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Home , Gerardo Torrado, Jamba (footballer), Jared Borgetti, Kali (footballer), Maniche, Mantorras

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 v Group D Matt Scott point to be sure against a 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 ’s next manager if Subs from 1 Juan Miguel Villar Mir succeeds in the , Constinha•, Miguel Carvalho Meira Ferreira Quim, Ronaldo•, 13 16 5 2 forthcoming presidential elections. •, The Madrid radio channel Cadena Ser Dominic Fifield Gelsenkirchen Caneira, Ricardo ≥Petit ≥Tiago Costa, •, 8 19 claimed last night Wenger would quit the Figo Paulo Santos, Postiga, 15 11 •, Viana. 7 Champions League finalists to take the ≥Boa Morte ≥Simao The Mexicans must be cursing that it has Doubtful None ≥ 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 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 activity with the £6.8m signing of Tomas threat and shorn, again, of their leading . “Portugal are one of the Rosicky from Borussia Dortmund. scorer 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 , 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, , 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 '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 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 , 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 3pm ITV2 Group D

Venue Zentralstadion, Leipzig Referee (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 ≥ have to not only score their , , 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) 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 , It will mean an end to Murray’s two Michel blames Elephants’ next game against Angola,” the coach has picked out the striker as the decades at Sunderland but Quinn’s arrival Branko Ivankovic said yesterday. main threat before their decisive game 6-5 is likely to be greeted ecstatically by exit on defensive mistakes tomorrow, which will be refereed by Gra- Stadium of Light fans, who have just ham Poll. He said: “Their greatest danger to break the endured a dismal season that ended in Ivory Coast The coach Henri Michel has Group E is that they play as a team and they have for the most Argentina caps during relegation from the Premiership. blamed his team’s elimination on defen- Baros may be fit to face Mark Viduka. We will have a man on him this World Cup Manchester United’s reserve coach sive deficiencies as they prepare to take the whole time.” Ladbrokes Rene Meulensteen has joined Brondby as on Serbia & Montenegro. “We’ve made Italy after foot injury Having been backed down from 9–1 their head coach. The 40-year-old Dutch- small defensive errors and that’s why we to 7–2 (general), Argentina share man has signed a three-year contract and are out. But we can all learn from this.” Milan Baros returned to Group G favouritism with in the will be assisted by Peder Siggaard. full training yesterday after struggling Fifa dips into Togo’s World outright market for the World Cup . Portsmouth are interested in signing with a foot injury and may play in tomor- For those who haven’t backed José the Benfica striker Nuno Gomes who Group D row’s match against Italy. “There is a Cup kitty to settle dispute Pekerman’s team, an interesting way scored 15 goals for the club last season and Playmaker in the dock chance Milan will be fit for Italy,” said the to side with them might be to back helped them to reach the last eight of the Czech coach Karel Bruckner. Togo The saga over the outstanding wages Roberto Ayala to beat Diego Champions League. But the Cameroon for kicking a sports bag and bonuses owed to the Togolese play- Simeone’s record of 106 appearances international Achille Emana has rejected ers will be resolved in the next few days for the South Americans. The suggestions he has signed a deal with the Iran The Bayern Munich playmaker Ali Group F after Fifa ensured they would be paid. The Valencia defender will break the south-coast side. Karimi may be dropped for the next game Kranjcar says familiar foe governing body will not provide the record if Argentina reach the final or The former captain Didier Des- after kicking a sports bag when he was money but it will be paid out of Togo’s the third/fourth place play-off game champs said he has been asked to coach substituted against Portugal. “He [Karimi] Viduka is the main threat World Cup payment account of 7m Swiss — and plays in all their remaining Juventus if the team are relegated made a disciplinary mistake which we will francs (£3.06m), said Fifa’s director of matches. Dan Roebuck in the match-fixing scandal that is shak- need to discuss after the World Cup when The coach Zlatko Kranjcar, who communications Markus Siegler. ing Italian football.