Canada v Colombia: New stars impress Martinez

13 October 2014 17:28

​Jackson Martinez has praised the new additions to Colombia’s squad ahead of their friendly with Canada in New Jersey on Tuesday.

Head coach Jose Pekerman handed first caps to four players in the 3-0 victory over El Salvador on Saturday, and Martinez has been impressed with the way they have settled into life on the international scene.

Jeison Murillo, Edwin Cardona, Yimmi Chara and Pedro Franco all featured during the victory, which saw two goals from Carlos Bacca add gloss after Radamel Falcao had opened the scoring with his first international strike in 11 months.

Canada provide the second game in quick succession for Pekerman’s side and Martinez expects the newcomers to be involved again after impressing against El Salvador.

“The new players have earned the opportunity,” said the Porto striker.

“They have been received with much love and much support, because it is not easy to fit in a group, it takes time and work.”

Tuesday’s match is the third for Colombia, who are ranked number three in the world, since they were knocked out at the quarter-final stage at the World Cup, and Pekerman is looking for back-to-back wins.

It will be the fourth meeting between the two nations, but the first since 2000, when Canada won 2-0 in the Gold Cup final.

Canada head coach Benito Floro will be hoping for a similar result in this game, but has already admitted he will be using the contest to aid the development of younger players.

Colombia provide the toughest test since the Spaniard took over in 2013, with teenagers Dylan Carreiro, Hanson Boakai and Manuel Aparicio vying for their first senior caps.

Boakai – a 17-year-old midfielder – is relishing the chance to test himself at the higher level having impressed during a handful of appearances for the Under-20 side.

“All of these guys are here for Canada,” he says.

“They don’t take it as a joke, they know they are playing for their country. Their country depends on them. We’re here to try to win the game.

“Benito Floro has brought in a different style to my game. He told me I’m a good player, I just need to work tactically. That’s what I’m trying to work on, every day in training he teaches me how to be a tactical player.”

Floro’s squad also includes the experienced trio of David Edgar, Julian de Guzman and Lars Hirchfield as they look to build on their 3-1 win over Jamaica in September.

That victory was Floro’s first as coach, and ended a 16-game winless run that stretched back to October 2012.

Maicon pens new Roma deal

13 October 2014 17:27

Roma full-back Maicon has signed a one-year contract extension with the Serie A club.

The 33-year-old Brazilian’s previous deal at the Stadio Olimpico was set to expire at the end of this season.

However, the former Inter and Manchester City man put pen to paper on a new contract on Monday, which will keep him in the Italian capital until June 2016 and includes the option of a further season.

A statement published on Roma’s official website read: “AS Roma is pleased to announce that Maicon Douglas Sisenando has signed a contract extension with the club.

“His new deal will run until June 30, 2016 and includes an option for a further season.”

Speaking about the deal, Maicon said: “I’m proud to go on wearing these colours for many years to come.

“It’s a great honour and now it’s down to me to perform.”

Maicon has been rejuvenated by his return to Serie A, making 28 top-flight appearances last term as Roma finished second.

But despite his strong start to this season, the 33-year-old has seemingly come to the end of his international career.

Maicon was axed from Brazil’s squad for an “internal problem” ahead of last month’s friendly against Ecuador and was omitted from coach Dunga’s party for their games against Argentina and Japan in the current international break.

Santos free to coach Portugal against Denmark

13 October 2014 17:24

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled that Fernando Santos can coach Portugal in Tuesday’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Denmark.

CAS released a statement on Monday confirming that they had granted Santos “a stay of execution” in the case of his eight-match suspension dating back to an offence at the World Cup, when he was in charge of the Greece national team.

Santos was found guilty of unsporting conduct towards a match official during Greece’s round of 16 defeat against Costa Rica in Brazil and was subsequently hit with the ban.

The 60-year-old left his post in the aftermath of their World-Cup exit, and was appointed Portugal coach in September following the departure of Paulo Bento.

Santos saw an initial appeal against the sanction rejected, ruling him out of taking his place on the touchline for any competitive fixture for Portugal.

The coach was in the dugout for Saturday’s 2-1 friendly defeat to France in Paris, and CAS’ statement on Monday means he will be able to do the same against Denmark in Copenhagen, with a final decision expected by the end of next month.

