Van Gaal Key to win over Spain

ROBIN VAN PERSIE praised Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal for masterminding the team's crushing 5-1 win over reigning world champions Spain. Van Persie scored two goals along with Arjen Robben, while Stefan de Vrij also netted as Spain were humiliated at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador.

But Van Persie said the emphatic win was down to the tactics of Van Gaal, his new manager at Manchester United.
"This is definitely down to him," added the 30-year-old.
Spain, who are also the European champions, were humbled and humiliated as the Netherlands came from behind to embarrass their opponents. Van Persie cancelled out Xabi Alonso's penalty with a sublime header before goals by Bayern Munich's Robben and Feyenoord defender De Vrij made it 3-1. Two goals in the space of eight minutes by Van Persie and Robben completed Spain's embarrassment. "If you see how he prepared us, and how he predicted the game would go, and you see how it went - unbelievable," added Van Persie about Van Gaal.

 
 *High flying Dutch players

"For the whole Netherlands, this is a dream come true.''
Van Gaal, who will take over at Old Trafford after the tournament, was delighted with his team's win.

"The Netherlands were sensational, it should have been seven or eight. Some of the performances - Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Daley Blind down that wing, they were absolutely brilliant. I have never seen that Spain back four pulled around as much as they were."

The 62-year-old returned Van Persie's compliment, praising the striker along with the rest of the side.

"With strikers like Van Persie, Robben and Wesley Sneijder behind them, things like this can happen,'' he said.
Van Gaal's side face Australia next on 18 June in Porto Alegre and the former Barcelona boss urged caution despite getting their campaign off to a flying start.
"We don't have anything yet," he added. "We've made a pretty start. If you beat Australia [on Wednesday], then you've made a good start.''
Spain's experienced goalkeeper Iker Casillas says he was responsible for the reigning champions' disastrous defeat.
"I wasn't at the level I needed to be. I have to accept all criticism.
"I didn't do things like I should have, especially to start a World Cup," said Casillas, who was dispossessed by Van Persie for the fourth goal.

Sagna joins Manchester City

Manchester City have announced the signing of Bacary Sagna on a free transfer from Arsenal.

The France international right-back joins the Premier League champions on a three-year contract after confirming on Thursday that he would not renew his deal at the Emirates Stadium.


The defender's future at the Gunners had been in doubt for a long time. As revealed by Goal, talks over a potential renewal began again in earnest in January but an agreement was not quickly forthcoming.






By the start of May, Arsenal feared that Sagna would jump ship to join a Premier League rival at the end of his deal, a concern that grew more real when the 31-year-old told the club that he would not stay beyond the summer.

Sagna joined the likes of Porto midfielder Fernando as City manager Manuel Pellegrini's top targets in the close-season and he opened formal negotiations with his soon-to-be-new side on May 19.
























It leaves Arsene Wenger needing a new option at right-back, with Atletico Madrid's Juanfran and Toulouse star Serge Aurier chief among his considerations for the Frenchman's replacement.

Chelsea complete Fabregas signing

CHELSEA have completed the signing of Barcelona midfielder and former Arsenal star Francesc Fabregas.
Chelsea are believed to have paid £30m for the Spain international, who has signed a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

Fabregas scored eight La Liga goals for Barcelona and provided a further 19 assists in 36 appearances last season and thanked the Catalan giants after sealing his move to Stamford Bridge.












Says Fabregas to the club's official website: "Firstly I would like to thank everyone at FC Barcelona where I enjoyed three wonderful years. It was my childhood club and I will always be proud and honoured that I had a chance to play for such a great team.

"I do feel that I have unfinished business in the Premier League and now is the right time to return.

"I considered all the other offers very carefully and I firmly believe that Chelsea is the best choice. They match my footballing ambitions with their hunger and desire to win trophies. They have an amazing squad of players and an incredible manager. I am fully committed to this team and I can't wait to start playing."

Fabregas spent eight years at Arsenal before joining Barcelona

Powell appeals Doping ban

ASAFA POWELL, former world 100m record holder, has asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to reduce his 18-month doping ban. Powell 31, and three-time Olympic medal winner Sherone Simpson tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrine at Jamaica's national trials last June.

Simpson, 29, has also asked for her own 18-month suspension to be reduced.
"The athletes put forward that the offence committed is minor," a CAS statement read.
"They request that the suspensions be reduced to three months."

The pair, who have been suspended from competition since their doping case was disclosed last July, received an 18-month ban from the Jamaican anti-doping disciplinary panel in April.

Powell called the ruling "unfair and unjust", and said a legal supplement he took, Epiphany D1, was contaminated. Simpson, an Olympic 4x100m relay gold and silver medallist, is a training partner of Powell and took the same substance at the same event. Powell. who was the biggest name in Jamaican sprinting before the rise of double world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt, broke the world record in the 100m when he ran 9.77 seconds in 2005, then lowered the mark to 9.74 in 2008.
In January, Powell testified that Canadian physical trainer Chris Xuereb provided him with nine supplements, including Epiphany D1.
Xuereb has denied providing performance-enhancing drugs. Powell and Simpson will miss the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July, but will be eligible to return to competition on 20 December.

