Snak

Una lista sin sorpresas para Colombia

BOGOTÁ -- El seleccionador de fútbol de Colombia, José Pekerman, divulgó el jueves la lista de 26 jugadores con los que enfrentará a Ecuador y Uruguay en los próximos partidos de las Eliminatorias al Mundial de Brasil 2014, en la que reaparecen Teófilo Gutiérrez y Macnelly Torres.

La lista no presenta mayores novedades con respecto a las convocatorias anteriores, salvo el regreso de Gutiérrez, delantero del River Plate de Argentina, y de Torres, centrocampista del Al-Shabab de Arabia, quienes no estuvieron en el último amistoso en el que los colombianos vencieron a Serbia por 1-0 en España.

Están también en la lista los defensas Mario Yepes del Atalanta de Italia y Cristian Zapata del Milán, quienes no podrán jugar ante Ecuador por acumulación de tarjetas amarillas pero sí podrían estar en el partido con los uruguayos, si así lo dispone el técnico.

Los jugadores convocados se unirán a la concentración del equipo en Barranquilla entre los próximos sábado y lunes, a medida que finalicen los compromisos del fin de semana con sus respectivos clubes, informó la Federación Colombiana de Fútbol.

El equipo de Pekerman marcha en la segunda casilla de la clasificación general de la eliminatoria suramericana con 23 puntos, tres menos que el líder Argentina que tiene un partido más jugado.

El partido con Ecuador se jugará el próximo viernes 6 de septiembre en Barranquilla, y ante Uruguay será el martes 10 en Montevideo.


= CONVOCADOS:

- ARQUEROS: David Ospina (Niza-FRA), Farid Mondragón (Cali), Camilo Vargas (Santa Fe).

- DEFENSORES: Mario Yepes (Atalanta-ITA), Luis Amaranto Perea (Cruz Azul-MEX), Aquivaldo Mosquera (América-MEX), Carlos Valdés (Santa Fe), Cristian Zapata (Milán-ITA), Camilo Zúñiga y Pablo Armero (Nápoles-ITA) y Stefan Medina (Atlético Nacional).

- MEDIOCAMPISTAS: Abel Aguilar (Toulouse-FRA), Carlos Sánchez (Elche-ESP), Alex Mejía (Atlético Nacional), Freddy Guarín (Inter-ITA), Elkin Soto (Maguncia-ALE), Aldo Ramírez (Morelia-MEX), Juan Guillermo Cuadrado (Fiorentina-MEX), Macnelly Torres (Al-Shabab-ARA), Juan Fernando Quintero (Oporto-POR) y James Rodríguez (Mónaco-FRA)

- DELANTEROS: Falcao García (Mónaco-FRA), Teófilo Gutiérrez (River Plate-ARG), Jackson Martínez (Oporto-POR), Luis Fernando Muriel (Udinese-ITA) y Carlos Bacca (Sevilla-ESP).

Cauteruccio: "Creemos en el trabajo"

BUENOS AIRES -- El atacante de San Lorenzo Martín Cauteruccio afirmó el jueves que confía en que podrán revertir el pobre presente del equipo, que acumula tres derrotas consecutivas, y remarcó que creen "en el trabajo y en el técnico", Juan Antonio Pizzi.

"Estamos confiados en lo que va a venir y creemos en el trabajo y en lo que el técnico nos dice. Creemos que con esa confianza los resultados van a venir", dijo Cauteruccio en conferencia de prensa.

San Lorenzo, acaso uno de los equipos que mejor y más rápido se reforzó previo al inicio de la temporada, sufrió el lunes ante Quilmes la tercera derrota consecutiva, luego de los traspiés frente a Argentinos Juniors, por el Torneo Inicial, y River, por Copa Sudamericana.

"Es importante pensar en el siguiente partido y no en los otros. La realidad marca que debemos empezar a ganar y tenemos la obligación de jugar bien y demostrar por qué vestimos la camiseta", sostuvo Cauteruccio. Pero el goleador del "Ciclón" está tranquilo porque -destacó- "hay trabajo y eso se va a ver en la cancha".

Para el ex delantero de Quilmes, "siempre hay que trabajar en lo anímico, en la cabeza, porque tenés que estar bien, ser fuertes y positivos".

