AAO KHELEIN

Everyone was waiting for the No 10 to light up the Argentina vs France World Cup Round of 16 clash. In the end, it was the No 10 who made the difference, it just wasn't the No 10 everyone expected. While Lionel Messi and Co. endured another torrid afternoon, France's teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe was in the thick of things. He scored twice and it was his sensational burst of pace that won the penalty that led to France's opening goal. For Messi and Argentina, this result had been coming for a long time. They had somehow managed to make it past the group stages without looking convincing and now, in the knockouts, against a team that meant business, they had no answers. The 4-3 scoreline does not do justice to what transpired because France were always in control, even when Argentina briefly led. Trailing 2-1, Benjamin Pavard had helped France pull level with a sensational long-range and Mbappe took it from there. Born in 1998, the year France won its only ever Worl...

Rabat (Morocco): The Moroccan Royal Football Federation (FRMF) has formally complained to world football's governing body FIFA over "serious referee errors" during the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In a letter sent to FIFA and posted on the FRMF website on Thursday, federation president Fouzi Lekjaa said the errors led to his country's early exit and that the video assistant referee (VAR) had been used or not used in order to serve the interests of their opponents, reports Xinhua news agency. Morocco played in the World Cup in Group B along with Iran, Portugal and Spain. "We want to express our indignation at the injustice suffered by our national team, following serious refereeing errors that led to (the team's) premature exit from the first round of the 2018 World Cup," Lekjaa said in the letter. "The severity of these refereeing errors is all the more evident in the fact that in these two matches (against Portugal and against Spain), the use of...

Switzerland knocked out Costa Rica with a thrilling 2-2 draw, which was enough for them to progress to the round of 16 in their Group E fixture at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium here on Wednesday. With this, Switzerland progressed from the group stage to the knockout stage in the last four of the five World Cups in which they appeared (1994, 2006 and 2014). They only failed to qualify beyond the group stage in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Although Costa Rica were eliminated from the tournament, they were off to a bright start. The players from both Switzerland and Costa Rica burnt the midnight oil to give their respective teams a dominating start. Switzerland provided the first breakthrough, when in the 31st minute, midfielder Blerim Dzemaili blasted a goal via a beautiful pass by Stephan Lichtsteiner. In the second half, defender Kendall Waston scored a brilliant header to help Costa Rica equalise in the 56th minute, inviting loud cheers and wild celebrations from both the pl...

Five-time world champions Brazil eased past Serbia with a fantastic 2-0 win, in their Group E match to progress to the round of 16 at the Spartak Stadium on Wednesday. With this, the Selecaos notched up two consecutive wins in their group matches for the first time since 2010. As the match progressed, both Brazil and Serbia played aggressively to keep their teams ahead in the crucial game. The deadlock was finally broken when midfielder Paulinho put Brazil ahead as he netted a goal with the help of Coutinho's deft-chipped pass in the 36th minute. In the second half, Serbia forward Aleksandar Mitrovic had two excellent chances to equalise with close-range headers. However, in the 68th minute, skipper and defender Thiago Silva gave the five-time world champions the second goal, when he powered a header into the corner position assisted by star striker Neymar, which was beyond Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic's reach. Neymar had an opportunity to make it 3-0 in the 87t...

Kazan: Defending champions Germany crashed out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the group stage after South Korea stunned the European powerhouse with a 2-0 victory in their final Group F contest here on Wednesday. From Group F, Sweden secured the top spot with six points, while Mexico, which also had six points, finished second due to an inferior goal difference. South Korea ended the group stage in the third spot with three points -- same as Germany, who are also going home. Before the two matches in the group on the day, Mexico had the best chance to enter the knockout stage, as a tie in the match with Sweden would be enough for it to qualify, while both Sweden and Germany fought with each other for second place, needing an outright victory and a big goal difference. South Korea also had a possibility to enter the playoffs as well, however, only if Sweden lost the game to Mexico. South Korea took care of their own end at Kazan Arena, with Kim Young-gwon and Son Heung-min each scor...

