World Soccer - July 2015 UK

'34%%1)6-'%6):-); 

8,)*9007836=3* 

',-0)¸7:-'836= 

GLOBAL FOOTBALL SINCE 1960 

Club Focus 

.YP] 

+%0%

7+( 352)(66Ζ21$/ȇ6 &+2Ζ&( 'Ζ5(&7 72

7+( :25/'ȇ6 /$5*(67 21/Ζ1( )227%$// 6725( 

7:Ζ77(5 3UR'B6RFFHU 

)$&(%22. 3UR 'LUHFW 6RFFHU 

Ζ167$*5$0 SURGLUHFWVRFFHU

QUICK • EASY • AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE 

Now available on tablets 

& smartphones 

Download 

World Soccer 

on the go 

Enjoy great 

photos in 

brilliant 

clarity 

Available 

worldwide 

Scan this QR code 

or log onto 

bit.ly/ZgewnM 

Follow worldsoccermag 

Like World Soccer Magazine 

Please rate and review the World Soccer app

July 2015 

FEATURES 

42 Player biography 

Xavi 

50 Club focus 

Los Angeles Galaxy 

THE WORLD THIS MONTH 

People in the news...on and off the pitch 

6 In pictures 

12 From the Editor 

15 Notebook 

17 Paul Gardner 

18 Keir Radnedge 

20 Ins & outs 

22 Brian Glanville 

EYEWITNESS 

26 Copa America 

TACTICS 

34 Chile’s continental success 

SPECIAL FEATURE 

36 Pre-season friendlies and tours 

ARCHIVES 

56 July 1989 

TALENT SCOUT 

64 Euro Under-21s 

66 World Cup Under-20s 

FACE TO FACE 

68 Michel Platini 

REVIEWS 

72 Official balls and replica shirts 

THE GREAT MATCHES 

98 Italy v West Germany, 1970 

20 

26 

64 

68 

Follow World Soccer online 

FOOTBALL 24-7 

SAVE 

MONEY ON 

58 Profile 

Diego Simeone 

Follow worldsoccermag 

Like World Soccer Magazine 

Exclusive 

subscription 

offer. 

See page 10 

Exclusive reports from our worldwide 

network of correspondents 

78 

78 Italy all over for bankrupt Parma 

80 Serbia under-20s win World Cup 

82 Asia minnows impress on road to Russia 

84 Island Games gold again for Guernsey 

86 Euro Under-21s Sweden triumph 

PLUS 

76 Preview 78 Global diary 88 Results, tables, fixtures 95 Squads 

WORLD SOCCER 5

THE WORLD 

THIS MONTH 

The global game caught on camera 

6 WORLD SOCCER

CHILE…Argentina’s Lionel 

Messi falls into the net 

during the Copa America 

Final loss to the hosts 

WORLD SOCCER 7

THE WORLD 

THIS MONTH 

WALES…Gareth Bale is 

fouled during the World 

Cup qualifier against 

Belgium in Cardiff 

CANADA…defender Robyn Gayle 

greets fans prior to Canada’s 

quarter-final match with England 

at the Women’s World Cup 

BRAZIL…Emerson 

Sheikh of Flamengo is 

tackled by Leonardo 

Silva of Atletico Mineiro 

CZECH REPUBLIC…Sweden’s 

players receive a team talk 

prior to their Euro Under-21 

group match against Portugal 

8 WORLD SOCCER

IN PICTURES 

MYANMAR…fans watch live coverage 

from Singapore of Myanmar’s 2-1 win 

against Vietnam in the SEA Games 

MALAYSIA…Palestine players 

pose for a photographer as they 

celebrate beating Malaysia in a 

World Cup qualifier 

PICTURES OF THE 

MONTH QR CODE 

To see more of the best photos from the month, scan the QR code using any free QR reader that can 

be downloaded to your smartphone. You can also see the images by logging on to http://po.st/8FTesI 

WORLD SOCCER 9

A-; 1_W]TLTQSM\W[]J[KZQJM\W?WZTL;WKKMZ 

 

 

 

8Ia!!XMZaMIZJa,QZMK\,MJQ\=3WVTa 

[I^QVOWV\PMN]TTXZQKMWN!!! 

aMIZ=3KZMLQ\LMJQ\KIZL[]J[KZQX\QWVXIaQVO!! 

[I^QVOWNN\PMN]TTXZQKMWN!! Q[[]M[ 

aMIZ=3KZMLQ\LMJQ\KIZL[]J[KZQX\QWVXIaQVO!! 

[I^QVOWNN\PMN]TTXZQKMWN!!!Q[[]M[ 

A7=:,-

WORLD SOCCER 

;=*;+:18

THE WORLD 

THIS MONTH 

Xavi has graced the cover of World Soccer before, in 2010 

when he was voted World Player of the Year. It seems 

fitting, on the occasion of his final match for Barcelona, to 

feature him again. 

The tributes to Xavi (page 42) have been long and 

justified. One of the most intelligent footballers to have 

played in Europe in recent times, it seems highly likely that 

he will return to Barcelona in a 

coaching capacity in the future. 

While Xavi earns petro-millions 

in semi-retirement in Qatar, so 

Steven Gerrard begins a new 

phase of his life in Los Angeles 

with Galaxy (page 50). 

Both are a rarity in the 

modern age: players who spent 

their entire careers in Europe 

with a single club. Food for 

thought, perhaps, for Raheem 

“Pound” Sterling as he (and his 

agent) contemplate his next 

move in the transfer market. 

Sterling, though eligible, was not in the England 

squad that took part in this summer’s European Under-21 

Championship (page 86). Manager Gareth Southgate 

chose (diplomatically?) to select only players who featured 

in qualifying. Sterling’s absence may have contributed to his 

country’s early exit; it may have not. We will never know. 

We do know that Xavi first came to global attention in 

1999 when Spain won the 

world under-20 title. It 

was his first success in a 

long and fruitful career. 

One that very few 

players, if any, will 

emulate. 

Gavin Hamilton, Editor 

12 WORLD SOCCER 

Xavi and Gerrard 

are a rarity in the 

modern age: 

players who 

spent their entire 

careers in Europe 

with a single club 

Hosts Chile win Copa America .........................................................page 26 

Sweden claim Euro Under-21s .........................................................page 86 

Serbia success at World Under-20s ...............................................page 80 

America victorious in Women’s World Cup .................................. page 76 

Xavi leaves Barcelona ........................................................................page 42 

Steven Gerrard joins LA Galaxy .......................................................page 50 

Minnows surprise in Asian World Cup qualifi ers .........................page 82 

Guernsey win Island Games .............................................................page 84 

FIFA crisis continues ............................................................................page 18 

Parma relegated to Serie D ..............................................................page 78 

Thrashed... 

Micronesia 

(in blue) 

ASIAN OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS 

46-0: a new unofficial 

world-record defeat 

The Federated States of Micronesia suffered a 46-0 thrashing by 

Vanuatu at the Pacific Games, which double as the qualifying 

tournament for next year’s Rio Olympics. But because Micronesia 

are not affiliated to FIFA, the defeat will not be recorded as an 

official world record. 

The defeat, in which Jean Kaltack was Vanuatu’s top scorer with 

16 goals, means Micronesia conceded 114 goals in three games, 

also losing 30-0 to Tahiti and 38-0 to Fiji in the tournament. 

“It was boys against men” said Micronesia coach Stan Foster, 

who added that for many of his players it is was the first time they 

had played on an 11-a-side pitch. “Most of these have never been 

out of their villages let alone on to another island. I took them to 

Guam the other day [and it was] the first time they’ve been on an 

elevator or an escalator. 

“It’s been a huge step-up for these guys and they’ve just been 

overawed really.”

GLOBAL FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE 

“I can’t just 

suddenly kiss 

another badge now” 

Hamburg’s Marcell Jansen 

announces his retirement 

USA 

Whistleblower 

Blazer banned 

for life 

FIFA has banned exexecutive 

committee 

member and former 

CONCACAF generalsecretary 

Chuck Blazer 

from all football-related 

activity for life. 

A FIFA statement said Blazer “committed many 

and various acts of misconduct”. 

Blazer, 70, worked undercover with prosecutors 

in the United States after pleading guilty to charges 

of bribery, money laundering and tax evasion. In 

May, several FIFA officials were arrested on charges 

of racketeering, fraud and money laundering. 

HEROES 

PATRIK CARLGREN 

Sweden’s goalkeeper saved two spot-kicks as his 

side beat Portugal on penalties in the Euro 

Under-21 Final. 

Spot on...Carlgren was in fine form in the Final 

MARCELL JANSEN 

Announced his retirement, at the age of 29, 

after being released by Hamburg as he could 

not sign for another team because he was too 

emotionally tied to the German club. 

GO AHEAD EAGLES 

The Dutch club appointed fan Henk De Haan to 

their board so he could see the Europa League 

game away to Ferencvaros, despite the 

Hungarian club’s stadium ban on spectators. 

MARTUNIS 

The 17-year-old Indonesian, who was found 

alive wearing a Portugal shirt bearing Cristiano 

Ronaldo’s name following the 2004 Indian 

Ocean tsunami, signed a deal with Sporting 

Lisbon – where Ronaldo began his career. 

Sporting...Martunis and Ronaldo 

VILLAINS 

NEYMAR 

Brazil’s captain 

was sent off against 

Colombia, after 

the final whistle, for 

aiming a headbutt 

at goalscorer Jeison 

Murillo and banned 

for the rest of the 

Copa America. 

JOHN DELANEY 

The Football 

Association of Ireland 

boss took Á5million 

from FIFA and then 

had to pulp 18,000 programmes for the game 

against Scotland in which he had written an 

article condemning corruption at football’s 

governing body. 

CLINT DEMPSEY 

The Seattle Sounders striker was suspended for 

ripping up the referee’s notebook and shouting 

at both the ref and his assistant during the US 

Open Cup game against Portland Timbers. 

Disgraceful...Uruguay’s Cavani (left) and Jara 

GONZALO JARA 

Temper...Neymar (right) 

hits out against Colombia 

The Chile defender was banned for three 

matches after he allegedly stuck his finger up 

Edinson Cavani’s backside, and then feigned 

injury, during their Copa America quarter-final. 

WORLD SOCCER 13

THE WORLD 

THIS MONTH 

“Let’s be realistic: the love of 

a club’s shirt is a completely 

utopian concept nowadays” 

Following the departure from Marseille of a host of key players, an 

anonymous agent offers his take to the local paper, La Provence 

To see video footage of these goals, and many more that we 

have selected, scan the QR code using any free QR reader 

that can be downloaded to your smartphone. You can also 

see the videos by logging on to http://po.st/js4PW4 

CHILE 

The hosts won 

the Copa America 

and were crowned 

champions of 

South America 

for the first time 

in their history. 

1 

SERBIA 

Beat Brazil 2-1 

in the Final of 

the Under-20 

World Cup in 

New Zealand to 

claim their first 

football title 

since becoming 

an independent 

nation. 

TERRY 

BRADBURY 

The 75-year-old, 

who earned £25 

a week playing 

for Chelsea in 

the 1950s, won 

the £5.5million 

Lotto jackpot. 

JACK WILSHERE 

England v Slovenia 

1 A curling strike with his left 

foot, beyond the reach of the 

goalkeeper and into the top corner 

for his and England’s second goal of 

the game. 

CARLI LLOYD 

USA v Japan 

2 Completes her hat-trick in the 

Women’s World Cup Final with a shot 

from the halfway line that loops over 

the head of the keeper. 

2 

3 

EDUARDO VARGAS 

Chile v Peru 

3 A dipping shot from outside 

the area secures Chile’s place in the 

Copa America Final. 

OLMES GARCIA 

Real Salt Lake 

4 v Columbus Crew 

A wonderfully worked free-kick 

routine, featuring four players, 

is finished off with a tap in at 

the far post. 

JONG TAE-SE 

Suwon Bluewings 

5 v Pohang Steelers 

Controls the ball with a superb first 

touch while tightly marked and 

finishes with a low shot. 

6 

SEJAD SALIHOVIC 

Guizhou Renhe v 

Changchun Yatai 

Curls a left-footed free-kick in off 

the underside of the crossbar on 

his debut for the Chinese club. 

BRAZIL 

Almost a year 

after their 7-1 

World Cup rout 

by Germany, they 

lost the Copa 

America quarterfinals 

on penalties 

to Paraguay. 

LIONEL MESSI 

Despite his success 

at club level with 

Barcelona, he still 

has no major titles 

to his name while 

for Argentina. 

CSKA SOFIA 

Bulgarian champions 

a record 31 times, 

they will start the 

new season in the 

amateur leagues 

after relegation due 

to financial matters. 

14 WORLD SOCCER


“Like others who profoundly love 

this club, I was ready to return and 

offer a helping hand” 

Parma look to rise from the ashes in Serie D, with 

former coach Nevio Scala in the presidential chair 

Notebook 

Highlights 

from some 

of our 

regular 

on-line 

contributions 

Weekly notes 

from Brazil, Spain, 

Germany and Italy at 

worldsoccer.com 

SPAIN 

And so a club without a president, that 

is banned from signing new players, has 

signed a player who didn’t want to run 

and can’t play. Not for six months, anyway. 

Like Aleix Vidal, who was signed from 

Sevilla, Arda Turan has left Atletico Madrid 

to become a Barcelona player – even 

though he can’t play until January. 

The club’s ban on transfers does not 

end until the next window but, in practical 

terms, the ban is on registering players, 

not buying them. 

Arda and Vidal will have to wait six 

Wait...Arda won’t be able to play 

for Barcelona until the new year 

GERMANY 

Just what were the motives of Mario 

Gotze’s agent, Volker Struth, when 

he bitterly complained to Bild that his 

client had not received enough 

support at Bayern Munich? 

Was he simply expressing 

the World Cup winner’s 

disappointment at not featuring 

more often in Pep Guardiola’s 

first-team, for only making the 

bench in the Champions League 

semi-final against Barcelona? 

Or was it the opening gambit 

in a bid to disturb the peace and 

force a sale? 

Clearly Gotze and his camp 

are unhappy, but the two parties 

are not in the divorce courts yet, 

months for their chance. And as the 

English twitter feed of the sports daily AS 

put it, tongue wedged firmly in its cheek, 

Vidal and Arda will have time to get very, 

very good at table tennis. 

In Arda’s case, he could yet get sent 

back to Atletico. Barcelona are immersed 

in presidential elections, so there is no 

board of directors or president at the 

moment. Instead, there is an interim 

committee whose job it is to oversee 

elections and carry out essential tasks so 

that the club does not simply grind to a 

halt in the meantime. 

Sid Lowe 

and ultimately all will depend on how the 

attacking midfielder starts the new season, 

his third at the Allianz-Arena since his 

Á37million move from Borussia Dortmund. 

Nick Bidwell 

Unsettled...Gotze (left) hasn’t had the best of times in Munich 

Caught...Pulvirenti admits trying to fix games 

ITALY 

It would not be summer if Italian 

football was not up to its eyes in 

scandal. Yes, Italian football has again 

been rocked by yet another matchfixing 

scandal, this time involving Serie 

B side Catania. 

Catania president Antonino 

Pulvirenti calmly admitted to state 

prosecutors 

that, yes, he 

had “fixed” five 

games during 

the last six 

weeks of last 

season. And, 

ironically, it had 

been Pulvirenti 

himself who 

had first 

attracted the 

prosecutors’ attention when he filed 

a complaint to police last March, 

claiming that various Catania fans had 

threatened him. From then on, his 

phone calls came under surveillance, 

allowing investigators to make some 

discoveries – not about fan threats 

but rather about match fixes. 

If some of the recent scandals have 

involved huge sums of money and 

international betting syndicates, this 

one is almost old-fashioned. 

Pulvirenti claims he set about fixing 

games only to ensure Catania avoided 

dropping to the third division. 

Paddy Agnew 

WORLD SOCCER 15

THE WORLD 

THIS MONTH 

“Masopust was one of the greatest players I ever saw. 

But it’s not possible he was born in Europe – with 

those explosive dribbles, he had to be Brazilian” 

Pele (left), who was injured for the 1962 World Cup Final against Masopust and Czechoslovakia 

OBITUARIES 

An Eastern European great 

Josef MASOPUST (1931-2015) 

Different generations view their heroes 

from their own perspective, and Czech 

football fans are no different. For some, 

their greatest player was Pepi Bican from 

the 1930s and 1940s; for others it is the 

more recent Pavel Nedved. For all those 

inbetween, it was Josef Masopust, who 

died on June 29, aged 84. 

A memorial tribute was held prior to the 

Euro Under-21 Final, between Sweden 

and Portugal, at Slavia’s Eden Stadium in 

Prague. But rather than Slavia or their city 

rivals Sparta, Masopust made his name 

with Dukla Prague. 

I had the privilege of meeting Masopust, 

along with some of his old team-mates, 

just over a year ago. He was modest, 

humorous and still a passionate follower 

of the game, even if attending matches 

regularly was no longer possible. 

The respect in which he was held then, 

and back in his playing days in the 1950s 

and 1960s, was obvious from the manner 

in which old colleagues – Vaclav Masek 

and Josef Jelinek among them – referred 

to him deferentially as “Mr Masopust”. 

Jelinek said: “When I joined Dukla in the 

late 1950s it was the army club. We all 

wore uniform off the pitch and the older 

players had ranks. After I had been playing 

there two weeks, Mr Masopust said to me: 

‘I know I am a captain but you don’t have 

to call me that on the pitch.’” 

Masek recalled: “I played for two years 

with Dukla during my national service but 

otherwise I played all my career with 

Sparta. So I knew Mr Masopust as both a 

team-mate – also for the national team 

Star...Europe’s player 

of the year in 1962 

Highlight...scoring 

against Brazil in the 

World Cup Final 

– and as an opponent. I used to hate 

playing against him because he was such 

a commander on the pitch. 

“He always seemed to be one move 

ahead of you all the time.” 

History records Masek as scoring what 

was at the time the fastest goal in World 

Cup history, finding the net after just 16 

seconds against Mexico in the group stage 

of the 1962 World Cup in Chile. Inevitably, 

Masopust had delivered the slide-rule pass 

which he put away. 

Czechoslovakia went all the way to the 

Final that year, where they met Brazil in 

Santiago. Masopust opened the scoring 

after 15 minutes – he managed 10 goals 

in his 63 internationals – before Brazil 

went on to win 3-1. 

Wistfully, Masopust recalled: “Of all my 

memories it was the best of all my career 

to be playing in the World Cup Final – and 

we were so close [to winning]. 

“At first we were disappointed to bring 

away only the silver medal because not 

only had we reached the Final but we had 

been in front. But, a few weeks later, we 

were happy we had won silver.” 

His personal consolation was to be 

hailed European Footballer of the Year, the 

first eastern European winner of the award. 

Born in Most, 50 miles northwest of 

Prague on February 9, 1931, he played for 

the local team before joining Dukla – and 

the army – in 1952. He won eight league 

titles and four cups before being permitted 

to move abroad to Belgium where he led 

Crossing Molenbeek, as player-coach, to 

promotion. 

Nominally a left-half, his interpretation 

of the role was more akin to the oldfashioned 

attacking centre-half who was 

the central focus of the team. He was still 

performing that way, at 34, when, along 

with fellow Czechoslovak half-backs 

Svatopluk Pluskal and Jan Popluhar, he 

played in Stanley Matthews’ farewell match 

at Stoke City’s old Victoria Ground in 1965. 

As a coach he guided Zbrojovka Brno 

to the Czechoslovak league title, and was 

later his country’s head coach for four 

years before going abroad to work for a 

while in Indonesia. 

However, it was as a player – and a fine 

one, whatever the generation – that his 

name deserves to be remembered. 

Keir Radnedge 

Style...Niculescu’s Romania were pass masters 

Angelo NICULESCU (1921-2015) 

Introduced a passing style when appointed 

coach of Romania in 1976, and a year later 

led the country to its first World Cup finals 

in almost three decades. Also took the 

national side to the quarter-finals of the 

European Championship in 1972. At club 

level he coached Dinamo Bucharest to the 

league title in 1955 and 1965. 

CARLINHOS (1937-2015) 

Nicknamed “the violin” for his elegant 

style, Luis Carlos Nunes da Silva played 

over 500 games for Flamengo before 

taking over as coach of the club. He had 

several spells in charge, during which time 

he won the Brazilian championship twice. 

Winner...Zito (left) in the 1958 World Cup Final 

ZITO (1932-2015) 

A World Cup winner with Brazil in 1958 

and 1962, the midfielder was a goalscorer 

in the 3-1 victory over Czechoslovakia in 

the Final of the latter tournament. Won 

the Libertadores Cup twice with Santos, in 

1962 and 1963, and later joined the club’s 

back-room staff, recruiting such stars as 

Robinho in 1996 and Neymar in 2003. 

16 WORLD SOCCER


Paul 

GARDNER 

THE WORLDWIDE VIEW 

Dribbing skills are in danger 

of meeting a violent end 

On YouTube you can find a grainy, black-andwhite 

video clip from a 1968 game in Brazil, 

between Santos and Botafogo. It shows Santos 

forward Kaneko dribbling into the Botafogo 

penalty area, where he suddenly performs the 

perfect “donkey manoeuvre”, flipping the ball 

up with his heel, over his own head and over 

the defender. The execution is perfect and 

Kaneko runs on to set up Toninho to score. 

Kaneko never became a great player, but 

he was long remembered for that “lambretta”. 

We now leap forward 47 years, to the 2015 

Spanish Cup Final between Barcelona and 

Athletic Bilbao. Another “lambretta”, this 

one from Barca’s Neymar. But whereas 

Kaneko’s effort had been greeted with cheers, 

smiles and celebrations, Neymar’s caused 

immediate turmoil. 

First, it didn’t work, because the defender 

involved, Unai Bustinza, made no attempt to 

turn and chase the ball. Instead, he simply 

stepped into Neymar’s path, stuck out an 

arm and pulled him down. After that came a 

disgraceful explosion of hostility and aggression 

from the Bilbao players as they tried, with 

frightening persistence, to get at Neymar. 

Leading the charge was the 

intimidating 6’1” defender Xabier 

Etxeita, who had to be seriously 

restrained by Barcelona players 

and his own team-mates. 

The Bilbao players were 

furious, claiming that Neymar 

was showboating, trying to make 

fools of them. No doubt they were 

also frustrated. There were only 

minutes remaining in the game, 

they were losing 3-1 and had 

been thoroughly outplayed. 

The ugliness lasted for just 

one minute, but it was a minute 

of madness that starkly exposed 

just how the sport’s attitudes 

have hardened since the days 

of Kaneko. Back then, the 

“lambretta” was an exciting 

bit of dribbling trickery, to be 

admired and applauded. 

How things have changed. 

Football, once a dribbler-friendly 

sport that encouraged creativity, 

open play and goalscoring has 

darkened. The harsher, more 

miserly, mean-spirited attitudes of defensive 

play now dominate the game. 

Inevitably, in a game where dour defenders 

and bossy goalkeepers rule, the goals have 

dried up. The three World Cup tournaments 

played during the 1950s averaged 4.3 goals 

a game. By the end of the century, in three 

World Cups of the 1990s, scoring average 

had dropped to just 2.25. 

Those who 

predicted that this 

was a temporary state 

of affairs, a swing of 

the scoring pendulum 

that would quickly be 

reversed, were wrong. The four 21st century 

World Cups have shown only a slight increase, 

up to 2.4 goals, but in the four Finals, the goals 

have shrivelled to 1.5 per game. 

The feeling that it is OK for defenders to foul 

opponents who have beaten them seems now 

to be firmly implanted in football. TV experts 

tell us “he had no choice, he had to bring him 

down”, and are quite likely to confirm their own 

judgment by adding “that was a good foul”. 

The plea that referees do more to protect 

Manhandled… Bustinza (left) 

gets to grips with Neymar 

Neymar has perfected a 

dazzling piece of skill 

skilful players from violent tackles is heard 

repeatedly in football – and it has to be 

repeated because the referees rarely respond. 

But here we have something rather different. 

Defenders apparently needing protection from 

too-skilful opponents. 

Neymar’s “lambretta” may not cause 

physical injury, but it’s a slur on the opponent’s 

dignity. Neymar has perfected a dazzling piece 

of skill, a perfectly 

legal move, but it’s 

more than defenders 

can cope with. 

Next time, before 

performing his trick, 

Neymar must at least consider the scoreline. 

If Barca are losing, it’s probably OK. But if 

they’re winning comfortably, then, please, 

no “lambrettas”. Cristiano Ronaldo might also 

consider limiting his stepovers – just two if Real 

Madrid are winning, maybe up to four if they’re 

losing. Would that be acceptable? 

While this may take colour and excitement 

and goals out of the game, we are asked to 

concede that it’s all in a good cause – making 

life easier for the poor defenders. 

WORLD SOCCER 17

THE WORLD 

THIS MONTH 

Keir 

RADNEDGE 

THE INSIDER 

Fearful Blatter skips USA 

as FIFA crisis continues 


No show…winners USA receive their medals but Blatter missed the Women’s World Cup as the FIFA crisis spread 

The Cold War has been revived by the FIFA 

crisis. Sepp Blatter is happy to travel to Russia 

for the forthcoming World Cup qualifying draw 

but daring to visit North America for the Women’s 

World Cup Final was out of the question. 

Blatter, if the United States Department of 

Justice should want to meet him face-to-face, 

is a Swiss citizen and cannot be extradited from 

the country – like fearful Brazilians back home 

in South America, such as Ricardo Teixeira and 

Marco Polo Del Nero. 

Football is bigger than its individual officials 

– who come and go, though some stick around 

longer than others – and, indeed, far bigger 

than FIFA. Certainly, the senior World Cup 

underwrites the losses of all the other 

competitions but FIFA, to some extent, has 

deliberately created that dependency system 

to suit its own purpose. 

The reverberations from Blatter’s decision 

to “lay down his mandate” continue ever since 

being originally greeted with a mixture of 

delight and relief from – among others – UEFA 

president Michel Platini and Olympic leader 

Thomas Bach. But not by everyone. His words 

were met with regret in Africa and suspicion 

elsewhere that this represented merely some 

further Machiavellian power-game ploy. 

FIFA has had only eight presidents in its 

111 years. All have been European except for 

Brazilian Joao Havelange, but there was no 

likelihood this time around that a European 

candidate – not even Platini – would be 

favourite. Beyond Europe, a great deal of 

resentment already burned over what was 

viewed in some quarters as a UEFA coup. 

Fikile Mbalula, sports minister of 2010 

World Cup host South Africa, indicated regional 

concern by paying tribute to Blatter as the FIFA 

president who “has been a good friend to 

South Africa [and] played a major role in terms 

of shifting the world to focus on Africa in terms 

of hosting the World Cup for the first time”. 

That hosting itself now came into focus over 

the mysterious $10million which the South 

Africans had paid to the notorious Jack Warner, 

via FIFA, for a diaspora legacy development 

fund in the Caribbean. Currency exchange 

controls had prevented the South African 

World Cup organisation from paying the money 

direct, so it was paid by FIFA and deducted 

from a hosting grant due to South Africa. 

The payment was approved by FIFA’s finance 

chairman and senior vice-president at the time, 

the late Julio Grondona, and effected by Jerome 

Valcke, then the new secretary-general. 

Warner himself returned to the spotlight 

through the US extradition application in 

Trinidad. He had obtained bail and, after 

promising at various times never to speak 

about football again, threatened an “avalanche” 

of evidence regarding corruption within FIFA. 

In a televised address entitled “The gloves 

are off”, and broadcast in Trinidad & Tobago, 

Warner said he would reveal everything he 

knows including allegations of FIFA meddling 

in his country’s 2010 general election. 

Privately, and more significantly, he engaged 

lawyers with a successful track record for 

blocking and delaying extradition applications. 

South Africa was not the only hosting award 

under fire. Japan’s bid for the 2002 World Cup 

was targeted by a former aide of ex-CONMEBOL 

president Nicolas Leoz claiming that $1.5m had 

been paid in return for the South American 

confederation’s support. Current chairman Ohito 

KuniWataru denied it, after an examination of 

the JFA’s accounts, saying: “There is no record 

of any such remittance at all.” 

Blatter’s announcement was also a severe 

blow to Qatar. Slowly, gradually, the fuss over 

the 2022 World Cup host award had been 

fading, but now it was open season on the 

Gulf state again. To be fair, Qatar did not help 

itself when the government’s advisory council 

rejected even comparatively mild proposals for 

a reform of laws relating to migrant workers. 

Meanwhile, in Switzerland itself, Domenico 

Scala, the compliance chairman charged 

with overseeing the election, said he thought 

a maximum of 12 years – as per the 

International Olympic Committee – was 

long enough for any president. 

Simultaneously, in South America, 

investigators from the tax agency prepared 

to delve into Grondona’s family funds and also 

the late AFA leader’s links to the TyC marketing 

group, several of whose senior officials were 

being pursued by the US Department of Justice. 

TyC was heavily involved with Grondona in 

creating the Futbol Para Todos TV football deal 

through which the government channelled 

cash which was supposed to help alleviate 

club debts – not that any of Argentina’s clubs 

has shown the slightest signs of a return to 

solvency, prompting the obvious questions. 

So it went on, day by day, one step after 

another: 

• TyC’s Argentinian marketing executive Alejandro 

Burzaco surrendered to police in Italy. 

• Former Brazilian star Zico said he intended to 

run for FIFA’s presidency. 

• Swiss investigators gathered more documents


and electronic data from FIFA 

headquarters in their inquiries into the 

2018-2022 World Cup bid scandal. 

• The Pope’s charity decided not to 

accept promised cash donations from 

the Copa America from scandal-hit 

CONMEBOL. 

• Ex-Brazil CBF boss Jose Maria Marin 

failed in a bid to leave a Swiss jail for 

house arrest on health grounds. 

Ever more serious image-battering 

followed, starting with the sudden 

departure of FIFA’s communications 

director Walter De Gregorio, followed 

by Interpol’s decision to freeze its 

anti-matchfixing partnership with FIFA. 

De Gregorio left suddenly, after 

nearly four years’ spinning for Blatter, 

as the victim of his own ill-timed joke 

(“The FIFA president, the director of 

communications and the general 

secretary are all sitting in a car – 

who is driving? The police.”) 

He had been brought in, specifically 

by Blatter, to bring a more aggressive, 

instant-response approach to FIFA’s PR 

work. As a journalist and former war 

correspondent he appeared ironically 

Banned…Mayne- 

Nicholls (left), who 

cautioned FIFA over 

the unsuitability of 

a summer World 

Cup in Qatar 

appropriate to the task in hand. 

However his attempt, pre-congress, 

to portray the arrests of the “Zurich 

Seven” as a “good day” for FIFA was 

derided and he crossed swords with 

Blatter over the president’s reliance 

on veteran PR guru Klaus Stohlker. 

The joke was on FIFA again when 

Interpol halted the $20m, 10-year 

partnership launched to great fanfare 

back in May 2011. Its then generalsecretary 

De Gregorio left 

suddenly, the victim of 

his own ill-timed joke 

Ronald Noble 

was a regular 

speaker at 

major FIFA 

events until 

his departure last year. 

The suspension decision was taken 

by Noble’s successor, Jurgen Stock, 

and endorsed by Interpol’s executive 

committee meeting in Lyon. The FIFA 

agreement had included a clause 

stating that “the funding party declares 

notably that its activities are compatible 

with the principles, aims and activities 

of Interpol”. Clearly Interpol now 

believed this assurance no longer valid. 

Blatter, however, carried on as if 

nothing untoward were happening. He 

even dropped mischievous comments 

to the Swiss media about his departure, 

prompting an irritated Scala to tell him, 

in effect, to stop playing word games. 

This putdown was followed by what, 

to Blatter, would have been far more 

painful – the Nobel Peace Centre’s 

decision to call a halt to its partnership 

with the embattled world federation. 

Blatter’s Nobel Peace Prize ambition 

was long a source of wonder among 

FIFA-watchers as, over the previous 

three years, he had exhorted listeners 

at almost every occasion to share the 

Handshake of Peace. A statement from 

the Peace Centre acknowledged the 

positive symbolism of the Handshake 

for Peace but urged the Norwegian 

football federation to come up with 

a different promotional context and/or 

partner. Back in 2012 NPC executive 

director Bente Erichsen said: “I’m sure 

this partnership can contribute to the 

good of the game and develop respect.” 

Now that respect had vanished. 

Lids continued being lifted in all 

directions on the murky business in 

which some senior football officials had 

engaged down the years. None of the 

alleged deals – particularly concerning 

Warner and a cabal of South American 

“grandees” involved Blatter directly. But 

everything shown or reported to have 

gone on took place “on his watch”. 

New claims 

emerged over 

former CBF 

president 

Teixeira’s links 

with Qatar 

and allegations of the extravagant 

extent of the money laundering and 

profiteering undertaken at the behest 

of Leoz, while president of CONMEBOL. 

Leoz, one of the 14 men sought by the 

US Department of Justice, remained 

out of sight under house arrest. 

Paraguayan law forbade that someone 

of his age should be held in prison. 

Next came the seven-year ban 

imposed on Chilean Harold Mayne- 

Nicholls, the technical assessment 

leader who handed the FIFA ExCo the 

self-evidently obvious caution that it is 

too hot in the summer in Qatar to stage 

a conventional World Cup. 

Mayne-Nicholls, who had considered 

challenging Blatter in May’s presidential 

election, was a potential candidate 

again. Whatever the outcome of his 

likely appeals to both FIFA and then 

perhaps the Court of Arbitration for 

Sport, he has been effectively removed 

from the computations. 

An ExCo extraordinary meeting on 

July 20 will decide the date of the new 

election. Blatter has suggested January, 

maybe so he can lord it at the overblown 

FIFA Gala one last time. He derided an 

initial suggestion of December 16 

because this would sit right in the 

middle of the Club World Cup in Japan. 

But then, as the Women’s World Cup 

proved, the presence or absence of 

FIFA grandees is irrelevant when the 

game itself demands priority. 

WORLD SOCCER 19

THE WORLD 

THIS MONTH 

“Sadly, the results of Guus’ work were 

not immediately visible to everyone” 

Dutch federation vice-president Bert Van Oostveen makes a bid 

for understatement of the year in the wake of the resignation of 

national coach Guus Hiddink (left) 

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE 

EUROPE 

Porto’s Colombian striker JACKSON 

MARTINEZ joined Atletico Madrid from 

Porto for Á35million. For all the other 

big summer moves in Europe’s top five 

leagues, go to www.worldsoccer.com 

PAULO SOUSA took charge of 

Fiorentina in Serie A, while SINISA 

MIHAJLOVIC quit Sampdoria and 

replaced Filippo Inzaghi at Milan. Marco 

Giampaolo was named coach of Empoli. 

Stepping up...former assistant Blind replaces his old boss 

Blind replaces Hiddink as coach of 

Holland’s national side 

Former Ajax captain DANNY BLIND was appointed national 

coach of Holland following the departure of Guus Hiddink, 

who had overseen the team’s stuttering start to the Euros. 

Blind, an assistant to Hiddink and the previous coach 

Louis Van Gaal, has been tasked with rescuing Holland’s 

qualifying campaign. The 2014 World Cup semi-finalists 

currently lie third in their group, five points behind leaders 

Iceland and three points behind Czech Republic, with four 

games remaining. 

Blind, whose only other coaching experience was a short 

spell in charge of Ajax, has signed a contract until August 

2018, with an “evaluation moment” planned next summer. 

“Reaching the European Championship is my only goal,” 

said Blind, who will be assisted by Marco Van Basten. “Only 

qualifying for Euro 2016 counts.” 

Hiddink had been in his third spell as national coach and 

was contracted until after the Euro 2016 finals. 


Fresh challenge...Mihajlovic has joined Milan 

DEJAN STANKOVIC, who won 15 

trophies and played over 300 games for 

Internazionale, has returned to the Serie 

A side as part of Roberto Mancini’s 

backroom staff. Former Argentina striker 

HERNAN CRESPO, who was a youthteam 

coach at Parma last season, took 

charge of Serie B side Modena. 

In the Premier League, ex-England 

manager STEVE McCLAREN was 

appointed head coach of Newcastle 

United, while RAY WILKINS joined 

Aston Villa as assistant manager. 

Despite being relegated from the 

Bundesliga with Paderborn, ANDRE 

BREITENREITER was appointed Roberto 

Di Matteo’s replacement as Schalke coach. 

ARMIN VEH took charge of Eintracht 

Frankfurt for a second time. 

FRAN ESCRIBA, who quit Elche after 

they were relegated from La Liga for 

unpaid tax, became Getafe’s fourth 

coach since last summer. JOSE LUIS 

MENDILIBAR was appointed coach 

of Eibar for a second time. 

Former Manchester United and England 

defender PHIL NEVILLE was appointed 

assistant coach of Valencia in Spain. 

Greek double winners Olympiakos 

appointed former Sporting Lisbon boss 

MARCO SILVA as coach. Former Juventus 

and Croatia defender IGOR TUDOR took 

charge of PAOK. 

Turkish league runners-up Fenerbahce 

replaced Ismail Kartal with VITOR 

PEREIRA, while STUART BAXTER was 

appointed coach of Genclerbirligi after 

leading Kaizer Chiefs to two South African 

championships in the last three seasons. 

DMITRI KHOKHLOV replaced Leonid 

Kuchuk as boss of Russian club Kuban 

Krasnodar, Lokomotiv Moscow handed 

caretaker coach IGOR CHEREVCHENKO 

a permanent contract and YURI SEMIN 

took charge of promoted Anzhi. 

IANIS HAGI, the 16-year-old son of 

former Romania captain Gheorghe Hagi, 

joined Serie A side Fiorentina from Viitorul 

Constanta in his homeland. 

Thun’s URS FISCHER replaced Paulo 

Sousa as coach of Swiss champions Basle. 

PETER ZEIDLER stepped up from 

coaching Red Bull Salzburg’s reserve side, 

FC Liefering, to take charge of the first 

team after Adi Hutter resigned. 

SLAVISA JOKANOVIC, who led 

Watford to the Premier League last 

season, was appointed coach of Maccabi 

Tel Aviv, replacing Pako Ayesteran who 

took the Israeli side to the treble. 

Back...Breitenreiter returns to the Bundesliga 

Former Brentford boss MARK 

WARBURTON became the first 

Englishman to manage Scottish 

side Rangers. 

Portuguese BRUNO RIBEIRO became 

Ludogorets’ first foreign coach, replacing 

Georgi Dermendzhiev, who led the club 

to four successive Bulgarian league titles. 

Finnish side VPS replaced coach Olli 

Huttunen with PETRI VUORINEN three 

days before the start of their Europa 

League campaign. 

Gibraltar appointed Englishman JEFF 

WOOD as national coach, with interim 

boss Dave Wilson reverting to his previous 

role as assistant.


“This business is 

unfounded and strange” 

Dinamo Zagreb’s press release after president Zdravko 

Mamic (right) and his brother Zoran, who is the 

Croatian club’s coach, are arrested on fraud charges 

Appointments, sackings and loans 

SOUTH AMERICA 

Argentina striker CARLOS TEVEZ left 

Juventus and returned home to his first 

club Boca Juniors, while former Porto and 

Marseille playmaker LUCHO GONZALEZ 

and Verona striker JAVIER SAVIOLA 

joined River Plate. 

EUROPE 

Despite leading the club to Premier 

League safety, Leicester City sacked 

NIGEL PEARSON for a second time in his 

managerial career as his relationship with 

the board was “no longer viable”. 

SOUTH AMERICA 

Home...Tevez rejoined first club Boca Juniors 

Ex-Cruzeiro boss MARCELO OLIVEIRA 

took charge of Brazilian rivals Palmeiras. 

ASIA 

Senegal striker DEMBA BA joined 

Shanghai Shenhua from Turkish Super Lig 

side Besiktas for a Chinese Super League 

record of £11million. 

DAN PETRESCU quit as coach of 

Romanian side Targu Mures after one 

game to join Chinese side Jiangsu Sainty. 

DORIVA quit Vasco da Gama after they 

failed to win any of their first eight games. 

CONCACAF 

Former world player of the year 

RONALDINHO terminated his contract 

with Mexican club Queretaro. 

AFRICA 

Belgian GEORGE LEEKENS quit as 

coach of Tunisia over unpaid bonuses, two 

weeks after overseeing an 8-1 thrashing of 

Djibouti in their opening African Nations 

Cup qualifier. 

Retiring...Kennedy has called time on his career 

Thanks...Pearson saved Leicester but was sacked 

Tanzania dismissed MART NOOIJ 

following a 3-0 home defeat by Uganda 

in the African Nations Championship 

qualifying competition. 

ASIA 

Melbourne City striker JOSH 

KENNEDY, who scored 17 times in 36 

games for Australia – including the goal 

that took the Socceroos to the 2014 World 

Cup with a 1-0 win over Iraq – announced 

his retirement at the age of 32 after a 

string of injuries. 

Chinese Super League side 

HANGZHOU GREENTOWN terminated 

the contract of 60-year-old Frenchman 

Philippe Troussier after only seven months 

in charge, with the club sitting third from 

bottom of the league. 

NICOLAS ANELKA was named 

player-coach of Indian Super League team 

Mumbai City, while Brazilian World Cup 

winner ROBERTO CARLOS took charge 

of Delhi Dynamos. 

Bosnian DZEMAL HADZIABDIC 

became Iraq’s third national coach this 

year, while SAMVEL BABAYAN was 

named boss of Uzbekistan. 

Algerian DJAMEL BELMADI took over 

from Michael Laudrup as coach of Qatari 

champions Lekhwiya. 

At 33, SCOTT MILLER became the 

youngest coach in A-League history 

when appointed boss of Newcastle Jets. 

Keshi sacked as 

Nigeria coach 

STEPHEN KESHI was sacked as coach 

of Nigeria just days after the Nigerian 

Football Federation (NFF) opened an 

investigation into reports that he had 

applied to take charge of Ivory Coast 

while under contract. 

Keshi had claimed an unnamed 

agent submitted his name without his 

knowledge for the Ivory Coast job. 

Former national coach Shaibu 

Amodu has taken over while the NFF 

negotiates with former international 

midfielder Sunday Oliseh. 

Investigation...it is claimed that Keshi applied for the Ivory Coast job 

WORLD SOCCER 21

Brian 

GLANVILLE 

THE VOICE OF FOOTBALL 

England’s women 

tread fine line from 

the sublime to the 

ridiculous 

As Groucho Marx might have said, I’ve 

heard of patriotism but this is ridiculous. 

The day after England’s women had 

beaten their German equivalents in the 

third-place World Cup play-off, a daily 

paper correspondent began his report: 

“A quarter of a century of hurt consigned 

to the rubbish bin. Revenge for Italia 90, 

an historic first win over Germany in a 

World Cup finals since 1966, and the 

journey from losers to legends.” 

The world bathos springs irresistibly 

to remind. If comparisons are odious, 

then this one is surely ludicrous. It might 

be added that, worthy though this victory 

was, it happened in a third-place match 

and not in the Final. But should it be 

bathos or pathos? Has English football, 

as played by male teams, sunk so low that 

consolation has to be obtained from the 

women’s game? The mind boggles. 

There were those who compared and 

contrasted this victory with the mediocre 

showing of the under-21 (male) team in 

the European finals in the Czech Republic. 

Yet how calamitous, in retrospect, was 

this? Largely ignored was the fact that in a 

subsequent round, the Portugal team that 

had beaten England 1-0 put five goals past 

Germany later on. 

And it is worth pointing out that the 

bright Italy team which humbled England 

in their third match didn’t include a single 

player capped at senior level. 

It was expected that, having missed the 

first two games through injury, Everton’s 

centre-back John Stones would give 

stability to the defence on his return, 

but he was poor against the Italians. 

There is a new tactical broom at the FA 

“There is a new broom at the FA who 

wants to impose the same tactics on 

every England team at all levels” 

Celebrate…England’s 

women after beating 

Germany in the thirdplace 

play-off 

who wants to impose the same tactics 

on every England team at all levels. An 

orthodoxy reminiscent of the dire days 

of the disastrous Charles Hughes, with his 

warmed up, remote theories based on 

those long obsolete of Wing Commander 

Charles Reep. I don’t think the new 

orthodoxy goes nearly as far, but it still 

seems dubious. 

We are hearing the siren song of Greg 

Dyke, chairman of the FA, with his dreams 

of England winning the 2022 World Cup. 

Dream on. 

For the moment, celebrations of the 

England women’s feats continue. 

There was even that element of pathos 

among the bathos; of that desperately 

unlucky own goal against Japan. 

22 WORLD SOCCER

Hammers upgrade 

with new man Bilic 

Warburton is worth watching 

Arguably the most interesting managerial 

appointment of the summer has been that 

of Mark Warburton at Rangers. As long 

ago as February we learned that, despite 

the minor miracles he had achieved with 

Brentford, he would be leaving at the 

end of the season. Which in the event 

concluded with the anticlimax of double 

defeat in the play-offs by Middlesbrough. 

To the dismay of Bees’ supporters, the 

club’s wealthy owner Matthew Benham, 

whose fortune has been made in betting 

endeavours, clashed with Warburton over 

transfer policies. 

Benham is convinced his own 

programme will lead to success, but the 

proof of the pudding will be in the eating. 

Meanwhile, he has said, “every decision 

I take is intended to be in the best longterm 

interests of the club. I am single 

minded in my resolve that we can leave no 

stone unturned in our quest for sustainable 

Premier League football”. 

We shall see. It may well be that he has 

overturned the wrong stone. Warburton 

is unique in the way he has emerged from 

being a successful City gent via a coaching 

course to become such a highly effective 

manager. That Rangers should appoint him 

– that extreme rarity in their long history, 

an English manager – was itself remarkable. 

And what vast rebuilding he will have to 

do at a club who speedily fell apart under 

one dubious regime after another. They 

now have Mike Ashley, the billionaire 

sports goods entrepreneur, nominally 

in the background but bound to call the 

shots just as he so controversially does 

at Newcastle United. Ashley has already 

installed one of his familiar proxies in a 

crucial administrative role. 

Twice humiliated by modest Motherwell 

in last season’s play-offs, Rangers still 

languish after all those decades of triumph 

in the Scottish second tier. Warburton will 

presumably be given enough money to 

buy better players. Of his own abilities 

there can be no doubt. 

More mediocrity awaits McClaren at Newcastle 

Moving south, we see Ashley in bitterly 

controversial charge of Newcastle 

United, saved by the merest whisker from 

relegation by the supreme efforts of Jonas 

Gutierrez, conquering cancer both to score 

and to create a goal in that last desperate 

victory at Gallowgate. The reward for which 

was immediate banishment. 

The doomed, inadequate manager 

John Carver did not have the common 

decency to inform him man to man. 

Carver might say that he was “only obeying 

orders,” but having been sacked himself, 

what had he to lose? 

Now Ashley has installed Steve 

McClaren, who had turned down the job 

no fewer than four times: twice recently 

and twice in the recent past. His arrival 

could scarcely have been more muted 

New boss…Warburton 

(left) and his assistant, 

David Weir 

In charge…McClaren 

and ill judged. No press were invited to his 

opening press conference with the strange 

exception of the Daily Mirror, though 

what they have to gain by this ill-advised 

breaking of ranks is hard to imagine. 

That McClaren should accede on 

his appointment – a matter of supreme 

indifference to the disaffected fans – was 

surprising. His own recent defenestration 

at Derby County was hardly a happy 

portent and thanks to Ashley’s perversity 

he has emphatically got off on the wrong 

foot so far as the media are concerned. 

The fans, meanwhile, clearly resign 

themselves to more ostracism and 

more mediocrity. 

To borrow a phrase from Wordsworth: 

Milburn, thou shouldst be living at this 

hour! 

Slaven Bilic had every right to sit in the 

stand at Upton Park for West Ham United’s 

easy canter against Lusitans of Andorra, 

who were predictably brushed aside by 

a Hammers team full of youngsters. 

Why Xavi Roura, the Lusitans manager, 

should have been up in arms over Bilic 

preferring the stand to the bench was 

mysterious. A good many managers 

actually prefer to watch their teams 

from on high. 

Odd that Bilic’s appointment should 

have been questioned on the grounds that 

he had never coached in England before. 

Nor had Arsene Wenger or Jose Mourinho. 

Five years as Croatia coach seems a pretty 

good calling card. 

