Ferguson: Dortmund are the dark horses re Sir Alex Ferguson believes Borussia Dortmund remain the UEFA Champions League dark horses - even though he thought AC Milan might spring a major surprise by beating Barcelona on Wednesday. Goals from former Portsmouth pair Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari proved enough to beat the overwhelming competition favourites at the San Siro, providing Barcelona with a stiff test if they are to retain an interest in the competition at the Nou Camp in three weeks' time. Bayern Munich have now been installed as favourites for the tournament, although that status is based mainly on the fact they are virtually certain to reach the last eight following their 3-1 win at Arsenal on Tuesday. Only Celtic's conquerors Juventus find themselves in a similarly advantageous position, although Paris St Germain also gained a narrower advantage from their away tie in Valencia. Ferguson, whose side entertain Real Madrid on 5 March having drawn the first leg at the Bernabeu, has watched the remainder of the ties with interest. And whilst he accepts the competition is tight, Dortmund, who, along with Real, ensured Manchester City did not make it through to the knock-out phase for the second season running, remain the side he would most wish to avoid. Their concentration is on the European Cup and their European form has been very good. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson on Borussia Dortmund "It is a very open tournament," said Ferguson. "I fancied Milan last night. Over the last few years they have played Barcelona quite a few times but they have never been steamrollered. They have always been tight games. "I look at the AC Milan team now and they are all young lads in the team apart from Ambrosini. "Bayern have always had capable and confident teams. Last year they should have won the final and have added to their squad this year with Javi Martinez and Mario Mandzukic up front. They are going to have a chance. "But the dark horse is definitely Dortmund. "I don't think they are paying too much attention to the league. Their concentration is on the European Cup and their European form has been very good. "In addition you have got the two Spanish teams and Milan so it is a really tough competition this year. "But if we qualify against Madrid we will definitely come into the same bracket."

Ferguson: Dortmund are the dark horses Sir Alex Ferguson believes Borussia Dortmund remain the UEFA Champions League dark horses - even though he thought AC Milan might spring a major surprise by beating Barcelona on Wednesday. Goals from former Portsmouth pair Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari proved enough to beat the overwhelming competition favourites at the San Siro, providing Barcelona with a stiff test if they are to retain an interest in the competition at the Nou Camp in three weeks' time. Bayern Munich have now been installed as favourites for the tournament, although that status is based mainly on the fact they are virtually certain to reach the last eight following their 3-1 win at Arsenal on Tuesday. Only Celtic's conquerors Juventus find themselves in a similarly advantageous position, although Paris St Germain also gained a narrower advantage from their away tie in Valencia. Ferguson, whose side entertain Real Madrid on 5 March having drawn the first leg at the Bernabeu, has watched the remainder of the ties with interest. And whilst he accepts the competition is tight, Dortmund, who, along with Real, ensured Manchester City did not make it through to the knock-out phase for the second season running, remain the side he would most wish to avoid. Their concentration is on the European Cup and their European form has been very good. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson on Borussia Dortmund "It is a very open tournament," said Ferguson. "I fancied Milan last night. Over the last few years they have played Barcelona quite a few times but they have never been steamrollered. They have always been tight games. "I look at the AC Milan team now and they are all young lads in the team apart from Ambrosini. "Bayern have always had capable and confident teams. Last year they should have won the final and have added to their squad this year with Javi Martinez and Mario Mandzukic up front. They are going to have a chance. "But the dark horse is definitely Dortmund. "I don't think they are paying too much attention to the league. Their concentration is on the European Cup and their European form has been very good. "In addition you have got the two Spanish teams and Milan so it is a really tough competition this year. "But if we qualify against Madrid we will definitely come into the same bracket."

Little Guam making giant strides A year can be a long time in football. And rarely has that cliché been more appropriate than in the case of Guam. The remote island nation in the north of the Pacific Ocean is used to welcoming tourists from Japan and USA, but football has rarely been in the spotlight. With very little historical pedigree on the international stage, Guam is suddenly, however, enjoying a massive growth spurt. Guam Football Association (GFA) was founded in 1975, and became a FIFA Member Association only in 1996. Historically forays into international football were rare and invariably painful for Guam. Their maiden participation in FIFA World Cup™ qualifying proved particularly agonising and began with a 19-0 loss against Iran; a then record scoreline for the world’s most enduring international football competition. Hefty defeats were common place, with the focus invariably on damage limitation. However, at the start of last year Guam appointed Gary White, an Englishman boasting a track-record of achievement with some of the globe’s smaller nations. The Southampton-born White started his international voyage with British Virgin Islands as a 24-year-old, preceding none other than current Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas in the role. There followed a lengthy and successful stint at the helm of Bahamas, helping the Caribbean nation to a massive rise in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. And now White is intent on leaving his mark on another small nation with big ambitions. Shiny infrastructure and rapid change For much of the past century Guam has been governed by the United States, so it is little surprise that American sports have traditionally enjoyed the