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ENGLAND EARNED RESPECT IN RUSSIA

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In recent years, England have been derided by other top footballing nations due to their consistent below-par performances at major tournaments. The self-styled ‘inventors of the game’ only won the World Cup in 1966, and even then with some dubious refereeing decisions.

In modern soccer, despite the advancements in the Premier League, England regularly had issues reaching knockout stages in major events. Despite the abundance of talents, youth, finesse, support, and exposure some reason would hinder them. And then Gareth Southgate came along. Continue reading “ENGLAND EARNED RESPECT IN RUSSIA” →

Wayne Rooney feels England can win the 2022 World Cup

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Former Manchester United and Everton star Wayne Rooney believes England could emerge as strong contenders for the 2022 World Cup, should Gareth Southgate managed to work with the current crop of players for the long run. The Three Lions reached the semi-final stage for only the third time in their World Cup history during the summer but they could not progress further after they were beaten by Croatia.

Despite this, Southgate has been lauded for the efforts by the country’s faithful and Rooney feels the nation should look forward to making progress over the next four years to make a better challenge for the next World Cup, he said: “The maturity the team showed was fantastic and unfortunately they couldn’t get to the final and have a chance of winning it.
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Jose Mourinho confirms Nemanja Matic will miss season opener

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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Nemanja Matic will miss the start of the new Premier League season after undergoing an operation for an abdominal injury picked up during the summer World Cup in Russia. Matic was one of the club’s ever-presents during the previous campaign but unfortunately, the stress of playing continuously has had an impact on his body.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Mourinho confirmed that Matic should miss the start of the campaign as a result of a surgery, he said:“Matic has had surgery. Yes, of course [he is out for the start of the season]. I don’t know how long he will be out for.Matic arrived from the World Cup holiday, direct to surgery because something happened in the World Cup. He has had surgery. He is out for the start of the season. He came from the World Cup with the injury and the time he had to rest on holiday was not enough to resolve the problem.”
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Roberto Martinez Challenges Belgium to Build on World Cup 2018 Success

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Roberto Martinez has praised Belgium for creating history by finishing third in the World Cup 2018. The current Belgian squad has been dubbed as the ‘golden generation’ for possessing incredible talent with the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Lukaku in the team. Belgium had come into the tournament as one of the underdogs but they were able to create the most excitement by ripping apart many teams across the competition. Belgium even beat Brazil before finally faltering at the hands of France in the semifinals. Many, though, felt that Belgium would have been deserved winners of the competition.

However, there was some consolation in the form of a win over England and this secured the third place for Belgium. After coming into the managerial role only recently, Martinez was able to get Belgium to a huge improvement. The third place finish at the World Cup 2018 means that the squad was able to improve on the achievements of the 1986 squad. Now, Martinez is hoping that in the brilliant competition will be a stepping stone towards more successful Belgium in the future. There will be little doubt that this Belgium team will be considered as a favourite for the upcoming Euro 2020 alongside reigning World Cup champions France.
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Abiodun Obafemi: England underestimated Croatia at the World Cup

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Former Nigeria international Abiodun Obafemi has said that England may have underestimated the qualities possessed from Croatia during the semi-final of the World Cup. The Three Lions were widely fancied to beat the Croatians who had come off penalty shoot-out wins over Denmark and Russia but they could not create many chances in a 2-1 defeat.

Speaking to Goal.com, Abiodun – an Olympic Gold medallist with Nigeria in 1996, stressed that Croatia were the better team based on their overall display during the game. He added that the Three Lions may have underestimated their opposition after tending to go on the defensive after securing an early lead against the Croats.
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ARGENTINA ON THE BRINK OF WORLD CUP EXIT

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Lionel Messi, yet again, could not rise up to the occasion as Argentina faltered in their second successive game at the 2018 World Cup. Croatia crushed them 3-0 as they qualified for the knockout stage, having previously beaten Nigeria.

Despite the team being star studded and very talented, Argentina have failed to turn in any major trophies. They have reached several finals but they just could not break through. With Russia 2018 being the last possible opportunity the golden generation of Argentine stars have of lifting a trophy, there was more pressure.
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Paul Pogba aiming to impress with France at the World Cup

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Manchester United midfielder has stated his ambition to impress for France during the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia. The Frenchman has been one of Didier Deschamps’ most influential players over the past 24 months and the 25-year-old is now keen to emerge as a leader in the upcoming global tournament.

Speaking on Canal +, he said: “I hope now, at the World Cup. I’m going to take the reins of the France team, try to be the boss on and off the pitch. I hear it (criticism) a lot. I hope to give my answer on the pitch and show everyone. I was the best young player (in 2014).  I hope I’ll be the best player overall at the World Cup. That would be great.”
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Alvaro Morata Admits He Could Miss The World Cup

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Spain international Alvaro Morata has admitted that he could fail to make La Roja’s squad for the summer World Cup in Russia. The 25-year-old had a strong start to his career with Chelsea earlier this season and he scored six goals in his first six Premier League games. However, he has since struggled to maintain any sort of consistency and has managed just one goal in the top-flight since December.

Speaking to Marca, Morata admitted that there is the possibility of him missing out on selection after failing to make the squad for the recent international friendlies against Germany and Spain. He is nevertheless prepared to work hard in the remaining weeks in order to convince Julen Lopetegui into picking him. Continue reading “Alvaro Morata Admits He Could Miss The World Cup” →

Frank Lampard Urges Jack Wilshere To Prove His Worth Ahead Of World Cup

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Chelsea favourite Frank Lampard believes Jack Wilshere can earn a place in England’s World Cup squad despite not playing a single international game for nearly two years. The Arsenal midfielder earned a much-awaited call-up under Gareth Southgate last month, but a knee injury hampered his chances of participating against the Netherlands and Italy.

 

Writing on his Evening Standard column, Lampard believes Wilshere can get into the squad with his talent alone, and he gave an example of a similar run, he had with Chelsea prior to Euro 2004, he said: “It was unfortunate he missed the last two friendlies through injury, but I believe a run of form will get Wilshere on the plane. In terms of games left in the season, there is still a long way to go and a lot can happen.

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Ruben Loftus-Cheek Not Giving Up On England World Cup Dream

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Crystal Palace midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek believes he can make a late entry into England’s World Cup squad despite being injured for most of the second-half of the season. The 22-year-old bagged the man of the match during his Three Lions debut against Germany in November, and this earned him praise from manager Gareth Southgate.


However, things have since not been rosy for the midfielder, who sustained an ankle injury in the month of December. The Chelsea loanee only returned as a substitute during Palace’s recent 2-0 league win over Huddersfield Town, but he remains hopeful of proving his fitness to Southgate before the end of the season. Continue reading “Ruben Loftus-Cheek Not Giving Up On England World Cup Dream” →