Youth…West Ham’s 16-year-old Reece Oxford 

Who can follow the 

volatile Pearson? 

Leicester City have got rid of Nigel 

Pearson and may well live to regret it. In 

this case to turn an adage upside down, 

the sins of the sons have been visited on 

the fathers. Pearson’s son having been 

one of three young Leicester players who 

took part in a recklessly filmed orgy while 

the club was touring in Thailand – the 

country of the club’s owners. 

It emerges the volatile Pearson senior 

was very nearly sacked before after putting 

his hands round the throat – playfully? – 

of Crystal Palace player James McArthur 

near the touchline during a match, having 

previously been heavily fined for telling an 

aggressive fan to eff off and die. 

What cannot be contested is that he 

spectacularly turned Leicester’s fortunes 

around in their last nine matches after it 

had seemed relegation was inevitable. It is 

also true that Pearson has had his troubles 

with the press, rebuked by the leading 

Midlands journalist Pat Murphy for his 

treatment of a local reporter. 

Still, Pearson’s achievement last season 

was substantial. Follow that? Even if one 

writer described him as a bully who got 

his deserts. 

ORead Brian Glanville’s 

exclusive online column 

at worldsoccer.com 

WORLD SOCCER 23

! " 

 

" 

 

IDFHERRNFRPORYHOOVRFFHU WZLWWHUFRPORYHOOVRFFHU ,QVWDJUDPFRPORYHOOVRFFHU

" " " 

" 

 

" 

 

L 

)UHH )RRWEDOO %RRW 3HUVRQDOLVDWLRQ

eye witness 

Tim Vickery reports from Chile 

COPA AMERICA 

It’s Chile…after 99 years 

The hosts triumph in Copa for the first time 

“Goodbye, moral victories,” was a headline 

in Chile’s La Tercera newspaper the day 

after the national team won its first senior 

title. Meanwhile, the Ultimas Noticias paper 

declared that “the glory took 99 years to 

arrive, but the wait was worthwhile”. 

For the neutral, Chile’s penalty shootout 

win in the Copa America Final after a 

disappointing goalless draw with Argentina 

may have seemed a relatively tame way to 

win the trophy. 

But that would be a misunderstanding 

of the context. 

Nearly 99 years to the day since Chile 

kicked off the very first Copa America 

26 WORLD SOCCER

Copa 

America 

Round-byround 

Group A 

Chile got the tournament under way 

with a wobbly 2-0 win over Ecuador, 

in Santiago, both second-half goals 

coming at times when the Ecuadorians 

were looking the better side. 

The hosts were back to their best in 

their next game, against Mexico, and 

their high-tempo football was a delight 

to watch. But the deficiencies of the 

defence were cruelly exposed in a 3-3 

draw that was overshadowed by the 

next day’s events. 

Returning to the team’s training 

camp, Arturo Vidal crashed his Ferrari 

with alcohol in his system but Sampaoli 

insisted he remain part of the squad. 

Already assured of a quarter-final place, 

Chile then turned on the style to beat 

Bolivia 5-0 in their final group game. 

Despite that humbling, Bolivia had 

also already qualified before their last 

match. They began with a tame 0-0 

draw with Mexico and then took 

advantage of atrocious Ecuadorian 

defending to race into a 3-0 lead. 

Ecuador came roaring back, scoring 

twice, missing a penalty and laying 

siege to the Bolivian goal. They could 

not find an equaliser and a closing 2-1 

win over Mexico was not enough to 

squeeze them into the last eight. 

Spot on…Bolivia’s Marcelo Moreno 

scores against Ecuador 

Copa kings…Chile celebrate 

winning the Final on penalties 

Group B 

With an embarrassment of attacking 

riches and their stars seemingly fitter 

than at the World Cup, Argentina raced 

into a two-goal lead against Paraguay in 

their opening game. 

Paraguay went chasing the game, 

giving Argentina numerous chances to 

kill things off. But as the chances went 

begging, and with coach Gerardo 

Martino under fire for his substitutions, 

Paraguay scored twice late on to secure 

a 2-2 draw. 

Doubts about Argentina’s ability to 

last 90 minutes were not entirely 

cleared up, even though they won their 

next two games without conceding. 

With Sergio Aguero looking especially 

sharp, they beat Uruguay 1-0, but 

looked ragged towards the end, as they 

did in the 1-0 victory over Jamaica – in 

which Lionel Messi won his 100th cap. 

Paraguay came second, despite a slim 

1-0 win over Jamaica and a grim, 1-1 

draw with a Uruguay side making 

typically solid progress and, who, like 

everyone else, beat Jamaica 1-0. 

WORLD SOCCER 27

eyewitness 

Taking aim…Robinho against Venezuela 

Group C 

The tightest of the three groups went 

into the last round of games with all 

four sides level on points and capable 

of finishing either top or bottom. 

Up until then it was a week 

dominated by Brazil’s captain, Neymar, 

who in stoppage time of the opening 

2-1 victory over Peru capped a fine 

individual display with a pass of almost 

absurd vision to set up the winner 

for Douglas Costa. A shaky team 

performance seemed to highlight just 

how dependent Brazil were on their 

number 10 – who was marked out of 

the next game by a superb defensive 

midfield performance from Colombia’s 

Carlos Sanchez. This gave Colombia the 

platform to win a scrappy game 1-0 – 

and such was Neymar’s frustration he 

was sent off after the final whistle. He 

made matters worse by abusing the 

referee and was banned for four games, 

removing him from the tournament. 

Willian stepped up to play the lead 

role in a 2-1 win over Venezuela that 

put Brazil into the knockout stage. 

Despite their victory over Brazil, 

Colombia had a disappointing group 

programme. Abel Aguilar’s injury 

absence was keenly felt as the midfield 

lacked his ability to link things together. 

Radamel Falcao did not look sharp, 

and the need to play another striker 

alongside him put more pressure on the 

central midfield pairing of Sanchez and 

Edwin Valencia, who are more equipped 

to mark than create. No coincidence, 

then, that in the two games in which 

Colombia had to take the initiative they 

failed to score, losing 1-0 to Venezuela 

and drawing 0-0 with Peru. 

Colombia went through as one of 

the best third-place teams, while Peru 

finished second by virtue of having 

scored more goals, thanks to a 1-0 

win over Venezuela who were reduced 

to 10 men in the first half. 

Fouled…Colombia’s James Rodriguez (left) 


game, the title was theirs at long last. 

La Tercera caught the mood on its front 

page, stating: “‘La Roja’ threw off its 

chronic fatalism. The tactical scheme of 

[coach Jorge] Sampaoli neutralised and 

minimised Messi’s Argentina.” Inside, 

sports editor Jose Miguelez apportioned 

the credit, writing: “Sampaoli. It was 

Sampaoli. There was also a bit of luck, 

finally on Chile’s side after the roulette 

wheel has so many times been an enemy. 

But this title is a direct consequence of his 

work. The coach won the Final.” 

In the cold light of a midwinter Chilean 

morning, it is possible to trace the process 

back a little further, to 2007. That was 

when Chile revealed an excellent crop of 

youngsters – with Alexis Sanchez, Arturo 

Vidal, Gary Medel and Mauricio Isla all part 

of the side that came third in that year’s 

Under-20 World Cup. This, in turn, meant 

there would be some promising raw 

material for the new senior coach to work 

with. His name was Marcelo Bielsa, and 

“The impossible happened. We won the 

Copa and a little water fell on Santiago” 

Chilean newspaper La Quarta celebrates the end of 

a the country’s dry spell on two fronts 

Champion…Sanchez lifts the trophy 

his appointment was fundamental to 

Chile’s change in fortunes. 

Chilean football, as former great Elias 

Figueroa told World Soccer in a special 

feature on the country over 11 years 

ago, had always suffered from an identity 

crisis – until Bielsa came along. He had 

previously struggled to have his methods 

accepted when in charge of his native 

Argentina, but with Chile he had a blank 

canvas. It was a situation he relished and 

his ideas were imposed and unopposed. 

Chile would play high-tempo, pressing 

football in the opposition’s half of the field, 

looking to dominate the game wherever it 

was played and whoever it was against. 

The young Chileans took to the idea 

with great enthusiasm and began to take 

the field with no inferiority crisis. The 

emphasis on wing play, with the ceaseless 

quest to set up two-against-one situations 

down the flanks, chimed well with the type 

of player that Chilean football produces: 

quick, elusive wingers. 

And it was more than just Chilean 

football that benefited; Chilean society 

also embraced the new national team, 

with their bold approach striking a chord 

with a traditionally staid public that was 

Hard yards…Ezeqiuel 

Lavezzi tries to keep 

an Argentina attack 

moving in the Final

COPA AMERICA 

Quarter-finals 

CHILE 1 URUGUAY 0 

Despite pressing remorselessly 

against an opponent steeped in dogged 

defence, and enjoying 80 per cent 

possession, Chile had problems turning 

their domination into clear chances in 

Santiago – even after Uruguay went 

down to 10 men just after the hour. 

Perhaps not in the best frame of mind 

after his father had been involved in 

a traffic accident the day before in 

which a motorcyclist had died, Uruguay 

centre-forward Edinson Cavani reacted 

with a slap after Gonzalo Jara pressed 

a finger against his backside. Already on 

a yellow, Cavani was sent off, while Jara 

was later handed a three-match ban. 

Chile badly needed physical presence 

in the penalty area, which sub Mauricio 

Pinilla was to provide. With 10 minutes 

left, Pinilla and Arturo Vidal attacked 

a cross, forcing goalkeeper Fernando 

Muslera to punch clear to the edge 

of the area. Showing admirable calm, 

Jorge Valdivia rolled the ball square for 

Mauricio Isla to fire home. 

There was no way back for Uruguay, 

especially when left-back Jorge Fucile 

was harshly sent off – which led to 

Uruguayan players pushing and jostling 

a linesman. Already without Luis Suarez 

and now Cavani for the start of the 

World Cup qualifiers, Uruguay could yet 

face further sanctions. 

PERU 3 BOLIVIA 1 

Bolivia switched to three centre-backs 

in Temuco, but they could have fielded 

10 and still been unable to stop the 

supply to Peru striker Paolo Guerrero. 

The top goalscorer of the last Copa 

rose above the defence to head Peru 

into the lead after 19 minutes. Three 

Wrestling match…Bolivia v Peru 

growing in confidence after years of living 

under a dictatorship. 

Bielsa resigned early in 2011 and, after 

a brief interlude under Claudio Borghi, at 

the end of the following year Chile turned 

to Sampaoli, a self-confessed Bielsa 

disciple. But while the pupil is perhaps 

a little more flexible than the master, the 

basic idea stays the same – even if its 

interpretations can vary. 

Before the opening game of the 2015 

Copa, Sampaoli claimed to have 18 

different ideas in his head. In the event, 

he used six of them, tinkering with his 

team in every match, even if not all were 

impressed. After the second game, a 3-3 

draw with Mexico, Alvaro Poblete wrote in 

La Tercera: “Sampaoli tries to come across 

as an illuminated man of football, and all 

Chile suffers. 

“He thinks he is Albert Einstein or 

Christopher Columbus, but he is just a 

Under fire…Sampaoli 

was panned after the 

draw with Mexico 

minutes later, he all but made the 

game safe as Peru broke quickly 

and midfielder Cristian Cueva curled 

a wonderful pass behind the defence 

for Guerrero to stroke home. 

Bolivia had done little in the 

competition, owing their qualification 

to a mad few minutes of defending by 

Ecuador in the group phase. But now, 

deep in trouble, they produced their 

best performance, with the set-pieces 

of Martin Smedberg-Dalence – a 

31-year-old Swedish-born midfielder 

who coach Mauricio Soria introduced 

to the side – impressing. However, any 

chance of a comeback ended when 

Danny Bejerano’s suicidal ball across 

the face of his own back line allowed 

Guerrero to run through and complete 

his hat-trick. A penalty by Marcelo 

Martins Moreno was mere consolation. 

WORLD SOCCER 29

eyewitness 

ARGENTINA 0 COLOMBIA 0 

(Argentina win 5-4 on penalties) 

The heavyweight clash in Vina del Mar 

confirmed much about these two sides 

so far in the competition, as Argentina 

again failed to turn domination into 

goals and Colombia were unable to 

control midfield. 

Colombia coach Jose Pekerman left 

captain Radamel Falcao on the bench 

and still went with two strikers. But with 

specialist man-marker Carlos Sanchez 

suspended, his side were being overrun 

in midfield. Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria 

Sergio Aguero and Javier Pastore had 

the freedom of the park. 

After 23 minutes, Pekerman had 

seen enough and replaced a striker 

with an extra midfielder, but it made 

little difference as Argentina still did 

everything but score. David Ospina 

produced an extraordinary double 

save to deny Aguero and then Messi. 

The second half was a little more even 

there but in a late Argentinian onslaught 

Ever Banega clipped the bar and a 

Nicolas Otamendi volley hit the far 

post and rolled along the line before 

substitute Carlos Tevez had a shot 

cleared off the line. 

Four years ago Tevez’s miss in the 

No escape…Uruguay’s 

Cristian Rodriguez is 

sandwiched by two 

Paraguayan defenders 

Stopped…Tevez can’t get through 

Copa quarter-final shoot-out against 

Uruguay saw Argentina eliminated. 

He did not figure in Argentina’s first 

six penalty takers this time, but 

when Jeison Murillo, so impressive 

at centre-back for Colombia, sent his 

penalty high into the night, Tevez finally 

stepped up to fire home and achieve a 

little bit of redemption. 

PARAGUAY 1 BRAZIL 1 

(Paraguay win 4-3 on penalties) 

Paraguay knocked Brazil out of the 

Copa on penalties in the quarter-finals 

four years ago, but that looked an 

unlikely outcome this time when Brazil 

took an early lead with a wonderfully 

constructed goal, Robinho sweeping 

home a cross from Dani Alves. 

Brazil sat back and waited for the 

chance to kill off the game on the 

counter-attack. But Paraguay coach 

Ramon Diaz told his defence to sit deep 

and push up aggressively and the side 

started to exert a stranglehold. Then, 

just as he had for Paris Saint-Germain 

against Chelsea in the Champions 

League, Thiago Silva conceded a 

needless penalty by jumping with 

his arm above his head and Derlis 

Gonzalez equalised from the spot. 

The game went to penalties. Brazil’s 

Everton Ribeiro and Douglas Costa 

missed before Gonzalez shot high and 

true to send Paraguay into the 

semi-finals again. 

30 WORLD SOCCER

COPA AMERICA 

coach.” But it was the coach who had 

the last laugh. 

He had prepared for the tournament in 

the knowledge that playing at home would 

change things. Opponents would be less 

likely to commit players forward, meaning 

Chile could not be as direct as usual and 

would have to have more patience in 

their possession – hence the fact that 

playmaker Jorge Valdivia, who in the World 

Cup only started against Australia, was a 

fixture throughout the competition. 

Sampaoli had also thought deeply on 

how to beat the best. Under Bielsa, Chile 

had steamed forward and been picked off 

by the Brazilian counter-attack. Sampaoli 

had apparently gone into the tournament 

expecting to meet Brazil in the Final and 

had taken precautions, using a friendly 

against Dunga’s side at the end of March 

as a laboratory. 

With the full-backs choosing their 

moment to push forward, and Charles 

Aranguiz working overtime as part of a 

midfield block, Sampaoli satisfied himself 

that he could slow down the Brazilian 

counter – and the same formula worked 

well for the Final against Argentina. 

Without renouncing their attacking ideals, 

Chile took more precautions, and 

concentrated on isolating Lionel Messi 

from his team-mates. It could have gone 

wrong, as Messi managed to slip away in 

the last minute of normal time and set up 

a counter which Gonzalo Higuain, straining 

to arrive, just failed to steer inside the far 

post. On such narrow margins are historic 

triumphs constructed. 

And so Chile join Bolivia, Colombia, 

Paraguay and Peru among South 

America’s lesser winners of the world’s 

Not to be…Messi 

walks past the trophy 

“Sampaoli thinks he is Albert Einstein 

or Christopher Columbus but he is 

just a coach” 

La Tercera’s Alvaro Poblete 

Flying the flag…Chile 

fans roar their team 

on in the Final 

Semi-finals 

CHILE 2 PERU 1 

For the first 20 minutes, there looked to 

be a real chance of a shock result. Peru 

took the game to Chile, with winger Andre 

Carrillo and Paolo Guerrero proving a 

handful for a Chile defence lacking the 

suspended Gonzalo Jara. His replacement 

Jorge Rojas seemed overawed and there 

was a nervous hush around Santiago’s 

National stadium. 

But, and not for the first time in his 

international career, Peru centre-back 

Carlos Zambrano lost his head. He had 

already been involved in a couple of spats, 

and was on a yellow, when he received a 

straight red card for an ugly, unnecessary 

high footed stamp on Charles Aranguiz. 

It was now far easier for Chile, who took 

the lead shortly before half time, when a 

cross-cum-shot from Alexis Sanchez came 

back off the far post and was bundled home 

by Eduardo Vargas, who should have been 

given offside. 

A goal and a man up, Chile looked set for 

a routine win. But their complacency was 

shattered on the hour. Guerrero sent Luis 

Advincula away, and with his excellent cross 

heading towards Carrillo, Gary Medel’s 

attempt to intercept diverted the ball past 

his own keeper. 

Home nerves were soon settled, though, 

when Vargas lef fly from 25 metres with 

a shot that caught 

keeper Pedro Gallese 

unawares, and he 

won the game for Chile 

with his 22nd goal at 

international level. 

Peru ended up with 

some consolation for 

a promising campaign. 

They deservedly beat 

Paraguay 2-0 to claim 

third place. 

ARGENTINA 6 PARAGUAY 1 

All those goals that Argentina had been 

threatening to score finally appeared in 

Concepcion and they were 2-0 up early on. 

Marcos Rojo forced home the first after a 

free kick, and Javier Pastore soon added a 

second after Lionel Messi dropped deep as 

a decoy and threaded the ball between the 

lines for Pastore to exploit. 

But Paraguay kept pressing, and were 

rewarded soon before half-time when 

aggressive marking in the Argentina half 

resulted in a loose ball being smashed 

home by Lucas Barrios. 

Argentina came out after the break 

determined not to be caught twice in the 

same trap as in the group game, and this 

time it took them just seven minutes to kill 

things off. Messi and Javier Mascherano 

combined to send Pastore away and he 

sent in Angel Di Maria to score. Then 

Paraguay were caught with too many men 

upfield, Messi took out the defence and 

Pastore’s cross flicked off the keeper and 

was volleyed home by Di Maria. 

There was time for two more, in which 

Argentina demonstrated their strength up 

front. First Aguero burst between the 

centre-backs and glanced Di Maria’s cross 

into the far corner. Then he was replaced by 

Gonzalo Higuain, who immediately made 

his mark, rounding off yet another Messiinspired 

move. 

Won it…Sanchez’s penalty finds the net 

Final 

CHILE 0 ARGENTINA 0 

(Chile won 4-1 on penalties) 

Chile finally have something to put in 

their trophy cabinet. After 99 years and 

43 previous versions of the Copa America 

they became the eighth nation to win 

the competition – even if a potentially 

wonderful final did not come close to 

living up to expectations. 

But, as Argentina coach Gerardo Martino 

said afterwards: “The two sides did not have 

the opportunity to show their football. 

“We cancelled each other out. Argentina 

didn’t shine, Chile didn’t shine. Messi was 

controlled, Aguero as well. But then so were 

Jorge Valdivia and Alexis Sanchez of Chile.” 

Argentina had shown signs during the 

tournament of end-of-season tiredness and 

Martino complained after the group game 

against Uruguay that his men seemed 

unable to sustain their rhythm for the full 

90 minutes. But in the Final, despite coming 

off the back of a 6-1 semi-final thrashing of 

Paraguay, his team never really established 

their rhythm. 

It must have seemed like Groundhog Day 

for Argentina, because so many memories 

of last year’s World Cup campaign came 

flooding back: Angel Di Maria, after a bright 

start, pulling up injured early on; Messi 

seemingly short of gas and restricting 

himself to spurts; the vital chance that fell 

to Gonzalo Higuain, 

this time in the last 

minute of normal 

time, when he arrived 

fractionally late at 

the far post and was 

unable to steer the 

ball home. 

The stalemate also 

resulted from the fact 

Chile worked so hard 

to defend collectively. 

Jorge Sampaoli, for the sixth time in six 

games, changed his starting line-up, this 

time using a back three of Francisco Silva, 

Marcelo Diaz and Gary Medel – all 

converted midfielders. All were booked in 

a first half when the momentum seemed 

to be with Argentina. Chile keeper Claudio 

Bravo produced a reflex save to block a 

close range Aguero header then stood up 

well to stop a shot from Ezequiel Lavezzi, 

who had replaced Di Maria. 

But Chile wrested the initiative after the 

break, closing down Argentina in midfield, 

interrupting the circuit between Messi and 

Javier Pastore which had proved so effective 

during the competition. The lung power and 

unsung versatility of Charles Aranguiz, the 

motor of the Chile midfield, made him a 

strong contender for man of the match. 

Chile looked fresher in extra time, and 

carried that spirit into the shoot out. The 

key moment was the third penalty. Mati 

Fernandez and Lionel Messi had both 

scored when Arturo Vidal stepped up for 

Chile. And then the hapless Higuain fired 

over the bar, and Chile were in front. 

Fittingly, Aranguiz made no mistake and 

when Bravo saved from Ever Banega, 

Chile had two chances to seal the win. 

In the end they only needed the one. 

Alexis Sanchez went for the little dink 

down the middle, Sergio Romero was 

committed to the dive and the Chilean 

party could begin. 

WORLD SOCCER 31

eyewitness 

After a year of friendlies, the Copa 

America kicked off a new cycle 

of competitive matches in South 

America. Indeed, many of the 

coaches, new in their jobs and 

with little preparation time, made 

no secret that the priority in the 

tournament was preparing a team 

for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, 

which get under way in October. 

From that point of view, then, how 

did the teams emerge from the Copa? 

ARGENTINA 

Amid the trauma of yet another 

Final defeat, Gerardo Martino pointed 

out that “the positive side is that we’ve 

found our style”. However, it is a style 

that would surely work better with more 

defensive pace, allowing the back line 

to play higher and the team to stay 

more compact. Martino took a very 

experienced squad to the Copa; 

presumably new players can be 

filtered into the process in next year’s 

Centenary Copa and in the Olympics. 

BOLIVIA 

Making it out of the group, though 

almost entirely dependent on a dreadful 

45 minutes’ defending by Ecuador, was 

a big boost, and Mauricio Soria’s team 

gave a good account of themselves in 

the 3-1 quarter-final defeat by Peru. 

Swedish born Martin Smedberg-Dalence 

looks a find, and if there may be 

some heavy defeats ahead, there are 

legitimate hopes the new bolder style 

might help the team do better away 

from the extreme altitude of La Paz. 

BRAZIL 

Ten consecutive friendly wins 

under Dunga were soon shown up to 

count for little once the competitive 

action started. True, a few important 

players were absent through injury, 

but Brazil go into the qualifiers with 

confidence undermined and Neymar 

suspended for the first two games – 

and every match in the qualifiers that 

they fail to win sets off another mini 

crisis. Interesting times ahead – might 

they even lead to a change of direction? 

CHILE 

Which way from here? The last 

Copa hosts to win the trophy, Colombia 

in 2001, suffered in the qualification 

campaign. Chile should gain confidence 

from finally claiming a title, but there 

is a natural tendency to ease off after 

the triumph, which ever-intense coach 

Jorge Sampaoli will need to guard 

against. He may also have to do without 

playmaker Jorge Valdivia, who is off 

to play in the UAE. But there is a big 

question looming on the horizon: 

how are Chile going to replace their 

golden generation? 


WORLD 

CUP 

PROSPECTS 

oldest continental competition, and for 

the seventh time in 44 versions, the Copa 

America eluded one of the traditional 

big three. 

Record winners Uruguay were always 

unlikely to make an especially convincing 

defence of the title they won in Argentina 

four years ago, as they were without Luis 

Suarez and primarily concerned with 

rebuilding the team. Even so, the lack of 

ambition in their play sparked a debate 

back home, with questions being asked 

whether coach Oscar Tabarez has become 

addicted to fighting inside a bunker. 

There is debate, too, in Brazil, after a 

hugely disappointing campaign. A group 

of notables has been summoned to 

discuss the underperformance of Brazilian 

football – a move which would have made 

much more sense a year ago, when the 

national team had months of friendlies 

ahead of them. On the eve of World Cup 

qualification – and with Dunga, seemingly 

obsessed with the counter-attack, ratified 

Out…Brazil lost on penalties to 

Paraguay in the quarter-finals 

as coach – it is difficult to see where 

change will come from. 

Argentina limped away after losing their 

third Final in the last four tournaments: 

two of them on penalty shoot-outs. Javier 

Mascherano, present in all of those Finals, 

plus that of the 2014 World Cup, spoke of 

feeling cursed. The wait for a senior title 

is now 22 years and counting, but there 

might be another chance in June 2016, 

with the proposed Centenary Copa in the 

United States. 

There are two caveats here, though. 

One is that a third consecutive end-ofseason 

international tournament is a 

strain too much on the players and the 

key men will surely be rested for the World 

Cup qualifiers. The other is that there is no 

guarantee that the competition will go 

ahead, since allegations over the TV rights 

are at the epicentre of the FIFA scandal. 

CONMEBOL appears to be an 

organisation under siege. President 

Juan Angel Napout did at last make 

an appearance at the Final to hand over 

the trophy, but he, and many national 

association leaders spent most of their 

time at home, dealing with the scandal 

and its fallout. Investigations into FAs are 

being carried out all over the continent. 

During the tournament, a meeting in 

Brazil of South American government 

prosecutors made a formal request to the 

USA authorities to pass on the evidence 

unearthed by the FBI. 

In less fraught days, CONMEBOL had 

awarded the 2015 Copa to Chile, in March 

2012, after a deal was reached with Brazil, 

the original hosts, to switch the order so 

that they will now host 2019. 

With just three years to prepare, Chile 

made a modest investment in stadiums, 

with nine being used in eight different 

cities, making this far more of a nationwide 

competition that the five previous Copas 

staged in Chile, and the 1962 World 

VIP treatment… 

Chile are greeted by 

president Bachelet at 

the national palace 

“The two sides did not have the 

opportunity to show their football. 

We cancelled each other out” 

Argentina coach Gerardo Martino reflects on a poor Final

COPA AMERICA 

COLOMBIA 

This was the tournament when 

they aimed to ratify what they had done 

in the World Cup, and from that view 

they were a massive disappointment. 

Their attack did not shine and, oddly 

for a team coached by Jose Pekerman, 

there was very little midfield elaboration. 

Injured Abel Aguilar was missed and 

there is an urgent need to find all-round 

midfielders. At least the quest for a new 

centre-back was a success and Jeison 

Murillo had a fine tournament. 

ECUADOR 

New coach Gustavo Quinteros 

was not devastated by first-round 

elimination. His team showed its 

considerable firepower, but were 

undermined by what he referred to as 

“gross errors” at the back. Tightening 

up the defence will be a priority. A 

possible problem is the spat between 

Antonio Valencia (who missed the 

tournament through injury) and local 

FA boss Luis Chiriboga. which shows the 

internal atmosphere is far from ideal. 

PARAGUAY 

Exceeded all expectations by 

knocking out Brazil in the quarter-finals. 

A mixed bag for new coach Ramon 

Diaz, who, with little preparation time or 

local knowledge, understandably went 

with an experienced core of players, 

many of whom will have to be replaced 

in the course of the qualification 

campaign. They will go into the Russia 

2018 campaign as an unknown quantity. 

Cup. There were no organisational hitches, 

and an editorial in La Tercera went as far 

as to declare that the Copa was “organised 

in an impeccable manner, and with notable 

success in all the facets which nowadays 

pertain to these types of sporting events”. 

Local interest was high and the point 

should be made that, while the stadiums 

outside Santiago are relatively small, 

most games were well attended, which 

is especially impressive as many of the 

matches took place in bitter evening cold. 

The exception was Antofagasta in the 

north, which felt hard done by with its 

games – just two, both involving Jamaica 

– and stadium occupation there was 

just 34.3 per cent, well below the 

other venues. 

Part of the success was down to the 

number of travelling fans, a relatively 

new development for the Copa, reflecting 

the fact that the continent has become 

wealthier. The Colombian hordes, first 

witnessed in Argentina four years ago, 

were back, and if they did not have too 

much to celebrate, they could at least roar 

their team to its first victory over Brazil 

Also rans…Jamaica 

(in yellow) lost each 

group match 1-0 

since James Rodriguez was precisely one 

day old. 

While visiting supporters were rewarded 

with some stunning scenery, they also 

encountered an environmental problem. 

In Santiago and some of the other cities, 

especially Temuco, the quality of the air 

was very poor. Santiago sits in a valley, and 

in winter, when wood fires are burning, if 

there is little wind and no rain the pollution 

hangs in smog clouds above the city. The 

first genuine emergency since 1999 was 

declared, and there were lots of so-called 

“pre-emergencies”, with restrictions placed 

on car usage. 

In a situation exacerbated by the driest 

June in decades, many experienced 

breathing problems. 

On the Saturday that Chile won the 

trophy, there was a victory procession to 

La Moneda palace, where the players were 

greeted by president Michelle Bachelet. 

The next day the dry spell came to an end. 

“The impossible happened,” trumpeted 

La Quarta. “We won the Copa, and a little 

water fell on Santiago.” Drizzle, yes, but it 

did not rain on Chile’s parade. 

PERU 

Finishing third in the previous 

Copa ended up doing nothing for their 

dream of returning to the World Cup 

for the first time since 1982. Will it 

be any different this time? While their 

big-name strikers are all the other 

side of 30, a younger group of players 

– Pedro Gallese in goal, Luis Advincula 

at right-back, attacking midfielder 

Christian Cueva, striker Yordy Reyna 

– are coming through nicely. Their 

disastrous away record in recent years 

does, however, remain a big problem. 

URUGUAY 

Suffered their first defeats since 

the World Cup, though both times they 

fought hard before going down 1-0. But 

has coach Oscar Tabarez become too 

obsessed with fighting from a bunker? 

Do they have the players for a more 

expansive game? This debate is going 

on in Uruguay, who will still be without 

Luis Suarez for the first four qualifying 

rounds. Prepare for another battle to 

claim the play-off position. 

VENEZUELA 

Coming fourth in the previous 

Copa raised hopes they might be ready 

to qualify for their first World Cup. They 

were not realised in 2014, and it is not 

clear how they can be in Russia, either. 

New coach Noel Sanvicente managed 

to fashion a side with a fair degree of 

defensive solidity, but at the expense of 

attacking fluidity. They are competitive, 

but look to be short of the quality 

needed to grab a 2018 place. 

WORLD SOCCER 33

Sampaoli’s triumph 

Jonathan Wilson analyses how hosts Chile came out on top at 

the Copa America, thanks to their Argentinian coach 

Where next for Jorge Sampaoli? Although 

he has a contract to stay on as Chile coach 

until the 2018 World Cup, he hinted after 

the Copa America Final that he may look 

to move on. 

And he could hardy be blamed for 

doing so, because what he has achieved 

with Chile is remarkable. 

From a financial point of view, Sampaoli 

is unlikely to ever be in a better negotiating 

position. But, from an emotional point 

of view, Chile’s 99-year wait for a trophy 

with a win over his own native country, in 

a stadium where he achieved such success 

with Universidad de Chile, is unlikely to be 

topped. For, more than anything, Chile’s 

triumph was Sampaoli’s triumph. 

It’s true that the foundations of this 

triumph were laid by Marcelo Bielsa, who 

was coach between 2007 and 2011, but 

after Claudio Borghi’s disappointing reign, 

there was still plenty of work to be done. 

Sampaoli, to a degree because of a lack 

of choice, kept the existing squad together 

and generated a spirit that was as near as 

it is possible to get in a national side to a 

club environment. 

The basics of the way Chile played were 

no great surprise. They pressed hard and 

high, using Marcelo Diaz at the back of 

midfield to drop between the centre-backs 

and switch from a back four to a back 

three and release the full-backs. Arturo 

Vidal and Charles Aranguiz both worked 

exceptionally hard in midfield, their tactical 

intelligence vital to a system that switched 

Action man…Chile 

midfielder Valdivia 

(no10) in the thick 

of it against Uruguay 

between 4-3-3 and 3-4-1-2. At the front, 

the shape replicated the back with Jorge 

Valdivia, so often such a frustrating player, 

operating behind a strike pairing of Alexis 

Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas, who 

would often split to allow him to advance 

between them. The result was a highly 

fluid style that produced by some way the 

most attractive football of the competition. 

What was most impressive was how 

Chile – with the exception of a nervy 

semi-final against Peru – kept on 

correcting flaws. In the opening game, a 

slightly anxious 2-0 win over Ecuador, for 

instance, Jefferson Montero again and 

again exploited the space behind Mauricio 

Isla, while Chile seemed heavily focused 

on attacking down their right. That bias 

34 WORLD SOCCER

TACTICS 

disappeared thereafter and, after another 

shaky game against Mexico, no other 

left-winger really threatened to get in 

behind Isla, or at least not with the 

consistency Montero had. 

A 3-3 draw with Mexico was more 

worrying for two other reasons, though. 

Firstly, that the Mexicans dominated a far 

shorter Chile side in the air, twice scoring 

with headers, and secondly that their third 

goal came from an extremely simple pass 

over the top because the Chilean back 

line had pushed up when there was no 

pressure on the ball. 

The latter issue is why few international 

sides play a pressing game: it requires a 

cohesiveness that is extremely hard to 

generate when players are not playing and 

Determined…Medel (left) stops Messi 

training together every week. Sampaoli, 

though, presumably with further drilling on 

the practice pitch, ironed out the glitch. 

The issue of height is rather different. 

Chile were the shortest team in the 

tournament, with an average height of 

1.76m. There is not a huge amount that 

can be done about that, but Sampaoli was 

so worried about the threat that Uruguay 

posed from set-pieces that he strung up 

a tape 2m above the ground and had his 

players practising winning headers above 

that mark. 

As it turned out, Chile defended 

extremely well against Uruguay. The 

goalkeeper, Claudio Bravo, was notably 

proactive about coming for crosses, 

and while Gonzalo Jara’s provocation 

of Edinson Cavani will always leave 

a sour taste, that was probably their 

best performance of the tournament. 

Against a resolute defence they stuck 

to their attacking principles, with Valdivia 

capping a superb performance by 

retaining his cool as a Fernando Muslera 

punch came to him on the edge of the 

box and calmly laying the ball off for Isla to 

score – a moment that, after the wobbles 

of the first two games, demonstrated the 

advantages of having a full-back surging 

forward late to join the attack. 

But it was in the Final that Sampaoli 

really came into his own. Chile and 

Argentina had been the two sides with 

the most possession in the competition; 

for one or both that was clearly about 

to change. 

Argentina had looked much more 

dangerous in the tournament when 

they had had space to attack behind the 

opponent, as happened in both games 

against Paraguay (even in their opening 

Sampaoli spent the days before the 

Final watching videos of Messi, while 

his players used a PlayStation4 to try 

to find a solution. Remarkably, they did 

Final…Sampaoli 

urges his team on 

against Argentina 

group game, when they suffered a tactical 

collapse to squander a 2-0 lead and draw 

2-2 they were still creating chances at the 

end). Given Chile’s preference for a high 

line, that seemed to pose a major problem 

and there were moments early in the 

match when Lionel Messi found space 

behind the left-back Jean Beausejour. 

Messi, after 

a devastating 

performance 

in the semifinal, 

had been 

Sampaoli’s 

focus. Chile’s 

coach had 

reportedly spent the days before the 

Final watching videos of Messi while his 

players used a PlayStation4 to try to find 

a solution. 

Remarkably, they did. Diaz played so 

deep in the Final that he was almost a 

third central defender. Francisco Silva 

came in to his right with Gary Medel 

swapped to the left of centre so he could 

push out and close Messi down, knowing 

he had Diaz behind him as protection. 

Aranguiz, on the left of the two shuttling 

midfielders, never let Messi get too far 

away from him, while Valdivia must have 

done more defending than in any other 

game in his career, forever pulling left 

to offer further protection. By the time 

Valdivia was replaced by the spikier 

Mati Fernandez, Messi was already 

a diminished, demoralised figure. 

Perhaps it would not have worked 

with a referee less prepared to let robust 

challenges pass or had Angel Di Maria 

not pulled up with a hamstring injury, 

but hypotheticals can play both ways. 

The fact is that Sampaoli honed Chile 

over the course of the tournament and 

devised specific plans for specific games 

that worked. His combative style rubs 

some up the wrong way, but this was 

Sampaoli’s tournament. 

CHILE LINE-UP V ARGENTINA, 2015 COPA FINAL 

Isla 

Silva 

Vidal 

Vargas 

Bravo 

Diaz 

Valdivia 

Aranguiz 

Sanchez 

Medel 

Beausejour 

WORLD SOCCER 35


F R I E N D L Y 

Steve Menary reports on the money to be 

36 WORLD SOCCER


C O M P E T I T I O N 

made from pre-season games – both legally and illegally 

nce a casually organised series of 

O 

games watched by fans keen for 

a first glimpse of exciting new 

signings being eased into the 

forthcoming campaign, the preseason 

friendly is now football’s 

latest commercial battleground. 

Last season, between a quarter and 

half of all pre-season friendlies played 

by clubs in the big five European leagues 

were staged overseas, with matches being 

given increasing value through sponsorship 

and often packaged up into meaningless 

tournaments, from the Audi Quattro Cup 

All round benefits…Liverpool (in red) take 

on Roma at Boston’s Fenway Park – home 

of baseball’s Red Sox, who are run by 

Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group 

WORLD SOCCER 37

to the Premier League Asia Trophy. While 

sponsors get another plug, broadcasters 

snap up cheap opportunities to show 

Europe’s top sides – despite managers’ 

protests at their players being dragged 

all around the world. 

The Emirates Cup in London eased 

Arsene Wenger’s concerns over the 

demands of pre-season on his Arsenal 

players, but he is one of the few managers 

to win this battle. Last summer, new 

Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal 

warned that a pre-season tour to the 

United States was too demanding, yet 

this summer United visit the US again. 

“Commercial managers have the power 

in pre-season,” says Michael D’Arcy, a 

director of KAM Sports, one of the biggest 

licensed agents arranging club and 

international friendlies. 

Foreign tours date back to the game’s 

early days, but in 1993 Italy became one 

of the first leagues to attempt to start a 

pre-season abroad, with the Italian Super 

Cup staged in the USA. Since then, the 

annual season opener between the 

winners of Serie A and the Italian Cup 

has been held in Libya (in 2002), the US 

(2003), Qatar (2014) and China (three 

times between 2009 and 2012). This 

year’s game, between Juventus and 

Lazio, returns to China on August 8. 

In 2013, Spanish clubs started the LFP 

World Tour, which visited destinations as 

diverse as Australia, Chile and Turkey to 

globalise La Liga, but England’s Premier 

League and its clubs have blazed the 

biggest commercial pre-season trail. 

Between 2005 and 2014, Premier 

League sides visited 41 countries in preseason, 

from Malaysia and Vietnam to 

Liechtenstein, Nigeria and New Zealand. 

The big five – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool 

and the two Manchester clubs – played 

319 pre-season friendlies, of which just 

97 were at home. 

Although overseas touring did ease last 

summer, 60 per cent of Premier League 

“The clubs are ruthless. They are solely in it for 

the money, whereas the national teams do it 

for technical reasons” 

KAM Sports director Michael D’Arcy 

California clash…Mauro Icardi of Internazionale runs into Real Madrid’s Pepe 


sides’ pre-season games took place outside 

Britain between 2011-12 and 2013-14. 

As an organisation, the Premier League 

stages the biennial Asia Trophy and four of 

the last six have been held in Hong Kong. 

As HKFA chief executive Mark Sutcliffe 

explains: “The gate money and TV income 

goes to the Premier League to pay its 

costs and clubs’ appearance money. 

The HKFA gets a sanction fee to pay for 

our costs and match-day organisation. 

The stadium owner – in this case, the 

government – gets its levy and the local 

team gets an appearance fee. In addition, 

the Premier League gives the HKFA 

a good-causes grant for football 

development, so creating an event legacy. 

“As I understand it, the event costs the 

Premier League money but is seen as an 

investment to develop the market in Asia.” 

However, the Premier League denies 

this, claiming the event – which is being 

staged in Singapore this year and features 

Arsenal, Everton, Stoke City and a 

Singapore Select XI – breaks even. 

“Premier League money is the clubs’ 

money,” says a spokesman. “Our job is to 

generate revenue for them, so they would 

not want the Premier League running 

competitions that make losses.” 

Asia, and China in particular, is of great 

appeal to the Premier League and its 

clubs. Rowan Simmons, an expert in 

Chinese media and sport, says: “Even if PL 

clubs are not playing in China this summer, 

the interest is certainly there. Several have 

sent commercial teams here recently; 

many seem to be looking for buyers.” 

With a bumper £5.1billion domestic TV 

deal agreed, pre-season is a good time to 

attract interest from investors in markets 

such as China, although the proliferation of 

fake replica shirts in Asia, costing as little 

Pulling power… 

Manchester United 

and Real Madrid 

drew an astonishing 

109,318 fans for 

their 2014 friendly 

at Michigan Stadium 

9 

Canada 

1 

Mexico 

1 

Costa Rica 

41 

USA


6 

Belgium 

18 

Spain 

22 

Portugal 

COUNTRIES VISITED BY 

PREMIER LEAGUE SIDES | 2005-14 

18 

Ireland 

27 7 

Holland 

5 

France 

3 1 

Norway Finland Poland 

56 

6 13 

Denmark Sweden 

Germany 

9 

Switzerland 

2 

Liechtenstein 

1 

Nigeria 

Italy 

South Africa 

Turkey 

Croatia 

Greece San Marino Slovenia 

3 

7 

5 

3 

1 

4 

Hungary 

8 

35 

Austria 

1 1 11 

Thailand 

1 

14 

China 

Malaysia Singapore 

1 

Russia 

Macau 

Vietnam 

4 

2 

1 

Indonesia 

7 

South Korea 

4 

Australia 

Home fan…Van Gaal 

is not keen on long, 

overseas tours 

Promotion…former 

Premier League stars 

(from left) Ian Wright, 

Mamady Sidibe and 

Graham Stuart launch 

this year’s Asia Trophy 

in Singapore 

5 

Japan 

13 

Hong Kong 

2 

New Zealand 

as £2 each, does count against the region 

as a destination. 

And although Premier League clubs 

have played 94 pre-season friendlies in 10 

Asian countries over the last decade, they 

have played 97 in the USA. For all major 

European clubs looking to develop an 

international brand, the US is the big 

target market in pre-season. 

In 2005, there were just five preseason 

friendlies involving Premier League 

teams in the United States. Last summer, 

there were 25, with a game between 

Manchester United and Real Madrid in 

Michigan attracting 109,318 people. 

The catalyst came in October 2012 

when ABC agreed to pay $250million 

to screen Premier League matches on 

free-to-air channels in the USA for three 

seasons from 2013-14. With no fakereplica-shirt 

market, the US is also popular 

with shirt manufacturers. 

Real Madrid shirts from adidas were 

the world’s biggest selling shirt in 2013-14, 

but Nike sold most shirts, at 4.3million, 

including half of the top 10 most popular 

clubs: Manchester United, Barcelona, 

Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. 

This summer, United, Barcelona and PSG 

meet in the USA in the latest International 

Champions Cup. 

Clubs and sponsors are not the 

only ones cashing in. Some national 

associations levy a fee to sanction a 

friendly, while money also can be made 

from allocating officials. 

In England, the FA allegedly charges up 

to £2,750 to supply four officials. The FA 

declines to comment on this, but charges 

are even higher elsewhere. Securing 

BREAKDOWN 

05-06 

06-07 

07-08 

08-09 

09-10 

10-11 

11-12 

12-13 

13-14 

14-15 

Austria 4 4 3 3 5 6 1 4 2 3 

Australia - - - - 1 1 - - 2 - 

Belgium 1 1 1 1 - 1 - - - 1 

Canada 1 - 1 1 1 2 1 1 - 1 

China 1 2 1 1 3 1 2 3 - - 

Costa Rica - - - - - - - - 1 - 

Croatia - - - - 1 - - - - - 

Denmark 1 1 1 - - - - 1 1 1 

Finland - - - - - - - - 2 1 

France 1 1 - - - - - 2 1 - 

Germany 3 6 3 7 4 5 4 10 6 8 

Greece - 1 - 1 1 1 1 - - - 

Holland 4 7 4 2 2 1 - 1 1 5 

Hong Kong 1 - 3 - - - 3 1 5 - 

Hungary - - - 1 1 - - - 1 1 

Indonesia - - - - - - - 1 3 - 

Ireland 1 - 2 1 - 3 3 2 5 1 

Italy - - - - 1 - 1 - 1 - 

Japan 2 - 1 - - - - - 2 - 

Liechtenstein 1 1 - - - - - - - - 

Macau - - - 1 1 - - - - - 

Malaysia - - - 1 - - 3 3 1 - 

Mexico - - - - - 1 - - - - 

New Zealand - - - - - - - - - 2 

Norway 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 1 - 

Nigeria - - - 1 - - - - - - 

Poland - - - - 1 - - - - - 

Portugal 3 - - 3 2 3 3 3 5 - 

Russia - - - 1 - - - - - - 

San Marino - - - - - - 1 - - - 

Singapore - - - - 1 - - - - - 

Slovenia - - - - - - - - - 1 

South Africa 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 2 - - 

South Korea 1 - 3 1 1 - - 1 - - 

Spain 3 3 - 4 3 1 - 4 - - 

Sweden 2 2 1 - - 1 2 4 1 - 

Switzerland - 1 1 4 1 - - 2 - - 

Thailand 3 - - - 1 - 2 - 3 2 

Turkey 1 - - - - - 1 - - 1 

USA 2 2 3 2 3 4 6 6 4 9 

Vietnam - - - - - - - - 1 - 

WORLD SOCCER 39


permission to play a friendly and a set of 

officials can cost Á8,000 per match in 

Spain and Á5,000 in Cyprus, according 

to agents. 

Agents either arrange friendlies for a 

fee or act as promoters, but the latter is 

risky due to the demands from major 

clubs. Most clubs look to turn a profit on 

pre-season and can charge appearance 

fees of up to £1m – while it is rumoured 

that Barcelona charge Á2m. 

“The clubs are ruthless,” adds D’Arcy. 

“They are solely in it for the money, 

whereas the national teams do it for 

technical reasons. 

“We tend not to promote club games 

any more as anything can go wrong, 

like the best players pulling out. In an 

international game, there are always 

replacements but not in club games. 

“When clubs arrive and want everything 

first class and you have two teams wanting 

£1m each, you have to cover that and 

the travel and the cost of staging the 

game. Then, even if you sell out, it’s not 

Costly…European champions Barcelona are said 

to charge Á2m for a friendly 

enough. So you need sponsors and TV. A 

lot of people have been stung putting on 

club games.” 

All friendlies played between clubs from 

different countries must be arranged by a 

match agent that is licensed by FIFA. At 

present, 316 agents have FIFA licences 

but only 74 of FIFA’s 209 members have 

agents and there are as many – just two 

– in tiny San Marino as there are in the 

whole of China. 

As the industry grows, so do concerns 

over loosely regulated matches that are 

staged by private companies. This is 

because these games are often offered 

as bets by bookmakers, who never pass 

up the opportunity to run a book on an 

event for fear of losing their market share. 

These games can create an opportunity 

for corruption. Safeguarding group 

Sportradar monitors 35,000 matches 

a year for match fixing as part of a 

contract with UEFA. This contract does 

not include friendlies, but since January 

2014, Sportradar has “escalated” 20 

Austrian adventure…West Bromwich Albion 

meet Red Bull Salzburg in Schladming 

40 WORLD SOCCER

club friendlies due to suspicions of match 

fixing being a possibility. 

Liquidity on legal betting markets 

for friendly matches is often low and 

Sportradar says the game between 

Manchester United and Real Madrid in 

Michigan attracted bets totalling just 

Á250,000. But this figure does not take 

into account betting on illegal markets in 

places like Asia, where people are crazy 

about both gambling and football. 