Moscow: To win or not to win? That is the question that England head coach Gareth Southgate and his Belgian counterpart Roberto Martinez are probably asking themselves right now as the draw for the next stages of the World Cup opens up ahead of them. England and Belgium are already assured of a place in the last 16 of the World Cup after impressive wins over Tunisia and Panama. The European heavyweights will face each other in their final Group G game, with a tie against Senegal, Colombia or Japan waiting in the last 16, reports Xinhua news agency. All three possible rivals present a difficult challenge, although not an insurmountable one, but if you look beyond the last 16 the panorama changes drastically. The way things stand the winners of Group G would (if they get through to the last 16) have a quarter-final against either Brazil or Germany, with Mexico or Switzerland awaiting the side that finishes second. Both the Mexicans and the Swiss have impressed and the Germans and Br...

Moscow: The Swiss trio of Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner have been collectively fined fined over $25,000 by FIFA and warned over "unsporting behaviour contrary to the principals of fair play," following their celebrations in Switzerland's 2-1 win over Serbia in their group stage match. Both Shaqiri and Xhaka celebrated their goals on Friday by making a hand gesture mirroring the eagle on the Albanian flag, which can be considered to be a nationalist symbol linked to Kosovo and Albania and risks creating political tension with the Serbs, who do not recognise Kosovo's independence, reports Xinhua news agency. The trip had been charged under Article 54 of FIFA's disciplinary code which states "anyone who provokes the general public during a match will be suspended for two matches and sanctioned with a minimum fine of 5,000 Swiss Francs ($5,063)." In the end Shaqiri and Xhaka were fined 10,000 Swiss Francs ($10,126) each and Lich...

Kolkata: With the riveting football World Cup in far-off Russia keeping fans mesmerised in this soccer crazy city, the Kolkata Police's latest meme featuring Argentine legend Lionel Messi's missed penalty against Iceland has created a stir on the social media. The meme captures Messi's moment of despair against newbie Iceland as he failed to convert from the spot in the June 16 Group D game. Side by side, there is an image of a traffic sergeant issuing a fine to penalise a helmet-less biker, with an English caption "You'll never miss a penalty. We won't let you!" The Bengali version is captioned "sob penalty miss hoi na!" (All penalties are not missed!) It is the city police's way of promoting the West Bengal government's 'Safe Drive Save Life' initiative for better traffic measures. The post has already received 5,500 reactions and has been shared over 2,400 times so far since it was uploaded on Kolkata Police's Facebook...

Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand became an overnight star after he blocked a penalty kick by Cristiano Ronaldo during a Group B match of the ongoing 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup in Russia. However, if one looks back at his past life - the struggles that he went through - surely does not look less than the subject of a biopic. Beiranvand apparently slept on the street, worked in a car wash and ran away from his nomad lifestyle to Tehran to achieve his dream of becoming a footballer. "Iranian goalkeeper slept on the street, worked in a car wash and was homeless in order for him to make his dream of playing football come true. He ran away from his nomad lifestyle to Tehran and struggled to reach his dream. Tonight he blocked a penalty by Ronaldo. #motivation," read a post on Twitter by Iraqi activist and journalist Steven Nabil. Further sharing details about Beiranvand's life, Nabil wrote: "People would walk by and see him sleeping in front of the footbal...

Two matches, eight goals, five for Harry Kane including a hat trick, two more for John Stones. It’s safe to say that England are looking pretty good at the World Cup so far! But let’s be honest. No disrespect to these teams but England have only played Tunisia and Panama, who are not exactly countries with the greatest footballing histories. But let’s look beyond that for a moment and focus on England. Having invented the sport, there’s always been pressure on England to win the World Cup. They won it once in 1966, playing on home soil. And ever since then, every England team travelling to the World Cup has been under pressure to repeat that. And with each passing tournament, the pressure has only increased. A decade ago, England boasted a team with the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. And that’s just the midfield, add the likes of John Terry and Wayne Rooney and you can understand why every Englishman thought they would finally win the cup. A ...

For 90 minutes versus Costa Rica, it seemed like it would end 0-0 and Brazil would have drawn both their matches at the ongoing World Cup. But when the final whistle blew, Brazil had won 2-0. It was another dramatic Brazilian victory: a Gabriel Jesus goal ruled offside, a penalty revoked because Neymar apparently dived, and yet deep into injury time, goals from Coutinho and Neymar came to Brazil’s rescue. Granted, this Brazil team does not ooze the talent and class that the Samba sides of yesteryears have boasted. But one thing’s certain, their hunger to win is still very much alive. Brazil have played every World Cup so far, have won five of them, more than any other country, and have finished second and third twice as well. So no matter what happens, as long as Brazil are still at the World Cup, you half expect them to win. In addition to being burdened as a side with great footballing history, this Brazil side is also reeling from that 7-1 thrashing by Germany in 2014. They hav...

