One of Germany’s hottest young stars has revealed he’d be open to joining Manchester United, according to the Daily Mail.
Dortmund youngster Mario Goetze, 20, who also revealed that he’s tempted by moves to Barcelona or Real Madrid, is rated one of the best young footballers in the World.
The young midfielder has an incredible 16 assists to his name so far this season for reigning Champions Dortmund having also found the net himself on another 14 occasions.
As well as becoming one of the Bundesliga’s best players, Goetze has also established himself on the International stage having earned 20 caps for Germany already.
It’s no surprise to hear that some of Europe’s elite have taken an interest in the German wonderkid, but Goetze is in no mood to jump the Bundesliga ship just yet.
“Clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United are attractive, other top leagues would help me develop.”
“But I’m not thinking of that at the moment.” Goetze told German TV station Sport1
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Goetze signed a new contact with Dortmund this time last year, a deal that stands until 2016. Goetze revealed that the main reason behind the signing was that he felt that Dortmund were “far from finished in their recent resurgence” and that he “wanted to be a part of the develpments.”
Manchester United have pulled out of the running for Radamel Falcao, leaving the way clear for Chelsea to battle with Manchester City, according to the Sun.
Falcao is one of the most sought after strikers in Europe and reports in Spain had suggested that Ferguson was ready to offer Atletico Madrid Javier Hernandez plus cash to get the striker on board.
However, Ferguson has rubbished such rumours and this could now leave the door open for Manchester City and Chelsea to battle it out for the striker’s signature.
When quizzed about the rumour, Ferguson bit back: “Do you honestly believe that? You amaze me you people.”
Ferguson is in the hunt for a new striker even though he has denied suggestions that Wayne Rooney could be moved on, and Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski is said to be a target.
Rumours have surfaced that Chelsea are considering throwing Fernando Torres into the deal, which would see him return to the boyhood club he left 6 years ago for Liverpool.
With Mario Balotelli gone and Eden Dzeko seemingly on his way out as well, City have stepped up their pursuit of the 27-year-old Colombian.
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Falcao joined Atletico in 2011 as a replacement for Sergio Aguero, who joined Manchester City.
Arsenal’s transfer policy has been the subject of considerable scrutiny this season. While Wenger’s inability to spend big in the transfer market, with the Gunners’ record transfer fee at a measly £16million for Santi Cazorla, has been identified as a major factor in the club’s current malaise and overall depreciation of the first team squad, the French manager has also come under fire for letting some his key players leave and join up with divisional and continental rivals; a trend which started with Thierry Henry and Ashley Cole, and the latest case being Robin van Persie’s £20million move to Manchester United.
Perhaps we have been too eager to criticise; Wenger’s arrogant and pompous demeanour, in addition to Arsenal’s decline has made him an easy target. The truth is, not every player whom the Frenchman has either pushed out of the club or left of their own accord has gone on to better their careers by turning their backs on the Emirates. In fact, there is a common trend regarding former Arsenal players that suggests the opposite is often true, that the grass is not greener on the other side, and perhaps staying put in hindsight would have been the better option.
The most recent example is Alex Song, whom was sold to Barcelona for £15million by Wenger last summer. No doubt, at the time, Arsenal fans were incredibly concerned that their most prominent midfielder and their talisman striker were moved on in the same transfer window for relatively miniscule amounts in the grand scheme of the transfer market, and furthermore, despite incredibly consistent performances from Mikel Arteta this season, it is clear the Gunners have missed the Cameroon international’s physical presence throughout their lukewarm Premier League campaign.
[cat_link cat=”arsenal” type=”list”]
But over in La Liga, things haven’t gone so well for the midfield enforcer, despite being part of a squad that already have their hands on the domestic title, and furthermore are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Song has made just 15 competiti ve starts all year, and has found himself being deployed as a centre-back almost as much as in the middle of the park. It has lead to speculation that the 25 year old is desperately seeking an escape route from the Nou Camp, with a return to Arsenal being his desired preference.
Wenger has denied there is interest from his own end, but what is more important is that this is not the first case of an Arsenal player’s career to take a sour turn upon departing from the Emirates. Aleksander Hleb made the same move as Song, opting for a switch to Barcelona back in 2008.