“Friendly football matches, particularly 

between clubs, are a clear target for 

match-fixers because they are inherently 

lower profile than regular fixtures, attract 

fewer spectators and are not always 

televised,” says Jake Marsh, a match-fixing 

and betting fraud expert at International 

Centre for Sports Security (ICSS). “This 

usually means they are not as well 

scrutinised and this extends to the fact 

that federations rarely monitor the betting 

markets on such matches.” 

A popular destination in Europe for 

clubs looking to run pre-season training 

camps and stage friendly matches 

is Austria, where the local football 

associations, the OFB, only charges 

a levy of Á100 to sanction a friendly. 

However, with few fans to watch the 

games, there are some concerns over the 

potential for matches to be rigged. When 

one operator tried to bring in a Romanian 

referee for the summer the OFB stepped 

in. “We only allow Austrian referees 

otherwise there is no come-back”, says 

OFB administrative director, Thomas 

Hollerer. The OFB is keen to avoid the 

problems that hit Spain, which was once 

a popular venue for pre-season friendlies 

but also home to a match-fixing gang that 

has influenced a number of friendlies 

according to the ICSS. 

In January this year, the ICSS warned 

of suspicious betting patterns during a 

friendly in Spain between Dutch club 

Den Hague and Albanian champions 

Skenderbeu. The same week, another 

friendly in Spain was abandoned after 

a local referee gave a fourth penalty to 

Belgian side Standard Liege for reasons so 

unclear that their opponents, Dutch side 

Heerenveen, simply walked off the field. 

“For those that may argue friendly 

matches do not really matter, they are still 

played by professionals and bookmakers 

allow varieties of bets to be placed on 

them,” says Marsh. “In some respects, 

the ‘friendly’ is also a good testing ground 

for organised criminals. They face less risk 

when infiltrating players and getting them 

under control for future manipulation, 

and they may go on to attempt fixes of 

competitive matches once there has been 

a first successful fix in a friendly.” 

As the pre-season schedule is inevitably 

ramped up this summer, managers will 

complain of demands on players, sponsors 

will be remorselessly plugged, fixers will 

look for easy targets and a bit of lustre will 

be wiped off the game before the real 

action even kicks off. 

Opinion…Hong 

Kong FA’s Sutcliffe 

“As I understand it, the [Asia Trophy] costs the Premier League 

money but is seen as an investment to develop the market in Asia” 

Hong Kong FA chief executive Mark Sutcliffe 

Suspicious…odd 

betting patterns were 

reported during a 

friendly between 

Den Haag (green) and 

Skenderbeu in Spain 

AUSTRIA: THE EURO 

CHOICE OF MANY 

With clement weather and empty ski 

resorts clamouring for summertime guests, 

Austria has become Europe’s most popular 

destination for pre-season training camps. 

Helped by a major marketing boost in 

2008, when Austria staged the European 

Championship with neighbours Switzerland, 

an industry has developed that saw more 

than 500 friendlies staged in Austria last 

summer, between clubs from places as 

diverse as Azerbaijan and Ukraine. 

“The challenge is to provide a good 

package,” says Thomas Plasser, an account 

manager at one of the leading operators, 

Global Sports, which was formed in 2010 

and has since hosted clubs including Celtic 

and Sunderland. 

Spain and Portugal were once popular 

with British clubs in pre-season but, 

while the USA and Germany are the top 

destinations for one-off games or tours, 

between 2005 and 2014 Premier League 

clubs played 58 pre-season games in 

Austria. That is more than the combined 

total for Portugal and Spain. 

The summer-camp culture is more 

advanced in France, but Marseille and Paris 

Saint-Germain stopped off in Austria in 

2014. In Italy, some local authorities cover 

Impressive… Schalke 

(in blue) play Stoke 

City in Kufstein 

the cost of training camp for their top sides 

to encourage tourism, but seven Serie A 

clubs still played a dozen games in Austria 

last summer, including Roma and Udinese. 

Athletic Bilbao were the only Spanish club 

to visit last summer, but half the German 

Bundesliga played pre-season games in 

Austria, including Borussia Dortmund 

and Hanover. 

In Lower Austria, the local authority 

and the tourism association use former 

international striker Toni Pfeffer to attract 

clubs, but the industry is dominated by 

three agencies. SLFC is the biggest, and in 

2014 arranged 178 matches in southern 

Austria and the Tyrol for 87 teams, 

including Chelsea, Everton, PSG, Juventus, 

Monaco and Sevilla; IFCS works around 

Syria and Burgenland; and Global Sports 

runs camps in Upper Austria. 

The OFB vets every friendly and bans 

matches that could attract hooliganism. 

Sparta Prague were banned last summer 

for nine months after the Czech club’s fans 

let off firecrackers. The same problem led 

to Turkish clubs being banned from playing 

pre-season games in Germany, so many of 

its sides now, like so many clubs in Europe, 

play matches in Austria. 

WORLD SOCCER 41

Xavi 

PLAYER 

BIOGRAPHY 

Success…Xavi with the 24 trophies 

he won during his Barcelona career – 

prior to making the 2015 Champions 

League number 25 

42 WORLD SOCCER

The man who made 

Barca and Spain tick 

Xavi was the heartbeat of both club and country 

WORDS: Sid Lowe 

Special…celebrating 

a goal against Real 

Madrid in 2010 

I 

t was one o’clock in the 

morning when Xavi Hernandez 

left the dressing room as a 

Barcelona player for the last 

time. And he couldn’t have wished 

for better company on his final walk, 

stepping out at the Olympic Stadium in 

Berlin and down the concrete slope 

underneath the main stand towards the 

team bus. Alongside him was Sergio 

Busquets and together they carried the 

European Cup; one handle each, the 

trophy swinging between them. 

A few days later, Xavi headed off to 

Qatar and semi-retirement, aged 35. His 

European career was over after exactly 

900 senior games: 133 for Spain and 767 

for Barcelona. No one has played more 

times for the Catalan club; no outfield 

player has played more times for Spain. 

No one has won more, either. You could 

almost imagine the removal men turning 

up at his new home, lugging furniture 

around, one of them pausing and holding 

up a European Cup in one hand, the 

Spanish Cup in the other. 

“Where shall we put these?” 

“Stick them there with the rest of them.” 

In the picture of Xavi with all the 

trophies he has won, there are so many 

there’s something almost comic about the 

snap. Taken before this year’s Champions 

League Final against Juventus, it wasn’t 

even complete yet. Barcelona’s 3-1 victory 

in Berlin was his fourth European Cup; 

that’s four of the five that the club have 

won. There have been eight league titles 

Timeline 

Makes his 

Barcelona debut in 

the Spanish Super 

Cup and scores 

against Mallorca. 

Is a member of 

the Spain under-20 

side that wins the 

World Youth 

Championship, 

beating Japan 

4-0 in the Final. 

Ends his first full 

season at Camp 

Nou as a title 

winner under coach 

Louis Van Gaal. 

Picks up a silver 

medal at the 

Sydney Olympics 

after scoring in 

the Final as Spain 

lose to Cameroon 

on penalties. 

AUG 18, 1998 APR 24, 1999 JUN 13, 1999 SEP 30, 2000 

WORLD SOCCER 43

BIOGRAPHY 

too, the first of them in 1999, plus three 

Spanish Cup trophies, six Spanish Super 

Cups, two European Super Cups and two 

Club World Cups. 

Twenty-five club medals make him the 

most successful player in Spanish history. 

A World Youth champion in 1999, he has 

also won two European Championships 

and the World Cup. 

But it is not just what he won, it is also 

how he won. In fact, Xavi himself talks 

about victory and defeat as “impostors”, 

about there being something deeper than 

success. It is not just about the trophies; it 

is about what he represents. Xavi was the 

ideologue for club and country, bringing 

an identity to the most successful national 

as a collective sport Xavi is the most 

influential player I have ever seen. Others 

can move their team but I have only ever 

seen one player, and that’s him, who can 

move all 22 players on the pitch as he 

wishes, to his rhythm.” 

An apparently throwaway line from Dani 

Alves also encapsulated his significance. It 

was not always that Xavi played passes to 

fit the run, it was that he played passes 

that obliged the run, however much he 

claimed that his team-mates’ movement 

made the game easy for him. As Alves 

put it: “Xavi plays in the future.” 

Xavi’s former Barcelona coach Pep 

Guardiola said, as the end drew near: “Xavi 

is the most amateur player I know, and at 

the same time the most professional 

player too, such is his love for football. 

“When he is not playing football, he is 

watching football.” 

It is an apt description. When World 

Soccer interviewed him in early 2011, he 

was soon talking about Portsmouth and 

Real Oviedo. His enthusiasm carried you 

along. Just because the tape stopped 

didn’t mean that he had to. 

That day, Xavi talked about the games 

he had been watching the night before. 

There had been five of them, he admitted 

– even though they weren’t very good. 

“I was watching Sampdoria-Juventus last 

night and it was awful, but I stuck with it; 

there’s always something that catches your 

eye, some detail,” he noted, apologetically, 

like an excuse. At one point he checked 

himself and smiled a little sheepishly. 

“Well,” he explained, “I am single.” 

He is not single any more but even now 

Xavi can’t help himself. He loves football. 

There was a moment during that chat 

when Matthew Le Tissier was mentioned 

and Xavi’s eyes lit up in excitement. Le 

Tissier once joked he was going to get a 

T-shirt made with the words “Xavi’s idol” 

on it. Praise indeed. World Soccer’s Player 

Attention…Xavi 

is closely watched 

by Deportivo La 

Coruna’s defence 

Masterclass… 

outwitting Italy’s 

Andrea Pirlo during 

the Euro 2012 Final 

team and most successful club side 

there has been here, imposing a style 

and a way of playing that made them 

instantly recognisable. 

He may well be the most important 

Spanish player of all time, the man who 

helped change their history. In the words 

of Porto coach Julen Lopetegui, who ran 

Spain’s under-19s and under-21s along 

what could be called “Xavian” lines, he 

“changed football”. According to Lopetegui: 

“Xavi helped us build, or see, a new player 

profile that ended up running through all 

levels of the national team. He killed off 

the myth of physicality above all else. 

“There are lots of players who win 

things, but few who lay down concepts, 

ideas, who change the way we think – 

and Xavi did that.” 

Andoni Zubizarreta, the former 

Barcelona goalkeeper and sporting 

director, described him as defining a 

new role, saying: “In the future, we will 

see players and say ‘he plays like Xavi’. ” 

Meanwhile, as former Athletic Bilbao 

player Joseba Exteberria told journalist 

Rodrigo Errasti: “If we analyse football 

Scores his first “El 

Clasico” goal as 

Barcelona draw 1-1 

with Real Madrid at 

Camp Nou. 

Barcelona win La 

Liga for the first 

time in six years 

after beating 

Villarreal at 

Camp Nou. 

After missing four 

months through 

injury, he makes 

the bench for 

the Champions 

League Final victory 

against Arsenal. 

Finishes on the 

losing side as 

Barcelona are 

beaten 1-0 by 

Internacional of 

Brazil in the Club 

World Cup Final. 

Voted player 

of the tournament 

as Spain win 

the European 

Championship 

Final, beating 

Germany 1-0. 

MAR 15, 2002 MAY 22, 2005 MAY 17, 2006 DEC 16, 2006 JUN 29, 2008 

44 WORLD SOCCER

Name 

of the Year for 2010, Xavi was always 

obsessed with the game and a committed 

believer in a specific approach – the 

technical Barcelona and Spain approach 

that he represents. 

Enthusiasm and ideology – with Xavi, 

the two things go hand in hand. “Look, the 

thing is,” he told World Soccer that day at 

the club’s Sant Joan Despi training ground, 

“I like football so much. I enjoy this. I like 

the demands, I like the game, I like trying 

to perfect things. I watch so much football. 

All of it. Everything.” 

“Don’t you ever get bored?” 

“No,” came the reply. “Of course there 

are games that are boring, but no. Football 

doesn’t bore me. I like to watch players. 

What’s he like? What’s he doing? What 

are they trying to achieve?” 

To listen to him talk about his own 

role on the pitch was to see the constant 

analysis, the thought, the awareness. He 

described himself as someone who spends 

all game thinking about space, looking for 

it, and then distributing the ball, to all of 

his team-mates. 

“My game is seeing a free man and 

giving it to him. I think: ‘Bloody hell, the 

defender is here, so I’ve got to play it 

there.’,” he said. “Sometimes, I even think 

to myself: ‘this team-mate is going to get 

annoyed because I have played three 

passes in a row and I haven’t given him the 

ball yet. I better give the next one to, say, 

Dani because he’s gone up the wing three 

times now and I haven’t given him a pass. 

When Messi hasn’t been involved in the 

game I think: ‘the next pass is for him.’ So 

I’m working out not only the space but 

who’s had passes from me.” 

There was an almost religious zeal 

about his defence of his view of football, 

his philosophy – one that could be 

exclusive and, at times, annoyed those 

who did not share it. His dismissal of 

other styles as somehow not being 

football irritated many, while others 

“There are lots of players who 

win things, but few who lay down 

concepts, ideas, who change the 

way we think, and Xavi did that” 

Julen Lopetegui, former coach of 

Spain’s under-19s and under-21s 

Winner…Xavi (fourth 

right in front row) 

won the 1999 Liga 

in his first season 

saw a puritanical streak in him, one that 

they felt too many others had taken as 

gospel. And yet there is a kind of realism 

in his commitment to that model too and 

acceptance was slow in coming; it has not 

always been easy. 

Xavi made his debut in 1999, a goal 

saving Louis Van Gaal’s job as manager. At 

the end of the year, Don Balon magazine 

named him their “revelacion” of the year. 

He had won a first league title and the 

World Cup at youth level followed. But the 

style of football he represented was not 

always trusted or successful; it was not 

until 2005 that he won anything again 

and his future was far from secure. He 

certainly did not 

yet have the status 

he would come to 

enjoy later on. 

If he agreed that 

he came to be seen 

as the defender of 

a footballing faith, 

Xavi insisted that 

was because he 

had very little 

Like minds…with Guardiola 

choice. He described players like him as 

an “endangered species” in a game that 

was, in his eyes, increasingly all about 

physique. Winning changed that, bringing 

confidence and commitment, acceptance 

and imitation too. He laughs now at how 

he and Andres Iniesta were seen as a 

problem, not a solution. He did not laugh 

then. Fortunately, two men came into his 

life whose impact on him was as huge as 

his was on the game in Spain. 

“Winning serves to make people 

re-evaluate our style, my style,” he 

recalled. “I’m very happy because, from 

an egotistical point of view, six years ago 

I was extinct as a player; footballers like 

me were in danger of dying out.” 

He was in danger of not continuing at 

Barcelona, too; an entire career has been 

spent at the Camp Nou but it could have 

been different. 

Xavi’s mother was instrumental in him 

not leaving Barcelona when the first offer 

came in, from Milan, when he was just a 

teenager. Others followed and there was 

the chance, too, of Xavi leaving towards 

the end of the Frank Rijkaard era when 

Barcelona appeared to be collapsing. At 

least, that’s what he feared. The rumours 

that the club wanted to sell him, that they 

did not rate him, reached him. 

But then so did Luis Aragones and so 

did Guardiola; the summer of 2008 was 

a new beginning. “With Luis, the revolution 

began: Spain swapped fury for the ball 

and showed that we could win playing 

good football. Without him, nothing would 

have been the same,” Xavi recalled in an 

open letter to Aragones written after the 

coach’s death. What 

Aragones did was 

Scores the fourth 

goal as Barcelona 

come from behind 

to beat Athletic 

Bilbao 4-1 and win 

the Spanish Cup. 

Crosses for Lionel 

Messi to head home 

as Barcelona beat 


2-0 in the 

Champions League 

Final in Rome. 

Wins the Club 

World Cup for 

the first time as 

Barcelona beat 

Estudiantes 2-1, 

in extra-time, in 

the Final. 

Helps Spain win 

the World Cup for 

the first time 

as they beat 

Holland 1-0 in 

Johannesburg. 

Puts in a fantastic 

display as captain in 

the 3-1 victory over 


in the Champions 

League Final at 

Wembley. 

Scores a goal and 

makes one as 


Santos 4-0 in 

the Club World 

Cup Final. 

MAY 13, 2009 MAY 27, 2009 DEC 19, 2009 JUL 11, 2010 MAY 28, 2011 DEC 18, 2011 

WORLD SOCCER 45

BIOGRAPHY 

change the style to Xavi’s style. Xavi would 

lay the path for Spain to walk down. 

“He would come up to my room and 

we talked for hours, often about style,” said 

Xavi. “He’d say: ‘That’s the key, knowing 

what kind of football we want to play; to 

have no fear, however much they run. You 

and I know that the ball runs more.’ 

“He made me feel important when my 

self-esteem was a disaster. He gave me 

the controls for Spain when I did not even 

have them for Barcelona. ‘You run this 

team, and let them criticise me’. ” 

Guardiola agreed. “Pep said to me: 

‘Look, I can’t even imagine a Barcelona 

team without you, I want you with me, I 

just don’t see this team without you in it’, ” 

Xavi explained. “And that was that.” 

“That” was everything, the kind of 

dominance the modern era rarely sees. A 

shift in paradigm, something new, perhaps 

even epoch defining. Every year for five 

consecutive years, Xavi was at the heart of 

the team that claimed the most significant 

trophies on the planet: the European 

Championship in 2008, the European 

Appreciation… with 

coach Enrique after 

Barca win the 2015 

Spanish Cup 

“My game is seeing a free man and 

giving [the ball] to him” 

Xavi 

Cup in 2009, the World Cup in 2010, the 

European Cup in 2011, the European 

Championship in 2012. 

Just before the Final of Euro 2012, Xavi 

had decided that his time with the national 

team was probably over. He told Vicente 

Del Bosque that the Final would be his last 

game. Del Bosque persuaded him to stay, 

to give it two more years. It had not been 

his best tournament; in 2008 he had been 

given the Golden Ball and in 2010 his 

control of games in South Africa saw 

Finale…hoisting the 

Champions League 

after his last game 

for Barcelona 

him on the podium for the Ballon d’Or. But 

Spain destroyed Italy 4-0 in the Final and 

that day Xavi was superb. Afterwards, the 

Spain coach said: “You see?” 

Xavi continued, but he may have wished 

he had not. Age waits for no man, tactics 

were shifting and so was the environment. 

By Brazil 2014, it was different. Spain were 

the first team knocked out. After their final 

game against Australia, Xavi left Curitiba, 

an unused substitute, without a word. 

He seemed set to leave Barcelona, too: 

there were offers from the US and Qatar. 

He retired from international football and 

was ready to leave European club football, 

where the season had ended trophyless. 

His style was questioned once more. Some 

called it “the death of tiki taka”; others 

claimed that a style that had won it all 

like no other had been “found out”. An 

era was over, they said. His era. 

Barcelona were evolving. Ivan Rakitic had 

been signed to replace Xavi. But instead of 

going, Xavi eventually stayed. The coach 

Luis Enrique was clear and honest with 

him. If he wanted, there could be one 

more year. His role was a reduced one, and 

the debate raged almost all season, but it 

was important too – on and off the pitch. 

Few had the moral authority to manage 

the crisis in January like Xavi did. He was 

fundamental, intervening with Lionel Messi. 

And slowly, things were falling into 

place: incredibly, Barcelona were closing 

in on a treble, their second in seven years. 

What a way to go. It had been unthinkable 

at the beginning of the campaign. Tears in 

his eyes, Xavi bade farewell. “I could not 

have wished for a better ending,” he said. 

“He will leave here through the puerta 

grande, triumphantly through the main 

gate,” Enrique said on the eve of the 

Champions League Final. “It would have 

felt wrong if he had left last season and I 

am so pleased he can leave like this, in the 

way that I would have liked Víctor Valdes 

and Carles Puyol to have been able to as 

well. He deserves it. 

“His importance is beyond doubt: he 

has played more games than anyone else 

at Barcelona, in an era when staying at 

a club this big for so long is extremely 

difficult, and he has won more titles than 

anyone else. Now he has the chance to 

try to win one more.” 

In Germany he did, and as captain too, 

coming on to replace Iniesta, his friend 

and team-mate handing over the 

armband, attaching it for him. One last 

time, one last success. 23, 24, 25... His 

last three games as a professional in 

Europe, his 898th, 899th and 900th 

matches, all ended the same way: with 

him lifting a trophy. First it was the league 

title; the Saturday after that, it was the 

Spanish Cup and the Saturday after that 

Xavi walked out of the Olympic Stadium 

carrying the European Cup. 

Spain beat Italy 

4-0 to become the 

first team to retain 

the European 

Championship. 

Makes his 700th 

appearance for 

Barcelona, in a 

Spanish Cup tie 

against Getafe. 

Plays as Spain 

lose 5-1 to Holland 

in their opening 

game of the World 

Cup in Brazil but is 

dropped for the 

remaining matches. 

Helps Barcelona 

beat the previous 

season’s champions, 

Atletico Madrid, 

to claim a 23rd 

Liga title. 

In his last game 

at Camp Nou, 


Athletic Bilbao in 

the Spanish Cup 

Final. 

Replaces Andres 

Iniesta after 78 

minutes for his final 

match for Barca – a 

fifth European Cup, 

beating Juventus 

3-1 in Berlin. 

JUL 1, 2012 JAN 16, 2014 JUN 13, 2014 MAY 17, 2015 MAY 30, 2015 JUN 6, 2015 

46 WORLD SOCCER

Xavi 

BIOGRAPHY 

the numbers game 

MOST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE APPEARANCES 

SPAIN 

MOST CAPPED PLAYER FOR SPAIN 

Ryan Giggs 

(Manchester 

United) 

Xavi (Barcelona) 

Clarence Seedorf 

(Ajax, Real Madrid, 

Internazionale, 

Milan) 

162 

133 128 126 

114 

Iker Casillas 

(Real Madrid) 

Raul 

(Real 

Madrid, 

Schalke) 

CAPS 

Iker 

Casillas 

2000– 

present 

Xavi 

2000-14 

Sergio 

Ramos 

2005- 

present 

Andoni 

Zubizarreta 

1985-98 

Xabi 

Alonso 

2003-14 

HONOURS 

WORLD SOCCER’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

2009 

2008 

2011 

Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi 

Manchester United Barcelona 

2012 

2010 

2014 

2013 

Xavi 

Lionel Messi Lionel Messi 

Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona 

Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo 

Real Madrid Real Madrid 

GOALS 

BARCELONA 

La Liga: 

Spanish Cup: 

Spanish 

Super Cup: 

Champions 

League: 

UEFA 

Super Cup: 

Club 

World Cup: 

passing 

success rate 

at the 2010 

World Cup, 

where he was 

named in the 

All-star Team as 

Spain won the 

tournament 

for the 

first time 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

2015 

✓ - - - - - ✓✓ - - ✓✓✓ - ✓ - ✓ 

- - - - - - - - - - ✓ - - ✓ - - ✓ 

- - - - - - ✓✓ - - ✓✓✓ - ✓ - - 

- - - - - - - ✓ - - ✓ - ✓ - - - ✓ 

- - - - - - - - - - ✓ - ✓ - - - - 

- - - - - - - - - - ✓ - ✓ - - - - 

SPAIN 

World Cup: - - - - - - - - - - - ✓ - - - - - 

European 

Championship: 

- - - - - - - - - ✓ - - - ✓ - - - 

XAVI HAS WON MORE TROPHIES THAN ANY OTHER SPANISH PLAYER IN HISTORY 

1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 

Games 

50 

45 

40 

35 

38 

36 

52 

44 

49 

45 

54 

54 

54 

53 

50 

51 

48 

47 

44 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

30 

25 

26 

25 

20 

22 

20 

Goals 

15 

10 

5 

14 

9 

10 

6 

7 

7 

4 

5 

5 

2 2 2 3 

3 

4 

2 

BARCELONA 

(*up to & including 06.06.2015) 

WORLD SOCCER 47 

15 

10 

5

7+( 352)(66Ζ21$/ȇ6 &+2Ζ&( 'Ζ5(&7 72

7+( :25/'ȇ6 /$5*(67 21/Ζ1( )227%$// 6725( 

 

7KHUH DUH PDQ\ GLIIHUHQW ZD\V WR FRQWURO D JDPH Ȃ 

FKLHI DPRQJ WKHP EHLQJ D FRQVLVWHQWO\ UHOLDEOH ILUVW 

WRXFK 7KH PDOOHDEOH XSSHU RI WKH OHDWKHU $&( JLYHV 

VXFK D SXUH IHHO WR WKH ERRW WKDW FRQWUROOLQJ WKH EDOO 

Ȃ DQG ZLWK LW WKH JDPH Ȃ EHFRPHV VHFRQG QDWXUH 

)*$* 6* )* /7+ 

)520 

e 

7:Ζ77(5 3UR'B6RFFHU 

)$&(%22. 3UR 'LUHFW 6RFFHU 

Ζ167$*5$0 SURGLUHFWVRFFHU


CLUB 

FOCUS 

Gerrard joins 

Galaxy of stars 

The former England and Liverpool midfielder follows in 

the footsteps of David Beckham and Robbie Keane 

WORDS: 

Paul Gardner 

MLS Cup winners for three of the last 

four years, Los Angeles Galaxy 

welcomed Steven Gerrard to 

American soccer’s most glamorous 

and successful club this summer. But the game 

hasn’t been without its ups and downs in this 

part of the United States. 

According to the Urban Dictionary, Los 

Angeles is “a massive tangle of highways 

and roads, also rumoured to contain 

people and houses.” The “City of 

Angels” was founded by the 

Spanish in 1781, and the 

Americans took over 

in 1850, bringing 

the cars 

50 WORLD SOCCER

WORLD SOCCER 51


and the massive tangle. Since then the 

city has spread exuberantly, making it 

– along with Tokyo and New York – one 

of the world’s most populous areas, with 

nearly four million people in the city and 

over 10m in the county. In the midst of all 

that growth – and responsible for much 

of it – the city also spawned Hollywood, 

the world capital of the movie industry. 

While Los Angeles was becoming a 

decidedly unique place to live, soccer 

was growing in the USA – but slowly and 

thousands of miles away, over on the east 

coast and in the mid west. For some 40 

years, after its beginning in 1914, the Open 

Cup was dominated by teams from New 

York, Pennsylvania, New England, Chicago 

and St Louis. When the pro American 

Soccer League (ASL) was formed in 1921 

it was exclusively a north-eastern league. 

Los Angeles, stuck way out on the west 

coast, was isolated by the difficulties of 

long-distance travel. But in January 1959 

the first commercial jet flight from LA 

arrived in New York and from then on, Los 

Angeles teams – Maccabi Los Angeles, 

Los Angeles Kickers, LA Croatia and Los 

Angeles Armenians, were the most 

successful and featured regularly in Open 

Cup Finals. These, however, were mostly 

amateur teams, with 

only the Kickers able 

to claim to be 

professional. 

The ASL had 

collapsed in 

1933, but bigtime 

professional 

soccer was about 

to enter the picture 

with not one but 

two coast-to-coast 

leagues launched in 

1967: the United Soccer Association 

(USA) and the National Professional 

Winners…Alexi Lalas, 

who went on to 

become the club’s 

chief executive, lifts 

the MLS Cup in 2002 

Hard sell…Dallas Burn 

visit a near-empty 

Rose Bowl in 1996 

MLS POSITION 

LEAGUE POSITIONS 

W 

R/U 

Last 4 

Last 8 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 


1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

YEAR 

QMLS Cup 

QRegular season 

W 

R/U 

Last 4 

Last 8 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

Soccer League (NPSL). Both included a 

team from LA, but neither LA Wolves in 

the USA or LA Toros in the NPSL lasted 

very long. The two leagues merged in time 

for the 1968 season, becoming the North 

American Soccer League (NASL), but the 

Toros moved south to San Diego while the 

Wolves played the season then folded. 

It was a lousy beginning for pro soccer 

in LA and things didn’t get much better 

during the next 28 years. In 1974 a new 

team, the LA Aztecs, joined the NASL and 

won the championship in their first year. 

The Aztecs tried hard to sell the sport, 

signing an ageing George Best for three 

seasons, from 1976 to 1978, while Johan 

Cruyff played in 1978, but they ended up 

with a measly attendance average of just 

over 9,000 per game. They were joined in 

1978 by California Surf, who were based 

in Anaheim, but they folded in 1981, along 

with the Aztecs. 

Three years later the NASL 

disappeared, and for the next 11 years 

there was no pro soccer in the USA. 

A huge problem for the Aztecs, that 

had never been solved, was simply finding 

somewhere to play. In its eight years it 

used four different stadiums, two of 

them college stadiums – both small 

and carrying the stigma of being a 

non-professional environment – while 

the other two, the Coliseum and the Rose 

Bowl, both with a capacity of over 90,000, 

were absurdly too big. 

What turned this gloomy scene into one 

of great hope – for American pro soccer 

in general, and Los Angeles in particular 

– was the staggeringly successful staging 

of the 1994 World Cup, with huge crowds 

everywhere, none more so than in LA, 

where Brazil beat Italy in the Final at the 

Rose Bowl jammed with 94,000 fans. 

The biggest legacy of the World Cup 

was the creation of Major League Soccer, 

which started in 1996 with 10 clubs – one 

of which was the Los Angeles Galaxy. 

MLS adopted a “single entity” concept 

to limit spending and encourage investors 

who might otherwise be put off by the

CLUB FOCUS 

game’s history of failure in the US. The 

league itself signed a number of top 

players and allocated them to various 

clubs. Flamboyant Mexican goalkeeper 

Jorge Campos arrived at Galaxy where 

among his team-mates were 5ft 6ins 

El Salvadoran playmaker Mauricio 

Cienfuegos and US winger Cobi Jones. 

The team, under coach Lothar Osiander, 

had a great first season, reaching the Final 

where it lost to Bruce Arena’s DC United. 

Osiander was replaced by his assistant, 

Ecuadorian Octavio Zambrano, the 

following season and in 1997 they became 

the first US team to reach the CONCACAF 

Champions Cup Final, where they lost to 

Cruz Azul of Mexico. The following season 

Galaxy broke the MLS scoring record with 

85 goals. 

But the big change came when Galaxy 

were bought by AEG, the sports-marketing 

conglomerate owned by billionaire Phil 

Anschutz. Galaxy, it was proclaimed, would 

become “the club by which all others are 

measured”. AEG meant business, and high 

With over 10 million 

people in the 

greater Los Angeles area, it was 

always likely the city would get a 

second MLS team, and they arrived 

in 2005 with Chivas-USA. 

The Mexican owner-investors 

were led by Jorge Vergara, owner 

of CD Guadalajara in Mexico, whose 

nickname is “Chivas” – which 

translates as “goats”. 

Chivas-USA was positioned as a 

sister club of Guadalajara and aimed 

to play Mexican-style soccer with, it 

was hoped, particular appeal to the 

huge Mexican-American population 

on its list of priorities was a determination 

to shift the team out of the huge Rose 

Bowl. Plans were announced for the 

building of a soccer-specific stadium. 

Zambrano soon found out he did not 

figure in AEG’s plans when he was fired 

after just five games of the 1999 season 

and was replaced by Sigi Schmid, a longtime 

college coach at UCLA, who led 

Galaxy to their first trophy: the 

CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2000. 

But the MLS title was the one that really 

mattered and that didn’t arrive until 2002, 

when Schmid’s team took the trophy by 

beating New England Revolution 1-0. 

Galaxy took a huge step forward the 

following year with the opening of the 

27,000-capacity Home Depot Center 

Stadium in Carson, about 10 miles south 

Gullit had no experience of the 

American scene or the MLS single 

entity set up. Nor did he have the 

patience to deal with it 

More like it…Galaxy’s 

Home Depot Center 

is packed for an MLS 

Cup game in 2007 

of downtown Los Angeles, but still 

considered part of the city. The shining 

brilliance of the new stadium was not, 

however, reflected on the pitch. 

Galaxy made the play-offs, where they 

met San Jose, and after winning the first 

leg 2-0 went 2-0 up in San Jose to lead 

4-0 on aggregate. However, the home 

team staged a remarkable come-back, 

scoring five goals to eliminate Galaxy. 

That humiliating exit marked the 

beginning of the end for Schmid, who 

was soon replaced by former 

US national team coach 

Steve Sampson. In 2005 

Sampson’s team took the 

MLS title, but the most 

significant event of that year 

was the arrival of Landon 

Donovan, who was destined 

to become the team’s most 

important player. 

The next two years saw 

Galaxy reacting, not always 

too well, to a series of major 

upheavals. Just before the 

LA’S OTHER CLUB 

of Los Angeles. But while this 

seemed an excellent idea – the 

tastes of the Hispanic fans had long 

been neglected – it flopped badly. 

After a poor opening season, the 

owners panicked, hastily bringing 

in non-Mexican players and a series 

of non-Mexican coaches, most of 

whom didn’t even speak Spanish. 

In 10 years the club had 11 

coaches and, far from playing 

Mexican-style football, the team 

never developed any style at all. 

They shared the Home Depot 

Stadium with Galaxy and this 

also worked against Chivas-USA 

2006 season, the team’s much-respected 

young general manager, Doug Hamilton, 

died of a heart attack. Halfway through 

the season came yet another coaching 

change, with Sampson replaced by Frank 

Yallop. Maybe Yallop would have pulled 

things together but he never really had the 

chance. Just after Jones announced that 

2007 would be his final season came the 

earth-shaking news that David Beckham 

would be joining the team later that year. 

MLS rules were changed for this move, 

allowing teams to sign one or two socalled 

Designated Players and pay them 

outside the restrictive salary cap. This 

“Beckham rule” was the first serious 

retreat from single-entity caution. 

Beckham arrived, his advisors with him. 

The excitement created by his presence 

was offset by the disruption it caused to 

team chemistry. Beckham suffered injuries, 

the team did not play well, it missed out 

on the play-offs and Yallop departed at 

the end of 2007. 

With the help of Beckham’s advisors, 

the next coaching appointment proved 

to be one of truly inspired ineptitude. 

In came former Dutch star Ruud Gullit, 

blessed with a reported $6m three-year 

contract. But Gullit had no experience of 

the American scene, and the intricacies 

and peculiarities of the MLS single entity 

set-up. Nor had he any patience to deal 

with it. The result was an inevitable disaster 

and, in August, Gullit resigned and general 

manager Alexi Lalas was fired. 

Arena was brought in as coach, but the 

team finished 2008 with its worst-ever 

record of only eight wins in 30 games and 

Ageing star…George Best spent three seasons with the LA Aztecs 

developing their own personality. 

After nine uninspiring seasons, 

Chivas-USA was sold to the league. 

MLS operated it in 2014 then closed 

it down, announcing it was seeking a 

new group of investors to re-start 

the franchise under a new name. 

The new investors had to 

guarantee they would build their 

own stadium and so far a group of 

22 investors has been assembled – 

including Cardiff City owner Vincent 

Tan – who, under the name Los 

Angeles FC, plan to build a stadium, 

hopefully in downtown Los Angeles, 

and begin playing in 2017. 

WORLD SOCCER 53


bottom of the Western Division. But Arena 

eventually calmed things down and took 

Galaxy into the MLS Cup Final in 2009, 

where they lost to Real Salt Lake. 

Beckham’s frequent absences from 

the line-up – sometimes it was an injury, 

sometimes personal engagements 

elsewhere – angered many Galaxy fans. 

After sitting out most of the 2010 season 

with a broken Achilles tendon (suffered 

while on loan to Milan), he ended his 

Galaxy years with two championships, 

in 2011 and 2012, but the truth is that 

these successes owed more to Donovan’s 

Ours again…Keane 

lifts the MLS Cup after 

last season’s victory 

over New England 

Revolution 

Beckham’s frequent absences from 

the line-up – sometimes an injury 

or sometimes personal engagements 

– angered many Galaxy fans 

inspiration than Beckham’s contribution. 

Galaxy, by now established as the most 

popular and most publicised team in MLS, 

grabbed headlines with a global first when 

Robbie Rogers became a regular starter in 

2013 – the first openly gay male to play at 

the top level of any pro sport. 

In 2014 Galaxy again took the MLS title 

for a third time in four years, but talk of a 

dynasty was muted, for two reasons. Firstly, 

there were the MLS financial regulations, 

New wave…Leonardo 

in action against 

Vancouver Whitecaps 

which were designed to maintain parity 

amongst its teams. Secondly, there was 

the retirement of Donovan after a 10-year 

Galaxy career in which he scored 112 goals 

in 247 games, while the team won four 

MLS championships. 

The rise and rise of Galaxy is a very Los 

Angeles – almost a Hollywood – story. In 

no time at all, just 19 years, a respected 

football club with a global footprint has 

been created. Financially successful of 

course – that’s a given in the home of 

capitalism. In 2003, then CEO Tim 

Leiweke claimed Galaxy was the first MLS 

club to turn a profit. That was before it had 

moved into its own stadium, a step up that 

allowed it to rake in even more cash. 

But even as Gerrard joins up, the team 

is not all about stars. 

With players such as Gyasi Zardes, Jose 

Villarreal, Bradford Jamieson, Rafael Garcia 

and Oscar Sorto all coming through the 

youth system, the future looks bright 

indeed out on the west coast. 

45,000 

ATTENDANCE FIGURES | 1996-2015 

40,000 

35,000 

30,000 

25,000 

20,000 

15,000 

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 

(* these are average regular-season attendance figures and don’t include play-off games) 

THE COACH 

THE KIT 

BRUCE ARENA 

Age 63 (21.09.51) 

USA’s most successful 

coach of all time, 

he won five national 

championships with 

the University of 

Virginia before 

collecting five MLS 

titles – with DC 

United in 1996 and 

1997, and Galaxy in 

2011, 2012 and 2014. 

Had an eight-year 

tenure in charge of 

the national side that 

included reaching the 

World Cup quarterfinals 

in 2002. 

HOME KIT 

SECOND KIT 

54 WORLD SOCCER

CLUB FOCUS 

THE SQUAD 

18 1 12 20 2 

GOALKEEPERS 

Jaime PENEDO (Pan) 

Age 33 (26.09.81) 

His country’s secondmost 

capped player with 

100-plus games. Galaxy’s 

first choice since arriving in 

mid 2013. 

Brian PERK 

Age 25 (21.07.89) 

A local product and former 

USA youth international, he 

has played fewer than 10 

MLS games since joining 

Galaxy in 2010. 

Brian ROWE 

Age 26 (16.11.88) 

Oregon product who 

played at nearby UCLA. 

Steps in when Penedo 

is on international duty. 

DEFENDERS 

AJ DELAGARZA (Gum) 

Age 27 (04.11.87) 

Born in Maryland to a Mexican- 

Guamanian father and Native 

American mother, he played in 

Guam’s first World Cup win, 

over Turkmenistan in June. 

Todd DUNIVANT 

Age 34 (26.12.80) 

The 14-year MLS veteran 

has been a part of four Galaxy 

MLS titles but sees little action 

these days. 

33 4 22 21 36 

Dan GARGAN 

Age 32 (14.12.82) 

A key member during his 

first season with Galaxy last 

year after stints with San Jose, 

Chicago, Toronto, Chivas-USA 

and Colorado. 

Omar GONZALEZ 

Age 26 (11.10.88) 

Texas-raised 6ft 5in central 

defender who is a perennial 

all-league selection. Played 

for the USA at the 2014 

World Cup. 

LEONARDO (Bra) 

Age 27 (08.02.88) 

Joined Galaxy in 2010 – 

along with fellow Sao Paulo 

youth product Juninho – 

and became a regular starter 

last year. 

Tommy MEYER 

Age 25 (20.03.90) 

Missouri product who joined 

Galaxy from college soccer in 

2014 but has started fewer 

than half of the team’s games 

in the past two seasons. 

Oscar SORTO 

Age 20 (13.08.94) 

Born to Salvadoran parents, 

he represented USA at the 

2013 Under-20 World Cup. 

Signed in 2012 and made his 

debut the following season. 

25 8 6 24 19 

MIDFIELDERS 

Rafael GARCIA 

Age 26 (19.12.88) 

The defensive midfielder 

has seen more minutes this 

season than his combined 

appearances in his first 

three years with the club. 

Steven GERRARD (Eng) 

Age 35 (30.05.80) 

Liverpool hero who signed for 

the Galaxy in January and 

joined up with the club this 

summer, having turned down 

several offers to stay in Europe. 

Baggio HUSIDIC (Bos) 

Age 28 (19.05.87) 

Came to the US as a child, 

fleeing the Bosnian War. 

Started every regular season 

game in 2014, after signing 

from Sweden’s Hammarby. 

Stefan ISHIZAKI (Swe) 

Age 33 (15.05.982) 

The former Swedish 

international was a 2014 

finalist for MLS Newcomer 

of the Year. Signed from 

Elfsborg in his homeland. 

JUNINHO (Bra) 

Age 26 (08.01.89) 

Sao Paulo academy product 

who arrived in Los Angeles at 

the age of 21. He has played 

nearly 200 games and been 

involved in three MLS titles. 

17 14 3 16 9 

Sebastian LLETGET 

Age 22 (03.09.92) 

Signed from West Ham United 

in 2015, having moved to 

the Premier League side’s 

International academy in 

England in 2009. 

Robbie ROGERS 

Age 28 (12.05.87) 

First openly gay male to play in 

one of the top five team sports 

in the US, he won the MLS title 

with Columbus in 2008. Had a 

stint with Leeds United. 

Mika VAYRYNEN (Fin) 

Age 33 (28.12.81) 

Capped 64 times by Finland, 

his CV includes spells at PSV 

– where he was a Dutch 

league champion twice – 

and Leeds United. 

FORWARDS 

Edson BUDDLE 

Age 34 (21.05.81) 

Scored 100 MLS goals, but is 

now used sparingly from the 

bench. Currently in his third 

spell with Galaxy, after joining 

from Colorado Rapids. 

Alan GORDON 

Age 33 (16.10.81) 

Rejoined Galaxy from San Jose 

Earthquakes last year and has 

a habit of coming off the bench 

to score. Won his first cap for 

the USA in 2012. 

38 7 15 5 11 

Bradford JAMIESON IV 

Age 18 (18.11.96) 

Galaxy academy product who 

scored his first MLS goal a 

month before playing for the 

USA at the 2015 Under-20 

World Cup. 

Robbie KEANE (RoI) 

Age 34 (08.07.80) 

Has won three MLS Cups since 

moving to Galaxy in 2011 from 

Tottenham Hotspur. Was the 

league’s MVP in 2014 with 21 

goals and 17 assists. 

Ignacio MAGANTO (Spa) 

Age 23 (02.01.92) 

Played nine games in England 

for Reading before joining 

Galaxy in 2015. Born in 

Madrid and played for Getafe’s 

youth team. 

Jose VILLARREAL 

Age 21 (10.09.93) 

Mexican-American who is a 

Galaxy youth product and 

returned to the club after an 

unsuccessful 2014 loan stint 

with Mexico’s Cruz Azul. 

Gyasi ZARDES 

Age 23 (02.09.91) 

His 16 goals last term were the 

most by a homegrown player 

in an MLS season. Hit his first 

international goal in June, in a 

friendly win against Holland. 

(Penpics by Mike Woitalla; all ages correct as of 17.07.15) 

WORLD SOCCER 55

26 

July 1989 

Each month we look back at the 

talking points of the decades 

The cover of the July 1989 

edition of World Soccer featured 

Pele in a Scotland tracksuit 

alongside two young Australian 

players. The Brazilian had been promoting 

the World Under-16 Championship in 

Scotland and the magazine devoted its 

first four pages to a tournament described 

by Paul Gardner as “the true coming of 

age of the Under-16 World Cup”. 

Gardner wrote: “The Scots gave this 

tournament the credibility it has been 

seeking. The sheer quality of the football, 

the exuberance of the players, 

proved an irresistible draw. The 

success of Scotland was the 

perfect accompaniment.” 

Scotland, against all the 

odds, reached the Final, and 

their semi-final victory over 

a Portugal team coached by 

Carlos Queiroz saw 29,000 

fans packed into Tynecastle, in 

Edinburgh, to witness a 1-0 win 

courtesy of a 53rd-minute 

header by Brian O’Neill. 

In the Final, the hosts met a 

Saudi Arabia team who played 

a brand of football influenced 

Talented...Saudi are 

crowned champions 

“The Saudi game is somewhat different as they demonstrated on 

several occasions when their forwards appeared to want to walk 

the ball into the net rather than shoot” 

Keir Radnedge 

by Brazil, and Keir Radnedge explained 

that the Saudi’s Brazilian coach Ivo 

Wortmann “even had the young Saudis 

practising the Brazilian samba – rhythm 

formation dancing – in their warm-up”. 

Radnedge added: “[The Final] produced 

a 51,700 crowd at Hampden Park, which is 

rather more than the senior Scotland team 

managed to attract for the Rous Cup tie 

against Chile. 

“There were features of the Scottish 

game that upset the Saudis. They looked 

vulnerable every time the Scots used a 

long throw and were troubled by the direct 

pace of Scotland’s forwards. 

“The Saudi game is somewhat different, 


Credibility...the Under-16 World Cup finally came of age in Scotland 

as they demonstrated on several occasions 

when their forwards appeared to want to 

walk the ball into the net rather than 

shoot. We had been led to believe that this 

style went out of fashion with Hugo Meisl’s 

Austrian ‘Wunderteam’ in the 1930s.” 

However, questions had been raised 

earlier in the tournament, by both 

Portuguese coach Queiroz and Scotland 

manager Craig Brown, about the age of 

the Saudi players. 

Brown had remarked on TV, somewhat 

jovially, that “some of the players wouldn’t 

look out of place in an under-28 team” let 

alone an under-16 side. 

And when Saudi Arabia fought back 

from two goals down to level at 2-2 and 

eventually win the penalty shoot-out, 

Radnedge concluded: “The Saudi midfield 

[eventually] seized control with a maturity 

and fitness level which surprised the Scots. 

“Men against boys, as it were...”

FROM THE ARCHIVES 

Also in this issue... 

p7 “The most successful footballer 

of all time has retired,” wrote Dutch 

correspondent Simon Kuper. “He is 

Arnold Muhren, late of Ajax, the only 

man ever to win all three European Cups 

as well as the European Championship. 

If the memories of these successes ever 

tire, the 38-year-old midfielder can think 

back on triumphs in the World Club Cup, 

the Super Cup, the Dutch Championship, 

the Dutch Cup and, with Manchester 

United, the FA Cup. The wonder is that 

he has remained so modest.” 

p20 Africa correspondent Mark 

Gleeson suggested that Mali’s elimination 

of Morocco from the Nations Cup 

qualifiers “must rank among the biggest 

upsets in African football history”. 

p28-29 Colombian club Nacional of 

Medellin – who were backed by the 

Colombian armed forces and, some 

suggested, the drug barons – made 

history when, as Eric Weil reported, they 

“not only became the 

first Colombian team 

to win the Libertadores 

Cup, in it’s 30th year, 

but they also became 

the first club to take 

the South American 

club trophy across the 

Andes”, after beating 

Nacional of Paraguay 

in the Final. 

p39 Jim Holden 

reported on how 

Denmark’s Michael Laudrup was reviving 

the national team from a new position 

as an attacking playmaker. Laudrup had 

shone in a 6-0 win against Sweden and 

a 1-1 draw with England, where, as 

Holden commented, his “natural talent 

and close skill was apparent as he left 

Bryan Robson in his wake. Laudrup’s feint 

persuaded Robson to jump for a chip. 

Before Robson had landed, Laudrup 

had taken the ball with his feet and was 

past him and weighing up the next set 

of options.” 

10 

years ago 

Chelsea and 

Manchester 

United were 

caught up in a 

row over the potential 

signing of John Obi Mikel 

from Norwegian club Lyn. 

Mikel was pictured in a United 

shirt and was due to join them 

the following January, but the 

transfer never took place as he 

opted to join the Blues instead. 

20 

years ago 

After he 

had scored 

21 goals in 

41 league 

appearances for 

Tottenham Hotspur, 

German striker Jurgen 

Klinsmann upped sticks 

after just one season in English 

football and returned home 

to sign for Bundesliga side 

Bayern Munich. 

30 

years ago 

Following a 

summer tour 

to the USA and 

Mexico – and a 

year before the 1986 

World Cup in which he 

would finish as leading 

goalscorer – World Soccer 

claimed Gary Lineker “has yet 

to prove he has the technique 

required for the highest levels 

of the international game”. 

