PARIS (Reuters) – France had gained a great deal of confidence and satisfaction from a recent run of good results but Wednesday's 2-1 friendly defeat to Germany in Paris suggest Les Bleus are still some way below the upper echelons of world soccer. When Didier Deschamps's team followed up a 1-1 away draw against Spain in a World Cup qualifier last October with an encouraging 2-1 friendly win over Italy in Parma a month later, many observers were claiming France were back among the elite. … TOPSHOTS-FBL-WC2014-SWE-ARG-FRIENDLY
TOPSHOTS Argentina's striker and team captain Lionel Messi (C) controls the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2014 friendly match Sweden vs Argentina at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on February 6, 2013. Argentina won 3-2. AFP PHOTO/JONATHAN NACKSTRANDJONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images Soccer-Defeat shows France lack class to trouble world's best
PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) – France had gained a great deal of confidence and satisfaction from a recent run of good results but Wednesday’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Germany in Paris suggest Les Bleus are still some way below the upper echelons of world soccer. When Didier Deschamps’s team followed up a 1-1 away draw against Spain in a World Cup qualifier last October with an encouraging 2-1 friendly win over Italy in Parma a month later, many observers were claiming France were back among the elite. …
Adebayor's dash back set to lift Spurs
LONDON (Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor is racing to get back in time from the African Nations Cup with fellow forward Jermain Defoe ruled out for as long as three weeks for the striker-light club. Fourth-placed Spurs host improving Newcastle United in Saturday’s early Premier League kickoff (12.45 p.m. British Time) with Adebayor set to be thrown straight into the team even though he has still not left Africa after Togo were knocked out on Sunday. “We are trying to establish the best flight connections for him,” coach Andre Villas-Boas told reporters on Thursday. …
Wilshere evokes memories of Gascoigne for excited England
LONDON (Reuters) – English football held its breath twice this week because of Paul Gascoigne, firstly when he was admitted to an alcohol treatment centre and secondly after Jack Wilshere showed England may finally have found his heir apparent. Gascoigne became a national hero with his perf ormances and tears as England reached the 1990 World Cup semi-finals but since drinking curtailed his career, England have been crying out for a ball carrier who can beat men and pick a perfect pass. … Soccer-Adebayor's dash back set to lift Spurs
LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor is racing to get back in time from the African Nations Cup with fellow forward Jermain Defoe ruled out for as long as three weeks for the striker-light club. Fourth-placed Spurs host improving Newcastle United in Saturday’s early Premier League kickoff (1245 GMT) with Adebayor set to be thrown straight into the team even though he has still not left Africa after Togo were knocked out on Sunday. “We are trying to establish the best flight connections for him,” coach Andre Villas-Boas told reporters on Thursday. …
Spain's Del Bosque successfully blooding new generation
MADRID (Reuters) – Vicente del Bosque had his eye fixed on battles to come in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup and this summer's Confederations Cup when he gave three players their debuts in Spain's 3-1 friendly victory over Uruguay. Chelsea right back Cesar Azpilicueta, 23, Malaga playma ker Isco, 20, and Atletico Madrid midfielder Mario Suarez, 25, all stepped up in Doha and showed the slow transition to a new generation of players was progressing smoothly. … Singapore police call for 'concrete evidence'
Under-pressure authorities call for greater collaboration in order to crack down on match-fixing cartels. 
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