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Established 1961 15 Sports Tuesday, March 27, 2018 England have World Cup places up for grabs, says Southgate England’s boss planning to make several changes against Italy LONDON: Gareth Southgate has told England’s World against Holland, keeping his second clean-sheet in two Cup hopefuls there are still places up for grabs as he appearances, but Southgate confirmed Stoke’s Butland prepares to finalise his squad for the tournament in will begin the Italy match. Russia. Southgate must submit his 23-man squad for Joe Hart is also a contender but he has dropped the World Cup no later than June 4, but the England down the pecking order after struggling with West manager would ideally prefer to finalise his selection Ham. “Jack will play in goal. I wanted to give him and before the friendly against Nigeria on June 2. Jordan a game each for the experience,” Southgate Southgate wants his final said. World Cup group together “I can’t predict if Joe will for the warm-up games play for England before the against Nigeria and Costa World Cup. “It’s up to the Rica, which means today’s It’s not goalkeepers to perform well friendly against Italy at in the last six or seven Wembley represents a sig- too late for matches, and we’ll take deci- nificant milestone in the fight sions from there.” to secure a seat on the plane anybody to Russia. LOW EXPECTATIONS After England’s solid 1-0 Once Southgate has set- friendly win over Holland on tled on his final squad, he will Friday, Southgate is planning turn his attention to to make several changes against Italy, giving his fringe England’s group stage matches against Tunisia, Panama players one of their last chances to stake their claim. and Belgium. Expectations are low among England fans “It’s not too late for anybody. We will still be moni- after years of underachievement in major tournaments, toring everyone until the end of the season,” Southgate but Southgate is adamant his team are heading in the told reporters at England’s north London training base right direction. yesterday. “There are 31 or 32 players that will be in “What is more pleasing is the way the players are contention and no one knows what will happen over the starting to adapt to the system. We were more fluid next few weeks. with the ball, we played with more freedom. there were LONDON: England’s midfielder Raheem Sterling (L) and England’s manager Gareth Southgate attend a “In lots of positions we’ve got really good options, really good signs of that on Friday,” he said. press conference following a training session at Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground in north London yes- players we know would come in and do well. We have “We have to allow this young team to go and per- terday, ahead of their international friendly football match against Italy. — AFP to get the balance right. “It’s important we have compe- form, there are some super exciting young players. tition all over the pitch, the additional pressure of “They have to grow together, they dont have 50 or 100 knowing you have to play well to retain your place, that caps. We have to give them space to do that. Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling. England, but I’m still young. I’m always trying to devel- takes players to another level.” “I know people don’t always want to do that, but if After starting the season with his place at City in op,” he said. “With the City aspect, and (City boss) Pep One of the most intriguing selection battles is we want to go further in the tournament than our rank- doubt, Sterling has emerged as a significant threat for (Guardiola), he’s been fantastic with me.” “It hasn’t ben- between Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford and Joe Hart for ing shows we have to allow them that.” One of the key the Premier League leaders, but he has yet to hit the efitted England at all yet. I haven’t got to the level I the goalkeeper’s jersey. Everton’s Pickford started figures for England at the World Cup is likely to be same heights with England. “I feel established with want.” — AFP ‘Ghost’ of 7-1 Germany mauling Dooley’s Philippines still haunts Brazil set sights on maiden Asian Cup BERLIN: Brazil coach Tite says the “ghost” of their 7-1 mauling by Germany at the 2014 World Cup still haunts the ‘Selecao’, as the teams prepare to meet today. Brazil appearance suffered their heaviest home defeat when Germany hit four goals in six devastating first-half minutes of the HONG KONG: In the Philippines, where basketball Belo Horizonte semi-final nearly four years ago. monopolizes the airwaves and ageing boxer Manny Toni Kroos and Andre Schuerrle both scored twice Pacquiao is still king, a small piece of football history over the 90 minutes as Germany’s attack ran riot en could be made today evening. At the rundown Rizal route to winning the World Cup title. The teams meet in Memorial Stadium in the Malate district of Manila, a friendly for the first time since at Berlin’s Olympic Thomas Dooley will lead the Philippines into their Stadium and Tite says Brazil still bear the scars. biggest ever game when they take on Tajikistan in the “This has a huge psychological meaning - no one final round of qualifying for next year’s Asian Cup needs to fool themselves about that,” Tite told German finals.A draw will be enough to take the Azkals - magazine Kicker. “The 7-1 from the World Cup is like a ‘Street Dogs’ in Tagalog - to January’s finals in the ghost. “It’s present, people still talk about it, but the United Arab Emirates and seal the nation’s first-ever more you talk about it, the less this ‘ghost’ disappears. qualification in the 62-year history of the continental “It won’t just be a sporting challenge, but a huge championship. emotional challenge too. “We are preparing to give our “Obviously it’s a very important game for us,” said best performance, which will be important, but of Dooley, the former United States international course I also want a good result.” Tite has been in defender now in his fifth year as Philippines head charge of Brazil since 2016, but Felipe Scolari was head coach. “We never expected it would come back to coach for the mauling by Germany at the last World BERLIN: Brazil’s players attend a training session on the eve of the friendly football match Germany vs the last day. I hoped we could have closed it down a Cup. “I was watching the game at home in Sao Paulo Brazil in Berlin, Germany, yesterday, in preparation of the 2018 Fifa World Cup. — AFP little bit earlier, but that happens sometimes. with my wife and after the third goal went in, she start- “We have a home game and we cannot afford to ed to cry,” said the 56-year-old Tite. “That started me lose, so we have to get a point or a win and then we off. “It was a moment of great inspiration for Germany, meeting at senior international level since the 7-1 rout. expected to start in Germany’s midfield. Tite explained qualify. “I’m trying to get the pressure away from the every shot was a goal - stuff like that doesn’t even hap- Tite told Brazil reporters that Manchester City mid- in depth why he sees Germany as one of the favourites players and I’m just trying to get them focused on pen in video games. fielder Fernandinho will replace Douglas Costa in the to defend their World Cup title this June in Russia. “Not writing history for the Philippines.” “Sometimes you get that in football, a team comes only change from the team which beat Russia 3-0 in only because of the football, but because of something Qualification for the Asian Cup finals, which have close to perfection and that’s what happened to Moscow on Friday. Germany head coach Joachim Loew hard to attain: Continuity in their performances,” said been expanded from 16 to 24 teams for next year’s Germany. “The wound is still open and the match in expects to make up to five changes from the starting the Brazilian. “It has been a process in the years under edition, would give the game a boost in a country Berlin is a part of the process of closing it.” Germany line-up of Friday’s 1-1 with Spain. Joachim Loew. “Tactically, Germany has a lot of where the sporting landscape is overwhelmingly lost to Brazil on penalties in the men’s final of the 2016 Stars Mesut Ozil and Thomas Mueller have been options, you saw that at the Confederations Cup (which dominated by basketball. Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but this is their first released by Loew to rest while Ilkay Gundogan is they won) with high quality young players.” —AFP The Philippines, however, occupies a unique posi- tion within the fabric of football in Asia. The country played in the first international fixture on Asian soil when they won the opening game of the 1913 Far Eastern Games against China. World Cup hosts In an even less likely claim to footballing fame, for- mer Philippines international Paulinho Alcantara was Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer until Lionel Russia seek French Messi surpassed his tally almost four years ago.