Snak

Mexico U17s advance to Semis after penalty win against Brazil


Current holders, Mexico kept their hopes of retaining the crown alive with a dramatic 11-10 penalty win against Brasil earlier in the Under 17 World Cup. The 90 minutes proved an edgy affair with not many chances and so when Mexico took the lead through Ochoa’s close range finish it appeared that El Tri may knock out, favourites, Brazil. However, 5 minutes later, Brazil were level through Nathan and the game ended going to penalties. After both sides missed one of their initial 5 the drama continued until all 11 players had stepped up. Finally, as Brazil started the second round of penalties, Mexican goalkeeper, Raul Gudiño guessed correctly to leave Alejandro Diaz to tuck away the 11th kick and book a place in the Semi Final. Mexico will face the winner of Argentina and Ivory Coast.

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Boca: confirmaron un nuevo desgarro de Fernando Gago

BUENOS AIRES -- Fernando Gago, volante de Boca Juniors y de la Selección nacional, padece un desgarro en el biceps femoral derecho, según confirmó en la tarde del viernes el parte oficial del cuerpo médico del club xeneize.
Gago sufrió una nueva lesión a pocos minutos de terminar el entrenamiento del jueves en la Bombonera, en donde el entrenador Carlos Bianchi había parado el posible equipo para enfrentar el domingo a San Lorenzo en el ´Nuevo Gasómetro´.
Para este tipo de lesiones, el tiempo estipulado por los médicos suele ser de 21 días para una recuperación plena, con lo cual Gago se pierde de esta forma la gira de la Selección nacional, que tiene programados dos partidos en Estados Unidos entre el 15 y el 19 de noviembre.

Si bien los médicos de Boca trabajarán con un plan especial de tratamiento para Gago -quien suma cuatro desgarros en lo que va de este año-, se estima que el talentoso volante no jugaría en lo que resta de la temporada para recuperarse plenamente de sus lesiones.

La AFA le quitará seis puntos a Colón

BUENOS AIRES -- A Colón de Santa Fe le quitarán seis puntos por disposición de la FIFA, a causa de irregularidades en el pago al Atlante de México del pase del mediocampista Juan Carlos Falcón.

La deuda del club santafesino con Atlante asciende a los 600 mil dólares y este tema comenzó en 2007, cuando Colón se hizo de los servicios de Falcón, aunque nunca pagó.

Luego de un reclamo que se extendió por este tiempo, el Atlante logró que la FIFA exija a la AFA que haga efectiva la sanción, la cual consiste en la quita de seis unidades correspondientes al corriente Torneo Inicial.

Semanas atrás, cuando todavía estaba en funciones, el presidente de Colón, Germán Lerche, había estado reunido en la sede de la AFA con Julio Grondona, intentando dar una solución que supuestamente se había conseguido para esta situación, evitando la quita de estos puntos.

Sin embargo, nada de esto sucedió y es por eso que hoy el máximo organismo del fútbol le exige a su par argentino que ponga en marcha la sanción, caso contrario podría ser castigada la propia AFA.

Según manifestó Miguel Silva, dirigente de AFA a Radio La Red Santa Fe, "le salió a Colón una sentencia, hay un pago pendiente y FIFA pidió quita de seis puntos. Los puntos AFA se los va a sacar a Colón en este campeonato y el club ya sabía hace unos días de esta sentencia".

Respecto a los pasos a seguir en el futuro inmediato por la institución santafesina, el propio Silva expresó que "Colón pondrá de manifiesto sacar las divisas al exterior. Pero el club tiene que pagar más allá de la sanción".

Ante esta noticia, que se hizo pública en los minutos previos al comienzo del cotejo ante Newell´s Old Boys, generó todavía más preocupación entre los simpatizantes locales, los que de inmediato comenzaron con el repudio generalizado hacia la comisión directiva que hoy encabeza Rubén Moncagatta.

Con esta quita de puntos, Colón reúne en la actualidad 112 unidades en la tabla de promedios, quedando a cinco unidades de los que hoy pierden la categoría y seriamente comprometido a raíz del pésimo momento que atraviesa el equipo santafesino.

Trezeguet, "feliz" de llegar a los 300

SANTA FE -- El delantero franco argentino de Newell´s Old Boys David Trezeguet afirmó este viernes que se encuentra "muy felíz" tras haber superado los 300 goles en su carrera con el doblete que marcó en el empate 2-2 ante Colón de Santa Fe.

