soccer world cup 2014 news

Fantasy Finishes in a Flourish

14 Jul 2014


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The final round of McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Fantasy for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ ended in incredible fashion with the winner being decided by the slimmest of margins!

Overall standings 
A goal was all it took to separate Germany and Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final™. Similarly in McDonald’s Fantasy, three points was the margin that separated the winner of McDonald’s Fantasy from the runner-up! Frip69 finished on 893 points while Portugal’s CONDEY recorded 890 points. Both opted for a 5-4-1 formation, but a combination of Captain choice and midfielder selection for the final round gave the American the nudge needed to win the Grand Prize.

Round 7 Winner
Yet again, we had a tie for first place in a round of McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Fantasy! RSN1869 and Zay4atinka scored 130 points each to cement their places at the top of the Round 7 table. One point behind them, FutboleyBCN and Carlão23 finished in joint-third.

In accordance with the rules, FIFA conducted tie-breaking draws to decide the Prize winners for Round 7. Zay4atinka  was declared the winner. For his efforts, RSN1869 will receive the second-place prize. The Third-place prize goes to FutboleyBCN.

Most valuable signing: Daley Blind (Netherlands)
With a clean sheet and a goal to his name against Brazil, the 24-year old defender was a fantastic deal at 4m. Blind secured 14 points for managers backing him in the match against Brazil.

Disappointing purchases: Hulk (Brazil)
The goalscoring pressure on Hulk increased after Neymar was sidelined for Brazil and the solid forward failed to rise to the challenge. In Round 7, Hulk recorded a single point, an unimpressive return for his 7.5m price tag.

Highest points-scoring team: Netherlands
It was a close race between Germany and Netherlands for the highest scoring team of Round 7. Thanks to an impressive 3-0 win over Brazil, The Dutch edged out the eventual champions by 104 points to 99 respectively.

Klose considers Germany future

14 Jul 2014

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Miroslav Klose, finally a FIFA World Cup™ winner at the fourth time of asking, will decide over the coming days whether he wants to continue playing for Germany.

Twelve years after tasting defeat in the final in Yokohama, Klose took home his first World Cup winner's medal on Sunday night after Germany beat Argentina 1-0 after extra-time. Klose earned a standing ovation in the 88th minute when he made way for Germany's match-winner Mario Gotze.

Having become the leading World Cup scorer of all time in Brazil, now seems a poignant time for the 36-year-old to call it a day, but he may yet carry on.

"I do not know yet if I will go on with the national team," said the striker, who scored his 16th World Cup goal in the 7-1 win over Brazil. "I'll take a couple of nights to sleep on it and then make the right decision."

Miroslav Klose, Germany forward

The celebrations for Klose and his team-mates began straight after the final whistle and an hour later some of the players formed a merry conga as they filed past the media and out of the stadium with beer in hand. On Tuesday, a huge party will be thrown in Berlin when the squad lands on home soil.

Lazio striker Klose made his World Cup bow in Japan and Korea in 2002, where he reached the final before losing 2-0 to Brazil. Four years later he won the Golden Boot but Germany only made the semi-finals on home soil, losing to Italy thanks to two very late extra-time goals.

Four years ago Klose took home a second third-place honour but he can now add a medal he really savours to his collection.

"This is outstanding, it crowns everything," he said."We finished second once, were third twice, but this is world-class. I can hardly comprehend it. It was always a dream to be up there (getting the trophy) and not just having to stand around and have to applaud others. The team's performances were important, we wanted to keep our calm because we knew we had the better quality to win it."

Just like coach Joachim Low, Germany's all-time record scorer always knew Gotze had the ability to win the tight match in the Maracana: "Before Mario came on for me, I said to him 'You can make it happen'," Klose revealed.

Bastian Schweinsteiger also has two medals for third place but now he knows how it feels to lift the World Cup too. The 29-year-old epitomised Germany's tireless and industrious attitude in midfield. The Bayern Munich man also ended the match with a nasty cut underneath his right eye following an aerial clash with Sergio Aguero. He believes the fact that two substitutes combined to set up Germany's goal showed how strong their squad is.

"I've never been in a team that has so much power off the bench," he said. "That is the reason why we won the World Cup. We're going to enjoy the moment now. It's incredible. I would like to thank all of Germany for the support. We have felt that support here."

