Mexico vs Italy (1-2): Balotelli fires Italy home

The second Group A match in the Confederations Cup was a thriller. It had everything you want in a football match - goals, yellow cards, amazing free kicks, penalties, denied penalties and last minute drama. Italy scored late to beat the CONCACAF champions Mexico 2-1 courtesy their controversial young striker ‘Super Mario’ Balotelli.

It was Andrea Pirlo’s 100th appearance for the Azzurri and he celebrated it in style by scoring an absolute cracker of a free kick just inside the first half hour.

Just 7 minutes after Pirlo’s goal, Manchester United wonder boy Javier Hernandez fired home for Mexico from a penalty after Andrea Barzagli brought down Dos Santos inside the box.

Twelve minutes from time Mario Balotelli somehow managed to squeeze the ball past the Mexican goalkeeper Corona to rescue Italy from an embarrassing draw.

In the first half hour Italy seemed to keep better possession of the ball and made more chances. After Balotelli’s long range effort and Giaccherini’s low shot into the hands of the Corona, it seemed that Italy was dominating the match. Andreas Guardardo was given chance to change this mentality when he got an amazing through ball and he took a shot which went like a bullet but it only ended up rattling the crossbar

Pirlo went down inside the penalty box when the clock reached 25 minutes and was not given a sure penalty though he got his revenge when he scored from 25 yards.

Ten players of the Italian squad were either from Juventus or AC Milan, the lone exception was Daniele de Rossi who was from Roma. While Mexican midfielder Torrado was playing his 141st match.

The second half was not as action packed as the first but it did have its moments. Right after the restart Pirlo got another free kick which was deflected to Montolivo who failed to score from close range.

Italy was denied yet another penalty when Balotelli was pulled down by Hector Monero though he also got his revenge when he scored later on in the match.

Seeing that Italy was dominating Mexico chose complete defense rather than any offence so that they could keep more possession of the ball.

Other than one or two attacks Mexico didn’t cause that much trouble in the starting of the second half though in one of the attacks they did get a free kick which was headed narrowly wide from Gerado Flores. After Balotelli’s goal Mexico badly needed a goal from somewhere and they tried hard but Mexico failed to trouble Buffon. Italy secured an important win which enhances their chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Italy – Buffon, Chiellini, De Sciglio, Barzagli, Abate, Marchisio (68 Cerci), De Rossi, Montolivo, Pirlo, Giaccherini (88 Aquilani), Balotelli (86 Gilardino)

Substitutes- Cerci, Aquilani, Gilardino, Sirigu, El Shaarawy

Mexico- Corona, Javier Rodriguez, Aquino (53 Mier), Moreno, Flores, Salcido, Torrado, Zavala (86 Jimenez), Gurdado, dos Santos, Hernandez

Substitutes- Mier, Jimenez, Reyes, Guilliermo Ochoa, Meza
Final Score: Italy 2:1 Mexico ( 27` Pirlo, 34` (PG) Hernandez, 78` Balotelli)

Promising Brazil thrash Japan 3-0 to kickstart Confederations Cup with a bang

Brazil were really in amazing form as they easily defeated Japan 3-0 in the opening match of the Confederations Cup, a two week tournament featuring the leading sides of each of FIFA’s different continental federations. Brazil started of proceedings with an absolute belter from Neymar, the new Barcelona acquisition, inside the first 5 minutes. Japan hung on in the first half and were perhaps fortunate to go into the break just a goal down, but a goal early in the second half from Paulinho calmed nerves around Estadio Nacional de Brasilia before a late goal from Jo sealed the match for the Selecao.

Brazil was rock-solid at the back and just mouth watering in attack. They have shown to the whole world that they are going to serious contenders for the next year’s World Cup and for their third successive Confederations Cup.

Neymar’s performance was enough to quieten his critics for a while as he broke his 9 match scoring duck with a gorgeous strike from the edge of the box in the third minute after being perfectly teed up by Fred. Everyone was looking to see how Brazil’s big stars would perform and they were not disappointed as players like Marcelo, Neymar, Oscar, Hulk and Dani Alves did have good games, a welcome relief for Scolari.

Japan meanwhile were weak at the back and in forward Shinji Okazaki had an out of form striker who had scored just the 1 goal for Stuttgart last season. Keisuke Honda was at his industrious best, and was the only Japanese player who really threatened the Selecao.

