Suarez Gets A 4-Month Ban After Biting Controversy

Uruguay and Liverpool striker, Luiz Suarez has been handed a huge four month ban from all forms of football after biting Italy's defender, Giorgio Chiellini on Tuesday. 

The striker has been also given a nine-match international ban and also a fine of $65,800  following a controversial incident in the World Cup during the clash of Italy and Uruguay. 

This is third time that the Liverpool-Uruguay striker has been found guilty on biting an opponent, previously biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic and PSV's Otman Bakkal. This has turned out to be the reason that why fans have started calling Suarez as a ' Vampire Of Premier League '. 

FIFA have recently released a statement that the behavior shown by the striker is not acceptable on the pitch and can not be tolerated by the association. The leading goal scorer of the Premier League last season would miss the rest of the World Cup, with Uruguay set to take on fellow South American mates, Colombia in the Round Of 16. 

This news would turn out to be disastrous for Liverpool that their start striker would be missing the start of the 2014/15 season, just like the last season when he missed the starting ten games in the league. This ban is a subject to appeal, but would not come into much of a limelight till the tournament ends at Brazil. However, this news will no doubt come as a major blow for the player. 

After such a derogatory act on the pitch, and that too doing it for the third time, Suarez finds himself in the centre of the media and FIFA have been forced to spend their last 24 hours hearing and reviewing the evidences, especially with their Verdict lately today.

Many have also speculated that the ban might be extended to two years. Other have also debated that the ban could be worldwide for a long time or only in international matches, as the controversial incident happened in an international match.

Former England defender, Jamie Carragher said  “Suarez should not get a world wide ban as Liverpool do not deserve a punishment.  It has been one of the most shocking incidents in the history of World Cups, but unfortunately he has put himself into that bracket after biting Chiellini. Rather than being regarded as one of the finest forwards in the game, he is now simply known by people as the one who bites other players.”

Liverpool To Possibly Sacrifice Suarez For Alexis Sanchez

Premier League giants are looking to sign Alexis Sanchez from the Catalan club, Barcelona and this swap deal would involve their star striker Luis Suarez. 

Read the full news here- 

http://www.ftbpro.com/posts/chinmay.bansal/1029950/liverpool-looking-to-have-a-swap-deal-with-barcelona

Why England should consider a 4-3-3 formation

Roy Hodgson faced a tactical dilemma with the 4-2-3-1 against Italy

A spirited but bludgeoned English side did fail to bear the weight of the nation but there ostensibly are good days ahead. As a do or die clash against Uruguay beckons, Roy Hodgson has to get his tactics right after a tactical disaster against the Italians.

Of course, Roy did defy objections which suggested he's not bold enough to make changes but that costed him big time. His decision to shift Wayne Rooney to the left flank was debatable but controversial for the man involved . Wayne Rooney racked up quibbles against the way he played but it is not entirely his fault ,is it? After all, he was playing out of position!

His preferred role was taken up by teenager Raheem Sterling, who succeeded in delivering a stellar performance. But, the major problem which the whole side had to face off with was the problem of the exposure of the left side of defense. Rooney, failed to track back and full back Leighton Baines was subjected to regular one-on-ones with Antonio Candreva and Matteo Darmian. The exposure of the left flank lead to the two Italian goals as Baines failed to cope up and his resolve eventually collapsed.

Now, if Hodgson would still prefer Rooney to play wide, it would be a huge problem for the England side and would serve as a death knell.

But, a formation change to 4-3-3 (wide) can effectively help them cover this problem up.

Rooney would, of course feature on the left, Welbeck on the right and Sturridge in the middle as a False 9. Or Else, Rooney and Sturridge can interchange their roles considering the 28 year old's physical strength and his ability to act as a midfield general. Sterling can sit just behind Sturridge or for the better, replace Welbeck on the right.

Oxlade Chamberlain , who was utilized as a central midfielder and as a left midfielder by Arsene Wenger would be a joy to watch just behind the left forward. This would prevent the opening up of the left flank and extreme stability and speed on the wing. Jordan Henderson or Jack Wilshere can effectively perform the job of shielding the fragile right back Glen Johnson and can also provide efficient support to the right forward.

Steven Gerrard can do all sorts of things behind the False 9 including orchestrating the play and helping the side dominate possession. He can sit deep, much like what he's doing at Liverpool by providing some shelter to the struggling back four.

