The World Cup countdown is well and truly on and as we enter days as opposed to weeks until the tournament begins, the 32 teams set to enter sports biggest stage get one last chance to experiment before the grand kick off. On Saturday, Tunisia and Spain meet at the Krasnodar Stadium in Russia, with a final chance to fine-tune squads and give run-outs to those on the fringe. But what can we expect from an International friendly so close to the World Cup finals and how have the pair fared in the run-up to Russia 2018? Spain’s Recent Form It is of little surprise that 2010 World Cup … [Read more...]
Sanchez prefers Arsenal move over Liverpool
Barcelona's Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez looks to be on his way out of the Nou Camp, with Arsenal leading the race to sign him. Liverpool are also keen on Sanchez, and wanted to take him to Anfield as part of the Luis Suarez transfer, but Spanish media are reporting that the striker's preference is a move to London. With Barca continuing to negotiate with Liverpool for Suarez, they too would be happy for Sanchez to choose Liverpool in a bid to cut the expected £63m fee. However, Sanchez is said to want to move to either Arsenal or Juventus, with both clubs reluctant to enter into a bidding … [Read more...]
Barcelona and Liverpool to discuss Suarez transfer
Negotiations between Barcelona and Liverpool will begin this week over the potential transfer of Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan, who faces a four month ban from football for biting Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup, is likely to cost Barca in the region of £60m. Suarez issued an apology for the incident on Monday, and key figures at Barcelona have been quick to praise the striker for his humility. "He plays for a rival team," said President Josep Bartomeu. "But what I can say, as a football person, is that apologising has been to his credit, because when you make a mistake you should … [Read more...]
Should he stay or should he go? Suarez’s transfer to La Liga
If recent media reports are to be believed, Luis Suarez may soon make the switch from the EPL to La Liga and with details already being talked about in public –Barcelona would pay around 30 million Euros (the number was a high as 85 million before Suarez’s “incident” at the World Cup) to Liverpool and possibly send Pedro and/or Sanchez as well— the possibility of a deal is real. Thus, the question becomes not if Suarez will move from the EPL to La Liga but should he? Eric Duffy explains. The reasons to move from Liverpool to Barcelona are simple. First, Suarez is currently one of the best … [Read more...]
Xabi Alonso: Spain Have Not Valued Our Success
Ahead of the final World Cup match for several Spanish stars, Xabi Alonso says that Spain may have not valued their success as it should have been. Success came in abundance for Spain in the last six years, but the air of invincibility has been taken away from them after just two defeats. The Spanish team would have been experiencing a multitude of emotions in the past few days. Sadness will be inevitable, but that is likely to be accompanied by reminisce as well. Alonso appears to be going through it. He has been speaking a lot about the ‘end of the era’ aspect – especially because he is … [Read more...]
How does the World Cup work?
With the World Cup group stages coming to a close, those without wallcharts handy can be forgiven for feeling a little lost at this point. From Saturday, the rest of the games in the tournament will be settled by extra time or penalties as the knockout rounds get into full swing. This infographic from TopBet.eu will help give you a better understanding of how the tournament format is configured, and how one team will be crowned World Champions on the 12th July. … [Read more...]
Vicente Del Bosque’s next decision needs to be his last
After Spain’s horrific performances in Brazil, changes need to be made and the first one to go should be Spain’s manager Vicente Del Bosque, says Eric Duffy. … [Read more...]
Messi proves ability to lead Argentina to glory
Lionel Messi led his team to a hard-fought victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina last night, proving he has the capability to help Argentina win the World Cup. Messi bagged the second goal in the 2-1 win to kick-off Argentina's World Cup campaign. There has been plenty of pressure on Messi to perform, as the final comparison to Maradona is to lead Argentina to World Cup glory, as Diego did in 1986. Whilst Messi is not alone in a star-studded Argentina squad, he has been given the talismanic tag, heavy in responsibility. His performance last night was far from his Barcelona best, but the goal … [Read more...]
Has Spain’s domination come to an end?
In their first game of this World Cup, Spain were handily defeated by the Netherlands 5-1. Even more worrying than the score line was Spain’s second half capitulation to the Oranje. It was not the performance worthy of a World Cup champion and consequently, the question (or gleeful exclamation) asking if Spain’s 6 year run of excellence is over has been widely discussed. Eric Duffy looks into whether Spain can bounce back this tournament. The truth of the matter is the answer will remain unknown until Spain face Chile in their next match on Wednesday. If Spain comes out, controls the match, … [Read more...]
Avoiding Brazil a priority for Spain
As reigning World and European titleholders, Spain’s only mission in this World Cup is to continue their winning ways and retain their trophy again, as Eric Duffy explains. Although they may not be the odds on favourite to win (that would be Brazil), due to the obstacles—injuries, unfortunate refereeing decisions, weather, luck, etc. — all teams will face during the tournament, Spain has as good as a chance as any of the other top teams. In a tournament like the World Cup, these uncontrollable events are what make the difference between victory and defeat. The team that ends up hoisting the … [Read more...]