INT Global Football

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A news of football around the globe. Post your news about global football from all over asia, oceania and north america to south america. Thank you.

 

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IFAB confirm goal-line technology to be discussed

The International FA Board has agreed to re-examine the issue of goal-line technology and it will be subject to a vote in March.

IFAB's business meeting in Wales ended with members - made up of FIFA and the four British home associations - agreeing to look again just seven months after the game's law-making body ruled it out.

The issue was brought into focus again during the World Cup as England's Frank Lampard was denied a goal against Germany in their 4-1 defeat when the ball crossed the line, but was not given by the assistant referee.

A statement said: ''The technology would apply solely to the goal-line, and only to determine whether a goal has been scored or not.

''The system must be accurate; the indication of whether a goal has been scored must be immediate and automatically confirmed within one second; the indication of whether a goal has been scored will only be communicated to the match officials.''

A deadline of the end of next month has been set for companies to make a first presentation of their technologies to FIFA. A testing period will then take place with a number of companies to determine the accuracy of each system and this will be reported back to the IFAB annual general meeting on March 5.

Manuel Neuer watches as Frank Lampard's shot crosses the line.

 

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AFC Champs Lge: Seongnam book final berth

Cho Dong-keon's first-half goal booked Seongnam's place in the final of the Asian Champions League as they overcame Al Shabab on away goals at Tancheon Sports Complex.

Having lost the first leg of their semi-final 4-3 in Riyadh, Seongnam needed to score to keep their continental dreams alive and Cho broke the deadlock in the 31st minute with the only goal of the game.

In truth, Al Shabab offered little in attack and Seongnam should have won by more than just a one-goal margin. Kim Sung-hwan had the ball in the back of the net for the hosts in the third minute but it was ruled out for offside.

Sasa Ognenovski headed wide from close range as Seongnam continued to press before they went in front just after the half-hour mark. A long ball from Koh Jae-sung was helped on by Dzenan Radoncic into the box and Cho managed to reach the bouncing ball ahead of goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah, who was slow off his line, and smashed it into the back of the net from close range.

Seongnam were the more attacking threat after the break but the visitors' first shot on target in the 63rd minute almost brought an equaliser. Nasser Al-Shamrani picked up a loose ball outside the box but his low shot was well-saved by Jung Sung-ryong and the South Korea international then brilliantly denied Abdullah Suhail from the rebound.

Seongnam then closed out victory with no further scares to clinch a place in Tokyo on November 13. "I am so happy that we have made it as far as the final,'' boss Shin Tae-yong said. "I am also very satisfied with the performance as well. I want to thank the players for all their efforts, we have achieved our target in reaching the final and we will do our best to win the final too.

"I had a feeling that Cho would score and he played his role within the team perfectly. Kim Sung-hwan played really well and kept Al Shabab's dangerman Camacho quiet, a very important job.''

Al Shabab boss Jorge Fossati was gracious in defeat. "It wasn't a good game for us,'' said the former Uruguay coach. "They had many chances in the first-half and that continued into the second. What is good about Seongnam is that they have the ability to turn chances into goals.

"But just like they have done all the way through this tournament, the players gave everything they could so because of that I am not overly disappointed with the result.''

Cho Dong-Geon scores the goal that put Seongnam in the final.

 

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Copa Sudamericana : Reigning champions progress

Reigning Copa Sudamericana champions LDU Quito made it into the quarter-finals by hammering Chile's Union San Felipe 6-1 at home.
The Ecuadorian side, coached by Argentinian boss Edgardo Bauza, recovered from a 4-2 first-leg defeat in Chile to claim an 8-5 triumph.

Gonzalo Chilla put LDU ahead with his right foot after a Cristian Lara cross in the 20th minute and Hernan Barcos doubled the lead three minutes later with a penalty. However, Luis Angel Vildozo reduced the deficit for San Felipe in the 38th minute and were celebrating the qualification until Jorge Guagua made it 3-1 five minutes after the interval.

Carlos Luna connected with a Juan Manuel Salgueiro cross in the 59th minute and Salgueiro then netted one himself seven minutes later after Barcos passed the ball to him. Finally in the 73rd minute, Barcos received a pass from Chilla to secure the win.

LDU's opponents in the quarter-finals will be Bolivia's San Jose or Newell's Old Boys of Argentina, who won 6-0 in the first leg.

