Not a grand night for two of our young Internationals: "Young Fulham prospect Muamer Tankovic was unable to help Sweden to overcome France in the UEFA Under-19 European Championships on Wednesday. Tankovic started up front for the Swedes and played 87 minutes in the first Elite Group One match in Lindabrunn, Austria, but was powerless to do anything about an eighth-minute opener from Stade Rennes' Adrien Hunou. The French eased into half-time without too much trouble and then doubled their lead shortly after as Paris Saint-Germain's Adrien Rabiot struck in the 56th minute. Sweden pushed to try and get back into the game, but Hunou netted his second in the 77th minute to condemn Tankovic's side to a 3-0 defeat that leaves them bottom of the group. In the night's other game involving a Fulham player, Omri Altman was an unused substitute as Israel were pegged back to a 2-2 draw against Norway in the UEFA Under 21 European Championships. Israel, who are hosting the tournament, went ahead at the Netanya Municipal Stadium through Nir Biton's penalty before Norway equalised with a smart finish from Marcus Pedersen. Norway were reduced to ten men as Vegar Hedenstad was dismissed following a challenge on Mohammad Kalibat just before half-time and the home side took the advantage again in the 71st minute through substitute Alon Turgeman. But Havard Nielsen's excellent assist for Harmeet Singh - also a substitute - saw a last minute equaliser as Singh's let-footed shot flew past Boris Kleyman to give the teams a share of the points in the Group A opener"
A better day for the young Internationals - "Lasse Christensen continued his good form for Denmark at the UEFA Under 19 European Championships as they beat Bulgaria 5-0 on Thursday night. The Fulham midfielder played all 90 minutes in an easy game for the Danes, who made it two wins from two (both 5-0) in the competition after Bulgaria were reduced to nine men in the closing stages. Denmark went ahead 2-0 in the first half with both goals from FC Nordsjaelland’s Kristian Lindberg. The striker bagged his hat-trick shortly after captain Christian Nørgaard had increased the lead just after half-time and substitute Mads Nielsen put the finishing touches on the win in the 88th minute. In the night’s other game involving Fulham youngsters, Noe Baba played the full 90 minutes as the Republic of Ireland were pegged back 2-2 against Switzerland, but Sean Kavanagh was an unused substitute. Sam Byrne and Kieran Sadlier had put the Irish in a commanding position after Baba had an early chance, but the Swiss hit back before half-time through Michael Frey and then Samuele Campo grabbed an equaliser." Bit surprised Sean didn't get a game - for me he is one to watch. Initially I wasn't tooo convinced but he more than proved himself in the Dallas Cup and games since.
I went to school with Sean Kavanagh. Pretty sure it's not the same one though - 45 is a bit old to be playing for the under 19s!
Today's news about our Internationalists - "Brede Hangeland helped Norway keep their World Cup qualification hopes on track as they draw 1-1 with Albania at the Qemal Stafa Stadium. Valdet Rama got the opening goal of the game in the 41st minute as he smashed the ball into the bottom of the net and, despite plenty of corners for Norway, it looked like there would be no way back for Hangeland and company. However, in the 87th minute, defender Tom Hogli got on the end of an Espen Ruud corner and headed home an equaliser. Norway remain in fourth place in Group E, three points behind leaders Switzerland who play Cyprus on Saturday, but are keeping up the pressure at the top. With three of their last four games at home, it is still in their hands. Despite dominating the opening exchanges, Alexander Kačaniklić and Sweden fell 2-1 to Austria to see their hopes in Group C damaged. Kačaniklić had an early shout for a penalty waved away, but then Austria got one of their own after a foul from goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson. Bayern Munichâs David Alaba coolly slotted home and the lead was doubled shortly after as Mark Janko netted. Our winger had a good chance to get Sweden back into it in the second half, but his volley slid just wide of the post and even though Johan Elmander got on the end of a through-ball to flick home a consolation goal in the 82nd minute, it was not enough. The result sees the Swedes drop into fourth place after a win for the Republic of Ireland, and they stay eight points off leaders Germany; three behind the Play-Off spot with a game in hand. Giorgos Karagounis (well, he still feels like one of ours) helped Greece to keep up the pressure on Bosnia-Herzegovina at the top of Group G as they beat Lithuania 1-0. Despite going in the book in the first half, the veteran midfielder played the full 90 minutes and helped to ensure that Greece are now three points off the top and well placed to claim at least a place in the Play-Offs after Lazaros Christodoulopoulosâ goal made the difference. In the UEFA Under 19 European Championships, Muamer Tankovic was an unused substitute as Sweden fell 3-0 to Austria. Rapid Wien striker Marcel Sabitzer netted a hat-trick to ensure that Austria qualify with France from Group One after both won their first two games, and Sweden and Bosnia & Herzegovina drop out."
