Dont cry for me Argentina | Bye Messi n frenz | Perancis 4 Argentina 3

UCL : Keputusan kelab2 inggeris yg membanggakan {Man City / Spurs / Liverpool}

Roberto Firmino [Liverpool/Brazil] in his first UCL campaign

Games + Goals = 7 | Assist =4

Mane is 4th Liverpool player to score a UCL hattrick after

Michael Owen (2002) Yossi Benayoun (2007)  and Philippe Coutinho (2017)

Huge character to come back from 2-0 down. Two big away goals and now look forward to the return leg at Wembley-Harry Kane twitter

Harry Kane has equalled the record for most goals scored by an English player in a single #UCL season (7), set by Steven Gerrard in 2008/09

Sergio Agüero has 14 goals in 11 games in all competitions in 2018

Gonzalo Higuaín has now scored in 5 consecutive matches for Juventus.

With Argentina, Ghana, Chile and Australia's hopes all hanging by a thread... who will qualify for World Cup 2018 in Russia?

• The race to qualify for Russia 2018 is almost over, with 12 teams already booked
• The home nations, besides England, have it all to play for in the coming days
• Argentina, Ghana, Chile and Australia's hopes are all hanging by a thread

Argentina's hopes are hanging by a thread... but who will book their place at Russia next year

AFC - 46 teams competing for 4.5 places

Qualified: South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Japan 

The only thing left to be decided is whether Syria or Australia will triumph in their play-off and go to a winner-takes-all encounter with a team from CONCACAF (as it stands, Panama). They drew 1-1 in the first leg and conclude matters in Sydney on Tuesday (kick-off 10am British time). 

Australia, with five English-based players including Huddersfield’s in-form Aaron Mooy, have qualified for three World Cups in a row and are favourites for this one.

Australia, who have the in-form Aaron Mooy, have qualified for three World Cups in a row

Chile musnahkan impian Argentina

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey – Juara bertahan, Chile terus melakar sejarah apabila meranapkan impian Argentina untuk memenangi gelaran juara Copa America Centenario selepas tewas buat kali kedua berturut-turut menerusi sepakan penalti 4-2 di Stadium Metlife pagi semalam.

Keputusan tersebut mengulangi pertembungan final Copa America tahun lalu apabila Chile menjuarai perlawanan tersebut menerusi penentuan penalti selepas perlawanan terikat tanpa jaringan ketika menentang Argentina.

Dalam saingan tersebut, perlawanan terpaksa ditamatkan dengan detik mengecewakan buat kapten Argentina, Lionel Messi apabila gagal menyempurnakan sepakan penalti selepas sekadar melepasi palang sebelum Lucas Biglia turut gagal menyudahkan sepakan tersebut dengan baik apabila ditangkap kemas penjaga gol Chile, Claudio Bravo.

Ini merupakan kekalahan ketiga buat Argentina di pentas final dalam tempoh tiga tahun termasuk tewas kepada Jerman dalam Piala Dunia 2014.

Kekalahan ini sekali gus meneruskan kemarau buat Argentina yang gagal menjulang sebarang kejuaraan melebihi 23 tahun.

  

“Kemenangan yang dirangkul ini tidak boleh diungkapkan dengan kata-kata dan saya hanya mahu mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua penyokong yang tidak henti-henti memberikan sokongan kepada kami.

“Ia bukan satu perlawanan yang mudah kerana kami beraksi menentang Argentina yang sudah pasti antara pasukan terhebat di dunia. Kami adalah generasi yang mencipta sejarah menjulang kejuaraan ini. Ini adalah detik sejarah buat saya,” ujar penyerang Chile, Alexis Sanchez.

Dalam saingan tersebut, Chile terpaksa beraksi dengan 10 pemain selepas Diaz menerima kad kuning kedua apabila didapati menghalang gerakan Messi pada minit ke-28.

Bagaimanapun, Argentina gagal menggunakan peluang tersebut dengan baik selepas mereka turut mengalami masalah yang sama apabila Marcos Rojo dilayangkan kad merah pada minit ke-43 selepas melakukan terjahan keras terhadap Arturo Vidal.

Pada penentuan sepakan penalti, Vidal gagal meledak gol pertama buat Chile selepas Sergio Romero bijak menyelamatkan sepakan tersebut. Akhirnya, Francesco Silva menamatkan penantian apabila menjaringkan gol kemenangan buat Chile.

