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BREAKING NEWS: England fans hospitalised in Sao Paulo attack
Jun 19, 2014 5:59:00 PM
Ten England fans have been injured in a violent attack in the city prior to Thursday's game with Uruguay
By Neil Barker in Sao Paulo
Ten England supporters have been taken to hospital in Sao Paulo after they were attacked by local hooligans.
Eyewitnesses have told Goal that a Brazilian gang appeared to throw an explosive towards a group of England supporters near the fan fest in Sao Paulo city centre.
The extent of the injuries sustained is unknown, but local authorities have confirmed that 10 fans have been taken to hospital requiring treatment.
Police arrested a number of the assailants at the scene, with the incident occurring hours ahead of the Three Lions' Group D clash against Uruguay on Thursday.
The South American side's star striker has been included in their line-up for the Group D clash despite fears over his fitness
By Kris Voakes at Arena Corinthians
Luis Suarez has been included in the Uruguay starting XI for their crucial World Cup Group D fixture against England in Sao Paulo.
The Liverpool striker has only recently recovered from a knee injury and claimed that he would not play in the match at the Arena Corinthians unless he was 100 per cent fit.
But Uruguayan coach Oscar Tabarez admitted in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday that Suarez is key to his plans, regardless of whether he is short of match fitness.
“If he plays [against England] we must consider the possibility that he is not as fit as he was with Liverpool," said the 67-year-old.
"But even if he is not 100%, he is important”.
The two sides head into the 21:00CET kick-off both looking to collect their first points of the tournament.
Colombia 2-1 Cote d'Ivoire: James and Quintero seal dramatic win
Jun 19, 2014 6:55:00 PM
The South American side are within touching distance of qualification for the knockout stages after a hard-fought victory against the Elephants
Colombia put themselves in the driving seat of World Cup Group C with a 2-1 victory over Cote d'Ivoire on Thursday.
Following a first-half that was low on goalmouth action, the match burst into life in the final 30 minutes.
James Rodriguez got the ball rolling with a powerful header from a Juan Cuadrado corner in the 64th minute, before Juan Quintero doubled the advantage six minutes later.
Gervinho pulled one back for Cote d'Ivoire 17 minutes from time, but it proved to be mere consolation for the African outfit.
The Elephants created a number of late openings but Colombia captain Mario Yepes, playing in his 100th international, was supreme throughout, repelling everything thrown at him.
The result sends Colombia three points clear at the top of the group, and they will be assured of their place in the second round if Greece fail to beat Japan later on Thursday.
The unchanged Colombians had the better of the early chances - Teofilo Gutierrez sending a half-volley wide of the right-hand post from the edge of the penalty area.
The Ivorians, meanwhile, were struggling to get the likes of Wilfried Bony, Gervinho and Max Gradel into the game, though Cheick Tiote drilled over the crossbar 25 minutes in as they got a rare sight of goal.
The best chance of the opening period came for the South Americans three minutes later.
Gutierrez found himself in acres of space in the centre of the Ivorian box, but could only scuff clumsily wide of the left-hand upright when he ball was delivered on a plate by Rodriguez.
Serge Aurier's low drive at the other end forced goalkeeper David Ospina into a diving save shortly after the half-hour mark, before Gradel went down in the area in search of a penalty under the challenge of Cristian Zapata.
Howard Webb – refereeing his first World Cup match since the 2010 final – was having none of it.
Victor Ibarbo failed to get the ball out from under his feet as he tried to set up a shooting angle at the beginning of the second half, before Yaya Toure curled a free-kick well wide of the target at the other end from a promising position.
Didier Zokora then surrendered his place in Tuesday’s meeting with Greece by picking up a booking for a clumsy challenge on Cuadrado.
The Fiorentina man came agonisingly close to putting Colombia in front on the hour, firing an effort across goal only to see it touched onto the post by Boubacar Barry.
Barry was not so fortunate next time, however, as his touch was not enough to keep out Rodriguez’s powerful header from a Cuadrado corner.
And the match appeared to be all but won six minutes later as Quintero found the space to slot beyond Barry.
However, Cote d'Ivoire were right back in it in the 74th minute when Gervinho burst into the box to power an effort into the back of the net, Ospina unable to keep the effort out despite getting a glove to the ball.