Diego Costa scored the winner for Spain versus Iran, but should the striker even have been on the pitch? Earlier in the match, the Atletico Madrid striker had allegedly stamped on Iran keeper Alireza Beiranvand. The keeper had fallen to the ground, clutching his foot but the referee waved play on and did not give a foul. Video replays clearly show the Spaniard stamping on his opponent's foot but as it transpired, the incident was overlooked. Costa went on to score the only goal of the game to give Spain all 3 points. With the strike, Costa moves to 3 goals in the tournament and is joint second on the topscoers list behind Cristiano Ronaldo who is on 4. FIFA World Cup 2018 - Complete Coverage | Schedule & Results | Points Table | Top scorers | Top assists | Squads - Complete list via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2MbxisC

Mordovia (Russia): Japan rode goals from Shinji Kagawa and Yuya Osako to beat ten-man Colombia 2-1 in a Group H FIFA World Cup game here on Tuesday. Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Kagawa scored from the spot as early as in the sixth minute after Colombia's Carlos Sanchez handled the ball inside the area and was given the marching orders by referee Damir Skomina. Colombia equalised through Juan Quintero, who curled in a free kick into the bottom right corner in the 39th minute. In the second half, Colombia struggled with a man down as their Asian counterparts restored their lead after Keisuke Honda's corner saw Osako nod in from close. via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2ymgqNN

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Moscow: Croatia on Monday suspended striker Nikola Kalinic from its FIFA World Cup squad after he refused to come on as a substitute during the 2-0 win over Nigeria in a Group D clash in Kaliningrad on Saturday, head coach Zlatko Dalic confirmed. In agreement with his coaching staff, Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic decided to exclude Nikola Kalinic, who leaves Croatia base camp in Roshchino on Monday and returns to Croatia, the Croatian football federation said in a statement. "During the Nigeria encounter, Kalinic was warming up and was supposed to come on in the second half. However, he then stated that he wasn't ready to come on due to a back issue," the coach said. "The same thing happened during the Brazil friendly in England, as well as before the practice session on Sunday. I have calmly accepted that, and since I need my players fit and ready to play, I have made this decision," explained Dalic. Dalic, will, however, not be able to name a replaceme...

Nizhny Novgorod (Russia): Sweden kicked off their FIFA 2018 World Cup campaign on a winning note as they pipped South Korea 1-0 in a Group F showdown at the Novgorod stadium here on Monday. It was Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist's 65th-minute penalty conversion which created the difference between the two sides. Granqvist took a penalty following a video review and slotted the ball into the bottom right corner, with the goalkeeper diving the other way. This was South Korea's first loss in their World Cup opener since 1998, reports Yonhap news agency. South Korea put on some early pressure before Sweden turned the tide in their favour. For all their superior possession numbers early, South Korea made just one shot attempt, and none on target, in the first half, while Sweden had eight attempts, with two on target. South Korea had a 4-3-3 formation to start the match, with a couple of surprises. In goal, Jo Hyeon-woo made his World Cup debut over supposed starter Kim Seung-...

As far as warnings go, this one was loud and clear. You arrive at the World Cup as defending champions, expecting to waltz into the knockout stages without breaking a sweat but a spirited Mexican side reminded Germany that their Russian expedition is going to be anything but that. FIFA World Cup 2018 - Complete Coverage | Schedule & Results | Points Table | Top scorers | Top assists | Squads - Complete list ​​ The 2014 champions started their opening game with some verve, weaving passes and pressing the Mexicans. But once the North Americans found their footing, they took the game to the Europeans. ​They used their pace to good effect and exploited Germany's lack of it. They came with a clear game plan and stuck to it: use the pace on the wings to break Germany's shape. Winger Hirving Lozano and midfielder Miguel Layun used their pace and trickery and combined with Javier Hernandez to create openings. And sure enough it was that combination which brought them the...