Good news day for Bryan's team - "Costa Rica moved top in a three-way tie in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying after a 1-0 win over Honduras on Friday night. At the Estadio Nacional, where Fulham will play three friendly matches this summer, Bryan Ruiz played 69 minutes before being substituted and it was New York Red Bulls defender Roy Miller who broke the deadlock in the 25th. Miller reacted quickest to head home the rebound after Noel Valladares saved a shot from Celso Borges to give Costa Rica a boost. After a 0-0 draw for Mexico and a late 2-1 win for the United States, Costa Rica took top spot on Goal Difference with all three teams level on seven points."
Two youngsters do well for Eire. "The Republic of Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for the Under-19 European Championships next month were kept alive following their 2-2 draw with Slovakia in Jakovo. Both Noe Baba and Sean Kavanagh played their part in the contest, with 16-year-old Baba starting the match in a defensive midfield role before his withdrawal just before the hour mark, while the exciting Kavanagh entered the action on 69 minutes. After Sam Byrne had handed the Republic the lead midway through the first half, it required a solid block from Baba to deny Slovakia captain and Manchester City youth team player Albert Rusnak a sight of goal. Matus Marcin drew his side level before Rusnak looked to have won it at the death, only for Ireland defender Steven Smith to smash home the equaliser two minutes into stoppage time. A win for the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday against Serbia, coupled with defeat for Switzerland by the Slovaks, will see them qualify for the Finals in Lithuania over the summer. Elsewhere, Philippe Senderos was an unused substitute as Switzerland strengthened their position at the top of Group E with a 1-0 win over Cyprus in their World Cup Qualifying match, while Omri Altman also remained on the bench for Israel in their 4-0 defeat by Italy in the Under-21 European Championships."
Not to be for Lasse Christensen "Lasse Vigen Christensen’s Denmark narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Under-19 European Championship on Sunday evening. The talented midfielder had already played his part in impressive 5-0 defeats of Bulgaria and Czech Republic, ahead of their clash with Portugal who had seen off their Group Three opponents in similarly convincing fashion. Ahead on goal difference, hosts Portugal started brightly in Barcelos, and could well have taken an early lead when Denmark goalkeeper Oliver Korch was dismissed for a foul on Helder Costa after just five minutes. The highly-rated Bruma missed from the subsequent spot kick. Both teams had chances to break the deadlock, with 10-man Denmark showing resilience to keep Portugal at bay. As the game wore on and with the pressure building, the Danes saw their chances of progression come undone, with Yussuf Poulson presenting the hosts with their second penalty of the night. With two minutes left on the clock, Bruma made amends for his earlier miss by slotting home a confident finish beyond the reach of Casper Radza to send Portugal through to the Finals which will start in Lithuania later this month"
The Tank notches two but too late for Sweden - "Muamer Tankovic scored twice as Sweden beat Bosnia & Herzegovina 3-2 in the country’s final match of the UEFA Under 19 European Championships Elite Round. Only honour was at stake as both sides had lost their previous two matches, meaning they could not advance from Group One and into the Final Tournament which starts next month in Lithuania. However, Fulham’s forward ended the qualifying stages on a high with a brace to lift his side into third place. Sweden dominated the opening exchanges and could have been ahead by more than two at the break, but had to make do with Tankovic’s 12th minute opener and a finish from Sam Lundholm shortly after. Bosnia & Herzegovina came roaring back in the second half through Armin Hodžić (57) and Mirko Maric (77) but it was to be Tankovic’s day as he netted a late winner with three minutes remaining to give his side the points"
