Markable

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday announced a 25-member preliminary squad for the tour of West Indies 2014 in August-September.   The cricketers, who have been primarily selected for the tour, were asked to report to National Team Strength & Conditioning Coach Mario Villavarayen at the Shere Bangladesh National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur at 8:30am on July 1.   Bangladesh will play three ODIs, one T20I and two Test match series during the two-month series.   The first ODI match will be held at St George`s on Aug 20.  

 Bangladesh Preliminary Squad:   Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Hoque, Mahmud Ullah, Shamsur Rahman, Tamim Iqbal Khan, Muktar Ali, Shohag Gazi, Rubel Hossain,  Anamul Haque Bijoy, Shabbir Rahaman, Shakib Al Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Masrafe Bin Mortaza, Mithun, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Abdur Razzak, Marshall Ayub, Imrul Kayes, Jubair Likhon, Al-Amin Hossain, Shuvagata Hom and Robiul Islam.

Jan Vertonghen led 10-man Belgium to a 1-0 victory over South Korea on Thursday that gave them top place in their World Cup group and ended Asian hopes in the competition.  The stand-in captain hit the winner 12 minutes from time as Belgium finished with a perfect three wins in Group H. They now play the United States in the last 16.  South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-Gyu could only parry a fierce shot by substitute Divock Origi and it went to the feet of Vertonghen, who buried the rebound and leapt into the stands to celebrate.  Belgian coach Marc Wilmots dismissed criticism over the style of the victory and said his team had "made history" by winning all three group games.  "We fulfilled our mission with nine points," he said. "It`s never happened before and what`s important for me is whether we can get into the quarter-finals. I don`t care about anything else."  South Korea had needed a big win to stand any chance of qualifying, and they were given hope when Steven Defour was sent off for a stamp just before half-time.  But they failed to create clear-cut opportunities and depart the tournament winless, as did regional rivals Japan, Iran and Australia.  "My goal was not to have any regrets. I think we weren`t good enough but we nevertheless did our best," said South Korean coach Hong Myung-Bo.  "More than anything, I think it was important for our players to play on such a big stage and gain experience."  Wilmots made seven changes from the team that beat Russia 1-0, giving Manchester United 19-year-old Adnan Januzaj his World Cup debut, to keep players fresh for the knock-out stages.  South Korea showed urgency at the start and had two hopeful penalty shouts waved away before Kim Young-Gwon, receiving the ball in the area from a free-kick, blasted off-target.  Son Heung-Min received a great through-ball but was quickly closed down. Belgium showed little threat although Kevin Mirallas, bursting on to a pass from former Everton teammate Marouane Fellaini, had a goal chalked off for offside.  A Mexican wave after19 minutes indicated the crowd`s thoughts were elsewhere, but Dries Mertens regained their attention when he found Mirallas in the box and then miscued wildly from close range.  It looked like Belgium would take control but Ki Sung-Yueng brought a sharp save from Thibaut Courtois with a low drive before Defour cleared Koo Ja-Cheol`s header off the line from the resulting corner.  The busy Mertens fired another chance well wide and then forced goalkeeper Kim Seung-Gyu to tip a long distance free-kick over the bar.  Defour got a straight red card from Australian referee Ben Williams for a two footed challenge on Kim Shin-Wook. The Porto midfielder made no protest and walked straight off.  With Russia leading Algeria 1-0, South Korea needed at least two goals to go through and coach Hong brought on striker Lee Keun-Ho at half-time as they went for broke.  Bayer Leverkusen`s Son ran into space down the left and found Lee Chung-Yong, whose shot was blocked, and then from the right, he floated a cross-cum-shot onto the Belgian bar.  Belgium were doing most of the defending but Manchester United`s Fellaini had a strong penalty appeal denied when he was checked by Hong Jeong-Ho.  It felt like a goal was on its way and when Ki rose to meet Son`s corner from the right, Korean fans held their breath. But he mistimed his header which was easily gathered by Courtois.  Januzaj was withdrawn on 59 minutes and replaced by Origi, Belgium`s scorer in the 1-0 win over Russia. Shortly afterwards, Fellaini should have broken the deadlock but he put a simple header wide.  Despite their extra man, South Korea could not penetrate the packed Belgian defence and Lee Chung-Yong and Koo both saw dangerous opportunities snuffed out before they could shoot.  And they paid for their failures when Vertonghen scored.