"Estoy finalizando mi carrera y hoy llegué a una suma importante. Superar los trescientos goles es un muy importante, estoy muy felíz y espero seguir aportando. Espero tener más minutos, aunque es el técnico el que siempre decide", precisó el atacante tras el encuentro, en el que marcó los dos tantos de su conjunto.

En cuanto al desarrollo del partido, Trezeguet admitió que fueron de menor a mayor en el partido, mejorando notablemente en el segundo período.

"Fue una lástima el primer tiempo que jugamos porque no estuvimos en el nivel en que veníamos. Pero, el equipo mejoró en el segundo y el grupo demostró que está con ganas y seguimos imponiendo nuestro fútbol", comentó el ex delantero de River Plate.

Y agregó quien fue campeón mundial de mayores con el seleccionado de Francia en el ´98: "Quiero felicitar a Colón porque a pesar de sus problemas demostró que tiene mucho futuro y que tiene muy buenos jugadores".

Lo concreto es que Trezeguet, a los 36 años de edad, ya le aportó al fútbol profesional 301 goles, como para ratificar que es un artillero de gran categoría, más allá de que se halle en la última etapa de su destacada campaña.

Flamengo Beat Goiás 2×1 Away: Daily

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Flamengo have one foot in the final of the Copa do Brasil after winning the first leg of their semi-final against Goiás 2-1 last night. Playmaker Paulinho was the best player on the night as the Rubro-Negro soaked up huge amounts of pressure during the second half to cling on to a precious advantage.

Goiás were missing star striker Walter and his absence was particularly telling as the game progressed. The home side continually threatened but lacked a killer instinct to draw level.

Goiás had fourteen shots to Flamengo’s five yet will arrive at the Maracanã for the return leg with a 2-1 deficit. Crucially for Fla, they scored two goals away from home, which could become crucial if the aggregate score is tied after 180 minutes.

However, midfielder Elias confirmed Fla still have a lot to do. “The result is important but nothing is decided. We are going to have an advantage in front of our fans, and when they give support to the team we are almost unbeatable,” he said at the final whistle.

Close to 40,000 were inside the Serra Dourada stadium in Goiânia to see the match. Nevertheless, it was Flamengo who started the better team and looked like the home side, playing calm and precise football as they probed the Goiás defense.

Paulinho gave Flamengo a deserved lead on 25 minutes when he beat two defenders and slotted the ball past the outcoming Renan. An excellent cross-shot from Victor brought the scores level on 38 minutes but Fla didn’t have to wait long to get their noses in front again.

Just two minutes later, Flamengo were awarded a free-kick on the outskirts of the penalty area. Defender Chicão stepped up and lashed an effort into the left-hand corner of the net.

Goiás cranked up the pressure at the interval but Flamengo’s defense was admirably stable throughout the second half. Now they need to complete the job at the Maracanã next week.

Honduras out but not down

Luis Santos is last out of the locker-room after Honduras’ quarter-final defeat to Sweden. The captain anchors a procession of red-eyed Catrachos, their heads tilted toward the floor. They’d come so close to booking their place in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE.

“It’s a hard feeling. It doesn’t feel good right now,” The Olimpia player, sniffling through recently shed tears, told FIFA.com in the brightly lit corridors of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium, Swedish roars and raucous celebrations ringing in his ears from the other end of the hall. It might have been the other end of the world for the home-bound Hondurans. “We worked hard for our country and now we have to go home, and we have to do it in the right way. We have to be humble.”

Santos, who plays for domestic club giants Olimpia of Tegucigalpa, was at the heart of a Honduran defence that, despite shipping eight goals in their five games, were sturdy and decisive. A strong centre-back with a keen sense of where to be and how to put out the inevitable fires, Santos’ strong will and tough tackling personified the Catracho spirit of graft and grit. It should not be forgotten that Honduras had never before won a match at a U-17 world finals, making their run to the last eight here in UAE all the more impressive.

We made people a little more aware of Honduras.Catracho captain Luis Santos

It’s cold comfort for Santos, though, who will need a few days to see all those positives. “Being here was a special time for us, but right now it’s hard to see. We’ve reached the quarter-final of a World Cup, so we, eventually, will have a great feeling of satisfaction. But we could have done a little more against Sweden,” he added ruefully of the last-eight game in which the Hondurans scored first only two surrender a pair of second-half goals. “Se there are some regrets too, and that’s what I feel the most right now.”

