Guardian and Observer Editorial
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12 The Guardian | Wednesday June 21 2006 WorldFootball Cup Xxxxxx v Xxxxxx Mexican hordes put Arsenal shrug off claim of Real their faith in Fonseca candidate’s deal and good fortune with Wenger La Volpe’s team need one Portugal v Group D Matt Scott point to be sure against a Mexico 3pm ITV1 Arsenal last night shrugged off reports in Portugal side resting five Venue Arena AufSchalke Referee Lubos Michel (Slovak) Radio Radio 5 Sports Xtra, Talksport 23° Spain that Arsène Wenger has pledged to players on cautions Portugal Ricardo become Real Madrid’s next manager if Subs from 1 Juan Miguel Villar Mir succeeds in the Maniche, Constinha•, Miguel Carvalho Meira Ferreira Quim, Ronaldo•, 13 16 5 2 forthcoming presidential elections. Nuno Valente•, The Madrid radio channel Cadena Ser Dominic Fifield Gelsenkirchen Caneira, Ricardo ≥Petit ≥Tiago Costa, Pauleta•, 8 19 claimed last night Wenger would quit the Figo Paulo Santos, Postiga, 15 11 Deco•, Viana. 7 Champions League finalists to take the ≥Boa Morte ≥Simao The Mexicans must be cursing that it has Doubtful None ≥Nuno Gomes reins at the Bernabéu after a dispute with Injured None come to this. A tepid goalless draw with 21 the Gunners hierarchy. Angola has left El Tri requiring a point Mexico 10 17 Wenger and the Juventus manager Subs from Pineda•, from this afternoon's finale against the Franco ≥Fonseca Fabio Capello have been closely linked to Castro, Corona, 7 Group D leaders Portugal, or the Africans García, Guardado, Bravo Zinha Méndez the nine-times European champions for Ochoa, Pérez, 19 8 6 16 failing to defeat Iran, if they are to be sure Rodríguez, Suárez, several months. Indeed Wenger has Pardo Torrado of progressing to the knockout phase. Morales, Arellano. admitted that the former president Flo- Suddenly, clinging to the knowledge Doubtful Márquez 3 5 4 rentino Pérez approached him last Sep- (thigh), Zinha (knee) Salcido Osorio Márquez that their coach Ricardo La Volpe is Injured Borgetti tember with a view to recruitment. (knee, June 23) 1 wearing his lucky dragon tie in the dugout Sánchez Since then Wenger’s Arsenal have is not enough if their World Cup is to Key Probable starters in bold, contenders in light defeated Madrid at Capello’s Juventus in be prolonged. On yellow card ≥ Change from last match the Champions League and the French- The rapturous response to the opening man has stated how much he is looking 3–1 victory over Iran already feels an age more complicated now than it might have forward to the next Premiership season. away. Mexico will enter the contest in been and we know it's going to be a really Wenger has begun his 2006-7 transfer Gelsenkirchen wary of the Portuguese hard game to win," said the midfielder activity with the £6.8m signing of Tomas threat and shorn, again, of their leading Gerardo Torrado. “Portugal are one of the Rosicky from Borussia Dortmund. scorer Jared Borgetti just when they top sides in this competition, with a squad Wenger, who is working as a commen- needed him most. The hamstring injury who have worked together for a long time tator for French television at the World that forced the Bolton striker’s withdrawal and are coached by one of the best Cup, is under contract to Arsenal to 2008 from the first group game continues to managers in the game, and were consid- and he has pledged to see that through. anchor him to the sidelines. Just as wor- ered the group favourites when the Four Tottenham Hotspur employees rying are the thigh muscle spasms that draw was made. We'll have to play at the have been arrested for allegedly passing have troubled Mexico's best player, top of our game to have any chance on tickets to a tout, police said yesterday. Barcelona's Rafael Márquez, in the build- against them." Police in Haringey, north London, were up. His experience may be crucial. That much is clear and the Portuguese, alerted to irregularities after a routine In the relatively precarious circum- top after successive wins, will be anxious internal audit by the club. stances it may be time for La Volpe to bury to remain at the summit to avoid the likely A police spokeswoman said: “Four the hatchet with his striker Francisco winners of Group C, Argentina, in the next employees of the club and one suspected Fonseca, who at least offered a threat phase, even if the Dutch offer equally ticket tout were arrested on suspicion of against the Angolans upon his introduc- daunting opposition. The fact that a quin- conspiracy to defraud the club of ticket tion as a late substitute. The hordes of tet of players are carrying yellow cards is sales revenue and false accounting.” The travelling