Algeria progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in their history as Islam Slimani`s second-half header was enough to earn them a 1-1 against Russia in Curitiba.  Alexander Kokorin had put the Russians in front after just six minutes with an accurate header into the top corner.  However, Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev`s nightmare tournament continued when he tried to claim Yacine Brahimi`s free-kick on the hour mark and missed the ball completely allowing Slimani the easiest of tasks to nod home his second goal of the tournament.  However, television replays showed the CSKA Moscow `keeper may have been distracted by a green laser pen being shone in his eye seconds before the goal was scored.  The Desert Foxes will now have the chance to avenge their controversial exit from the 1982 World Cup when West Germany and Austria played out a mutual beneficial 1-0 win for the Germans when they face Joachim Loew`s men in Porto Alegre on Monday.

  Belgium topped the group with a maximum nine points from three games after they beat South Korea 1-0 in the other game.  Algeria had gotten off to the worst possible start as with Sofiane Feghouli off the field receiving treatment for a head injury, Russia used the extra space afforded to them down Algeria`s right to open the scoring.  Left-back Dmitry Kombarov sauntered forward and his cross was expertly nodded into the top corner by Kokorin.  Feghouli immediately tried to make amends with a bustling run past a host of Russian defenders, but the Valencia man was eventually crowded out and the ball cleared to safety.  Oleg Shatov then came within inches of doubling Russia`s advantage with a dipping shot from range that flew just past the post.  However, Algeria were posing the greater threat and Akinfeev went some way to redeeming himself for an awful error which cost his side a goal in their opening game against South Korea with a fine save from Slimani`s first effort of the evening.  Russia came flying out of the traps in the second period, though, looking to kill the game off and should have done when a lovely one-two between Kokorin and Aleksandr Samedov put the latter clean through on goal, but Rais Mbolhi stood up well to block his effort.  And that save was to prove vital on the hour mark as Akinfeev flapped at Brahimi`s free-kick and Slimani headed home into an unguarded net.  Mbolhi was forced into another fine save 21 minutes from time as Samedov played in Alexander Kerzhakov down the right and his low strike was held at the second attempt by the Algerian goalkeeper.  Russia continued to push for a winner, but when Aleksei Kozlov`s header sailed wide in stoppage time their last chance was gone.  Defeat means Russia have still yet to qualify for the last 16 since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and continues coach Fabio Capello`s poor record at the World Cup after he oversaw England`s 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany in the last 16 four years ago.

Thomas Mueller fired an unstoppable 20 metre shot to give Germany a 1-0 victory over the United States on Thursday and top spot in World Cup Group G. 

  

The United States, coached by former German boss Jurgen Klinsmann, also went through to the last 16 despite the 1-0 defeat in rain-sodden Recife.  

 Portugal`s 2-1 victory over Ghana was not enough to overtake the Americans in second place as they lost out on goal difference.   

The 1-0 win and Germany`s domination of the game answered doubters who had suggested the two sides could be happy with a draw that would see them both through to the second round.   

Klinsmann hired German coach Joachim Loew as his assistant when he was in charge of Germany. The two remain friends but both insisted they would go for a win.   

Germany went on the attack from the start and in the first 20 minutes the ball was seldom out of the US half. Mueller and his teammates struggled to create clear cut chances though.   

The breakthrough came 10 minutes into the second half as US goalkeeper Tim Howard faced more pressure.   

Howard punched away a header from Per Mertesacker, but Mueller was waiting on the edge of the penalty area and fired it back in giving the goalkeeper no chance.   

Mueller now has four goals in the tournament taking him level at the top of the scorer`s rankings with Argentina`s Lionel Messi and Brazil`s Neymar.