40 

years ago 

Dutch club 

PSV signed 

Nick Deacy from 

Hereford United, 

of the English third 

division, as an understudy 

to Swedish international Ralf 

Edstrom. The Welsh striker 

helped them win the 1978 

UEFA Cup, coming on as sub 

in the second leg of the Final 

against Bastia. 

50 

years ago 

Having been 

World Cup 

runnersup 

in 1962, 

Czechoslovakia, looked 

increasingly unlikely to 

qualify for the 1966 

tournament in England. They 

lost their first two qualifiers, at 

home to Portugal and away to 

Romania, and sat joint bottom 

of their group with Turkey. 

WORLD SOCCER 57

Diego Simeone 

58 WORLD SOCCER

COACH 

PROFILE 

‘Effort is 

non-negotiable’ 

His team’s style of play may not be to everyone’s taste but 

the driven Atletico Madrid coach has found success by 

doing things very much his own way 

WORDS: Joel Richards 

here is a single phrase that sums up 

Diego Simeone; one that condenses 

the philosophy and attitude that he 

brings to his teams and what he expects 

from his players. “Effort is non-negotiable”. 

While his career path and his teams 

reflect this maxim, there is also one single 

defining moment in his coaching career 

to date – and that is December 2011, 

when he took over at Atletico Madrid. 

Up until then, his track record had been 

a sharp and unrelenting learning curve, 

WORLD SOCCER 59

BIOGRAPHY 

experimenting with style and formations 

at a dizzying number of clubs. Since then, 

it has been one of stability and 

unprecedented success. 

“El Cholo” had always known that 

Atletico would come calling. He also 

knew that, when it happened, Atleti would 

more than likely be in trouble. And so it 

proved, taking over a side four points off 

the relegation zone and one that had been 

knocked out of the Spanish Cup by a team 

from the third tier. “When Cholo the coach 

arrived, everyone was thinking about 

Cholo the player,” he wrote in his book 

The Simeone Effect, with his name 

conjuring up memories of the club’s last 

league title, in 1996, when he formed a 

vital part of Atletico’s midfield. 

“Hopefully Simeone is here for a long 

time,” said sporting director Jose Luis 

Caminero at the time of Simeone’s arrival 

as coach. Four years on, he is the second 

most successful coach in the club’s history. 

Simeone has challenged Europe and 

Spain’s big financial powers and proved 

it is possible to beat the Barcelona-Real 

Thoughtful…before 2014 Champions League Final 

Madrid hegemony. At times, some of 

his methods and style of play have not 

won admirers, but the scale of the 

achievement is such that Simeone is 

considered by many to be one of the 

top coaches in world football. 

And yet, four years ago neither the 

club nor the coach offered a guarantee 

of success nor – crucially – of stability. 

Simeone’s CV before Atletico reads as 

a rapid-fire roll call of clubs. Bookended 

by spells at Racing Club – the Argentinian 

side he supported as a youngster and 

where he ended his playing career – he 

accrued experience with five different 

clubs in five years. 

Simeone ended a long and successful 

career – with over 100 caps for Argentina 

and three World Cup finals – at Racing in 

2006 and immediately took over as coach 

with the club facing relegation. Having lost 

his first game to Independiente in the 

Avellaneda derby – a game in which a 

young Sergio Aguero scored twice – it 

Controversy…David 

Beckham is sent off 

for kicking out at 

Simeone during the 

England-Argentina 

1998 World Cup clash 

DIEGO PABLO 

SIMEONE 

Age 45 (28.04.70) 

Place of birth 

Buenos Aires, 

Argentina 

PLAYING CAREER 

Velez Sarsfield 

1987-90 

Pisa 1990-92 

Sevilla 1992-94 

Atletico Madrid 

1994-97 

Internzionale 1997-99 

Lazio 1999-2003 


2003-05 

Racing Club 

2005-06 

Argentina 1988-2002 

COACHING CAREER 

Racing Club 2006 

Estudiantes 2006-07 

River Plate 2007-08 

San Lorenzo 2009-10 

Catania 2011 

Racing Club 2011 


2011-present 

HONOURS 

as a player 

Argentina 

Copa America: 

1991, 1993 

Confederations 

Cup: 1992 


La Liga: 1996 

Spanish Cup: 1996 

Internazionale 

UEFA Cup: 1998 

Lazio 

UEFA Super Cup: 1999 

Serie A: 2000 

Italian Cup: 2000 

Italian Super 

Cup: 2000 

as a coach 

Estudiantes 

Argentinian 

Apertura: 2006 

River Plate 

Argentinian 

Clausura: 2008 


Europa League: 2012 

UEFA Super Cup: 2012 

La Liga: 2014 

Spanish Cup: 2013 

Spanish Super 

Cup: 2014 

took him seven games to achieve a first 

win. But although he had been rushed into 

coaching, he had a clear vision of what he 

wanted from his teams from the outset. 

“Above all, I want my team to have a 

style,” he told Spanish sports newspaper 

Marca in 2006. 

The style, and the ideas he had picked 

up as a player, were more modern and 

varied than those of the older generation 

of coaches in Argentina, many of whom 

were still entrenched in decade-old 

debates over how the game ought to 

be played. Yet for Simeone, it was quite 

simple: “The intelligent supporter is the 

one who does not obsess over whether 

the team plays well, but rather that the 

team wants to win.” 

While there is no single coach that 

he most clearly resembles, he has 

acknowledged such influences as 

the leadership of Daniel Passarella, 

the motivation of Alfio Basile, the 

competitiveness and reading of games 

of Carlos Bilardo, and Marcelo Bielsa’s 

intensity and attention to training methods. 

Comparisons with Bielsa grew in 

Argentina thanks to the intensity of his 

teams – not to mention the intensity of 

the coach himself on the sideline and his 

tactical preferences – but Simeone does 

not fit into the classic line of Bielsa 

disciples, who include such names as 

current Argentina and Chile coaches 

Gerardo Martino and Jorge Sampaoli. But 

the attention to detail, and the spirit and 

philosophy in which he speaks in public 

about his teams, as well as the 

expectations placed on his players, chimed 

with much of Bielsa’s philosophy. 

What Simeone’s career showed, both 

before and after Atletico, is versatility 

given the available resources. 

His first job after Racing was at 

Estudiantes, where he harnessed the 

recent return to the club of Juan Sebastian 

Veron alongside Rodrigo Brana in a 

dynamic midfield partnership. He also 

played two strikers, Jose Calderon and 

Mariano Pavone, in a move that reaped 

its rewards, and there is still graffiti to this 

day remembering the 7-0 win in the city 

derby against Gimnasia. There was also 

an epic title success that saw Estudiantes 

four points behind Boca with two games 

to play, before they drew level on points 

and won the title play-off. 

It was Estudiantes’ first championship 

in decades and Simeone’s first taste of 

success, but he left for River Plate after 

just 16 months at the club. 

“The collective effort is installed ahead 

of the individual,” he said on arriving at the 

Monumental, where he experimented with 

formations far more than he had done at 

Estudiantes. Often choosing a 3-3-3-1 to 

60 WORLD SOCCER

Diego Simeone 

Success…lifting the 2012 Europa League trophy and celebrating a goal during his playing days for Atletico Madrid 

harness the talent of Ariel Ortega, he 

repeated his success at Estudiantes, 

winning the title with a team that included 

Colombia’s Radamel Falcao and a young 

Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez. 

The River Plate experience was also a 

learning curve. As Simeone still sought to 

attack and kill off games with a goal rather 

than closing up in defence, in the 2008 

“The intelligent supporter is the one who does not 

obsess over whether the team plays well, but rather 

that the team wants to win” 

It’s all about winning for Simeone 

Winner…with striker 

Jose Calderon after 

Estudiantes clinched 

the Argentinian title 

Libertadores Cup quarter-finals his side 

suffered a famous defeat by San Lorenzo, 

throwing away victory with a two-man 

advantage. And just months after winning 

the title, River ended the following season 

bottom of the table. Simeone left shortly 

before the end of that campaign, but he 

assumed responsibility. 

The short season format in Argentina 

meant that River were not relegated, 

although that season was the first that 

ultimately condemned the club to 

relegation in 2011. But the structure of 

the game in his home country did magnify 

a feature of Simeone’s early teams: it was 

all or nothing – first or last. 

It was in part this experience, plus the 

subsequent clubs he coached, that shaped 

a more conservative and defensive 

Simeone. “I prefer to play well than to 

play attractively,” he said after joining San 

Lorenzo, who were in disarray at the time. 

Although he would leave the club no 

higher than 17th in the table, he did start a 

process that would turn the club’s fortunes 

around and lead to their first Libertadores 

Cup triumph. 

His departure saw the media question 

whether he needed a break, with La 

Nacion pointing to the pace with which 

Simeone changed clubs and suggesting 

that “Mr Vertigo needs a rest”. 

Simeone, however, had no intention of 

stopping. “I haven’t come here hoping to 

stay in Europe for 10 years,” he said on 

taking over Catania in Italy. “I came here 

looking to grow.” 

With a squad containing 12 Argentinian 

players his mission 

to avoid relegation 

was accomplished 

and he would later 

look back on the 

Catania experience 

as a defining one, 

saying: “At first I 

always wanted to attack. With time I learnt 

the best ways to think how to win is in your 

defensive balance.” 

This more defensive Simeone was clear 

to see when he returned to Racing, with 

critics despairing at his conservative 

approach despite having the attacking 

talents of Colombian pair, forward Teofilo 

Gutierrez and playmaker Gio Moreno, at 

his disposal. 

His frenetic, constant changing of clubs 

during this period was mirrored by Atletico 

Madrid’s approach to coaches and in the 

five years before Simeone’s appointment 

five came and went: Javier Aguirre, Abel 

Resino, Santi Denia, Quique Sanchez 

Flores and Gregorio Manzano. 

By the time Atletico came calling, 

In charge…giving the orders to Guiseppe Mascara while coach of Catania 

WORLD SOCCER 61

Diego Simeone 

Siemone had settled on a style that 

was an ideal for the club’s history: 

uncompromising, committed, tough, and 

direct. He was meticulous and would seek 

every advantage possible. This ranged 

from checking the horoscopes of potential 

transfer targets to fighting to make sure 

Atletico had the same number of ball boys 

in the Spanish Cup Final against Real 

Madrid when the Bernabeu was selected 

as the host stadium. 

“We want a team with commitment,” he 

said of his plans for Atletico. “One that 

plays, runs, trains, respects the rival, and 

understands the intelligence in the game.” 


And his blueprint gave spectacular results. 

He took over with Atletico 10th in the 

table, but just four points off the relegation 

zone. Within five months they ended the 

season fifth and won the Europa League, 

beating Athletic Bilbao and his former 

international coach Bielsa in the Final. 

Then came the European Super Cup, 

then the Spanish Cup, then the league 

title and then the Spanish Super Cup. Five 

trophies put Simeone behind only Luis 

Aragones as the most successful coach 

in the club’s history. 

Much of Simeone’s success as a coach 

has been down to his ability to get the best 

Flare up…taking issue with referee Bjorn Kuipers during the Champions 

League Final defeat by Real Madrid

BACKROOM STAFF 

BIOGRAPHY 

NELSON VIVAS 

Simeone’s first 

assistant coach, 

who chose 

to remain in 

Argentina instead 

of move to Europe 

DIEGO 

SIMEONE 

Circle of influence 

MARCELO BIELSA 

Eccentric former Argentina 

coach whose ideas have ideas 

have been widely copied by a 

new generation of Argentinian 

coaches, including Gerardo 

Martino, Jorge Sampaoli and 

Mauricio Pochettino 

GERMAN 

BURGOS 

an impressive 

presence 

in the dugout 

and a loyal 

assistant 

OSCAR ORTEGA 

the fitness coach is 

key to the squad 

maintaining the 

intensity during 

games demanded 

by Simeone 

MENTORS 

DANIEL 

PASSARELLA 

Captain of 

Argentina’s 1978 

World Cup-winning 

side, admired for 

his leadership 

qualities 

CARLOS 

BILARDO 

Hugely important 

figure in Argentinian 

football as the 

pragmatic coach 

of the 1986 World 

Cup-winning side 

JOSE LUIS CAMINERO 

sporting director who 

oversaw the outlay that 

has allowed Atletico to 

challenge clubs with 

considerably more 

financial clout 

SVEN GORAN 

ERIKSSON 

Swede who 

coached Simeone 

at Lazio in the late 

1990s and early 

2000s, winning 

the Serie A title 

Argentina coach 

who selected 

Simeone for the 

1991 and 1993 

Copa America 

and 1994 World 

Cup squads 

ALFIO BASILE 

King of Madrid… 

Hurled in the air 

after Atletico beat 

Real Madrid in the 

Bernabeu to win the 

2013 Spanish Cup 

management has not only brought out the 

best in his established players, but also 

helped youngsters to break through. 

Luciano Vietto, who he recently signed for 

Atletico, was given his first-team debut by 

Simeone. 

Having signed a new contract that runs 

until 2020, Simeone has given a clear 

indication to his players that he has little 

reason to leave Atletico. “Only Bayern, 

Real Madrid, Chelsea and Barcelona are 

better than us,” he told Argentinian 

television recently. 

But Simeone is conditioned by Atletico’s 

resources, which are not in the same 

category as those clubs he mentions. 

Internazionale and Lazio are among those 

who are likely to come calling at some 

point, and he is also taking English classes. 

“I want to coach until I am 65,” he told 

El Grafico when asked about the national 

team job. 

“And if that happens when I am 60, 

then great.” 

On parade… 

celebrating 

Atletico’s 

2014 title 

triumph 

out of his players. Falcao excelled under 

him at both River and in Spain, while 

Juanfran, Antoine Griezmann and Koke 

have all improved at Atletico in terms of 

performance levels. 

Yet he also does not look to improve 

players’ weaknesses, explaining that “a 

player must play the way he knows best 

and that way he will believe he is better 

than he is”. He also insists on building 

team camaraderie without forcing the 

issue. So, for example, at meal times he 

wants his squad sitting at one vast table 

“face to face”, rather than divided into 

groups on smaller tables. His man- 

“A player must play the 

way he knows best and 

that way he will believe 

he is better than he is” 

Simeone’s way of getting the 

best from his players 

WORLD SOCCER 63

WORDS: Nick Bidwell 

EURO 

UNDER-21S 

Jan KLIMENT 

Striker, 21 (01.09.93), Czech Republic 

& Stuttgart (Ger) 

In a sentence 

June 2015 was a career-defining month 

for the striker, who scooped the top scorer 

award at the Euro Under-21s - his hat-trick 

in the 4-0 win against Serbia was his 

entire goal haul – and earned a move 

from Vysocina Jihlava in his homeland 

to Stuttgart. Not bad for someone who 

probably would not have made the Czech 

squad this summer if Watford had not 

prevented Matej Vydra from taking part. 

What they say 

“Selecting Kliment was a brilliant move by 

coach [Jakub] Dovalil,” declares Czech alltime 

midfield great Pavel Nedved. “His 

agent told me he had talent, though I have 

to admit I didn’t really know too much 

about him until now. He looked very sharp 

and hungry.” Czech under 21 defender 

Tomas Kalas adds: “Above all else, Jan is 

modest, humble and reserved. He came 

ready to play, and when his chance came 

he grabbed it. He plays with his head, he 

likes to work hard.” 

The story so far 

Born in the Slovak town of Myjava, in the 

foothills of the Carpathian mountains, he 

was just a toddler when his family moved 

to Jihlava in the Czech Republic. Not long 

after starting primary school he joined the 

local club, Vysocina, and made his firstteam 

debut at the age of 18 in a second 

division game against Caslavi in March 

2012. Capped by the Czechs at under-19 

and under-20 level, he did not do himself 

justice during a six-month loan spell 

at Slovak top-flight side Dukla Banska 

“He came ready to play, and when his 

chance came he grabbed it” 

Czech team-mate Tomas Kalas 

Bystrica. However, he sharpened up 

his act on returning to Vysocina and 

towards the end of last season forced his 

way into the under-21 set-up, marking his 

debut with a goal and an assist against 

Ukraine in a Euro championship warm-up. 

The next step 

Rumoured to have chosen Stuttgart ahead 

of several other German clubs and Ajax, 

his decision to sign a four-year deal with 


Impact…on his 

way to a hat-trick 

against Serbia 

the Swabians will have puzzled many. 

Stuttgart avoided relegation by the skin of 

their teeth last term and, with their poor 

results and financial woes, have become 

something of a byword for instability. The 

big question is will they have the patience 

to allow him to develop at his own pace? 

3 

THINGS YOU 

DIDN’T KNOW 

ABOUT KLIMENT 

OApart from his triple against Serbia in 

the Euros, his only other career hat-trick 

was in a second round Czech Cup tie two 

years ago. 

OHe has scored only three top-flight 

goals during his whole career so far. 

OA tradition when representing the 

Czech Republic, he had to buy something 

for his team-mates after his first goal for 

the under-21 side. 

Strengths 

For the under-21s he was an excellent 

leader of the line, quick, mobile, strong 

with either foot, robust and adept at 

playing on the shoulder of the last 

defender. He has plenty of experience 

playing as a right-winger and is especially 

dangerous when cutting inside. Possesses 

a fearsome shot from distance. 

Weaknesses 

His role at Vysocina was often that of the 

impact substitute and he still has to prove 

himself as a 90-minute, domestic league 

performer. He must become more clinical 

in front of goal as he is prone to snatching 

at chances.

TALENT SCOUT 

Ludwig AUGUSTINSSON Ruben LOFTUS-CHEEK 

Defender, 21 

(21.04.94), 

Sweden & 

Copenhagen (Den) 

The left-back was 

an ever-present at 

the finals, pushing 

forward with elan 

while watchful 

and rugged in his 

defensive duties. 

Scored his penalty 

in the Final 

shoot-out. With 

Swedish sides 

Brommapojkarna 

and IFK before 

moving to Denmark 

last summer. 

Marco BENASSI 

Raphael GUERREIRO 

Defender, 21 

(22.12.93), 

Portugal & 

Lorient (Fra) 

Breton club Lorient 

polished uncut 

diamonds such as 

Yoann Gourcuff, 

Laurent Koscielny, 

Andre-Pierre 

Gignac and Kevin 

Gameiro – and in 

the Portugal leftback 

they have 

another jewel. 

Blessed with 

tremendous pace, 

sumptuous ability 

and gritty desire. 

Midfielder, 20 

(08.09.94), 

Italy & Torino 

Was a member of 

the Internazionale 

junior side that 

won the NextGen 

series three years 

ago. And on the 

evidence of his 

two goals in the 

3-1 victory over 

England, he has 

lost none of the 

flair that marked 

him out as one to 

watch. A complete 

midfield operator, 

he has good 

technique, vision, 

stamina and 

tactical awareness. 

Midfielder, 19 (23.01.96), 

England & Chelsea 

Although only in action for 44 minutes 

– as a substitute in both the 1-0 victory 

over Sweden and 3-1 loss to Italy – he 

still impressed. In only his second and 

third appearances for the team, his 

composure, elegance, imposing physique 

and athleticism were there for all to see. 

Sergio OLIVEIRA 

Pione SISTO 

Midfielder, 20 (04.02.95), 

Denmark & Midtjylland 

Despite starting only one match and 

mainly being used as an impact sub, 

the Uganda-born left-winger certainly 

did not waste his time. His late winner 

against the Czechs was worth its 

weight in gold. Recently helped unsung 

Midtjylland to their first Superliga title. 

Simon TIBBLING 

Amin YOUNES 

Midfielder, 21 (06.08.93), 

Germany & Borussia 

Monchengladbach 

Not consistency personified, but 

the German winger with Lebanese 

roots was one of the most skilful 

and elusive performers at the 

finals. The problem is some club 

coaches regard him as a luxury. 

Midfielder, 23 (02.06.92), 

Portugal & Porto 

A member of the under-20 side 

that came second at the World 

Championship in 2011, Portugal’s 

box-to-box captain once again 

had to make do with silver, but 

throughout the tournament his 

creativity, support play and aerial 

ability were all of the highest order. 

Under contract with Porto until 

2020 – with a release clause 

of some Á30million. 

Midfielder, 20 (07.09.94), 

Sweden & Groningen (Hol) 

An adolescent freestyler who 

a few years ago would thrill fans 

at Stockholm’s Rasunda stadium 

with party-piece tricks before 

a big game. Made an equally 

eye-catching contribution to 

Sweden’s stunning triumph, 

with goals against Portugal and 

Denmark. Normally a defensive 

midfielder, he provided substance, 

energy and desire on either flank. 

WORLD SOCCER 65

WORDS: Nick Bidwell 

UNDER-20 

WORLD CUP 

Adam TRAORE 

Striker, 19 (28.06.95), Mali & Lille (Fra) 

In a sentence 

Gifted, quick-thinking central midfielder, 

whose four goals, three assists and ability 

to rhythmically link the play underpinned 

Mali’s surprise bronze medal in New 

Zealand. He deservedly scooped the 

Golden Ball as the most impressive 

individual at the tournament. 

What they say 

“He’s very much a boy on the up,” 

according to former Lille boss, Rene 

Girard, his first coach in the professional 

game. “He has the technique, the vision, 

the punch and the freshness. His attitude 

was excellent too. I wouldn’t say he was 

unassuming, but he is very calm and 

composed on the pitch. He’s one of those 

remarkably mature youngsters, who can 

lead, who can set the example.” 


The story so far 

Born and brought up in the Mali capital 

of Bamako, he came up through the 

ranks of the local JMG football academy, 

the school set up in 2006 by former 

French international midfielder Jean-Marc 

Guillou. A pupil at the academy from 

the age of 12 to 18, he then had a short 

spell at top-flight Malian club Bakaridjan 

before moving to Lille in 2014. He was 

immediately sent on loan for six months to 

Belgian affiliate Mouscron, but within a few 

weeks of returning 

he was handed 

his Ligue 1 debut, 

against Nice 

in September, 

and was an 

automatic pick by 

the second half of 

the season. Won 

his first senior 

cap for Mali in a 

friendly against 

Ghana in March. 

3 

THINGS YOU 

DIDN’T KNOW 

ABOUT TRAORE 

OHis nickname is “Noss”, the nom de plume 

for everyone called Adama in Mali. 

OLille would not allow him to play in this 

year’s African Under-20 Championship, 

prompting much angst in Bamako. 

OHe is the second Malian to win the Golden 

Boot at a World Under-20 finals, following in 

the 1999 footsteps of Seydou Keita. 

The next step 

With his reputation greatly enhanced by 

his exploits this summer, he was rumoured 

to be a target for several top English sides 

but he now seems all set to join Monaco. 

Despite his limited experience – he has 

made just 20 Ligue 1 appearances – he 

has huge potential and could be the longterm 

replacement for Portuguese schemer 

Joao Moutinho at the Stade Louis II. 

Strengths 

Outstanding as a number 10 or in a 

box-to-box role, his strong suits are his 

range of passing, flair for dictating the 

tempo, technical mastery and crafty 

dribbling in wide areas. Has a great left 

foot, but can deliver with the right too. 

Weaknesses 

More than a little lightweight when 

challenging for the ball, he can often 

appear ungainly. A total of two goals last 

season for Lille suggests he needs to work 

on his finishing.

TALENT SCOUT 

DANILO 

Midfielder, 19 (28.02.96), 

Brazil & Braga (Por) 

A recipient of silver in both the team 

classification and player of the 

tournament category, the Selecao 

captain and defensive midfielder was the 

personification of desire. He covered and 

tackled with intensity, passed the ball 

with quality and pushed forward with 

power. A true force of nature who quit 

Vasco da Gama for Europe last summer. 

Predrag RAJKOVIC 

Gabriel JESUS 

Striker, 18 (03.04.97), Brazil & Palmeiras 

While the comparisons with Neymar are 

somewhat premature, the right-sided attacker 

was the youngest member of the Brazilian 

squad and undoubtedly shone in New 

Zealand. Superb on the ball, pacy, adept 

at playing with his back to goal and very 

industrious, he has scored a hatful of goals 

in the Palmeiras youth ranks and recently 

made his first-team debut. 

Emerson HYNDMAN 

Hany MUKHTAR 

Midfielder, 20 (21.03.95), 

Germany & Benfica (Por) 

Elimination in the quarter-finals represented palpable 

failure for Germany, but at least they were able to 

showcase the multiple assets of their captain and 

attacking midfielder. The Berlin-born son of a German 

mother and Sudanese father displayed a smooth 

touch and scored four times. He spent a dozen years 

at Hertha Berlin prior to moving to Portugal this year. 

Goalkeeper, 19 (31.10.95), 

Serbia & Red Star Belgrade 

Two years after helping Serbia 

under-19s claim the European title, 

he enjoyed an equally rewarding 

tournament in New Zealand as 

captain, conceding just four goals in 

seven games as the Serbs struck 

gold. Rightly voted the best keeper 

on show, he made vital saves at key 

moments and dominated his area. 

Midfielder, 19 (09.04.96), 

USA & Fulham (Eng) 

Despite missing a penalty in the 

loss to Ukraine, the US captain was a 

huge success, intelligently pulling the 

strings in the engine room, scoring 

twice and setting the tone with his 

work ethic. A first-teamer in the 

English second tier with Fulham, the 

Texan has already featured for the 

senior US side, making his debut 

against the Czech Republic last year. 

Andrija ZIVKOVIC 

Midfielder, 18 (11.07.96), 

Serbia & Partizan 

Belgrade 

Small of stature but 

gargantuan in ability, the 

right-winger was Serbia’s 

creative hub, ever alert and 

imaginative. The free-kick he 

scored against Mexico was 

Goal of the Tournament and 

in the Final versus Brazil he 

was again decisive, setting 

up Nemanja Maksimovic’s 

extra-time winner. Capped 

twice at full level, he became 

Partizan’s youngest captain 

in March 2014, leading the 

team out aged just 17 years 

and seven months. 

Mamadou THIAM 

Viktor KOVALENKO 

Midfielder, 19, 

(14.02.96), Ukraine 

& Shakhtar Donetsk 

A thorn in opposition 

flesh throughout, 

thanks to his ability to 

make space for himself 

in the box and cool 

finishing, he not only 

scored five times 

to end up as the 

tournament’s top 

scorer, he also set up 

two others. Proof that 

Shakhtar are not solely 

interested in signing 

Brazilians and that they 

can also produce their 

own talent. 

Striker, 20 (20.03.95), 

Senegal & Dijon (Fra) 

Not since Ghana in 1993 

has a country marked its 

first appearance in the 

World Under-20 finals by 

reaching the last-four, and 

the Paris-born attacker 

was as influential as any 

of Senegal’s young Lions. 

He scored a fine solo goal 

in the 1-1 draw against 

Colombia and got the 

winner against Uzbekistan. 

His father, Pape Idrissa 

Thiam, played for Senegal 

and grandfather Abdoulaye 

Thiam coached the national 

team in the 1960s. 

WORLD SOCCER 67

MICHEL PLATINI 

“ The time has gone when 

football could exist above 

the rules of life. It’s finished” 


The UEFA president reflects on recent events in 

the game – both on and off the pitch 

Are you tired of always 

handing the trophies to 

Spanish clubs? 

No, because the Champions 

League is a very difficult competition and 

because no one had won the trophy two years 

in a row – which is different to what happened 

before with Ajax, with Bayern, with Liverpool. 

I always respect whoever wins the Champions 

League because it is a tough season. When I 

was a player we had important games from the 

quarter-finals: we had two quarter-finals, two 

semi-finals and the Final. Then there was a 

cup. Now you begin good games in September. 

September! You already have good games 

where you have to win, but I think I always will 

give the cup to the team who deserve to be 

the winners. 

Do any particular moments stand out from 

last season? 

As president I don’t care because the games 

are beautiful. As Michel Platini, former player 

of Juventus, I give the cup to Milan, to Inter, and 

I would have been happy to give it to a small 

Italian team from Piedmont, but it was not 

possible because Barcelona played very well. 

Did you have much chance to enjoy the 

Euro Under-21s in the Czech Republic? 

I saw some games but I know more about the 

Champions League players than the younger 

ones. I will know them in a few years when 

they will be stars. In the Final we had Sweden 

and Portugal, two different teams, so it’s good. 

Were you surprised by Germany’s 5-0 

defeat in the Euro Under-21 semi-finals 

by Portugal? 

You can be surprised that Germany won 7-1 

in Brazil in the semi-final of the World Cup. 

Everything is possible in football. That is the 

beauty of the game because it’s unpredictable. 

You can never think they will win 7-1 in Brazil 

or lose 5-0 against Portugal in the Euro 

Under-21s. It’s why we come to see the game 

and why we fight against match fixing because 

everyone knows that it was not a fixed game. 

Football is the only game where you never 

know who will win. 

Did you follow the Women’s World Cup, 

with two European teams in the semi-finals? 

I saw a beautiful game, Germany v France. 

Unfortunately we lost. We didn’t deserve to but 

it was a beautiful game and women’s football 

is increasing a lot and we continue to develop 

our work with it in UEFA. The problem for 

women’s football is that there is not a financial 

context as in the men’s game. The women 

would like to have the same competitions as 

the men but there is not the same money. 

This is why we have to go slowly with the 

development of the competitions, not the 

development of the women’s game. For some 

years I have said: “Don’t ask me to bring 

professional players in because you have not 

the money to pay – unless we work through 

the professional clubs.” You could have a 

situation where clubs from the Premier League 

have a women’s team and they can give 10 per 

cent of the budget to the development of the 

women’s teams. That could be easier, but I am 

not sure that will work everywhere. 

Is it possible to bring full-time 

professionalism into women’s football? 

Professionalism is because of the money, not 

because that they want to be professional. The 

difficulty is that for UEFA it is a matter of the 

national associations, the leagues, the clubs. 

It’s more national than international. 

In Germany, the Women’s World Cup drew 

more TV spectators than the Euro Under- 

21s. Did that surprise you? 

No, they love women’s football in Germany. As 

for the under-21s, there are some decisions 

to take in the future about what could happen 

with the competition because it’s not a youth 

tournament when you are 21 and, by the 

finals, when they play they are 23. It’s an 

inbetween competition. Some players are 23 

but I had won 20 caps for the French national 

team when I was 23. What happened a long 

time ago was that the education of the players 

was done by the national associations so we 

created competitions to develop the players. 

But, back then, at 17 or 18, they had not been 

in a professional club since 12 or 13 as they 

are now. That means that the development 

of young players is very different. Now, when 

they are 18, it’s almost as if they have been 

professional players for six years. When I was 

18 I had just arrived in the professional league. 

That means a big change so, for me, these 

competitions like the under-21s are a little bit 

strange today. A long time ago it was OK to 

use this sort of competition to develop the 

players, but players at 23 nowadays are 

developed because they have begun working 

in a Barcelona or Chelsea or Bayern at the age 

of 12. It is an issue for reflection. 

What about the Olympic tournament? 

It creates some problems for the clubs but all 

the players love to participate in the Olympic 

Games and the clubs know that the release of 

the players is a little complicated. 

Do you see a difference between the 

Barcelona of Pep Guardiola and that 

of Luis Enrique? 

Of course, a lot of difference. Who was the 

forward of the team of Pep? When I saw them 

beat Santos in Tokyo, when they won 4-0, 

there was no forward. There was Messi and 

Fabregas, there was total [movement]. Now

“I believe in financial fair play. The 

time has gone where football could 

exist above the rules of life” 

WORLD SOCCER 69


we have three forwards: Messi, Suarez and 

Neymar. That’s totally different. How did 

Barcelona win the last Champions League? 

Counter-attack. That didn’t happen some years 

ago. This shows you have to adapt your team 

to respect your players. When you have Messi, 

Neymar and Suarez you play differently to 

when you have other players. 

Do you have a preference? 

No. I enjoy watching the players. To make 

these choices is the job of journalists, not 

mine. I look at the security of the stadium, 

I look to see that the referee doesn’t make a 

mistake and I look to see players playing well. 

The Barcelona of Guardiola or Luis 

Enrique: who would have been the better 

coach for you as a player? 

Look where Messi played before and where 

he plays now. It’s two different styles. Now he 

plays on the right but before, when he began, 

he played on the left, then he played more 

central. Players change and the coach is not 

stupid. Does the coach say: “I play like that 

because I want to”? No, it’s because he has 

players who play like that. For example, 

Barcelona won the Champions League Final 

when Juventus thought to win the game. They 

played like Italians at the end and won by 

playing on the counter attack. When Juventus 

started thinking they could win, they lost - 

because Barcelona have three fantastic players 

who can score when they want. 

Is Barcelona’s attack the best of this era? 

For the moment, yes, because they won the 

How do you view the Best Player in 

Europe award? 

It was important that we had a European 

prize and it was nice to be linked with ESM 

because you represent journalists from 

most of Europe and come together to vote 

on who can be the best players. I wanted 

it to be a real vote, so thank you to ESM 

for organising this. I think it’s a nice 

opportunity for everybody to promote 

not only the best player but also the 

magazines who work for the beauty of 

football. It’s nice that we are together and 

I am very proud and thank you for the 

collaboration because I think it was a 

good idea and is still a good idea. As to 

how I see this past season I can say that 

the football played out on the pitch is 

very good. 

• The initial shortlist for UEFA’s Best Player 

in Europe award will be announced on July 

15. A second shortlist of three will then be 

drawn up, from which the final vote will 

take place on August 27. 

Champions League. But last year it was 

Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale. Things can 

change with every game. 

Has football become much faster in the 

last 10 years? 

Do you think Messi is faster than 10 years ago? 

Do you think Ronaldo is faster than 10 years 

ago? I don’t think players are faster than 10 

or 20 years ago. The fact that the game is 

more protected by the referee, you have balls 

around the pitch, the goalkeeper can’t pick up 

a back pass – it makes the game automatically 

more intensive. It’s not a question of the 

Last year…handing 

Cristiano Ronaldo the 

2014 Best Player in 

Europe award 

players. I’m not sure that a player today is 

going quicker than a player 30 years ago 

but the way that teams play is automatically 

faster. Perhaps the players are more physically 

prepared than 20 years ago but the ball is 

always the most important factor. As my father 

always told me: “Michel, the ball will always run 

more quickly than you.” 

Why have Ronaldo and Messi been able 

to keep scoring so many goals for so long? 

It’s just because they are incredible and there 

is a team who play for them. It was the same 

with Ronaldo, the Brazilian, in the past, and 

with many other players. In a great team you 

always have a great player – and the great 

player has become great because he has a 

great team. It was the same with Ajax, in the 

case of Johan Cruyff who made the difference 

for them, but who needed a good team 

around him to do that. It’s a collective game. 

So why have we never seen players 

scoring goals like Ronaldo and Messi 

before in modern times? 

Take Hugo Sanchez at Real Madrid in the 

1980s; how many goals did he score in his 

best season? 38. He did not have the same 

team around him because the budget of Real 

Madrid was not the same as it is now with 

Roaldo and Benzema – or the budget of 

today’s Barcelona, who have not only Messi 

but Neymar and Suarez. 

Isn’t it also true that the transfer rules 

were different then? 

Now, with the Bosman rule, you can have all

MICHEL PLATINI 

the best players in the same team. In the past, 

in Spain, you had Real Madrid, Atletico, 

Barcelona, Valencia – a lot of teams – and all 

the players were in different teams. Now, more 

or less, the best players are in one or two 

clubs. It is not football but Bosman which 

changed things. 

Does this make it more difficult to promote 

national team football when high-level 

club football is so strong? 

We are promoting national team football 

through the Euro qualifiers and it will be more 

and more important because people like the 

national teams. What is important in the future 

is to limit the possibility to have the best 

players in one team or in two teams. That is 

important for competition. If everybody is in 

one team that is not so good and with the 

Bosman rule it was difficult at the beginning 

but people know that now. I support totally the 

agenda that says we need more home-grown 

players because it is not possible to fight on 

nationality but we have some meetings in 

September with Jean-Claude Junker and the 

European Commission to work on that. It is 

not possible that the best teams should have 

all the best players or competition itself is 

finished. At the moment you have big clubs 

with a lot of money who can have everybody. 

We have to think about football in all of Europe 

not only in two or three clubs. 

Do you think this one of the achievements 

of financial fairplay? 

The clubs asked me to do something because 

they cannot continue to pay this and because 

of the debts and the losses – we had a total of 

Á1.7billion – so we had to do something and 

we have done something. I think the principle 

is working very well. Of course one or two 

clubs are not so happy but, against that, 

thousands of clubs are happy. 

The president of the Spanish league is 

opposed to the ban on third-party 

ownership because the smaller clubs think 

it is the only way they can compete with 

Real Madrid and Barcelona… 

The best… 

Messi (left) 

and Ronaldo 

Third-party ownership is finished, it is 

forbidden by FIFA. The president of the 

Spanish league can do what he wants but 

it is forbidden by FIFA. He can go in front of 

the court. It is good that it is forbidden. TPO 

transfers money of the clubs into the money of 

individuals so the clubs stay poor and the 

individuals become richer. For example, how 

much money went from Barcelona to Santos 

for Neymar? Á90m they said, but how much 

of that went to Santos? TPO takes the money 

from football. It goes to some offshore 

company. Then the players can’t decide 

anything for themselves because they become 

a product. I went on strike when I was young 

in support of a player being free at the end 

of his contract to go where he wants. Now the 

players belong to companies which make the 

decisions. To my way of thinking, it’s a scandal. 

We have to fight them. They can go to court. 

but the moral high ground is mine. That the 

player should belong to some “fund” is a 

scandal. I understand the problem because 

it’s a business. The transfer system is not being 

used to improve teams but to take money out 

of football. That’s why TPO is a scandal. People 

can say what they want. The moral high ground 

Considered…Platini 

(right) listens as 

president Sepp Blatter 

addresses FIFA 

is not theirs. It could be they go to court so 

then a judge can decides whether TPO should 

be shown a red card or a yellow card. 

Are you convinced that financial fairplay 

stands up legally? 

Yes. I believe in it. Which company with Á1.7bn 

losses every year can survive in the world? 

One day it will explode. The time has gone 

when football could exist above the rules of 

life. It’s finished. We had to do something 

otherwise there is an explosion. In creating 

FFP I protect the clubs, I protect the football, 

because with the losses there were we had 

to do something. When we have resolved the 

problem of the losses maybe we can work on 

investment. But it was my job to do that. Look 

how many clubs we have lost in the past years. 

Isn’t it also a case that securing club 

finances can help make players less 

vulnerable to match fixing? 

Of course. It’s a question of ethics. It was my 

job as president to think about that. When you 

have the moral high ground and ethics on your 

side it’s always good and when you can look at 

yourself in the mirror it’s always good. I am a 

guy of conviction and I will always defend and 

fight out of conviction not for politics because I 

think what I do and then I do what I think. 

How do you feel about the fact that 

some countries are starting to introduce 

their own FFP rules and we have seen 

clubs relegated in Spain for not paying 

their taxes? 

A lot of countries in the world are aware of 

the rules and now it’s becoming complicated 

because you see what’s happened in Brazil, 

in Spain, in Argentina. We have to find a 

solution so that the money stays in football. 

How can clubs sign thousands of players 

without money? 

Is this a delicate time for you within FIFA? 

Not for me personally but we all have a big 

problem - you, me, everybody - about FIFA. 

We are all FIFA. It’s a problem for all the 

players of the world because our “mother 

house” has a big problem and we have to 

defend this house. The problem of FIFA is 

not a problem about football because you 

have good competitions. It’s a problem of 

corruption. We will see. There is a meeting 

coming up. Wait and see what will happen. 

I stress it’s not a problem of football, it’s a 

problem of corruption of some people. 

Look, you cannot mix it up with the FIFA 

administration of competitions that are 

working, that are going on. FIFA has done a lot 

of good things, there are good ideas and good 

jobs, there are so many good things but it is 

a problem of people and the money. Let the 

police do their job. You know better than me 

many times. I look in the newspapers to see 

what’s happened. As for the future, we’ll 

see. I don’t know. Well, I do know, 

but I can’t tell you! 

Interview by Keir Radnedge 

WORLD SOCCER 71

in association with: 

R views 

TRAINING BALLS & REPLICA KITS 

We run the rule over 2015-16’s new products 

OFFICIAL LIGA MATCH BALL 

Luminous green is the order of the day for Nike’s new 

Liga match ball for 2015-16. 

RRP £95 (from www.lovellsoccer.co.uk) 

OFFICIAL PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH BALL 

A bold design for Nike’s new Ordem 3 ball, to be used throughout 

the English top flight in 2015-16. 


OFFICIAL SERIE A MATCH BALL 

Nike’s Serie A Ordem 3 match ball is proud to 

be pink in 2015-16. 


72 WORLD SOCCER

REVIEWS 

JUVENTUS HOME SHIRT 2015-16 

The first Juventus kit made by Adidas. 

RRP £89.99 

ARSENAL HOME SHIRT 2015-16 

The new-look Gunners kit from Puma. 

RRP £99.99 

BARCELONA HOME SHIRT 

2015-16 

Horizontal stripes: a first for Barca. 

RRP £95.99 

To buy these products, visit lovellsoccer.co.uk 

WORLD SOCCER 73

FASHION 

Phone 020 3148 2600 Email richard.torey@timeinc.com 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPPLEMENTS 

PROGRAMMES 

The 2015 Champions League, Europa League & F.A. Cup Finals £12 each (inc.p&p) 

( Credit/Debit Cards & PayPal accepted ) 


TIES 

 

 

.),#!) ) 

!(#( ) 

##" '.) 

(/) !( ) 

, "! 0( 

# . ) 

1() (#!#,#" 

(#.,) 

#( !#( "#(!,#" 2$-* 22*- 

! G )%."!,",(",&#! 

#( /), 000&G )%."&#&.

ULTIMATE NEWS & RESULTS SECTION 

NOW INCORPORATING 

Global diary 

Exclusive 

reports from 

our worldwide 

network of 

correspondents 

76 

84 82 

CHRISTIAN 

RADNEDGE 

Women’s World 

Cup 

STEVE 

MENARY 

Island Games 

JOHN 

DUERDEN 

Asia 

PADDY 

AGNEW 

Italy 

VLADIMIR 

NOVAK 

Serbia 

KEIR 

RADNEDGE 

Euro Under-21s 

78 80 

86 

PLUS 

96 

78 

Copa...Argentina 

(left) and Colombia 

DIARY 

78 Comprehensive global news 

CLUB FOOTBALL 

88 Results, tables and fi xtures 

SQUADS 

95 Euro Under-21s 

96 Copa America 

Hat-trick hero...Lewandowski of Poland 

WORLD SOCCER 75

Women’s World Cup 

CHRISTIAN RADNEDGE 

Lloyd treble for 

Stars & Stripes 

US win record-breaking third tournament 

ollowing in the footsteps of England’s 

F 

Geoff Hurst in 1966, Carli Lloyd 

became only the second person 

to score a hat-trick in the Final of 

a senior World Cup showpiece as 

the USA ended 16 years of hurt 

to reclaim the women’s title for a record third time 

with a 5-2 victory over holders Japan. 

It was a fitting finale for the United States’ veteran 

striker Abby Wambach who, at the age of 35, now has 

a World Cup winners medal to go with her two Olympic 

golds and the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year award. 

At the Final, the 53,341 fans inside Vancouver’s BC 

Place were not slow to voice their disapproval of the 

visiting dignitaries, with the crowd booing the introduction 

of Issa Hayatou. The FIFA vice-president had to present 

the trophy in the absence of president Sepp Blatter, who 

left it until just a few days before the game to announce 

Tears...Bassett scored a late own goal 

ever showing at the Algarve 

Cup, finishing seventh. Yet 

despite her 14 years as assistant 

coach and scout for the national 

team, not everyone was overly sold 

on Ellis’ appointment. Questions were 

asked over tactics and selections before the 

squad went to Canada, and after a drab goalless 

draw with Sweden they only managed to finish 

top of their group on goal difference, courtesy of 

Wambach’s goal in a narrow 1-0 win over Nigeria. 

Even after a second round 2-0 win against Colombia, 

the coach’s critics remained unimpressed, with two-time 

world champion Michelle Akers going on American radio 

to say: “[Ellis] is not handling the personnel right. The 

line-up sucks, the subs are sketchy, we’re not all on the 

same page.” 

After another single-goal success, against China in the 

quarter-finals, the US met pre-tournament favourites 

Germany for a place in the Final. 

A 10-0 victory over the Ivory Coast in their opening 

game had seen Germany ease their way into the 

knockout stage – and helped Celia Sasic finish joint top 

scorer with Lloyd on six goals. And after beating Sweden 

4-1, they had a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with 

France, who overcame South Korea 3-0. 

However, the manipulation of the draw to set up 

a highly desirable knockout tie for the spectators was 

criticised by the players. After losing on penalties to the 

Review 

“The line-up sucks, the subs 

are sketchy, we’re not all on 

the same page” 

Two-time world champion Michelle Akers 

criticises US coach Jill Ellis 

he would not attend due to pressing business back in 

Zurich. Secretary-general Jerome Valcke was another 

who stayed away, having originally been meant to attend 

the tournament’s opening game. 

For many, the ease with which Jill Ellis’ side dispatched 

Japan in the Final was remarkably straightforward after a 

slow start to the tournament. 

The US had kicked off their campaign with a 3-1 

victory over Australia which, although a convincing 

scoreline, was littered with mistakes and it took a late 

goal by Alex Morgan to give the result a flattering edge. 

Ellis had taken over as coach in May last year after 

Tom Sermanni was fired following the team’s poorest 

TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT 

Hope Solo 

(USA) 


Megan Klingenberg 

(USA) 

Steph Houghton 

(Eng) 

Kadeisha Buchanan 

(Can) 

Sairo Ariyoshi 

(Jap) 

Lady Andrade 

(Col) 

Ramona Bachmann 

(Swi) 

Amandine Henry 

(Fra) 

Lena Goessling 

(Ger) 

Megan Rapinoe 

(USA) 

Carli Lloyd 

(USA)

WORLD SERVICE 

Third time lucky...USA claim the trophy once again 

Germans after a 1-1 draw, France midfielder Camille Abily 

told L’Equipe: “FIFA did not conduct a real draw. Why 

don’t we do [the draw] like the boys? At some point they 

have to stop taking us for idiots.” 

An impressive 2-0 semi-final victory over Germany 

set-up the Final showdown with defending champions 

Japan, who beat England 2-1. 

England’s first appearance in a Women’s World Cup 

semi-final ended in cruel circumstances, with Laura 

Bassett’s own goal in the penultimate minute of stoppage 

time, but they had performed with admirable spirit, 

battling through to the last four with several late goals 

HOPE TOP 

KEEPER 

US keeper Hope Solo won the 

Golden Glove award at the end of 

the tournament, but the 33-year-old 

kept a low profile throughout the 

tournament. This was most likely to 

do with questions from the media 

over whether she should have been 

in the team or not, due to continuing 

court action after her arrest last year 

for alleged assault in an altercation 

with her sister and nephew. 

Top keeper...Solo won the Golden Glove 

TOURNAMENT 

AWARDS 

“At some point they have to 

stop taking us for idiots” 

France’s Camille Abily on the way FIFA 

conducted the draw 

and an ever-changing line-up. Their 2-1 victory over 

Canada in the quarter-finals drew a record crowd of 

54,027 to BC Place. 

Among the other records to be set over the four 

weeks was the total aggregate attendance for the 

tournament of 1.35 million, and that total would surely 

have been even higher had the hosts not lost to England 

at the quarter-final stage. 

Fox Sports had 25.4million viewers tune in for the 

Final: a record for any soccer game, men’s or women’s, 

shown on English-language TV in the US. Meanwhile, 

broadcasters in Australia, Brazil, China, South Korea and 

Norway all beat the highest TV audience for any match 

in the 2011 edition. 

The bar, then, has been set high for the next finals, 

in France in 2019, with organisers looking to raise the 

standard even higher. For starters they will surely find it 

easier to acquire the maximum of six national sponsors 

given their event-hosting experience: Canada managed 

to secure only three. 

