World Cup draw, new managers for Argentina and USA

* Saturday night in Rio sees the draw for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers for all except South America (CONMEBOL).

All eyes will be on the European draw where 1998 World Cup winners France have been downgraded to the second pot, meaning they will play one of the top seeds England, Spain, Holland, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Norway or Greece.

A host of Brazilian soccer stars are on hand to pull the balls out of the bags: Cafu and Neymar will draw the African teams, Zico the Asian teams, Bebeto CONCACAF, Mario Zagallo Oceania and Ganso and Ronaldo will do Europe.

*German legend Jurgen Klinsmann was confirmed today as the USA's new coach. 'Klinsi' has lived in America for 12 years and was offered the manager's job back in 2006 but declined because US Soccer was unwilling to accede to his demands to overhaul the whole organisation's coaching set-up.

The former Stuttgart, Inter, Monaco, Tottenham, Sampdoria and Bayern star, who won the European Championship and the World Cup for Germany, went back to setting up a soccer consultancy, most recently with Toronto FC, before the US came calling again following the national team's embarrassing capitulation in the Gold Cup final.

The appointment is still a big risk as Klinsmann has little experience as a manager. He took a hitherto mediocre Germany on home soil to the 2006 World Cup semi-final where they lost to eventual winners Italy, and lasted less than a season as Bayern Munich coach.

He has also had a tendency to fall out with management wherever he has played as he is possessed of strong opinions. This 'my way or the highway' approach was what scared off US Soccer five years ago, but in 2011 with no tournament until the World Cup to worry about, they are prepared to take the risk.

How much Klinsmann will prove to be a first-team coach or a youth system administrator remains to be seen.



* Alex Sabella, who had spells at Leeds and Sheffield United at the end of the 1970s, has been named Argentina manager after Sergio Batista was sacked following the team's quarter-final exit from the recent Copa America they hosted.

Sabella, 56, also had lengthy stays as a player at River Plate and Estudiantes, where he was first-team coach for the past two years.

*England and North Korea kicked off the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia with a 0-0 draw in Medellin. The host nation play France on Saturday in Bogota.

24 teams contest the tournament, which ends on the 20th of August in the capital city.

* 18 Italian clubs and 26 Italian players are due at their football association's disciplinary hearings in Rome next week in connection with match-fixing. Two Serie A clubs are implicated - Atalanta and Chievo, as well as former azzurri internationals Cristiano Doni and Beppe Signori.

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Copa America Quarter-Finals

Sat 16th July
A) Colombia v Peru 16:00
B) Argentina v Uruguay 19:15

Sun 17th July
C) Brazil v Paraguay 16:00
D) Chile v Venezuela 19:15

Semi-finals: 19th July A v B, 20th July C v D;
Final: 24th July

It's still all set for a traditional Brazil v Argentina final on the 24th of July but Argentina's ropey form in their first two games means the hosts' passage to Buenos Aires is less than certain.

In their path stand Uruguay, World Cup semi-finalists last summer, and fast-improving Colombia, who had the better of the Albiceleste in their 0-0 draw in Santa Fe.

That said, Argentina improved massively come their crucial last game, sweeping aside Costa Rica 3-0 with ease, although it must be said the Central American guests were not pressing as eagerly as you would have expected from a competitor.

Brazil, who also began with two draws, found their shooting boots on Wednesday with a 4-2 win over Ecuador, Alexandre Pato and Neymar bagging braces.



Facing the seleçao on Sunday are Paraguay, who qualified in third-place from Group B despite conceding two goals in the final three minutes to Venezuela.

Although they have had fewer attempts on target than any of the 11 other teams in Argentina, the Venezuelans could be the dark horse of the Copa. Having drawn 0-0 with Brazil in their opening game, they could get a second crack at them in the semi-final if they can overcome Group C winners Chile in their quarter-final. Easier said than done perhaps, as the Chileans have made almost twice as many successful passes as Venezuela this tournament. Only the big two have passed more.

Uruguay have been quiet so far with draws against Chile and Peru and a 1-0 win over Mexico's B-team, and while their forward line of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez is still one to fear and the historical weight of a clash with Argentina should lift them, the hosts should have woken up by the time of their meeting in Santa Fe.