limelight. That is fast changing and football has recently become the most popular participation sport among the nation’s 200,000 inhabitants. FIFA’s Goal Programme provided financial assistance to help the GFA construct what White describes as a "world class facility". The national training centre houses a full-sized pitch, mini-pitches, and facilities for futsal and beach soccer. There is also an impressive accomodation complex that has hosted J.League and K-League teams. “I arrived last February and I have witnessed massive change,” White told FIFA.com. “In that period and before my time there has been huge growth and that is down to the vision and professionalism of the President Richard Lai, and the entire executive.” “The work people have done here done in recent years is extraordinary. A lot of time and effort has been put in to take the game to another level. Now we are starting to see the results on the pitch.” New horizons and fresh ambitions Guam's results might be relatively small steps but in the context of the nation’s football history they are massive strides. They recently participated in the final qualifying stage of the East Asian Football Federation Championship (EAFF), where their performances provided overwhelming evidence of remarkably rapid growth. In 2009, Guam lost 12-0 against Hong Kong. Fast forward three years to December’s EAFF and the Matao lost by a single goal against the same opponent. “Our players were in tears at the final whistle,” said White indirectly referencing the new-found ambition in the national team. Similarly, a 1-1 draw against Chinese Taipei contrasted markedly with heavy defeats in years gone by. “The first thing I did when I arrived was change the mentality to a more winning mentality and psychologically that has been huge,” White said. “We spend far more time on the tactical side and strategy. And we have a national style of playing in keeping with the modern game.” White has also introduced a form of Guamanian cultural engagement to football across all ages in the island nation. The national side adopted the moniker ‘Matao’, a traditional term that represents courage amongst the indigenous Chamorro population. Teams, both junior and senior, also perform a traditional chant (Inifresi) before each match, and even prior to training sessions. Now Guam again have the opportunity to test themselves against far-bigger and better resourced nations. Next month’s qualifiers for the AFC Challenge Cup pits Guam against India, Chinese Taipei and hosts Myanmar. On offer is passage to next year’s tournament in the Maldives, with the eventual champion to gain a berth among the continental elite at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Though the squad is youthful, a number ply their trade overseas including several, unsurprisingly, in the United States. Most notable is midfielder Ryan Guy who competes for Major League Soccer's New England Revolution. “We want to qualify, and we think we can do that,” said White of the looming challenge in Myanmar. “That would be the next step in our progression. We have a ten year plan to progress, and we are going to Myanmar to win it and again that comes back to our new mentality. If we have success, it gives the youngsters role models and something to aspire to.”

Blues edge through, Ajax outed on penalties place this evening in the UEFA Europa League, following six games that wrapped up earlier today. To start, Viktoria Plzen beat Serie A title hopefuls Napoli for the second time in a week to book their place in the last-16 for the first time. Plzen cantered to a 3-0 win in Naples last week and they completed a professional performance over two legs with a 2-0 victory tonight thanks to strikes by Jan Kovarik and Stanislav Tecl. Next up for Plzen is Fenerbahce, for whom Cristian Baroni's first-half penalty was enough see off ten-man BATE Borisov 1-0. With the scores goalless after the first leg, BATE's hopes were hit by the dismissal of Dmitri Baga, while Cristian's spot-kick was enough to see Fener scrape through. Steaua Bucharest dumped Dutch giants Ajax out in a penalty shoot-out to set up a last-16 clash with Chelsea. Ajax had won the first leg 2-0 but Iasmin Latovlevici's excellent first-half goal put Steaua ahead on the night and Vlad Chiriches struck from long range to force extra time. It was no less than the Romanian side deserved and following a goalless extra-time period, Latovlevici netted the winning penalty after Lasse Schone and Niklas Moisander had missed for Ajax. A Jamie Carragher error proved costly as Liverpool were edged out of the competition on away goals despite a 3-1 win on the night against Zenit St Petersburg. The veteran defender, making his 150th - and now last - European appearance, gifted Zenit's star forward Hulk a goal that gave the Russians a 3-0 aggregate lead. Liverpool responded as top scorer Luis Suarez fired in two free-kicks and Joe Allen struck from close range but Hulk's away goal was decisive as the tie ended 3-3. Substitute Eden Hazard saved Chelsea's blushes as his late goal secured a 1-1 home draw with Sparta Prague and a 2-1 aggregate win. Hazard netted in the final moments of the contest after David Lafata had earlier wiped out Chelsea's first-leg advantage as he fired in from close range after 17 minutes. Benfica saw off Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate in their encounter in Portugal. Benfica held a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Germany thanks to Oscar Cardozo's goal, and their lead was doubled when Ola John found the net after an hour. Andre Schurrle equalised for Leverkusen on the night with 15 minutes to go, but Benfica restored their two-goal cushion two minutes later through Nemanja Matic. Benfica next play Bordeaux who progressed after a 2-1 aggregate win over Dynamo Kiev. A solitary goal by Cheick Diabate shortly before half-time was enough to guide Bordeaux through after the first leg in Ukraine ended 1-1. Anzhi Makhachkala set up a last-16 tie with Newcastle despite a 1-0 loss at Hannover. Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, Hannover threw everything they had at the Russians but only had Sergio Pinto's 70th-minute goal to show for it as Anzhi squeaked through. Lastly, Levante are through to a tie with Rubin Kazan after a 1-0 win at Olympiacos. The Spanish side held a 3-0 lead after the first leg and duly wrapped up a 4-0 aggregate win thanks to Obafemi Martins' early strike.