It would prove to be the Africans' only goal of the encounter though, leaving them sweating on a place in the next round, with Greece to face in their final group fixture.
Colombia's last match will be against Japan, but they may already be through by then.
A Wayne Rooney goal cancelled out the Liverpool star's first half effort but the striker popped up late in the game to nick the win for his side
Luis Suarez returned from injury to score twice as Uruguay beat England 2-1 to breathe new life into their World Cup campaign.
Uruguay were shocked by a 3-1 loss to Costa Rica in their opening Group D fixture last Saturday, but Suarez - who was absent for that game - proved the difference in Sao Paulo on this occasion.
The fitness of the Liverpool star dominated the pre-match headlines but, as expected, he was included from the start just four weeks after undergoing minor knee surgery.
And he marked his first appearance of this World Cup with a double, nodding in a superb Edinson Cavani cross six minutes before half-time to give Uruguay the lead.
Wayne Rooney missed two glorious chances for England, first heading off the bar from one yard while scores were level, before shooting straight at Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera early in the second period.
But he made amends as he tapped in Glen Johnson's smart ball across the face of goal with 15 minutes left to equalise and set up a grandstand finish.
Suarez had the final say, though, pouncing on Muslera's long ball - which flicked off the head of England captain Steven Gerrard - and firing past Joe Hart with just five minutes left to all but end England's chances of reaching the last 16.
Uruguay will now head into Tuesday's clash against Italy in buoyant mood, while England, beaten in both Group D matches, need a minor miracle to qualify.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez threatened to ring the changes after the Costa Rica match and he was true to his word, making five alterations, as captain Diego Lugano (knee) and defender Maxi Pereira (suspended) were not the only casualties.
In stark contrast, England were unchanged, and Roy Hodgson's faith was nearly rewarded when Rooney - the target of much criticism following their 2-1 defeat to Italy - curled a 20-yard free-kick just wide with Muslera rooted to the spot.
Phil Jagielka's mishit clearance allowed Cristian Rodriguez in at the other end, but his fiercely hit left-foot effort sailed inches over the crossbar in the 15th minute.
Diego Godin was then perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch, as the defender, given a yellow card for a handball that led to Rooney's early free-kick, caught Daniel Sturridge by the throat with his forearm, but avoided further punishment.
England should have taken the lead in the 31st minute but Rooney, who rose above Martin Caceres, inexplicably headed into the bar from one yard from a Gerrard free-kick, and they were soon made to pay for their profligacy.
Nicolas Lodeiro instigated the opener, beating Gerrard in midfield, and he fed Cavani, who, from the left, produced an inch-perfect cross that looped over Jagielka and onto Suarez's head, with the striker nodding across Hart and in from eight yards.
Sturridge nearly produced a quick response for England but they had to weather a storm after the break as Uruguay ramped up the pressure.
Suarez caught Hart napping as he shot from a corner, with the goalkeeper having to scramble back to keep it out, and he also fired wide after England were caught out at the back.
Cavani then wasted a fine chance to double Uruguay's lead, shooting wide when one-on-one with Hart before Rooney could only shoot at Muslera when played in at the other end.
Rooney finally opened his World Cup account in the 75th minute as Johnson, who cut in from the right and beat Alvaro Gonzalez, saw the Manchester United man steal in front of Caceres and shoot past Muslera.
England's celebrations were cut short, though, as Muslera's hopeful punt forward saw Suarez pounce on Gerrard's inadvertent flick-on, the striker keeping his cool to slam the winner past Hart.
The Elephants head coach insists that the defeat to Colombia was unfair on his players but lamented the mistakes that allowed their opponents to take victory in Brasilia
Sabri Lamouchi says his Cote d'Ivoire side didn't deserve to lose to Colombia on Thursday, but admitted errors had cost them dearly in the 2-1 defeat.
Los Cafeteros took a 2-0 lead after strikes from James Rodriguez and Juan Fernando Quintero and held out for all three points after Gervinho pulled one back through a solo effort.
Speaking after the game, Lamouchi gave a series of curt responses to questions from reporters, describing the loss as unfair on the Elephants and emphasising the importance of overcoming Greece in their next game.
"We didn't deserve defeat," the 42-year-old said in a press conference.
