SPORTS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2015

Rooney faces ‘huge challenge’ for England starting place

LONDON: has said he faces a “huge league games. “I want to prove myself. I feel that since “It’s certainly the best group of strikers since I’ve challenge” to keep his place in England’s starting line- Roy has been in charge, my international form has been been involved in the squad,” Rooney said. “It’s a huge up and hailed their current crop of forwards as the “best great,” Rooney told reporters at a pre-match news con- challenge to keep your place in the team and that’s group of strikers” he has played with. The England cap- ference. “I have scored a lot of goals and I hope that what I want to do.” tain will not start Friday’s friendly against Spain in will continue.” Hodgson also backed Barkley to thrive playing Alicante, with manager Roy Hodgson expected to pair The imminent returns of Daniel Sturridge, Theo behind the striker as England gear-up to face a higher the in-form Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and Walcott and Danny Welbeck will also increase quality of opposition than they encountered in their Everton midfielder Ross Barkley in attack. Hodgson’s selection headache for next year’s European Euro 2016 qualifying group. Rooney, England’s record goalscorer, has nine goals Championship finals in France. Welbeck has a knack of “We’re going to find ourselves in a situation now in 20 games in all competitions this season, but has lost finding the back of the net for England and scored six in where games should be more cut and thrust,” Hodgson much of the explosiveness that marked him out as a his last seven games for his country before injuring his said. “Counter-attacking football has not really been special talent when he burst on to the scene as a 16- knee. much of an option (in the qualifiers) because the oppo- year-old for Everton. He has scored twice in 11 Premier Sturridge, who has played only three times this sea- nents have stayed so deep. League games for Manchester United this term, well son, has scored two league goals. Walcott, expected “We think the type of players we have in the team behind the league’s top scorer Jamie Vardy (12 goals) of back after the international break, is finding his feet as a are well suited to counter-attacking football and Leicester City, and Kane, who has five in his last three central striker, and like Vardy can also play out wide. Barkley, of course, is one of those.” — Reuters Uruguay sink as perfect Ecuador march on

QUITO: Ecuador defeated Uruguay 2-1 first-half goals as Bolivia got their World Alain Baroja and four minutes later mid- to maintain their 100 percent start to Cup qualifying campaign off the ground fielder Juan Carlos Arce converted a South American World Cup qualifiers with an exciting 4-2 home victory over penalty to put Venezuela in further trou- on Thursday with a third consecutive Venezuela on Thursday. ble. victory. The win at the Hernando Siles stadi- Mario Rondon got La Vinotinto back Ecuador, who opened their qualifying um lifted Bolivia off the bottom of South into the match after half an hour when campaign with a stunning upset of America’s qualifying standings following deflected Tomas Rincon’s initial effort Argentina in Buenos Aires last month, two defeats last month in which they past goalkeeper Daniel Vaca into the net. took another three points after Fidel failed to score. The home side, however, took a 3-1 Martinez’s second-half winner. Bolivia, who have not reached the lead into the interval after Ramallo’s sec- The victory left Ecuador with nine World Cup finals since 1994, avoided ond goal, a diving header in first-half points after three games of South equalling their worst run of 10 qualifying stoppage time. America’s marathon qualifying tourna- matches without a win set between 2005 Bolivia went three goals up three min- ment for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. and 2008. utes into the second half when Rudy : ’s , left, duels for the ball The Ecuadorans are bidding to qualify Venezuela, who had managed a 1-1 Cardozo converted on the rebound after with Hungary’s Attila Fiola during their Euro 2016 play off for their second World Cup finals in a row draw on their previous visit to La Paz for Baroja had parried a shot from Ramallo. match in Oslo, Thursday. — AP after reaching the 2014 tournament in a qualifier in June 2013, struggled with Richard Blanco pulled another goal back in Brazil, where they were eliminated in the Bolivia’s pace 3,600 metres above sea the 55th and Rondon had a header ruled Hungary on verge first round. level and are bottom with no points. out for offside in the dying minutes before Uruguay, missing suspended super- Ramallo opened the scoring in the Venezuela had striker Luis Seijas sent off of finals after star Luis Suarez-still serving a ban for his 19th minute with a chip over goalkeeper deep into stoppage time. — Agencies infamous bite at the 2014 World Cup- victory in Norway struggled to contain a vibrant Ecuador side, comfortable in the challenging thin Andean air of Quito, some 9,000-feet OSLO: Hungary moved tantalisingly close to a first appearance at a above sea level. major tournament for nearly 30 years when Laszlo Kleinheisler’s goal Ecuador took the lead on 23 minutes gave them a 1-0 win in the first leg of a Euro 2016 playoff against through Felipe Caicedo, the Espanyol Norway in Oslo on Thursday. Kleinheisler scored the game’s only goal in the 26th minute, taking a touch to control Adam Szalai’s pass striker coolly tucking away a low cross before whipping the ball home after Norway had created a flurry of from Juan Paredes on the right flank. chances in a strong opening period. A draw in the home leg on But Uruguay levelled four minutes Sunday will put Hungary into the finals in Francen after years in the after half-time through returning striker wilderness since they qualified for the 1986 World Cup. Edinson Cavani, the Paris Saint-Germain “We are happy now after 90 minutes, to win this game, but the forward heading home from Nicolas second game will be on Sunday. We can’t think about celebrating,” Lodeiro’s perfectly flighted free-kick. Hungary coach Bernd Storck told reporters. “It’s a very good job and But Ecuador regained the lead only 10 nothing more-we have to do a very good job on Sunday,” he added. minutes later however through an Norway attacked relentlessly in search of an equaliser but they opportunistic strike from Martinez. lacked guile in attack as Hungary’s veteran goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly Swansea City forward Jefferson celebrated his 100th cap with a clean sheet. Norway were denied Montero was the catalyst, cutting in pur- two second-half penalties for fouls on Omar Elabdellaoui, and coach posefully from the left flank and unleash- Per-Mathias Hogmo expressed his dissatisfaction with English referee ing a fierce low shot towards Fernando Mark Clattenburg. Clattenburg booked the full back for diving for the Muslera. second incident and turned down an even stronger call for the first Muslera could only parry the shot into when Elabdellaoui went down after having his shirt pulled. “Clearly a the path of Martinez, who jabbed home penalty. Crystal clear,” Hogmo told reporters. the rebound to trigger wild celebrations “It’s remarkable that an experienced referee didn’t see it.” in Quito’s Atahualpa Stadium. Ecuador Norway battled on and came close late on, but substitute Pal Andre will now aim to secure a fourth consecu- Helland’s header hit the bar and Hogmo now has to rally his players tive victory when they travel to for the second leg in Budapest. The defeat was Norway’s first by Venezuela next Tuesday. Venezuela, Hungary since 1981 and highlighted their inability to score, having who lost their opening two matches last managed only 13 goals during a qualifying campaign in which mid- month, suffered a third defeat earlier fielder was their top scorer with three goals. In all Thursday when they slumped to a 4-2 they managed 16 shots but only six on target, the best coming in QUITO: Uruguay’s Sebastian Coates, right, fights for the ball with Ecuador’s Miller the third minute when captain Per Ciljan Skjlebred’s well-struck defeat to Bolivia in La Paz. Bolanos during a 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match in Quito, Ecuador, effort was steered to safety by Kiraly. —Reuters Striker Rodrigo Ramallo scored two Thursday. Ecuador won the match 2-1. — AP