Two fighter jets, one of them orange, escorted the Netherlands soccer team through Dutch airspace Monday, a day after the loss in the World Cup final.
The staff at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport formed an honor guard when the plane touched down.
Team USA advances to CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, Will Face a Confident Mexico who outlasted the Ticos
CHICAGO, July 24 — Mexico beat Costa Rica on penalties in a tense semi-final yesterday to reach the CONCACAF Gold Cup final where they will play the United States, 2-0 victors over Honduras. Costa Rica’s Froylan Ledezma went from hero to villain, equalising in injury time at 1-1 but then missing the penalty in the shootout that cost his team a place in the final.
Costa Rica had plenty of chances to get the lead against Mexico, Armando Alonso hit the post in the 12th minute, but Mexico should have been ahead at the break when Giovani Dos Santos headed wide from in front of goal.
Mexico were awarded a penalty in the 58th minute when Costa Rica defender Freddy Fernandez was ruled to have handled the ball but Miguel Sabah’s soft penalty was easily saved by Keilor Navas.
The Mexicans looked to have grabbed a fortunate victory when they went ahead in the 88th minute, Guillermo Franco scrambling the ball home, but the celebrations from the large Mexican crowd at Soldier Field proved premature.
In the second minute of injury time Ledezma raced on to a flick on from Alvaro Saborio, ran past the hesitating Mexican defence and rocketed home a fine shot.
Again Costa Rica had the better opportunities in extra-time but with no breakthrough the game was decided by spot kicks — Ledezma being the only man failing to score.
The forward’s well struck penalty was superbly saved by Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa and Carlos Vela kept his cool to give the Mexicans a chance at revenge for their loss to the United States in the final two years ago.
Enjoy the video highlights at the end of this post!
In the earlier semifinal, goals from Clarence Goodson and Kenny Cooper took the United States into the final of the tournament, for North and Central America and the Caribbean teams, for the third consecutive edition.
Honduras had the better of the early exchanges, going close in the 20th minute with a well-struck effort from Marvin Chavez that was tipped over the bar by Troy Perkins.
Stuart Holden had two assists - Getty Images
Midfielder Stuart Holden was impressive again and in the 43rd minute produced a curling free-kick that Donis Escobar tipped over and then Brian Ching struck the bar with a deflected effort. The pressure paid off on the stroke of half-time when defender Goodson rose well to head home Holden’s corner. Honduras were unable to create many chances despite having plenty of midfield possession although Carlos Costly might have done better with a close range effort in the 83rd minute, which Perkins did well to block.
Team USA into the Gold Cup Final - Getty Images
In the final minute, Ching back-heeled to Holden who played a low ball across the face of the goal that was turned in by substitute Cooper.
The final will be held at Giants Stadium in New York this Sunday. — Reuters
Semifinal #1: USA vs. Honduras (Video Highlights)
Semifinal #2: Costa Rica vs. Mexico (Video Highlights)
Fan zones were a big success at the 2006 World Cup finals. One has been set up for today: roll up for family-friendly fun on the Reeperbahn, the scabrous street that makes Soho in London seem like a village lane from a Jane Austen novel. But the host city is locked out of its own party. Hamburg were on the brink of a final in their stadium until two late goals from Fulham. Residents now evoke the city’s history as an international trading centre by selling tickets on eBay at low prices.
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TagsKeisuke Honda criticised his team’s defensive football and admitted that he wouldn’t even have watched the match.
Takeshi Okada apologised to the nation for failing to achieve his goal of steering Japan to the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, broadcaster TBS is under fire for wringing a tearful apology from the mother of defender Yuichi Komano in the aftermath of Japan’s heartbreaking 5-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to Paraguay.
As the dust settles on Japan’s dramatic shoot-out exit from the FIFA World Cup, questions now turn to the future of the Japanese national team - and more specifically just who will coach the Samurai Blue following the rollercoaster reign of Okada.