Colo Colo women break the mould Historically Colo Colo have been one of the standard bearers of Chilean football in continental championships. And while there is no shortage of facts and figures to back up that assertion, none carry more weight that their 1991 achievement of becoming the country’s first club to win the Copa Libertadores. Fast forward to November 2012 and, with one of the players from that 1991 triumph at the helm, Colo Colo once again did the club and Chile proud by winning their first Copa Libertadores Femenina. “It’s a very significant title as it underlines the club’s great impact in what is the national sport,” said coach Jose Letelier in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com. “It’s also fundamentally a social achievement, as we’re talking about an institution that has given women their place in this sport,” added the former Cacique goalkeeper. His assertion will come as no surprise to followers of this story. Indeed, in the immediate aftermath of his side’s historic triumph in Recife, where they saw off Foz Cataratas 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw, Letelier made a point of putting the triumph in perspective. “This is for all Chileans and everyone working in the women’s game, from the clubs to the national team. We’re all part of this success. We want to involve everyone in this and exclude no one,” said the coach on that unforgettable November night. Key to success A brief look back at the history of this competition illustrates the magnitude of El Cacique’s achievement. In the three previous editions of the tournament, the winners had come from Brazil, the leading exponent of the women’s game in South America. Colo Colo did, however, signal their intent in 2011 when, to the surprise of many, they made it to the final of the continental showpiece. And while they only went down 1-0 to a strong Sao Jose EC side on that occasion, it raised the question of whether the team was ready to make the step up. It shouldn’t depend on whether a title is won or not, it should be about creating institutional policies that put an emphasis on this sport and help it develop in Chile. Jose Letelier, Colo Colo coach. Part of the answer can be drawn from their results during the prestigious tournament itself. Colo Colo finished their Group C campaign unbeaten, though they were pipped to top spot by Brazil’s Vitoria on goal difference. Boasting the best record of the three second-placed teams, El Cacique progressed to the semi-finals where, as fate would have it, they met Vitoria once more – given the latter had the best record of the three group winners. A thrilling 4-3 success sent the Chilean outfit through to the final, where they faced Foz Cataratas, winners of an all-Brazilian semi against reigning champions Sao Jose EC. Filling in the rest of the gaps was coach Letelier, who gave his verdict on the keys to his team’s continental triumph. “On the one hand, we assembled a group of excellent people, who were committed to what we wanted to achieve,” said the 49-year-old supremo. “On the other, the squad was mentally very strong. The players were ready to compete at such a demanding level and were determined not to let another opportunity slip by. Just think, we played the competition in Brazil, we met three Brazilian teams along the way, we didn’t lose to any of them and we took the title,” added the coach, whose team sealed the Copa when Gloria Villamayor converted the clinching penalty in the shoot-out. Looking ahead When quizzed about the far-reaching effects of Colo Colo’s success on the Chilean women’s game, Letelier preferred to err on the side of caution: “It’s hard to predict right now, since there are a lot of factors involved. "It shouldn’t depend on whether a title is won or not, it should be about creating institutional policies that put an emphasis on this sport and help it develop in Chile. That’s because as long as the resources aren’t there, it’ll be a struggle to take any successes to the next level.” In addition to his team’s Libertadores win, there have been enough encouraging signs from the women’s scene in Chile, Colombia and Uruguay in recent years to suggest the gap between Brazil and the rest is narrowing. “It’s all relative,” said Letelier, who has guided Colo Colo to five domestic championships. “The gap can narrow or widen in part due to the economic resources available, but it’ll be sustained hard work over time that decides whether teams can stay at the top. “In order to make women’s football thrive more here, both FIFA, as a global body, and CONMEBOL, in South American terms, must keep showing vision,” added Letelier, as the conversation drew to a close. “They need to keep insisting that it’s worthwhile bringing more women into football, which is such an exciting sport.”

Dembele sends Spurs through with Newcastle ( A last-gasp goal from Mousa Dembele booked Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League in today's afternoon match-ups as he rescued a 3-2 aggregate win over French hosts Lyon. Spurs, who now face Inter Milan, had won the opening encounter 2-1 but trailed for much of the match to a 17th-minute goal from Maxime Gonalons before a cracking drive from Dembele rescued the Londoners and saved them from an exit on away goals. Joining Spurs in the next round were fellow English travellers Newcastle United, who thanked Shola Ameobi's third European goal of the season for a 1-0 win at Metalist Kharkiv, the Ukrainians who held the Magpies to a goalless stalemate on Tyneside last week. Newcastle were under pressure for much of the match and Dutch keeper Tim Krul made several top drawer saves, before Ameobi struck on 64 minutes for a crucial away goal. In another afternoon fixture, Russia's Rubin Kazan put out holders Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate despite Falcao giving the Spaniards the win by the only goal on the night. Inter, European Cup winners in 2010, went through after a 3-0 romp at ten-man Cluj for a 5-0 aggregate success. Colombian star Fredy Guarin scored a brace for Inter with Marco Benassi adding the third. Elsewhere in early action, Germany's Stuttgart won 2-0 at Belgium's Genk for a 3-1 aggregate win while Italy's Lazio defeated German rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0 with Antonio Candreva and Alvaro Gonzalez the scorers in the first half as the Romans progressed 5-3 overall.

