Established 1961 15 Sports Monday, November 13, 2017 Silva leads Spain’s assault on Costa Rica in friendly

Costa Rica had only one chance of note before break

MALAGA: Manchester City midfielder David Silva an otherwise familiar side which steamrolled its way played a starring role as an irresistible Spain showed through qualifying by winning nine out of 10 games and their class to thrash Costa Rica 5-0 in an international remaining unbeaten. friendly on Saturday. Silva struck twice in the second A talent-filled midfield four of Silva, Iniesta, Thiago half to further stretch the 2010 World Cup winners’ Alcantara and Isco ensured Spain monopolised posses- lead after Barcelona’s Jordi Alba had fired them into the sion in front of a buoyant, sold out crowd at Malaga’s lead in the sixth minute and Alvaro Morata had doubled La Rosaleda stadium, barely giving Costa Rica a look their advantage midway through the first half. in. The Central American side, who reached the quar- Veteran midfielder Andres Iniesta rounded off the ter-finals of the 2014 World Cup and will also be in drubbing with a distance strike in the 73rd although Russia next June, were missing Real Madrid goalkeeper there was some concern on the Spain bench when Isco Keylor Navas and his understudy Danny Carvajal asked to be substituted after proved to be a poor substi- a brutal tackle from Kendall tute, offering up little oppo- Waston although the Real sition to Spain’s attacking Madrid midfielder did not onslaught. Alba thrashed a appear to be seriously Silva cutback beyond injured. Spain coach Julen Every game Carvajal to get Spain off to Lopetegui said he was the perfect start, while the unsure if Isco would travel to will be a goalkeeper was at fault for Russia for Tuesday’s friendly the second goal, spilling a against next year’s World different world tame cross from Silva at the Cup hosts. “Isco has a big feet of Morata who gobbled knock, it’s not serious or up the rebound from close important and we’ll decide range. Costa Rica had only tomorrow if he travels to Russia or not,” Lopetegui told a one chance of note before the break and Spain showed news conference. “What I’m most pleased about was our no mercy after the interval. attitude and we need to keep it up. Every game will be a Silva pounced on a mix up in the Costa Rica defence different world. We have to believe in the type of team to score six minutes into the second period and four we are and have faith in the things we do well.” minutes later recovered the ball before slamming it low Lopetegui picked a near full-strength side for under the grasp of Carvajal to score again. Carvajal Spain’s first friendly since sealing their place in the 2018 made a third costly slip of the game in allowing Iniesta’s finals with an almost perfect qualifying campaign. distance shot through his hands, capping another MALAGA: Spain’s Iago Aspas, left, and Costa Rica’s Ronald Matarrita vie for the ball during the international He rested No. 1 goalkeeper David de Gea to hand a impressive win for Spain, who will be one of the friendly soccer match between Spain and Costa Rica in Malaga, Spain, Saturday. — AP debut to Athletic Bilbao’s Kepa Arrizabalaga but played favourites to lift the World Cup next year. —Reuters

eight Serie A titles with the Turin giants. At age 39, his statistics are Italy’s old staggering. With a remarkable 627 Italian top-flight appearances he will also will earn his 175th cap against Morocco, Tunisia guard face final Sweden on Monday. That is 39 more than another 2006 World Cup winner, stand in WCup Fabio Cannavaro, and 63 more than the take different legendary Dino Zoff. “I don’t want to think it’s the game of life, but I’m con- play-off vinced that with the help of the public paths to World Cup we will do it,” he insists. MILAN: Italy’s old guard face a final JOHANNESBURG: North African nations Morocco stand in today’s World Cup play-off DANIELE DE ROSSI (Roma) and Tunisia took contrasting routes Saturday as they against Sweden in the San Siro after Defensive midfielder De Rossi is qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Morocco Gian Piero Ventura’s side lost the away going for a fourth World Cup. The 34- scored twice within five minutes through Nabil Dirar leg 1-0. Here AFP Sport looks at the year-old has spent his entire senior and Medhi Benatia during the opening half to tri- three veteran warriors of the 2006 career with hometown club Roma umph 2-0 in the Ivory Coast and win Group C. World Cup-winning campaign who face which he joined in 2000, rejecting big The “Atlas Lions” are going back to the tourna- an inglorious exit if Italy fail to qualify money moves away. He scored on his ment for the first time since 1998 after finishing with for the tournament for the first time in international debut in 2004 in a World 12 points, having not conceded a goal during the six- 60 years. Cup qualifying match against Norway. match group campaign. Ivory Coast, who never He wore Italy’s captain’s armband for looked like recovering from the first-half blows, came GIANLUIGI BUFFON (Juventus) the first time in a 0-0 friendly draw second with eight points followed by Gabon with six The Italy and Juventus captain is tar- against Iceland in March 2005. De and Mali with four. geting a record sixth World Cup Rossi overtook the recently-retired Morocco coach Herve Renard revealed after the appearance in Russia. He made his inter- Andrea Pirlo in the all-time appear- match that Moroccan King Mohammed VI had called MILAN: Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura, left, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon arrive for to congratulate the team. “I thank His Majesty for national debut as a 19-year-old in ances list when he earned his 117th cap a press conference ahead of today’s World Cup qualifying play-off. — AP October 1997 in the snow of another in the first leg of the play-off in the calling me. It’s a huge honour,” said the Frenchman. World Cup play-off against Russia, Swedish capital, but Buffon’s haul is “He wanted to talk to us to pay tribute to every- coming on for the injured Gianluigi well out of reach. “It would be great to despite being one of the most decorated went on to star for Ascoli, Chievo, one. Tonight we are proud of the Moroccan shirt, Pagliuca, and immediately saved hero- be able to play at my fourth World Cup. defenders of his generation the 36-year- Palermo and Wolfsburg before joining proud that the Moroccan flag returns to the World ically from Dmitri Alenichev and ensured It’s a tournament that no one wants to old often goes under the radar. Barzagli Juventus in 2011. “Andrea is our profes- Cup. This is the fifth qualification so Morocco is not Italy qualified for the following year’s miss,” said De Rossi. “The stakes are so started playing midfield but was advised sor. He’s always in the right place at the a small (football) country.” World Cup. Buffon, whose mother was a high that the idea of shedding blood by Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri right time,” says Juventus teammate Tunisia could not break down neighbours Libya in discus thrower and father a weightlifter, and sweat is appropriate. We must give to switch to defence when the pair Giorgio Chiellini. He won his first senior Rades on the outskirts of Tunis and had to settle for a made his Serie A debut with Parma, win- everything right to the finish.” played together for Pistoiese in the cap in November 2004, in a 1-0 friendly 0-0 draw that was just enough to see them first over ning the Italian Cup, the Italian Super Italian second division. “I said that if he win against Finland under Marcello the finishing line. With second-place Democratic Cup and the UEFA Cup before joining ANDREA BARZAGLI (Juventus) wanted a different kind of career, he Lippi. Capped 73 times, it would be his Republic of Congo netting twice in stoppage time to Juventus for 51 million euros in 2001 and Barzagli has won the World Cup, needed to change-he needed to drop third World Cup after being overlooked defeat Guinea 3-1 in Kinshasa, only one point sepa- going on to become a club legend with Bundesliga and six Scudettos, but back 15 metres,” said Allegri. Barzagli by Lippi in 2010. — AFP rated the top two. Unbeaten Tunisia collected 14 points to book a first World Cup appearance since 2006, DR Congo had 13, Libya four and Guinea three. Senegal sealed a Feyenoord’s Nicolai Jorgensen. place in Russia Friday by winning 2-0 in South Africa Irish manager O’Neill made just one and the other two African qualifiers, Nigeria and change from the team that beat Wales Randolph Egypt, secured slots last month. 