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Weekly News 8 9 11
Weekly Soccer News, September 8, 2011
Dutch celebrate number one status
New number one ranked national team Holland followed up their 11-0 demolition of San Marino by booking their place at Euro 2012 with a 2-0 win over 10-man Finland.
Goals from Kevin Strootman and an injury time second from substitute Luuk de Jong of FC Twente ensured that coach Bert van Marwijk’s ruthless side maintained a 100 percent record with eight qualifying wins out of eight.
However, Van Marwijk was unhappy with the manner in which the world’s best team struggled past the Finns.
"Our finishing was not good,” he moaned afterwards. "That must be better, because then you decide the match much earlier.
"This was a game where we have should have won by a difference of five or six but, if one of their chances goes in, it can easily be 1-1. This was not our best game."
Xavi chalks off another record
Barcelona’s Xavi became Spain’s most capped outfield player in Tuesday’s 6-0 win over Liechtenstein in Logrono.
The diminutive midfielder celebrated his milestone by scoring from a direct free-kick before half-time as the world champions comfortably secured their place at Euro 2012 with two games to spare.
The victory continued a record-breaking sequence of 20 qualifying wins across the European Championships and World Cup without defeat.
Last month, Xavi became the most decorated player in the record-breaking Barcelona side after the Catalans beat Porto in the UEFA Super Cup, racking up his 17th piece of silverware for the Nou Camp team.
Luck of the Irish, and brilliance of Given
Elsewhere, heroic displays from Aston Villa pair Shay Given and Richard Dunne played a huge part in the Republic of Ireland keeping not only their seventh successive clean sheet in Tuesday’s goalless draw in Moscow but also their qualification hopes for Euro 2012 very much alive.
The Irish have now gone 691 minutes without conceding after a battling defensive display kept out Dick Advocaat’s Russia, who registered a remarkable 26 efforts on goal.
The point means that Ireland can still make the finals in Poland and Ukraine next year with games against Andorra and Armenia to come, while Russia must travel to face Group B’s other contenders Slovakia.
Striker Robbie Keane said afterwards: "We certainly have a chance. This group is far from finished yet, I'll tell you that now."
Ceni marks millennium
Sao Paulo Goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni’s extraordinary career was commended on Wednesday when the veteran shot-stopper celebrated his 1000th professional match.
A 2-1 victory against Belo Horizonte outfit Atletico Mineiro in the second round of the Brazilian championship was merely a backdrop for wild celebrations for the 'keeper who’s been a mainstay of the side for two decades.
His longevity and loyalty are among fading attributes in modern football, especially in South America where talented youngsters are linked with moves to Europe within a season of making their domestic debuts.
The 38-year-old has won three straight league titles between 2006 and 2008 and two Copas Libertadores at Sao Paulo - not to mention scoring 103 goals into the bargain.
Compiled by Marc Fox
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