Chelsea duo reflect on Wembley showdown Chelsea stars Gary Cahill and David Luiz reflected on a memorable match between two of international football’s heavyweights, with the England star excited about the future for the Three Lions. Speaking to FIFA.com after England had defeated Brazil 2-1 at Wembley to begin the FA’s 150th anniversary year, it was clear the Stamford Bridge duo enjoyed the showpiece event. “It’s a great occasion, obviously a big game for everybody and a great win,” Cahill said. “I think we played some fantastic football, it was one of the better performances at Wembley and there are a lot of positives to take from the game. We had a lot of good individual performances out there against what is a class outfit.” Cahill was visibly disappointed with himself after conceding possession in the build-up to the Brazil equaliser. “The nature of my position is that you play well for 89 minutes but you can make a mistake like that and it spoils your night. I was pleased that we showed character to come back. “It was out of character for myself, that was the most annoying thing. I thought we defended really well as a team tonight,” he said. “Well 99 per cent of the time. But it’s part of my character to pick myself up and get on with it.” Cahill’s error did not impact the result, as England’s front-line pressed the Brazilian defence and Frank Lampard grabbed the winner on the hour-mark. “We’ve got people that can unlock the door, it was great from the team and we kept plugging away. It’s what I’ve come to expect from Frank. We have a lot of dangerous players, some with pace and it’s great to play alongside these players.” With pacy attacking talent like Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck, the former Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa defender is looking forward to the future under Roy Hodgson. “It’s a very exciting and young squad, we’re only going to improve and get better. Everybody will be talking about how well we played tonight and rightly so. It’s important to get that blend of youth and experience. But even a lot of the youngsters are playing in massive games for their clubs and everybody’s learning all the time. Cahill’s Stamford Bridge colleague David Luiz was disappointed with the outcome, but is already looking forward to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in his homeland. “It was a great night against a big team but we are not happy with the result. We need to take the positives out of every game. Tonight was a good game against a side which is physically different to us. "We had probably 40 per cent of our players who are just starting with us now so it’s different. I want to win the World Cup next year and I know Brazil. We will win.” Cahill was diplomatic about his side’s chances for the return fixture in June, and seemed optimistic about the FIFA World Cup qualifiers to come. “Let’s not get carried away! We’ll enjoy tonight and obviously they’re a class outfit and it’ll be tough. It’s great for us to move into the qualification games with a good result. There are a load of positives to take into the World Cup qualifiers, if we can play like that we won’t go far wrong."

England and Germany lay down markers Wednesday’s set of friendly fixtures saw four former winners of the FIFA World Cup™ demonstrate that they will likely be forces to be reckoned with next summer, as Argentina, Germany, England and Spain registered impressive victories over Sweden, France, Brazil and Uruguay respectively. It was not, however, a night to remember for the aforementioned South American nations, who failed to get the best out of their supremely talented attack-minded players on the night. FIFA.com rounds up all the action from a busy evening of international encounters. The big match England 2-1 Brazil Goals: Wayne Rooney 26, Frank Lampard 60 (England); Fred 49 (Brazil) Luiz Felipe Scolari is likely to have departed Wembley Stadium with much to ponder, as he attempts to steer a Brazil side that has slipped to 18th spot in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking – their lowest placing since the system was established – firmly back on track. The match started in disappointing fashion for the returning Ronaldinho, whose penalty and rebound attempt were brilliantly saved by England goalkeeper Joe Hart. The Atletico Mineiro star seemingly failed to recover from the miss, and remained in the changing rooms at half-time. In the meantime, Wayne Rooney had given the Three Lions the lead, guiding home a ball parried by Brazil No1 Julio Cesar, who otherwise had another excellent 90 minutes. After the break, Scolari reshuffled his pack, bringing on Fred to partner Neymar, with Oscar slotting into the playmaker role and Lucas inserted on the right. England struggled to deal with the changes, allowing Fred in to equalise with a left-footed effort. At that point, it appeared as if the game could go either way, but it was Roy Hodgson’s charges who rose to the occasion, securing a 2-1 triumph with a trademark first-time shot from Frank Lampard. The away side will not have long to wait to attempt to gain their revenge, as a return match is scheduled for 2 June in Brazil. France 1-2 Germany France’s good run of results was brought to an end by a solid German XI, for whom Ilkay Gundogan was outstanding in midfield. Despite the absence of numerous first-team players, Die Nationalelf put in a controlled performance that handed Didier Deschamps just his second defeat as France coach, and also made up for the Germans’ home loss to the same team last year in the process. Les Bleus, with Franck Ribery in fine form, did manage to initially pull ahead, however, Mathieu Valbuena taking advantage of slack defending to score. But this turn of events only served to motivate the Germans in the second half, as Gundogan won the ball in the middle of the park and fed Thomas Muller, who made no mistake. Fifteen minutes from time, a stunning pass by Mesut Ozil found Real Madrid team-mate Sami Khedira, whose clinical finish left France custodian Hugo Lloris with no chance. Spain 3-1 Uruguay The world champions were made to dig deep versus Copa America holders Uruguay in Qatar, on a pristine Doha surface that was not dissimilar to a golfing green. Vicente Del Bosque was forced to make do without several injured regulars, but still managed to field a strong line-up that included seven Barcelona players. One of those, Cesc Fabregas, recorded the opening goal after a terrible handling error by Uruguayan ’keeper Fernando Muslera, before setting up Pedro beautifully in the second half for Spain’s third. Sandwiched in between those strikes were two other goals, Pedro’s first of the night, and a fine Uruguayan equaliser, scored