Kewell yet to confirm Victory stay

Melbourne Victory face a new round of negotiations with Socceroo Harry Kewell as other A-League clubs circle for his signature.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Kewell has decided to take an opt-out clause in the incentive-based three-year contract he signed with Victory after the club’s dismal campaign last season meant his earnings did not match expectations.

Kewell’s manager James Erskine said the 33-year-old hoped to stay with Victory especially as the team is now managed by dual A-League championship-winning coach Ange Postecoglou, but the marquee player was hoping for a more standard contract.

“There’s no agreement as such at the moment, the last one was terminated so now it’s as if we’re starting again,” Erskine told the Daily Telegraph.

“We haven’t seriously gone out to speak to any other clubs for now, and Harry’s preference is to stay in Melbourne, but that all depends on what we can agree with Victory.”

Kewell is not the only big-name Socceroo without a contract ahead of Australia’s World Cup qualifiers with Oman and Japan as Aussie captain Lucas Neill will also find himself a free agent at the end of June when his contract with UAE Pro-League outfit Al-Jazira expires.

It has been reported that 34-year-old Neill is on the radar of the A-League’s new Western Sydney club, but the former Blackburn and West Ham defender intends to stay in Asia.

Neill’s management refused to comment on the speculation.

“My sole focus is on the Socceroos and getting off to a good start on the road to Brazil,” Neill said in a media statement also published in the Daily Telegraph.

“I will address my club situation at the end of June if and when my club contract expires.”

Source : http://www.soccernews.com/kewell-yet-to-confirm-victory-stay/95883/

M'Vila injured in France win World Soccer Shop

A potentially serious injury to key midfielder Yann M'Vila took the shine off an otherwise encouraging 2-0 victory for France over Serbia.

M'Villa: Hobbles out of France's clash with Serbia

Rennes midfielder M'Vila took a kick to the ankle from Dusan Tadic in the opening exchanges and although he tried to carry on he left the pitch in obvious distress with just four minutes on the clock.

His team-mates went on to win with ease, scoring early goals through Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda while creating several other chances, but it will be the diagnosis for his central lynchpin that will most concern Laurent Blanc with less than two weeks until the start of their Euro 2012 campaign.

Germany continue to search for their form nine days ahead of their Euro 2012 bow against Portugal after stumbling to a 2-0 friendly win over Israel in Leipzig.

Against the nation ranked 58 in the world by FIFA, Mario Gomez gave Joachim Low's side the lead just before the break.

A late goal from Andre Schurrle earned Germany a slightly more respectable margin of victory but, after losing 5-3 to Switzerland last weekend, Low still has a lot of fine-tuning to do before things get serious on June 9.

Kiriakos Papadopoulos scored the only goal in the 24th minute as Greece completed preparations for the European Championship finals by claiming their first win in five games against Armenia.

Fernando Santos' side faced going to the finals in disarray after failing to win in any of their four previous friendlies, including a disappointing 1-1 draw against Slovenia in Kufstein last Saturday.

The early strike from Papadopoulos will have restored confidence in the Greek side, who begin their finals campaign against hosts Poland in the opening match next Friday.

Source : http://soccer365.com//news/european_news/general/17558/m_vila_injured_in_france_win

International friendly: Spain 4 South Korea 1

Spain continued their preparations for Euro 2012 with a comfortable 4-1 victory over South Korea at Stade de Suisse in Switzerland on Wednesday.

Spain got off to a good start, and nearly found the net just five minutes into the match when Santiago Cazorla’s blast at goal deflected off Fernando Torres, only for the ball to creep agonisingly by the post.

The early pressure from Vicente Del Bosque’s side paid off just five minutes later when Benat’s fizzed cross from the left-hand side was met by Torres inside the area, and the Chelsea man did well to nod the ball past South Korea goalkeeper Jin-Hyeon Kim.

Jin-Hyeon was a busy man in the opening 45 minutes and kept his side in the match with a couple of accomplished saves, denying both Cazorla and Xabi Alonso.

South Korea almost equalised in the 20th minute when Kim Jung-Woo skipped past a couple of challenges before lashing a shot inches past Jose Reina’s.

South Korea continued to probe for their opening goal and it eventually came a minute before half-time through a stunning Do-Heon Kim strike. The midfielder picked up the ball on the left hand side before smashing a fierce strike from 25 yards into the top corner.

Spain reclaimed the lead in the 53rd minute when Yong-Hyung Cho blocked a Nacho Monreal strike on goal with his hand inside the box. Xabi Alonso stepped up to coolly dispatch the penalty.

