Suhrawadi Shuvo sets up Bangladesh win

Bangladesh 102 for 5 (F Hossain 33) beat Sri Lanka 101 all out (Chinthaka Jayasinghe 28, S Shuvo 4-6) by 5 wickets
Scorecard

	Suhrawadi Shuvo strangled the Sri Lankan middle order with a miserly spell of 4 for 6 © AFP Enlarge

Bangladesh beat a second-string Sri Lankan side by five wickets in the semi-final of the Asian Games cricket event to seal their place in Friday's final in Guangzhou. They will play Afghanistan - who stunned favourites Pakistan in the first semi-final - in the title match.

Sri Lanka, who had reached the semis after scraping to a two-wicket win over Nepal in the quarters, won the toss and batted. They started positively with the openers Nuwan Zoysa and Jeevantha Kulatunga scoring at more than a run a ball and, at 38 for 1, looked set for a competitive total. However, Kulatunga's dismissal at that point by Shahadat Hossain robbed them of momentum. Suhrawadi Shuvo strangled the Sri Lankan middle order with his left-arm spin, picking up 4 for 6. It was only some late hitting from Chinthaka Jayasinghe, who made 22 with one four and two sixes, that carried them past 100 before they were bowled out for 101.

The total was never going to be enough to challenge the Bangladesh batsmen. Though they lost opener Mithun Ali early, solid contributions from Mohammad Ashraful, Faisal Hossain and Naeem Islam set the base for their chase, Faisal top-scoring with 33. Bangladesh reached their target in just under 16 overs.

The Bangladesh women's team had earlier won the silver medal in the inaugural women's cricket tournament, where they were beaten by the Pakistan women's team in the final and with their men's team reaching the final, Bangladesh have a chance to add a gold medal to their tally. They have currently won just two medals, with a bronze in women's kabaddi, apart from the silver.

Profile of Lionel Messi

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Lionel Messi

2010/11 Spanish Primera División
Games	Goals	Assists
9	10	3

Full Name Lionel Messi Birth Date June 24, 1987 Birth Place Rosario, Argentina Height 1.70m

Weight 67 kg Age 23 Position Midfielder Squad No 10

ProfileStatisticsGame Log

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Lionel Messi Bio 

 

Lionel Messi is the heir apparent to the throne left vacant by Diego Armando Maradona. The waters are divided between those who consider him to be far from being the best No. 10, and those who believe that Messi will be even better than Maradona. Born in Rosario, he cut his teeth in the youth ranks of Newell's Old Boys, until a hormonal problem that affected his growth changed the plans of his family and, of course, his personal future. Facing expensive treatment for their son, Messi's parents moved to Spain as Newell's were not able to afford the medical costs related to his condition, and even the wealthiest Argentine teams, such as River Plate, refused to foot the bill. After his first trial with Barcelona, the Catalan coaches had no doubts. They decided to sign Messi and pay for his medical treatment. His growth was noticeable within Barca, and in little time he came to be considered one of the great talents at the club. He made his debut in the first division in October 2004, against Espanyol, and Barcelona have since adopted him as one of their greatest idols. His first championship would come in the Liga season of 2004-05. Since then, and playing a more prominent role every season, he has won every major club trophy at Camp Nou - including a stunning haul of six in 2008-09 - leaving many in little doubt as to the fact that Messi is the best player of his generation. Strengths: His ball skills are second to none, his runs from midfield are usually lethal and he is almost impossible to tackle when he gets his head down. His balance when running at speed is incredible. www.fashionnews08.blogspot.comWeaknesses: Too often he searches for a way to finish moves by himself without looking for team-mates in a better position to shoot at goal. Career high: Winning the 2009 World Player of the Year award after scoring 49 goals in 58 starts during the season. Career low: He was unable to perform to his best in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals with Messi looking on from the bench. Style: Quick, incisive, balanced, a stylish runner with the ball. Quotes: "Messi is my Maradona," said Maradona himself, as the head coach of the Argentine national team. Trivia: His debut with the national team (against Hungary) was a disaster: he entered the game in the 18th minute of the second half, and 47 seconds later was sent off.