"Colombia took advantage of our mistakes. It was an unfair defeat. Only that.
"We need to recover quickly. That's it. Let's go back to our quiet training centre and then beat Greece. There is no another alternative."
For the second game in a row Lamouchi chose not to start Didier Drogba, who has scored 65 goals in 103 games for Ivorians, with the striker coming on after 60 minutes - but the coach insists he has no issue with the forward.
"I have no problem with Didier," he continued. "I always do what's best for the team."
Ivory Coast face Greece on June 24 in their final Group C game.
A long punt up field from Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was inadvertently flicked on by captain Steven Gerrard to allow Luis Suarez to score a late winner in a 2-1 defeat
The manner in which Luis Suarez scored the winning goal in England's defeat to Uruguay in the World Cup was hard to take, Phil Jagielka admitted.
Suarez struck with just five minutes left to give Uruguay a 2-1 win on Thursday, a result that kept their own World Cup hopes alive and virtually ended England's despite Wayne Rooney's earlier equaliser.
A hopeful long punt from Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera caught England out, with Suarez pouncing on an inadvertent Steven Gerrard flick-on to fire past Joe Hart.
"Very disappointed [to concede that way], obviously, as a defender," Jagielka told ITV. "That's the last thing you want to see. As you can tell by my voice, everybody's absolutely devastated in there.
"You just hope [Suarez] misses. He obviously finds the target and they win the game."
Jagielka was also downcast on England's unlikely chances of reaching the last 16, claiming they have a "small chance" and that he was not expecting anything.
He did, however, emphasise the importance of their final Group D match against Costa Rica.
"We've got to go out there and put out a performance against Costa Rica," he continued.
Luis Suarez stole the show with two goals which have left England needing a miracle to progress but his coach also paid tribute to the Paris Saint-Germain striker
By Kris Voakes in Sao Paulo
The defensive effort of Edinson Cavani in shutting down Steven Gerrard proved crucial in Uruguay's win over England on Thursday, according to Oscar Tabarez.
Luis Suarez stole the show on his return from injury, finishing his only two chances of the match clinically either side of a Wayne Rooney goal to keep Uruguay's qualification hopes alive and leave England needing a miracle to progress.
But after the match Tabarez was keen to credit Cavani who, aside from creating the first goal for Suarez with a pinpoint cross, diligently tracked Gerrard out of possession.
"England doesn’t have weaknesses, they are very strong, have incredible midfield and have four strikers who are all goalscorers," Tabarez told reporters.
"But we played very well and Cavani played a very important role to counter that. Gerrard couldn’t play his game because Cavani was stopping him, so today they had more difficulties than normal.
"I think that was the key to the game. England are a wonderful team and are dangerous opponents, that’s why we’re so pleased to have won.”
Tabarez was also buoyed at seeing his team end a 15-game losing streak against European opposition so soon after the disappointment of shock defeat to Costa Rica.
"If this was a movie, people probably couldn’t have wished for a better result," he added. "We have been able to beat a European team after a long, long time. Many people said we wouldn’t be able to do so.
"Both goals were scored by Luis Suarez, a player who was injured a month ago and had to go through surgery. We are not qualified yet for the next stage. However, we are happy we get some fresh air."
After another defeat in their second group game to Uruguay, the Three Lions have only the faintest hopes left of gaining a place in the last 16 of the World Cup in Brazil
Luis Suarez's double for Uruguay in Sao Paolo on Thursday night saw England lose their opening two group games for the first time in World Cup history.
The 2-1 loss leaves Roy Hodgson's side bottom of Group D without a point, with Costa Rica, Italy and the South American all sitting on three points.
If Italy and Costa Rica draw on Friday, England will be bowing out of the World Cup before the end of the group games for the first time since 1982. All hopes lie on the Azzurri's gaining maximum points in Recife and against Uruguay on Tuesday.
With both final group games being played at the same time, England will head into the clash in Belo Horizonte not knowing exactly what their end game is but certain they must beat Costa Rica by a margin big enough to better both Uruguay and Jorge Luis Pinto's side goal difference.
The Three Lions will bow out of the tournament as early as tomorrow if Cesare Prandelli's side draw with the Americans, making both team's four point totals insurpassable.
A defeat for the Italians would have the exact same outcome for England, with either one of the Azzurri or Uruguay guaranteed to pick up points in their final group game.