Cristiano Ronaldo wasted a succession of glorious chances as Portugal bowed out of the World Cup on Thursday despite beating Ghana 2-1 in Brasilia.   Portugal knew only a win combined with a defeat for Germany or the United States in the other Group G fixture, plus a significant swing in goal difference, would take them through to the last 16.   Germany won the group by beating the US, who also qualified on goal difference over Portugal.   Although Ronaldo netted his first goal of the tournament, the winner, it was his numerous misses that cost Portugal the sizeable victory they needed to make up for the 4-0 mauling they suffered by Germany in their first game.   Portugal had taken the lead through a John Boye own goal before Asamoah Gyan equalised.   The Europeans broke the deadlock after half an hour with an own goal by the unfortunate Boye, who diverted a cross by Miguel Veloso off his knee and over despairing goalkeeper Fatawu Dauda.   The move that led to the goal started when the ball hit the referee in the middle of a promising-looking attack by Ghana, missing two of their star players after bust-ups with management.   Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari had been sent home after attacking and abusing, respectively, members of the Ghana management.   Ronaldo, who last month helped Real Madrid to a 10th Champions League title, had already come close to scoring on a number of occasions before the first goal.   After a scrappy opening few minutes he picked the ball up wide on the right and hit a wayward cross that sailed over Dauda only to come back off the crossbar.   He then tried his luck with a free-kick from 25 yards in a central position which Dauda beat away.   The 29-year-old looked certain to score as he rose unmarked to meet a cross from seven yards out but headed straight at Dauda, who made an instinctive reaction parry.   Moments later Portugal goalkeeper Beto kept a close-range shot from Gyan out with his legs as the action swung from end to end.   The Black Stars put pressure on Portugal after the break, with captain Gyan producing a shot from just outside the penalty area that skimmed narrowly wide.   Shortly before the hour mark Ghana`s persistence earned reward when Gyan headed home at the far post from a sublime cross by Kwadwo Asamoah, delivered with the outside of his left boot.   Gyan thus became the top African goalscorer at World Cups with his sixth effort in finals.   Just four minutes later the African team should have been ahead after Majeed Waris squandered a glorious headed chance from close range as the Black Stars began to get on top.   Ronaldo kicked the air in frustration as another attack foundered, with news filtering through from soggy Recife that Germany were 1-0 up against the United States, meaning both Ghana and Portugal were back in the mix.   And Portugal`s winner came in heartbreaking fashion for Ghana with 10 minutes to go after Dauda pathetically pawed at a dropping ball, giving it straight to Ronaldo to fire home low into the corner.   It was his 50th goal for Portugal and he became the first player from his country to score at three World Cups.   But he still had time to hit a tame shot from a good position straight at Dauda before incredibly knocking a cross from Nani over the bar from just four yards out.   Ronaldo had one more glorious chance when put through one-on-one with Dauda, but he shot straight at the keeper.

Luis Suarez has been given a nine-game international ban and a four-month suspension from all football for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.   The Uruguay forward will play no further part in the World Cup in Brazil after his attack on Chiellini during his side’s final group game on Tuesday, a 1-0 Uruguay win which saw them progress at Italy’s expense.   Fifa confirmed the news at its daily briefing in Rio de Janeiro. The player has also been fined 100,000 Swiss francs (€82,227).   The four-month ban would prevent Suarez playing club football for Liverpool but he and the Uruguay FA are able to appeal against the sanctions.   However, even if the appeal is lodged and the process is under way he will not be able play in any matches. 

A statement from Fifa read: “The player Luis Suarez is to be suspended for nine official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on June 28, 2014. The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay’s next FIFA World Cup match(es), as long as the team (remains in the competition), and/or in the representative team’s subsequent official matches.   “The player Luis Suarez is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four months.”   The four-month ban begins today and means he will also miss nine Premier League games for Liverpool if he remains at the club.   That would mean the first game he would be available for would be the meeting with Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday November 1st.   Fifa’s statement continued: “A stadium ban is pronounced against the player Luis Suarez in accordance with article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code as follows: the player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban.   “The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension.   “The player Luis Suarez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 Swiss Francs.”   Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the Fifa disciplinary committee,

said the panel had taken into account all the factors in the case.   Sulser said: “Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a Fifa World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field.   “The disciplinary committee took into account all the factors of the case and the degree of Mr Suarez’s guilt in accordance with the relevant provisions of the dode. The decision comes into force as soon it is communicated.”   Fifa said the ban would not prevent any potential transfer if Liverpool decided to sell last season’s player of the year.