Zenit Face First Real Test to Unbeaten Start
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SPORTS SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2014 Reus and Gomez back for Germany BERLIN: Germany coach Joachim Loew yesterday named 1-0 in extra-time with a goal from substitute Mario Goetze. against Scotland in Dortmund on September 7: 18 of his World Cup winning squad for a friendly match The friendly with Argentina had been arranged in Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman against Argentina and the opening European Champion March before the World Cup. Loew said he was delighted Weidenfeller (Dortmund), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hanover) qualifier against Scotland next week. to have Reus back in the squad, having torn ligaments in Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Erik Strikers Marco Reus, who missed the World Cup due to his left ankle in Germany’s final World Cup warmup match Durm (Dortmund), Matthias Ginter (Dortmund), Kevin injury, and Mario Gomez, who was overlooked for Brazil, against Armenia. He returned to action for Borussia Grosskreutz (Dortmund), Benedikt Hoewedes return to the squad for the games in Dusseldorf on Dortmund in a German Cup match on August 16. (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Dortmund), Antonio R¸diger September 3 and Dortmund four days later. “We missed him in Brazil. I am sure he has some great (Stuttgart) Missing are former skipper Philipp Lahm, record tournaments ahead of him and will achieve great things,” Midfield/forwards: Julian Draxler (Schalke), Mario goalscorer Misolsav Klose and defender Per Mertesacker, Loew added. Gomez (Fiorentina/ITA), Mario Gˆtze (Bayern Munich), who have all retired from international football, and influ- Gomez, he said, had earned his way back into the Christoph Kramer (Moenchengladbach), Toni Kroos (Real ential midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is sidelined national squad through his own hard work. “If he is on top Madrid/ESP), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid/ESP), Thomas with a knee injury. of his game we can use all of his qualities at the heart of our Mueller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal/ENG), Lukas All will be present though as spectators in Dusseldorf in attack.” Germany squad for a friendly against Argentina in Podolski (Arsenal/ENG), Marco Reus (Dortmund), Andre the re-run of the July 13 World Cup final which Brazil won Dusseldorf on September 3 and the Euro 2016 qualifier Schuerrle (Chelsea/ENG). — AFP Terry warns Chelsea to beware vengeful old boys LIVERPOOL: John Terry has warned his team- mind we know it’s going to be tough. Obviously mates that two former Chelsea stars will be deter- big Rom (Lukaku) will be up front as well, with a mined to get revenge on Jose Mourinho at point to prove, him being sold from the club. Everton yesterday. “And they are going to be up for it; they always Blues boss Mourinho sold Romelu Lukaku to believe they can turn us over at home. Everton for £28 million ($46 million) in the close- “It’s a big test for us, but we go there with a season rather than give the powerful Belgian for- one-game-at-a-time mentality, and try and move ward a chance to compete for a place in the on from there.” Everton manager Roberto Chelsea team. Lukaku had already spent last sea- Martinez is not worried about Eto’o’s physical fit- son on loan at Everton and Mourinho off-loaded ness despite his lack of match action since last sea- the 21-year-old with a few choice words about his son. “I would have loved Samuel to have 10 or 11 lack of motivation. sessions before we put him in a competitive envi- That brought a barbed response from Lukaku ronment but I learned quite quickly I was wasting about not feeling wanted at Chelsea, setting the my time,” Martinez said. stage for a potentially explosive first reunion at “He wants to be helpful to the team straight Goodison Park if the striker can recover from a toe away, he wants to be involved. “And Romelu has a injury in time to start. And, even if Lukaku doesn’t very strong inner motivation and he isn’t motivat- feature, Chelsea are likely to come up against ed by who he is facing and who is in front of him, Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, who joined the it’s more about his role and status at Everton. “He’s Toffees this week after being released by vital for us, he’s enjoying that and I’m excited Mourinho at the end of last season. about his performances.” Eto’o has insisted he has no ill feeling towards While Blues defender Terry ponders the chal- GIURGIU: Olympique Lyon’s Clinton Njie, right, challenges for the ball with Astra Giurgiu’s Mourinho despite an awkward relationship in the lenge he will face this weekend, an injury to Diego Vassilis Pliatsikas, during the second leg of a UEFA Europa League playoff soccer match in second half of last season culminating from a joke Costa has been shown not to be as serious as first Giurgiu, Romania, Thursday. — AP about his ‘real’ age that was caught on camera and feared as Chelsea look to maintain a 100 percent broadcast, but he would clearly love to mark his start to their Premier League campaign. Everton debut by showing he can still cut it at the Costa suffered a muscle injury in a training ses- Zenit face first real highest level. sion on Wednesday but tests although confirmed Terry is aware of the potential danger lying in it was a minor one the man who struggled with a wait and he said: “We’ve struggled away to hamstring problem at the end of last season may test to unbeaten start Everton in the last couple of years. “With that in require time to recover.—AFP MOSCOW: Andre Villas-Boas’s Russian league August with plenty of flights. It wasn’t easy to leaders Zenit St Petersburg face their first seri- survive it as we had to pay a lot of attention to ous test this season as they look to defend a 100 our footballers’ recovery. percent record against Lokomotiv Moscow “But now before Lokomotiv, we have some tomorrow. Last season’s runners-up Zenit have more time so I am sure that we’ll be ready to won all five of their Premiership encounters this play at out best tomorrow.” Second-placed season to remain the league’s only side with an Spartak Moscow, who beat Ufa 2-1 at Perm a unblemished record. week ago, face hosts Amkar on the same syn- But all of their wins were achieved in match- thetic pitch of the Perm Zvezda arena. es with the league’s underdogs and newly-pro- Russia’s most successful club, who have won moted clubs. The clash with two-time former four of their five Premiership matches this sea- champions Lokomotiv will be the season’s first son while Amkar are second from bottom with serious test for the Saint Petersburg outfit. just one point so far. When the two teams last met in Moscow in Spartak’s Swiss coach Murat Yakin, who took May the match ended in a 1-1 draw. That points over the former nine-time champions during loss helped cost Zenit the domestic title as they the summer break, said he was happy with the finished just one point behind CSKA Moscow. way things have been going in Moscow. Zenit go into the Sunday’s encounter on the “My team, and me personally, are experienc- back of a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Belgian ing a very intense and thrilling season and I’m club Standard Liege, which opened the door very happy to be a part of it,” he said. “I’m really into the Champions League group stage for the excited with the decision to continue my career Russian club. in Russia.” However, several Zenit players-including Another Moscow side, Dynamo, who share Brazilian star Hulk-have already suffered minor second spot with Spartak, will also have to pass injuries through tiredness, while the match with a tough test to their title ambitions at FC Lokomotiv will be their ninth outing in August. Krasnodar, who thrashed Spartak 4-0 earlier this FARMINGTON HILLS: In this Wednesday photo, Kris Bieniewicz, of Westland, and her sons Josh “We’re happy to go through to the month. Dynamo coach Stanislav Cherchesov Bieniewicz, 9, and Kyle Bieniewicz, 14, remember her husband and their father, John Champions League group stage,” said Villas- said that his team are beginning to solve the Bieniewicz, at the soccer fields of Founders Sports Park in Farmington Hills, where the boys Boas, the former Porto, Chelsea and Tottenham enigma of fitting French playmaker Mathieu have played soccer and their father officiated matches. John Bieniewicz died earlier this sum- coach. “But we have had a very busy schedule in Valbuena into their system.—AFP mer after being punched while refereeing during a soccer game in Livonia, Mich. — AP.