"El campeonato es largo y sabemos que hoy podemos estar más abajo y después más arriba, pero tenemos que jugarnos todo porque es lo que esta camiseta representa", remarcó Cauteruccio.

San Lorenzo recibirá a River el domingo, desde las 21.15, por la quinta fecha del Torneo Inicial, en tanto que jueves próximo lo visitará por el partido de vuelta de la segunda fase de la Copa Sudamericana.

Tabárez citó a Castro

MONTEVIDEO -- El juvenil defensa José María Giménez y el delantero Gonzalo Castro son las novedades de la selección de Uruguay que tendrá su habitual tridente ofensivo, Luis Suárez, Diego Forlán y Edinson Cavani, en los partidos de eliminatorias del Mundial frente a Perú y Colombia.

El entrenador Oscar Washington Tabárez confirmó hoy una plantilla de 26 futbolistas para encarar ambos encuentros en los que los celestes se jugarán buena parte de sus aspiraciones de llegar al Mundial de Brasil 2014.

Por primera vez Tabárez convocó a Giménez, de 19 años y recientemente contratado por el Atlético de Madrid.

El juvenil reemplaza a Sebastián Coates, del Liverpool inglés, que sufrió rotura de tendón de una rodilla en el partido amistoso que la selección ganó a Japón el 14 de agosto por 4-2.

Además, entró en la ligas de convocados el experimentado delantero Gonzalo ´Chori´ Castro del también español Real Sociedad.

Tabárez vuelve a llamar al defensa Jorge Fucile, del Oporto portugués, quien no era citado desde el Mundial de Sudáfrica 2010.

La Celeste es quinta con 16 puntos de las eliminatorias sudamericanas. Los mismos que Venezuela, pero con un partido menos.

Si el torneo terminara hoy deberían jugar una repesca.

La selección uruguaya visitará a la de Perú el 6 de septiembre y recibirá a la de Colombia en Montevideo el día 10.


LA LISTA DE CONVOCADOS

Arqueros: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray-TUR), Martín Silva (Olimpia-PAR) y Juan Castillo (Peñarol).

Defensas: Diego Lugano (West Bromwich-GBR), Diego Godín y José María Giménez (Atlético de Madrid-ESP), Martín Cáceres (Juventus-ITA), Andrés Scotti (Nacional), Matías Aguirregaray (Estudiantes de La Plata-ARG), Jorge Fucile (Oporto-POR) y Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica-POR).

Centrocampistas: Walter Gargano (Nápoles-ITA), Álvaro Fernández (Nacional), Diego Pérez (Bolonia-ITA), Egidio Arévalo Ríos (Chicago Fire-USA), Álvaro González (Lazio-ITA), Álvaro Pereira (Inter-ITA), Sebastián Eguren (Palmeiras-BRA), Cristian Rodríguez (Atlético de Madrid-ESP), Nicolás Lodeiro (Botafogo-BRA) y Gastón Ramírez (Southampton-GBR).

Delanteros: Gonzalo Castro (Real Sociedad-ESP), Diego Forlán (Internacional-BRA), Luis Suárez (Liverpool-GBR), Edinson Cavani (París Saint Germain-FRA) y Christian Stuani (Español-ESP).

Copa do Brasil Wrap: Vasco, Internacional in final eight

Vasco da Gama have come from behind to win 2-1 over Nacional AM and secure a spot in the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals.

Nacional headed to Vasco´s home ground in Rio de Janeiro two goals down from the first leg of their round-of-16 clash but struck from the penalty spot in just the seventh minute on Thursday to keep their hopes of progressing alive.

But Vasco recovered from the early blow and were level at half-time thanks to Marlone´s strike, while Dakson gave the hosts victory in the 89th minute to wrap up a 4-1 aggregate win.

Internacional advanced with a 5-2 aggregate victory, despite being held to a 2-2 draw away to Salgueiro.

In Rio, Nacional stunned the home crowd when Erick Soares Rosa beat Vasco´s Fillipe Soutto in the penalty area and then was brought down from behind by the midfielder.

Nacional´s captain Danilo Rios had his spot kick saved by Vasco goalkeeper Diogo Silva but scored from the rebound to put the visitors ahead.

Vasco equalised in the 33rd minute when Victor Yotun got past his opponent on the left wing, burst into the area and then cut back to Marlone, who slotted his shot into the top corner.