The Legend of Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi 2009 - Top 10 Goals *NEW*

Barcelona president: Lionel Messi will stay at Camp Nou for many years to come

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has exclaimed that he struggles to find the superlatives to describe star striker Lionel Messi, and that expects the Argentine star to remain with the club for many beyond his current deal.

Rosell, who spoke to El Mundo Deportivo before he boarded a flight to Qatar, commented on the performance of the Argentine superstar after his deadly double helped defeat Villarreal at the Camp Nou to temporarily move the Blaugrana to the top of the table, before Real Madrid defeated Sporting on Sunday night to move clear again.

Messi is contracted to the Camp Nou giants until 2016, but Rosell believes that he has the capability to be a permanent fixture in the side far beyond the end of his current deal.

He remarked: “I do not know what else to say. There are no words to describe what Leo does. I think he will stay with the club much further than the end of his current deal. He deserves all the praise he receives, and all the interviews.”

Messi joined up with his Argentina colleagues as they prepare to face Brazil in an international friendly, and had earlier told FIFA.com that he hopes either Xavi or Andres Iniesta win the Ballon d'Or, because “they deserve it more than anyone else".

Zidane: Blanc the right man for Les Blues

The French national team could not sink any lower after their debacle at last summer's World Cup finals, yet the player many consider to be the nation's greatest of all-time believes new coach Laurent Blanc has already started the long road back towards credibility.

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Zinedine Zidane and Blanc were former team-mates for France.

Ahead of the prestigious international against England at Wembley on Wednesday, Nick Bidwell caught up with the great Zinedine Zidane to ask the questions that matter on the future of Les Bleus.Is Laurent Blanc the right man to revive France's flagging fortunes?
I always was convinced Laurent Blanc was the right man to take charge of our national team. After the disastrous events in South Africa, we had to wipe the slate completely clean and I can think of no one better to make a success of the rebuilding process. He's a proper coach, insists on playing attacking football and is a natural leader.What qualities do you most admire in Blanc?
He has this authority that people respect and players respond in the right way to him. In my old French side, 'Lolo' (Blanc's nickname) and Didier Deschamps effectively were the guys who set the tone, who made sure everyone was on the same page and stayed focused. Blanc is so calm and cares deeply about the French and he will not put up with half-measures and those who aren't as hungry as him.How difficult will it be for France to bounce back after the World Cup humiliation in South Africa?
It was always going to be tough, but the first task was to get the side winning again and 'Lolo' has done that. I think he's doing a great job in bringing the squad closer together, encouraging the guys to be more responsible and to see the big picture. He has got the balance just right. Laurent is close to the players, but at the same time, there's no doubting who's the boss. He's brought back the ambition and the enthusiasm and has a talent for bringing people together. The coach is not divisive, unlike his predecessor.You were never a big fan of former France coach Raymond Domenech, is that fair to say?
Let's say he and I weren't on the same wavelength. It's one thing to pick 11 players, but it's another entirely to forge them into a cohesive unit, one with a solid pattern of play and philosophy. Under Domenech, I saw a French team that was just a collection of individuals. Too many on the pitch were trying to do it all by themselves when in reality you can only get results with a strong collective base.What was your reaction when the French players went on strike during the World Cup finals?
As an ex-player, I normally support professionals 100%, but not in this instance. They had their grievances, but it should never have got to the stage of boycotting training. They went a step too far. You have to show total respect to the shirt, the French supporters and the nation. There's no point pretending that the image of our game did not take a real beating.How big a role do the supporters have in the revival of the French national team?It was clear for some time that the national team and its coach were very unpopular. When your own fans whistle and jeer, then you have a big problem. The pressure grew, the players felt more and more isolated and, in the end, they became too fearful and inhibited. Now the fans are right behind the team again and that makes a great deal of difference, I assure you.What are your thoughts on the new faces in the France team that will take on England at Wembley?I'm delighted to see how well new players such as Loic Remy, Dimitri Payet, Adil Rami and Yann M'Vila have performed. We needed some new blood and Blanc is handling them very intelligently. He's showing great faith in them and that is important for a young player. They know they will get a good run of games and that they will be given a more than fair chance to earn a spot in the side.The likes of Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema and Philippe Mexes are also back in the mix for Les Bleus. This has to be a positive development doesn't it?The door can never be closed for good to any player. These are players of ability and class and they look eager to make the most of their second chance.So will France qualify for Euro 2012 and make an impression in the tournament?After starting out with a home defeat to Belarus, we're back on track and I see no reason why we shouldn't finish up top of our group. On the whole, French supporters have great hopes for Laurent Blanc and his side, but we have to be patient and not expect us to return to the top of the tree tomorrow. We aren't the only country in a big rebuilding phase. Italy, England, Portugal and Brazil are in the same boat after not coming up to scratch at the World Cup.Finally, I have to ask you about your old club Real Madrid. How do you think they will get on under Jose Mourinho's guidance this season?