Both Dani Alves and Hulk were combining well down the right and were causing a headache to the Samurai Blue throughout the match. They created a lot of chances but the killer ball into the box was largely lacking. Brazil did get it right early in the second half when Dani Alves delivered a low cross for Paulinho, who scored courtesy a low volley.

Okazaki should have pulled one back for Japan in the 50th minute but his effort drifted wide.

In the closing stages of the match an excellent counter attack from Brazil led by Oscar saw the Selecao add a third to the scoreline as the young Chelsea star’s amazing through ball for Jo was well finished by the former Manchester City man past Japanese keeper Ejji Kawashima.

Teams

Brazil- Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo, Oscar, Luis Gustavo Dias, Paulinho, Fred (81 Jo), Neymar (74 Lucas), Hulk (75 Hernanes).

Substitutions- Lucas, Hernanaes, Jo, Jefferson, Dante

Japan- Ejji Kawashima, Yuto Nagatoma, Atsuto Uchida, Yasuyuki Konno, Maya Yoshida, Keisuke Honda, Yasuhito Endo, Hiroshi Kiyotake, Shinji Okazaki, Makoto Hasebe, Shinji Kagawa

Substitutions- Hajime Hosogai, Takashi Inui, Ryoichi Maeda, Kengo Nakamura, Shusaku Nishikawa

Final Score: Brazil 3-0 Japan (3` Neymar, 48` Paulinho, 90+3` Jo)

Etienne Capoue admits he wants to leave Toulouse this summer

Etienne Capoue admits he wants to leave Toulouse this summer
Etienne Capoue has made it clear that he wants to leave the French club Toulouse in an interview with the L’Equipe. The 24 year old has played 175 times for the Ligue 1 and has been linked with a lot of clubs all around Europe like Paris St Germain, AC Milan, Tottenham, Arsenal and Harry Redknapp the Queens Park Rangers manager had recently confessed that he had tried to buy the holding midfielder in a last minute dealing but had been unsuccessful.

Toulouse manager Alain Casanova is still hopeful that Etienne will stay in at the Municipal stadium. Capoue responded to this by saying that he was happy that Casanova wanted him to stay but he thought that it was time for him to leave the club after 6 amazing seasons with the le Téfécé.

He leaving the French club is good news for both Arsenal and Tottenham as both of them do need a very physical holding midfielder who also has good aerial ability thus he is the perfect man for both the clubs. Arsenal will need his services just in case Wanyama doesn’t join the Gunners from Celtic this summer and Tottenham will need someone who can support the team well as their holding midfielder Sandro has not been doing his job for a long while now.

Wanyama shows interest to join Arsenal

Wanyama’s mentor confirms Arsenal interest in his ward

Victor Wanyama’s footballing mentor Jean-Marie Abeels and also his coach at his youth academy back home in Kenya has confirmed that the Celtic midfielder wants to join Arsenal.

The Belgian coach says that 10 million pound rated Kenyan international has already had contact with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. The 21 year old was linked with a number of top European clubs including the likes of Manchester United after excelling in the Champions League for Celtic this season.

Jean-Marie Abeels told the Daily Mail that the Arsenal manager had reportedly contacted Celtic a month ago to discuss the possibility of a move to North London. His youth academy coach though thinks that Wanyama should think about the move to such a big club and that he would prefer if Victor took a step somewhere in the middle so that he can continue to develop by playing regular first team football before making the big step up to a top club.

Wanyama captured the attention of the footballing world by scoring the winning goal against Barcelona at Parkhead. However, the youngster is predominantly a defensive midfielder and would add a much needed layer of steel in front of the Arsenal back four.

With Arsenal known to be a club which relishes developing young talent, Wanyama would no doubt benefit greatly from the move, and it will be interesting to see if Arsenal follow up their interest in the midfielder in the coming weeks.

Ramsey: Wanyama is welcome in Arsenal

Ramsey: Wanyama is welcome in Arsenal
In an interview with The Daily Nation while holidaying in beautiful Kenya, Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey confessed that he would be delighted to welcome Celtic youngster Victor Wanyama to the squad should the Kenyan superstar make a big money move to the North London side this summer. .