In a tight second half, Vasco had to wait until the penultimate minute of normal time to win the contest.

A flowing move ended with Fabio Lima on the right-hand side of their attacking penalty box and he lifted a brilliant pass over a Nacional defender to fellow substitute Dakson, who poked the ball the home from a tight angle.

In Salgueiro, Internacional were pegged back twice by their Serie D hosts with the home side snatching a draw with an equaliser in second-half injury time.

Jorge Henrique scored the visitors´ opener in the first half before Ranieri pulled Salgueiro level in the 57th minute.

Alex Raphael Meschini hit the back of the net five minutes later to give Internacional the ascendency again.

But in the 91st minute, Daniel Rodrigues Nazare slammed his left-foot shot past Internacional´s goalkeeper Alisson to give the home side some joy despite their elimination.

Internacional and Vasco have joined Gremio, Atletico PR, Goias, Corinthians, Flamengo and Botafogo in the last eight.

Copa Sudamericana Wrap: Penalty decides all-Argentine battle

A second-half penalty has handed Velez Sarsfield a 2-1 aggregate win over Belgrano in an all-Argentine Copa Sudamericana clash.

Velez advanced to the third round of South America´s second-tier continental competition after Belgrano midfielder Esteban Gonzalez dragged Agustin Allione down in the box and Lucas Pratto converted from the spot.

Pratto´s penalty secured a 2-0 win for Velez in front of their home fans, which was enough to overcome their Primera Division rivals on aggregate.

Velez levelled the tie in the 29th minute of Thursday´s second leg after a brilliant move involving five players.

Left-back Emiliano Papa started the move with a pass inside to Alejandro Cabral, who linked with Allione on the left flank.

As Papa overlapped, Allione slid the ball back to Cabral on the edge of the box and the 25-year-old midfielder back-heeled to Hector Canteros.

Canteros pierced Belgrano´s defence with a through-ball to Allione and the teenage winger squared a pass for the onrushing Ezequiel Rescaldani to score.

In a tense second half and with the tie in the balance, Velez eventually notched the crucial second goal after Allione got past Gonzalez only for the Belgrano midfielder to tug on the 18-year-old´s arm and concede a penalty.

Pratto stepped up to the spot and side-footed his shot into the bottom corner to clinch victory for Velez.

http://www.youtube.com/w…pvJtbmhBdJU

In Sangolqui, Ecuador, Universidad de Chile scored twice in the final 20 minutes to secure a 4-2 aggregate win over Independiente del Valle.

Universidad were held to a 1-1 draw at home but took the lead on the night and on aggregate when Isaac Diaz scored in the 27th minute.

Independiente equalised three minutes later through Armando Solis but Universidad triumphed thanks to Charles Aranguiz and Luciano Civelli´s strikes in the 70th and 86th minutes respectively.

http://www.youtube.com/w…9R0itRt6qSI

In other results, Colombia´s La Equidad advanced on away goals after a 1-1 draw at C

Cobreloa of Chile and Ecuadorian club LDU Loja triumphed 1-0 away to Paraguay´s Nacional Asuncion.

http://www.youtube.com/w…a_lULN68fYw

http://www.youtube.com/w…s4rH5EDyXAs

CONCACAF Champions League Wrap: Comunicaciones break through for first win

Comunicaciones have claimed their first win of the CONCACAF Champions League group stage with a 3-0 thumping of Caledonia AIA.

Paolo Suarez notched a hat-trick for the Guatemalan club when he scored his third goal in second-half stoppage time at Caledonia´s Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The win on Thursday took Comunicaciones to three points from two games in Group 6, while Caledonia remain point-less.

Comunicaciones trail Mexican club Toluca by three points.

Suarez put Comunicaciones ahead in the 10th minute when he cut in from the left wing and thrashed his shot past Caledonia´s goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel.

Caledonia´s Jamal Gay missed a huge chance at an equaliser before half-time when he headed wide and the visitors did the same three minutes after the break when Jonathan Marquez failed to convert from the spot.

But Suarez ensured Marquez´s miss was not critical when he claimed his second goal with a long-range strike just after the hour mark.

