The FC Barcelona helmsman is sure that former Madrid man, Capello will justify his rating as a top coach while in England.


Frank Rijkaard is no doubt about the abilities of Fabio Capello, who has just been named the new coach of the English national team. Capello was unjustly sacked by Real Madrid after the coach delivered the La Liga championship to the rather ungrateful Los Merengues officials, who responded by immediately conveying a meeting and sacking the successful coach afterwards. Now it seems the Madrid misfortune has turned into a blessing for Capello. Rijkaard says of Capello:

Capello is a good manager, he has won a lot. He has always been successful and I understand why they have contracted him. He could go a long way with the English national team.

Capello has promised to turn things around in England, identifying the pshycology of the English players as an area of priority where he will first focus on.

Roberto de Assis fumes over continued links with transfer of brother to England.


Ronaldinho's brother, Roberto de Assis has come out to flatly deny starting news and rumours about his brother leaving Barca, after strong news surfaced in England and Italy earlier in the week about Roberto's strong bias toward the Brazilian talent lacing his boots for Chelsea in January. An angry Roberto said:

I have no initial say in offers made to Ronaldinho. It’s down to Barca to receive and consider offers. I haven’t spoken to anyone on my brothers transfer away from Barcelona, so I don't know where the rumours come from. Ronaldinho is very happy, but every Wednesday and Sunday the story changes in football.

Roberto de Assis is the agent of talented brother Ronaldinho de Assis of FC Barcelona.

Barca players Messi, Saviola (both Argentina) and Ronaldinho Gaucho have lost their quarterfinal match and are heading for their holidays after their elimination from the World cup in Germany. Argentina lost on penalties to host Germany and Brazil lost their match against France.


ENGLAND v PORTUGAL 0-0


England: Robinson, Neville, Ashley Cole, Gerrard, Ferdinand, Terry, Beckham (Lennon 5, Carragher 118), Lampard, Rooney (red card min. 61), Joe Cole (Crouch 64), Hargreaves.


Portugal: Ricardo, Meira, Figo (Helder Postiga 85), Petit, Pauleta (Simao 62), Miguel, Nuno Valente, Carvalho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Maniche, Tiago (Hugo Viana 74).


Penalties:
1-0 Simao

1-1 Hargreaves
2-1 Helder Postiga

3-1 Cristiano Ronaldo.


Misssed penalties:
Lampard, Gerrard and Carragher for England

Hugo Viana and Petit for Portugal


After 1966, the Portuguese national team has reached the second time in their history the World Cup semi-finals by beating England 3-1 on penalties after a tense 0-0 draw.


The first half was dominated by both defences. The very few half-chances produced were mainly from dead ball situations. The match had its decisive moment in the 62nd minute when the Argentine referee, Horacio Elizondo, sent off Rooney for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho. With Rooney off, England´s manager Sven-Goran Eriksson sent on Peter Crouch as a lone striker and England defended well to hold on for extra time.
The 10-men England held on heroically for the full 120 minutes. Like in the European Championship 2004 Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo was the hero of the day. He saved 3 of 4 English penalties and booked Portugal´s place in the semi final.

Barca's Portuguese midfield star, who was sent off in the round of last 16 against Holland, will return into the Portuguese squad for the semi-final, one of the biggest games of his sporting career.


BRAZIL v FRANCE 0-1


Brazil: Dida, Cafú (Cicinho 75), Lucio, Juan, Roberto Carlos, Kaká (Robinho 78), Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Zé Roberto, Gilberto Silva, Juninho Pernambucano (Adriano 62).


France: Barthez, Abidal, Vieira, Gallas, Makelele, Malouda (Wiltord 80), Zidane, Henry (Saha 84), Thuram, Sagnol, Ribery (Gobou 76).


Goals:

0-1 Henry 57´


The biggest upset in the World Cup 2006 saw Brazil being eliminated by a superb display of France. Amazingly, Brazil managed just one shot on target all match. This was just not enough for the world champions to defend their title. Barca's Ronaldinho says goodbye to the competition.


Brazil started brightly and Ronaldinho was heavily involved early on. Slowly, France took control of the game with another magnificent performance of verteran Zinedine Zidane. It was Zidane´s free kick in the 57th minute that met an umarked Henry who had no problem to put the ball over the goal line. France knocked Brazil out of the World Cup for the third time.


The Brazilian manager Alberto Perreira played Zé Roberto, Gilberto Silva and Juninho Pernambucano in midfield to give Ronaldinho the freedom to show his skills. At the start he did show his brilliance of technical skills and passing abilities but looked physically tired and was not able to turn the match around.


GERMANY v ARGENTINA 1-1


Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Schweinsteiger (Borowski 76), Frings, Klose (Neuville 85), Ballack, Lahm, Mertesacker, Schneider (Odonkor 61), Podolski, Metzelder.


Argentina: Abbondanzieri (Leo Franco 70), Ayala, Sorin, Coloccini, Heinze, Mascherano, Crespo (Julio Cruz 78), Riquelme (Cambiasso 71), Tévez, Maxi, Lucho González.


Goals:
0-1 Ayala 49

1-1 Klose 80


Penalties:
Neuville 1-0

Julio Cruz 1-1
Ballack 2-1

Ayala 2-1 (missed pen.)
Podolski 3-1

Maxi 3-2
Borowski 4-2

Cambiasso 4-2 (missed pen.)


Hosts Germany are through to the World Cup semi finals after beating Argentina 4-2 in a penalty shoot out, following a 1-1 draw. Argentina coach Pekerman did not use Barca star Leo Messi and Saviola.
The Germans never gave up and again showed they are unbeatable in the penalty shoot out.



Argentina took the lead when Ayala headed in a corner from former Barca player Riquelme but when it looked as if the hosts were heading out of the world cup, Germany hit back and pulled level through Klose´s fifth goal of the world cup tournament. Extra time saw few chances and with Ayala and Cambiasso both missing penalties, the hosts were through to the semis.

Barca and Portugal star Deco who will miss the quarter final clash between England and Portugal next Saturday has laughed off any comparison between Manchester United youngster Wayne Rooney and Brazilian World Cup legend Pele.

He believes that the Man U forward has still a long way to go and prove his worth:

"No-one can be compared to Pele. Rooney is a youngster with a lot of talent but to compare him with Pele is a lot. He has quality, he scores goals, but he is still young and still has many things to prove in football."

FC Barcelona star midfielder Deco is suspended due to a red card and will not play a role in the quarter final match between Portugal and England.


Portugal´s international Deco is hoping England are continuing their long ball game and playing a long way from their best when both teams meet for the quarter final in Gelsenkirchen next Saturday.


When asked about the lack of style and unconvincing performance shown by England so far and whether he would pay to watch the English team if he was an England fan, he did not think twice but answered diplomatically:

"I would pay to see England play, but I would prefer to pay to watch Portugal."
He then added: "England are a very strong team but they have not been showing what they can do with the good players they have in the side. The most important thing is that the national team can beat England. It doesn't matter who plays in my place, all that matters is that we win. We have players with a lot of quality, as we proved in the game against Mexico where the substitutes played wonderfully. Whoever plays in our place will do the same job. There are no favourites. It will be a very hard game, just like two years ago when it was decided only with penalties."

Deco also admitted he was not surprised that Real Madrid had been linked with Manchester United´s youngster Ronaldo: "because Cristiano is a wonderful player".