Reuters Soccer Blog

Soccer Break Wednesday

Now the international period is over we can focus on domestic issues again, or can we?

Tuesday’s matches provided plenty of drama, from the battles Spain and the Netherlands had to fight to get through tricky Euro 2012 qualifiers, to Ghana’s lighting up of London, to Australia’s World Cup revenge against Germany in a friendly.

Brazil’s two-goal hero against Scotland continues to grab the headlines. Would you be interested in signing the talented 19-year-old Neymar?

For two of Europe’s biggest clubs there is bad news. The strike that could have seen the cancellation of La Liga matches this weekend has been called off, so Real Madrid must play three days before their Champions League quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Staying with a North London theme, Arsenal could be without striker Robin van Persie after the Netherlands forward was injured against Hungary in the 5-3 thriller. No doubt Arsene Wenger will have something to say so keep your ears open.

And what about Jens Lehmann? Gunners fans…would you trust him in goal over Manuel Almunia?

Some good news now. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says the game is developing well in the United States, though there’s always a flip side. After the encouraging 1-1 draw against Argentina on Saturday, the U.S. lost 1-0 to Paraguay on Tuesday.

Soccer Break Tuesday

Spring is here and love should be in the air, but instead all we’re left with is bickering managers.

Fabio Capello and Jose Mourinho are no strangers to controversy, so it’s no surprise to see them at it again, though the timing is odd. Mourinho still has it all to prove at Real Madrid over the next two months, while Capello has yet to truly inspire confidence in England fans.

What do you make of Capello’s captaincy decision after handing the armband to Gareth Barry, days after excluding him from the squad to face Wales?

And Real fans, does it annoy you to see Mourinho flirting so openly with other jobs?

Back to action on the pitch, and on Tuesday there will be a special reason to watch England’s friendly against Ghana. Read more here.

Another special occasion will take place in Japan when the national team play a J-League select team to raise funds for the stricken victims of the tsunami and earthquake earlier this month.

A Different League takes a look at Ireland and whether they are strong enough to qualify for Euro 2012 from a formidable group including Slovakia, Russia and Macedonia. Thoughts?

Reuters World Cup 2010 podcast — quarter-finals (II)

Listen!

Join us for a look back at the extraordinary first two quarter-finals at the World Cup and a look forward to Germany v Argentina and Spain v Paraguay. Paul Radford, Felix Bate, Jon Bramley and Kevin Fylan argue over the merits of penalty goals in soccer and consider Ghana’s desperate misfortune.

Did the punishment fit the Suarez crime?

When Uruguay’s Luis Suarez handled the ball in the final seconds of extra-time in the World Cup quarter-final against Ghana, the ball was heading across the line for a dramatic winning goal.

The officials did well to spot the offence in a crowded area at the end of what must have been a tiring encounter to be in charge of. But did the punishment of a penalty and a red card for Suarez really fit the crime?

Of course, if, instead of ballooning the spot kick high, Asamoah Gyan had tucked away the penalty and Ghana had gone through, we probably wouldn’t be debating this.

But it is hard not to be left with the feeling that Suarez and Uruguay have benefited from foul play.

Suarez cannot be blamed for what was an instinctive action — within the current rules. Had the ball crossed the line his team were out and by handling the ball, he gave his goalkeeper a chance to save the situation. Ghana gained no advantage at all. Instead of a certain goal — they got a shot at the keeper from 11 metres.

Reuters World Cup podcast — quarter-finals (I)

Join us for an in-depth look at the first two World Cup quarter-finals, Netherlands v Brazil and Uruguay v Ghana, with our soccer experts Paul Radford, Owen Wyatt, Felix Bate, Mark Gleeson, Helen Popper and Kevin Fylan.

World Cup 2010 quarter-finals podcast

Welcome to our latest Reuters 2010 World Cup podcast, as we follow the lead of the world’s most famous psychic octopus and try to predict what will happen in the quarter-finals. Kevin Fylan is joined by Paul Radford, Jon Bramley, Ken Ferris and Mr Mark Gleeson.

World Cup podcast – day 14

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Kevin Fylan, Paul Radford, Andy Cawthorne and Felix Bate discuss a few of the forthcoming second round matches at the World Cup, including the classic Germany v England.

Rajevac accused of divided loyalties before Serbia match

Milovan Rajevac has already had to defend himself on several occasions as to the extent of his commitment to Ghana’s cause.

But suggestions that divided loyalties might cloud his commitment to the Black Stars’ opening game of the World Cup seem underhand and divisive.

The Serbian-born coach takes his African charges up against his homeland in the tournament in South Africa on Sunday, prompting a handful of Ghanaian football commentators to slyly suggest he will not be 100 percent committed.

Although it is an issue largely ignored by other media outlets, it does recall the ugliness that followed the heavy defeat suffered by then Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) at the hands of Yugoslavia when the two countries met in the 1974 World Cup in West Germany.

The 9-0 thumping in Gelsenkirchen remains a low point for African football and had life-changing ramifications for the players, who went from hero to zero, unpaid for their exploits and denied cars and properties promised them by dictator Mobutu Sese Seko as a reward for World Cup qualification. Many of the surviving members of that side today live in poverty.

Most of the vilification, however, was reserved for Blagoje Vidinic, the Yugoslav coach of the team who was accused of throwing the game.

Reuters Sportswrap: World Cup qualifying special

Join Owen Wyatt for our regular wrap of world sport. This week, it’s a World Cup qualifier special, as we consider the plight of Diego Maradona and the battle for golden tickets for South Africa 2010.

We particularly welcome comments, so if you’d like to critique Owen’s schoolboy fashion errors, please do…

Can Sanchez survive until the World Cup?

Mexico make a rare visit to Europe when they face Ghana at Craven Cottage on Wednesday in what could be their last game under coach Hugo Sanchez.

The former Real Madrid striker is widely regarded as the finest player Mexico has produced and seemed the obvious choice to replace Ricardo La Volpe following the 2006 World Cup.

Sanchez had been lobbying for the job for a long time, brashly promising to win the World Cup and claiming that his winning mentality would rub off on a team long been regarded as underachievers.

Yet, barely 18 months after taking over, Sanchez’s job is on the line. Defeat against the United States in last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup final went down very badly, especially after Mexico also lost to Honduras in the group stage and struggled to 1-0 wins over Panama and Guadeloupe in the same tournament.

Things looked much better in the Copa America shortly afterwards as Mexico beat Brazil 2-0 in the group stage and thumped Paraguay 6-0 in the last eight before going down to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina in the semi-finals.

But last week’s failure of the under-23 team, which Sanchez also coaches, to qualify for the Olympic Games has put him firmly back in the firing line.