SPORTS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013 Italy await for jubilant Nigeria

LONDON: Nigeria will have precious little time to celebrate their qualification for the World Cup, with a friendly game against European heavyweights Italy scheduled to take place in London today. The fixture at Fulham’s Craven Cottage stadium will kick off a little over 48 hours after the African champions won 2-0 against Ethiopia in Calabar on Saturday to qualify for next year’s football extravaganza in Brazil. Given the prohibitive timeframe, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi is expected to use today’s match to test the depth of his squad, but his players are eager to finish the year in posi- tive fashion. “This is an important game for us as we begin our build- up to next year’s World Cup and so we have to take it very seriously,” said Sporting Braga left-back Elderson Echiejile. “A good result against one of the top teams in the world will also help our FIFA ranking leading up to the main draw for the World Cup.” Nigeria will hope to draw inspiration from their only pre- vious meeting with Italy, which took place at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Appearing at the tournament for the first time, Nigeria came within two minutes of a stunning victory over Arrigo Sacchi’s side in a last-16 tie in Massachusetts, only for Roberto Baggio to force extra time with an 88th-minute equaliser before settling the game from the penalty spot. MIAMI GARDENS: Neymar No. 10 of Brazil moves the ball around Wilson Palacios No. Italy went on to lose the final to Brazil, Baggio missing the 8 of Honduras in the first half during a friendly match at Sun Life Stadium. — AFP decisive spot-kick in a penalty shootout, but Nigeria are now seasoned World Cup campaigners and will be appearing at Brazil hammer Honduras their fifth tournament next year. Beaten semi-finalists at this year’s Confederations Cup in Brazil, where Nigeria went out MIAMI: Brazil turned on the style in the minute when Paulinho took possession in the group phase, Italy are bidding to return to winning second half to score four goals and ham- on the right and delivered an inviting ways after a run of three successive draws. mer Honduras 5-0 in a friendly in Miami low cross for Bernard to strike home from They drew 1-1 with Germany in Milan on Friday, but on Saturday. eight yards. coach says that his side have a long way to Bernard, Dante, Maicon, Willian and Brazil doubled their lead in the 54th go before they can be considered World Cup contenders. Hulk scored for the Brazilians, who took minute when a Dante header hit two “At the World Cup we can do unbelievable things, but we can’t say we’ll be going to Brazil to win the title, nor that we their time to settle but ran out comfort- Honduran defenders, wrong footed goal- are the strongest team. We’re really not,” he said. able winners. Substitute Robinho stood keeper Valladares and rolled into the net. “We’re a good squad, but we need to be humble, all of us, out in the second half in his first interna- Brazil’s third was similarly scrappy, and we need to have optimal physical condition on the tional appearance in two years. Valladares parrying a Paulinho shot only pitch. “I was happy with the way we played, as far as Maicon, who had the easiest of “If we have these ingredients, if we know how to take our we were very good, and it was great for tap ins in the 65th minute. chances, then we can play some top-quality games.” Mario me to come back and play like this,” said Substitute Hulk had been on the field Balotelli has gone six games without scoring for club and Robinho, who hit the post with a lovely just three minutes when he provided a country, but Prandelli has backed the 23-year-old AC Milan strike. “We thoroughly deserved the win cut back for Willian to score his first inter- striker to rediscover his scoring touch. and I’m delighted.” Honduras took the national goal with a side foot finish from “He’s not happy when he doesn’t score,” said the Azzurri game to Brazil in the early stages and put 12 yards out. coach. “I told the lad he did well (against Germany), but he in some aggressive tackling, particularly Hulk himself completed the rout in wasn’t satisfied. That’s just the way he is.” against Barcelona striker Neymar. the 73rd minute when he finished a won- Balotelli is likely to have a new strike partner against But as the game went on Brazil gradu- derful team move by curling a left foot Nigeria, with in-form Fiorentina frontman Giuseppe Rossi ally took control, with Paulinho particu- shot into the corner of the net. Brazil expected to come in for Dani Osvaldo after flu-like symp- larly prominent in midfield and David now travel to Toronto, where on Tuesday toms kept him on the bench at . However, Juventus Luiz leading from the back. they play Chile, 2-0 victors over England centre-back Andrea Barzagli will miss the game with an Brazil opened the scoring in the 21st on Friday. —Reuters adductor