England have not lost their final Group game in a World Cup since 1950 and defeat to Costa Rica would so England come away from the tournament without a point for the first time in their history, something they will be desparate to avoid.
Hodgson insists he will not resign as England manager
Jun 19, 2014 11:20:00 PM
The Three Lions are on the verge of heading out of the World Cup after Luis Suarez struck twice to hand Uruguay their first victory in Group D on Thursday
Roy Hodgson insists he will not resign as England manager following the 2-1 defeat to Uruguay which has left his side on the verge of exiting the World Cup.
Luis Suarez opened the scoring in the first half but England were on course for a draw after Wayne Rooney equalised from close range late in the game.
But with six minutes remaining, Suarez pounced on Steven Gerrard’s mistake in midfield and netted his second to leave England bottom in Group D without a point after two games, following a 2-1 defeat to Italy in the opener.
“No. I don't have any intention to resign. I've been really happy with the way the players have responded to the work we've tried to,” said Hodgson.
“I'm bitterly disappointed, of course, but I don't feel I need to resign, no. On the other hand, and if the FA think I'm not the right man to do the job, that will be their decision, and not mine.”
England now need to beat Costa Rica in their final group game to stand any chance of reaching the knockout phase, and will only then climb out of Group D if Italy win their remaining two games.
"Our chances are unbelievably slim," admitted the 66-year-old.
"But to be sure of continuing we needed a result today – a draw or a victory – and we didn't get it.
"I thought we controlled Suarez well in general play. He did very, very well to get away to the back post for the first goal, but I thought for long periods of the game we kept him very quiet.
"The second goal, as you probably saw, was an unfortunate flick off Steven Gerrard’s head leaving him through with the goalkeeper and he’s always going to score from that area.
"Ideally, your only plan would be to not allow the flick to put him through with the goalkeeper.
"Two chances came his way and being the top player he is he took both chances and that’s probably ended our chances of staying in the competition.
"I think in both the games we’ve shown some elements of playing some good football but results decide everything and the results have gone against us.
"We're more than disappointed, we're devastated.
"We believed we could do enough to get a result in this game and having worked so hard to counter that first goal in the first half, to get back to 1-1, we fully believed we'd go on to win or at least draw."
Alberto Zaccheroni's men played with a numerical advantage for most of the game following Kostas Katsouranis' dismissal but could failed to break the deadlock
Greece held on for a goalless draw against Japan in Natal on Thursday, ensuring Colombia will play in the round of 16 in Brazil.
Despite playing the entire second half with a numerical disadvantage after skipper Kostas Katsouranis was expelled seven minutes before half-time, Greece denied the misfiring Japanese at the Arena das Dunas as both teams picked up their first points of the World Cup.
Katsouranis went into the book for the first time in the 27th minute when he slid into the back of Yuya Osako and his trip to halt Japan captain Makoto Hasebe's break 11 minutes later was the end of his match.
The draw saw Colombia, who had defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 earlier on Thursday, secure a berth in the knockout stages at their first World Cup since 1998, as they lead Group C with six points with one game to play.
The most intriguing selection for Greece was that coach Fernando Santos stuck with Giannis Maniatis despite the Olympiacos defensive midfielder having threatened to leave Brazil on Wednesday after a training ground argument.
Maniatis retained his spot in defensive midfield, while Kostas Mitroglou and Ioannis Fetfatzidis replaced Theofanis Gekas and Dimitris Salpigidis respectively.
Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni made the brave decision of dropping Shinji Kagawa for Yoshito Okubo, while Yasuyuki Konno took Masato Morishige's spot in central defence.
Kagawa had been largely invisible against Ivory Coast but the sight of him on the bench at the Arena das Dunas was still a shock, with the playmaker having started all but one of his country's last 12 matches.
Both teams had pledged to attack in Natal after losing their opening games of the World Cup but 10 minutes passed before the first genuine chance was created; Panagiotis Kone driving through midfield before shooting powerfully straight at Eiji Kawashima.
Japan had over 75 per cent possession in the first half but generally struggled to test Orestis Karnezis with Okubo shooting tamely at Greece's goalkeeper and curling another effort wide either side of the 20-minute mark, before the game changed in the 38th minute, when Katsouranis was sent off.
