Striker John Aloisi said he would be fit to play in Australia’s World Cup warm-up match against the Netherlands in Rotterdam next weekend.
Aloisi, who missed Australia’s 1-0 win over European champions Greece in Melbourne last Thursday with a foot injury, told television here: “I’m sure the foot will be alright, so I’ll be looking to play against Holland.”
Real Madrid icon Raul is already playing catch-up in Spain’s pre-World Cup goalscoring and popularity charts with his cross-city rival at Atletico, Fernando Torres.
While the duo prepare to help Spain surpass a quarter-final exit at the hands of South Korea four years ago, Torres has emerged as the man most likely to become Spain’s goalscoring hero.
Jurgen Klinsmann was refusing to get carried away after Germany’s 7-0 thrashing of Luxembourg in a World Cup warm-up on Saturday.
The hosts, who next face Japan on Tuesday, received the perfect confidence booster with a double apiece from Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski.
If there’s one player the fans of Spain and England will be keeping an eye on at this summer’s World Cup, it has got to be Arsenal’s talented midfielder Francesc Fabregas.
Depending on the fitness of Spain and Barcelona regular Xavi, the precocious midfielder from Catalonia may find his chances of featuring in Luis Aragones’ starting line-up limited.
Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero appears to have won his battle with fit-again Francesco Totti for the playmaking duties in Italy’s World Cup campaign.
Italy coach Marcello Lippi has indicated that he will start Del Piero in an attacking midfield role previously occupied by Totti until the midfielder broke a bone in his left leg in February.
Czech international Karel Poborsky received a pre-World Cup boost after seeing his unfashionable Ceske Budejovice club promoted to the top-flight.
Poborsky, 34, the most capped Czech player in history with 112 appearances, started playing for Ceske Budejovice after acrimoniously splitting with Sparta Prague in December last year.
Czech footballers and the national football association have reportedly agreed to channel some of their World Cup earnings into a fund to develop young football talent in the country.
Around five percent of the national association’s and players’ earnings from participation in the opening group games of the World Cup in Germany will be channelled into the fund, the Czech News Agency, CTK, reported.
Germany captain Michael Ballack and defender Roberth Huth are both doubtful for the World Cup warm-up against Japan at Leverkusen through injury, team chiefs said.
Key midfielder Ballack has already missed Saturday’s 7-0 thrashing of Luxembourg because of a right ankle injury dating back to Thursday’s match against a Swiss junior team.
Brazil star Ronaldinho wants to complete a dream season by adding a World Cup winners’ medal to his Champions League crown with Barcelona.
The two-time world footballer of the year said that helping Brazil win a record sixth World Cup would make it a ‘perfect year’ following Barcelona’s triumph in Europe.
MARY 4:39 pm on June 8, 2006 Permalink |
i love frnando torres