As far as warnings go, this one was loud and clear. You arrive at the World Cup as defending champions, expecting to waltz into the knockout stages without breaking a sweat but a spirited Mexican side reminded Germany that their Russian expedition is going to be anything but that. The 2014 champions started their opening game with some verve, weaving passes and pressing the Mexicans. But once the North Americans found their footing, they took the game to the Europeans. They used their pace to good effect and exploited Germany's lack of it. They came with a clear game plan and stuck to it: use the pace on the wings to break Germany's shape. Winger Hirving Lozano and midfielder Miguel Layun used their pace and trickery and combined with Javier Hernandez to create openings. And sure enough it was that combination which brought them the goal, Hernandez laying it off for Lozano who cut inside and scored. But the worry for Germany is not just the goal. Mexico might have had on...

Samara (Russia): Aleksandar Kolarov curled in a superb freekick as Serbia beat Costa Rica 1-0 in a rather listless Group E match of the FIFA World Cup here on Sunday. Kolarov's 56th minute attempt was one of the few notable moments of a match that saw both teams struggle to create scoring chances. With three points in their kitty from the match of the group, Serbia will aim to improve their form ahead of sterner tests against Brazil and Switzerland. Serbia, who enjoyed a distinct height advantage, were too reliant on the long ball approach, but lack of creativity upfront prevented them from exploiting their dominance in the air. The Serbian defence, however, was well organised and offered the Costs Rican forwards very little space to exploit. via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2yj6TXB

Moscow, June 17 (IANS) Argentine superstar Lionel Messi said he regretted having squandered a second-half penalty try that could have led his team to victory over Iceland in Group D action on Saturday at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The match at Otkritie Arena in Moscow, which featured two first-half goals, ended in a 1-1 draw. "It hurts to have missed the penalty, because it would've been the decisive advantage," the FC Barcelona talisman said after the game, though adding the draw had not dampened the team's hopes in Russia, reported Efe. "We haven't lost hope despite the draw. We still have the same desire. I think we deserved to win. We tried to find spaces in the Iceland defence, but we couldn't find them," he added. Messi denied that the draw would affect the team in its next Group D contest Thursday against Croatia, adding that "we have some days to rest and get well-prepared for the match." "We weren't thinking about start...

Saransk: Denmark defeated Peru 1-0 in a Group C match of the FIFA World Cup at the Mordovia Arena here on Saturday. Yussuf Poulsen scored the winner for Denmark in the 59th minute off a pass from Christian Eriksen. Christian Cueva missed a penalty for Peru just before half-time. This is Peru's first World Cup appearance since 1982. Denmark had failed to qualify for the 2014 edition in Brazil. The Peruvians, playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, launched fast attacks from the very beginning, making attempts at the goal three times within the first nine minutes, reports Xinhua news agency. But the efforts didn't pay off in face of the strong Danish defence. In the fifth minute, Peru's Luis Advincula shot wide after meeting a pass from teammate Renato Tapia. Just three minutes later, Yoshimar Yotun took a shot but the ball was confiscated by veteran goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel of Denmark. A minute later, another attempt from the Peruvian side was again stopped by Schmeichel. ...

Saransk: Denmark defeated Peru 1-0 in a Group C match of the FIFA World Cup at the Mordovia Arena here on Saturday. Yussuf Poulsen scored the winner for Denmark in the 59th minute off a pass from Christian Eriksen. Christian Cueva missed a penalty for Peru just before half-time. This is Peru's first World Cup appearance since 1982. Denmark had failed to qualify for the 2014 edition in Brazil. The Peruvians, playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, launched fast attacks from the very beginning, making attempts at the goal three times within the first nine minutes, reports Xinhua news agency. But the efforts didn't pay off in face of the strong Danish defence. In the fifth minute, Peru's Luis Advincula shot wide after meeting a pass from teammate Renato Tapia. Just three minutes later, Yoshimar Yotun took a shot but the ball was confiscated by veteran goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel of Denmark. A minute later, another attempt from the Peruvian side was again stopped by Schmeichel. T...