The protection offered to the full backs can prove crucial against Luis Suarez's impeccable speed and Edison Cavani's 'everything'. With Stevie G in front of the back four, the defense can stop spaces to be opened up by opposing attacking runs

This formation, apart from being the most followed is also a useful means for launching swift counter attacks and dominate possession equally well. The outgoing Spanish side committed men in the heart of the midfield to dominate possession and spring upon the opposition with equal flair and panache during counters. A key role will be taken by Steven Gerrard and much like what he's been doing for years at Anfield, he can possibly spray delightful long balls out towards the flanks and maintain solidarity around him as well.

Preview Of Group B Matches

Group B. One of the most competitive group in the 2014 World Cup. Let's have the previews of some upcoming Group B matches. 

                                 Netherlands vs. Australia 

Netherlands is the most confident team in the World Cup 2014 after demolishing defending champions, Spain in their opening match. Today, they somewhat have a much easier task to do in their match against underdogs, Australia. 

Obviously a win would help Holland to move further in the tournament and make it easier for them to reach the knock-out stage. But it is more of an entertainment show for the fans that after doing a 5-1 humiliation to Spain, how will the Hollish side perform against the Australians. 

Australia, on the other hand is the least ranked team in the summer tournament although they had put up a respectable show in their opener against Chile. If Van Gaal's Netherlands end up performing the way they did against Spain, the Aussies may feel that they shouldn't have come to Brazil.

Australia: Ryan; McGowan, Spiranovic, Wilkinson, Davidson; Jedinak, Milligan, Bresciano, Leckie; Oar, Cahill.

Netherlands: Cillessen; Janmaat, Blind, Vlaar, Martins Indi; De Jong, De Guzman, Sneijder; Robben, Lens, Van Persie. 

                                       Chile vs. Spain

Chile would be braced for a Spanish backlash after the reigning champions were humiliated by 
Netherlands in their opening game. 

Vincente Del Bosque's men came to Brazil as the pre-tournament favorites having triumphed 4 years back in South Africa, 2010. Their opener turned out to be disastrous after a 5-1 humiliation by Holland. Del Bosque would be surely bringing on some new faces in his Spanish squad.

The South-American dark horses opened their 2014 World Cup campaign with joy after thrashing Australia 3-1. The attack was very lively, specially Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez was fluent with his play. Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo kept his side alive in the match with some exquisite saves.

Spain (Possible, 4-3-2-1): Casillas; Juanfran, Ramos, Martinez, Alba; Alonso, Busquets, Cazorla; Xavi, Iniesta; Fabregas.

Chile (Possible, 4-1-3-2): Bravo; Isla, Medel, Jara, Mena; Diaz; Aranguiz, Valdivia, Vidal; Sanchez, Vargas.

What we learnt from Italy's win over England?

Italy picked up a crucial 2-1 victory over The Three Lions in a pulsating encounter

The expected result , as predicted by many was inclined in Italy's favor a wee bit as the Azzurri claimed a 2-1 victory over England. The Group of Death took an ever intriguing turn as minnows Costa Rica cruised to a 3-1 victory over Uruguay hours before the England- Italy game.

Italy survived an early sequence of knocking-on-the-door attacks in the early stages of game and grabbed a lead through Claudio Marchisio 10 minutes before half time. But Raheem Sterling's threaded through pass to Wayne Rooney was enough to unlock the Azzurri as the 28 year old swung in a pin point cross to Daniel Sturridge , who slammed the Brazuca into the empty net.

England were seemingly unable to deal with the sweltering conditions at Manaus but fought hard to get an all important break through. Meanwhile, Mario Balotelli headed in from close range to hand Prandelli's men the lead. Italy were happy to sit deep in their own half and soak up pressure and succeeded in doing so as England failed to grab an equalizer. Both teams, though looked evenly matched on paper, ground out a result as Italy claimed top spot in Group D.

Here's what we learnt from the Three Lions' opening day defeat against Italy-

Buf..Sirigu to the rescue

An ankle injury to veteran Azzurri stopper Gigi Buffon was enough to change the mood of Italian fans but the 2nd choice keeper Salvatore Sirigu did well in making a name for himself. The 27 year old PSG stopper made all important saves which were vital to Italy close win at Manaus and that being when England were in no mood to give up. The likes of Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling, Dan Sturridge and Leighton Baines fired shots continually but Sirigu's resolve not to concede any more paid off.