The former Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F. Marinos coach went into the tournament under a hail of media scrutiny, yet Okada revamped his public image by guiding his unfancied Japanese side to the Round of 16 in South Africa.
In the process, Japan recorded their first ever World Cup wins on foreign soil, beating Cameroon 1-0 and Denmark 3-1 en route to the knock-out stage.
Yet it was the conservative nature of their tactics against an equally cagey Paraguay which disappointed some critics - including CSKA Moscow midfielder Honda, who told the Asahi Shimbun that he wouldn’t even have bothered to watch the game.
“My football life will go on,” he told the newspaper after the loss. “We played defensively at this World Cup, but I hope we’ll pursue winning through more attractive performances at the next World Cup,” Honda added.
A disappointed Okada admitted his sorrow at failing to fulfill his pre-tournament ambition of reaching the semi-finals, but it was an apology of a different kind which drew fierce criticism in traditionally conservative Japan.
Broadcaster TBS drew widespread scorn when they interviewed Yuichi Komano’s visibly upset mother in the wake of the defeat, with Jubilo Iwata defender Komano the unlucky player to miss during the shoot-out as his spot-kick clattered against the crossbar.
The Tokyo-based network appeared determined to wring an apology from the 28-year-old’s mother, with the tacky interview drawing immediate condemnation across the four main islands of Japan.
Just why TBS felt compelled to force the issue with the ageing Komano matriarch remains a mystery, but a more pertinent question for fans of Japanese football is just who will take over at the helm of the national team.
Former Urawa Reds coach Guido Buchwald appeared to be the frontrunner prior to the World Cup, with his previous working relationship with JFA chief Motoaki Inukai often cited as an important factor.
Many domestic observers would like to see Gamba Osaka coach Akira Nishino handed the job, despite the fact that Nishino appears reluctant to throw his hat into the ring.
However, a new candidate has now emerged, as reports surface that Kashima Antlers coach Oswaldo de Oliveira may be approached to take over just three years after arriving in the country.
The Brazilian has won three successive J. League titles with the Ibaraki outfit, with many pundits now suggesting that the fiery tactician is the perfect candidate to take over from the departing Okada.
Whether de Oliveira takes charge of Japan remains to be seen, but if he does move into the international hotseat, he may drastically overhaul the Japanese squad.
Just two Kashima players were named in Okada’s squad - defenders Atsuto Uchida and Daiki Iwamasa - and neither of them saw a minute of action in South Africa.
Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com
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Steve Cherundolo and Hannover fell 1-0 to Arsenal in pre-season action. Cherundolo started and played 74 minutes in the game:
Another round, and once again a team of experts and their picks:
|
Matchup |
RSL/Chicago |
LAG/Houston |
Notes |
|
Greg Seltzer, No Short Corners |
RSL 2, CHI 1 |
HOU 0, LAG 1 |
|
|
Craig Jackson, The Fans Scorecard |
RSL 1, CHI 2 |
HOU 2, LAG 1 |
|
| Truhlk, Keepin’ It Real |
RSL 1, CHI 1 |
HOU 1, LAG 0 |
RSL wins on PK’s |
| Drew Epperley, WV Hooligan |
RSL 0, CHI 1 |
HOU 1, LAG 2 |
|
| Ethan Gomberg, Big Soccer Mod |
RSL 2, CHI 1 |
HOU 1, LAG 2 |
|
| John Koluder, Real Salt Lake |
RSL 2, CHI 1 |
HOU 2, LAG 1 |
|
| Trey Fitz-Gerald, Real Salt Lake |
RSL 3, CHI 2 |
HOU 2, LAG 3 |
|
| Scott McAllister, formerly MLSNet |
RSL 2, CHI 1 |
HOU 0, LAG 1 |
So the consensus is:
RSL: 6 votes, Chicago: 2 votes
Houston: 3 votes, LAG: 5 votes
What are your thoughts?
Spain’s victorious World Cup squad have landed in Madrid amid scenes of joyous celebration in the country’s capital.
