Zlatan on the mind of swedes
Yekaterinburg: Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired from international football two years ago but Sweden's former talisman looms over their World Cup campaign like only he can. It is only too tempting for Sweden fans to wonder what might have been had the former Paris Saint-Germain player been in the side for Saturday's match against Germany, which ended in a painful last-gasp defeat. Or allow themselves to imagine what impact Ibrahimovic could have had this Wednesday, when Sweden face Mexico in a make-or-break final group game in Yekaterinburg. Now 36 and in the twilight of his career at lA Galaxy, the giant forward hit 62 goals in 116 games for Sweden before quitting the international scene in 2016. There was speculation in the build-up to the World Cup that he might make a dramatic return and the much-travelled Ibrahimovic, who also played for Manchester United and Barcelona, mischievously dropped numerous hints. But Sweden coach Janne Andersson did not court him. "Zlatan is very welcome to call me" — and Ibrahimovic ended up being in Russia only for commercial reasons.
lEWANDOWSKI URGES TO SAVE PRIDE
SOCHI: Poland skipper Robert lewandowski has urged his team to salvage some pride in their final World Cup game against Japan as they faced up to the disappointment of an early elimination from the tournament. The Poles came to Russia with high hopes but a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at the hands of Colombia on Sunday confirmed they will not make it out of their group. It followed a 2-1 defeat against Senegal in their opening game in Group H and made them the first European team to be knocked out of the tournament. "Right now we realise we didn't do well enough but that is something we cannot overcome," said Bayern Munich striker lewandowski in a press conference at the team's base in Sochi. "We fought as much as we could but that was all we could do, bearing in mind the problems we had before the World Cup in terms of injuries and form." Poland impressed in qualifying but their friendly results before the World Cup were mixed and a shoulder injury suffered by defensive stalwart Kamil Glik just before the competition has not helped.lewandowski, who has been unable to make an impact in the tournament, refused to be drawn on his own international future.
Ryan family's World Cup adventure
S0CHI: There is no chance of Mathew Ryan getting homesick at the World Cup -- the Australia goalkeeper has paid for 27 members of his family to come out to Russia and support him and the Socceroos. "It is the first time other than my mother and my sister that I've paid for my family to come across and watch," Ryan said on Monday, ahead of Australia's crucial final group game in Russia against Peru. "Obviously a World Cup doesn't come around every so often, so the chance to share something like this with them, it was a no-brainer. "I asked my family members if they were interested, if they were able to come across, and half of them said yes, so half of them are still at home. It's a little better for the bank account I guess!" The 26-year-old goalkeeper from New South Wales has had his family in tow as he played in both of Australia's matches so far, a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of France and then a 1-1 draw with Denmark. "There is nothing better than being able to treat your family well and look after them and I'm very fortunate and thankful to football for allowing me to do that," said Ryan, who now plays for Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier league. His entourage ranges from his three-year old cousin to his grandfather, who is in his 70s.
AllI BACK TO ENGlAND TRAINING
ST PETERSBURG: Dele Alli was back training today, sprinting and kicking balls, as Gareth Southgate planned ahead for England's final World Cup group game against Belgium. Alli's availability would be a boost and his participation at England's base in Repino suggests the midfielder is close to recovering from a thigh strain he picked up in the side's opening win against Tunisia. But with qualification already secured and a strong argument emerging for finishing second rather than first in Group G, Southgate must decide whether key players, including Alli, are in need of a rest or if he sticks to a winning formula. While the eleven that started Sunday's match against Panama were spared training after their crushing 6-1 win, England's substitutes were put through a running session and did some ball work. Ruben loftus-Cheek, Alli's replacement against Panama, was bright and composed in Nizhny Novgorod, his shot cannoning off Harry Kane and into the net for England's sixth.But Alli possesses a goal threat that loftus-Cheek lacks and, crucially, England need if they are to take the burden away from their free-scoring captain.