Mexicans who have already influencing Luiz Felipe Scolari's selection. workers, three women and one man, and descended upon the Ruhr will demand as “We'll be playing to win this game the alleged male tout have been bailed much, with Fonseca arguably the side's because that's the only way we know how until August. most popular player. to play," said Luis Figo, who has effec- Meanwhile Rafael Benítez believes it The Cruz Azul forward, otherwise tively set up all three of his country's goals will be an “easy” decision for Craig Bel- known as “El Kikín”, scored 10 times in 11 in this competition to date. He will start, lamy to join Liverpool after Blackburn qualifiers to thrust Mexico into this with Scolari resting only the booked quin- Rovers yesterday gave the Anfield club tournament but has endured a fractious tet — including Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco permission to speak to the Welsh interna- relationship with the coach since a very and Pauleta — to ensure they can play in tional striker. Bellamy, 26, is reported to public argument over his omission for a the knockout round. “They won't play a have a clause in his contract allowing clubs pre-tournament friendly. He has been minute, even if Mexico are winning 30–0," who have qualified for the Champions restricted to a bit-part role ever since, said Scolari. “We don’t need to take huge League to speak to him if they offer £6.5m. although his self-confidence remains risks. We know that later we have to play West Bromwich Albion have rejected a undiminished. “We believe we are a better a knockout game.” £1.4m bid from the Premiership new- team than Portugal," he said. Portugal and Mexico have met only comers Watford for the defender Paul His team-mates are more realistic in once before, in a 1969 friendly which Robinson, who began his career at their appraisal of the task. “It's all a bit ended in a goalless draw. Watford before joining Albion for £250,000 in October 2003. Iran v Angola 3pm ITV2 Group D Venue Zentralstadion, Leipzig Referee Mark Shield (Aus) Matches 1 Y4, R0, 4.00 cards per game Weather Sunderland and Odds Iran 6-4 Angola 13-8 Draw 9-4 Radio Talksport digital Showers likely 24° Iran Mirzapour When the draw was made for Group D it was probably Manager Branko Ivankovic Rezaei 1 ≥Bakhtiarizadeh Quinn close in envisaged that Iran versus FIFA ranking 22 13 5 3 20 Angola would not have Subs from Golmohammadi•, Daei, Kaabi Nosrati anything hanging on it bar Khatibi, Roudbarian, Borhani, Enayati, Karimi ≥Zandi pride. But five days ago in on takeover Kazemeian, Navidkia, Sadeqi, Talebloo, Shojaei 2 8 7 21 Hanover, Angola changed Doubtful Zandi (flu), perceptions. Holding on for a Golmohammadi (shoulder), Mahdavikia Teymourian Madanchi 14 0–0 draw against a Mexican Injured None forward line squandering Suspended Nekounam (one match) Hashemian opportunity after opportunity, Michael Walker 9 Angola seized their first World Cup point in their first-ever 10 Angola finals. The result means that Manager Luis Goncalves Mendonca Akwa Ze Kalanga Angola can still qualify for the Niall Quinn’s proposed takeover of Sun- FIFA ranking 58 14 11 15 17 second phase, though they derland remains on course following his Subs from Marcos Airosa, Lebo Lebo, Mateus ≥Rui Marques have to not only score their Miloy, Mantorras, Lama, Edson, Flavio, 7 first World Cup goal, but hope meeting with the club’s chairman Bob Cabungula, Buengo, Mario, Marco Abreu Figueiredo that Portugal beat Mexico in Murray on Monday night. Quinn and Mur- Delgado Loco Doubtful None Gelsenkirchen. A 2–0 victory or ray thrashed out the remaining details of Injured None 21 5 3 20 better for both Angola and Suspended André Macanga (one match) Kali Jamba Portugal and the Africans a deal on Teesside and an announcement 1 would be through at Mexico's that the takeover is completed may occur Ricardo expense. Michael Walker Goalkeepers at play as Mexico’s first choice, Oswaldo Sànchez, is beaten to the ball this week or early next week. Key Probable starters in bold, contenders in light On yellow card ≥ Change from last match by his deputy, José Corona, in training Omar Torres/AFP/Getty Images Quinn’s consortium is understood to have made a formal bid to Murray for his World Cup in brief 58% shareholding last week and will pay Bet of the day an approximate £15m-20m for overall con- trol. They will also inherit a debt of £40m. Group C we get back to Iran. He may not start our trained Mark Viduka at Dinamo Zagreb, It will mean an end to Murray’s two Michel blames Elephants’ next game against Angola,” the coach has picked out the Australia striker as the decades at Sunderland but Quinn’s arrival Branko Ivankovic said yesterday.