by Cristian Rodriguez. In fact, La Celeste created a plethora of chances via Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, and entertained the crowd throughout with their attacking intentions, but defensive lapses – so painfully evident in their current FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign – cost them dearly in the end. The result provided Del Bosque, in charge of La Roja since 2008, with an excuse for a double celebration, having equalled the record held by Ladislao Kubala (1969-80) of 68 matches at the helm. The former Besiktas coach’s results during this period have been nothing short of exceptional: 57 wins, five draws and six defeats. Netherlands 1-1 Italy For 80 minutes, a youthful Netherlands team dominated Italy, forcing Gianluigi Buffon into several top-class saves. Jeremain Lens stylishly gave the Dutch the lead, and La Nazionale were subsequently fortunate to not concede again. The home side were unable to build on their advantage, however, and Marco Verratti duly grabbed an injury-time leveller, sweeping the ball into the net after excellent interplay inside the box. The game is sure to have provided Dutch supremo Louis Van Gaal with some useful pointers, especially as neither Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van Der Vaart nor Arjen Robben were part of the starting line-up in Amsterdam. At the other end of the pitch, the much-hyped appearances of Mario Ballotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy failed to live up to pre-match expectations. Sweden 2-3 Argentina The encounter may have been billed as a Lionel Messi-Zlatan Ibrahimovic duel, but it was other performers who stepped up to the mark on the night, with Angel Di Maria and goalscorers Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero in sparkling form. Well organised and highly adept at lightning-quick counter-attacks, Argentina controlled the first half without having to rely too much on Messi. Di Maria was particularly productive, setting up two goals to give La Albiceleste a 3-1 half-time lead. Ibrahimovic then came off at the break, and could only watch from the sidelines as the South Americans missed a host of chances. Rasmus Elm’s successful last-minute free-kick reduced the gap, but it was a case of too little too late for the Swedes. Portugal 2-3 Ecuador Lying third in their 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil qualifying group with a five-point deficit to make up on Russia, Portugal did little to reassure their fans in an entertaining clash with Ecuador, surprisingly going down 3-2 at home. Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia gave La Tri an early lead, but Cristiano Ronaldo drew the Lusitanians level, before Helder Postiga made it 2-1. Joao Pereira got the Ecuadorians back into the match, and Felipe Caicedo completed the turnaround twenty minutes from the final whistle. In some of the other matches played on Wednesday, Bosnia-Herzegovina dispatched Slovenia 3-0 away from home, while Macedonia saw off Denmark by the same scoreline. Alberto Zaccheroni’s Japan also beat Latvia 3-0, in a match that featured a double from Shinji Okazaki, and Croatia went one better versus Korea Republic in London, defeating the Asians 4-0. Other notable results included Chile’s 2-1 win over Egypt and Serbia’s 3-1 victory in Cyprus, during which Twente’s Dusan Tadic struck a brace. The player Having been criticised for some off-colour displays for Real Madrid this season, Angel Di Maria put in one of his best-ever performances for Argentina against Sweden. The significant mental boost he received from his brace in Real’s recent 5-0 win in Valencia was evident in his eye-catching play, which propelled his team-mates to a well-deserved 3-2 victory in what was the skilful winger’s 36th appearance for his country. The goal France 1-0 Germany, Mathieu Valbuena 44 The smallest player on the pitch, Valbuena succeeded in evading two towering German defenders in the shape of Per Mertesacker and Mats Hummels to nod France into a 1-0 lead. After Karim Benzema’s free-kick had come back off the crossbar, the diminutive forward was first to react to Moussa Sissoko’s cushioned headed pass. The stat 200 – The number of international appearances that English full-back Ashley Cole and Spanish stalwart Carles Puyol collectively have under their belts, after both joined the elite 100-cap club on Wednesday. Cole, 32 years of age, made his England debut in a 3-1 win over Albania on 28 March 2001, four months later than the 34-year-old Puyol, who was awarded his first cap on 15 November 2000 in a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands. Whereas the Barça defender has three goals to his name, the Chelsea man has yet to find the net for his country. Just six players in England and in Spain had previously reached or surpassed this symbolic total. Have your say Will Brazil be ready for the challenge of a FIFA World Cup on home soil next year?

England and Germany lay down markers Wednesday’s set of friendly fixtures saw four former winners of the FIFA World Cup™ demonstrate that they will likely be forces to be reckoned with next summer, as Argentina, Germany, England and Spain registered impressive victories over Sweden, France, Brazil and Uruguay respectively. It was not, however, a night to remember for the aforementioned South American nations, who failed to get the best out of their supremely talented attack-minded players on the night. FIFA.com rounds up all the action from a busy evening of international encounters. The big match England 2-1 Brazil Goals: Wayne Rooney 26, Frank Lampard 60 (England); Fred 49 (Brazil) Luiz Felipe Scolari is likely to have departed Wembley Stadium with much to ponder, as he attempts to steer a Brazil side that has slipped to 18th spot in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking – their lowest placing since the system was established – firmly back on track. The match started in disappointing fashion for the returning Ronaldinho, whose penalty and rebound attempt were brilliantly saved by England goalkeeper Joe Hart. The Atletico Mineiro star seemingly failed to recover from the miss, and remained in the changing rooms at half-time. In the meantime, Wayne Rooney had given the Three Lions the lead, guiding home a ball parried by Brazil No1 Julio Cesar, who otherwise had another excellent 90 minutes. After the break, Scolari reshuffled his pack, bringing on Fred to partner Neymar, with Oscar slotting into the playmaker role and Lucas inserted on the right. England struggled to deal with the changes, allowing Fred in to equalise with a left-footed effort. At that point, it appeared as if the game could go either way, but it was Roy Hodgson’s charges