Germany's next target is to dominate world football for years, as Spain did by winning three major trophies in succession.

The potential is there for Germany, sporting had one of the youngest squads in Brazil, and they were also without potential stars like Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan and twins Lars and Sven Bender through injury.

"We all had an incredible cohesion since the preparation camp, and we even had a few setbacks when we lost players like (Lars) Bender and Marco Reus," goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said. "But they are also world champions. The whole of Germany is world champion. It's unbelievable. It is a great experience."

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TOP GLOBAL MARKET STORIES

Dollar Moves Higher As Data Improves and Other Top Forex News.

Source:- Google.com.pk

The dollar recovered most of yesterdays losses in moderate trading on Thursday as economic data turned positive. Brightening the outlook for the U.S. economy.

The dollar was boosted after the Labor Department announced that initial U.S. jobless claims dipped by 2,000 people to 312,000 last week, a sign that the recovery in the labor market is continuing.

While a separate report showed that personal incomes rose by 0.4% in May, in line with forecasts. However, personal spending rose by just 0.2%, below forecasts for 0.4%.

But gains were limited as yesterdays news that the U.S. economy contracted at a faster pace than initially estimated in the first quarter continued to weigh on the market.

The dollar was given a further boost later in the session after St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard told Fox Business Network that an improving economy may make conditions ripe for interest rates to rise possibly in early 2015.

The news caused the euro to weaken against the dollar, with EUR/USD closing the session down -0.15% at 1.3609.

While the pound trimmed gains against the dollar after the BoE announced a new affordability test on banks and a cap on home loans, in a bid to prevent the housing market from destabilizing the U.K. economy. BoE Governor Mark Carney said the recovery is broadening and strengthening, but the housing market is the main risk to financial stability.

But the pound remains supported as the new measures did little to alter expectations that the BoE will raise interest rates ahead of other central banks.

GBP/USD closed the session up 0.24% at 1.7024.

In Asia the Japanese yen rose against most of its major peers as weaker-than-forecast U.S. data added to signs of an uneven recovery in the world’s largest economy and investors sought safety.

USD/JPY closed the session down -0.18% at 101.69.

Elsewhere, the Australian dollar was slightly lower but remains supported following yesterdays weaker than expected GDP growth out of the U.S.

AUD/USD closed the session up 0.01% at 0.9407.

And the New Zealand’s currency dollar climbed as traders bought it with borrowed U.S. dollars in what’s known as a carry trade. The strategy returned 2.7 percent this month, the most among the greenback’s 16 most-traded peers.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has raised its benchmark to 3.25 percent. The Fed has kept the key U.S. rate target at zero to 0.25 percent since 2008, and rates are also close to zero in Japan, and the euro area.

NZD/USD closed the session up 0.40% at 0.8773, down from a high of 0.8776 earlier.

Finally, the Canadian dollar had a topsy turvy day. Climbing against the dollar amid a tepid read on American consumer spending. But the Loonie gave up gains as oil prices softened on ebbing Iraq concerns.

USD/CAD closed the session up 0.30% at 1.0688.

More coverage of today’s session.

Reuters: Fed’s Bullard says jobs growth is ‘ahead of schedule’. –  U.S. jobs growth is “way ahead of schedule,” and most data suggest the economy is getting stronger, a top Fed official said on Thursday, downplaying recent data that showed a steeper-than-expected plunge in first-quarter GDP growth.
WSJ: Consumer spending rises on higher inflation. – Americans spent cautiously in May despite stronger income growth, a sign the economy is struggling to lift off after a winter downturn.

More Top Stories:

Marc Chandler: Dollar mixed, Sterling recovers. – The dollar-bloc remains firm. Sterling has recovered as macro-prudential steps do not trump rate hike pressure. China announces a modest liberalization measure.

SMH: Australian dollar rallies but Kiwi has a blockbuster. – The Australian dollar rallied on Thursday after weaker than expected GDP growth out of the US gave further buying impetus to those seeking antipodean yields.