Way to go Raheem Sterling!

The Liverpool teenager took no time to take flight and venture into the unknown and smashed a long range effort just wide off the bar in the 3rd minute. After that it was no looking back for the little magician. He made consistent surges into the bolted Italian defense, although efforts went in vain but they were highly commendable. Not being acclimatized to the Brazilian weather proved costly and it was good to see the 19 year old give everything and leave the field with his jersey soaked in sweat.

The exposed English left flank

Roy Hodgson did put square pegs in round holes against a resolute Italian side and got everything wrong tactically. Wayne Rooney started on the left flank while Raheem Sterling started in the hole behind Daniel Sturridge. Rooney's tendency to act as a No.10 and Sterling overlapping that left the Left back Leighton Baines isolated during counter attacks. As a result, the Everton skipper was subjected to excessive pressure from opposing right players -Antonio Candreva and Matteo Darmian . He was left for dead in 2 on 1 situations and couldn't handle the extra leverage applied on him. Both of Italy's goals came from the left flank and evidently , Roy couldn't get his tactics right.

The Bearded governor general - Andrea Pirlo shines again

Two years on since the 2012 Euro's and the bearded midfield genius still the same. Just like a bottle of wine, he seems to better with age. And the best part is that he created a goal without even touching the ball! His dummy move which came right from the training ground did what the English fans dreaded in the first half. His inch perfect through balls to Mario Ballotelli did keep the English back four on their toes and the immaculate creativity was once again on show and his miraculous free kick in the very end ,didn't land into the back of the net but won many hearts.

Lessons learnt but good days to come!

Sure, the disappointment was palpable after a muggy day on the pitch but this English side is the most exciting and upcoming as I have ever seen. They are a perfect medley of everything - youth and experience. And quite interestingly, the youngsters are coming of age and are increasingly influencing everything that happens on the pitch. They know how to hold up the ball(Jordan Henderson) , they know how to have a run at defenses and more importantly, they know to fight. Even after going down they kept up the good work and didn't let the concentration drop, not even a bit. That spirit, that commitment which was sorely lacking before the tournament began has sneaked in at the perfect time. In the years to come this young team is sure to light up the big stage or..maybe even more than that!

Spain 1-5 Netherlands, Player Ratings

The European and the World champions, Spain were torn into shreds by a ruthless Netherlands side. A penalty stroke from veteran midfielder, Xabi Alonso gave the Spanish side a slender lead, but screamers from Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Stefen De Vrij earned the Oranje a famous World Cup finals victory. 

Wesley Sneijder, the playmaker had a golden opportunity to put his side in a 1-0 in the eighth minute. But his shot went straight to Iker Casillas and was parried.

Spain were gifted a  penalty after the referee claimed that former-Brazilian player, Diego Costa was fouled by De Vrij inside the penalty box. Real Madrid midfielder, Xabi Alonso made no mistake with his stroke to give Spain a 1-0 lead.

Van Gaal's Netherlands was looking good on the pitch with Arjen Robben swiftly moving inside the box a number of times and was also combining well with No.10, Sneijder. On the other hand Silva missed a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 after a " mouth-watering " pass by Andres Iniesta. It proved to be costly for the defending champions, as moments later van Persie tried to imitate Superman with his magical goal.

Dally Blind's brilliant pass was met by the Manchester United No.20, van Persie whose header sailed over Iker Casillas which equalized the score to 1-1.

Robben then easily made it 2-1 for the runners-up of the last season and became the only player to score in three different World Cups for Netherlands while De Vri's header took it to 3-1 after the Sneijder-freekick.

Persie and Robben scored a couple of more goals to end Spain's unexpected misery.