At the time, the lack of protest on Wenger’s part seemed surprising, but with the Belarus winger turning out for the Catalans just 36 times in the space of four years, with unsuccessful spells at Stuttgart, Birmingham City and Wolfsburg in the process, hindsight has proved that the Arsenal boss made the right call in selling on a player at the same price he bought him at, getting two seasons of good performances along the way.
Hleb himself has even admitted he made a mistake, telling the Daily Mail in 2009; “I regret my move from London, but unfortunately nothing can be done about it now. For me, Wenger was like a father. I consider him one of the best managers in the world. For such a boss one wants to die on the pitch. Arsene managed to create a smashing team with a wonderful atmosphere inside of it.”
Perhaps the caste study of Alexandr Hleb is a tad extreme, considering his move to Spain appears to have been a flop of Fernando Torres-esque proportions. But even for a number of Wenger’s sales whom at the time were considered an abomination, it is a similar story. Emmanuel Adebayor has cemented his reputation at Manchester City and now Tottenham as player who quite simply isn’t worth the hassle; the Togo international brings one season of exceptional performances and a flurry of goals, followed by a period of unacceptable form, selfish behaviour and a distinct lack of loyalty. Furthermore, Samir Nasri may have lifted a Premier League title since his £25million move to City in 2011, but the French midfielder has now become the Citizens supporters’ favourite boo-boy, and he is expected to be shafted by Roberto Mancini in the summer.
The 60 plus trophies won by former Arsenal players in the same time period since the Gunners last lifted silver wear eight years ago has been well documented, with all the mainstream newspapers providing various trendy diagrams and charts in a bid to show the flaws of Wenger’s transfer policy – furthermore, it is startling that when searching ‘trophies w’ on Google, the immediate search result is ‘trophies won by ex-arsenal players’. But looking closer at the details, and it appears the story is almost entirely hyperbole.
Hleb’s apparent five accolades since his departure include a La Liga title, Copa Del Rey and Champions League trophy in which he played a cameo role in attaining, in addition to a League Cup win with Birmingham, despite only playing in one League Cup fixture and totalling just 20 appearances in total during his loan spell at St. Andrews, and a Belarusian Premier League title with Bate Borisov.
Similarly, Anthony Stokes’ SPL and Scottish Cup successes are hardly worth mentioning, and likewise concerning Emmanuel Eboue’s Turkish Super Lig and Super Kupa silverware Gilberto Silva’s achievements in Greek football, or Eduardo’s five Ukrainian League and Cup wins, whilst Jermaine Pennant’s lifting of the Community Shield shouldn’t be even considered as a legitimate trophy.
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However, there are some calls that Wenger has got wrong. Whilst the Gunners have never really missed the presence of the likes of Jose Antonio Reyes, Sebastian Larrson, Eduardo, Emmanuel Eboue or even Lassana Diarra, letting Patrick Viera go aged just 29 proved to be a mistake, as did the sale of Ashley Cole and Kolo Toure – the club’s last two top quality defenders.
But whether you argue that it is the players’ comeuppance for their lack of loyalty, or if you think Wenger should have tried harder to keep his players at the club by offering them more competitive wages, there is an underlying concern that must be troubling Gunners fans. The fact remains that the general perspective from footballers, agents, and other teams is that Arsenal has become a selling club.
Alex Song is just one of a long list of players from the club’s recent history that have made a name for themselves in North London, only to move on when another major European power comes calling. Just as important as it is for Wenger to bring in some fresh blood in the summer to lift the quality of the first team, the Gunners boss must do more to keep his stars at the Emirates. They may go on to regret their departures, but there is no doubt that the transfers of Alex Song, Alexandr Hleb, Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Adebayor to name a few, have hurt the club in the long term, as much as it has hurt the players as individuals.
Wigan will be without winger Callum McManaman after he suffered ankle ligament damage in the 4-1 loss at Arsenal. Jean Beausejour (hamstring) is expected to hand manager Roberto Martinez a boost by returning from a hamstring problem.
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert could hand Darrent Bent a rare start with leading scorer Christian Benteke suspended, while Matthew Lowton (thigh) could return and Karim El Ahmadi (also thigh) are back. Ciaran Clark (foot) remains sidelined.