Kazan (Russia): France's coach Didier Deschamps on Friday welcomed the decision of forward Antoine Griezmann to stay at Atlético Madrid, noting that the step is great news for both the La Liga side and the French national football team. Griezmann revealed on Thursday that he had rejected Barcelona's offer and would continue to play with Atlético until 2022, reports Efe. Asked by Efe at a press conference, Deschamps said: "Griezmann's decision is good because it shows (Griezmann's) loyalty to Atlético and is a positive step for France since he will not be preoccupied with thoughts of possible moves to any new clubs during the 2018 World Cup." France, which is set to compete in Group C along with Peru, Australia and Denmark, will debut in the 2018 World Cup in Russia against the Australian side on Saturday. via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2t4GLL5

I wonder if Lionel Messi sometimes wishes he weren’t Argentine. If you’re a world class footballer from the South American nation, comparisons to the inimitable Diego Maradona are inescapable and sometimes it seems as if that’s exactly what weighs poor Leo down. Throughout the club season, Messi had looked like the world class player that he is for Barcelona, scoring and assisting for fun. But as soon as he arrives to the national side, he casts a lonely shadow, bogged down by the pressure that he apparently owes his country a World Cup trophy simply because he is Argentine. Maradona did it singlehandedly in 1986, so why not Messi! His last World Cup match was the unforgettable defeat to Germany in the 2014 final and he arrived in Russia knowing that this is his last chance to make amends and earn himself a winner’s medal. That arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in his World Cup opener against Spain must not have helped Messi’s case at all. Things might’ve taken a diff...

Moscow: Iceland came up with a fighting performance to hold formidable Argentina to a 1-1 stalemate in a hard fought Group D match of the FIFA World Cup at the Spartak Stadium here on Saturday. Sergio Aguero put Argentina ahead in the 19th minute but Alfred Finnbogason (23rd) restored parity for Iceland a short while later. The rest of the match saw star-studded Argentina dominate possession and put the Iceland goal under almost constant pressure in search of the winning goal. But Iceland used their superior height and physique to good effect as they defended stoutly to stymie the wave upon wave of Argentine attacks. Goalkeeper Hannes Haldorsson emerged as the hero for the Europeans in the 64th minute when he produced a diving save to keep out a penalty from Argentine star Lionel Messi. Hordur Bjorgvin Magnusson had brought down Argentina's Maximiliano Meza with a clumsy tackle inside the penalty area after Messi had swung in a cross. That was one of the few chances the Sou...

An incredible 80th-minute strike by midfielder Paul Pogba ensured 2-1 victory for France over Australia in the nail-biting opening clash of the ongoing 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup at the Kazan Arena here on Saturday. As per the expectations, France started the first few minutes controlling possession, and in less than two minutes, Kylian Mbappe had got a great chance to score a goal, but eventually, it went for a corner. The Didier Deschamps-led side finally made the breakthrough first when Antoine Griezmann took one step and buried the penalty in the right-side netting past a flat-footed Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan in the 58th minute of the match. Just three minutes later, Australian captain Mile Jedinak stepped up and coolly converted the penalty corner into the goal to level the score 1-1. After the equalizer, both sides became much more physical as they anxiously searched for the winner. While Australia failed to convert the free-kick which was awarded to them aft...

Madrid: Football Club Real Madrid have reached an agreement to sign Brazil under-20 forward Rodrygo Goes from Santos though he will not make the move to Spain until next year. "Real Madrid and Santos have agreed that Rodrygo Goes will play his football at Real Madrid when he reaches the legal age requirement," a statement from Real Madrid said, reports Xinhua news agency. "Although the player would be able to play for our club as of January 2019, the agreement in place sets out that he will join the squad in July of that year," it added. Rodrygo, 17, has scored five goals in nine appearances for Santos in Brazil's Serie A. via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2LVBtIR

Russia: Lionel Messi-led Argentina will look to make an early statement when they cross swords with debutants Iceland in their opening match of the ongoing 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup here at the Spartak Stadium on Saturday. The two-time World Cup winners are heading into the showpiece event on the back of their poor form in the qualifying event, injuries and controversy. Heading into the tournament, the Argentina national football team, however, rely heavily on Messi as the Barcelona forward look to clinch his first international honour. Despite guiding Barcelona to La Liga and Copa del Rey title this season, Messi is yet to win a major international tournament. However, the 2018 edition could be the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's last World Cup appearance as he has recently hinted his retirement from international football after the tournament. Fifth-ranked Argentina, who are bidding for a first World Cup trophy since 1986, last came close to the trophy during t...