1-0 to snatch second place in qualifying Ivory Coast had the first chance at a packed Group D last month, bringing in Bristol 35,000-seat Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny but vet- frustrates City midfielder Callum O’Dowda to eran Gervinho blazed over with only the goalkeeper replace the suspended David Meyler. to beat from inside the box. It was to prove a costly The hosts started strongly and could Denmark miss for the home side, who had to win after begin- have taken the lead in the 11th minute ning the match one point behind a Moroccan team COPENHAGEN: The Republic of when Randolph saved Danish left-back coached by former Ivorian handler, Frenchman Herve Ireland and Denmark played out a drab Jens Larsen’s volley, before quickly get- Renard. 0-0 draw in the first leg of their World ting back to his feet to hold onto The first blow came when an intended cross from Cup play-off in Copenhagen on Andreas Cornelius’ follow-up effort. Dirar went over an Ivorian defender and a Moroccan Saturday. Sloppy defending from Ireland skipper attacker and slipped past goalkeeper Sylvain The closest either side came to a Ciaran Clark gave the ball straight to Gbohouo into the far corner. Rattled Ivory Coast fell goal was when Pione Sisto fired wide in Christian Eriksen and West Ham United further behind as they failed to cut off a corner and the first half for the hosts, while Yussuf keeper Randolph could only palm the Juventus defender Benatia struck a first-time shot Poulsen saw a 90th-minute header midfielder’s effort back into the middle, into the net. saved by Darren Randolph. but Sisto fired the rebound wide with Belgian coach Marc Wilmots tried to revive the Both sides will be satisfied with the the goal gaping. lacklustre Ivorians by introducing Ghislain Konan at result, as Martin O’Neill’s Irish now But the visitors grew into the game half-time and Maxwel Cornet and veteran Salomon know victory in Dublin on Tuesday as the first half wore on and Cyrus Kalou during the second half. would secure a first World Cup appear- Christie was denied by the onrushing But Morocco comfortably contained the hosts in a ance since 2002, but an away goal for Kasper Schmeichel after bursting into match that threatened to boil over at times with Dirar the Danes could prove decisive after the area with an enterprising run from and Crystal Palace flyer Wilfried Zaha wrestling each this clean sheet. full-back. other to the ground. Tunisia dominated possession at “A draw has always got to be seen as Ireland continued to sit deep and the Stade Olympique, but unpredictable Libya a positive result. Although we could frustrate Denmark, who finished second defended resolutely, creating an increasingly tense have done with scoring an away goal,” to Poland in Group E, after the break. atmosphere. Ireland midfielder Harry Arter told Sky Hareide threw on former Arsenal Had Tunisia lost, they would have ceded top place Sports. man Bendtner with less than 20 min- to DR Congo, who finished strongly to overcome “It (the World Cup) feels a bit closer utes to go as the home side went in Guinea 3-1 at the Stade des Martyrs. Guinean than it did before the game. If before search of a lead to take to Lansdowne Ousmane Sidibe conceded an own-goal after 61 min- the campaign, we’d have been offered a Road. The Danes had a late rally, with utes and Keita Junior levelled just three minutes after one-off game against Denmark to qual- RB Leipzig forward Poulsen drawing coming off the bench. Jonathan Bolingi put the ify for the World Cup, we’d have bitten a save from Randolph after climbing COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel secures the ball under Congolese Lions ahead again two minutes into addi- off your hands for it.” Denmark coach above the away defence to power a pressure from Ireland’s Daryl Murphy, during the World Cup qualifying play-off first tional time and Neeskens Kebano added a third goal Age Hareide left striker Nicklas header towards goal, but Ireland leg soccer match between Denmark and the Republic of Ireland at Parken stadium almost immediately. — AFP Bendtner on the bench in favour of held on. — AFP in Copenhagen. — AP