Shuster will import his playing experience from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid.


Ex-Barcelona player, Bernd Scuster is preparing to take over the helm of affairs at Real Madrid, after the sack of Coach Fabio Capello. Real Madrid and Capello have had many publicised misunderstandings, and the highly experienced Capello was thought to have resigned his appointment at some point. However, Capello stayed on as the storm grew, leading to the final exit of the trophy winning coach. Real Madrid are thus repeating the act of gratitude often shown to coaches at the club who are often sacked after winning the La Liga or ny other major title. The same fate was experienced by Vicente del Bosque after the last La Liga victory in 2003. Other cases even before the outrageous del Bosque sacking have been witnessed.
Coming from his German clubside, FC Koln to play for Barca, Bernd Scuster played for FC Barcelona for eight years from 1980 to 1988, scoring 63 goals in 170 appearances.

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.

4 Barca players are still out to win the World Cup in Germany.
Lionel Messi and Javier Saviola, both for Argentina, Ronaldinho (Brazil) and Deco (Portugal) are the Barca players among the eight teams that have proceeded to the quarterfinals. Though Deco will miss Portugal's quarter final match against England after being sent off against Holland.


Gio and Van Bommel (both Holland), Márquez (Mexico), Larsson (Sweden), Iniesta, Puyol and Xavi (all Spain) were all eliminated in the round of last 16.


So far the following Barca players took part in the World Cup in Gernamy:

start against Germany on Friday.

Deco will miss his quarter final against England and Ronaldinho will be starting for Brazil against France on Saturday.
The only quarter final where Barca players are absent is the match between Italy and Ukraina.

BRAZIL v GHANA 3-0


Brazil: Dida, Cafú, Lucio, Juan, Emerson (Gilberto Silva 46´), Roberto Carlos, Adriano (Juninho 61´), Kaká (Ricardinho 82´), Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Zé Roberto.


Ghana: Kingson, Gyan, Mensah, Pappoe, Shilla, Appiah, Muntari, Amoah (Tachie-Mensah 80´), Pantsil, Addo (Boateng 60´), Draman.


Goals:
1-0 Ronaldo (5')

2-0 Adriano (46')
3-0 Zé Roberto (84')


Brazil showed yesterday that they are the favourites and the team to beat in this World Cup. Brazil start to look better and better in every match. After scoring 4 goals against Japan and hitting the target 3 times against Ghana, Barazil will meet France in the quarter final.


Ronaldinho played in Brazil´s midfield with Emerson, Zé Roberto and Kaká. Ronaldinho Gaucho tried hard in the first half but was more active in the second part of the game. He played further forward and was able to show some of his brilliance that we are used to from him when playing for Barca.

Germany beat Sweden 2-0 to reach the quarter finals of the World Cup on Saturday afternoon. Henrik Larsson's Swedish national team had not much of a chance in this encouter, despite Barca´s Larsson missing a penalty in the second half.


Podolski´s two early goals (4´and 12´) and Teddy Lucic´s sending off off after 34 minutes made it a mission impossible for the Swedes. Sweden did not trouble the Germans too much and the only chance to come back into the game was when Germany´s Christoph Metzelder fouled Larsson in the box, who then fired the penalty over the crossbar.


Henrik Larsson will make a decision on his future as an international after the World Cup. The Swedish hitman could have played his last match and brought to a close his spectacular international career. Larsson is Sweden's leading goal scorer and has scored in three different World Cups.


GERMANY v SWEDEN 2-0


Germany (4-4-2): Lehman - Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm - Schneider, Frings (Kehl 85´), Ballack, Schweinsteiger (Borowski 71´) - Klose, Podolski (Neuville 73´) - Manager: Klinsmann


Sweden (4-4-2): Isaksson - Alexandersson, Mellberg, Lucic, Edman - Jonson (Wilhelmsson 52´), Linderoth, Kallstrom (Hansson 39´), Ljungberg - Ibrahimovic (Allback 71´), Larsson - Manager: Lagerback


Goals:
1-0: Podolski 4´

2-0: Podolski 12´


Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil)