Published 10 April 2017

Iraq’s Radhi Shenaishil became the third coaching casualty of Asian World Cup qualifying Group B when he was sacked late on Monday.

The 50-year-old was shown the door after defeat to Saudi Arabia in Jeddah at the end of last month all but ruled the country out of contention for a place in Russia next year.

“We are not happy with the results and the coaching team is to be sacked and replaced by foreign staff,” read a statement on the Iraq FA Facebook page (www.facebook.com/iraqfa).

“The FA will work with the Iraqi government and Iraqi Olympic Committee to provide funds for a replacement.”

Shenaishil’s departure follows that of United Arab Emirates coach Mahdi Ali, who quit after a 2-0 loss to Australia in Sydney in the same round of matches effectively ended his team’s dreams of qualifying for Russia.

Thailand’s Kiatisuk Senamuang also stepped down in the wake of the 4-0 thrashing by Japan that ended slim Thai hopes of reaching the finals for the first time.

Shenaishil led Iraq to the semi-finals of the 2015 Asian Cup in a previous stint in charge and, after a spell at Baghdad club Al-Shorta, returned to mastermind the bid to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986.Hampered by having to play their “home” matches in neutral venues for security reasons, the Iraqis were always going to struggle to clinch a ticket to Russia after losing their first three qualifiers of the third round.

The 1-0 loss to the Saudis on March 28 left the 2007 Asian champions fifth in Group B with four points from seven matches, nine points behind third-placed Australia and 12 in arrears to leaders Saudi Arabia and Japan.

The top two teams qualify directly for Russia, while third place offers a further berth via a playoff against the similarly placed team in Group A and an intercontinental tie against a team from the Central and North America Confederation.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Published 10 April 2017

– Arsenal’s hopes of finishing in the Premier League’s top four suffered a potentially fatal blow as they suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Crystal Palace on Monday.

Victory had been imperative for an Arsenal side that had won only two league games since January but the abject display with Andros Townsend, Yohan Cabaye and Luka Milivojevic all scoring for Palace only heaped more pressure on manager Arsene Wenger.

Sixth-placed Arsenal, who have finished in the top four in 20 consecutive seasons under Wenger, now have 54 points from 30 games — seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, who have played a game more.

“It’s damaging of course,” a seemingly dispirited Wenger told Sky Sports when asked about how serious the blow was to their chances of Champions League soccer next season. “That’s the most difficult thing for us tonight.”

Rejuvenated Palace, winners of four of their previous five league games under Sam Allardyce, started confidently and opened the scoring when former Tottenham winger Townsend swept the ball home at the end of a smart passing move after 17 minutes.

Palace striker Christian Benteke then had a goal ruled out for offside before Cabaye’s superb curled effort and Milivojevic’s penalty in five second-half minutes completed a miserable night for Wenger at a raucous Selhurst Park.

Palace stay 16th but now have 34 points from 31 matches, six more than Swansea City, who occupy the final relegation place in 18th and have played a game more.

“All we can do is apologize for that performance,” Arsenal’s Theo Walcott said after Arsenal fans had sung ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ at their players.

“It was a great three points and a well needed-three points,” Townsend said.

“Sam Allardyce has been incredible. He looks to have worked his magic again.”

Arsenal started shakily against in-form Palace and within the first seven minutes Cabaye had wasted a dangerous shooting position before Milivojevic blazed narrowly wide.

Arsenal settled into a period of possession but Palace were a constant threat on the break and it was a long ball from a goalkick that yielded the breakthrough.After Benteke won a header, a neat passing move ended with Townsend stroking home a cross from the slipping Wilfried Zaha, high past Emiliano Martinez.

In response Arsenal created a few chances via Alexis Sanchez but the hosts looked capable of scoring whenever they ran at Arsenal’s fragile defense.

Benteke had a goal ruled out for offside after the break before Palace added a well-deserved, quickfire brace.

First, Cabaye met Zaha’s cross with a superb, first-time effort before the impressive Milivojevic converted from the penalty spot after Townsend was fouled.

Without some desperate last-ditch defending Palace, revitalized in their past six games, could have scored further goals.

(Reporting by Tom Hayward; Editing by Ken Ferris and Ian Chadband)

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The United States, Mexico and Canada announced on Monday that they were making a joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. soccer chief said would produce the biggest financial boon ever for FIFA.

No nation from CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, has hosted the tournament since the United States in 1994.

The 2018 World Cup will be in Russia, while Qatar hosts the event in 2022. The bidding process for the 2026 tournament is expected to begin later this year and to run until 2020.

“We announce our bid to bring the World Cup back to the United States, to Canada and Mexico in 2026,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati told a news conference in the 102nd floor observatory of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

“We look forward to welcoming the world after what we hope is a successful bid.”

Gulati said the initial plan was for 60 of the 80 World Cup games to be played in the U.S., with Canada and Mexico hosting 10 each. All matches from the quarter-finals onwards would be in the U.S.

Asked whether Mexico in particular, which hosted the World Cup in 1970 and 1986, wanted to hold more matches, Gulati said: “I think it’s safe to say both countries would have liked to host more. In the end, it was a discussion, a negotiation, but a very friendly one.”

Following the presentation, Gulati, Mexican federation president Decio de Maria and Canada Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani, who is also CONCACAF president, signed a memorandum of understanding to join forces in the bid.

The CONCACAF region is widely viewed as favorite to win the 2026 World Cup, given FIFA rules that restrict Europe and Asia from hosting again so quickly. FIFA is soccer’s world governing body.

Africa, whose only World Cup was in South Africa in 2010, however, would be able to bid and Morocco is the most likely candidate. Newly elected president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Ahmad Ahmad has said he would back such an effort.

Some reports have suggested that Morocco, which failed in bids for four previous World Cups, could team up with Spain and possibly Portugal in a joint bid.

But Gulati touted the financial clout of the North American bid.

“A World Cup in North America, with 60 games in the United States will be by far the most successful World Cup in the history of FIFA in terms of economics,” he said.”We’ve got 500 million people in these three countries. This will be an extraordinarily successful World Cup on financial and economic grounds.”

TRUMP’S BLESSING

As for whether U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for a border wall to stem illegal immigration from Mexico was a hurdle, Gulati said Trump encouraged the bid and that the joint effort required and won support from the governments of all three countries.

“We outlined through someone who was communicating directly with the president what we wanted to do, and the message we got back was that the president encouraged us to go forward … said he was supportive of it and very pleased that Mexico was a part of it,” the U.S. soccer head said.

“To have governmental support is a critical part of a bid.”

(Additional reporting by Frank Pingue and Simon Evans; Editing by Andrew Both)

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