France has also pledged that all matches will be 

played on real grass, highlighting the one issue that never 

Hat-trick...Carli Lloyd scored three goals in 16 minutes in the Final 

GOLDEN BALL BEST 

PLAYER AWARD 

Carli Lloyd (USA) 

SILVER BALL AWARD 

Amandine Henry (Fra) 

BRONZE BALL AWARD 

Aya Miyama (Jap) 

Award...Sasic scored six goals 

GOLDEN BOOT 

Celia Sasic (Ger) 

6 goals, 1 assist, 553 minutes 

GOLDEN GLOVE 

Hope Solo (USA) 

BEST YOUNG PLAYER AWARD 

Kadeisha Buchanan (Can) 

FIFA FAIR PLAY TROPHY 

France 

Support...games set record attendance and TV figures 

went away during Canada 2015. 

Despite the promise of the highest quality turf, there 

were noticeable changes in games where either the 

pitch had not been watered enough or that it had been 

watered too much, with either scenario drastically 

affecting the way the ball plays on 3G grass. 

The turf at BC Place had only been laid in May, 

giving it a very short window to be “worn in” for the 

tournament. 

The Players’ union, FIFPro, held a press conference in 

Vancouver two days before the Final to say it regretted 

joining a failed lawsuit too late last year challenging the 

decision to play on artificial turf. FIFPro head Theo Van 

Seggelen pledged, however, that no future tournament 

would be played on fake grass saying: “As long as FIFPro 

is around, men will not play a World Cup on artificial turf 

and the same will be for women from here on.” 

Tatjana Haenni, FIFA’s head of women’s football, said 

that there had been a number of working groups at each 

stadium analysing the matches on the turf and that their 

conclusions would be presented along with a survey 

taken from the players and coaches with their feedback 

on it. 

Wambach, who played in Canada for the last time in a 

World Cup, was one of the fiercest critics of the decision 

to play on artificial turf, saying: “This would never happen 

to the men”. 

WORLD SOCCER 77

JUNE 9 - JULY 5, 2015 

Global diary 

A comprehensive record of recent events around the world 

Tuesday June 9 

BRAZIL: Oswaldo De Oliveira of 

Palmeiras becomes the eighth 

coaching casualty in the first six 

games of the season. 

ITALY: After a goalless first leg, 

Bologna – who were fourth in 

the second tier – return to Serie 

A after being held 1-1 at home by 

seventh-place Pescara as the team 

that finished higher in the regular 

season go up if the promotion 

play-off Final ends in a draw. 

SPAIN: Three days after Barcelona 

win the Champions League Final, 

coach Luis Enrique extends his 

contract until 2017. 

Wednesday June 10 

USA: Five days on from beating 

Holland in Amsterdam, the US 

Flying start...Chile (in red) beat Ecuador 

win 2-1 against Germany in Cologne 

with an 87th-minute goal from 

second-half sub Bobby Wood. 

Thursday June 11 

COPA AMERICA: Hosts Chile kick 

off the tournament with a 2-0 win 

against Ecuador. Arturo Vidal, with a 

penalty, and Eduardo Vargas are the 

scorers, while sub Matias Fernandez 

is sent off in injury time. 

GUAM: Fourteen years after they lost 

16-0 to Tajikistan, Guam win a World 

Cup qualifier for the first time in their 

history, beating Turkmenistan 1-0. 

SPAIN: Four days after joining 

Barcelona from Sevilla for Á18million, 

Aleix Vidal makes his international 

debut as Spain come from behind to 

beat Costa Rica 2-1 with goals from 

Paco Alcacer and Cesc Fabregas. 

Friday June 12 

COPA AMERICA: Coach Miguel 

Herrera calls Mexico’s 0-0 draw 

ITALY 

PADDY AGNEW 

All over for Parma 

Club’s proud 102-year history comes to an end 

All over...Parma players 

acknowledge the fans at 

the end of the season 

uch as had been expected, there was 

M 

no knight in shining armour riding over 

the hill to save Parma. Relegated to 

Serie B at the end of the season, the 

club that won the UEFA Cup (in 1995 

and 1999) and the Cup-winners Cup 

(1993) lost an even bigger battle when faced with the 

receiver’s deadline. 

Declared bankrupt in March, with debts of around 

Á220million, Parma’s last remaining chance of survival 

rested on the unlikely possibility that someone might step 

up to the plate and buy the club by June 22. Even though 

the receivers had reduced the debt to Á22.6m, there 

were still no takers. 

As a result, Parma will now drop out of professional 

football, perhaps starting life again in the amateur ranks 

of the fifth-tier Serie D – if and when the club name can 

be recycled. Yet even this remains far from clear. 

The ongoing crisis started in 2003 when owners 

Parmalat collapsed in a spectacular Á14billion crash. 

Deprived of the backing of the dairy multinational 

company – which the previous year had been valued at 

Á3.7bn and employed 30,000 people in 30 countries – 

Parma were soon on a slippery downwards slope. 

In much more recent times, an alarm bell rang loud 

and clear last summer when UEFA refused to let the 

team play in the Europa League, despite finishing sixth 

in Serie A, essentially because of unpaid taxes. 

Since then, things have gone from bad to worse. Last 

season, the club changed hands twice, allegedly for the 


price of just one euro, and has had five different 

presidents. In December, Tommaso Ghirardi sold the club 

to a little-known Russian-Cypriot consortium headed by 

Albanian tycoon Rezart Taci. Two months later they sold 

it to the even-less-well-known Giampietro Manenti. 

The Slovenia-linked businessman talked about 

respecting tax and salary deadlines but failed to come up 

with any serious funding. In the meantime, the club was 

having difficulty paying its electricity and gas bills, with 

baliffs arriving at the training grounds to seize office 

goods and vehicles. With 

the players having received 

no wages since July 2014. 

the club were also docked 

seven points – making an 

already difficult relegation 

fight virtually impossible. 

In the end, Manenti was 

arrested in Brescia, on 

March 18, on charges of alleged involvement in creditcard 

fraud and money recycling. The following day, the 

club was declared bankrupt by a court hearing. It was 

only thanks to emergency funding of Á5m from the 

Lega Serie A and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) 

that Parma were able to play on until the end of the 

season – during which time they even managed to beat 

Juventus 1-0 in mid-April before being relegated. 

There had been hopes of a rescue package put 

together by two consortia – one headed by Parma 

businessman Giuseppe Corrado, the other by former 

“We feel like a carcass 

in the middle of the 

desert with only vultures 

and jackals around” 

Parma coach Roberto Donadoni 

Promises...Manenti 

failed to provide 

funding for Parma

WORLD SERVICE 

First...Bale puts Wales top of their group 

with Bolivia a “bitter pill”. 

CZECH REPUBLIC: Tomas Rosicky 

wins his 100th cap, but the Czech 

Republic lose 2-1 away to Iceland. 

ITALY: Gianluigi Buffon saves a 

penalty as Italy draw 1-1 against 

Croatia in Split in a game played 

behind closed doors after violent 

clashes when the teams met in Milan 

last November. 

WALES: Gareth Bale marks his 50th 

international cap with the only goal 

of the game as Wales beat Belgium 

to top their Euro qualifying group. 

Saturday June 13 

ALBANIA: An Ergys Kace free-kick 

gives Albania a first-ever victory over 

France, with a 1-0 win in Elbasan. 

COPA AMERICA: Paraguay come 

from two down to draw 2-2 against 

Argentina with late goals from Nelson 

Haedo Valdez and Luca Barrios, 

while Uruguay top the group with 

a 1-0 win over Jamaica. 

ESTONIA: Infonet thrash non-league 

Virtsu Jalgpalliklubi 36-0 in the first 

round of the Estonian Cup. 

GAMBIA: New coach Raoul Savoy 

springs a shock in the African 

Nations Cup qualifiers as Gambia 

draw 0-0 away to South Africa. 

GREECE: Having lost 1-0 at home, 

Greece lose to the Faroe Islands for 

a second time in their Euro qualifying 

group, going down 2-1 in Torshavn. 

MALAYSIA: T-Team’s 30-year-old 

Nigerian defender David Oniya 

suffers a heart attack and dies 

during a friendly against Kelantan. 

POLAND: Robert Lewandowski 

scores the second-fastest hat-trick 

in Euro history, in three minutes 59 

seconds, as Poland win 4-0 against 

Georgia. He didn’t score the first of 

his treble until the 89th minute. 

PORTUGAL: Real Madrid’s Cristiano 

Ronaldo scores his third hat-trick in 

his last three games for club and 

Floored... South Africa’s 

Thulani Hlatshwayo (in yellow) 

fails to overcome Assan 

Ceesay and Gambia 

US baseball player Mike Piazza – but 

both came to nothing. It has been 

suggested that while neither was put 

off so much by the Á22.6m debt, a 

bigger concern was the unknown 

financial liabilities linked to the 

contracts of more than 100 players, 

reportedly bought and sold on by 

Parma in recent seasons. 

Sign of the times...“closed after robbery” One particularly worrying aspect 

of the whole debacle – and one that 

raises some serious questions – concerns the FIGC’s 

management of the problem. 

The federation’s financial regulatory authority, Covisoc, 

carried out inspections of the club’s books in April, 

September and December of last year, when it was 

already clear that all was not in order. Furthermore, last 

June, it was the federation that had ruled Parma out of 

the Europa League because of financial problems. Yet, 

the federation only took action this February when it 

became clear that the club had again failed to pay 

players’ wages and, more dramatically, when Parma 

failed to play two consecutive league games, against 

Udinese and Genoa. 

The receivers have now issued a statement to 

confirm that no acquisition offers were forthcoming, 

explaining that they will now meet with creditors and the 

bankruptcy court judge in order to “make the necessary 

arrangement regarding the bankruptcy proceedings of 

the company”. 

It is all a very sad end for a club where Buffon, 

Cannavaro, Chiesa, Crespo, Sensini, Thuram, Veron 

and Zola all once strutted their stuff. 

QSERIE B SPOT UP FOR GRABS 

Parma’s expulsion from the second tier leaves Serie B 

one short of its 22-team quota. Relegated sides Brescia, 

Cittadella, Varese and Virtus Entella – the latter via the 

play-offs – all feel they have a strong case for being 

reprieved, while Bassano argue they should be promoted 

from Lega Pro after losing the third-tier play-off to Como. 

WORLD SOCCER 79

country as Portugal come from 

behind to beat Armenia 3-2. 

Sunday June 14 

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA: Trailing 

3-1 from their home leg, Antigua 

& Barbuda produce a stunning 

turnaround away to Saint Lucia in 

the World Cup qualifiers, winning 

4-1 – Josh Parker scoring the third 

goal three minutes into stoppage 

time and Aaron Tumwa grabbing the 

winner two minutes after that. 

BRAZIL: Sao Paulo go top of 

Serie A with a 1-0 victory away 

to Chapecoense. 

COPA AMERICA: Salomon Rondon 

gives Venezuela a shock 1-0 win 

against Colombia, while Brazil need 

a winner from Douglas Costa in the 

third minute of added time to beat 

Peru 2-1. 

FINLAND: National coach Mixu 

Paatelainen is sacked after 

Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Hungary. 

SPAIN: Having lost their home leg 

3-0, Zaragoza produce a remarkable 

performance to win 4-1 at Girona 

and reach the second-tier play-off 

Final on away goals. 

URUGUAY: The title-deciding playoff 

between Nacional and Penarol 

is abandoned seven minutes 

from the end of extra-time, with 

Nacional leading 3-2, after Penarol 

supporters start ripping out seats 

and attacking the police. 

Monday June 15 

COPA AMERICA: Bolivia beat 

Ecuador 3-2 to record their first 

win in the competition for 18 years. 

Chile’s Arturo Vidal is arrested for 

causing a traffic accident while under 

the influence of alcohol after scoring 

in his side’s 3-3 draw with Mexico. 

CROATIA: UEFA starts disciplinary 

proceedings against the Croatia 

Football Federation after an apparent 

swastika was spotted marked on the 

pitch during Friday’s Euro 2016 

qualifier with Italy in Split. 

THAILAND: Holders Thailand beat 

Myanmar 3-0 in the Final to retain 

their South-East Asian Games title. 


COPA AMERICA: Sergio Aguero’s 

header sees Argentina beat holders 

Uruguay 1-0 in the 199th encounter 

between the two teams. They are 

joined on four points in Group B by 

Paraguay, who beat Jamaica 1-0. 

GUAM: Minnows Guam beat India 

2-1 to go three points clear in their 

World Cup qualifying group. 

ITALY: Antonio Conte loses his first 

game as Italy coach as a goal from 

Eder gives Portugal a 1-0 win. 

UGANDA: SC Villa beat Kampala 


SERBIA 

Young guns 

offer new hope 

Success of the under-20s could be just the start 

ollowing Serbia’s triumph at the 

F 

Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand, 

a crowd of 50,000 turned out in 

Belgrade to welcome home the 

country’s triumphant youngsters. 

On one of the banners hanging from 

the front of City Hall – which is more used to celebrating 

successes in basketball, water polo or volleyball – there 

was the inscription “Ima nade” (there is hope). 

And while the euphoria of the under-20s may soon be 

over, there is a real hope that this will be the start of 

something great at senior level. 

Much of that belief is not just down to the fact that the 

team won the junior world championship, but more about 

Historic...Serbia players 

celebrate back at home 

VLADIMIR NOVAK 

how they did it, battling to victory despite playing extratime 

in all four of their games in the knockout stage. 

Physical strength, power and stamina have never been 

particular virtues of Serbian football, but this generation 

are an exception. As midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic 

said after the 2-1 victory in the Final against Brazil: “We 

showed German mentality in a Serbian way. We always 

played well in those extra 30 minutes. It’s not by chance 

that we eventually won in each of those games. Again we 

succeeded to show our strong mentality. 

“Our persistence, desire for victory and motivation 

were on highest level. We never give up and we always 

reach our goal.” 

Solid at the back, hard working and creative in

WORLD SERVICE 

midfield, the team demonstrated great tactical discipline 

and, despite lacking a top-class striker, they still 

managed to be an effective attacking force, scoring 

10 goals in seven matches. 

From captain and goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic of 

Red Star Belgrade, through to the centre-backs Milos 

Veljkovic of Tottenham Hotspur and Vojvodina’s Srdjan 

Babic, and on to midfielders Nemanja Maksimovic of 

Astana in Kazakhstan 

and Milinkovic-Savic of 

Belgium’s Genk, there 

was a great team spirit on 

display with no noticeable 

weak link. And added to 

Proud...fans in 

Belgrade salute 

the under-20s 

“We showed German 

mentality in a Serbian way” 

Under-20 midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic 

this was the talent of Partizan winger Andrija Zivkovic 

who is already being called a “Serbian Arjen Robben”. 

But while all credit must go to the players, it is highly 

unlikely that any of this would have been possible without 

the guiding hand of 37-year-old coach Veljko Paunovic. 

Ably assisted by his back-room staff, Paunovic left 

nothing to chance, setting up his side perfectly to combat 

whatever opposition they came up against. He has now 

worked with this set of players for the past three years 

and has built a tremendous relationship with players who 

have thrived on his outstanding motivational skills. 

When he first started working with the group, he 

sat them down to watch a documentary about “the 

Chileans” – the Yugoslavia team of Boban, Suker, 

Mijatovic and Prosinecki that won the 1987 Under- 

20 World Cup in Chile. 

“We gathered here [in the sports centre of Serbia’s FA 

in Stara Pazova, near Belgrade] for the first time three 

years ago,” said Paunovic on his return from this year’s 

tournament. “Forty players were here and we watched 

footage of the ‘Chileans’. 

“I think that the most important thing was that the 

boys believed in it, that they respected each other and 

that they had a great desire to achieve their goal. 

“I am proud of all players and I am proud that we 

crowned our work in the best possible way.” 

With the senior team 

very unlikely to qualify 

for the European 

Championship 

next year – which 

would be the third 

successive major 

tournament they have missed out on – and a 

disappointing showing at this summer’s Euro Under- 

21 finals, the under-20 side offers a glimmer of hope 

for the future. 

It was a year ago that Paunovic said that he is 

convinced Serbia’s national side will one day become 

European champions, claiming: “If Greece could do it, 

I see no reason why Serbia cannot.” 

With his charisma and optimism becoming contagious, 

Serbian fans are starting to believe that it is his “New 

Zealanders” who will fulfil that dream. 

2015 UNDER-20 WORLD CUP 

Serbia’s first global title was achieved 

with a never-say-die attitude that 

culminated in a 2-1 victory over 

Brazil in the Final thanks to Nemanja 

Maksimovic’s 118th-minute winner. 

All four of their games in the 

knockout stage went to extra time 

and they were seconds away from 

going out in the round-of-16 until 

Ivan Saponjic’s equaliser 

against Hungary. They 

then went on to win 2-1 

despite Milan Gajic 

being sent off. 

Although a recordequalling 

sixth world 

under-20 title eluded 

Brazil they did extend 

their record unbeaten 

run in the finals to 20 

matches. They beat the 

previous best mark of 

Argentina, whose failure 

to get out of their group 

was one of the competition shocks. 

Adama Traore, who scored twice 

as Mali beat Senegal 3-1 in the thirdplace 

play-off, was named player 

of the tournament, while Viktor 

Kovalenko of Ukraine was top scorer 

with five goals. 

OFor results round-up, see page 92 

OTalent Scout, page 66 

Determined...Serbia (in red) stop Brazil in the Final 

Capital City Authority 3-0 in a 

re-played Ugandan Cup Final after 

the previous game was abandoned 

following a pitch invasion. 


CZECH REPUBLIC: Denmark beat 

the hosts 2-1 as the European 

Under-21 Championship gets 

underway in the Czech Republic. 

COPA AMERICA: Neymar is sent off 

in injury time, along with Colombia’s 

Carlos Bacca, as Brazil lose 1-0 to a 

goal from Jeison Murillo. 

ENGLAND: Leicester City sack three 

players – Tom Hopper, Adam Smith 

and James Pearson, who is the son 

of manager Nigel Pearson – after 

they film themselves being racially 

abusive to women in a sex tape 

made on the club’s end-of-season 

tour of Thailand. 

SPAIN: Real Zaragoza beat Las 

Palmas 3-1 in their home leg of the 

second-tier promotion play-off Final. 

USA: Clint Dempsey is sent off for 

ripping up the referee’s notebook 

as Seattle Sounders finish with seven 

men and lose 3-1 in extra-time to 

Portland Timbers in the US Open 

Cup. Referee Daniel Radford also 

dismissed Seattle’s Brad Evans and 

Michael Azira, while striker Obafemi 

Martins went off injured with all three 

substitutions having been used. 


COPA AMERICA: Peru beat 

Venezuela 1-0 to leave all four 

teams in Group C level on three 

points with one game to play. 

GREECE: Olympiakos owner 

Vangelis Marinakis is banned from all 

involvement with football as part of 

an investigation into allegations of a 

criminal organisation controlling the 

Greek game. He is ordered to quit as 

president of the club but can retain 

ownership of the company that runs 

the last season’s double winners. 


COPA AMERICA: Neymar is given 

a four-game ban for his sending off 

against Colombia, which rules Brazil’s 

captain out of the remainder of the 

tournament. Ecuador’s 2-1 win 

against Mexico puts Chile and Bolivia 

in the quarter-finals, prior to the 

former’s 5-0 victory over the latter 

in the last game in Group A. 

MALTA: A year after losing his 

starting place, Hibernians’ captain 

Andrew Cohen is voted Maltese 

Footballer of the Year at the annual 

Malta Football Association awards. 

RUSSIA: Dynamo Moscow, who 

were due to compete in the Europa 

League after finishing fourth in 

the Russian Premier League, are 

WORLD SOCCER 81

anned from the competition 

for falling foul of UEFA’s Financial 

Fairplay rules. 


COPA AMERICA: Uruguay make 

sure of their place in the quarterfinals 

with a 1-1 draw against 

Paraguay in a rematch of the 2011 

Final. Argentina top the group with 

a 1-0 win against Jamaica in Lionel 

Messi’s 100th game for his country. 

JAPAN: With one round to go, 

Urawa Red Diamonds win the J. 

League’s first-stage title with a 1-1 

draw at Vissel Kobe and book their 

ASIA 

JOHN DUERDEN 

Shocks in 

store for 

big boys 

Minnows shine in qualifiers 

Champions...Urawa Red Diamonds 

place in the championship play-offs, 

which start in late November. 

SERBIA: Playing in their first Under- 

20 World Cup finals, Serbia are 

crowned champions, beating Brazil 

2-1 in the Final with a 118th-minute 

goal from Nemanja Maksimovic. 


COPA AMERICA: Colombia and 

Peru draw 0-0 and both go through 

to the knockout stage, along with 

Brazil, who beat Venezuela 2-1. 

SPAIN: Las Palmas return to La Liga 

after 13 years, beating Real Zaragoza 

on away goals in the second tier 

play-off Final. Trailing 3-1 from the 

away leg, they win the return 2-0, 

with goals from Roque Mesa and 

Sergio Araujo. 


ITALY: Parma look set to start next 

season in the amateur leagues after 

failing to find a buyer. Relegated 

from the top flight, the bankrupt club 

cannot register for Serie B as money 

is still owed to players and staff. 


BELGIUM: Despite a court imposing 

an interim order blocking UEFA 

from activating new Financial 

Fairplay rules, European football’s 

governing body says it will appeal 

against the decision and continue 


he second round of qualifiers for 

T 

the 2018 World Cup is well and 

truly up and running in Asia, with 

39 teams – 40 before Indonesia’s 

suspension by FIFA – split into eight 

groups of five, with the winners and 

the four best second-placed finishers going into the 

final round. 

The eight top seeds, including Australia, Japan and 

South Korea, have played just once so far while most of 

the other sides have 180 minutes under their belt. But 

who would have thought Guam would be leading their 

group with maximum points from the first two games? 

Well, Guam coach Gary White for one. As he told 

World Soccer last month: “We want to be top of the 

group after the first two games and then we’ll see 

what happens.” 

The Englishman got his wish with two famous wins: 

1-0 v Turkmenistan and then 2-1 v India. There are 

tougher tests ahead – not least the next game, in 

Tehran against Iran, who were held to a 1-1 draw in 

Turkmenistan in their opener – on September 3, but it 

is going to be a pleasant summer for Guam followers. 

With six games left, finishing second is a possibility. 

And for a team that had only played two qualification 

games previously, against Iran and Tajikistan for the 

Shock...Japan (in blue) were held at home by Singapore 

Solid start... 

Dooley’s 

Philippines side 

have won two 

out of two 

2002 tournament which ended in respective 16-0 and 

then 19-0 losses, that’s quite a turnaround. 

After the loss to White’s Guam, India’s coach 

Stephen Constantine – who is also English – reminded 

the country’s media that, although Guam’s population 

of 180,000 is dwarfed by India’s 1.3billion, Guam had 

more players with overseas experience than India. 

“Guam started with nine players from the United 

States who have had a football education that is not 

available in India,” said Constantine. “Fair play to Guam 

for using the rules, as you do what you can to field your 

strongest team.” 

India have no points from their first two games and 

with the AFC combining qualification for the 2018 

World Cup with that of the Asian Cup, things are not 

looking good for the national side. 

The loss has restarted a debate as to whether India 

should go down the same route as Guam, but at the 

moment the government does not allow what are 

called “players of Indian origin” to represent the 

country unless they renounce their other passport. 

Fans are putting together a petition for a change of

WORLD SERVICE 

to implement its new regulations. 

BRAZIL: At the age of 43, former 

World Cup winner Rivaldo, who is 

now president of second-tier side 

Mogi Mirim, says he may play again 

in a bid to help the club in their 

battle against relegation. 

ITALY: Catania president Antonino 

Pulvirenti is one of seven people 

linked to the Serie B side arrested 

on suspicion of match-fixing last 

season. The club were relegated 

from the top flight in 2014 and are 

alleged to have fixed games to avoid 

successive demotions. Pulvirenti’s 

deputy, Pablo Cosentino, and former 

director of sport Daniele Delli Carri 

are also arrested. 

RUSSIA: Torpedo Moscow are 

on the brink of collapse after 

Going...Torpedo Moscow face collapse 

“Fair play to Guam for 

using the rules, as you do 

what you can to field your 

strongest team” 

India coach Stephen Constantine 

rules but it could take some time. 

The Philippines, on the other hand, have fully 

embraced this idea and have been handing caps to 

players of Philippine heritage born all over the world. 

In came former Fulham reserve goalkeeper Neil 

Etheridge, the Younghusband brothers, once of 

Chelsea, and former German youth international 

Stephan Schrock, but the side remained south-east 

Asia’s traditional underachievers. 

However, with former United States international 

goalkeeper Thomas Dooley in charge, results are 

starting to pick up, with Bahrain and Yemen already 

beaten. Next up is a home game against top seeds 

Uzbekistan, who lost their only game so far, 4-2 

in North Korea. 

Australia played their first competitive game 

since winning the Asian Cup in January and achieved 

a hard-fought 2-1 victory in Kyrgyzstan, where a bumpy 

pitch hampered the hosts more than the Socceroos. 

Jordan, who are expected to finish second in the 

group, won 3-1 in Tajikistan, who went on to draw 

with Bangladesh. 

South Korea strolled to a 2-0 win over Myanmar in 

the neutral venue of Bangkok thanks to a goal and an 

assist for Bayer Leverkusen’s Son Heung-min, while 

bitter rivals Japan fared less well. 

Expected to win comfortably at home to Singapore, 

who opened their campaign with a 4-0 win in 

Cambodia, Japan were held to a goalless draw in 

Saitama in a first competitive game under the guidance 

of Algeria’s 2014 World Cup boss, Vahid Halilhodzic. 

While there’s still time for Japan to get back on track, 

and the outsiders to fade after good starts, the signs 

are that some of the so-called minnows in Asia are 

growing up. 

withdrawing from the Russian league 

because of financial problems. 

Three-times champions in the Soviet 

era, and a winner of the Russian 

Cup, Torpedo were relegated from 

the Premier League last season and 

have not applied for a place in the 

second tier. 


COPA AMERICA: Uruguay’s Edinson 

Cavani and Jorge Fucile are sent off 

as the holders lose 1-0 to Chile in 

the quarter-finals, with Mauricio Isla 

scoring for the hosts. 

OLYMPICS: Portugal and Sweden 

join fellow European Under-21 

Championship semi-finalists 

Denmark and Germany in qualifying 

for next year’s Games in Rio. 

REP OF IRELAND: An Argentinian 

newspaper, La Nacion, claims that 

Ireland players were offered $10,000 

each to avoid hurting Lionel Messi in 

a friendly match between the two 

countries in 2010 to inaugurate the 

Aviva Stadium. 


COPA AMERICA: Paolo Guerrero 

scores a hat-trick as Peru beat 

Bolivia 3-1 to set-up a semi-final 

against hosts Chile. Marcelo Moreno 

gets a consolation penalty six 

minutes from time. 

MOLDOVA: Lilian Popescu makes 

a winning start as coach of Sheriff 

WORLD SOCCER 83

ISLAND GAMES 

STEVE MENARY 

It’s gold 

again for 

Guernsey 

Channel Islanders sweep 

to victory in Jersey 

our years after Guernsey FC 

F 

started playing in the English 

league system – where they 

won successive promotions and 

are currently in Ryman League 

Division One – the Channel 

Islanders won gold at the Island 

Games’ 14th football tournament, beating the Isle 

of Man 3-0 in the Final on neighbouring Jersey. 

With all but one of the squad coming from 

Guernsey FC, they sailed through the group stage, 

beating Ynys Mon 5-2 and the Swedish island of 

Gotland 3-0, before brushing aside UEFA’s newest 

members Gibraltar with a 4-0 victory at Springfield 

Stadium in St Helier. 

Guernsey then returned to Springfield to edge out 

Menorca in the semi-finals before facing the Isle of 

Man, who were losing finalists in 1993, 1999 and 

2003. Craig Young, Ross Allen and Kieran Mahon 

were all on target as the Channel islanders won their 

third title to equal the record of Jersey. 

Despite Jersey’s elimination in the group stage this 

year, the tournament was a big success, attracting 16 

sides – compared to the four who took part at the 

last event in Bermuda in 2013. Bermuda did not 

Line-ups…the Falkland Islands (red) take on the Isle of Wight 

Top islanders…Guernsey (in green) 

lay siege to the Gibraltar goal 

as last season’s cup winners beat 

champions Milsami Orhei 3-1 to win 

the Moldovan Super Cup for a record 

sixth time. 

USA: Seattle Sounders’ Clint 

Dempsey is banned from the 

US Open Cup for two years – or 

for six games, whichever is longer 

– for ripping up the referee’s 

notebook during the game against 

Portland Timbers. 


COPA AMERICA: With no extra-time 

played after a goalless draw with 

Colombia, Carlos Tevez – who hours 

earlier had confirmed that he was 

leaving Juventus for Boca Juniors 

– appears from the substitutes’ 

bench to score the winning spot-kick 

as Argentina win 5-4 on penalties in 

the quarter-finals. 

FIFA: A federation statement 

confirms a story in Swiss newspaper 

Blick in which president Sepp Blatter 

was reported to have said: “I did not 

resign, I put myself and my office in 

the hands of the FIFA congress.” 

SUDAN: Al Merreikh win a CAF 

Champions League group game 

for the first time, beating debutants 

MC El Eulma 2-0 at home. 


ALGERIA: USM Alger stun local 

rivals ES Setif by winning 2-1 away 

84 WORLD SOCCER

WORLD SERVICE 

“All we have is four games 

every two years. We don’t even 

have a pitch” 

Falklands Islands’ coach Georgi Elkabidze 

ISLAND GAMES 

FOOTBALL 

CHAMPIONS 

Guernsey 3 (2001, 2003, 2015) 

Jersey 3 (1993, 1997, 2009) 

Isle of Wight 2 (1995, 2011) 

Faroe Islands 2 (1989, 1991) 

Ynys Mon 1 (1999) 

Gibraltar 1 (2007) 

Shetland 1 (2005) 

Bermuda 1 (2013) 

defend their crown 

as they were involved 

in 2018 World 

Cup qualifiers, but 

Greenland – surprise 

silver medallists last 

time – were there, and 

they were desperately 

unlucky not to claim 

another medal. 

Twice pegged back 

by Menorca in their 

opening Group A 

game, Greenland won their next two – beating the 

Finnish island of Aland 2-0 and the Estonians of 

Saarema 2-1 – but they missed out on the semi-finals 

on goal difference to Menorca, who later claimed bronze. 

“We had a rough preparation this year,” said Greenland’s 

Ethiopian coach, Tekle Ghebrelul. “There was too much 

snow and ice to do much, apart from some running, 

before we left for a training camp.” 

Other than Guernsey, Greenland were the only team 

not to lose a game and they finished fifth after winning 

a play-off with the 2011 champions the Isle of Wight. 

The Isle of Wight were disappointing and badly shown 

up in their second group game, in St Ouen against 

the Falkland Islands. After threatening to swamp the 

Falklanders, the Isle of Wight were outfought in the 

second half by a team that does not even play regularly 

and a 3-0 defeat was harsh on the South Atlantic side. 

Like the Greenlanders, the Island Games provides 

a rare outlet for the Falklands, whose small, five-club 

league fell apart four years ago. “We don’t even know 

what our level is,” said coach Georgi Elkabidze. “If we 

played regularly we could find out, but all we have is 

four games every two years. We don’t even have a pitch 

as the one in Port Stanley is unusable.” 

Elkabidze is a Georgian who was with Dynamo Tbilisi 

as a youth and reflects the slightly looser rules on 

nationality. The Falklands squad also included 

Chilean striker Rafa Sotomayor and a welltravelled 

Zimbawean, Shupi Chipursa, who spent 

14 years working around the world, including two 

years playing in the Croatian second tier. 

Given that the Falklands’ 19-man squad took 

two days to get to Jersey and had no real 

preparations, a win in their opener against Hitra 

and finishing 11th can be viewed as a success. 

First staged in 1989, the Island Games has 

run for longer and outlasted all the plethora of 

tournaments for sides stuck in the limbo world 

outside FIFA. Roll on Gotland 2017. 

to the defending champions in 

the CAF Champions League. 

COPA AMERICA: Paraguay beat 

Brazil on penalties, after a 1-1 

draw, to reach the semi-finals. 

Derlis Gonzalez scores the winning 

spot-kick, having also scored from 

the spot to cancel out Robinho’s 

opener in normal time. 


BELARUS: As part of his goal 

celebration in Slutsk’s 4-0 win away 

to Neman Grodno in the Premier 

League, striker Syarhey Lyavitski 

produces a ring and proposes to 

his girlfriend – who says yes. 

COPA AMERICA: Chile’s Gonzalo 

Jara is banned and will miss the rest 

of the competition after he appeared 

to poke his finger against Uruguay 

striker Edinson Cavani’s backside in 

Wednesday’s quarter-final. 

EGYPT: Ivorian striker Hermann 

Kouao scores twice in two minutes 

as CAF Champions League 

debutants Smouha come from 

behind to win 3-2 away to Moroccan 

side Moghreb Tetouan. 


COPA AMERICA: Eduardo Vargas 

scores twice as Chile reach the Final 

with a 2-1 victory over Peru, who 

have Carlos Zambrano sent off. 

BARBADOS: Barbados are out of 

WORLD SOCCER 85

Euro Under-21s 

KEIR RADNEDGE 

Sweden 

triumph 

in Prague 

Spot-kicks seal first 

Euro Under-21 crown 

upposed makeweights in their 

S 

group, Sweden were crowned 

European Under-21 champions 

in the Czech Republic and proved 

once again that the gap between 

age-group teams is far flimsier 

than at senior level. 

Their first success at this level was achieved by 

doing the simple things well, with goalkeeper Patrik 

Carlgren, defender Joseph Baffo, midfielders Simon 

Tibbling and Abdul Khalili, and the hard-running John 

Guidetti in attack all determinedly impressive. 

Of the other teams, Denmark’s centre-back 

Jannick Vestergaard and the more exotic likes of 

Portugal’s Bernardo Silva and William Carvalho, as 

well as Italy’s Domenico Berardi, stood out. England’s 

Harry Kane, who was the focus of much attention, 

was hamstrung by a lack of creative support. 

The Czechs’ staging of the tournament was happily 

straightforward after the politically-inspired mangles 

of so many senior events. 

In Prague, Slavia and Sparta’s Eden and Letna 

stadia hosted Group A games, plus one semi-final 

and the Final, while Group B in Moravia was centred 

on Olomouc, two and a half hours south-east of the 

capital by train, and Uherske Hradiste, further down 

towards the Slovak border. 

Group A interest focused on the Czech hosts and 

favourites Germany, but both ultimately disappointed. 

Every tournament needs the host team to generate 

fan momentum and the only Czech consolation 

after an opening 2-1 defeat by Denmark was that 

Germany and Serbia drew 1-1 in the day’s other 

tie. The Germans conceded an early goal, levelled 

through Liverpool’s Emre Can and held out for the 

draw despite having Christian Gunter sent off. 

With Can restored to midfield after struggling as a 

makeshift defender at Liverpool, Germany beat the 

Danes 3-0 next time out, with Kevin Volland scoring 

twice, but it proved the high watermark of their 

campaign. Jihlava striker Jan Kliment’s hat-trick in 

the Czechs’ 4-0 win against Serbia was enough to 

make him the tournament’s top scorer. 

Denmark recovered from their German upset 

to beat Serbia 2-0 and claim top spot, while Czech 

hopes came to an end in a 1-1 draw with Germany, 

who finished runners-up in the group after 


“All the teams in this tournament made defensive 

mistakes but we were punished ruthlessly” 

England manager Gareth Southgate 

Emphatic…Silva scores in Portugal’s semifinal 

rout of Germany 

withstanding the hosts’ late rally. Semi-final places not 

only fired Germany and Denmark forward but guaranteed 

places for both at the Rio Olympics. 

One issue kept Czech hopes alive. In Group B, if 

England were to finish in the top two then, since Britain 

would not enter the Olympics, a play-off would be 

needed between the two third-placed teams – the 

Czechs being one – to settle the last place in Rio. 

Despite being drawn with Italy, Portugal and the 

always redoubtable Sweden, England manager Gareth 

Southgate had built up morale and a selection system, 

with the presence of Kane in attack, after his outstanding 

season with Tottenham Hotspur, being one of the main 

attractions of the tournament. 

However, Southgate’s plan of action was undermined 

by the loss of qualifying top scorer Saido Berahino to a 

mystery eve-of-event injury and defensive cornerstone 

John Stones to concussion after a training-ground 

collision with keeper Jack Butland. 

England lost their opener 1-0 to Portugal, for whom 

Monaco’s Bernardo Silva was a delight to watch, but then 

beat Sweden with a fine late volley from Manchester 

United’s Jesse Lingard. 

They needed to win their third game to reach the 

semi-finals – and offer the Czechs an Olympic play-off 

chance – and opponents Italy came into the match with 

issues of their own. They had thrown away their opener 

against Sweden in ridiculous fashion, losing 2-1 after

WORLD SERVICE 

Scandinavian night… 

Sweden celebrate 

their Euro triumph 

leading 1-0 at the interval against a side reduced to 

10 men by the early expulsion of defender Alexander 

Milosevic. But it all went wrong when Guidetti levelled 

and Juventus’ Stefano Sturaro was sent off for 

throwing a punch. Four minutes from time, Sweden 

completed the turnaround with a winning penalty 

from Bordeaux’s Isaac Kiese Thelin. 

Next time out Italy wasted a catalogue of chances 

in a goalless draw with Portugal which set up a 

winner-takes-all last game. 

Italy beat England 3-0 and for eight minutes they 

looked to be in the semi-finals, with Portugal leading 

Sweden 1-0. However, the impressive Tibbling 

snatched a last-minute Swedish equaliser and, 

finishing level on points, the use of “mutual results” 

saw Sweden progress rather than Italy as the first 

degree of separation proved fatal. 

In the semis, Sweden comfortably beat Denmark 

4-1 while Germany were ripped apart 5-0 by 

Portugal. Silva scored the first goal and had a hand 

in the next three as the Portuguese danced around 

opponents reduced to a helplessly tetchy 10 men 

by the expulsion of substitute Leonardo Billencourt. 

The Final, however, proved a different story. 

Portugal captain Sergio Oliveira curled an early freekick 

against the Swedish bar, but otherwise Silva and 

Carvalho were stifled. Sweden coach Hakan Ericson 

put into effect all the lessons he had learned from 

the teams’ group game and the full 120 minutes 

ended goalless. 

Two sharp saves by Carlgren in the shoot-out 

meant a 4-3 victory and Sweden, to the highly vocal 

delight of their magnificent fans, were European 

under-21 champions for the first time. 

the 2018 World Cup after being 

sanctioned for fielding an ineligible 

player in the qualifier against Aruba 

on June 14. Hadan Holligan, who 

scored in Barbados’ 1-0 victory, 

should have been serving a onematch 

ban. Aruba were awarded a 

3-0 forfeit win and go through 3-2 

on aggregate. 


BRAZIL: Robinho ends his third spell 

at Santos, with local media reporting 

he is set to join former national 

coach Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chinese 

champions Guangzhou Evergrande. 

COPA AMERICA: Argentina thrash 

Paraguay 6-1 in the semi-finals 

with goals from Marcos Rojo, Javier 

Pastore, Angel Di Maria (two), Sergio 

Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain. 

CZECH REPUBLIC: Jakub Dovalil’s 

seven-year spell as coach of the 

national junior side ends a week 

after they were knocked out in the 

group stage of the Euro Under-21s. 

FRANCE: Bastia appeal against 

relegation to Ligue 

2 over a budget 

deficit of Á1.3m, 

claiming that Ryad 

Boudebouz’s sale 

to Montpellier for 

Á1.7m will resolve 

the problem. 

SWEDEN: 

Goalkeeper Patrik 

Carlgren saves 

two spot-kicks 

as Sweden beat 

Portugal 4-3 on 

penalties after 

a goalless 120 

minutes in the Final of the European 

Under-21 Championship. 

UEFA: Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium 

is chosen to host the 2017 UEFA 

Champions League Final. That year’s 

Europa League Final will be at the 

Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden, with 

the 2017 UEFA Super Cup at Skopje’s 

National Arena Filip II in Macedonia. 

Wednesday July 1 

MEXICO: Javier Hernandez will miss 

the CONCACAF Gold Cup after 

breaking his collarbone in Mexico’s 

goalless friendly against Honduras. 

WALES: The New Saints win away in 

the Champions League for the first 

time, beating B36 Torshavn 2-1 in 

the Faroe Islands. 

Thursday July 2 

DENMARK: Brondby record their 

biggest ever win in a continental 

competition, winning 9-0 at home 

to Juvenes/Dogana of San Marino 

in the Europa League. 

REP OF IRELAND: One of two 

second-tier sides in this season’s 

Europa League – Go Ahead Eagles 

of Holland are the other – University 

College Dublin beat Luxembourg’s 

Dudelange 1-0 at home. 

RUSSIA: UEFA says Rubin Kazan 

will replace Dynamo Moscow in the 

Europa League after the latter broke 

financial fairplay rules. 

SERBIA: Red Star Belgrade, 

European champions in 1991, lose 

2-0 at home to Kairat Almaty of 

Kazakhstan in the Europa League. 

SLOVAKIA: Karol Meszaros scores 

the first hat-trick of the new season 

in Europe as Slovan Bratislava win 

6-0 in Gibraltar against Europa. 

Friday July 3 

MOZAMBIQUE: A 4-0 win away 

to the Seychelles gives Mozambique 

a 9-1 victory and sets a new record 

aggregate score in the African 

Nations Championship. 

Saturday July 4 

Host…the Champions League Final will come to Cardiff in 2017 

COPA AMERICA: Chile win the 

continental title 

for the first time, 

beating Argentina 

on penalties in 

the Final. 

LIBERIA: Hosting 

an international 

for the first time 

since an Ebolainduced 

ban was 

introduced 13 

months ago, 

Liberia draw 1-1 

with Guinea in the 

African Nations 

Championship 

qualifiers but lose 4-2 on aggregate. 

UKRAINE: UEFA says Europa 

League runners-up Dnipro will be 

allowed to play European games in 

their home town of Dnipropetrovsk 

once more. 

Sunday July 5 

HUNGARY: Cup holders Ferencvaros 

beat champions Videoton 3-0 in the 

Hungarian Super Cup. 

MICRONESIA: Having lost their 

opening game at the Pacific Games 

30-0 to Tahiti, Micronesia go down 

38-0 to Fiji. 

PARAGUAY: Apertura winners 

Cerro Porteno open their clausura 

campaign with a 1-0 win away to 

Deportivo Santani. 

USA: Los Angeles Galaxy’s new 

signing Steven Gerrard is introduced 

to the crowd at half-time during a 

4-0 victory over Toronto, in which 

Robbie Keane scores a hat-trick. 

Kaka scores in Orlando City’s 1-1 

draw with Real Salt Lake but is 

then sent off. 

WORLD SOCCER 87

RESULTS, TABLES, FIXTURES 

Internationals 

COPA AMERICA 

Played in Chile 

Group A 

June 11 - Santiago 

Chile 2 (Vidal pen 67, Vargas 84) 

Ecuador 0 

HT: 0-0. Att: 46,000. Ref: Pitana (Arg) 

Chile: Bravo - Medel, Jara, Mena, Isla, Aranguiz 

(Pizarro 85), Diaz, Beausejour (Vargas 46), 

Valdivia (Fernandez 68), Sanchez, Vidal. 

Sent off: Fernandez 90+3. 

Ecuador: Dominguez - Paredes, Achilier, 

Erazo, Ayovi, Martinez (Ibarra 79), Noboa, 

Lastra (Quinonez 68), Montero, Valencia, 

Bolanos. 

June 12 - Vina del Mar 

Mexico 0 

Bolivia 0 

Att: 14,987. Ref: Caceres (Par) 

Mexico: J J Corona - Flores, Ayala, Marquez 

(Aquino 64), Dominguez, Aldrete, Medina 

(Montes 81), Guemez, J M Corona, Herrera 

(Jimenez 61), Vuoso. 

Bolivia: Quinonez - Hurtado, Raldes, Zenteno, 

Morales, Pedriel (M Bejarano 85), Chumacero, 

D Bejarano, Smedberg-Dalence, Campos 

(Escobar 71), Moreno. 

June 15 - Valparaiso 

Ecuador 2 (Valencia 48, Bolanos 82) 

Bolivia 3 (Raldes 5, Smedberg-Dalence 18, 

Moreno pen 43) 

HT: 0-3. Att: 5,982. Ref: Aguilar (ESv) 

Ecuador: Dominguez - Paredes (Angulo 86), 

Achilier, Erazo, Ayovi, Noboa, Quinonez (Ibarra 

46), Martinez (Cazares 46), Bolanos, Montero, 

Valencia. 

Bolivia: Quinonez - Hurtado, Raldes, Zenteno, 

Morales, Pedriel (Coimbra 57), D Bejarano, 

Chumacero, Smedberg-Dalence, Lizio 

(M Bejarano 72), Moreno (Miranda 88). 


Chile 3 (Vidal 22, pen 55, Vargas 42) 

Mexico 3 (Vuoso 21, 66, Jimenez 29) 

HT: 2-2. Att: 45,583. Ref: Carrillo (Per) 

Chile: Bravo - Medel, Jara, Albornoz (Beausejour 

87), Isla, Vidal, Aranguiz, Diaz (Mena 71), 

Valdivia, Vargas (Pinilla 85), Sanchez. 

Mexico: J J Corona - Flores, Valenzuela, Ayala, 

Dominguez, Aldrete (Salcedo 71), Medina 

(Aquino 64), Guemez, J M Corona (Osuna 77), 

Jimenez, Vuoso. 

June 19 - Rancagua 

Mexico 1 (Jimenez pen 64) 

Ecuador 2 (Bolanos 26, Valencia 57) 

HT: 0-1. Att: 11,051. Ref: Argote (Ven) 

Mexico: J J Corona - Flores, Valenzuela, Ayala, 

Dominguez, Velarde (Aquino 46), Medina, 

Guemez (Fabian 52), J M Corona (Herrera 62), 

Jimenez, Vuoso. 

Ecuador: Dominguez - Paredes, Mina, Achilier, 

Ayovi, Noboa, Lastra, Ibarra (Cazares 78), 

Bolanos, Montero (Martinez 90+2), Valencia. 


Chile 5 (Aranguiz 3, 66, Sanchez 37, Medel 79, 

Raldes og 86) 

Bolivia 0 

HT: 2-0. Att: 45,601. Ref: Cunha (Uru) 

Chile: Bravo - Isla, Medel, Jara (Pizarro 70), 

Beausejour, Aranguiz, Diaz, Vidal (Fernandez 

46), Vargas, Valdivia, Sanchez (Henriquez 46). 

Bolivia: Quinonez - Rodriguez (M Bejarano 46), 

Raldes, Coimbra, Morales, Pedriel, Chumacero, 

Veizaga (Miranda 46), Smedberg-Dalence, 

Escobar (Lizio 61), Moreno. 

COPA AMERICA – GROUP A 

P W D L F A Pts 

Chile (Q) 3 2 1 0 10 3 7 

Bolivia (Q) 3 1 1 1 3 7 4 

Ecuador 3 1 0 2 4 6 3 

Mexico 3 0 2 1 4 5 2 

Group B 

June 13 - Antofagasta 

Uruguay 1 (C Rodriguez 52) 

Jamaica 0 


Uruguay: Muslera - M Pereira, Gimenez, Godin, 

A Pereira, Sanchez (Stuani 73), Arevalo, Lodeiro 

(Gonzalez 86), C Rodriguez (De Arrascaeta 64), 

Rolan, Cavani. 

Jamaica: Kerr - Mariappa, Hector, Morgan, 

Lawrence, McCleary, Austin, McAnuff, Dawkins 

(Laing 54), Barnes, Mattocks (Brown 75). 

June 13 - La Serena 

Argentina 2 (Aguero 29, Messi pen 36) 

Paraguay 2 (Haedo Valdez 60, Barrios 90) 

HT: 2-0. Att: 16,281. Ref: Roldan (Col) 

Argentina: Romero - Roncaglia, Garay, Otamendi, 

Rojo, Pastore (Tevez 75), Mascherano, Banega 

(Biglia 80), Messi, Aguero (Higuain 76), Di Maria. 

Paraguay: Silva - M Caceres, Da Silva, P Aguilar, 

Samudio, Bobadilla (Benitez 66), Ortigoza, 

V Caceres, Ortiz (Gonzalez 46), Haedo Valdez, 

Santa Cruz (Barrios 79). 

