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Mid-Day Ticker: Schweinsteiger questionable, River Plate promoted and more

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

If Germany is to defeat Italy in the Euro 2012 semifinals and advance the the tournament finale, they might have to do it without one of their key midfielders.

Bastian Schweinsteiger is questionable for Germany's semifinal bout on Thursday against Andrea Pirlo and the rest of the Azzurri with an ankle injury. Schweinsteiger revealed in a recent interview that his ankle still has not fully healed after tearing a ligament in it in February and that it has caused his discomfort during Euro 2012.

Schweinsteiger has been taking breaks from training throughout the tournament in an effort to rest the injured ankle, but he endured a subpar showing in Germany's 4-2 quarterfinals victory over Greece.

Here are more stories from around the soccer world:

RIVER PLATE BACK IN ARGENTINA'S TOP TIER

A year after suffering an unprecedented relegation to the second division, historic Argentine club River Plate is back in the country's top tier. River Plate gained promotion back to the first division with a 2-0 victory over Almirante Brown over the weekend. Former French international David Trezeguet scored both goals in the second half for River Plate.

BARTON LOSES QPR CAPTAINCY

Joey Barton's antics in Queens Park Rangers' season finale are proving quiet costly. Barton has been stripped of his QPR captaincy and fined six weeks' pay after the club committed an investigation into the violent conduct he committed against Manchester City in the last game of the campaign on May 13. This punishment comes after the FA handed Barton a 12-match ban and fined him $116,700 for his elbow on Carlos Tevez, kick on Sergio Aguero and his attempted headbutt on Vincent Kompany.

RUDDY SIGNS NEW NORWICH CITY DEAL

Norwich City has signed goalkeeper goalkeeper John Ruddy to a new four-year deal that will keep him with the club until 2016. The 25-year-old Ruddy joined Norwich in 2010 from Everton and had a solid season in between the pipes for the Canaries, who were keen to extend his stay. The new deal is the latest positive bit of news for Ruddy, who earlier this summer received a call-up to England's national team for Euro 2012 before having to withdraw from the squad with an injury.

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What do you think of Germany's chances if Schweinsteiger cannot play against Italy? Expecting River Plate to make a run for the title this upcoming season? Think Barton's latest punishments are too severe?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. What Barton did was predictable given his track record.

    The interesting thing is he still has a job. What does that tell you about the people who hired him and probably will continue to hire him in the future?

    There must be a market for guys who do what he does since he seems to stay employed.

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  2. Probably not yet and let’s hope you are right but maybe you’ve never lived through a situation like they are having in Egypt right now.

    I have and I can tell you that my guess is having the Pharaohs do well could really help. If I’m Egyptian even if I’m not a soccer fan, I would think this would be a bummer.

    Of course it may not make a difference either way. Zidan is an important to that team, tough to replace and while I don’t blame him for looking out for himself Bradley really had little choice but to cut ties.

    Chandler’s situation is similar in shape but in terms of the impact on the respective teams and countries,it’s pretty trivial by comparison.

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  3. No offense Franco, but it seems like every injury story starts with “if [Team X] is to [reach some goal], then they will have to do it without [injured player].” I guess there is nothing really wrong with it, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

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  4. Trezeguet grew up in Gran Buenos Aires. He’s just returning to his childhood home.

    2006 World Cup winner, Mauro Camoranesi was born and raised in Argentina, but played for Italy’s national team. He now plays for LanĂºs in Argentina’s Liga A.

    Also, Argentina’s top division is a slightly slower, much more skilled league than the MLS. It also is filled with much shorter players. Trezeguet’s aerial ability and knowledge of the game help him excel in Argentina and his declining foot speed isn’t as much of an issue.

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  5. “a 12-match ban and fined him $116,700 for his elbow on Carlos Tevez, kick on Sergio Aguero and his attempted headbutt on Vincent Kompany.”

    – HAHA, remember that one!

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  6. “I wish Klinsmann would have had the guts to do last month with Timothy Chandler (when Chandler declined a USMNT call-up to keep his Germany options open) what BB did with Zidan.”

    The two situations seem ( we don’t really know what went on with Chandler) very different if only in degree.

    Egypt is in a very hyper state of emergency what with everything that has happened and is still happening.

    What Mohamed Zidan seems to be doing is akin to treason given the heightened emotions in the circumstances. If Egypt’s team can do well they can do an awful lot of good for a country sorely in need of some good news. BB had little choice.

    To compare the impact of Chandler’s behavior on the USMNT to the impact of Mohamed Zidan’s behavior on the Pharoah’s, makes little sense.

    No one died because of what Chandler did while people already have in Egypt.

    Klinsmann is no dummy; while we still have a chance of Chandler changing his mind it makes no sense to burn that bridge until you have to. Especially when it is clear to everyone that the USMNT could really use him.

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  7. More than likely it’ll be Toni Kroos. Gotze is also coming a pretty serious injury that forced him to almost half of the 11/12 season. And he didn’t look all that sharp vs Switzerland. And a midfield of Ozil Gotze and Khedira was easily overrun.

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  8. Very interesting news story saying that Egypt coach Bob Bradley has vowed to never again call up star Egypt striker Mohamed Zidan. Apparently Zidan wanted time off to visit a club in China about a potential contract, and Bradley refused, as there is a crucial African Cup qualifying game coming up June 30 against Central African Republic. But Zidan left camp anyway and Bradley reacted like a coach should. I wish Klinsmann would have had the guts to do last month with Timothy Chandler (when Chandler declined a USMNT call-up to keep his Germany options open) what BB did with Zidan.

    Egypt’s game June 30 is key, as Central African Republic shocked Egypt last week, beating them 3-2, Egypt’s only home loss ever in African Cup qualifying. If Egypt cannot win by two goals June 30, then Egypt will again not make it into the group stage of the African Cup competition.

    Here is a link to the BB news stories:

    No Egypt future for Mohamed Zidan

    http://tinyurl.com/73pp5ef

    Egypt coach blames loss on weariness, poor passing

    http://tinyurl.com/796qoj3

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  9. I had no idea that David Trezeguet was playing for River Plate. It’s unusual, to say the least, to see Europeans going over to play in South America. Pretty cool, though.

    I know it’s a moot point, but would imagine that if Trezeguet is doing well playing in Argentina, then he would be a solid addition to just about any MLS team (although he has to be in his mid 30s by now).

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  10. Barton is getting what he earned that day. He’s lucky his team wasn’t relegated.

    He’s either 1)demonstrated that he still can’t control his emotions on the pitch or 2)demonstrated that he did all this stuff with a calculated purpose to try to get a player sent off from City by initiating scuffles. I’m not sure which is worse, but his bed is pretty well made in my view.

    Reply

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