                                               Spain

Iker Casillas - 5

Cesar Azpilicueta - 6

Sergio Ramos - 6

Gerard Pique - 5

Jordi Alba - 6

Xabi Alonso - 7

Sergio Busquets - 5

Xavi - 5

Iniesta - 7

Silva - 6

Costa - 7

(Sub) Pedro - 6

(Sub) Fernando Torres - 4

(Sub) Cesc Fabregas - 5

                                          
                                              Netherlands 

Jasper Cillessen - 6

Daryl Janmaat - 7

Ron Vlaar - 7

Stefan De Vrij - 8

Bruno Martins Indi - 6

Daley Blind - 9

Nigel de Jong - 7

Jonathan de Guzman - 5

Wesley Sneijder - 9

Arjen Robben - 9

Robin van Persie - 9

(Sub) Georginio Wijnaldum - 6

(Sub) Joel Veltman - 6

(Sub) Jeremain Lens - 6 

    The World Champions had a bad experience against the Hollish side of Louis van Gaal. Last time they had to face a loss against Switzerland but ended up winning the World Cup. Do you think this time they can silence their critics by playing well in the next matches?                                      

World Cup hopes summed up in a Venn diagram

             World Cup hopes summed up in a Venn diagram

For those of you who find predicting the World Cup tough enough to drive you crazy, just keep calm.

This Venn Diagram sums up exactly how the World Cup will turn out to be and how each nation fits into the grandiose narrative of the tournament.

The Diagram suggests that England are the side around whom the World Cup revolves around!

Disagree?Comment below so that we ca hear you!

                                                                           -Via The TeleGraph

Spain Take A Gamble By Including Costa

Surprisingly, the current world champions, Spain include Diego Costa in their final 23-man squad of the World Cup which would be featuring at Brazil. This squad unfortunately ruled out Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo. 

The European giants look set to surprise the football fans by keeping the in-form but injured Atletico Madrid's striker, Diego Costa in the squad. Costa's name on the squad list had a question mark as there were lingering worries over a leg injury.

Costa, who is a Brazilian-born Spanish national, is expected to start ahead of the likes of David Villa and Fernando Torres who are also in the Spanish squad. As expected, winger Jesus Navas had no place in the squad while on the other hand, Juan Mata would be seen at the tournament despite a mixed season at Premier League with Chelsea and Manchester United.

Spain opens their 2014 World Cup campaign against Netherlands on June 13 in a repeat of the Final of the last edition of the tournament. They would face Chile and Australia in the Group B.

Del Bosque seemed to add the players like Juan Mata and Torres after considering their experience was more than Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo. Real Madrid's young play-maker Isco was also not included in the 23-man squad alongside Thiago Alcantara who was unavailable due to an injury.

Del Bosque stuck at Costa even after the options of Manchester City's Negredo and Juventus' Fernando Llorente. Negredo joined the starting-11 of his club at the end of the club season but Llorente has enjoined his debut season with the Italian-giants with a total of 16 goals. Llorente, who is packet of world-class of talent, featured in the 2010 World Cup in which Spain were crowned the champions and also in the 2012 European Championship. But he only played for a total of just 31 minutes, and this time, he is not even in the final team.

Vincente Del Bosque said on friday that Spain's 2-0 win over Bolivia helped him gain confidence over Torres who just had five Premier League goals this season. David Villa, the country's all-time top scorer was a little bit out of form for Atletico Madrid ( according to Bosque ), but Bosque stated that he would perfectly fit in the " Tiki-Taka " play of Spain.

Captain Iker Casillas would be in front of the goal with Pepe Reina and David De Gea as secondary options. Javi Martinez, on the other hand can step in for Sergio Ramos or Pique in the center-back position if needed.  Cesar Azplicueta's strong and impressive performance against Bolivia has proved that Spain has a sturdy and cemented backbone.


Midfield magic would be provided by the experienced legs of Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Davil Silva, Xavi Hernandez and by the young-electrifying players like Santi Cazorla and Koke after a standout season with Atletico Madrid. Cese Fabregas is expected to show his unorthodox passing on the pitch.

Spain squad

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), David De Gea (Manchester United)

Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Raul Albiol (Napoli), Javi Martinez (Bayern Munich), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Midfielders: Xavi (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Arsenal), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Juan Mata (Manchester United), David Silva (Manchester City)

Forwards: Pedro (Barcelona), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid), David Villa (Atletico Madrid), Fernando Torres (Chelsea).

Even after a big gamble with Spain's attack, do you think Spain can successfully defend their title?

Scout Report - Yevhen Konoplyanka

Manchester United are being linked with Ukrainian winger Yevhen Konoplyanka

The Red Devils are continuously linked with a plethora of  big name players but in Yevhen Konoplyanka's case the name is big enough to drive English commentators nuts. He's one of the lesser known players United are in  pursuit of and rightly so, he's got sheer quality. And the name, apart from being big in size is sure to gain stature in prominence as well.