Sanchez muncul pemain terbaik kejohanan setelah membawa pasukannya menjuarai Copa America edisi ke-100 tahun tersebut, manakala Eduardo Vargas muncul pemenang kasut emas selepas meledak enam gol sepanjang kejohanan, empat gol yang dihasilkan adalah ketika membenam Mexico 4-0. – AGENSI

Argentina tunjuk taring dgn blasah Usa 4-0

Lionel Messi and Argentina played like the best player and team in the world, leaving the Jurgen Klinsmann's side looking over-matched in Houston.

HOUSTON — It was always going to take a perfect performance by the U.S. national team and a shaky one by Argentina for the Americans to pull off the Copa America semifinal upset on Tuesday night.

What we saw instead as Argentina at its captivating best and the U.S. at its over-matched worst, resulting in a dominating rout that was even more lopsided than the 4-0 final scoresuggested.

The Americans simply weren't ready, and as much as Jurgen Klinsmann can carry some blame with his lineup choices, the reality is many first-choice players simply didn't come to play.

Chris Wondolowski's inclusion in the starting lineup was a shocker, given the fact he had played just 18 minutes all tournament and the fact he hasn't seen much time with the national team in recent years. That didn't stop Klinsmann for giving the 2014 World Cup scapegoat a shot at redemption.

Redemption never came. Instead, Wondolowski looked terribly over-matched. Rather than finding the goal to write the perfect story to bookend his miss against Belgium, Wondolowski turned the ball over and eventually committed the foul that Lionel Messi turned into a masterful free-kick goal.

Tuesday's loss wasn't about Wondolowski starting or about Christian Pulisic or Darlington Nagbe not starting. In the end, it was about one supremely talented team thoroughly outclassing a lesser-talented team that didn't even play to its potential. As bad as Wondolowski was, it was the poor showings of other regular starters that made the match even more lopsided than it needed to be.

You can start with Michael Bradley, who endured one of his worst showings in a big U.S. match in his career. He apeared skittish and unsure at times, turning the ball over far too frequently, looking nothing like the dominant force we saw shine for the U.S. as recently as a year ago. On a night when the U.S. needed its best players to play their best and set the tone, Bradley simply wasn't up to the task.

Bradley was far from alone in disappointing. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan was shaky early on, as was DeAndre Yedlin. Even Fabian Johnson struggled to deal with Argentina's attacking waves, though many times it was the poor play of his teammates that left him in bad spots.

Klinsmann will take his place at the top of those to blame for Tuesday's bloodbath. He talked of wanting to attack Argentina, but set out a lineup that wasn't one that ever looked capable of really attacking Argentina. He basically aknowledged his mistake at halftime, when he brought in Pulisic for Wondolowski, who probably played his last national team match on Tuesday.

There were very few bright spots for the Americans, as Argentina so thoroughly outclassed them that the U.S. saw little of the ball and rarely put together any truly threatening chances of their own.

One bright spot for the Americans was Gyasi Zardes, who played with no fear and went after Argentina, making plays and never backing down. He played with the fearlessness that Klinsmann talked about his team needing if it was going to beat a team like Argentina.

Unfortunately for the U.S., there simply weren't enough American players who showed up on Tuesday truly ready to play with no fear, to play with confidence and to try to go at Argentina.

Instead, the U.S. looked nervous and overwhelmed, and as much as many will want to blame Klinsmann for it happening, no lineup he would have used would have made the final outcome different. Sure, maybe a squad with Nagbe and Pulisic instead of Wondolowski and Graham Zusi may have made things a bit closer, but with so many American players failing to perform, Argentina was always going to leave NRG Stadium with a victory and ticket to the Copa America final.

There is no shame in losing to the best team in the world, but Klinsmann and his team need to do some soul-searching and accept that they didn't give their best on Tuesday, which is a much bigger crime than losing to a team like Argentina.

Copa America : Argentina & Chile berpesta gol! Apa dah jd ngan Mexico??

Eduardo Vargas' four goals set Chile up for a comfortable path into the Copa America semifinals.

Knockout round games have historically been unkind to El Tri, especially in the World Cup, but this match proved to be its own special kind of torture. It's one thing to lose, but quite another to be humiliated in front of a distinctly pro-Mexico crowd of 70,547 at Levi's Stadium. And manager Juan Carlos Osorio, who has a well-earned reputation for tinkering, left himself open to plenty of second-guessing for some of his lineup choices.

