France trains after loss of Ribery
Hard to believe it came this fast, but we are just one, and well, a half sleeps away from the start of the World football showpiece. France has a little more prep time as they begin on Tuesday against Honduras in Porto Alegre. Les Blues though, are going to have to deal with the loss of their biggest star in Brazil.
Charged with repairing France’s reputation on the biggest stage, head coach Didier Deschamps saw the injury bug bite his side last week as they lost midfielder Franck Ribery, after the Bayern Munich star failed to overcome a back problem. Deschamps will though, have a host of talented players to call upon, including Real Madrid duo Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane. Juventus talent Paul Pogba, who has already established himself as one of the finest midfielders in Europe, is expected to step up in the absence of Ribery. Group E is tight at the top, with Switzerland on June 20th likely to provide France with the stiffest competition. France’s final group game is against Ecuador on the 25th of June.
• Germany boasts formidable strike force
Germany now have just one week of final preparations before they open their World Cup campaign against Portugal. Joachim Loew’s injury-hit squad arrived in Brazil a day after thrashing Armenia 6-1.
Borussia Dortmund star striker Marco Reus is out of the squad with an ankle ligament tear sustained during the game against Armenia. Captain Philipp Lahm and his Bayern Munich team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger are lacking in fitness, but an attacking midfield that includes Andre Schuerrle, Thomas Muller, Lukas Podolski and Julian Draxler is still a formidable force.
Cameroon trains after wage dispute
Cameroon trained for the first time since arriving in Brazil with a session in front of around 1,500 locals on Tuesday in Vitoria. Volker Finke’s men were delayed arriving into the country due to an ongoing player wages dispute. The Cameroonians went through a light session as preparations for Friday’s match against Mexico got underway.
Milan striker is expected to lead Italian front line
Compared to other teams who are busy preparing for the World Cup, Italy looked quite relaxed at the start of their training session on Tuesday with the players congratulating Mario Balotelli on his recently-accepted wedding proposal.
Team-mates Antonio Candreva, Ciro Immobile and Ignazio Abate went over to offer a congratulatory hug. With Italy facing England at the World Cup on Saturday, Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne combined for all five goals when the ’Azzurri’ beat Brazilian club Fluminense in a warm-up match last week. Two years ago, Balotelli’s goals helped Italy reach the final of the European Championship. The controversial striker is expected to retrieve that form in Brazil.
USA prepare to take on Ghana
For the USA, Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has made the long trip south from the States to join the team for the first time in Brazil.
Klinsmann stayed behind to watch the USA’s first World Cup opponents Ghana, face South Korea in a warm-up match in Miami. The USA will play Ghana in their first Group G match on Monday. The ’Stars and Stripes’ haven’t previously had much luck against the ’Black Stars’, who knocked out the USA in the last two World Cup finals.