who rose to the occasion, securing a 2-1 triumph with a trademark first-time shot from Frank Lampard. The away side will not have long to wait to attempt to gain their revenge, as a return match is scheduled for 2 June in Brazil. France 1-2 Germany France’s good run of results was brought to an end by a solid German XI, for whom Ilkay Gundogan was outstanding in midfield. Despite the absence of numerous first-team players, Die Nationalelf put in a controlled performance that handed Didier Deschamps just his second defeat as France coach, and also made up for the Germans’ home loss to the same team last year in the process. Les Bleus, with Franck Ribery in fine form, did manage to initially pull ahead, however, Mathieu Valbuena taking advantage of slack defending to score. But this turn of events only served to motivate the Germans in the second half, as Gundogan won the ball in the middle of the park and fed Thomas Muller, who made no mistake. Fifteen minutes from time, a stunning pass by Mesut Ozil found Real Madrid team-mate Sami Khedira, whose clinical finish left France custodian Hugo Lloris with no chance. Spain 3-1 Uruguay The world champions were made to dig deep versus Copa America holders Uruguay in Qatar, on a pristine Doha surface that was not dissimilar to a golfing green. Vicente Del Bosque was forced to make do without several injured regulars, but still managed to field a strong line-up that included seven Barcelona players. One of those, Cesc Fabregas, recorded the opening goal after a terrible handling error by Uruguayan ’keeper Fernando Muslera, before setting up Pedro beautifully in the second half for Spain’s third. Sandwiched in between those strikes were two other goals, Pedro’s first of the night, and a fine Uruguayan equaliser, scored by Cristian Rodriguez. In fact, La Celeste created a plethora of chances via Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, and entertained the crowd throughout with their attacking intentions, but defensive lapses – so painfully evident in their current FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign – cost them dearly in the end. The result provided Del Bosque, in charge of La Roja since 2008, with an excuse for a double celebration, having equalled the record held by Ladislao Kubala (1969-80) of 68 matches at the helm. The former Besiktas coach’s results during this period have been nothing short of exceptional: 57 wins, five draws and six defeats. Netherlands 1-1 Italy For 80 minutes, a youthful Netherlands team dominated Italy, forcing Gianluigi Buffon into several top-class saves. Jeremain Lens stylishly gave the Dutch the lead, and La Nazionale were subsequently fortunate to not concede again. The home side were unable to build on their advantage, however, and Marco Verratti duly grabbed an injury-time leveller, sweeping the ball into the net after excellent interplay inside the box. The game is sure to have provided Dutch supremo Louis Van Gaal with some useful pointers, especially as neither Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van Der Vaart nor Arjen Robben were part of the starting line-up in Amsterdam. At the other end of the pitch, the much-hyped appearances of Mario Ballotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy failed to live up to pre-match expectations. Sweden 2-3 Argentina The encounter may have been billed as a Lionel Messi-Zlatan Ibrahimovic duel, but it was other performers who stepped up to the mark on the night, with Angel Di Maria and goalscorers Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero in sparkling form. Well organised and highly adept at lightning-quick counter-attacks, Argentina controlled the first half without having to rely too much on Messi. Di Maria was particularly productive, setting up two goals to give La Albiceleste a 3-1 half-time lead. Ibrahimovic then came off at the break, and could only watch from the sidelines as the South Americans missed a host of chances. Rasmus Elm’s successful last-minute free-kick reduced the gap, but it was a case of too little too late for the Swedes. Portugal 2-3 Ecuador Lying third in their 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil qualifying group with a five-point deficit to make up on Russia, Portugal did little to reassure their fans in an entertaining clash with Ecuador, surprisingly going down 3-2 at home. Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia gave La Tri an early lead, but Cristiano Ronaldo drew the Lusitanians level, before Helder Postiga made it 2-1. Joao Pereira got the Ecuadorians back into the match, and Felipe Caicedo completed the turnaround twenty minutes from the final whistle. In some of the other matches played on Wednesday, Bosnia-Herzegovina dispatched Slovenia 3-0 away from home, while Macedonia saw off Denmark by the same scoreline. Alberto Zaccheroni’s Japan also beat Latvia 3-0, in a match that featured a double from Shinji Okazaki, and Croatia went one better versus Korea Republic in London, defeating the Asians 4-0. Other notable results included Chile’s 2-1 win over Egypt and Serbia’s 3-1 victory in Cyprus, during which Twente’s Dusan Tadic struck a brace. The player Having been criticised for some off-colour displays for Real Madrid this season, Angel Di Maria put in one of his best-ever performances for Argentina against Sweden. The significant mental boost he received from his brace in Real’s recent 5-0 win in Valencia was evident in his eye-catching play, which propelled his team-mates to a well-deserved 3-2 victory in what was the skilful winger’s 36th appearance for his country. The goal France 1-0 Germany, Mathieu Valbuena 44 The smallest player on the pitch, Valbuena succeeded in evading two towering German defenders in the shape of Per Mertesacker and Mats Hummels to nod France into a 1-0 lead. After Karim Benzema’s free-kick had come back off the crossbar, the diminutive forward was first to react to Moussa Sissoko’s cushioned headed pass. The stat 200 – The number of international appearances that English full-back Ashley Cole and Spanish stalwart Carles Puyol collectively have under their belts, after both joined the elite 100-cap club on Wednesday. Cole, 32 years of age, made his England debut in a 3-1 win over Albania on 28 March 2001, four months later than the 34-year-old Puyol, who was awarded his first cap on 15 November 2000 in a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands. Whereas the Barça defender has three goals to his name, the Chelsea man has yet to find the net for his country. Just six players in England and in Spain had previously reached or surpassed this symbolic total. Have your say Will Brazil be ready for the challenge of a FIFA World Cup on home soil next year?