Hat-trick hero Messi happy to be back

Argentina captain Lionel Messi returned from a back injury to score three goals in 30 minutes against Panama in Group D on Friday.

Lionel Messi was very happy to make his return from injury with a second-half hat trick, though the Argentina captain was quick to praise his teammates as they advanced to the Copa America Centenario quarterfinals.

After sitting out as an unused substituted in Argentina's opening win over the defending champion last week due to a niggling back problem, Messi made a breathtaking return to the pitch, scoring three goals in 30 minutes to inspire Friday's 5-0 rout of 10-man Panama in Chicago.

The 28-year-old skipper, whose hat trick was highlighted by a stunning 78th-minute free kick now has 53 internationals goals to his name, closing to within three of Argentina's all-time record.

Speaking after the Group D encounter at Soldier Field, man-of-the-match Messi said: "I am grateful for all this support. It was great to be here, especially because of the public. I am very grateful.

"I lost the pain gradually. Then, I managed to make my first goal. It was a team effort, in a tense game, with very tall grass, dry. It was tricky, but we got where we wanted."

Argentina has two wins from as many matches as the 14-time Copa America champion looks to end the 23-year wait for a major title, following the penalty shootout loss to Chile in last year's tournament.

Messi, who scored within eight minutes of introduction in the 68th minute, continued: "We are doing a good job, growing little by little. By winning the first two games, it is very good."

Angel Di Maria sambut kemenangan dalam duka

SANTA CLARA 7 Jun – Pada hari neneknya meninggal dunia di kampung halamannya, ibu Angel Di Maria mendesak pemain itu agar terus bersama pasukan dan memberikan fokus kepada tanggungjawabnya mewakili negara dalam kejohanan Copa America. 

PEMAIN tengah Argentina, Ever Banega (tengah) meraikan jaringannya bersama Angel Di Maria (kiri) dan Gonzalo Higuain ketika menentang Chile dalam perlawanan Kumpulan D, Copa America di Stadium Levi, Santa Clara, Amerika Syarikat semalam. USA TODAY Sports 

Di Maria menjaringkan gol pada minit ke-51 setelah menerima hantaran daripada Ever Banega, dan selepas itu dia pula menjadi perancang kepada gol Banega pada minit ke-59.

Pilihan utama Argentina mempamerkan permainan mantap sekali pun terpaksa beraksi tanpa kelibat kapten Lionel Messi, yang ditimpa kecederaan, sewaktu menumpaskan Chile 2-1 dalam perlawanan pembukaan Copa America awal pagi ini.

Sebaik sahaja selepas menjaringkan gol, Di Maria menyingkap jersinya dan memaparkan kemeja T yang tertera ayat “Nenek, saya sangat rindukan nenek.”

“Amat sukar berada jauh dari tanahair apabila perkara sebegini berlaku. Ibu meminta saya untuk kekal di sini bersama pasukan dan memenangi perlawanan,” kata Di Maria yang mengalirkan air mata ketika ditemu bual selepas perlawanan.

Jose Pedro Fuenzalida menjaringkan gol tunggal Chile pada minit ke-93. Sebanyak lima kad kuning dilayangkan dalam perlawanan tersebut yang diibarat seperti pertemuan ulangan final Copa America pada tahun lalu yang berkesudahan La Roja meraih kemenangan menerusi sepakan penalti penentuan.

Kad kuning dilayangkan kepada Di Maria dan Gary Medel pada minit ke-65, setelah kedua-dua pemain itu bertelingkah.

Kali terakhir Argentina menewaskan Chile 2-1 ialah dalam kelayakan Piala Dunia di Santiago 24 Mac lalu. – AP

Friendlies : Aguero Stars, Argentina win 7-0

Sergio Aguero superb as Argentina beat Bolivia 7-0

A virtuoso performance from Sergio Aguero led Argentina to a 7-0 friendly winover Bolivia in Houston.

The Manchester City forward is recognised as one of the world's premier goalscorers and a pair of deft finishes were in keeping with that reputation.

But unusually, it was his creativity that stood out with wonderful passes for both of strike partner Ezequiel Lavezzi's first-half goals as Gerardo Martino's side led 3-0 at the break.

