14 Established 1961 Sports Thursday, November 16, 2017 Makeshift England frustrate Brazil in 0-0 Wembley draw Alves involved in a spat with Jake Livermore LONDON: Toothless Brazil flattered to deceive as the it. Tonight we just showed resilience, guts and some five-times world champions were held to frustrating 0- outstanding defending.” 0 draw by a makeshift England side in a disappointing friendly at Wembley on Tuesday. Brazil manager Tite BALL-WATCHING fielded all of his big guns, including the world’s most With Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Philippe Coutinho expensive player Neymar, but despite the samba- in a Brazil starting lineup packed with experience and rhythm that beat out from their 5,000 fans, the men in quality, the match had the potential to be a torrid the famous yellow shirts failed to light up a cold night. evening for England. The hosts spent most of the match England manager Gareth Southgate probably watching the ball being pinged around, although for all learned more about some of his fringe players who, as Brazil’s intricate patterns the visitors were disappoint- they did in a goalless draw with world champions ing in the final third of the pitch where Neymar and Germany last week, defended with great discipline, Jesus barely had a sight of goal. even if the hosts offered little in attack. England keeper Hart, earning his 75th cap, enjoyed a Brazil cruised through South American qualifying to quieter evening than he could possibly have imagined. reach next year’s World Cup, “I thought the defensive and had won 13 of their 16 backline were phenomenal,” matches since Tite took over, he said. “Joe (Gomez) played but rarely tested Joe Hart, Tite fielded against one of the best play- who became the first ers in the world (Neymar) England goalie to keep a all of his and was excellent. We have clean sheet against them played two of the best teams since 1990. big guns in the world, we didn’t win, The closest they came but we didn’t lose.” was when Fernandinho The second half was grazed the post. “They were slightly livelier, with Rashford very tight at the back,” bursting through early on Fernandinho said. “It was hard making chances in the before being crowded out before Brazil counter- first half. In the second half we created more space but attacked and Neymar poked a clever pass to Dani unfortunately we couldn’t score.” Alves who forced a smart save from Hart. Alves also England’s starting 11 boasted 208 caps to Brazil’s became involved in a spat with England midfielder Jake 454 but despite being under pressure defenders Joe Livermore after reacting angrily to an innocuous tackle. Gomez, making his first start, John Stones and Harry Brazil’s best two chances came late on with Coutinho Maguire all impressed, while Marcus Rashford was a going close, substitute Fernandinho’s daisy-cutter clip- powerful presence up front. ping the post and Paulinho’s effort from a narrow angle “In terms of heart, resilience and spirit it was up pushed away by Hart. there with anything I’ve been involved in,” Southgate, Substitute Dominic Solanke could have won it for LONDON: England’s defender John Stones (R) vies with Brazil’s striker Neymar during the international friendly without several players who will be on the plane to England at the death but his touch let him down in front football match between England and Brazil at Wembley Stadium in London. —AFP Russia, said. “We couldn’t get hold of the ball and keep of goal. — Reuters Aguero collapses at Taxing times for halftime as Argentina China’s wantaway lose to Nigeria foreign stars MOSCOW: Argentina striker Sergio Aguero collapsed SHANGHAI: Expensive flop Carlos Tevez could leave in the dressing room at halftime before they lost 4-2 to China soon, but other foreigners pining for a move in fellow World Cup qualifiers Nigeria after taking a two- World Cup year may be disappointed by clubs desper- goal lead in a friendly in Krasnodar, Russia on Tuesday. ate to retain their pricey stars. The unsettled Argentine, The Argentine Football Association (AFA) said in a branded “very homesick boy” by fed-up Chinese fans, statement that Aguero, who scored in the first half, was has endured a miserable 11 months in the Chinese Super taken away for routine examinations but added: “The League (CSL) and hinted that he is eager to return to player is well”. His Premier League club Manchester Argentina. Shanghai Shenhua are paying the 33-year- City said the 29-year-old Aguero had been cleared by old forward some of the highest wages in world football, doctors to return to England as planned after he suf- an estimated 730,000 euros a week, and could agree to fered what