WORLD CUP BRIEFS
▷▷▷ Toffee-whipped Koreans look to avoid a sticky end South Korea’s performance at the last World Cup was so poor that the players were pelted with toffees on their return. It was the ultimate humiliation for the former semi-finalists, who will be hoping to avoid a similarly sticky end this time. “Go suck on a toffee!” translates to a gross insult in Korea, and the Taeguk Warriors deserved criticism after crashing out in the group phase with just one point from three games. But they will need to summon the spirit of 2002 if they are to advance to the knockout stage in Russia after a cruel draw matched them against World Cup holders Germany, Mexico and Sweden. “I think we will have to beat Sweden if we want to get to the last 16,” said South Korea manager Shin Tae-yong, looking ahead to his side’s opening game in Nizhny Novgorod on June 18. “We’ve waited a long time for this World Cup.” ▷▷▷
▲ Experienced players will help captain Kane: Cahill The experienced members of England’s World Cup squad must step up and take some of the pressure off captain Harry Kane to let the striker focus on scoring goals in Russia, defender Gary Cahill has said. Kane captained England in three of their eight World Cup qualifiers and has been handed the role for Russia where the 24-year-old Tottenham Hotspur striker will also be expected to help fire the side into the knockout stages. “It’s important the experienced members of the squad help him so he can concentrate on finding the net,” Cahill told Standard Sport. “The message has been clear from the manager that he wants a number of leaders ... He wanted that group of leaders to help and share the workload. I’m there to help. I’m not there to preach to anyone, but I have experience of playing in big games.“
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Beckham backs North America World Cup bid David Beckham has thrown his weight behind North America’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup as the vote looms, saying the fans’ passion for football would make the event “very special”. The US-Canada-Mexico joint bid is battling against Morocco for the right to stage the tournament, with Fifa members picking the winner at a vote in Moscow on June 13. “A football competition as big as the World Cup deserves to be in great places and if the US, Canada and Mexico get that it will be very special,” said former LA Galaxy midfielder Beckham in a video released by Major League Soccer. The former England captain, who played for the Galaxy for six seasons and was awarded an MLS franchise in Miami earlier this year, said he had experienced the passion for the game in all three countries. “I’ve been able to have played in one of these countries and I’ve been to the other two as well and also played in Canada for the Galaxy but I know the passion that runs through all three of those countries,” he said.
Sane vows to return stronger after Germany snub Manchester City’s Leroy Sane has expressed his disappointment at missing out on Germany’s World Cup squad but vowed to “give it my all to bounce back stronger”. The 22-year-old winger was a shock omission from Joachim Low’s squad, having starred in City’s record-breaking Premier League campaign and been a regular in Germany’s recent matches. A day after Low’s announcement, Sane said on his Twitter account: “Thank you so much everyone for your encouraging messages yesterday and today. I’m obviously disappointed I won’t participate in the World Cup but I have to accept this decision and I’ll give it my all to bounce back stronger! Nothing but the best of success to the DFB Team in Russia. Go get that title!”
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Shoulder injury likely to rule out Glik from Poland squad The shoulder injury suffered by Poland’s Kamil Glik will most likely exclude the defender from the squad for the World Cup in Russia as it would take at least six weeks until he is ready to restart training, Poland’s team doctor said yesterday. “In my opinion, the situation is bad. Even if the treatment is non-surgical, return to full training will take at least about six weeks,” Jacek Jaroszewski said in a news conference. Team officials put off the decision on Glik’s place in the squad until tomorrow, when doctors from his club Monaco will decide on the treatment.
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Rojo wants Argentina to get ‘payback’ after 2014 agony Marcos Rojo wants to feel like what it is to win a World Cup rather than the agony he experienced for Argentina when they lost to Germany 1-0 after extra-time in 2014. Defender Rojo will face Nigeria in the group stage, a side he scored his first international goal against in 2014 “Obviously, it’s a really important thing and a big deal for any Argentinian to wear that shirt,” he said. “We really feel the shirt a lot and we defend our colours. We give everything when we are wearing it and we want payback for the way things happened at the last World Cup.”