NST Online: Sports

Posted: 16 Jun 2011 10:38 AM PDT

2011/06/17
By Devinder Singh

Terengganu's Abdul Hadi Yahya is the only fit out-and-out striker in the national team at the moment.

AN injury crisis has left the national team short of strikers as Malaysia continue their pre-World Cup preparation with an international friendly against Myanmar in Kota Baru tomorrow.

The latest blow to coach K. Rajagobal came after Tuesday's Super League fixtures claimed Kelantan duo Norshahrul Idlan Talaha and S. Chanturu, and Johor FC's Shahrizal Saad, who join Negri Sembilan's Ahmad Fakri Saarani on the sidelines.

Safee Sali is also unavailable due to a commitment to his Indonesian club Pelita Jaya, leaving Terengganu's Abdul Hadi Yahya as the only fit out-and-out striker in the squad.

Rajagobal, however, is unfazed by the injury problems as it affords him the chance to test various combinations against Myanmar ahead of Malaysia's World Cup qualifying first round, first leg tie with Taiwan on June 29.

"I have four players out injured -- Norshahrul, Chanturu, Shahrizal and Fakri, who was injured much earlier and was left behind by the Olympic squad.

"With Safee also unavailable, the injuries mean I only have one striker left in Hadi. Six other players are with the Olympic team (to play Lebanon in an Olympic qualifier on Sunday).

"I will try out some new combinations in their absence and I'll have to see who to play on Saturday (tomorrow). I'm not too concerned that Safee is not with us as he played against Hong Kong (on July 3) and is already familiar with the team.

"Most of the players should be fit to face Taiwan with the exception of Norshahrul (hamstring), who I don't think will recover in time," said Rajagobal at Wisma FAM yesterday after the launch of special edition tickets for Malaysia's July 13 friendly against English Premier League club Arsenal.

Some 25,000 tickets bearing the images of the national players will be made available for purchase at RM58, RM68, RM108 and RM388 for the match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

"We want the focus to be on the national team unlike in the past where attention was centred on visiting teams.

"As such, we have come up with these special edition tickets in the hope that Malaysian fans will see it as a collector's item," said Julian Kam, chief executive of promoters, ProEvents International.

Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

Germany drop Ballack from roster

Posted: 16 Jun 2011 10:37 AM PDT

BERLIN: Michael Ballack, one of the best-known players in German football for the past decade, has played for the national side for the last time, the national football federation said yesterday.

"Michael Ballack will no longer be a part of the German national squad," the DfB said in a statement.

"I have discussed things openly with Michael Ballack, most recently in our meeting in March 2011 and in numerous phone calls," coach Joachim Loew said.

"With the Euro 2012 season about to start the time has come for me to make a clear statement," Loew added.

The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich midfielder, 34, has not played for Germany since March 2010, and in terms of performance at least, his absence has not been felt.

Injured in a brutal tackle by Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng in the FA Cup final, Ballack played no part in the World Cup last year, when Germany played some of the best football of the tournament to finish third.

And in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2012 hosted by Poland and Ukraine, Germany are sitting pretty at the top of their qualifying group with a 10-point lead, virtually assuring a berth for the Germans.

In his place Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm has captained the side.

"Recent months have shown that lots of young players with promising futures have appeared on the scene. Since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa the development of the national team has been absolutely positive," Loew said.

"Michael Ballack was for a decade a very important leading player in the national side and contributed enormously to the great successes of the team after the 2002 World Cup," added Loew, coach since 2006.

"He shaped an era and as captain always put himself at the service of the team, as I was able to witness at close quarters at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008."

German media reports had hinted Ballack would play his 99th -- and final game -- for Germany against Brazil in a friendly in Stuttgart in August.

But Loew's latest comments suggest Ballack's career will finish with 98 caps and 42 goals for his country, having made his debut in 1999. -- AFP

Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Khamis, 16 Jun 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

0 ulasan:

Catat Ulasan