they called “a dizzy spell”. let Tevez go after the two-legged Chinese FA Cup final “Sergio never lost consciousness, and was taken to this month against Shanghai SIPG. hospital for precautionary medical checks,” City said But other overseas players wanting to quit the CSL on their official website (www.mancity.com). now that the season has ended are less likely to get Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli rested Lionel their wish. Replacing them will cost their clubs dear-the Messi following the 1-0 win over next year’s World result of a Chinese Football Association (CFA) ruling in May that effectively slapped a 100 percent tax on the Cup hosts Russia on Saturday and it seemed that they KRASNODAR: Nigeria’s John Ogu, right, jumps for the ball during the international friendly soccer match between purchase of foreign players, bringing a sudden halt to could cope without him. Ever Banega curled in a free Argentina and Nigeria in Krasnodar, Russia. — AP the influx of foreigners signed for eye-watering sums. kick, awarded after Nigeria goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi Perennial champions Guangzhou Evergrande, under picked the ball up outside his area, in the 28th minute new coach Fabio Cannavaro, have already declared they and Aguero finished off a sweeping counter-attack of the area to finish off a counter attack. A superb goal we went in with a 2-1 lead. “My biggest worry was the want to field an all-Chinese team by 2020, though it eight minutes later. by Iwobi completed the comeback in the 73rd minute way the team played when we were behind. I know we remains to be seen if they can do that and still remain But Kelechi Iheanacho inspired Nigeria’s fightback. as he collected the ball, slipped it between Javier are capable and have the individual talent to be able to the team to beat in the CSL. First, he emulated Banega by scoring from a free kick Mascherano’s legs and fired past Agustin Marchesin. get out of these situations and I’m worried about what “Certainly someone like Tevez could leave, but only on the stroke of halftime and then set up the equaliser Argentina staggered through their World Cup quali- happened tonight. “We played an incredible first half because he hasn’t been very good,” said Ji Zhe, director by pulling the ball back for Alex Iwobi to net seven fying campaign, only clinching their place at the finals but we lost our way in a match which could confuse a at London-based sports marketing firm Red Lantern minutes after the re-start. with a 3-1 win in Ecuador in their final match. lot of people.” Aguero will be assessed by Manchester and an expert in Chinese football. The Super Eagles took the lead two minutes after “It’s a difficult game to explain,” said Sampaoli. “We City’s medical team ahead of this weekend’s Premier “Paulinho left Guangzhou Evergrande for Barcelona, that when Brian Idowu sidefooted home from the edge could have been 3-0 or 4-0 ahead in the first half and League trip to Leicester City.— Reuters but that’s a difficult move to turn down. We have seen key players extend contracts, like Renato Augusto at Beijing Guoan recently and Fredy Guarin at Shenhua tion trial began Monday, two and a half earlier in the year. years after the United States unveiled the “Now that they cannot spend freely, CSL clubs will largest graft scandal in the history of world try their hardest to keep hold of their most prized for- Global media soccer. Three South American defendants eign assets rather than letting them go.” That view is are in the dock, charged with racketeering, shared by Beijing-based Mark Dreyer, founder of China paid bribes, wire fraud and money laundering conspira- Sports Insider, which specialises in sports business cies. They are Jose Maria Marin, ex-head news in the country. “In the past a lot of the teams of Brazil’s Football Confederation, former would change foreigners very regularly and often not FIFA trial hears FIFA vice president Juan Angel Napout, for the best reasons because agents and everyone else who was elected president of CONMEBOL along the way would take their cut, even if that meant NEW YORK: The first witness in the FIFA in 2014, and Manuel Burga, who led soccer sacrificing long-term stability,” said Dreyer. trial painted a damning picture of corrup- in Peru until 2014. Burzaco said he bribed “If you just extend the contract of an existing player tion in South American soccer on Tuesday, all three defendants, alleging that Marin you don’t need to replace him with another player and saying millions of dollars in bribes were received payments of $300,000, going up pay that 100 percent tax.” paid for TV rights to major tournaments.