Argentina coach Sergio Batista has warned his players to expect stiff competition when the Copa America kicks off on Saturday.
Argentina have been widely tipped to clinch the coveted trophy on home soil this year, though Brazil are no easy-beats and World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay could also cause an upset.
The host nation will kick off the tournament with a match against Group A rivals Bolivia in La Plata on Saturday, and Batista is already pouring cold water on talk of an easy run to the final.
It is going to be a really tough Copa, Bautista said.
There are teams who have already proven themselves in the World Cup and have evolved a lot since then.
They are well put together like in the case of Uruguay and Paraguay and in the case of Peru,…
Sevilla midfielder Ndri Romaric has revealed that he could make a switch to Lille this summer.
The Ivory Coast international is looking to leave the club in search for first team football and is currently weighing up his options.
Romaric was recently linked with a move to Trabzonspor, and has now revealed that he has several offers.
“I am in talks with several clubs,” Romaric told Le Parisien.
The Ivorian then hinted that he could join French Ligue 1 champions.
“Lille? Yes, it’s a possibility.”
Romaric has been considered a first team regular at Sevilla ever since he arrived from Le Mans in 2008, but has recently lost a starting place, following the arrivals of Ivan Rakitic and Gary Medel.
…
Reigning MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City will limp into Thursday s knockout play-off match away to New York Red Bulls.
Sporting have three players on their long-term injury list, while four others are in doubt for the trip to New York, after the title-holders played three games in eight days last week.
United States international defender Matt Besler (thigh), goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum (calf), midfielder Benny Feilhaber (ankle) and defender Igor Juliao (hamstring) will need to prove their fitness to be involved against the Red Bulls.
Ironically enough, Sporting ended their regular season with a home game against New York on Sunday, suffering their third straight loss in all competitions after a brace from Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, who head…
FIFA have handed Uruguay forward Luis Suarez a nine-match suspension and a four-month ban from all football-related activity.
The Liverpool star found himself in the all-too-familiar position of being under disciplinary scrutiny after appearing to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini as Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 on Tuesday.
Uruguay s triumph secured their place in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup.
However, their talisman is now set to miss nine competitive international matches, starting with Uruguay s last-16 tie against Colombia on Saturday, after being punished for his actions and will also be unavailable to his club Liverpool, unless he is successful with an appeal.
In addition, Suarez has been fined CHF 100,000 (Swiss francs) and will be prohi…
Substitutes Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini struck as Manchester United beat Leicester City 2-0 to continue their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season.
Rashford finished from Henrikh Mkhitaryan s corner three minutes after coming on, just as it looked like Jose Mourinho s men – who had seen Kasper Schmeichel save Romelu Lukaku s penalty – would have to settle for a frustrating home draw that typified last season s top-flight struggles.
Fellaini, another of Mourinho s introductions from the bench, then netted with eight minutes remaining to seal victory, although it looked like he was offside as he converted a shot from United s other sub, Jesse Lingard.
United were unable to make a first-half breakthrough despite being on top, Juan Mata hav…
According to , is no longer training with Valencia in hopes that his move to Turkish club Besiktas will be finalized soon.
Negredo has left los Che s training ground and reports say that both clubs have finalized the deal for the Spanish forward s passage to Turkey, although no official announcement has been made.
The 31-year-old leaves after arriving to the Valencian side from Manchester City for a hefty €30 million fee at the start of the 2014 season.
Last season, Negredo was loaned out to Middlesbrough of the Premier League, where he totaled 40 appearances in all and tallied 10 goals, but was not able to save his side from going down the Championship — finishing 19th.
Coming back to Valencia for the preseason, Negredo was rumored with moves to Le…
MLS: Play-offs set as Galaxy miss out to RSL in dramatic finale, Red Bulls extend streak and Wondolo
The 2021 MLS Cup play-offs are set following a wild final round of the regular season which saw LA Galaxy dramatically eliminated from the post-season picture by Real Salt Lake.
Javier Chicharito Hernandez scored twice for the Galaxy in a 3-3 draw with Minnesota United on Decision Day, but RSL s last-gasp 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City changed the landscape of the Western Conference.
RSL pipped the Galaxy – without post-season football for the second straight campaign – to the seventh and final play-off spot on victories for the season via a 95th-minute winner, having finished level on 48 points at the end of 34 rounds.
Minnesota finished fifth to clinch a post-season berth in the west, along with sixth-placed Vancouver Whitecaps, who drew 1-1 against Seat…
Verdict: Cristiano Ronaldo to score Juventus to score over 2.5 goals
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Making a much-needed return to winning ways earlier in the week, Juventus will welcome relegation scrappers Lecce to an empty Allianz on Friday night.
Juventus
Starting with the hosts, picking up a 2-0 win away at Bologna on Monday night, Juventus are a side still fully trying to recover from last week s Coppa Italia heartbreak. Watching Napoli lift the cup thanks to a penalties win at the Stadio Olimpico, the Old Lady have shown some worrying inconsistencies either side of the enforced break. Along with having to hunt down a deficit after a shock 1-0 loss away at French outfit Lyon while on Champions League duties, Maurizio Sarri s men have won just two of …
Franco Baresi believes Milan are ripe to go far and must think big in the Champions League after they were drawn to face Tottenham in the round of 16.
The Serie A champions on Monday discovered they will do battle with Antonio Conte s side for a place in the quarter-finals next year.
Milan qualified from Group E as runners-up last week by hammering Salzburg 4-0, while Spurs won 2-1 at Marseille to avoid an early exit.
Rossoneri and Italy legend Baresi is bullish about the prospects of Stefano Pioli s men. who have won five of their past six matches and are second in Serie A behind unbeaten Napoli.
Milan s honorary vice-president told Sky Sport: Milan will prepare in the best possible way and will be ready to amaze again.
I think the team is ripe…
Manchester United are relying on Cristiano Ronaldo to save them in every game and should have replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Antonio Conte, according to sprint king and Red Devils fan Usain Bolt.
The pressure is growing on Solskjaer following a disappointing start to the campaign, with United winning just seven of their opening 16 games in all competitions.
Solskjaer s side have been soundly beaten 5-0 by rivals Liverpool and 2-0 by Manchester City in their last two home Premier League matches and are sixth with 11 games played.
Conte was touted as a contender to replace Solskjaer after the Liverpool loss, but he has since taken over at top-flight rivals Tottenham as Nuno Espirito Santo s successor.
Bolt, a life-long United supporter, believes the clu…