THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017 SPORTS Aussies in Confed Cup ‘to win it’ despite Brazil drubbing SYDNEY: Australia departed for the Russia and kick-off, but the home defence’s frailties were up a stint for my country as a coach flatlining. Let’s A replacement captain has yet to be announced, FIFA’s Confederations Cup yesterday insisting they exposed by three second-half goals. go there and see what we can do.” They head into although veterans Tim Cahill or Mark Milligan can still win it, despite a crushing 4-0 demolition by It was a sobering farewell for Australia, who face the tournament without skipper Mile Jedinak, who would be obvious choices. Brazil in a lopsided warm-up. Germany in their opening Confederations Cup withdrew from the squad ahead of the Brazil game Cahill, who is desperate to play in his fourth The Socceroos were thrashed by the South game on June 19, then Cameroon and Chile. with a groin injury. World Cup next year, said the Socceroos need to Americans in a friendly in Melbourne on Tuesday, Postecoglou said despite the high quality oppo- The Aston Villa midfielder pulled up sore after embrace the Confederations Cup and build on but coach Ange Postecoglou preferred to look on sition, his team could be successful. “We want to Australia’s 3-2 World Cup qualifying win over Saudi what the side has achieved. the bright side. “For us as I said, this game was win it, mate,” he told reporters. “I know after last Arabia last week and has been replaced by Austria- “It’s about the experience of what we’ve done in preparation for what we’re going to face,” he said. night that probably sounds ridiculous, but I took based midfielder James Jeggo. the last two-and-half-years and to build on it,” he “We needed to do some things in terms of get- this job with the intent of being as ambitious as I “He has had a tough period since Christmas with said. ting some game time into players and we got that. possibly can for Australian football. “When you’re his groin and we all agree it is in the best long-term “The Confed Cup is where we really put it into We’ll be ready for the first game.” The Socceroos ambitious you have spectacular failures and spec- interest of Mile and the Socceroos that he has a practice and make a mark on the world stage. held the five-times World Cup winners to 1-0 at tacular successes. break to ensure he is ready for the new season,” said “There’s a lot of great teams in the competition and half-time after conceding just 12 seconds from the “I’m not going to coach in between, just notch Postecoglou. we know it’s going to be tough.” — AFP Chelsea first opponents for Spurs at new ‘home’ Wembley LONDON: Premier League champions For those Arsenal fans who are supersti- Chelsea will be the first opponents for run- tious the omens are good for the Europa ners-up Tottenham at their temporary League campaign as the Gunners open home of Wembley on the second weekend their league programme at home to 2016 of the 2017/18 campaign it was revealed champions Leicester-the last time they did yesterday when the fixtures were pub- that in the 1999/2000 season they went on lished. to reach the UEFA Cup final (the predeces- Spurs-who were beaten by Chelsea in sor of the Europa League), losing to their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley and lost Galatasaray. two of their four European matches last Three weeks before that sees a mouth- season when they played ‘home’ matches watering couple of derbies with Liverpool there instead of White Hart Lane-are using hosting Everton and the Manchester der- Wembley while their new state of the art by-Pep Guardiola’s City travelling to take on ground is developed in north London. Jose Mourinho’s United at Old Trafford. Chelsea begin the defence of their title For the trio of newly-promoted clubs, with a home fixture at Stamford Bridge on their opening fixtures see second tier the weekend of August 12/13 against champions Newcastle host Spurs, whilst Burnley, who had a terrible time away from Premier League debutants Brighton enter- home last season. tain Manchester City and Huddersfield are The challenge for Burnley is even away at Crystal Palace. greater as the champions have not lost on With both Brighton and Huddersfield the opening day of the Premier League favoured to be mired in a relegation battle since going down to Coventry in 1998. they both face daunting run-ins at the end Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have two test- of the season. ing fixtures on the third and fourth