World Cup Musings
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Japan can reach quarters: Honda
TOKYO, June 9 (AFP): Japan's talisman Keisuke Honda has predicted the Asian champions will produce a "miracle" at the World Cup and reach the quarter-finals, local media reported on Monday.
Sporting a spiky mohawk haircut, the bleached-blond Honda touched down in Brazil with the Japan squad at the weekend and declared the 'Blue Samurai' were ready to take on the world.
"Firstly, we can 100 percent get through our group," Honda told Japan's Nikkan Sports daily, ahead of Japan's opening game against Ivory Coast on June 14.
"After that anything can happen at a World Cup. We're good enough now to reach the quarter-finals," added the AC Milan midfielder.
"Obviously we all need to stay fit but if we do the basics right 100 percent, no mistakes, we can get to the quarter-finals. From there we can make miracles happen."
Japan, who also face Greece and Colombia in Group C, underwent intense warm-weather training in southern Japan and Florida before flying to Brazil.
Japan, however, have looked far from World Cup quarter-final material in warm-up wins over Cyprus, Costa Rica and Zambia.
Benzema double helps France forget Ribery blues
LILLE, France, June 9 (AFP): Karim Benzema hit two spectacular goals as France romped to an 8-0 victory over Jamaica in a bid to ease the blow of losing star striker Franck Ribery for the World Cup.
Blaise Matuidi and Antoine Griezmann also scored twice in France's final World Cup warm-up game before 49,000 fans in Lille.
While Jamaica barely put up any serious opposition, the result was a welcome boost for Didier Deschamps' team two days after being rocked by Ribery's withdrawal with a back injury.
"Ribery is a loss, but we have to stop talking about it and get on without him," said Paris St Germain's Matuidi, who scored his first brace for France.
Coach Deschamps insisted that France remained united even without star Bayern Munich striker Ribery, who said that leaving the squad was like "a death in my soul."
"We have lost a world class player," said Deschamps. "The French team is stronger with him when he is at 100%, but there are other players. They form a collective."
"A victory was what we needed before leaving. It gives us confidence," added Real Madrid's Benzema. "Everyone is happy. We showed a lot of good things."