The 24 year old Ukrainian marvel , who currently plays for Dnipro in the Ukrainian League has also been identified as a target for both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Despite his tender age, the young man has succeeded in winning certain laurels for his performances , which includes the Ukrainian Player of the Year accolade in 2010, 2012 and 2012.

Often touted to be the "Next Eden Hazard", Konoplyanka has got a incredible burst of speed. And this is a quality that has guided many players to the pinnacle of the football world and carve out a reputation for themselves. He can break out from deeper positions, especially during swift counter attacks.

More so, unlike some other speedy wingers who lack the final pass quite often, Konoplyanka has got a knack for supplying the final threaded pass to the accompanying forwards. The 24 year old is a deadly force in the final third and can create and score goals from the position he actually tends to occupy.

The Ukrainian also possesses exceptional ball control , allowing him a better opportunity to take on opposition full backs. With the help of this, he can also hold up the play quite well, allowing his team mates to join the attack in crucial positions.

He's primarily right footed but is often deployed as an inverted winger on the left. From an advanced position on the edge of the box, he's keen on showing off some trickery and then bomb inside.

Since joining Dnipro in 2007, the 24 year old has made 136 outings and has managed to score 28 times, which includes 13 goals in the 2013-14 season.

Under David Moyes, United lacked the speed and creativity to break down the defenses of the opposition and Konoplyanka is someone who can do that almost inch perfectly. An almost exact replica of Arda Turan when it comes to playing style, Konoplyanka has got everything we need as of now.  He can be a great addition to a somewhat in-decline United and given his attributes, can help Louis van Gaal resurrect the fallen giants of Manchester.

Are Liverpool right in signing Lambert?

Liverpool are set to sign Southampton ace Rickie Lambert

Amidst the news of an exodus of players being linked with Manchester United, many football fans failed to pay heed to the news that Liverpool have had a bid in the region of 4 million accepted by Southampton for Rickie Lambert. The 32 year old England International, who will travel to Brazil this month has been a key figure in Southampton's 8th place finish this previous season.

The move , far from being a signal of intent by Liverpool, may just suggest something else in particular. Liverpool hit man Luis Suarez is being constantly linked with a move away from Anfield and the 32 year old may be seen as a replacement for the 27 year old Uruguayan. Although, the decision is still in doubt.

Lambert was released by Liverpool as a schoolboy and has,after that spent his days at clubs such as Blackpool, Macclesfield , Stockport, Rochdale , Bristol and finally flourished at Southampton. The Englishman joined the Saints back in 2009 and since then,has scored 106 times in 207 outings. Considering Lambert's age, it does come as a bit of surprise that Liverpool are interested in buying him only for keeping him as a 2nd or a 3rd choice. But, the move would provide a chance for the under-rated striker to head back to his home town and live in a city where his family resides.

He has been often described as a "far better footballer than he is given credit for" by Brendan Rodgers himself. The Liverpool gaffer also added that "He has never got the recognition for what a really good footballer he is". Resembling Andy Carroll in a number of ways, Rickie Lambert is a gem of a striker in the air and a burly contestant especially when being tackled. He has the ability to shrug off defenders at will and owing to decent balance and jumping ability, virtually increases his height. More so, he's someone who is adept in threading through balls and playing passes to the players around him. He's got a hammer of a right foot and is very good in playing dead balls. And not to forget, he's a God in Penalties and has missed only one in his entire career.

But, the Liverpool style of play is more free flowing and fast than what Lambert can sought to play with. Wingers hardly knock crosses into the box and strikers such as Daniel Sturridge hardly hide behind the last defender to knock one in. But, Lambert is that kind of a player who a side can rely on to let him bang around and sneak past defenders to find headers . Moreover, he can press the opposition OK when his side is without the ball, on the contrary to Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge and can't really harry a defender into a mistake.

If Liverpool are planning to offload outcast Iago Aspas, even then Lambert would be considered as a 3rd choice behind the pecking order to Luis Suarez or Daniel Sturridge. But for years, Liverpool have been aching to get a player with a bright mind and a physical presence up front . Andy Carroll could never do so but Rickie Lambert can finally give them that. And spending a mere 4 million on a someone like him looks quite good, if Brendan Rodgers wants to give his side a 'complete' look and also if he needs quality depth all over his side. But,it would have been better if he could have been 4 or 5 years younger.