It might still work out okay in the World Cup for ex-man Mark Schwarzer "Mark Schwarzer was a virtual spectator as Australia cruised to a 4-0 victory over Jordan in their FIFA World Cup Qualifier in Melbourne on Tuesday. The 40-year-old had little to do as goals from Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill, Robbie Kruse and Lucas Neill earned the Socceroos a vital three points in their penultimate match in Asia’s Group B. Schwarzer got down well to block a long-range effort in the 9th minute but Australia dominated and, after Brett Holman and Bresicano had both missed decent chances for the home side, the latter quickly made amends with a neat finish after quarter of an hour. Australia continued to press but it wasn’t until the 61st minute that they were able to double their advantage when former Everton favourite Cahill converted a trademark header following a neat team move. Kruse’s fine solo goal made sure of the victory on 75 minutes, before captain Neill added some gloss to the scoreline with a poked effort late on – it was his first international goal and it came on his 91st appearance. Their fate remains in their own hands as the win sees the Socceroos leapfrog Oman into second place, meaning that victory over Iraq in Sydney next Tuesday will guarantee their place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil."
Been watching on a poorish stream, but I think it was Omri Altmann that set up Israel's goal ! The lad got a knock, but played pretty well for 35 mins after coming on as sub.
Tosh is wasn't Altman for the assist but he did look decent after coming on, some nice touches, good control, good movement and it was a great run which ended up with him running into the post! He looked no worse than any of the english players who a lot of whom are playing first team football for premiership teams!
It actually was Altman for the assist, he got the pass and touched it off to the player who scored. He looked good during the game and seemed to be very comfortable with the ball at his feet and made one brilliant run where he ran past 3 or 4 players before passing the ball into the 6 yard box although no one was there to receive it. The knock he took from running into the post looked pretty painful and he showed worrying signs of limping towards the end of the game.
Yep sorry nick it appears I was wrong (could have sworn it was number 22 not 21) but either way thought he looked decent for the 30 mins he was on and if shelvey, Henderson, Clyde,rose,wickham can a all get time in the first team in the premier league no reason why Altman can't get a few sub appearences and cup games to see how he goes!
Completely agree Cookie. It's amazing how many of our youngsters are getting International recognition and yet can't seemingly get anywhere near our first team. Kind of re-inforces the point you were making about Kerim Frei in the other thread.
Here is a round-up of how all of our lads and their teams got on today - "Alexander Kačaniklić continued to press his claims for First Team inclusion next season as he helped Sweden to a 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands in FIFA World Cup Qualifying on Tuesday night. Sweden, who were beaten 2-1 by Austria last Friday, moved back into Play-Off contention in Europe’s Group C as they made it a three-way tie for second place on 11 points with the Austrians and the Republic of Ireland after six games. The men in yellow began the strongest and Kačaniklić caused issues down the flank, but it was Zlatan Ibrahimovic who started and ended the move that brought the first goal when he combined with Mikael Lustig in the 35th minute. Sweden continued to dominate, but goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen stood firm until, only two minutes after Andreas Granqvist was sent off (80), Ibrahimovic got his second after he won and scored a penalty. Germany are still five points ahead at the top of the group, but the win for Sweden means it is anyone’s guess who will finish second. Brede Hangeland was rested for Norway in their friendly win against Macedonia. Per Ciljan Skjelbred opened the scoring in the opening 10 minutes when he headed home from close range and Daniel Braaten netted the second in the 79th minute. In the UEFA Under 19 European Championships Elite Round, Noe Baba was suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the first two games, but Sean Kavanagh played 58 minutes as the Republic of Ireland failed to qualify as they were held 0-0 by Serbia. With Slovakia beating Switzerland 2-0, all the Irish needed to reach the Final Round in Lithuania next month was a win, but could only muster two shots on target. The results mean that Serbia qualified top of the group, as their Goal Difference was four better than Switzerland’s, with the Irish undeservedly ending the campaign bottom of the table. In his final game at the UEFA Under 21 European Championships in his homeland, Omri Altman came on in the 55th minute as Israel beat England 1-0. Both teams were effectively already out of the competition as Israel needed a six-goal swing to progress, but after Altman had entered the fray for Moanes Dabour, the home nation went out on a high as Ofir Kriaf curled a lovely left-footed strike into the bottom corner in the 80th minute to seal a famous win. The result sees Israel finish third in Group A, with the England Under 21s (whose Assistant Coach is our own Steve Wigley) finishing bottom."
