref: Asimov (Uzb) Aug 29 - Riffa
(Chumacero 66), Justiniano, J Flores, Sent off: (from the bench) Sabra (Lebanon) 90+2 Bahrain 0 Group F
Escobar (Alvarez 46), Martins Moreno, Arce. Jordan 0 Oct 8: Chile v England; Iraq v Mexico.
Sent off: Chumacero 90+1. ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS – GROUP B Oct 11: England v Mexico; Iraq v Chile.
Chile: Bravo - Isla, G Medel, P Diaz, Beausejour, P W D L F A Pts Aug 29 - Yangon Oct 14: Mexico v Chile; England v Iraq.
Silva, M Diaz (Valdivia 66), Hernandez, Vidal Lebanon 3 2 1 0 6 3 7 Myanmar 1 (Kyaw Ko Ko 89)
(Valencia 80), Vargas (Paredes 63), Sanchez. North Korea 2 0 2 0 3 3 2 Malaysia 0 O The top 2 in each group and the 4 3rd-placed
Hong Kong 3 0 2 1 2 4 2 HT: 0-0 teams with the best record will qualify for the1st
Sep 5 - Barranquilla Malaysia 2 0 1 1 2 3 1 knockout round (last16)
Colombia 1 (Falcao 56) Wednesday, August 30
Brazil 1 (Willian 45+2) Group C Aug 30 - Muscat
HT: 0-1. Att: 46,083. Ref: Valenzuela (Ven) Sep 5 - Phnom Penh Oman 2 (Al Khaldi 44, Al Ruzaiqi 55)
Colombia: Ospina - Arias, C Zapata, Cambodia 1 (Vathanaka 10) Afghanistan 0
D Sanchez, Fabra (Tesillo 85), Aguilar, Vietnam 2 (Nguyen Van Quyet 4, HT: 1-0
C Sanchez, Cuadrado (Chara 46), Rodriguez, Nguyen Quang Hai 81)
Cardona (Gutierrez 71), Falcao. HT: 1-1. Att: 34,587. Ref: Tojo (Jap)
78 WORLD SOCCER
RESULTS, TABLES, FIXTURES
Club football
NIGERIA
2017 – FINAL
P W D L F A Pts
Plateau Utd (C) 38 19 9 10 49 25 66
MFM 38 19 5 14 42 41 62
Sep14 1-2, 0-5 (agg 1-7) AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Thanks this issue to
Dean Chillmaid, Peter Neish
Jorge Wilstermann (Bol) 3 (Zenteno 4, FUS Rabat (Mor) v CS Sfaxien (Tun)
Alvarez 50, Machado 81) 1-0, 0-1 (agg 1-1, FUS Rabat 5-4 on pens) Quarter-finals EDITORIAL
River Plate (Arg) 0 MC Alger (Alg) v Club Africain (Tun) 1st legs - Aug 21-23; 2nd legs - Sep11-13 Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough
HT: 1-0. Ref: Ricci (Bra) 1-0, 0-2 (agg 1-2) Al Ain (UAE) v Al Hilal (Sau) Business Park, Farnborough, Hants GU14 7BF
SuperSport United (SAf) v Zesco United (Zam) 0-0, 0-3 (agg 0-3) Email: world_soccertimeinc.com
Kawasaki Frontale (Jap) v General enquries: +44 (0) 1252 555213
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WORLD SOCCER 79
ITALY: SERIE A 2017-18
SQUADS
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29 Marcello TROTTA (25) 29.09.92 77 Cyril THEREAU (Fra) (34) 24.04.83 64 Pietro PELLEGRI (16) 17.03.01
99 Andrea PINAMONTI (18) 19.05.99 17 Mario MANDZUKIC (Cro) (31) 21.05.86
32 Marco TUMMINELLO (18) 06.11.98 7 Rafik ZEKHNINI (Nor) (19) 12.01.98 74 Eddy SALCEDO (15) 01.10.01
COACH COACH COACH COACH COACH
Davide NICOLA (44) 05.03.73 Stefano PIOLI (51) 20.10.65 Ivan JURIC (Cro) (42) 25.08.75 Luciano SPALLETTI (58) 07.03.59 Massimiliano ALLEGRI (50) 11.08.67
80 WORLD SOCCER
SQUADS
WORLD SOCCER 81
JUNE 14, 1970, LEON: WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL
F
our years after they met in the the final result. 78min An unmarked Bell crosses
World Cup Final at Wembley, “Colin Bell replaced Bobby Charlton, from the right and a diving Geoff
West Germany and England Franz Beckenbauer scored for West Hurst sees his header trickle just
came face-to-face again for a Germany and Peter Bonetti, usually so wide of the German goal.
place in the semi-finals in Mexico. calm and confident for Chelsea, made 82min Karl-Heinz Schnellinger
Both teams started the match with a basic error. puts a cross into the penalty area
five survivors from their 1966 encounter “Had Gordon Banks been in goal for and Uwe Seeler’s looping, backward
but, crucially, England were without their England I am confident that he would header beats Peter Bonetti. 2-2
first-choice goalkeeper Gordon Banks, Dejected...England have prevented both the German goals 85min Beckenbauer exchanges
who was taken ill with food poisoning on skipper Bobby Moore scored in ordinary time and England passes with Gerd Muller and shoots
the eve of the game. would have won 2-0 and passed into narrowly wide.
“Helmut Schoen repeated the error he the semi-finals.” 108min Jurgen Grabowski’s cross is
made in the 1966 World Cup Final when headed back across goal by Hannes
he gave his ace midfield player [Franz] WEST GERMANY ENGLAND Lohr for Muller to volley home. 3-2
Coach: Helmut Schon Coach: Alf Ramsey
Beckenbauer the job of marking Bobby 118min The ball breaks to Newton
Charlton,” wrote Eric Batty in World Hottges Newton on the edge of the area but his shot
Soccer. “This robbed the German attack Lohr is tipped over the bar by Maier.
of Beckenbauer’s close support. Lee
“But when Alf Ramsey pulled Bobby Schnellinger Ball
Labone
(Schulz 46)
Charlton off, this left Beckenbauer free Overath Seeler
to come forward more – and he above Maier Mullery Bonetti
all caused serious problems for England.” Hurst
Muller
Batty continued: “Everything seemed Beckenbauer Moore
to be going well [for England] until in the Fichtel
B Charlton
second half the machine appeared to (Bell 70)
Libuda
blow a fuse. (Grabowski 55)
Peters
“Winning 2-0 with more than an Vogts (Hunter 81)
Cooper
hour gone, three things occurred which
combined within a few minutes to
change the pattern of the game and Referee: Coerezza (Arg) Winner...Gerd Muller scores the third
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