The defender’s sparse chin whiskers and cracking voice are a reminder of just how young these players are. Their celebrations are pure joy and their devastations can be raw. But Santos, along with talented mates like Rembrandt Flores and Brayan Velasquez, have done a fine service to Honduran football. They can rank themselves proudly alongside the team that reached the quarter-finals of the London Olympics and indeed the senior side who recently beat Mexico at Azteca en route to booking their place in a second straight FIFA World Cup™.

“We made people a little more aware of Honduras,” added Santos as players and officials buzz around him, the bittersweet excitement of a closing venue getting the better of the desert oasis of Al Ain. “We did our best and people outside our country will see that Honduras made it a long way and we gave our all to go as far as we could.”

Santos’ last words before walking out into the dark are generous, advice to the next generation in his country, where opportunities aren’t terribly plentiful. “If you have a dream, you need to chase it. It’s not going to chase you,” he said, forcing a small smile. “Don’t conform to what is expected; don’t let other people tell you what you can be. Go on and do your best.”

Defeat just the beginning for Brazil

“That’s football,” said Brazil captain Lucas in conversation with FIFA.com after the cruel penalty shootout defeat against Mexico in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE.

It was football, and a little more besides. The central defender was referring to the wide range of emotions that arise at the end of 90 minutes (or a little more in this case) in this incredible sport. For the young Brazilian team, defeat in Dubai was quite simply devastating, and it will take some time to get over a 10-11 loss on penalties.

But even in the midst of despair there is room for optimism. One just needs to glance at the ages of these youngsters to see that even if they can no longer win this world title, they still have everything to play for. “We talked about this in training, how it is all a learning process. Some days you win, some days you lose," reasoned Lucas. "You go through difficult times and sad times, but of course there are also happy times. Now we’ve experienced this we can get on with our careers. It’s just the beginning.”

Unpredictable football

Brazil made a fantastic start to the competition, breezing through the group stage and qualifying with nine points, scoring 15 goals and conceding only two. It was by far the best campaign of any team in the opening phase, and in the Round of 16 against Russia, after a tricky opening 45 minutes, they turned on the style in the second half and won 3-1.

Against Mexico, however, Alexandre Gallo’s team could not repeat the trick. The absence of Boschilia was sorely felt, not just his goals, which had put him in the race to be the competition’s top scorer, but also his link-up play. But perhaps not even the Sao Paulo player would have made a difference against a well-organised Mexican team that battled hard and defended resolutely throughout the game. After all, Nathan’s life-saving equalizer came just five minutes from the end.

Some days you win, some days you lose.Brazil´s Lucas takes the philosophical route

“We tried everything, and we made Mexico work hard. We deserved the win,” said Gallo. “But they deserve credit too. They did a good job of closing us down. When you catch people’s eyes during a competition like we’ve done, then the games suddenly become more difficult.”

During his post-match interview the Brazil coach made it clear that he was more than satisfied with the way his team played. “With all due respect to the other sides, we were the best team in the competition,” he said. “But football is exciting because it’s so unpredictable. It’s the only sport in the world where the best team doesn’t always win.”

Graduation

Under Gallo’s command, this U-17 generation has played 29 games without defeat. There have been 22 victories and seven draws – even though the most recent of those feels like the worst kind of loss imaginable. On the other hand, the coach’s pride in his team is one reason why these young players can feel optimistic about the future. “That was the mood in the dressing room. We should be proud of what we achieved, of our campaign so far,” said Lucas. “It was a positive experience, and it will help us in the future.”

The majority of his team-mates will now change age category; only midfielder/winger Thiago Maia and goalkeeper Gabriel Bubniack were born in 1997 and so are young enough to continue at this level. The good news for the “graduates” is that as coordinator of the CBF youth divisions, Gallo may well promote some of them straight to the U-20 squad, as he himself has hinted.

Some of the players might soon be able to aim even higher, according to Gallo. After all, the coach has the ear of a certain Luiz Felipe Scolari, for whom he worked as a scout during the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013, analysing Brazil’s potential opponents. Gallo revealed that Scolari sent his assistant Flavio Murtosa to Abu Dhabi to observe the youngsters up close.