injury. — AFP Elderson Echiejile Root keen to face new From bedsit to Brazil Test challenge for England’s Townsend SYDNEY: insists he has no prob- knocks in the July-August series when lems dropping down England’s batting opening with skipper . “I defi- order for this week’s Ashes series opener nitely learnt a lot from it and I’ve got a lot of LONDON: Rising England star Andros Townsend based I could do.” It was the beginning of a haphaz- With Aaron Lennon sidelined by a foot injury against Australia to accommodate in-form things out of it,” he said. need only recall the days of eating furtively pre- ard introduction to professional football for the and record signing being eased into life Michael Carberry as opener. “There are parts of my game I’ve worked pared pasta dinners in a spartan hotel room to youngster, but by then he had already been given a in north London, Townsend, now 22, took hold of The young Yorkshireman is expected to hard on from last (English) summer... hope- appreciate the position he is in today. taste of the ups and downs to come. the right-wing position at Spurs with both hands. be named at number six for England in fully I can become a better player for it.” After a stunning introduction to international A member of the youth set-up at Spurs from the And when his form was rewarded with a first Thursday’s first Test at Brisbane’s Gabba Root was all praise for what Hampshire football, the Tottenham Hotspur winger has his age of eight, Townsend was informed in his mid- England cap against Montenegro last month, he after Carberry’s fine start to their Australian opener Carberry has achieved so far in sights set on next year’s World Cup in Brazil, but his teens that the club had decided to release him-only produced a man-of-the-match display crowned tour. Carberry cemented his claims for a Australia. “If you look at Michael Carberry’s path to the top has been unique in its circuitous- to be told a day later that he had been reprieved. with a fine goal in a 4-1 win that took Roy second Test cap by reaching half-centuries tour so far, he has played exceptionally well ness. Aged 17, he joined third-tier Yeovil Town for “I’ve grown up a Spurs fan and I’ve always want- Hodgson’s side to the brink of World Cup qualifica- in all three warm-up matches, including an and scored a huge amount of runs and the first of nine loan spells that would include stints ed to play for Spurs, so to be told you’re not good tion. Townsend watched the last World Cup as a fan unbeaten 153 against Australia A in Hobart. been in very good form,” he said. at Leyton Orient, Milton Keynes Dons, Ipswich enough is obviously heart-breaking,” he says. during a family holiday in Cyprus, but although he Carberry’s latest knock of 50 off 71 balls “It’s hard to ignore that. As far as the Town, Watford, Millwall, Leeds United, Birmingham “But then, 24 hours later, I was back in, so I was accepts that he now has a “foot through the door”, Saturday helped steer the tourists to a sev- team is concerned it’s very exciting.” Root, City and Queens Park Rangers. delighted, and I wanted to take that second chance he does not want to get carried away with dreams en- win over a Australia who had an X-ray after being hit on the fin- In Yeovil, an unglamourous market town in and not let it go again.” of the Copacabana. Invitational XI in Sydney. ger in his first-innings 75 but was cleared of southwest England, Townsend and hotel room- The road ahead was no less undulating, howev- “Obviously when you’re a youngster, when The batting shift does not appear to any break, is confident he can make a good mate Jonathan Obika-another Spurs loanee-smug- er, and by the time he was loaned to QPR in January you’re at school in the playground, you pretend have hurt Root, who scored 75 in England’s fist of batting down the order. gled in an electric stove in order to maintain a this year, he had made only 15 first-team appear- you’re at the World Cup; you pretend you’re at the first innings total of 418 at the Sydney “The basics are pretty similar,” he said. healthy diet. “We went so young,” recalls Townsend, ances for Spurs. Though QPR were ultimately rele- World Cup final, taking the winning penalty,” he Cricket Ground, and he said he had no “There is still a guy 22 yards away throwing who is expected to start in England’s friendly gated, Townsend’s time at Loftus Road proved a says. “You go to bed at night dreaming of lifting the problem dropping down the order. “I’m not a ball at you. The second new ball is anoth- against Germany tomorrow. success, but he returned to Spurs to find the club World Cup. I’m no different to any youngster, but I that egotistical,” the 22-year-old said after er challenge-and if that opportunity comes “We were so young, naive and professional. We ambitiously stock-piling players in a bid to return to think now it’s a genuine possibility, I don’t think I’ve Saturday’s win. “I just want to represent I hope I can manage it well and do a job for wanted to do