GettyImages

Jose Mourinho watches his compatriot in action

I'm their No. 1 supporter and have a good feeling about what Mourinho is building there. When you have a winner, motivator and organiser like him in charge, you are well down the road to achieving your goals. Come next spring, I'm sure we'll be in contention for prizes both in Spain and in Europe.Cristiano Ronaldo has taken your place as the king of the Bernabeu. What are your thoughts on his form this season?It's just a pleasure to see him playing with a smile on his face again. His World Cup did not go as he would have wanted, but you can't keep someone of his genius down for long. As well as his brilliance as a creator, he's such a determined character and I know for a fact that he's one of the hardest workers on the training ground.

Ronaldhino Look A Likes

Who looks like Ronaldinho?

To kick off our new football look-a-likes section we've started with perhaps the World's most recogniseable footballer at the moment - Ronaldinho.
Our Football Chat columnist Piranhafish recently stated that he thought Ronaldinho had more than a passing resemblance to "the tall girl out of Saved By The Bell who went on to play the pole dancer in some hyped up soft porn flick that I can't remember the name of".

This started us thinking, and yes there is a resemblance to her, (although I know which one I'd rather wake up next to). So, in the interests of modern science we've decided to put the latest photo technology to the test to get a definitive look-a-like.

We took the photo's to our lab at Football England H.Q. and allowed our boffins to experiment with the two pictures. We got a decidedly disturbing outcome.
When we took the photo of Ronaldinho with the ball on his back and merged it with the other one we got Charles Laughton as the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Do you think anyone else looks like Ronaldinho? Perhaps your mate does, or the barmaid at your local boozer.
Perhaps you know someone who looks like another footballer?
If you want to send us your ideas or pictures please drop us an email and we'll share it with the world.

Serbia stuns ten-man Germany

Miroslav Klose is the man who saves his best for the world stage. Impotent for Bayern Munich over the course of this past season, the striker flicked the switch in Germany's opening group game against Australia, scoring his 11th goal at World Cup finals to close in on the Brazilian Ronaldo's record of 15. Onwards and upwards, everyone predicted, with Germany widely fancied. Yet he and his team were stopped brutally in their tracks here. Klose's red card was one of those moments that had eyes widening and mouths opening all around the stadium. Already on a booking for a trip on Branislav Ivanovic, as the Serb had burst out of defence, Klose's challenge on Dejan Stankovic was nothing more than a nibble at ankles. Yes, it was a foul, but a second yellow card? Stankovic was not about to spark a Serbian attack and there was certainly nothing nasty in Klose's intent. But you knew that the referee Alberto Undiano was going to do it by the way that he rushed in. The Spaniard had possibly made a rod for his own back by dishing out five yellow cards in the first 32 minutes but his application of the strictest letter of the law drew gasps. The Germany players, it ought to be said, were commendably restrained in their protests. What will they make of the decision at the referees' headquarters in Pretoria? Each of the four-strong teams of officials from the various nations are based there and, after every performance, there is an extensive debrief involving them all. Could it be that the furore over Cristiano Ronaldo's call for greater protection had an influence? The consensus here was that if Klose's second card were merited, football would be entering the realms of non-contact sports. Anyone for netball? The World Cup had so far been notable for an absence of controversy. Undiano appeared keen to compensate and, as he continued to keep the whistle to his lips in the second half, so the blood pressure of the Germany manager, Joachim Löw, rose. At full time, Löw marched straight off down the tunnel, gesturing angrily. The dismissal shaped the game, although it should not detract from an encouraging performance from Serbia, whose football was compact, committed and laced with no little enterprise. Their three starting midfielders held a narrow line, with the captain, Stankovic, in the middle, ever available for the short ball out of defence. On the flanks, Milos Krasic and the new Liverpool signing Milan Jovanovic impressed, Krasic particularly so. The CSKA Moscow winger is a summer transfer target for Juventus and he would have added to his value. His crosses and trickery were a delight. Serbia sometimes offer the impression that their finger is never far from the self-destruct button. The vital penalty that Zdravko Kuzmanovic conceded for handball in their opening game defeat against Ghana was utterly needless and Nemanja Vidic, inexplicably, aped his team-mate to concede another one. Mercifully for Serbia, Vladimir Stojkovic saved Lukas Podolski's 60th minute kick. Germany showed great character with 10 men and Löw the boldness to chase the game with attacking substitutions. But his players, as they diced with conceding a second on the counter, could not fashion the equaliser. Löw was keen not to turn his team's final group game, against Ghana on Wednesday, into a drama. Thanks in part to Undiano, he has been denied his wish.