Saransk (Russia): Panama's football squad completed its seventh day of training on Friday without midfielder Anibal Godoy, who arrived at the training field of the Saransk Olympic Center with regular shoes instead of his football cleats and remained on the bench while his teammates began practice. The MLS San Jose Earthquakes player Godoy's possible ailment would imply a setback for coach Hernan "Bolillo" Gomez, reported Efe. Any absent player is a major inconvenience for the team, as their World Cup debut match against Belgium is set to take place on Monday. Godoy remained on the bench all day while his teammates completed two training sessions, which were, for the most part, closed to reporters. Bolillo sought to ease the players' stress and anxiety ahead of their debut match, which also represents Panama's first ever World Cup match. Panama will carry out another practice session on Saturday morning before traveling in the afternoon to Sochi, where t...

Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian football club Santos confirmed Friday that it had reached a deal to send 17-year-old star forward Rodrygo to Real Madrid for a record transfer fee. "This is the biggest deal ... for a club in the entire history of Latin American soccer," the club said in a statement, without specifying the figures, reported Efe. Santos said that under the terms of the agreement, Rodrygo would move to Real Madrid in July 2019. "Santos fans will still have the pleasure of seeing Rodrygo for another year wearing our mythical jersey. We expect it to be an important period in terms of the player's development in Brazilian soccer and sporting triumphs for Santos," the team said in a statement. Although Santos did not reveal the amount of the transfer fee, press reports indicate the Brazilian club will receive 40 million euros (roughly $46.5 million), or 80 percent of the player's buyout clause. Those reports indicate that Real Madrid will need to p...

Kazan (Russia): France's coach Didier Deschamps on Friday welcomed the decision of forward Antoine Griezmann to stay at Atlético Madrid, noting that the step is great news for both the La Liga side and the French national football team. Griezmann revealed on Thursday that he had rejected Barcelona's offer and would continue to play with Atlético until 2022, reports Efe. Asked by Efe at a press conference, Deschamps said: "Griezmann's decision is good because it shows (Griezmann's) loyalty to Atlético and is a positive step for France since he will not be preoccupied with thoughts of possible moves to any new clubs during the 2018 World Cup." France, which is set to compete in Group C along with Peru, Australia and Denmark, will debut in the 2018 World Cup in Russia against the Australian side on Saturday. via Sify.com http://www.sify.com/sports/france-coach-welcomes-griezmann-decision-to-stay-at-atlético-news-football-sgpuUTjfjidai.html

Ekaterinburg (Russia): Jose Gimenez scored in the 90th minute to hand Uruguay a hard-fought 1-0 win against Egypt in a Group A match of the FIFA World Cup here on Friday. Uruguay, who defeated Egypt in their only previous encounter in 2006, once again proved the better team when Giménez scored through a header off Carlos Andrés Sánchez free-kick from the right. Uruguay dominated ball possession in the opening exchanges, and Egypt found no chance to steal the ball. But soon, the Egyptians started to find their groove after coping with Uruguay's early onslaught but in the process they gifted the first attempt to score the goal to Uruguay as Edinson Cavani fired a low shot from outside the box which El-Shenawy managed to keep out comfortably. After 10 minutes, Egypt, who were without star player Mohamed Salah, also counter-attacked as Trezeguet chested the ball down to create some room just inside the box but failed to connect his shot properly. Trying to find the opening goal,...

Moscow: Members of Saudi Arabias national football team will face a disciplinary penalty for their crushing defeat by Russia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup opener. FIFA World Cup 2018 - Complete Coverage | Schedule & Results | Points Table | Top scorers | Top assists | Squads - Complete list "We are very disappointed by the defeat," Saudi Football Federation chief Adel Ezzat was quoted as saying by the Al-Youm Assabaa newspaper, reports Tass news agency. "This result is totally unsatisfactory because it does not reflect the true level of our preparedness. "Several players will face a penalty - goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf, striker Mohammad Al-Sahlawi and defender Omar Hawsawi," he added. The Chairman of the General Sport Authority, Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al-Sheikh, described the game as a "total fiasco" in a video address, posted on his Twitter page. The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday with the opening match in the Russian capi...

