Begovic: England should recall Crouch

Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic says Peter Crouch should be recalled to the England squad and believes more good times are in store at the Britannia Stadium.

PA PhotosAsmir Begovic believes Stoke are growing as a club

• Crouch wants England recall

Stoke continue their daunting start to the 2012-13 season when they visit Chelsea on Saturday but have the confidence of knowing they have emerged unbeaten from games so far against Arsenal and Manchester City.

Begovic helped preserve a point against the champions with two outstanding saves while Crouch, who is not in Roy Hodgson's England plans after he rejected a call-up to the standby list for Euro 2012, scored his third goal in three appearances.

Competition for places is hotting up in the Potteries with Michael Owen's high-profile arrival and the keeper said: "We are trying to grow as a team and this is a good place to be. Steven N'Zonzi was fantastic on his debut and, with Owen coming in, we can look forward to a good season."

He added: "I'm surprised Crouch isn't in the England team. Obviously, I'm biased because I see him in training all week but I think he should be there.

"I see the games they (England) are playing. He's sitting at home and I wonder just why isn't he playing. It's not up to me but he doesn't seem to get the credit he deserves. He's a world-class striker.

"His goal ratio, and everything he has done for teams, just speaks for itself. We know what we have with Crouchie and that's the main thing."

Begovic was delighted with the work of the men in front of him on Saturday and knows more of the same resilience is likely to be required both at Stamford Bridge and beyond.

Stoke have four draws from four Premier League games and visit Liverpool and Manchester United for their first two matches in October.

"We kept the door closed at the back (against City)," he added. "We were really solid. Performances speak for themselves but we want to get to winning ways as soon as possible."

article source:  http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1163727/stoke-goalkeeper-asmir-begovic-backs-peter-crouch-for-england?cc=4716

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Ramos would welcome Modric to Real

Sergio Ramos is keen for Real Madrid to sign Luka Modric and believes that he would be a fantastic addition to the squad, a story from Talk Sport reports.

The Modric transfer saga has gone on for some time now and he has expressed his desire to leave his current club Tottenham this summer.

However, the La Liga side are not prepared to match Spurs’ valuation of their playmaker, which is believed to be £40 million.

The English Premier League team may now be able to keep hold of their star man as the deal seems to have stalled recently.

But defender Ramos said: “We’ve got a great squad, with amazing footballers, and one or two more will join.

“I like football and good footballers and Modric is one of them. He currently doesn’t play in this team and I can’t say any more than that. If he joins he’ll bring something to the team.”

Modric also wanted out of White Hart Lane last summer and was set to move to Chelsea and this year it is Spain which is his desired destination.

Real are looking to retain their title this season after pipping Barcelona to the post last year. Jose Mourinho will also want to build a squad that can challenge for the Champions League.

The 26-year-old is certainly a fantastic player that could be just what Mourinho’s men need. Time is running out though and they have just over three weeks to sign him.

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English League | Olympics Updates

Great Britain’s Olympic track cycling campaign got off to a disastrous start when Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish were disqualified from the final of the women’s team sprint.

They were denied a shot at the gold medal after making an illegal change-over in their semi-final win over Ukraine.

Continue reading the main story

“I’m sorry for disappointing all the people that have come to support us”

Victoria Pendleton

Pendleton was penalised for taking over half a bike wheel too early at the start of the second lap of the two-lap race.

“We were probably just a bit too eager,” Pendleton told BBC Sport. “It’s one of those things. “It was very unfortunate; it was a mistake made in a fraction of a second.”

China then finished ahead of Germany in the gold medal race, but were also relegated for an infringement at the change-over, leaving Germany as champions. China were left with silver, while Australia beat Ukraine in the bronze medal race.

The announcement that Pendleton and Varnish had been relegated to eighth place was greeted by loud boos at the packed London Velodrome.

Dave Brailsford, British Cycling’s performance director, argued the pair’s case with the judges in the centre of the track for more than 10 minutes before the news was relayed to spectators.

Dan Roan explains why the GB team sprint women were disqualified

British cyclists won gold in seven out of 10 events and a total of 12 medals on the track at Beijing in 2008, Pendleton and Varnish were on course to keep the run going in London.

They broke the world record in their heat, in a time that was quickly bettered by China in the next race, and were second fastest in the semi-finals, again behind only China.

“It happens so quickly when you are full speed in a team sprint. Jess moves up and that’s my cue to take over but it was a metre or so too early, unfortunately,” said Pendleton.

“It was on the change. Jess got stuck a bit on the start and perhaps it put her a little bit on edge and perhaps she was trying to make up for the difference she lost.

“Maybe she judged the straight a bit wrong and I just saw the gap and just went for it because that’s my cue.

“I’m desperately disappointed for Jess. She has done an incredible job in getting this far. Her team sprint today was the best of her life so far.

Analysis

“It’s the Olympic Games, it’s the biggest thing. To spend four years getting ready for it only to lose in a fraction of a second is gut wrenching.”

Mark Cavendish on BBC One


“I’m sorry for disappointing all the people that have come to support us and perhaps not offering the ride that we would have done.”

Pendleton, who is retiring from cycling after the Olympics, competes in the keirin on Friday and will begin the defence of her individual sprint title on Sunday, but Varnish’s Games are over.

London 2012 Olympic Games is the first time the women’s team sprint has been staged at an Olympics.

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Jack Wilshere will not make Arsenal return 'until October'

Arsene Wenger says Jack Wilshere will not play for Arsenal before October.

The 20-year-old England midfielder missed the whole of the 2011-12 campaign with an ankle problem, and had minor knee surgery in May.


"Hopefully, we will get Wilshere back playing for October," said Wenger, before Arsenal's final match of their Asia tour in Hong Kong.

"With Abou Diaby returning, it will be like signing two new players. The squad will be strong and competitive."

Wilshere injured his right ankle last summer and had successful surgery, only to suffer a stress fracture during his rehabilitation in January.

A long-standing knee injury then flared up during his rehabilitation, meaning he also missed Euro 2012.

Wilshere hopes to resume light training in August, with his sights set on a return to action in October.

It means he is ruled out of England's opening two World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, which take place in early September

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Adelaide United vs. Nagoya Grampus

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

ADELAIDE UNITED Galekovic Boogaard, McKain, Mullen, Cassio Malik, Caravella, Barbiero, Vidosic, Djite, Ramsey

NAGOYA GRAMPUS Narazaki Tanaka, Tulio, Masukawa, Abe Ogawa, Taguchi, Fujimoto Kanazaki, Nagai, Tamada

READ MORE, http://spainleagues.blogspot.com/2012/05/adelaide-united-vs-nagoya-grampus-match.html

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