Top Scorers: Brazil 6, Paraguay 5, Argentina, Chile & Venezuela 4, Colombia & Uruguay 3
Golden Boot: Aguero (ARG) 3, Neymar (BRA), Pato (BRA), Guerrero (PER) & Caicedo (ECU) 2

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Argentina through at a canter

COPA AMERICA 2011: Argentina 3:0 Costa Rica

They had to win to survive, but in the end Argentina qualified comfortably for the last eight of the Copa America with a 3:0 thrashing of Costa Rica in Cordoba.

Fears of a humiliating elimination proved unfounded; The Albiceleste never broke a sweat and at with a static Costa Rican defence and a game which was played at almost walking pace at times, the meeting between the hosts and the guests had the whiff of a friendly.

A slow first half warmed up in the closing minutes as Argentina began to cut through the red shirts with ease and pepper the goal from all angles. The breakthrough came when Sergio Aguero, whom coach Sergio Batista admitted after the draw with Colombia he should not have omitted, found the net in first-half injury time chasing up a parried shot.

Psychologically the timing was perfect and after the break the blue and white shirts were in control. Aguero, preferred to Carlos Tevez, steered the ball home from a Lionel Messi through-ball seven minutes after the break to ally any remaining nerves and when Angel Di Maria fired in a third just after the hour it was all over.

Costa Rica's lack of pressing in the middle allowed Messi unusual time and space to pull the strings and remind the many critics of his previous two performances of his magic feet.

So courtesy of a supine guest and the hosts are through and Argentina can breathe again. But sterner tests await.

The Albiceleste play the second team from Group C (Chile, Peru or Uruguay) in their quarter-final in Santa Fe on Saturday night.



Group A Final Points Tally

Colombia 7, Argentina 5, Costa Rica 3, Bolivia 1.

Today: Chile v Peru, Uruguay v Mexico

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Argentina depressed by second Copa draw

Copa America 2011

Argentina 0:0 Colombia

The host nation has embarked on a round of navel-gazing following a second successive draw in the Copa America.

On a foggy night in Santa Fe, Argentina, despite boasting the likes of Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez in their lineup, failed to catch fire and stumbled listlessly to a goalless finish with Colombia.

If anything, Los Cafeteros (the coffee growers) should have stolen the three points and enjoyed the better chances, particularly an open-goal miss by Dayro Moreno in the first half.

A limp back-pass by Barcelona's Gabriel Milito had allowed Adrian Ramos a clear run on goal and the Hertha Berlin striker tapped the ball wide of Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero before being scythed down by Nicolas Burdisso for a stonewall penalty.

But the referee played advantage as Moreno was racing in from the left with only a vacant net to hit. Luckily for the hosts the Tijuana striker fired into the side-netting instead.

Ramos had already spurned a chance to give Colombia the lead, Pablo Armero whistled a diagonal effort inches wide and Chelsea target Falcao troubled Romero with a couple of long-range shots.

Messi at one point looked to have injured himself with nobody near him, putting too much pressure on his right leg. The World Player of the Year dazzled at times but his and Tevez's dribbling cameos occurred in isolation as the Albiceleste (White & Sky Blue) put in a disjointed performance devoid of real attacking team-play.

Argentina might have grabbed a goal in the first half when Napoli marksman Ezequiel Lavezzi was one-on-one with Neco Martinez, but the Colombian goalkeeper stretched out a leg to prevent the strike. After the break subsititute striker Gonzalo Higuain cut in dangerously from the left and drew a low save from Martinez at his near post but was the extent of the hosts' threat in front of goal.

"The worst moment of the Batista era" cried 'La Nacion' newspaper in Argentina, piling the pressure onto the beleaguered coach Sergio Batista.

"Batista guides the Titanic towards the iceberg," decided Spain's AS, and "Come back Diego" was the cheeky headline in Brazil's Globodesporte.

Batista in his defence, wondered if his diminutive ball wizards were not the problem rather than the solution: "Maybe we lack a No.9 in the box", he noted.

Argentina's last group game is on Monday against Costa Rica in Cordoba, where only victory will do to ensure passage to the quarter-finals.

ARG - Romero, Zabaleta, Burdisso, Milito, Zanetti, Banega (Higuain 71'), Mascherano, Cambiasso (Gago 64'), Lavezzi (Aguero 64') Messi, Tevez
COL- Martinez, Armero, Perea, Yepes, Zunida, Aguilar, Guarin, Dayro Moreno (Mosquera 91'), Ramos (Soto 89'), Carlos Moreno, Falcao (Gutierrez 87')

Group A
Colombia Pld 2 pts 4
Argentina Pld 2 Pts 2
Bolivia Pld 1 Pts 1
Costa Rica Pld 1 Pts 0

Today: Bolivia v Costa Rica




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Colombia take early lead in Copa America

Argentina 1:1 Bolivia
Colombia 1:0 Costa Rica

Colombia are the early leaders of Group A after labouring to a 1-0 win over Costa Rica in Jujuy.