June 16 - Antofagasta 

Paraguay 1 (Benitez 36) 

Jamaica 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 6,099. Ref: Vera (Ecu) 

Paraguay: Silva - B Valdez, Da Silva, P Aguilar, 

Samudio (Piris 77), Gonzalez, V Caceres, 

Ortigoza, Benitez (Molinas 86), Santa Cruz, 

Bobadilla (Haedo Valdez 75). 

Jamaica: Kerr - Mariappa, Hector, Morgan, 

Lawrence, McCleary, Austin, Watson (Laing 57), 

McAnuff, Dawkins (Mattocks 76), Barnes 

(Brown 62). 


Argentina 1 (Aguero 56) 

Uruguay 0 

HT: 0-0. Att: 17,014. Ref: Ricci (Bra) 

Argentina: Romero - Zabaleta, Garay, Otamendi, 

Rojo, Biglia, Mascherano, Messi, Pastore (Banega 

79), Di Maria (Pereyra 89), Aguero (Tevez 82). 


A Pereira, Gonzalez, Arevalo, Rolan, Lodeiro 

(Hernandez 69), C Rodriguez (Sanchez 64), Cavani. 


Uruguay 1 (Gimenez 29) 

Paraguay 1 (Barrios 44) 

HT: 1-1. Att: 16,021. Ref: Garcia (Mex) 

Uruguay: Muslera - M Pereira, Coates, Gimenez, 

A Pereira, Sanchez (C Rodriguez 67), Gonzalez, 

Arevalo, Rolan, Hernandez (Stuani 46), Cavani. 

Paraguay: Villar - M Caceres, Da Silva, B Valdez, 

Piris, Bobadilla (Gonzalez 68), Ortigoza (Ortiz 

64), Molinas, Benitez, Haedo Valdez, Barrios 

(Santa Cruz 72). 


Argentina 1 (Higuain 11) 

Jamaica 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 21,083. Ref: Bascunan (Chl) 

Argentina: Romero - Zabaleta, Garay, Demichelis, 

Rojo, Pastore (Pereyra 59), Mascherano, Biglia, 

Messi, Higuain (Tevez 72), Di Maria (Lamela 84). 

Jamaica: Miller - Mariappa, Hector (Taylor 71), 

Morgan, Lawrence, McCleary, Austin, Watson, 

Laing (Dawkins 71), McAnuff, Brown (Barnes 78). 

COPA AMERICA – GROUP B 


Argentina (Q) 3 2 1 0 4 2 7 

Paraguay (Q) 3 1 2 0 4 3 5 

Uruguay (Q) 3 1 1 1 2 2 4 

Jamaica 3 0 0 3 0 3 0 

Group C 

June 14 - Rancagua 

Colombia 0 

Venezuela 1 (Rondon 60) 


Colombia: Ospina - Zuniga, Zapata, Murillo, 

Armero (Martinez 82), Sanchez (Cardona 63), 

Valencia, Cuadrado, Rodriguez, Falcao, Bacca 

(Gutierrez 72). 

Venezuela: Baroja - Rosales, Vizcarrondo, 

Tunez, Amorebieta, Rincon, Seijas (Lucena 75), 

Vargas (Gonzalez 78), Arango (Cichero 86), 

Guerra, Rondon. 

June 14 - Temuco 

Brazil 2 (Neymar 5, Douglas Costa 90+2) 

Peru 1 (Cueva 3) 

HT: 1-1. Att: 16,342. Ref: Garcia (Mex) 

Brazil: Jefferson - Daniel Alves, Miranda, 

David Luiz, Filipe Luis, Elias, Fernandinho, Willian 

(Everton Ribeiro 87), Fred (Roberto Firmino 75), 

Neymar, Diego Tardelli (Douglas Costa 66). 

Peru: Gallese - Advincula, Zambrano, Ascues, 

Vargas (Yotun 88), Lobaton, Ballon, Sanchez, 

Farfan (Carrillo 83), Cueva (Reyna 82), Guerrero. 


Brazil 0 

Colombia 1 (Murillo 36) 

HT: 0-1. Att: 44,008. Ref: Osses (Chl) 

Brazil: Jefferson - Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva, 

Miranda, Filipe Luis, Elias (Diego Tardelli 76), 

Fernandinho, Willian (Douglas Costa 69), 

Neymar, Fred (Philippe Coutinho 46), Roberto 

Firmino. Sent off: Neymar 90+6. 


Armero, Sanchez, Valencia (Mejia 80), Cuadrado, 

Rodriguez, Falcao (Ibarbo 69), Gutierrez (Bacca 

76). Sent off: Bacca 90+6. 

June 18 - Valparaiso 

Peru 1 (Pizarro 72) 

Venezuela 0 

HT: 0-0. Att: 15,542. Ref: Orosco (Bol) 


Vargas, Ballon, Lobaton (Reyna 46), Sanchez, 

Cueva (Hurtado 83), Guerrero, Pizarro (Yotun 90). 


Tunez, Amorebieta, Rincon, Seijas (Fedor 82), 

Vargas (Cichero 38), Arango (Martinez 73), 

Guerra, Rondon. Sent off: Amorebieta 29. 


Colombia 0 

Peru 0 

Att: 17,332. Ref: Pitana (Arg) 

Colombia: Ospina - Arias, Zapata, Murillo, 

Armero (Ibarbo 57), Valencia (Mejia 24), 

Sanchez, Cuadrado, Rodriguez, Falcao (Martinez 

66), Gutierrez. 


Vargas, Sanchez (Hurtado 81), Ballon, Lobaton, 

Cueva (Yotun 90), Pizarro (Farfan 56), Guerrero. 


Brazil 2 (Thiago Silva 9, Roberto Firmino 51) 

Venezuela 1 (Fedor 84) 

HT: 1-0. Att: 33,284. Ref: Caceres (Par) 


Miranda, Filipe Luis, Fernandinho, Elias, Willian, 

Philippe Coutinho (Diego Tardelli 67), Robinho 

(Marquinhos 76), Roberto Firmino (David Luiz 67). 


Tunez, Cichero, Rincon, Seijas (Martinez 46), 

Vargas (Gonzalez 46), Arango, Guerra (Fedor 

72), Rondon. 

COPA AMERICA – GROUP C 


Brazil (Q) 3 2 0 1 4 3 6 

Peru (Q) 3 1 1 1 2 2 4 

Colombia (Q) 3 1 1 1 1 1 4 

Venezuela 3 1 0 2 2 3 3 

● The top 2 in each group and the 2 3rd-placed 

teams with the best record qualified for the 

quarter-finals 



Chile 1 (Isla 81) 

Uruguay 0 


Chile: Bravo - Isla, Medel, Jara, Mena, Vidal, Diaz 

(Fernandez 71), Aranguiz, Valdivia (Pizarro 85), 

Vargas (Pinilla 71), Sanchez. 


Fucile, Sanchez (J Rodriguez 85), Gonzalez, 

Arevalo, C Rodriguez, Rolan (Hernandez 58), 

Cavani. Sent off: Cavani 63, Fucile 88. 


Bolivia 1 (Moreno pen 84) 

Peru 3 (Guerrero 20, 23, 74) 

HT: 0-2. Att: 16,872. Ref: Roldan (Col) 

Bolivia: Quinonez - Hurtado (Escobar 46), 

Zenteno, Raldes, Coimbra, Morales (Lizio 46), 

Chumacero, D Bejarano, Smedberg-Dalence, 

Moreno, Pena (Pedriel 68). 


Vargas, Farfan (Hurtado 77), Yotun, Retamoso, 

Cueva (Reyna 82), Pizarro (Carrillo 66), 

Guerrero. 


Argentina 0 

Colombia 0 

Argentina 5-4 on pens 

Att: 21,508. Ref: Garcia (Mex) 

Argentina: Romero - Zabaleta, Garay, Otamendi, 

Rojo, Biglia, Mascherano, Messi, Pastore (Banega 

77), Di Maria (Lavezzi 87), Aguero (Tevez 73). 


Arias, Mejia, Rodriguez, Cuadrado, Ibarbo 

(Muriel 86), Gutierrez (Cardona 24), Martinez 

(Falcao 74). 

June 27 - Concepcion 

Brazil 1 (Robinho 15) 

Paraguay 1 (Gonzalez pen 72) 

Paraguay 4-3 on pens 



Miranda, Filipe Luis, Elias, Fernandinho, Willian 

(Douglas Costa 60), Philippe Coutinho, Robinho 

(Everton Ribeiro 87), Roberto Firmino (Diego 

Tardelli 69). 

Paraguay: Villar - B Valdez, Da Silva, P Aguilar, 

Piris, Gonzalez, V Caceres, Aranda (Martinez 77), 

Benitez (Romero 84), Santa Cruz, Haedo Valdez 

(Bobadilla 74). 

Semi-finals 


Chile 2 (Vargas 42, 64) 

Peru 1 (Medel og 60) 


Chile: Bravo - Isla, Medel, Rojas, Albornoz 

(Mena 46), Vidal, Diaz (Pizarro 46), Aranguiz, 

Valdivia (Gutierrez 86), Vargas, Sanchez. 


Vargas, Ballon, Lobaton (Yotun 73), Carrillo 

(Pizarro 73), Farfan, Cueva (Ramos 27), 

Guerrero. Sent off: Zambrano 20. 

June 30 - Concepcion 

Argentina 6 (Rojo 15, Pastore 27, 

Di Maria 47, 53, Aguero 80, Higuain 83) 

Paraguay 1 (Barrios 43) 


Argentina: Romero - Zabaleta, Demichelis, 

Otamendi, Rojo, Biglia, Mascherano (Gago 77), 

Pastore (Banega 73), Messi, Aguero (Higuain 81), 

Di Maria. 

Paraguay: Villar - B Valdez, Da Silva, P Aguilar, 

Piris, Gonzalez (Bobadilla 27), V Caceres, Ortiz, 

Benitez, Haedo Valdez (Romero 56), Santa Cruz 

(Barrios 30). 

3rd-place match 

July 3 - Concepcion 

Peru 2 (Carrillo 48, Guerrero 89) 

Paraguay 0 

HT: 0-0. Att: 29,143. Ref: Orosco (Bol) 

Peru: Gallese - Advincula, Ramos, Ascues, 

Vargas, Ballon, Lobaton (Yotun 58), Carrillo 

(Hurtado 90+1), Reyna (Sanchez 84), Cueva, 

Guerrero. 

Paraguay: Villar - M Caceres, Da Silva, P Aguilar, 

Samudio, Ortigoza (Ortiz 64), V Caceres (Aranda 

59), Bobadilla, Martinez (Benitez 57), Romero, 

Barrios. 

Final 

July 4 - Santiago 

Chile 0 

Argentina 0 

Chile 4-1 on pens 

Aet. Att: 45,693. Ref: Roldan (Col) 

Chile: Bravo - Silva, Diaz, Medel, Isla, Aranguiz, 

Vidal, Beausejour, Valdivia (Fernandez 75), 

Sanchez, Vargas (Henriquez 95). 

Argentina: Romero - Zabaleta, Demichelis, 

Otamendi, Rojo, Biglia, Mascherano, Pastore 

(Banega 81), Messi, Aguero (Higuain 74), 

Di Maria (Lavezzi 29). 

Penalty shoot-out: (Chile 1st) 

Fernandez + (1-0) Messi + (1-1) 

Vidal + (2-1) Higuain x (2-1) 

Aranguiz + (3-1) Banega x (3-1) 

Sanchez + (4-1) 

Previous winners (10 most recent) 

1989 Brazil 

1991 Argentina 

1993 Argentina 

1995 Uruguay 

1997 Brazil 

1999 Brazil 

2001 Colombia 

2004 Brazil 

2007 Brazil 

2011 Uruguay 

88 WORLD SOCCER


2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS 

ASIA 

2nd round 

Group A 

June 11 - Kuala Lumpur 

Malaysia 1 (Safee 34) 

East Timor 1 (Ramon Saro 90+3) 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Gillett (Aus) 

June 11 - Dammam 

Saudi Arabia 3 (Al Shehri 6, Al Sahlawi 47, 90+3) 

Palestine 2 (Tamburrini 50, Jadue 90+2) 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Al Jassim (Qat) 

June 16 - Shah Alam, Malaysia 

East Timor 0 

United Arab Emirates 1 (O Abdulrahman 80) 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Ning (Chn) 

June 16 - Kuala Lumpur 

Malaysia 0 

Palestine 6 (Battat 9, Maraaba 22, 75, 

Seyam 41, 89, Khader Yousef 63) 

HT: 0-3. Ref: Kim Sang-woo (SKo) 

WORLD CUP QUALS – ASIA – 2ND RND: GP A 


Palestine 2 1 0 1 8 3 3 

Saudi Arabia 1 1 0 0 3 2 3 

UAE 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 

East Timor 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 

Malaysia 2 0 1 1 1 7 1 

Group B 

June 11 - Dhaka 

Bangladesh 1 (Kichin og 32) 

Kyrgyzstan 3 (Zemlianukhin 9, 41, 

Bernhardt pen 29) 

HT: 1-3. Ref: Singh (Sin) 

June 11 - Dushanbe 

Tajikistan 1 (Dzhalilov 66) 

Jordan 3 (Abdel-Fattah 28, 64, 88) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Torki (Irn) 

June 16 - Dhaka 

Bangladesh 1 (Ameli 50) 

Tajikistan 1 (Fatkhuloev 89) 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Lee (SKo) 

Sent off: Asrorov (Tajikistan) 67 

June 16 - Bishkek 

Kyrgyzstan 1 (Baimatov 90+2) 

Australia 2 (Jedinak 2, Oar 67) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: K Al Marri (Qat) 

Australia: Ryan - Franjic, Milligan, Spiranovic, 

Wilkinson, Leckie, Behich, Burns (Oar 56), 

Jedinak, Troisi (McKay 71), Cahill (Juric 87). 

WORLD CUP QUALS – ASIA – 2ND RND: GP B 


Jordan 1 1 0 0 3 1 3 

Kyrgyzstan 2 1 0 1 4 3 3 

Australia 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 

Tajikistan 2 0 1 1 2 4 1 

Bangladesh 2 0 1 1 2 4 1 

Group C 

June 11 - Hong Kong 

Hong Kong 7 (McKee 19, 57, Annan 23, 

Lo Kwan Yee 30, Ju Yingzhi 42, 

Lam Ka Wai pen 49, Karikari 68) 

Bhutan 0 

HT: 4-0. Ref: Kurbanov (Tkm) 

June 11 - Male 

Maldives 0 

Qatar 1 (El Sayed 90+9) 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Yamamoto (Jap) 

June 16 - Thimphu 

Bhutan 0 

China 6 (Yang Xu 45+2, 61, 76, Wu Lei 55, 

Yu Dabao 67, 83) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Arumughan (Ind) 

June 16 - Hong Kong 

Hong Kong 2 (Xu Deshuai 63, Lam Ka Wai 67) 

Maldives 0 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Makhadmeh (Jor) 

WORLD CUP QUALS – ASIA – 2ND RND: GP C 


Hong Kong 2 2 0 0 9 0 6 

China 1 1 0 0 6 0 3 

Qatar 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 

Maldives 2 0 0 2 0 3 0 

Bhutan 2 0 0 2 0 13 0 

Group D 

June 11 - Harmon 

Guam 1 (Annaorazov og 12) 

Turkmenistan 0 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Di (Chn) 

June 11 - Bangalore 

India 1 (Chhetri 26) 

Oman 2 (Q Said 1, Al Hosni pen 40) 

HT: 1-2. Ref: Ko (SKo) 

June 16 - Harmon 

Guam 2 (McDonald 37, T Nicklaw 62) 

India 1 (Chhetri 90+3) 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Vo (Vie) 

June 16 - Dashoguz 

Turkmenistan 1 (Mingazov 45+2) 

Iran 1 (Azmoun 4) 

HT: 1-1. Ref: Abdulhusin (Bhn) 

Iran: A Haghighi - Montazeri, Ghafouri, Kanaani, 

Torabi (Taromi 46), Heydari, Amiri 

(Ghoochannejhad 66), Teymourian, Shojaei 

(O Ebrahimi 46), Hajsafy, Azmoun. 

WORLD CUP QUALS – ASIA – 2ND RND: GP D 


Guam 2 2 0 0 3 1 6 

Oman 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 

Iran 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 

Turkmenistan 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 

India 2 0 0 2 2 4 0 

Group E 

June 11 - Mashad 

Afghanistan 0 

Syria 6 (Rafe 19, 35, Al Ajan 42, Al Hussein 70, 

Malki 75, Khribin pen 90+4) 

HT: 0-3. Ref: Tantashev (Uzb) 

June 11 - Phnom Penh 

Cambodia 0 

Singapore 4 (Khairul Amri 9, Safuwan 21, 35, 

Fazrul 55) 

HT: 0-3. Ref: Liu (HK) 

June 16 - Phnom Penh 

Cambodia 0 

Afghanistan 1 (Zazai 86) 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Al Awaji (Sau) 

June 16 - Saitama 

Japan 0 

Singapore 0 

Ref: Sarray (Irq) 

Japan: Kawashima - Ota, H Sakai, Makino, 

Yoshida, Shibasaki (Haraguchi 71), Kagawa 

(Osako 61), Hasebe, Honda, Okazaki, Usami 

(Muto 78). 

WORLD CUP QUALS – ASIA – 2ND RND: GP E 


Singapore 2 1 1 0 4 0 4 

Syria 1 1 0 0 6 0 3 

Afghanistan 2 1 0 1 1 6 3 

Japan 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 

Cambodia 2 0 0 2 0 5 0 

Group F 

June 16 - Taipei 

Taiwan 0 

Thailand 2 (Teerasil 21, 39) 

HT: 0-2. Ref: Shaban (Kuw) 

WORLD CUP QUALS – ASIA – 2ND RND: GP F 


Thailand 2 2 0 0 3 0 6 

Iraq 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Vietnam 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 

Taiwan 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 

Indonesia excluded after being suspended by FIFA 

for government interference in the national FA 

Group G 

June 11 - Vientiane 

Laos 2 (Sayavutthi pen 81, 83) 

Myanmar 2 (Zaw Min Tun 41, 

Kyaw Zayar Win 85) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Tan (Chn) 

June 11 - Sidon 

Lebanon 0 

Kuwait 1 (Nasser 86) 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Kovalenko (Uzb) 

June 16 - Vientiane 

Laos 0 

Lebanon 2 (Ghaddar 5, Chamsine 75) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Yu (Tai) 

June 16 - Bangkok, Thailand 

Myanmar 0 

South Korea 2 (Lee Jae-sung 35, 

Son Heung-min 68) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Al Kaaf (Oma) 

South Korea: Kim Seung-gyu - Kim Chang-soo 

(Jeong Dong-ho 61), Kim Jin-su, Jang Hyun-soo, 

Kwak Tae-hwi, Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, 

Han Kook-young, Jung Woo-young, Lee 

Jeong-hyeop (Lee Yong-jae 78), Yeom Ki-hun 

(Lee Chung-yong 84). 

WORLD CUP QUALS – ASIA – 2ND RND: GP G 


South Korea 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 

Lebanon 2 1 0 1 2 1 3 

Kuwait 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 

Myanmar 2 0 1 1 2 4 1 

Laos 2 0 1 1 2 4 1 

Group H 

June 11 - Bocaue 

Philippines 2 (Bahadoran 50, Patino 60) 

Bahrain 1 (Al Malood 90+3) 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Iida (Jap) 

June 11 - Doha, Qatar 

Yemen 0 

North Korea 3 (awarded) 

The game finished 1-0 to North Korea but was later 

awarded 3-0 to them because Yemen fielded an 

ineligible player 

June 16 - Pyongyang 

North Korea 4 (Pak Kwang-ryong 4, Jang 

Kuk-chol 16, Ro Hak-su 34, Ri Hyok-chol 36) 

Uzbekistan 2 (Sergeev 53, Rashidov 79) 

HT: 4-0. Ref: Bin Yaacob (Mly) 

Sent off: Haydarov (Uzbekistan) 80 

June 16 - Doha, Qatar 

Yemen 0 

Philippines 2 (Bahadoran 52, Ramsay 74) 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Mashentsev (Kyr) 

WORLD CUP QUALS – ASIA – 2ND RND: GP H 


North Korea 2 2 0 0 7 2 6 

Philippines 2 2 0 0 4 1 6 

Bahrain 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 

Uzbekistan 1 0 0 1 2 4 0 

Yemen 2 0 0 2 0 5 0 

● The 8 group winners and the 4 runners-up 

with the best record will qualify for the 3rd round 

● These groups double as QUALIFIERS FOR THE 

2019 ASIAN CUP: the 8 group winners and the 4 

runners-up with the best record will also qualify 

automatically for the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup 

finals in United Arab Emirates; the next 24 

countries with the best record in the groups 

shown here will then compete in a separate 

qualifying tournament for the remaining finals 

places (UAE will qualify automatically, regardless 

of position in group) 

CONCACAF 

2nd round 

1st legs 

June 7 - Managua 

Nicaragua 1 (Chavarria 44) 

Surinam 0 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Santos (PR) 

June 10 - St John’s 

Antigua & Barbuda 1 (T Harriette 21) 

St Lucia 3 (Paul 26, Henry 63, Greenidge 90) 

HT: 1-1. Ref: Ward (StK) 

June 10 - Oranjestad 

Aruba 0 

Barbados 2 (Boyce 18, 28) 

HT: 0-2. Ref: Jurisevic (USA) 

Sent off: Browne (Barbados) 57 

June 10 - Willemstad 

Curacao 0 

Cuba 0 

Ref: Moncada (Hnd) 

Sent off: G Maria (Curacao) 86 

June 10 - Kingstown 

St Vincent & The Grenadines 2 (Stewart 49, 

Slater 83) 

Guyana 2 (Beresford 26, Wilson 75) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Da Costa (Bhm) 

June 11 - Roseau 

Dominica 0 

Canada 2 (Larin 5, Teibert pen 64) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Solis (CR) 

Sent off: Borjan (Canada) 80 

June 11 - Santo Domingo 

Dominican Republic 1 (Lombardi 71) 

Belize 2 (McCaulay 13, 88) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Escobar (Gtm) 

June 11 - Basseterre 

St Kitts & Nevis 2 (Mitchum 68, Sawyers 71) 

El Salvador 2 (Herrera 41, N Bonilla 87) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Bourdeau (Can) 

June 12 - Guatemala City 

Guatemala 0 

Bermuda 0 

Ref: Martinez (Cub) 

June 12 - Bayamon 

Puerto Rico 1 (Bozkurt 16) 

Grenada 0 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Reid (Blz) 

2nd legs 

June 14 - Bridgetown 

Barbados 0 

Aruba 3 (awarded) 

The game finished 1-0 to Barbados but was later 

awarded to Aruba because Barbados fielded an 

ineligible player 

Aruba 3-2 on agg 

June 14 - Belmopan 

Belize 3 (Roches 17, Kuylen 37, McCaulay 76) 

Dominican Republic 0 

HT: 2-0. Ref: Moore (Guy) 

Belize 5-1 on agg 

June 14 - Havana 

Cuba 1 (Y Marquez 5) 

Curacao 1 (Merencia 17) 

HT: 1-1. Ref: Perea (Pan) 

Sent off: Sanchez (Cuba) 45 

Agg 1-1; Curacao on away goals 

June 14 - Georgetown 

Guyana 4 (Welshman 39, 76, Danns pen 50, 86) 

St Vincent & The Grenadines 4 (M Samuel 16, 

Slater 41, 57, Anderson 66) 

HT: 1-2. Ref: Legister (Jam) 

Agg 6-6; St Vincent on away goals 

June 14 - St John’s, Antigua 

St Lucia 1 (Frederick pen 81) 

Antigua & Barbuda 4 (Parker 70, 90+3, 

T Harriette 85, Tumwa 90+5) 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Gantar (Can) 

Sent off: Polius 32, Jamil Joseph 77 (both St Lucia) 

Antigua & Barbuda 5-4 on agg 

June 15 - Hamilton 

Bermuda 0 

Guatemala 1 (Cincotta 27) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Santander (Mex) 

Guatemala 1-0 on agg 

June 16 - Toronto 

Canada 4 (Akindele 4, Larin 41, Ricketts 52, 78) 

Dominica 0 

HT: 2-0. Ref: Ascani (TCI) 

Canada 6-0 on agg 

June 16 - San Salvador 

El Salvador 4 (Ceren 2, N Bonilla 54, 80, 

Alvarez 62) 

St Kitts & Nevis 1 (Harris 69) 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Davila (Nic) 

El Salvador 6-3 on agg 

June 16 - St George’s 

Grenada 2 (Morales og 34, Charles 81) 

Puerto Rico 0 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Skeete (Bar) 

Grenada 2-1 on agg 

June 16 - Paramaribo 

Surinam 1 (Fer 3) 

Nicaragua 3 (Leguias 26, Rosas 51, Chavarria 90) 

HT: 1-1. Ref: Clarke (StL) 

Sent off: Fer (Surinam) 89 

Nicaragua 4-1 on agg 

Byes to 3rd round: Haiti, Jamaica 

Byes to 4th round: Costa Rica, Honduras, 

Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, 

United States 

WORLD SOCCER 89


EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS 

Group A 

June 12 - Reykjavik 

Iceland 2 (A Gunnarsson 60, Sigthorsson 76) 

Czech Republic 1 (Dockal 55) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 9,767. Ref: Collum (Sco) 

Iceland: Halldorsson - B Saevarsson, Arnason, 

R Sigurdsson, A Skulason, B Bjarnason, 

A Gunnarsson, Hallfredsson (Bodvarsson 63), 

J Gudmundson, G Sigurdsson, Sigthorsson 

(R Gislason 90+3). 

Czech Republic: Cech - Kaderabek, Sivok, 

Prochazka, Limbersky, Dockal (Darida 84), Vacha 

(Skoda 79), Plasil, Pilar (Krejci 67), Necid, Rosicky. 

June 12 - Almaty 

Kazakhstan 0 

Turkey 1 (Arda 83) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 25,125. Ref: Oliver (Eng) 

Kazakhstan: Pokatilov - Gurman (Tagybergen 

78), Abdulin, Maliy, Logvinenko, Shomko, 

Konysbayev, Smakov (Beysebekov 67), 

Schmidtgal, Islamkhan (Kukeyev 85), 

Khizhnichenko. 

Turkey: Volkan Babacan - Gokhan Gonul, 

Serdar, Semih (Emre Tasdemir 75), Hakan Balta, 

Ozan (Umut 64), Mehmet Topal (Volkan Sen 

46), Selcuk Inan, Calhanoglu, Burak, Arda. 

June 12 - Riga 

Latvia 0 

Holland 2 (Wijnaldum 67, Narsingh 71) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 8,067. Ref: Moen (Nor) 

Latvia: Vanins - Freimanis (Gabovs 37), Gorkss, 

Jagodinskis, Maksimenko, Tarasovs, Ikaunieks, 

Zjuzins, A Visnakovs (Karasausks 75), Rakels, 

Sabala (E Visnakovs 62). 

Holland: Cillessen - Van der Wiel, De Vrij, 

Martins Indi, Willems (Janmaat 77), Sneijder, 

Van Persie (Wijnaldum 63), Blind, Narsingh, 

Huntelaar, Depay (Lens 87). 

EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS – GROUP A 


Iceland 6 5 0 1 14 3 15 

Czech Rep 6 4 1 1 12 8 13 

Holland 6 3 1 2 13 6 10 

Turkey 6 2 2 2 7 8 8 

Latvia 6 0 3 3 2 13 3 

Kazakhstan 6 0 1 5 4 14 1 

Remaining fixtures 

Sep 3 Czech Republic v Kazakhstan 

Holland v Iceland 

Turkey v Latvia 

Sep 6 Iceland v Kazakhstan 

Latvia v Czech Republic 

Turkey v Holland 

Oct 10 Czech Republic v Turkey 

Iceland v Latvia 

Kazakhstan v Holland 

Oct 13 Holland v Czech Republic 

Latvia v Kazakhstan 

Turkey v Iceland 

Group B 

June 12 - Andorra La Vella 

Andorra 1 (Dossa Junior og 2) 

Cyprus 3 (Mytidis 13, 45, 53) 

HT: 1-2. Att: 1,054. Ref: Welz (Ger) 

Andorra: Pol - Rubio, Rodrigues, Vales, M Garcia, 

Rebes (Peppe 79), Ayala (Sonejee 60), Rodriguez, 

Moreno (Lima 67), C Martinez, Sanchez. 

Cyprus: Giorgallides - Demetriou, Sielis, 

Dossa Junior, Antoniades, Nikolaou, Makrides 

(Kastanos 88), Laban (Economides 76), 

Christofi (Alexandrou 82), Mytidis, Efrem. 

June 12 - Zenica 

Bosnia-Herzegovina 3 (Visca 42, 75, 

Dzeko pen 45+2) 

Israel 1 (Tal Ben Haim/F 41) 

HT: 2-1. Att: 12,100. Ref: Buquet (Fra) 

Bosnia-Herzegovina: Begovic - Mujdza, Vranjes, 

Spahic, Kolasinac, Visca (I Hajrovic 80), Medunjanin, 

Besic, Lulic (Hadzic 85), Pjanic (Ibisevic 88), Dzeko. 

Israel: Marciano - Dgani, Gershon, Tal Ben 

Haim/D, Ben Harush, Yeini (Damari 46), Natcho, 

Biton (Kehat 80), Tal Ben Haim/F, Sahar (Buzaglo 

62), Zahavi. 

June 12 - Cardiff 

Wales 1 (Bale 25) 

Belgium 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 33,280. Ref: Brych (Ger) 

Wales: Hennessey - Gunter, A Williams, Chester, 

Richards, Allen, Ledley, Ramsey, N Taylor, 

Robson-Kanu (King 90+3), Bale (Vokes 87). 

Belgium: Courtois - Alderweireld (Ferreira 

Carrasco 77), Denayer, Lombaerts, Vertonghen, 

Mertens (Lukaku 46), Nainggolan, Witsel, 

De Bruyne, Benteke, E Hazard. 

EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS – GROUP B 


Wales 6 4 2 0 8 2 14 

Belgium 6 3 2 1 13 2 11 

Israel 6 3 0 3 10 9 9 

Cyprus 6 3 0 3 12 11 9 

Bosnia-Herz 6 2 2 2 8 7 8 

Andorra 6 0 0 6 3 23 0 


Sep 3 Belgium v Bosnia-Herzegovina 

Cyprus v Wales 

Israel v Andorra 

Sep 6 Bosnia-Herzegovina v Andorra 

Cyprus v Belgium 

Wales v Israel 

Oct 10 Andorra v Belgium 

Bosnia-Herzegovina v Wales 

Israel v Cyprus 

Oct 13 Belgium v Israel 

Cyprus v Bosnia-Herzegovina 

Wales v Andorra 

Group C 

June 14 - Borisov 

Belarus 0 

Spain 1 (Silva 45) 

HT: 0-1. Att: 13,121. Ref: Schorgenhofer (Aut) 

Belarus: Gorbunov - Shitov, Martynovich, 

Filipenko, Bordachev, Nekhaychik, Kislyak 

(Dragun 78), Maevski, Volodko (Stasevich 81), 

Hleb (Putsilo 89), Kornilenko. 

Spain: Casillas - Juanfran, Pique, Sergio Ramos, 

Jordi Alba, Silva (Bernat 85), Busquets, Fabregas 

(Isco 75), Cazorla, Pedro (Vitolo 65), Morata. 

June 14 - Zilina 

Slovakia 2 (Salata 8, Hamsik 38) 

Macedonia 1 (Ademi 69) 

HT: 2-0. Att: 10,765. Ref: Hansen (Den) 

Slovakia: Kozacik - Pekarik, Skrtel, Salata, 

Hubocan, Mak, Kucka (Hrosovsky 73), Pecovsky, 

Weiss, Hamsik (Duda 80), Nemec (Holosko 84). 

Macedonia: Pacovski - Todorovski, Mojsov, 

Dimitrovski, Zhuta, A Ibraimi (Abdurahimi 89), 

Trajcevski, Hasani, Ademi, Muarem (K Velkoski 82), 

Trajkovski (M Ivanovski 56). Sent off: Hasani 84. 

June 14 - Lviv 

Ukraine 3 (Kravets 49, Harmash 57, 

Konoplyanka 86) 

Luxembourg 0 

HT: 0-0. Att: 21,635. Ref: Hunter (NI) 

Ukraine: Pyatov - Morozyuk, Khacheridi, 

Rakitskyi (Kucher 77), Shevchuk, Yarmolenko, 

Rotan (Harmash 46), Stepanenko, Sydorchuk, 

Konoplyanka, Kravets (Seleznyov 69). 

Luxembourg: Joubert - Jans, Schnell, Chanot, 

Malget, Holter (Philipps 77), Payal, Gerson, 

Da Mota (Deville 71), Mutsch, Turpel (Bensi 52). 

EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS – GROUP C 


Slovakia 6 6 0 0 13 3 18 

Spain 6 5 0 1 15 3 15 

Ukraine 6 4 0 2 9 2 12 

Belarus 6 1 1 4 4 11 4 

Macedonia 6 1 0 5 6 14 3 

Luxembourg 6 0 1 5 3 17 1 


Sep 5 Luxembourg v Macedonia 

Spain v Slovakia 

Ukraine v Belarus 

Sep 8 Belarus v Luxembourg 

Macedonia v Spain 

Slovakia v Ukraine 

Oct 9 Macedonia v Ukraine 

Slovakia v Belarus 

Spain v Luxembourg 

Oct 12 Belarus v Macedonia 

Luxembourg v Slovakia 

Ukraine v Spain 

Group D 

June 13 - Faro-Loule, Portugal 

Gibraltar 0 

Germany 7 (Schurrle 28, 65, 71, Kruse 47, 81, 

Gundogan 51, Bellarabi 57) 

HT: 0-1. Att: 7,467. Ref: Pisani (Mlt) 

Gibraltar: J Perez - Garcia, R Chipolina, 

R Casciaro, J Chipolina, Gosling, Walker, Payas 

(Sergeant 82), K Casciaro (Bosio 78), L Casciaro, 

Priestley (Coombes 61). 

Germany: Weidenfeller - Rudy, Boateng, Hector, 

Herrmann (Podolski 56), Ozil, Schweinsteiger, 

Gundogan (Khedira 67), Bellarabi, Gotze 

(Kruse 36), Schurrle. 

June 13 - Warsaw 

Poland 4 (Milik 62, Lewandowski 89, 90+2, 

90+3) 

Georgia 0 

HT: 0-0. Att: 56,512. Ref: Kulbakov (Bls) 

Poland: Fabianski - Piszczek, Szukala, Pazdan 

(Komorowski 90), Rybus, Grosicki (Jodlowiec 

80), Maczynski, Krychowiak, Peszko 

(Blaszczykowski 64), Lewandowski, Milik. 

Georgia: Loria - Lobzhanidze, Kashia, 

Amisulashvili, Dvali, Navalovski, Okriashvili 

(Daushvili 46), Kobakhidze (Tskhadadze 76), 

Ananidze, Kazaishvili, Vatsadze (Chanturia 63). 

June 13 - Dublin 

Republic of Ireland 1 (Walters 38) 

Scotland 1 (O’Shea og 47) 

HT: 1-0. Att: 49,063. Ref: Rizzoli (Ita) 

Rep Ireland: Given - Coleman, O’Shea, Wilson, 

Brady, Hendrick, Whelan (McClean 68), 

McCarthy, Hoolahan (Keane 73), Walters, 

Murphy (Long 80). 

Scotland: Marshall - Hutton, R Martin, Mulgrew, 

Forsyth, Ritchie (Anya 46), Brown (McArthur 

85), Morrison, Naismith (Berra 90+2), Maloney, 

S Fletcher. 

EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS – GROUP D 


Poland 6 4 2 0 20 3 14 

Germany 6 4 1 1 16 4 13 

Scotland 6 3 2 1 12 6 11 

Rep Ireland 6 2 3 1 12 5 9 

Georgia 6 1 0 5 4 13 3 

Gibraltar 6 0 0 6 1 34 0 


Sep 4 Georgia v Scotland 

Germany v Poland 

Gibraltar v Republic of Ireland 

Sep 7 Poland v Gibraltar 

Republic of Ireland v Georgia 

Scotland v Germany 

Oct 8 Georgia v Gibraltar 

Republic of Ireland v Germany 

Scotland v Poland 

Oct 11 Germany v Georgia 

Gibraltar v Scotland 

Poland v Republic of Ireland 

Group E 

June 14 - Tallinn 

Estonia 2 (Zenjov 35, 63) 

San Marino 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 6,131. Ref: Kruzliak (Slk) 

Estonia: Aksalu - Teniste, Mets, Klavan, Kallaste, 

Alliku, Lindpere (Kruglov 84), Aleksandr 

Dmitrijev, Vassiljev (Antonov 79), Zenjov 

(Teever 89), Purje. 

San Marino: A Simoncini - Bonini, Brolli, 

Alessandro Della Valle, Palazzi, Battistini, Hirsch, 

Tosi (Cervellini 71), L Gasperoni, M Vitaioli 

(Bianchi 89), Rinaldi (Stefanelli 79). 

June 14 - Vilnius 

Lithuania 1 (Cernych 64) 

Switzerland 2 (Drmic 69, Shaqiri 84) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 4,786. Ref: Thomson (Sco) 

Lithuania: Zubas - Vaitkunas, Mikuckis, 

Klimavicius, Andriuskevicius, D Cesnauskis (Luksa 

86), Panka, Slivka (Vicius 76), Zulpa (Chvedukas 

61), Cernych, Matulevicius. 

Switzerland: Sommer - Lichtsteiner, Schar, 

Djourou, Rodriguez, Behrami, Inler (Dzemaili 57), 

Xhaka, Shaqiri, Seferovic (Mehmedi 57), Drmic 

(Embolo 81). 

June 14 - Ljubljana 

Slovenia 2 (Novakovic 37, Pecnik 84) 

England 3 (Wilshere 57, 73, Rooney 86) 

HT: 1-0. Att: 15,796. Ref: Undiano Mallenco (Spa) 

Slovenia: S Handanovic - Brecko, Ilic, Cesar, 

Jokic, Mertelj, Kurtic (Lazarevic 79), Ilicic (Birsa 

61), Kampl, Kirm (Pecnik 72), Novakovic. 

England: Hart - Jones (Lallana 46), Cahill, 

Smalling, Gibbs, Henderson, Wilshere, Delph 

(Clyne 85), Sterling, Rooney, Townsend 

(Walcott 74). 

EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS – GROUP E 


England 6 6 0 0 18 3 18 

Switzerland 6 4 0 2 13 4 12 

Slovenia 6 3 0 3 12 7 9 

Estonia 6 2 1 3 3 5 7 

Lithuania 6 2 0 4 4 12 6 

San Marino 6 0 1 5 0 19 1 


Sep 5 Estonia v Lithuania 

San Marino v England 

Switzerland v Slovenia 

Sep 8 England v Switzerland 

Lithuania v San Marino 

Slovenia v Estonia 

Oct 9 England v Estonia 

Slovenia v Lithuania 

Switzerland v San Marino 

Oct 12 Estonia v Switzerland 

Lithuania v England 

San Marino v Slovenia 

Group F 

June 13 - Torshavn 

Faroe Islands 2 (Hansson 32, B Olsen 70) 

Greece 1 (Papastathopoulos 84) 

HT: 1-0. Att: 4,741. Ref: Hagen (Nor) 

Faroe Islands: Nielsen - B Hansen, Gregersen, 

Nattestad, Sorensen (J Davidsen 13), Holst 

(Faero 74), Benjaminsen, Vatnhamar, Hansson, 

Edmundsson (R Joensen 90+2), B Olsen. 

Greece: Karnezis - Torosidis, Papastathopoulos, 

Manolas, Stafylidis, Kone (Fountas 81), Samaris, 

Christodoulopoulos (Ninis 46), Karelis, Mitroglou, 

Fetfatzidis (Kolovos 71). 

June 13 - Helsinki 

Finland 0 

Hungary 1 (Stieber 82) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 20,434. Ref: Jug (Sln) 

Finland: Hradecky - Arkivuo, Halsti, 

N Moisander, Raitala, Mattila (Pohjanpalo 85), 

Sparv, P Hetemaj, Hamalainen, Pukki 

(Riku Riski 46), R Eremenko. 

Hungary: Kiraly - Fiola, Juhasz, Lang, Kadar, 

Stieber, Priskin (Nemeth 46), Tozser, Dzsudzsak 

(A Simon 88), Gera, Szalai (Nikolic 77). 

June 13 - Belfast 

Northern Ireland 0 

Romania 0 

Att: 10,000. Ref: Velasco Carballo (Spa) 

Northern Ireland: McGovern - C McLaughlin, 

McAuley, J Evans (Cathcart 79), Brunt, Norwood, 

Davis, Baird, Ward (C Evans 79), K Lafferty, 

Dallas. 

Romania: Tatarusanu - Papp, D Grigore, 

Chiriches, Sepsi, Prepelita, Pintilii, Torje, Maxim 

(Tamas 90), Chipciu (Stancu 61), Keseru 

(Andone 72). 

EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS – GROUP F 


Romania 6 4 2 0 7 1 14 

N Ireland 6 4 1 1 8 4 13 

Hungary 6 3 2 1 5 3 11 

Faroe Islands 6 2 0 4 4 8 6 

Finland 6 1 1 4 5 8 4 

Greece 6 0 2 4 2 7 2 


Sep 4 Faroe Islands v Northern Ireland 

Greece v Finland 

Hungary v Romania 

Sep 7 Finland v Faroe Islands 

Northern Ireland v Hungary 

Romania v Greece 

Oct 8 Hungary v Faroe Islands 

Northern Ireland v Greece 

Romania v Finland 

Oct 11 Faroe Islands v Romania 

Finland v Northern Ireland 

Greece v Hungary 

Group G 

June 14 - Vaduz 

Liechtenstein 1 (Wieser 20) 

Moldova 1 (Boghiu 43) 

HT: 1-1. Att: 2,080. Ref: Kovarik (CzR) 

Liechtenstein: Jehle - Yildiz, Frick, Kaufmann, 

Oehri (Kuhne 42), M Buchel (Gubser 69), 

Polverino, Wieser, A Christen, Erne (Brandle 83), 

Burgmeier. 

Moldova: Cebanu - Racu, Epureanu (Carp 46), 

Armas, Dedov, Gatcan, Cojocari, Patras (Antoniuc 

89), Erhan, Boghiu, Cheptine (Milinceanu 37). 

90 WORLD SOCCER


June 14 - Moscow 

Russia 0 

Austria 1 (Janko 33) 

HT: 0-1. Att: 33,750. Ref: Mazic (Ser) 

Russia: Akinfeev - Smolnikov, V Berezutsky 

(Chernov 12), Novoseltsev, Kombarov (Kerzhakov 

71), Shatov, Shirokov, Glushakov, Ivanov 

(Miranchuk 46), Zhirkov, Kokorin. 

Austria: Almer - Klein, Dragovic, Hinteregger, 

Fuchs, Harnik (Sabitzer 65), Ilsanker, 

Baumgartlinger, Arnautovic, Junuzovic (Prodl 

86), Janko (Okotie 75). 

June 14 - Stockholm 

Sweden 3 (Berg 37, Ibrahimovic 40, 44) 

Montenegro 1 (Damjanovic pen 64) 

HT: 2-0. Att: 32,224. Ref: Gocek (Tur) 

Sweden: Isaksson - P Bengtsson, E Johansson, 

Milosevic, Wendt, S Larsson, Kallstrom 

(Wernbloom 72), Ekdal, Zengin (Forsberg 64), 

Ibrahimovic (Toivonen 90), Berg. 

Montenegro: Poleksic - Zverotic (Saveljich 58), 

Savic, Simic (Balic 74), Tomasevic, N Vukcevic, 

Kascelan (Boljevic 46), Marusic, Mugosa, Beciraj, 

Damjanovic. 

EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS – GROUP G 


Austria 6 5 1 0 11 2 16 

Sweden 6 3 3 0 10 4 12 

Russia 6 2 2 2 9 4 8 

Montenegro 6 1 2 3 4 8 5 

Liechtenstein 6 1 2 3 2 12 5 

Moldova 6 0 2 4 3 9 2 


Sep 5 Austria v Moldova 

Montenegro v Liechtenstein 

Russia v Sweden 

Sep 8 Liechtenstein v Russia 

Moldova v Montenegro 

Sweden v Austria 

Oct 9 Liechtenstein v Sweden 

Moldova v Russia 

Montenegro v Austria 

Oct 12 Austria v Liechtenstein 

Russia v Montenegro 

Sweden v Moldova 

Group H 

June 12 - Split 

Croatia 1 (Mandzukic 11) 

Italy 1 (Candreva pen 36) 

HT: 1-1. Ref: Atkinson (Eng) 

Played behind closed doors 

Croatia: Subasic - Srna, Vida, Schildenfeld, 

Pranjic (Vrsaljko 72), Rakitic, Brozovic, Perisic, 

Kovacic (Leovac 90+2), Olic (Rebic 46), 

Mandzukic. Sent off: Srna 89. 

Italy: Buffon (Sirigu 46) - De Silvestri (De Sciglio 

27), Bonucci, Astori, Darmian, Candreva, Parolo, 

Pirlo, Marchisio, El Shaarawy (Ranocchia 80), 

Pelle. 

June 12 - Valletta 

Malta 0 

Bulgaria 1 (I Popov 56) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 3,924. Ref: Stavrev (Mac) 

Malta: Haber - A Muscat (Herrera 63), Agius, 

Camilleri, Z Muscat, P Fenech, Briffa (Schembri 

76), R Muscat, Failla, M Mifsud (Cohen 84), 

Effiong. 

Bulgaria: Mitrev - Bandalovski, A Aleksandrov, 

Bodurov, Y Minev, Gadzhev, Manolev, I Popov 

(Chochev 81), M Aleksandrov (G Milanov 75), 

Dyakov, Micanski (R Vasilev 90). 

June 12 - Oslo 

Norway 0 

Azerbaijan 0 

Att: 21,228. Ref: Gil (Pol) 

Norway: Nyland - Elabdellaoui, Forren, Hovland, 

Hogli, Odegaard, Johansen, Nordtveit, Skjelbred 

(Helland 52), King (Diomande 79), Soderlund 

(Eikrem 68). 

Azerbaijan: K Agayev - Medvedev, B Huseynov, 

R F Sadygov, Dashdemirov, C Huseynov, Qarayev, 

Amirguliyev, Ismayilov, R Kurbanov (Nadirov 81), 

Nazarov (M Kurbanov 90+3). 

EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS – GROUP H 


Croatia 6 4 2 0 16 3 14 

Italy 6 3 3 0 9 5 12 

Norway 6 3 1 2 7 8 10 

Bulgaria 6 2 2 2 7 7 8 

Azerbaijan 6 1 1 4 4 11 4 

Malta 6 0 1 5 1 10 1 


Sep 3 Azerbaijan v Croatia 

Bulgaria v Norway 

Italy v Malta 

Sep 6 Italy v Bulgaria 

Malta v Azerbaijan 

Norway v Croatia 

Oct 10 Azerbaijan v Italy 

Croatia v Bulgaria 

Norway v Malta 

Oct 13 Bulgaria v Azerbaijan 

Italy v Norway 

Malta v Croatia 

Group I 

June 13 - Yerevan 

Armenia 2 (Pizzelli 14, Mkoyan 72) 

Portugal 3 (Cristiano Ronaldo pen 29, 55, 58) 

HT: 1-1. Att: 14,403. Ref: Gumienny (Blg) 

Armenia: Berezovsky - Mkoyan, Arzumanyan, 

Andonyan, Hayrapetyan, Mkrtchyan (Hovsepyan 

29), Hovhannisyan (Ozbiliz 61), Mkhitaryan, 

Pizzelli, Ghazaryan, Sarkisov (Korian 72). 

Portugal: Rui Patricio - Vieirinha, Ricardo 

Carvalho (Jose Fonte 78), Bruno Alves, Eliseu, 

Fabio Coentrao (Adrien Silva 72), Tiago, Joao 

Moutinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Danny (William 

Carvalho 63), Nani. Sent off: Tiago 61. 