England and Germany lay down markers ( Wednesday’s set of friendly fixtures saw four former winners of the FIFA World Cup™ demonstrate that they will likely be forces to be reckoned with next summer, as Argentina, Germany, England and Spain registered impressive victories over Sweden, France, Brazil and Uruguay respectively. It was not, however, a night to remember for the aforementioned South American nations, who failed to get the best out of their supremely talented attack-minded players on the night. FIFA.com rounds up all the action from a busy evening of international encounters. The big match England 2-1 Brazil Goals: Wayne Rooney 26, Frank Lampard 60 (England); Fred 49 (Brazil) Luiz Felipe Scolari is likely to have departed Wembley Stadium with much to ponder, as he attempts to steer a Brazil side that has slipped to 18th spot in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking – their lowest placing since the system was established – firmly back on track. The match started in disappointing fashion for the returning Ronaldinho, whose penalty and rebound attempt were brilliantly saved by England goalkeeper Joe Hart. The Atletico Mineiro star seemingly failed to recover from the miss, and remained in the changing rooms at half-time. In the meantime, Wayne Rooney had given the Three Lions the lead, guiding home a ball parried by Brazil No1 Julio Cesar, who otherwise had another excellent 90 minutes. After the break, Scolari reshuffled his pack, bringing on Fred to partner Neymar, with Oscar slotting into the playmaker role and Lucas inserted on the right. England struggled to deal with the changes, allowing Fred in to equalise with a left-footed effort. At that point, it appeared as if the game could go either way, but it was Roy Hodgson’s charges who rose to the occasion, securing a 2-1 triumph with a trademark first-time shot from Frank Lampard. The away side will not have long to wait to attempt to gain their revenge, as a return match is scheduled for 2 June in Brazil. France 1-2 Germany France’s good run of results was brought to an end by a solid German XI, for whom Ilkay Gundogan was outstanding in midfield. Despite the absence of numerous first-team players, Die Nationalelf put in a controlled performance that handed Didier Deschamps just his second defeat as France coach, and also made up for the Germans’ home loss to the same team last year in the process. Les Bleus, with Franck Ribery in fine form, did manage to initially pull ahead, however, Mathieu Valbuena taking advantage of slack defending to score. But this turn of events only served to motivate the Germans in the second half, as Gundogan won the ball in the middle of the park and fed Thomas Muller, who made no mistake. Fifteen minutes from time, a stunning pass by Mesut Ozil found Real Madrid team-mate Sami Khedira, whose clinical finish left France custodian Hugo Lloris with no chance. Spain 3-1 Uruguay The world champions were made to dig deep versus Copa America holders Uruguay in Qatar, on a pristine Doha surface that was not dissimilar to a golfing green. Vicente Del Bosque was forced to make do without several injured regulars, but still managed to field a strong line-up that included seven Barcelona players. One of those, Cesc Fabregas, recorded the opening goal after a terrible handling error by Uruguayan ’keeper Fernando Muslera, before setting up Pedro beautifully in the second half for Spain’s third. Sandwiched in between those strikes were two other goals, Pedro’s first of the night, and a fine Uruguayan equaliser, scored by Cristian Rodriguez. In fact, La Celeste created a plethora of chances via Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, and entertained the crowd throughout with their attacking intentions, but defensive lapses – so painfully evident in their current FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign – cost them dearly in the end. The result provided Del Bosque, in charge of La Roja since 2008, with an excuse for a double celebration, having equalled the record held by Ladislao Kubala (1969-80) of 68 matches at the helm. The former Besiktas coach’s results during this period have been nothing short of exceptional: 57 wins, five draws and six defeats. Netherlands 1-1 Italy For 80 minutes, a youthful Netherlands team dominated Italy, forcing Gianluigi Buffon into several top-class saves. Jeremain Lens stylishly gave the Dutch the lead, and La Nazionale were subsequently fortunate to not concede again. The home side were unable to build on their advantage, however, and Marco Verratti duly grabbed an injury-time leveller, sweeping the ball into the net after excellent interplay inside the box. The game is sure to have provided Dutch supremo Louis Van Gaal with some useful pointers, especially as neither Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van Der Vaart nor Arjen Robben were part of the starting line-up in Amsterdam. At the other end of the pitch, the much-hyped appearances of Mario Ballotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy failed to live up to pre-match expectations. Sweden 2-3 Argentina The encounter may have been billed as a Lionel Messi-Zlatan Ibrahimovic duel, but it was other performers who stepped up to the mark on the night, with Angel Di Maria and goalscorers Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero in sparkling form. Well organised and highly adept at lightning-quick counter-attacks, Argentina controlled the first half without having to rely too much on Messi. Di Maria was particularly productive, setting up two goals to give La Albiceleste a 3-1 half-time lead. Ibrahimovic then came off at the break, and could only watch from the sidelines as the South Americans missed a host of chances. Rasmus Elm’s successful last-minute free-kick reduced the gap, but it was a case of too little too late for the Swedes. Portugal 2-3 Ecuador Lying third in their 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil qualifying group with a five-point deficit to make up on Russia, Portugal did little to reassure their fans in an entertaining clash with Ecuador, surprisingly going down 3-2 at home. Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia gave La Tri an early lead, but Cristiano Ronaldo drew the Lusitanians level, before Helder Postiga made it 2-1. Joao Pereira got the Ecuadorians back into the match, and Felipe Caicedo completed the turnaround twenty minutes from the final whistle. In some of the other matches played on Wednesday, Bosnia-Herzegovina dispatched Slovenia 3-0 away from home, while Macedonia saw off Denmark by the same scoreline. Alberto Zaccheroni’s Japan also beat Latvia 3-0, in a match that featured a double from Shinji Okazaki, and Croatia went one better versus Korea Republic in London, defeating the Asians 4-0. Other notable results included Chile’s 2-1 win over Egypt and Serbia’s 3-1 victory in Cyprus, during which Twente’s Dusan Tadic struck a brace. The player Having been criticised for some off-colour displays for Real Madrid this season, Angel Di Maria put in one of his best-ever performances for Argentina against Sweden. The significant mental boost he received from his brace in Real’s recent 5-0 win in Valencia was evident in his eye-catching play, which propelled his team-mates to a well-deserved 3-2 victory in what was the skilful winger’s 36th appearance for his country. The goal France 1-0 Germany, Mathieu Valbuena 44 The smallest player on the pitch, Valbuena succeeded in evading two towering German defenders in the shape of Per Mertesacker and Mats Hummels to nod France into a 1-0 lead. After Karim Benzema’s free-kick had come back off the crossbar, the diminutive forward was first to react to Moussa Sissoko’s cushioned headed pass. The stat 200 – The number of international appearances that English full-back Ashley Cole and Spanish stalwart Carles Puyol collectively have under their belts, after both joined the elite 100-cap club on Wednesday. Cole, 32 years of age, made his England debut in a 3-1 win over Albania on 28 March 2001, four months later than the 34-year-old Puyol, who was awarded his first cap on 15 November 2000 in a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands. Whereas the Barça defender has three goals to his name, the Chelsea man has yet to find the net for his country. Just six players in England and in Spain had previously reached or surpassed this symbolic total. Have your say Will Brazil be ready for the challenge of a FIFA World Cup on home soil next year?