Sochi: When the draw for the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup was made, the match between Spain and Portugal on the borders of the Black Sea looked as if it would decide which of the two sides would finish top of Group G. FIFA World Cup 2018 - Complete Coverage | Schedule & Results | Points Table | Top scorers | Top assists | Squads - Complete list However, 24 hours before kick-off it has taken on a whole new significance. Real Madrid announced that the Spanish national side coach Julen Lopetegui would take charge of the club in July. The Spanish football federation, RFEF wasted no time in sacking him on Wednesday. A few hours later, RFEF director of sport Fernando Hierro was named as his replacement, reports Xinhua news agency. Hierro was a great player for Real Madrid and Spain in his day, but has only one season's experience as the first team coach of second division Oviedo. With less than 48 hours before Spain kick off their World Cup campaign against the 2...

Ekaterinburg: Uruguay will aim to get their campaign off to a good start while Egypt will be eager for a positive result in their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 28 years when the two teams meet in a Group A clash at the Ekaterinburg Arena here on Friday. The biggest point of concern for Egypt will be the form of injured star forward Mohammed Salah should coach Héctor Cúper decide to play him. Salah had injured his shoulder while representing Liverpool in the Champions League final against Real Madrid, which had thrown his World Cup participation into jeopardy. Going by the quality and World Cup pedigree of the two teams, Egypt are expected to face a tough, uphill battle when they step out for their first World Cup match since 1990. On the other hand, two-time champions Uruguay will appear in their third consecutive World Cup. They were impressive at the 2010 World Cup, where they finished fourth. That was the first time they had reached the quarter-finals since the 1970 editi...

St. Petersburg: England's football team on Thursday started its second training session in Russia with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of London's deadly Grenfell Tower fire. The England squad led by head coach Gareth Southgate stood in a semi-circle to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy that took place on June 14 last year, when a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, claiming 72 lives, reports Efe. Meanwhile, forward Marcus Rashford missed the training session for a second consecutive day over what he called a "slight niggle" in his knee. He said is should not prevent him from taking part in the Three Lions' upcoming World Cup clash against Tunisia's "the Eagles of Carthage" national team on June 18 at Volgograd Arena in Volgograd. England is to play in Group G along with Tunisia, Belgium and Panama. via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2ycta9E

Argentina: Argentina goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman called on his side to lessen the burden of their star striker Lionel Messi if they want to attain the glory at the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Guzman insisted that the 30-year-old is an important figure for the team and that he needs to be well-supported by his international team-mates. "Of course Leo is a very important figure to us. We have to know how to be with him. He has to let us too. And we have to somehow, take away the responsibility he already has. He feels it too," goal.com quotes Guzman, as saying Heading into the showpiece event, the Argentina national football team relies heavily on Messi as the Barcelona forward look to clinch his first international honour. Messi often faces flak for not guiding his country to glory in the major tournaments like World Cup despite being one of the rare talents in the football world. But, Guzman said that he would try his best to support him whenever needed. "I'll try...

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Moscow: Football is practically the last major sport to start using video replay technology to help referees ensure they made the right calls on the pitch, and on March 3 FIFA took the decision to employ Video Assistant Referees (VAR) at the game's biggest tournament this summer: the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Pro tennis uses what it calls Hawk-Eye replays, basketball has instant replays, rugby referees consult video and American football referees have been making decisions based on video since all the way back in 1986. But the steady march toward VAR has caused some to say the essence of the game has been lost along the way, reports Efe news agency. FIFA is to set to implement VAR after testing its use in over 1,000 matches, and says an average of just 55 seconds per game was lost in reviewing replays. This comes out to a relatively minor amount compared to the average time lost due to fouls (eight minutes and 51 seconds), corner kicks (three minutes and 57 seconds) or player ...

Moscow: The inaugural match of this summer's FIFA World Cup between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia is set to kick off on June 14 in the Luzhniki Stadium here, the first edition in Europe since Germany hosted the tournament in 2006. This will be the 21st edition of international football's biggest event. But out of the 200 teams and 6,000 players that have taken part over the years, only eight countries have managed to win the title -- Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Spain, England, France and Uruguay, reports Efe news agency. Just 13 teams participated in the first edition of the World Cup, hosted by Uruguay in 1930 and coinciding with the centennial of the country's constitution, with the majority of the European teams declining to compete because of the economic crisis at the time and the burden of travelling by ship to South America. On June 13, 1930, the tournament started with two matches -- Mexico's 4-1 win against France and the United States' 3-0 win ...