Roberto Martinez… “At the moment, it’s not my priority. My priority is to prepare well for the game and make sure we have a really good time with the fans. On Monday we will celebrate with the FA Cup around the town. Then we will need a few days before sitting down with the chairman next week to decide what’s best for Wigan Athletic to move forward.”
Paul Lambert… “I am delighted for the lads and supporters. I am thrilled for them. They have seen what we have been doing here. They are a young team but they are getting better and better. You wouldn’t get 42,000 in the stadium if they weren’t behind it. The big test is whether the supporters stay with it, but they have been absolutely brilliant.”
Match Statistic: Wigan have failed to win in their last six Premier League games against Aston Villa since a 3-2 victory in April 2006.
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Prediction: Wigan Athletic 0-0 Aston Villa
Make your bets ahead Wigan’s farewell to the Premier League after eight seasons when they face Aston Villa at DW Stadium by clicking on the banner below
Last season: It is a brand new beginning for Hull as they are returning to the Premier League after a three-year absence and may change their name to the Hull City Tigers, as announced by club owner Assem Allam.
In last season’s Championship, the Tigers managed to finish second and automatically qualify to the big leagues alongside Cardiff City, who finished eight points ahead of Hull. The Yorkshire club avoided the play offs by just two points ahead of Watford, who finished third.
Manchester United veteran Steve Bruce managed to lead his team to 24 wins in 46 matches, just one less than the Bluebirds, but lost 15 matches. Hull managed to get 11 wins in away games and only lose 9 however the home advantage didn’t work very well as, even though they won 13 matches, they also lost six.
The goal-scoring ratio also shows that the Tigers saw quite a lot of competition as they scored 61 goals and conceded 52, where 30 of them were on away games.
Transfer Ins:
Yannick Sagbo (Evian)
Steve Harper (Newcastle)
Allan McGregor (Besiktas)
Curtis Davies (Birmingham City)
Ahmed Elmohamady (Sunderland)
George Boyd (Peterborough United)
Maynor Figueroa (Wigan)
Transfer Outs:
Corry Evans (Blackburn Rovers)
Danny Emerton (Northampton Town)
Jamie Devitt (Chesterfield)
Francis McCaffrey (Dundalk)
Sonny Bradley (Portsmouth)
Mark Cullen (Luton Town)
Jay Simpson
Danny East (Portsmouth)
Andy Dawson (Scunthorpe United)
Seyi Olofinjana
Paul McKenna
Player to watch: Robert Koren managed to score the most goals for Hull as the Slovenian midfielder hit the target nine times. His teammate, George Boyd managed to score the exact same amount but only three of those were for the Tigers as he joined the team last February on loan from Peterborough United.
The former Slovenia international could prove to be useful for Bruce however it would also be interesting to keep an eye on the new acquisitions, such as former Championnat player Yannick Sagbo, who made 90 appearances and scored 22 goals with Evian and is also an Ivory Coast international.
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Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is also expected to help the team with his Premier League experience and perhaps become the leader of the defense. The Honduran is well-known and remembered by all English fans for his incredible goal against Stoke, four years ago. The 30-year-old’s free kick from the centre of the field won Goal of the Season 2009-2010.
Young player to watch: Tottenham’s Jake Livermore will be playing on loan for the Tigers this season and even though Andre Villas-Boas didn’t include him in his plans this season he still has some faith in the 23-year-old as he might be hoping that the youngster will improve and get much more experience in the field. Since 2011 the young midfielder has been moving around on loan but still counts 36 appearances with Spurs and also caught the attention of the England national team where he played for the Three Lions in a match against Italy a year ago.
Prediction: Just like the other two former Championship teams that qualified, Cardiff and Crystal Palace, Hull are expected to improve and up their game for this season to stay and fight for another season.
The team has made quite a few changes that are expected to bring the club into the Premier League level that is inquired for this season. The Tigers seem perfectly able to score goals but they also seem like they are no strangers to conceding a high number of goals from the opposing club. That is something that the teams will have to work hard on with the defense and midfield as they will be facing a lot harder teams than those in the Championship, such as their very first opponents Chelsea.