everything right and make our loan the Champions League. “I think it was last-chance allowed myself to think about it or talk about it. England. “To get an opportunity to bat the team.” Opener Ed Cowan, who has been successful. “We took an electric stove and we used saloon for me,” he says. “I’m with the England squad now and the main down the order is a different challenge, but passed over by Australia for this week’s to take turns to cook for each other, and clean for “You see they were spending money on various aim of us being here is to impress the manager to one I’m really looking forward to. Playing Test, believes Root’s ability and the experi- each other. It was a humble beginning, really. different wingers, so I knew when I got the chance try and get in the squad. “Of course everyone thinks for England is the main thing for me.” ence gained at the top of the order have “I just cooked the basics-pasta, anything pasta- I’d have to take it, and thankfully I did.” about it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.” — AFP Root was exposed by the Australian him primed to dominate at six, like the bowling attack when opening the batting retired Mike Hussey did for Australia. in the last Ashes series. Although he scored “Like we saw with Mike Hussey’s career I 180 in the second innings at Lord’s he think it’s a nice spot to bat at number six if Coach Falcioni quits All Boys made only one you have had experience against a new ball more half- in his other nine before,” Cowan said. —AFP BUENOS AIRES: Julio Cesar Falcioni has resigned as All Boys’ coach after one win in their last eight matches. All Boys led Lanus 2-0 at half- time at their Malvinas Argentinas ground on Saturday, with two goals from striker Mauro Matos, but ended up losing 3-2 and provoking Falcioni’s decision to quit. Lanus, on a run of five victories, are in a tight bunch of teams challenging for the title in Argentina’s “Inicial” championship, first of two in the season, two points behind new leaders San Lorenzo. can join the Saints at the top on 30 points from 16 matches if they win at fifth- placed Arsenal later on Sunday while title hold- ers Newell’s Old Boys, who have 29, can reclaim the lead by winning at lowly Tigre on Monday. “After the 3-2 defeat by Lanus, Julio Cesar Falcioni presented his irreversible resignation. The trainer decided to leave the club and told president Roberto Bugallo directly,” All Boys said on their website (caallboys.com.ar). They said reserve team coach Cristian Julio Cesar Falcioni Lovrinsevich would stand in as interim coach for All Boys, who are fighting to avoid relegation at 2011 but was never popular with the the opening nine minutes before the visitors the end of the “Final” championship in May. Bombonera faithful and the club did not renew pulled level after an hour. Relegation is measured in a table of teams’ aver- his contract last year, bringing back record title- Midfielder Ignacio Piatti, in fine form since age points over three seasons with All Boys in winning coach Carlos Bianchi. returning to Argentina from Italy’s Lecce last the bottom three. Matos is now top of the scorers’ list with eight year, restored San Lorenzo’s lead with a penalty Uruguayan striker Santiago “Tank” Silva, who goals with Silva joint second on seven. San in the 62nd and former Nantes, Toulouse and played for the Banfield team Falcioni led to the Lorenzo beat Belgrano 4-2 at their Nuevo Palermo defender Mauro Cetto secured the win Apertura title in 2009, scored twice as Lanus Gasometro ground in a thriller, going two up in with Saints’ fourth. — Reuters came back against All Boys before Lautaro Acosta struck their winner in the 78th minute. “In the fifth minute (of the second half), when Salmiya SC ink Al-Rashidi the team had already hit the post, I realised their attitude was different. It was more the merit of By A Saleh President Fawaz Al-Hasawi, who said the trans- the players that what I could have said (at half- fer was at the wish of the player himself. “I time),” said Lanus coach Guillermo Barros KUWAIT: Salmiya sports club dealt Al-Arabi dealt with Al-Rashidi’s transfer professionally Schelotto. club a blow when it acquired Nottingham as FIFA laws are very clear towards this issue “We went into the match lacking concentra- Forest goalkeeper Khalid Al-Rashidi, who pre- and no one can force a player to play with a tion, asleep and lost our way but luckily we man- ferred Salmiya over his former club Al-Arabi. club without his approval. As Al-Rashidi want- aged to turn it round in the second half,” he told Salmiya paid KD 450,000 (over $1.5 million) for ed to go to Salmiya, it was imperative that reporters. the transfer. The deal was sealed after Al-Arabi Nottingham accepted Salmiya’s official TOKYO: Hitomi Nakamichi of Japan dives to receive the ball during the FIVB volley- Falcioni also won the Apertura with Boca in officials were slow to respond to Forest request,” Hasawi noted. ball women’s Grand Champions Cup match against Brazil. — AFP