Australia coach Holger Osieck has selected a strong squad for their friendly against Romania, electing to leave A-League players at home.
Osieck has handed recalls to several players for the match in Malaga, Spain, on February 6, most notably to Middlesbrough captain Rhys Williams, full-backs Michael Zullo and Jason Davidson, as well as Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici.
The friendly against Romania ranked three spots above Australia in 33rd place is in preparation for the 2014 AFC World Cup qualifier against Oman in Sydney on March 26, with Osieck keen to get a largely European-based squad together.
I had a good look at the Australian-based and Asian-based players (in November s friendly against South) Korea and Hong Kong (at the EAFF East Asian Cup qualifiers …
Benjamin Pavard helped himself to a first-half double and Joao Cancelo scored his first Bayern Munich goal as the Bundesliga leaders beat Augsburg 5-3 in a thriller.
Mergim Berisha s early goal stirred Bayern into life at the Allianz Arena, where they were out of sight at half-time.
Cancelo equalised before Pavard struck twice in his 150th competitive game for the club and Leroy Sane made it 4-1 at the interval.
Berisha pulled one back with a penalty, but Alphonso Davies restored Bayern s three-goal advantage.
Irvin Cardona then struck in stoppage time for Augsburg, but Bayern had already done enough to move three points clear of Borussia Dortmund ahead of their rivals Revierderby against Schalke later on Saturday.
Defenders win you games
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Carney Chukwuemeka was hailed as one of Europe s hottest young guns after Chelsea raided Aston Villa to sign up the talented teenager.
The 18-year-old has moved for a reported £20million fee, signing a six-year contract after switching his Premier League allegiance.
Already an England Under-19 international, Chukwuemeka will face a battle to earn first-team favour at Chelsea, given the resources available to head coach Thomas Tuchel.
However, he is already relishing that challenge, saying Chelsea s interest had become an all-encompassing obsession this week.
It s been quite hectic but I couldn t get Chelsea out of my head the last few days, so I m just happy and relieved that it s all done, Chukwuemeka said.
I m so excited and just can t wait…
Paul Put found it tough to explain Burkina Faso s early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, two years after they were runners-up.
Paul Put bemoaned Burkina Faso s misfortune after they crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations following a 2-1 defeat to Congo on Sunday.
Burkina Faso were beaten finalists in the 2013 AFCON, but bow out after picking up only one point from three games to finish bottom of Group A two years later.
Thievy Bifouma put Congo in front and substitute Fabrice N Guessi Ondama grabbed a late winner soon after Aristide Bance had equalised.
Congo progress to the quarter-finals as group winners and hosts Equatorial Guinea also advance after beating Gabon 2-0.
A downbeat Burkina Faso coach Put was left to reflect on what m…
Javier Gracia has left Malaga after two seasons as coach amid interest from Russian club Rubin Kazan.
Malaga confirmed Gracia s departure on Tuesday after the 46-year-old guided the Spanish team to an eighth-place finish in La Liga.
Gracia, who replaced Bernd Schuster in 2014, is now reportedly set for the Russian Premier League via Rubin.
Rubin are on the hunt for a new coach after Rinat Bilyaletdinov s contract was terminated by mutual consent in September, with assistant Valery Chaliy appointed until the end of the season.
Javier Gracia Carlos and Malaga CF have developed a method of work over the last two seasons in La Liga, consolidating him as one of the most sought-after coaches of the moment, the club said in a statement, with Gracia to hold a…
Terry Venables was Thursday contemplating an offer to step into the hotseat at troubled Newcastle, who have been managerless since Kevin Keegan s abrupt departure earlier this month.
With the club up for sale by owner Mike Ashley, Venables is reported to have been offered the chance to come in as a caretaker manager.
Venables confirmed to The Sun newspaper, for whom he writes a column, that he had been in talks with the St James hierarchy and said he would make a decision on Thursday about whether to get involved.
I can confirm I met Newcastle representatives, Venables said. Those talks will continue in the morning when, hopefully, I can give them a final decision.
Former England, Tottenham and Barcelona boss Venables was one of the leading candidat…
Rio Ferdinand has warned England that only a victory is acceptable in Wednesday s World Cup qualifier against Belarus.
Fabio Capello s side extended their 100 percent start to the Group Six campaign with a 5-1 victory over Kazakhstan at Wembley on Saturday.
But Manchester United defender Ferdinand, England s stand-in captain in the absence of John Terry, believes that impressive record will count for nothing if they slip up in Minsk.
We need to get points on the board as quickly as possible. Hopefully by the end of this week we will have four wins, Ferdinand said.
Despite the one-sided scoreline, England laboured for long periods against Kazakhstan before finally killing off the minnows, who are ranked a lowly 131st in the world, when they tired in t…
Hull City snatched a 2-2 draw at Charlton Athletic on Friday thanks to an own goal from goalkeeper Dillon Phillips in the final seconds of the game.
Darren Pratley s header had given Lee Bowyer s side a half-time lead before Jarrod Bowen equalised from close range two minutes after the restart.
Charlton restored their advantage when Naby Sarr tapped in Jonathan Leko s cross, which looked to have been enough to secure all three points.
However, Phillips parried Keane Lewis-Potter s header onto the right post and the ball bounced in off the keeper s head in the sixth minute of injury time, with what proved to be the final act of the match.
Hull move above Millwall on goal difference into 13th in the Championship, six points clear of Charlton in 17th.
Raphael Wicky hailed a very special win for Basel after his side beat Manchester City in the Champions League.
Basel triumphed 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, but exited 5-2 on aggregate despite coming from behind to win on the night.
The Swiss champions have now beaten both Manchester clubs in the Champions League this season, Wicky s men having won 1-0 at home against Jose Mourinho s Manchester United in the group stage.
Basel are 14 points off the pace domestically but Wicky was thrilled after goals from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Michael Lang earned a memorable victory away to the runaway Premier League leaders.
It wasn t an easy situation and they produced a really good performance, Wicky said at a post-match news conference. I m really happy …
Atletico confirm talks for Diego
Atletico Madrid have moved to confirm reports linking them with a summer swoop for Wolfsburg midfielder Diego Ribas da Cunha.
Los Colchoneros are looking for a new playmaker after Arda Turan expressed his desire to leave the club at the end of the current campaign.
They have been repeatedly linked with a move for their former player Diego and the club have finally confessed they are in talks to sign the Brazilian.
“We are in talks but there is still no agreement,” Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo told French TV station Canal +.
Diego spent the 2011/2012 season on loan at Vicente Calderon and helped the team lift the Europa League trophy.
Atletico officials have since been trying to purchase the…