World Cup 2010 - Match facts: Germany v Ghana

All the key facts and stats ahead of the Group D encounter in Johannesburg. The only previous encounter between these two sides was won 6-1 by Germany in 1993. Germany have not lost against an African side since 1982 (1-2 v Algeria in the World Cup). Against Serbia, Germany lost their first World Cup group game in 24 years. In the preliminary stages of the 1986 World Cup they were beaten 2-0 by Denmark. The last time Germany lost two consecutive games at the World Cup finals was between the 1978 and 1982 World Cups. Ghana could become only the second African team to reach the knockout stages in two consecutive World Cups. Nigeria were the first team to achieve that feat in 1998. Ghana have won their last two games against European sides at the World Cup finals, without conceding a goal. Germany have won all of their last 11 games against a non-European or South American side at the World Cup finals, keeping a clean sheet in five of the last six of these. Asamoah Gyan has netted 50 per cent of Ghana's goals in the World Cup so far (three out of six). The last three goals scored by Ghana in the World Cup have all come from the penalty spot. Germany have won their final group matches in the last four World Cup tournaments, without conceding a single goal in the last three.Opta

Visit the other World Cup host cities

Click to view 1. Cape Town 2. Durban 3. Nelspruit 4. Rustenburg 5. Pretoria 6. Polokwane 7. Port Elizabeth 8. Bloemfontein

Looking for a hotel while visiting Johannesburg!

Map & Directions Click here to view a map of the stadium and the local area. Ellis Park Ellis Park was constructed in 1982 as a modern, integrated stadium offering outstanding sight lines from every seat. The Stadium stands within a world class sporting precinct, barely 15 minutes' walk from the Johannesburg City Centre, and offers outstanding office, security and medical features. For 2010, new upper tiers will be constructed behind each of the goals, at the north and south ends of the venue, increasing the net capacity by 10,149 seats to a total 60,000. Ellis Park will host one quarter final match.

Johannesburg World Cup 2010 Stadiums

Map & Directions Click here to view a map of the stadium and the local area. Soccer City Johannesburg will have two stadiums in the World Cup 2010 and also boasts the opening match, one semi final and the final match of the tournament. Soccer City is the jewel in South Africa's crown, built in 1987 and with a capacity of 94,700 (excluding Media and VIP's) it is sure to offer a great atmosphere for the lucky few that get tickets and hopefully as the stadium to be used for the first game, provide an excellent springboard for a magnificent tournament. For 2010, the upper tier will be extended around the stadium, an encircling roof will be constructed, new changing room facilities will be developed and new floodlights will be installed.