The host nation, boasting an all-star lineup including Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, had opening night nerves in La Plata, allowing Bolivia to steal a lead two minutes after half time through Edivaldo Rojas. But Sergio Aguero spared Argentina's blushes with a 76th minute equaliser.



Colombia, who won their only Copa at home in 2001, grabbed three points from Adrian Ramos' strike on the cusp of half-time. Invitees Costa Rica had Randall Brenes red-carded for a reckless knee-high tackle after 27 minutes. Los Cafeteros and Argentina meet in Santa Fe on Wednesday.

Sunday: Brazil v Venezuela, Paraguay v Ecuador

* * *

In the FIFA Women's World Cup, the USA made it to the last eight, eliminating debutants Colombia with a 3-0 win in Sinsheim. Sweden are also through, after beating North Korea 1-0 in Augsburg.

Australia got their campaign back on track with a 3:2 win over Equatorial Guinea in Bochum, leaving three nations on three points in Group D going into tonight's Brazil v Norway clash.

* * *

In the FIFA U-17 World Cup it is quarter-final time with Uruguay taking on Uzbekistan and Japan facing Brazil today, with England v Germany and France v Mexico tomorrow.

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Can Argentina Win The World Cup?

It is perhaps one of the most intriguing stories of a World Cup with many intriguing stories. Steered by the unsteady hand of Diego Maradonna, Argentina qualified for the finals by the skin of their teeth but boast some world class players that make them genuine contenders in South Africa this summer.

Few men have won the World Cup as player and coach - Maradonna's legend is already secure but lifting the Jules Rimet trophy again would bring true god-like status among his people.

It is amazing that in spite of his many previous transgressions he is national coach at all. A chaotic qualifying campaign did little to enhance his coaching reputation and he loses friends at an alarming rate. Still he is there though and in Lionel Messi he has the one player who could emulate Maradonna's own feat at Mexico 86 - single handedly inspiring his country to become World Champions.

There's a snag though - Maradonna has yet to find the right role for Messi and has struggled to get the best from his best player. Messi's domestic form for Barcelona is rarely transferred to the international team and Maradonna must work out this conundrum before the finals begin if his team are to have any chance of lifting the famous trophy.

Finding the right blend has been an wider problem as well - in qualifying 78 players were used with people falling in and out of favour by the game. They lost 6-1 to Bolivia early in the campaign and eventually qualified in fourth place in quite bizarre circumstances.

The final game against Uruguay was a must win for both sides to secure fourth spot. Debutant Mario Bolatti's 84th minute winner was enough to see Argentina home but it was the previous game that saw lady luck smile on La Albiceleste.

An incredible finale to the penultimate match against bottom side Peru saw the Peruvians score in the last minute to make it 1-1 and put Argentina in real peril. Then in biblical storms, Martin Palermo scored an offside looking 93rd minute winner to send the home crowd into frenzy. Unbelievably, straight from the kick off, Peru player, Juan Vargas, launched the ball at goal and forced the home keeper to tip it onto the bar. Argentina were seconds, a flag, or a glove away from total disaster.

The latter stages of a World Cup generally sees the usual suspects battling it out for the big prize. How many times have an average German team made the final? Aside from Messi, Argentina can boast the likes of Carlos Tevez (currently inspiring Manchester City to Champions League qualification), Gonzalo Higuain (locked in a goalscoring battle with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid), Diego Millito (firing the goals for Inter Milan), and a rejuvenated Juan Sebastian Veron providing the ammunition for this potent strikeforce.

And then of course there is Sergio Aguero - Maradonna's son-in-law and heir apparent to Messi and perhaps Maradonna himself. Aguero is a player of real talent and every world cup sees the emergence of a new world star - Aguero could be the one this time around.

Their weakness is in defence but with the protection of Javier Mascherano sat in front (potentially alongside Esteban Cambiasso) the leaks can be plugged, providing a solid and uncompromising platform for their exciting forwards to wreak havoc.

The bookies have Argentina as fourth favourites and really they could be anything under Maradonna. This is what makes the story so appealing and it will be fascinating to watch in what promises to be just one of many sub plots in South Africa this summer.

BruiseLee

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