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SPORTS MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014 Montolivo injury overshadows Italy warm-up with Ireland LONDON: Italy’s World Cup plans were hit on negative as far as any serious injury was con- Saturday when accomplished midfielder cerned. Prandelli fielded a team full of hopefuls Riccardo Montolivo broke his leg during their and fringe players challenging for a place in his penultimate warm-up game against Ireland at final 23-man squad for next month;s finals in Craven Cottage which ended in a 0-0 draw. Brazil and most gave a good account of them- The incident, following an accidental colli- selves in a game full of chances for both sides. sion with Ireland defender Alex Pearce, over- But he said he did not particularly want to shadowed the rest of the match, which was a analyse or talk about the performance following lively attacking affair, and left the Italy squad what had happened. “I will think about it in stunned by what had happened to their team detail tomorrow, I am more concerned with mate. “It’s what we feared, a fractured tibia. It Riccardo right now,” he said. will probably need some months, Riccardo is out of the World Cup. He didn’t deserve this,” team TRAINING GAME doctor Enrico Castellacci told Rai TV. Anyone watching from the England camp Italy coach Cesare Prandelli told reporters might not have learned too much about their the whole squad were shocked and devastated Group D opponents, with the likes of veteran by the injury to their captain on the night who playmaker Andrea Pirlo among others left out of was winning his 58th cap. what was little more than a training game for “All our thoughts are with Riccardo and we the Italians. But 21-year-old midfielder Marco will have to wait till tomorrow to make a rational Verratti could not have done more to play him- assessment of the situation. “We fly back to self into the squad with an excellent industrious Florence tomorrow but he will fly back to Milan performance while Ciro Immobile, who is and undergo surgery. “We will have to sit down expected to complete a 15 million euros ($20.47 and assess the condition of all the players in the million) move from Torino to Borussia Dortmund squad. The impact of what happened affected next week, also had a good game. Immobile had everyone tonight. “He is a key player, a reference the ball in the net after 55 minutes but the effort point on and off the pitch with a great attitude. was ruled out because he was marginally offside He did not deserve this and everyone is just when he connected with Marco Parolo’s cross. totally shocked and upset.” Ireland, building towards the Euro 2016 qual- ifiers after failing to make the World Cup, played FRACTURED TIBIA well and continually put goalkeeper Salvatore The incident came after 10 minutes and Sirigu under pressure with Shane Long, twice, LISBON: Portugal’s Andre Almeida (left) vies for the ball with Greece’s Ioannis Fetfatzidis during a friendly soccer match between Portugal and Montolivo, having stood up to test his leg, went and Wes Hoolahan forcing him into saves. The Greece at the National stadium. —AP to ground. He was treated for more than five most pressing matter now facing Ireland boss minutes before being carried off on a stretcher Martin O’Neill is whether his assistant Roy Keane and taken to hospital for an X-ray where it was leaves the job to become manager of Scottish confirmed he had suffered a fractured tibia. champions Celtic, a move expected to be Portugal held by Greece Italy also had to substitute Montolivo’s finalised next week. O’Neill told reporters: “I did replacement Alberto Aquilani, who only played not talk to him about it today as we were con- for 23 minutes before a knock to the head, but centrating on the game and I expect the situa- LISBON: Portugal, missing forward Cristiano chances and a long range strike from Vassilis There was an injury worry for Greece after an Italian FA spokesman said his MRI scan was tion to be resolved by Wednesday. —Reuters Ronaldo because of a muscular pain in his left Torosidis was the sum of their efforts in a poor central defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos thigh, were held to a goalless draw by Greece in first half. limped off. “In the first half, we clearly deserved a pedestrian World Cup warm-up on Saturday. Striker Kostas Mitroglou was an isolated fig- to be ahead and, apart from the last few minutes Portugal, also resting defender Pepe and mid- ure up front, where he was reduced to chasing when we were worn out, we always had control fielder Raul Meireles, had the better of the game down long balls. Greece introduced veteran cap- of the game,” Portugal