week- Huddersfield, out of the top flight since end of matches-hosting Arsenal and then 1972, face Chelsea, Everton, Manchester an away trip to Manchester City. City and Arsenal in their last four matches, Arsenal, whose manager Arsene Wenger while Tottenham, Manchester United and will be firmly in the sights of the disgrun- Liverpool are the opponents in three of tled Gunners fans who didn’t wanted him Brighton’s final four games. to sign a new contract, face a tricky trip to Bookies reacted to the fixtures publica- Chelsea the weekend after. tion with William Hill making Chelsea 3/1 Arsenal will host Antonio Conte’s cham- second favourites to retain their title, with pions on January 1 in the usual packed fes- Manchester City 2/1 favourites. tive period programme which will see the Huddersfield are 4/5 favourites for the drop teams play four matches apiece between with Brighton and Burnley favoured to join December 23 and New Year’s Day. them at 6/5 and 5/4 respectively. — AFP SAINT DENIS: England’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, left, outruns France’s Lucas Digne during their friendly soccer match between France and England at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, France, Tuesday. —AP France edge thrilling friendly against England PARIS: Ousmane Dembele capped a thrilling ways after a World Cup qualifying defeat in deliver a low cross from the left. Olivier Giroud performance with the deciding goal as 10-man Sweden. “It is always good to finish with a victo- had an effort ruled out for offside and France France beat England 3-2 in a friendly in Paris on ry, especially after a defeat. We were down to 10 were forced into an early change-the first of Tuesday in which the video assistant referee men, so hats off to the players, because that is a many substitutions-as Lucas Digne replaced the played a central role. great England team,” he told TF1. injured Benjamin Mendy. Captain Harry Kane had earlier scored twice It was a fine end-of-season match, played out The Euro 2016 runners-up deserved their for the visitors at the Stade de France, including in front of French President Emmanuel Macron equaliser when it came midway through the first from a penalty early in the second half. That and British Prime Minister Theresa May and pre- half as Barcelona defender Umtiti followed in to came after the Italian referee gave a spot-kick for ceded by an emotional tribute to the victims of score after Tom Heaton had saved from Giroud’s a foul on Dele Alli and the video assistant-being recent terror attacks in England. The French fans header. trialled here-ruled that Raphael Varane deserved in the crowd of almost 80,000 joined in with the Burnley goalkeeper Heaton was preferred in a straight red card. English anthem ‘God Save the Queen’ and a goal to under-fire Joe Hart and he underlined his The decision was a controversial one, coming minute’s silence was observed to honour the vic- credentials with a fine stop to deny Kylian PANAMA CITY: Panama’s Armando Cooper, left, and Honduras’ Alfredo Mejia vie for after FIFA tweaked the rules last year to reduce tims of attacks in Manchester and London over Mbappe, but he was beaten again two minutes the ball during a 2018 Russia World Cup qualifying soccer match at Rommel cases of players being sent off for denying clear the last month. before the interval. Dembele did brilliantly to Fernandez Stadium in Panama City, Tuesday. — AP goal-scoring opportunities, unless the offence is create the opportunity for a shot that was saved deliberate. Varane’s team-mates and the French KANE DOUBLE by Heaton but Monaco full-back Sidibe convert- fans did not agree with the call, which came England were back in France for the first time ed the rebound. Many members of the crowd after Samuel Umtiti and Djibril Sidibe had scored since their disastrous Euro 2016 campaign, when were still returning to their seats after the inter- BRIEFS to cancel out Kane’s early opener. they were humiliated by Iceland in the last 16. val when referee Davide Massa pointed to the But France’s recovery when a man down was Southgate made six changes to his line-up fol- spot when Varane clipped Alli in the area. a source of disappointment for England manag- lowing the 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw in Varane was incredulous when he was sent off Goffin pulls out of Wimbledon Skull fracture Mason returns er Gareth Southgate. “We should have got a Scotland, while Kane again wore the captain’s following the video assistant’s intervention, and result.