Del Bosque’s men kicked on after their second goal, and were able to add a third just three minutes later through a Cazorla free-kick. The Malaga playmaker showed outstanding initiative to fire a strike under the Korean wall from his set-piece on the edge of the box, giving Spain a two-goal lead.

The South Koreans kept up their spirits, however, and came close to grabbing a goal back when Ja-Cheol Koo went on a bursting run through the middle of the Spanish defence, only to smash his eventual shot on to the post.

Cerezo Osaka goalkeeper Jin-Hyeon continued to keep the score respectable with a number of brilliant saves in the second half, denying Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo twice.

Negredo did eventually find a goal for Spain in the 78th minute when Roberto Soldado sent his compatriot through on goal and the substitute scored with a well-taken finish.

Spain’s final Euro 2012 warm up comes this weekend when they take on China in Seville before they head to Poland and Ukraine.

South Korea’s next encounter is also of large importance as they take on Qatar in World Cup 2014 qualifying.

Source : http://www.soccernews.com/international-friendly-spain-4-south-korea-1/95549/

Ukraine ease past Estonia World Soccer Shop

Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine continued their preparations for the tournament with a 4-0 friendly victory over Estonia in Austria on Monday.

Yarmolenko: Got Ukraine underway

First-half goals from Andriy Yarmolenko, Oleg Gusev (penalty) and Andriy Voronin had the game wrapped up before the interval, with substitute Artem Milevskiy adding gloss to the scoreline within five minutes of the restart.

The triumph was a fifth in six games for Oleg Blokhin's side, who have had only friendlies to fine-tune plans for their Euro 2012 opener against Sweden on June 11 due to not having had to qualify.

The Ukrainians asserted their authority from the outset at Kufstein Arena and almost went ahead in the first minute, when Yevgen Konoplianka's left-footed blast was parried by Estonia goalkeeper Mihkel Aksalu.

They did not have to wait long to go ahead, though, as Yarmolenko latched onto Serhiy Nazarenko's pass eight minutes later and lashed an unstoppable shot into the top-right corner.

Estonia, who only missed out on a place in Poland and Ukraine in a play-off against Republic of Ireland, offered little as an attacking force and Aksalu continued to be much the busier of the two keepers as the match wore on.

He did well to keep out a Nazarenko drive in the 30th minute but was powerless to keep out Gusev's spot-kick four minutes later after Yarmolenko had been fouled by Ragnar Klavan.

Marko Devic was also denied soon after, Aksalu tipping his effort around the post, before Voronin headed home Devic's cross four minutes before half-time.

Both sides made four substitutions at the break and two of Ukraine's replacements wasted little time making their impact in the second half, Milevskiy slotting his close-range shot into the bottom-left corner from Andriy Shevchenko's pass in the 50th minute.

Ukraine goalkeeper Andrei Pyatov was finally called into action three minutes later to tip a powerful attempt from Tarmo Kink over the bar, but that was as good as it got for Estonia.

Source : http://soccer365.com//news/european_news/general/17329/ukraine_ease_past_estonia

Iceland result no problem for Evra

France defender Patrice Evra believes that the form of teams in warm-up games ahead of Euro 2012 should not be read into.

Les Bleus secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Iceland on Saturday after fighting back from a two-goal deficit.

Birkir Bjarnason and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson fired the visitors into a shock lead, but Laurent Blanc’s side spared their blushes as Mathieu Debuchy, Franck Ribery and Adil Rami rescued the win in the second half.

“After one match, you cannot know exactly what you need to do to improve. The second match is different, the third as well,” Evra told L’Equipe.

“You can play very well in your warm-up games and lose the first match at the Euros. It is June 11 we must be ready for.

“We must not be too hard on ourselves.”

Evra appeared culpable for Sigthorsson’s goal when he was beaten by winger Rurik Gislason, who crossed for the Ajax striker to finish, but insisted the blame could not be laid on his shoulders.

Doubts have arisen surrounding the Manchester United full-back holding down a starting berth in the tournament after a disappointing domestic campaign.

“When we concede goals, it is down to everyone. We should not single out the defence, the attack or the midfield,” he added.

Les Bleus face Serbia on Thursday and Estonia next Tuesday before heading to their base camp at Kirsha Training Centre, as they prepare to face England, Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine in Group D.

Source : http://www.soccernews.com/iceland-result-no-problem-for-evra/95404/