“As a preliminary step, the coach filed a request for a stay of execution of the FIFA decision for the duration of the CAS proceedings,” the statement read.

“Having considered the parties’ submissions, the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division has today issued an Order granting Mr Santos’ request.

“Accordingly, Mr Santos is able to perform his coaching duties until the CAS arbitration concludes. In this regard, the parties have agreed to conduct the arbitration on an expedited basis and the CAS expects to be in a position to issue a final decision by the end of November 2014.”

Edwards departs rock-bottom Tranmere

13 October 2014 17:15

Rob Edwards has been sacked by Tranmere Rovers after taking the club to the bottom of the Football League.

Former Wales defender Edwards was only appointed as Ronnie Moore’s full-time successor in May after the Merseyside club’s relegation from League One.

However, he has been unable to reverse Tranmere’s fortunes, with the club sitting bottom of League Two having accrued just nine points from 12 games and currently on a seven-game winless run.

And that poor form has prompted action from Tranmere chairman Mark Palios in an attempt to prevent the club from dropping out the league for the first time since 1921.

Palios told the club’s official website: “Rob is a decent man who has worked very hard over the past few months for the Football Club.

“However, with the club currently sitting at the bottom of League 2 for the first time in 32 years it was decided this was the right time to make the break.

“I remain committed to the vision, that Rob shared, of playing free-flowing and skilful football.

“And while we have shown in some of our periods of play that we are not far off being able to achieve that – we have not been able to do it consistently.

“We have also not been sufficiently pragmatic when circumstances demanded that we close out a game to secure a win.

“If we are to achieve the required results in future it is clear that we need to strengthen the squad further.”

United States v Honduras: Klinsmann recalls big names

13 October 2014 16:41

Jurgen Klinsmann has recalled a host of his more experienced United States players for Tuesday’s friendly with Honduras in Florida.

Having impressed at this year’s World Cup, America will welcome back some of their star performers for this week’s friendly in Boca Raton, with many having not feature for their national side since Brazil.

The US have beaten the Czech Republic and drawn with Ecuador since bowing out of the global showpiece against Belgium at the first knockout stage in July.

However, six players – including captain Clint Dempsey and experienced midfielder Jermaine Jones – will bolster the US as Klinsmann’s side look ahead to the Gold Cup in 2015, the Copa America on home soil in 2016 and the World Cup two years later.

Dempsey, Jones, Michael Bradley, Matt Besler, Graham Zusi and Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson will bolster the squad that drew 1-1 with Ecuador on Saturday in Landon Donovan’s farewell game.

As well as Donovan: John Brooks, Luis Gil, Omar Gonzalez, Brad Guzan, and Joe Gyau make way for the States’ penultimate friendly of the year.

After that strong showing at the World Cup, striker Jozy Altidore believes the players must build on that with a string of important campaigns on the horizon.

“It’s a transition period. You’ve seen the team [in] the last couple games. It’s been a young team and it’s important now for the guys like myself, who have been involved, to kind of not let the level drop,” he is quoted by Sports Illustrated.

“To understand [younger] guys need time, but at the same time it’s on us to pick up the slack a bit for them. We get that. It’s part of the process.

“But I think the future is very exciting.”

Klinsmann will also be accutely aware of next year’s Gold Cup – to be held in the States – as he continues to finesse his side following some high-profile departures.

With Donovan retiring from international football and Tim Howard currently on a break from national team duties, Toronto FC midfielder Bradley feels this is the ideal time for his coach to experiment.

“It’s normal that after one cycle ends, the beginning of the next cycle is used to kind of assess things,” he added.

“There’s younger guys who are given a chance to come into it with older guys, you’re trying to see still where guys fit in and everything, so that’s where we are at the moment.”

Since Honduras’ World Cup campaign came to an end with a third-place finish in Group E under Luis Suarez, Hernan Medford’s reign has brought a fifth-place finish in the recent Copa Centroamericana.

Wins against Belize and Nicaragua were the bright points of Honduras’ campaign in the US last month and Medford will hope to spring a surprise on their return to the country this week.