Based on the other teams’ progress one could assume that Hull feature quite a mystery for this year’s Premier League. We all know that it is impossible that Bruce’s team will finish on the Top 5 positions but it could be possible that they avoid relegation. For now though, the numbers are not very convincing. Nevertheless, the rest will be left to be discussed on the field.
striker Matej Vydra believes that his now ready to make a push to become the Baggies’ main man after returning from injury.
The Czech international completed his move to the Hawthorns over the summer after impressing during a loan spell with Championship outfit Watford last season.
However, his start to life as a West Brom player was far from smooth as he picked up an injury during his debut in the Capital One Cup.
The thigh problem has kept him of of action ever since, but he is now back in full training.
With Steve Clarke’s men not having enjoyed the most fruitful campaign in front of goal so far, Vydra says that he is ready to prove to his manager that he can be the club’s main man.
“Now I feel in perfect shape. The leg doesn’t hurt and I’m ready,” Vydra told Sky Sports.
“I played 60 minutes for the reserve team against Reading and even scored. Then another 45 minutes for the first team versus a youth side from Derby County.
“Everything was fine. I have been in training with the first team for quite some while already and endure the full burden without any problems.”
But, Vydra is aware that he may have a fight on his hands to be a starter following the arrivals of Victor Anichebe and Stephane Sessegnon.
“You could expect that new players would come because we did not have a good start to the season at all,” he added.
“Two new forwards arrived and Anelka is back. So, now we have about seven forwards and use two. There’s nothing you can do.
“I know I have to work hard to convince the manager. Nobody has a place in the XI for granted.”
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Can Matej Vydra make the step from Championship to Premier League football?
When the aliens arrive we’re going to have a lot of explaining to do. Of course, any exploratory space faring alien race will be au fait the sciences, naturally, and we’ll likely share at least a parallel common understanding of concepts such as love, economics and restaurants, but none of this is going to help us explain golf. Or cigarettes. Or Paddy McGuinness. Imagine having to explain Dressage as if the reputation of the human race depended on it? Exposed to the cold hard objectivity of an imaginary alien observer, most of our earthly pursuits are completely and utterly daft.
And yet all of them pale in comparison with the nonsense that is ‘Awards Season’. That special, reflective time of the year when we look back on the previous annum and decide the people who really deserve recognition for their efforts are movie stars and sportsmen. Where, not content with staging several lavish near identical events to award golden statues to those who’ve proved the most convincing at reading aloud made up situations, we broadcast them to the world, turning even these glorified readers entering a building draped in different coloured shapes of cloth into it’s own special news event.
We are truly doomed as a civilization.
And yet even within this daft of the daft, there is a dafter brush still. The Ballon d’Ors. For the FIFA Ballon d’Or Awards Gala (to give them their full name) are the worst awards in the entire world.
Only FIFA could take a provincial magazine’s respected singular award and turn it into an excruciating hour and a half prize giving costumed pageant. Only FIFA could turn an impartial voting system trusted since 1956, into such a politically convoluted and controversial one the votes need to be made public to sooth fears of a fix up. And still don’t. Only FIFA could spend half an award ceremony dedicated to the best player of 2013 promoting the World Cup of 2014 only a mere month after it’s similarly egregious draw Gala held specifically to do that.
But this isn’t why they’re the worst awards in the world.
The adding of accessory awards to the ceremony may not intrinsically be a bad thing. The women’s award in particular is a worthwhile addition, having no equivalent of a similar profile. The rest though are merely window dressing, included to fluff out the ceremony so Blatter and his cronies can fill up a few more gratuity seats for the ‘football family’. Is there really any need, for example, for an officially sanctioned Goal of the Season? And does it need to be given at an awards ceremony? Was Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s failure to make the final three for the big prize suitably exorcised by his blue ribbon for scoring the prettiest goal? Will there be a Save of the Season? What does the Fair Play Award actually do? This year even included the 35th annual Pele Award for being Pele, otherwise known as the inaugural Prix d’Honneur, a back door way for FIFA to retrospectively give a Ballon d’Or to whomever they like whenever their PR department demands it.
But these too are not why they’re the worst awards in the world. The reason is overwhelmingly down to one award. The FIFA Presidential Award.