"We played a great team which made the match difficult for us in the first half. When San Felipe scored, we got shocked and disordered, but we corrected our mistakes in the second half, we recovered the ball and the goals finally came,'' Bauza said.

In Argentina, hosts Independiente made it into the quarter-finals with a 4-2 win over Defensor Sporting of Uruguay, who were unable to retain the 1-0 first-leg advantage.

Rodrigo Mora put Defensor ahead in the 11th minute, but Nestor Andres Silvera, Hernan Fredes and Nicolas Cabrera made it 3-1 before the 30th minute. Although Diego Rodriguez reduced the deficit three minutes after the interval, Independiente celebrated the qualification thanks to a goal from Nicolas Martinez 15 minutes from time.

Defensor Sporting goalkeeper Martin Silva was hit by a projectile thrown by Independiente fans during the half-time break, before the second period started. Despite being injured, Silva decided to keep playing.

Colombian side Tolima, who have already eliminated Argentina's Banfield, will be Independiente's opponents in the next round.

Juan Manuel Salgueiro celebrates a goal for Quito.

 

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Italy unhappy to slump to 16th in FIFA rankings

Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete has reacted with disappointment to the news that the country have slipped to 16th in the latest FIFA rankings.

Italy have dropped three places in the past month, slipping behind Slovenia, Chile and Norway. Abete says a country that has won the World Cup on four occasions should not find themselves in such a disappointing position.

"Being 16th in the FIFA ranking is not befitting of Italy," Abete said. "But it's a strange position which takes into account our last results. After the terrible result at the World Cup we've won two and drawn one in our three European Championship qualifiers.

"But this ranking also takes into account the level of our opponents [Northern Ireland, Estonia and Faroe Islands]. Unfortunately there's a risk that we will stay there for a while but we're convinced and determined to return to the top."

Spain remain on top of the rankings, with Netherlands in second, while the only change in the top eight sees Brazil move ahead of Germany and into third.

Russia have climbed 15 places to tenth, while Montenegro's rise continues as they are up 14 places into 26th. The country famously secured a draw against England earlier this month having already won their opening three Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Cesare Prandelli is looking to make changes to the way Italy play

 

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Bahrain coach Hickersberger quits after four months

Josef Hickersberger has resigned as coach of Bahrain national team after just four months in the job, the vice president of Bahrain Football Association Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa announced on Wednesday.

The 63-year-old Austrian only took charge of Bahrain in June and Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa admitted his decision came as a surprise.

"Coach Hickersberger decided to terminate his contract with Bahrain FA,'' he said. "It was a surprising decision for us and the coach has put us in a difficult situation as we have forthcoming campaigns in the Gulf Cup and Asian Cup.

"We will have meetings to take the best decision for the national team. We will definitely announce the plan for the national team's preparations and the national team will be led by assistant coach Marjan Eid.''

Bahrain were drawn in Group B at the Gulf Cup along with Oman, Iraq and Bahrain, while they will be playing in Group C at the AFC Asian Cup along with Korea Republic, India and Australia.

Josef Hickersberger has stepped down as Bahrain coach.

 

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Russia's 2018 bid leader talks up London crime rate

Russia's 2018 World Cup bid leader has highlighted London's "high crime rate" and youth alcohol problems in an interview that appears to contravene FIFA's bidding rules prohibiting comments about rival bidders. Alexei Sorokin first insisted that the Russian bid did not want to get in public "squabbles" with England before going on to denigrate their 2018 bid rivals.

Sorokin, chief executive of the bid, told Russian daily Sport Express: "We do not enter into squabbles, although we have much to say.

"It's no secret, for example, that in London they have the highest crime rate compared with other European cities, and the highest level of alcohol consumption among young people."

Sorokin went on to again insist that a banner with a picture of a banana aimed at West Brom's striker Peter Odemwingie and produced by fans of his former club Lokomotiv Moscow was not racist, and he points out that anti-Glazer fans had burned an American flag at Old Trafford on the same day.

"We could have a conversation about the lack of tolerance and the inciting of ethnic hatred by English fans, but we do not behave like someone who is always saying bad things about their neighbours," he said.

"The banner was not a racist one. It was directed against a particular player who got very good money, lived very well here, but for some reason did not seem to want to play well. "Racism is a common problem, not just in Russia. All soccer countries have had this, including Britain. Naturally, we must fight this and in the Russian Football Union we have a programme to combat all forms of racism."