With his team down to 10, Santos made two changes before half-time, sacrificing Fetfatzidis and Mitroglou for Giorgos Karagounis and Gekas respectively.
At the break, Zaccheroni brought on Yasuhito Endo for Hasebe in a bid to insert some creativity into Japan's line-up, before Kagawa was recalled in the 57th minute at the expense of Osako.
But despite the two substitutions, Japan still struggled to break down Greece's stubborn defence.
The Asian nation bombarded Greece's goal, with Okubo wasting the best chance when he blazed wide in the 68th minute, but the Europeans desperately held on to frustrate Zaccheroni's side and leave both teams needing a win in their final game to advance from Group C.
'We knew we had to win' - Honda dismayed as Japan draw
Jun 20, 2014 1:44:00 AM
Alberto Zaccheroni's men are now in a perilous position after failing to break down Greece despite the first-half dismissal of Konstantinos Katsouranis
Keisuke Honda has conceded that Japan's World Cup hopes could be over after a frustrating 0-0 draw with 10-man Greece on Thursday.
Having lost their opening game in Group C to Cote d'Ivoire, Alberto Zaccheroni's men knew that victory in Natal was imperative to give themselves a real chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.
However, even though Greece had captain Konstantinos Katsouranis sent off during the first half, Japan were unable to break their opponents down and had to settle for a draw that leaves them third in the pool ahead of their meeting with Colombia, who are now through to the last 16.
"We knew that we needed to win two games," Honda told NTV after picking up the man of the match award. "So, it's disappointing that we couldn't get the ball into the goal.
"The result is everything, so regardless of the attacking performance it is disappointing we couldn't get three points.
"Greece played knowing that with a draw and a win in the next game they can go through, and we got caught up in that. We have to fight until the end and not give up."
Yoshito Okubo was just as devastated by Japan's failure to turn their dominance into goals.
"It's a disappointing result and I apologise to the fans," he sighed.
"We had a lot of chances and we could have won if we'd scored one of those. We had a lot of possession in Greece's half, so we just have to work harder at putting the ball in the back of the net."
Atsuto Uchida confessed that Japan only had themselves to blame but insisted that they will rouse themselves for their final group fixture against the Colombians.
"Football is about scoring goals," he acknowledged. "But, representing Japan, we can't give up on the pitch, so we have to keep fighting."
Los Ticos boss was unhappy with comments from the Portuguese suggesting that his side could not repeat their success against Uruguay when they face Italy
Jorge Luis Pinto has dismissed Jose Mourinho's suggestions that Costa Rica will not be able to replicate their win over Uruguay against Italy.
The Central American nation produced a huge shock in their Group D opener by overcoming Uruguay 3-1, with goals from Joel Campbell, Oscar Duarte and Marco Urena replying to Edinson Cavani's first-half penalty.
In response to the result, Mourinho had said that after springing "the big surprise" against la Celeste it would be "difficult for Costa Rica to make another one," continuing that the threat of Campbell and their tactical system were both "no longer new."
However, Pinto said he was surprised to hear the Chelsea boss' comments and insists his side can pick up another win when they meet the Azzurri.
"I am really surprised that Jose Mourinho said something like that," the 61-year-old told a press conference.
"He plays Sundays and Wednesdays and he is not able to repeat what he did the match before? Of course he is. We know that Italy is a very difficult opponent but we are confident that we will be able to repeat our performance.
"At the beginning, some people said that we were the worst and that we wouldn’t even get one point. But we think about what we are able to do. Other people said that Spain would play the final against Brazil. That will not happen now.
"We hope to play even better than we did against Uruguay," he continued.
"Yes, we are in the 'group of death' and that's because the four of us are really good. We are thinking about ourselves and what we can do, how we can improve our tactics, our play with the ball, our transitions and our mistakes from the Uruguay game. That is all."
The coach was then singled out Andrea Pirlo as the key man his side need to keep an eye on.
"I have studied Pirlo since 2006, when he was the best player at the World Cup.
"We will have to block him because he is the Italy player that thinks the most."
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder picked up a groin problem in the 3-0 win over Honduras but has been given the green light to start at Arena Fonte Nova
France boss Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Yohan Cabaye is available for Friday's World Cup Group E showdown with Switzerland in Salvador.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was forced off with a groin problem during the second half of his Les Bleus' tournament-opening win over Honduras and there were fears that he would be unavailable for the remainder of the group stage.