World-Serbia squad for World Cup finals

BELGRADE, June 1 (Reuters) - Serbia coach Radomir Antic on Tuesday named the following 23-man final squad for the June 11-July 11 World Cup in South Africa: Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic (Sporting), Bojan Isailovic (Zaglebie Lubin), Andjelko Djuricic (Uniao Leiria). Defenders: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Antonio Rukavina (Munich 1860), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Lukovic (Udinese), Ivan Obradovic (Zaragoza), Aleksandar Kolarov (Lazio). Midfielders: Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan), Gojko Kacar (Hertha Berlin), Nenad Milijas (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (VfB Stuttgart), Radosav Petrovic (Partizan Belgrade), Milos Krasic (CSKA Moscow), Zoran Tosic (Manchester United), Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev), Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liege). Forwards: Nikola Zigic (Birmingham City), Marko Pantelic (Ajax Amsterdam), Danko Lazovic (Zenit St. Petersburg), Dragan Mrdja (Vojvodina Novi Sad).

McCarthy out of South Africa's WCup squad

Host South Africa left all-time top scorer Benni McCarthy out of its World Cup squad on deadline day Tuesday while Gareth Barry hoped that good news from a fitness checkup would put him among England's 23. Although many of the 32 qualifiers have already named their final squads ahead of FIFA's deadline of 2200 GMT on Tuesday, defending champion Italy and former winners Germany and England were among those to leave it until the final day. So was the host country, which made the widely expected decision not to include McCarthy. The 32-year-old striker, who has scored 32 goals in 78 games for South Africa, has struggled with fitness and form all season while playing in England for Blackburn then West Ham. "It was a sad thing to have to split apart our family," coach Carlos Alberto Parreira told a news conference as he announced the six players who will not play in the first World Cup to be staged in Africa. "But I told them, 'Put your heads up, life goes on. All of you deserve to be here'. Unfortunately we have to obey FIFA rules and we can only name 23." South Africa kicks off the competition against Mexico on June 11, and then faces former World Cup winners Uruguay and France in its group. South Korea, Slovakia and Greece also named their squads on Tuesday with no major surprises, although the Slovaks named two strikers who are recovering from injuries. Filip Holosko broke his leg last year and was not able to train with the team until Monday while Robert Vittek has been sidelined with a knee injury. Neither player was able to play in Saturday's 1-1 warmup draw with Cameroon at Klagenfurt, Austria. "It was a tough decision," coach Vladimir Weiss said Tuesday. "Holosko isn't 100 percent fit. Or, he may be fit but we don't know what to expect in a real match. It's the same with Vittek. We'll see in the next few days." Slovakia's first group game is against New Zealand on June 15 and it then meets Paraguay and Italy. Defender Kwak Tae-hwi, who injured his knee in Sunday's 1-0 warmup loss to Belarus, is out of the South Korea squad and was replaced by Kang Min-soo. Coach Huh Jung-moo cut three more players from his provisional squad, leaving midfielders Ku Ja-cheol and Shin Hyung-min and Japan-based striker Lee Keun-ho behind. "Lee Keun-ho hasn't been able to get over his poor run of form," Huh said. "Shin Hyung-min didn't look sharp against Belarus, and it's unfortunate but Ku Ja-cheol wasn't selected." The 2002 World Cup semifinalist faces European champion Spain in a warmup match on Thursday in Innsbruck before leaving for South Africa for Group B games with Greece on June 12, Argentina five days later and Nigeria on June 22. Greece coach Otto Rehhagel, who led the team to a surprise Euro 2004 triumph and had already trimmed his squad to 25, left out midfielder Grigoris Makos and defender Giorgos Tzavelas. Italy coach Marcello Lippi, who guided the team to its fourth World Cup triumph in Berlin four years ago, has to cut five players from its squad, with forwards Marco Borriello, Fabio Quagliarella and Giuseppe Rossi most at risk. Germany coach Joachim Loew hopes to take as many as six strikers, although he may have to change his plans because of injuries to midfielders. Striker Miroslav Klose was top scorer at the last World Cup but he has not been a regular starter with Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich and could miss out. England manager Fabio Capello, who seems set to confirm he will stay on after the World Cup, said he knew his 23 but is waiting for the results of a fitness check on midfielder Barry, who has not played or trained since damaging ankle ligaments playing for Manchester City against Tottenham on May 5. Barry has been a regular starter under Capello and, if the results of the test are encouraging, the manager may put him in the squad even though he may not be fit enough to play in the opening game against the United States June 12. England then faces Algeria and Slovenia.