The FIFA Presidential Award was invented in 2001 by Sepp Blatter and is hard to explain largely on the basis that it has no criteria. Sepp can award the FPA to anyone or anything he likes, animal, vegetable, mineral or concept, and frequently does. It seems to have been created solely because Sepp didn’t have enough control over any of the other awards, and wanted one for himself which he could award to, say, Desmond Tutu or the Queen of Jordan if he liked. He did.
The Presidential Award also serves another purpose. Such is the almost constant controversy Sepp manages to attract by pitching himself as the hybrid footballing equivalent of Boris Johnson and a dodgy car salesman, that the award can also be used as a convenient tool for damage limitation. It’s unsurprising to learn then, what with his frequent faux pas in sexual politics, that women’s football has received significant recognition. As significant as possible in fact as the entire concept of women’s football won the award in 2008. While it may seem odd to present a single small trophy to an entire sporting concept (and raises all sorts of baffling questions about who gets to keep it) at least its better than giving it to something completely tangential like, say, the actress from Bend It Like Beckham. Thankfully Sepp covered both bases here, awarding Parminder Nagra the FPA in 2002.
Occasionally the honour is afforded to actual footballing people. Pele, naturally, got in 2007 for his continuing dedication to being Pele (and dutifully turning up to present any old guff FIFA asks) whilst Sir Alex Ferguson and Franz Beckenbauer received it in 2011 and 2012 respectively, in what most commentators agree was Sepp being no fun at all. Sometimes though he just feels like being nice, awarding it to a paralysed player in 2001, a dead player in 2006 and Anders Frisk, the Chelsea death threat referee in 2005, seemingly just to cheer him up a bit.
This years award went to Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, undaunted by the fact that we’re two summers away from the last Olympics and a full month away from starting the next, making it practically the only time it’s not appropriate to present an award for Olympic achievement.
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Of course, the Ballon d’Ors would still be awful without this. The forced spectacle, the compulsory yet also completely needless live music, the fact footballers can’t give good speeches, the crying.
When Cristiano Ronaldo first won the award in 2008, it was awarded to him in private, delivered to his house with a photographer and a thought out, well-conducted interview was published. Now we have this. At least actors have a sense of oratory performance that’s plausibly worth watching. How are we supposed to explain Ronaldo’s awkward stunted speech and self-indulgent blubbing to an advanced alien race? What if our possible inclusion in a new galactic alliance or advanced state of enlightenment depends on it? Yup, we are truly doomed as a civilization.
West Ham have set their sights on Genoa striker Alberto Gilardino, in a bid to solve their goal-scoring problems, according to talkSPORT.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce remains keen to sign a new striker, despite Andy Carroll’s return to fitness and the fact Carlton Cole has signed another short term contract.
Allardyce tried to bring Gilardino to Upton Park on loan in the summer, but a deal could not be agreed.
However, reports in Italy claim the club are ready to make a new offer for the experienced former AC Milan striker.
Gilardino was linked with a move to the MLS, with FC Toronto reportedly eager to sign the forward as a partner for Jermain Defoe, who has recently completed a move from Tottenham.
The 31-year-old has a decent goals record across his career, managing 19 goals for in 57 caps for Italy during his international career.
He has scored goals consistently in Serie A with the likes of Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina.
This season he has netted eight goals in 18 Serie A appearances for Genoa.
Don’t let it be known that Arsene Wenger has lost his touch in the transfer market. At least not completely.
Laurent Koscielny didn’t look the part at first. A scrawny centre-back, Koscielny had dabbled briefly with top flight football with Lorient prior to his move to Arsenal, but for the most part he was a Ligue 2 player in France. He didn’t look the part but he fit the description. Laurent Koscielny: unknown, inexperienced, ripe for moulding; the ideal Wenger project.
Four years on from his move to Arsenal, Koscielny’s high value to the team is indisputable. Wenger saw something in the Polish-born French international that went over the head of most others. Koscielny had the technical attributes and athleticism, but the detractors were drawn in to his physical limitations, which have since been eradicated.