FIFA's rules specifically forbid bidding countries denigrating their opponents but it is unclear whether Sorokin could face any action. FIFA's ethics committee is more focused on dealing with the fallout from the weekend's bribery expose and investigating claims that two bidding countries colluded over votes.

The sport's world governing body announced on Monday night that it has widened the scope of its investigation to probe suggestions that at least two countries bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups cut a deal over votes, something that is also against bid rules.

Meanwhile, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the two FIFA executive committee members, Nigeria's Amos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, who were exposed by a Sunday Times investigation as having asked undercover reporters for cash in return for their World Cup votes.

The pair will be dealt with by FIFA's ethics committee on Wednesday, and the same body is to separately investigate whether at least two countries campaigning to host the 2018 and/or 2022 tournaments breached bidding rules. Both the two men and the countries involved could be suspended by the ethics committee.

England are bidding for 2018 against Russia, Spain/Portugal and Netherlands/Belgium while the 2022 tournament hosts will be from Australia, the United States, Qatar, Japan and South Korea.
England had targeted Adamu as one of the crucial 'neutral votes' they needed to win the World Cup bidding contest.

Bid officials arranged for David Beckham to meet the Nigerian in Cape Town in November last year, while Andy Cole and then bid chairman Lord Triesman flew to Nigeria the following month to make a formal presentation to Adamu, a Manchester United supporter. Adamu's vote was seen as vital in that he was one of four African FIFA members and no African nations can bid for either 2018 and 2022.

 

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FIFA general secretary Valcke dealing with corruption case

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has cancelled a visit to Wednesday's goal-line technology meeting in Wales to deal with the ongoing corruption crisis. Valcke was due to attend the International FA Board business meeting at Celtic Manor but now he will send other officials to meet the chief executive of the four British associations who with FIFA make up the game's law-making body.

Valcke will instead be in Zurich where FIFA's ethics committee are on Wednesday to hear the case of two FIFA executive committee members, Nigeria's Amos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, who it is claimed asked undercover reporters for cash in return for their World Cup votes. The ethics body is also separately to investigate whether at least two countries campaigning to host the 2018 and or 2022 tournaments breached bidding rules.

Both the two men and the countries involved could be suspended by the ethics committee. England are bidding for 2018 against Russia, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium while the 2022 tournament hosts will be from Australia, USA, Qatar, Japan and South Korea.

FIFA said Valcke would be unable to attend the IFAB meeting "due to other commitments". It is expected the IFAB meeting will take the first steps towards introducing goal-line technology, possibly by appointing an independent company to test the 13 systems that have put themselves forward to FIFA.

No major decisions will be taken until the full IFAB meeting in March, however. The FA will continue their push for the goal-line technology to be introduced.

One of the two FIFA executive members at the centre of the cash for World Cup votes scandal insists he is innocent and wants to clear his name. Reynald Temarii, a FIFA vice-president and head of the Oceania Football Confederation, said he will not resign.

Temarii told insideworldfootball: "I have no intention of resigning and have asked for a personal hearing in front of the ethics committee. That's why I have stayed on. I am 100% convinced of my integrity."

The Sunday Times recorded Temarii asking for £1.5 million to fund a sports academy but he insisted this was taken out of context.

He added: "I have certain elements which I believe will prove my innocence. I will prove I am an honest man. The ethics committee will tell me if I am right or wrong. "I am not shocked by these revelations because I know what I did and I know what I have to do. You have only heard 15 seconds of the interview. "Maybe you should hear the full 45 minutes, then you will understand everything."

 

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De La Torre to take Mexico role

Toluca boss Jose Manuel De La Torre has been confirmed as Mexico's new national team coach.

De La Torre will take up the job as national boss in January and has agreed a contract that runs until the end of the 2014 World Cup cycle.

Justino Compean, the president of the Mexican football federation (Femexfut), said: "We welcome Jose Manuel De La Torre, who was unanimously elected with the unconditional support of all first division teams."

De La Torre is the permanent successor to Javier Aguirre, who ended his second spell as coach of El Tri following their second-round exit at the 2010 World Cup at the hands of Argentina.

The new boss will be keen to restore discipline to the squad following the six-month suspensions handed to Efrain Juarez and Carlos Vela in relation to their role in a party at the team's Monterrey hotel after a friendly match against Colombia last month. A further 11 players were fined in relation to the same incident.

Jose Manuel De La Torre will take charge of Mexico in January.