June 13 - Copenhagen 

Denmark 2 (Y Poulsen 13, J Poulsen 87) 

Serbia 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 30,887. Ref: Kuipers (Hol) 

Denmark: Schmeichel - Jacobsen, Kjaer, Agger, 

S Poulsen, Hojbjerg, Kvist (Christensen 77), 

Krohn-Dehli (J Poulsen 61), Y Poulsen (Vibe 73), 

Bendtner, Eriksen. 

Serbia: Stojkovic - Ivanovic, Maksimovic, 

Nastasic, Kolarov, Fejsa, Matic, Z Tosic (Kostic 

65), Ljajic (Djuricic 81), L Markovic, A Mitrovic 

(Skuletic 90). 

EURO 2016 QUALIFIERS – GROUP I 


Portugal 5 4 0 1 7 4 12 

Denmark 5 3 1 1 8 4 10 

Albania 1 4 2 1 1 4 5 7 

Serbia 1 5 1 1 3 6 8 1 

Armenia 5 0 1 4 5 9 1 

1 

The abandoned Serbia v Albania game on Oct 14 

was awarded as a 3-0 win to Serbia, but Serbia 

also had 3pts deducted 


Sep 4 Denmark v Albania 

Serbia v Armenia 

Sep 7 Albania v Portugal 

Armenia v Denmark 

Oct 8 Albania v Serbia 

Portugal v Denmark 

Oct 11 Armenia v Albania 

Serbia v Portugal 

● The top 2 in each group and the 3rd-placed 

team with the best record 1 will qualify directly for 

the 24-team finals; the other 3rd-placed teams 

will be paired in 4 head-to-head, 2-leg ties, the 

winners of which will also qualify for the finals. 

Hosts France qualify automatically 

1 Determined by results against the teams 

finishing 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th in the respective 

groups 

2017 AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS 

Group A 

June 12 - Rades 

Tunisia 8 (Chikhaoui pen 9, 21, 23, Sassi 37, 

Khelifa 62, F Ben Youssef 69, Hannachi 79, 

Touzghar 81) 

Djibouti 1 (Liban pen 54) 

HT: 4-0. Ref: El Jaafari (Mor) 

Tunisia: Ben Cherifia - Agrebi, Yacoubi, 

S Ben Youssef, Maaloul (Gouaida 84), Sassi, 

Reguii, Chikhaoui, Khelifa (Hannachi 75), Khazri 

(F Ben Youssef 65), Touzghar. 

June 14 - Lome 

Togo 2 (Ouro-Akoriko 63, Adebayor 87) 

Liberia 1 (Jebor 43) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Dembele (IvC) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP A 


Tunisia 1 1 0 0 8 1 3 

Togo 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 

Liberia 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 

Djibouti 1 0 0 1 1 8 0 

Group B 

June 13 - Lubango 

Angola 4 (Gelson 35, 63, Dolly Menga pen 57, 

Gilberto pen 90) 

Central African Republic 0 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Lengani (Mwi) 

June 14 - Kinshasa 

DR Congo 2 (Mubele 58, Kimwaki 73) 

Madagascar 1 (Vombola 76) 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Woungui (Gab) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP B 


Angola 1 1 0 0 4 0 3 

DR Congo 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 

Madagascar 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 

Cent Af Rep 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 

Group C 

June 13 - Bamako 

Mali 2 (Maiga 17, S Coulibaly 29) 

South Sudan 0 

HT: 2-0. Ref: Amao (Nga) 

June 14 - Bata 

Equatorial Guinea 1 (Nsue 49) 

Benin 1 (Sessegnon 44) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Gomes (SAf) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP C 


Mali 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 

Benin 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 

Equat Guinea 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 

South Sudan 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 

Group D 

June 13 - Ouagadougou 

Burkina Faso 2 (Bance 61, Zongo 82) 

Comoros 0 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Tsiba (Con) 

June 13 - Kampala 

Uganda 2 (Massa 54, Umony 64) 

Botswana 0 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Mujuni (Tan) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP D 


Burkina Faso 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 

Uganda 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 

Botswana 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 

Comoros 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 

Group E 

June 13 - Ndola 

Zambia 0 

Guinea-Bissau 0 

Ref: Martins de Carvalho (Ang) 

June 14 - Owando 

Congo 1 (Oniangue pen 37) 

Kenya 1 (Were 10) 

HT: 1-1. Ref: Nkurunziza (Bdi) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP E 


Kenya 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 

Congo 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 

Guinea-Bissau 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 

Zambia 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 

Group F 

June 12 - Agadir 

Morocco 1 (El Kaddouri 50) 

Libya 0 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Agbovi (Gha) 

Morocco: Munir - Chafik, Benatia, El Adoua, 

Lazaar, Obbadi, Kharja, El Kaddouri, Amrabat 

(Mastour 89), Hamdallah (Chahechoue 80), 

Iajour (Assaidi 63). 

June 13 - Praia 

Cape Verde 7 (Djaniny 11, 73, Nuno Rocha pen 

17, Garry Rodrigues 35, Odair Fortes 42, 

Babanco pen 51, Julio Tavares 75) 

Sao Tome e Principe 1 (Leal 54) 

HT: 4-0. Ref: Ashour (Egy) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP F 


Cape Verde 1 1 0 0 7 1 3 

Morocco 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 

Libya 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 

Sao Tome 1 0 0 1 1 7 0 

Group G 

June 13 - Kaduna 

Nigeria 2 (Salami 63, Ighalo pen 80) 

Chad 0 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Mamane (Nig) 

Nigeria: Enyeama - Omeruo, Troost-Ekong, 

Madu, Esiti, Balogun, Onazi, Babatunde (Ibrahim 

60), Samuel (Ighalo 60), Musa, Salami (Ogu 84). 

Sent off: Onazi 79. 

June 14 - Borg El Arab 

Egypt 3 (Rabia 60, Morsi 64, M Salah 67) 

Tanzania 0 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Tessema Weyesa (Eth) 

Egypt: El Shenawy - Emam, Hegazy, Rabia, 

Abdel Shafy, Kahraba (Sobhy 66), I Salah, 

El Nenny, M Salah (Fathi 72), El Gabbas 

(Morsi 57), Mekky. 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP G 


Egypt 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 

Nigeria 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 

Chad 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 

Tanzania 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 

Group H 

June 14 - Accra 

Ghana 7 (Atsu 10, J Ayew 20, 38, Gyan 22, 29, 

Schlupp 69, Accam 88) 

Mauritius 1 (Sophie 31) 

HT: 5-1. Ref: Gomes (GuB) 

Ghana: Brimah - Afful (Amartey 84), Rahman, 

Boye, J Mensah, Schlupp (Accam 71), Atsu, 

Wakaso, Agyemang-Badu (B Mensah 76), Gyan, 

J Ayew. 

June 14 - Maputo 

Mozambique 0 

Rwanda 1 (Sugira 3) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Ngambo (DRC) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP H 


Ghana 1 1 0 0 7 1 3 

Rwanda 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 

Mozambique 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 

Mauritius 1 0 0 1 1 7 0 

Group I 

June 14 - Khartoum 

Sudan 1 (Alagab pen 77) 

Sierra Leone 0 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Batte (Uga) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP I 


Sudan 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 

Ivory Coast 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Sierra Leone 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 

Group J 

June 13 - Blida 

Algeria 4 (Slimani 22, Soudani 34, 47, 

Bentaleb 90+2) 

Seychelles 0 

HT: 2-0. Ref: Hamada (Mra) 

Algeria: Doukha - Zeffane, Mandi, Medjani, 

Ghoulam, Bentaleb, Taider (Chenihi 75), Mahrez, 

Boudebouz, Soudani (Belfodil 64), Slimani 

(Abeid 85). 

June 14 - Addis Ababa 

Ethiopia 2 (Gatoch 68, Saladin Said 78) 

Lesotho 1 (Mothoana 41) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Diedhiou (Sen) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP J 


Algeria 1 1 0 0 4 0 3 

Ethiopia 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 

Lesotho 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 

Seychelles 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 

Group K 

June 13 - Dakar 

Senegal 3 (Konate pen 15, M B Diouf 63, 

S Mane 90) 

Burundi 1 (Abdul Razak 59) 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Keita (Mli) 

June 14 - Niamey 

Niger 1 (Sacko pen 39) 

Namibia 0 

HT: 1-0. Ref: Jallow (Gam) 

WORLD SOCCER 91


AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP K 


Senegal 1 1 0 0 3 1 3 

Niger 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 

Namibia 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 

Burundi 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 

Group L 

June 12 - Casablanca, Morocco 

Guinea 1 (Kamano 67) 

Swaziland 2 (Tsabedze 11, 83) 

HT: 0-1. Ref: Timas (CVI) 

June 13 - Blantyre 

Malawi 1 (J Banda 24) 

Zimbabwe 2 (Malajila 23, Billiat 83) 

HT: 1-1. Ref: Nde (Cam) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP L 


Swaziland 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 

Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 

Guinea 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 

Malawi 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 

Group M 

June 13 - Durban 

South Africa 0 

Gambia 0 

Ref: Nampiandraza (Mad) 

South Africa: Khune - Ngcongca, Coetzee, 

Hlatshwayo, Matlaba, Jali, Mahlangu, Serero 

(Ntshangase 65), Manyisa (Masango 39), Patosi, 

Gabuza (Phala 70). 

June 14 - Yaounde 

Cameroon 1 (Aboubakar 90) 

Mauritania 0 

HT: 0-0. Ref: Keita (Gui) 

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP QUALS – GROUP M 


Cameroon 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 

Gambia 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 

South Africa 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 

Mauritania 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 

● The 13 group winners and the 2 runners-up 

with the best record (excluding 3-team Group I) 

will qualify for the 16-team finals. Hosts Gabon 

qualify automatically 

UNDER-20 WORLD CUP 

Played in New Zealand 

Group A 

May 30: New Zealand 0 Ukraine 0; United 

States 2 Myanmar 1. 

June 2: Myanmar 0 Ukraine 6; New Zealand 0 

United States 4. 

June 5: Myanmar 1 New Zealand 5; Ukraine 3 

United States 0. 

UNDER-20 WORLD CUP – GROUP A 


Ukraine (Q) 3 2 1 0 9 0 7 

USA (Q) 3 2 0 1 6 4 6 

N Zealand (Q) 3 1 1 1 5 5 4 

Myanmar 3 0 0 3 2 13 0 

Group B 

May 30: Argentina 2 Panama 2; Ghana 1 Austria 1. 

June 2: Austria 2 Panama 1; Argentina 2 Ghana 3. 

June 5: Austria 0 Argentina 0; Panama 0 Ghana 1. 

UNDER-20 WORLD CUP – GROUP B 


Ghana (Q) 3 2 1 0 5 3 7 

Austria (Q) 3 1 2 0 3 2 5 

Argentina 3 0 2 1 4 5 2 

Panama 3 0 1 2 3 5 1 

Group C 

May 31: Qatar 0 Colombia 1; Portugal 3 

Senegal 0. 

June 3: Qatar 0 Portugal 4; Senegal 1 

Colombia 1. 

June 6: Senegal 2 Qatar 1; Colombia 1 

Portugal 3. 

UNDER-20 WORLD CUP – GROUP C 


Portugal (Q) 3 3 0 0 10 1 9 

Colombia (Q) 3 1 1 1 3 4 4 

Senegal (Q) 3 1 1 1 3 5 4 

Qatar 3 0 0 3 1 7 0 

Group D 

May 31: Mexico 0 Mali 2; Uruguay 1 Serbia 0. 

June 3: Mexico 2 Uruguay 1; Serbia 2 Mali 0. 

June 6: Serbia 2 Mexico 0; Mali 1 Uruguay 1. 

UNDER-20 WORLD CUP – GROUP D 


Serbia (Q) 3 2 0 1 4 1 6 

Uruguay (Q) 3 1 1 1 3 3 4 

Mali (Q) 3 1 1 1 3 3 4 

Mexico 3 1 0 2 2 5 3 

Group E 

June 1: Nigeria 2 Brazil 4; North Korea 1 

Hungary 5. 

June 4: Nigeria 4 North Korea 0; Hungary 1 

Brazil 2. 

June 7: Hungary 0 Nigeria 2; Brazil 3 

North Korea 0. 

UNDER-20 WORLD CUP – GROUP E 


Brazil (Q) 3 3 0 0 9 3 9 

Nigeria (Q) 3 2 0 1 8 4 6 

Hungary (Q) 3 1 0 2 6 5 3 

North Korea 3 0 0 3 1 12 0 

Group F 

June 1: Germany 8 Fiji 1; Uzbekistan 3 

Honduras 4. 

June 4: Honduras 0 Fiji 3; Germany 3 

Uzbekistan 0. 

June 7: Honduras 1 Germany 5; Fiji 0 

Uzbekistan 3. 

UNDER-20 WORLD CUP – GROUP F 


Germany (Q) 3 3 0 0 16 2 9 

Uzbekistan (Q) 3 1 0 2 6 7 3 

Honduras 3 1 0 2 5 11 3 

Fiji 3 1 0 2 4 11 3 


teams with the best record qualified for the 1st 

knockout round 

1st knockout round (last 16) 

June 10: Ghana 0 Mali 3; Serbia 2 Hungary 1 

(aet); United States 1 Colombia 0; Ukraine 1 

Senegal 1 (aet, Senegal 3-1 on pens). 

June 11: Austria 0 Uzbekistan 2; Germany 1 

Nigeria 0; Portugal 2 New Zealand 1; Brazil 0 

Uruguay 0 (aet, Brazil 5-4 on pens). 


June 14: Brazil 0 Portugal 0 (aet, Brazil 3-1 on 

pens); Mali 1 Germany 1 (aet, Mali 4-3 on pens); 

United States 0 Serbia 0 (aet, Serbia 6-5 on 

pens); Uzbekistan 0 Senegal 1. 

Semi-finals 

June 17: Brazil 5 Senegal 0; 

Serbia 2 Mali 1 (aet). 


June 20: Senegal 1 Mali 3. 

Final 

June 20 - Auckland (North Harbour) 

Brazil 1 (Andreas Pereira 73) 

Serbia 2 (Mandic 70, Maksimovic 118) 

Aet. HT: 0-0. 90mins: 1-1. Att: 25,317. 

Ref: Al Mirdasi (Sau) 

Brazil: Jean - Joao Pedro, Lucao, Marlon, Jorge, 

Danilo, Jaja (Malcom 74), Boschilia (Andreas 

Pereira 65), Marcos Guilherme, Gabriel Jesus 

(Alef 90+1), Jean Carlos. 

Serbia: Rajkovic - Gajic, Veljkovic, Babic, 

Antonov, Zdjelar, Maksimovic, S Milinkovic-Savic 

(Jovanovic 82), Saponjic (Ilic 95), Zivkovic, 

Mandic (Gacinovic 76). 

FRIENDLIES 

Tuesday, June 9 

June 9 - Mons, Belgium 

Cameroon 1 (Bedimo 39) 

DR Congo 1 (Botaka 11) 

HT: 1-1. Att: 5,000. Ref: Laforge (Blg) 

Cameroon: Ondoa - Ndassi, Chedjou (N’Koulou 

86), Mandjang, Bedimo, Mbia (Kom 46), Enoh, 

Mengolo (Kweuke 46), Moukandjo (Zoua 62), 

Etoundi (Toko Ekambi 46), Aboubakar (Ndi 71). 

DR Congo: Mandanda - Nsakala, Mbemba, 

Kimwaki, Zakuani, Kamavuaka (Mavinga 81), 

Nzuzi (Oualembo 72), Nkololo (Mulumbu 67), 

Botaka (Lukoki 62), Bakambu (Tshibumbu 81), 

Bolasie. 

June 9 - Turku 

Finland 0 

Estonia 2 (Purje 28, 57) 

HT: 0-1. Att: 6,107. Ref: Kehlet (Den) 

Finland: Maenpaa - N Moisander (Halsti 61), 

Toivio, R Eremenko, P Hetemaj (Lod 84), 

Riku Riski (Markkanen 73), Kauko (Pukki 46), 

Pohjanpalo (Vayrynen 46), Raitala, Lam, 

Rotenberg (Sumusalo 46). 

Estonia: Pareiko - Pikk, Jurgenson (Gussev 90), 

Klavan, Kallaste, Alliku (Kams 46), Aleksandr 

Dmitrijev, Antonov (Vassiljev 64), Lindpere 

(Kruglov 46), Purje (Henri Anier 64), Zenjov 

(Artjom Dmitrijev 79). 

June 9 - Luxembourg 

Luxembourg 0 

Moldova 0 

Att: 1,122. Ref: Siebert (Ger) 

Luxembourg: Joubert - Jans, Chanot, Schnell, 

Janisch (Malget 27), Holter (Payal 46), Philipps 

(Gerson 63), Martins (Duriatti 46), Da Mota 

(Turpel 46), Bensi (Deville 63), Mutsch. 

Moldova: Calancea (Cebanu 46) - Armas, 

Epureanu (Jardan 60), Erhan (Antoniuc 86), 

Racu, Cojocari, Cheptine (Cociuc 76), Patras, 

Dedov, Boghiu (Milinceanu 46), Carp (Rata 66). 

June 9 - Kampala 

Uganda 1 (Ssentongo 61) 

Gambia 1 (Jagne 73) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 1,900. Ref: Batte (Uga) 

Uganda: Onyango (Odongkara 46) - Guma, 

Kakuba, Isinde, Kasaga, Tekkwo (Mugerwa 46), 

Khalid, Miya (Bakaki 63), Massa (Zirintusa 63), 

Sentamu (Umony 46), Majwega (Ssentongo 46). 

Gambia: Jobe (Allen 65) - Carayol, Barrow, 

Nyassi, Marreh (Jagne 70), Nyan (Savage 70), 

Touray, Sanneh, Koli, Ngum, Barry (Ceesay 49). 

June 9 - Linz, Austria 

Ukraine 2 (Kravets 57, Konoplyanka 67) 

Georgia 1 (Vatsadze 81) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 700. Ref: Hameter (Aut) 

Ukraine: Boyko - Morozyuk, Khacheridi, 

Rakitskyi, Stepanenko (Shevchuk 46), 

Konoplyanka (Oliynyk 75), Rotan (Tymoshchuk 

46), Harmash (Rybalka 46), Husiev (Sydorchuk 

46), Ksyonz, Seleznyov (Kravets 46). 

Georgia: Loria - Lobzhanidze (Aladashvili 71), 

Kazaishvili (Vatsadze 71), Kashia (Salukvadze 

46), Amisulashvili, Dvali, Navalovski, Ananidze, 

Kobakhidze, Okriashvili (Kenia 46), Tskhadadze 

(Chanturia 46). 

Wednesday, June 10 

June 10 - Porto Alegre 

Brazil 1 (Roberto Firmino 33) 

Honduras 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 22,305. Ref: Vargas (Bol) 

Brazil: Jefferson - Fabinho (Marquinhos 74), 

Miranda, David Luiz (Thiago Silva 46), Filipe Luis, 

Casemiro, Fernandinho, Willian (Douglas Costa 

46), Philippe Coutinho (Neymar 46), Fred (Elias 

79), Roberto Firmino (Robinho 70). 

Honduras: Valladares - Beckeles, J Palacios, 

H Figueroa, Leveron, Izaguirre (B Garcia 86), 

Najar (C Mejia 75), Acosta (Discua 84), Garrido 

(A Mejia 46), O Garcia (M Martinez 37), Lozano 

(Andino 73). 

June 10 - Cologne 

Germany 1 (Gotze 12) 

United States 2 (Diskerud 41, Wood 88) 

HT: 1-1. Att: 40,348. Ref: Makkelie (Hol) 

Germany: Zieler - Rudy, Mustafi, Rudiger, Hector, 

Schweinsteiger (Khedira 46), Gundogan (Kramer 

60), Herrmann (Bellarabi 73), Ozil, Schurrle 

(Podolski 46), Gotze (Kruse 73). 

United States: Guzan - Chandler, Alvarado, 

Brooks, F Johnson (Evans 46), Williams 

(Beckerman 46), Zardes (Wood 74), Bradley, 

Diskerud (Morales 74), Johannsson (Morris 74), 

Agudelo (Yedlin 46). 

June 10 - Thun 

Switzerland 3 (Dzemaili 29, 68, Shaqiri 60) 

Liechtenstein 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 8,100. Ref: Trutz (Slk) 

Switzerland: Hitz - Lichtsteiner (Fernandes 46), 

Klose, Von Bergen (Djourou 46), Behrami (Widmer 

46), Shaqiri (Embolo 63), Dzemaili (Lang 74), 

Moubandje, Mehmedi, Kasami, Drmic (Stocker 46). 

Liechtenstein: Jehle (Bicer 46) - A Christen, 

Kaufmann, Frick, Oehri (Wolfinger 67), Yildiz, 

Polverino, N Hasler (Gubser 63), Burgmeier 

(Brandle 80), M Buchel (Kieber 77), Kuhne 

(Salanovic 53). 

Thursday, June 11 

June 11 - Yokohama 

Japan 4 (Honda 5, Makino 9, Okazaki 32, 

Haraguchi 84) 

Iraq 0 

HT: 3-0. Att: 63,877. Ref: Stefanski (Pol) 

Japan: Kawashima - Nagatomo, Makino, Yoshida, 

H Sakai, Hasebe (Taniguchi 76), Kagawa (Haraguchi 

66), Shibasaki (Yamaguchi 85), Okazaki (Osako 

73), Honda (Nagai 66), Usami (Muto 66). 

Iraq: Hassan - Samal Saeed (Sameh Saeed 46), 

Shaker, Ismail (Bahjat 88), Abdul-Amir, Salman 

(Wahid 70), Yasin, Tariq, Sulaka, Meram (Kasim 

55), Radhi (M Hussein 72). 

June 11 - Shah Alam, Malaysia 

South Korea 3 (Yeom Ki-hun 44, 

Lee Yong-jae 60, Lee Jeong-hyeop 90) 

United Arab Emirates 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 1,080. Ref: Vo (Vie) 

South Korea: Kim Seung-gyu - Kim Jin-su 

(Lee Ju-yong 70), Jang Hyun-soo, Kwak Tae-hwi 

(Hong Jeong-ho 46), Jeong Dong-ho, Jung 

Woo-young, Han Kook-young, Son Heung-min 

(Lee Chung-yong 46), Yeom Ki-hun (Nam 

Tae-hee 46), Lee Jae-sung (Ju Se-jong 81), 

Lee Yong-jae (Lee Jeong-hyeop 61). 

UAE: Eisa - Omar (Al Akbari 46), Abbas, 

A Abdulrahman (Al Hammadi 46), Salem (Al 

Kathiri 46), O Abdulrahman, Khalil (Hassan 46), 

Esmaeel (Al Fardan 68), Sanqour, I Ahmed, 

Al Ahbabi. 

June 11 - Leon 

Spain 2 (Paco Alcacer 7, Fabregas 30) 

Costa Rica 1 (Venegas 5) 

HT: 2-1. Att: 13,000. Ref: Vuckov (Cro) 

Spain: De Gea - Carvajal, Bartra, Sergio Ramos 

(Pique 57), Bernat, San Jose (Busquets 73), Koke 

(Cazorla 58), Aleix Vidal (Vitolo 46), Fabregas 

(Isco 82), Paco Alcacer, Nolito (Silva 58). 

Costa Rica: Navas - Gamboa, Umana, Gonzalez, 

Miller, Diaz (Aguilar 80), Borges (Saborio 88), 

Guzman (Cubero 68), B Ruiz, Campbell, Venegas 

(Vega 66). 

June 11 - Tashkent 

Uzbekistan 0 

Iran 1 (Torabi 90+2) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 9,000. Ref: Tseytlin (Uzb) 

Uzbekistan: Nesterov - Mukhamadiev 

(Shorakhmedov 77), Denisov (Musayev 46), 

Ismailov, Mulladjanov, Rashidov, Akhmedov 

(Sayfiyev 46), Haydarov (L Turaev 63), Alibaev, 

Sergeev (Nasimov 70), Kuziboyev (Tursunov 45). 

Iran: A Haghighi - Ghafouri, Montazeri, Kanaani, 

Hajsafy, Ezatolahi (Mohammadi 65), Teymourian 

(O Ebrahimi 46), Amiri (Torabi 46), Taromi 

(Azmoun 46), Shojaei (Heydari 46), 

Ghoochannejhad (Sharifi 46). 

Saturday, June 13 

June 13 - Elbasan 

Albania 1 (Kace 43) 

France 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 13,000. Ref: Ozkahya (Tur) 

Albania: Berisha - Hysaj, Cana, Ajeti, Aliji, Basha 

(Lilaj 72), Kace (Balaj 80), Lila (Memushaj 18), 

Roshi (Sadiku 64), Lenjani (Rama 56), Cikalleshi 

(Fejzullahu 88). 

France: Lloris - Jallet (Sagna 72), Varane, Sakho, 

Evra, Gonalons (Valbuena 59), Kondogbia, 

Lacazette, Payet (Pogba 46), Griezmann 

(Ntep 59), Giroud (Fekir 46). 

Sunday, June 14 

June 14 - Libreville 

Gabon 0 

Ivory Coast 0 

Tuesday, June 16 

June 16 - Geneva, Switzerland 

Italy 0 

Portugal 1 (Eder 52) 

HT: 0-0. Att: 18,024. Ref: Studer (Swi) 

Italy: Sirigu - De Sciglio (Pasqual 73), Bonucci, 

Ranocchia, Darmian, Soriano (Vazquez 58), Pirlo, 

Bertolacci (Parolo 76), Candreva (Gabbiadini 65), 

Immobile (Matri 73), El Shaarawy (Sansone 68). 

Portugal: Beto - Vieirinha (Cedric 46), Jose 

Fonte, Bruno Alves (Daniel Carrico 59), Fabio 

Coentrao (Eliseu 25), Joao Moutinho, Danilo, 

Tiago (Adrien Silva 46), Quaresma (Pizzi 86), 

Eder, Varela (Nani 76). 

June 16 - Irbid 

Jordan 3 (Al Dardour 16, Deeb 24, Al Saify 71) 

Trinidad & Tobago 0 

HT: 2-0 

92 WORLD SOCCER


June16 - Gdansk 

Poland 0 

Greece 0 

Att: 37,192. Ref: Bieri (Swi) – injured; Borski (Pol) 

Poland: Boruc (Szczesny 46) - Cionek, Glik, 

Pazdan, Komorowski, Borysiuk (Szukala 87), 

Linetty (Maczynski 60), Blaszczykowski (Peszko 

60), Zielinski (Mila 60), Grosicki, Milik (Rybus 78). 

Greece: Kapino (Vellidis 90+3) - Vyntra, Moras, 

Papastathopoulos (Tavlaridis 46), Stafylidis, 

Tziolis, Katsouranis (Samaris 90+2), Tachtsidis, 

Fountas (Kolovos 77), Karelis (Mitroglou 60), 

Ninis (Fetfatzidis 71). 

June 16 - Cape Town 

South Africa 2 (Gabuza 45+2, 

Filipe Malanda og 68) 

Angola 1 (Alexandre Cristovao 25) 

HT: 1-1. Att: 8,112. Ref: Mohau (Les) 

South Africa: Khune - Ngcongca (Nyauza 83), 

Daniels (Hlatshwayo 72), Coetzee, Phungwayo 

(Matlaba 59), Zungu, Shongwe (Jali 83), Patosi 

(Masango 89), Serero, Mahlangu, Gabuza (Ntuli 64). 

Angola: Landu - Mingo Bille (Filipe Malanda 61), 

Kuagica, Fabricio, Paizo, Job (Ary Papel 61), Paty 

(Gilberto 69), Manucho Dinis, Mano (Amaro 72), 

Alexandre Cristovao (Gerson 69), Dany (Pirolito 46). 

Saturday, June 27 

June 27 - Orlando, USA 

Mexico 2 (G Dos Santos 53, J Hernandez 55) 

Costa Rica 2 (Ramirez 4, Layun og 36) 

HT: 0-2. Att: 53,629. Ref: Jurisevic (USA) 

Mexico: Ochoa - Aguilar, F Rodriguez, Reyes, 

Moreno (Vazquez 46), Layun, H Herrera (J Dos 

Santos 78), Guardado (Torres Nilo 80), Vela 

(Esquivel 46), G Dos Santos (Peralta 80), 

J Hernandez. 

Costa Rica: Alvarado - Gamboa, Gonzalez, Miller 

(Calvo 79), Diaz, Borges, Cubero (Guzman 79), 

B Ruiz (Aguilar 82), Venegas (Vega 58), 

Campbell (Saborio 83), Ramirez (Umana 69). 

Wednesday, July 1 

July 1 - Houston, USA 

Honduras 0 

Mexico 0 

Att: 70,128. Ref: Villarreal (USA) 

Honduras: Escober - Beckeles, J Palacios, 

H Figueroa, M Figueroa, B Garcia (Crisanto 57), 

Acosta (Discua 85), Mejia (Claros 63), 

M Martinez (O Garcia 76), Najar (Quioto 82), 

Lozano (Castillo 69). 

Mexico: Ochoa - Aguilar, F Rodriguez, Reyes, 

Layun, Vazquez, H Herrera (J M Corona 62), 

Guardado (Duenas 85), Esquivel (J Dos Santos 

75), Vela (G Dos Santos 57), J Hernandez 

(Peralta 41). 

Friday, July 3 

July 3 - Nashville 

United States 4 (Castrillo og 19, Chandler 58, 

Dempsey pen 73, Wondolowski 86) 

Guatemala 0 

HT: 1-0. Att: 44,835. Ref: Perez (Mex) 

United States: Guzan - Chandler, Gonzalez 

(Alvarado 46), Brooks (Ream 61), F Johnson 

(Garza 46), Yedlin, Diskerud (Morales 61), 

Bradley, Zusi (Zardes 46), Dempsey, Altidore 

(Wondolowski 68). 

Guatemala: Motta - Morales, Lalin, Castrillo 

(Figueroa 74), D Lopez, Mejia (Contreras 46), 

Herrarte (Cincotta 84), De Leon (Marquez 69), 

Aparicio, Arreola (Pappa 46), M Lopez (Ruiz 46). 

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 

Played in Canada 

Group A 

June 6: Canada 1 China 0; New Zealand 0 

Holland 1. 

June 11: China 1 Holland 0; Canada 0 

New Zealand 0. 

June 15: Holland 1 Canada 1; China 2 

New Zealand 2. 

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP – GROUP A 


Canada (Q) 3 1 2 0 2 1 5 

China (Q) 3 1 1 1 3 3 4 

Holland (Q) 3 1 1 1 2 2 4 

New Zealand 3 0 2 1 2 3 2 

Group B 

June 7: Norway 4 Thailand 0; Germany 10 

Ivory Coast 0. 

June 11: Germany 1 Norway 1; Ivory Coast 2 

Thailand 3. 

June 15: Thailand 0 Germany 4; Ivory Coast 1 

Norway 3. 

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP – GROUP B 


Germany (Q) 3 2 1 0 15 1 7 

Norway (Q) 3 2 1 0 8 2 7 

Thailand 3 1 0 2 3 10 3 

Ivory Coast 3 0 0 3 3 16 0 

Group C 

June 8: Cameroon 6 Ecuador 0; Japan 1 

Switzerland 0. 

June 12: Switzerland 10 Ecuador 1; Japan 2 

Cameroon 1. 

June 16: Ecuador 0 Japan 1; Switzerland 1 

Cameroon 2. 

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP – GROUP C 


Japan (Q) 3 3 0 0 4 1 9 

Cameroon (Q) 3 2 0 1 9 3 6 

Switz’land (Q) 3 1 0 2 11 4 3 

Ecuador 3 0 0 3 1 17 0 

Group D 

June 8: Sweden 3 Nigeria 3; United States 3 

Australia 1. 

June 12: Australia 2 Nigeria 0; United States 0 

Sweden 0. 

June 16: Nigeria 0 United States 1; Australia 1 

Sweden 1. 

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP – GROUP D 


USA (Q) 3 2 1 0 4 1 7 

Australia (Q) 3 1 1 1 4 4 4 

Sweden (Q) 3 0 3 0 4 4 3 

Nigeria 3 0 1 2 3 6 1 

Group E 

June 9: Spain 1 Costa Rica 1; Brazil 2 

South Korea 0. 

June 13: Brazil 1 Spain 0; South Korea 2 

Costa Rica 2. 

June 17: Costa Rica 0 Brazil 1; South Korea 2 

Spain 1. 

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP – GROUP E 


Brazil (Q) 3 3 0 0 4 0 9 

Sth Korea (Q) 3 1 1 1 4 5 4 

Costa Rica 3 0 2 1 3 4 2 

Spain 3 0 1 2 2 4 1 

Group F 

June 9: France 1 England 0; Colombia 1 Mexico 1. 

June 13: France 0 Colombia 2; England 2 Mexico 1. 

June 17: Mexico 0 France 5; England 2 

Colombia 1. 

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP – GROUP F 


France (Q) 3 2 0 1 6 2 6 

England (Q) 3 2 0 1 4 3 6 

Colombia (Q) 3 1 1 1 4 3 4 

Mexico 3 0 1 2 2 8 1 


teams with the best record qualified for the 1st 

knockout round 

1st knockout round (last 16) 

June 20: Germany 4 Sweden 1; China 1 

Cameroon 0. 

June 21: Brazil 0 Australia 1; France 3 

South Korea 0; Canada 1 Switzerland 0. 

June 22: Norway 1 England 2; United States 2 

Colombia 0. 

June 23: Japan 2 Holland 1. 


June 26: Germany 1 France 1 (aet, Germany 

5-4 on pens); China 0 United States 1. 

June 27: Australia 0 Japan 1; England 2 Canada 1. 

Semi-finals 

June 30: United States 2 Germany 0. 

July 1: Japan 2 England 1. 


July 4: Germany 0 England 1 (aet). 

Final 

July 5 - Vancouver (BC Place) 

United States 5 (Lloyd 3, 5, 16, Holiday 14, 

Heath 54) 

Japan 2 (Ogimi 27, Johnston og 52) 

HT: 4-1. Att: 53,341. Ref: Monzul (Ukr) 

Club football 

CONCACAF 

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 

Group stage draw 

Group A: Santos Laguna (Mex), Saprissa (CR), 

W Connection (T&T) 

Group B: Herediano (CR), Isidro Metapan (ESv), 

Tigres (Mex) 

Group C: Queretaro (Mex), San Francisco (Pan), 

Verdes (Blz) 

Group D: Central (T&T), Comunicaciones (Gtm), 

Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) 

Group E: America (Mex), Motagua (Hnd), 

Walter Ferretti (Nic) 

Group F: Olimpia (Hnd), Seattle Sounders (USA), 

Vancouver Whitecaps (Can) 

Group G: Municipal (Gtm), Real Salt Lake (USA), 

Santa Tecla (ESv) 

Group H: Arabe Unido (Pan), DC United (USA), 

Montego Bay United (Jam) 

Matches to be played Aug 4-Oct 22 

● Group winners will qualify for the quarter-finals 

CUBA 

2015 – FINAL 


Camaguey 1 (C) 17 13 1 3 29 14 40 

Cienfuegos 18 7 7 4 19 12 28 

La Habana 18 6 8 4 20 18 26 

Villa Clara 18 7 4 7 29 19 25 

Santiago 18 6 6 6 17 14 24 

Guantanamo 18 6 6 6 16 16 24 

Ciego de Avila 18 6 5 7 28 23 23 

Las Tunas 18 5 6 7 18 34 21 

S’ti Spiritus (R) 18 4 4 10 17 29 16 

I Juventud 1 (R) 17 4 3 10 12 26 15 

1 The end-of-season Isla de la Juventud v 

Camaguey game was cancelled as it had no 

bearing on the final standings 

EL SALVADOR 

2014-15 Clausura Final 

May 24 

Isidro Metapan 1 Santa Tecla 1 

(aet, Santa Tecla 3-1 on pens) 

FRENCH GUIANA 

2014-15 – FINAL 

P W D L F A Pts 1 

CSC Cay’ne (C) 22 16 4 2 40 15 74 

US Matoury 2 22 13 5 4 39 21 65 

Le Geldar 22 12 2 8 38 23 60 

Kourou FC 22 9 4 9 26 25 53 

SC Kourou 2 22 8 5 9 34 35 50 

Iracoubo 22 7 7 8 25 29 50 

Remire 2 22 8 4 10 34 36 49 

Cosma 22 6 9 7 24 26 49 

Macouria 22 7 5 10 27 32 48 

Grand Santi 2 22 7 5 10 25 33 47 

Montjoly (R) 22 4 6 12 33 52 40 

Sin’mary 2 (R) 22 4 2 16 14 43 35 

1 4pts for a win, 2pts for a draw, 1pt for a defeat 

2 1pt deducted 

GUADELOUPE 

2014-15 – FINAL 


Moulien (C) 26 18 4 4 50 16 84 

La Gauloise 26 15 8 3 47 15 79 

L’Etoile 2 26 15 8 3 40 10 78 

Siroco 26 11 11 4 33 16 70 

Unite Ste-Rose 26 13 5 8 27 21 70 

Arsenal 26 10 7 9 30 24 63 

Baie-Mahault 26 10 3 13 33 37 59 

Solidarite 26 8 8 10 29 35 58 

Juventus 26 7 9 10 21 25 56 

Phare Canal 26 7 6 13 21 39 53 

Amical 26 7 5 14 20 37 52 

Red Star 2 (R) 26 6 8 12 21 37 51 

Gosier (R) 26 3 9 14 14 46 44 

Racing (R) 26 4 5 17 15 43 43 



GUATEMALA 


1st leg - May 20; 2nd leg - May 23 

Municipal v Comunicaciones 0-2, 3-2 (agg 3-4) 

HAITI 

2015 Ouverture (Apertura) Final 

1st leg - July 2; 2nd leg - July 5 

America v Don Bosco 0-1, 0-1 (agg 0-2) 

MARTINIQUE 

2014-15 – FINAL 


Golden Lion (C) 26 22 2 2 82 16 94 

Franciscain 26 18 5 3 68 24 85 

Colonial 2 26 18 3 5 54 18 82 

Aiglon 26 13 6 7 39 25 71 

Golden Star 26 11 7 8 50 27 66 

Riviere-Pilote 26 11 7 8 39 23 66 

Case-Pilote 26 10 6 10 38 46 62 

Essor-Pre’tain 26 11 3 12 46 33 62 

Emulation 26 8 9 9 33 28 59 

Samaritaine 3 26 9 7 10 55 38 57 

Marinoise 26 5 9 12 21 31 50 

Robert 26 5 8 13 30 51 49 

Tartane (R) 26 4 2 20 27 87 40 

Belimois (R) 26 0 0 26 14 149 26 



3 3pts deducted 

NICARAGUA 


1st leg - June 27; 2nd leg - July 4 

Real Esteli v Diriangen 2-1, 0-0 (agg 2-1) 

SURINAM 

2014-15 – FINAL 


Inter M’poe (C) 18 12 4 2 40 12 40 

Notch 18 11 6 1 40 18 39 

WBC 18 11 1 6 46 28 34 

Leo Victor 18 9 3 6 42 29 30 

Transvaal 18 7 2 9 24 37 23 

Botopasie 18 6 4 8 31 37 22 

Excelsior 18 6 4 8 25 33 22 

Takdier Boys 18 5 3 10 30 44 18 

Boma Star (R) 1 18 4 4 10 25 40 16 

SNL (R) 18 2 3 13 18 43 9 

1 Relegated after losing rel/prom play-off 

TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS 



Academy (C) 10 9 0 1 31 8 27 

Beaches 10 6 0 4 18 15 18 

Cheshire Hall 10 4 2 4 35 27 14 

SWA Sharks 10 3 2 5 28 24 11 

Rozo 10 2 2 6 10 26 8 

Teachers 10 2 2 6 19 41 8 

Trailblazers withdrew after 1 game; result annulled 

AFRICA 

BURKINA FASO 

2014-15 – FINAL 


RC Bobo (C) 30 18 6 6 44 17 60 

Etoile Filante 30 15 12 3 45 18 57 

Forces Armees 30 15 9 6 46 22 54 

Sonabel 30 14 11 5 33 17 53 

RC Kadiogo 30 13 9 8 30 22 48 

US Ouagad’ou 30 12 12 6 26 15 48 

KOZAF 30 10 10 10 21 23 40 

ASFA Yen’ga 30 9 10 11 21 27 37 

Majestic 30 8 10 12 22 30 34 

ASF Bobo 30 7 11 12 9 21 32 

Bouloum’kou 30 8 8 14 20 33 32 

Santos 30 6 13 11 18 32 31 

Bankuy Sports 30 7 10 13 15 30 31 

Comoe 30 6 13 11 17 28 31 

Bobo Sport (R) 30 5 12 13 15 29 27 

Canon Sud (R) 30 5 8 17 11 29 23 

WORLD SOCCER 93



BURUNDI 

2014-15 – FINAL 


Vital’O (C) 30 23 3 4 66 13 72 

LLB 30 18 5 7 47 18 59 

Bujumbura C 30 15 8 7 39 25 53 

Messager N 1 29 14 8 7 43 23 50 

Athletico O 30 12 11 7 28 20 47 

Inter Star 30 12 8 10 34 30 44 

Muzinga 30 10 10 10 32 30 40 

Rusizi 30 11 7 12 25 25 40 

Olympic Star 30 9 12 9 28 23 39 

Flambeau 30 9 12 9 34 32 39 

Messager B 30 8 9 13 25 28 33 

Nyanza Utd 1 29 7 10 12 21 34 31 

Royal M’mvya 30 7 10 13 24 41 31 

P Louis (R) 30 9 3 18 32 51 30 

Volont’res (R) 30 7 8 15 25 41 29 

Ac Tchite (R) 30 5 2 23 18 87 17 

1 Nyanza United v Le Messager Ngozi not played 

DR CONGO 

2014-15 – CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP 1 – FINAL 


AS Vita (C) 9 6 3 0 16 4 21 

TP Mazembe 9 6 2 1 19 6 20 

Don Bosco 9 4 3 2 10 5 15 

St Eloi Lupopo 9 3 4 2 8 7 13 

Lu’bashi Sport 9 3 3 3 8 9 12 

Shark XI 9 3 3 3 6 7 12 

Sanga Balende 9 3 2 4 8 8 11 

Gr’pe Bazano 9 3 2 4 10 11 11 

Motema P’be 9 1 2 6 5 16 5 

MK Etancheite 9 0 2 7 2 19 2 

1 The championship group comprised the top 5 

from each of the 2 regular-season groups 

ETHIOPIA 

2014-15 – FINAL 


St George (C) 26 17 6 3 38 14 57 

Dedebit 26 13 5 8 43 25 44 

Adama 26 10 12 4 32 24 42 

Sidama Coffee 26 11 7 8 28 27 40 

CBE 26 9 12 5 38 30 39 

Eth’ian Coffee 26 10 6 10 30 28 36 

Arba Minch 26 9 8 9 18 24 35 

Defence Force 26 9 7 10 21 21 34 

Welayta Dicha 26 9 6 11 20 24 33 

Awassa 26 9 6 11 29 34 33 

EEPCO 26 8 6 12 27 32 30 

Dashen Beer 26 8 6 12 23 29 30 

M Cement (R) 26 6 9 11 20 26 27 

Woldya (R) 26 4 4 18 18 47 16 

GAMBIA 



Gamtel (C) 22 12 8 2 22 9 44 

Real Banjul 22 11 9 2 28 14 42 

GPA 22 8 11 3 21 12 35 

Brikama Utd 22 7 11 4 25 21 32 

Armed Forces 22 8 7 7 20 18 31 

Bombada 22 8 5 9 20 24 29 

Hawks 22 7 7 8 17 19 28 

Banjul Utd 22 7 6 9 20 23 27 

Wallidan 22 4 10 8 13 20 22 

Serrekunda 22 4 8 10 9 15 20 

Interior (R) 22 4 7 11 12 19 19 

Bakau Utd (R) 22 4 7 11 12 25 19 

MAURITANIA 

2014-15 – FINAL 


Tevragh-Z (C) 26 18 6 2 52 14 60 

SNIM 26 18 5 3 54 18 59 

Ksar 26 16 8 2 54 13 56 

Concorde 26 15 6 5 48 20 51 

Nouadhibou 26 14 6 6 44 17 48 

Tidjikja 26 11 6 9 36 32 39 

Armee 26 8 9 9 35 34 33 

Kedia 26 7 8 11 26 42 29 

Assaba 26 7 6 13 17 34 27 

Gueumeul 26 6 9 11 23 27 27 

Zem Zem 26 6 8 12 18 33 26 

Police 26 6 6 14 32 45 24 

Moderne (R) 26 4 4 18 20 58 16 

Selibaby (R) 26 1 3 22 13 85 6 


RWANDA 

2014-15 – FINAL 


APR (C) 26 15 7 4 43 18 52 

AS Kigali 26 14 7 5 35 17 49 

Police 26 12 10 4 30 16 46 

Sunrise 26 10 10 6 25 17 40 

Rayon Sports 1 26 10 11 5 36 25 38 

Gicumbi 26 8 12 6 17 16 36 

Espoir 26 9 7 10 14 20 34 

Amagaju 26 8 8 10 27 27 32 

Kiyovu Sports 26 8 8 10 26 37 32 

Mukura 26 6 11 9 22 27 29 

Marines 26 7 8 11 21 28 29 

Musanze 26 7 7 12 14 19 28 

Etincelles (R) 26 3 9 14 13 32 18 

Isonga (R) 26 3 9 14 14 38 18 

1 3pts deducted 

SOMALIA 



Heegan (C) 18 11 3 4 38 12 36 

Banadir 18 10 5 3 31 11 35 

Jeenyo Utd 18 10 4 4 39 19 34 

Dekedda 18 10 1 7 27 18 31 

Elman 18 7 8 3 25 18 29 

Gaadiidka 1 17 7 3 7 20 17 24 

Sahafi 18 6 4 8 28 24 22 

Horseed 2 18 5 2 11 15 34 17 

S’li Fruit 1 (R) 2 17 5 2 10 16 37 17 

Savana (R) 18 1 2 15 16 65 5 

1 The Gaadiidka v Somali Fruit game was 

declared void and not included in the table 

because both teams fielded ineligible players 

2 Horseed beat Somali Fruit in a relegation 

play-off, staged because the teams finished level 

on points 

SWAZILAND 

2014-15 – FINAL 


R Leopards (C) 22 16 5 1 52 16 53 

Mbabane Sw 22 13 3 6 41 25 42 

Yng Buffaloes 22 10 7 5 32 23 37 

Green Mamba 22 10 6 6 38 27 36 

Mbabane High 22 10 5 7 36 35 35 

Manzini Sun’s 22 8 7 7 16 14 31 

Red Lions 22 7 7 8 32 40 28 

Malanti Chiefs 22 8 3 11 33 33 27 

Manzini Sea B 22 8 1 13 24 42 25 

Manzini Wand 22 5 8 9 25 28 23 

Moneni P (R) 22 5 7 10 22 32 22 

RSSC Utd (R) 22 1 3 18 15 51 6 

UGANDA 

2014-15 – FINAL 


Vipers (C) 30 20 9 1 42 18 69 

SC Villa 30 19 8 3 50 18 65 

KCCA 30 16 6 8 42 21 54 

URA 1 30 15 11 4 48 30 53 

BUL 30 11 10 9 27 26 43 

Police 30 11 7 12 35 29 40 

Bright Stars 30 9 11 10 24 25 38 

Express 30 11 5 14 28 31 38 

SC Vic Univ 30 9 11 10 20 25 38 

Lweza 30 10 7 13 28 32 37 

Simba 30 10 7 13 22 27 37 

Sadolin Paints 30 9 10 11 23 32 37 

Soana 30 9 7 14 32 41 34 

Kira Yng 1 (R) 30 9 7 14 33 39 31 

Rwensh’a (R) 30 6 4 20 28 55 22 

Entebbe (R) 30 3 6 21 12 51 15 

1 3pts deducted for failing to fulfil a fixture 

ASIA 

AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 

Quarter-finals draw 

Al Hilal (Sau) v Lekhwiya (Qat) 

Jeonbuk Motors (SKo) v Gamba Osaka (Jap) 

Kashiwa Reysol (Jap) v 

Guangzhou Evergrande (Chn) 

Naft Tehran (Irn) v Al Ahli (UAE) 

1st legs - Aug 25/26; 2nd legs - Sep 15/16 

AFC CUP 

Quarter-finals draw 

Istiklol (Taj) v Pahang (Mly) 

Johor Darul Ta’zim (Mly) v South China (HK) 

Kuwait SC (Kuw) v Kitchee (HK) 

Qadsia SC (Kuw) v Al Jaish (Syr) 

1st legs - Aug 25/26; 2nd legs - Sep 15/16 

INDIA (I-League) 



M’n Bagan (C) 20 11 6 3 33 16 39 

Bengaluru 20 10 7 3 35 19 37 

R Wahingdoh 20 8 6 6 27 27 30 

East Bengal 20 8 5 7 30 28 29 

Pune 20 8 5 7 24 26 29 

Mumbai 20 5 9 6 22 27 24 

Salgaocar 20 7 3 10 25 27 24 

Sporting Goa 20 5 8 7 22 27 23 

Shill’g Lajong 20 6 5 9 34 29 23 

Dempo (R) 1 20 3 10 7 15 26 19 

Bharat 20 4 6 10 13 28 18 

1 Dempo relegated because Bharat are one of 

the new franchise teams, which have immunity 

from relegation for 3 seasons 

OMAN 

2014-15 – FINAL 


Al Oruba (C) 26 15 4 7 33 23 49 

Fanja 26 14 5 7 41 33 47 

Sur 26 13 7 6 37 26 46 

Al Nasr 26 11 8 7 45 30 41 

Dhofar 26 9 11 6 41 32 38 

Al Khabourah 26 10 7 9 34 31 37 

Al Nahda 26 10 6 10 39 35 36 

Al Musannah 26 8 9 9 40 36 33 

Saham 26 9 5 12 36 35 32 

Al Shabab 26 8 8 10 34 38 32 

Al Suwaiq 26 8 7 11 29 41 31 

Sohar 1 26 6 13 7 25 30 31 

Boushar (R) 26 4 9 13 23 47 21 

Al Seeb (R) 26 3 9 14 22 42 18 

1 Stay in top division after winning rel/prom 

play-off 

OCEANIA 

FIJI 



Nadi (C) 14 11 2 1 30 11 35 

Suva 14 7 4 3 23 12 25 

Rewa 14 7 2 5 22 18 23 

Lautoka 14 7 1 6 24 18 22 

Ba 14 6 3 5 35 17 21 

Labasa 14 5 4 5 14 17 19 

Nadroga 14 4 1 9 13 29 13 

Tailevu N’ri (R) 14 0 1 13 7 46 1 

KEY TO TABLES 

(C) = champions 

(R) = relegated 

(Q) = qualifi ed for next stage 

July 2015 Vol 55 No 11 

EDITOR 

Gavin Hamilton 

ASSISTANT EDITOR 

Nich Hills 

DESIGN DIRECTOR 

Kevin Eason 

DESIGN EDITOR 

Jamie Latchford 

DESIGN EDITOR 

Daniel Franklin 

PICTURE EDITOR 

Duncan Bond 

NEWS EDITOR 

Jamie Rainbow 

EDITORIAL SECRETARY 

June Hiscock 

PICTURES 

Pictures copyright: Press Association Images, 

Getty Images, Action Images and Reuters 

Thanks this issue to 

Dean Chillmaid, Debbie Millett, Peter Neish, 

Dave Rallis 

EDITORIAL 

Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, 

London SE1 0SU 

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3148 4817 

Fax: +44 (0) 20 3148 8130 

ADVERTISING AND SPONSORSHIP 

Kerry Edmondson 

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3148 2515 

+44 (0) 20 3148 2823 

E-mail: kerry.edmondsontimeinc.com 

PRODUCTION MANAGER Tom Jennings 

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Hamish Dawson 

MANAGING DIRECTOR Paul Williams 

Advertising +44 (0) 20 3148 2503 

+44 (0) 20 3148 2823 

Back issues +44 (0) 20 3148 4816 

Binders +44 (0) 20 3148 4816 

International licensing enquiries 

+44 (0) 20 314 85490 

E-mail: bianca.hamilton-fostertimeinc.com 

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

ORDER HOTLINE 

+44 (0)844 848 0848 

E-mail: ipcsubsqss-uk.com 

SUBSCRIPTIONS RATES 

Annual sub is for 12 months (13 issues, prices 

include postage) UK: £59.99 Europe/Eire (inc. 

