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WARSAW, June 21 (Reuters) - Poland’s friendly against Germany in September has been switched to Gdansk because Warsaw’s National Stadium, due to host the opening game of Euro 2012, is still not ready, the Polish Football Association (PZPN) said on Tuesday.

Construction delays to stadiums have been a major problem for Poland, who will co-host the June 8-July 1 2012 tournament with Ukraine.

The opening of the Warsaw’s top stadium, which will also stage a Euro 2012 semi-final, has been postponed from June to November.

Poland have already moved a June friendly with France because of delays in works on the Gdansk stadium, which is due to open in three weeks.

“Today we are confident that the September game with Germany will take place in that beautiful stadium (in Gdansk),” deputy head of PZPN Zdzislaw Krecina said in a statement. (Reporting by Patryk Wasilewski, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Labels: friendly, Polands, ready, Reuters, stadium

By Lawrence Booth
Last updated at 9:21 AM on 18th February 2011

England take on Pakistan today in a warm-up game that feels more like a grudge  match following the acrimonious events of 2010.

The sides have been staying in the same Dhaka hotel during the build-up to the  World Cup, which starts here tomorrow with Bangladesh against India following  last night's colourful opening ceremony, but Stuart Broad admitted the two  teams – who have not met since the summer – have given each other a wide berth.

'We’ve seen them but not spoken to them,’ said the England fast bowler. ‘And it’s not like we've been going out for dinner with them.’

The banned trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer are absent  following their part in the no-ball scandal that wrecked the Lord’s Test.

But  Wahab Riaz – the seamer who clashed with Jonathan Trott before the one-day  international at the same ground – is in Pakistan’s squad.

Broad, whose career-best 169 at Lord’s was all but forgotten amid the controversy, admitted: ‘Obviously it was a tough time for us last year: all  England players will say the same.

'We enjoyed the cricket, but the  off-the-field incidents did damage our wonderful summer of cricket. But you've  got to move on and the World Cup campaign is our sole focus.’

England made an unconvincing start to their tour on Wednesday when they  squeezed out minnows Canada by 16 runs in their opening warm-up match Fatullah,  but Broad’s haul of five for 39 in his first game since tearing stomach muscles  in Adelaide in December was a rare ray of light.

‘It was great to get back on the pitch,’ he said. ‘I was a bit nervous before  the start, but I feel very fresh having not played for a long time and very fit  after all the gym work.’

Labels: daily, England, final, friendly, hardly, Itaposs, Match, Pakistan, warmup

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)—Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is hoping a return to international duty for the Netherlands in a friendly against Austria will help him rediscover a scoring touch that has deserted him at club level.

Huntelaar has not scored for Schalke in nine matches but has been in blistering form for the Netherlands since spending most of the World Cup on the bench during the team’s run to the final in South Africa last year.

He is the top scorer in qualifying for the 2012 European Championship with eight goals in four matches, two more than Miroslav Klose of Germany.

Most of those goals came with Robin van Persie out injured, and the Arsenal striker will also miss Wednesday’s match in Eindhoven because he has the flu.

“I’m looking forward to being back with the Netherlands team this week,” Huntelaar told the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper.

The match at Philips Stadium was to have marked Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong’s return from international exile. Coach Bert van Marwijk recalled De Jong to the squad for the first time since dropping him following his tackle that left Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa with a broken leg in October, but De Jong injured an ankle in Manchester City’s 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Also missing for the Netherlands is Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart with a calf injury. But Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder is available after recently returning to fitness following an injury.

“I’m fully fit, just in time,” the playmaker said.

The Netherlands has a 100 percent record from its four Euro 2012 qualifiers while Austria also is undefeated so far, with two wins and a thrilling 4-4 draw with Belgium in its last match.

In-form FC Twente striker Marc Janko had hoped to line up for Austria against his club teammates Theo Janssen, Peter Wisgerhof and Luuk de Jong, who was called up Monday to replace Van Persie, but Janko will miss the match with a groin injury.

In the absence of De Jong and Van der Vaart, Janssen looks likely to start Wednesday as defensive midfielder alongside Mark van Bommel.

Austria is missing two more forwards—Stuttgart winger Martin Harnik pulled out after injuring his calf over the weekend, while Red Bull Salzburg forward Roman Wallner damaged a thigh muscle during practice on Monday.

Austria coach Dietmar Constantini called up Roman Kienast as a replacement. The Sturm Graz striker joined the team for the first time since October 2008.

“We don’t have to fear the Netherlands but it’s obvious they are the world’s No. 2 team,” Austria assistant coach Manfred Zsak said. “They are aggressive in defense, want the ball back immediately and like to attack over both wings.”

Defender Emanuel Pogatetz scored his first international goal during a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in a 2004 European Championship qualifier.

“It would be great to score again on Wednesday,” said Pogatetz, who praised the opponent for their ability to keep the ball in possession.

“The Dutch do that extremely well so we must make sure we don’t give away the ball too easily,” added the Hannover defender, who was expected to play his 40th game for Austria. “We will have to attack them in midfield to keep them away from our penalty area.”

Associated Press writer Eric Willemsen in Vienna contributed to this report.

Labels: Austria, friendly, Huntelaar, scoring, seeks, touch

WARSAW, Poland, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Poland 1 Moldova 0 - international friendly result on Sunday.

In Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Portugal.

Scorer: Dawid Plizga 15

Halftime: 1-0

Referee: Ivo Santos (Portugal)

(Compiled by Adrian Krajewski; Editing by Toby Davis)

Labels: friendly, International, Moldova, Poland, result, Reuters

AMSTERDAM (AP)—Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has pulled out of the Netherlands squad for its friendly against Austria on Wednesday after going down with ‘flu.

The Netherlands Football Union said Monday coach Bert van Marwijk called up FC Twente forward Luuk de Jong to replace Van Persie.

The Arsenal striker’s absence is the latest setback for Van Marwijk. On Saturday, midfielders Rafael van der Vaart of Tottenham and Nigel de Jong of Manchester City pulled out with injuries.

No replacement was called up for Van der Vaart or De Jong, who was set to make his international return after being dropped for three matches for a tackle that left Newcastle player Hatem Ben Arfa with a broken leg.

World Cup runner-up the Netherlands plays Austria in Eindhoven.

Labels: Dutch, friendly, Persie, pulls, Robin, squad

Steven Gerrard will play no part in England's friendly with Denmark on Wednesday due to a groin problem.

The midfielder would have been favourite to captain the side in the absence of Rio Ferdinand but, despite playing the full 90 minutes of Sunday's 1-0 win over Chelsea, he will not feature.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish confirmed Gerrard would report for assessment with the England doctors but that he would not be available for duty.

"He has a groin problem," said Dalglish.

"He has to go so they (England) can have a look at him but we've spoken to England and he'll not be playing."

Gerrard was caught up in a club-versus-country row last time he played for England after sustaining a hamstring injury in the friendly against France.

Gerrard played 85 minutes of the match despite Fabio Capello initially agreeing with the Reds to keep their skipper on for just an hour.

His subsequent injury, which kept him on the sidelines as former boss Roy Hodgson endured a turbulent time at Anfield, saw the club receive an insurance payment from the Football Association to cover his wages while absent.

Labels: Association, England, friendly, Gerrard, Press