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Mbappe saves France’s blushes against US in World Cup warm-up LYON:Kylian Mbappe showed his class again as he salvaged a 1-1 home draw for France in their final World Cup warm-up game, against the United States on Saturday. Mbappe, who was a permanent threat, found the back of the net in the late stages to cancel out Julian Green’s first-half opener, with Didier Deschamps’s team lacking energy after a demanding physical preparation. France start their World Cup campaign against Australia in Group C in one week before taking on Peru and Denmark. They enjoyed most of the possession against the US in Lyon but lacked speed, with the exception of Mbappe. “It’s always best to win but it’s a warm-up game and we lacked a bit of juice. We had a lot of opportunities against a team who left us little space”, said Deschamps. “We regained the upper hand near the end.” Mbappe said: “I’ve been improving steadily in the last three matches and tonight I did w

Argentina future depends on World Cup, says Messi BRONNITSY:Argentina captain Lionel Messi said his international future will be determined by his country’s performance at the World Cup in Russia. “It will depend on how far we go, how we’re going to finish” at the finals, Messi said in an interview with Spanish daily Sport. “We’ve just lost three finals in a row, which has led to us going through some difficult moments with the press. Notably with the Argentine press because we have differences of opinion over what it means to make these three finals.” Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final 1-0 to Germany after extra time, before suffering successive defeats by Chile on penalties at the Copa America in 2015 and 2016. Messi, who will turn 31 during the World Cup, believes Spain, Brazil, Germany, France and Belgium are the leading contenders for the title. “There are lots of teams who arrive with lots of confidence, with both a team game and

ET's Football Dugout Countdown to the World Cup: Groups A and B In Episode 1 of The Express Tribune’s Football Dugout, four football fans analyse the teams in FIFA World Cup 2018's Group A, the players to look out for and whether there's a chance for any major upsets. Arguably one of the easiest groups at the World Cup, two-time winners Uruguay are joined by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and hosts Russia. While Uruguay are almost certain to top the groups, all of the other three teams will be quietly optimistic about their chances of making it to the next round. Perhaps no group in World Cup 2018 is as clear cut as Group B, where European champions Portugal and 2010 World Cup winners Spain take on minnows Iran and Morocco. The gulf in class is aptly reflected in the FIFA rankings, with Portugal (4) and Spain (8) far ahead of Iran (36) and Morocco (42). Such is the might of the two European giants that the winner of the Spain-Por

Russian football suffers under state control MOSCOW:When soccer World Cup hosts Russia open the tournament on June 14 they will be fielding the team ranked lowest at the finals, three places behind their first opponents Saudi Arabia. There is no single explanation for what ails Russian soccer, but one of the origins of the woes of the national team may rest in a trait of Russia’s economy: heavy state involvement. With a couple of notable exceptions, private investors have snubbed Russian soccer so most top-tier clubs are bankrolled by regional authorities and state-owned companies, leaving teams vulnerable to budget cuts and shifting political priorities. The uncertainty has seen many state backers shun investment in grassroots player development, instead bringing in expensive foreign stars in a race for results when times are good, and cutting back when budgets are tight. “Everyone wants to be a sprinter. No one wants to invest in the long te

Nadal victory assures old guard still in control PARIS:When Rafael Nadal broke down in tears on the Roland Garros podium on Sunday as 15,000 people, plus a smattering of Hollywood heavyweights, stood and honoured his staggering 11th French Open triumph, it was enough to make his desperate rivals weep. The 32-year-old Spaniard had wrapped up his 17th major, taken his career earnings beyond the $100 million mark and extended his record in Paris to 86 wins and just two defeats. It also intensified the headache facing tennis’ highly-rated but woefully under-performing next generation. How do you solve a problem like Nadal? Or Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray for that matter? Since Nadal won his first major at Roland Garros in 2005, the ‘Big Four’ have claimed 48 of the past 53 Grand Slam titles. In their careers, 36-year-old Federer has 20 majors, Nadal 17, Djokovic 12 and Murray three. Stan Wawrinka, it should not be forgotte

England chances boosted courtesy Premier League coaching power SAINT PETERSBURG: The globalisation of the Premier League is often blamed for hampering home-grown players but the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have played a key role in boosting England’s World Cup chances. Of Gareth Southgate’s 23-man squad in Russia, 15 finished in the top four under star managers Guardiola, Klopp, Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino. Manchester City smashed a host of Premier League records during their romp to the title, with Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Fabian Delph visibly improving under Guardiola’s leadership. “Absolutely,” Delph told AFP when asked if the Catalan was the key to his selection for the England squad. “For me he’s a genius.” Southgate believes Guardiola was even influencing the game before arriving in England thanks to his great Barcelona team that won two Champions Leagues in four glorious years between 2008 and 20