VAT): 98.85 euros (airmail) USA: $144.48 

(airmail) Rest of world: £99.25 (airmail) 

Periodicals paid at Rahway, 

NJ Postmaster: send address changes to 

World Soccer, c/o MAIL America, 

365 Blair Road, Avenel NJ 0700I, USA. 

USPS004075 

SUBSCRIPTIONS DEPARTMENT 

Rockwood House, 9-17 Perrymount Road, 

Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3DH, 

England Tel: +44 (0) 1444 475 675 

O A Bola (Portugal) O De Telegraaf (Holland) 

O ElfVoetbal (Holland) O Fanatik (Turkey) 

O Frankfurter Allgemeine (Germany) 

O Goal News (Greece) O Kicker (Germany) 

O Marca (Spain) O Nemzeti Sport (Hungary) 

O So Foot (France) O Sport-Express (Russia) 

O Sport/Foot (Belgium) O TIPS Bladet (Denmark) 

O World Soccer (UK) 

O Titan Sport (China) O KickOff (S Africa) 

O Netease (China) O SportalKorea (S Korea).

EURO UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP 

SQUADS 

CZECH REPUBLIC 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Tomas KOUBEK (22) 26.08.92 Hradec Kralove 

16 Jiri PAVLENKA (23) 14.04.92 Banik Ostrava 

23 Michal REICHL (22) 14.09.92 Sigma Olomouc 

DEFENDERS 

15 Jan BARANEK (21) 26.06.93 Viktoria Plzen 

5 Jakub BRABEC (22) 06.08.92 Sparta Prague 

21 Matej HANOUSEK (22) 02.06.93 Dukla Prague 

19 Matej HYBS (22) 03.01.93 Vysocina Jihlava 

20 Jakub JUGAS (23) 05.05.92 Zbrojovka Brno 

2 Pavel KADERABEK (23) 25.04.92 Hoffenheim (Ger) 

22 Tomas KALAS (22) 15.05.93 Chelsea (Eng) 

14 Ladislav TAKACS (18) 15.07.96 Teplice 

MIDFIELDERS 

11 Martin FRYDEK (23) 24.03.92 Slovan Liberec 

7 David HOUSKA (21) 29.06.93 Sigma Olomouc 

4 Adam JANOS (22) 20.07.92 Vysocina Jihlava 

13 Ladislav KREJCI (22) 05.07.92 Sparta Prague 

18 Lukas MASOPUST (22) 12.02.93 Baumit Jablonec 

6 Ondrej PETRAK (23) 11.03.92 Nuremberg (Ger) 

12 Michal TRAVNIK (21) 17.05.94 Slovacko 

8 Jaromir ZMRHAL (21) 02.08.93 Slavia Prague 

FORWARDS 

3 Vaclav KADLEC (23) 20.05.92 Eintract Frankfurt (Ger) 

9 Jan KLIMENT (21) 01.09.93 Vysocina Jihlava 

17 Tomas PRIKRYL (22) 04.07.92 Dukla Prague 

10 Jiri SKALAK (23) 12.03.92 Mlada Boleslav 

COACH 

Jakub DOVALIL (40) 08.02.74 

DENMARK 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Jakob BUSK (21) 12.09.93 Sandefjord 

22 David JENSEN (23) 25.03.92 Nordsjaelland 

16 Frederik RONNOW (22) 04.08.92 Horsens 

DEFENDERS 

12 Patrick BANGGAARD (21) 04.04.94 Midtjylland 

6 Andreas CHRISTENSEN (19) 10.04.96 Chelsea (Eng) 

13 Riza DURMISI (21) 08.01.94 Brondby 

5 Jonas KNUDSEN (22) 16.09.92 Esbjerg 

14 Christoffer REMMER (22) 16.01.93 Copenhagen 

2 Alexander SCHOLZ (22) 24.10.92 Standard Liege (Blg) 

3 Frederik SORENSEN (23) 14.04.92 Verona (Ita) 

4 Jannik VESTERGAARD (22) 03.08.92 Werder Bremen (Ger) 

MIDFIELDERS 

8 Lasse Vigen CHRISTENSEN (20) 15.08.94 Fulham (Eng) 

18 Rasmus FALK (23) 15.01.92 OB 

10 Pierre HOJBJERG (19) 05.08.95 Bayern Munich (Ger) 

19 Jens JONSSON (22) 10.01.93 AGF 

17 Christian NORGAARD (21) 10.03.94 Brondby 

23 Pione SISTO (20) 04.02.95 Midtjylland 

15 Nicolaj THOMSEN (22) 08.05.93 AaB 

FORWARDS 

11 Uffe BECH (22) 13.01.93 Nordsjaelland 

21 Emil BERGGREEN (22) 10.05.93 Eintracht Braunschweig (Ger) 

20 Nicolai BROCK-MADSEN (22) 09.01.93 Randers 

7 Viktor FISCHER (21) 09.06.94 Ajax (Hol) 

9 Yussuf POULSEN (21) 15.06.94 RB Leipzig (Ger) 

COACH 

Jess THORUP (45) 21.02.70 

ENGLAND 

GOALKEEPERS 

13 Marcus BETTINELLI (23) 24.05.92 Fulham 

12 Jonathan BOND (22) 19.05.93 Watford 

1 Jack BUTLAND (22) 10.03.93 Stoke City 

DEFENDERS 

21 Calum CHAMBERS (20) 20.01.95 Arsenal 

3 Luke GARBUTT (22) 21.05.93 Everton 

6 Ben GIBSON (22) 15.01.93 Middlesbrough 

2 Carl JENKINSON (23) 08.02.92 Arsenal 

15 Michael KEANE (22) 11.01.93 Burnley 

20 Liam MOORE (22) 31.01.93 Leicester City 

5 John STONES (21) 28.05.94 Everton 

22 Matt TARGETT (19) 18.09.95 Southampton 

MIDFIELDERS 

10 Tom CARROLL (23) 28.05.92 Tottenham Hotspur 

14 Nathaniel CHALOBAH (20) 12.12.94 Chelsea 

4 Jake FORSTER-CASKEY (21) 25.04.94 Brighton & Hove Albion 

19 Will HUGHES (20) 17.04.95 Derby County 

16 Jesse LINGARD (22) 15.12.92 Manchester United 

23 Ruben LOFTUS-CHEEK (19) 23.01.96 Chelsea 

7 Alex PRITCHARD (22) 03.05.93 Tottenham Hotspur 

11 Nathan REDMOND (21) 06.03.94 Norwich City 

8 James WARD-PROWSE (20) 01.11.94 Southampton 

FORWARDS 

18 Benik AFOBE (22) 12.02.93 Wolverhampton Wanderers 

17 Danny INGS (22) 23.07.92 Burnley 

9 Harry KANE (21) 28.07.93 Tottenham Hotspur 

COACH 

Gareth SOUTHGATE (44) 03.09.70 

GERMANY 

GOALKEEPERS 

23 Timo HORN (22) 12.05.93 Cologne 

1 Bernd LENO (23) 04.03.92 Bayer Leverkusen 

12 Marc-Andre TER STEGEN (23) 30.04.92 Barcelona (Spa) 

DEFENDERS 

4 Matthias GINTER (21) 19.01.94 Borussia Dortmund 

3 Christian GUNTER (22) 28.02.93 Freiburg 

22 Dominique HEINTZ (21) 15.08.93 Kaiserslautern 

2 Julian KORB (23) 21.03.92 Borussia Monchengladbach 

16 Robin KNOCHE (23) 22.05.92 Wolfsburg 

5 Nico SCHULZ (22) 01.04.93 Hertha Berlin 

MIDFIELDERS 

18 Maximilian ARNOLD (21) 27.05.94 Wolfsburg 

7 Leonardo BITTENCOURT (21) 19.12.93 Hanover 

11 Emre CAN (21) 12.01.94 Liverpool (Eng) 

14 Kerem DEMIRBAY (21) 03.07.93 Hamburg 

6 Johannes GEIS (21) 17.08.93 Mainz 

17 Joshua KIMMICH (20) 08.02.95 RB Leipzig 

21 Felix KLAUS (22) 13.09.92 Freiburg 

10 Moritz LEITNER (22) 08.12.92 Borussia Dortmund 

8 Yunus MALLI (23) 24.02.92 Mainz 

20 Max MEYER (19) 18.09.95 Schalke 

19 Amin YOUNES (21) 06.08.93 Borussia Monchengladbach 

FORWARDS 

15 Serge GNABRY (19) 14.07.95 Arsenal (Eng) 

13 Philipp HOFMANN (22) 30.03.93 Kaiserslautern 

9 Kevin VOLLAND (22) 30.07.92 Hoffenheim 

COACH 

Horst HRUBESCH (64) 17.04.51 

ITALY 

In control...midfielder Benassi in action against Portugal 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Francesco BARDI (23) 18.01.92 Internazionale 

20 Nicola LEALI (22) 17.02.93 Juventus 

14 Marco SPORTIELLO (23) 10.05.92 Atalanta 

DEFENDERS 

12 Federico BARBA (21) 01.09.93 Empoli 

13 Matteo BIANCHETTI (22) 17.03.93 Verona 

3 Cristiano BIRAGHI (22) 01.09.92 Internazionale 

17 Armando IZZO (23) 02.03.92 Genoa 

6 Alessio ROMAGNOLI (20) 12.01.95 Roma 

5 Daniele RUGANI (20) 29.07.94 Empoli 

2 Stefano SABELLI (22) 13.01.93 Bari 

22 Davide ZAPPACOSTA (22) 23.06.92 Atalanta 

MIDFIELDERS 

16 Daniele BASELLI (23) 12.03.92 Atalanta 

18 Cristian BATTOCCHIO (23) 10.02.92 Virtus Entella 

15 Marco BENASSI (20) 08.09.94 Torino 

21 Danilo CATALDI (20) 06.08.94 Lazio 

4 Lorenzo CRISETIG (22) 20.01.93 Internazionale 

8 Stefano STURARO (22) 09.03.93 Juventus 

7 Federico VIVIANI (23) 24.03.92 Roma 

FORWARDS 

9 Andrea BELOTTI (21) 20.12.93 Palermo 

10 Domenico BERARDI (20) 01.08.94 Juventus 

11 Federico BERNARDESCHI (21) 16.02.94 Fiorentina 

19 Marcello TROTTA (22) 29.09.92 Avellino 

23 Simone VERDI (22) 12.07.92 Empoli 

COACH 

Luigi DI BIAGIO (44) 03.06.71 

PORTUGAL 

GOALKEEPERS 

12 Daniel FERNANDES (22) 13.11.92 Paderborn (Ger) 

1 Jose SA (22) 17.01.93 Maritimo 

22 Bruno VARELA (20) 04.11.94 Benfi ca 

DEFENDERS 

13 Joao CANCELO (21) 27.05.94 Valencia (Spa) 

2 Ricardo ESGAIO (22) 16.05.93 Academica 

14 Tobias FIGUEIREDO (21) 02.02.94 Sporting Lisbon 

5 Raphael GUERREIRO (21) 22.12.93 Lorient (Fra) 

3 Tiago ILORI (22) 26.02.93 Liverpool (Eng) 

4 Paulo OLIVEIRA (23) 08.01.92 Sporting Lisbon 

15 Frederico VENANCIO (22) 04.02.93 Vitoria Setubal 

MIDFIELDERS 

6 William CARVALHO (23) 07.04.92 Sporting Lisbon 

23 Joao MARIO (22) 19.01.93 Sporting Lisbon 

16 Ruben NEVES (18) 13.03.97 Porto 

8 Sergio OLIVEIRA (23) 02.06.92 Porto 

10 Bernardo SILVA (20) 10.08.94 Monaco (Fra) 

7 Rafa SILVA (22) 17.05.93 Braga 

20 TOZE (22) 14.01.93 Estoril 

FORWARDS 

18 Ivan CAVALEIRO (21) 18.10.93 Benfi ca 

19 Ricardo HORTA (20) 15.09.94 Malaga (Spa) 

17 Carlos MANE (21) 11.03.94 Sporting Lisbon 

11 Iuri MEDEIROS (20) 10.07.94 Arouca 

9 Goncalo PACIENCIA (20) 01.08.94 Porto 

21 Ricardo PEREIRA (21) 06.10.93 Porto 

COACH 

Rui JORGE (42) 27.03.73 

SERBIA 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Marko DMITROVIC (23) 24.01.92 Charlton Athletic (Eng) 

12 Nikola PERIC (23) 04.02.92 Jagodina 

23 Nemanja STEVANOVIC (23) 05.05.92 Cukaricki 

DEFENDERS 

20 Lazar CIRKOVIC (22) 22.08.92 Partizan 

5 Uros COSIC (22) 24.10.92 Pescara (Ita) 

17 Aleksandar FILIPOVIC (20) 20.12.94 Jagodina 

6 Aleksandar PANTIC (23) 11.04.92 Cordoba (Spa) 

3 Marko PETKOVIC (22) 03.09.92 Red Star 

13 Nemanja PETROVIC (23) 17.04.92 Partizan 

15 Uros SPAJIC (22) 13.02.93 Toulouse (Fra) 

22 Filip STOJKOVIC (23) 22.01.92 Cukaricki 

MIDFIELDERS 

14 Darko BRASANAC (23) 12.02.92 Partizan 

7 Goran CAUSIC (23) 05.05.92 Eskisehirspor (Tur) 

10 Filip DURICIC (23) 30.01.92 Benfi ca (Por) 

8 Mirko IVANIC (21) 13.09.93 Vojvodina 

18 Milos JOJIC (23) 19.03.92 Borussia Dortmund (Ger) 

2 Aleksandar KOVACEVIC (23) 09.01.92 Red Star 

4 Srdan MIJAILOVID (21) 10.11.93 Kayserispor (Tur) 

FORWARDS 

11 Aleksandar CAVRIC (20) 18.06.94 Genk (Blg) 

16 Luka MILUNOVIC (22) 21.12.92 Platanias (Gre) 

9 Aleksandar PESIC (23) 21.05.92 Toulouse (Fra) 

21 Slavoljub SRNIC (23) 12.01.92 Cukaricki 

19 Nikola STOJILJKOVIC (22) 17.08.92 Cukaricki 

COACH 

Mladen DODIC (45) 17.10.69 

SWEDEN 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Patrik CARLGREN (23) 08.01.92 AIK 

23 Andreas LINDE (21) 24.07.93 Molde (Nor) 

12 Jacob RINNE (21) 20.06.93 Orebro 

DEFENDERS 

5 Ludwig AUGUSTINSSON (21) 21.04.94 Copenhagen (Den) 

17 Joseph BAFFO (22) 07.11.92 Halmstad 

4 Filip HELANDER (22) 22.04.93 Malmo 

18 Sebastian HOLMEN (23) 29.04.92 Elfsborg 

21 Pa KONATE (21) 25.04.94 Malmo 

2 Victor LINDELOF (20) 17.07.94 Benfi ca (Por) 

3 Alexander MILOSEVIC (23) 30.01.92 Besiktas (Tur) 

MIDFIELDERS 

22 Simon GUSTAFSON (20) 11.01.95 Hacken 

7 Oscar HILJEMARK (22) 28.06.92 PSV (Hol) 

8 Abdul KHALILI (23) 07.06.92 Mersin IY (Tur) 

19 Sam LARSSON (22) 10.04.93 Heerenveen (Hol) 

6 Oscar LEWICKI (22) 14.07.92 Malmo 

15 Kristoffer OLSSON (19) 30.06.95 Midtjylland (Den) 

20 Robin QUAISON (21) 09.10.93 Palermo (Ita) 

16 Simon TIBBLING (20) 07.09.94 Groningen (Hol) 

13 Arber ZENELI (20) 25.02.95 Elfsborg 

FORWARDS 

10 John GUIDETTI (23) 15.04.92 Manchester City (Eng) 

9 Branimir HRGOTA (22) 12.01.93 Borussia M’gladbach (Ger) 

14 Mikael ISHAK (22) 31.03.93 Randers (Den) 

11 Isaac Kiese THELIN (22) 24.06.92 Bordeaux (Fra) 

COACH 

Hakan ERICSON (55) 29.05.60 

(ages as of 17.06.15) 

WORLD SOCCER 95

SQUADS 

ARGENTINA 

COPA AMERICA 

BOLIVIA 

Double...Aguero scored twice in the group stage 

GOALKEEPERS 

23 Mariano ANDUJAR* (31) 30.07.83 Napoli (Ita) 

12 Nahuel GUZMAN (29) 10.02.86 Tigres (Mex) 

23 Agustin MARCHESIN* (27) 16.03.88 Santos Laguna (Mex) 

1 Sergio ROMERO (28) 22.02.87 Sampdoria (Ita) 

DEFENDERS 

13 Milton CASCO (27) 11.04.88 Newell’s Old Boys 

15 Martin DEMICHELIS (34) 20.12.80 Manchester City (Eng) 

2 Ezequiel GARAY (28) 10.10.86 Zenit (Rus) 

17 Nicolas OTAMENDI (27) 12.02.88 Valencia (Spa) 

16 Marcos ROJO (25) 20.03.90 Manchester United (Eng) 

3 Facundo RONCAGLIA (28) 10.02.87 Genoa (Ita) 

4 Pablo ZABALETA (30) 16.01.85 Manchester City (Eng) 

MIDFIELDERS 

19 Ever BANEGA (26) 29.06.88 Sevilla (Spa) 

6 Lucas BIGLIA (29) 30.01.86 Lazio (Ita) 

7 Angel DI MARIA (27) 14.02.88 Manchester United (Eng) 

5 Fernando GAGO (29) 10.04.86 Boca Juniors 

20 Erik LAMELA (23) 04.03.92 Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 

14 Javier MASCHERANO (31) 08.06.84 Barcelona (Spa) 

21 Javier PASTORE (25) 20.06.89 Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) 

8 Roberto PEREYRA (24) 07.01.91 Juventus (Ita) 

FORWARDS 

11 Sergio AGUERO (27) 02.06.88 Manchester City (Eng) 

9 Gonzalo HIGUAIN (27) 10.12.87 Napoli (Ita) 

22 Ezequiel LAVEZZI (30) 03.05.85 Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) 

10 Lionel MESSI (27) 24.06.87 Barcelona (Spa) 

18 Carlos TEVEZ (31) 07.02.84 Juventus (Ita) 

COACH 

Gerardo MARTINO (52) 20.11.62 

* Marchesin replaced Andujar during tournament due to injury 

GOALKEEPERS 

12 Jose PENARRIETA (26) 18.11.88 Petrolero Yacuiba 

1 Romel QUINONEZ (22) 25.06.92 Bolivar 

23 Hugo SUAREZ (33) 07.02.82 Blooming 

DEFENDERS 

17 Marvin BEJARANO (27) 06.03.88 Oriente Petrolero 

21 Cristian COIMBRA (25) 11.09.89 Blooming 

5 Ronald EGUINO (27) 20.02.88 Bolivar 

2 Miguel HURTADO (29) 04.07.85 Blooming 

4 Leonel MORALES (26) 02.09.88 Blooming 

16 Ronald RALDES (34) 20.04.81 Oriente Petrolero 

14 Edemir RODRIGUEZ (30) 21.10.84 Bolivar 

22 Edward ZENTENO (30) 05.12.84 Jorge Wilstermann 

MIDFIELDERS 

6 Danny BEJARANO (21) 03.01.94 Oriente Petrolero 

20 Jhasmani CAMPOS (27) 10.05.88 Bolivar 

3 Alejandro CHUMACERO (24) 22.04.91 The Strongest 

15 Sebastian GAMARRA (18) 15.01.97 Milan (Ita) 

11 Damian LIZIO (25) 30.06.89 O’Higgins (Chl) 

13 Damir MIRANDA (29) 06.10.85 Bolivar 

8 Martin SMEDBERG-DALENCE (31) 10.05.84 IFK Gothenburg (Swe) 

19 Walter VEIZAGA (29) 22.04.86 The Strongest 

FORWARDS 

10 Pablo ESCOBAR (36) 23.02.79 The Strongest 

9 Marcelo MORENO (27) 18.06.87 Changchun Yatai (Chn) 

18 Ricardo PEDRIEL (27) 01.09.87 Mersin IY (Tur) 

7 Alcides PENA (26) 14.01.89 Oriente Petrolero 

COACH 

Mauricio SORIA (49) 01.06.66 

COLOMBIA 

ECUADOR 

GOALKEEPERS 

23 Cristian BONILLA (22) 02.06.93 La Equidad 

1 David OSPINA (26) 31.08.88 Arsenal (Eng) 

12 Camilo VARGAS (25) 01.09.89 Atletico Nacional 

DEFENDERS 

13 Darwin ANDRADE (24) 11.02.91 Standard Liege (Blg) 

4 Santiago ARIAS (23) 13.01.92 PSV (Hol) 

7 Pablo ARMERO (28) 02.11.86 Flamengo (Bra) 

3 Pedro FRANCO (24) 23.04.91 Besiktas (Tur) 

22 Jeison MURILLO (23) 27.05.92 Granada (Spa) 

14 Carlos VALDES (30) 22.05.85 Nacional (Uru) 

2 Cristian ZAPATA (28) 30.09.86 Milan (Ita) 

18 Camilo ZUNIGA (29) 14.12.85 Napoli (Ita) 

MIDFIELDERS 

8 Edwin CARDONA (22) 08.12.92 Monterrey (Mex) 

11 Juan CUADRADO (27) 26.05.88 Chelsea (Eng) 

15 Alexander MEJIA (26) 07.09.88 Monterrey (Mex) 

10 James RODRIGUEZ (23) 12.07.91 Real Madrid (Spa) 

6 Carlos SANCHEZ (29) 06.02.86 Aston Villa (Eng) 

5 Edwin VALENCIA (30) 29.03.85 Santos (Bra) 

FORWARDS 

17 Carlos BACCA (28) 08.09.86 Sevilla (Spa) 

9 Radamel FALCAO (29) 10.02.86 Monaco (Fra) 

19 Teofi lo GUTIERREZ (30) 28.05.85 River Plate (Arg) 

16 Victor IBARBO (25) 19.05.90 Roma (Ita) 

21 Jackson MARTINEZ (28) 03.10.86 Porto (Por) 

20 Luis MURIEL (24) 18.04.91 Sampdoria (Ita) 

COACH 

Jose PEKERMAN (Arg) (65) 03.09.49 

Strike...Valencia got Ecuador’s winner against Mexico 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Librado AZCONA (31) 18.01.84 Independiente del Valle 

23 Alexander DOMINGUEZ (28) 05.06.87 LDU Quito 

12 Esteban DREER (33) 11.11.81 Emelec 

DEFENDERS 

21 Gabriel ACHILIER (30) 23.03.85 Emelec 

10 Walter AYOVI (35) 11.08.79 Pachuca (Mex) 

18 Oscar BAGUI (32) 10.12.82 Emelec 

3 Frickson ERAZO (27) 05.05.88 Gremio (Bra) 

2 Arturo MINA (24) 08.10.90 Independiente del Valle 

20 John NARVAEZ (24) 12.06.91 Emelec 

4 Juan Carlos PAREDES (27) 08.07.87 Watford (Eng) 

16 Mario PINEIDA (22) 06.07.92 Independiente del Valle 

MIDFIELDERS 

11 Juan CAZARES (23) 03.04.92 Banfi eld (Arg) 

5 Renato IBARRA (23) 20.01.91 Vitesse (Hol) 

22 Jonathan GONZALEZ (20) 07.03.95 Uni de Guadalajara (Mex) 

19 Pedro LARREA (29) 21.05.86 LDU Loja 

14 Osbaldo LASTRA (31) 10.08.83 Emelec 

7 Jefferson MONTERO (25) 01.09.89 Swansea City (Eng) 

6 Christian NOBOA (30) 09.04.85 PAOK (Gre) 

15 Pedro QUINONEZ (29) 04.03.86 Emelec 

FORWARDS 

17 Daniel ANGULO (28) 16.11.86 Independiente del Valle 

8 Miller BOLANOS (25) 01.06.90 Emelec 

9 Fidel MARTINEZ (25) 15.02.90 Uni de Guadalajara (Mex) 

13 Enner VALENCIA (25) 04.11.89 West Ham United (Eng) 

COACH 

Gustavo QUINTEROS (Bol) (50) 15.02.65 

PARAGUAY 

Through...Samudio helped his side into the knockout stage 


GOALKEEPERS 

23 Alfredo AGUILAR (26) 18.07.88 Guarani 

12 Antony SILVA (31) 27.02.84 Independiente Medellin (Col) 

1 Justo VILLAR (37) 30.06.77 Colo Colo (Chl) 

DEFENDERS 

4 Pablo AGUILAR (28) 02.04.87 Club America (Mex) 

19 Fabian BALBUENA (23) 23.08.91 Libertad 

3 Marcos CACERES (29) 05.05.86 Newell’s Old Boys (Arg) 

14 Paulo DA SILVA (35) 01.02.80 Toluca (Mex) 

2 Ivan PIRIS (26) 10.03.89 Udinese (Ita) 

6 Miguel SAMUDIO (28) 24.08.86 Club America (Mex) 

5 Bruno VALDEZ (22) 06.10.92 Cerro Porteno 

MIDFIELDERS 

22 Eduardo ARANDA (30) 28.01.85 Olimpia 

15 Víctor CACERES (30) 25.03.85 Flamengo (Bra) 

17 Osvaldo MARTINEZ (29) 08.04.86 Club America (Mex) 

16 Osmar MOLINAS (28) 03.05.87 Libertad 

20 Nestor ORTIGOZA (30) 07.12.84 San Lorenzo (Arg) 

13 Richard ORTIZ (25) 22.05.90 Toluca (Mex) 

21 Oscar ROMERO (22) 04.07.92 Racing (Arg) 

FORWARDS 

8 Lucas BARRIOS (30) 13.11.84 Montpellier (Fra) 

11 Edgar BENITEZ (27) 08.11.87 Toluca (Mex) 

7 Raul BOBADILLA (27) 18.06.87 Augsburg (Ger) 

10 Derlis GONZALEZ (21) 23.03.94 Basle (Swi) 

18 Nelson HAEDO VALDEZ (31) 28.11.83 Eintracht Frankfurt (Ger) 

9 Roque SANTA CRUZ (33) 16.08.81 Cruz Azul (Mex) 

COACH 

Ramon DIAZ (Arg) (55) 29.08.59 

PERU 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Pedro GALLESE (25) 23.02.90 Juan Aurich 

23 Salomon LIBMAN (31) 25.02.84 Universidad Cesar Vallejo 

12 Diego PENNY (31) 22.04.84 Sporting Cristal 

DEFENDERS 

17 Luis ADVINCULA (25) 02.03.90 Vitoria Setubal (Por) 

2 Jair CESPEDES (31) 22.05.84 Juan Aurich 

15 Christian RAMOS (26) 04.11.88 Juan Aurich 

4 Pedro REQUENA (24) 24.01.91 Universidad Cesar Vallejo 

3 Hansell RIOJAS (23) 15.10.91 Universidad Cesar Vallejo 

19 Yoshimar YOTUN (25) 07.04.90 Malmo (Swe) 

5 Carlos ZAMBRANO (25) 10.07.89 Eintracht Frankfurt (Ger) 

MIDFIELDERS 

22 Carlos ASCUES (23) 06.06.92 Melgar 

21 Josepmir BALLON (27) 21.03.88 Sporting Cristal 

8 Christian CUEVA (23) 23.11.91 Alianza Lima 

7 Paolo HURTADO (24) 27.07.90 Pacos Ferreira (Por) 

16 Carlos LOBATON (35) 06.02.80 Sporting Cristal 

13 Edwin RETAMOSO (33) 23.02.82 Real Garcilaso 

20 Joel SANCHEZ (26) 11.06.89 Universidad San Martin 

6 Juan Manuel VARGAS (31) 05.10.83 Fiorentina (Ita) 

FORWARDS 

18 Andre CARRILLO (24) 14.06.91 Sporting Lisbon (Por) 

10 Jefferson FARFAN (30) 26.10.84 Schalke (Ger) 

9 Paolo GUERRERO (31) 01.01.84 Corinthians (Bra) 

14 Claudio PIZARRO (36) 03.10.78 Bayern Munich (Ger) 

11 Yordy REYNA (21) 17.09.93 RB Leipzig (Ger) 

COACH 

Ricardo GARECA (Arg) (57) 10.02.58

SQUADS 

BRAZIL 

Battle...Elias gets involved against Peru in the group stage 

GOALKEEPERS 

23 Marcelo GROHE (28) 13.01.87 Gremio 

1 JEFFERSON (32) 02.01.83 Botafogo 

12 NETO (25) 19.07.89 Fiorentina (Ita) 

DEFENDERS 

2 Dani ALVES (32) 06.05.83 Barcelona (Spa) 

16 FABINHO (21) 23.10.93 Monaco (Fra) 

15 GEFERSON (21) 13.05.94 Internacional 

6 Filipe LUIS (29) 09.08.85 Chelsea (Eng) 

4 David LUIZ (28) 22.04.87 Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) 

13 MARQUINHOS (21) 14.05.94 Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) 

3 MIRANDA (30) 07.09.84 Atletico Madrid (Spa) 

14 Thiago SILVA (30) 22.09.84 Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) 

MIDFIELDERS 

22 CASEMIRO (23) 23.02.92 Real Madrid (Spa) 

7 Douglas COSTA (24) 14.09.90 Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 

21 Philippe COUTINHO (23) 12.06.92 Liverpool (Eng) 

8 ELIAS (30) 16.05.85 Corinthians 

5 FERNANDINHO (30) 04.05.85 Manchester City (Eng) 

11 Roberto FIRMINO (23) 02.10.91 Hoffenheim (Ger) 

17 FRED (22) 05.03.93 Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 

18 Everton RIBEIRO (26) 10.04.89 Al Ahli (UAE) 

19 WILLIAN (26) 09.08.88 Chelsea (Eng) 

FORWARDS 

10 NEYMAR (23) 05.02.92 Barcelona (Spa) 

20 ROBINHO (31) 25.01.84 Santos 

9 Diego TARDELLI (30) 10.05.85 Shandong Luneng Taishan (Chn) 

COACH 

DUNGA (51) 31.10.63 

CHILE 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Claudio BRAVO (32) 13.04.83 Barcelona (Spa) 

12 Paulo GARCES (30) 02.08.84 Colo Colo 

23 Johnny HERRERA (34) 09.05.81 Universidad de Chile 

DEFENDERS 

3 Miiko ALBORNOZ (24) 30.11.90 Hanover (Ger) 

4 Mauricio ISLA (27) 12.06.88 Juventus (Ita) 

18 Gonzalo JARA (29) 29.08.85 Mainz (Ger) 

17 Gary MEDEL (27) 03.08.87 Internazionale (Ita) 

2 Eugenio MENA (26) 18.07.88 Cruzeiro (Bra) 

13 Jose ROJAS (32) 03.06.83 Universidad de Chile 

MIDFIELDERS 

20 Charles ARANGUIZ (26) 17.04.89 Internacional (Bra) 

15 Jean BEAUSEJOUR (31) 03.06.84 Colo Colo 

21 Marcelo DIAZ (28) 30.12.86 Hamburg (Ger) 

14 Matias FERNANDEZ (29) 15.05.86 Fiorentina (Ita) 

6 Jose Pedro FUENZALIDA (30) 22.02.85 Boca Juniors (Arg) 

19 Felipe GUTIERREZ (24) 08.10.90 Twente (Hol) 

16 David PIZARRO (35)11.09.79 Fiorentina (Ita) 

5 Francisco SILVA (29) 11.02.86 Club Brugge (Blg) 

10 Jorge VALDIVIA (31) 19.10.83 Palmeiras (Bra) 

8 Arturo VIDAL (28) 22.05.87 Juventus (Ita) 

FORWARDS 

22 Angelo HENRIQUEZ (21) 13.04.94 Manchester United (Eng) 

9 Mauricio PINILLA (31) 04.02.84 Atalanta (Ita) 

7 Alexis SANCHEZ (26) 19.12.88 Arsenal (Eng) 

11 Eduardo VARGAS (25) 20.11.89 Napoli (Ita) 

COACH 

Jorge SAMPAOLI (Arg) (55) 13.03.60 

JAMAICA 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Duwayne KERR (28) 16.02.87 Sarpsborg (Nor) 

12 Dwayne MILLER (27) 14.07.87 Syrianska (Swe) 

23 Ryan THOMPSON (30) 07.01.85 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USA) 

DEFENDERS 

2 Daniel GORDON (30) 16.01.85 Karlsruher (Ger) 

8 Hughan GRAY (28) 25.03.87 Waterhouse 

3 Michael HECTOR (22) 19.07.92 Reading (Eng) 

20 Kemar LAWRENCE (22) 17.09.92 New York Red Bulls (USA) 

19 Adrian MARIAPPA (28) 03.10.86 Crystal Palace (Eng) 

4 Wes MORGAN (31) 21.01.84 Leicester City (Eng) 

21 Jermaine TAYLOR (30) 14.01.85 Houston Dynamo (USA) 

MIDFIELDERS 

17 Rodolph AUSTIN (30) 01.06.85 (unattached) 

16 Joel GRANT (27) 26.08.87 Yeovil Town (Eng) 

5 Lance LAING (27) 28.02.88 Edmonton (USA) 

10 Jobi McANUFF (33) 03.11.81 Leyton Orient (Eng) 

22 Garath McCLEARY (28) 15.05.87 Reading (Eng) 

15 Je-Vaughn WATSON (31) 22.10.83 Dallas (USA) 

FORWARDS 

9 Giles BARNES (26) 05.08.88 Houston Dynamo (USA) 

6 Deshorn BROWN (24) 22.12.90 Valerenga (Nor) 

18 Simon DAWKINS (27) 01.12.87 Derby County (Eng) 

11 Darren MATTOCKS (24) 02.09.90 Vancouver Whitecaps (USA) 

14 Allan OTTEY (22) 18.12.92 Montego Bay United 

7 Romeo PARKES (24) 20.11.90 Isidro Metapan (ElS) 

13 Dino WILLIAMS (25) 31.03.90 Montego Bay United 

COACH 

Winfried SCHAFER (Ger) (65) 10.01.50 

MEXICO 

Out...Vuoso’s goals couldn’t prevent Mexico’s early exit 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Jesus CORONA (34) 26.01.81 Cruz Azul 

23 Meliton HERNANDEZ (32) 15.10.82 Veracruz 

12 Alfredo TALAVERA (32) 18.09.82 Toluca 

DEFENDERS 

16 Adrian ALDRETE (27) 14.06.88 Santos Laguna 

3 Hugo AYALA (28) 31.03.87 Tigres 

21 George CORRAL (24) 18.07.90 Queretaro 

2 Julio DOMINGUEZ (27) 08.11.87 Cruz Azul 

15 Gerardo FLORES (29) 05.02.86 Cruz Azul 

4 Rafael MARQUEZ (36) 13.02.79 Verona (Ita) 

13 Carlos SALCEDO (21) 29.09.93 Guadalajara 

14 Juan Carlos VALENZUELA (31) 15.05.84 Atlas 

22 Efrain VELARDE (29) 15.04.86 Monterrey 

MIDFIELDERS 

11 Javier AQUINO (25) 11.02.90 Rayo Vallecano (Spa) 

8 Marco FABIAN (25) 21.07.89 Guadalajara 

6 Javier GUEMEZ (23) 17.10.91 Tijuana 

5 Juan Carlos MEDINA (31) 22.08.83 Atlas 

10 Luis MONTES (29) 15.05.86 Leon 

17 Mario OSUNA (26) 20.08.88 Queretaro 

FORWARDS 

7 Jesus Manuel CORONA (22) 06.01.93 Twente (Hol) 

18 Enrique ESQUEDA (27) 19.04.88 Tigres 

20 Eduardo HERRERA (26) 25.07.88 Pumas 

9 Raul JIMENEZ (24) 05.05.91 Atletico Madrid (Spa) 

19 Vicente Matias VUOSO (33) 03.11.81 Chiapas 

COACH 

Miguel HERRERA (47) 18.03.68 

URUGUAY 

Winner...Cristian Rodriguez’s goal beat Jamaica 

GOALKEEPERS 

12 Rodrigo MUNOZ (33) 22.01.82 Libertad (Par) 

1 Fernando MUSLERA (29) 16.06.86 Galatasaray (Tur) 

23 Martin SILVA (32) 25.03.83 Vasco da Gama (Bra) 

DEFENDERS 

19 Sebastian COATES (24) 07.10.90 Liverpool (Eng) 

18 Mathias CORUJO (29) 08.05.86 Universidad de Chile (Chl) 

4 Jorge FUCILE (30) 19.11.84 Nacional 

2 Jose GIMENEZ (20) 20.01.95 Atletico Madrid (Spa) 

3 Diego GODIN (29) 16.02.86 Atletico Madrid (Spa) 

6 Alvaro PEREIRA (29) 28.11.85 Estudiantes (Arg) 

16 Maximiliano PEREIRA (31) 08.06.84 Benfi ca (Por) 

13 Gaston SILVA (21) 05.03.94 Torino (Ita) 

MIDFIELDERS 

17 Egidio AREVALO (33) 01.01.82 Tigres (Mex) 

10 Giorgian DE ARRASCAETA (21) 01.05.94 Cruzeiro (Bra) 

20 Alvaro GONZALEZ (30) 29.10.84 Torino (Ita) 

14 Nicolas LODEIRO (26) 21.03.89 Boca Juniors (Arg) 

15 Guzman PEREIRA (24) 16.05.91 Universidad de Chile (Chl) 

7 Cristian RODRIGUEZ (29) 30.09.85 Atletico Madrid (Spa) 

5 Carlos SANCHEZ (30) 02.12.84 River Plate (Arg) 

FORWARDS 

21 Edinson CAVANI (28) 14.02.87 Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) 

8 Abel HERNANDEZ (24) 08.08.90 Hull City (Eng) 

22 Jonathan RODRIGUEZ (21) 06.07.93 Benfi ca (Por) 

9 Diego ROLAN (22) 24.03.93 Bordeaux (Fra) 

11 Christian STUANI (28) 12.10.86 Espanyol (Spa) 

COACH 

Oscar TABAREZ (68) 03.03.47 

VENEZUELA 

GOALKEEPERS 

1 Alain BAROJA (25) 23.10.89 Caracas 

23 Wuilker FARINEZ (17) 15.02.98 Caracas 

12 Dani HERNANDEZ (29) 21.10.85 Tenerife (Spa) 

DEFENDERS 

5 Fernando AMOREBIETA (30) 29.03.85 Fulham (Eng) 

2 Wilker ANGEL (22) 18.03.93 Deportivo Tachira 

6 Gabriel CICHERO (31) 25.04.84 Mineros de Guayana 

20 Grenddy PEROZO (29) 28.02.86 AC Ajaccio (Fra) 

16 Roberto ROSALES (26) 20.11.88 Malaga (Spa) 

3 Andres TUNEZ (28) 15.03.87 Buriram United (Tha) 

4 Oswaldo VIZCARRONDO (31) 31.05.84 Nantes (Fra) 

MIDFIELDERS 

19 Rafael ACOSTA (26) 13.02.89 Mineros de Guayana 

18 Juan ARANGO (35) 17.05.80 Tijuana (Mex) 

11 Cesar GONZALEZ (32) 01.10.82 Deportivo Tachira 

15 Alejandro GUERRA (29) 09.07.85 Atletico Nacional (Col) 

14 Franklin LUCENA (34) 20.02.81 Deportivo La Guaira 

22 Jhon MURILLO (20) 04.06.95 Benfi ca (Por) 

8 Tomas RINCON (27) 13.01.88 Genoa (Ita) 

13 Luis Manuel SEIJAS (28) 23.06.86 Santa Fe (Col) 

10 Ronald VARGAS (28) 02.12.86 Balikesirspor (Tur) 

FORWARDS 

7 Nicolas FEDOR (29) 19.08.85 Rayo Vallecano (Spa) 

17 Josef MARTINEZ (22) 19.05.93 Torino (Ita) 

21 Gelmin RIVAS (26) 23.03.89 Deportivo Tachira 

9 Salomon RONDON (25) 16.09.89 Zenit (Rus) 

COACH 

Noel SANVICENTE (50) 21.12.64 

(ages as of 1 1.06.15) 

WORLD SOCCER 97

GREAT 

MATCHES 

JUNE 17, 1970, AZTECA STADIUM, MEXICO CITY: WORLD CUP SEMI-FINAL 

Italy 4 West Germany 3 

Five goals in extra time as West Germany push 

Italy all the way for a place in the World Cup Final 

KEY MOMENTS 

First...Sepp Maier is beaten by Boninsegna 

7 min Roberto Boninsegna opens 

the scoring for Italy following an assist 

by Luigi Riva. 1-0 

90 min Jurgen Grabowski sets up 

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger for a late 

equaliser to take the game into 

extra time. 1-1 

Drama...Italy win 

in extra time 

When Franz Beckenbauer 

was told that the 1970 

World Cup semi-final 

between Italy and West 

Germany had been voted World Soccer’s 

greatest match of all time [in the Summer 

2007 edition], he was not surprised. “It 

was the same when we voted in Germany,” 

he said. “But what people forget is how 

ordinary the first 90 minutes were. 

“It was the 30 minutes of extra time 

that were so extraordinary.” 

“Der Kaiser”, who finished the match 

with his arm strapped to his side 

as a result of a brutal foul, was spot on. 

Italy scored early in the game and set 

about defending their lead. The longer the 

match went on, the more the Germans 

threw caution to the wind. 

Eric Batty wrote in World Soccer: 

“The climax of the competition was 

undoubtedly the Italy v West Germany 

semi-final which followed a predictable 

pattern. Italy, always content to defend, 

were leading for most of the game by a 

goal to nil while the Germans threw up 

everyone they had, including their liberos, 

Schnellinger and Schulz. 

“With two minutes of injury time gone it 

was Schnellinger – who had abandoned 

his free role at the back – who threw 

himself forward, feet first to snatch the 

Injured...Beckenbauer 

ITALY 

Coach: Ferruccio Valcareggi 

Facchetti 

Bertini 

De Sisti 

goal that forced Italy into extra time.” 

It was the extra half an hour that 

defined the game. Five goals were scored 

in a 16-minute period, with the lead 

fluctuating back and forth, before Italy 

substitute Gianni Rivera scored the winner. 

Batty added: “The two fiercely fought 

matches that both went to extra time 

– West Germany v England (quarter-final) 

and West Germany v Italy – had a 

cumulative effect on the German’s energy. 

“This factor alone probably determined 

that Italy and not West Germany would 

face Brazil in the Final.” 

Riva 

Grabowski 

Referee: Yamazaki (Mex) 

WEST GERMANY 

Coach: Helmut Schon 

Vogts 

Beckenbauer 

Muller Schulz 

Albertosi Mazzola 

Boninsegna 

Maier 

(Rivera 46) 

Seeler 

Patzke 

(Held 66) 

Cera Overath 

Rosato 

(Poletti 91) 

Schnellinger 

Burgnich Domenghini Lohr 

(Libuda 52) 

Back in front...Riva makes it 3-2 to Italy 

NEXT MONTH AUGUST ISSUE ON SALE AUGUST 14 

95 min Gerd Muller scores to give 

the West Germans the lead for the 

first time in the match. 1-2 

98 min Tarcisio Burgnich draws Italy 

level following a mistake by substitute 

Sigi Held. 2-2 

104 min Luigi Riva puts Italy ahead 

with a powerful low shot from outside 

the area. 3-2 

110 min Muller scores his second 

goal of the match after being set up 

by Uwe Seeler. 3-3 

111 min Within a minute, 

Boninsegna carves out an opening 

on the left and his cross is converted 

by substitute Gianni Rivera for the 

winning goal. 4-3 

Winner...Rivera (far left) settles matters

$'9(57Ζ6(0(17 

6(( 7+( )8// 0(66Ζ &2//(&7Ζ21 21/Ζ1( Ζ1&/8'Ζ1* -81Ζ256 35Ζ&(6 67$57 )520 e 

0(66Ζ 

)*$* e 

0(66Ζ 

)*$* e 

0(66Ζ 

)*$* e 

0(66Ζ 

)* e 

:::352'Ζ5(&762&&(5&20

World Soccer - July 2015 UK

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?