Ramsey, who appears to have got another lease of life on his Arsenal career, playing in a deeper role in midfield this season, is still nowhere near the young talent who first landed at the Emirates before having his leg horrifically broken by Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross. But one can see the confidence return in the Welshman, and it is even more admirable that he would welcome an addition to the squad who could potentially curtail his playing time!

Ramsey said in an interview with the local Kenyan newspaper, “I have watched him (Wanyama) play for Celtic, I watched him score against Barcelona and I think he is a great player. Whether he will join us is for other people to decided.”

Following the departure of Alex Song to Barcelona, Arsenal have not really replaced the powerful Cameroonian with a natural defensive midfielder, with Mikel Arteta deployed in a creative holding role in front of the back four. While that works well for Arsenal going forward, against certain teams it is beneficial to have a player who is better suited for the role, a position Wanyama would fit perfectly into.

The Gunners are very keen on signing the 21 year old as his athleticism and his combative nature in the center of the park is just what Arsenal need. His signing could also help Arsenal use both Ramsey and Arteta to link up play going forward, and leave the defending to the powerful Kenyan. The player’s versatility meanwhile would be a bonus.

Ramsey was quick to add that for a player from Kenya to win the young player of year award in Scotland shows that there is great football potential in the country.

The return of the “special one”

The return of the “special one”

Jose Mourinho has returned to Chelsea for his second term at Stamford Bridge on a four year contract and unlike the other new managers making their way into the Premier League, the Portuguese sensation has immediately got down to work. According to the Daily Mail he could well sign up to 5 new players in the summer transfer window. The targets are reportedly Fiorentina’s striker Stevan Jovetic, Manchester City’s super sub Edin Dzeko, Porto’s young French center half Eliaquim Mangala, Roma’s veteran midfielder Daniele De Rossi and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho. The Mail also believes that young Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who just returned from a loan spell at West Brom, will not be shipped out again on loan next season.

Mourinho shared in his address on Chelsea TV that he wanted to improve his team not just by buying new players but also improving the players currently in the squad, a strong indication that he wants to improve his image as a manager, one which has been tainted by the enormous funds that have been made available to him to “buy success” wherever he has gone. Mourinho also said that he would like to start from scratch and forget that he was a champion in the Premier League before.

He claimed that he is the complete one rather than the special one as he is back with Blues. Mourinho said that he wanted to change the fact that he has never stayed at one club for more than 4 years in his 13 year career. The former Real Madrid coach has understood that even though there are 4 or 5 players who were there when he was the manager, the squad is filled with youngsters. He confessed that he has arrived in the best moment of his career. Mourinho has brought with him to Stamford Bridge, his trusted assistants.

Michu to Arsenal?

Arsenal plot summer swoop of star Spanish striker

Miguel Perez Cuesta better known as Michu had an exhilarating debut season in the Premier League with Welsh club Swansea City as he banged in an incredible 22 goals and 4 assists. Michu was arguably the buy of the season having joined Swansea from Rayo Vallecano for just 2 million pounds at a time when clubs quote fees in excess of 30-40 million pounds for a half decent striker.

Michu announced himself on the Premier League stage with a bang, scoring a brace on debut, and was crucially one of the more consistent players over the course of the season, barely having a lean spell. Swansea procured Michu on a real steal despite him being the highest scoring midfielder in La Liga the season before, and left many top clubs asking their scouts if they had been caught napping letting such a fantastic prospect slip through their grasp.

The 27 year old, who was converted into a striker by the Welsh club due to the poor goal return of Danny Graham, was his club’s standout performer. Swansea had an incredible season, winning the Capital One Cup to capture their first major trophy, and also finished in 9th place in the Premier League standings.

The Daily Mail reports that Michu is now on top of the shopping list for London giants Arsenal, who are looking to bolster their ranks with some top notch striking talent. The player’s ability to fit in either as the lead striker or in the hole behind one makes him a fantastic prospect for the Gunners, while his aerial ability would be a huge bonus for a side that is known for playing silky one touch football.

Swansea though got the Spaniard to commit to a 4 year deal in January this year, and are under no obligation to sell the player. Arsenal will need to make a blockbuster offer to get them to reconsider their stance, with the Gunners likely to be rather unpopular in the Welsh countryside if they do snatch Michu and club skipper Ashley Williams from the Swans this summer.