"Felipao and I have talked a lot about these players. We are keeping an eye on a number of them. In fact Murtosa came to watch one of them in the first game," he said. "Brazil has a tradition of bringing players through early, and of giving youngsters a chance, with an eye on World Cups to come. In football, anything can happen.”

Argentina edge Ivorians to last four

Argentina booked their place in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup with a minimum of fuss, beating Côte d´Ivoire 2-1 in the last eight. The contest at the Sharjah Stadium lacked spark, but the Argentines did just enough to push through to the last four where they will face defending champions Mexico in Abu Dhabi.

The South Americans were in no mood to waste time, taking the lead after only six minutes of play on the final matchday in Sharjah. Matias Sanchez picked up his head in a wide right position and sent in a dangerous, looping cross that flew over the back-peddling Ivorian defenders. Joaquin Ibanez was on the spot in the area, collecting the ball on his chest before taking a touch and firing past Seck Diabagate.

The west Africans had no choice but to come out of their defensive shell and push forward into attack, not a familiar approach for the conservative Baby Elephants. After 15 minutes, Aboubakar Keita tried to curl a free-kick past Augusto Batalla, but the Argentine keeper was up to the task and he caught the effort with relative ease. Two minutes later, Kouame N Guessan went on a flying raid up the left flank and pulled the ball back across the penalty area. Kouassi Begbin made a hash of his first touch, and by the time he turned and got a shot off he couldn’t generate anywhere near enough power or direction to trouble the keeper.

Just after the half-hour mark of a disjointed match, littered with physical play and repetitive fouling, the South Americans deservedly doubled their advantage to make it 2-0. Rodrigo Moerira kept his cool to stretch past his marker and poke a bouncing corner-kick over the line at full stretch with the bottom of his boot.

The second half began with the Ivorians pressing forward, trying to get a foothold in the contest. But they failed to get into any kind of attacking rhythm and the Argentines were happy enough to absorb the pressure and make the occasional raid up-field. Franck Kessie’s free-kick from the edge of the box in the 66th minute flew into the arms of Batalla. Seconds later, the Africans were on the attack again. This time, substitute Chris Bedia showed off a few feints and tricks to leave a pair of defenders in his dust. His finish was lacking, however, and Batalla blocked it wide.

The Ivorians gave themselves a lifeline in the 77th minute when Digbo Maiga’s crossed was blocked by the hand of Leandro Vega in the area. Captain Kessie stepped up to convert the penalty, but it was too little too late for Côte d´Ivoire as the match - which produced eights yellow cards - ended at 2-1.

One worry for Argentina coach Humberto Grondona will be the suspension of Moreira and Sanchez, who both played crucial roles in the win, for the semi-final against Mexico. All The Ivorians have to worry about is getting their passports in order for their flight home.

Boca: Riquelme se entrenó diferenciado y el martes se sumaría

BUENOS AIRES -- Juan Román Riquelme, capitán y símbolo de Boca, entrenó el sábado en forma diferenciada y el martes podría unirse al plantel, luego de quedar marginado del clásico de mañana ante San Lorenzo debido a un cuadro febril que le impidió realizar todo tipo de actividad durante la semana.
Riquelme trotó alrededor del predio de Casa Amarilla y realizó un ejercicio que consistió en esquivar conos, junto a otros dos futbolistas que se reponen de sendas lesiones, el Burrito Diego Rivero y el juvenil delantero Francisco Di Franco.

En tanto, los que jugarán el domingo ante San Lorenzo, disfrutaron de un partido de fútbol distendidos y con muy buen clima, con varias bromas que matizaron la sesión.

En cuanto a lo futbolístico, el DT Carlos Bianchi tiene definido a los titulares que saldrán mañana a la cancha en el Nuevo Gasómetro.

Boca alistará a Agustín Orión; Cristian Erbes, Daniel Díaz, Claudio Pérez y Nahuel Zárate; Jesús Méndez, Ribair Rodríguez, Pablo Ledesma y Juan Sánchez Miño; Juan Manuel Martínez y Emmanuel Gigliotti.

Si bien ese será el equipo, Bianchi podría sorprender con una variante táctica que sería pasar al Cata Díaz de lateral derecho, retrasar a Ribair Rodríguez como zaguero central y sumar a Erbes a la línea de volantes, aunque eso se develará recién el domingo.

Rygterne går på at Abreu scorer i aften.