However has been given the all-clear to feature at Arena Fonte Nova.
"Yohan is totally fit," Deschamps confirmed in his pre-game press conference. "He's recovered, he trained today [Thursday] so there is no problem with him."
Deschamps also insisted that Olivier Giroud was fine. The Arsenal ace admitted that he was disappointed not to have started against Honduras but his coach dismissed the suggestion that the striker was feeling down.
"He's part of a group that won their first game in the World Cup and, just like everyone else in the group, he's currently getting ready to try to win the second game," the former Juventus boss explained. "That's all. No difference.
"We have a match every five days. We've worked a lot during our preparations and I want them all to be ready for tomorrow [Friday].
"Only 11 can be on the pitch but I want all 23 to be available; to be ready. And they are."
Deschamps, though, is well aware of threat posed to France's hopes of topping the group by a Swiss side ranked sixth in the world.
"They have players that can counter attack well," the World Cup winner mused. "As a team, they perform best when they're compact. They don't leave much space. Their opponents end up leaving the space.
"The Swiss team has a lot of strong points. They qualified easily and they've only one defeat in their last 10. They also beat Brazil.
"Look at their players: most of them belong to great European clubs. They're the top seed in our group.
The Germany goalkeeper insists that treatment he is receiving for a shoulder complaint is precautionary and called on his side to keep their momentum after hammering Portugal 4-0
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer says the treatment he is having for a shoulder injury is no reason for concern.
Neuer kept a clean sheet as Joachim Low's side began their World Cup campaign with a stunning 4-0 win over Portugal last week.
The 28-year-old had been an injury doubt ahead of the game, yet came through unscathed and is now looking ahead to Saturday's clash with Ghana.
"For me it [the injury] was not a big issue," he told the DFB's official website. "I knew always that I would come back in time.
"It's quite normal that I am still being treated. I can do all the things I need for my game without problems. The treatment is more or less cosmetic; it's no big deal."
Germany's comprehensive win has reinforced their position as one of the tournament's favourites, but Neuer is keen to guard against complacency.
"We all know that we cannot let up. Against Portugal, not everything was perfect; we know that," he added.
"I've always said that we start with the first final and will hopefully play a total of seven finals.
"Against Ghana, we face a second final. Compared to the game against Portugal, we have to try to be a bit tighter."
Despite their 4-0 thrashing of Portugal in their World Cup opener, the 22-year-old has warned his team-mates that they have to take their chances if they are to succeed in Brazil
Germany forward Mario Gotze says his side must be more clinical in games, despite a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Portugal in their first match in World Cup Group G.
The 22-year-old's Bayern Munich team-mate Thomas Muller grabbed a hat-trick as Joachim Low’s side got off to the perfect start in Brazil after Portugal defender Pepe was dismissed shortly before the break.
But Gotze says Germany may not be able to afford to miss the sort of chances they wasted during the demolition of Cristiano Ronaldo’s side in Salvador.
“We could in some situations have got more goals against Portugal,” he told Kicker.
“The result was pretty good, but in the first half we got a penalty and the red card played into our hands.”
Die Mannschaft continue their World Cup campaign against Ghana in Fortaleza on Saturday, with a win in that fixture all but securing their place in the round of 16, and Gotze says he is desperate to get off the mark.
"I had one good chance to score a goal [against Portugal]. I want to do that against Ghana now.
"It will not be easy, because the Ghanaians are under pressure and need to win... It is already a playoff for them and we want the three points.”
Defeat for Ghana would see the Black Stars knocked out of the tournament.
It's no advantage that I coached Ecuador, insists Honduras boss
By Andrew Wychrij
Jun 20, 2014 1:48:00 AM
Los Catrachos coach believes that the focus should be on the game, not the men in charge, despite the fact he and his Ecuadorian counterpart have managed each other's teams
Luis Fernando Suarez does not think Honduras against Ecuador will be a battle between him and opposite number Reinaldo Rueda, who have both managed the two sides.
Suarez was in charge of Ecuador between 2004 and 2007, with his friend Rueda having been his predecessor as Honduras boss, where he worked from 2006 to 2010.