Andy Murray meets Matosevic in the French Open

 
 BRITISH Andy Murray will be facing Australian Marinko Matosevic in round two of the French Open on Thursday. The pair meet on Court One at around 14:00 BST, while Heather Watson follows against fourth seed Simona Halep. A thrilled Matosevic rolled in the clay after beating Dustin Brown on Tuesday to win his first Grand Slam match at the 13th attempt.

"It was an interesting celebration," said Murray. "I have not seen that before. I get on very well with Marinko. He's a funny guy. He's a good ball striker, he can play good tennis. He's a strong guy. It will be tough."

Murray won their only previous match, on the grass of Queen's Club last year, but the 28-year-old Australian will go into Thursday's match in high spirits after finally ending his Grand Slam slump.
"You feel like there is a huge gorilla off your shoulders," said Matosevic, ranked 66th. "It's just relief more than anything else. Hopefully it can free me up now."
Murray, 27, is seeded seventh in Paris after slipping down the rankings following back surgery last September, but he remains as motivated as ever to contend for the major titles.
"I felt once I had my surgery was when I started looking forward again," he told BBC Sport.
"The way I train in the gym is tough, it's hard. I enjoy that and getting into shape to perform over five sets in the tournaments, and my goal is to try to win Grand Slams. That's what motivates me.
"Some people think number one should be my goal but what motivates me is Grand Slams, so I want to get myself in the best possible shape to win another one if I can."

Watson is brimming with optimism ahead of her encounter with Romania's Halep, arguably the form player in women's tennis over the last year after Serena Williams.

The pair met at the US Open in 2013, with Halep prevailing in three sets, but Watson is on a run of nine consecutive wins as she employs a more attacking style.
"If anything, I'll try to be more aggressive against a player like that, so solid, so high up in the rankings, doing so well," said the 22-year-old from Guernsey.
"You're not going to get free points. You have to win those matches. That's what I'm going to have to do. "I'm not going to hope for her to miss, because she's not going to miss."

Tiger Woods out of US Open

 
TIGER WOODS has withdrawn from the US open as he recovers from a back injury. The 38-year-old American, a 14-time major champion, has not played since the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March.
"I'm not yet physically able to play competitive golf," the world number three said on his website. 
"Despite missing the first two majors and several other important tournaments, I remain very optimistic about this year and my future."

Woods missed the Masters in April for the first time in his professional career after undergoing surgery for a pinched nerve in his back. The US Open in North Carolina, which runs from 12-15 June, will be the sixth major the American has missed through injury. After winning the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines while playing with a broken leg, Woods underwent knee surgery and was sidelined for eight months, missing the Open and the PGA Championship. In 2011, he missed the US Open and Open with knee and Achilles injuries.

"I'd like to convey my regrets to the USGA leadership, the volunteers and the fans that I won't be at Pinehurst," added Woods, who also won the US Open in 2000 and 2002. The year's third major, the Open, begins at Royal Liverpool on 17 July. Woods, who lost his world number one ranking to Australian Adam Scott while injured, has not won a major for six years as he chases Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major titles. Speaking on 19 May, Woods had revealed the extent of his problems, revealing he struggled to get out of bed let alone play golf. But he added that surgery had made a big difference, explaining that he felt "immediate relief" after the operation and was swimming and cycling to aid his rehabilitation. Despite the latest setback, Woods is still being tipped to set a new record for major wins by the man who holds the current mark.
"If he's healthy, I think Tiger's got 10-plus years to play top quality tournament golf," said the 74-year-old Nicklaus.
Speaking to reporters ahead of this week's Memorial Tournament, he added: "I've said many times, he's got a little over 40 tournaments to play the major championships, he's only got to win five to pass my record.
"As good a player as he is, I don't think that should be a big deal. Then again, he's got to do it. Plus he's got to be healthy to be able to do it."

Chelsea make Pogba inquiry

JOSE MOURINHO and Chelsea have made Paul Pogba their top midfield target this summer.

This is coming as the France international has been the subject of serious interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, with the French champions reported to be leading the chase for him.

However, Chelsea are willing to use the €49 million raised by the sale of David Luiz to PSG to part-fund a bid for the former Manchester United man.
Juventus are determined to keep hold of the 21-year-old but could be tempted into a sale were they to receive an offer in the region of €80m.

Jose Mourinho has made it clear to the Chelsea hierarchy that he wants a marquee central midfielder to partner January signing Nemanja Matic next season. Pogba has established himself at Juventus following his free transfer from United two years ago and was a key player in the club's Serie A triumph this season. Mourinho is convinced that the France international, 21, will develop into one of the world's finest midfielders and can be a driving force for Chelsea next season.

The Blues have already made discreet enquiries for Pogba and believe that he could be open to a return to the Premier League. The midfielder has said that he wants to stay in Turin but his agent, Mino Raiola, has spoken of the possibility of him leaving the Italian champions. Chelsea have freed up a place in their squad and on their wage bill after announcing on Friday that they had agreed to sell Luiz to PSG, subject to a medical and personal terms.

The Blues are expected to be active in the transfer market this summer as Mourinho builds a team whom he thinks can make an even stronger challenge next season for Premier League and Champions League glory.

*Paul Pogba

Chelsea now want to bring in a dominant player there, capable of scoring goals, with Frank Lampard, who is in talks over a one-year contract extension, expected to feature even less next season should he agree fresh terms.