Aguero scored his second and substitute Lionel Messi also got two, the second again set up by Aguero, before Angel Correa added a final flourish.

Chile akhiri penantian 99 tahun, juara Copa America 2015

SANTIAGO: Chile merangkul kejuaraan Copa America 2015 selepas menewaskan Argentina, menerusi penentuan penalti 4-1, di sini, sebentar tadi. Ia mengakhiri penantian 99 tahun Chile dan lebih manis lagi kejayaan itu dirakam di depan rakyanya apabila Chile menjadi tuan rumah Copa Amerika kali ini. Kedua-dua pasukan terikat 0-0 selepas beraksi selama dua jam.

Penjaga gol Chile, Claudio Bravo mempamer keunggulan apabila menahan bola sepakan rendah E Banega dengan sebelum itu tendangan Gonzalo Higuain tersasar gawang gol. Chile pula memastikan kemenangan selepas menyempurnakan semua empat sepakan penalti. Hanya Lionel Messi yang tampil sebagai penendang pertama berjaya menjaringkan gol untuk Argentina. Sepakan keempat Chile yang memastikan kejuaraan buat tuan rumah disempurnakan oleh Alexis Sanchez. Tiga lagi sepakan disempurnakan oleh M Fernandez, A Vidal dan C Aranguiz. 

Aksi penuh dramatik itu dengan kedua-dua pasukan sering mengasak disaksikan oleh lebih 50,000 penonton dan penyokong Chile yang membanjiri stadium. Keputusan itu juga menyaksikan bintang Argentina, Messi terus kemarau tanpa kejuaraan untuk negaranya. Skuad kebangsaan Argentina masih tiada membolot trofi kejuaraan untuk tempoh 22 tahun dan Messi pasti akan terus dikritik tanpa sumbangan bermaknanya ketika pasukan memerlukannya. Chile pula pernah ke final 28 tahun lalu tetapi tewas kepada Uruguay di Argentina. Chile muncul naib juara empat kali termasuk ketika menjadi tuan rumah pada 1955. - AFP

• Chile beat Argentina 4-1 on penalties to win the Copa America for the first time at the National Stadium in Santiago
• Alexis Sanchez cheekily chipped the winning penalty after Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega failed to convert  
• Argentina midfielder Angel di Maria was forced off in the first half with what appeared to be a hamstring injury
• The two sides could not be separated in 90 minutes as Gonzalo Higuain hit the side-netting in injury time

 Chile fans pose for the camera ahead of the Copa America final against Argentina at the National Stadium in Santiago

Nani bakal jadi 'korban' van Gaal

 Nani gagal menampilkan aksi konsisten & dijangka berpindah ke Sporting Lisbon

LONDON - Pengurus Manchester United, Louis van Gaal dilaporkan bersedia untuk 'memulangkan' Nani ke Sporting Lisbon bagi mendapatkan tonggak pertahanan Argentina, Marcos Rojo ke Old Trafford.

  Van Gaal terpaksa melakukan pertukaran itu bagi mengatasi krisis di benteng pertahanan United yang tampak goyah ketika tewas 1-2 kepada Swansea City pada aksi pembukaan Liga Perdana England di Stadium Old Trafford, Sabtu lalu.

United gagal mendapatkan khidmat tonggak Borussia Dortmund, Mats Hummels dan Thomas Vermaelen yang membuat keputusan untuk menyertai Barcelona dari Arsenal.

Bagaimanapun, United optimis dapat merealisasikan perpindahan itu apabila bersedia mendapatkan khidmat Rojo dengan harga £16 juta(RM84.3 juta) bersama Nani yang dibeli dari Sporting Lisbon pada 2007.

Van Gaal dilapor kurang gembira dengan prestasi semasa Nani yang tidak konsisten dan ketika ini, perbincangan masih dijalankan antara kedua-dua pihak.

Rojo turut mencetuskan kontroversi apabila 'ponteng' latihan gara-gara mahu menyertai United dengan kadar segera.

Bagaimanapun, dia memohon maaf di atas tindakannya itu.

"Saya minta maaf kepada Sporting kerana tanpa mereka, siapalah saya sekarang.

"Saya juga mengucapkan terima kasih kepada mereka kerana masih mempercayai saya," katanya yang kembali menyambung latihan kelmarin. - Agensi