However, despite the quirk of fate that both men in charge have an in-depth knowledge of their opposing team, Suarez played down the significance of this detail on the Group E encounter.
"There's something about South America and Central America that give you options when you coach national teams," the 54-year-old told a press conference.
"I'm very grateful for everything Ecuador gave me, but I also have to recognize what Honduras has given to me. Honduras gave me the chance to grow up as a coach, to be at the World Cup. Tomorrow we'll play the game - the match is not between two coaches, it's between two football teams.
"Reinaldo and I don't have advantages. My knowledge comes from the last months where I've had to learn about Ecuador and I think I know the best way to face them. I'm sure Reinaldo also will have to discover how to beat Honduras. The individual weaknesses are important but are not everything."
Suarez also spoke of the Jorge Claros, who will replace Wilson Palacios in the Honduran side after the latter picked up a red card in their 3-0 defeat against France.
"I'm happy with Jorge," he continued.
"He has been a key player - I'm confident about his performance for [Friday].
"One thing I am certain of is that all the players we've called up have the capacity of being up to what is required to defeat Ecuador.
"It will be an interesting match to watch and enjoy."
'Netherlands are favourites for the World Cup,' claims Kalou
Jun 20, 2014 12:12:00 AM
The Cote d'Ivoire forward believes Louis van Gaal's side must now be considered the team most likely to lift the trophy after an impressive start to their campaign
EXCLUSIVE
By Stefan Coerts in Brasilia
Cote d'Ivoire striker Salomon Kalou has declared Netherlands to be favourites for the World Cup, revealing his admiration for their performances.
The Oranje have won both of their Group B games so far, overcoming Australia 3-2 on Wednesday after beginning with a surprise 5-1 thrashing of Spain, and have progressed to the last-16.
Speaking exclusively to Goal after his side's 2-1 loss to Colombia, Kalou said that Netherlands' impressive form has made them the team to beat in the competition.
"Netherlands are the favourites to win the World Cup," the 28-year-old said.
"They are always among the favourites because they have some great players and a good team. [Arjen] Robben is doing fantastic, [Robin] van Persie is doing fantastic. So they are the favourites."
The Elephants fell to defeat against los Cafeteros on Thursday, only managing a goal from Gervinho in response to strikes from James Rodriguez and Juan Fernando Quintero, but Kalou remained upbeat about his side's chances.
"Things went wrong and got difficult for us when we conceded [the first] goal," he continued.
"That allowed them to play on the counter-attack and wait for us. They could just wait for the right moment and they made it happen. You know it’s going to be a difficult game when they can sit back.
"This loss is not a blow to us. We still have one game to go. We have to be positive and focus on that game. We want to make the qualification happen.
"I am confident that we will win against Greece and qualify. We have to make sure we are well prepared."
The striker's thoughts were echoed by his team-mate Kolo Toure, who played down the impact of losing to the Colombians.
"We are disappointed that we lost, but it's just one game," 33-year-old insisted.
"This is not a major blow. We are now focusing on our next match. It will be a crucial game and we must win it.
"We are very confident that we will qualify. We played very well today and didn't deserve to lose against Colombia. But that's part of the game. We must now focus on the game and want to do well again. It’s going to be very important for Cote d'Ivoire."
Toure also had words of support for Serey Die, who broke down in tears during the national anthem.
"Serey was just emotional because he loves his country and is proud to be play for the team," the defender concluded.
The Super Eagles have spoken of wanting to help those back home after Tuesday night’s suicide attacks left more than 20 people dead and many more injured.
COMMENT
By Lolade Adewuyi in Cuiaba
It was quiet in the Nigeria camp on Tuesday after news filtered in that there had been a suicide attack on football fans watching the game between Brazil and Mexico back home.
Players and coaches turned in early after their evening training with one thing in mind, how to console a nation in sorrow.
A unifying force for Nigeria’s more than 250 unique ethnicities, football has been the rallying point for most of its people.
Whenever the Super Eagles play, the whole country stands still and prays in one breath for their victory.
Winning the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa last year, after more than 19 years, took the levels of happiness of a football-loving country to another place.
And the Eagles knew that coming to Brazil this year carried a lot of expectations with it, not least the hopes of more than 160 million people.
