Former Liverpool defender Matip confirms retirement after Anfield exit

England manager Roy Hodgson admits Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker is a doubt for Euro 2012.

The tireless Parker has become an integral part of the England team over the past few seasons but could be a huge miss as the tournament edges closer.

Hodgson, who named his squad on Wednesday, is unsure whether Parker will be available, but remains optimistic.

Scott s had an injection which will probably take a week for us to see if it s been successful or not, Hodgson told reporters.

He could still miss out, although from what I m hearing, it won t be a problem. He s very confident.

We ve got until the 29 May to finalise the squad and I may still have a call to make on that one if it s looking dubious, if there is a doubt.

I ll have that …

On the 2018 World Cup s longest day, the fan park where it never goes dark felt like the most appropriate place to watch the late kick-off.

St. Petersburg s big-screen bonanza resides in a picturesque city-center location, in the shadow of the beautiful Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Croatia s 2-0 win over Nigeria was not quick to live up to the setting.

Following Iceland s latest precision slingshot to the eye of a footballing Goliath, fans from around the world rubbed shoulders and got into a party atmosphere reaching fever pitch as Peru laid fruitless siege to Denmark and Kasper Schmeichel s goal.

It had been a sun-soaked day spent aboard a giddying carousel of the best the international game had to offer, but Croatia and Nigeria got underway in Kali…

Germany midfielder Torsten Frings insists his side are capable of winning Euro 2008 in June to be crowned European champions for the fourth time.

We have what it is takes to be champions, said Frings on the German Football League (DFL) website after Germany won the European Championships in 1972, 1980 and 1996.

But we belong to a group of favorites which includes France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.

Frings has missed most of the season after suffering three knee injuries and has only played eight matches for Werder Bremen this season.

His last appearance for the Germany team was in October 2007, but national coach Joachim Loew is set to name him on May 16 when he unveils his 23-man squad for Euro 2008.

Torsten is a player who can raise…

Liverpool are interested in signing Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad in the summer transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. The well-known and well-respected journalist has claimed that Premier League club Liverpool are planning to hold talks with La Liga outfit Sociedad as well as with defensive midfielder Zubimendi.

Romano wrote on : “ Liverpool are exploring move for Martin Zubimendi as new midfielder, as there’s €60m release clause into his contract. Talks will follow between clubs and on player side.”

Zubimendi has been on the books of Sociedad since 2011 and has established himself in the first team after coming through the Spanish club’s youth system. The 25-year-old Spain international defensive midfielder scored four goals and gave one assist…

UEFA will move the Women s Euro 2021 finals as part of its plan to reorganise the football calendar, the German FA has said.

Football authorities across the world are adjusting plans to cope with major delays caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The women s European Championship finals had been scheduled to take place in England from July 7 to August 1 next year.

Those dates would mean an overlapping with the men s European Championship, which has been set back 12 months to run from June 11 to July 11 2021.

The German FA (DFB) said on Twitter that the Euro 2020 delay would affect the women s showpiece tournament, with no decision yet taken on when it might be played.

On its women s football account, the DFB said: The [UEFA] executive c…

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has admitted that he could retire from the game when his current contract expires in 2013, in an interview with France Football magazine published on Tuesday.

Gerrard made his debut for the club in 1998 and has since gone on to win two FA Cups, one League Cup, one UEFA Cup and the 2005 Champions League, when he inspired his side to a memorable comeback from 3-0 down against AC Milan.

I will be 33 at the end of my contract in 2013 and I don t know if I will go any further, said Gerrard, 29, who was named the Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year for 2008-09 after scoring 24 goals in all competitions.

If I do retire, then I will know that from the start to the end of my career I only had one club. And I don t want t…

Flamengo head coach Renato Gaucho is dreaming of Copa Libertadores glory as defending champions Palmeiras bid to become the first team in 20 years to retain the South American crown.

Montevideo is the scene for this year s all-Brazilian Libertadores final between 2019 winners Flamengo and titleholders Palmeiras on Saturday.

Uruguay s iconic Centenario stadium brings back good memories for two-time champions Flamengo, who trumped Chile s Cobreloa in 1981 for their first Libertadores trophy 40 years ago.

Flamengo remain undefeated in the 2021 edition. They will be aiming to repeat the feat of rivals Corinthians, who are still the only team to win the title while going undefeated in the current format of the tournament, following their 2012 achievement.

Spea…

Peter Crouch equalled Alan Shearer’s record for headed Premier League goals on this day in 2015.

The then 34-year-old nodded in a 71st-minute winner for Stoke in a 1-0 victory at Hull on February 28, 2015 for his 46th headed goal in the top flight.

Crouch admitted afterwards that he had enjoyed proving wrong those who doubted his aerial ability.

The 6ft 7in striker said: “There were a lot of people in the early days who said I was better on the ground than at heading, so it’s pleasing to rub it in a little bit.

“A lot of people said, for my size, I wasn’t as good (at heading) as I should have been when I was younger. Becoming the record holder for headed goals in the Premier League is something I didn’t think would happen when I was 15 or 16.<…

Both the Falcons and Dolphins come into this after playing games in London, something you don’t see all that regularly. Miami might have forsaken their post-London bye week but they’ll be eager to get back to winning ways after losing to the Jaguars.

Meanwhile, the Falcons sit bottom of the NFC South with a 2-3 record but did show some promise during their trip to London with Kyle Pitts having his breakout game.

It’s going to be a tough game between two teams with losing records, so make sure you’re on the right end of the result by reading our NFL picks and predictions for the Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins.

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The Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys face off in the final week of NFL preseason action before the 2022 season kicks off.

This will be an intriguing matchup with Seattle’s starting quarterback job still up in the air between Geno Smith and Drew Lock. With Dallas expected to rest almost all of its starters, the line has grown to favor the Seahawks as 7-point chalk as they head to AT&T Stadium for Friday’s game.

Here are our best free NFL betting picks and predictions for Seahawks vs. Cowboys on August 26.

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