SPORTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 Rooney can take World Cup by storm: Hodgson LONDON: Manchester United striker Wayne finals. Four years later, when England lost to the world stage he hasn’t exploded as he has on Hodgson said the possibility of Rooney’s Rooney can be one of the outstanding talents of Germany in the round of 16, his form was again our national stage, where we all accept him as United team mate Adnan Januzaj qualifying to this year’s World Cup in Brazil, according to disappointing, while at Euro 2012, having been being an outstanding player. play for England was a long way off and added England manager Roy Hodgson. It will be banned for the first two games, he scored against “The message to him is ‘This is your chance’. I that it is up to the English FA’s Board to pursue the Rooney’s fifth major tournament, but in two pre- Ukraine but struggled in the quarter-final loss to just rejoice in the fact that he’s playing so well.” matter if they want the current rules changed. vious World Cups he has not lived up to the stun- Italy. Rooney has scored 11 goals for United this sea- Januzaj, who is being wooed by a number of ning impression he made as an 18-year-old at the Hodgson believes that this time he will benefit son, although none since Dec. 26, and has stood national teams, would not be eligible for England 2004 European Championship finals in Portugal. from a recent break through injury, telling out for the champions during an otherwise poor until 2018 at the earliest. Even then it would He was named in UEFA’s team of the tourna- reporters: “I think with Wayne it’s a great opportu- Premier League campaign. require the FAs of England, Scotland, Northern ment there after scoring four goals in four games. nity this year to really show on a world stage what His record for England is 38 goals in 88 games, Ireland and Wales to scrap their present residency At the 2006 World Cup, having barely recovered a magnificent player he is. the fifth highest tally behind Bobby Charlton (49), agreement, under which a player must have been from a foot injury, he did not score and was sent “Maybe once or twice in the past I can say Gary Lineker (48), Jimmy Greaves (44) and educated in that country for five years under the off as England lost to Portugal in the quarter- without too many fears of contradiction that on Michael Owen (40). age of 18. — Reuters Revenge in the air in FA Cup blockbusters LONDON: It may be Saint didn’t concede against a top side Valentine’s Day, but it is revenge, with fantastic strikers, and we hope rather than romance, that is in the to do that against Liverpool.” Matches on TV air ahead of the weekend’s FA Cup Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard fifth-round matches. has warned his team-mates that (Local Timings) A lack of major head-to-head Arsenal will not display the same clashes and true upsets means that generosity when the teams resume this season’s FA Cup has yet to cap- hostilities. England FA Cup ture the imagination, but that could “Top sides, when they get beat Sunderland v Southampton 15:45 change in round five as four of the 5-1, they are hurt,” said the England beIN SPORTS country’s biggest teams prepare to midfielder, who gave his side victo- Cardiff City v Wigan 18:00 face off. ry at Fulham with a nerveless beIN SPORTS Manchester City host Premier injury-time penalty. Sheffield v Charlton 18:00 League title rivals Chelsea on beIN SPORTS ROME: The former Argentinean football player Diego Maradona (R) arrives for a press conference at the Saturday, with Arsenal tackling Tight game Man City v Chelsea 20:15 European Union offices in central Rome, yesterday, to appeal to the European Union in a legal conflict Liverpool a day later, and both ties “We’re expecting a tight game at beIN SPORTS against the Italian tax authorities. — AFP carry extra intrigue due to recent the Emirates and I think the 5-1 encounters between their respec- game will have no bearing on this Italian Calcio League tive protagonists. game coming. We’re expecting a Fiorentina v Internazionale 22:45 Barca out to maintain Chelsea took control of the title really tough game.” beIN SPORTS race with a 1-0 victory at City on City had an unwanted night off February 3, while Arsenal’s own on Wednesday after their home Spanish League lead ahead of City clash championship ambitions were match with future League Cup final Atletico v Valladolid 18:00 ruthlessly undermined in a chasten- opponents Sunderland was called beIN SPORTS MADRID: Barcelona recovered top spot in La Liga Tiredness ing 5-1 defeat at Anfield last week- off due to high winds. Levante v UD Almeria 20:00 just one week after being knocked off their perch for Martino could also be tempted to rest a few of his end. They will be doubly eager to beIN SPORTS the first time in 59 league games last weekend as star names with the trip to the Etihad in mind having Liverpool’s 3-2 win at Fulham on return to action today, having seen Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano 22:00 they took advantage of Atletico Madrid’s shock played a full-strength side at Anoeta in midweek. Wednesday means that just four their 100 percent home record in beIN SPORTS defeat to Almeria. Victories for Barca away to Sevilla Atletico are the first of the three title contenders points now separate the four teams the league this season ended by and Real Madrid at home to Villarreal mean both in action as they host Valladolid earlier on Saturday. at the head of the table, with Chelsea less than two weeks ago. German Bundesliga sides are now level with Atletico in a three-way tie at A 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Cup on Tuesday Chelsea leading the way and the Chelsea are unlikely to return to Bayern Munich v Freiburg 17:30 the top on 57 points. made it three consecutive defeats for Diego club from Merseyside bringing up the Etihad Stadium with quite the The Catalans lead thanks to a superior goal differ- Simeone’s men, having previously lost just twice in Dubai Sports the rear. same swagger, however. Jose Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht 17:30 ence and will fancy themselves to rack up a few 36 games this season. Liverpool’s victory over Arsenal Mourinho’s side let slip an opportu- goals when relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano The Argentine has admitted that tiredness may Dubai Sports may have left deep scars, with the nity to extend their lead in the SV Werder Bremen v Borussia 17:30 visit the Camp Nou today. be beginning to affect his stretched squad and con- London club’s manager Arsene Premier League after drawing 1-1 at Rayo’s visit comes in the midst of a big week for tinued to play down any expectations they can last Dubai Sports Wenger admitting after a 0-0 draw West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday Barca as they sealed their place in the Copa del Rey the pace with Madrid and Barcelona until the end of Hoffenheim v Stuttgart 17:30 final against Real Sociedad on Wednesday and will the campaign. “I am not worried by the defeats, eight with Manchester United on and could be missing both John Dubai Sports travel to face Manchester City in the first leg of their days ago we were top of the league”, he told Italian Wednesday that his players had Terry and Gary Cahill due to injury. Braunschweig v Hamburger 17:30 Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday. newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. become “nervous”. “We are not happy because we Dubai Sports Gerardo Martino’s men’s performances against “All teams, sooner or later, will go through a bad Wenger saw his side’s defence drew 1-1, but that’s football, that’s Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke 20:30 Sevilla and Sociedad also suggested they are finding moment. We will have to see how we respond to this. breached four times in the first 20 life,” midfielder Nemanja Matic told Dubai Sports their form at just the right time of the season, and If one looks at a league of 38 games, it is impossible minutes at Anfield, but Arsenal the Chelsea website. “Now we have defender Gerard Pique said they can’t afford any slip to think that we could compete with Real Madrid or goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to concentrate on the next training French League ups with so many important games on the horizon. Barcelona. They have the quality that makes the dif- believes there is no chance of a session and the next game.” Bastia v AS Monaco 19:00 “I don’t know if we’re back in our stride, but we ference in the long run.” Real Madrid, meanwhile, will repeat at the Emirates Stadium There are two other all-Premier beIN SPORTS certainly put in a good performance against a good once again be without the suspended Cristiano tomorrow. League ties in the last 16, with Stade Reims v Girondins 22:00 team,” he said after the Sociedad game. Ronaldo when they travel across the Spanish capital “You can’t say you saw the real Sunderland hosting Southampton beIN SPORTS “Now we’re coming into the most exciting part of to take on Getafe on Sunday.