The Uruguayan striker scored his third when Samuel injured himself while taking a goal kick, which allowed Suarez to poke the ball into an empty net from the edge of the area.

http://www.youtube.com/w…aJTtTms9dAQ


In the day´s other clash, Costa Rica´s Alajuelense defeated America 1-0 to draw level with the Mexican side in Group 4.

An 83rd-minute penalty from Alvaro Sanchez gave Alajuelense victory on their home soil.

Alajuelense rose to three points to sit alongside America and Sporting San Miguelito of Panama with all three clubs having one win and one loss.

http://www.youtube.com/w…aJTtTms9dAQ

Bolivia LFPD Wrap: Bolivar, The Strongest preserve top-two standing

Bolivar have maintained top spot in the Liga del Futbol Profesional Boliviano (LFPB) with a 3-1 win over Guabira.

With second-placed The Strongest keeping the pressure on Bolivar with a 4-2 triumph over Sport Boys, Bolivar ensured they remained top heading into the weekend´s matches with two goals in the last 11 minutes to see off Guabira.

William Ferreira put Bolivar ahead in the eighth minute at Guabira´s Estadio Gilberto Parada but the home side were level at half-time thanks to Juan Pablo Rioja´s 24th-minute strike.

The third-last team in the LFPB´s standings looked set to claim a shock draw until the visitors hit the front again in the 79th minute.

Rudy Cardozo scored to make it to 2-1 for Bolivar, while Juan Carlos Arce doubled the visitors´ lead two minutes later to wrap up the victory.

http://www.youtube.com/w…PC2tlyNCgqA


Veteran striker Pablo Daniel Escobar led The Strongest to victory, scoring a brace in the second half.

Sport Boys led after 12 minutes when Thiago Leitao scored but goals to Luis Melgar, Daniel Chavez and Escobar´s brace put The Strongest in control with less than half an hour to play.

Despite Ferreira´s late second goal for Sport Boys, The Strongest moved up to 12 points, level with Bolivar but trailing their local rivals on goal difference.

http://www.youtube.com/w…jtOIKfmTEWA

Bolivar have a goal difference of plus 14, while their La Paz rivals are on plus seven.

San Jose moved up to fourth with a 2-1 win away to Real Potosi, drawing within one point of Wilstermann.

Marcelo Gomes scored in either half for San Jose as the Oruro-based club took the three points at Real´s Estadio Victor Augustin Ugarte.

http://www.youtube.com/w…jtOIKfmTEWA


San Jose moved ahead of Sport Boys into fourth due to goal difference and sit just behind Wilstermann, who drew 1-1 with Nacional Potosi to reach nine points for the season.

http://www.youtube.com/w…jtOIKfmTEWA


In other results, Club Universitario were denied victory as an own goal from Federico Silvestre handed Aurora a 3-3 draw, while Oriente Petrolero defeated Blooming 1-0.


http://www.youtube.com/w…jtOIKfmTEWA

http://www.youtube.com/w…qB0_xQaJgvU

Relegation threat hovers over Chivas

"Ghosts" surround Chivas.

And in Guadalajara, they have set up an "emergency plan" where everyone has an assignment, a specific role to try and help leave this crisis period behind: Juan Carlos Ortega and the coaching staff are in charge of on-the-field matters. As far as state of mind, the thorny world of the mental state and thoughts of the players is in the hands of none other than Jorge Vergara.

As much or as little as one wants to consider the difficult percentages, there is a serious worry and uneasiness at Chivas, undoubtedly for good reasons.

This is no longer just a soccer issue. It´s clear that Chivas isn´t working on the field. They commit serious defensive errors, they don´t create good scoring opportunities and their strikers - the area which they have brought in the most players in recent years - can´t take their chances to score goals. But the most important problem that the team continues to drag these days is still their state of mind. Chivas players do not show commitment, pride, spirit, and teamwork which the red and white shirt demands.

Jorge Vergara had to resort to his tried and tested method to find a solution. That method which for 10 years has given him, more or less, decent results. He appeared without warning on the training grounds and walked around them, with an almost forced smile, with a small orange drink bottle in his hand and without socks - as he says himself, in order to feel the earth´s vibrations. In the recent past, that was enough to encourage players. Vergara´s words, more than a threat, would serve as an encouragement for Chivas to close ranks and motivate them on the playing field.

Today´s circumstances are even more serious. And Vergara himself knows it.

