International Football
WORLD CUP QUALIFIER: CAVANI SENT OFF IN URUGUAY’S 2-0 LOSS TO BRAZIL
First-half goals from Arthur and Richarlison helped Brazil to a 2-0 win over Uruguay, who had Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani sent off in their 2022 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday (Nov 17).
Five-time world champions Brazil were fortunate to be two goals up at half time in Montevideo after Uruguay had hit the woodwork twice at either end of the half.
The victory left Brazil on top of South America’s qualifying standings on 12 points with four wins from four games. Uruguay have six points from four matches.
The win also extended Brazil’s long reign of dominance over the Celeste, who have not beaten their fierce rivals since 2001.
Cavani’s sending off with 20 minutes to go capped a miserable night for his side, despite having the better of things for much of the first half.
Chilean referee Roberto Tobar showed him a yellow card after his lunge caught Richarlison on the ankle. But after a VAR check, that changed to red, leaving Cavani incredulous, and he left the pitch reluctantly.
Brazil almost drew first blood after two minutes of a lively opening, when Uruguay keeper Martin Campana parried a close range shot from Gabriel Jesus after the Manchester City striker bought a yard of space on the edge of the six-yard box.
Almost immediately, Uruguay’s 21-year-old Benifica star, Darwin Nunez, turned Brazil full-back Danilo inside the area and rattled Ederson’s bar after a neat pass from River Plate’s Nico De La Cruz.
Uruguay fashioned another gilt-edged chance when Nathan Nandez’s cross from the right was headed over by Cavani.
Brazil had most of the ball, but could find no way through a well-marshalled Uruguay midfield.
They finally broke through however with their first real chance in half an hour, and with a large slice of luck.
Feeding on a slick layoff from Gabriel Jesus, Arthur’s shot from outside the area took a wicked deflection off the back of Uruguay defender Jose Gimenez, wrong footing the luckless Campana, who could only watch it bounce into the net.
Two minutes later, a slick through ball from the Juventus forward put Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino in on goal but his left foot shot lacked the power to beat Campana.
-AFP
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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