Waseem trains with Mayweather in bid to return to top form KARACHI  :Former World Boxing Council (WBC) silver flyweight champion Muhammad Waseem has described his new challenge by stating, “They call me crazy, I’m looking for a world title after just eight professional fights.” He has about 40 days left to prepare for the International Boxing Federation World title. Earlier this year, Waseem was stripped off his WBC title for a lack of title bout and sponsors while his new goal for the IBF title has brought him to Las Vegas again. He is set to fight South Africa’s Motuti Mthalane in Kuala Lampur next month for which he’s joined the Floyd Mayweather’s gym to make sure he is in top form. “It is like starting from the scratch now,” explains Waseem who was last seen at a bout in against a local boxer Jose Luis Calvo in August that he won on knock out. “Time flies and I know I have to get on track and my dream remains the same, that I have to win a worl

  Wenger hints at giving up coaching BENGALURU: Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is eager to coach again but remains wary of committing to a “crazy challenge” as he plans to resolve his future in the coming weeks. The 68-year-old left Arsenal after almost 22 years at the helm of the Premier League club at the end of last season and has since been linked to several vacant managerial roles. “Do I still have the desire to be a coach? Yes. Do I have the desire to throw myself into another crazy challenge? I don’t know. It’s a job that requires total commitment,” Wenger told French television programme Telefoot. “I must give myself a little distance, which is something I’ve never done. I’ll have to see how much I miss it.” Former Sevilla and Paris St Germain manager Unai Emery was named as Wenger’s successor at Arsenal last month.

Haris replaces injured Babar in Pakistan squad for Scotland T20Is LAHORE:Pakistan, the world’s top-ranked Twenty20 side, announced a 15-member squad Monday for their two matches against Scotland later this month. There was only one change in the squad from the T20 series against the West Indies in April, with Haris Sohail replacing Babar Azam, who fractured his wrist during the first Test against England last week. Pakistan drew the two-Test series 1-1 after winning the first match at Lord’s and losing the second in Leeds on Sunday. Their two T20s against Scotland will be played on June 12 and 13. Pakistan squad against Scotland Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shehzad, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Hussain Tallat, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Hassan Ali, Rahat Ali, Usman Shinwari, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Buttler’s bat handle reminders may land him in trouble LEEDS:England’s Jos Buttler is running the risk of action by world cricket’s governing body as a result of the crude words he writes on the top of every one of his bat handles. Buttler produced a man-of-the-match innings of 80 not out as England beat Pakistan by an innings and 55 runs inside three days at Headingley on Sunday to win the second Test and so end the two-match series all-square at 1-1. But during a break in play, television cameras highlighted the words “F**k it” written on the top of his bat handle. For Buttler, it is a way of reminding himself not to get too wrapped up in the pressure of top-level sport. But the International Cricket Council may take a different view. The ICC’s clothing and equipment rules and regulations state: “Players and team officials shall not be permitted to wear, display or otherwise convey messages through arm bands or other items affixed to clothing o

Tunisia's goalie 'fakes injury' to break Ramazan fast Tunisia’s football team has apparently found an ingenious way to fight fatigue as they fast during the month of Ramazan. During friendly game against Portugal and then Turkey, their goalkeeper Mouez Hassen seemed to simulate an injury at during iftari time. As he lay on the pitch receiving medical aid, his teammates rushed to the sidelines to drink water and consume dates and it led to instant results. Losing 2-1 to European champions Portugal, Tunisia rebounded six minutes after Hassen’s injury break by scoring an equaliser with the match ending 2-2. Days later against Turkey, Hassen stopped play by lying on his back. Once again, his teammates ate dates and drank water provided to them by waiting coaching staff with the game ending in a stalemate. Football experts in Tunisia were quick to note the timing of the goalkeeper’s injuries in the second half of both games

Players will help Kane handle captaincy: Cahill LONDON:  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 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. Willing to lead, Cahill said: “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. If people want to speak to me and likewise me with other people, the group is very tight in t

Neymar returns in style for Brazil BARCELONA: Brazil talisman Neymar returned in style with a dazzling goal in a 2-0 World Cup warm-up win over Croatia and Spain goalkeeper David de Gea made a rare error in his team’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Sunday. Paris St Germain forward Neymar allayed fears a long injury layoff since hurting his ankle and metatarsal in late February would harm his chances of making an impact in Russia with an impressive display from the bench in his first game back. The world’s most expensive player skipped past two defenders before blasting the ball in off the underside of the crossbar to put Brazil ahead against Croatia in the 69th minute. Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino sealed the win for Tite’s side with a dinked finish in stoppage-time at his club’s home Anfield as Brazil confirmed their credentials as one of the favourites to win the tournament. “He came back better than I expected. I expected much less, because it is