International Business Times: Will Kiwi dollar’s rise force Reserve Bank of New Zealand to intervene? – Weaker than expected US growth data on Wednesday underpinned the view that the Federal Reserve will take longer to tighten dollar supplies, helping risk appetite and strengthening other currencies against the greenback.

Globe and Mail: Loonie extends gains amid disappointing U.S. consumer spending data. – The Canadian dollar was slightly higher Thursday amid mixed commodity prices and a tepid read on American consumer spending.

Bloomberg: Gold falls for first time in seven sessions on jobs data. – Gold futures fell for the first time in seven sessions as fewer Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, crimping demand for the precious metal as alternative investment.

Dollar wilts in wake of downbeat US GDP revision 

TOKYO/SYDNEY: The dollar languished near one-month lows against a basket of major currencies on Thursday, following a surprise downward revision to US first quarter economic growth.

The dollar index fell as far as 80.091 on Wednesday, a low not seen since May 22, as investors reacted negatively to data that showed the US gross domestic product contracted at a 2.9 per cent annualised pace, the sharpest decline in five years.

The index, which tracks the greenback against a baske ..

The dollar index fell as far as 80.091 on Wednesday, a low not seen since May 22, as investors reacted negatively to data that showed the US gross domestic product contracted at a 2.9 per cent annualised pace, the sharpest decline in five years
The index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of rivals, recovered to 80.175 in Asian trade but was still down about 0.1 per cent on the day.

While economists said other data showed the economy rebounding in this quarter and the weak first quarter GDP showing was mainly due to one-off factors, it still gave no reason to expect the US Federal Reserve would increase interest rates anytime soon.

Germany and Ghana ,FIFA

Germany, Ghana share spoils in Fortaleza thriller

Source:- Google.com.pk

Estadio CastelaoFortaleza (BRA)21 Jun 2014 - 16:00 Local time

Group Stage - Group G

FULL-TIME

2-2

GERMANY                                                                                    GHANA

Germany and Ghana were forced to settle for a share of the points after their back-and-forth thriller in Fortaleza finished 2-2. All the goals came in the second-half of the Group G contest as strikers Miroslav Klose and Asamoah Gyan both equaled FIFA World Cup™ scoring records.

The Africans had the first chance of the game at the Estadio Castelao. Lively winger Christian Atsu raced up the right and crossed low and dangerously through the area, where Asamoah Gyan was only able to slam the ball over the bar with a sliding effort. Not long after, in the 13th minute, Kwadwo Asamoah stretched Manuel Neuer with a swinging shot from the edge of the box.

It soon became clear that Ghana would be a far tougher proposition for the Germans than Portugal were in their first game. The Africans’ speed and agility caused the Europeans problems throughout the first-half. But Thomas Muller, hat-trick hero from their opening game, continued to look dangerous in attack for the Mannschaft. Near the half-hour mark Sulley Muntari tested Neuer again with a pile-driver from well outside the area that had the German No1 scrambling to punch clear.

Mario Gotze had a snap-shot saved ten minutes from the break. Most of the German attacks up to then fizzled out before any serious danger was caused, slid away by a highly elastic Ghanaian central defensive pairing, who stretched and dove to keep the score-sheet clean.

German coach Joachim Low must have figured things out at the half, because it took his side only six second-half minutes to open the scoring. Gotze snuck in between the centre-backs and hit home a Muller cross from the right with his thigh. The early cross was the secret weapon to unlocking the Ghanaians.

Ghana’s response, however, was immediate and similar. An early cross from the right picked out Andre Ayew, who headed home brilliantly to the back post just seconds after seeing his side go behind. Ghana were suddenly in the mood and Gyan made it 2-1 to the Africans, tying the immortal Roger Milla of Cameroon as the top-scoring African in World Cup history. Muntari picked off a slack pass in midfield and laid on a righteous ball for the racing Gyan, who fired inside the back post to send the Ghanaian fans into ecstasy.

But the Germans weren’t done yet and second-half substitute Miroslav Klose slid home a flicked-on corner-kick in the 71st minute to level the score again. It was the striker’s 15th World Cup goal, bringing him level with Ronaldo as the top marksman in World Cup history. There were chances at either end as the clock wound down, but 2-2 it was to stay.

Germany close out their section campaign against USA on the northern coast in Recife on 26 June, the same time Ghana face Portugal.