coach Paulo Bento told at the Estadio Nacional and should have been tain Giorgos Karagounis at half-time with RTP television. “We were penalised by our lack of ahead inside the first 10 minutes. Portugal bringing on experienced striker Hugo efficiency.” “We have to be prepared,” he added. Eder headed Nani’s curling cross straight at Almeida but neither player made an impact. “We have to be able to play without players who Greece goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis from close Greece threatened in the final 10 minutes are our first choices.” Portugal face Germany, range in the second minute and Ricardo Costa after the introduction of winger Giannis United States and Ghana in their World Cup was also foiled by Karnezis after he escaped his Fetfatzidis whose direct running put the hosts group while Greece meet Colombia, Ivory Coast marker at a corner. Greece struggled to create on the back foot. and Japan. — Reuters Mexico win Ecuador friendly DALLAS: Mexico beat Ecuador 3-1 in a friend- in front of 84,876 fans at the home of the ly in Dallas on Saturday but the win was over- NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, showed again that shadowed by a broken leg for Luis Montes Mexico have rediscovered their mojo under that has ruled the midfielder out of the World Herrera. After a poor qualifying campaign, El Cup finals. Ecuador’s squad may also be Tri are now unbeaten in eight games under impacted by the incident, with midfielder Herrera, including Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Segundo Castillo carried off the pitch with a Israel that began their warm-ups for Brazil. suspected knee injury. Mexico led 1-0 at the break thanks to a Just two minutes after the livewire Montes superb 25 yard drive from Montes and they had put Mexico ahead, he and Castillo slid had played some entertaining football prior into a 50-50 challenge and it was quickly to his injury. apparent the Mexican had suffered a serious Ecuador, though, twice came close to injury. Montes was carried off on a stretcher equalisers in the second half - Fidel Martinez and taken to a nearby hospital with Mexico had a goal disallowed following a goalmouth coach Miguel Herrera later confirming he had scramble in the 62nd and a minute later a suffered a broken tibia and fibula. Joao Rojas effort was cleared off line by “It’s the tibia and fibula and he’ll have to Mexico defender Paul Aguilar. have an operation which won’t be at all easy,” But a spectacular blast from 30 yards from Herrera told the post-match news conference. Marco Fabian doubled Mexico’s lead in the Some Mexican players were in tears after 69th minute, the midfielder finding some watching Montes writhe in agony while he space before unleashing a fierce drive. was receiving treatment on the field - and Seven minutes later the game was put that was not the end of El Tri’s injury torment. beyond Ecuador when Giovani dos Santos Herrera was also concerned about a foot shot against the post and the ball rebounded injury suffered by captain and central defend- into the net off the back of Ecuador keeper er Rafa Marquez who was also sent to hospi- Maximo Banguera. tal for further examination although he later Ecuador, whose defence had looked shaky said it was not too serious. “We’ll wait, in fact throughout, did restore a little pride with a he could move his foot very well with a little low free kick from Enner Valencia which skid- LONDON: Italy’s Alessio Cerci (right) competes for the ball with Republic of Ireland’s pain but there were no signs of anything ded through a crowded penalty area. Alex Pearce during their international friendly soccer match at Craven Cottage. —AP worse... (but) we must rule out everything At the tournament starting on June 12, ARLINGTON: Mexico’s Luis Montes collides with and not take risks,” Herrera told TV Azteca at Mexico will face Cameroon, Brazil and Croatia Ecuador’s Segundo Castillo (rear) as the two were com- the end of the match. in Group A, while Ecuador are in Group E with peting for the ball during the first half of a friendly soc- Ooredoo gives customers Away from the injuries, the game, played Switzerland, France and Honduras. — Reuters cer match. — AP a chance to meet Messi Colombia Dutch scrape past Ghana KUWAIT: Ooredoo in Kuwait announced a Messi himself” Leo Messi is Ooredoo Group competition where customers get the chance Ambassador. Also, the Group has a partnership pegged back ROTTERDAM: Robin van Persie scored early to and Robben when Jeffrey Schlupp, the to meet in person the football superstar Lionel with the Leo Messi Foundation, which has set the Netherlands on their way to victory Leicester City full back playing his second Messi in Barcelona.