While the new coach tries to distance himself from despair and find the right tactics on the field, the management, with Dennis Te Kloese in charge, tries to de-emphasize the subject of relegation. "We are not going to enter into a state of pressure or panic. It is something that we are aware of, but which we are not worried about at this time.

Chivas is 18 points from last place in the percentages table, a safe distance but one which in no way allows for feeling confident and out of danger from being relegated. The task now is to get the team to recover its ability to play on the field - with the resources at hand and nothing else - and to try to recover the spirit which once the Chivas shirt embodied.

The coaching staff as well as management and the owner know that the fans will return once results improve.
Chivas is going back to its original plan, the same which it established almost 11 years ago when Jorge Vergara burst into the partners meeting and took control of the club: those who know about soccer would be in charge of soccer, and he would lend support to the team as far as motivation and state of mind. This separation of tasks, at the time, worked for Chivas. Today, that plan emerges as hope.

And they don´t say it, they don´t want to make it obvious, they don´t want to show it, but Chivas is worried and overwhelmed and is looking for recovery on and off the field.

Abreu o Castillejos, por Luna

ROSARIO -- Los delanteros Sebastián Abreu y Gonzalo Castillejos pelean por un lugar en el primer equipo de Rosario Central, ya que uno de ellos reemplazará al lesionado Carlos Luna, el domingo ante Colón, en el Estadio Brigadier Estanislao López, por la quinta fecha del Torneo Inicial.

Luna padece una distensión muscular (cara posterior del muslo derecho) y sigue entrenando en forma diferenciada. En la práctica de fútbol desarrollada este jueves, a puertas cerradas, en el predio de Arroyo Seco, Abreu fue el nueve titular del equipo de Central, aunque en la segunda etapa del ensayo ingresó Castillejos.

La probable alineación sería con Mauricio Caranta; Paulo Ferrari, Alejandro Donatti, Franco Peppino, Rafael Delgado; Hernán Encina, Nery Domínguez, Federico Carrizo, Diego Lagos; Franco Niell y Abreu o Castillejos.

Berti espera por Bernardi en Newell´s

ROSARIO -- El capitán de Newell´s, Lucas Bernardi, está en duda para recibir el sábado a Estudiantes de La Plata a causa de una fatiga muscular en el isquiotibial derecho.

Bernardi será esperado "hasta mañana (viernes)" porque le harán "unos estudios para ver cómo está su pierna", según dijo hoy el entrenador Alfredo Berti, pero la idea del cuerpo técnico es que juegue sólo si se recupera totalmente de su molestia.

En caso de que el capitán del puntero del torneo Inicial no sea de la partida, las opciones que evalúa Berti para reemplazarlo son varias.

En principio, el peruano Rinaldo Cruzado tendría la chance de ingresar como titular por el sector izquierdo del mediocampo. También podría retrasarse a esa posición Víctor Figueroa e ingresar Martín Tonso en la zona de ataque.

Tampoco hay que descartar al chaqueño Horacio Orzán ni la posibilidad de que el técnico arme un "doble cinco" con Hernán Villalba al lado de Diego Mateo.

El resto de la formación será la misma que venció 3-0 a Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata el martes, en el partido postergado de la segunda fecha que lo dejó a Newell´s como el solitario líder del torneo.

Los once para recibir a Estudiantes el sábado a las 16, entonces, serían: Nahuel Guzmán; Marcos Cáceres, Víctor López, Gabriel Heinze, Milton Casco; Pablo Pérez, Mateo, Bernardi o Cruzado u Orzán; Víctor Figueroa, Víctor Aquino y Maximiliano Rodríguez. Berti dijo que Estudiantes será un "duro rival" y comentó que el conjunto platense "tiene buenos jugadores, con técnica y velocidad por los costados".

"Además encontraron al nueve, que es un jugador importante y de cuidado", expresó en alusión a Guido Carrillo, el autor de los dos goles de Estudiantes en el triunfo 2-0 ante Boca.

Por otro lado, dejó en claro que quiere llevar de a poco a David Trezeguet al indicar: "Él está día a día mejorando y, como digo siempre, la idea nuestra es tratar de que no retroceda en su recuperación. Eso es lo que ha sucedido hasta hoy. Y a medida que vaya sumando minutos se irá sintiendo mejor. Pero por ahora, desde el arranque, todavía no".