There is now increased pressure on the players after Tuesday’s bomb blast in Damaturu that left more than 20 injured and several hospitalised.
The team has spoken of seeking a victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina in their next game for their departed countrymen.
While the fever of football has caught on across the globe, people in North-Eastern Nigeria live under constant fear that they could be attacked simply for exercising their rights to freedom of association and gathering at football viewing centres to watch live matches on television. This is no exaggeration, watching football should be a guaranteed human right enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Their communal method of keeping up with the game has come under attack by enemies of freedom.
During the final of the Uefa Champions League last month, a suicide bomber attacked a viewing centre in the city of Jos, killing more than three people.
While the nation’s favourite pastime has come under attack by Boko Haram and other insurgency groups, Nigerians have remained resolute to stay tuned to the beautiful game.
The Super Eagles have stood by them with a promise to play to lift the broken spirits of the nation after Monday’s drab draw in Curitiba.
Many of them have families based in the north of the country and are hoping that they remain safe during this tempest.
The trio of John Obi Mikel, Ahmed Musa and Ogenyi Onazi have families in Jos, the central city that was recently attacked.
Midfielder Onazi has revealed how he escaped being caught in an attack in Jos having left the central market barely 15 minutes before a massive explosion went off killing almost a hundred people.
“Football is the biggest unifying factor in Nigeria. It is shocking that some people should engage in such callous acts by killing fellow human beings at a time that the world is in celebration mood of the biggest sport in the world,” said the team’s media officer Ben Alaiya on Wednesday.
“Our heart goes out to them, we feel very pained and we want to win for them. Even if we win the trophy it would not bring back the lives that we’ve lost.
“The players want to win, they want to do well for those lives that were lost and for the Nigerian people who have seen football as the force to bring them together all the time,” he said.
While the Super Eagles will hope to be propelled by the carnage at home, they will face a Bosnian side that know the realities of war only too well, and have been united by their difficult past through playing football.
Many of the players of the Dragons grew up in a country that was destroyed by civil war between 1992 and 1995, leaving many of their family members dead, missing or displaced.
They have spoken about drawing strength from that sad chapter in their history in order to make their people happy.
As Nigeria made their World Cup debut 20 years ago, Bosnia was embroiled in sectarian violence which many of today’s players witnessed.
Both nations have used football as a means to unite, with the three ethnic nationalities of Bosnia finding common ground through the sport.
In Saturday’s match in sweltering Cuiaba, two teams with something to prove will face each other. While the Super Eagles' application was questioned against Iran, events in Nigeria will ensure they head into the clash with Bosnia supremely motivated.
Chile chief slams 'shameful' fans for Maracana misconduct
Jun 20, 2014 12:22:00 AM
Dozens of supporters stormed the stadium after breaking down a wall on Wednesday in an attempt to see their side in action against Spain and were detained by Brazilian authorities
By Ben Hayward in Belo Horizonte
The president of Chile's Football Federation (ANFP), Sergio Jadue, has condemned the side's supporters for their 'shameful' misconduct ahead of the 2-0 win over Spain at the Maracana on Wednesday.
A large group of fans forced their way into the stadium via the press room in an attempt to see their side in action against Vicente del Bosque's men in Rio, but were eventually held back by stewards and 87 detained by state authorities.
Those fans were given 72 hours to leave Brazil in accordance with the local law, but Jadue revealed there will also be a Fifa investigation into the events on Wednesday.
"I was informed about what happened and it's shameful," he told reporters in Belo Horizonte on Thursday.
"I spoke to the Chilean ambassador in Brazil. We've already had an investigation opened by Fifa for the throwing of flares in the game against Australia. That document has been replied to by our lawyers. Now there will be another one."
And he added: "What went on yesterday should never happen again."
On a more positive note, however, the Chile chief was delighted with his side's success against Spain and believes the South Americans are no longer in awe of the world's top teams.
"Chile are no longer afraid of the biggest teams and we are in the process of becoming one of them," he said. "Our common objective now is to go on making history - for our football and for our fans."
After eliminating Spain on Wednesday, Chile will meet Netherlands in their final group game on Monday to decide which of the two teams tops Group B.
"For us it's important to win the group," Jadue said. "Not just for us, but also for our players, who are protagonists in the world's top leagues."