Captain Bryan Ruiz helped Costa Rica to a valuable point in Mexico in FIFA World Cup Qualifying on Tuesday night. "Costa Rica had gone joint-top of the CONCACAF group after a win over Honduras on Friday, but the United Statesâ win over Panama puts them ahead. Ruiz played all 90 minutes and helped set the tone for the Costa Rican attacks, which saw their first effort from Joel Campbell in the fourth minute. The Arsenal striker raced past Mexico defender Maza Rodriguez and beat goalkeeper Jose Corona, only to hit the far post. Campbell continued to cause trouble and forced Corona into another save in the 37th minute before Ruiz fired a long shot over the bar minutes later. Mexico pushed back in the second half but Costa Rica held firm â even in the wake of crowd trouble that saw angry home fans throw objects onto the pitch in the 78th minute. [video=youtube;GE13S30ZpRE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE13S30ZpRE&feature=player_embedded[/video] The skipper will be pleased with the result which keeps his side in the mix for a qualifying place. The CONCACAF standings see Costa Rica in second place, two points behind the USA but ahead of Mexico on goal difference having played a game less."
Possibly because it's a slow news day but kind of interesting that the Club are keeping track of one of last season's loan players - "Whites loanee Eyong Enoh was in action as Cameroon held Democratic Republic of Congo to a goalless draw to keep their FIFA World Cup 2014 dreams alive. Enoh, who Martin Jol brought to Craven Cottage on a temporary spell in January from Ajax Amsterdam, played 90 minutes in a familiar central midfield for the Indomitable Lions at the Stade de Martyrs. Cameroon's World Cup hopes suffered a blow following a 2-0 defeat in Togo last Sunday so securing a result in Kinshasa was crucial to keep them in touching distance of Group I leaders Libya. With only one team advancing from Group I, the stalemate means Enoh's team go into their last group match two points behind Libya, with a victory against the leaders in Yaounde in September guaranteeing they top the table. Finishing first ensures a play-off with one of nine other African group winners, with a win over two-legs clinching a berth in Brazil." source: http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/june/16/enoh-in-action
He could be getting his World Cup wish after all - "Mark Schwarzer kept a vital clean sheet as Australia grabbed the win they needed on Tuesday to secure their place at next year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil. It looked as though they may be in for an anxious wait to see how Oman fared later in the day after failing to break down Iraq in Sydney, until a late header from substitute Josh Kennedy put fate back in their own hands. A frustrating opening period for the Socceroos saw them dominate proceedings without really testing Iraq to a great extent, although Schwarzer was also relatively untroubled in the home goal. He was forced into action early in the second half, though, and the veteran stopper didn’t disappoint when he made a fine save to keep out a long range effort. The Aussies wrestled back control of the tie but it wasn’t until the 83rd minute that the deadlock was broken, with Kennedy getting on the end of a fine cross to make himself a national hero just six minutes after coming on for Tim Cahill. Iraq searched for a way back into the game thereafter, with Schwarzer partaking in his busiest period of the game – the 40-year-old needed to be alert to make a superb punch in stoppage time to clear potential danger from the visitors’ long ball tactics. That proved to be one of the last moments of the match as Australia held on to join host nation Brazil and fellow Asian qualifiers Japan at next summer’s competition.
Bryan scores to help his team qualify for the World Cup. please log in to view this image "Bryan Ruiz and Celso Borges scored second-half goals as Costa Rica earned a 2-0 win against Panama on Tuesday to maintain their hold on a place for an automatic qualifying place for next year's 2014 World Cup finals." Here is a link to the story: http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=425828