Maybe it’s the recent history of Arsenal’s defenders that dictate people’s opinion on the 28-year-old, but for one reason or another, there is no definitive description of Koscielny in English football. Some, mostly Arsenal fans, acknowledge his development and rate him as one of the top centre-backs in the country. Others remain perplexed as to why there is so much good feeling about the centre-back; he’s been described as error-prone (he does have more than one red card to his name), among other things.
Over the past year, Koscielny has dovetailed perfectly with Per Mertesacker in the centre of the Arsenal defence. The French international will be praised for his quickness and strength, but he, like Mertesacker, is an excellent reader of the game, too.
In an effort to reward him for his good form, Arsenal have tied down Koscielny “long term,” fending off reported interest from abroad as well as from the Premier League. It’s a good show of support from the club for one of their key players, but you’d hope they’ve also learnt from the contractual mistakes of the past. Koscielny isn’t one Arsenal can afford to let go of anytime soon.
The contract extension will give the club a good platform to start from going into what should be a busy transfer period. Bacary Sagna and Lukas Fabianski aside, there are no major issues plaguing the club, as has been the case in recent years. Both first-choice centre-backs are tied down now, with Mertesacker having committed earlier in the season, which should spell a positive campaign next time around. There is stability that can be built upon.
Wenger’s trick of pulling rabbits out of the hat via the market has run a little thin of late. Yet Koscielny’s development is a reminder that the Arsenal boss can still conjure something out of nothing. By no means was Koscielny’s transfer fee large by today’s standards, but at £11 million it was a gamble, one which has since paid off.
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Going into this summer, the gold struck from Koscielny’s transfer will provide a lot of hope and inspiration for what may come. Maybe they timed it – as Arsenal have been known to do. But Koscielny is an example and symbol of Wenger’s work and success in player recruitment. Putting news of his contract extension out there ahead of a crucial FA Cup final and transfer window will help restore faith in the manager that has been lost by so many.
Not as many goals, but an extremely entertaining round of World Cup fixtures. Here’s our daily round-up!
Colombia 2-1 Cote D’Ivoire
Colombia picked up their second win in a match that saw chances from both sides before the game began picking up pace in the final half an hour. The loss puts Cote D’Ivoire in second place as they continue to stay in the tournament after surviving early dominance from their opponents.
The second half blew wide open when James Rodriguez scored a header for the South Americans to make in 1-0.
Six minutes later they made it 2-0 when Juan Quintero finished off a swift counter, but a few moments from kick off, Gervinho produced some magic on the left flank, drifting pass a few defenders before firing the ball into the net.
Drawing up to the final whistle, Ivory Coast were pilling on the pressure, but some great defensive work from the Colombian players made sure their side picked up all three points.
Uruguay 2-1 England
In a must win match for the two teams or risk being eliminated, it was Luis Suarez playing against five of his Liverpool teammates that stole the show. With club football not playing any role in this encounter, both sets of players gave everything they had in order fight back from their previous losses.
England started the game with a few good attacking forrays, but failed to convert the chances in the final third as Uruguay looked to exploit the English frailties at the back. Wayne Rooney had a free-kick curve inches wide and saw his header hit the bar as he searched for his first World Cup goal.
However, six minutes from the end of the first half, a perfect delivery from Edinson Cavani met the head of Suarez and sent the ball into the back of Joe Hart’s net.
Roy Hodgson’s team came out attacking in the second half as they saw a close opportunity from Rooney bring up a brilliant reflex save from Fernando Muslera. The England number 10 did manage to score the equalizer in the 75th minute before more defensive mishaps saw Suarez lose the back four to fire home a tremendous strike, ending the game with a 2-1 victory for the South Americans and putting the European side on the brink of elimination.
Japan 0-0 Greece
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Japan and Greece competed in a much more tactical affair, but it’s the Europeans who will be the happier of the two when the final whistle blew in Natal. The Greeks had Kostas Katsouranis sent off in the 38th minute after picking up a second yellow, but Alberto Zaccheroni’s side were unable to break down a very stubborn back-line.
However it was Greece who threatened the Japanese goalkeeper more often, as Eiji Kawashima was forced into a few good saves.
The draw, and Colombia’s win, leaves both teams needing to win in the last game of the group stage in order to advance into the next round.