Euro 2016 failure to inspire England for World Cup, says Rashford  LONDON: England have extra motivation at this year’s World Cup as they look to eradicate the “nasty feeling” of a dismal exit from the 2016 European Championships in France, striker Marcus Rashford has said. England’s underwhelming campaign at their last major tournament saw them fall 2-1 to surprise package Iceland in the Round-of-16 and Manchester United forward Rashford says the team are eager to redeem themselves in Russia. “The feeling of losing is a nasty feeling,” Rashford told reporters ahead of the June 14-July 15 tournament. “When you speak about (it), people don’t understand. So definitely we’ll take all the things that happened at that tournament into the next one because that is one of the important things to spur us. Rashford added every individual in the team is working hard for the World Cup. “The main thing is to go into a tournament with confidence in ourselves. The easie

Germany's Neuer still favourite at Schalke GELSENKIRCHEN:The pitheads around Gelsenkirchen bear testimony to the heavy industry linking the region to local Bundesliga club Schalke 04, nicknamed ‘The Miners’, where Manuel Neuer started his impressive career. The west German city’s famous son was voted the world’s best goalkeeper for four years running from 2013-16 and was Germany’s “Mr Safe Hands” at the 2014 World Cup with a string of superb performances. As a result, Neuer finished third in the voting for the 2014 Ballon d’Or behind superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the title. Sidelined by a foot fracture since September, Neuer is set to play his first full match in Saturday’s friendly international against Austria in Klagenfurt. Germany fans hope their goalkeeper and captain will prove he is ready to face Mexico in Moscow on June 17 in their first World Cup match — none more so than one of his first coaches at Schalke.

Neymar: From football at the beach to the prestigious Brazil squad SANTOS: Twenty years ago, a coach named Betinho was watching a game of beach football when he spotted a skinny boy of six sprinting up and down the terracing, faster than he’d ever seen someone of that age. It was Neymar. The boy, who would one day turn into the world’s most expensive footballer, dashed around that afternoon in 1998 near Santos, south of Sao Paulo, under the eye of his mother. His father, a recently retired professional right-back, played in an amateur game on the sand. The experienced Betinho took it all in. “This is how I saw it; he father plays well, the mother is tall, so if the boy turns out thin like her, and with his father’s game, it will work,” Betinho, 60, told AFP in the small town of Sao Vicente, where he still lives, not far from the beach where he struck footballing gold. Betinho knew what he was talking about. Eight years earlier he’d discovered Ro

Shadab dismisses talks of promotion in batting order Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan says there is not talk of him being promoted in the batting order after the right-handed tail-ender scored a fifty to help the visitors add some decency to their first innings score. Pakistan, after opting to bat first, were all out for 174 on a day one Headingley pitch, with the 19-year-old scoring 56 runs off 52 balls courtesy 10 boundaries on a pitch where all established batsmen struggled. “There is no such talk in the dressing room about me batting higher up the order,” said Shadab while addressing a post-day press conference. “We have experienced and capable batsmen batting in those positions.” The fifty in Leeds was Shadab’s third consecutive one as he matched a record set by Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal, but the Mianwali-born all-rounder said his focus remains on becoming a top-class bowling all-rounder. “Although Steve Smith is my favourite crickete

Sergio Ramos releases World Cup anthem for Spain MADRID: Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos released Friday an anthem for Spain’s 2018 World Cup campaign which he co-wrote with Spanish flamenco fusion singer Demarco Flamenco. The 32-year-old Spain captain uploaded on his Instagram page a short video teaser of the song, which he is seen performing with Flamenco, a former gas canister distributor. “I always keep my promises. This is what my friend Demarco Flamenco and I have been working on. Warming up for the World Cup,” Ramos wrote alongside the video which has been seen nearly four million times. The mid-tempo ballad called “Otra estrella en tu corazon”, or “Another star in your heart” was made available on iTunes and other online platforms on Friday. The lyrics include: “Come on, Spain, raise your voice; scream loudly, shout that goal. Thinking big we will achieve the best, fighting together, towards the star with honour. We have to try. May La R

  Sharapova makes light work of Pliskova PARIS:Maria Sharapova crushed sixth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-1 in the French Open third round on Saturday. The five-time Grand Slam champion produced one of her best performances since returning from a doping ban, cruising to a totally one-sided win in her first match on Court Philippe Chatrier for three years. The Russian, winner in Paris in 2012 and 2014, is seeded at a major for the first time since testing positive for meldonium two years ago. A fired-up Sharapova powered 18 winners past her fellow former world number one Pliskova, with the Czech never threatening any resistance in a match which lasted just 59 minutes Former champion Garbine Muguruza reached the French Open last-16 on Saturday with a comfortable 6-0, 6-2 win over Australia’s Sam Stosur as Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova stood one win away from renewing their longtime rivalry. Spanish third seed Muguruza, the 2016 winner i