Jamaican joy as USA, Mexico suffer © AFP THE DAY REPLAYED – Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz pulled off a stunning result, drawing Mexico 0-0 at the fabled Estadio Azteca to open the final ‘Hexagonal’ round of FIFA World Cup™ qualifying in North, Central America and the Caribbean. Elsewhere, Jurgen Klinsmann got a rude introduction to the so-called ‘Hex’ as his USA were beaten 2-1 on the road by Honduras, while Panama blew a two-goal lead to draw with Costa Rica. FIFA.com wraps up an eventful evening in CONCACAF. The big game Honduras 2-1 USA Klinsmann’s Americans wilted in the humidity of San Pedro Sula, suffering their first loss in a Hexagonal opener since the format was adopted in 1998. The German boss opted for an inexperienced, new-look rearguard, with captain and veteran Carlos Bocanegra left on the bench. Even so, the Americans opened the scoring after 36 minutes, Clint Dempsey latching onto a brilliant chipped ball from Jermaine Jones to volley into the top corner. The dream didn’t last, however, and Honduras equalised via a Juan Carlos Garcia stunner five minutes before the interval. From there on, the visitors, who lacked a creative spark, lost their way, looking a decidedly uninspired lot. Honduras made certain of all three points when Jerry Bengston, who plays his club football in the US with New England Revolution, took advantage of a defensive miscue with eleven minutes to play. In other action Costa Rica came back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 on the road against Panama. Los Canaleros were rewarded for their frenzied early pressure, opening the scoring after 16 minutes when Luis Henriquez cut inside and struck from just inside the area. Roman Torres doubled the lead eleven minutes later, volleying home from close range after brilliant approach work by young sensation Marcos Sanchez. But Costa Rica, recently crowned champions of Central America, rebounded in style. Top scorer Alvaro Saborio bagged his seventh goal in qualifying to cut the deficit before the interval. Fulham schemer Bryan Ruiz, who had a fairly quiet game up to that point, then went on to steal a share of the spoils with an improvised overhead kick in the 84th minute. Jamaica made history with a 0-0 draw against Mexico at their much-feared Estadio Azteca. The Mexicans, reigning Olympic and CONCACAF champions, looked out of sorts from the start, despite having such household names as Giovani Dos Santos, Javier Chicharito Hernandez and Andres Guardado in the side. And when they trudged off the pitch to a chorus of boos and clenched fists from their own fans, they will have breathed a sigh of relief. It was a game Mexico could well have lost. Ryan Johnson started as lone striker for the Reggae Boyz, hitting the post once and missing two golden opportunities. One wonders what top scorer Luton Shelton, who missed the match through injury, might have done with similar chances. In the end, the point is a famous one for the Jamaicans. It is their first-ever at the Azteca, and fittingly it came on the birthday of late reggae star Bob Marley, who so loved his football. Player of the day – Donovan Ricketts (JAM) The gigantic USA-based shot-stopper had the game of his life in Mexico City, making save after save to deny the much-fancied El Tri strikers and pulling every cross out of the air with calm and ease. In the 48th minute, the Montego Bay-born keeper got down like a snap to deny a quick-fire shot from Oribe Peralta, and in the dying moments he twice denied Manchester United ace Chicharito to keep the scoresheet clean. Goal of the day - Juan Carlos Garcia Honduras-USA, 40’ Just four minutes after Clint Dempsey silenced the San Pedro Sula crowd with a cleverly volleyed opener, Juan Carlos Garcia sent the home fans into raptures with an outrageous, acrobatic equaliser. A long, looping corner-kick was collected wide on the right by Victor Bernardez, who lofted the ball back into the penalty area. Maynor Figueroa chested it forward, where Garcia, a burly defender for local giants Olimpia, slammed home an overhead bicycle-kick that would make any striker jealous. The number 24 – The number of matches in Mexico’s winning streak in qualifying at the Azteca. Their draw with the Jamaicans is the first time they failed to win there since losing to Costa Rica – their only defeat in qualifying at the Azteca – in 2001. One wonders if the mystique of the old stadium is fading, as USA managed their first-ever win at the ground in a friendly late last year. What they said “We made too many mistakes and too many players didn’t play up to their potential. When you lose a game, there are reasons for it. The reason tonight was that too many players were below their usual performance,” US coach Klinsmann on the loss in Honduras, the fourth straight road qualifier in which the Americans have surrendered a lead. CONCACAF fourth round ‘Hexagonal,’ matchday one Honduras 2-1 USA Panama 2-2 Costa Rica Mexico 0-0 Jamaica Up next 22 March 2013 Honduras-Mexico Jamaica-Panama USA-Costa Rica